Flight AA-167 | Registration: N829AN
Date: 31 March 2025 | Location: Over the North Pacific Ocean
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Introduction
On 31 March 2025, an American Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, registration N829AN, operating transpacific flight AA-167 from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND), diverted mid-flight due to an engine anti-ice system fault. The aircraft, cruising at FL360 approximately 1,100 nautical miles west of Vancouver, British Columbia, initiated a return to the United States and safely landed at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) nearly six hours after the decision to divert.
There were no reported injuries, and the diversion was carried out as a precautionary measure. The aircraft was returned to service on 2 April 2025 following maintenance and inspection.
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Flight Details
• Aircraft Type: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
• Engines: 2 × General Electric GEnx-1B
• Operator: American Airlines
• Registration: N829AN
• Flight Number: AA-167
• Departure Airport: New York JFK (JFK), USA
• Intended Destination: Tokyo Haneda (HND), Japan
• Diversion Airport: Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), USA
• Occupants: Estimated 250+ (passengers and crew)
• Cruising Altitude at Time of Incident: FL360
• Distance from Vancouver at Time of Turnback: ~1,100 nautical miles
• Time to Landing Post-Diversion: ~6 hours
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Incident Overview
While cruising over the North Pacific Ocean, flight AA-167 experienced a fault related to the anti-ice system on one of its General Electric GEnx engines. This system prevents ice formation on critical engine components during high-altitude flight, especially in moisture-rich environments. A malfunction can pose operational risks, particularly over oceanic routes with limited diversion options.
According to a passenger on board, the crew announced that the issue was isolated to the engine’s anti-ice system. No inflight engine shutdown or power loss was reported. However, due to the aircraft’s extended twin-engine operations (ETOPS) requirements and distance from suitable diversion airports, the crew made the prudent decision to discontinue the transpacific crossing and divert to Dallas Fort Worth.
The flight landed safely without further complications.
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Operational Considerations
The Boeing 787 is certified for ETOPS-330, meaning it can legally operate up to 330 minutes from the nearest suitable airport on a single engine. However, any fault with critical engine systems, including anti-ice, reduces ETOPS margins and mandates deviation from the original route under regulatory guidelines.
Returning to Dallas Fort Worth, a primary American Airlines maintenance base, allowed for immediate inspection and repair with minimal network disruption.
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Post-Incident Actions
• Maintenance Response: Engineers at DFW conducted diagnostics and maintenance on the engine anti-ice system.
• Aircraft Status: N829AN was returned to active service on 2 April 2025 following clearance.
• Passenger Reaccommodation: Affected passengers were rebooked onto later flights to Tokyo or offered alternate connections.
• No Injuries Reported: The incident concluded without injury or damage.
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Conclusion
While the fault was non-critical, the incident underscores the importance of redundancy, ETOPS adherence, and proactive crew decision-making over remote oceanic airspace. The safe diversion of American Airlines flight AA-167 reflects proper procedural response to a potentially escalating technical anomaly.
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Disclaimer
This report is based on publicly available information and operational data as of 3 April 2025. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, details may evolve pending further internal investigation by American Airlines or regulatory authorities. If you are the rightful owner of any referenced content and wish to request removal, please contact takedown@cockpitking.com.
