​FAA ‘Looking Into’ Viral Boeing 777 Low-Pass Video

Aviation geeks on Thursday morning hotly debated whether a viral video shared by X user @EBAviation—which appears to depict a Boeing 777-200LR making an extremely low pass at Horseshoe Bay Resort Jet Center in Texas, nearly scraping the runway—is real or generated by artificial intelligence.

“Inches from disaster and for what? Stupid stupid stupid,” opined Steve Giordano, a partner with Nomadic Aviation Group who runs the CockpitCasual YouTube channel.

FLYING has not been able to independently verify the video’s authenticity. Some commenters pointed out that the 777’s flaps were not down, which would be unusual for such a low pass. Others said the aircraft was moving too slowly. But the FAA said Thursday that it is on the case.

“The FAA is aware of reports about this event and is looking into it,” the agency told FLYING in a brief statement.

Since the 777 in the video was technically in position to land, it would not violate FAA minimum safe altitude regulations. However, the regulator often uses its 14 CFR 91.13 regulation on careless or reckless operations as a catch-all to prosecute pilots who make unsafe decisions.

An unauthorized low pass might qualify as careless. Horseshoe Bay Resort sits just southwest of Marble Falls, Texas, about 50 miles west of Austin, and is surrounded by a residential neighborhood.

Pilots who violate 91.13 may have their certifications revoked or suspended, and they may be required to retest in order to restore their permissions.

Unraveling a Mystery

The video, which appears to be taken from the ramp, shows the massive airplane approaching the tarmac at low altitude. During the pass, the aircraft banks to the right, apparently bringing its wingtip within feet of the runway. At least one other person can be seen in the video capturing the moment from the ground.

First posted on X by @EBAviation on Wednesday, the video’s virality quickly spread to Reddit and other platforms. Many commenters expressed skepticism about what they had just seen.

The clip gained even more traction Thursday when it was shared on X by FlightRadar24, which found that a 777-200 registered as N705DN overflew the Horseshoe Bay Resort Jet Center on Wednesday. Per the center’s website, its 6,000-foot runway “can accommodate all personal and business aircraft up to a regional jetliner,” which would exclude widebodies like the 777.

FlightRadar24 concluded from its analysis of the flight’s ADS-B data that the 777’s lowest reported altitude as it passed over the runway was 950 feet, which “adjusting for local pressure and field elevation gives an altitude of approximately 0 feet.” FlightAware reported a lowest recorded altitude of 1,025 feet during the pass.

Both sites show the 777 taking off from Grissom Aeroplex (KGUS) in Indiana and landing at Fort Worth Alliance Airport (KAFW) in Texas around 3 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.

Per Planespotters, N705DN is a former Delta Air Lines widebody that was delivered to the carrier in 2009. In 2020, it was acquired by lessor Jetran, LLC, which is based at Horseshoe Bay Resort. It was stored at Grissom Aeroplex from June 11 to 24.

Jetran in a statement to Paddle Your Own Kanoo on Thursday appeared to confirm the video’s authenticity.

“We are aware of a video circulating on social media showing a freighter aircraft conducting a low-pass flight in a manner that does not reflect operational standards,” the lessor’s statement reads.

Jetran said the 777, painted in a Qatar Airways livery, was undergoing a final test flight before delivery to Qatar Airways Cargo. The carrier last year announced it is the launch customer for five 777-200LRMFs (Long Range Mammoth Freighters) converted by Mammoth Freighters and leased from Jetran.

Jetran clarified that the aircraft is not currently owned or operated by Qatar Airways, does not carry the airline’s registration, and was not flown by its pilots. The carrier operates about 30 777 freighters.

“We expect the relevant parties and authorities to investigate this matter thoroughly and take appropriate action,” Jetran said.