A Boeing 777 widebody jet, which is due to be delivered to Qatar Airways Cargo in the coming days, performed a terrifying low flyby at the Horseshoe Bay Resort Airport in Texas on Wednesday, with aviation experts saying that the plane flew so low that it was just “inches from disaster.”
It looks like AI. It isn’t. This really happened.
The aircraft in question (registration: N705DN) once belonged to Delta Air Lines until the Atlanta-based carrier retired its entire Boeing 777 fleet in early 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aircraft was then acquired by aircraft leasing and sales specialist Jetran before being put into long-term storage.
Absurd low pass of a Qatar Cargo 777F at Horseshoe Bay Resort Jet Center, Texas
by u/madman320 in aviation
With no interest from airlines to acquire the aircraft as a passenger plane, but with plenty of useful life left in the 2009-built jet, the plane underwent a conversion from a passenger aircraft into a cargo plane. The aircraft has now been leased by Qatar Airways Cargo and is due to be delivered to the airline in the coming days.
Ahead of its delivery to Qatar Airways Cargo, on Wednesday, the aircraft flew from Grissom Aeroplex in Indiana to Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport in Texas. Rather than flying the most direct route, however, the plane made a detour via Horseshoe Bay Resort Airport.
Rather than landing at Horseshoe Bay Resort, the pilots of the 17-year-old aircraft made a low flyby along the airport’s runway.
The flyby was caught on camera by visitors to Horseshoe Bay Resort, capturing the moment that the plane flew within feet of the runway with the gears retracted. As the plane flew at low altitude along the runway, the pilots then made a right turn, causing the right wing tip to come even closer to the ground.
Steve Giordano, a very experienced pilot and a co-founder of Nomadic Aviation Group, shared his thoughts about this low flyby in no uncertain terms in a post on X:
“This is really f’ing insanely bad. Inches from disaster, and for what? Stupid stupid stupid,” Giordano commented.
This is real. This is really f’ing insanely bad. Inches from disaster and for what? Stupid stupid stupid. https://t.co/ppDbxPkAP8
— Steve Giordano (@SteveNomadic) June 25, 2026
Many other experts and commentators shared similar opinions about the flyby, describing it as “reckless” and “diabolical.”
As to why the plane performed this flyby in the first place, well, there isn’t an official account yet. That being said, Jetran is based at Horseshoe Bay Resort, so that might provide a clue.
Qatar Airways is unlikely to be best pleased with this stunt, with one commentator adding: “If I wanted any further business from Qatar Airways, I wouldn’t have done it in their full livery.”
In response to the video going viral, Jetran has issued the following statement:
“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. While the aircraft is painted in Qatar Airways livery, it was not owned or operated by Qatar Airways, did not carry a Qatar Airways registration, and the pilots on board were not Qatar Airways pilots.”
“The aircraft was undergoing a final pre‑delivery test flight prior to its planned entry into the Qatar Airways Cargo fleet. We expect the relevant parties and authorities to investigate this matter thoroughly and take appropriate action.”
