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A converted Boeing 777-200 freighter bound for Qatar Airways Cargo was dangerously close to catastrophe while performing a low pass over a private Texas airfield. Footage of the incident shows the widebody’s right wing came within inches of the ground as it banked right during its maneuver on Wednesday, June 24.
The freighter — registered N705DN from its former days as a passenger jet with 
Delta Air Lines — was conducting a symbolic flyover of Horseshoe Bay Resort Jet Center (DZB), the base of the airframe’s owner, Jetran. While this close call did not end in tragedy, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will almost certainly launch an investigation, and the aircraft’s pilot is likely to face disciplinary action.
Qatar Boeing 777F Flyover Incident In Texas
Video footage of the incident was posted to X by @EBaviation, showing just how close the jet came to scraping its wing on the ground. The aircraft was operating a ferry flight from Grissom Aeroplex (GUS), Indiana, to Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport (AFW), Texas, but made a detour to conduct the low pass over Jetran’s base in Horseshoe Bay. The Texas-based aviation company owns the freighter involved, with the flyover intended as a send-off before its eventual delivery to 
Qatar Airways.
Although low passes are not unheard of for symbolic reasons, this particular maneuver was extremely low in altitude. According to Flightradar24, the lowest ADS-B value recorded during the flyover was 950 feet above mean sea level. However, when adjusted for local barometric pressure and field elevation, the reading “gives an altitude of approximately 0 feet.” The aircraft then continued with its flight, landing safely at Fort Worth Alliance Airport just before 3:00 PM local time.
A Reckless Maneuver
The pilot initiated a right bank at the aircraft’s lowest point, bringing the 777F’s wingtip within feet, or perhaps even inches, of contact with the ground. While the flyover was already questionably low, the banking maneuver at such an altitude was incredibly dangerous. Even a slight gust of wind at the wrong moment could have led to disaster.
Horseshoe Bay’s airport features a 6,000-foot runway designed primarily for private jets and smaller regional aircraft, and also sits right next to a residential community. Low passes of this nature have ended in disaster before, such as Air France Flight 296 at the Habsheim Air Show in 1988, when an Airbus A320 crashed into a forest during a ceremonial flyover, killing three people onboard.
Earlier this year, a veteran Icelandair pilot found himself in hot water after conducting an unauthorized flyover over his hometown during his final flight. The pilot flew a Boeing 757 loaded with passengers at an altitude of just over 300 feet over Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands), and was eventually reported to the police for his actions.
Icelandair Reports Veteran Pilot To Police After Unauthorized Flyover On Farewell Flight
A veteran pilot’s final flight takes an unexpected turn as he allegedly performs an unauthorized low-altitude flyover over his hometown.
N705DN – Prototype Converted Freighter
The aircraft involved in yesterday’s incident is a 17-year-old Boeing 777-200LR that flew with Delta for over a decade before its retirement during the pandemic. It was first placed into storage at Victorville (VCV) before Texas-based lessor and sales company Jetran acquired it. It had initially entered service with Delta in 2009 and was configured to seat up to 296 passengers across three cabin classes.
The airframe then became the prototype for Mammoth Freighters’ passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion program, known as the 777-200LRMF (Long Range Mammoth Freighter). Work started on N705DN in February 2022 before it completed its conversion in 2025, later receiving its new Qatar Airways Cargo livery ahead of delivery.
Qatar is the launch customer for the 777-200LRMF and will take five airframes from Jetran, adding to its sizable 777 freighter fleet. Data from ch-aviation shows the airline’s cargo division currently flies 30 777Fs. Mammoth Freighters recently secured FAA Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for the 777-200LRMF and holds over 30 firm orders for conversion, with other customers including DHL and Ethiopian Airlines.
