FAA looks into dramatic low pass by Qatar-liveried 777 freighter in Texas
A video showing a converted Boeing 777-200LRMF freighter aircraft with Qatar Airways livery performing an insanely low pass in Texas has left many speechless. Meanwhile, Mammoth Freighters, Jetran, and the FAA have issued statements.
The low-pass Mammoth Boeing 777 incident
On the 24th of June, former Delta Air Lines Boeing 777-200LR (registered N705DN) performed an extremely low pass over Horseshoe Bay Resort Jet Center in Texas.
The incident was confirmed by flight tracking data by Flightradar24, showing it flew very low. Flightradar24 said the lowest recorded ADS-B altitude was 950ft, but after accounting for local pressure and the airport elevation, the aircraft appeared to be within the margin of error for roughly 0–25ft above the runway.
The dramatic footage shows the massive 777 banking sharply, with the wingtip appearing to come within a few feet of the ground.
The ex-Delta aircraft has been converted into a freighter by Mammoth and is owned by Jetran LLC, which is based at Horseshoe Bay. The aircraft was conducting a final test/ferry flight before delivery to Qatar Airways Cargo.
Mammoth Freighters, which performed the passenger-to-freighter conversion of N705DN released a statement on yesterday’s low pass. They say the current owner was in control of the aircraft at the time. FAA records show Jetran LLC as the registered owner. https://t.co/MrW0vLReg6 pic.twitter.com/rrXmXq3NyS
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) June 25, 2026
As it is pre-delivery, it is not operated by Qatar pilots and is not under Qatar Airways registration.
Responses by Mammoth, Jetran, and FAA
Relevant parties, Mammoth Freighters, Jetran, and the FAA were quick to respond.
Mammoth said in a statement that it is aware of the video, adding that it is “not the owner of the aircraft and Mammoth was not in control of the aircraft at the time of the manoeuvre. The current owner (which is not Qatar Airways) was in control of the aircraft at the time of the manoeuvre.”
This seems to be pretty coordinated, whatever this was for.
— 𝗦𝗥_𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 (@SR_Planespotter) June 25, 2026
Helicopter in the back watching it too.
N705DN and N126JJ https://t.co/tTvhhNHycL pic.twitter.com/aYZ1UtxTPa
Mammoth added, “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.”
Meanwhile, FlightRadar24 reported Jetran’s statement as saying, “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.”
It then repeated a similar statement about the aircraft being readied for Qatar Airways delivery, adding, “We expect the relevant parties and authorities to investigate this matter thoroughly and take appropriate action.”
The Flying Magazine reported that the FAA had directly informed it that the agency “is aware of reports about this event and is looking into it.”
Qatar Airways Cargo’s order for five Boeing 777-200LRMF cargo aircraft
According to Planespotters.net, the aircraft (N705DN) was first delivered to Delta in 2009 before being handed to Jetran in 2020 after just 11 years in scheduled passenger service. It has been listed as stored and is poised to be delivered to Qatar Airways.
Qatar Airways Cargo currently operates a fleet of 30 Boeing 777Fs. In 2025, ch-aviation reported Qatar had signed a lease contract with Jetran to add five Boeing 777-200LRMF aircraft converted by Mammoth. It is set to become the launch customer for the subvariant.
It appears three more aircraft intended for Qatar are also ex-Delta aircraft, while the fifth aircraft is an ex-Qatar Airways aircraft. Mammoth is also converting another ex-Delta and another ex-Qatar 777 at its site at Manchester Airport.
In 2022, Boeing reported, “Qatar Airways will be the 777-8 Freighter launch customer with a firm order for 34 jets and options for 16 more.” Qatar Airways is the second-largest customer for the upcoming 777X with an order book of 124 examples of all variants.
Mammoth was founded in 2020 to design, develop, certify, and support passenger-to-freighter conversions. It initially focuses on Boeing 777s, including the 777-200LR and the 777-300ER.
Featured Image: photogoodwin / stock.adobe.com
