Here are your stories for today...
Of note, the story regarding the US Air Force report on the December 2022 accident involving a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo, including issues with the ARFF response and their use of AFFF.
Be safe out there!
Tom
Hydraulic Failure Led to Fire That Destroyed B-2 Bomber in 2022, Air Force Says
By John A. Tirpak
A hydraulic system failure is to blame for the
December 2022 accident that sparked the fire that torched a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber beyond repair at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., the Air Force said in an accident investigation board report published Aug. 5.
The hydraulic failure led the bomber’s left main landing gear to collapse, causing the “Spirit of Hawaii” to skid off the runway and catch fire, the report found. No one was hurt in the accident.
But the service deemed the damage too costly to fix and opted instead to retire the jet. The incident left the Air Force with a fleet of 19 B-2s, down from 21, and closed Whiteman’s sole runway for 10 days as troops collected evidence and cleaned up the mess.
The accident investigation board determined that a sequence valve coupling failed in the left main landing gear, a problem which the board partially attributed to a design flaw. When the gear collapsed, the left wing dragged thousands of feet, sparking flames that led to fuel tank explosions that destroyed much of the aircraft’s left side.
Firefighters were delayed in extinguishing the fire with aqueous film-forming foam because they weren’t sure if it was safe to use the substance on the B-2’s exotic stealth materials, the board added.
Another B-2 experienced a similar mishap in September 2021, when its left landing gear collapsed during an emergency landing at Whiteman. That aircraft, the “Spirit of Georgia,” also skidded onto the grass; the Air Force opted to repair it. No one was injured in the 2021 accident.
Air Force Global Strike Command paused B-2 operations after the 2022 accident to inspect the fleet for similar issues, it said in a press release. While the Air Force said the B-2 fleet could still fly nuclear deterrence and conventional bombing missions during that period “if needed,” the command held off on resuming full flight operations of the Spirit fleet until May 2023—some 17 months later.
The Spirit of Hawaii had launched as a spare with another B-2 heading to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. The Spirit of Hawaii had turned around after the lead ship’s crew gave the go-ahead for it to head home, and on final approach to Whiteman with the landing gear extended, caution lights popped on to indicate leaks in the primary and backup hydraulic systems.
The Airmen declared an in-flight emergency. While the left main gear and the nose gear extended properly, the right main gear did not. The crew successfully performed an emergency gear extension, and the plane indicated all three gears were down and locked. But “vulnerabilities” in the landing gear’s design had “caused the lock link assembly to move out of the required [locked] position,” the board said.
Although the left main gear was down and locked, the emergency extension caused a drop in pressure that relaxed it. This led to the hydraulic connector pulling apart, causing a loss of hydraulic pressure and draining the fluid. The left main landing gear collapsed upon touchdown.
“As the [mishap aircraft] continued down the runway, the left wing dragged several thousand feet, rupturing the left fuel surge tank under the wing and causing a fire that spread to the left outboard fuel tank,” the report said.
The B-2 eventually came to a stop with the left wing flaming in the grass. Fuel tank explosions destroyed the left wing, the report said, causing more than $300 million in damage to the aircraft and $27,500 worth of damage to the airfield. The crew did not try to eject and safely exited the bomber on the ground.
Twenty-five CryoFit coupling failures have been reported across the B-2 fleet, according to the report. Of those, 10 have affected the main landing gear hydraulic pressure circuit.
The Spirit of Hawaii had its landing gear updated in June 2022 after noncompliant springs were discovered in the 2021 B-2 accident. The Spirit of Hawaii landed 32 times without incident in the six months between the fix and the mishap.
The bomber incurred more damage while firefighters were slow to stop the flames from spreading, the report said. And a firetruck on base wouldn’t start, further hindering the response.
The fire incident commander “identified the source of the fire as fuel leaking from under the left wing” and directed fire trucks to “attack the fire using water only” instead of foam, believing the foam was only available as a last resort, the report said. However, while the Air Force curbs the foam’s use for non-firefighting purposes, it was approved for extinguishing fires on the B-2 and was not left as a “last resort.”
The Air Force has phased out use of the foam because it contains the cancerous “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.
“Approximately three minutes and 28 seconds after beginning to fight the fire, and because the fire appeared fuel-related, the incident commander authorized” fire trucks to use the foam, the report said, which is “a more effective fire suppressant than water when used to fight flammable liquid fires.” The substance forms a film on the fuel surface, which, along with a blanket of foam, serves to “seal in the flammable vapors, resulting in extinguishment,” the service said. It took 15 minutes to suppress the fire, but not thoroughly extinguish it.
It’s unclear whether the firefighting team should have injected fire suppressants under the bomber’s skin, or what impact that might have had, the service added.
Each B-2 costs upwards of $2 billion apiece. Col. Jesse Lamarand, commander of the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., presided over the investigation.
Hydraulic Failure Led to Fire That Destroyed B-2 Bomber in 2022, Air Force Says
Airport runway reopens after emergency landing
Chloe Hughes
Thousands of people travelling to and from
Birmingham Airport have been hit by delays and cancellations after a light aircraft made an emergency landing on its runway.
Woodgate Aviation, which owns the plane, said one of its Beechcraft fixed-wing aircraft had developed landing gear problems on the journey from Birmingham to Belfast.
Two crew members and one passenger were onboard, but were not seriously injured when the main undercarriage collapsed on touchdown.
The runway was shut for more than six hours until the plane was removed at about 19:30 BST, after which the airport said it had reopened.
The first plane to depart from the airport after its reopening was a Wizz Air flight to Bucharest, Romania, which had been scheduled to leave Birmingham at 14:10.
A number of flights on the Birmingham Airport online departure board also showed that they were open for check-in.
Some passengers told the BBC that their planes were cancelled "moments before boarding" on Wednesday afternoon.
In a statement, a Birmingham Airport spokesperson said: "We understand the frustration and apologise for the disruption this has caused.
"Our teams have worked as quickly as possible, in line with strict protocols, which must be followed to ensure a safe reopening of the runway following a prolonged closure."
At least 10 flights due to depart from the airport were cancelled.
Others were delayed by more than five hours, and more than 20 due to land there were diverted to other airports.
West Midlands Police, West Midlands Fire Service, and Birmingham Airport Police were among the agencies at the scene.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said it was investigating the incident.
Faye, who was travelling with her partner and four children, said they found out about the incident on Facebook.
They had been due to fly to Antalya in Turkey with Jet2 at 14:55. While waiting at the airport, the family was given £10 per person by the airline for food and drinks.
Faye told the BBC she subsequently received a text message saying the whole holiday had been cancelled, and there would be a full refund in four to five days.
She and her family were waiting to collect their baggage along with about 400 other people, her children "sobbing and crying", she said.
"We are stuck here waiting for our baggage and it's boiling hot... and now our kids aren't going to have a holiday," she added.
James Conibere and his family of eight were hoping to board a flight to Malta on Wednesday afternoon.
He told the BBC it was a retirement gift for his mother-in-law, and they had arrived at the airport shortly before the incident, at 13:00.
While the family sat in a Wetherspoons, waiting for updates, Mr Conibere said he watched other passengers searching for somewhere to sit in the crowded pub, many of them frustrated.
"Lots of people are getting agitated and angry by the lack of information from the airport," he said.
"We have received a food voucher from Ryanair. We're relying on news outlets for information."
Inbound passengers also reported long delays.
Diana Celella, from Sutton Coldfield, was due to return from Lisbon on a Ryanair flight departing at 20:20 after a week-long holiday with her husband. Her flight is now due to leave at 23:05, after being pushed back several times.
"If we do manage to take off tonight, we'll count ourselves lucky under the circumstances," she said.
"Everyone we've spoken to recognises that it's out of Ryanair's control. However, there's been a lack of clear communication."
What do we know about the aircraft?
The aircraft involved in this incident was a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air, a small, twin-engine propeller plane that has been in production since the 1970s.
This flight was departing from Birmingham and headed to Belfast.
It departed at 13:11, but soon had to make a turn and flew in a holding pattern, landing back at Birmingham Airport at 13:58.
The plane transmitted a 7700 squawk code - which are broadcast to tell air traffic control that there is an emergency and the aircraft needs priority handling.
2 people sent to hospital after plane crash in central Alberta
1 of the injured was airlifted after the incident in Linden, 100 kilometres northeast of Calgary
Amir Said · CBC News
Two people were taken to hospital — one by
STARS Air Ambulance and another by ground — following a small plane crash in Linden, Alta., on Tuesday afternoon.
The crash happened at a private, non-registered airstrip in Linden, 100 kilometres northeast of Calgary, at approximately 4:45 p.m., according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB).
A STARS spokesperson said one person was airlifted to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary. According to RCMP, another person was taken to hospital by ground ambulance as a precaution.
In a statement to CBC News, TSB media relations coordinator Hugo Fontaine said the crash happened during the landing process.
"The aircraft's landing gear contacted a wired fence at the approach end of the runway and flipped over," he said.
"We did not deploy any investigators to the scene, but we are still gathering information and assessing the occurrence."
Fontaine said the plane was a Van's RV-9A, a small two-seater aircraft, on a flight from the Wetaskiwin Regional Airport.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/linden-alta-plane-crash-1.7602296
NTSB Prelim: Scott Macwilliam SR3500 Moose
The Master Caution Light On The Instrument Panel Illuminated, And The Engine Experienced A Total Loss Of Power
Location: Quinault, WA Accident Number: WPR25FA213
Date & Time: July 15, 2025, 14:40 Local Registration: N80TM
Aircraft: Scott Macwilliam SR3500 Moose Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious, 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
On July 15, 2025, at about 1440 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Murphy Moose SR3500 airplane, N80TM, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Quinault, Washington. The pilot received minor injuries, one passenger received serious injuries, and one passenger was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
According to the airplane’s records, it had originally been constructed in Canada with a Vedeneyev M14P radial engine. In November 2023, it was imported to the United States and was altered to accommodate the installation of a Pratt & Whitney Canada T-74 (PT6A-20) engine. The pilot subsequently purchased the airplane in September 2024. The airplane was based at Olympia Regional Airport (OLM), Olympia, Washington. On the morning of the accident, the pilot did not note any anomalies with the airframe or engine during his preflight inspection. The pilot and passengers boarded the airplane, and flew to Sekiu Airport (11S), Sekiu, Washington. After having lunch in Sekiu, they departed for the return flight to OLM.
According to the pilot, about 20 minutes after departure from 11S, the engine sound changed, and the engine began to exhibit a “weird vibration.” Shortly thereafter, the Master Caution light on the instrument panel illuminated, and the engine experienced a total loss of power. When the pilot realized he would not be able to glide the airplane to a nearby lake, he extended the flaps slow the airplane in anticipation of the forced landing. The airplane subsequently impacted densely forested, mountainous terrain within Olympic National Park.
The pilot reported he lost consciousness during the accident and did not regain consciousness until hours later. After removing the passengers from the airplane, the pilot manually activated the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) and called 911. According to records provided by the National Park Service, the Olympic Park Dispatch was notified of the call at about 1840. The accident site was determined to be unreachable by foot, and at about 1915, a rescue helicopter from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island was dispatched to recover the airplane occupants. At about 2204, dispatch was notified that the airplane occupants had been hoisted into the rescue helicopter by long line.
The wreckage has been retained for further examination.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
5 Years ago today: On 7 August 2020 Air India Express flight IX1344, a Boeing 737-800, suffered a runway excursion on landing at Kozhikode-Calicut Airport, India and broke in two, killing 21 occupants; 169 survived the accident.
| Date: | Friday 7 August 2020 |
| Time: | 19:41 |
| Type: | Boeing 737-8HG (WL) |
| Owner/operator: | Air India Express |
| Registration: | VT-AXH |
| MSN: | 36323/2108 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2006 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 43691 hours |
| Cycles: | 15309 flights |
| Engine model: | CFMI CFM56-7B27 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 21 / Occupants: 190 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Kozhikode-Calicut Airport (CCJ) - India |
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Dubai Airport (DXB/OMDB) |
| Destination airport: | Kozhikode-Calicut Airport (CCJ/VOCL) |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB India |
| Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:
Air India Express flight IX1344, a Boeing 737-800, suffered a runway excursion on landing at Kozhikode-Calicut Airport, India and broke in two, killing 21 occupants; 169 survived the accident.
The flight departed Dubai Airport, United Arab Emirates at 10:15 UTC on a passenger service to Kozhikode-Calicut Airport.
The aircraft arrived from the west, overflying the airport at 13:42 UTC. It then performed a teardrop approach to runway 28. This approach was discontinued and the aircraft subsequently flew a teardrop approach to runway 10. According to a DGCA official the aircraft touched down about 900 meters down the 2850 m long runway at 14:10 UTC (19:40 local time). The aircraft failed to stop on the remaining runway and overran. It went down a 34 m dropoff and broke in two.
Weather
Weather at the time of the approaches and landing was poor. At 14:00 UTC scattered clouds were reported at 300 and 1200 feet with a few Cumulonimbus clouds at 2500 feet and overcast clouds at 8000 feet. The wind was from 260 degrees at 12 knots. Visibility was 2000 m in rain.
Airport and runway
The airport has a single runway (10/28) which is located on a flattened hill. The Landing Distance Available (LDA) for both directions is 2850 m. The runway strip extended to 60 m beyond the threshold. After the paved surface, there is a runway end
safety area (RESA), measuring 93 m x 90 m. The ICAO required RESA length is 90 m, whereas the recommended length is 240 m.
Past the RESA there is a 35 m drop off.
PROBABLE CAUSE
The probable cause of the accident was the non adherence to SOP by the PF, wherein, he continued an unstabilized approach and landed beyond the touchdown zone, half way down the runway, in spite of Go Around call by PM which warranted a mandatory Go Around and the failure of the PM to take over controls and execute a Go Around.
CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS
The investigation team is of the opinion that the role of systemic failures as a contributory factor cannot be overlooked in this accident. A large number of similar accidents/incidents that have continued to take place, more so in AIXL, reinforce existing systemic failures within the aviation sector. These usually occur due to prevailing safety culture that give rise to errors, mistakes and violation of routine tasks performed by people operating within the system. Hence, the contributory factors enumerated below include both the immediate causes and the deeper or systemic causes.
(i) The actions and decisions of the PIC were steered by a misplaced motivation to land back at Kozhikode to operate next day morning flight AXB 1373. The unavailability of sufficient number of Captains at Kozhikode was the result of faulty AIXL HR policy which does not take into account operational requirement while assigning permanent base to its Captains. There was only 01 Captain against 26 First Officers on the posted strength at Kozhikode.
(ii) The PIC had vast experience of landing at Kozhikode under similar weather conditions. This experience might have led to over confidence leading to complacency and a state of reduced conscious attention that would have seriously affected his actions, decision making as well as CRM.
(iii) The PIC was taking multiple un-prescribed anti-diabetic drugs that could have probably caused subtle cognitive deficits due to mild hypoglycaemia which probably contributed to errors in complex decision making as well as susceptibility to perceptual errors.
(iv) The possibility of visual illusions causing errors in distance and depth perception (like black hole approach and up-sloping runway) cannot be ruled out due to degraded visual cues of orientation due to low visibility and suboptimal performance of the PICs windshield wiper in rain.
(v) Poor CRM was a major contributory factor in this crash. As a consequence of lack of assertiveness and the steep authority gradient in the cockpit, the First Officer did not take over the controls in spite of being well aware of the grave situation. The lack of effective CRM training of AIXL resulted in poor CRM and steep cockpit gradient.
(vi) AIXL policies of upper level management have led to a lack of supervision in training, operations and safety practices, resulting in deficiencies at various levels causing repeated human error accidents in AIXL
(vii) The AIXL pilot training program lacked effectiveness and did not impart the requisite skills for performance enhancement. One of the drawbacks in training was inadequate maintenance and lack of periodic system upgrades of the simulator. Frequently recurring major snags resulted in negative training. Further, pilots were often not checked for all the mandatory flying exercises during simulator check sessions by the Examiners.
(viii) The non availability of OPT made it very difficult for the pilots to quickly calculate accurate landing data in the adverse weather conditions. The quick and accurate calculations would have helped the pilots to foresee the extremely low margin for error, enabling them to opt for other safer alternative.
(ix) The scrutiny of Tech Logs and Maintenance Record showed evidence of nonstandard practice of reporting of certain snags through verbal briefing rather than in writing. There was no entry of windshield wiper snag in the Tech log of VT-AXH. Though it could not be verified, but a verbal briefing regarding this issue is highly probable.
(x) The DATCO changed the runway in use in a hurry to accommodate the departure of AIC 425 without understanding the repercussions on recovery of AXB 1344 in tail winds on a
METAR:
13:00 UTC / 18:30 local time:
VOCL 071300Z 20006KT 1500 -TSRA SCT003 SCT012 FEW025CB OVC080 24/24 Q1007 NOSIG
13:30 UTC / 19:00 local time:
VOCL 071330Z 27013KT 1500 -TSRA SCT003 SCT012 FEW025CB OVC080 24/23 Q1008 NOSIG
14:00 UTC / 19:30 local time:
VOCL 071400Z 26012KT 2000 -RA SCT003 SCT012 FEW025CB OVC080 24/23 Q1008 TEMPO 1500 -RA BR
14:30 UTC / 20:00 local time:
VOCL 071430Z 24011KT 2000 -RA SCT003 SCT012 FEW025CB OVC080 24/23 Q1009 TEMPO 1500 -RA BR
