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Investigation launched after experimental aircraft flips at Grove Airport
by: Sheila Stogsdill
GROVE, Okla. — Grove Regional Airport Manager
Lisa Jewett confirmed a plane has crashed at the city’s airport.
No fatalities are reported.
Jewett said around 8:30 a.m., the Fairland pilot operating a 2025 Experimental Super Cub aircraft hit the ground and flipped his aircraft upside down. The pilot received minor injuries and was treated and released by Emergency Medical Services.
The runway reopened around 11:30 a.m.
Jewett said the cause of the crash is under investigation.
Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board investigators will be on site on Thursday.
With permission from the NTSB, the aircraft has been moved to a hangar and is awaiting formal inspection.
https://www.fourstateshomepage.com/news/local/airplane-crash-reported-at-grove-airport/
Pilot Safe After Super Hornet Crash off Virginia Beach
By Heather Mongilio
A pilot is safe following a crash of a Navy F/A-18E
Super Hornet while flying off the Virginia coast on Wednesday morning, according to the service.
The pilot, assigned to the “Rampagers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 83 ejected during a routine training flight around 9:50 a.m. While the Navy release did not say where the pilot ejected, the “Rampagers” are based out of Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
The pilot was rescued around 11:20 a.m. and taken to a local hospital for medical evaluation. The Super Hornet remains in the water, according to the release.
The mishap is under investigation. The search and rescue operation involved multiple assets that were not listed in the release.
The “Rampagers” were part of the airwing for the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group. They are assigned to Carrier Air Wing Three.
The “Rampagers” returned home to Oceana more than a year ago, in July 2024, after a nine-month deployment, almost all of which was in the Red Sea. The carrier air wing flew more than 13,800 sorties during the deployment, which also saw the “Rampagers” and other units participate in Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect commercial shipping from the Houthis.
The following is the full Aug. 20, 2025, statement from the Navy.
At approximately 9:53 a.m. EDT, a pilot assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 83, ejected from an F/A-18E Super Hornet while operating off the coast of Virginia during a routine training flight.
Multiple search and rescue assets were deployed and quickly arrived on scene. The pilot was rescued at approximately 11:21 a.m. EDT and was transported to a local hospital for further medical evaluation. The F/A-18E remains in the water where it crashed.
The cause of the mishap is under investigation.
https://news.usni.org/2025/08/20/pilot-safe-after-super-hornet-crash-off-virginia-beach
Small Plane Overturns at Fleming Field in South St. Paul, Pilot Escapes with Minor Injuries
Written by: Will Wight
SOUTH ST PAUL, MINNESOTA: Emergency crews
responded late Wednesday morning, August 20, 2025, to a reported aircraft crash at Fleming Field in South St. Paul.
According to officials with the South Metro Fire Department, firefighters were dispatched at approximately 11:43 a.m. for reports of a small plane crash. Upon arrival, they located a single-engine aircraft overturned on the airfield. The pilot, who was the only person on board, had already exited the plane and was standing outside when responders arrived. Officials said the pilot sustained minor injuries but declined ambulance transport to a hospital. No other injuries were reported.
Authorities are describing the incident as a landing mishap. Preliminary reports suggest the aircraft was attempting to land when the mishap occurred. The plane is reported to be an “Experimental Home Built” aircraft. South St Paul City Officials also confirmed the small plane crash with minor injuries in a post on Facebook. Additionally, they said there are no ongoing safety concerns, and operations remain normal.
Records from FlightAware show the plane took off south of River Falls, Wisconsin, around 11:22 AM CDT and landed at South St Paul’s Fleming Field Airport around 11:38 AM CDT.
The cause of the mishap remains under investigation by officials.
https://www.limitless-news.com/local/flemingfieldplanecrash
NTSB Final Report: Rutan Long-EZ
(Pilot) Heard A Loud “Bang” As The Nose Gear Collapsed And The Nose Continued To Settle, Sliding Down The Runway Surface
Location: Bullhead City, Arizona Accident Number: WPR23LA340
Date & Time: September 5, 2023, 16:20 Local Registration: N58JB
Aircraft: Rutan Long-EZ Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Landing gear collapse Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
Analysis: The pilot stated that when he touched down, the main landing gear contacted the runway surface, followed by the nose gear. He instantly heard a loud “bang” as the nose gear collapsed and the nose continued to settle, sliding down the runway surface.
Examination of the nose gear revealed that the nose landing gear actuator failed due to the buckling and fracture of the ball screw, which resulted from compressive loads on the actuator assembly. These compressive loads were likely from vertical and/or aft loads on the nose wheel. The actuator was likely in the fully extended position, but the length of the accident actuator was longer than its design length at full extension. Issues with the actuator installation that might have contributed to the overextension could not be determined.
The examination further revealed that the nose landing gear likely sustained a relatively hard landing while in the fully extended position. However, the additional length in the overextended actuator assembly made the ball screw susceptible to buckling failure from lower compressive loads than designed. Additionally, since less length of the extension tube was constrained by the housing in the overextended assembly, the reduced constraint likely made the assembly susceptible to buckling at even lower loads. The assembly’s extension beyond its design length likely contributed to the failure, as the extension would have diminished the safety margin and increased the vulnerability to buckling failure under high landing loads.
Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The pilot’s improper flair resulting in a hard landing.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
31 Years ago today: On 21 August 1994 Royal Air Maroc flight 630, an ATR 42-300, crashed near Tizounine, Morocco, killing all 44 occupants.
| Date: | Sunday 21 August 1994 |
| Time: | 18:50 |
| Type: | ATR 42-312 |
| Owner/operator: | Royal Air Maroc - RAM |
| Registration: | CN-CDT |
| MSN: | 127 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1989 |
| Engine model: | P&W Canada PW120 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 44 / Occupants: 44 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Tizounine - Morocco |
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Agadir-Al Massira International Airport (AGA/GMAA) |
| Destination airport: | Casablanca-Mohamed V Airport (CMN/GMMN) |
| Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:
Royal Air Maroc flight 630, an ATR 42-300, crashed near Tizounine, Morocco, killing all 44 occupants.
RAM flight 630 departed Agadir (AGA) on a domestic flight to Casablanca. Some ten minutes after takeoff, while climbing through 16000 feet, the ATR-42 lost control. The ATR-42 entered a steep dive and crashed in the Atlas Mountains.
The accident was said to have been caused by the captain disconnecting the autopilot and directing the aircraft to the ground deliberately. The Moroccan Pilot's Union challenged these findings, claiming the pilot had been totally in control of himself prior to departure and that he had shown no signs of frustration of unhappiness in his personal or work life.
