We start the new week with the following stories...
Be safe out there!
Tom
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Krakow Airport closed following Boeing 737 runway incident
Author:Melanie Kraft
Operations suspended at Kraków Airport until at
least the evening after a plane ran off the runway upon landing.
At approximately 2:00 p.m. today, an AirExplore aircraft operating flight E47030 on behalf of Enter Air from Antalya to Krakow overran the runway 25 during landing in heavy rain, coming to rest on an unpaved area of the airport.
All passengers and crew of the Boeing 737-800 (registration OM-FEX) disembarked safely, with no injuries reported. Enter Air confirmed that future flights on the route will be operated using its own fleet.
Arrivals and departures are not available at least until 20:00 UTC according to Eurocontrol.
easyJet update after emergency response at Manchester Airport
Pictures shared with the ECHO show fire crew and other vehicles surrounding the aircraft
by Jamie Greer
Easyjet have issued an update after passengers
were asked to “disembark” one of its planes at Manchester Airport this morning. The ECHO reported earlier today that flight EZY 2029 was preparing to leave Terminal One for Lanzarote when emergency services, including fire crew, surrounded the aircraft.
It was reported that the aircraft tug - a vehicle that moves planes on the ground as they do not have a reverse gear - made contact with the front wheels. Images posted on social media, as well as those sent from an ECHO reader, show several emergency service vehicles on the tarmac.
Easyjet have now apologised to customers as the airline issued an explanation about what happened. A spokesperson said: “Flight EZY2029 from Manchester to Lanzarote this morning has been delayed departing after the tug came into contact with the aircraft during pushback from the terminal.
“Emergency services attended the aircraft as a precautionary and routine measure only.
"Passengers disembarked and returned to the terminal where we are providing refreshments while we arrange for an alternative aircraft to operate the flight this afternoon.
“Safety is our highest priority and we are sorry for any inconvenience caused by the delay.”
The ECHO understands that the tug, which pushes the aircraft off the terminal stand, came into contact with the aircraft while pushing back off the stand. It is also understood that passengers disembarked normally and returned to the terminal.
The flight, which was due to leave at 7am, later
departed safely.
A man from Garston, who did not wish to be named, feared that his flight to Kos in Greece would also be delayed as a result of the incident.
He told the ECHO earlier this morning: "I am currently sat on a plane at Manchester Airport en route to Kos, but going nowhere because of this.
"The front wheel of the plane is not in good shape. Buses are are now at the side of plane. We are due out to Kos at 8am but this plane is at the side of us. Not sure if they will let us move."
Manchester Airport confirmed the incident did not cause disruption to other flights, despite putting one gate out of action.
For the latest news and breaking news visit liverpoolecho.co.uk/news
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A small plane traveling from Puerto Montt to Santiago crashed in a residential area.
By Krishna Kremer
The plane crash occurred in the O'Higgins Region.
The General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics
(DGAC) reported that during the early hours of Saturday, September 13, a twin-engine plane crashed in a residential area of the Olivar commune, 10 kilometers south of Rancagua, leaving four people injured.
According to the information, it was a Beechcraft registered CC-AHN that had taken off from Puerto Montt bound for Santiago. The aircraft experienced an in-flight malfunction, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing.
After hitting the perimeter fence of a home, the occupants were treated by SAMU personnel on site and later transferred to the Rancagua Regional Hospital, where they remain in non-life-threatening condition.
The O'Higgins Prosecutor's Office has ordered specialized experts to investigate the causes of the accident, while DGAC teams are conducting technical examinations at the scene.
https://www.diariodeosorno.cl/noticia/emergencias/2025/09/avioneta-que-viajaba-de-puerto-montt-a-santiago-cayo-en-sector-residencial
1 dead in small plane crash near Mount Hamilton in Santa Clara County
By NBC Bay Area staff
One person is dead following a small plane crash
reported Friday afternoon near Mount Hamilton in Santa Clara County, officials said.
The incident was reported around 2:30 p.m. with crews from Cal Fire and Santa Clara County Fire Department responding.
At around 3:20 p.m., aerial coverage from NBC Bay Area's SkyRanger appeared to show emergency crews searching for the reported incident.
Minutes later ground crews were seen investigating an area where debris and what appeared to be wreckage was found.
Cal Fire later confirmed to NBC Bay Area the crash site was found in the Arroyo del Valle area.
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/mount-hamilton-plane-crash/3947306/
Plane crashes outside Williston Regional Airport
By WCJB Staff
WILLISTON, Fla. (WCJB) - Williston firefighters
helped a pilot who crashed his plane outside of the city’s airport.
They said the pilot walked away with a few scratches after his plane crashed tail-up outside of the Williston Regional Airport.
Federal aviation records indicate that the single-engine plane is registered to an individual in Orlando.
FAA officials are investigating the crash.
https://www.wcjb.com/2025/09/14/plane-crashes-outside-williston-regional-airport/
NTSB Final Report: Evektor-Aerotechnik A S Harmony LSA
Improper Installation Of The Fuel Line That Connected The Fuel Pump To The Four-Way Distributor
Location: Seffner, Florida Accident Number: ERA24LA163
Date & Time: April 4, 2024, 15:37 Local Registration: N469JA
Aircraft: Evektor-Aerotechnik A S Harmony LSA Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Positioning
Analysis: The airplane was on the final leg of a flight to reposition it to its home base. This was the fourth flight since the airplane had been reassembled after it was manufactured, disassembled, and shipped. The pilot reported a normal takeoff, and during the initial climb the airplane performed normally. Upon reaching 2,200 ft mean sea level (msl), the airplane lost all engine power. The pilot turned back toward the airport and attempted to restart the engine multiple times without success. At 800 ft msl, the pilot deployed the whole airplane parachute system. The airplane descended under the parachute canopy until it impacted a tree, became inverted, and impacted the ground. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and both wings.
A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel line going from the electrical fuel pump outlet to the four-way distributor was disconnected at the four-way distributor and was leaking fuel. The factory-installed clamp remained attached to the disconnected fuel line and was observed to be further down the fuel line than the other fuel lines that remained attached to the four-way distributor. If the fuel line was seated properly, the clamp would have only been at the last ridge on the fitting. After examining the fuel line, the line was reinstalled onto the four-way distributor, and a new clamp was installed. An engine test run was performed, and the engine operated normally at all rpm settings except for idle, which was to be expected due to the propeller blades having been shortened to facilitate the test run. Except for the disconnected fuel line, no anomalies or mechanical failures were found with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation of the engine.
Given this information, it is likely that during the climb the fuel line slipped off the four-way distributor valve and starved the engine of fuel. This is consistent with, and a likely result of, the fuel line and clamp being installed too low on the four-way distributor valve fitting, which resulted in the line being able to slide off the fitting during engine operation. There were no logbook entries documenting that the fuel line or the four-way distributor valve had been adjusted or reinstalled since the airplane was manufactured; however, there were minor differences between the condition of the fuel system as found after the accident vs. the condition of the system as documented by pre-delivery photographs taken by the airframe manufacturer. Given the lack of maintenance documentation, it could not be determined when any maintenance, modification, or other alterations of the fuel system could have occurred between when the airplane was manufactured and the accident flight.
Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The improper installation of the fuel line that connected the fuel pump to the four-way distributor, which resulted in fuel starvation when the line became disconnected.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
NTSB Prelim: Czech Aircraft Group SRO Sportcruiser
Pilot And Mechanic From The Flight School Were Conducting A Post-Maintenance Check Flight
Location: Puyallup, WA Accident Number: WPR25LA259
Date & Time: August 25, 2025, 14:56 Local Registration: N538SF
Aircraft: Czech Aircraft Group SRO Sportcruiser Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Flight test
On August 25, 2025, about 1456 Pacific daylight time, a Czech Aircraft Group SRO Sportcruiser, N538SF was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Puyallup, Washington. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the passenger was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations part 91 maintenance test flight.
A 100-hr maintenance inspection had just been completed and a pilot and mechanic from the flight school were conducting a post-maintenance check flight. After takeoff from runway 35, the pilot reported that there was an engine problem, and he attempted to turn back to the runway. However, the airplane would not maintain altitude and impacted a heavily vegetated field, west of the airport perimeter fence.
The airplane was recovered for further examination.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
NTSB Final Report: Piper J5A
No Record Of A Current Flight Review For The Pilot Was Found
Location: Iola, Wisconsin Accident Number: CEN23FA369
Date & Time: August 19, 2023, 12:54 Local Registration: N35417
Aircraft: Piper J5A Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control on ground Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
Analysis: The 78-year-old pilot had flown his airplane to the destination airport where an annual inspection was to be performed. The airplane did not have a current annual inspection and did not have a ferry permit for the accident flight. No record of a current flight review for the pilot was found. In addition, the pilot did not possess current FAA medical certification or BasicMed qualifications.
Recorded GPS device data showed the airplane made several turns around the airport and then proceeded in the direction of and onto a grass taxiway with a prevailing tailwind, where it was found nosed over. There were no witnesses to the accident. There were no indications of ground scars or rotational features on the propeller and spinner indicative of engine power production. Although the airplane’s right front brake master cylinder arm had a bungee cord tied around it that connected to the pilot seat frame, the brakes actuated and released without anomaly. Examination of the airplane revealed no useable fuel aboard; however, the airplane’s flight path indicated that it circled the airport multiple times before landing, indicating that the flight had adequate fuel to reach and land at the airport. No mechanical anomalies were found that would have precluded normal operation.
Although the pilot’s cardiovascular disease placed him at increased risk of an impairing or incapacitating medical event such as heart attack, arrhythmia, or stroke, there was no autopsy evidence that such an event occurred, and such an event does not reliably leave autopsy evidence if it occurs just before death. Toxicology results indicated that the pilot had used the opioid pain medication tramadol and likely was experiencing some effects of tramadol at the time of the accident. Although details of the pilot’s tramadol use are unknown, there is no specific evidence that this use was significantly different from the pilot’s baseline use of tramadol, which had begun years previously. Toxicology results also indicated that the pilot had used venlafaxine and a cannabis product. The measured postmortem levels of the substances in the pilot’s system at the time of the accident neither exclude nor specifically predict any impairing effects, especially in combination with one another and considering the pilot’s age and medical conditions.
Based on the evidence, the pilot likely did not maintain control of the airplane after landing on a grass taxiway with a tailwind. Whether the impairing effects of the pilot’s substance use and medical conditions contributed to the accident could not be determined.
Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane after landing on a grass taxiway with a tailwind, which resulted in a nose over.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
37 Years ago today: On 15 September 1988 Ethiopian Airlines flight ET604, a Boeing 737-200, crashed after the engines lost power due to multiple bird ingestion after takeoff from Bahar Dar Airport, Ethiopia, killing 35 occupants; 69 survived the accident.
| Date: | Thursday 15 September 1988 |
| Time: | 13:05 |
| Type: | Boeing 737-260 |
| Owner/operator: | Ethiopian Airlines |
| Registration: | ET-AJA |
| MSN: | 23914/1456 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1987 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1377 hours |
| Cycles: | 1870 flights |
| Engine model: | P&W JT8D-17A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 35 / Occupants: 104 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 10 km SW of Bahar Dar Airport (BJR) - Ethiopia |
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Bahar Dar Airport (BJR/HABD) |
| Destination airport: | Asmara International Airport (ASM/HAAY) |
| Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:
Ethiopian Airlines flight ET604, a Boeing 737-200, crashed after the engines lost power due to multiple bird ingestion after takeoff from Bahar Dar Airport, Ethiopia, killing 35 occupants; 69 survived the accident.
Ethiopian Airlines flight 604, a Boeing 737-200, was a scheduled service from Addis Ababa to Bahar Dar and Asmara. The first leg of the flight was uneventful. At 09:50, the engines were started normally and the airplane was taxied to its take-off position. The flight crew reported that In order to gain additional thrust they elected not to use engine bleed air during take-off.
The airplane accelerated at a normal rate during the take-off roll and passed V1 (take-off-reject) speed. As the airplane passed V1 and very near VR (rotation speed) the flight crew saw a flock of pigeons lifting up from the left side. At this time the captain took over control from the copilot and pulled up. Almost immediately after rotation, the airplane struck the flock of pigeons at an airspeed of 146 knots and altitude of 5730 feet above mean sea level. Loud bangs were heard.
The captain then called for gear up and the copilot complied. At approximately 100-200 ft. above the ground, both engines started backfiring. At this time, the flight crew reported that they experienced a considerable power loss and the airplane started mushing down at which time the captain "fire walled" the thrust levers. The engines reportedly responded and the airplane began to gain some altitude. The gain in attitude encouraged the captain to make a right turn away from Lake Tana and back to the take-off runway for landing.
During the initial 32 seconds after the impact, the airplane had gained altitude from 5,730 feet to 6,020 feet and had accelerated from 146 knots to 154 knots.
The crew report further indicated that both engines continued to surge and the exhaust gas temperature gauges (EGT) were reading at the top extreme and the engine pressure ratio (EPR) gauge readings were fluctuating at about 1.6. During this time the captain reported that the he reduced engine thrust to prolong the operational life of the engines. The frequency of the surges decreased with engines power reduction. The airplane entered an approximate 90 degree right turn. Altitude remained constant 6,020 feet while its airspeed increased from 154 knots to 162 knots. The airplane then began another right turn and entered the downwind leg of the return to runway 04. Altitude had increased to 6,410 feet and airspeed to 173 knots. On the downwind leg the aircraft further climbed to 7,100 feet. Then, within a timeframe of about five seconds, both engines lost power completely.
The copilot pointed out a cleared area slightly ahead and to the right. The captain then turned towards the clearing and performed a gear-up landing. The aircraft broke up and a fire erupted.
Out of the 104 occupants, 35 suffered fatal injuries.
PROBABLE CAUSE: " The accident occurred because the airplane could not be safely returned to the runway after the internal destruction and subsequent failure of both engines to operate arising from multiple bird ingestion by both engines during take-off."
