From the 35th Annual ARFF
Working Group Int’l Educational Symposium, the premier event for the aviation firefighting industry. Here are the stories for today...
Working Group Int’l Educational Symposium, the premier event for the aviation firefighting industry. Here are the stories for today...Be safe out there!
Tom
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'You’re lucky to be alive:' Residents stunned after pilot walks away from small plane crash in Williamsburg
By: Kamilah Williams , Web Staff
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — State police are
investigating after a small plane crashed in Williamsburg early Monday night.
The crash happened just before 5:30 p.m. at 213 Lightfoot Road, police say. That's near The Apartments at Kelton Station.
Stunning nearby residents, but remarkably, the pilot walked away from the wreckage. Witnesses reported hearing a loud boom and seeing emergency vehicles swarm the area.
The pilot is not hurt, police added, and he’s been taken to get evaluated. There were no other passengers on the plane.
Pictures of the aftermath show the plane upside down in a grassy area.
It’s unclear what caused the crash, and police say troopers are at the scene investigating.
Scott Richardson of Newport News told WTKR he was one of the first people to help the pilot out of the aircraft.
“It was crazy. I saw a plane come down. I thought he was gonna land in the field over there, but ended up in the woods,” Richardson said.
According to FlightAware, the Cessna aircraft departed from Waltrip Williamsburg Executive Airport at 5:12 p.m. It was airborne for just nine minutes before crashing into a wooded area behind the apartment complex.
Other neighbors were shocked by the scene.
“Most I’ve seen is maybe a car crash around here, but did not expect to see a plane just across from my apartment complex,” said Jacob Dansereau.
Dansereau described seeing a large emergency
response, including tow trucks, Virginia State Police, and fire crews, as they worked to reach the downed plane and begin removing it from the woods.
“I saw an ambulance earlier. They’re trying to figure out how to get into the trees and pull the plane out,” he said.
The pilot, whose identity has not been released, was taken to a hospital. Richardson noted the pilot appeared to have a cut on his leg.
“I just told the man, ‘You’re lucky to be alive today,'" Richardson said.
Virginia State Police are investigating the cause of the crash. No one on the ground was injured.
Residents say the neighborhood is usually quiet, and they’re relieved the crash wasn’t worse.
https://www.wtkr.com/news/in-the-community/historic-triangle/small-plane-crashes-in-williamsburg-monday-night-state-police
NTSB Prelim: Schleicher ASW27-18
A Search Of The Area By The Second Glider Revealed White Smoke And Glider Debris
Location: Morgan, UT Accident Number: WPR25FA232
Date & Time: August 1, 2025, 13:58 Local Registration: N929JK
Aircraft: Schleicher ASW27-18 Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
On August 1, 2025, about 1358 mountain daylight time, a Schleicher ASW27-18, N929JK, was involved in an accident near Morgan, Utah. The pilot was fatally injured. The glider was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
A Rocky Mountain Soaring club representative reported that he and another member of the soaring club were going to fly a two-seat glider and join the accident pilot who was flying in a single-seat glider. The intent of the accident flight was for the 2 gliders to be towed from the Morgan County Airport (42U), Morgan, Utah, and be released in the vicinity of Big Mahogany Mountain (located about 3 ½ miles southeast of 42U). The accident glider was the first to be towed out and released near the mountain.
The tow airplane returned to the airport and towed the second glider to the mountain. Once in the area of Big Mahogany Mountain the pilots of the second glider did not see the accident glider; they circled the area looking for the accident glider and were not able to contact the accident pilot via radio or see it on their radio-based collision avoidance system – Flight alARM (FLARM). A search of the area by the second glider revealed white smoke and glider debris on the west facing side of Big Mahogany Mountain. The pilot of the second glider performed a 360° turn and when they viewed the accident site again, the accident glider was engulfed in flames. The second glider alerted first responders to the accident location and returned to 42U. The pilots of the second glider reported that there were no radio calls made by the accident pilot following the release of the glider from the tow airplane.
Examination of the accident site revealed that the glider impacted the west facing side of a mountain at an elevation of 6,625 ft mean sea level (msl). The accident site was on a slope of about 35 – 40° and consisted of loose shale, scrub brush, and trees. The glider was mostly consumed by the postcrash fire. The wreckage was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
42 Years ago today: On 23 September 1983 Gulf Air flight 771, a Boeing 737-200, crashed near Mino Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, killing all 112 occupants.
| Date: | Friday 23 September 1983 |
| Time: | 15:46 |
| Type: | Boeing 737-2P6 |
| Owner/operator: | Gulf Air |
| Registration: | A4O-BK |
| MSN: | 21734/566 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1979 |
| Engine model: | P&W JT8D-15 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 112 / Occupants: 112 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Unlawful Interference |
| Location: | Mino Jebel Ali - United Arab Emirates |
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Karachi International Airport (KHI/OPKC) |
| Destination airport: | Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH/OMAA) |
| Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:
Gulf Air flight 771, a Boeing 737-200, crashed near Mino Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, killing all 112 occupants.
At 15:33 local time, the aircraft was cleared to descend from FL310 to FL60. At 15:38 a transponder squawk was observed on radar and at 15:40:16 a mayday call was heard. A second mayday call was heard at 15:40:32. At 15:45:32 the radar return was lost.
The aircraft wreckage was scattered over an area 300 m wide and 700 m long. There was evidence of pre- and post-impact fire.
It appeared that a bomb had exploded in the cargo compartment, causing a violent fire.
