These are the stories to start the week...
Be safe out there!
Tom
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Plane crashes near Newman Lake after losing power in the air
Caleb McGever
NEWMAN LAKE, Wash. – A pilot flying a single
engine aircraft near Eller Airstrip managed to survive without injury after their plane reportedly lost power in the air, forcing them to make an emergency landing in a nearby field by Newman Lake.
Newman Lake Fire and Rescue Fire Chief Daron Bement said that the plane’s emergency landing was reported around 2 p.m. on September 27 close to the 10200 block of North McCoy Road near Newman Lake.
The pilot was the only person in the plane and made an emergency landing in an open field and crashed into a barbed wire fence.
The property belonged to someone else, but there was no major property damage, Bement said.
The plane suffered minor damage, but was returned to the pilot.
No injuries were reported. The Federal Aviation Association is investigating the incident.
Pilot suffers minor injuries after plane crash near Torrington Airport
A pilot walked away with minor injuries after a small plane crashed while attempting an emergency landing near Torrington Airport on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday, September 27th 2025, 9:50 PM MDT
By News Channel Nebraska
TORRINGTON, Wyo. — A single-engine aerobatic
plane crashed Saturday afternoon after experiencing engine problems shortly after takeoff from Torrington Airport, according to Goshen County Emergency Management.
The crash happened around 4 p.m. Authorities said the pilot attempted to circle back to the airport but did not have enough power or altitude to land. Instead, he tried to make an emergency landing in a field. The plane flipped during the landing and came to rest upside down.
Responders and bystanders found the pilot trapped in the cockpit beneath the plane. Crews flipped the aircraft over and extricated the pilot, who was taken to Torrington Community Hospital with minor injuries. Officials said he is expected to make a full recovery.
The National Transportation Safety Board was notified and will investigate the crash.
Emergency officials thanked responders from the Goshen County Sheriff’s Office, Torrington EMS, Torrington Police Department, Veteran Volunteer Fire Department and Torrington Airport personnel for their assistance.
https://panhandle.newschannelnebraska.com/story/53118715/pilot-suffers-minor-injuries-after-plane-crash-near-torrington-airport
Cessna crashes, burns at Battle Ground airstrip; No survivors found
By FOX 12 Staff
CLARK COUNTY Wash. (KPTV) - A small plane
crashed near the Battle Ground airport on Friday afternoon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Officials with Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue said they responded just after 1 p.m. to an “aircraft emergency” at the Goheen Airport. They found a single-engine aircraft engulfed in flames at the end of an airstrip.
According to the FAA, the plane was a Cessna C172.
Firefighters put the fire out and stopped it from spreading to nearby trees and bushes, but were not able to find any survivors, firefighters said.
Just after 5 p.m., the Clark County Sheriff’s Office said they believe at least one person was on board, who died in the crash. Authorities are working to determine their identity.
The crash will be investigated by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.
https://www.kptv.com/2025/09/26/cessna-crashes-burns-battle-ground-airstrip-no-survivors-found/
Pilot who died in Ulster County crash remembered for generosity, passion for flying
State Police said the pilot, Gerald Cotter, 80, of Milford, N.J., was the only person on board
By Elizabeth Izzo, Lilli Iannella, Tyler A. McNeil
WALLKILL — State Police have released the name
of the person who died when a small airplane crashed at an airport in Ulster County on Saturday.
The pilot, identified Sunday as Gerald “Jerry” Cotter, 80, of Milford, N.J., was the only person on board, according to a news release from State Police. Cotter was found dead at the scene.
The Glasair Super II FT single-engine airplane crashed during takeoff at the privately owned Kobelt Airport in the hamlet of Wallkill around 2:25 p.m. Saturday. The crash sparked a brush fire, prompting multiple fire departments to respond. There were no recorded fights in or out of the airport on Saturday in the hours following the crash, according to flight records.
The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed it is investigating the crash. An NTSB investigator is traveling to the scene. State Police are also investigating.
Cotter was a career welder and mechanic with a longtime passion for aviation. He was one of 20 people who helped New Jersey resident Joe Tapp build a plane using plywood, epoxy and scrap pieces in 2010, according to the Hunterdon County Democrat.
The pilot had ties to the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 643 in Pittstown, N.J. Cotter attended almost every safety seminar and was always interested in bettering himself, said Jim Kahle, a fly-out captain with the EAA chapter.
Kahle recalled how Cotter volunteered to teach Kahle’s teenage son to weld about two years ago without having to be asked. And Cotter never asked for anything in return; that’s the kind of person Cotter was, Kahle said Sunday.
“If you had something that needed fixing or needed anything, he was the first to offer, and he’d never take a dime for it,” Kahle said.
It was not immediately clear where the plane Cotter was flying in Wallkill came from or was headed when it crashed. Representatives of the Kobelt Airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Wallkill Hook, Ladder & Hose fire department also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Cronomer Valley Fire Department confirmed they were among the departments that sent resources to the scene, but deferred comment to the Wallkill Fire Department.
Highland resident Malorie Lebow said she witnessed the plane crash. She was driving down Plains Road in Wallkill with her family when she saw a small plane come down and crash, creating a “giant explosion” with “enormously high” flames.
“We pulled over to see if we could help but it was an inferno,” Lebow wrote in a message to the Times Union. “The plane was upside down in front of me sadly. Things were still exploding on the plane so we couldn’t get too close … it was a giant inferno of black smoke sadly.”
“My heart goes out to all those affected,” Lebow added.
The crash comes less than six months after a small plane crashed in a field in Copake, Columbia County. The April crash killed two Massachusetts-based doctors, one who was also an executive director at a Rochester health system, as well as their son, daughter and their children’s two partners.
It also comes roughly two months after a small Piper Cherokee plane that departed from Albany International Airport crashed on Block Island, R.I., injuring two and killing a retired construction manager for BBL Construction in Albany and member of the Montgomery County Legislature.
https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/plane-crashes-hudson-valley-airport-21070903.php
2 killed in fiery plane crash north of Houston
The pilot of a twin-engine Cessna 340, along with a lone passenger, died in the crash early Sunday afternoon just south of Hooks Airport near Tomball, according to local authorities.
Adam Zuvanich
Two people were killed Sunday afternoon when a
small plane crashed near an airport north of Houston, according to local authorities.
The pilot of a Cessna 340, along with a lone passenger, died in the fiery crash just south of Hooks Airport near Tomball, according to a social media post by the Klein Fire Department, which said there were no survivors.
The twin-engine plane had recently departed the airport after refueling, the fire department wrote in its post.
"Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported complications and initiated a return to Hooks," the fire department wrote. "However, the aircraft crashed in an open field just south of a runway."
Sgt. Richard Standifer of the Texas Department of Public Safety identified the two people on board the plane as an "older man" and an "older woman," saying they had departed for Lubbock. It was not immediately clear where they were from.
“They developed some type of an issue, a
mechanical issue,” Standifer told reporters at the scene. “The pilot attempted to turn the plane around. He got fairly low to the runway. I don’t necessarily think he was lined up exactly to the runway. And he landed the plane well shy of the runway. Once the plane made contact with the runway, it burst into flames.”
The crash sparked some nearby brush fires, including at a tree farm, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. The fires had been extinguished within a few hours after the crash, which happened shortly after noon Sunday, according to multiple news reports.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, Standifer said.
NTSB Final Report: Lancair 235
Pilot Reported That He Selected The Landing Gear Down Before Landing, However, The Landing Gear Did Not Extend
Location: Pawhuska, Oklahoma Accident Number: CEN25LA201
Date & Time: June 7, 2025, 15:30 Local Registration: N25DB
Aircraft: Lancair 235 Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Landing gear not configured Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Flight test
Analysis: The pilot reported that he selected the landing gear down before landing, however, the landing gear did not extend. The pilot determined that it was too late to safely execute a go-around, and the airplane subsequently landed on its belly, resulting in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Postaccident examination revealed that a toggle switch that is used to energize the hydraulic system for the extension of the landing gear was inadvertently left in the OFF position by the pilot.
Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The pilot’s failure to properly configure the airplane for landing.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
NTSB Final Report: Cirrus Design Corp SR22
Pilot Reported That The Purpose Of The Flight Was To Continue The New Engine Break-In Process
Location: Granbury, Texas Accident Number: CEN25LA342
Date & Time: August 24, 2025, 18:54 Local Registration: N376CD
Aircraft: Cirrus Design Corp SR22 Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Fuel starvation Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
Analysis: The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to continue the new engine break-in process. He departed with 46 total gallons of fuel but did not know the exact amount in each tank. During the flight he switched fuel tanks at a fuel consumption interval of 10 gallons. As he turned back toward the airport, he noted 14 gallons in the right tank and 4.5 gallons in the left tank. He intended to utilize the left tank until he started a descent, at which time he would switch to the right tank. About 18 miles from the airport, he felt the airplane decelerate so he turned on the fuel boost pump, and advanced the mixture and throttle controls, but did not switch fuel tanks. He diverted to a nearby airport but was unable to reach it, so he activated the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). The airplane descended to the ground under the parachute canopy and landed hard, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. He added that he forgot to switch fuel tanks as he had intended and exhausted the fuel in the left tank.
Postaccident examination revealed 14 gallons of fuel in the right tank, which was breached, and trace amounts of fuel in the left tank, which remained intact.
Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The pilot’s inadequate fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
NTSB Final Report: Seawind 3000
Airplane Impacted A Lake Swell, Leading It To Skip, Then Pitch Up And Bank To One Side Before Impacting The Water
Location: Bellevue, Washington Accident Number: WPR23FA344
Date & Time: September 15, 2023, 10:58 Local Registration: N57TJ
Aircraft: Seawind 3000 Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control on ground Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
Analysis: The pilot was conducting a personal flight in the amphibious airplane with one passenger. During the step phase of the water takeoff (when most of the seaplane’s weight is supported by lift rather than the buoyancy of the floats), the airplane impacted a lake swell, leading it to skip, then pitch up and bank to one side before impacting the water. Postaccident examination revealed no anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation, and witness accounts indicated that the engine was producing power at the time of the accident. The left forward shoulder harness inertia reel and webbing were not found during the examination and were likely not installed because photographs of previous flights showed no shoulder harness at the pilot’s seat position. This likely contributed to the severity of the pilot’s injuries.
A video recording of the accident sequence was consistent with witness observations and showed calm water near the shoreline and a slow-moving lake swell in the area where the skipping occurred.
Glassy water can give the impression of calm and safety, but it can also be dangerous due to a lack of visual cues and the potential for sudden changes in water conditions. It is likely that the lake swell was not aligned with the pilot’s intended direction of departure, which resulted in the skipping and loss of control during takeoff.
Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The pilot’s loss of airplane control after encountering a lake swell and skipping during takeoff.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
19 Years ago today: On 29 September 2006 Gol flight 1907, a Boeing 737-800, crashed near Peixoto Azevedo, Brazil, following a mid-air collision with an Embraer Legacy 600 executive jet, killing all 154 occupants.
| Date: | Friday 29 September 2006 |
| Time: | 16:57 |
| Type: | Boeing 737-8EH |
| Owner/operator: | Gol Linhas Aéreas |
| Registration: | PR-GTD |
| MSN: | 34653/2039 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2006 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 202 hours |
| Cycles: | 162 flights |
| Engine model: | CFMI CFM56-7B26 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 154 / Occupants: 154 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 30 km from Peixoto Azevedo, MT - Brazil |
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Manaus-Eduardo Gomes International Airport, AM (MAO/SBEG) |
| Destination airport: | Brasília-Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport, DF (BSB/SBBR) |
| Investigating agency: | CENIPA |
| Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:
Gol flight 1907, a Boeing 737-800, crashed near Peixoto Azevedo, Brazil, following a mid-air collision with an Embraer Legacy 600 executive jet, killing all 154 occupants.
On September 29, an Embraer Legacy 600 executive jet (N600XL) was scheduled to be delivered from the Embraer factory at São José dos Campos Airport (SJK) to the United States. An intermediate stop was planned at Manaus (MAO). The Legacy took off at about 14:51. The filed flight plan included a routing via the OREN departure procedure to Pocos beacon, then airway UW2 to Brasilia VOR (BRS), airway UZ6 to Manaus. The cruise altitude was filed as FL370, with a planned change to FL360 at BRS, and to FL380 at the TERES navigational fix, approximately 282 miles north of BRS.
Meanwhile, at 15:35, GOL Flight 1907, a Boeing 737-800, departed Manaus (MAO) on a scheduled flight to Brasilia (BSB) and Rio de Janeiro (GIG). The flight was also routed via UZ6 to BRS. Cruising altitude was FL370, which was reached at 15:58. At that time, Legacy N600XL had just passed BRS, level at FL370. There is no record of a request from N600XL to the control agencies to conduct a change of altitude after passing BRS. There is also no record of any instruction from air traffic controllers at Brasilia Center to the aircraft, directing a change of altitude. When the airplane was about 30 miles north-northwest of BRS, at 16:02, the transponder of N600XL was no longer being received by ATC radar. Between 15:51 and 16:26, there were no attempts to establish radio communications from either the crew of N600XL or ATC. At 16:26 the CINDACTA 1 controller made a "blind call" to N600XL. Subsequently until 16:53, the controller made an additional 6 radio calls attempting to establish contact. The 16:53 call instructed the crew to change to frequencies 123.32 or 126.45. No replies were received. Beginning at 16:48, the crew of N600XL made a series of 12 radio calls to ATC attempting to make contact. They heard the 16:48 call, but the pilot did not understand all of the digits, and requested a repeat. No reply from ATC was received. The pilot made 7 more attempts to establish contact.
Both the GOL Boeing 737 and the Legacy were now on a head on collision course on airway UZ6 at the same altitude. Because the transponder of N600XL was not functioning properly the TCAS equipment on both planes did not alert the crews. At FL370, over the remote Amazon jungle, both aircraft collided. The left winglet of the Legacy (which includes a metal spar) contacted the left wing leading edge of the Boeing 737. The impact resulted in damage to a major portion of the left wing structure and lower skin, ultimately rendering the 737 uncontrollable. The Boeing 737 was destroyed by in-flight break-up and impact forces.
The Embraer's winglet was sheared off and damage was sustained to the vertical stabilizer tip. The crew made numerous further calls to ATC declaring an emergency and their intent to make a landing at the Cachimbo air base. At 17:02, the transponder returns from N600XL were received by ATC. At 17:13, an uninvolved flight crew assisted in relaying communications between N600XL and ATC until the airplane established communication with Cachimbo tower.
A safe emergency landing was made.
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
1. Human Factor
1.1. Psychological aspect - a contributor
1.1.1. PR-GTD
Neither active failures were identified in relation to the crew, nor latent failures in relation to the organizational system of the company.
1.1.2. N600XL
Relatively to the crew of the N600XL, the following active failures were identified: lack of an adequate planning of the flight, and insufficient knowledge of the flight plan prepared by the Embraer operator; non-execution of a briefing prior to departure; unintentional change of the transponder setting, failure in prioritizing attention; failure in perceiving that the transponder was not transmitting; delay in recognizing the problem of communication with the air traffic control unit; and non-compliance with the procedures prescribed for communications failure.
The low situational awareness of the pilots (airmanship) was a relevant factor for the occurrence of the accident. It began during the phase of preparation for the operation, which was considered by them as routine. The attitude of the pilots about the mission permeated their behavior during the other phases, with the addition of several factors that contributed to aggravate the lowering of the situational awareness:
The non-elaboration of an adequate planning of the flight, a behavior that was influenced by the habitual procedure of the company, an aspect not favorable for the construction of a mental model to guide the conduction of the flight;
The haste to depart and the pressure from the passengers, hindering adequate knowledge of the flight plan, and negatively influencing the sequence of actions during the pre-flight and departure phases;
The crew dynamics, characterized by lack of division of tasks, lack of an adequate monitoring of the flight, and by informality. It was influenced by the lack of knowledge of the weight and balance calculations, and by the predominant little experience of the pilots in that aircraft model; and
the lack of specific Standard Operational Procedures (SOPs) set by the company for that
aircraft model to be complied with by the pilots.
Within this context, the inadvertent switch-off of the transponder occurred, possibly on account of the pilots little experience in the aircraft and its avionics. The transponder switchoff was not perceived by the crew, due to the reduction of the situational awareness relative to the alert of the TCAS condition, which did not draw the attention of the pilots. The lack of situational awareness also contributed to the crews not realizing that they had a communication problem with the ATC. Although they were maintaining the last flight level authorized by the ACC BS, they spent almost an hour flying at a non-standard flight level for the heading being flown, and did not ask for any confirmation from the ATC.
The performance deficiencies shown by the crew have a direct relationship with the organizational decisions and processes adopted by the operator: the inadequate designation of the pilots for the operation; the insufficient training for the conduction of the mission, and the routine procedures relative to the planning of the flight, in which there was not full participation of the crew.
1.1.3 SISCEAB
Considering the diversity and complexity of the non-conformities observed in the air traffic control domain, they will be presented in topics.
It is important to point out that the refusal of the Brasilia ACC controllers involved in the accident to participate in the interviews hindered the precise identification of the individual aspects that contributed to the occurrence of the non-conformities. Some of these aspects were kept in the field of hypotheses.
a) Transmission of an incomplete flight clearance by the assistant controller of the São Paulo Region of Brasilia ACC, and by the Ground controller of DTCEA-SJ.
