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2 dead after small plane crashes near Tampa Executive Airport
The plane crashed in a wooded area near U.S. 301 early Thursday morning.
By Dan Sullivan Times staff
Two people were killed when a small plane crashed Thursday morning near the Tampa Executive Airport, authorities said. 
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue officials received a call about 8:16 a.m. reporting an aircraft was down in a wooded area between the airport and U.S. 301.
Firefighters arrived to find a small plane engulfed in flames, Public Safety Information Chief Rob Herrin said in a news conference. The fire was put out within 10 minutes. Afterward, firefighters found two people dead inside the plane, Herrin said.
Hillsborough deputies arrived about the same time to secure the scene and await federal aviation investigators, said Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer.
“The wreckage is extensive,” Maurer said.
Authorities did not immediately identify the two people killed or the type of aircraft they were in. The plane took off from the Tampa Executive Airport shortly before the crash, officials said.
Personnel from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were en route to the scene. Both agencies will investigate the cause of the crash.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/breaking-news/2026/09/03/hillsborough-tampa-plane-crash-us-301-today-latest-updates/
Chronology of Garuda Plane Tire Burst, Sultan Hasanuddin Airport Runway Closed
Author: Raihan Immaduddin
JAKARTA, AFU.ID — Garuda Indonesia flight GA604 suffered a tire blowout on its main wheel number 3 shortly after takeoff from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (Soetta) on Thursday (September 3, 2026). The Boeing 737-800 aircraft, registered PK-GFS, was serving a flight to Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport, Makassar. Despite the tire problem, the flight continued until the aircraft landed safely in Makassar.
GA604 departed Soetta at 05:52 WIB. After the aircraft was airborne, the crew received information about a tire burst on the main wheel. At 06:04 WIB, the Pilot in Command (PIC) coordinated via Ground-to-Air (GTA) communication and decided to continue flying to Makassar. Information about the condition was then forwarded to Sultan Hasanuddin Airport to prepare the arrival procedures for GA604. 
Sultan Hasanuddin Airport immediately deployed Airport Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) personnel to stand by for the landing. Coordination was also carried out with AirNav Indonesia, the Search and Rescue (SAR) team, the Health Quarantine Center (BBKK), and the Air Force Base Rescue Base. After a go-around , GA604 finally landed on runway 03 at 9:13 a.m. WITA with all 141 passengers and eight crew members safe.
After the aircraft stopped, officers conducted an initial inspection and found damage to main wheel number 3. The aircraft was then towed from the runway to the parking stand for further inspection, repairs, and replacement of the main wheel. "After landing, the runway was temporarily closed through NOTAM Number A3284/26 to ensure operational safety and to handle the aircraft," said Director General of Civil Aviation Lukman F. Laisa in his official statement.
Runway 03-21 was closed for approximately one hour, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. WITA (Central Indonesian Time) to support the handling process and ensure the runway was safe for reuse. The engineering team also inspected and cleaned the runway to ensure there were no foreign object debris (FOD) that could endanger flights. After being declared safe, the runway reopened, and flight operations at Sultan Hasanuddin Airport resumed as normal. (RAI)
https://afu.id/humaniora/kronologi-pesawat-garuda-pecah-ban-runway-bandara-sultan-hasanuddin-ditutup
External Battery Explodes and Causes Small Fire on Aeromexico Plane
In response to the incident, the airline reported that security protocols were activated to assist passengers.
By N+ Editorial Team
An external battery explosion caused a small fire on an Aeromexico plane in Oaxaca; this is what we know about the accident.
According to initial reports, the incident occurred during flight AM371, which was headed to Mexico City, as confirmed by the airline. 
“Today, on flight AM371, an external battery (power bank) carried by a passenger exploded on an unoccupied seat,” he stated.
He also added that after the explosion, which resulted in fire, no one was injured or required medical attention.
“In response to this incident, Aeromexico activated its safety protocols and the aircraft subsequently landed without incident,” he said.
He also noted that upon arrival at the airport, the device was handed over to the authorities for analysis and appropriate procedures.
"Aeromexico urges its passengers to always follow the recommendations on the use of lithium batteries during the flight," it reminded.
External batteries, also known as power banks , work using lithium-ion or lithium-polymer cells, because they can store a large amount of energy in a very small space.
However, when a phenomenon called thermal runaway occurs, in which the temperature increase generates more heat than the battery can dissipate, then it becomes pressurized and collapses.
For the above to occur, several factors must be present, but the most common are related to factory defects or poor quality, overheating, exposure to heat, or poor ventilation when using it.
Impacts or physical damage are important, as they can deform the casing or crush the internal separator of the cell, thereby causing a short circuit.
Overcharging or the use of unsuitable chargers must also be considered, as many of them have a higher voltage and can force the flow of energy.
https://www.nmas.com.mx/oaxaca/seguridad/accidentes/bateria-externa-explota-y-provoca-conato-de-incendio-en-avion-de-aeromexico/
Plane makes emergency landing outside Guthrie Center airport
by: Rachael Kauffman
GUTHRIE COUNTY, Iowa — Authorities are investigating after a plane made an emergency landing outside the Guthrie Center airport. 
WHO 13 News crews on scene confirmed a small blue and white single-engine plane crashed near Redwood Avenue, outside of the Guthrie Center Regional Airport, on Wednesday.
The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office says the plane made an emergency landing on the road after an unknown issue occurred. Officials say the pilot, who was traveling from Wisconsin to Missouri and was the only occupant, was uninjured.
The sheriff’s office says the pilot reported that they chose to land on the road rather than a field to reduce the risk of rolling. The plane is reported to have damage to the underside and landing gear.
Authorities say the plane has been transported to the Guthrie Center Regional Airport and the emergency landing is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
https://who13.com/news/iowa-news/plane-makes-emergency-landing-outside-guthrie-center-airport/
NTSB Final Report Published On The Nelons Gospel Group Accident
Cause Cited Was Pilot’s Loss Of Control Due To Spatial Disorientation
The NTSB has issued a final report on the July 26, 2024 accident in Wyoming that killed three members of The Nelons gospel musical group and four others including the pilot who was the former Georgia Department of Corrections Board Chairman Larry Haynie.
Nelons members Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, Amber and Nathan Kistler and their assistant, Melodi Hodges, along with Haynie and his wife Melissa died in the accident. At the time of the flight, the Nelons, the Haynies and Hodges were en route to the Gaither Music Cruise to Alaska, where the Nelons were expected to meet the rest of the musical group and attend the event.
The group had departed Georgia on a cross-country instrument flight in the Pilatus PC-12/47E with a planned fuel stop in Montana.
The NTSB report says in Montana “during the last portion of the flight, about 15 seconds before the airplane entered an area of precipitation as depicted by weather reflectivity charts, the pilot reported a loss of the autopilot and declared an emergency to the air route traffic control center controller. The controller asked the pilot where he would like to land and the pilot responded that he was trying to get control of the airplane; the controller told the pilot to advise if he required additional assistance. The controller then relayed the minimum IFR altitude and current altimeter setting with no further response from the pilot.
“Sound modeling data indicate that rain shower or thunderstorm activity had the potential for an updraft speed of up to 3,346 ft/min. ADS-B data indicated that the autopilot disconnected a few seconds after the airplane encountered the precipitation, likely when the airplane encountered an updraft because the autopilot was unable to counteract an updraft of the strength indicated by the modeling data. The airplane was likely operating in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) throughout the remainder of the flight.
“Following the autopilot disengagement, the pilot had to manually maintain control of the airplane while operating in IMC, increasing his susceptibility to spatial disorientation. The airplane’s erratic flight track in the final 2 minutes of flight, culminating in the final rapidly descending right turn, were consistent with the known effects of spatial disorientation. Furthermore, the pilot’s focus to re-engage the autopilot likely created an operational distraction that contributed to a breakdown in his instrument scan. The airplane likely partially broke up at low altitude during its rapid descent to the ground, consistent with an exceedance of the airplane’s maximum operating speed. Pieces of the left wing were found up to 0.82 miles from the main wreckage and exhibited signatures of overload.
“The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot’s loss of control due to spatial disorientation while operating in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an in-flight breakup. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s distraction from the autopilot disconnecting due to an updraft from convective activity.”
The report added that a search of archived information indicated that the accident pilot did not request weather information from Leidos Flight Service. The accident pilot did have an account with ForeFlight but did not file his flight plan through ForeFlight nor did he review or receive a weather briefing. It is unknown what, if any, weather information the accident pilot viewed before or during the accident flight.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov

Today in History
37 Years ago today: On 3 September 1989 Cubana flight 9046, an Ilyushin Il-62M, was destroyed in a takeoff accident at Havana-José Martí International Airport (HAV), Cuba.
| Date: | Sunday 3 September 1989 |
| Time: | 18:57 |
| Type: | Ilyushin Il-62M |
| Owner/operator: | Cubana de Aviación |
| Registration: | CU-T1281 |
| MSN: | 3850453 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1988 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1326 hours |
| Cycles: | 254 flights |
| Engine model: | Soloviev D-30KU |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 126 / Occupants: 126 |
| Other fatalities: | 24 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 0,7 km NE of Havana-José Martí International Airport (HAV) - Cuba |
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Havana-José Martí International Airport (HAV/MUHA) |
| Destination airport: | Köln/Bonn Airport (CGN/EDDK) |
| Investigating agency: | IACC |
| Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:
Cubana flight 9046, an Ilyushin Il-62M, was destroyed in a takeoff accident at Havana-José Martí International Airport (HAV), Cuba.
All 126 occupants and 24 persons on the ground were killed.
The aircraft operated on a charter flight from Havana to Milan, Italy, with a planned technical stop at Köln/Bonn, Germany.
The aircraft was cleared for a departure from runway 05. Weather was poor with a rain storm over the field with a 7/8 cloud cover at 540-600 meters altitude and cumulonimbus clouds in the area. The final wind check before takeoff was reported to be 90 degrees at 20-26 knots. Takeoff was commenced at 18:56 hours. The gear was raised after takeoff and the flaps were selected up to 15° from 30° while the aircraft climbed through an altitude of 40 meters (130 ft), reaching a highest altitude of 56 meters (184 ft). The aircraft was caught in downdrafts and descended until impacting ILS aerials 67 seconds after commencing takeoff and 220 meters past the runway end. The aircraft broke up and burst into flames as it proceeded up a hill before crashing into a residential area. All 126 on board died in the accident, along with 24 persons on the ground. One passenger, a 22 year old male initially survived the crash but died on September 11, eight days after the accident.
Probable cause (translated from Spanish):
1) The existence of an adverse atmospheric phenomenon of windshear at low altitude, of which existence the captain did not know.
2) An unwise decision of the pilot in command to not postpone the takeoff given the existing weather conditions near the airfield.
