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Twin-engine plane lands safely at Montgomery County Airpark after gear trouble
By Isabel Soisson
The Brief
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- A twin-engine airplane carrying two occupants landed safely at Montgomery County Airpark on Monday evening following issues with its nose landing gear.
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- The airfield was temporarily closed as the pilot circled above the airport to troubleshoot the mechanical issue and burn off excess fuel prior to landing.
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- No injuries were reported, both individuals exited the aircraft unassisted and emergency crews subsequently scaled back their presence on the scene.
GAITHERSBURG, MD. - A twin-engine airplane with two
people on board landed safely at Montgomery County Airpark on Monday evening after experiencing issues with its nose landing gear, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service officials.
Neither of the aircraft's two occupants was injured during the emergency landing, and both were able to exit the plane unassisted shortly after touchdown.
What we know:
Emergency crews initially responded to 7940 Airpark Road in Gaithersburg at 6:37 p.m. following reports that an incoming aircraft was unable to lower its landing gear.
Officials closed the airfield to all air traffic while the plane circled above the airpark to troubleshoot the mechanical issue and burn off fuel prior to its final approach.
Fire and rescue personnel established a scene presence at the airport to prepare for a potential hard landing, officials said. Following the successful landing, emergency responders began downsizing their presence on the scene.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not released the identity of the occupants or the origin of the flight.
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/twin-engine-plane-lands-safely-montgomery-county-airpark-after-gear-trouble
2 dead after small plane crash at private San Diego airport
The crash once again fueled fears of previous crashes in San Diego for some.
By Renee Schmiedeberg and Omari Fleming
Two people died after a small plane crashed on the
runway at the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in Kearny Mesa, the San Diego Police Department confirmed.
The Cessna plane crashed around 5:21 p.m. and caught fire at the scene, SDPD said.
The fire was extinguished and the plane remained at the crash site, according to Brian Raines, SDFD Assistant Fire Chief. The airport was temporarily closed during emergency operations, SDFD wrote on X.
The plane's heavy damage led to a small fuel leak that airport personnel and SDFD were working to clean up.
At this time, investigators said it's unclear whether the plane was taking off or landing when the crash happened, or whether it was an experienced pilot or a training flight.
The National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation of the crash. 
Eyewitness accounts
Billowing black smoke from the plane crash filled the air over the airport, beckoning people to come help.
“I was with my fiancé and then I heard a big boom," explained Melizza Cardiel.
She said she and her fiancé Mauricio Godinez were working in a hangar when they heard the crash Monday evening.
By the time the two got fire extinguishers and ran to help, they said it was too late.
“As soon as we got back to the plane, flames were engulfing the wings,” said Godinez. "The wings were melting, caving in."
"Rescue is always our first priority. That's what the first units were trying to do. The plane was heavily damaged, and we were not able to extricate any of the victims. We had to focus on extinguishing the fire," Raines said.
Godinez says he didn't see what happened before the crash but spoke with an aviator who did.
The crash once again fueled fears of previous crashes in San Diego for some, like when a Cessna 550 headed to the airport in May of 2025 and crashed into the 3100 block of Salmon Street near Tierrasanta.
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/dead-after-plane-crashes-montgomery-gibbs-airport-kearny-mesa/4070414/
Pilot Killed After Small Plane Strikes Power Line, Crashes on Columbia Boulevard Near Space Coast Regional Airport
By Space Coast Daily
BREVARD COUNTY • TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA — One person was killed Monday morning after a small, single-engine aircraft struck a power line and crashed onto Columbia Boulevard near Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville.
The crash was reported at approximately 10:16 a.m. along State Road 405, just short of the airport property.
The Titusville Fire Department, Titusville Police Department, Brevard County Fire Rescue and Space Coast Regional Airport Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting personnel responded to the scene.
Witnesses told authorities the aircraft struck a power line before crashing onto the roadway and catching fire. Titusville firefighters extinguished the blaze with assistance from the airport’s Crash 1 emergency response unit.
The pilot, who was the aircraft’s only occupant, was pronounced dead at the scene. Due to the nature of the crash, detectives have not yet been able to positively identify the victim.
The pilot’s identity will be released after authorities confirm the identification and notify the next of kin.
The Federal Aviation Administration is at the scene, while the National Transportation Safety Board is traveling to Titusville to investigate the cause of the crash.
Titusville Police detectives will conduct the death investigation and assist federal investigators as needed.
The Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and the Medical Examiner’s Office are also assisting with the response.
Columbia Boulevard will remain closed for an extended period as investigators process the scene and a specialized company travels from Jacksonville to remove the aircraft. Titusville Police will manage traffic control and provide roadway updates through the department’s social media channels.
Florida Power & Light estimates that repairs to the damaged electrical infrastructure and restoration of power will take several hours.
NTSB Prelim: Rath Michael J Sonerai 2
Following The Landing, The Airplane’s Lithium Battery Caught Fire And Consumed Most Of The Fuselage.
Location: Cynthiana, KY Accident Number: ERA26LA254
Date & Time: June 30, 2026, 10:30 Local Registration: N1406
Aircraft: Rath Michael J Sonerai 2 Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
On June 30, 2026, at about 1030 eastern daylight time, an experimental Sonerai 2 airplane, N1406, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Cynthiana, Kentucky. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to perform local air work in the traffic pattern. There were no anomalies noted during the preflight inspection, engine run-up, or subsequent takeoff. The airplane departed with 10 gallons of fuel. About 25 minutes into the flight, after completing two touch-and-go-landings, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power while transitioning to the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern. The pilot was unable to restore engine power and performed a forced landing to a field west of the airport.
During the landing roll, the landing gear separated and the fuselage impacted the ground resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage.
Following the landing, the airplane’s lithium battery caught fire and consumed most of the fuselage.
The wreckage was retained for further examination.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
32 Years ago today: On 8 September 1994 USAir Flight 427, a Boeing 737-300, crashed following a loss of control during the approach to Pittsburgh International Airport, Pennsylvania, USA. All 132 on board were killed.
| Date: | Thursday 8 September 1994 |
| Time: | 19:03 |
| Type: | Boeing 737-3B7 |
| Owner/operator: | USAir |
| Registration: | N513AU |
| MSN: | 23699/1452 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1987 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 23846 hours |
| Engine model: | CFMI CFM56-3B2 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 132 / Occupants: 132 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Aliquippa, PA - United States of America |
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, IL (ORD/KORD) |
| Destination airport: | Pittsburgh International Airport, PA (PIT/KPIT) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:
USAir Flight 427, a Boeing 737-300, crashed following a loss of control during the approach to Pittsburgh International Airport, Pennsylvania, USA. All 132 on board were killed.
The flight departed Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, Illinois at 18:10 hours on a flight to Pittsburgh. The first officer was Pilot Flying (PF) and the captain was the pilot-not-flying (PNF) on this leg. The flight until the descent part of the flight was uneventful.
About 19:02:22 the Pittsburgh TRACON controller issued instructions to turn to a heading of 100 degrees and told the crew there was other traffic in the area.
About 19:02:53, flight 427 was rolling out of the left bank as it approached the ATC-assigned heading of 100° and was maintaining the ATC-assigned airspeed (190 knots) and altitude (6,000 feet msl). About four seconds later the aircraft suddenly entered the wake vortex of Delta Airlines flight 1083, a Boeing 727, that preceded it by 69 seconds (4,2 miles).
Over the next 3 seconds the aircraft rolled left to approx. 18 deg of bank. The autopilot attempted to initiate a roll back to the right as the aircraft went in and out of a wake vortex core, resulting in two loud "thumps". The first officer then manually overrode the autopilot without disengaging it by putting in a large right-wheel command at a rate of 150deg/second. The airplane started rolling back to the right at an acceleration that peaked 36deg/sec, but the aircraft never reached a wings level attitude.
At 19:03:01 the aircraft's heading slewed suddenly and dramatically to the left (full left rudder deflection). Within a second of the yaw onset the roll attitude suddenly began to increase to the left, reaching 30deg. The aircraft pitched down, continuing to roll through 55 degree left bank. At 19:03:07 the pitch attitude approached -20 degrees, the left bank increased to 70 degrees and the descent rate reached 3600 ft/min. At this point, the aircraft stalled. Left roll and yaw continued, and the aircraft rolled through inverted flight as the nose reached 90 degree down, approx. 3600 feet above the ground. The 737 continued to roll, but the nose began to rise. At 2000 feet above the ground the aircraft's attitude passed 40 degrees nose low and 15 degrees left bank. The left roll hesitated briefly, but continued and the nose again dropped.
The plane descended fast and impacted the ground nose first at 261 knots in an 80 degree nose down, 60 degree left bank attitude and with significant sideslip.
PROBABLE CAUSE :" The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the USAir flight 427 accident was a loss of control of the airplane resulting from the movement of the rudder surface to its blow down limit. The rudder surface most likely deflected in a direction opposite to that commanded by the pilots as a result of a jam of the main rudder power control unit servo valve secondary slide to the servo valve housing offset from its neutral position and over travel of the primary slide."
