Yesterday afternoon at
the 36th Annual ARFF Working Group Conference, the organization proudly presented the 2026 Legend Award to Retired Pheonix Sky Harbor ARFF Chief Beth Hendel as well as an award posthumously to Dana Diamond, UPS Captain and Bastrop County, Texas Fire Chief. We thank UPS Captain Eric McClish for accepting Dana’s award, which will be presented to Dana’s family.
The Legend Award is one of the highest honors bestowed by the ARFF Working Group. It recognizes individuals whose leadership, service, and contributions have left a lasting impact on the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) profession.
We congratulate Chief Hendel and remember and honor Captain Diamond on their well-deserved recognition and thank them for their service and dedication to the fire service and aviation communities.
Now here are the stories for today…
Be safe out there!
Tom
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US Air Force fighter jet crashes near air base in Germany
Jenipher Camino Gonzalez | Mark Hallam with dpa, AFP
The F-16 pilot was able to safely eject from the plane and was taken to receive medical care. The incident occurred near Spangdahlem Air Base in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
A fighter jet crashed near the US air base in Spangdahlem, Germany, on Tuesday.
The plane crash occurred at approximately 2:30 p.m. local time (12:30 UTC). The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.
The US military confirmed that the plane was an F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing and that its pilot was able to safely eject from the aircraft.
"The pilot ejected safely and is receiving medical care," the base said in a statement.
Local authorities in the remote Eifel region also confirmed that one person had been injured.
"Following a plane crash in the vicinity of US Air Base Spangdahlem, fire and emergency response teams from the Eifel District of Bitburg-Prüm were dispatched to the scene," the district said on its website.
"No comments can be made on the further details of the event from the side of the Eifel district at this time."
A NATO operations center
Spangdahlem Air Base is a NATO operations center that was built in the early 1950s. The US Air Force's 52nd Fighter Wing is garrisoned there. The base is home to an F-16 fighter jet squadron comprising around 20 aircraft.
It is located north of the city of Trier in Rhineland-Palatinate, not far west of the border to Luxembourg.
The facility at Spangdahlem is considered one of the most important airfields for the US military in Germany, alongside Ramstein base, outside the city of Kaiserslautern.
Some 5,000 US military and civilian personnel-plus dependents are stationed at Spangdahlem, with around 700 to 800 Germans also employed at the facility.
https://www.dw.com/en/spangdahlem-germany-us-fighter-jet-crash/a-79376025
Eurowings plane must land again immediately in Düsseldorf
RTL
A Eurowings plane had to turn back shortly after takeoff.
The aircraft had departed from Düsseldorf in the afternoon and was en route to Brindisi, Italy. However, a small amount of smoke was detected shortly after takeoff, as a Eurowings spokesperson confirmed to the German Press Agency (dpa).
The crew reacted and decided to turn back as a precaution. There were 144 passengers on board at the time. The aircraft was then able to land normally at Düsseldorf Airport. The passengers disembarked via a mobile stairway on the tarmac. A large contingent of firefighters and paramedics was on site: according to the fire department, around 70 emergency personnel were deployed. Two passengers were taken to nearby hospitals as a precaution. The operation concluded after approximately two hours.
The cause of the smoke is currently unclear. Eurowings has stated that the aircraft will undergo a technical inspection. The airline regrets the inconvenience to passengers. Eurowings emphasizes that passenger safety is its top priority and was never at risk.
https://www.rtl.de/news/eurowings-flugzeug-muss-in-duesseldorf-sofort-wieder-landen-id31336846.html
NTSB Final Report: Textron Aviation Inc T206H
The Pilot Receiving Instruction Stated That During Flight He Heard A Loud Bang And A Rush Of Air
Location: Wichita, Kansas Accident Number: CEN26LA163
Date & Time: April 3, 2026, 11:05 Local Registration: N411CV
Aircraft: Textron Aviation Inc T206H Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional
Analysis: The flight instructor reported that while in flight, he heard a loud noise and the noise inside the cabin increased. He turned around and realized that the aft (cargo) door had opened. The airplane landed without further incident. He noted that the Cessna 206 baggage door has a safety switch on the forward baggage door latch that prevents use of flaps when the door latch is not engaged and that the flaps were operational during the flight. He noted that the baggage door had been opened at least 2 times during the preflight inspection of the airplane.
The pilot receiving instruction stated that during flight he heard a loud bang and a rush of air. He turned and saw that the rear half of the cargo door had opened in flight. They returned to the airport where an uneventful no-flap landing was made. He said that both cargo door handles were in the latched position before the flight. The operator of the airplane provided a video showing that it is possible to move the aft cargo door latch handle into the latched position without the door mounted lower latch hook properly engaging the fuselage mounted latch plate. Additionally, there were scrape marks on the latch plate and door sill that were consistent with the lower latch having not been properly engaged.
According to the “Pilot’s Operating Handbook and FAA Approved Flight Manual” for the airplane, the flap interrupt switch that the flight instructor noted is installed in the upper sill of the forward cargo door opening and does not detect if the latch hooks have engaged the latch plates. The preflight checklist for the airplane included the following: “Cargo Doors - CHECK (visually verify upper and lower cargo door latches are securely engaged) (right side only)” The airplane received substantial damage to the aft fuselage when the rear cargo door opened and impacted the fuselage side.
Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The flight crew’s failure to ensure that the rear cargo door was properly latched before flight.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
43 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.
