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Small Plane Crashes at Madera Municipal Airport, FAA Says
KMJ Now
MADERA, Calif. (KFSN) — A small plane crashed at Madera Municipal Airport just after 1 p.m. on Thursday.
The Federal Aviation Administration says the aircraft was a Cessna 185.
The pilot was the only person on board.
Madera police say the pilot walked away from the crash uninjured.
The FAA is investigating the crash. No other details have been released.
https://www.kmjnow.com/2026/10/01/small-plane-crashes-at-madera-municipal-airport-faa-says/
1 dead after plane crash at Paine Field
By Beacon Staff
One person has died after a small plane crashed in the woods at the west end of Paine Field in Everett on Thursday, Oct. 1. 
According to Paine Field spokesperson Kristin Banfield, the crash occurred at about 2:48 p.m. A Glasair airplane taking off from Paine Field Airport’s main runway crashed into a wooded, undeveloped area of the airport, approximately 750 feet from the runway.
The aircraft caught fire after the crash, and Paine Field Fire Department personnel quickly extinguished it.
The aircraft had one person on board, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The main runway was closed for about one hour while the Paine Field Fire Department and airport operations crews responded to the scene. The Mukilteo Fire Department and the South County Fire Department assisted.
Support 7 responded to assist first responders at the scene.
The Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the decedent's identity, as well as the cause and manner of death.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the cause of this crash.
https://www.edmondsbeacon.com/stories/1-dead-after-plane-crash-at-paine-field,194376
ATSB Preliminary Report On Four On-Going Investigations
Staffing Resources Within The Air Traffic Control Tower Are A Focus
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released preliminary reports from four of its six ongoing investigations into aircraft coordination and conflict incidents at Sydney Airport in July and August 2026, as well as a data analysis report into runway confliction occurrences at major Australian airports.
The preliminary reports do not contain findings or analysis, which will come with the final reports. Instead, they outline the sequence of events in each of the occurrences and outline important contextual and operational information.
“While air traffic control involvement in each occurrence is still being examined, we can say based on information detailed in our preliminary reports that staff resourcing within Sydney Tower at the time of many of the occurrences has emerged as a recurring area of enquiry,” ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said.
“These investigations will look to understand the significance of staff resourcing pressures within the tower, specifically, the practice of combining operational roles, the routine reliance on overtime to fill shifts, and training or supervision activities being conducted alongside operational duties.”
The ATSB stresses it has yet to determine whether staff resourcing factors directly contributed to any occurrence, or whether they were simply underlying conditions that were recognized and being effectively managed by Airservices, Australia’s air traffic services provider.
The four occurrences comprise:
- 27 July – a runway incursion where a Qantas Boeing 737 was cleared to cross in front of a QantasLink Dash 8 aircraft in its landing roll.
- 9 August – a taxiing proximity event where a Jetstar A320 braked abruptly to avoid a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 under tow. A flight attendant aboard the A320 fell during the braking and sustained a fractured wrist.
- 9 August – a runway incursion where a Qantas Boeing 737 was cleared to cross the runway in front of a Virgin 737 that had just been cleared for take-off.
- 18 August – a taxiing conflict where a Qantas A321 had to brake to let a Qantas Boeing 737 pass in front of it.
The preliminary reports also note that Airservices’ roster modelling predicted elevated fatigue risks for staff at the time of many of the occurrences.
“It is important to note that an elevated fatigue risk in and of itself does not mean a controller was fatigued, or that fatigue influenced their performance,” Mitchell said.
Photo credit Paul Sadler ATSB.
FMI: www.atsb.gov.au
NTSB Prelim: Bell 47G-4A
Pilot Reported That About 43 Minutes After Takeoff, He Felt The Helicopter Momentarily Yaw To The Left Twice
Location: Alcoma, FL Accident Number: ERA26LA331
Date & Time: September 6, 2026, 14:22 Local Registration: N797WS
Aircraft: Bell 47G-4A Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
On September 5, 2026, at 1422 eastern daylight time, a Bell 47G-4A, N797WS, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Alcoma, Florida. The pilot was not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot reported that about 43 minutes after takeoff, he felt the helicopter momentarily yaw to the left twice. About 10 seconds later he heard a brief “metallic grinding noise,” which was followed by a loss of altitude, at which point the pilot performed a forced landing.
The helicopter came to rest in trees resulting in substantial damage to the engine mounts, pitch change linkage, and tailboom.
The helicopter was recovered and retained for further examination.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
36 Years ago today: On 2 October 1990 Xiamen Airlines flight 8301, a Boeing 737-200, struck two aircraft during an attempted landing at Guangzhou-Baiyun Airport, China, after being hijacking, killing 82 occupants and 46 persons on another aircraft.
| Date: | Tuesday 2 October 1990 |
| Time: | 09:04 |
| Type: | Boeing 737-247 |
| Owner/operator: | Xiamen Airlines |
| Registration: | B-2510 |
| MSN: | 23189/1072 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1984 |
| Engine model: | P&W JT8D-17A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 82 / Occupants: 102 |
| Other fatalities: | 46 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Location: | Guangzhou-Baiyun Airport (CAN) - China |
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Xiamen Airport (XMN/ZSAM) |
| Destination airport: | Guangzhou-Baiyun Airport (CAN/ZGGG) |
| Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:
Xiamen Airlines flight 8301, a Boeing 737-200, struck two aircraft during an attempted landing at Guangzhou-Baiyun Airport, China, after being hijacking, killing 82 occupants and 46 persons on another aircraft.
Flight MF8301 took off from Xiamen (XMN), China at 06:57 for a domestic flight to Guangzhou (CAN). There were nine crew members and 93 passengers on board.
Shortly after takeoff a man, who had been sitting in the 16th row, suddenly rushed forward. He forced his way into the cockpit, telling the crew he had 7 kg of explosives strapped to his body. He ordered the crew to fly to Taiwan. All cockpit crewmembers then had to leave the cockpit, with the captain remaining in his seat. The airplane had just enough fuel to reach Hong Kong, but the hijacker threatened to blow up the plane if the captain would land in Hong Kong. The airplane was running out of fuel and the captain had to make an emergency landing at Guangzhou.
During landing or in the final phase of the approach a struggle took place in the cockpit. The Boeing touched down hard and swung to the right. It clipped a parked China Southwest Airlines Boeing 707 (B-2402) plane, ripping open the cockpit. The 737 continued and struck the left wing and centre fuselage of a China Southern Boeing 757 (B-2812) which was waiting for takeoff clearance. It then flipped over and broke apart. A fire broke out.
A total of 120 occupants of both aircraft were killed. Eight people later died in hospital. Among the fatalities, 82 victims came from B-2510 and 46 from B-2812.
The hijacker was a 21-year old male. No explosives were found on his body. He was wanted by the local police from Linli County because he had stolen 17,000 yuan (US 3,600 by 1990 standards) from his company.
