We close out this week with the following stories...
Have a safe weekend!
Tom
Pilot, passenger survive Bibb County plane crash: ‘I give thanks to God’
By Bryan Henry
BIBB COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) - A Bibb County pilot
and his passenger survived a crash Wednesday morning near Bibb County Airport in Centreville.
Pilot Don Wade said the plane’s engine failed shortly after takeoff around 9:30 a.m. He says he made a mistake before the flight - failing to check for moisture in the fuel tank.
“We were taking off and reached around 300 feet when the engine quit,” Wade said.
Wade owns Patriot Aircraft, a company that restores antique planes. He considered turning back to the runway but realized it was out of reach. Instead, he aimed for a swampy area with heavy undergrowth to soften the landing.
The plane clipped trees and crashed nose-first. Wade suffered a fractured foot, but his passenger walked away unharmed.
“I give thanks to God. He helped me do my job. I got it low enough and bushed it into the trees,” Wade said.
The passenger was a prospective client. Despite the crash, Wade said she agreed to buy one of his planes. “The lady said this is what I want because I know I can survive,” he recalled.
About 25 first responders rushed to the scene. Wade said he was grateful for the fast response from fire crews, police, and deputies.
After the crash, fuel spilled across the windshield, but Wade and his passenger escaped before fire could ignite.
Wade said the accident reinforced the importance of safety checks. “If we don’t learn from our mistakes, we’ll never get better,” he said.
Despite the close call, Wade says he has no hesitation about flying again. For now, he is nursing his ankle and counting his blessings.
https://www.wbrc.com/2025/08/21/pilot-passenger-survive-bibb-county-plane-crash-i-give-thanks-god/
NTSB Final Report: Sonex Aircraft Sonex
The Wreckage Was Found In A Heavily Wooded Area About 4 Miles From The Departure Airport
Location: Dowagiac, Michigan Accident Number: CEN23FA410
Date & Time: September 10, 2023, 12:00 Local Registration: N569SX
Aircraft: Sonex Aircraft Sonex Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of engine power (total) Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
Analysis: The pilot departed for a local flight and an alert notice (ALNOT) was issued when the pilot did not return. A search effort concluded four days later when the wreckage was found in a heavily wooded area about 4 miles from the departure airport. No ADS-B data associated with the airplane, or the accident flight was available. At the time of the on-scene examination, the transponder was observed in the OFF position.
Impact signatures on the propeller were consistent with the propeller not rotating at impact. Examination of the engine revealed that the ignition distributor rotor was fractured and disconnected from its driveshaft. This resulted in a total loss of engine power when the ignition system became inoperative due to the rotor failure. No other preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were found with the airframe or engine.
Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The total loss of engine power due to the failure of the ignition distributor rotor.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
19 Years ago today: On 22 August 2006 Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise flight 612, a Tupolev Tu-154M, crashed near Donetsk following an in flight loss of control, killing all 170 occupants.
| Date: | Tuesday 22 August 2006 |
| Time: | 15:39 |
| Type: | Tupolev Tu-154M |
| Owner/operator: | Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise |
| Registration: | RA-85185 |
| MSN: | 91A894 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1991 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 24215 hours |
| Engine model: | Soloviev D-30KU-154-II |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 170 / Occupants: 170 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 45 km NW of Donetsk - Ukraine |
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Anapa Airport (AAQ/URKA) |
| Destination airport: | Saint Petersburg-Pulkovo Airport (LED/ULLI) |
| Investigating agency: | MAK |
| Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:
Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise flight 612, a Tupolev Tu-154M, crashed near Donetsk following an in flight loss of control, killing all 170 occupants.
Pulkovo flight 612 departed Anapa (AAQ) for St. Petersburg (LED) at 15:05. The Tu-154M climbed to the cruise altitude of 35,100 feet (10.700 m). Because of storm cells ahead, the pilot decided to change course laterally by 20 km and attempted to climb over the storm cells. However, the thunderstorm front was unusually high, extending up to 15 km (49,000 feet). The Tu-154 entered an area of severe turbulence, pushing up the airplane from 11.961 m to 12.794 m within just 10 seconds. The angle of attack increased to 46 degrees and the airspeed dropped to zero. It entered a deep stall from which the crew could not recover. The plane crashed and burned in a field.
The cause of the crash was the loss of control in the manual flight mode with supercritical angles of attack, causing a stall with the subsequent transition to a flat spin and collision with the ground with a large vertical velocity. Factors were considered poor crew coordination, and failure to follow the instructions in the Aeroplane Flight Manual to prevent a stall. Also, the crew training methods used were insufficient to demonstrate the dangers of manual flight at high altitudes.
