We close out the week with the following stories...
Of note, from Chief Goldfeder's "TLS", the story of Cedar City, Utah's Fire Chief, Mike Phillips, who has been seriously burned at what appears to have been the Cedar City Regional Airport triennial disaster drill. Also included is an article from a local news outlet that discusses a fundraiser for the family.
We wish Chief Phillips a speedy recovery!
Be safe out there!
Tom
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Fire Chief Seriously Burned At Fire Training Incident (The Secret List)
All,
Chief Mike Phillips of the Cedar City Fire Department in Utah was seriously injured during a multi-agency training exercise at the Cedar City Regional Airport last week. Initial reports indicate that a spark ignited the jet fuel, but an investigation into the exact cause of the incident is underway.
He is currently hospitalized at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City, where doctors expect him to remain for three to four weeks. Chief Phillips will undergo several surgeries, including skin grafts on his arm. While the injuries are serious, they are not life-threatening.
Below is a report from the media, including interviews and information on a fundraiser to support the Chief’s family.
More details to follow.
VIDEO REPORT:
https://youtu.be/FC5obPX1eIs?si=9Cskz5nBTD8QMD1a
ADDITIONAL:
Take Care. Be Careful. Pass It On
BillyG
The Secret List 10-3-2025-0849 Hours
Cedar City rallies around injured fire chief after training accident
BY DEBBIE WORTHEN
KSLTV.com
SALT LAKE CITY — The Cedar City community is
coming together in a powerful show of support for Fire Chief Mike Phillips, who was seriously injured during a routine training exercise on Sept. 16.
Phillips suffered burns to his face and arm when jet fuel ignited prematurely during a live fire training session. He is currently being treated in the burn unit at a Salt Lake City hospital, where he is expected to remain for several more weeks.
“A little spark fell into the jet fuel and that ignited prematurely,” said Cedar City Mayor Garth Green. “It burned him rather severely.”
The training exercise, held every three years, involved over 800 firefighters from across the region — both career and volunteer crews — practicing real-life fire scenarios, including initial attack strategies and emergency escape procedures.
Green emphasized the close-knit nature of the Cedar City Fire Department.
“Our fire department, of course, is a close group of people,” Green said. “It consists of 13 full-time firemen and quite a large number of volunteers.”
Erick Cox, a fellow firefighter and longtime friend of Phillips, shared his deep admiration.
“Mike’s a great guy. He would give you the shirt off his back. He’s always helping others and serving in the community,” Cox said. “I trust Mike with the lives of my sons — that’s the kind of guy he is.”
Cox recalled the moment of the accident.
“I was at the airport fire station, across from where he was,” he said. “We were preparing to start the exercises. We didn’t know how serious it was right away.”
Despite the severity of his injuries, Phillips remains resilient.
“I talked to him this afternoon,” Cox said. “He’s got a positive attitude. He’s the same Mike he’s always been, just going through treatment to get everything repaired.”
The emotional toll on those close to Phillips has been significant.
“Anytime you spend that kind of time with someone, you’re always concerned,” Cox added. “His son, Bailey, was there that night as a volunteer and didn’t even know what had happened until the training was over.”
Phillips’ impact reaches far beyond Cedar City.
“Even statewide, the state chiefs and everybody — they know Mike,” Cox said. “He’s the first to volunteer and serve on any board or committee. He teaches for UVU, sits on the Utah Communications Authority board and is always instructing other departments.”
To support Phillips and his family, the Ladies Auxiliary is hosting a fundraiser Monday night at the Diamond Z Arena. The event will feature a barbecue dinner, raffle and silent auction. Local businesses have donated generously, and organizers hope to see 400 to 500 attendees.
“His wife has been by his side constantly,” Cox explained. “She runs a daycare, but she’s had to step away to be with him. There are travel costs, food(and) lodging — and his kids rotate weekends to visit. It’s meant a lot to him.”
While medical bills are covered, the fundraiser aims to ease the financial burden of these additional expenses.
“Until he’s completely recovered, you never know what those ongoing costs will be,” Cox said. “We just want to help provide for that.”
The community’s response has been swift and heartfelt, reflecting the deep respect and admiration for Phillips and the vital role he plays in keeping Cedar City safe.
A Trigana Air ATR 42-300 aircraft suffered a front tire rupture at Oksibil Airport, but all passengers were safe.
FP Editorial Team
Oksibil, fajarpapua.com – A Trigana Air passenger
plane, type ATR 42-300, experienced an incident while landing at Oksibil Airport, Pegunungan Bintang Regency, Papua Pegunungan, Wednesday (1/10) at around 11.00 WIT.
The plane with flight number IL-251 was forced to stop in the middle of the runway after the front tire burst during the landing process.
The plane that departed from Jayapura to Oksibil in the morning was carrying dozens of passengers and cabin crew.
The flight proceeded normally until landing. However, just as the nose gear touched the runway, a loud noise was heard from underneath the aircraft.
The pilot then took emergency steps by controlling the speed of the plane so that it did not slip off course.
The Head of Oksibil Airport, Agus Hadi, when confirmed as quoted by fajarpapua.com from siwarweng.com, confirmed the incident.
"Yes, the Trigana Air ATR 42 experienced a problem with its nose gear during landing. Thankfully, all passengers and crew are safe, with no fatalities or injuries," he said.
All passengers were immediately evacuated safely through the emergency exit and directed to the airport waiting room.
Meanwhile, airline technicians immediately inspected the damaged landing gear.
This incident disrupted flight activities at Oksibil Airport because the runway was covered by the aircraft's fuselage.
Several other flights had to be delayed until the evacuation process was completed.
Oksibil Airport is known as one of the airports with a high level of difficulty for flights.
Situated at an altitude of around 1,400 meters above sea level and surrounded by steep mountains, this airport demands high skill from pilots in carrying out landing and take-off maneuvers.
As of this writing, the aircraft remains at the incident site awaiting evacuation and technical repairs. (mas)
Pesawat ATR 42-300 Trigana Air Pecah Ban Depan di Bandara Oksibil, Seluruh Penumpang Selamat
Small plane makes emergency landing in Lincoln field; no injuries reported
by Valerie Bell
LINCOLN, Ala. (WBMA) — A small airplane made
an emergency landing in an agricultural field near Moss Thornton off Springhill Road in Lincoln.
Fire Chief Joshua Vincent confirmed that there were no injuries among the three people on board.
The Lincoln Police Department reported that at approximately 11:30 a.m., police and fire units were dispatched to the area following reports of a possible plane crash.
Upon arrival, it was determined that the incident was not a crash but an emergency landing.
The cause of the landing remains unknown, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will handle any further investigation.
https://abc3340.com/news/local/small-plane-crash-lands-in-lincoln-field-no-injuries-reported-airplane-cause-under-investigation
Wisconsin Plane Crash: Small Plane Crash Grounds Airport Runway for 24 Hours, FAA Investigating
By Country Herald Police Reports
Black River Falls, WI – A small plane crash-landing Thursday afternoon has closed the runway
at Black River Falls Municipal Airport for at least 24 hours, according to local authorities.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office reported that the incident occurred around 2:38 p.m., after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in La Crosse alerted them that an aircraft had landed with its landing gear up. Emergency crews had difficulty contacting the pilot immediately after the crash.
According to the sheriff’s office, the Black River Falls Fire Department, along with officers from both the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Black River Falls Police Department, responded to the scene. The pilot was located unharmed.
The aircraft landed on its belly with the landing gear retracted. Officials confirmed that the plane did not catch fire and showed no evidence of fuel leakage. The plane, however, was disabled on the runway.
As a result, the airport’s main runway has been taken out of service and is expected to remain closed for at least 24 hours while authorities investigate and clear the scene.
The FAA continues to investigate the incident. No additional details about the pilot or aircraft type have been released at this time.
Wisconsin Plane Crash: Small Plane Crash Grounds Airport Runway for 24 Hours, FAA Investigating
NTSB Prelim: Lawson Thomas O Lancair Super ES
Airplane Continued To Bank To The Right And “Went Straight Down Into The Hillside At What Sounded Like Full Engine Power.”
Location: Mount Hamilton, CA Accident Number: WPR25FA277
Date & Time: September 12, 2025, 14:21 Local Registration: N905ET
Aircraft: Lawson Thomas O Lancair Super ES Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
On September 12, 2025, about 1421 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Lancair Super ES, N905ET, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Mount Hamilton, California. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot’s sister reported that the pilot was due to depart from Ryan Field Airport (RYN), Tucson, Arizona, with the intended destination of the Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), San Jose, California.
Hunters near the accident site reported observing the airplane circling their location at high speed about 1,000 ft above them. During a subsequent circling pattern, the airplane had descended to about 300 ft above ground level, then made a sharp right turn overflying their location. The airplane continued to bank to the right and “went straight down into the hillside at what sounded like full engine power.”
The recorded ADS-B flight track showed that at 1300:12, the airplane was on a northeast heading at an altitude of about 8,900 ft mean sea level (msl). ADS-B contact was lost about 242 miles southwest of the accident site.
Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted mountainous terrain along the western edge of a valley about 5 miles northeast of Mount Hamilton. The first identified point of contact (FIPC) was a 12 ft tall tree that had damaged limbs near the top of the tree. The debris path was oriented on a heading of about 250° magnetic and was about 90 ft in length from the FIPC. Various portions of airplanes flight control surfaces, and propeller fragments were observed throughout the debris path. The fuselage came to rest inverted on a heading of about 250° magnetic at an elevation of 2,148 ft msl.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
79 Years ago today: On 3 October 1946 An American Overseas Airlines Douglas DC-4 crashed shortly after takeoff from Stephenville Air Base, Canada , killing all 39 occupants.
| Date: | Thursday 3 October 1946 |
| Time: | 05:03 |
| Type: | Douglas C-54E-5-DO (DC-4) |
| Owner/operator: | American Overseas Airlines |
| Registration: | NC90904 |
| MSN: | 27290 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1945 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3731 hours |
| Engine model: | P&W R-2000-9 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 39 / Occupants: 39 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 11,4 km NE of Stephenville-Harmon AAB, NL (YJT) - Canada |
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Stephenville Air Base, NL (YJT/CYJT) |
| Destination airport: | Shannon Airport (SNN/EINN) |
| Investigating agency: | CAB |
| Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:
An American Overseas Airlines Douglas DC-4 crashed shortly after takeoff from Stephenville Air Base, Canada , killing all 39 occupants.
The DC-4, named "Flagship New England", departed New York-LaGuardia (LGA) at 12:14 on October 2, 1946 bound for Shannon (SNN), Ireland and Berlin, Germany. Prior to crossing the Atlantic, an intermediate stop was planned at Gander in Canada. Poor visibility at Gander forced the crew to land at their alternate, Stephenville-Harmon Field. The DC-4 arrived there at 16:30. In order to provide the necessary crew rest, a 12-hour stopover was made with a scheduled departure at 04:45. The flight was cleared to taxi to runway 30 for departure. As the wind appeared to be from 90 degrees at 9 kts, the tower operator advised the crew to taxi to runway 07 instead. At the time of the takeoff the ceiling was reported 5,000 feet, overcast; visibility 10 miles. Neither moon nor stars were visible through the overcast as the flight took off towards unlit terrain. It was general practice for flights using runway 07 to turn right immediately after takeoff to avoid rising terrain. After takeoff the DC-4 continued in a straight line and collided with a steep ridge at an elevation of 1160 feet, 7,1 miles past the runway.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The action of the pilot in maintaining the direction of take-off toward higher terrain over which adequate clearance could not be gained."
