Back from our European vacation and now it's a matter of getting my body to realize what time it is!
Here are the stories to get caught up from yesterday...
Of note, due to some kind of technical glitch with the host of our webpage, I cannot upload images today, hopefully it'll get fixed soon!
Be safe out there!
Tom
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Ivory Coast: Military helicopter crashes during emergency landing in Korhogo
Alwihda Info | By Peter Kum
A Mi-24D combat helicopter had to make an emergency landing on Monday, October 27, 2025, at Korhogo airport, following technical problems during takeoff.
Photos of the incident show the aircraft, badly damaged, lying on its side at the end of the runway.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, this accident did not cause any injuries among the crew.
Eleven dead as small aircraft crashes in Kenya during tourist flight
AFP
KWALE, Kenya – Eleven people have died after a small aircraft crashed on Tuesday morning in Kenya’s coastal region while traveling from a popular tourist destination to the world-renowned Maasai Mara National Park.
The aircraft, operated by Mombasa Air Services and bearing registration number 5Y-CCA, went down at approximately 05:30 this morning in the Tsimba Golini area of Kwale County. The plane had departed from Diani airport and was bound for Kichwa Tembo, a private airstrip located within the Maasai Mara National Park.
Mombasa Air Safari chairman John Cleave confirmed the accident, and said there were 10 passengers onboard – eight Hungarians, two Germans – and a Kenyan captain.
“Sadly, there are no survivors,” he said in a statement, citing preliminary information, adding that they had “activated our emergency response team” and were cooperating with local authorities.
Government agencies have already deployed to the crash site to investigate the cause of the accident and assess its impact, according to KCAA officials. The authority provided no immediate details about the identities of those aboard or the specific circumstances leading to the crash.
Mombasa Air Services operates regular flights connecting Mombasa and other popular tourist destinations across Kenya, serving the country’s vital tourism industry. The route between Diani, a renowned beach resort area, and the Maasai Mara is particularly popular with tourists seeking to combine coastal relaxation with safari experiences.
The crash site in Kwale County is characterised by hilly terrain, where aviation experts note that such accidents occur with concerning frequency due to the challenging topographical conditions.
Tuesday’s tragedy marks the second significant aviation incident in Kenya in recent months. In August, a light aircraft belonging to medical NGO Amref crashed on the outskirts of Nairobi, resulting in six fatalities and two injuries.
Kenya’s aviation sector serves as a crucial link for the country’s tourism industry, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to destinations such as the Maasai Mara, known for its abundant wildlife and the annual wildebeest migration.
Eleven dead as small aircraft crashes in Kenya during tourist flight
Crash landing reported near Chilton in Falls County
By: Laura Hartog
UPDATE 10:41 a.m.:
The Falls County Sheriff's Office tells 25 News that there were two people in the plane when it crash landed.
Both were not injured.
ORIGINAL 7:39 a.m.:
The Falls County Sheriff's Office sent an alert Monday morning about a single engine plane crash landing. The report says it happened near Chilton.
Investigators are asking the public to avoid the area of Highway 7 and CR 414.
The picture shared with the alert shows a small plane on the ground.
There are no reports of injuries.
The Sheriff’s Office, Chilton VFD, and Texas DPS responded to the scene.
NTSB Final Report: Aviat Aircraft Inc A-1B
During A Low Pass Over A Gravel Bar, The Airplane’S Tailwheel Impacted An Area Of Rough, Uneven Terrain
Location: Chisana, Alaska Accident Number: ANC25LA083
Date & Time: August 2, 2025, 11:00 Local Registration: N900HY
Aircraft: Aviat Aircraft Inc A-1B Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Low altitude operation/event Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
Analysis: The pilot reported that he was flying low-level over various remote gravel bars looking for a suitable one to land on. During a low pass over a gravel bar, the airplane’s tailwheel impacted an area of rough, uneven terrain, which pivoted the nose of the airplane down, resulting in a hard, inadvertent landing. The main landing gear wheels subsequently impacted a 3 ft high gravel berm, and the main landing gear collapsed resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing lift struts.
A postaccident examination of the landing gear by the NTSB investigator-in-charge revealed all fractures in the landing gear were from overload forces from the hard landing.
Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering at low altitude.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
NTSB Final Report: Dehavilland DHC-2 MK 1
During The Forced Landing, The Airplane’s Float Struts And Spreaderbars Collapsed
Location: Soldotna, Alaska Accident Number: ANC25LA085
Date & Time: August 9, 2025, 09:00 Local Registration: N232KT
Aircraft: Dehavilland DHC-2 MK 1 Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Low altitude operation/event Injuries: 5 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 135: Air taxi & commuter - Non-scheduled
Analysis: While en route to a remote fishing lodge in a float-equipped airplane, one of the passengers reported that the pilot saw a pack of wolves chasing a herd of caribou. The passenger said that the pilot then reduced the airspeed and entered a right-hand, descending orbit to allow all the passengers to see the animals below.
The pilot reported that, during a right-hand turn, the airspeed was indicating about 75 knots and the airplane’s altitude was about 500 ft above ground level (agl), when the airplane encountered a downdraft and it began to descend. He added engine power and attempted to climb, but he realized he was not going to be able to clear the rising terrain ahead and performed a forced landing to an area of rock and tundra-covered terrain. During the forced landing, the airplane’s float struts and spreaderbars collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane’s fuselage.
A review of archived Federal Aviation Administration Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data revealed that the airplane entered the orbits at 300 feet agl and the groundspeed was about 80 knots. As the airplane exited the multiple orbits, it was about 97 feet agl, while traveling at 58 knots groundspeed.
The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from rising terrain while maneuvering at low altitude
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
19 Years ago today: On 29 October 2006 ADC Airlines flight 053, a Boeing 737-200, crashed during a windshear encounter shortly after takeoff from Abuja Airport, Nigeria, killing 96 occupants; 9 survived the accident.
| Date: | Sunday 29 October 2006 |
| Time: | 11:30 |
| Type: | Boeing 737-2B7 |
| Owner/operator: | ADC Airlines |
| Registration: | 5N-BFK |
| MSN: | 22891/988 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1983 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 56411 hours |
| Cycles: | 44465 flights |
| Engine model: | P&W JT8D-17 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 96 / Occupants: 105 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Abuja International Airport (ABV) - Nigeria |
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Abuja-Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ABV/DNAA) |
| Destination airport: | Sokoto Airport (SKO/DNSO) |
| Investigating agency: | AIB Nigeria |
| Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:
ADC Airlines flight 053, a Boeing 737-200, crashed during a windshear encounter shortly after takeoff from Abuja Airport, Nigeria, killing 96 occupants; 9 survived the accident.
Flight 53 departed Lagos (LOS) on a scheduled domestic flight to Sokoto (SKO) with an intermediate stop at Abuja (ABV). At Abuja at 11:14 local time, the crew of the aircraft requested start-up clearance. This was given along with the prevailing weather information. At 11:21, the crew requested clearance to taxi to the holding point and a wind check; both were given. Over the following six minutes Abuja Tower gave a series of six wind reports, including a statement emphasizing the gusty nature of the wind. A thunderstorm was approaching the airport and weather was worsening. At 11:26, the crew of flight 53 requested clearance for immediate takeoff, and the controller re-emphasized the deteriorating weather condition and gave latest wind check, which they acknowledged.
Immediately after takeoff from runway 22, the Boeing 737 entered into a headwind -shift to-tailwind windshear, which significantly affected the aerodynamic performance of the airplane.
The Pilot Flying responded to the windshear by adding a small amount of power and by pulling back on the control column causing a significant pitch attitude change.
The Pilot-not-flying responded to the windshear by calling for the Pilot Flying to pull up. The airplane then entered into a full aerodynamic stall followed by a roll to the left of over 90 degrees and steep descent into the ground. The aircraft was pitched to an attitude that resulted in the temporary disruption of airflow to and momentary loss of power in both engines. The airplane broke up and caught fire in a corn field.
CAUSAL FACTOR:
The pilot's decision to take-off in known adverse weather conditions and failure to execute the proper windshear recovery procedure resulted in operating the aircraft outside the safe flight regime, causing the aircraft to stall very close to the ground from which recovery was not possible.
CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS:
(1) Inability of the flight crew to apply windshear recovery procedures and the use of inappropriate equipment for windshear recovery procedure during simulator recurrrecncy. Lack of company Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for flight operations in adverse weather conditions.
(2) The coordination of responsibilities between the pilot-flying (PF) and pilot not flying(PNF) during their encounter with adverse weather situation was inconsistent with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the duties of the pilot-flying (PF) and pilot not flying (PNF) resulting in the inadequate control of the aircraft.
METAR:
08:00 UTC / 09:00 local time:
DNAA 290800Z 00000KT CAVOK 27/24 Q1012 NOSIG=
10:00 UTC / 11:00 local time:
DNAA 291000Z 27006KT 9999 BKN012 30/24 Q1011 NOSIG=
13:00 UTC / 14:00 local time:
DNAA 291300Z 00000KT 9999 FEW010 FEW020CB BKN100 25/22 Q1009 NOSIG=
14:00 UTC / 15:00 local time:
DNAA 291400Z 00000KT 9999 FEW010 FEW020CB BKN100 26/23 Q1008 TEMPO 06022G35KT 5000 TS=