We close out this Thanksgiving week with the following stories...
Of note, an announcement from the FAASTeam of a webinar that will discuss safety while operating around aircraft accidents... Might be of interest to some of our ARFF readers...
Have a safe weekend!
Tom
-
‘Worst thing we’ve ever seen’: Chief of airport firefighters describes first encounter with UPS 2976 crash scene
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Striking the ground with
explosive force, the crash of UPS flight 2976 tested even first responders who were specially trained for aviation disasters.
“There was just so much smoke, so much fire,” Louisville Muhammad Ali International’s Chief of Public Safety Josh Grimes said. “It seemed like every few seconds there were some type of explosion that would kind of startle everybody.”
Twenty days after the crash, Grimes spoke about how his firefighters were the first to arrive at the scene and why they wondered if they would survive.
“I’ve heard some of our responders say that they thought this was the day they may not make it home,” Grimes said. “Because of all the explosions, you’ve seen the tanks that were down there. There’s so many tanks where that oil recycling center was, that every time an explosion went off they are thinking, ‘okay, is the next one going to be it?’”
Grimes said just getting close enough to fight the fire was dangerous.
Crews were blocked by downed power lines arcing on the ground.
When that was cleared, oil from an oil recycling facility then spilled across the road and rose over the top of their boots.
“At one point, the oil was rising almost like floodwaters,” Grimes said. “The oil was coming up so quick and going over Grade Lane where our trucks were stationed, that our equipment, Louisville Fire equipment and all of the fire equipment that was staged on Grade Lane, put them at a risk because the oil was underneath the vehicles and coming up on the tires.”
Grimes said so much water was being poured on the fire that water pressure was low.
“We didn’t realize that this scene went as far back as it did,” Grimes said. “We are immediately confronted with this wall of fire, wall of smoke. We have no idea what’s on the backside of this fire or how far this crash scene actually went.”
It turned out to be a half mile of destruction.
Grimes described it as a ‘worst-case scenario.’
“Our staff comes to our agency with a very diverse background in public safety,” Grimes said. “So, we’ve seen a lot of stuff. We’ve seen a lot of bad things. This is probably the worst thing we’ve ever seen.”
https://www.wave3.com/2025/11/24/worst-thing-weve-ever-seen-chief-airport-firefighters-describes-first-encounter-with-ups-2976-crash-scene/
‘Then there was nothing, just silence:’ pilot killed in early morning plane crash southwest of Nanaimo
By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff
NANAIMO — An investigation is underway after a
fatal plane crash southwest of the city claimed the life of a pilot.
At approximately 2 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 27, a single engine Cessna 172 crashed in a wooded area of a residential property on Twilight Way, off Nanaimo River Rd., approximately eight kilometres west-northwest of Nanaimo Airport.
Sealand Flight School confirmed the plane and pilot belonged to their organization, noting the aircraft was “operating on a private flight” when it crashed.
“We are devastated,” Bill Alder, Sealand President, said in a statement.. “Aviation is a small community, and Sealand Flight is like a family. Our hearts go out to the pilot’s family during this incredibly difficult time.”
No further details on the pilot were made public, and the RCMP are continuing their investigation on scene.
Dianne Wylie, a former flight attendant based out of Nanaimo, lives a few doors down from the property and told NanaimoNewsNOW on scene she woke up to the sound of the plane’s engine.
“It was early in the morning, and I heard an old airplane sound…then it got louder and louder. I thought, ‘if that’s an airplane, he’s got to pick it up, because he’s gonna (crash)’ and then it went really loud, and then there was nothing, just silence.”
She said it’s not uncommon for motorists to use the area for aggressive burnouts, periodically causing localized noise.
Typically, those noises fade in and out as cars come and go from the neighbourhood, which was unlike this incident, Wylie recounted.
“You heard it, and it kept coming down and down and down, and then it got really loud and I just thought, is it going to hit us? Then there was nothing.”
The Transportation Safety Board said in a statement to NanaimoNewsNOW they’re aware of the situation and were “working with all parties involved to gather information.”
[EA61140094] Aviation Emergency First Responder Training 2025 - FAASafety.gov
| "Aviation Emergency First Responder Training 2025" Topic: Aircraft Accident Training for First Responders On Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 13:00 Eastern Standard Time (10:00 PST; 11:00 MST; 12:00 CST; 08:00 HST; 09:00 AKST; 11:00 Arizona; 18:00 GMT) Select Number: Description: This training is being offered nationally for all levels of first responders including Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), pilots and bystanders. The webinar will discuss safety while operating around accident aircraft. Become familiar with all aircraft types, the hazards they present and the unique injuries sustained by pilots. This class fills up fast and is highly sought after across the country annually. Qualifies for WINGS Credit and Continuing Education Units (CEU's). To view further details and registration information for this webinar, click here. The sponsor for this seminar is: FAASTeam The following credit(s) are available for the WINGS/AMT Programs: AMT: 1.00 |
NTSB Prelim: Bessler Duane Lynn Savannah
While In Cruise Flight, The Propeller Separated From The Engine
Location: Pacific, WA Accident Number: WPR26LA041
Date & Time: November 7, 2025, 13:31 Local Registration: N358D
Aircraft: Bessler Duane Lynn Savannah Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
On November 7, 2025 at 1331 Pacific standard time, an experimental amateur-built ICP Savannah amphibious airplane, N358D, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Pacific, Washington. The pilot and the passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot reported that, while in cruise flight, the propeller separated from the engine. The pilot realized he was unable to glide the airplane to the destination airport and selected a grassy field to perform a forced landing. During the forced landing in the field, the wheels and floats sank into soft grass, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. As a result, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
The airplane was recovered from the accident site and retained for further examination. To date, the propeller has not been recovered.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
42 Years ago today: On 28 November 1983 A Nigeria Airways Fokker F-28 Fellowship crashed while on approach to Enugu Airport, Nigeria , killing 53 occupants; 19 survived the accident.
| Date: | Monday 28 November 1983 |
| Time: | 11:13 |
| Type: | Fokker F-28 Fellowship 2000 |
| Owner/operator: | Nigeria Airways |
| Registration: | 5N-ANF |
| MSN: | 11090 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1975 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 10618 hours |
| Cycles: | 14149 flights |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 53 / Occupants: 72 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 3,3 km from Enugu Airport (ENU) - Nigeria |
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Lagos/Ikeja International Airport (LOS/DNMM) |
| Destination airport: | Enugu Airport (ENU/DNEN) |
| Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:
A Nigeria Airways Fokker F-28 Fellowship crashed while on approach to Enugu Airport, Nigeria , killing 53 occupants; 19 survived the accident.
A Fokker F-28 Fellowship 2000 passenger jet, registered 5N-ANF, was damaged beyond repair in an accident 3,3 km from Enugu Airport (ENU), Nigeria. There were 66 passengers and six crew members on board. The airplane operated on a Nigeria Airways flight from Lagos/Ikeja International Airport (LOS) to Enugu Airport (ENU).
A VOR approach was attempted although the airport visibility was reported to be below minima. While first maintaining MDA at or below 300 ft above local terrain and apparently manoeuvring to regain track while passing the VOR, the aircraft was suddenly made to descend, less than two miles short of the threshold. The aircraft was still in approach configuration. At initial impact, which was in a nearly level attitude in flat terrain covered with high grass, the landing gears were torn off or collapsed. The aircraft then slid on its belly, while shedding pieces, into a cassavaterrain consisting of a regular pattern of mounds of about 1 metre high and some trees. One of these trees cut the left wing slightly outboard of the root collector tank and the wing separated further on. The left engine and nacelle were torn off as well, including a large piece of side wall, floor structure and aft pressure bulkhead. Aft fuselage and empennage further separated behind the pressure bulkhead. In view of the damage to the aft fuselage parts, it is likely that the aircraft travelled in a taildown nose-high attitude during some part of the ground slide.
The front fuselage bottom was severely compressed, the cargo holds were ruptured and their contents dispersed. Due to the right wing trailing on the mounds and hitting some smaller trees, the final slide relative to the fuselage was sideward to the left.
A fire erupted at the separated wing and engine and gradually made its way towards the fuselage remains.
