Well here we are, 2026. Hope everyone has cleared the cobwebs collected over the last two days!
Got a late start today, but here we go, the first "Daily News" report of 2026...
Have a safe weekend!
Tom
-
Wyoming Pilot Flips, New Year’s Day, He’s Okay
By Glenn Woods
This is not a good way for this pilot to begin the
first day of the new year. But then again, if we get this disaster out of the way, then the rest of the year should be great, because he has the bad part over, first day.
I was exploring the town of Jay Em, Wyoming, with a friend. As we were driving around and taking pictures, a small bush plane kept crossing over the town at a very low altitude. From the sounds of this engine and the angle of the airplane as he passed, I figured he was looking for a place to land.
Bush planes like this one, with big tires, don't need runways. They just need enough of an open stretch, and not a lot of it.
We crossed a small bridge that would take us to the back side of town, and my friend let out a gasp. There was the plane, in the field behind the town, upside down. A pickup was parked next to it. Two men were right by it.
Was the pilot okay? I stepped on the gas and turned down a two rut road to the wreck.
The pilot greeted me. He was fine. His friend had been waiting for him on the ground for a pickup and a ride. The field looked like a good place to land, until he hit something while rolling to a stop and flipped it over.
The wings were crinkled. The wing struts were
bent. The prop and nose cone were twisted and crushed. The windshield was shattered. His friend was on his hands and knees, rooting around inside the cockpit, looking for the pilot's cellphone, which he found.
The airplane type is called a Maule. They can cost $200K, or more easily. Those are Alaskan Bush Tires. They cost thousands per tire. Those tires are meant for landing in places like this, most of the time.
The discussion then turned to how the heck he was going to get this broken flying machine out of here.
It's heartbreaking to see a machine like this on its back and broken. But good to see that the pilot was fine and in good spirits.
https://kgab.com/ixp/961/p/wyoming-plane-crash-incident/
Murray plane makes emergency landing near Arkansas highway
By Alexis Barrett
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — Multiple sources are
reporting that a small plane based out of Kentucky conducted an emergency landing near an Arkansas highway Wednesday.
The plane — a Piper Cherokee Arrow four-seat owned by West Kentucky Flyers Corp. — left Murray shortly after 10 a.m., The Sentinel-Record reports.
Garland County Sheriff Mike McCormick told The Sentinel-Record that the plane began to have mechanical issues and landed on the expressway at approximately 12:13 p.m. The plane was occupied by a family of four, though no one was injured.
Avelo plane being towed clips wing of parked Southwest plane at RDU
MORRISVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Two planes clipped
wings Thursday morning at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
An Avelo plane being towed to a gate struck a parked Southwest aircraft near Terminal One. Authorities confirmed both aircraft were unoccupied, and no injuries were reported.
The Avelo flight, scheduled to depart for New Haven at 8:30 a.m., was delayed, according to FlightAware. The Southwest plane had arrived from Nashville the previous night and was not yet assigned to a flight Thursday.
Southwest Airlines also sent this statement about the incident:
"The wingtip of another airline's aircraft contacted the right horizontal stabilizer of an unoccupied Southwest Airlines aircraft that was parked in a remote area at Raleigh-Durham International Airport this morning. No injuries were reported. Our Maintenance Team is assessing the damage. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees."
An Avelo spokesperson added that their plane "is being inspected by maintenance," and affected customers would be contacted regarding their flights.
https://abc11.com/amp/post/unoccupied-avelo-southwest-planes-clip-wings-raleigh-durham-international-airport-no-injuries-reported/18338496/
NTSB Prelim: American Champion Aircraft 8KCAB
The Airplane Pitched Up, Rolled Left Through Approximately 270 Degrees From Its Original Heading, And Descended Into A Wooded Area At A Steep Angle
Location: Irvington, AL Accident Number: ERA26FA067
Date & Time: December 13, 2025, 11:45 Local Registration: N157WB
Aircraft: American Champion Aircraft 8KCAB Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
On December 13, 2025, about 1145 central standard time, an American Champion Decathlon, N157WB, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Roy E. Ray Airfield (5R7), Bayou La Batre, Alabama. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
According to a witness, the pilot arrived at 5R7 to retrieve two repacked parachutes, which were loaded into the airplane before departure. Security video from a nearby residence captured the airplane departing runway 18 at approximately 1145. The airplane was visible briefly after rotation; however, the audio recording captured the sound of the airplane for about 15 seconds after liftoff, followed by the sound of impact.
The same witness reported that the airplane lifted off and remained low while accelerating. Near the south end of the runway, the airplane pitched up, rolled left through approximately 270 degrees from its original heading, and descended into a wooded area at a steep angle. The wreckage was located in a heavily wooded area approximately one-quarter mile west of the departure end of runway 18. The airplane came to rest in a nose-down attitude, and broken tree limbs were observed above the main wreckage. The airplane was oriented on an approximate 011-degree magnetic heading. All major components of the airplane were located at the accident site.
The fuselage exhibited buckling from the nose through the empennage, with crush and twisting damage observed throughout the airframe. All flight control surfaces remained attached to their mounts. Examination revealed continuity of the aileron, elevator, and rudder control systems.
The airplane was recovered and retained for further examination.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
NTSB Prelim: Sonerai II
Airplane Overran The Runway And Went Into A Ravine Where It Struck A Tree Which Resulted In Substantial Damage
Location: Cresson, TX Accident Number: CEN26LA060
Date & Time: December 12, 2025, 14:31 Local Registration: N28MD
Aircraft: Sonerai II Injuries: 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
On December 12, 2025, about 1431 central standard time, a Sonerai II airplane, registration N28MD, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Cresson, Texas. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot reported that he had just completed a high-speed pass down the runway and was turning downwind when the engine began to sound and act abnormally. The rpm gauge was fluctuating. The pilot immediately turned towards the runway and performed an emergency landing. The airplane overran the runway and went into a ravine where it struck a tree which resulted in substantial damage to the wing and fuselage. The airplane will be recovered and retained for further examination.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
36 Years ago today: On 2 January 1990 A Pelita Air Service C-212 Aviocar ditched in the sea between Palembang and Jakarta, Indonesia, killing 9 occupants; 7 survived the accident.
| Date: | Tuesday 2 January 1990 |
| Time: | 13:40 |
| Type: | CASA/Nurtanio NC-212 Aviocar 200 |
| Owner/operator: | Pelita Air Service |
| Registration: | PK-PCM |
| MSN: | 217/57N |
| Year of manufacture: | 1983 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 16 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Banten Bay, Java Sea - Indonesia |
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Palembang Airport (PLM/WIPP) |
| Destination airport: | Jakarta-Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport (HLP/WIHH) |
| Confidence Rating: | Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
Narrative:
A Pelita Air Service C-212 Aviocar ditched in the sea between Palembang and Jakarta, Indonesia, killing 9 occupants; 7 survived the accident.
The Aviocar passenger plane of Pelita Air Service was en route between Palembang and Jakarta, Indonesia, when the no. 2 engine failed. Altitude could not be maintained and the airplane began a gradual descent over sea. All luggage and two ground fire extinguishers were thrown overboard, but the descent was not arrested. Eventually a ditching became inevitable. The airplane came down in the northern part of Banten Bay, approx 90 km WNW from Jakarta.
It is understood that the takeoff weight on departure from Palembang was 18,192 lb, which was over the 16,160 lb maximum takeoff weight. The weight of two ground fire extinguishers and a GPU which were carried on board as cargo were probably underestimated.
