We close out this week with the following stories...
Have a safe weekend!
Tom
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Azul Airlines plane collides with birds during takeoff and panel detaches from engine mount.
Put Matthew Alves
An Azul Linhas Aéreas flight had problems today
(26) shortly after taking off from Viracopos International Airport, in Campinas, when the aircraft collided with birds.
The E195-E2 jet, registration PS-AEX, had taken off to operate flight AD2700, destined for Campo Grande, but during the initial climb, it struck birds and, with the impact, one of the panels of the left pylon (component that connects the engine to the wing) detached, leaving an internal part of the aircraft exposed.
With that, the pilots decided to return to Viracopos, performing a few orbits to burn fuel and reduce landing weight, which occurred without further problems, but the flight ended up being canceled.
Avião da Azul colide com pássaros na decolagem e painel se desprende do suporte do motor
Plane crashes in Monte Ne area of Beaver Lake, pilot killed
Adam Roberts, DMM
BENTON COUNTY, Ark. —
A plane crashed into Beaver Lake on Thursday,
according to a spokesperson with the Benton County Sheriff's Office.
Only the pilot was on board the small private plane, according to the sheriff's office. He did not survive the crash.
The victim was identified as Kim Sweet, 61.
Emergency crews had received a call from Sweet, the spokesperson said, but did not elaborate.
The crash happened in the Monte Ne area of Beaver Lake at about 1:30 p.m.
It was not yet clear what caused the crash.
Now that the plane has been removed from the lake, it will be turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration.
https://www.4029tv.com/article/plane-crash-beaver-lake/70521103
It’s Really Happening: ‘Uber Air’ Launches on the Joby eVTOL
Joby-Uber Partnership Expected to Take Flight in Dubai Later This Year
Uber is actually preparing to add electric air taxis
to its app, with flights operated by Joby Aviation hoping to kick off as soon as this year in Dubai. The so-called “Uber Air” service will allow riders to book an eVTOL flight directly through the same interface they use to request a car.
The booking process is designed to turn a completely foreign concept into something a little more familiar. Riders put in their destination, and if the route qualifies, Uber Air appears as an option. The app then connects ground transportation, such as Uber Black, with the Joby flight in a single transaction. Legs and ground-to-sky routing are all handled behind the scenes.
Joby’s aircraft is arguably the most developed in the AAM scene, configured for up to four passengers and flown by a certified commercial pilot. It uses six tilting propellers to take off vertically before transitioning into wing-borne forward flight. The company says it can cruise at speeds up to 200 mph with a maximum range of roughly 100 miles on a single charge. The design also emphasizes a reduced noise footprint compared to conventional helicopters, which is a popular demand for dense urban use.
“We’ve long believed in the power of advanced
air mobility to transform how people move through cities,” said Sachin Kansal, Chief Product Officer at Uber. He added that the goal is a “simple and familiar, one-tap experience” that connects every leg of the journey.
“Our focus has always been on creating a flight experience that operates quietly and integrates naturally into the rhythm of city life,” said Eric Allison, Chief Product Officer at Joby. “By partnering with Uber, we’re making this new mode of transportation familiar and accessible, connecting the ground and the sky through a system designed to save people time and fit seamlessly into how they already move.”
Dubai will serve as the initial launch market, with US operations dependent on FAA certification. Joby reports more than 50,000 miles of flight testing across its fleet and says it has entered the final stage of FAA type certification, though approval is likely still years out.
The companies have also announced plans to integrate Blade’s helicopter services into the Uber app in 2026, following Joby’s acquisition of Blade’s passenger business. This sets up a phased shift from conventional helicopter transfers to fully electric operations as certification milestones are met.
FMI: www.jobyaviation.com
NTSB Prelim: Beech V35B (A1); Piper PA28 (A2)
(Pilot) Noticed A Single-Engine Airplane On The Runway. The Pilot Immediately Applied Full Power And Raised The Nose Of The Airplane To Get Off The Ground And Avoid The Other Airplane
Location: Odessa, TX Accident Number: CEN26LA103
Date & Time: February 1, 2026, 14:30 Local Registration: N95AB (A1); N6780W (A2)
Aircraft: Beech V35B (A1); Piper PA28 (A2) Injuries: 2 None (A1); 2 None (A2)
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional (A1); Part 91: General aviation - Personal (A2)
On February 1, 2026, about 1430 central standard time, a Beech V35B, N9AB, and a Piper PA28-140, N6780W, were substantially damaged when they were involved in an accident near Odessa, Texas. None of the occupants, 2 in each airplane, were injured. Both airplanes were operated as Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flights.
According to a statement from the pilot of N9AB, about 10 nautical miles from Odessa Airport Schlemeyer Field (KODO), Odessa, Texas, when he had KODO in sight, he cancelled his IFR flight plan, checked the automated weather observing system (AWOS), and made an announcement on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) for KODO. He reported that he flew over the airport at 4,500 feet msl, entered a left downwind for runway 11 and transmitted, “N9AB on downwind for 11.” He reported having made a normal landing on runway 11, and when he started to apply the brakes, he noticed a single-engine airplane on the runway. The pilot immediately applied full power and raised the nose of the airplane to get off the ground and avoid the other airplane. He felt the undercarriage of his airplane impact the other airplane, and subsequently he lost control of the airplane.
According to the statement from the pilot of N6780W, he planned to take off from runway 20 and was monitoring the CTAF. According to the pilot the fixed-base operator had told N95AB runway 20 was the favored runway and that N95AB had acknowledged to use runway 20 to land. He heard no further radio transmissions from N95AB. He proceeded northbound toward runway 20 and had to cross two runways. He stated that before crossing each runway, “we visually cleared both directions and detected no traffic.” He then went on to say, that while crossing runway 11/29, “we again looked right, then left, and at that moment caught a brief glimpse of an approaching aircraft.” At that time, he stated his airplane was about three quarters of the way across the runway. Full braking was applied to avoid the oncoming airplane but despite braking his airplane was struck by N95AB which appeared to be attempting a landing or possible go around on runway 11.
On site examination of the airplanes showed that N95AB went through the windscreen of N6780W and struck the instrument panel and other structure which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage forward of the cockpit a-pillars. N95AB was substantially damaged and came to rest off the side of the runway with its left wing partially separated.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
68 Years ago today: On 27 February 1958 A Manx Airlines Bristol 170 impacted Winter Hill, U.K.,killing 35 occupants; 7 survived the accident.
| Date: | Thursday 27 February 1958 |
| Time: | 09:45 |
| Type: | Bristol 170 Freighter 21E |
| Owner/operator: | Manx Airlines |
| Registration: | G-AICS |
| MSN: | 12762 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 35 / Occupants: 42 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Winter Hill - United Kingdom |
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Isle of Man-Ronaldsway Airport (IOM/EGNS) |
| Destination airport: | Manchester International Airport (MAN/EGCC) |
| Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:
A Manx Airlines Bristol 170 impacted Winter Hill, U.K.,killing 35 occupants; 7 survived the accident.
The Bristol 170 aircraft was being operated by Manx Airlines on a flight from the Isle of Man to Manchester, United Kingdom. Prior to takeoff, in order to avoid delay, a clearance to fly at 1500 ft was offered and accepted. In the light of past experience the captain anticipated that he would be cleared to a higher altitude on crossing the English coast. Between Ronaldsway and the reporting point at Squire's Gate the flight was made below cloud practically all the way. Visibility was reasonably good. The captain went below to talk to the passengers for approximately a five minute period. During his absence the first officer set the radio compass on what he thought was Wigan Beacon, but, was in fact Oldham Beacon. The Oldham Beacon is a more powerful NDB with a morse recognition signal 'MYL'. Wigan NDB has a recognition signal 'MYK'. On his return to the cockpit the captain took over the piloting of the aircraft. He assumed that the radio compass was tuned in to Wigan.
Just prior to 09:38 hours the aircraft reported to Preston Control "abeam Blackpool at this time estimating Wigan at 43". At 09:39 the Preston controller radioed: "You are cleared to Wigan 1500 feet remaining contact. Call Manchester Zone for onward clearance."
At 09:44, one minute after it would have been over the Wigan NDB, the flight was in cloud and out of contact with the ground. Manchester Control the radioed, "Charlie Sierra will you make a right turn immediately on to a heading of two five zero. I have a faint paint on radar which indicates you're going over towards the hills." Shortly thereafter in the course of making the right turn as ordered, the aircraft crashed on the northeast slope of Winter Hill, at a height of approximately 1460 ft.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The error of the first officer in tuning the radio compass on Oldham Beacon instead of on Wigan Beacon. A contributory cause was the failure of the captain to check that the radio compass was tuned on the correct beacon."
