"Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh", Happy St.
Patrick's Day to you all!
Here are the stories for today…
Go dté tú slán!
Tom
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Boeing 747 Skids Off Runway in the US: Frightening Incident at Birmingham Airport.
Goklerdeyiz.net
An incident involving a Kuehne+Nagel cargo
plane at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama has attracted attention in aviation circles.
According to reports, the giant cargo plane, registered N862GT and known as one of the last Boeing 747-8F aircraft produced, veered off the runway and onto the grass while taxiing. The incident is reported to have been classified as a "slight runway excursion".
Initial findings suggest the aircraft lost control while flying at a low speed. However, the exact cause of the incident is still unclear. Experts are considering possibilities such as a slippery or dirty surface, the pilots losing their centerline, or a technical factor.
While no information about injuries or serious damage has been shared, it has been learned that efforts have begun to safely remove the aircraft from its location. Airport operations are said to have been only minimally affected by the incident.
1 dead after plane crashes at Spirit of St. Louis Airport
A pilot died after his plane crashed returning to Spirit of St. Louis Airport early Tuesday morning, police said.
Author: Jennifer Somers
CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — A pilot was killed when
his plane crashed Tuesday morning at Spirit of St. Louis Airport.
According to the St. Louis County Police Department, officers responded to the crash at about 3 a.m. Tuesday at the Chesterfield airport. Preliminary information indicates that the pilot took off from Spirit of St. Louis Airport overnight and later attempted to return to the airport. The aircraft went down near the east end of the airport’s south runway.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson, the plane, an Aero Commander 500B, crashed short of the runway, and only the pilot was onboard.
Police said the pilot, a man, died in the crash. No other injuries were reported.
The St. Louis County Police Department Metro Air Support Unit's Spirit of St. Louis Airport detail was investigating the deadly crash. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct further investigation.
The FAA said it expects to release a preliminary accident report on the crash on Wednesday.
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/plane-crash-at-spirit-of-st-louis-airport-chesterfield/63-a819febe-0931-47e8-9c80-3ffb075b5dee
NTSB Final Report: RANS S20
Pilot Reported That While Taking Off From Runway 17, The Airplane Immediately Yawed Right As Soon As The Tail Came Up
Location: Springfield, Colorado Accident Number: CEN26LA017
Date & Time: October 12, 2025, 11:00 Local Registration: N319WD
Aircraft: RANS S20 Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control on ground Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
Analysis: The pilot reported that while taking off from runway 17, the airplane immediately yawed right as soon as the tail came up. The pilot attempted to correct with opposite rudder; however, the airplane drifted to the left and exited the left side of the runway. During the runway excursion, the right landing gear struck a berm. The airplane’s right wing impacted the ground, and the airplane came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported the winds were from 260° at 16 knots and gusting to 24 knots.
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 directional control during the takeoff with a right crosswind.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
38 Years ago today: On 17 March 1988 Avianca flight 410, a Boeing 727, impacted El Espartillo Mountain after takeoff from Cúcuta Airport in Colombia. All 143 occupants were killed.
| Date: | Thursday 17 March 1988 |
| Time: | 13:17 |
| Type: | Boeing 727-21 |
| Owner/operator: | Avianca |
| Registration: | HK-1716 |
| MSN: | 18999/240 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1966 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 43848 hours |
| Engine model: | P&W JT8D-7A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 143 / Occupants: 143 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 25 km NW of Cúcuta-Camilo Daza Airport (CUC) - Colombia |
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Cúcuta-Camilo Daza Airport (CUC/SKCC) |
| Destination airport: | Cartagena-Rafael Núñez Airport (CTG/SKCG) |
| Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:
Avianca flight 410, a Boeing 727, impacted El Espartillo Mountain after takeoff from Cúcuta Airport in Colombia. All 143 occupants were killed.
The aircraft, a Boeing 727-21 operated flight AV410 from Bucaramanga to Barranquilla, with en route stops at Cúcuta and Cartagena. Because the originally planned aircraft was not available, HK-1716 was prepared for the flight. This resulted in a departure delay of 2 hours and 30 minutes. The flight landed at Cúcuta at 12:28 local time.
At 13:06, the pilot requested clearance to start, but he was told there was a 10-minute delay because of three incoming aircraft.
The crew immediately requested clearance for a climb on course ("Why not clear us to climb on course to avoid delaying this flight further? We're: pretty far behind") and the tower granted their request at 13:08: "OK, cleared for engine start, climb on course VMC, report ready to taxi, temperature 28°".
This, added to the anomalous presence in the cockpit of another pilot whose loquaciousness continually disrupted the work of all the crew members, affected the way in which the pilot supervised the actions of his co-pilot, who was Pilot Flying. There was no crew briefing, nor did the pilot-in command give any instructions for the VMC departure.
Two minutes later the tower controller instructed them to taxi to runway 33.
At 13:12 the tower reported, "Cleared to Cartagena via Uniform Whisky 19, Whisky 7, Whisky 10, climb and maintain two six zero after takeoff, climb on course VMC, QNH ....correction transponder Alpha 2216". Take-off clearance was issued at 13:13.
The initial climb path followed the extended runway centre line to the inner marker, at which point the aircraft entered a continuous left turn. At 13:17 the pilot said to the copilot, "In any case, start turning right." Subsequently the aircraft struck the peak of El Espartillo at an elevation of 6,343 feet.
PROBABLE CAUSES:
1. Active:
A. Personnel factors - Pilot-in-command - Procedures, Regulations and instructions
a) Diverted attention from operation of aircraft and failed to exercise adequate and constant supervision over the performance of his co-pilot;
b) Tolerated inappropriate interference with cockpit discipline by authorized persons with access to the flight deck;
c) Continued VFR flight into IMC.
B. Personnel factor - Non-crew pilot in cockpit - Procedures, regulations and instructions
Interfered constantly with the normal operation of the aircraft, distracting the crew from the efficient execution of their duties.
2. Passive
A. Personnel factor- Crew- Procedures, regulations and instructions: lack of teamwork on the part of the crew, reflected in the failure to coordinate the instructions needed to take off and climb out in VMC using a profile established in accordance with the specific conditions.
B. Other factors - Meeting the schedule: The delays resulting from the change of aircraft for mechanical reasons contributed to the decision by the pilot-in-command to give inappropriate support to company priorities and request to depart, rather than waiting as recommended by the Control Tower, in order to avoid adding to the delays already experienced."
