We close out the month of March with these stories...
Be safe out there!
Tom
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Plane crash closes runway at Pitt Meadows Regional Airport
By Colleen Flanagan
Transportation Safety Board of Canada has deployed a team of investigators to Pitt Meadows Regional Airport after a plane crash on Monday, March 30.
First responders rushed to the local airport, YPK,
just after 11 a.m. where a Cessna 172N aircraft crashed.
Guy Miller, airport CAO and general manager, said the aircraft is owned by one of the flight schools and was under the control of Nav Canada at the time, doing flight training circuits.
The pilot, who was the only person on board, sustained non-life-threatening injuries, he said.
Pitt Meadows Fire and Rescue, B.C. Ambulance Service, and airport operations attended the scene.
According to Pitt Meadows firefighters, crews conducted a patient assessment, established a protective line, and evaluated the aircraft for any safety and environmental concerns.
BC Emergency Health Services responded with multiple ambulances – one with primary care paramedics, an ambulance with advanced care paramedics, and a paramedic supervisor also attended the scene.
“Paramedics provided emergency medical care to one patient who was transported in serious, but stable condition to hospital,” said Brian Twaites, BCEHS paramedic public information officer.
Miller said there was no threat to public safety, the aircraft came to a rest at the end of the outer runway, runway 26 Right.
The team from the Transportation Safety Board, an independent agency that investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation occurrences, arrived at the airport at around 3 p.m. and is currently investigating the circumstances of the crash.
The agency’s sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety – not to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.
Although the outer runway remains closed, the airport is still operating normally.
Read more at: https://theprogress.com/2026/03/30/plane-crash-closes-runway-at-pitt-meadows-regional-airport/
A Porto-Milan flight forced to stop over in Toulouse, four people hospitalized
Clément Méténier
Four people were hospitalized in Toulouse on
Sunday afternoon, March 29, after a plane made an emergency landing at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport. A Porto-Milan flight was forced to stop over in the Pink City after experiencing severe turbulence.
An unexpected stopover in Purpan and Rangueil. On Sunday, March 29, 2026, in the early afternoon, a Ryanair flight took off from Porto, Portugal, bound for Milan, Italy. But the crossing of the Pyrenees did not go as planned. The plane encountered severe turbulence, causing suitcases to fall and strike passengers.
The crew therefore decided to make an emergency landing at Toulouse-Blagnac airport.
Two men and two women sustained minor injuries.
When the plane touched down, the focus shifted to assessing the situation. Four people were injured . They were taken into the care of the Haute-Garonne firefighters around 5:30 p.m.
Two men, aged 26 and 27, and two women, aged 29 and 54, were hospitalized at Purpan and Rangueil University Hospitals . Fortunately, these passengers, who were badly shaken, escaped with only minor injuries. Emergency services confirmed that they sustained only minor injuries.
NTSB Prelim: Mooney M20E
...Elevated Carbon Monoxide Levels In The Cockpit And A Forced Landing To Unsuitable Terrain After The Pilot Suspected Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Location: Alpine, Arkansas Accident Number: CEN24LA145
Date & Time: April 2, 2024, 10:56 Local Registration: N86UM
Aircraft: Mooney M20E Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) Injuries: 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
Analysis: During cruise flight in a gradual descent, the airplane’s two carbon monoxide (CO) detectors began alerting. The pilot closed the cabin panel vent and opened a small cockpit window and 4 overhead vents. The pilot’s concern “turned to intense worry and fear as [he] noticed a feeling of lethargy and confusion, sort of slow motion coupled with graying peripheral vision.” He attempted to open the cabin door but was unsuccessful. The pilot decided not to continue the flight to the nearest airport, which was about 30 miles from his position; he shut down the engine and performed a forced landing to a field. The pilot reported that after he shut down the engine, his symptoms gradually dissipated, and he did not lose consciousness. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted unsuitable terrain, nosed over, and sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage. After the accident, the pilot took a photograph of his iPad, which displayed, “Caution, Sentry CO level is 79 ppm.”
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the exhaust pipe contained an existing repair weld that had multiple cracks. The cracks contained engine oil and exhaust soot deposits, indicating the cracks existed before impact. In addition, a cabin air scat tube displayed residual engine oil, black soot, and missing material in an area next to the exhaust pipe repair weld. The exhaust cracks and damaged scat tubing would have allowed exhaust gases to enter the airplane cabin. The cabin air system contained a junction box, and two of three outlet ducts were covered with sections from an aluminum beer can and hose clamps.
The sections of the aluminum beer can were not approved components. The last inspection of the airplane occurred just over 9 months before the accident; the investigation was not able to determine how long the exhaust cracks and damaged tubing may have been present.
The pilot’s carboxyhemoglobin level of 1% that was measured less than 2 hours after the accident indicates that he was unlikely to have been experiencing CO poisoning during the off-airport landing or during his reported symptoms. Physiological responses to acute stress likely contributed to those symptoms.
Although the pilot did not likely experience CO poisoning, the CO alerts, cracked exhaust pipe, and damaged cabin air tubing indicate he likely was exposed to abnormally high CO concentrations in the cockpit air during the accident flight. Whether CO exposure leads to CO poisoning depends on exposure magnitude and duration, which is why pilots are encouraged to take early protective action when exposure is suspected.
Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The improper maintenance of the cabin air and exhaust system which resulted in a cracked exhaust pipe and damaged cabin air tubing, and the subsequent elevated carbon monoxide levels in the cockpit and a forced landing to unsuitable terrain after the pilot suspected carbon monoxide poisoning.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
31 Years ago today: On 31 March 1995 Tarom flight 371, an Airbus A310, crashed following a loss of control after takeoff from Bucharest-Otopeni Airport, Romania, killing all 60 occupants.
| Date: | Friday 31 March 1995 |
| Time: | 09:08 |
| Type: | Airbus A310-324 |
| Owner/operator: | Tarom |
| Registration: | YR-LCC |
| MSN: | 450 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1987 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 31092 hours |
| Cycles: | 6216 flights |
| Engine model: | P&W PW4152 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 60 / Occupants: 60 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 3 km N of Bucharest-Otopeni International Airport (OTP) - Romania |
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Bucharest-Otopeni International Airport (OTP/LROP) |
| Destination airport: | Brussel-Zaventem Airport (BRU/EBBR) |
| Investigating agency: | Romania MoT |
| Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:
Tarom flight 371, an Airbus A310, crashed following a loss of control after takeoff from Bucharest-Otopeni Airport, Romania, killing all 60 occupants.
Flight RO371 was a scheduled passenger service from Bucharest Otopeni Airport (OTP) in Romania to Brussel Airport (BRU), Belgium. On board were 49 passengers and eleven crew members. The first officer was pilot flying, the captain was pilot monitoring.
Following de-icing, the Airbus A310 taxied to runway 08R for departure. The flight was cleared via the Strejnic 'STJ' VOR/DME beacon and an initial climb to flight level 260. Takeoff was initiated at 09:04 hours local time.
When airborne, the captain announced positive climb and co-pilot requested to retract the landing gear. At 09:07:20 the captain called the Otopeni Approach controller and received a clearance to turn left and proceed direct to STJ.
The co-pilot asked the captain to select direct STJ on FMS. The captain confirmed a direct STJ selection and requested the co-pilot to move the control wheel slightly.
At an altitude of 1700 feet and speed a 187 knots, with flaps 15/slats 15 and pitch angle of 17.6 degrees, the aircraft was turning left, with a bank angle of 12 degrees, flying towards STJ.
At 09:07:36, when the aircraft crossed 2000 feet at 188 knots, an engine thrust asymmetry started developing with continuous decrease of the left engine thrust, approximately 1 degree TRA (throttle resolver angle)/second.
At 09:07:53, when the aircraft was crossing 3300 feet altitude at 195 kts turning with a decreasing bank angle of 20 degrees, the first officer called "250 in sight" and asked the captain to retract the flaps. This was carried out. At that moment, the engine thrust asymmetry reached 14.5 TRA degrees and 0.19 for EPRs.
The first officer then requested slats retraction, but this action which was not carried out by the captain. At this moment the aircraft was passing through 013 degrees magnetic heading, at 3800 feet altitude and a decreasing speed of 185 kts. The aircraft pitch angle was 16,5 degrees, decreasing, and the left bank angle was 18 degrees, also decreasing. At that time the thrust asymmetry reached was 28 TRA degrees and 0.27 for EPRs.
At 09:08:02, the first officer asked the captain: "Are you all right?" The aircraft was passing through 330 degrees magnetic heading, 4200 ft altitude, a decreasing speed of 181 kts, and an increasing 17 degrees left bank angle.
At 09:08:08, a noise like an uttering of pain or a metallic noise was heard. The aircraft was crossing 4460 ft altitude, 179 kts speed and an increasing bank angle of 22 degrees. At that time the engines thrust asymmetry reached 0.36 for EPRs.
The bank angle continued to increase to 28 degrees and the engine thrust asymmetry reached 0.41 for EPRs.
At 09:08:15, the first officer, with a stressed and agitated voice, requested engagement of autopilot no. 1. The aircraft was crossing 4620-ft altitude, continuing its turn at an increasing bank angle of 43 degrees and a steadily decreasing pitch angle of 3.5 degrees.
One of the pilots attempted to engage autopilot no. 1 The aircraft started a descent with 45 degrees bank angle and the engine thrust asymmetry had reached the maximum value of 0.42 for EPRs, followed by a continuous thrust reduction of engine no. 2.
One second later, there was recorded autopilot disengagement followed by the aural warning a level 3 "cavalry charge" lasting several moments. From that moment on, the aircraft started diving, the speed increased and the aircraft performed a complete rotation around its roll axis.
At 09:08.28, first officer cried out "THAT ONE HAS FAILED!" without any other comments. The aircraft was descending through 3600 ft at 258 kts speed and an increasing nose down pitch angle at 61.5 degrees.
The aircraft continued until it impacted the ground at a nose down attitude of approximately 50 degrees pitch angle with both engines at idle power. The airplane was destroyed and all 60 occupants were sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation commission consider the following causal factors:
- Thrust assymetry;
- Possible pilot incapacitation (the Captain);
- Insuficient corrective action from the Copilot in order to cover the consequences of the first factors.
The French Ministry of Transport commented on the Romanian investigation report, stating that the pilot flying's actions that led to the loss of control could have been caused by the fact that the artificial horizon between Eastern and Western built aircraft is inverted in roll and that the first officer spent the majority of his carreer on Eastern-built aircraft.
