Skip to content

Monday the 22nd of June, 2026

We start the new week with these stories...

Be safe out there!

Tom

--

Ground vehicle strikes Southwest plane at Memphis International Airport

by: Karen Bray Davis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Emergency crews responded to an incident on the tarmac at Memphis International Airport after a ground vehicle struck a commercial aircraft during boarding, according to video and information provided by a viewer and a statement from the airline.

A video sent to WREG shows airport police and the Memphis Fire Department responding to what appears to be a ground vehicle that collided with the underside of a Southwest Airlines twin-jet while it was on the tarmac.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Southwest Airlines confirmed the incident involved ground equipment contacting Flight 4013 during boarding.

“Southwest Flight 4013 was contacted by a ground equipment vehicle during boarding today at Memphis International Airport,” the airline said.

The airline says the aircraft is now out of service.

“At this time, we have no initial reports of passenger injuries,” the statement continued. “The event will be investigated through our comprehensive Safety Management System.”

Southwest added that safety remains its top priority for both customers and employees.

“Memphis Shelby County Airport Authority can confirm that an isolated incident occurred today at Memphis International Airport. Airport operations are continuing as normal,” according to airport officials.

According to the airport’s website, the flight to Las Vegas was scheduled to depart at 12:25 p.m., but it was delayed until 3:25 p.m.

No further details about the circumstances of the incident have been released at this time.

https://wreg.com/news/ground-vehicle-strikes-southwest-aircraft-at-memphis-international-airport/

Aircraft crashes in Wyoming County after reportedly experiencing engine issues, no injuries reported

by: Caleb Okes

PINEVILLE, W.Va. (WVNS) – One person reportedly walked away with no injuries in a plane crash incident that took place at Kee Field in the Wyoming County Airport on Sunday, June 21, 2026.

The Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office received a call from air traffic control out of Indianapolis, Indiana at around 7:45 a.m. regarding an aircraft that was experiencing engine issues. The plane in question was preparing to make an emergency landing in Pineville at Kee Field in the Wyoming County Airport.

“Short time later, the air traffic control lost contact with the plane. Then, a little bit later was notified they had regained contact with them, and they had made a crash landing at the…at Kee Field,” said Captain Tommy Blankenship of the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office.

The aircraft settled right on the edge of Airport Road next to Kee Field with the parachute deployed. The plane crash damaged part of the guard rail – leaving the plane covered in vegetation.

“There was only one passenger. The pilot was the only one in the plane. He was uninjured in the incident.”

Airport administrators and law enforcement were thankful the pilot was safe and no injuries were sustained.

Deputies with the Sheriff’s Office remained on scene with airport administrators until the Federal Aviation Administration could arrive to investigate, remove the aircraft, and officially release the scene.

https://www.wowktv.com/news/west-virginia/aircraft-crashes-in-wyoming-county-after-reportedly-experiencing-engine-issues-no-injuries-reported/

Plane makes emergency landing at Ladson fairgrounds, no injuries reported

by ABC NEWS 4 STAFF

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — (Update, 2:54 pm) - The Charleston County Sheriff's Office released the following statement on the incident:

At 12:25pm on June 19, 2026, Charleston County Sheriff's Office received a call in regards to an emergency landing of a small aircraft at the Ladson Fairgrounds. Deputies reported no injuries to anyone on the plane, no damage to the aircraft, and traffic was not impacted in the area.

The investigation will be led by the FAA.

Original Story

A small plane made an emergency landing at the fairgrounds in Ladson Friday with no injuries reported.

An official told News 4 the plane was travelling from Charleston International Airport to Summerville when it experienced engine failure around 1,700 feet. It safely landed at the fairgrounds around 12:30 p.m. without sustaining damage, and those onboard were not injured.

https://abcnews4.com/news/local/plane-makes-emergency-landing-at-ladson-fairgrounds-no-injuries-reported

3 killed when small plane bound for Montgomery County crashes near Bowie neighborhood

Shayla Colon

A training flight left New Jersey for a local airport and never made it

Three people aboard a small plane were killed when their aircraft crashed overnight in a wooded area near a residential neighborhood in Bowie, prompting a large-scale search that lasted nearly four hours before first responders located the wreckage, Maryland State Police said.

The single-engine Piper Cherokee, believed to be a training flight, was traveling from Ocean City, New Jersey, to a Montgomery County airport when it went down shortly before midnight Saturday near routes 50 and 301. Authorities said the pilot and two passengers were pronounced dead at the scene.

The plane, which belonged to a local flight school, crashed in a small wooded area near a residential area and playground off of Scarlet Oak Court in Bowie, said Elena Russo, a spokesperson for the Maryland State Police.

Police have not released the identities of those who perished.

“It was an absolute tragic incident,” Russo said. “It could have been even worse because of the proximity to a town home community in Bowie.”

An emergency alert from an iPhone at around 11:53 p.m. made authorities aware of the plane going down, according to Russo.

Dozens of first responders, some on the ground and others in the air, set out to find the plane. Authorities located it at about 3:45 a.m. Debris lay scattered over 100 feet.

A man, who asked not to be named and said he is a flight instructor from Australia, said he and his friends heard about the crash through others in the local aviation community and felt compelled to help first responders. The group found the plane’s path on Flight Radar 24 and followed it to its last visible location near the woods.

The group met at a nearby high school, where police asked them not to go into the area because they were waiting for dogs to arrive to help with the search, the man said.

The man said he and his friends went looking in the woods anyway.

As they looked through the dark forest using flashlights, they saw something white hanging on a tree. Upon closer examination, the man said, he realized it was the plane’s wing.

Moments later, he saw part of the tail. Fearful that someone might need help, he said, he decided to get closer. That’s when the man looked inside and saw a bloodied arm so white he knew it was lifeless.

He couldn’t bring himself to look at the victims’ faces, so he retreated and tried to summon help, yelling and throwing flashlight signals into the air for police to find them. He hopped a fence and flagged authorities down.

It remains unclear what caused the crash and if there were any communications signaling trouble from the pilot. Russo did not know the name of the flight school that owned the plane and could not say if it was typical that a training flight would be in the sky that late.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating.

Neighbors in the town home community described hearing a boom in the middle of the night. Most thought it was a thunderstorm rolling in, a car blowing a tire or a crash on Route 50.

But the sound was enough to cause Shuntonya Clark to get out of bed and look out her window to the woods and playground at the rear of the complex.

It was dark. She could see that the stoplight at an Annapolis Road intersection was working. She said she saw something white on the ground but didn’t think about it, assuming maybe something blew over near the playground.

It wasn’t until later in the morning, after authorities had taped off the area behind her home, that she realized what it was.

“That’s a wing,” she said. “I saw the wing before I went to bed, but I didn’t know it was a wing at the time.”

https://www.thebanner.com/community/local-news/plane-crash-bowie-maryland-training-flight-ocean-city-new-jersey-B6RXOGOPO5BR3GYHNTNJMTZN34/

NTSB Final Report: Huebbe Tom Max TH

After Initiating His Takeoff Roll, The Airplane Began To Drift To The Left And He Was Unable To Correct

Location: Inverness Highlands South, Florida Accident Number: ERA26LA058
Date & Time: November 26, 2025, 16:40 Local Registration: N48TH
Aircraft: Huebbe Tom Max TH Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control on ground Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis: The pilot reported that he was departing with a mild right crosswind in the amateur-built, steerable tailwheel-equipped airplane, without differential braking. After initiating his takeoff roll, the airplane began to drift to the left and he was unable to correct. The airplane exited the runway and struck a sign, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. Postaccident examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane’s tailwheel or brake system that would have precluded normal operation.

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 on takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the aircraft design that did not incorporate differential braking.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov

 

 

NTSB Final Report: Cessna 182 (A1); Grumman American Avn. Corp. AA-5B (A2)

The Low Wing Airplane’s Propeller Contacted The Right Wing Of The Of The High Wing Airplane, Substantially Damaging The Wing

Location: Plymouth, Massachusetts Accident Number: ERA25LA356
Date & Time: September 19, 2025, 07:03 Local Registration: N2383X (A1); N81317 (A2)
Aircraft: Cessna 182 (A1); Grumman American Avn. Corp. AA-5B (A2) Aircraft Damage: Substantial (A1); Minor (A2)
Defining Event: Ground collision Injuries: 2 None (A1); 1 None (A2)
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal (A1); Part 91: General aviation - Personal (A2)

Analysis: The pilot of a high wing airplane was taxiing from the hangar area to the runway for departure from the non-tower-controlled airport. The pilot of low wing airplane was also planning to depart from the same airport and began to taxi. As the low wing airplane approached an intersection, he did not see any approaching traffic and then looked inside to turn on a portable ADS-B receiver. Several seconds later, the low wing airplane’s propeller contacted the right wing of the of the high wing airplane, substantially damaging the wing. Both pilots reported that their were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of their respective airplanes that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot of the low wing airplane also stated that he should have looked for traffic a second time during the taxi and should have turned on the portable ADS-B receiver before starting the taxi.

Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The low wing airplane pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate visual lookout and his decision to activate the portable ADS-B receiver while taxiing, which resulted in a ground collision.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov

 

 

NTSB Updates Laredo NetJets Accident

Lead Investigator Told Media The Aircraft Has Been Moved To A Hangar As Investigation Is Underway

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator Mitchell Gallo gave an update on the business jet belonging to NetJets that crashed with six people on board Tuesday night.

The aircraft crashed on a highway in Laredo, Texas, and caught fire, killing Capital Factory founder Joshua Baer from Austin.

Gallo said he had just come from Kansas City, where he was working on another investigation, and said, “We know the aircraft departed Los Cabos at 6:19. This was their planned destination. They declared an emergency. And beyond that, more information will come from interviews which are being done now. I do not have the information from the interviews.

“And also, from the cockpit voice recorder, which you know will capture aircraft sounds and discussions between crew members if it is of good quality. Those units are being sent out today.

“We do not look at one piece of evidence. We combine different pieces of information. The cockpit voice recorder, we need to get it overnighted to our lab. The flight data recorder will capture things such as speed, engine parameters and the health of the aircraft.  We combine all that with what we find at the scene.  If there is a problem on the flight data recorder we will have to go back to the aircraft and see what is causing that.

“We are moving the aircraft inside an airport hangar. We do photography. Check certain things. We’ll go in-depth later on. Right now, we are collecting evidence. We do not want to go too fast in collection.

“We look at man, machine and environment,” he said.

Gallo also said witness videos are coming in. Some have come into the Laredo Police Department, and there is a witness line through the NTSB website.

Gallo said the NTSB should have a preliminary report in about 15 days.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov

Today in History

64 Years ago today: On 22 June 1962 Air France flight 117, a Boeing 707-300, impacted a mountain while on approach to Pointe-à-Pitre-Le Raizet Airport, Guadeloupe, killing all 113 occupants.

Date: Friday 22 June 1962
Time: 04:03
Type: Boeing 707-328
Owner/operator: Air France
Registration: F-BHST
MSN: 18247/274
Year of manufacture: 1962
Engine model: P&W JT4A
Fatalities: Fatalities: 113 / Occupants: 113
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Destroyed, written off
Category: Accident
Location: 25 km WNW of Pointe-à-Pitre-Le Raizet Airport (PTP) -    Guadeloupe
Phase: Approach
Nature: Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport: Santa Maria-Vila do Porto Airport, Azores (SMA/LPAZ)
Destination airport: Pointe-à-Pitre-Le Raizet Airport (PTP/TFFR)

Narrative:
Air France flight 117, a Boeing 707-300, impacted a mountain while on approach to Pointe-à-Pitre-Le Raizet Airport, Guadeloupe, killing all 113 occupants.

The aircraft, named "Chateau de Chantilly", operated flight AF117 from Paris-Orly (France) to Santiago (Chile) with en route stops at Lisbon (Portugal), Santa Maria (Azores), Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe), Caracas (Venezuela), Bogotá (Colombia) and Lima (Peru).
The VOR at Le Raizet Airport was unserviceable when the flight approached Guadeloupe at night. Weather conditions were poor; a violent thunderstorm existed in the area and visibility was 10 km and a ceiling of 1000 feet within the squall. The crew reported over the NDB at 5000 feet and carried out a turn back towards the east to begin its final approach. Incorrect ADF indications, as a result of the thunderstorm, caused the plane to stray 15 km off the procedural let-down track. The Boeing 707 then crashed into a forest on a hill at an altitude of about 1400 feet.

PROBABLE CAUSE: 1) Breakdown of the VOR; 2) insufficient meteorological information given to the crew; 3) the atmospheric effects on the ADF indicator.

Scroll To Top