Your stories for today...
Be safe out there!
Tom
--
Helicopter crashes in eastern Iowa field during crop spraying
by: Natasha Keicher
JOHNSON COUNTY, Iowa — A helicopter crashed in a
field in rural Johnson County Wednesday night.
The Tiffin Fire Department said it responded to a report of an aircraft that crashed shortly before 8 p.m. near the 2800 block of Rohret Road in Iowa City. Initial reports said a helicopter was spraying crops when it crashed near a farm. Several agencies responded to the scene to assist.
According to the TFD, before first responders arrived, a Good Samaritan located the pilot and moved them away from the helicopter.
As first responders arrived in the area, the TFD said a downed power line across the road blocked access to the farm’s driveway. Paramedics were eventually able to cross into the driveway and make it to the pilot, who was transported to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. The pilot’s condition has not been released.
The helicopter, a R44 Raven II, was found in the cornfield. The TFD said firefighters and personnel from Johnson County Emergency Management worked to mitigate the hazardous fluids leaking from the helicopter.
The Federal Aviation Administration was notified of the crash, the TFD said, and an investigation is underway.
https://who13.com/news/iowa-news/johnson-county-helicopter-crash/
Pilot sustains ‘serious injuries’ in small plane crash into Plymouth pond
First responders are investigating whether other people were on the plane
By Colleen Cronin
The pilot of a small plane was pulled from a wreck after
crashing into a pond in Plymouth this morning.
The person has “serious injuries,” according to Plymouth Fire Chief Neil Foley, and is being transported to a local hospital.
Plymouth Fire responded to the crash at Curlew Pond, a small body of water within Myles Standish State Forest, around 7:39 a.m., Foley said. Members of the Plymouth County Dive Team helped to pull the pilot from the water.
The plane is a two-seater and Foley said first responders were still investigating whether anyone else may have been on board at the time of the crash.
The investigation into the cause of the crash is on-going. The Mass State Police and State Department of Conservation and Recreation are also on the scene.
Over 20 agencies join off-airport plane crash drill
TheSun
More than 20 enforcement and emergency agencies take part in Ex Urban Falcon 2026, a full-scale air disaster simulation testing readiness for aircraft crashes outside the airport perimeter.
SHAH ALAM: More than 20 enforcement and emergency response agencies participated today in Ex Urban Falcon 2026, a full-scale air disaster simulation designed to test operational readiness and inter-agency coordination should an aircraft crash occur outside the airport perimeter.
Airport Fire and Rescue Services (AFRS) general manager Muhammad Hidayat Ismail said the full-scale exercise at the Denai Alam Rest and Service Area along the Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Expressway (DASH) involved a simulation of an ATR72 aircraft “crashing” about six kilometres from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang.
“The objective is to ensure Malaysia Airports Holdings 
Berhad (MAHB) and other responding agencies are fully prepared to coordinate emergency operations under the aerodrome emergency plan, particularly in the event of an aircraft accident outside the airport area.
“Under the National Aeronautical Search and Rescue Manual (NAMSA), AFRS’ area of responsibility covers a radius of up to eight kilometres from the airport’s midpoint,” he told reporters at a press conference here today.
Muhammad Hidayat said the simulation was the first of its kind to involve an aircraft accident scenario beyond the airport perimeter, whereas previous exercises had been held only near the airport boundary.
He said the biggest challenge for the response teams was ensuring a swift arrival at the scene, given the need to navigate narrow roads and pass through multiple toll plazas.
“What I observed from the response agencies was that they carried out their duties according to existing procedures, and the firefighting and rescue operations were executed well.
“I hope this exercise will provide a foundation for improving agency preparedness, given that air disaster scenarios beyond airport boundaries are rarely put to the test,” he said.
He said the significant difference between an aircraft crash inside and outside an airport lies in the lower survival chances of victims, caused by the uneven terrain at off-airport locations.
Muhammad Hidayat said the exercise provided rescue teams with a realistic scenario in which casualties could outnumber survivors, underscoring the need for closer coordination in Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) operations led by the Royal Malaysia Police.
“Technologically, we are equipped with the latest aircraft firefighting vehicles, built to meet the specifications and standards stipulated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).
“The findings and challenges from today’s exercise will be reviewed at a special workshop on July 26 and 27 to develop improvement measures and strengthen coordinated disaster response efforts,” he said.
Muhammad Hidayat said the sustained commitment from all agencies involved demonstrated Malaysia’s preparedness to respond to potential air disasters, further enhancing public trust in the nation’s aviation safety framework.
The Ex Urban Falcon 2026 drill was conducted through a strategic partnership among MAHB, NADMA, the Selangor state government, and PROLINTAS-DASH, bringing together 450 participants from critical public and private-sector agencies involved in aviation disaster response.
NTSB Prelim: Lancair Legacy 2000
Just Before Touchdown, The Tower Controller Transmitted To The Pilot That The Landing Gear Was Still Retracted
Location: Los Angeles, CA Accident Number: WPR26LA228
Date & Time: June 16, 2026, 09:06 Local Registration: N84BZ
Aircraft: Lancair Legacy 2000 Injuries: 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
On June 16, 2026, about 0906 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur built Lancair Legacy 2000, N84BZ, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Los Angeles, California. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The airplane departed Lake Havasu City (HII) about 1 hour prior, following a route the pilot had taken multiple times before. He reported that the flight was operating under visual flight rules, and while descending into the Los Angeles Basin he encountered low cloud bases. He stated that the weather encounter increased his workload, and as he approached Whiteman Airport (WHP) he extended the landing gear and flaps at the same time, as part of his normal landing procedures, but he did not check the landing gear status lights.
Just before touchdown, the tower controller transmitted to the pilot that the landing gear was still retracted. The pilot reached up to the landing gear switch and found that it was in the down position, but the landing gear status lights were not green. The pilot stated that he then applied full engine power to go-around, but the flaps had already struck the ground and were damaged such that they impinged aileron movement.
Unable to maintain roll control, the airplane struck the airport boundary fence and came to rest in an adjacent airport parking lot. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the forward fuselage during the accident sequence. The airplane was recovered to a secure location for further examination.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
69 Years ago today: On 16 July 1957 KLM flight KL844, a Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation, named "Neutron", was destroyed when it impacted the water off Biak Airport, Netherlands New Guinea (now Indonesia), killing 58 of th 68 occupants.
| Date: | Tuesday 16 July 1957 |
| Time: | 03:36 |
| Type: | Lockheed L-1049C-55-81 Super Constellation |
| Owner/operator: | KLM Royal Dutch Airlines |
| Registration: | PH-LKT |
| MSN: | 4504 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1953 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 11867 hours |
| Engine model: | Wright R-3350 (972TC18DA3) |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 58 / Occupants: 68 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 1,2 km off Biak-Mokmer Airport (BIK) - Indonesia |
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Biak-Mokmer Airport (BIK/WABB) |
| Destination airport: | Manila International Airport (MNL/RPLL) |
| Investigating agency: | RvdL |
| Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:
KLM flight KL844, a Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation, named "Neutron", was destroyed when it impacted the water off Biak Airport, Netherlands New Guinea (now Indonesia), killing 58 of th 68 occupants.
KL844 was the return leg of a weekly return flight between Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Biak. The first leg of the flight was from Biak to Manila, Philippines.
The aircraft took off from Biak-Mokmer Airport's runway 10 at 03:32 at night. Shortly after takeoff, the flight crew radioed the tower controller, asking to keep the runway lights on and to requested permission for a low run over the airfield. Both requests were granted. The aircraft was in a 180 degree left hand turn when it gradually lost altitude until it struck the sea and broke apart. The wreckage sank in 250 m of water.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The explanation of the accident lies either in an error on the part of the pilot or in a technical failure. The Board was unable to state whether the accident could have been caused by a combination of both pilot error and technical failure. The Board was of the opinion that low runs should not be made by aircraft on scheduled services. The magnitude of the danger that is inherent in the proximity of the ground on takeoff and landing should not be increased unnecessarily by flying at low altitude."
