We start the new week with the following stories...
Be safe out there!
Tom
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#2 Engine Fire on USMC MV-22 Osprey at Mesa Gateway
A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft 
caught fire on the ground at Mesa Gateway Airport on July 19, officials report.
Atlantic TV Gambia
A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft caught fire on the ground at Mesa Gateway Airport on July 19, officials report.
According to initial reports, the aircraft, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM)-266, experienced a fire in its right engine while undergoing startup procedures.
Airport emergency crews responded quickly to the scene and brought the fire under control. No further details on damage to the aircraft have been released.
https://www.facebook.com/atvgambia/posts/a-us-marine-corps-mv-22b-osprey-tiltrotor-aircraft-caught-fire-on-the-ground-at-/1388838823310295/
Person injured in small plane crash near Covington
The plane crash caused a minor fuel leak at Crest Airport near Covington.
Author: KING 5 Staff
COVINGTON, Wash. — One person was injured in a small
plane crash near Covington on Friday.
Black Diamond Fire and Rescue crews responded about 11:09 a.m. to a crash at Crest Airport.
One person exited the plane. The person had minor injuries.
Photos shared by the fire and rescue show the plane upside down on grass.
A minor fuel leak was cleaned up.
Plane flips during water landing on central Minnesota lake
The plane flipped upside down and partially submerged in the Brainerd Lakes Area.
By Joe Nelson
Details are limited, but the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s
Office reported Sunday that nobody was injured when a small plane flipped upside down during a water landing.
It happened around 10:30 a.m. Sunday on Pelican Lake, which is located north of Brainerd. The sheriff’s office shared photos on social media of a Seabee-style plane floating upside down in the water.
Whatever caused the plane to flip is under investigation.
“Everyone walked away without injuries!” the sheriff’s office said. “A scary sight, but thankfully a great outcome. Hats off to all the first responders who quickly responded to the scene. We have some great first responders who are always there to support our mission!”
It’s unclear how many people were on the plane. It’s also unclear how they escaped the plane after it flipped.
Note: There are numerous lakes named Pelican in Minnesota, including other large bodies of water in Otter Tail and St. Louis counties.
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/plane-flips-during-water-landing-on-central-minnesota-lake
Passenger brought to ECMC after plane crash at Skydive the Falls
Staff reports
Emergency crews are on the scene of a plane crash in Youngstown. 
A PITTS S-2B biplane was landing at Shear Airport at Skydive the Falls on Braley Road in Youngstown about 6:10 p.m. Friday when the pilot reportedly lost control and went off the runway, at which point the plane overturned.
Both the male pilot and male passenger were helped from the plane. The pilot was uninjured, according to reports from the scene, and the passenger suffered a head injury and was taken to Erie County Medical Center by ambulance.
https://www.niagara-gazette.com/news/local_news/passenger-brought-to-ecmc-after-plane-crash-at-skydive-the-falls/article_1a2d71df-a4f1-40a8-874a-62c9d4dd1bc6.html
Small aircraft crashes near Montello, no one injured
Maria Brunetta
MONTELLO, Wis. — A small aircraft made an emergency
landing in a marshy area near Montello on Sunday afternoon after the pilot reported mechanical problems.
The Marquette County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call at approximately 3:07 p.m. from the pilot of the single-propeller, two-seat plane, who stated the aircraft was experiencing mechanical issues and going down. The plane crashed in a marshy area along the south shore of the Fox River, west of Lake Puckaway, in the Town of Montello.
The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was not injured in the crash. According to the sheriff's office, the pilot had departed earlier that day from Erie, Colorado, and was traveling to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for EAA AirVenture, an annual aviation event.
The crash is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Multiple agencies responded to the incident, including the Marquette Fire Department, Montello Fire Department, Marquette County EMS, Green Lake County Sheriff's Office, and Marquette County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office said no additional information is available at this time. The investigation is ongoing.
https://www.channel3000.com/news/small-aircraft-crashes-near-montello-no-one-injured/article_e1260bf1-ac4f-469c-a4e7-ed4afd67e986.html
Pilot escapes injury after single-engine plane crashes at Iowa County Airport
Evan Bolin
MINERAL POINT, Wis. (WKOW) — The Iowa County Airport was shut down Friday afternoon after a single-engine aircraft crashed while making an emergency landing. 
The pilot, Robert Michael Bunn, 77, of Salina, Kansas, was the only person on the plane and was not injured, according to the Iowa County Sheriff's Office. Damage to the aircraft was visible on the nose of the plane.
The sheriff's office said the plane departed the airport sometime after 11 a.m. but experienced mechanical issues. The pilot attempted to return to the airport to make an emergency landing. The aircraft crashed on the east-west runway during that attempt, the sheriff's office said.
The crash was reported at 11:54 a.m.
Bunn was able to exit the aircraft on his own. He was evaluated at the scene by EMS. He did not require transport to a medical facility.
The airport was temporarily closed while emergency personnel secured the scene and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was notified.
The north-south runway reopened Friday afternoon and is available for aircraft operations. The east-west runway remains closed while the investigation continues and while Larry Service and Towing works on removing the plane.
The cause of the mechanical issue and crash remains under investigation by the FAA.
OSP IDs man injured in ultralight plane crash in Trotwood
LeAnne Marie McPherson and Channing King
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A man is hospitalized after
suffering life-threatening injuries in an ultralight plane crash Sunday afternoon.
The aircraft was attempting to land at an airstrip near Old Dayton and North Lutheran Roads around 3 p.m.
The aircraft went off the runway and flipped, ejecting the pilot, later identified as Ernest Washington, 55, of Miamisburg.
Washington was transported by Care Flight to Miami Valley Hospital.
Ohi https://www.wdtn.com/news/reported-plane-crash-near-old-dayton-and-north-lutheran-roads/amp/o State Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate. 2 NEWS is working to learn more.
NTSB Final Report: Ravin 500
Failure Of The Left Main Landing Gear Lateral Pushrod End Fitting Which Resulted In A Landing Gear Collapse
Location: Oshkosh, Wisconsin Accident Number: CEN25LA278
Date & Time: July 21, 2025, 18:56 Local Registration: C-GPDZ
Aircraft: Ravin 500 Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Landing gear collapse Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
Analysis: According to the pilot, the airplane touched down on the runway and as the airplane decelerated, the left main landing gear collapsed. The left wing and the left horizontal stabilizer struck the ground during the collapse, and the airplane came to rest on the north side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, the left horizontal stabilizer, and the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the landing gear system revealed that the left main landing gear lateral pushrod end fitting failed which allowed the left main landing gear to collapse during the landing roll.
Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The failure of the left main landing gear lateral pushrod end fitting which resulted in a landing gear collapse during the landing roll.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
NTSB Says Bird Strike Likely Brought Down Helicopter In Hudson River
Six Died In Crash Of Tour Helicopter In April 2025
A bird strike most likely caused the helicopter crash in the Hudson River that killed six people near New York City last year, according to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report released Thursday.
The NTSB found bird remains in the wreckage of the Bell 206L-4 helicopter and the surrounding area. According to the NTSB report, pieces of the helicopter's main rotor blade and a severed bird wing were found on the ground and on rooftops about 2,000 feet away from where the wreckage was recovered.
A specialist from the Smithsonian Institution's feather identification lab conducted sampling of the wreckage, according to the report. Additional sampling was done by the NTSB's lab to confirm the discovery of bird remains.
A witness told NTSB investigators that just before the accident she saw a large flock of geese take flight. "The geese were big and there were many of them. When the helicopter went bang, I immediately thought it was a bird strike," the witness said, according to the report
A family of five from Spain, including three children, and the pilot died in the April 2025 crash.
The crash happened about 17 minutes into a helicopter tour that took off from lower Manhattan just before 3 p.m. on April 10, 2025, went by the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor and up the Hudson River, offering aerial views of New York City. The helicopter fell into the Hudson as it was making its way back down the river by New Jersey.
Following the crash, the tour company, New York Helicopter Charter Inc., shut down.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
NTSB Takes Over Ryanair Window Blowout Investigation
Man Was Partly Sucked Out Damaged Window During Cabin Depressurization And Hospitalized
U.S. aviation safety investigators have taken over the investigation into what caused a window to dislodge on a Ryanair flight from Greece to Germany on July 10.
The National Transportation Safety Board said that after taking a closer look at the plane's flight path, investigators determined the incident occurred in Greek airspace, and not over the Republic of North Macedonia as they initially believed.
International aviation rules allow Greece’s Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority to hand the investigation over to the NTSB. The U.S. federal agency said it accepted and is now leading the probe, with Greece participating.
The incident happened on July 10 on a morning flight from the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki to Memmingen, near Munich. The flight was operated by Malta Air, a subsidiary of Ryanair, Europe’s largest budget carrier.
The NTSB previously said it was notified that the flight turned back because of “a right engine issue and cabin decompression.”
Ryanair has not publicly addressed the engine issue disclosed by the NTSB. In response to an emailed request for comment about the engine issue on July 10, the airline reiterated its previous statement about the flight returning to Thessaloniki after a window became dislodged.
Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford said investigators have not yet determined whether the Ryanair incident mirrors two previous Boeing 737 Next Generation engine failures involving Southwest Airlines in 2016 and 2018. In the 2018 accident, a passenger was fatally injured after being partially pulled through a broken window following an engine failure.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
NTSB Final Report: Larocca Roch B Eracer MK II
Postaccident Examination Of The Airplane Revealed That The Nose Landing Gear Actuator Bolt Had Failed
Location: Mount Pleasant, South Carolina Accident Number: ERA25LA337
Date & Time: September 5, 2025, 11:40 Local Registration: N382RB
Aircraft: Larocca Roch B Eracer MK II Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
Analysis: The pilot experimental amateur-built airplane reported that the approach and landing were normal with no anomalies observed. During the landing roll, the airplane’s retractable nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered off the runway before it impacted uneven terrain. The airplane’s right wing was substantially damaged during the accident sequence.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the nose landing gear actuator bolt had failed, which likely resulted in the collapse of the nose gear assembly during the landing.
Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The failure of the nose gear actuator bolt during the landing roll, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear and subsequent runway excursion.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
NTSB Final Report: Morris Bradley D Zenith STOL CH-701
Pilot Reported That He Did Not Have Any Previous Flight Experience In The Make And Model Airplane
Location: Hendersonville, North Carolina Accident Number: ERA26LA133
Date & Time: March 1, 2026, 16:10 Local Registration: N123XP
Aircraft: Morris Bradley D Zenith Stol Ch-701 Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight Injuries: 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
Analysis: The pilot reported that he did not have any previous flight experience in the make and model airplane. During takeoff, the airplane lifted off with a nose high attitude and the wings were flying, but the tail was not. The airplane began to turn to the left and the pilot was unable to correct the deviation. The airplane then departed the runway and impacted trees, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane 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 during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with trees.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
45 Years ago today: On 20 July 1981 Somali Airlines flight 40, a Fokker F-27 Friendship, crashed following a loss of control in turbulence near Balad, Somalia, killing all 50 occupants.
| Date: | Monday 20 July 1981 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | Fokker F-27 Friendship 600RF |
| Owner/operator: | Somali Airlines |
| Registration: | 6O-SAY |
| MSN: | 10557 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1977 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 6087 hours |
| Cycles: | 2777 flights |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 50 / Occupants: 50 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Balad - Somalia |
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Mogadishu International Airport (MGQ/HCMM) |
| Destination airport: | Hargeisa Airport (HGA/HCMH) |
| Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:
Somali Airlines flight 40, a Fokker F-27 Friendship, crashed following a loss of control in turbulence near Balad, Somalia, killing all 50 occupants.
The F-27 entered an area of heavy rain in clouds with severe turbulence, eight minutes after takeoff. The aircraft entered a spiral dive after encountering strong vertical gusts. Loads during the dive increased to 5.76 G. These loads exceeded the design stress limits, causing part of the right wing to separate.
