Here's what we have today...
Be safe out there!
Tom
--
Suspected bird strike forces SriLankan Airlines pilots to abort take-off
Newswire
A SriLankan Airlines flight from Colombo to London Heathrow has departed on a replacement aircraft after a suspected bird strike forced pilots to abandon take-off earlier today. 
SriLankan Airlines said flight UL503, scheduled to depart Bandaranaike International Airport at 12:55 p.m., experienced a suspected bird strike affecting one of its engines during take-off.
The pilots rejected the take-off as a precaution, and the aircraft was subsequently taxied back to the parking stand.
All passengers and crew disembarked safely, the airline confirmed.
Following the incident, SriLankan Airlines arranged a replacement aircraft and crew to operate the flight to London Heathrow, with departure initially scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
The replacement flight has since departed for London.
The airline apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers and stressed that safety remains its highest priority. (Newswire)
United Flight Declares Emergency Landing at SFO Over Mystery Cabin Odor
By Emily Johnson
A United Airlines flight from Seattle declared an emergency on approach to San Francisco International Airport Wednesday morning after an odor was detected in the cabin, though the plane landed without incident and every passenger walked off at the gate. All 88 passengers and five crew members aboard the Airbus A320 were safe, with officials declining to say what caused the smell.
United Flight 1372 left Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 9 a.m. During its flight to SFO, the crew declared an emergency due to an odor in the cabin, according to KRON4. The aircraft touched down at SFO just after 11 a.m. and taxied to the gate, where passengers deplaned normally. Officials did not elaborate on the source of the cabin odor, the station reported.
A Recurring Headache for Cabin Crews
Wednesday's scare is far from an isolated case at SFO. Another United aircraft, Flight 2664, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 bound for Baltimore, was forced to turn back to the airport after a plastic burning smell filled the cabin, according to NBC Bay Area. That flight, carrying 164 customers and eight crew members, landed safely back at SFO at about 10:40 a.m.
Odor-related disruptions have also hit other carriers in recent weeks. American Eagle Flight 5089 turned around roughly 15 minutes after leaving St. Louis for Philadelphia on Oct. 17 because of a reported odor, per USA Today. American Airlines said that aircraft landed safely back in St. Louis and was pulled from service for inspection, with passengers rebooked on other flights. In July, the outlet reported, an American flight from Rome to Philadelphia diverted to Dublin after a reported odor traced to an oven on board.
Why Fume Events Keep Making Headlines
These incidents are part of a much larger pattern across the industry. Smoke or fume events occur on airliners at a rate of more than three per day, according to a CBS News review of FAA incident reports, and Airbus aircraft accounted for about 61% of reported fume incidents in the most recent year reviewed, nearly three times Boeing's share. A Wall Street Journal investigation cited by CBS found the issue was most common on the Airbus A320 family of narrowbody jets, the same model involved in Wednesday's SFO emergency.
The FAA has said rare mechanical failures, including problems with an engine oil seal or recirculation fan bearings, can allow fumes to enter a cabin. Delta told CBS News that its effort to replace auxiliary power units on its A320 fleet was about 80% complete as of the Monday before the report. An occupational medicine specialist at the University of California San Francisco told the outlet he has treated more than 100 flight crew members for toxic exposure.
What Regulators Require
The Federal Aviation Administration does not have a formal definition for a fume event, but airlines are required to file Service Difficulty Reports whenever smoke, vapor or noxious odors enter the cockpit or passenger cabin, according to the FAA. The agency maintains that it has strict cabin-air standards and has stated that studies show cabin air is as good as or better than the air found in offices and homes, per the FAA's cabin air quality page. The agency also points to its Safety Alert for Operators 18003, which lays out procedures for addressing odors, smoke and fumes in flight, according to the FAA's cabin safety education materials.
For now, what triggered the odor aboard Flight 1372 remains unknown. The plane's safe arrival, with all 88 passengers off the aircraft at the gate, closes out the immediate scare even as the broader questions around cabin air quality persist industrywide.
Man, 2 Boys Killed in Plane Crash in Colorado Wilderness
The recovery took place in rugged, high-mountain terrain, with poor weather and winterlike conditions adding to the difficulty of reaching the site and recovering the victims.
By Rudy Blalock
A man and two boys from New Castle, Colorado, were killed when a small plane crashed in a remote mountainous area of Gunnison County, triggering a difficult recovery effort in severe weather.
The victims were identified as Mark Hendrickson, 46; Alan Hendrickson, 15; and Case Hendrickson, 13. All three occupants were found dead at the scene, according to statements released by the Gunnison County coroner and sheriff’s offices.
The single-engine plane crashed on Oct. 24 in the Storm Ridge area of the West Elk Wilderness. The coroner’s office described the location as a remote wilderness area near Swampy Pass.
The sheriff’s office said it received word of the crash about 9:10 a.m. The regional 911 center received a report about 9:20 a.m.
Emergency crews were sent and located the wreckage. The recovery took place in rugged, high-mountain terrain, with poor weather and winterlike conditions adding to the difficulty of reaching the site and recovering the victims.
In an initial Facebook notice posted at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 24, the sheriff’s office said it was aware of a small plane crash off Ohio Creek Road and that first responders were heading to the scene.
“Please do not call 9-1-1 for information,” the agency said in that notice. The agency also said further updates would be provided as information became available.
First responders, search-and-rescue personnel, volunteers, and Gunnison Valley residents worked together during the hours after the crash to recover the three victims from the mountainous area.
Among those assisting were Dan and Heidi of Tenderfoot Outfitters, who supplied animals and equipment to help responders reach the scene and support the recovery.
Castleton Ranch and its staff, Western State Search and Rescue, Crested Butte Search and Rescue, sheriff’s office personnel, the U.S. Forest Service, and the county coroner also contributed to the recovery.
The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation by the sheriff’s office, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Forest Service.
Gunnison County offered condolences to the family and said additional details about the investigation would come from the responsible investigating agencies as information became available.
In a separate crash earlier this month, five adults and a child were killed on Oct. 13 when a small plane went down in a wooded area in Dellona, Wisconsin. The Piper PA-46 was returning to Menomonie from Kenosha.
The pilot reported ice accumulating on the wings at 24,000 feet and received permission to descend before communications and tracking data were lost, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Investigators were examining whether weather contributed to the crash. The NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration were investigating.
https://www.ntd.com/man-2-boys-killed-in-plane-crash-in-colorado-wilderness_1182045.html
NTSB Prelim: Fairchild 24H
The Pilot Pushed The Left Rudder Pedal And The Left Pedal Felt Stuck
Location: Indianapolis, IN Accident Number: CEN26LA333
Date & Time: September 26, 2026, 14:30 UTC Registration: N16902
Aircraft: Fairchild 24H Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
On September 26, 2026, about 1430 central daylight time, a Fairchild 24H, N16902, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Indianapolis, Indiana. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
During the landing rollout shortly after the tailwheel settled to the ground, the pilot reported that the airplane drifted to the right. The pilot pushed the left rudder pedal and the left pedal felt stuck. The airplane departed the right side of the runway into the grass. It continued to the right hit a ditch and hill which resulted in the main landing gear collapse and substantial damage to the fuselage.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that a bent piece of metal, possibly a bellcrank travel stop, on the airplane’s structure was making contact with the rudder bellcrank near the rudder pedals. Wear marks were present in the bellcrank that indicated the issue had been occurring for some time. The movement and contact between the two parts made a clicking noise and repeated movement of the rudder pedals resulted in the rudder bellcrank sticking during movement.
Sometimes it would become lodged and require force to release the pedal.
The airplane was retained for further examination.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
8 Years ago today: On 29 October 2018 Lion Air flight 610, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Indonesia, killing all 189 on board.
| Date: | Monday 29 October 2018 |
| Time: | 06:30 |
| Type: | Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
| Owner/operator: | Lion Air |
| Registration: | PK-LQP |
| MSN: | 43000/7058 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2018 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 895 hours |
| Cycles: | 443 flights |
| Engine model: | CFMI LEAP-1B25 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 189 / Occupants: 189 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 15 km N off Tanjung Bungin - Indonesia |
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK/WIII) |
| Destination airport: | Pangkal Pinang Airport (PGK/WIKK) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSC |
| Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:
Lion Air flight 610, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Indonesia, killing all 189 on board.
The aircraft, registration PK-LQP, had entered service with Lion Air on August 18, 2018. The Aircraft Flight Maintenance Log (AFML) recorded that since October 26, 2018 until the occurrence date several problems occurred related to airspeed and altitude flags that appeared on the captain's (left) Primary Flight Display (PFD) on three occasions, SPEED TRIM FAIL light illumination and MACH TRIM FAIL light illumination that occurred twice.
Several attempts were made by engineers to rectify these issues. The day before the accident the Angle of Attack (AoA) sensor was replaced by engineers at Denpasar Airport.
The flight from Denpasar to Jakarta (JT43) was the flight prior to JT610. During rotation of flight JT43, the stick shaker activated and an IAS DISAGREE warning showed on the captain's PFD at 400 feet. The flight was handled by the copilot as it was determined that the captain's PFD was unreliable. The flight crew moved the STAB TRIM (stabilizer trim) switch to CUT OUT due to three automatic nosedown trim occurrences. The crew worked checklists and continued the flight to CGK.
Based on the crew's entry in the AFML, the engineer at Jakarta flushed the left Pitot Air Data Module (ADM) and static ADM to rectify the reported IAS and ALT disagree and cleaned the electrical connector plug of the elevator feel computer. The aircraft was subsequently released to carry out flight JT610.
During takeoff from Jakarta, the DFDR recorded a difference between left and right Angle of Attack of about 20° which continued until the end of the recording. During rotation of the aircraft, the left control column stick shaker activated and continued for most of the flight.
After the flaps were retracted, the FDR recorded automatic aircraft nose down (AND) trim for 10 seconds followed by flight crew commanded aircraft nose up (ANU) trim. Automatic AND trim briefly stopped when the flaps were temporarily extended to 5.
In their communications with air traffic control, the flight crew asked the controller to confirm the altitude of the aircraft and later also asked the speed as shown on the controller radar display. The copilot reported experiencing a "flight control problem" and that they were flying the aircraft manually.
Last radio contact was at 06:31 local time when the captain requested the arrival controller to block altitude 3,000 feet above and below for traffic avoidance. The controller asked what altitude the pilot wanted, to which the captain responded "five thou". The controller approved the pilot request. The FDR stopped recording within twenty seconds of the pilot's response.
The aircraft impacted the sea some 15 km north off Tanjung Bungin. All 189 persons on board died in the accident.
Search and rescue personnel recovered the flight data recorder (FDR) and other debris on November 1, at 30-35 m below the water surface.
In the initial stages of the investigation, it was found that there is a potential for repeated automatic nose-down trim commands of the horizontal stabilizer when the flight control system on a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft receives an erroneously high single AOA sensor input. Such a specific condition could among others potentially result in the stick shaker activating on the affected side and IAS, ALT and/or AOA DISAGREE alerts.
The logic behind the automatic nosedown trim lies in the aircraft's MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) that was introduced by Boeing on the MAX series aircraft. This feature was added to prevent the aircraft from entering a stall under specific conditions.
On November 6, 2018, Boeing issued an Operations Manual Bulletin (OMB) directing operators to existing flight crew procedures to address circumstances where there is erroneous input from an AOA sensor.
On November 7, the FAA issued an emergency Airworthiness Directive requiring "revising certificate limitations and operating procedures of the airplane flight manual (AFM) to provide the flight crew with runaway horizontal stabilizer trim procedures to follow under certain conditions."
Contributing Factors:
1. During the design and certification of the Boeing 737-8 (MAX), assumptions were made about flight crew response to malfunctions which, even though consistent with current industry guidelines, turned out to be incorrect.
2. Based on the incorrect assumptions about flight crew response and an incomplete review of associated multiple flight deck effects, MCASs reliance on a single sensor was deemed appropriate and met all certification requirements.
3. MCAS was designed to rely on a single AOA sensor, making it vulnerable to erroneous input from that sensor.
4. The absence of guidance on MCAS or more detailed use of trim in the flight manuals and in flight crew training, made it more difficult for flight crews to properly respond to uncommanded MCAS.
5. The AOA DISAGREE alert was not correctly enabled during Boeing 737-8 (MAX) development. As a result, it did not appear during flight with the mis-calibrated AOA sensor, could not be documented by the flight crew and was therefore not available to help maintenance identify the mis-calibrated AOA sensor.
6. The replacement AOA sensor that was installed on the accident aircraft had been mis-calibrated during an earlier repair. This mis-calibration was not detected during the repair.
7. The investigation could not determine that the installation test of the AOA sensor was performed properly. The mis-calibration was not detected.
8. Lack of documentation in the aircraft flight and maintenance log about the continuous stick shaker and use of the Runaway Stabilizer NNC meant that information was not available to the maintenance crew in Jakarta nor was it available to the accident crew, making it more difficult for each to take the appropriate actions.
9. The multiple alerts, repetitive MCAS activations, and distractions related to numerous ATC communications were not able to be effectively managed. This was caused by the difficulty of the situation and performance in manual handling, NNC execution, and flight crew communication, leading to ineffective CRM application and workload management. These performances had previously been identified during training and reappeared during the accident flight.
METAR:
23:00 UTC / 06:00 local time:
WIII 282300Z VRB02KT 8000 BKN022 26/25 Q1009 NOSIG
23:30 UTC / 06:30 local time:
WIII 282330Z 16003KT 8000 SCT020 27/25 Q1010 NOSIG
