ARFF Daily News
Published on:
Thursday the 8th of May, 2025
Italian Demo Team in Midair Collision, All Pilots Survive
Three aircraft collide during airshow performance, but all land under control.
Mark Phelps
During a May 6 airshow performance, a midair collision involving three Aermacchi MB-339 jet aircraft of the Italian air force Frecce Tricolori (“three-color arrow”) demonstration team ended with all aircraft landing under control, though one of the three veered off the runway due to suspected nosewheel damage. Of the three pilots involved, one was hospitalized for a reported leg fracture. No one on the ground was injured.
The collision occurred during the so-called “piercing the heart” maneuver, in which two sections of the 10-ship team separate during a formation vertical climb and form a heart shape with smoke and a single aircraft flies through the middle of the heart. The collision occurred as the section of four aircraft were beginning their descent. The three aircraft involved in the collision can be seen in online videos making contact and tumbling momentarily out of control. There was unconfirmed reported damage to some of the three aircraft’s tail sections and wings.
The performance was during the Pantellaria Airshow. Pantellaria is a small island located about midway between Sicily and the North African coast near Tunis. The Frecce Tricolori team has been in existence since the 1920s and has been flying the MB-339 since the early 1980s.
Pilot injured in Cessna crash near Ocala airport, FAA investigating
By FOX 35 Digital Staff
The Brief
- A single-engine Cessna crashed near Ocala International Airport; the pilot was hospitalized but is expected to survive.
- Authorities have not released the cause or the pilot’s identity as the FAA takes over the investigation.
- The crash has raised local concerns about safety near airports and emergency preparedness.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Authorities responded to a small plane crash near the Ocala International Airport on Wednesday night.
What we know:
Ocala officials responded to a plane crash involving a single-engine Cessna near the Ocala International Airport on SW 67th Avenue Road. The incident occurred in the right-of-way area off the road. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was trauma-alerted and taken for emergency medical care. Despite the severity of the crash, officials say he is expected to survive.
What we don't know:
Details surrounding the cause of the crash have not yet been released. It is unclear what led to the aircraft going down, whether there was a mechanical failure, pilot error, or other contributing factors. The pilot’s identity and the specific condition following hospitalization have not been disclosed.
What's next:
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken the lead on the investigation and will likely examine the aircraft, pilot communications, flight logs, and other data to determine the cause. More information is expected to be released as the investigation progresses.
https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/pilot-injured-cessna-crash-near-ocala-airport-faa-investigating
NTSB Final Report: Cessna 177B
Outboard Section Of The Right Wing And The Right Flap Separated In Flight And The Airplane Impacted A Farm Field
Location: Watkinsville, Georgia Accident Number: ERA23FA209
Date & Time: April 26, 2023, 14:25 Local Registration: N123DS
Aircraft: Cessna 177B Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
Analysis: The pilot was approaching his destination airport under instrument flight rules (IFR) and in instrument meteorological conditions. The air traffic controller issued a northeasterly heading for the pilot to intercept the final approach course. The controller then informed the pilot that he would be vectored through the final approach course to accommodate preceding traffic. The controller then instructed the pilot to turn right to a southwesterly heading. The controller observed the airplane descending and a low altitude alert activated. The controller instructed the pilot to maintain 3,000 ft. The pilot read back the altitude; this was the last transmission from the pilot. The controller then instructed the pilot to fly a westerly heading and no further responses were received from the pilot. Track data revealed that the airplane continued in a right, descending turn until radar contact was lost. The outboard section of the right wing and the right flap separated in flight and the airplane impacted a farm field.
Postaccident examination of the airframe, engine, and propeller did not reveal evidence of a pre-existing mechanical malfunction or anomaly that would have precluded normal operation. All fracture surfaces on the separated right wing section displayed fracture features that were consistent with overstress-induced separation. The weather conditions at the time, in addition to the successive heading changes given to the pilot, were conducive to the onset of spatial disorientation.
Although one of the pilot’s toxicology specimens tested positive for gabapentin, a disqualifying medication that can cause dizziness, drowsiness, blurred vision, and sedation, the pilot’s passenger (his spouse) was prescribed the medication and intermingling and contamination of the samples were possible; therefore, it is unlikely that the pilot had taken the medication.
Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The pilot’s spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of airplane control, which resulted in an in-flight overload separation of the right wing during the uncontrolled descent.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
28 Years ago today: On 8 May 1997 China Southern Airlines flight 3456, a Boeing 737-300, was destroyed in a landing accident at Shenzhen Airport, China. Thirty-five of the 74 occupants sustained fatal injuries.
Date: Thursday 8 May 1997
Time: 21:28
Type: Boeing 737-31B
Owner/operator: China Southern Airlines
Registration: B-2925
MSN: 27288/2577
Year of manufacture: 1994
Engine model: CFMI CFM56-3B1
Fatalities: Fatalities: 35 / Occupants: 74
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Destroyed, written off
Category: Accident
Location: Shenzhen Airport (SZX) - China
Phase: Landing
Nature: Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport: Chongqing-Jiangbei International Airport (CKG/ZUCK)
Destination airport: Shenzhen-Huangtian Airport (SZX/ZGSZ)
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
China Southern Airlines flight 3456, a Boeing 737-300, was destroyed in a landing accident at Shenzhen Airport, China. Thirty-five of the 74 occupants sustained fatal injuries.
During final approach, the aircraft encountered clouds. The pilot could not see the surface to accurately judge height. The aircraft touched down hard, first on the nose landing gear, then on the main gear and bounced three times. The pilot then executed a go-around. During the second landing, due to damage from the first landing, the crew could not control the attitude and the aircraft touched down at high speed and could not be brought to stop on the runway. It ran off the runway, broke up in three pieces and caught fire.
