FlightGlobal
• Greg Waldron
Australia has introduced standardized height and operational rules for large firefighting aircraft following the 2023 Coulson 737 accident, in which the aircraft crashed into rising terrain after a downslope retardant drop. The update responds to the finding that no height restrictions were in place at the time of the accident.
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Australia has introduced standardized height and operational rules for large firefighting aircraft following the 2023 Coulson 737 accident, in which the aircraft crashed into rising terrain after a downslope retardant drop. The update responds to the finding that no height restrictions were in place at the time of the accident.
A B-52 radar modernization effort tied to aging, Eisenhower-era bombers suffered a fatal setback after a crash in California. The Air Force is now considering whether to delay retirement of the B-52 fleet, signaling uncertainty around the upgrade-to-service timeline.
Italian investigators found the wheel lock-up at touchdown was caused by premature braking during landing when the airplane’s anti-skid system was inoperative. The locked main-gear wheels triggered multiple tyre bursts on the Ryanair Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 at Bergamo following a delay tied to manual speedbrake deployment.
Spanish investigators say an Iberia Express Airbus A320 diversion to Tenerife required an emergency declaration after the aircraft was routed to a runway different from the one the crew expected. The probe emphasized that flight planning must accurately calculate diversion fuel requirements for the specific alternate airport configuration.
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A SWISS Airbus A330-300 operating Zurich–New York JFK (LX16) diverted to Bangor International Airport after smoke was reported filling the business-class cabin. The crew executed an emergency landing in Maine, prompting the airport runway reopening after the arrival event.
The U.S. Air Force says it remains on cost and schedule for B-52 modernization despite a June 15 crash of the first upgraded test bomber. Radar upgrade testing will resume using a second modified B-52, whose AN/APQ-188 AESA radar is being installed, with replacement-test-bomber work expected to be completed by end-2026 and late-2027 availability for the second platform.
A Nigerian preliminary report into a Challenger 601 landing on a road near Asaba Airport is turning contentious, with accounts reported as conflicting. The early findings underscore how quickly investigative narratives can diverge in off-airport landing events and the need to reconcile eyewitness and operational data.
Nigerian investigators are still working to clarify the circumstances behind a US-registered executive jet’s aborted approach to Asaba that ended in a road landing, described as a Challenger incident. Conflicting accounts and a lack of retrievable records are currently obscuring what happened during the approach.
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