FlightGlobal
• David Kaminski-Morrow
A TRACEP-Congo Aviation Let L-410UVP crashed near Kenge in western Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sept. 25 while flying from Kikwit to Kinshasa. Authorities report no survivors; accounts differ on the number killed, while the victims included a senior Congolese military official.
Accident
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A TRACEP-Congo Aviation Let L-410UVP crashed near Kenge in western Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sept. 25 while flying from Kikwit to Kinshasa. Authorities report no survivors; accounts differ on the number killed, while the victims included a senior Congolese military official.
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Seven flight attendants reportedly fell ill after a mysterious cabin odor on a Los Angeles–Honolulu flight attributed in the coverage to Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. Separately, an ANA Boeing 737-800 returned to Okinawa after an engine shutdown at FL220; three passengers sustained minor injuries during the slide evacuation.
A U.S. Air Force investigation found that misaligned variable vanes disrupted airflow through the engine, leading to compressor blade fracture and an unrecoverable loss of thrust during a Thunderbirds training flight near Trona, California. The pilot ejected safely, but the F-16CM was destroyed.
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The FAA will again require two pilots for certain older Cessna Citation models after a review found widespread training and operational noncompliance, along with safety concerns and accident involvement. Industry groups NBAA and the Citation Jet Pilots Owner Pilot Association questioned the sudden change.
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An Air New Zealand ATR 72-600 evacuation at Wellington took nearly three minutes after an engine fire on final approach—almost twice the benchmark—because passengers initially failed to perceive the threat and about half retrieved carry-on baggage. Investigators are examining the factors behind the delayed response.
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An AAIB report says a Ryanair Boeing 737-800 conducted three windshear escape maneuvers and was repeatedly diverted during Storm Amy before landing at Manchester with 363 kilograms of fuel. The investigation also identified a breakdown in air traffic control communications that left the aircraft circling during the serious incident.
The NTSB determined that pilot incapacitation caused the fatal crash of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter in California on Dec. 16, 2024. The 53-year-old pilot was the only person aboard the helicopter at the time of the accident.
The NTSB found the pilot and an air traffic controller contributed to the 2024 Houston tour helicopter crash that killed all four people aboard. The Robinson R44 struck a radio tower, highlighting the safety risks of obstacle clearance and coordination during helicopter sightseeing operations.
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