FlightGlobal
• David Kaminski-Morrow
A TRACEP-Congo Aviation Let L-410 crashed near Kenge on Sept. 25 while operating from Kikwit to Kinshasa, with investigators reporting no survivors. Initial reports differ on the number killed, citing either 13 or 17 people; those aboard included a senior Congolese military official.
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A TRACEP-Congo Aviation Let L-410 crashed near Kenge on Sept. 25 while operating from Kikwit to Kinshasa, with investigators reporting no survivors. Initial reports differ on the number killed, citing either 13 or 17 people; those aboard included a senior Congolese military official.
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Seven flight attendants reportedly became ill after a mystery odor on a Los Angeles–Honolulu flight operated by Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines; the aircraft was returned to service and the cause was not disclosed. Separately, an ANA Boeing 737-800 returned to Okinawa after an engine shutdown, prompting a slide evacuation and three minor injuries.
A U.S. Air Force investigation found that misaligned variable vanes disrupted airflow through the engine of a Thunderbirds F-16CM, causing compressor-blade fracture and an unrecoverable loss of thrust during formation training near Trona, California. The pilot ejected safely before the aircraft was destroyed.
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The FAA will rescind exemptions that allowed single-pilot operations in certain older Cessna Citation models, citing widespread training and operational noncompliance and safety concerns. The decision returns affected aircraft, originally certified for two-pilot crews, to required two-pilot operations and has drawn objections from NBAA and Citation operators.
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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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