AeroTime
• Clement Charpentreau
Hungary launched two Saab JAS 39 Gripens on Aug. 29 after a 24-year-old man allegedly stole a Cessna 172 from Kalocsa-Foktő airfield and flew toward the Paks Nuclear Power Plant. The aircraft made a forced landing near Gerjen before the fighters reached it, according to police reports.
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Hungary launched two Saab JAS 39 Gripens on Aug. 29 after a 24-year-old man allegedly stole a Cessna 172 from Kalocsa-Foktő airfield and flew toward the Paks Nuclear Power Plant. The aircraft made a forced landing near Gerjen before the fighters reached it, according to police reports.
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A Piper PA-24 traveling from Anchorage to Seldovia crashed into shallow coastal waters near the remote Alaska town, killing the pilot and three passengers. Authorities said the aircraft was completely submerged and recovered the victims after waiting for the tide to recede; it was Alaska’s second fatal aircraft crash in a week.
The FAA is directing operators of affected Lycoming engines to inspect piston pins and replace them where necessary after two engine failures. The action highlights a component-level safety concern with potential implications for general aviation operators, maintenance planning and fleet availability.
Swift Fuels says its 100R unleaded avgas is now approved or supported across 1,200 engines and 1,600 airframes, marking a broadening footprint for the transition away from leaded aviation gasoline in the general aviation fleet.
Nancy Kassebaum, the former U.S. senator who pushed through the General Aviation Revitalization Act, has died. The law reshaped product-liability exposure for general aviation manufacturers, making her a consequential figure in the sector’s regulatory and industrial history.
Brisbane-based aircraft developer Stralis will close weeks after completing its first hydrogen-electric taxi test using a Beech A36 Bonanza on July 29, 2026. The company said it could not close the gap between demonstrating the technology and achieving commercial readiness quickly enough to sustain the business.
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A Cessna pilot died when the aircraft collided near a runway with a hovering Pennsylvania State Police helicopter at Carlisle airport. Two troopers aboard the helicopter survived, while federal investigators recovered intact data cards from both aircraft to support the crash investigation.
Security and body-camera footage shows a Cessna 150 veering from the runway and colliding with a Pennsylvania State Police Bell 407 helicopter hovering in the infield at Carlisle Airport. The small-plane pilot was killed, while two state troopers aboard the helicopter were injured.
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