Flight RouteXplorer

Months after the fatal plane crash in Louisville, new lawsuits have been filed against UPS and several other defendants, including the estate of one of the pilots of the plane.

Fifteen people died when an MD-11 cargo plane crashed south of Louisville SDF on Nov. 4, 2025.

Dozens more were injured near the crash site, including six people listed in one of three new lawsuits filed Wednesday.

According to their lawsuit, which also includes the father of one of the victim’s children, the plaintiffs all suffered serious physical or psychological injuries due to the crash.

It also resulted in some of them temporarily or permanently losing work at impacted businesses, attorneys argued.

Hook and Book Towing & Recovery and Captain’s Hook Towing & Recovery filed the other two lawsuits separately. Both businesses worked with Grade A Recycling, the business the plane hit.

The lawsuits added that both companies lost property and experienced a significant interruption in business due to loss of access to businesses in the crash site.

All three lawsuits accuse UPS, Boeing, GE and VT San Antonio Aerospace of negligently allowing the cargo plane to be flown in an unsafe and unairworthy condition.

The lawsuits also name Maria Wartenberg as a defendant. She manages the estate of her late husband, Richard Wartenberg, who was one of the pilots killed in the crash.

Attorneys argued Richard Wartenberg was the “final authority” before takeoff and was “directly responsible for determining whether [the plane] was in a condition for safe flight.”

In its preliminary report, the NTSB said the plane's left engine detached during takeoff, finding evidence of “fatigue cracks” and “areas of overstress failure” in crucial components of the wing's engine mount.

The report also said a repeating warning bell was heard inside the cockpit roughly 30 seconds before the fatal crash.

“As a pilot in control of [the plane, he] failed to act appropriately when presented with this alarm bell and failed to prevent the crash," the lawsuit continued.

The new lawsuits are seeking a jury trial and an unspecified amount of monetary damages.

In a statement provided to ABC News, UPS said it was deeply saddened by Flight 2976.

"Our focus continues to be on supporting those affected and working closely with the National Transportation Safety Board as the investigation continues,” the statement reads.

Several other lawsuits have been filed against UPS, GE, and Boeing in the months after the crash as well.

The NTSB's investigation into the fatal crash remains ongoing.

Source: whas11, AOL

#LouisvilleCrash #UPSFlightCrash #MD11Crash #LouisvillePlaneCrash #SDFAirport #CargoPlaneCrash #AviationLawsuit #BoeingMD11 #KentuckyNews #AviationSafety

19 minutes ago | [YT] | 2

Flight RouteXplorer

JetBlue is stepping in to assist travelers affected by Spirit Airlines’ shutdown, offering discounted fares and expanding service in key markets.

The move follows Spirit’s sudden shutdown over the weekend, which halted thousands of flights and left passengers scrambling to rebook.

JetBlue will provide $99 one-way "rescue fares" for stranded Spirit customers with proof of a valid itinerary on the same route, with travel available through May 6, the company said in a press release.

The airline will also cap certain fares at $299 on nonstop routes previously operated by Spirit from Fort Lauderdale and San Juan, aiming to prevent last-minute price spikes.

"This is really tough news for the thousands of Spirit team members affected, as well as the customers who were planning trips on Spirit," JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said in a statement. "We want to help fill the void created by this loss."

JetBlue, which has major operations in Fort Lauderdale and San Juan, said it is positioned to absorb some of the displaced demand.

The company is adding service to 11 destinations and increasing flights on existing routes, including new service to cities such as Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit and Houston, along with Barranquilla and Cali, Colombia.

As part of the expansion, JetBlue is also returning to Charlotte Douglas International Airport for the first time since 2024, reintroducing service to a market it previously exited due to lower demand.

The expansion will bring JetBlue’s Fort Lauderdale schedule to nearly 130 daily departures this summer, its largest operation at the airport to date.

"South Florida is a key market for JetBlue, and we recognize this is a challenging moment for many travelers," said Geraghty in the statement. "Our focus is on stepping up in the near term by adding service, maintaining connectivity and keeping fares competitive, so customers can continue to travel with confidence."

JetBlue said it will continue to adjust capacity based on demand.

The airline is also offering support to Spirit employees, extending travel privileges for pilots and flight attendants trying to return home and offering interview opportunities for open roles.

Travel experts are warning that the loss of Spirit Airlines could have ripple effects across airfare pricing nationwide, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Lee Abbamonte, a New York-based travel expert, said Spirit "almost singlehandedly kept pricing competitive in many markets," adding that its absence could reduce pressure on other carriers to keep fares low.

"Without Spirit, there’s no reason for airfare to ever come down," Abbamonte told Fox News Digital, noting the shift could mean fewer options and higher baseline prices for budget travelers.

Source: foxnews

#JetBlue #SpiritAirlines #SpiritShutdown #JetBlueRescueFares #FortLauderdaleFlights #SanJuanFlights #AirlineNews #TravelDisruption #CheapFlights #AviationNews

2 hours ago | [YT] | 9

Flight RouteXplorer

An 82-year-old Florida man was attacked without warning by a stranger aboard a commercial flight from Palm Beach to Charlotte, North Carolina, resulting in severe head and brain injuries, according to a federal lawsuit reviewed by The Independent.

From the moment she boarded American Airlines flight 2485, Allisen Elizabeth Werner, 37, “began exhibiting erratic and emotionally unbalanced behavior such as loud singing and bellowing to herself,” plaintiff Walter Loughney’s complaint states.

It says Loughney, 82, became “concerned” when Werner sat down next to him, but the cabin crew allegedly told him there were no other seats available.

Loughney’s “well-founded fears were realized later in the flight,” when Werner’s conduct took a dark turn, the complaint contends. Suddenly, Werner turned to Loughney, “struck him with punches, and severely beat him, which resulted in serious injury to [Loughney], including injuries to his head and brain,” according to the complaint.

“While Werner beat [Loughney], an American flight attendant stood within arm’s reach,” the complaint alleges. “Said flight attendant watched the assault and battery and did not take action to otherwise defuse or intervene in Werner’s vicious attack.”

Aside from his physical injuries, Loughney is now afraid to fly, according to the complaint. For her part, Werner was arrested upon landing and was subsequently indicted on two federal assault counts, which remain pending.

American Airlines did not respond on Wednesday to a request for comment. Werner, who is not named as a defendant in Loughney’s suit, was unable to be reached.

On the morning of May 16, 2024, Loughney, a Palm Beach Gardens resident, boarded an American flight at Palm Beach International Airport, with service to Charlotte Douglas International, according to his complaint, which was filed May 5 in West Palm Beach federal court.

He took his seat in 18D, the complaint continues. Soon after, it says Werner, of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, got on the plane and sat down next to Loughney, in seat 18E.

Loughney immediately registered concerns about his seatmate, who by this point had started “singing and bellowing,” the complaint goes on. Before takeoff, Loughney asked “multiple times” if he, or perhaps Werner, could be moved to a different location in the cabin.

The cabin crew “knew or should have known” that Werner could be trouble, and should have done something proactively, according to the complaint.

“However, American employees and flight crew were dismissive of his requests, told him no open seats were available, and did not move him or Werner, which resulted in Werner remaining seated next to the Plaintiff,” the complaint states.

While the plane was in the air, the complaint says Werner – without warning – “severely beat” Loughney, punching him again and again and leaving him with lasting injuries, including to his brain.

Once the plane landed in Charlotte, Werner was removed by police.

On February 20, 2025, a federal grand jury in North Carolina handed down a two-count indictment against Werner. She was formally charged on March 3, but never showed up for her court date that November and was declared a fugitive, according to court records.

Several months earlier, in August 2024, Werner was arrested for allegedly assaulting a fellow attendee at the annual Burning Man music and arts festival. Werner reportedly struck the victim in the face with a nitrous oxide canister, after which she was accused of kicking and punching the police officers who responded to the scene, according to an arrest report.

Loughney’s complaint blames Werner’s attack on American, and calls him “a victim of a full systematic breakdown” by the carrier, which “failed to take adequate measures to ensure Plaintiff’s safety and protect him from assault while onboard its aircraft.”

“Long before Plaintiff’s assault, the issue of air rage and in-flight assaults were well-known concerns within the airline industry, particularly for Defendant American,” his complaint maintains.

Experts say the lack of personal space aboard commercial aircraft, combined with noise, hunger, and “bad smells” can combine to create “a perfect storm of triggered people” that generates outbursts not unlike road rage. Many airlines now train cabin crews to identify “subtle behavioral cues” by passengers that may indicate trouble, allowing them “the opportunity to act before situations spiral,” according to research by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Still, flare-ups in the air occur regularly, with the Federal Aviation Administration fielding 544 reports of unruly passengers so far in 2026 – an alarming figure to be sure, but a significant drop from an all-time high in 2021 of 5,973 such cases.

Last year, an allegedly intoxicated passenger aboard a Southwest Airlines flight from New York to Kansas City attacked a woman who had gotten the seat she wanted, resulting in criminal charges as well as a lawsuit.

In one notable incident, a Horizon Air passenger made headlines after punching her husband and son mid-flight, then stealing someone else’s cookies during a flight from Austin, Texas to San Francisco, California.

In 2021, an American Airlines passenger was accused of verbally abusing flight attendants, and hitting one of them, because her seat did not recline.

Another American passenger was removed from a flight between São Paulo and New York after threatening to kick a flight attendant “in the balls,” after which she allegedly tried to storm the cockpit.

Loughney’s complaint says American “owed a heightened duty of care to ensure the safety and well-being of its passengers,” and that that the airline breached its responsibilities by not taking “meaningful steps” to prevent the assault.

The run-in with Werner caused Loughney “mental anguish and emotional distress, feelings of violation, and ongoing anxiety regarding air travel,” according to the complaint.

It claims he additionally suffered “severe bodily injury resulting in pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, aggravation of a pre-existing condition, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, expense of hospitalization, medical and nursing care and treatment, lost wages, loss of ability to earn money in the future and other economic damages.”

Loughney is now seeking a money judgment against American, which now has roughly three weeks to file a formal response to the lawsuit.

Source: AOL, The Independent

#AmericanAirlines #Flight2485 #FloridaMan #CharlotteNC #InFlightAttack #AviationNews #PassengerAssault #AirlineIncident #FlightSafety #BreakingNews

4 hours ago | [YT] | 4

Flight RouteXplorer

A tense mid-flight medical emergency forced a Swiss International Air Lines Airbus A350-900 to divert to Almaty, Kazakhstan, on May 6, 2026, after the first officer became incapacitated during the long-haul flight from Seoul to Zurich.

Swiss flight LX123, operated by Airbus A350-900 HB-IFB, was cruising at 38,000 feet around 300 nautical miles north-northwest of Almaty when the captain made the decision to divert. According to the airline, three doctors traveling onboard immediately assisted the incapacitated first officer and recommended an urgent diversion.

The aircraft landed safely on runway 05R in Almaty about an hour later with 227 passengers and 14 crew members on board. The first officer was transported to a local hospital for further medical treatment.

Interestingly, the flight had two additional pilots onboard, but aviation regulations prevented the flight from continuing without a properly assigned replacement pilot. Swiss confirmed that another pilot would need to be flown to Kazakhstan before the journey to Zurich could resume. After mandatory crew rest requirements, the flight is expected to continue on May 8, 2026.

#SwissAirlines #LX123 #AirbusA350 #A350900 #Almaty #Kazakhstan #AviationNews #PilotIncapacitation #EmergencyDiversion #FlightSafety

7 hours ago | [YT] | 18

Flight RouteXplorer

The World Health Organization (WHO) is looking for the passengers on the flight on which the Dutch woman who died of hantavirus traveled for contact tracing purposes.

The woman left the cruise ship Hondius on the island of Saint Helena after she had fallen ill. She traveled by plane from the island to South Africa. During the flight, her condition deteriorated, the WHO told news agency AFP. She died upon arrival at a hospital in Johannesburg, where she tested positive for hantavirus. Her husband had already died of the virus earlier on the ship.

There were 82 passengers and six crew members on board the flight on April 25. South African authorities have asked airline Airlink to inform passengers that they must contact their health service.

The WHO believes that the hantavirus spread between people on board the cruise ship.

Saint Helena reports that contact tracing is also underway on the island, because sick passengers from the cruise ship came ashore there and may have had contact with the local population. “A small number of people” are advised to “self-isolate as a precaution.”

The administration of the British overseas territory emphasizes that the virus has not been detected on the island and there is no cause for major concern. Over 4,000 people live on the island.

Spain will receive the Dutch cruise ship in the Canary Islands “in accordance with international law and for humanitarian reasons,” the country’s Ministry of Health wrote on X. The Honduis is currently still anchored off Cape Verde. The ship will take three to four days to arrive at the Canary Islands.

Once the ship arrives in the island group, all passengers and crew members will undergo medical examinations. They will then be transferred to their home countries.

Source: nltimes

#Hantavirus #WHO #Airlink #CruiseShip #SaintHelena #SouthAfrica #Johannesburg #ContactTracing #PublicHealth #BreakingNews

19 hours ago | [YT] | 24

Flight RouteXplorer

A major accident was averted at Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport on Tuesday after a power bank allegedly caught fire inside an IndiGo flight that had arrived from Hyderabad, triggering panic among passengers. Six people were injured and taken to hospital.

According to airport officials, IndiGo flight 6E 108 from Hyderabad landed at Chandigarh airport at 3.29 pm.

After the aircraft was parked at the apron for passengers to disembark, a power bank kept inside a passenger's bag reportedly caught fire, causing smoke to fill the cabin and leading to chaos onboard.

Ajay Verma, CEO of Chandigarh International Airport, said, "After the flight landed and was parked in the apron area, a power bank blast occurred. There was no loss of life or property. A couple of injured passengers have been admitted to hospital, and all other passengers are safe."

Passenger Vikas Kapoor, who was seated on 39C, said the incident occurred next to his seat. "The power bank caught fire after the aircraft landed. The crew used a fire extinguisher and managed to control it initially. As it appeared to be burning internally, they tried placing it in a water container, but it reignited, filling the cabin with thick smoke.

The flight was full and all exits were opened for evacuation. Had this happened mid-air, it would have been far more serious," he said.

Kapoor said several elderly passengers were rushed to hospital. He also alleged lapses in the airline's response to complaints. "We were given a blank paper instead of a formal complaint form and were told that we would receive an acknowledgement with a seal and stamp, but nothing was provided. After around 45 minutes, we were asked to send an email instead," he said.

Another passenger, Divya Chauhan, seated in the third row, said passengers were initially told to remain seated after landing. "Shortly afterwards, we were asked to evacuate immediately and leave all belongings behind. At the airport, staff evaded responsibility when we pointed out that the device should have been checked or handled earlier," she said.

As panic spread, passengers were evacuated using emergency slides. Six passengers were injured during the evacuation. Among them was Dr Richa Acharya of the Punjab health department, who sustained a fracture in her right leg and underwent surgery. The other injured passengers were discharged after receiving first aid.

Passengers said dense smoke quickly filled the cabin, reducing visibility and causing panic. Flight attendants used onboard firefighting equipment to contain the fire before the situation escalated

Dr Acharya's husband, Saurav, alleged that adequate safety measures were not in place after the emergency slide was deployed. He claimed no cushioning or protective arrangements were placed beneath the slide, which could have reduced injuries. He also said their daughter sustained a knee injury and is recovering. He alleged that medical assistance was delayed, prompting passengers to protest at the airport before ambulances were arranged.

Officials said around 199 passengers were onboard. Authorities noted that the incident could have had far more serious consequences had it occurred mid-air. Police and airport authorities have launched an investigation.

In a statement, IndiGo said passenger safety remained its top priority and confirmed that the aircraft was evacuated immediately after the incident. The airline said all relevant authorities were informed and its ground team assisted passengers at the terminal.

#IndiGo #ChandigarhAirport #HyderabadFlight #PowerBankFire #FlightEmergency #CabinSmoke #EmergencyEvacuation #AviationSafety #AirportIncident #IndiGo6E108

1 day ago | [YT] | 12

Flight RouteXplorer

An 8-year-old boy is being hailed as a hero after helping to calm a disruptive passenger down and preventing a plane from being diverted mid-flight.

On Friday, May 1, Phoenix was returning home to Salford, England from Turkey when a woman began shouting during a Jet2 flight, according to the BBC, Manchester Evening News and the Metro.

While the plane was set to take off at around 8:00 p.m. local time, it was delayed for an hour after waiting for several passengers to board, per Metro.

Then, 30 minutes after takeoff, the woman "was caught drinking her own alcohol," with a witness telling Metro that “she then just erupted, calling them names, being violent towards them.”

Phoenix's father, James Rose, then requested to help, resulting in her sitting in between himself and his son. After his dad engaged in a conversation with the woman, Phoenix took matters into his own hands by singing to the woman and showing her his football cards, per the BBC.

"The way he handled the situation, he calmed her down," Rose told the Manchester Evening News. "He was absolutely fantastic, he took over. He was saying to her, 'Don't shout, don't swear... what do your kids do?' Every time she tried to go off he would tap her and say, 'Come on, talk to me'. It was just magnificent to see."

“I'm not the hero… it was me lad," Rose added.

Thanks to Phoenix's actions, the woman calmed down for the rest of the flight, resulting in him and his father receiving a special thanks and a handshake from the pilot who didn't have to divert the plane, the BBC reported.

While Jet2 revealed they would be gifting the father and son with goodies and free flights, Phoenix also received an abundance of presents from people all over the world, per the BBC.

Strangers across the U.K., Germany and the Netherlands have been showering the child with gifts, according to the outlet. "It's been magnificent," Rose told the BBC despite being unaware of how the donors found their address. "The deliveries started rocking up at the house with thank you cards and even a PlayStation 5."

Rose said that the gifts made it feel like Christmas Day for his son, adding that he "can't thank everybody enough.”

In a statement to PEOPLE, a Jet2 spokesperson said, “The vast majority of customers have a brilliant experience when they fly with us, however our highly-trained crew are always there to look after everyone, as well as provide our friendly in-flight service."

"We have heard about how James and Phoenix reassured a fellow customer and we would like to congratulate and thank them for their kindness and care. We are arranging for a goodie pack to be sent to them, alongside a voucher for a pair of free flights, in recognition of what they did," they added.

Source: People, BBC, AOL

#HeroKid #InFlightHero #AviationNews #FlightSafety #KindnessMatters #YoungHero #PassengerStory #TravelNews #Jet2Flight #MidAirIncident

1 day ago | [YT] | 24

Flight RouteXplorer

Pilots dislike using it. Drivers post videos on social media showing how low jetliners roar over the New Jersey Turnpike when flights use Newark Liberty Airport’s oldest and shortest runway.

United Airlines flight 169 from Venice was landing on Runway 29 on Sunday around 2 p.m. when it clipped a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike, and the landing gear, dislodged from the aircraft, hit a truck.

None of the 221 passengers and 10 crew members on board the flight were injured, but the driver of a southbound tractor-trailer sustained minor injuries when a tire from the aircraft came through the windshield.

Attorney Kevin Mahoney of Kreindler & Kreindler, a major aviation law firm, said everyone on the plane was very fortunate.

“It could have been a lot worse than it was,” he said.

The FAA is in charge of which runways are used and when. Use of runway 29 will continue, the agency said.

“The FAA evaluates flight patterns and airspace management and determined that due to the precise location of the Newark Airport Runway 29 landing threshold and its proximity to the New Jersey Turnpike, a direct approach over the Turnpike is required for safe landings,” an FAA spokesperson said.

The airport’s two main runways, 4L and 4R, were designed and built to move air traffic away from Elizabeth and Newark.

Runway 29 was one of several runways constructed during World War II, when the U.S. Army took over the airport for military use.

Other runways that were constructed during the war were eventually closed to keep air traffic away from the Elizabeth and Newark neighborhoods after three planes crashed in an almost two-month period between 1951 and 1952.

On Dec. 16, 1951, a plane crashed into a warehouse in Elizabeth, killing all 56 people aboard. On Jan. 22, 1952, a flight from Syracuse crashed into a row of homes on Williamson Street at 3:45 p.m., killing all 23 aboard.

On Feb. 11, 1952, a National Airlines DC-6 to Miami crashed into a four-story apartment building on Salem Avenue after take-off, killing 29 people, including four on the ground.

Flights using Runway 6 had to fly directly over “the business center of Elizabeth” 400 feet away from the county courthouse.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which leased the airport from the city starting in 1948, voluntarily shut it down ahead of demands from Elizabeth residents that a congressional subcommittee close the airport.

The airport remained closed until November 1952 while a congressional subcommittee examined airport safety. Recommendations led to the construction of runways 4L and 4R and the eventual closing of all the older runways except runway 29.

That runway was later lengthened by the Port Authority, but it is still shorter than the two main runways.

The use of runways depends on wind conditions and is decided by airport air traffic controllers, experts said.

“Runway 29 goes mostly east to west. The use of 29 may have been due to wind or capacity limitations on that day,” said Professor Sheldon H. Jacobson, an aviation safety expert at the University of Illinois

The National Weather Service reported wind speeds of 29 mph and gusts of 41 mph for Newark on Sunday, May 3.

Flights using Runway 29 typically approach from the north, flying over the New Jersey Turnpike Newark Bay extension, which runs east–west, and then turning right to fly over the Turnpike’s main north-south highway to land.

An airline pilot who regularly flies into Newark Liberty and who asked not to be identified because of the nature of his job said he has flown approaches to Runway 29 on numerous occasions.

“On Sunday, it was very gusty, which makes this approach and landing particularly challenging for the pilot flying,” he said. “We do come in quite low over the Turnpike, but not lower than would be expected, based on the distance from the runway touchdown zone.

“Personally, I have never thought I would be at risk of striking a vehicle or light pole any of the times I have flown this approach.”

But he noted that Newark shifts to that runway when the winds are strong from that direction.

Runway 29 at Newark Liberty requires a very tight approach. It can be used for arrivals and departures, but the east-west runway is not commonly used.

According to the FAA, some jets cannot land or take off from the shorter runway.

Some pilots don’t like using it because when an aircraft comes from the east, they must turn into the final approach over the Newark Bay Bridge.

Arrivals from the west can interrupt the final approaches by aircraft to Teterboro and Morristown airports.

“When the wind is gusting from the west, they will often land on 29,” said Mahoney. “It is a far more dramatic approach. You are quite low over the water and then turn west over the runway.”

It’s more hazardous approach because pilots must accomplish more in less time and with less room, he said.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine that the United flight was too low,” Mahoney said.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which sent an investigator to Newark on Monday, will need to determine whether the crew made an error or was distracted, he said.

Among the issues it will examine is whether the pilots made miscalculations based on the wind, on the plane’s weight, or on where they needed to be, he said.

But such occurrences are rare, Jacobson said.

The NTSB deemed it an accident due to the extent of damage to the aircraft. An investigation underscored the seriousness of the incident, Mahoney said.

On Monday, investigators interviewed crew members who had been removed from service by United on Sunday.

The probe will examine multiple factors, including flight operations, meteorological conditions, human and aircraft performance, crew resource management and air traffic control.

Mahoney said the board will likely look at whether there is a need to reduce obstacles, such as the light pole that was hit, or to implement new landing requirements.

The light posts are shorter on the New Jersey Turnpike near the airport under an FAA requirement, said Tom Feeney, a Turnpike Authority spokesperson.

Highways in close proximity to airports aren’t unusual. Flights landing on LaGuardia Airport Runway 4 fly over the Grand Central Expressway, which also has shortened light posts and runway directional lighting along the sides of the highway.

“Airports often cover a large footprint of land. Invariably, there are highways around the airport and in the line of takeoff and landing,” Jacobson said.

Source: nj

#NewarkAirport #UnitedAirlines #Flight169 #Runway29 #AviationIncident #NJTurnpike #AircraftSafety #FAA #AirlineNews #AviationUpdates

1 day ago | [YT] | 18

Flight RouteXplorer

The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report of the April 8 plane crash at Marana Regional Airport that killed Chris Sheafe, a longtime member of the Rio Nuevo Board in Tucson, and his wife, Jacque Sheafe.

The couple died when their single-engine Piper PA-32R-301T crashed while attempting to land at the airport northwest of Tucson at around 5:10 p.m.

The Sheafes were returning from a cross-country flight they had made several days before the incident and departed from Springerville, Arizona, at around 3:50 p.m. after refueling, the report said. As it approached one of the airport's runways, the plane likely touched down before taking off as Chris Sheafe aborted the landing with 1,975 feet of runway remaining, according to the report.

The plane then performed a "go-around" to attempt the landing. The plane touched down on the runway a second time with only 1,500 feet of runway remaining and "bounced back airborne several times" as it gradually slowed down before going off the runway and bursting into flames, the report said.

The pilot of another aircraft reported seeing smoke and flames from the aircraft in an air traffic control recording.

"Hope they're OK," the pilot says. "Hope they were able to get out before the fire."

The report did not identify what caused the crash.

Chris Sheafe's son, Adam Sheafe, is accused of murdering and mutilating the body of New River pastor William Schonemann, who was known locally as “Pastor Bill,” in April 2025. He pleaded guilty to all charges — including first-degree murder — and initially had no objection to receiving the death penalty if it meant providing closure to the surviving victims sooner.

But after learning of his father and stepmother's deaths, Adam Sheafe asked prosecutors to consider taking the death penalty off the table and have him be sentenced to natural life in prison instead.

Prosecutors said they would consider the request but needed more time to do so during an April 24 hearing. After Sheafe said he was OK with continuing the case, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Patricia Starr rescheduled the hearing to June 5 to discuss the matter further.

Source: NTSB, tucson, kgun9

#MaranaPlaneCrash #NTSBReport #PiperPA32 #AviationAccident #RunwayOverrun #GeneralAviation #PlaneCrashInvestigation #AviationSafety #ArizonaNews #FatalCrash

1 day ago | [YT] | 12

Flight RouteXplorer

A Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, which acts as a flying gas Station for US military planes, issued a "7700" distress signal, declaring an in-flight emergency while flying over the Persian Gulf off Iran amid escalating Middle East tensions, the Flightradar24 data showed. The American aerial took off from the Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before it's signals were lost over Qatar.

The aircraft had reportedly been operating over the Middle East in support of ongoing military operations.

The flight tracking data show the plane flew in a circular pattern in the air for a while, before it begun its descent for landing. The exact cause of the emergency remains unclear, and there has been no official confirmation linking the incident to hostile action.

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported on the disappearance, citing data from Flightradar24. There has been no statement from Iran indicating its involvement in the US military plane's emergency.

US military has also not issued any statement on the status of the plane.

In March, the US military lost a KC-135 in an Iranian attack in western Iraq. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group said it shot down the aircraft "in defence of our country's sovereignty and airspace," Reuters reported.

The KC-135 Stratotanker is a military aircraft powered by four turbofan engines mounted under swept wings and used mainly for aerial refuelling. The aircraft has a cargo deck above the refuelling system, allowing it to carry both passengers and equipment, and is used to transfer fuel to other aircraft mid-air. It has been part of the US Air Force's operations for more than 60 years.

The aircraft allows fighter jets, bombers and other military planes to stay in the air longer and travel greater distances. It also supports aircraft from the US Navy, Marine Corps and allied countries.

The KC-135 is based on Boeing's 367-80 design, which also led to the development of the commercial Boeing 707 passenger aircraft. Hundreds of KC-135 aircraft remain in service with the US Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.

Apart from refuelling aircraft mid-air, KC-135 can also carry passengers and cargo, support aeromedical evacuation missions and transport injured or ill patients using specialised medical pallets.

During medical evacuation flights, a medical team consisting of flight nurses and technicians can be added to the crew. Depending on the configuration, it can transport around 37,600 kg of cargo or several dozen passengers.

Source: ndtv, Gulf news

#BoeingKC135 #Stratotanker #AerialRefueling #Flight7700 #InFlightEmergency #PersianGulf #MiddleEastTensions #Flightradar24 #AlDhafraAirBase #USMilitaryOperations

1 day ago | [YT] | 27