Latest news with #Cessna172S
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Yahoo
3 killed as small plane crashes into Nebraska river
Three people are dead following a small plane crash in Nebraska on Friday. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a Cessna 180 crashed into the Platte River in Fremont, Nebraska, at around 8.45 p.m. local time. Three people were on board the aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident. The victims have been identified by the Dodge County Sheriff's Office as 43-year-old Daniel Williams of Moundridge, Kansas, 50-year-old Jeff Bittinger, and 48-year-old Randy Amrein, both of Fremont, Nebraska. It's not clear what caused the crash. The Independent has contacted the Dodge County Sheriff's Office and the National Transportation Safety Board for comment. Small plane crashes are not common but the development is the latest in a series of crashes involving Cessna planes on the back of multiple high-profile aviation disasters this year. Earlier this month, a Cessna 210 crashed shortly after takeoff from Boca Raton Airport. In February, a Cessna 172S and a Lancair 360 MK II collided at Marana Regional Airport just northwest of Tucson. Two people were on board each of the aircraft. Data from the National Transportation Safety Board does not show an uptick in aviation accidents overall. So far, the data this year does not indicate a potential increase from the two prior years. The majority of documented plane crashes in 2025 have involved small private planes.
The Independent
19-04-2025
- The Independent
3 killed as small plane crashes into Nebraska river
Three people are dead following a small plane crash in Nebraska on Friday. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a Cessna 180 crashed into the Platte River in Fremont, Nebraska, at around 8.45 p.m. local time. Three people were on board the aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident. The victims have been identified by the Dodge County Sheriff's Office as 43-year-old Daniel Williams of Moundridge, Kansas, 50-year-old Jeff Bittinger, and 48-year-old Randy Amrein, both of Fremont, Nebraska. It's not clear what caused the crash. The Independent has contacted the Dodge County Sheriff's Office and the National Transportation Safety Board for comment. Small plane crashes are not common but the development is the latest in a series of crashes involving Cessna planes on the back of multiple high-profile aviation disasters this year. Earlier this month, a Cessna 210 crashed shortly after takeoff from Boca Raton Airport. In February, a Cessna 172S and a Lancair 360 MK II collided at Marana Regional Airport just northwest of Tucson. Two people were on board each of the aircraft. Data from the National Transportation Safety Board does not show an uptick in aviation accidents overall. So far, the data this year does not indicate a potential increase from the two prior years. The majority of documented plane crashes in 2025 have involved small private planes.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
Witness heard two pilots 'yelling at each other' before fatal Marana crash, report says
A witness heard two pilots "yelling at each other" over the radio before their airplanes collided over Marana Regional Airport, a new report on the fatal crash showed. "You cut me off," the witness recalled hearing one of the pilots say before one of the airplanes plunged into a ditch near a runway and caught fire, said a Marana police report on the incident released Wednesday to The Arizona Republic. However, the pilot in the second plane, which landed safely, told police she said nothing on the radio just before the collision. Two people died after the impact when one of the airplanes, a Lancair 360 MK II, hit the ground and caught fire. Michael Reinath, 70, the pilot, and 76-year-old Linda Gifford were later identified as the victims. An instructor from a Chandler flight school, Katherine Roos, and a student were in the second plane, a Cessna 172S, which landed safely, according to the report. The crash occurred on a morning in calm weather. Police who drove up to the wreckage at about 8:30 a.m. reported seeing a mangled and "fully engulfed" aircraft with several people near it attempting to use fire extinguishers. Roos told police she and her student had been practicing "stop-and-go" maneuvers in which they would land, come to a complete stop, then hit full throttle to immediately take off again. As they prepared to take off on one of the maneuvers, Roos told police, she heard the Lancair pilot on the radio say he would do a "go-route" and then noticed the airplane coming up behind the Cessna. She assumed it would veer off to one side, which would be the normal practice to ensure airplanes weren't in the same traffic pattern. A "go-around" is an evasive maneuver a pilot may take to abort a landing. Two other witnesses heard a male voice on the radio say he would "go around," so it's possible the officer transcribed Roos' comment incorrectly. Roos "attempted to radio the Lancair to see if the pilot had them in sight, but the radio traffic was busy, and she was not able to transmit and communicate with anyone," the report states. Roos declined comment and hung up when contacted by The Republic for more details on Wednesday. As the Lancair flew above them, the Cessna's propeller "clipped" the Lancair's tail, causing it to barrel roll into the ground. Roos estimated she was about 200 feet off the ground at the time. Joseph Paris, an employee of Tucson Aero Service, told police he was working near a runway when he saw the airplanes close together, one doing a "low fly-by" and the other preparing for takeoff. "They were chattering at each other, yelling at each other, about 'you cut me off,'" the police narrative states. Paris didn't immediately return a phone message on Wednesday. Two other witnesses who heard the radio traffic reported only that they heard a male voice say he would abort his landing and go around again, then a female voice screaming "Mayday!" One of those two witnesses, Erwin Castillo, a flight instructor who was in the air that morning, told The Republic in February that the Lancair pilot sounded "pretty upset," which he thought was odd. Five seconds later, he heard screaming over the radio followed by reports that a plane went down. Contacted again Wednesday, Castillo said he didn't recall any bickering or yelling: The woman said she would perform the stop-and-go, and then came the comment from the man. Castillo believes the problem could have been something like "air rage." "He's in a fast plane and he's trying to land," Castillo said. "Maybe he's trying to prove a point." The Marana airport has no control tower but plans to finish building one by 2029. At uncontrolled airports, pilots are expected to maintain a safe distance from other aircraft and announce their position regularly over the radio on a common frequency. Castillo told The Republic he believed the Cessna had the right of way. Under the law, the Lancair "had priority, if landing, but you're not supposed to force the person to get off the runway." The Cessna instructor's company, AeroGuard Flight Training Center in Deer Valley, referred The Republic to its public relations firm, which released the following statement: "AeroGuard is working closely with the NTSB, local authorities, and safety officials in the ongoing investigation regarding the tragic accident that occurred last month. We cannot provide any further information." The National Transportation Safety Board plans to release a preliminary report on the collision soon. Reach the reporter at rstern@ or 480-276-3237. Follow him on X @raystern. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Report: Witness heard pilot say 'you cut me off' in Marana fatal crash
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
Witness heard two pilots 'yelling at each other' before fatal Marana crash, report says
A witness heard two pilots "yelling at each other" over the radio before their airplanes collided over Marana Regional Airport, a new report on the fatal crash showed. "You cut me off," the witness recalled hearing one of the pilots say before one of the airplanes plunged into a ditch near a runway and caught fire, said a Marana police report on the incident released Wednesday to The Arizona Republic. However, the pilot in the second plane, which landed safely, told police she said nothing on the radio just before the collision. Two people died after the impact when one of the airplanes, a Lancair 360 MK II, hit the ground and caught fire. Michael Reinath, 70, the pilot, and 76-year-old Linda Gifford were later identified as the victims. An instructor from a Chandler flight school, Katherine Roos, and a student were in the second plane, a Cessna 172S, which landed safely, according to the report. The crash occurred on a morning in calm weather. Police who drove up to the wreckage at about 8:30 a.m. reported seeing a mangled and "fully engulfed" aircraft with several people near it attempting to use fire extinguishers. Roos told police she and her student had been practicing "stop-and-go" maneuvers in which they would land, come to a complete stop, then hit full throttle to immediately take off again. As they prepared to take off on one of the maneuvers, Roos told police, she heard the Lancair pilot on the radio say he would do a "go-route" and then noticed the airplane coming up behind the Cessna. She assumed it would veer off to one side, which would be the normal practice to ensure airplanes weren't in the same traffic pattern. A "go-around" is an evasive maneuver a pilot may take to abort a landing. Two other witnesses heard a male voice on the radio say he would "go around," so it's possible the officer transcribed Roos' comment incorrectly. Roos "attempted to radio the Lancair to see if the pilot had them in sight, but the radio traffic was busy, and she was not able to transmit and communicate with anyone," the report states. Roos declined comment and hung up when contacted by The Republic for more details on Wednesday. As the Lancair flew above them, the Cessna's propeller "clipped" the Lancair's tail, causing it to barrel roll into the ground. Roos estimated she was about 200 feet off the ground at the time. Joseph Paris, an employee of Tucson Aero Service, told police he was working near a runway when he saw the airplanes close together, one doing a "low fly-by" and the other preparing for takeoff. "They were chattering at each other, yelling at each other, about 'you cut me off,'" the police narrative states. Paris didn't immediately return a phone message on Wednesday. Two other witnesses who heard the radio traffic reported only that they heard a male voice say he would abort his landing and go around again, then a female voice screaming "Mayday!" One of those two witnesses, Erwin Castillo, a flight instructor who was in the air that morning, told The Republic in February that the Lancair pilot sounded "pretty upset," which he thought was odd. Five seconds later, he heard screaming over the radio followed by reports that a plane went down. Contacted again Wednesday, Castillo said he didn't recall any bickering or yelling: The woman said she would perform the stop-and-go, and then came the comment from the man. Castillo believes the problem could have been something like "air rage." "He's in a fast plane and he's trying to land," Castillo said. "Maybe he's trying to prove a point." The Marana airport has no control tower but plans to finish building one by 2029. At uncontrolled airports, pilots are expected to maintain a safe distance from other aircraft and announce their position regularly over the radio on a common frequency. Castillo told The Republic he believed the Cessna had the right of way. Under the law, the Lancair "had priority, if landing, but you're not supposed to force the person to get off the runway." The Cessna instructor's company, AeroGuard Flight Training Center in Deer Valley, referred The Republic to its public relations firm, which released the following statement: "AeroGuard is working closely with the NTSB, local authorities, and safety officials in the ongoing investigation regarding the tragic accident that occurred last month. We cannot provide any further information." The National Transportation Safety Board plans to release a preliminary report on the collision soon. Reach the reporter at rstern@ or 480-276-3237. Follow him on X @raystern. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Report: Witness heard pilot say 'you cut me off' in Marana fatal crash
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Marana midair collision kills two. Pilot describes what he heard and saw
Flight instructor Erwin Castillo was in the air teaching a student to fly when, over his radio, he heard, "Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!" A moment later, Castillo looked out the window of his aircraft and saw smoke billowing from the Marana Regional Airport. He realized a plane had crashed. Two people were killed Wednesday in the midair collision involving two small planes, a Cessna 172S and a Lancair 360 MKII, officials said. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were investigating the collision. The two people who died in the crash had not yet been identified by authorities. In an interview, Castillo described the harrowing radio call he heard and the conversation he had with the pilot of the Cessna, which landed safely after the midair collision. The collision occurred about 8:28 a.m. Wednesday, the NTSB said. The weather was clear, with calm winds that day. Castillo said he was giving a flying lesson over the Silver Bell practice area west of the Marana airport when he heard a radio call from the Lancair saying he was "going to go around again." Castillo said the tone of the man's voice on the radio call caught his attention. "That's odd. He sounds pretty upset," Castillo recalls thinking. About five seconds later, Castillo said he heard someone "screaming" over the radio, and then "He just hit us. Mayday! Mayday! Mayday. We are going to turn around and land on runway 3-0." After that, Castillo heard the same voice say, "Airplane down. Airplane down." Castillo said he radioed the pilot of the Cessna and asked if help was needed. The pilot radioed back that she had the plane under control, Castillo said. Castillo then radioed the airport, "Hey. There is a plane down. They need assistance." The Cessna managed to land safely, authorities said. The Cessna was operated by the Chandler location of AeroGuard Flight Training Center, a flight school, a spokesperson confirmed to The Arizona Republic. Castillo said he spoke with the Cessna's pilot after landing. Castillo said the Cessna's pilot told him she was practicing "touch and go's" with a student when the Lancair approached from behind the Cessna and attempted to land. A touch and go is an aviation maneuver in which a pilot lands and takes off without stopping. When the Lancair's pilot saw the Cessna below, the Lancair attempted to fly around again. As the Cessna was taking off, the Cessna's propeller "hit the Lancair's tail," Castillo said. Castillo said he saw the Cessna's propeller was bent after landing. The FAA posted on its website Thursday the Cessna was on approach when it was struck from behind by the Lancair. "Everybody says the Lancair hit that plane, but it's actually the other way around. The Cessna hit the Lancair's tail, and that is what caused the Lancair to crash," Castillo said. Castillo said because the pilot of the Cessna was taking off, the Cessna had the right of way. "The Lancair should have avoided it. It should have either slowed down or climbed higher. But that didn't happen," Castillo said. "He should have flown over them. And the Cessna hit him, causing him the crash." The Lancair is a single-engine, two-seat amateur-built airplane, according to the FAA. The plane was registered to Michael Reinath of Rio Vista, California, according to the FAA. Castillo has been a pilot for 16 years and a flight instructor for four. He works for IFLY Flight School, based at the Marana Regional Airport. Castillo said he was shaken up by the two deaths, as was the pilot of the Cessna. "It's really sad," Castillo said. Castillo believes the midair collision showed the airport needs a staffed air traffic control tower. "It's a very busy airport," Castillo said. Castillo said the protocol is for pilots to "self-announce" their position to other pilots. Pilots are supposed to shift to the right if they see another plane to keep the other plane in view from the left window, Castillo said. In 2024, the Marana airport logged 85,000 operations, including takeoffs, landings and touch-and-goes, Vic Hathaway, the town's communication manager, said. The Marana Regional Airport does not have an air traffic control tower, the FAA said. A crewed tower was supposed to be in place by the end of 2024 to accommodate an increase in traffic and improve safety. The completion of the tower was pushed back because of supply chain and other problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Vic Hathaway, communications manager for the town of Marana. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Mayday, mayday': Pilot describes Marana airport fatal collision
