Small plane crashes in US' Tennessee, all 3 on board killed
The plane, Mooney M20TN, crashed about one mile south of a rural airport in Tennessee's Sparta, a statement by US aviation watchdog Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
All three people on board the aircraft died upon the crash, airport officials confirmed, reported Fox News, adding the identities of the deceased have not been revealed yet.
The North End Volunteer Fire Department, in a post on Facebook, said 'Please avoid the area of Almyra Road and Howell Cemetery Road. Our thoughts and prayers for everyone involved.'
The director of Upper Cumberland Regional Airport, Dean Selby, said that he received a report of an aircraft going down at about 11:50am on Saturday, while Memphis Air Traffic Control Center contacted the airport to inform them that it had lost contact with the aircraft.
FAA, in a statement on its website said 'A Mooney M20TN crashed south of Upper Cumberland Regional Airport in Tennessee around noon local time on Saturday, April 26. Three people were on board. The FAA and NTSB will investigate.'
The airport director Selby said that the single engine plane had departed from Alabama and was on its way to land at Upper Cumberland Regional Airport in Tennessee's Sparta.
The FAA arrived at the site of the crash a few hours after the accident, while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is leading the investigation, said that it'll arrive in Tennessee on Sunday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Night Vision Goggles May Have Hampered Chopper Pilots Before Crash With Jet: Experts
The pilots of a US Army helicopter that collided with a passenger jet over Washington in January would've had difficulty spotting the plane while wearing night vision goggles, experts told the National Transportation Safety Board on Friday. The Army goggles would have made it difficult to see the plane's colored lights, which might have helped the Black Hawk determine the plane's direction. The goggles also limited the pilots' peripheral vision as they flew near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The challenges posed by night-vision goggles were discussed at the NTSB's third and final day of public testimony over the fatal midair crash, which killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft. Experts said another challenge that evening was distinguishing the plane from lights on the ground while the two aircraft were on a collision course. Plus, the helicopter pilots may not have known where to look for a plane that was landing on a secondary runway that most planes didn't use. "Knowing where to look. That's key," said Stephen Casner, an expert in human factors who used to work at NASA. Two previous days of testimony underscored a number of factors that likely contributed to the collision, prompting Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy to urge the Federal Aviation Administration to "do better" as she pointed to warnings the agency had ignored years earlier. Some of the major issues that have emerged so far include the Black Hawk helicopter flying above prescribed levels near the airport, as well as the warnings to FAA officials for years about the hazards related to the heavy chopper traffic there. It's too early for the board to identify what exactly caused the crash. A final report from the board won't come until next year. But it became clear this week how small a margin of error there was for helicopters flying the route the Black Hawk took the night of the nation's deadliest plane crash since November 2001. The American Airlines jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas, carrying, among others, a group of elite young figure skaters, their parents and coaches, and four union steamfitters from the Washington area. The January collision was the first in a string of crashes and near misses this year that have alarmed officials and the travelling public, despite statistics that still show flying remains the safest form of transportation. Tim Lilley, an aviation expert whose son Sam was a pilot on the passenger jet, said he's optimistic the tragic accident will ultimately lead to some positive changes. "But we've got a long way to go," he told The Associated Press. Lilley said he was particularly struck by the FAA's lack of alcohol testing for air traffic controllers after the crash. "That's pretty disturbing because that's automatic in aviation," Lilly said. "Everybody knows if there's a serious incident, you go to alcohol testing. And they made a bunch of excuses why they didn't do it. None of them were valid. It goes back to a whole system that was complacent and was normalizing deviation." Homendy brought up the lack of alcohol testing during Thursday's hearings, noting that it's most effective within two hours of a crash and can be administered within eight hours. Nick Fuller, the FAA's acting deputy chief operating officer of operations, testified that the controllers weren't tested for alcohol because the agency did not immediately believe the crash was fatal. The FAA then decided to forgo it because the optimum two-hour window had passed. NTSB board member Todd Inman pushed back, telling Fuller that the first two fatalities were confirmed 20 minutes after the crash. "How can you tell me that you released those controllers at midnight, but you didn't know a fatality occurred?" Inman said. Fuller said the FAA officials who make the determination on alcohol testing had not yet had confirmation on fatalities. Fuller said the agency is taking corrective steps and that its drug and alcohol testing process is now being revised. Rick Dressler, an official with medevac operator Metro Aviation, told the board on Thursday it is difficult to identify other aircraft in the night sky around Reagan National, especially if a key onboard locator system was switched off, as Army choppers routinely did. Dressler said that he and other civilian helicopter pilots in the area have long been concerned about the Army and Air Force helicopters flying around Reagan Airport. "I don't like saying this. I'll say it again on the record," Dressler, a former Army aviator and retired Air Force officer, said. "I'm speaking for my group there. We are all very uncomfortable when those two units are operating." The Department of Defense referred questions about Thursday's testimony to the Army, which did not immediately respond. Army officials at the hearing did ask Dressler to elaborate on his concerns and consider visiting the Pentagon to share them. Dressel said part of what worries him is the relative lack of experience of the military pilots who may have only been in the area a short time and don't understand the complex airspace around Washington, DC "They don't get the seasoning here to really, truly understand how the airspace works," said Dressel, who also complained that the Army helicopter unit no longer participates in regular meetings with all the other aviators in the area to discuss issues. The Air Force also did not immediately respond to questions about Dressler's remarks. Hearing testimony has covered much ground, including the final audio communications from pilots aboard the Army chopper. The Black Hawk's crew had been communicating with the airport's control tower, although the helicopter pilots did not fully hear the controller's instructions. The Black Hawk pilots told the tower twice in the minutes before the crash that they had the American Airlines passenger plane in sight and would maintain proper distance. But when the controller instructed the pilots to "pass behind" the jet, the crew didn't hear that instruction because the Black Hawk's microphone key was pressed at that moment. Just before the collision, an instructor pilot aboard the helicopter asked the pilot at the controls to come left. But it wasn't clear if the pilot had time to maneuver the helicopter before the crash. "Kinda come left for me, ma'am," the instructor said. The pilot responded: "Sure." John Cox, an aviation safety expert and retired airline pilot, said the hearings are headed in the right direction to determine what happened and to prevent similar accidents. His main concerns focus on the Black Hawk helicopter, including why it was above the 200-feet (61 meters) elevation limit for that particular helicopter route. Another question is why the Black Hawk wasn't closer to the east bank of the Potomac River, where it would have been further away from landing airplanes. "I've passed helicopters underneath me over the east bank of the Potomac a lot of times," said Cox, who flew commercial airliners for 25 years. "And there's always been plenty of separation. It's not a lot because the space is so constrained. But you're dealing with professional pilots, and it's not been a problem." Investigators said Wednesday the flight data recorder showed the helicopter was actually 80 feet to 100 feet (24 to 30 meters) higher than the barometric altimeter the pilots relied upon showed they were flying.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
FAA, Army grilled at NTSB hearing over DC crash that killed 67 in US jet-Black Hawk collision
Watch live as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) opens a three-day investigative hearing into the deadly midair collision over Washington, D.C. in January. The tragic crash involved an American Airlines jet arriving from Wichita, Kansas, and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. Both aircraft were preparing to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport when they collided, killing 67 people. Show more Show less
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Passenger Films Panic: American Airlines Jet Catches Fire, Chaos Caught on Selfie Video
A terrifying moment on an American Airlines flight went viral when passenger Shay Armistead filmed herself as smoke and flames filled the cabin. Her shaky voice saying, 'Plane just caught fire,' was heard just before the crew shouted 'Evacuate!' Chaos followed as she and others jumped down the emergency slide in Denver, with some falling hard on the runway. Parents clutched their kids, voices screamed for help, and firefighters rushed to the scene. The FAA is now investigating, and the airline confirmed the fire was caused by a tire malfunction on a Boeing 737 MAX 8. Thankfully, all 173 passengers and 6 crew members got out safely. Read More
