Latest news with #Lancair
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Female pilot's eerie livestream before fatal crash during SECOND LEG of around-the-world solo flight
A pilot was killed after her small plane crashed in Indiana just three days into her daring solo flight around the world. Anh-Thu Nguyen, 44, of Washington, set out on Monday to become the first Vietnamese-American woman to complete the feat in a single-engine airplane, following six years of meticulous preparation, the Indianapolis Star reported. But on Wednesday, her 2005 Lancair IV-P suddenly spiraled out of the sky, plummeting to the ground and crashing behind a gas station in Greenwood. Nguyen shared a haunting video to Facebook just minutes before the crash claimed her life, expressing her optimism about her mission. 'I'm super excited today. I just completed the first leg of my solo flight around the world,' the chief instructor said in the video. 'This is more than just a flight. It's a mission to inspire the next generation of Asian female pilots and aerospace engineers and STEM professionals. 'Let's keep flying forward together. Thank you.' The daring adventure - which planned to cover 25 countries, according to a GoFundMe page - began on July 27, when Nguyen flew from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to Indiana. Three days later she officially took off from Indy South Greenwood Airport at around 10.45am, embarking on a short flight to Pennsylvania. But within minutes, her plane spiraled out of control and crashed onto a hill behind the Circle K gas station on Greenwood's Main Street. Frank Williams, a witness to the tragedy, revealed that the crash was eerily silent, even as the plane dove out of the sky. 'There was no explosion, and there was no fire,' Williams told the Indianapolis Star. 'I pulled right up, and I could smell fuel. As I got close to the plane, I could tell there wasn't a survivor,' he added. First responders arrived to find the plane's wreckage scattered across a grassy area, resting between a drainage pond and the gas station just feet away, according to the Daily Journal. 'This could have been a lot worse going into the gas station,' Tyler Swardson, a Greenwood Fire PIO, told the outlet. Although no one on the ground was injured, Nguyen was tragically pronounced dead at the scene. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have since launched an investigation to determine the cause of the disaster. 'With any sort of accident, there are all sorts of things that can go into it to make it scary for anybody,' Swardson told the Daily Journal. 'Unfortunately, there is no information about how the crash occurred or what factors led into that,' he added. Nguyen's sudden death sent shockwaves through the hundreds of followers who had eagerly tracked her journey. Dozens of comments beneath her final video overflowed with messages of sympathy and disbelief. After moving to the US from Vietnam at age 12, Nguyen quickly developed a passion for aviation, eventually taking to the skies herself at just 16-years-old, according to the GoFundMe page. She pursued an impressive academic path in the years that followed, earning a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Master's in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering from Purdue University. She went on to receive her doctoral degree in aeronautics and astronautics engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. In 2018, with over 5,000 flight hours to her name, she founded the Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to empowering Asian women in the field of aviation. 'Anh-Thu was an inspiring pilot, instructor, and advocate for girls and women in aerospace, engineering, and aviation,' the organization shared in a heartfelt tribute. 'She lived with boldness, curiosity, and drive. She came from humble beginnings in Vietnam to becoming a beacon of hope to many.' Most recently, Nguyen was employed as the chief flight instructor at Dragon Flight Training Academy in Pembroke Pines, Florida. Any remaining funds from her nonprofit were intended to support scholarships and mentorship programs for young girls pursuing careers in aviation and STEM.
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Marana deadly mid-air collision: NTSB releases preliminary report
The Brief The National Transportation Safety Board released their preliminary report on March 14. The mid-air crash happened on February 19. MARANA, Ariz. - There are new details about the deadly mid-air collision at theMarana Regional Airport, located near Avra Valley and Sandario Roads that happened last month. What we know Included in the National Transportation Safety Board's report: surveillance photos of the moments the Cessna and Lancair airplanes collided. The report also shows the flight instructor had announced plans to perform a short landing and take off, and saw the other plane coming up from behind. But the crash happened before she could contact the other pilot. The two people onboard the second plane died. The pilot and student in the Cessna were not seriously hurt. What they're saying Witnesses say the pilots could be heard yelling at each other just before the collision, with one of them saying, "You cut me off." The backstory There is no air traffic control tower at Marana Airport, meaning pilots are in charge of communication. On March 6, officials with the Town of Marana released a statement on their website, identifying the crash victims as 70-year-old Michael Reinath and 76-year-old Linda Gifford. The Federal Aviation Administration and NTSB continue to investigate the collision.
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
06-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
2 victims of Marana plane crash identified. What to know
Marana town officials identified the victims in the Lancair 3600 that crashed last month at the Marana Regional Airport as 70-year-old Michael Reinath and 76-year-old Linda Gifford, according to a statement released on the town's website. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that two small aircraft, a Lancair and Cessna 172, collided midair on Feb. 19 over the Marana Regional Airport, north of Tucson. The Marana Regional Airport does not have an air traffic control tower, the FAA said. The crash involved two single-engine, fixed-wing aircraft above Marana Regional Airport. Two people were on board each aircraft, and one of the planes was operated by a flight school. The Cessna was on approach when it was struck from behind by the Lancair, the FAA posted on its website. The two people in the Cessna 172 were uninjured in the crash. The plane was operated by the Chandler location of AeroGuard Flight Training Center. The Cessna landed safely. The Lancair crashed near runway 3 and a fire ensued, a National Transportation Safety Board statement said. The NTSB is leading the investigation and receiving help from the Federal Aviation Administration. Airport superintendent Galen Been said, in the news release, "on behalf of the town of Marana and the Marana Regional Airport, our hearts go out to all the individuals and families impacted by this event," and "this is an unprecedented event, and we are grateful for the Marana Police Department and Northwest Fire District." The crash investigation remains ongoing. A crewed tower was supposed to be in place at the Marana airport by the end of 2024 to accommodate an increase in traffic and improve safety. The completion of the tower was pushed back to March 2025 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: Identities of victims in Marana plane crash released
