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ATC audio confirms SWA2494 taxied L to 13R. Tower issued line-up and wait to 2494 on 13R, immediately followed by 2494 requesting return to gate to inspect the aircraft. Bullet strike along L seems unlikely while bullet strike in the vicinity of C10 seems more likely. Media reports that bullet...

The LiveATC audio does not reflect the alleged drama although ATC did direct 298 to expedite climb for terrain. Based on ADS-B data, even if 298 had not turned or expedited climb, appears aircraft would still have cleared the mountain ridge by at least 1,000 ft. What is not clear is why 298 did...

I sent the FAA airmen certification branch a copy of my father’s death certificate as I never found his pilot certificate (ATP). Twenty-five years after his death, he’s still listed in the FAA registry.

In a different video shown on KPRC, two tower lights can clearly be seen, one mid-height and the other near the top. As the accident helicopter approaches, you can see the beam of the landing light begin to illuminate the tower. As the distance closes, the light beam walks up the tower and...

Additional detail on prior flights on 10/20: On the 1714 CDT flight, the track approaching the antenna was entirely south of Navigation Blvd, keeping the helo well clear of the antenna. On the 1847 CDT flight, the track approaching the antenna crossed Navigation Blvd at Engelke and then crossed...

Seattle Times reporting search crews have reached crash site. Location reported as near Pear Butte, about 4 miles SW of Mt. Aix, which is just about the center of the TFR.

With the release of the 5th victim’s name (37 F), here’s a summary of the accident aircraft’s occupants: 73 M, ATP AMEL, COM ASEL, CFI, GI, CE500 type, 2C med 7/24 37 F, COM ASEL/AMEL, Instrument rating, CFI, GI, 1C med 7/22 33 M, PP ASEL, Instrument rating, 1C med 11/20 55 F, student pilot, 3C...

4th identified occupant, 34-year-old male, listed as a student pilot.

The airport’s operating hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, but pilots can arrive and depart after 5 p.m. before sunset so long as they pre-arrange with airport management, the airport’s general manager, Carl True, said. “He pre-arranged for his arrival after 5 p.m.,” True said, “but not for the...

55-year-old female passenger listed as a student pilot. Assuming there was also a yet-to-be-identified CFI passenger (instructor for student pilot) in addition to PIC. Accident evening moonset 2200. At 2000, moon was setting to SW, 17 deg above horizon with 32% illumination.

KTLA is reporting that Safai made the flight to “help two stranded pilots” from Proteus Flight School who were trapped due to mechanical issues. That leaves two mystery occupants in the accident aircraft. Perhaps one or more A&P to try to fix the mechanical problem, thus the delay in departing.

Here’s an odd twist to the Bakersfield story. A U.S. Customs & Border Protection Air and Maritime Operations air crew in a Super King Air 350ER was requested by the FAA to intercept and “escort” the incident aircraft to Meadows Field. Federal agents help passenger land plane after pilot incapacitated

Based on audio, flight crew was in O2 masks long before the landing due to smoke in cockpit. It would be odd if what appears to be a post-landing landing gear fire is related to the smoke in the cockpit, other than the desire to quickly get the aircraft on the ground resulted in an inadvertent...

Incident aircraft appears to be N6077X. Landed KBFL at 2039Z. Assuming course alteration was coincident with medical event, aircraft landed about an hour later.

Given that the incident aircraft is a nearly 9-year-old NG, it seems much more likely to be a Ryanair maintenance issue rather than a Boeing design or production issue.

The observations I cited in post #63 were based on data from ADS-B Exchange “history” option. This feature provides a data block with time stamp for each ADS-B point as the selected aircraft moves along the flight path. The 40 second figure is simply the final time stamp subtracted from the time...

ADS-B data shows an additional 40 seconds of data flying down final after completing the base-to-final turn just prior to crossing the shore line, about 4800 ft from the runway 21 threshold. Using instantaneous ground speed and ROD data, I calculate flight path angles between 6 and 9 degrees as...

National Transportation Safety Board aviation accident investigator Ryan Enders told Wavy TV 10 that it was during the airplane’s second attempt to land that it “made a left-turn and impacted trees adjacent to the left side of the runway.”

PIC identified as 21-year-old CFI (Breit). Second occupant (Smith), 36-year-old, identified as a passenger in some news reports and a student pilot in others. Media briefing indicated that the passenger was the backpack tosser as well as the holder of the on-person drugs. Possible the CFI was...

Perhaps the high point of the Oceanside police briefing on the incident was when a reporter asked, “how much does a kilo weigh?” Without the slightest pause, the assistant police chief barked out, “2.2 pounds!” What a metric system beast!