Aviation News

Rural Alaska air travel subsidies survive budget cuts

Subsidies for rural Alaska air travel survived the cost cutting talk as Congress passed a four-year funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday after years of dispute.

FAA bill speeds switch to GPS for airliners

Copter crashes during cold-weather testing

A Polish-built helicopter in Fairbanks for cold-weather testing crashed Sunday afternoon, and both people on board walked away without injuries, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Cessna slowed by slush on runway before crash

A commercial pilot who ditched his plane Dec. 15 in the ocean near Nanwalek, forcing him and three passengers to swim to shore, reported slush on the runway and a downdraft during takeoff, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Pilot survives crash near Southwest Alaska village

A commercial pilot whose plane crashed Wednesday morning near the Southwest Alaska village of Kwigillingok survived with only minor injuries, Alaska State Troopers said.

4 survive plane crash into chilly waters

Four people in a small plane that went down Thursday in water offshore from the village of Nanwalek survived after swimming or wading to reach land, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator said.

NTSB says fast-moving storm led to fatal plane crash

A fast-moving snow storm swept into the village of Chuathbaluk just before a small commercial plane struck a tall spruce tree near the Kuskokwim River village in November, killing the pilot, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Missing nut caused plane crash

A National Transportation Safety Board investigation said the crash of a small plane just off the Kodiak State Airport runway was due to a missing nut.

Aniak pilot dies in crash during snowstorm, troopers say

A longtime Aniak pilot died in the crash of a small plane near Chuathbaluk late Tuesday as a snowstorm struck the Kuskokwim River village, according to Alaska State Troopers.

2 dead in crash near McGrath; 4 survive (8/16/11)

Pilot seemed rushed before helo crash near Iliamna Lake

A National Transportation Safety Board investigation into a fatal helicopter crash in southwest Alaska determined that the aircraft's pilot seemed rushed and told two fuel vendors he was trying to reach a small village before nightfall.

Pilot who died in Iliamna helicopter crash identified

The man killed in a helicopter crash Saturday outside the Southwest Alaska village of Iliamna was a resident of Douglas and a senior pilot for Era Helicopters. Troopers said William Zeman, 66, was the only person on board.

Helicopter wreckage found near Iliamna; pilot confirmed dead

An investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board says the wreckage of a helicopter belonging to Era Helicopters has been found near Iliamna in southwest Alaska and the pilot is confirmed to have died.

Plane lands safely after costly bird strike

Sitka's problem with bird strikes at its airport improved after eagle nests were removed, but the problem occurred again over the weekend.

FAA investigates close call between Cessna, giant C-17

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a reported near-collision in midair between a single-engine Cessna 150 and a giant C-17 military cargo plane last month just south of Wasilla.

PDF: Elmendorf collision avoidance pamphlet

Civil Air Patrol, Air Guard combine to rescue two fliers

Two people aboard a small plane that crashed across Cook Inlet near Beluga Lake were rescued Friday. Neither was hurt.

Bomb threat investigated on flight at Oakland airport

Authorities at Oakland, Calif.'s airport are investigating a bomb threat against an Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle.

Doomed plane in Reno air show race may have filmed own crash

A World War II-era plane had a video camera facing outward, and memory cards were found at the scene where it crashed near a grandstand in Reno.

West Virginia pilot was in maneuver

Anchorage pilot among injured at air show

West Virginia pilot was in maneuver

The pilot of a 1950s-era plane that crashed during a West Virginia airshow was climbing and in an acrobatic roll when the aircraft suddenly began its deadly descent, the National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday.

Reno air race has raised alarm in past

Thrill-seeking pilots hit speeds of up to 500 mph as spectators "ooh" and "aah" at the sight of jets, vintage planes and high-performance aircraft whizzing past with their wingtips nearly touching. Even the sounds are awe-inspiring, with the deafening roar of airplanes sometimes just few hundred feet from spectators.

Pilot killed in Reno crash was skilled aviator

Friends of an air racer and movie stunt pilot whose plane crashed into the edge of the grandstand at a show said the 74-year-old was a skilled airman and member of a tight-knit flying community.

Air race crash death toll up to 9

The death toll rose to nine Saturday in an air race crash in Reno as investigators determined that several spectators were killed on impact as the 1940s-model plane appeared to lose a piece of its tail before slamming like a missile into a crowded tarmac.

Anchorage pilot among injured at air show

The P-51 "Galloping Ghost" was rocketing into the home stretch of the National Championship Air Races course on Friday afternoon when it pitched up violently. Anchorage pilot Noah Joraanstad was sitting in a box seat watching the race. Joraanstad saw the plane roll and zip toward the crowd. That's when the 25-year-old Pen Air pilot and other spectators realized they were in trouble.

Reno air race has raised alarm in past

Pilot killed in Reno crash was skilled aviator

Death toll in Reno air race crash surges to nine