Aviation Safety

NASA WB‑57 research aircraft (tail number NASA927) departed Ellington Field in Houston about 10:19 a.m. CST and made a gear‑up (belly) landing around 11:19 a.m. Jan. 27 after a reported mechanical issue, with video showing the plane sliding on its belly with sparks and smoke. Both NASA crew members were medically evaluated and cleared; NASA will lead a thorough investigation, the FAA has opened a separate probe, and NASA says the event is not expected to impact Artemis II imagery support because other aerial assets can fill in.

The NTSB concluded that "deep, underlying systemic failures" led to the January 2025 midair collision near Reagan National between an Army Black Hawk and an American Airlines jet, citing an instrument failure that likely made the helicopter appear about 100 feet lower and a flawed, previously‑flagged helicopter route design. Investigators found FAA data showing more than 80 prior serious close calls in the Potomac corridor that went unaddressed, no evidence of required recent route reviews, and operational breakdowns—one overwhelmed controller handling both helicopter and fixed‑wing traffic who did not issue a safety alert and a supervisor who did not split positions—prompting calls for major changes to ATC procedures and FAA oversight.

Roland Steadham, the 67‑year‑old chief meteorologist for Boise CBS affiliate KBOI‑TV, was killed along with another man when their small aircraft clipped a power line and crashed onto the frozen Payette River near Montour, Idaho, on the morning of Jan. 27, 2026. The Gem County Sheriff’s Office said it received a 10:58 a.m. report of the crash and that both male occupants were fatally injured after the plane struck a line and came down on the ice; authorities have not yet said who was piloting. Steadham, a longtime forecaster who had worked in Idaho for roughly a decade and was known for his on‑air storm coverage, owned a small plane and frequently flew recreationally. The FAA confirmed the two-person crash and said it and the NTSB will investigate, with NTSB taking the lead on determining cause, as is standard in U.S. aviation accidents. The incident adds to the tally of general‑aviation crashes that federal investigators track each year, and will focus attention on power‑line hazards and winter flying conditions around small communities outside Boise.

A Challenger private jet crashed while departing Bangor International Airport, killing six people, including longtime Lakewood Church event planner Shawna Collins — who organized high‑end events for the Arnold & Itkin law firm and was helping plan her daughter’s wedding — corporate pilot Jacob Hosmer, recently hired as a “team captain” by Arnold & Itkin and formerly of Platinum Skies Aviation, and Hawaii chef and father of three Nick Mastrascusa. The NTSB opened an on‑scene investigation and Bangor airport was closed to preserve evidence after officials said the accident jet had undergone standard de‑icing and lined up behind other aircraft that took off safely while a plane ahead had radioed that visibility was poor.

After the Nov. 4, 2025 Louisville crash that killed three crew and 12 people on the ground, UPS announced it has retired its entire MD‑11 freighter fleet—about 9% of its aircraft—took a $137 million after‑tax charge and is leasing planes, shifting aircraft from overseas and taking delivery of 18 Boeing 767s over the next 15 months to rebuild capacity. The FAA has grounded all MD‑11s while it reviews “all the facts and circumstances,” and NTSB investigators reported a fractured left‑engine mounting spherical bearing race—known to have failed at least four times previously and discussed in a 2011 Boeing service letter that said it “would not result in a safety of flight condition”—may have contributed to the crash; Boeing issued a brief statement supporting the NTSB probe but did not address the report’s findings.

The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a daylong public hearing Tuesday to scrutinize what caused the January 29, 2025 midair collision near Washington, D.C., between an American Airlines jet from Wichita and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft in the icy Potomac River. Investigators have already identified key factors, including a poorly designed helicopter route past Reagan National Airport, the Black Hawk flying 78 feet above its assigned altitude, FAA warnings that went unheeded for years, and an Army decision to disable a system that would have more clearly broadcast the helicopter’s position. The Federal Aviation Administration imposed temporary changes shortly after the crash to separate helicopter and fixed‑wing traffic around the capital and last week made those changes permanent, but the NTSB is expected to recommend additional safety fixes. Families of the victims, including relatives of four members of the Livingston family and 28 figure‑skating community members who died, say they want clear, urgent recommendations and will pressure Congress, the Army and the Trump administration to implement them so similar accidents are prevented. Although public concern about aviation risk spiked after this and several other close calls, NTSB data show total crashes in 2025 fell to 1,405 nationwide, the lowest since 2020, underscoring an overall strong safety record even as this case exposes serious gaps in airspace design and military–civil coordination.