Engine Issue Forces Emergency Landing at LAX
United Airlines forced a Boeing 787‑9 to return to Los Angeles International Airport on Monday after the aircraft’s left engine exhibited a malfunction, prompting an emergency landing about an hour after takeoff. Smoke continued to plume from the engine for roughly 40 minutes, but fire crews quickly extinguished the issue. All 256 passengers and 12 crew members escaped serious injury. The incident triggered a temporary ground stop at LAX, which was lifted after about an hour, and the FAA announced an investigation.
FAA Radar Data Program Launches at UAS Test Site
The FAA has launched its Radar Data Pilot Program at the Northern Plains UAS Test Site in Grand Forks, North Dakota, granting the first non‑federal access to an unfiltered radar data feed. The data will be fed into Vantis, the...
Tuition-Free A&P Program For High School Students Coming to Michigan
Jackson County Airport‑Reynolds Field in southern Michigan is establishing a tuition‑free Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) training school for high‑school students, targeting an initial cohort of 30 juniors and seniors. The program, slated to begin in September 2027, is funded by...
Pilots Petition Starlink Following Shift to New Speed Tiers
Starlink has restructured its in‑motion service, capping standard Roam and Priority plans at 100 mph ground speed and launching two aviation‑specific tiers. The Aviation 300MPH tier costs $250 per month for 20 GB, while the Aviation 450MPH tier is $1,000 per month...
Senate Bill Would Mandate APRT At Contract Towers
Senators Tim Sheehy and Jeff Merkley introduced bipartisan legislation requiring the FAA to equip more than 90 federal contract towers with Airborne Position Reference Tools (APRT). The Air Traffic Situational Awareness Enhancement Act mandates installation within a year and provides...
Utah Airpark’s Future Uncertain After Business License Denial
Fairfield’s West Desert Airpark, a public‑use airport in rural Utah, had its business license renewal denied by the town council. The denial coincides with a pause on related permits as officials re‑examine the Airpark Mixed‑Use Zone and overlay ordinances. The...
FAA Revokes StarFlite Aviation Air Carrier Certificate
The Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order revoking StarFlite Aviation’s Part 135 air carrier certificate after uncovering systematic falsification of pilot training records. Between 2019 and 2024, management entered false competency checks for at least ten pilots, including the chief...
America’s 250th To Shape AirVenture 2026 Programming
The Experimental Aircraft Association will weave the United States’ 250th anniversary into AirVenture Oshkosh 2026. The event, July 20‑26 at Wittman Regional Airport, adopts the theme “Celebrating the Freedom of Flight,” tracing aviation’s evolution from the Wright brothers to modern...
New Report Examines Women’s Advancement In Aviation
Oliver Wyman and IAWA released the second edition of Lift Off To Leadership, analyzing how women progress into leadership across aviation and aerospace. The study surveyed roughly 250 global leaders in 2025 and included executives from airlines, manufacturers, MROs, leasing...
NTSB: ALERT Act Falls Short Of Safety Recommendations
The National Transportation Safety Board warned Congress that the proposed ALERT Act falls short of its safety recommendations following the Jan. 29, 2025 midair collision near Washington National Airport. While the bill would address some suggestions, it does not require...
Pilot’s Widow Sues Boeing, GE Following UPS Crash
The widow of UPS pilot Dana Justin Diamond has filed a wrongful‑death lawsuit against Boeing, General Electric and maintenance firm VT San Antonio Aerospace. The suit, lodged on Feb. 25 in Jefferson County Circuit Court, blames design, manufacturing and upkeep failures...
UAvionix Adds ForeFlight Integration, Autopilot Coupling To AV-30-C
uAvionix released AV-30-C software version 3.2.1, adding ForeFlight integration and autopilot coupling for certified aircraft. Pilots can sync a ForeFlight‑planned route to the AV‑30‑C and let the autopilot follow GPS‑steered waypoints, with in‑flight edits reflected instantly. The feature requires an...
U.S. Laser Strikes Decline For Second Year
Pilots logged 10,994 laser strikes to the FAA in 2025, marking a 14% drop from 2024. The decline reflects a robust pilot reporting culture that fuels FAA outreach and law‑enforcement collaboration. California, Texas and Florida accounted for the bulk of...
Thrust Flight Awarded Phoenix Police Training Contract
Thrust Flight has been awarded a five‑year contract to provide fixed‑wing pilot training for the Phoenix Police Department’s Air Support Unit, beginning in March. The program will train roughly two students per year across private, commercial, instrument, and instructor ratings...
Who’s Watching for Human Trafficking in Aviation?
Former FAA rotorcraft director David Downey has petitioned the agency to amend Parts 121 and 135 so that airline and charter employees receive mandatory human‑trafficking recognition and response training, a requirement he says Congress already mandated but the FAA has not codified....
NTSB Warns First Responders of Ballistic Parachute Hazards
The National Transportation Safety Board issued safety alert SA‑102 warning that ballistic parachute recovery systems can remain active after a crash, posing a danger to first responders. These rocket‑powered devices, like Cirrus CAPS, may deploy unexpectedly if activation cables stay...
Boulder Airport Sets Timeline For Phasing Out Leaded Avgas
Boulder Municipal Airport aims to start offering unleaded aviation fuel by late 2026, ahead of Colorado’s 2030 statewide leaded‑avgas phase‑out. The draft transition plan, due by Jan. 1, 2026, outlines annual reviews but omits specifics on fuel type, infrastructure, and financing. To...
Archer Sues Vertical Aerospace Over Valo eVTOL Design
Archer Aviation has filed a lawsuit in the Eastern District of Texas accusing Vertical Aerospace of infringing multiple patents tied to Archer’s Midnight eVTOL design. The complaint alleges that Vertical’s new Valo aircraft copies patented V‑tail, fuselage, wing, and flight‑control...
Tecnam Rolls Out MOSAIC-Aligned Line
Tecnam unveiled the MOSAIK59 product family to meet the FAA’s new MOSAIC rule, which bases Light Sport Aircraft eligibility on a 59‑knot clean stall speed rather than weight limits. Existing models such as the P92 Echo MKII, P2008 and Astore...
5-Year-Old Spots Manual Issue, Gets Southwest Tour
A five‑year‑old Colorado boy spotted a mismatch in Southwest Airlines’ cockpit training graphics and reported it to the carrier. Southwest clarified the inconsistency stemmed from differing display perspectives rather than a safety error. CEO Bob Jordan invited the child and...
Airbus Presents Rotorcraft Concepts For NATO Study
Airbus Helicopters, together with Collins Aerospace, Raytheon and MBDA, has submitted two next‑generation rotorcraft concepts to NATO’s Next Generation Rotorcraft Capabilities study. The proposals include a conventional helicopter and a high‑speed compound aircraft that share common systems, training and maintenance...
Pilots Win Court Fight Over Housing Near California Airport
A Santa Cruz County judge ruled that Watsonville violated the State Aeronautics Act and CEQA by approving a 21‑unit housing project inside the safety zone of Watsonville Municipal Airport. The court ordered the city to adopt state‑mandated airport compatibility standards...