A week-by-week roundup of incidents added to the archive between August 16 and September 20, 2026, each fact-checked against NTSB records, FAA registrations, and independent reporting where available.
On August 18, 2026, a NetJets Citation Longitude landed at Akron-Canton Airport with its nose gear stuck retracted; the crew held the nose off the runway as long as possible before both pilots walked away unharmed.
On August 21, 2026, a passenger's laptop caught fire aboard an American Airlines A321 approaching Dallas-Fort Worth, burning several passengers before the crew contained it in a thermal fire-containment bag; the flight landed safely.
On August 18, 2026, a Bonanza pilot lined up to land on a taxiway instead of the runway at Denton Enterprise Airport — a mistake caught and corrected before touchdown, during a period when the airport's main runway was closed for reconstruction.
On September 28, 2021, a Rockwell 690B Turbo Commander conducting a forest survey flight stalled and spun into wooded terrain near Hiles, Wisconsin, killing the pilot and two survey crew members aboard.
On January 14, 2023, multiple Delta pilots and air traffic controllers reported unusual bright, rapidly moving lights over Fort Worth ARTCC and Memphis Center airspace — lights that never produced a corresponding primary radar return.
A student pilot on her first solo cross-country flight reported critically low fuel to Morristown Tower; New York Approach guided her to Lincoln Park Airport, where she landed safely with help from pilots on the ground.
On January 13, 2023, American Airlines Flight 106 crossed an active runway at JFK without clearance while Delta Flight 1943 was taking off on it — a rejected takeoff at 105 knots, prompted by an ASDE-X alert, prevented a collision.
On January 21, 2017, a Beechcraft G36 Bonanza struck a warehouse roof and crashed into woods shortly after takeoff from Essex County Airport, New Jersey, after the pilot failed to respond to a 13-second stall warning while climbing with the landing gear still extended.
On August 28, 2026, a Canadian air-ambulance Westwind jet veered off the runway during its takeoff roll at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas after a tire burst; no one was injured.
On August 22, 2026, a 23-year-old pilot ditched her Piper Twin Comanche in the ocean off Boca Raton after declaring an emergency en route to the Bahamas, walking away without injury.
On August 27, 2026, a banner-towing Piper PA-18 lost engine power and crashed into the ocean off New Smyrna Beach, Florida; the pilot, praised for steering away from swimmers, escaped without life-threatening injuries.
On August 21, 2026, a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-400 suffered a right-engine compressor stall shortly after departing JFK for Los Angeles; the crew regained control of the engine and returned to JFK without incident.
On August 23, 2026, a Piper Turbo Arrow IV landed gear-up on Runway 2 at Lewis University Airport in Romeoville, Illinois; both occupants were uninjured.
On August 11, 2022, a Piper Saratoga flying a group of churchgoers from Indiana to Pennsylvania broke apart in flight after entering a line of thunderstorms near Metz, West Virginia, killing all three aboard.
On August 25, 2026, the captain of Delta Flight 437, en route from Los Angeles to Boston, fell ill mid-flight and diverted the Boeing 757 to Detroit, where a replacement crew member completed the trip.
On October 31, 2019, a Beechcraft Baron on a post-maintenance test flight crashed into a vehicle near Ocala International Airport, killing the pilot and a mechanic aboard and seriously injuring a person on the ground.
On November 18, 2022, a student helicopter pilot's failure to follow tower instructions led to a midair collision with a Cessna 172 at a towered Las Vegas airport — remarkably, with no injuries to either crew.
On May 15, 2024, a Beechcraft V35 Bonanza (N47WT) broke apart in flight near Franklin, Tennessee, after entering convective weather, killing the pilot and his two adult children.
On September 2, 2026, a U.S. Coast Guard C-37A carrying DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin lost its right engine mid-flight and landed safely at Reagan National Airport — the pilots' first-ever single-engine landing, by their own account.
On September 3, 2026, a JetBlue A320 crew declared an emergency and turned away from a severe thunderstorm after air traffic control declined to approve their requested deviation out of Fort Lauderdale.
On September 3, 2026, Alaska Airlines Flight 815, bound for Honolulu, aborted its takeoff roll at San Diego International Airport after smoke from overheated brakes filled the cabin; all passengers deplaned safely.
On September 4, 2026, a drone sighting near San Diego International Airport's control tower — compounded by a separate high-altitude aerospace test balloon in the area — triggered a full ground stop and hours of cascading delays over Labor Day weekend.
A Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 crossing the North Atlantic diverted priority handling to New York JFK after an onboard doctor identified a 55-year-old passenger's symptoms as a likely heart attack; EMTs met the aircraft on arrival.
On August 31, 2020, a non-instrument-rated pilot flying a Piper Pacer continued into deteriorating weather near Luray, Virginia, and was killed when the aircraft entered instrument conditions and lost control.
On August 30, 2026, a Piper Arrow II pilot reported a stuck throttle on final approach into Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego, raising the risk of an uncommanded engine shutdown; the pilot informed the tower and worked the approach with the condition.
On November 8, 2025, a Kitfox Super Sport clipped traffic light poles on approach to Boise Airport after its pilot flew while intoxicated; both occupants survived with minor injuries.
On October 17, 2025, a Piper Aztec carrying an Alabama flight instructor and his two daughters crashed in Montana's remote Bob Marshall Wilderness after the pilot reported icing and engine trouble; all three aboard were killed.
On June 15, 2026, an experimental Van's RV-3A broke apart in flight during a formation flight near Lakeland, Florida, after its right wing separated at the root; the pilot, the aircraft's sole occupant, was killed.
On September 6, 2026, an Amazon Air-branded Boeing 767 cargo freighter overran the runway landing at Miami International Airport, striking vehicles outside airport property and killing five people on the ground; MIA lacks the arresting system designed to stop exactly this kind of overrun.
On September 3, 2026, American Airlines Flight 618 diverted to Baltimore after a 67-year-old passenger became violent mid-flight, allegedly making racist and homophobic remarks before assaulting two fellow passengers; he was restrained with zip ties and duct tape until landing.
On September 4, 2026, a Flexjet Embraer business jet veered off the left side of the runway after landing at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport during a thunderstorm; no injuries were reported.
On September 6, 2026, Delta Flight 2311 lost cabin pressurization at cruise altitude and dropped from 35,000 to 9,000 feet in about ten minutes as oxygen masks deployed, diverting safely to Las Vegas with no serious injuries.
On September 7, 2026, a Cessna 172N Skyhawk practicing landings at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego stalled and spun into the ground short of the runway, killing both occupants; the wreckage was too badly burned for rescue crews to reach them.
On September 4, 2026, an Air Canada Jazz Embraer E175 struck what the crew believed was a bird shortly after departing Toronto Pearson for Cleveland, triggering engine vibration and a precautionary return; the aircraft departed again less than an hour later.
On September 10, 2026, an Envoy Air E170 captain declared an emergency after his control yoke became loose during climb-out from Chicago O'Hare, telling ATC he no longer felt comfortable flying the aircraft; the first officer took over and the crew returned safely.
On September 9, 2026, a twin-engine aircraft departed Sundance Airport, Oklahoma, with a tow bar still attached to its nose wheel; the pilot diverted to Wiley Post Airport and landed safely once the problem was discovered en route.
On September 2, 2026, a Piper Seneca circled Montgomery County Airpark in Maryland for roughly an hour working a nose-gear malfunction before making a hard landing with the nose gear apparently retracted; both occupants were uninjured.
A Cirrus pilot declared a fuel emergency after a flap malfunction forced a go-around, ultimately landing at a military airfield rather than the intended civilian destination.
On September 11, 2016, a Piper Turbo Arrow III crashed into an airport parking lot moments after takeoff from Reno-Tahoe International Airport, killing the pilot and two passengers; the NTSB found the aircraft was overloaded and the pilot impaired by multiple drugs.
On September 27, 2016, a Cessna 172 crashed near Laytonsville, Maryland, after its pilot — also a mechanic who had drained the engine oil during maintenance earlier that day — lost engine power and stalled while trying to stretch a glide back to the airport.
On September 19, 2026, a Cirrus SR20 lost engine power shortly after departing Asheville Regional Airport; the pilot deployed the aircraft's parachute system, and it came down in a field in Arden, North Carolina, with both occupants suffering only minor injuries.
On September 15, 2026, the NBC Los Angeles news helicopter NewsChopper4 crashed into a parking lot in Chatsworth while covering a fatal bus collision, killing the pilot, the photojournalist aboard, and one person on the ground.
On September 17, 2026, a Texas Air National Guard F-16 crashed near Interlochen State Park, Michigan, during a training mission; the pilot ejected safely and was taken to a hospital, conscious and talking with law enforcement.
On September 13, 2026, an American Airlines A319 requested more spacing before departing Atlanta, was told no wake-turbulence rule applied, then had its takeoff clearance pulled and the crew issued a pilot-deviation warning.
An ABX Air cargo flight declared an emergency and diverted to Las Vegas; specific cause and outcome are not detailed in available sourcing.
On September 13, 2026, a Piper pilot declared an emergency after reporting an engine failure; specific location and outcome are not detailed in available sourcing.
A United 737 departing San Francisco reported striking an unknown object at approximately 620 feet; the object's identity and the flight's outcome are not detailed in available sourcing.
A Cessna 172H pilot reported an engine misfire; after ATC suggested diverting to the nearest airport, the pilot elected to continue to the original destination instead.
On September 16, 2026, a NetJets Cessna Citation Latitude diverted to Missoula, Montana, and landed with its nose gear retracted after a landing-gear malfunction; both pilots were uninjured.
On September 17, 2026, a Cessna 180 amphibian reported a landing-gear issue approaching Boise Airport; it landed safely but became disabled at the end of the runway, forcing arriving flights to divert until it could be moved and the runway inspected.
On September 17, 2026, Qantas Flight 97 from Brisbane declared a mayday for smoke in the forward cargo hold just after reading back its landing clearance at Manila; the aircraft landed safely.
On September 14, 2026, Volaris Flight 1741 declared a mayday and returned to Las Vegas after its right engine failed and flames were visible from the ground shortly after departure for Guadalajara; the aircraft landed safely with no injuries.
On September 14, 2026, Slate Aviation 719 declared a mayday after its flaps failed to retract from the takeoff setting shortly after departing Teterboro, choosing to keep working the problem on departure frequency before returning for a faster-than-normal approach.
On September 16, 2026, ABX Air 5103 declared an emergency just after midnight over Miami for erratic engine sensor readings — then, with hours of fuel in hand, chose to hold and work the checklist rather than land immediately.
On September 16, 2026, Citation V N560RE flew two go-arounds at Chicago Midway — the second after an engine failure — before landing safely on one engine, then got tangled in a confusing taxiway exchange with the tower afterward.
On September 16, 2026, Citation callsign Rodeo 971 reported a right engine failure inbound to Teterboro and declined a straight-in approach twice, taking twenty minutes of vectors to set up the landing on its own terms before landing safely with no assistance required.
FlightFollower