I really can't understand why such systems are still used when there are somple, robust systems that could be used on what might be described as"heritage" design new aircraft. Indeed some of the "new kid" designs do use them.

Lawyers. It was certified by a government agency a long time ago. Ergo the person using the design can't be sued for the design. It is old and it is blessed. Insurance is cheap. (The law is f'd like that, lawyers ethics)

PS Textron is the builder, Cessna is a brand. Long ago they were a builder. Like Boeing being the builder of Stearman biplanes.

The Air India Boeing 787 Crash:


There's an incredible amount of online speculation, including that of deliberate suicide.

However...

There remains the question of what happened (or not) with the fuel cut-off switches...

Note how there is no mention of whether or not those switches functioned properly.


Three questions that I have are:

• Were the protection gates on the switches working properly to prevent inadvertent switching?
  
  
• Can the switches be left positioned in a mid-position such that the protection gates have not engaged?
  
  
• Why was it that part of the cockpit, for that particular aircraft, had been replaced multiple times?
  

This is very definitely one to watch!

Fly safe??
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Were the protection gates on the switches working properly to prevent inadvertent switching?

With over 50 years in electronics, I have never seen two identical mechanical components, fail in the same manner, in the same equipment, at the same time.
So, I can accept one switch having problems, but both failing is almost statistically impossible.

Can the switches be left positioned in a mid-position such that the protection gates have not engaged?

No.
If the spring had failed and the switch was somehow put into a position at the top of the protection hump, under gravity and vibration it would fall into the down position.

(The cockpit is a minefield...?)

It is a complicated and over crowded piece of realistate.

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Guess this goes here.



The collision was caught on camera during the Eurofighter display at San Javier Air Base



Seagull smashes cockpit of £73m Spanish fighter jet

The moment a seagull collided with a Spanish fighter jet and smashed through the cockpit was captured in an extraordinary photograph.

The £73m warplane was performing in the Eurofighter display at San Javier Air Base on June 15 when it had a stroke of bad luck. The pilot landed and was unharmed.

Aviation photographer Javier Alonso de Medina Salguero unwittingly captured the spectacle, only realising when he checked his camera later on.

Was this a have to clean out your shorts moment?

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Was this a have to clean out your shorts moment?

Definitely a must clean out bird feathers from cockpit moment:

Runway incursion, MEX, July 21, 2025

The incursion is from the 35 sec mark- the number of failures here is seriously concerning. ATC and the aircrew in both aircraft.

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Grant
Darwin NT

Antonov AN-24 passenger plane (44 seats) crashed in Russia's Far East on the route from Blagoveshchensk near the Chinese border to Tynda, Amur oblast (570km, 350 mi) northwest of Blagoveshchensk with 43 passengers, six crew.

The AN-24 is among the oldest Soviet aircraft still used by Russian airlines, most manufactured in the 1970s, production was shut down in 1978. A modern replacement is overdue. Russia's aircraft industry since a long time plans to replace these short haul aircraft with modern domestic ones.

Wreckage found after plane carrying 49 people goes down in Russian far east

Southwest flight descends 475 feet to avoid 'midair collision' with Hawker Hunter
The incident occurred shortly after take off

A Southwest flight rapidly descended 475 feet to avoid a Hawker Hunter aircraft on Friday, according to flight tracking data and passengers on the plane.

About six minutes after Southwest flight 1496 took off from Hollywood Burbank Airport in Los Angeles County, it abruptly descended from 14,100 feet to 13,625 feet, according to flightRadar24.

Steve Ulasewicz, a passenger on the flight who said that they experienced what felt like a "significant drop," told ABC News the pilot announced that they had performed the maneuver to "avoid a midair collision."

Southwest Airlines said in a statement that two flight attendants are being treated for injuries after the incident.

The other plane, a Hawker Hunter with the N number N335AX, was at an altitude of approximately 14,653 feet when the Southwest flight began to descend. The planes were 4.86 miles apart at their closest point, according to FlightRadar24.

A source told ABC News, there were multiple Hawker Hunter aircraft in the area doing a normal operation at the time.

Passengers flee smoking jet on emergency slide after apparent landing gear problem at Denver airport

Updated 9:37 AM CDT, July 27, 2025
DENVER (AP) — Passengers slid down an emergency slide of a smoking jet at Denver’s airport due to a possible problem with the plane’s landing gear, authorities said.

American Airlines Flight 3023 reported a “possible landing gear incident” during its departure from Denver International Airport on Saturday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was on its way to Miami International Airport.

Video aired by local media showed people sliding down the inflatable chute near the front of the plane while clutching luggage and small children. Some of the passengers, including at least one adult carrying a young child, tripped at the end of the slide and fell onto the concrete runway tarmac. The passengers were then taken to the terminal by bus.

One of the passengers was transported to a medical facility, authorities said. Five people were evaluated for injuries at the scene but did not require hospitalization, Denver International Airport officials said in a statement.

“About halfway to takeoff speed, we hear a big bang and a pop,” passenger Shaun Williams told KUSA-TV. “The pilot immediately started abort procedures for taking off. You could feel him start to hit the brakes.”

Firefighters called to the airport extinguished a fire after responding to the aircraft, the Denver Fire Department said.

In a statement, the FAA said it will investigate.

Passengers flee smoking jet on emergency slide after apparent landing gear problem at Denver airport

American Airlines Flight 3023 reported a “possible landing gear incident” during its departure from Denver International Airport on Saturday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was on its way to Miami International Airport.

It seems this incident was more severe than just a burst tyre...

An American Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration N306SW performing flight AA-3023 from Denver,CO to Miami,FL (USA) with 173 passengers and 6 crew, had been taxiing out to Denver's runway 08, lined up but requested runway 17L due to winds, vacated the runway, taxied to runway 17L, lined up, requested runway 35R due to winds, vacated again, taxied across the airfield to runway 34L, lined up, was cleared for takeoff and accelerated for takeoff at 14:15L (20:15Z) about 35 minutes after beginning taxi. At about 125 knots over ground the left hand main gear strut collapsed, the aircraft skidded to a stop on the runway on nose gear, right main gear and left hand engine, a fire started below the aircraft. Tower advised the crew "you are actually on fire". An emergency evacuation via slides was initiated. Paramedics checked 7 people with minor injuries, one of them was taken to a local hospital.

Source: The Aviation Herald

It hasn't been a good couple of days.

Germany- Train crash near the town of Riedlingen.

At least three people are dead and others are seriously injured after a regional passenger train derailed in southern Germany.
It was not immediately clear how many people were injured. Police initially said four people died before correcting their statement to say there were three victims. Authorities declined to say how many people were injured or how seriously hurt they were.

And then this last night-
Australia- A Virgin aircraft has been damaged on the side after hitting a tow vehicle at Melbourne Airport.

Equipment failure, of failure to follow SOP?

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Grant
Darwin NT

Germany- Train crash near the town of Riedlingen.

Three dead after sewage overflow causes German train to derail, say police

Three people have been killed and several others badly hurt after an overflowing sewage shaft caused a landslide that derailed a passenger train in south-west Germany, local authorities say.
Prosecutors said the train crashed between Riedlingen and Munderkingen near Stuttgart on Sunday following heavy rain in the area.
The deluge is believed to have caused an overflow, triggering a landslide on the banks running next to the tracks.
The train driver, another rail employee and one passenger died, while 41 people were injured. On Sunday, German Chancellor Freidrich Merz said he "mourn[ed] the victims" and offered his "deepest sympathy" to their families.

It hasn't been a good couple of days.

Germany- Train crash near the town of Riedlingen.

At least three people are dead and others are seriously injured after a regional passenger train derailed in southern Germany.
It was not immediately clear how many people were injured. Police initially said four people died before correcting their statement to say there were three victims. Authorities declined to say how many people were injured or how seriously hurt they were.

This DB612 (two-car diesel multiple unit) train type is currently the fastest (up to 160 km/h resp. 100 MPH) and most powerful type for unelectrified main lines in the low mountains, where its tilting technology of the bogies allows for increased curve speeds and significantly reduces travel time. In the past, this train type had problems with wheel set breakage but these problems have been resolved by redesign.

High curve speeds and tilting technology on classic railway lines (terrain-adapted; few tunnels; dating back to the 19th century) place considerable stress on the bogie and railway track and pushes the limits of physics.

Add the heavy rainfall from the past days...

We have major problems in Germany with maintenance of railway lines. German Railways (Deutsche Bahn) formally is a stock company wholly owned by the federal state. But their managers (incentives; bonus...) operate it like a stock corporation minimizing costs; thus maintenance. The federal laws on railways separated responsibility for continuous maintenance (budget of German Railways) and major reconstruction, e.g. improvements of track quality; signal tech renewal... (federal state budget). By minimizing continuous maintenance, railway lines degenerate to such an extent that a complete reconstruction becomes necessary; BUT not at the expense of German Railways.

This is a serious design flaw in this state-owned company dating back to the founding of Deutsche Bahn in 1994 (previously a government agency). Politicians have not addressed it to date.

The previous deadly train accident in 2022 near Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Bavaria) leading to the derailment of a couple of large double-decker carriages was caused by broken railway sleepers; thus insufficient track maintenance.

Three people have been killed and several others badly hurt after an overflowing sewage shaft caused a landslide that derailed a passenger train in south-west Germany, local authorities say.[...]

This accident site looks strange... (deformed section, dozens of meters apart from the landslide)

...seven photos in gallery ca. 50% down this website. (Source: SWR: Southwest German Public Broadcasting)

The Ulm-Sigmaringen railway along the upper Danube river was opened in the 1870s.

As some may know, I am in Mexico traveling to find a suitable retirement location. I am traveling by plane, bus, and car. (Currently thinking of buying a motorcycle, but that’s another issue. I’m nearly 70.) I came this way as a youth on passenger rail. It was great. I had a cabin with seats during the day that were converted into bunks at night. Porters were great, there was a car for food, the last one was a sitting/observation car, and you could walk/run between cars. Passenger rail ended in 1997 when the government privatized the system. It was purchased by Kansas City Southern, an American company, and converted to freight.
The good news: Mexico is taking the rails back. American companies will still be allowed to run freight, but two new high-speed rail lines have been started, and several older lines are being reclaimed and restored. Rail is coming back!