Family of 4 Dead After Plane Hits Highway

(NEWSER) - An Italian mom too frightened to take a helicopter tour of Manhattan saved her life—but lost most of her family as the copter collided with a plane over the Hudson River, reports the New York Daily News. Silvia Rigamonti got cold feet at the last minute. The tour was supposed to be part of her 25th wedding anniversary celebration. Soon after she chickened out, her teenage son, husband, and a family of three who had traveled to New York with Rigamonti's family were dead. More»

Girlfriend sent driver a text moments before crash

(NEWSER) - Should the person who sends a text message to a driver be held liable if an accident occurs? A judge in New Jersey says no. He threw out a lawsuit today against a young woman who texted her boyfriend moments before he crashed into two motorcyclists, reports the Star-Ledger . "I find that there was no aiding, abetting here in the legal sense," declared Judge David Rand. More»

'Joy flight' pilot approached mountain infamous for crashes

(NEWSER) - The crash of a Russian jet during a demonstration flight in Indonesia last week may have been caused by pilot bravado, Der Spiegel finds. The flight was all about offering a spectacular show to journalists and potential buyers, and the captain of the Sukhoi SuperJet-100, despite his inexperience, appears to have attempted a foolhardy move before crashing into the side of a mountain, experts say. Steep mountain ridges and chaotic air circulation patterns make the area tricky even for local pilots, but the Sukhoi pilot "had absolutely no experience with the area's unique topographical traits," a flight safety expert says. More»

Austin Anderson credited with saving Hannah Luce

(NEWSER) - When the Cessna he was traveling in with four friends went down in a Kansas field Friday, 27-year-old former Marine Austin Anderson managed to pull friend Hannah Luce, 22, from the burning wreckage. The other three passengers, including the pilot, died at the scene, while Anderson and Luce were somehow able to get to a road for help—but the heroic Anderson later died at a hospital with burns over 90% of his body, leaving Luce the only survivor. More»

Aircraft hits hill on approach to Jomsom airport

(NEWSER) - A plane carrying 21 people crashed in the Himalayas this morning as it was attempting a landing in the north of Nepal. At least 15 people were killed, reports the BBC . The Agni Air plane crashed into a hillside about a mile from the Jomsom airport, a hub for trekkers. The injured, including two children, are being treated at a nearby hospital. Most of the fliers were from India and were believed to be traveling to the Muktinath temple, which is popular with Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims. CNN reports that a technical problem interfered with the plane's ability to land normally. More»