In July 2024, a LATAM Airlines Boeing 777-300ER scheduled for a flight from Milan to São Paulo suffered a severe tail strike during takeoff, an event recently reclassified as an accident by Italian investigators (ANSV). The root cause was a staggering 100-ton weight miscalculation made by the crew during pre-flight performance planning.
The error originated when the line-training captain mistakenly subtracted the expected taxi fuel from the aircraft’s zero-fuel weight. This mental arithmetic error resulted in a reported take-off weight of 228.8 tonnes, whereas the actual weight was 328.4 tonnes. Because this incorrect figure was announced verbally, both pilots entered the same erroneous data into their respective Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs). This created a "single point of failure," as the standard cross-check appeared to confirm the data since both devices yielded identical (but wrong) performance speeds.
As a result, the aircraft attempted to rotate at 149 knots—roughly 30 knots slower than required for its actual mass. Despite a "V-speeds unavailable" warning from the flight management computer, the crew proceeded with the takeoff. The aircraft struggled to lift off, dragging its tail along the runway for over 700 meters before the cruise captain intervened by commanding full thrust.
The jet eventually became airborne and returned to Milan safely after dumping 72 tonnes of fuel. While no injuries occurred, the aircraft sustained significant structural damage and remained grounded for seven months. The investigation highlights how high cognitive load and procedural lapses can cause even advanced automated systems to fail if fed incorrect human data.
https://simpleflying.com/100-ton-weight-miscalculation-pilots-latam-777-accident-milan/
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On Sun 18th January 2026, a catastrophic collision involving two high-speed trains near Córdoba, in southern Spain, claimed the lives of at least 41 people and left scores more injured. The incident involved two premier services—an Iryo train and an AVE service—which collided while passing one another at high speed.
The sheer force of the impact was so great that aerial footage of the aftermath showed the train carriages coming to rest a significant distance apart. Emergency responders worked throughout the night to reach passengers trapped in the mangled wreckage. Investigators are currently looking at technical and structural cause - central to the probe is a 30cm gap discovered in one of the rails.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y2qjy9l4yo
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Nvidia boss Jensen Huang on 05/01/2026 announced Alpamayo, a tech platform the company says will help self-driving cars think like humans.
"Alpamayo brings reasoning to autonomous vehicles, allowing them to think through rare scenarios, drive safely in complex environments, and explain their driving decisions," Huang said on stage at the annual CES technology conference in Las Vegas.
Huang also said Nvidia has begun producing a driverless car powered by its technology, the Mercedes-Benz CLA, in partnership with the German automaker.
The vehicle will be released in the US in the coming months before being rolled out in Europe and Asia.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0jv1vd571wo
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As the number of satellites in orbit continues to climb, so does the risk of their remnants falling back to Earth, and into the path of commercial airliners. A 2025 study conducted by the University of British Columbia estimates a 26% probability that, within a year, uncontrolled space debris will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere over heavily trafficked airspace. And by 2030, the probability of an individual commercial aircraft encountering a piece of debris could reach 1 in 1,000, based on earlier modelling.
These particles pose a unique risk to jet engines, navigation systems, and fuselage integrity. While atmospheric entry typically burns up most of a spacecraft, some elements, particularly metallic and composite structures, can endure, retaining enough mass and velocity to inflict damage.
Virgili Bastida and his team recently published their findings in the Journal of Space Safety Engineering. Their work focuses on the challenges of determining when and where airspace should be closed due to potential re-entry threats, an issue that becomes increasingly complex as launch frequency rises.
https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/space-debris-could-soon-disrupt-flights/
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Specially commissioned drones will be used to fly blood donations as part of a new trial.
Currently, blood donations are processed in south Wales then transported by road, a journey that can take hours.
The ultimate ambition of the Dragon's Heart project is to fly life-saving blood samples to the scenes of accidents using drones weighing about 55lb (25kg) and 5.5ft wide (1.7m).
The pilot, which is due to start in early 2026, was described as significant and exciting by the Welsh Blood Service.
A hatch in the top means the blood sits in the body of the drone, helping to control the temperature of the blood and minimise vibrations.
The Welsh Blood Service said it would be testing the blood transported as part of the trial, with drones only going as high as about 2,000ft (610m).
Peter Richardson, deputy director and head of quality, safety and regulatory compliance, said: "Rest assured we will make sure that not only is the blood safe when it arrives for use, but actually that we don't waste any of the really valuable donations that our generous donors give us."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0q524yly20o
img: Bibeyjj, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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