All posts tagged: Kentucky News

UPS Plane Aborts Landing in Louisville After Small Plane Crosses Its Runway in Latest Close Call

UPS Plane Aborts Landing in Louisville After Small Plane Crosses Its Runway in Latest Close Call

Published by Sam Flores

A UPS cargo plane had to abort its landing in Louisville earlier this week when a small plane crossed the runway just as it approached. The air traffic controller yelled “Skylab 25, stop!” at the small plane before quickly ordering the UPS plane to pull up and perform a maneuver called a go-around to avert another tragedy at Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport, which is a major hub for UPS. The audio was posted online by www.LiveATC.net. Just last November, a UPS plane crashed after an engine fell off as it was rolling down the runway to take off. The National Transportation Safety Board announced Thursday that it plans to hold two days of investigative hearings starting May 19 to learn more about why the crash that killed 14 people happened. Fortunately, no one was hurt in this latest incident, which happened about 12:10 a.m. Tuesday. Right after the cargo plane safely pulled up, the controller asked “Skylab 25, what are you doing?” The pilot responded “Skylab 25, yeah, sorry about that.” The Federal Aviation …

‘Radiant’ Mother From Kentucky Among 6 US Service Members Who Died in Air Crash in Iraq

‘Radiant’ Mother From Kentucky Among 6 US Service Members Who Died in Air Crash in Iraq

Published by Sam Flores

A woman raising two children was among the six U.S. service members killed last week when a refueling plane involved in the war with Iran crashed in western Iraq. Tech Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, hailed from a large family in Bardstown, Kentucky, and was “very, very” proud of her military career, her husband Gregory Pruitt said Sunday. “I’ll give you something brief -– in a word, radiant,” he said on a phone interview, trying to hold back tears. “If there was a light in the room, she was it.” Survivors include the couple’s 3-year-old daughter and Sgt. Pruitt’s stepson. Most recently, she had served with the 99th Air Refueling Squadron from Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base in Birmingham, Alabama. She was an assistant flight chief of operations and was an instructor in operating the boom of a KC-135. Pruitt joined the military nine years ago and had previously deployed overseas three times. She had nearly 900 combat flight hours and two associate degrees from the Community College of the Air Force. Crash in …

Crew of Fatal US Military Crash Included Alabama Father Recently Deployed and Several From Ohio

Crew of Fatal US Military Crash Included Alabama Father Recently Deployed and Several From Ohio

Published by Sam Flores

A pilot from Alabama had just been promoted to major in January and had been deployed less than a week when the refueling aircraft he was aboard crashed in Iraq this week, killing him and five others, his brother-in-law said Saturday. Alex Klinner, 33, leaves behind three small children: 7-month-old twins and a 2-year-old son, his brother-in-law, James Harrill, said Saturday while confirming his death. “It’s kind of heartbreaking to say: He was just a really good dad and really loved his family a lot — like a lot,” Harrill said. Klinner was one of three people killed in the Thursday crash who the U.S. government said were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida and who Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said were stationed in Birmingham. On Saturday, the U.S. government identified the other two as Capt. Ariana Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington, and Tech. Sgt. Ashley Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky. Three additional deceased service members on the aircraft were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing …

Military Families Anxious About Unknowns of Iran War, Proud of Their Service Members

Military Families Anxious About Unknowns of Iran War, Proud of Their Service Members

Published by Sam Flores

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — In the military-heavy communities surrounding Fort Campbell, a sprawling U.S. Army base that straddles the Tennessee-Kentucky line, the war in Iran is on a lot of people’s minds. The base is home to the 101st Airborne Division, known as “the Screaming Eagles,” which has been a key force in America’s major conflicts since World War II. After Sept. 11, 2001, tens of thousands of troops from the post started regular deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. During troop surges in those countries, yearly combat casualties in the division surpassed some of its deadliest years in Vietnam. The towns of Oak Grove, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee, surround the base and cater to the soldiers there with military clothing stores, barbershops and fast food restaurants. War memorials and monuments fill the cities’ green spaces. There are American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts and military support centers. At Austin Peay State University, in Clarksville, a third of the students are military or veterans. ‘Mixed emotions’ about the conflict Juan Munoz is an Army …