http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Plane-makes-emergency-landing-at-old-Alameda-10418783.php

The pilot of a small Oakland-bound plane made an emergency landing at the former Alameda Naval Air Station on Thursday after his trajectory was blocked by thick clouds, according to officials.
A call came in about 4:45 p.m. from the Federal Aviation Administration in Sacramento reporting a plane was in distress, saidAlameda Fire Capt. Jim Colburn.
Bad weather forced the plane to land on a runway at the station, which has been closed since 1997, Colburn said. The plane, a Cessna 172, landed “because of cloud cover at the intended destination of Oakland International Airport,” said Ian Gregor, an FAA spokesman.
The pilot was not injured, he said. It was not immediately clear if there was a passenger on board. Authorities said no damage to the plane was reported.
Before the navy acquired title to the area in 1936, it was occupied by a borax processing plant, an oil refinery, and an airport for the City of Alameda.
After the navy took over, the station primarily provided facilities and support for fleet aviation activities. The station was designated for closure in September 1993, and ceased all naval operations in April 1997.
Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno

http://abc7news.com/news/one-dead-in-concord-plane-crash-near-kirker-pass-rd/1572710/

CONCORD, Calif. (KGO) --
A plane crashed in a hilly area near Concord Tuesday afternoon, killing the lone person on board, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said.

Contra Costa Fire Protection District fire Inspector Steve Aubert said someone reported that they saw a plane go down near Kirker Pass Road in the area of Nortonville Road around 12:30 p.m. He says there were reports that the plane might have clipped power lines before crashing.

They say the small plane crashed, causing a brush fire that grew to a quarter-acre, but has since been put out. Fire officials say the recent helped keep the rain from spreading into a massive fire.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said the crash occurred about 6 miles east of Buchanan Field Airport in Concord and that the plane was a Beechcraft Bonanza that was destroyed in a post-crash fire.

Gregor said more information about the circumstances of the crash were not immediately available.

The pilot was the only person aboard the plane and FAA officials have not yet confirmed a registration number for the aircraft, Gregor said.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the plane crash, according to Gregor.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/british-airways-flight-san-francisco-diverted-vancouver-crew/story?id=43042541

Twenty-five British Airways crew members on board a flight from San Francisco to London were taken to hospitals in Vancouver, Canada, after their flight was diverted overnight, a hospital representative said.
The flight, which departed San Francisco International Airport Monday evening en route to London’s Heathrow Airport, was diverted after cabin crew members “became unwell,” British Airways said in a statement. The airline said that 22 cabin crew members and three pilots were taken to local hospitals “out of an abundance of caution.” All have since been released, the airline and representatives for the hospitals told ABC News.
A spokeswoman for Vancouver Coastal Health, which oversees two of the three hospitals where the crew members went, told ABC News this morning that the crew members were checked for smoke inhalation, but British Airways said that was not the case. Another representative for the health system later told ABC News that he could no longer confirm that they were assessed for smoke inhalation.
A pilot from the flight could be heard on an air traffic control radio recording saying he smelled “toxic fumes.” British Airways would not comment on the recording.
Steve Lowy, a passenger on the plane, told ABC News that during the flight, a pilot announced on the intercom that there were some “potential technical difficulties and that the crew were feeling unwell.”
After the flight landed in Vancouver, according to Lowy, paramedics boarded the plane and treated some crew members.
The diverted plane was British Airways Flight 286, according to Transport Canada, the Canadian government agency in charge of transportation policies and programs. The type of aircraft that typically makes that flight, an Airbus A380-800, can hold up to 469 passengers.
Jeffrey Cook, Fergal Gallagher and Joe Simonetti contributed reporting to this article.

​

San Francisco International's parade of progress never ceases to amaze, with at least one project of any kind taking place during every year of its 89 year history. This year will go down as the year of the New Tower, and also the closing of a chapter from its history - 1954 and 1962.

Now, we recall the rich history of SFO's control towers.

The airport's first control tower was all but a few bay windows jutting of the original 1927 Administration Terminal. A second story was added, making the addition the second control tower.

The third control tower was in the 1937 Administration Building, and was over four stories tall, quite an improvement.

This was later remodeled during the war years. As traffic increased, it became apparent that a new terminal would be required to handle the increase in traffic. Thus, the fourth control tower was built (keep in mind these did not all exist at the same time).

The fifth tower was built in 1983, along with the construction of the International Terminal. (The International Terminal of the 80s-2000 is now Terminal 2).

And now, we reach the 6th Control Tower, the 2016 Tower. Standing 221 feet above the apron, it is a modern design and sure to attract attention. It is located between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.

This month we'll change quite a bit on the site, however much of what you see will not be changed. Additions for this month are:


New Forum Section
New Upload your Own Photo Section
Moved Historic Photos to Photo Index Done
Moved ATC to Locations Done
 Moved Flight Tracking to Locations Done
Moved Preservation to Photo Index Done

Cheers!