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A Comp Air 8 aircraft carrying skydivers crashed in Finland on Sunday afternoon, killing eight people. The pilot and two skydivers were able to parachute to safety. The airplane was at about 10,000 feet when something went wrong -- some witnesses said parts of the aircraft appeared to detach before it began to descend, other reports cited possible engine trouble. The aircraft descended in a spin, according to witnesses, and was destroyed by fire on impact. "By Finnish standards, this is the most serious flight accident in decades," Ismo Aaltonen, an investigator with Finland's Safety Investigation Authority, said in a news conference.

Capt. Gregory McWherter, who served as Blue Angels commanding officer for two tours from 2008-10 and 2011-12, has been relieved of his duties due to "initial findings of an ongoing investigation into recent allegations of misconduct and an inappropriate command climate" at the Blue Angels during his command, the Navy said on Friday. McWherter had been serving as the executive officer of Naval Base Coronado in San Diego since last November.

Powering Imagination, a new project developed by Erik Lindbergh, announced this week it is partnering up with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to expand research into the development of electric propulsion systems for aircraft. As part of the partnership, students and faculty at the ERAU campus in Daytona Beach, Fla., will convert a Diamond HK36 motorglider to electric power. The airplane will be used jointly by both projects to "accelerate the growth of the electric flight industry," according to Lindbergh's news release.

NBAA has updated its guidelines for crew rest in business aviation and the new suggested limits reflect recent advances in scientific knowledge about how human beings react to and recover from fatigue.

The original owners of synthetic vision pioneer Chelton Flight Systems are now part of a group that has assumed control of the company and autopilot maker S-TEC Corporation.

The FAA has delayed for a year the implementation of much of its revision of rules governing helicopter operations to allow operators, and itself, time to adopt the many changes. The final rule was published Feb. 21 and was to take effect on Tuesday but it was apparently too soon for all involved.

Over the North Pacific in the middle of the night, we were catching up to a slower aircraft below us as we were coming up to a position-report waypoint. We listened out on the HF, and it was a MAC flight. He was obviously listening out as we gave our position report, and, shortly after, he came up on the air-to-air frequency. ... He asked: "Hey, what kind of an aircraft do you have with such a small amount of fuel?" ... We replied: "It's an A340 metric airplane, and the fuel is in kilograms." ... He said: "Oh. Now that makes sense." -- David Lamb, via e-mail

It seems unlikely that a teenage boy could survive a flight from California to Hawaii in the wheel well of a 767, but officials say surveillance video at both airports seems to confirm his story. The 16-year-old said he was running away from home when he hopped a fence and climbed into the wheel well of a Hawaiian Airlines jet at San Jose International. He arrived five and a half hours later at Maui's Kahalui Airport.

The first of six sites around the country for aerial testing of unmanned aircraft systems is now operational, the FAA said on Monday. Flight testing will begin at the North Dakota site the week of May 5. Data collected will "lay the groundwork for reducing risks and ensuring continued safe operations of UAS," said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. "We believe the test site programs will be extremely valuable to integrating unmanned aircraft [into the National Airspace System] and fostering America's leadership in advancing this technology."

Air Canada says it will fire two baggage handlers caught on video dropping carry-on items from the top of a stairway into a bin 20 feet below last week. Passenger Dwayne Stewart shot the video last Thursday at Toronto's Pearson International Airport as he and his incredulous seatmate watched through the window.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association recently held its annual Archie League Medal of Safety Awards, honoring controllers who have kept their cool in dangerous and challenging circumstances. There were controllers from each of the FAA's nine regions honored, including those on duty when Asiana Flight 214 crashed short of the runway at San Francisco International Airport last July 6.

A somewhat clearer photo of a so-far unidentified aircraft has emerged, this time from Wichita, and it shows a little more detail of the delta-shaped flying wing. The photo was taken by Jeff Templin in February, a few weeks before two photographers in Amarillo, Texas got images of what may be the same type of aircraft.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014 Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), featuring arrival and departure procedures for the Experimental Aircraft Association's 62nd annual fly-in convention July 28-August 3 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.

Despite strict economic sanctions in place against Iran, a U.S.-registered Bombardier Challenger, N604EP, was spotted on the ramp at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran earlier this week. Who is traveling in it and who is flying it are mysteries as the jet is registered to the Bank of Utah as trustee for the investors who have a financial stake in the airplane.