Cessna flips over at John Wayne Airport; pilot blames United jet blast
The gist
A Cessna 172 overturned on the ramp at John Wayne Airport with two aboard, neither injured.
Pilot and operator blame jet blast; the FAA is still investigating.
How it unfolded
- Nov 6, 2026A Southwest flight from John Wayne Airport bound for San José declared a general emergency just after takeoff at 11:30 a.m. over engine issues and landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport.
- Nov 7, 2026A Cessna 172 registered as N57BM overturned at around 2:30 p.m. on the ACI Jet ramp at John Wayne Airport; two people were aboard and neither was injured.
- Nov 8, 2026The FAA said the Cessna was "blown over" while taxiing behind United Airlines Flight 2611 and that it will investigate, calling the information preliminary. Airport spokesperson AnnaSophia Servin said there were no injuries and no impact to operations.
Key terms
- jet blast
- The high-energy exhaust stream from a jet engine, which can damage or injure people and objects behind the aircraft.
- FAA
- U.S. Department of Transportation agency that regulates civil aviation, air traffic control and aircraft certification.
- general aviation
- All civil aviation operations other than commercial air transport and specialized aerial work services.
Source: Wikipedia