Crash landing

'Mad' Mike Hughes dies after crash-landing homemade rocket

"Mad" Mike Hughes, 64, crash-landed his steam-powered rocket shortly after take-off near Barstow on Saturday.

A video on social media shows a rocket being fired into the sky before plummeting to the ground nearby.

Hughes was well-known for his belief that the Earth was flat. He hoped to prove his theory by going to space.

Saturday's launch was reportedly filmed as part of Homemade Astronauts, a new TV series about amateur rocket makers to be aired on the US Science Channel. The project had to be carried out on a tight budget.

Eight injured in Air Niugini crash

Flight PX73 was making a scheduled stop at Chuuk International Airport on the way from Pohnpei to Port Moresby on Friday, September 28.

The Boeing 737-800 was on final approach in very poor weather according to the airline.

At 10:10am local time the plane crashed short of the runway into the lagoon in heavy rain and reduced visability the airline said in a statement.

The plane later sank in the lagoon after passengers and crew were evacuated to Chuuk's main island of Weno.