Hong Kong: Jardine Aviation staff threaten action

Staff of Jardine Aviation Services are threatening to take industrial action unless the firm improves their pay and working hours.

The employees union - which represents about half of the staff at the ground-support services firm - claims many of its members work long hours and shift patterns. In the most extreme case, it says a worker was rostered on for 28 days without a break.

The union's secretary-general, Wong Yu-loy, said it had held three rounds of talks with Jardine Aviation management over the past nine months without seeing any movement on its concerns. He said the union had waited long enough.

http://rthk.hk

Aft fuselage for Global 7000, 8000 to be built in Mexico: Bombardier

MONTREAL - Bombardier Inc. is adding to the heft of its Queretaro plant in Mexico by making it the sole manufacturing base for the aft fuselage of the new Global 7000 and Global 8000 long-range business jets due for delivery in 2016-17.

Queretaro began five years ago, making wiring harnesses for Bombardier aircraft. It is now building large parts for several Bombardier business aircraft, including the Global 5000 and 6000 business jets.

“Its participation in the Global 7000 and 8000 programs will contribute further to this world-class plant’s expertise and to Bombardier’s industry leadership,” Steve Ridolfi, president of Bombardier Business Aircraft, said in a statement.

Queretaro now employs 1,700 and builds the aft fuselage sections for the Global 5000 and 6000 business jets, as well as major composite structures for the new Learjet 85, such as fuselage lay-up and sub-system installation, wiring harness fabrication and installation, wing assembly and horizontal and vertical stabilizer assemblies.

Final assembly of the Global 7000 and 8000 series will be done at Bombardier’s Toronto plant, while Bombardier’s Global Completion Centre in Dorval will do the interior completions. Bombardier has already revealed the avionics, hydraulics, fly-by-wire, landing-gear, braking, fuel and air systems, engine and centre fuselage suppliers.

Bombardier itself will handle the fore fuselage section besides the aft section.

The large-cabin Global 7000, with four zones and 20 per cent more space than the existing Global 6000, will have a range of 13,520 kilometres and fly 10 passengers non-stop Sydney-Dubai or Beijing-Washington. First delivery is set for 2016.

The Global 8000 will have a three-zone cabin and range of 14,631 kilometres and fly eight passengers non-stop Sydney-Los Angeles, Hong Kong-New York and Mumbai-New York. Entry into service is due in 2017

http://www.montrealgazette.com

COZY MK IV, N795DB: Pilot killed in plane crash was on his way to furniture market.. Lexington, North Carolina

http://www.faa.gov/Accident_incident/preliminary

http://www.facebook.com/people/Roland-Bremer

LEXINGTON --  The pilot killed in a plane crash Sunday had been planning to visit the High Point Furniture Market.

Roland Augustus Bremer, 69, of Jacksonville, Fla., was the pilot and owner of the Mark IV plane that crashed Sunday morning. His passenger, Farshid Yaghmaee, also of Jacksonville, Fla., was injured but was in good condition Monday at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

The friends were going to High Point for the day to visit the furniture market, said Farnoosh Yaghmaee, Farshid's brother. Farnoosh Yaghmaee said his brother was resting and couldn't talk Monday. Bremer's family members could not be reached.

Authorities continued Monday trying to piece together what caused the plane to go down in a soybean field about a mile north of the Davidson County Airport.

Corky Smith, a senior investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, said he has not found any problems with the plane or the flight control.

Smith said the crash is still under investigation and that he needs to talk to witnesses, as well as Farshid Yaghmaee.

Peter Knudson, a spokesman with the NTSB, told the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville that a preliminary investigation did not find any gasoline in either of the four-seat airplane's tanks.

The plane went into a sharp descent and hit a tree in a soybean field.

Investigators on Monday appeared to be looking at an area just east of the airport near Brown Street and Henry Link Road, close to Lexington Furniture Brand plants numbers 5 and 6.

The crash site is not visible from that intersection. The east end of the runway is visible, and flights were taking off from the airport Monday morning.

The crash occurred Sunday just before 11 a.m. An airport employee noticed the plane approaching, and then it disappeared, Karel Van Der Linden said Sunday. Linden's Fly High Lexington organization manages the airport as a private contractor for the county.

Kathleen Bergen, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said the NTSB should have a preliminary report in five to 10 days.

http://www2.journalnow.com

Coroner queries whether 16 too young to fly. New Zealand.

CESSNA PILOT: Bevan Hookway, 17.

ANDREW GORRIE

SUBURBAN CRASH SITE: The wreckage of Cessna flown by 17-year-old Bevan Hookway.

Wellington regional coroner Ian Smith queried today whether New Zealand's starting age of 16 for pilot training was set too low.

However, CAA spokesman John McKinlay said it was in line with international practice and up to the judgement of a qualified and competent flight instructor.

The question came on the first morning of the inquest into the deaths of two teenagers and a 30-year-old in a mid-air crash above Paraparaumu.

Those who died were the solo pilot of a Cessna light plane, Bevan Hookway, aged 17, and the occupants of a Robinson helicopter - student pilot James Taylor, 19, and the experienced rescue pilot testing him, David Fielding, 30.

Bevan Hookway, who was studying aviation, was sufficiently skilled and competent to fly solo, the coroner was told.

Mr Smith said he was "a little surprised'' that Bevan, who had only five hours solo (experience), was flying from "such a massively busy airport like Paraparaumu.''

He was concerned about placing young people with very limited flying experience alone at the controls.

Mr McKinlay said that over the years "we have thousands of student pilots through this process and it has been successful.''

It was up to the judgement of the flight instructor, and risks needed to be recognised and mitigated, he said.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz

Air Force F-15 figter jet crashes in remote area north of Las Vegas; pilot ejects safely

ALAMO, Nev. — An Air Force fighter jet crashed in a remote part of southern Nevada on Monday, but the pilot was able to eject from the aircraft and was uninjured, a military spokesman said.

The F-15C Eagle crashed in an unpopulated area northwest of Alamo, Nev., about 4:45 p.m., said Lt. Ken Lustig, a spokesman for Nellis Air Force Base. Alamo is about 100 miles north of Las Vegas.

“There’s no ongoing threat to the public,” Lustig said. “It’s a fairly remote area.”

The pilot was taken to Mike O’Callaghan Federal Hospital for an examination that revealed no injuries, Lustig said.

Lustig didn’t have any details about the nature of the flight and couldn’t say whether the jet that crashed was accompanied by other aircraft.

An investigation into the cause of the crash was already under way Monday night, Lustig said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com

Madison Municipal Airport (KMDS), South Dakota: City to find new spot for excess snow

The Madison City Commission reviewed on Monday the minutes of the Oct. 18 airport board meeting that contained a recommendation for the city to stop dumping excess snow onto airport property.

During winter months, city snow removal crews have picked up snow from Madison's streets and moved it by dump truck to open areas at the airport where the snow is unloaded.

Municipal airport officials were notified by the Federal Aviation Administration that the city's ability to obtain federal grants would be jeopardized if Madison continued to dump snow onto airport land. The federal government could refuse to provide grant money for future projects at Madison Municipal Airport.

The federal government has typically provided 95 percent of the funding for major construction and maintenance projects at the airport.

The city commissioners also approved the final acceptance agreement for this summer's airport hangar taxiway project in which D&G Concrete Construction installed new concrete taxiways.

The final cost of the taxiway project was about $544,000.

http://madisonet.com

Airplane noise rattles south Minneapolis neighborhood

MINNEAPOLIS - Jason Stone thought he was getting away from airport noise when he moved into Nokomis East two years ago.

"We literally moved from the other side of the lake, getting out of the well established traffic pattern into an area where you still know the airport is there but you know what to expect," Stone said.

What he didn't expect was the traffic pattern to change. Stone said he and other neighbors noticed an increase in airplane noise in their neighborhood about four months but they didn't know why. Turns out the Federal Aviation Administration changed the traffic pattern and are now routing planes right over Stone's new house.

Elizabeth Isham Cory, a spokesperson for the FAA, said they are routing more departures over the neighborhood as a safety precaution after two planes almost collided last year.

Since the change airplane traffic in South Minneapolis has increased from 14,660 flights last year to 19,488 this year-that's almost a 33 percent increase, according to Metropolitan Airports Commission spokesperson Pat Hogan. Hogan said they are aware of the noise complaints but there is nothing MAC can do about it because the FAA controls the runways and air traffic.

However, Stone and fellow neighbors said they aren't giving up until they can get some peace and quiet. Council Member Sandy Colvin Roy will be joining the neighborhood in their fight. Colvin Roy said she wants answers about the increase in noise.

Stone said he expects about 100 neighbors to show up at MAC's public meeting Tuesday. He said even though MAC says they can't do anything he believes being heard is the first step toward a solution.

The Metropolitan Airports Commission Public Input meeting will be held Tuesday, October 25 at 7pm at the MAC general offices at 6040 28th Avenue South, Minneapolis. 

http://www.kare11.com

Planes travelling at five times the speed of sound could be with us by the end of the century

Passenger planes designed to carry people direct to their front door could come to pass by the end of the century, according to a new report today.

A report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IME) talked of a system called 'a sort of Ark Royal for the skies' that could see the UK at the forefront of future aerospace innovation.

Looking towards 2075 and beyond, the report talked of advances that could be made in aircraft design such as Scramjet planes able to fly at around 4,000mph - five times the speed of sound - and commercial aircraft flying in a V-shaped form designed to save power by making use of airflow generated by the plane in front.

Scramjet planes contain a type of jet engine, that allows them to 'combust' fuel and decelerate the incoming air to produce speed and thrust.

The fastest air-breathing aircraft is a Scramjet designed by NASA, which reached a velocity of Mach 9.8.

The report also discusses looking at ways to create a 'aircraft carrier' system in which a large aircraft carries individual units that can be released over a destination to float down to the designated area where a passenger needs to go.

Other ideas are a 'flying wing' design, where the plane's main body, wings and engine blended together and a 'flying fuel station' so future planes do not have to take off with full tanks.

IME chief executive, Stephen Tetlow chief executive of UME said that even in the next 20 years, there were potential sales of 25,000 new aircraft set to be worth more than £2,000 billion.

He said: 'Now is the time for industry and government to focus on sectors that can help lift the country's economy.

'The UK aerospace sector already employs over 100,000 people around the country and is worth over £29 billion a year to our economy, but we need to take action now to ensure this sector can continue to thrive and grow.

'There is great potential for new UK aerospace technologies, but in order to compete with emerging nations, we need to set up a strategic vision for UK aerospace, establish a new dedicated aerospace research body and restore research and development funding to pre-recession levels.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Pennsylvania: Cumberland County report looks at how to preserve and expand Carlisle Airport (N94)

DAN GLEITER The Patriot-News

One of Penn State's Life Lion helicopters lands at Carlisle Airport.

Think of airports and places like Harrisburg International and BWI come to mind.

But 75 percent of air traffic in the United States isn’t the big Delta Airlines or US Airways variety, but aircraft owned and operated by private individuals and businesses for leisure or corporate use, according to a 2004 report by the Transportation Security Administration.

And much of that air traffic flows through smaller privately owned airports such as Carlisle Airport in South Middleton Township.

These airports are seen as economic drivers in their communities, helping retain businesses and attract new ones. Carlisle Airport generates an estimated $7 million in annual economic activity, according to a 2010 study done for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

But each month at least one airport goes out of business somewhere in the United States, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Most often the facilities that close are ones like Carlisle Airport, which despite being a public airport is not eligible for federal money because of its for-profit private ownership, said Chris Dancy, spokesman for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

“Often times they can get substantially more money if they sell their property to developers than if they continue to operate it as an airport,” Dancy said.

Cumberland County officials say the county can’t allow that to happen to Carlisle Airport.

“It’s essentially irreplaceable,” said county Commission Chairman Gary Eichelberger, who in June 2009 asked the county’s nonprofit economic development office to do a study on how best to preserve Carlisle Airport and maximize its potential.

 

The results of that study — done at no cost to the county by a volunteer task force — were released this month.

The findings say the airport would benefit and be more viable with several improvements.

These start with upgrading the runway and adding a parallel taxiway so aircraft waiting to land don’t have to stay in a holding pattern overhead until the runway is clear.

Businesses and users also told the task force Carlisle Airport needs closer lodging, better access to ground transportation, such as rental cars, and expanded onsite facilities like a business lounge.

Jim Kingsborough, a member of the group that has owned Carlisle Airport since 1997, would not say whether the airport is profitable.

He said recreational flying is down due to the economy and higher fuel costs. But business travel remains steady.

While Kingsborough is pleased with the county report, saying it is generally positive, he’s not happy about a more than doubling of the airport’s property assessment that occurred as part of Cumberland’s 2010 county-wide revaluing of land. The airport is not tax-exempt.

“That’s been a heavy anchor on us,” Kingsborough said. The airport got its assessment lowered somewhat by appealing this year, and the airport plans to appeal the assessment again in the spring.

Eichelberger regrets that the reassessment — which he voted against when it came to certifying the results — is akin to the county saying one thing and doing another when it comes to preserving the airport.

“We may, as a county, be shooting ourselves in the foot,” he said.

The report suggests tax breaks and tax incentives could be the most effective strategies in effecting improvements.

The county in past years has considered acquiring the airport, so it would be publicly owned and qualify for federal money. In 1998, the now-defunct county transportation authority sought an FAA grant to buy the airport, but the deal fell through.

This new report says public ownership isn’t the panacea it once was, as no federal programs seem safe because of the national debt. Plus, “The county is not looking to own the airport,” Eichelberger said.

He said the study’s objective was being ready with a plan before things get to where the owners can’t run the airport anymore, or decide they don’t want to and there’s no one to succeed them.

One alternative could be an arrangement where the county and municipalities team with a group of private investors in a transition that could lead to eventual public ownership of the airport, Eichelberger said. Officials in Carlisle and South Middleton have expressed interest in being part of such a venture, he said.

Kingsborough declined to say how long the current owners are willing to hold on to the airport. But even if the price is right from a developer, getting out from under a public use airport isn’t as easy as just walking away.

Robert Rockmaker, executive director of the Aviation Council of Pennsylvania, said while Carlisle doesn’t qualify for the big FAA money, it is eligible for state grants for some improvements. Any airport receiving state money is obligated to stay a public airport for 10 years from the date of project completion, or the airport may have to pay the money back.

That doesn’t make it impossible for Carlisle Airport to be sold into another use, but it makes it considerably more challenging to do so, Rockmaker said.

PennDOT spokeswoman Erin Waters said Carlisle Airport since 2005 has gotten $1.2 million from the state. The state money comes from an aviation fuel tax.

BY THE NUMBERS

 

1963: Date Carlisle Airport was established

4,008 feet: Length of runway

60: Number of aircraft based there

1: Life Lion helicopter to cover the West Shore

67: Daily takeoffs or landings, many involving businesses and institutions, including U.S. Army War College, Dickinson College, Carlisle Events, Gannett Fleming, Giant Foods, PPG Industries

Sources: www.airnav.com, Cumberland County Economic Development Carlisle Airport Feasibility Study, airport owners 

http://www.pennlive.com

Diamond DA20: Hard landing. Flight instructor and student pilot uninjured. Pueblo Airport, Colorado. (With Video)

An instructor and a student walked away from a "hard landing" Monday afternoon at Pueblo Airport. One of the runways is closed.

An Air Force representative called the crash a "hard landing," which "dinged up the aircraft."

An airport representative who spoke LIVE on KKTV 11 News at 5:30 said the plane had difficulty while landing around 3:45 p.m. It left the runway and traveled about 125-feet south.

John Van Winkle with the Air Force said the plane is a Diamond DA20, which is a propeller driven side-by-side seated airplane. A lieutenant was onboard with a Doss Aviation pilot. The lieutenant was doing flight screening, basically learning how to land at airfields and learning the basics of flying.

Both the instructor and the student walked away without injuries. The NTSB is beginning their investigation into the crash.

Watch Video: http://www.kktv.com

Old hand returns for one last big job: Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules being upgraded at Base Woodbourne, near Blenheim

DEREK FLYNN

CAREFUL WORK: Royal Australian Air Force corporal Adam Bland, left, and air force flight sergeant Jeff McHaffie check each of the rivet holes around the cockpit of the first of three Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules being upgraded at Base Woodbourne, near Blenheim

Waikawa man Graeme Gilmore was supposed to be retired for good.

But when his old friend and former colleague, Deputy Secretary of Defence (acquisition) Des Ashton asked for help to put the C-130 Hercules life-extension project together, the retired Safe Air boss had to break a promise to his wife and come back for one last job.

Mr Gilmore is the Defence Ministry programme manager for upgrading the three remaining aircraft at Base Woodbourne. The upgrade is expected to extend the operational life of the planes by 15 to 20 years.

The $254 million project involves stripping and rebuilding the five 1960s C-130 Hercules, installing modern avionics and new systems to protect the aircraft from missile attack.

Two aircraft used as prototypes for the project have already been completed in the United States.

The Defence Ministry project is using a 50-strong team of mostly contractors after the original plan using Marlborough company Safe Air fell over last year.

Safe Air pulled out and underwent restructuring after more than two years of delays as the head contractor, US-based L-3 Communications, struggled to overcome technical problems with the project.

It was the first time the ministry had run a production project and it was a massive job, Mr Gilmore said.

The whole plane was being rewired – a total of 82 kilometres – and every part, down to each rivet, was being checked.

A total of 110,000 man hours were being spent on each plane, believed to be the largest single job on an aircraft in New Zealand, he said.

The first plane is due to be finished by April 30.

"One thing I'm crystal clear on is that we'll do the job and it will come out as a really good plane."

He has the credentials to be confident. He spent 33 years in the air force, and was former assistant chief of defence staff, engineering manager of Air New Zealand, vice-president of planning for Singapore Airlines and general manager of Safe Air.

He has retired a few times before being drawn back into work, but he and his wife moved to Waikawa to retire for good after his spell at Singapore Airlines.

"That was supposed to be it," he said.

But then Mr Ashton, approached him last year to help get the project running and he could not say no.

The contractors working on the project have come to Marlborough from around New Zealand and the world for the three-year project.

"There are some very clever guys working here," he said.

The upgrade team was finding more maintenance work than expected, he said. This needed more materials than planned, especially fasteners, but they were ordering enough to cater for the two remaining planes as well.

http://www.stuff.co.nz

Three Bids Compete for Hibbing Air Service, Delta May Stay. Range Regional Airport (KHIB), Minnesota.

Three companies have submitted bids to provide air service at the Range Regional Airport in Hibbing. The airport is recommending that Delta continue to be the provider.

Delta has submitted a bid that would lower the number of daily flights from three to two, but use jets instead of the smaller aircraft. The other companies include Air Choice One and Sovereign Air.

Airport Executive Director Shaun Germolus said once Minnesota's Department of Transportation gets comments from communities, they'll make a decision on a two-year contract.

http://www.wdio.com

Cirrus SR22T, N227TX: Accident occurred October 24, 2011 in Carrollton, Texas

NTSB Identification: CEN12FA037 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, October 24, 2011 in Carrollton, TX
Aircraft: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22T, registration: N227TX
Injuries: 1 Fatal,2 Serious.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On October 24, 2011, approximately 1135 central daylight time, a Cirrus SR22T single-engine airplane, N227TX, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain following a loss of engine power while maneuvering near Carrollton, Texas. The private pilot and one passenger each sustained serious injuries and a second passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was co-owned and operated by the pilot. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight departed the Addison Airport (ADS), Dallas, Texas, approximately 1045 and was destined for Houston, Texas.

According to preliminary air traffic control (ATC) communications and radar data, approximately 10 minutes after takeoff, the pilot reported he was experiencing a rough running engine and needed a direct return to ADS. The pilot was vectored to the instrument landing system (ILS) approach for runway 15. Approximately 2 miles from ADS while on the final approach course for runway 15, the pilot discontinued the approach and stated he was going "missed". The airplane was then vectored for another approach to runway 15. After turning on to the final approach course for the second ILS approach, the pilot stated he could not capture the glideslope and was executing another missed approach. The pilot then declared an emergency and no further communication were received by ATC from the pilot.

A witness observed the airplane flying low in a north to south direction. He heard the engine "sputter...slightly rev up" and then no sound. The airplane then made a left turn to the north, and the parachute deployed. The airplane then disappeared from the witness's view.

Another witness observed the airplane flying northwest to southeast going in and out of the clouds and fog. He reported the engine sounded "sick, like it was knocking, sputtering..." The airplane came out of the clouds in level flight low to the ground. The airplane then entered the clouds and the witness lost sight of the airplane.

The accident site was located adjacent to a single railroad track, and the airplane came to rest on its right side. The initial ground scar contained a separated section of the right wing tip. The right wing was separated from the airplane and came to rest between the initial ground scar and the main wreckage. The main wreckage consisted of the engine, left wing, fuselage, and empennage. Two of the three propeller blades were separated at the propeller hub and came to rest within the debris field. The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) was found deployed, and the parachute canopy came to rest in the debris field attached to the airframe. Three non-volatile memory chips were recovered from the primary and multi-function display units, and the remote data module was recovered from the empennage. The chips and module were sent to the NTSB recorders laboratory for data extraction.

At 1147, the ADS automated weather observing system, reported the wind from 230 degrees at 4 knots, 3 statue miles visibility, ceiling broken at 1,400 feet above ground level, haze, temperature 19 degrees Celsius, dew point 18 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.23 inches of Mercury.

The airplane was managed by Planesmart! Aviation of Addison for the owners of the airplane. The management program provided services to the owners to include, but not limited to, cleaning, maintenance coordination, hangar service and scheduling. Planesmart! Aviation had no operational control for the accident flight.

http://tfr.faa.gov/_1_9650.html


http://www.faa.gov/accident_incident/preliminary


http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N227TX

http://www.faa.gov/accident_incident/preliminary

http://tfr.faa.gov/_1_9650.html


http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N227TX


http://flightaware.com/photo

CARROLLTON (CBSDFW.COM) - At least one person has been killed in a plane crash near Hebron High School in Carrollton.

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesman Tony Molinaro, the Cirrus SR 22 aircraft had just taken off from the Addison Airport when the pilot reported engine trouble.

The pilot contacted the air traffic control tower, saying he needed to return. It is believed the pilot made one attempt at landing that was unsuccessful. The plane crashed just after 11:30 a.m. on second approach – going down in the 4200 block of Plano Parkway.

Carrollton Fire Chief Greg Samli said three people were onboard the plane.

At the Noon hour Chief Samli said rescue crews were working to get one person out of the plane and that another was already en route to a local hospital. The person transported to the hospital by ambulance was said to be conscious.

Police have blocked part of Plano Parkway as a precaution.

Fire crews from Addison and Lewisville are assisting the Carrollton Fire Department.

CARROLLTON, Texas - Three people were on board a small plane that crashed near the Hebron High School/9th Grade Center complex in Carrollton on Monday.

The aircraft, believed to be a Cirrus SR22, went down sometime before noon and crashed in a field near Hebron High School at 4207 Plano Pkwy.

The deceased was still in the wreckage as of about 12:30 p.m. but the injured were both transported to area hospitals, officials said.

Workers at PlaneSmart Aviation, a chartering service and pilot school at Addison Airport, confirmed the plane had taken off from their facility, but would not make any further statement.

Witnesses reported that the plane appeared to have been suffering a mechanical failure prior to the crash.

No identities were released and no further details were available.

CARROLLTON, Texas - Three people were on board a small plane that crashed near the Hebron High School/9th Grade Center complex in Carrollton on Monday.

The aircraft went down sometime before noon, crashing in a field near Hebron High School at 4207 Plano Pkwy.

The deceased was still in the wreckage as of about 12:30 p.m. but the injured were both transported to area hospitals, officials said.

They said the plane had taken off from Addison Airport.

Witnesses reported that the plane appeared to have been suffering a mechanical failure prior to the crash.

No identities were released and no further details were available. 

CARROLLTON, Texas - Three people were on board a small plane that crashed near the Hebron High School/9th Grade Center complex in Carrollton on Monday.

The aircraft went down sometime before noon, crashing in a field near Hebron High School at 4207 Plano Pkwy.

The deceased was still in the wreckage as of about 12:30 p.m. but the injured were both transported to area hospitals, officials said.

They said the plane had taken off from Addison Airport.

Witnesses reported that the plane appeared to have been suffering a mechanical failure prior to the crash.

No identities were released and no further details were available.
Witnesses reported that the plane appeared to have been suffering a mechanical failure prior to the crash.

No identities were released and no further details were available.

CARROLLTON -- A small plane that left out of Addison crashed around 11:35 a.m., killing one person.

The plane crash landed in the 4200 block of Plano Parkway near Hebron High School. The wreckage is not on school property, but about 100 yards on the other side of the railroad tracks.

WooHoo!!! Happy stories are rare these days . . . but this is a good one ENJOY! Delta Air Lines Engagement - Arvin & Alex

Arvin proposes to Alex on board Delta Air Lines Flight from ORD to LGA.

http://youtu.be/xU0OIxLmI3o

(Hat tip to Frank at 160 Knots)

Delta passenger tries to open door in flight

A Delta Air Lines flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta was grounded Sunday afternoon when a passenger tried to open the cabin door.

"We had an unruly passenger," Delta spokesman Anthony Black said.

Around 1:50 p.m., Transportation Security Administration was notified of a disruptive passenger on board Flight 1702, TSA spokesman Jon Allen said.

“For two or three minutes, it was very scary,” said Katie Hindman, who was returning home to Atlanta from vacation.

About an hour into the flight, Hindman said a man sitting in one of the emergency exit seats tried to open the emergency latch while the plane was at cruising altitude of more than 30,000 feet.

She was seated several rows behind the aisle where the incident occur, but could see a crowd gathered around the seat.

“It seemed that he retreated, and the passengers backed off,” Hindman said. “But he made a second run for it, and a big group of guys tackled him.”

She said the man laid on the ground for about 40 minutes as the plane returned to its departure point and flight staff subdued him.

“I thought Delta handled the situation really well,” Hindman said. “They struck a good balance of being professional and at the same time letting passengers know what what was going on.”

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the emergency doors won’t open while the cabin is pressurized, which is the case when the plane is in flight.

The flight returned safely to McCarran International Airport, where the individual was arrested by Las Vegas police, Allen said.

The disruptive passenger was arrested at the gate, and the plane took off again, arriving in Atlanta at 7:05 p.m.

http://www.ajc.com

(Hat tip to Jim in Augusta, Georgia  < < - - - - Loves helicopters)

Airport executive in hot water - Clark International Airport Corporation, Philippines.

A top official of Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) is in “hot water” after he was reportedly linked in the disappearance of more than P2 million worth of power line cables inside the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport recently.

CIAC president Victor Jose Luciano allegedly issued permits allowing four personnel of ACP Manpower identified as Cesar Mayo, Jose Canete III, Nilo Padua and Rolly Padua to enter the premises of the aviation complex.

Rey Catacutan, CIAC vice president for operations, said he caught the four personnel digging up underground cables inside the complex. He said most of the cables were stolen at the “high security” runway and taxiway of DMIA.

According to Catacutan, Luciano should be held liable, administratively and criminally for issuing permits to ACP Manpower personnel to enter restricted areas inside the airport.

It will be recalled that in 2009, the same manpower firm was also authorized by Luciano to demolish old buildings within the complex for scraps purportedly for the benefit of Aeta tribal folk.

A case against Luciano on this controversy has remained pending before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Catacutan said he had already informed President Benigno Aquino about the incident. He also submitted to the CIAC board last Friday several reports of the CIAC security and engineering departments on the reported pilferage.

He furnished the media copies of two letters allegedly handwritten by Luciano, authorizing the four personnel of ACP Manpower, owned by one Josie Gomez, to enter certain areas within the complex.

One undated letter was addressed to “security” allowing the four suspects one-week access to “Blocker 4” to do “ground maintenance.”

Another handwritten letter reportedly issued last September was addressed to a certain Chon Tee, also asking him to allow the same four persons to “assist in clearing operations.”

Catacutan said Tee was a Taiwanese farmer cultivating watermelons in a lot within the aviation complex.

He said the first letter was apparently written last July.

“As the security department is under me, I checked reports about their presence in the farm area last September and I personally caught the four in the act of digging up cables. The four then showed me Luciano’s authorization letter and claimed they had been told to show such letter to anyone who could question their operation there,” Catacutan said.

In a report last Sept. 9, Ruel Angeles, chief of the CIAC engineering, said the cables were pulled out from a manhole and some of them were found at the DMIA’s guard post apparently for pickup.

The report said two kinds of cables were missing: one kind was about 275 meters long and the other 900 meters. The cables were valued at P2.6 million.

http://www.journal.com.ph

Maneuvers before mid-air crash 'legal'

ANDREW GORRIE

SUBURBAN CRASH SITE: The wreckage of Cessna flown by 17-year-old Bevan Hookway.

ANDREW GORRIE

WRECKAGE: The helicopter crashed through the Paraparaumu Placemakers roof.

DAVE FIELDING: Helicopter pilot instructor.

Both pilots of a helicopter and a Cessna light plane that collided in midair over Paraparaumu in 2008 were doing legal manoeuvres.

Trainee helicopter pilot James Taylor, 19 was taking his final test flight with examiner Dave Fielding, 30, when their helicopter and a Cessna 521 flown by 17-year-old Bevan Hookway collided on February 17, 2008.

The helicopter fell through the roof of Paraparaumu's Placemakers store, just missing staff and customers, while the plane's fuselage landed about 250 metres away.

Taylor and Fielding died at the scene while Hookway later died in hospital.

At the first day of a three day coroner's inquest in Wellington officer in charge Detective Sergeant Ian Martin said Taylor was completing a 180 degree autorotation, a simulation of engine failure over the Paraparaumu Placemakers store as part of his test.

Hookway, on his fifth solo flight, was returning to Kapiti airport doing a manoeuvre called an overhead rejoin in preparation to land.

Martin said it was not known why they did not see each other.

Witnesses told police the plane tried to evade the helicopter but it was too late. The helicopter dropped into the store while the plane spiralled away and ended up on its roof in Dennis Taylor Drive.

Martin said there were several issues police looked into, including Taylor's blood alcohol level and a carbon monoxide reading in Hookway's blood.

Further testing showed neither were a factor in the collision.

Reports of the flaps not working correctly on the Cessna were also not considered to have contributed to the crash.

He said both pilots appeared to have been doing acceptable manoeuvres which then put them on a collision course.

There was no criminality from the police point of view and the issue became one of aviation safety, Martin said. 

http://www.stuff.co.nz

50 pound slab of blue ice falls off Air Force One narrowly missing “Occupy Las Vegas” protesters. Mc Carran International Airport (KLAS)

LAS VEGAS - A group of several dozen “Occupy Las Vegas” protesters camping on Clark County land located under the final approach to Runway 19 at McCarran International Airport today narrowly missed being injured when a 50 lb. slab of “blue ice” reportedly landed within feet of their tents.

According to witnesses, the slab fell to earth seconds after Air Force One passed overhead while landing.

Blue ice is the frozen material formed by leaks in commercial aircraft lavatory waste tanks, a mixture of human waste and vivid blue liquid disinfectant that freezes at high altitude. The ice generally dissipates long before the aircraft lands, but there have been documented cases of blue ice clinging to aircraft surfaces until the aircraft reaches warmer air on approach to landing, then the ice may separate from the aircraft and fall to earth.

Clark County Director of Aviation Randall Walker was immediately notified and dispatched airport personnel to the campsite, but witnesses report that the blue ice had melted by the time officials arrived leaving only a smelly brown residue.

Walker told INSIDE VEGAS that he is personally investigating the incident, and will communicate his findings to the President’s staff.

Occupy Las Vegas has county permission to camp in a vacant lot near McCarran International Airport and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

But they'll have to bring their own toilet paper.




A Clark County spokesman says the group obtained a 30-day permit Friday for the site near the Thomas & Mack Center arena — and within walking distance of the Las Vegas Strip.

He says the group must provide portable toilets.

The arrangement comes after days of negotiations with Clark County officials.

Some demonstrators also planned to change voting registrations to "nonpartisan" on Friday to show that Occupy Las Vegas isn't affiliated with a political party.

The demonstration is modeled after Wall Street protests in New York City blaming corporate interests for the nation's economic pain.


http://canadafreepress.com

http://www.mynews3.com

Detroit, Michigan: Hearing on Ficano recall language moved to November 9

A hearing to determine if the language on a recall petition against Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano clearly describes a course of action taken by Ficano has been changed to 2 p.m. Nov. 9.

Plymouth attorney Richard Convertino filed the recall petition with the Wayne County’s Election office last week, stating as a reason that Ficano approved a $200,000 severance payment for former top appointee who went on to a better job as the head of Metro Airport in Romulus at the same time he was asking county departments to cut and employees to take wage cuts.

The Elections Commission consists of Chief Probate Judge Milton Mack, Treasurer Raymond Wotjowicz and Clerk Cathy Garrett.

http://www.freep.com

Jet2 to reduce winter capacity as household incomes squeezed

THE managing director of Jet2.com said the budget airline is being forced to trim its winter capacity and reduce its prices as the squeeze on household incomes hits spending on holidays.

Jet2.com’s parent company Dart Group recently updated the market on trading and said it had a “satisfactory summer” despite the tough economy.

Passenger numbers increased 32 per cent in the six months to September 30 to 3.2 million. Load factors – a measure of how full its planes are – increased by over two per cent to almost 90 per cent.

Ian Doubtfire told the Yorkshire Post that the airline’s customers are booking their holidays later as they look for the best deals.

“The current UK climate is obviously making people think very carefully about their holidays with inflation costs, high fuel prices and less disposable income.

“We’re finding that we’re having to lower prices. We’re having to make sure that our prices are very low.”

Consumer price inflation spiked to a three-year high of 5.2 per cent in September, according to recent figures from the Office for National Statistics.

This was at the top end of expectations, driven up by higher utility prices and transport costs, as well as increased food prices. Economists expect inflation to fall in 2012, although much depends on oil prices.

Dart Group was hurt by higher fuel costs during its first half, which will drive margins below last year. Overall, the group said pre-tax profits for the first half of the year will be ahead of the same period in the prior year, with a similar level of losses expected in its normally loss-making second half.

The company said it still hopes to meet market expectations for the current year and announces its interim results on November 17.

Mr Doubtfire said: “We will tailor our capacity to demand and the demand is less in the winter so we’ve reduced capacity.”

He added that rather than axing routes, the company is using smaller aircraft on some routes, relying on the flexibility of its fleet of 24 Boeing 737-300s, 12 Boeing 757-200 and two Boeing 737-800s.

“It’s more about the size of aeroplanes. We’re taking full advantage of that.”

Mr Doubtfire added that Jet2.com is looking to increase capacity next summer.

He said: “We’re looking for opportunities to add capacity. There’s going to be a lot of demand around public holidays and the Jubilee.”

He declined to quantify the capacity changes.

Mr Doubtfire added that the company is combating the squeeze on household incomes by promoting its holiday arm, Jet2holidays, as a way of allowing consumers to spread the cost of a break.

He said: “We are offering package holidays and that allows people to fix their holiday budget. They can have variable length stays.

“People are very reluctant to give up their holidays.”

The company is also driving a harder bargain with its hotel partners, to bring down the cost of packages.

“The hotels are very keen to maintain their levels of bookings so we say ‘We’ve reduced our prices and want you to reduce your hotel costs’.

“They do accept it and we see a lot of support from tourist boards in places like Spain where tourism is very important to the economy.”

The aviation industry has struggled with high fuel costs in recent years, squeezing margins.

Mr Doubtfire said the company is combating higher fuel costs with a flight planning system introduced about a year ago.

Its FWZ programme optimises routes so that aircraft use less fuel and avoid congested airspace.

“For example, a lot of airspace gets closed for military exercises. It looks at the available airspace and chooses the optimum route in relation to the wind.

“We’re trying to get a situation where we get a tail wind. When flying to the Canary Isles we can go further to the west. It may be more track miles but can actually reduce flight times.

“With the global demand from emerging economies I think fuel is going to stay at a high level. All businesses have got to realise that this current economic situation is going to last quite a long time.”

The airline has faced increased competition at Leeds Bradford in recent years from rivals including Ryanair.

“We are confident in our product and continue doing our own thing,” said Mr Doubtfire. “We are here for the long term.”

He was keynote speaker at last’s week’s Mid Yorkshire Chamber dinner.

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk

Not airworthy - Cessna 172, N1817Y: Aircraft on takeoff, went off the end of the runway and the nose gear collapsed. Berlin, Wisconsin.

.

http://www.faa.gov/Accident_incident/preliminary

http://registry.faa.gov/N1817Y

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/N1817Y - Cert Terminated

AURORA- No one is hurt after authorities received a 9-1-1 call about an aircraft crashed at the Berlin Airpot on STH 49 in the Town of Aurora.

The person who called 9-1-1 reported the pilot was out of aircraft.

Officers from the Waushara County Sheriff's Office and Wisconsin State Patrol responded, identified the witnesses, pilot and completed an initial report.

That information was turned over to officials from FAA. FAA responded to the scene on Sunday, October 23, 2011. They will complete the investigation and file a final report.

The pilot is 78-year-old Lyell MW Hintz and he was advised that the aircraft was not approved for flight and must be removed via ground transportation.

The aircraft was a 1962 Cessna 172, and had a history of not being flight worthy prior to the crash.

http://www.620wtmj.com

Inquest into fatal midair crash - New Zealand

James Taylor

Bevan Hookway

An inquest into a fatal midair collision between a helicopter and a light plane over Paraparaumu in 2008 is to start today.

Wellington regional coroner Ian Smith is to look at issues surrounding the crash.

Trainee helicopter pilot James Taylor, 19, was taking his final flight test with examiner Dave Fielding, 30, when their helicopter and a Cessna 521 flown by 17-year-old schoolboy Bevan Hookway collided.

The helicopter fell through the roof of Paraparaumu's Placemakers store, just missing staff and customers, while the plane's fuselage landed about 250 metres away.

Mr Fielding and Mr Taylor were killed instantly. Mr Hookway died five hours later in hospital.

http://www.stuff.co.nz

Beechcraft Baron 58: Landing gear collapse closes runway at Richmond International Airport (KRIC), Virginia

Release from Richmond International Airport:

At approximately 3:35pm, a Beechcraft Baron 58 reportedly suffered a landing gear collapse while landing on RWY 16 at Richmond International Airport. The airport reports NO INJURIES onboard the aircraft, no significant damage to the runway.

With the incident and the previous closure of RWY 2/20 for maintenance, RIC is closed for large jet operations until approximately 5:45pm. Recovery and removal operations are underway, and the FAA's Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), based at RIC, is on the scene investigating the incident. A third runway, RWY 7/25 (5326'), suitable for small aircraft, remains open. Appropriate NOTAMs have been issued.

Per manufacturer information, the Beechcraft Baron 58 is a twin-engine piston aircraft with seating for six.

The location of the landing site is close to the infield firehouse at the airport, and the incident was first observed by members of RIC's Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) team.

A twin-engine plane made a belly landing Monday afternoon at Richmond International Airport after its landing gear apparently failed, but the pilot escaped injury.

The incident forced airport officials to close Runway 16, the airport’s longest runway at 9,000 feet. RIC’s second commercial runway was already closed for maintenance, said RIC spokesman Troy Bell.

“We have three runways and two of them are for commercial operations and larger jets,” Bell explained. “And both of those are closed. There is a third runaway that remains open for small aircraft. But it is too small for most commercial operators.”

Bell said larger aircraft could be diverted to another airport, put into a holding pattern until repairs are made to the runway, or held at their point of departure. Smaller aircraft can land at the airport's smaller runway, he said.

Officials hope to have Runway 16 back in operation by 5:45 p.m.

"The timing is not good,” Bell said. “This is typically a point in the day when Richmond is pretty busy.”

Authorities were alerted at 3:35 p.m. that the twin-engine, piston-driven Baron 58 aircraft made a belly landing not far from RIC’s firehouse, Bell said. There was no ensuing crash or fire, he said.

The pilot did not radio any problems with the aircraft before landing.

“Aside from the fact that there was no landing gear to assist the aircraft, it was a rather uneventful landing,” he said.

Piper Aerostar, N3643D: Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCIV) -- A plane that made a crash-landing in a marsh behind the Rivertowne Country Club has been removed and taken to a local airport.

...And there's more mystery to the plane's removal than in the events that led to its crash-landing.

The plane was originally slated to be removed from the marsh from Sea Tow of Charleston.

A helicopter was to be flown in on Thursday, October 20 to remove the small piper plane from the area. But high winds changed plans.

Officials with Sea Tow were surprised to learn of the plane's removal on Monday, as they say it was done without their knowledge.

The aircraft had been in the marsh since October 13th when it was crash-landed by a pilot attempting its repossession from an owner in Kitty Hawk, N.C. The pilot was not hurt.

The plane is currently at the Mount Pleasant Regional Airport.

Previous story:

MT. PLEASANT, SC (WCSC) -  A plane that crashed near Rivertown Country Club in Mount Pleasant was being repossessed when it made an emergency landing Thursday afternoon, according to sources.

The Charleston County Aviation Authority says the small private aircraft went down in the marsh around 2:04 p.m.Thursday. Two people were on board and both were found safe and uninjured. They were transported by boat from the scene by the Charleston County Rescue Squad and Charleston County Sheriff's Office.

The flight to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. didn't go as planned, but no one was hurt because the pilot, Terry Huenefeld, was able to land the plane safely.

Huenefeld had radioed he was going to make an emergency landing at Charleston International Airport, but then said he wasn't going to make it and hoped to land at Mount Pleasant Regional Airport.

Huenefeld instead made an emergency landing in the marsh southwest of the airport near Rivertowne Subdivision, according to Mount Pleasant police.

"We had a couple hiccups over the coast, so we figured we'd inch our way to Charleston and make it in there no problem."

That plan began to fall apart when the plane's engines cut off and it began losing altitude. At a speed of 120 miles per hour, Huenefeld made a decision to land in the marsh.

"It was probably about halfway from the shoreline inbound and I knew that we weren't going to make the field," Huenefield said. "You don't really get too scared because you're busy trying to figure out what to do."

An aerial photo shows the 1981 Piper Aerostar 600 plane in the middle of the marsh with the plane's emergency landing path visible on the ground behind it. The plane is registered out of Kittyhawk, NC, but took off from Myrtle Beach.

"We went under the powerlines and sat it down," Huenefield said.

Huenefeld said that nearby power lines didn't prove to be much of an obstacle for him when he made the landing.

"I knew the power lines were there. I could see them pretty far out," Huenefield said. "I was ready for them and I ducked right under them."

The two waited on the wing of the plane for the Charleston County rescue boats to bring them to safety.

The FAA is still investigating the exact cause of the plane's malfunction.

http://www.live5news.com