Friday, November 18, 2011

Not flying so high: Groups of residents work to shut Santa Monica Airport down as 2015 approaches

SMO — On a clear day, when the sun shines brightly over Southern California and glints cool blue off the Pacific Ocean, an observer can likely find Lloyd Saunders at Santa Monica Airport.

Saunders, a Sunset Park resident, finds a rare bit of shade and watches as the small planes that populate the general aviation airport come and go.

If a plane touches down, scoots along and noses its way back into the air, he marks down the number displayed prominently on the plane's tail along with the time.

He brings a pair of binoculars with him, in case the number is tough to make out.

"That's the third one," Saunders said last month, writing down the number 353MV onto the worksheet.

Saunders is a member of a team of residents that volunteer their time to collect data for quarterly reports about flight operations at SMO that don't get captured in the monthly reports presented to the Airport Commission.

The plane in question, possibly a student pilot or just a private owner practicing maneuvers, completed three "touch and goes," a maneuver that residents like Saunders find particularly offensive.

The propensity of private pilots to practice touch and goes and fly in loops through what residents call the "flight pattern" angers locals who complain that the sound of planes constantly overhead ruins their quality of life and rains dangerous lead down over their homes.

Although figures presented to the Airport Commission show a steady drop in overall airport operations, residents have become more agitated in their desire to put a stop to the flight schools or shut the airport itself down for good.

It's become a touchstone issue in Santa Monica, which is assessing its options for the future of SMO in preparation for the arrival of 2015, a year that holds special significance for residents and City Hall alike.

That year, most leases at the airport end and City Hall believes its obligations to the Federal Aviation Administration will also expire, giving it wider latitude over the 227 acres of prime real estate in the heart of Santa Monica.

At the same time, outside political forces have begun marshaling against the airport in the form of L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl and more restrained State Sen. Ted Lieu.

With that light at the end of the tunnel, residents are ramping up their research and advocacy in an attempt to take their fates into their own hands.

Sunset Park

Saunders and his wife live on a quiet street in the Sunset Park neighborhood with two dogs.

Saunders, a retired Navy man who ran a maintenance shop on an aircraft carrier is retired. His wife still runs an interior design business out of a home office in their backyard.

Sometimes the sounds of the airplanes flying overhead make it impossible to make phone calls, and the leaves on their orange trees bear a black grime that the couple attributes to plane exhaust.

While Saunders holds no ill will for the airport, he blames the flight schools for the large number of flights that disrupt his peace.

"Why can't they go farther afield?" he asked, referring to nearby airports like Whitman Airport, Hawthorne or others without the dense residential population immediately around the runways.

Venice

Santa Monicans aren't alone in their dislike of the flight schools.

Judi Russell and Lies Kraal, Venice residents who live near Lincoln Boulevard, created a garden paradise in their backyard since they moved into their home in the early 1990s.

Edible plants grow in raised beds and squirrels dart through tall stands of bamboo grown to block the view of their neighbor into their haven.

It's difficult to enjoy, however, when planes buzz over in what the women describe as an endless cacophony, punctuated by gut-wrenching moments when the noise ceases and they fear that a plane will drop out of the sky.

Kraal has gone before the Santa Monica City Council and Airport Commission, inviting the members to her home to eat lunch in the garden and hear it for themselves.

"None of you have accepted," Kraal, in a clipped tone, told the council and commission during meetings held over the past few months.

Venetians and other West Los Angeles residents are unwilling to compromise on the airport. It must be shut down, they say, particularly since they get all of the pollution and share in none of the $187.5 million in direct economic benefit generated by the airport.

Engaging the general aviation pilots in discussion to reduce the negative impacts is also out of the question.

"How do you talk to someone who's ruining your life?" Russell asked.

SMO solutions

On the other side of the fence, pilots and flight school owners feel under attack, and unable to communicate with the residents so keen to shut them down.

"The ones that are voicing their opinions are working with emotion," said Robert Rowbotham, a pilot and president of Friends of Santa Monica Airport (FOSMO).

Part of the struggle comes when residents complain about airplanes, but don't know the name of the activity that's bothering them.

The term "pattern flying" has become troublesome as a result of the neighbor reports, Rowbotham said.

"Because of that report, people in the neighborhood believe everything is a pattern flight, so they blame everything on the flight schools," Rowbotham said.

In fact, of the 17 arrival and departure routes only two — one arrival and one departure — are associated with the flight pattern.

While he and other pilots believe the airport will stay put, 2015 or no, FOSMO is willing to work with neighbors to understand their concerns and mitigate them where possible.

They've already convinced flight schools to reduce pattern flying by bringing their students in after 8 p.m. standard time and 9 p.m. in daylight savings time, Rowbotham said, and are working with City Hall on ways to make SMO more neighbor-friendly.

"We are working on understanding the concerns of the residents, and working with operators of the airport to see if there are ways to reduce concerns," said Martin Pastucha, public works director at City Hall.

His department recently took over responsibility for SMO.

One possibility is ground wiring for jets, which would allow the planes to plug into an electrical network to start up their computer systems before passengers board. Now, plane operators accomplish the same goal by burning fuel to create electricity, which is both expensive for them and harmful to neighbors living on the east end of the runway.

"It would take a lot of design, electrical loads etc.," Pastucha said. "But it's an idea we're looking into."

Storm's brewing

As City Hall plans, other political forces are at work.

L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl represents 285,000 Angelenos that surround Santa Monica.

"There are people in my district who are fed up with that airport," Rosendahl said.

The airport had a place in 1917 when it was surrounded by orange fields and not homes, Rosendahl said, but "its time has run out."

"First I want to see the flight schools go, the jets go, and then the whole airport shut down," Rosendahl said.

If the congressional redistricting process that just finished stands up in court, Rosendahl believes he will have a powerful ally in Washington, D.C.

"It appears that Rep. Henry Waxman's district will now include Venice, so the Venetians will now have a congress member that knows this is an issue to them," he said.

On the state level, Lieu has made SMO an issue as well.

It first came to his attention while walking precincts for his State Assembly run.

An airport neighbor came to the door when Lieu knocked, left, and returned with a black ball.

"I said, 'What is this?'" Lieu said. "He told me it was an orange, turned black with soot from the pollution from SMO. The homeowner described what they were breathing in, and what the effects were."

Lieu himself had to call off his walk due to the pollution.

On Nov. 30, he will hold a Senate select committee hearing for residents to comment on four studies examining pollution at SMO and other general aviation airports.

"I want to let people come in and do exactly that, provide their experiences with SMO, good or bad," Lieu said.

Here to stay?

City Hall will embark on the second phase of its airport study soon, and is hosting an open house at SMO on Saturday, Dec. 10 to give neighbors a chance to "get to know the airport a little better."

The slant of that study, which in its first phase precluded discussion of closing SMO, angered many residents who believed City Hall wasn't working hard enough to rid them of what Rosendahl calls "a blemish on our face."

FOSMO doesn't believe the airport is going anywhere either, Rowbotham said, which is why the organization will try to work be a good neighbor to Santa Monicans and Angelenos alike.

"There are things that we can do, if they want to help us," he said.

http://www.smdp.com

Owner requests tax break to be applied to imported aircraft (Hanoi, Vietnam)

HA NOI — The Ha Noi-based Hanh Tinh Xanh Company (Green Planet) has requested that an import tax of zero, alongside a special consumption tax break, be applied for four light private jets imported for educational, training and commercial purposes.

The private jets, which arrived in Hai Phong Port by sea at the end of last month, include two airplanes A600 Talon, Rotorway, from the USA and two other ATEC 321 and Faeta, from the Czech Republic.

According to the existing regulations, each jet would be levied a special consumption tax rate of 30 per cent and a value-added-tax (VAT) rate of 10 per cent.

In fact, two private jets imported by the groups Hoang Anh Gia Lai and Hoa Phat in 2008 and 2010, respectively, were given a special consumption tax rate of 30 per cent and a VAT rate at 10 per cent.

However, Cao Van Son, chairman of Hanh Tinh Xanh Company's board of directors, said that so far, all imported airplanes for commercial purposes by Vietnam Airlines or Air Mekong had been permitted to receive an import tax rate of zero.

At the moment, the four light private jets are still in Hai Phong Port's warehouse awaiting customs clearance.

Because the importation of these four private airplanes was the first case of its kind, the General Department of Customs consulted the Civil Aviation Administration of Viet Nam to impose the right taxes.

Phung Quoc Hien, chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Economy and Budget, told Dan Tri online newspapers that a special consumption tax rate of 30 per cent was levied on luxury items, such as private airplanes and yachts, in order to discourage individual possession of those high-end commodities.

However, he said several cases would be allowed a tax break if the import of such items served commercial purposes, including passenger transportation, tourism, services or production. — VNS

Son loses both parents in fatal Oklahoma State University plane crash. Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee B, N7746W

DAVIS, Okla. -- As the OSU community mourns the loss of two talented coaches, an Oklahoma family is mourning the loss of a mother and father. Former state senator Olin Branstetter was piloting that ill-fated flight Thursday evening; his wife, Paula, right by his side.

Paul Branstetter calls his parents world class pilots.

He hopes the tragedy doesn't overshadow the Branstetter's life of service to the community and absolute love of Oklahoma State University.

"As great of pilots as my parents were, it's hard they'll be remembered for crashing an airplane," Paul Branstetter said.

Olin spent four years serving in the state senate back in the 1980s.

His picture still hangs on the wall of the Capitol.

Olin and Paula became college sweethearts after meeting on the OSU campus.

"They were ordinary people who accomplished extraordinary things," Paul said.

Paul adds the pair set an aviation world record.

"They flew to the magnetic North Pole with my brother and set a world record that's never been equaled," Paul said.

Paul finds it hard to believe pilot error could've caused the fatal crash.

"I don't know what could've happened, but I know it was an excellent airplane and excellent pilots," Paul said.

Clearly the loss of his parents, coupled with two talented coaches, has hit the Branstetter family twice as hard.

"The tragedy is, it not only took their life but also the coaches of OSU we so love," Paul said.

Paul said this wasn't the first time his parents had flown OSU coaches to visit recruits.

For several years OSU has also awarded scholarships in the Branstetter name.

Paul hopes to see that continue.

NTSB Identification: CEN12FA072
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, November 17, 2011 in Perryville, AR
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28-180, registration: N7746W
Injuries: 4 Fatal.

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.

On November 17, 2011, about 1610 central standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, N7746W, impacted the ground near Perryville, Arkansas. The certificated flight instructor pilot and three passengers were fatally injured; the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was owned by a private individual and operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The flight originated from Stillwater Regional Airport (SWO), Stillwater, Oklahoma, about 1415 and was destined for North Little Rock Municipal Airport (ORK), North Little Rock, Arkansas.

Employees at SWO reported that the airplane landed approximately 1345, picked up two passengers, and departed for ORK. The airplane did not receive any services at SWO.

Radar data showed the airplane level at 7,000 feet mean sea level on a southeasterly heading. At 1610:49, the airplane entered a right turn and began descending. The airplane disappeared from radar shortly after. There were no reported air traffic control communications with the airplane.

Witnesses who were in the vicinity of the accident site reported that the airplane was flying at a low altitude and making turns. They then observed the airplane enter a steep nose-low attitude prior to descending toward the terrain.

The accident site was located in a heavily wooded area of the Ouachita National Forest, about 8 miles southeast of Perryville. The initial ground impact scar was consistent with the airplane’s right wing leading edge contacting the ground first. An impact crater, about 10 feet in diameter and about 3.5 feet deep contained most of the airplane. Ground scars and witness marks to trees surrounding the accident site were consistent with the airplane being in a steep nose-low attitude at the time of impact.

The airplane wreckage was transported to a secure location for further examination.

Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage, Coleman Acquisitions LLC, N548C: Fatal accident occurred November 23, 2010 in Destin, Florida

NTSB Identification: ERA11FA070 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, November 23, 2010 in Destin, FL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 10/17/2011
Aircraft: PIPER PA 46-350P, registration: N548C
Injuries: 3 Fatal.

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.

The instrument-rated pilot was executing a night instrument approach when the airplane impacted the water. The published approach minimums for the area navigation/global positioning system approach were 460-foot ceiling and one-mile visibility. Recorded air traffic control voice and radar data indicated that prior to the approach the pilot had turned to an approximately 180-degree heading and appeared to be heading in the direction of another airport. The controller reassigned the pilot a heading in order to intercept the final approach. The airplane was located in the water approximately 5,000 feet from the runway threshold. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left main landing gear was in the retracted position and the right main and nose landing gear were in the extended position. Examination of the left main landing gear actuator revealed no mechanical anomalies. The pilot had likely just commanded the landing gear to the down position and the landing gear was in transit. It is further possible that, as the gear was in transit, the airplane impacted the water in a left-wing and nose-down attitude and the left gear was forced to a gear-up position.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
Controlled flight into water due to the pilot's improper descent below the published minimum descent altitude.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On November 23, 2010, about 1930 central standard time, a Piper PA-46-350P (Malibu Mirage), N548C, was substantially damaged when it impacted water during an approach to Destin/Ft.Walton Beach Airport (DTS), Destin, Florida. The airplane had departed Lake Front Airport (NEW), New Orleans, Louisiana about 1820. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. The certificated private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

The accident flight departed NEW about 1820 and flew at a cruise altitude of 13,000 feet mean sea level (msl). According to the Eglin Radar Control Facility, recordings and radar data indicated that prior to the approach the pilot had turned to an approximate 180 degree heading and appeared to be heading in the direction of another airport. The controller reassigned the pilot a heading in order to intercept the final approach for the RNAV/GPS 14 approach. The airplane was cleared for the RNAV/GPS 14 approach to DTS, then approximately 200 feet msl, radar contact went into Coast mode followed by a loss of radar contact. A search of the local airports and ground environment began and the aircraft was located in the Choctawhachee Bay, in the water, about 2024. The last two recorded transmissions from the airplane were about two minutes apart and both were recorded on the Destin Unicom frequency. The last transmission was about 1929 and was "destin traffic mirage five four eight charlie is on a three and half mile final on the uh rnav one four." No transmission was recorded indicating a malfunction with the airplane.

According to Lockheed Martin Flight Service records, the accident pilot received a weather briefing at 1547.

Airport records indicated that the airplane was fueled the day of the accident at DTS and received 68.6 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel. The fuel invoice indicated a time of 1508 which coincided with family statements that the pilot departed around 1500 after requesting the fuel to be "topped off." According to a phone conversation with a representative of the family, the pilot played golf during the morning of the accident, had a conference call about 1300, departed for NEW with one of the passengers, picked up the other passenger at NEW, and was returning to DTS at the time of the accident.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 47, held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent application for a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class medical certificate was issued on February 18, 2009. The pilot's flight time log book was recovered and the last entry was dated November 20, 2010. At that time, his total flight experience was 407.5 hours; of which, 33.7 hours were in the same make and model as the accident airplane. According to documentation, the pilot had completed a flight review and instrument competency review on November 6, 2010.

AIRPLANE INFORMATION

The airplane was manufactured in 2001 and was issued an FAA airworthiness certificate on December 11, 2001. It was equipped with a Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A engine. According to the airplane's maintenance logbooks, two annual inspections were completed within the 12 months prior to the accident. The most recent annual inspection was completed on September 14, 2010; however, the logbook entry was not signed by an FAA licensed airframe and powerplant (A&P) with inspection authorization (IA) mechanic. At the time of the inspection, the reported aircraft total time was 717.5 hours. A signed annual inspection was conducted by an FAA A&P IA on May 21, 2010 and the reported aircraft total time was 711.5 total hours. The tachometer was located in the wreckage and indicated 760.7 hours. According to FAA records, the airplane was purchased by the accident pilot on October 29, 2010.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The 1953 recorded weather observation at DTS, located approximately 1 mile to the south of the accident location, included winds from 140 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 1/4 mile due to fog, vertical visibility of 100 feet, temperature 19 degrees C, dew point 19 degrees C, and altimeter 30.11 inches of mercury.

The closest Terminal Area Forecasts (TAF) were issued for Eglin Air Force Base (VPS) located 5 miles northwest and Hurlburt Field (HRT) located 10 miles west. Both forecasts issued at 1654 CST (2254Z) expected 1/2 mile (0800 meters) in fog, with a ceiling or vertical visibility of 100 feet at the time of the accident.

AIRPORT INFORMATION

The airport was equipped with a single runway oriented northwest to southeast and designated as 14/32. The runway was 4,999-feet-long and 100-feet-wide, constructed of asphalt, was equipped with a 4-light precision approach path indicator (PAPI) on the left side of the runway, and had a displaced threshold of 200 feet on both ends of the runway. The airport did not have an air traffic control tower. Communication was accomplished utilizing a common traffic advisory frequency; however, it was not recorded.

The airport was served by two RNAV approaches. The accident flight had been cleared for the RNAV runway 14 approach. The approach required a minimum of 1 mile of visibility and a ceiling no lower than 460 feet msl. The inbound course for the approach was 143 degrees. The approach had two step down fixes, the first was located 10 nautical miles (NM) from the runway threshold and was 2,000 feet msl, the second was 4.8 NM from the runway threshold and was 1,600 feet msl. After the second fix the flight could descend down to the minimum descent altitude of 460 feet, the altitude required to be maintained until the runway was visually acquired or the missed approach point, which was the runway 14 threshold.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane was found inverted in the water and the right wing, cabin, and cockpit area remained attached. The main wreckage was located 512 yards (approximately 1,500 feet) from the shore and approximately 5,000 feet from the runway 14 threshold. The engine was impact separated and located approximately 30 feet northwest of the main wreckage. The left wing was located approximately 80 feet to the south of the main wreckage. The tail section was located approximately 25 feet from the main wreckage. The airplane was recovered and transported to the Destin Coast Guard Station.

Examination of the airplane indicated that the right main and nose landing gear were in the down and locked position. The left main landing gear was in the retracted position and the landing gear door was not recovered. Examination of the landing gear revealed no anomalies; the left landing gear was moved to the down position, by hand, and locked automatically. The landing gear actuator was removed for testing. The flaps were in the retracted, or zero degree position. The flap actuator was examined and indicated one exposed thread which correlated to zero degrees.

The left wing had impact crumpling on the wingtip and was bowed in the positive direction beginning approximately halfway spanwise on the wing and extended towards the wing tip. It was separated from the fuselage, the aileron was fractured, and the outboard section remained attached; the inboard section and counter weight had separated and were recovered. The wing skins had become separated causing a breach in the integrated fuel system. The fuel cap remained secured and in place. The right wing had impact crumpling on the wingtip and remained attached to the fuselage, the aileron was impact damaged, and the flap remained attached. The fuel cap was secured and in place; however, the retractable handle was extended.

The empennage was separated, at the cabin door area, from the forward cabin section. The vertical stabilizer and rudder remained attached to the empennage. The horizontal stabilizer and tail cone section were twisted to the right and attached by the airplane skin only; all support structures were impact separated.

The fuel gascolator screen was clean and void of fuel or water. The fuel selector valve located in the right wing was found beyond the "OFF" position and off the cam.

Aileron, rudder, and elevator cables were all attached to the cockpit controls. The aileron trim had one exposed thread, which correlated to a full nose down position. The cables were attached to their respective attach points at the control surfaces.

The cockpit seats shoulder harness reels remained attached to structure, were impact damaged, and attached at all attachment points. No stretching of the webbing or tearing was observed and the belts were found latched. The left front seat was deformed toward the right, separated from the floor, the seat pan was fractured, and the seat cushion was separated. The right front seat remained attached to the flooring; however, the flooring was separated from the rest of the structure and the seat was deformed slightly to the right.

The center row seats remained attached to the structure; however, the structure was damaged but remained in place, and the lap belt and shoulder harness reel remained attached. The restraint system was unlatched and no stretching of the webbing was observed. The seat bottom was detached from the Velcro bottom and the pan was broken and separated.

The right rear seatbelt was detached from the structure but remained latched and evidence of stretching on the webbing was observed. The shoulder harness retract reel was pulled out of the structure and the attach bolt was not in the mounting lug. The seat back and frame were separated from the structure. The left rear seatbelt was unlatched and remained attached at all attachment points to the structure. The left seat back and frame were separated from the structure; the bench seat was separated from the pan. The seatbelt webbing was not stretched.

The throttle, mixture, and propeller levers were located in the full forward position. The fuel tank selector lever was broken; however, the piece that remained was indicating that it had been set to the right fuel tank. The speed brake lever, located on the pilot's control wheel, was found in the stowed position. The Kollsman window on the pilot's altimeter was set to 30.11 inches. The airplane was equipped with two Garmin 530s, an Avidyne 750, and an enhance digital display indicator, which were removed and sent to the National Transportation Safety Board's Recorders laboratory to be downloaded.

The engine remained attached to the firewall. The engine was equipped with a three bladed composite fiber propeller. All three of the blades were impact separated at the hub and only two of the blades were recovered. The spark plugs were removed and appeared medium gray in color with normal wear and were salt contaminated. The engine was rotated by hand and salt water was observed coming out through the spark plug holes; internal gear and drive train continuity was confirmed. All six cylinders produced compression and borescope examination of the top end components revealed no anomalies. The oil suction screen and filter were free of debris. The propeller governor was recovered intact and the control arm was approximately 1/2 inch from the high rpm stop. The unit was removed, the spline shaft remained intact, the gasket oil screen was clean and free of debris, it contained oil, and pumping action was noted when the shaft was rotated by hand. The right side engine turbocharger remained attached to the crankcase, the turbine shaft rotated freely, and the compressor and turbine wheels were intact. The left side turbocharger was impact separated from the engine. The turbocharger shaft could not be rotated and the unit was opened by investigators. The compressor vanes were damaged and score marks were present on the housing interior and the turbine was intact. The waste gate valve was observed in the open position. The turbocharger controller was recovered intact and the waste gate actuator was impact damaged, and the actuator shaft was bent while in the retracted position. The turbocharger system overboost valve was intact.

Both magnetos were intact, and remained secure on the engine case. The magnetos were removed and their drives rotated freely. The steel drive gear was also intact; however, spark could not be produced when the drives were turned by hand.

Both vacuum pumps remained attached to the engine and were intact. They were removed from the engine, rotated smoothly, and the internal vanes were intact.

The engine-driven fuel pump was intact, the drive shaft was intact, pumping action was noted when rotated by hand, and fuel was found throughout the engine fuel system.The fuel injection servo was found intact, the throttle was found in the open position, and the mixture control arm was in the idle cut off position. The fuel inlet screen was free of debris. The regulator assembly was opened and the diaphragm valve was intact. The flow divider was intact and remained attached to the top of the engine; it was removed, and opened. The unit contained water and fuel, the diaphragm valve was removed, found intact, and free to move. The fuel injector nozzles were removed and found to be free of debris and unobstructed.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The Office of the Medical Examiner for the District 1, Florida, performed an autopsy on the pilot on November 24, 2010. The reported cause of death was "multiple blunt impact trauma."

Toxicological testing was performed post mortem at the FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The tests were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, and drugs, legal or illegal.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

Left Main Landing Gear Actuator

The left main landing gear actuator was taken to the manufacturer facility for examination and testing. According to the Acceptance Test Procedures at the facility the actuator performed within the tolerance allowed. A detailed examination report with accompanying pictures is contained in the public docket for this accident.

GPS devices

Several GPS devices were sent to the National Transportation Safety Board's Vehicle Recorders Laboratory for download and analysis. Due to the salt water intrusion and loss of internal battery charge, no information could be extracted from any of the units.


Gregory Scott Coleman, a nationally recognized appellate lawyer and the first Solicitor General of the State of Texas, passed away on November 23, 2010 while traveling to his family’s annual Thanksgiving gathering in Florida.

It has been a year since Gregory S. Coleman, a former Texas solicitor general who was a skilled and well-known attorney, died in a private plane crash at age 47.  Coleman left behind a wife and three sons, an active appellate docket, pro bono commitments and charitable responsibilities. But he also left behind a firm, Yetter Coleman.

Dealing with the untimely loss of Coleman has made the past year difficult on a personal level for lawyers and staff at the Houston-based firm, says partner Paul Yetter, who founded the firm in 1997. The firm as an institution also had to regroup over the past year, Yetter says, because Coleman, who joined the firm in 2007, had been head of the Austin office and the firm's appellate section. Yetter, who heads the trial section at the 32-lawyer firm, says everyone in the appellate group and he and some others in the trial group stepped up in the wake of Coleman's death to handle Coleman's appellate caseload.

"We lost no clients after Greg's death," Yetter says. "They were as loyal to the firm as him."

Coleman died on Nov. 23, 2010, in a private plane crash in Florida. It was the day before Thanksgiving, and Coleman was piloting the plane. His mother-in-law, Charlene Miller, and James Black, Miller's brother, also died when the plane crashed near the Destin Airport.

Continued ... Read more: http://www.law.com

Nothing wrong for re-investigation into air crash – counsel. Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

KOTA KINABALU: There was absolutely nothing wrong for a re-investigation into the plane crash that killed former Chief Minister Tun Fuad Stephens and all 10 others on board a Nomad aircraft on June 6, 1976, to be conducted, the High Court here yesterday heard.

Counsel Datuk Simon Shim told Justice Dato’ Abdul Rahman Sebli that the ‘double six tragedy’ was a most important historical event in Sabah.

“Until this very day, no official report on the real causes of the plane crash has been released to public,” said Shim in the opening speech yesterday.

Shim is counsel for Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Yong Teck Lee and the party who were defendants in a RM50 million defamation suit brought by former Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh.

Unfortunately, Shim said since the tragedy in 1976, the public had been denied their right to know of the truth.

He said because of the non-availability of official information on the real causes of the accident, various theories or speculations were formed on what caused the plane crash namely, that it was caused by overloading, pilot error, the serious design fault of the plane and also sabotage.

“These so-called theories and speculations are still continuing and the same were made worse by the Federal Deputy Minister of Transport’s recent very brief answer in Parliament on or around December 15, 2009 that he did not even get his basic facts right which prompted a MP to criticise that the answer was simply ‘unacceptable’.

“It was not until that very good Friday of April 2, 2010 that Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah came to Sabah and dropped a bombshell about what happened that day (June 6, 1976) before the plane took off,” he said.

“We will hear evidence that this is the very first time that the people in Sabah heard from the horse’s mouth that Tengku Razaleigh was already strapped to his seat behind the late Tun Fuad, while the then Sarawak Chief Minister, Tun Rahman Yaakob and another dignitaries seated in the other seats with the other Sabah leaders and that he and the two others might not have been alive today had it not been for a last-minute invitation by the plaintiff (Harris) to board another plane to go to Pulau Banggi in Kudat,” he said, adding that the audience was stunned and shocked-virtually speechless.

He said Yong being a leader of the party and a well-known politician and also an ex-Chief Minister of Sabah, naturally made statements in response to Tengku Razaleigh’s disclosure of the new information by calling for a re-investigation of the incident.

“The witnesses will say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with that,” he said, adding that what the defendants had done was to call for a re-investigation into the incident to be conducted.

“It is as simple as that. No one was named or targeted. No malice, nor ulterior motive, let alone the wild accusation that the plaintiff to be investigated,” he submitted.

He said the defendants would call five to seven witnesses to testify, inter alia, what Tengku Razaleigh did and said before and during the forum and it was the first time that the latter had revealed such a vital piece of information and no one had heard of it before.

He said that the witness would also testify that Yong had nothing personal against Harris, what the defendants did in the circumstances was correct and justifiable and they concurred with the call for re-investigation into the incident and that the public wanted to know the truth as well.

 http://www.theborneopost.com

Military looking for a few good volunteers in Arctic search and rescue

OTTAWA - The Canadian military wants to expand search-and-rescue coverage in the Arctic, but is looking to private contractors and civilian volunteers to fill the ranks.

The fatal crash this summer of First Air Flight 6560 and the recent death of a rescue technician last month — both in Nunavut — dramatically underscored the dilemma the government faces in responding to northern emergencies.

Experts have repeatedly warned the opening up of the Arctic will make cases like those more common.

The notion of beefing up search coverage in the Arctic, where the military has little year-round presence, has been under active discussion for over a year, according to briefing documents prepared for the country's top military commander.

Contrary to popular perception, finding lost hikers and downed aircraft in the vast tracts of wilderness in southern Canada is not exclusively the domain of the military.

For over a quarter century it has relied on a group of dedicated, trained civilian volunteers who come complete with their own aircraft. The military provides them with spotter training and some equipment.

The Civil Air Search and Rescue Association — or CASARA — makes up about 25 per cent of the country's air search capability.

The military is hoping to replicate CASARA in the North, a briefing note for Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Walt Natynczyk indicated last November.

Using civilian contractors "represents a measured, economical" improvement to rescue capabilities in the North, but more importantly it delivers more "timely" searches pending the arrival of military aircraft and helicopters from the south.

Maj. Jay Nelles, of the Air Force's readiness branch, says response times — or at least the ability to get to incident sites — would be greatly enhanced.

The inability to deliver "rapid response" to a northern incident is the kind of stuff that gives military planners nightmares. In some cases, it takes hours to get an aircraft into the region and that's even before a search can get underway.

In the case of the Oct. 27 death of Sgt. Janik Gilbert, initial reports said it took three hours for a Cormorant helicopter to arrive after a boat of missing hunters was located and rescue technicians had entered the frigid waters west of Baffin Island.

Still, having a dedicated civilian search arm in the north might not have saved Gilbert.

The CASARA-North proposal is mostly geared to fixed-wing aircraft and the absence of helicopters in the Arctic is something the military would still grappling with.

In southern Canada, there is easy access to a fleet of recreation planes, where 2,500 pilots, navigators and trained spotters make up the backbone of the civilian search association. It is a different story in the thinly populated north, where aircraft tend to be owned by commercial interests.

The Northern Air Transport Association has been trying, on behalf of the Air Force, to encourage companies to charter their aircraft — at market rates — to National Defence for emergencies.

Nelles said they've met with some success, but the biggest challenge has been finding qualified spotters to volunteer among northern communities.

It costs Ottawa about $2.8 million a year to fund civilian search and rescue in southern regions and there is no current estimate on how much an expansion in the north would be.

Florida: Collier County Commissioner Georgia Hiller says visit to look at Immokalee Regional Airport also was due to expansion plan - VIDEO




NAPLES — Collier County Commissioner Georgia Hiller went on the Immokalee Regional Airport property last month because a tenant of the airport contacted her and said he felt he was being mistreated.

But in an interview with Naples Daily News Editorial Page Editor Jeff Lytle this week, Hiller said she also went there at airport tenant Stephen Fletcher's request because she was concerned about the airport authority's "grandiose plans" for expansion at the airport.

That comment stems from a September Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting during which Hiller questioned Collier County airports Executive Director Chris Curry about his plans to rehabilitate runway 927 at the Immokalee Airport.

"The two runways at Immokalee have been identified as being in poor condition," Curry told the countywide transportation planning agency Sept. 9, saying that extending the runway 927 from 5,000 feet to 7,000 feet had been the authority's previous No. 1 project.

Curry said the Immokalee Airport has the most opportunities for expansion of any of the county's three airports — the others are near Marco Island and in Everglades City. He said Immokalee had potential to attract cargo business.

Hiller pointed out that the airport's plans, which include purchasing more than 100 acres near the airport, overlap with the Immokalee Master Plan, which the Collier County Commission is to consider next month for approval. But what concerned Hiller about the plan is that it calls for the county to rezone agricultural land and then have the government buy it at the rezoned value.

Land near the airport is owned by a Barron Collier company. Agricultural land is less expensive to buy than if the zoning were changed.

"If you know we need the land, why aren't we buying it as agricultural?" she asked at the MPO meeting in September. "What you're doing, by having this in the Immokalee Master Plan and changing the zoning — you're creating value (for) the land and costing the taxpayers more."

Curry said at the meeting that his plan called for the project to be paid for by the Federal Aviation Administration and said property is purchased at its appraised value.

Hiller pointed out that the property is appraised as agricultural land.

"Through the master plan, it is being zoned for a future acquisition," she said. "And I don't care if the project is being funded by county, state or federal dollars, it is still public money."

Hiller didn't respond this week to Daily News requests for additional comments.

Commission Chairman Fred Coyle said Friday he isn't concerned about the Immokalee Airport expansion project and said it will be paid for with FAA grants, which will not place an undue burden on county government.

"This is going to provide an opportunity to attract more business to the airport," he said. "The Seminole Casino will be flying in jets, and has flown in jets. We can't let those runways deteriorate."

Coyle said Hiller doesn't choose to acknowledge the facts of what has been happening and instead chooses to pursue a vendetta against the Barron Collier Co.

Hiller and District 5 commission candidate Tim Nance attracted attention last month for traveling around the airport property without authorization, and Nance's sport utility vehicle was seen violating airport rules and speed limits, according to an airport report.

In a news release this week, Nance said those allegations are false.

"My presence and the presence of my guests on airport property was entirely legal and appropriate, and conducted under the direct supervision of, and as guests of, a licensed pilot and long-term tenant of the Immokalee airport, Stephen Fletcher," he wrote. "Allegations published that I was speeding, failed to stop and exercise due caution while at runway crossings, and failed to stop after being requested to do so, are false."

'Confused' pilots land on taxiway

A plane carrying 192 passengers came close to disaster after its pilots landed on an airport taxiway instead of the runway.

According to the Daily Mail, the Thomson Airways flight from Doncaster landed on the taxiway at an airport in Paphos, Cyprus.

The pilots were told to land on runway 29, however it appears the pilots "got confused" and landed on the taxiway, even though it has none of the markings of a runway.

The Cypriot air authority told the Daily Mail they were collecting information about the incident.

"We are in contact with the UK's accident investigation authority. We have the authority to make recommendations to the government and they will make changes if necessary."

Thomson Airways is also investigating.


Cessna T337G Skymaster, LANDER SKYMASTER LLC, N357: Fatal accident occurred November 18, 2011 in Casper, Wyoming

National Transportation Safety Board - Aviation Accident Final Report: http://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Docket And Docket Items -  National Transportation Safety Board:   http://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

Aviation Accident Data Summary   -   National Transportation Safety Board:   http://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

http://registry.faa.gov/N357
 
NTSB Identification: WPR12FA040
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, November 18, 2011 in Casper, WY
Probable Cause Approval Date: 02/14/2013
Aircraft: CESSNA T337, registration: N357
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

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.

The pilot received two predeparture weather briefings, both of which reported that snow showers were expected over most of the state. During the second briefing, the pilot was advised that adverse weather conditions, including mountain obscuration, moderate icing, moderate turbulence, and low-level wind shear, existed throughout the planned route of flight. The pilot still decided to depart. As the airplane neared its destination, the approach controller issued the pilot vectors to the final instrument landing system approach course. The approach controller subsequently saw that the airplane was at 6,900 feet mean sea level (msl), which was 300 feet below the minimum vectoring altitude for the approach (7,200 feet msl). The approach controller issued the pilot a low altitude alert, and the pilot climbed the airplane back to the minimum vectoring altitude of 7,200 feet msl. About 1 minute after the approach controller transferred control of the flight over to the tower air traffic controller, the controller saw that the airplane was about 1/4 mile right of the inbound approach course. The controller then issued the pilot missed approach instructions, advising him to fly the runway heading and to climb and maintain 8,000 feet msl. The tower controller then transferred the pilot back to the approach controller, who advised the pilot that the runway visual range had decreased below that required for the approach. The pilot then elected to be vectored back to the final approach course to hold on the localizer until the weather improved.

While he was issuing the pilot vectors to the localizer, the approach controller observed the airplane flying an inappropriate heading. After he advised the pilot of the irregularity, the approach controller issued a revised heading toward the localizer. The approach controller observed the airplane begin the right turn toward the assigned heading, and shortly thereafter, observed that the airplane was 1,200 feet below its assigned altitude. The approach controller issued the pilot another low altitude alert. There were no further radio communications with the pilot. The airplane impacted terrain about 8 nautical miles northeast of the airport, slightly left of the missed approach course, in a left-wing-low, steep nose-down attitude.

About 2 minutes before the accident, the destination airport reported 1/2-mile visibility in moderate snow and freezing fog, with scattered clouds at 800 feet above ground level (agl) and an overcast cloud layer at 1,300 feet agl. Postaccident review of the weather conditions in the area at the time of the accident indicated that the pilot was operating in instrument meteorological conditions and that conditions were favorable for structural icing at a moderate to severe level. Postaccident examination revealed no evidence of preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the weather conditions that the pilot encountered while maneuvering near the destination airport, it is likely that the pilot failed to maintain adequate airspeed due to structural icing, which resulted in a loss of airplane control and subsequent impact with terrain.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed and airplane control while maneuvering in low visibility and icing conditions.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On November 18, 2011, about 1350 mountain standard time, N357, a Cessna 337G was substantially damaged after impacting terrain following a missed approach procedure at the Casper/Natrona County International Airport (CPR), Casper, Wyoming. The private pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight, which was conducted in accordance with Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed and activated at the time of the accident. The flight departed Rawlins Municipal/Harvey Field Airport (RWL), Rawlins, Wyoming, about 1315, with CPR as its destination.

According to voice and radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), while tracking the localizer inbound on the instrument landing system (ILS) to runway 03, the pilot was observed by the local tower controller to be about one-quarter mile right of track. At 1340:00, the controller informed the pilot of this condition, and requested that the pilot verify that he was aligned on the ILS for runway 03. The pilot responded, “Yeah. We’re having a little rodeo up here.” At 1340:11, the tower controller instructed the pilot to fly runway heading (030 degrees) and climb and maintain 8,000 feet for radar vectors around for another approach. At 1340:15, the pilot checked in with the approach controller, and informed him that he was on the missed approach. At 1340:28, the approach controller instructed the pilot to climb to and maintain 8,600 feet; the pilot confirmed the transmission. At 1341:47, the approach controller ask the pilot for the tower assigned heading, to which the pilot replied, “…uh, give me, uh, give me the heading again please.” The controller responded,
"Skymaster three five seven, fly heading zero three zero. Turn left heading zero three zero." The pilot correctly read back the controller’s instructions. At 1343:27, the approach controller advised the pilot that the runway’s runway visual range (RVR) was currently two thousand, below the minimums for the ILS approach to runway 03, but that he would give the pilot a choice of either holding at Muddy Mountain, or he could vector him back around to hold on the localizer; the pilot chose to be vectored for the approach. At 1343:57, the controller instructed the pilot to turn left to a heading of 310 degrees for vectors to the runway 03 ILS approach; the pilot confirmed the heading as 310 degrees. At 1345:40, the controller instructed the pilot to turn left to a heading of 270 degrees, and again the pilot confirmed the heading. At 1346:58, the controller instructed the pilot to turn left to a heading of 220 degrees, and advised the pilot that the RVR was steadily increasing. At 1347:26, the pilot replied, “Okay. Could you say again. We’re, uh, we had a lot of squealing on the radio there.” The controller again instructed the pilot to turn left to a heading of 220 degrees, that the RVR for runway 03 was 2,800, that it looked to be increasing, and that he would advise him as he got closer to his base leg. At 1348:05, the approach controller advised the pilot of N357 that he had him tracking about a 130 degree heading, and to fly a downwind heading of 250 degrees for the ILS approach to runway 03. At 1348:17, the pilot replied, “Two five zero. Three five seven.” At 1348:35, the controller radioed to the pilot, “Skymaster three five seven. Low altitude alert. Check your altitude immediately. Minimum vectoring altitude (MVA) in your area is seven thousand five hundred. Climb and maintain eight thousand six hundred. Are you having trouble maintaining altitude?” There were no further transmissions from the pilot. About 1 minute later, radar contact was lost with the airplane and attempts by ATC to make contact by radio were unsuccessful.

The airplane was located about 8 miles northeast of CPR in a snow-covered area of gently rolling terrain with sparse vegetation. A survey of the wreckage, which had come to rest upright in a tightly confined area, revealed that all major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. The airplane had been consumed by a postcrash fire.

A FAA aviation safety inspector assigned to the FAA’s Flight Standards District Office in Casper, reported that he was one of the first responders to the accident site. The inspector stated that due to the thermal distress that the airplane had sustained, there was no evidence of any ice accumulation on any part of the airplane.

Subsequent to the onsite documentation of the wreckage being completed, the airplane was recovered to a secured storage facility for further examination.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot/co-owner, age 61, held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot’s most recent logbook entry, dated February 18, 2011, revealed a total time of 4,582 hours, 4,487.8 hours of which was pilot in command. The pilot logged 702 hours of airplane multiengine time, 3,843 hours of airplane single-engine time, and 687.3 hours in the make and model of the accident airplane. Additionally, the pilot recorded 644.7 hours of actual instrument time and 648.9 hours of night time. A further review of the pilot’s logbook revealed that his most recent instrument approaches, 10, had been completed in a simulator on February 15, 2011, while attending training at the facilities of Recurrent Training Center, Inc., Savoy, Illinois. This training was documented with a signed off sticker placed in the back of the pilot’s logbook. Personnel at Recurrent Training Center refused to provide training records consistent with the training provided to the pilot on February 15, 2011. Additionally, and subsequent to the training being satisfactorily completed, on February 15, 2011, the pilot logged a 4.9 hour cross-country IFR flight from the University of Illinois-Willard Airport (CMI), Champaign/Urbana, Illinois, to the North Platte Regional Airport (LBF), North Platte, Nebraska, during which the pilot logged 1.0 hours of actual instrument flight time; no instrument approaches were noted during this flight. From the pilot's last logbook entry on February 18, 2011, up to the date of the accident, which occurred almost 9 months to the day of his last logbook entry, the pilot's logbook contained no other entries of instrument flight time or of instrument approaches being completed.

The co-owner of the airplane provided additional documentation, which indicated that from March through the end of October, 2011, the accident pilot had accumulated a total of 40.3 hours in the accident airplane. However, there was no breakdown of flight time in instrument meteorological or visual meteorological conditions. The data provided indicated that the pilot flew the accident airplane about 12 hours in the last 90 days, 1.2 hours in the last 60 days, and no flight time in the 30 days preceding the date of the accident.

FAA records indicated that the pilot's most recent third-class airman medical certificate was issued on May 6, 2011, with the limitation that the pilot "must wear corrective lenses."

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The pressurized, in-line thrust airplane was manufactured in 1976. It was being operated with a standard airworthiness certificate in the normal category. The airplane was equipped with two Continental TSIO-360-series engines, each rated at 225 horsepower, and McCauley two-bladed, constant-speed propellers.

The airplane was on an annual inspection maintenance program, which was last performed on April 5, 2011, at a total airframe time of 3,187.1 hours. Aircraft maintenance records revealed per a logbook entry dated September 30, 2011, that the rear engine, serial number 1000310, and the front engine, serial number 824819-R, had accumulated a total of 473.3 hours since their last overhaul.

The airplane was equipped with navigational and flight instruments suitable for flight in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). On February 12, 2012, an ASPEN Electronic Flight Display (EFD) 1000PRO was installed. The EFD featured an autopilot and flight director, integral altitude alerter, slaved directional gyro with heading bug, a base map with flight plan legs and waypoints, curved flight paths and nearby navaids. In addition, the unit featured GPS flight plan map views, 360 degree ARC, display of real-time winds aloft, outside air temperature, true and ground speed, and an integral air data computer and attitude heading reference system (AHRS).

The airplane was also equipped with the Cessna “Known Icing Conditions” deice system kit, which was comprised of an electric deicing pilot’s windshield panel, wing and empennage deice boots, heated pitot head and static ports, and propeller deice boots.

A review of maintenance records revealed that on February 10, 2011, the airplane was inspected in accordance with Federal Aviation Regulation, Title 14, Part 91.411, Altimeter system and altitude reporting equipment tests and inspections, which states, “No person may operate an airplane in controlled airspace under IFR conditions, unless within the preceding 24 calendar months, each static pressure system, each altimeter instrument, and each automatic pressure altitude reporting system has been tested and inspected and found to comply with appendix E, of part 43 of this chapter.”

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The pilot obtained an outlook weather briefing and filed an IFR flight plan with the Prescott, Arizona FAA Contract Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) at 1834 MST on November 17, 2011. The pilot subsequently obtained an abbreviated weather briefing at about 1200 MST on November 18, 2011. In both briefings, the AFSS briefer indicated that snow showers were expected over the majority of Wyoming during the period. In the latest briefing at 1200 MST, the briefer provided the adverse weather conditions expected, and indicated that AIRMETs for IFR and mountain obscuration conditions, moderate icing, moderate turbulence, and low-level wind shear were current over the route of flight. The freezing level was identified at the surface, with multiple layers of cloud identified and implied existing icing conditions.

At 1335, about 5 minutes prior to the time of the accident, a CPR special weather observation indicated wind 360 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 1 ¾ miles, light snow and mist, scattered clouds at 800 feet, scattered clouds at 1,200 feet, overcast clouds at 2,500 feet, temperature -1 degree Celsius (C), dew point -3 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.56 inches of mercury (Hg). Remarks: automated observation system, hourly precipitation 0.01 inch.

At 1348, about 8 minutes after the time of the accident, a CPR special weather observation revealed wind 010 degrees at 8 knots, visibility ½ mile in moderate snow and freezing fog, few clouds at 800 feet, overcast clouds at 1,300 feet, temperature -2 degrees C, dew point -3 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.55 inches of mercury (Hg). Remarks: automated observation system, hourly precipitation 0.01 inch.

Subsequent observations indicated that snow was reported at CPR earlier in the morning between 0740 and 0804 on November 18, 2011, and began again prior to the accident at 1247, with conditions rapidly deteriorating to IFR conditions with wet snow, mist, and freezing fog with the snow ending at 0036 on November 19, 2011.

The Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) for Casper (CPR) was issued at 1031 MST on November 18, 2011 prior to N357’s departure for preflight weather planning. The forecast for KCPR from 1100 MST expected wind from 080° at 7 knots, visibility better than 6 miles with showers in the vicinity, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet agl, ceiling broken at 6,000 feet, with the threat of windshear at 1,000 feet with a wind from 230° at 35 knots. From 1400 MST, wind from 300 at 9 knots, visibility better than 6 miles, with showers in the vicinity, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, ceiling broken at 8,000 feet.

The area forecast for Wyoming east of the continental divide was for a broken layer of clouds at 8,000 feet with tops to 20,000 feet with visibility 5 miles in scattered light snow showers, becoming from 1500 to 1700 MST overcast at 7,000 feet with visibility 3 miles in light snow. The outlook from 1700 through 2300 MST was for MVFR conditions due to low ceilings and visibilities in snow.

The National Weather Service (NWS) had AIRMET Sierra update number 3 for IFR conditions for ceilings below 1,000 feet agl and/or visibility less than 3 miles in precipitation, mountain obscuration conditions in clouds and precipitation. AIRMET Tango update number 5 for occasional moderate turbulence below 16,000 feet, and for low-level wind shear (LLWS). AIRMET Zulu update 2 was also current over the region for moderate icing conditions below 20,000 feet.

The NWS Weather Depiction Chart for 1200 MST on November 18, 2011, depicted an area of instrument flight rule (IFR) conditions over western and central Wyoming, with visibility of less than 2 miles in light to moderate snow and low ceilings. The station model for Casper at 1200 MST depicted VFR conditions prevailing with overcast clouds at 5,000 feet, with the area of MVFR and IFR conditions to the west.

A Senior National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) meteorologist supplied the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) with Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite number 11 (GEOS-11) data. The GEOS-11 visible image at 1345 MST indicated several layers of clouds over Wyoming with an overcast layer of nimbostratus type clouds consistent with snow showers over the accident site.

The NTSB meteorologist also provided the NTSB IIC with National Weather Service Current Icing Potential (CIP) products, which were obtained through the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) surrounding the period of the accident. One product, a cross section for the route of flight between Denver and Casper for 1300 MST indicated a deep layer of potential moderate icing conditions between 6,000 to 19,000 feet over the Casper area, with a 60 to 80 percent probability of occurrence at the accident airplane’s cruising level and approach into the Casper area. The visible moisture and relative humidity was between 80 to 100 percent over Casper, with temperatures below freezing through the entire depth of the atmosphere over the area. Further, the icing probability for the cruising level of 13,000 feet for 1300 MST depicted a greater than 50 probability of icing conditions at 13,000 feet with areas of 70 percent and more in the vicinity of Casper. The icing severity chart for 13,000 feet depicted a large area of moderate icing conditions over central Wyoming with scattered areas of heavy or severe icing conditions for 1300 MST. Another chart, which was the best category of icing conditions, continued to depict moderate to heavy icing over the region at the time of the accident.

For a detailed discussion of the weather information, see the Meteorology Factual Report in the public docket for this accident.

AIDS TO NAVIGATION

The CPR ILS Runway 03 Approach utilizes a glide slope and a final approach course of 032 degrees magnetic, with an initial approach fix (CHOMP) located 36 DME on the Muddy Mountain (DDY) VOR 204 degree radial. The charted minimum altitude for holding at DDY is 7,500 feet. The DDY VOR was utilized as the holding fix that was part of the missed approach procedure, and was located about 14 nautical miles northeast of CPR. The missed approach procedure specified a climb to 7,500 feet, followed by a left turn direct to the DDY VOR and hold. The published holding procedure indicates standard right hand turns northeast of the DDY on the 025 radial. The published landing minimums for the approach required a runway visual range (RVR) of 2,400 feet, a decision height of 5,524 feet mean sea level (msl), or 200 feet above ground level. The CPR airport elevation is listed as 5,350 feet msl.

AIRPORT INFORMATION

CPR was serviced by an operating air traffic control tower, which incorporated approach and departure services, with en route services provided by the Denver ARTCC. Runway 03, the runway of intended landing, was 10,165 feet long and 150 feet wide, with a Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI), Medium Intensity Approach Lighting System (MALSR), and High Intensity Runway Lighting.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane came to rest on a measured magnetic heading of 355 degrees in a snow-covered field of gently rolling terrain and sparse vegetation at coordinates 41 degrees 01.400 minutes north latitude and 106 degrees 21.134 minutes west longitude. The impact heading was consistent with the at rest heading of 355 degrees magnetic. The airplane’s impact angle was estimated to be about 30 degrees nose down and in a left turn orientation. The entirety of the wreckage was confined to an area of about 60 feet in diameter.

Flight control continuity was established from the individual flight control bellcranks to the center portion of the cabin, except for one rudder cable, which was separated, with the separation signature consistent with overload. Flight control continuity was also established from the pilot controls to the center section of the cabin. Fire damage and crushing damage prevented an evaluation of the flight control cables in the area below the cabin floor.

The left wing was crushed aft and sustained severe deformation due to bending, twisting and being mangled, as well as being exposed to extreme thermal distress. Both the left flap and left aileron remained attached to the wing’s trailing edge with thermal damage observed to each. The left fuel tank was breached, and observed to have sustained thermal damage.

The right wing was destroyed by fire and impact damage. The wing was bent, twisted and mangled. The right flap, right aileron, and fuel tank were destroyed due to impact forces and thermal damage.

Both the left and right rudders remained attached to their respective vertical stabilizers at all attach points. Moderate sooting was observed. The single elevator was intact and remained attached to the horizontal stabilizer at all attach points. Moderate sooting was noted. The elevator trim tab was measured at 10 degrees tab up. The trim tab control cables were observed to have sustained overload separation.

The left and right main landing gear were documented in the down position, with the right down lock broken when the gear leg was displaced aft. The nose landing gear was confirmed in the down position.

On January 4, 2012, the NTSB IIC, accompanied by representatives from the engine and airframe manufacturers examined both engines at a secured salvage facility.

Front engine

The front engine, which was removed from the airframe to facilitate an inspection, displayed impact forces and thermal distress. Engine continuity could not be confirmed. Both magneto drive shafts remained intact, but neither could be rotated by hand. The top and bottom spark plugs exhibited normal operating signatures. The fuel pump drive shaft could not be rotated by hand, and the fuel manifold valve screen was observed to be free of obstructions. The mixture control lever was observed near the full rich position, and exhibited movement through its full range of travel by hand. The throttle control lever exhibited unrestricted movement through its full range of travel. The oil sump exhibited impact damage. The oil screen was removed and observed to be free of obstructions. All six cylinders were inspected using a lighted borescope. The internal combustion chambers and the intake and exhaust valve faces exhibited material consistent with that of combustion deposits. The crankshaft flange separated from the crankshaft and remained attached to the propeller. The exposed portion of the crankshaft exhibited spiral cracking damage. The crankshaft could not be rotated by hand. The exposed accessory gears were intact. The turbocharger drive shaft could not be rotated by hand. The turbocharger blades and compressor impeller were intact. The vacuum pump drive shaft could not be rotated by hand. A portion of the vacuum pump drive coupling was not located. The vacuum pump was disassembled, and the rotor and vanes exhibited damage. The propeller governor control arm was observed in approximately the mid-travel position. The propeller governor drive gear was intact, and the oil screen exhibited no obstructions or debris. The two-bladed constant speed propeller separated from the engine and remained attached to the crankshaft flange. Both propeller blades exhibited multi-directional scratches. One propeller blade also exhibited twisting damage.

The examination of the front engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have prevented the ability to produce rated horsepower.

Rear engine

The rear engine, which was removed from the airframe to facilitate an inspection, displayed impact forces and thermal distress. Engine continuity could not be confirmed. Both magneto drive shafts remained intact, but neither could be rotated by hand. The top and bottom spark plugs exhibited normal operating signatures. The fuel pump drive shaft could not be rotated by hand, and the fuel manifold valve screen was observed to be free of obstructions. The mixture control lever was observed near the full rich position, and exhibited movement through its full range of travel. The throttle control lever exhibited unrestricted movement through its full range of travel. The oil sump exhibited impact damage. The oil screen was removed and observed to be free of obstructions. All six cylinders were inspected using a lighted borescope. The internal combustion chambers and the intake and exhaust valve faces exhibited material consistent with that of combustion deposits. The propeller remained attached to the crankshaft flange. The crankshaft could not be rotated by hand. The exposed accessory gears observed through the magneto and alternator bays were intact. The turbocharger drive shaft did not rotate by hand. The turbocharger blades and compressor impeller were intact. The vacuum pump drive shaft could not be rotated by hand. A portion of the vacuum pump drive coupling was not located. The vacuum pump was disassembled and exhibited rotor and vane damage. The propeller governor control arm was observed in approximately the mid-travel position. The propeller governor drive gear was intact, and the oil screen exhibited no obstructions or debris. The two-bladed constant speed propeller remained attached to the crankshaft flange. A portion of one propeller blade separated about mid-span of the propeller blade. Another propeller blade exhibited a bend toward the non-cambered side of the propeller blade, beginning approximately mid-span of the propeller blade.

The examination of the rear engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have prevented the ability to produce rated horsepower.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

On November 22, 2011, an autopsy was performed on the pilot at the facilities of the McKee Medical Center, Loveland, Colorado. The cause of death was stated to be from “multiple blunt force injuries.

The FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicology tests on the pilot. According to CAMI's report, no ethanol was detected in the liver or kidney, and drugs were tested with negative results. There were no tests performed for carbon monoxide and cyanide.

ADDITIONAL DATA

FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 60-4A

FAA's Advisory Circular (AC) 60-4A, entitled "Pilot's Spatial Disorientation," states (in part): "The attitude of an aircraft is generally determined by reference to the natural horizon or other visual references with the surface. If neither horizon nor surface references exist, the attitude of an aircraft must be determined by artificial means from the flight instruments. Sight, supported by other senses, allows the pilot to maintain orientation. However, during periods of low visibility, the supporting senses sometimes conflict with what is seen. When this happens, a pilot is particularly vulnerable to disorientation. The degree of disorientation may vary considerably with individual pilots. Spatial disorientation to a pilot means simply the inability to tell which way is 'up.' The advisory circular goes on to say that, "The disoriented pilot may place the aircraft in a dangerous attitude..."

FAA's Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25)

The FAA's Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25A), states that under normal flight conditions, when there is a visual reference to the horizon and ground, the sensory system in the inner ear helps to identify the pitch, roll, and yaw movements of the airplane. When visual contact with the horizon is lost, the vestibular system becomes unreliable. Without visual references outside the airplane, there are many situations where combinations of normal motions and forces can create convincing illusions that are difficult to overcome. In a classic example, a pilot may believe the airplane is in level flight, when, in reality, it is in a gradual turn. If the airspeed increases, the pilot may experience a postural sensation of a level dive and pull back on the stick, which tightens the turn and creates increasing G-loads. If recovery is not initiated, a steep spiral will develop. This is sometimes called the graveyard spiral, because if the pilot fails to recognize that the airplane is in a spiral and fails to return the airplane to wings-level flight, the airplane will eventually strike the ground. If the horizon becomes visible again, the pilot will have an opportunity to return the airplane to straight-and-level flight, and continued visual contact with the horizon will allow the pilot to maintain straight-and-level flight. However, if contact with the horizon is lost again, the inner ear may fool the pilot into thinking the airplane has started a bank in the other direction, causing the graveyard spiral to begin all over again.

The FAA’s Instrument Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-15A)

The FAA’s Instrument Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-15A), states that flying in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) can result in sensations that are misleading to the body’s sensory system. A pilot needs to understand these sensations and effectively counteract them.

Federal Aviation Regulation, Title 14, Part 61.57(c)(1), Recent Flight Experience: Pilot in command, Instrument experience, states in part, “…a person may act as a pilot in command under IFR or weather conditions less than the minimums prescribed for VFR only if, within the 6 calendar months preceding the month of the flight, that person performed and logged at least the following tasks and iterations in an airplane, as appropriate, for the instrument rating privileges to be maintained in actual weather conditions, or under simulated conditions using a view-limiting device that involves having performed the following:

• Six instrument approaches.
• Holding procedures and tasks.
• Intercepting and tracking courses through the use of navigational electronic systems.


 NTSB Identification: WPR12FA040 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, November 18, 2011 in Casper, WY
Aircraft: CESSNA T337, registration: N357
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

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 November 18, 2011, about 1340 mountain standard time, N357, a Cessna 337G was substantially damaged after impacting terrain following a missed approach procedure at the Casper/Natrona County International Airport (CPR), Casper, Wyoming. The private pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was killed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight, which was conducted in accordance with Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed and activated at the time of the accident. The flight departed the Rawlins Municipal Airport (RWL), Rawlins, Wyoming, about 1319, with CPR as its destination.

According to preliminary information obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), while on the instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 03, the air traffic controller monitoring the approach observed that the airplane was too high and not correctly aligned with the localizer. The controller subsequently instructed the pilot to initiate the published missed approach procedure. The airplane was then observed to track northeast, which was consistent with the missed approach, until radar contact was lost about 1341. There were no known distress calls from the pilot. The airplane was located about 8 nautical miles northeast of the airport. It had impacted snow-covered pasture terrain, was extensively fragmented, and had been consumed by fire.

The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC), a FAA aviation safety inspector, and representatives from the airframe and engine manufacturer examined the wreckage at the accident site. The coordinates of the main wreckage were 43 degrees 01.400 minutes north latitude and 116 degrees 21.134 minutes west longitude. The airplane came to rest on a magnetic heading of about 350 degrees, and at an elevation of 5,457 feet mean sea level (msl). A post accident examination of the airplane revealed that all components necessary for flight were accounted for at the wreckage site.

At 1335, the automated surface observing system (ASOS) at CPR reported wind 360 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 1 3/4 miles, light snow, mist, scattered clouds at 800 feet above ground level (agl), scattered clouds at 1,200 feet agl, overcast clouds at 2,500 feet agl, temperature -1 degree Celsius, dew point -3 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.56 inches of Mercury.

The aircraft wreckage was recovered to a salvage facility where a more detailed examination of the airframe and engines will be performed.









TIM KUPSICK/Casper Star-Tribune

Emergency crews work on putting out the smoldering remains of a Cessna Skymaster that crashed west of Interstate 25 about 15 miles north of Casper, Wyoming on Friday. The only occupant did not survive the crash.


A Lander orthodontist and organizer of a popular Fourth of July fireworks show died in the plane crash north of Casper on Friday afternoon, Natrona County coroner Connie Jacobson said Saturday.

Dr. Brent Bills, 60, was the only occupant of the twin-engine Cessna Skymaster 337 when it crashed near the Forgey Ranch, Jacobson said.

Bills was last seen boarding the plane alone at Rawlins Municipal Harvey Field and was scheduled to depart at 1:19 p.m., according to Jacobson and the website FlightAware.

He was scheduled to arrive at the Casper/Natrona County International Airport at 1:41 p.m., according to FlightAware.

However, Bills missed the approach about 1:50 p.m. and flew about eight miles north, according to an email from Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor.

At that time, air traffic controllers lost radar and radio contact with the plane.

Search crews found the wreckage near a ranch building about 12 miles north of Casper and west of Interstate 25.

The impact destroyed the plane and set the wreckage on fire.

Emergency crews extinguished the fire and secured the scene for investigators.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident. The NTSB is the lead investigative agency, Gregor wrote. The NTSB investigator usually posts a preliminary report on the agency’s website within two weeks of an accident, but the full investigation can take months, he wrote.

An autopsy will be performed later this week to determine the cause of death, Jacobson said.

Bills had owned and operated “Wyoming Natural Orthodontics” for about 25 years, according to the business’s website.

He also was involved with other businesses, including Lander Skymaster LLC, which is affiliated with the Lander construction company Triple L Inc. The Cessna was registered to the company, according to an FAA online registry.

A person who answered the telephone at Triple L on Saturday said the office would be closed until Monday, and she would not provide a contact person to answer questions about Bills.

Besides his business interests, Bills was renowned for his annual “Dr. Bill’s Fireworks Display” that attracted thousands of spectators along Sinks Canyon Road.


At least one person died today when a twin-engine airplane crashed about 10 miles north of Casper. Emergency crews found the wreckage of a Cessna Skymaster sometime before 4 p.m. in a stretch of prairie just west of Interstate 25.

Officials cannot yet confirm the number of people on board the aircraft, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. A Natrona County coroner's investigator did confirm the death of one person. Officials did not release the crash victim's identity.

The Cessna's pilot missed an approach while attempting to land at Casper/Natrona County International Airport at about 1:50 p.m., Gregor said. The plane flew about eight miles to the north before air traffic controllers lost radar and radio contact with it.

The Natrona County Sheriff's Office received a report of a missing Cessna Skymaster at 1:53p.m., said Lt. Mark Sellers. Fire crews and sheriff's deputies responded to the scene to find wreckage from the destroyed plane not far from a ranch building.

A moderate snow was falling at the airport about the same time the plane was reported missing, according to Rich Miller, a weather service specialist with the National Weather Service's Riverton office. Visibility was a half mile, with winds at 9 mph.

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - At least one person is dead in a plane crash north of Casper.

Officials say they don't know yet how many people were on board the twin-engine plane, which took off from Rawlins and went down around 1:50 p.m. Friday.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says the Twin-engine plane crashes north of Casper was headed in for a landing at the Casper airport but missed its approach. The plane was then lost from radar and radio contact.

Gregor says the plane crashed about eight miles north of Casper. He says the plane was destroyed.

The plane was registered to Lander Skymaster, LLC, of Lander, Wyo.

The Cessna 337 Skymaster has propellers in the front and rear of the plane and holds up to six people.
Emergency crews found the wreckage of a Cessna Skymaster sometime before 4 p.m. in a stretch of prairie within sight of Interstate 25. Natrona County Chief Deputy Coroner Wayne Reynolds confirmed the death of one person. Officials did not release the crash victim’s identity. The Cessna’s pilot missed an approach while attempting to land at Casper/Natrona County International Airport about 1:50 p.m., Gregor said. The plane flew about eight miles to the north before air traffic controllers lost radar and radio contact with it.

The Natrona County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a missing Cessna Skymaster at 1:53 p.m., said Lt. Mark Sellers. Searchers responded to the scene to find wreckage from the destroyed plane not far from a ranch building.

A moderate snow was falling at the airport about the same time the plane was reported missing, according to Rich Miller, a weather service specialist with the National Weather Service’s Riverton office. Visibility was a half mile, with winds at 9 mph.

The Cessna was registered to Lander Skymaster LLC, according to an FAA online registry.

According to a flight tracking website, an aircraft with the Cessna’s tail number took off from an airport in Rawlins. The same site indicated the plane traveled to Rawlins from Hunt Field in Lander earlier that day.