Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Etihad Airways Boeing 737, with 168 on board, has forced landing in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU, Jan 18: An Etihad Airways airplane flying from Kathmandu to Abu Dhaib, the UAE, with 168 passengers on board had an emergency landing at Tribhuvan International Airport Tuesday night.

The Boeing 737 aircraft, which took off at 9:15 pm, had had the forced landing after one of its engines ‘failed’. All the passengers including the crew members are safe.

“We were informed that one of its engines failed five minutes after it took off,” Ratish Chandralal Suman, general manager at TIA, said. “The plane had the emergency landing at 10:12 pm in Kathmandu,” he added.

According to him, the airplane had just crossed Dharke in Dhading, one of the adjacent districts to the capital, when the problem was first detected. Then the aircraft was held in the air for around half an hour to exhaust some more fuel so as to make the aircraft lighter.

“This had to be done as the weight of an aircraft should be less when it faces engine failure,” he said. The airport management had alerted the security agencies, ambulances and fire brigades soon after the problem was communicated to the TIA.

The aircraft had arrived at TIA from Abu Dhabi just some time ago at 8 pm. It will now be grounded at the airport for some four days until Etihad engineers from Abu Dhabi come and fix the problem, Suman said.

This is a second time an airplane flying from Kathmandu has faced such problem in a week. Only four days ago, a Qatar Airways airplane flying to Doha from Kathmandu had had a forced landing due to a similar problem.

The aircraft then had to be force-landed in the nearby Indian city of Lucknow after the problem was detected when it was flying over Palpa district on its way to Doha, the Qatari capital, airport officials said.

Source:  http://www.myrepublica.com

Meeting scheduled about removing trees near Bowman Field Airport (KLOU), Louisville, Kentucky.



LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - The proposed cutting of trees near Bowman Field will get more scrutiny at a meeting Thursday night, January 19.

The FAA says some trees need to be removed or trimmed around Bowman Field because of new regulations regarding clearance and visibility.

The Louisville Regional Airport Authority will make a PowerPoint presentation and residents will be allowed to ask questions.

That meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Douglass Community Center Gym.

Piper PA-24-180, N7648P: Fatal accident occurred January 15, 2012 in Brewster, Massachusetts

NTSB Identification: ERA12LA145
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, January 15, 2012 in Brewster, MA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 05/23/2013
Aircraft: PIPER PA-24-180, registration: N7648P
Injuries: 2 Fatal.

NTSB investigators may have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The pilot was practicing instrument approaches with a flight instructor. While in a holding pattern, an air traffic controller contacted the pilot after observing his erratic altitude control. The pilot responded, “there’s smoke in the cabin.” About 24 seconds later, the pilot stated that “we’ve cleared the smoke” and that they would continue the flight. This was the last transmission received from the pilot, and it was cut off, and radar contact was then lost. The airplane subsequently crashed into Cape Cod Bay. General fragmentation of the wreckage indicated a high-energy impact with the water. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any evidence of an in-flight fire or other anomaly or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. Examinations of several electrical components, including avionics, wires, and circuit breakers revealed no evidence of overheating or fire. 

A study of weather data revealed that, at the time of the accident, the airplane was in instrument meteorological conditions with snow. The National Weather Service Current Icing Product indicated a greater than 50 percent chance of icing at 2,000 feet, which was near the altitude of the airplane before the accident. However, the pilot did not mention icing conditions to the controller.

The pilot tested positive for several medications during postaccident specimen analysis, including diazepam, nordiazepam, tramadol, and warfarin. Since the blood samples obtained were collected from a body cavity, the assessment of pilot impairment was not reliable due to concerns with postmortem redistribution of drugs. The pilot had not reported these medications on his latest third-class medical certificate application. The pilot and flight instructor both tested negative for carbon monoxide and cyanide.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The flight crew’s loss of airplane control.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On January 15, 2012, about 1005 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-24-180, N7648P, crashed into Cape Cod Bay near Brewster, Massachusetts. The airplane was registered to a private individual and was operated by a private pilot. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the instructional flight from Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts (MVY) to Hyannis, Massachusetts (HYA). The flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private pilot and a flight instructor were fatally injured.

The pilot filed a flight plan and obtained a weather briefing through the Direct User Access Terminal System (DUATS) at 1459 on January 14, 2012, the day prior to the accident. The following remark was noted on the DUATS flight plan, “Practice Approaches - PIC: Robert Walker.” 

According to his wife, the pilot was practicing instrument procedures as part of an instrument proficiency check. After performing two practice approaches, the pilot requested four turns in holding at MECEJ holding fix. After the pilot reported that he was established in the holding pattern at MEJEC, at 1504:01 (HHMM:SS), the controller queried the pilot on his altitude control, stating that the aircraft altitude was varying by 500 feet. The controller asked the pilot if he needed assistance, and the pilot replied, at 1504:09, “there’s smoke in the cabin.” At 1504:24, the pilot stated, “we’ve got to clear the smoke and uh…” At 1504:33, the last transmission was received from the pilot, “four eight pop I guess we’ll sit we’ll stay in the uh we’ve cleared the smoke we’ll stay in the uh…” Radar and radio contact was subsequently lost. 

The pilot’s wife listened to the recorded ATC voice communications after the accident and reported that the voices from the aircraft related to smoke in the cabin were that of her husband, the pilot.

Recorded radar data indicated that, at 1504:05, the aircraft was proceeding in a westerly direction at 2,200 feet above mean sea level (msl). The last reliable radar return, at 1504:45, indicated that the airplane had commenced a right turn and descended to 1,300 feet msl. The wreckage was located about 0.3 nautical miles southeast of the last radar return.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

Pilot

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. On an insurance application dated January 9, 2012, he reported 676 hours total time, including 111 in the PA-24. His latest document flight review occurred on October 22, 2011.

Flight Instructor

The flight instructor held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, airplane single engine sea, instrument airplane, ground instructor, and flight instructor (airplane single-engine and multiengine, instrument airplane). He reported 7,384 hours of total flight experience on his latest Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) second class medical certificate, dated March 30, 2011. 

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane was a single-engine, low wing, retractable gear airplane, serial number 24-2862. It was powered by a Lycoming O-360-A1D engine rated at 180 horsepower at 2,700 rpm. The tachometer (tach) time observed in the wreckage was 5,049.3 hours. 

The aircraft was equipped with an electrically-heated pitot tube. The aircraft was not equipped with ice protection on the wings, stabilator, or vertical stabilizer and was not certificated for flight in icing conditions.

According to the aircraft maintenance records, the last recorded maintenance on the airplane occurred on December 16, 2011, at tach time 5,032.1 hours. The following entry was noted, “Checked for inoperative charging system, alternator circuit breaker found tripped, checked all alternator wiring from firewall forward, found that a 50 amp alternator circuit installed did not match 60-amp breaker called for in InterAv wiring diagram, 50-amp breaker previously approved by FAA form 337 dated 1/20/03, checked alternator brushes, adjusted alternator belt tension, ran engine several times and found charging system working properly, could not duplicate circuit breaker tripping. Replaced both wing tip navigation lamps P/N A7512-12.” The 50-amp circuit breaker was not replaced during the maintenance on December 16.

The last annual inspection on the airplane occurred on July 2, 2011, at tach time 4,983.9 hours. 

On June 11, 2008, during an annual inspection, the master circuit breaker was removed and replaced with another 50 amp circuit breaker, part number W23X1A1G50. 

The pilot’s wife reported the following maintenance discrepancies during an interview following the accident. In November, 2011, the landing gear would not extend and the alternate extension system was required to lower the gear. On January 4, 2012, the volt meter and amp meter were discharging. She stated that the airplane flew several times after that with no issues. There were no aircraft logbook entries to document the events.

According to the FAA, on December 27, 2011, the pilot was involved in an ATC deviation, and the pilot cited radio problems in his explanation of the event. ATC reported that the pilot did not respond to radio calls and deviated from his last assigned heading and altitude. The aircraft logbook did not include an entry related to a radio repair for the flight of December 27.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The closest weather reporting facility to the accident site was Chatham Municipal Airport (CQX), Chatham, Massachusetts, located about 8 miles southeast of the accident site at an elevation of 63 feet. The CQX weather observation at 0952 reported wind from 320 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 16 knots, visibility 7 miles in light snow, ceiling overcast at 1,600 feet above ground level (agl), temperature 9 degrees Celsius (C), dew point minus 13 degrees C, and altimeter setting 30.20 inches of mercury (Hg). Remarks included hourly precipitation less than 0.01 inch or trace and 6-hour precipitation total less than 0.01 inch.

The CQX special weather observation at 1012 included wind from 300 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 19 knots, visibility 1 3/4 miles in light snow, ceiling overcast at 1,800 feet, temperature minus 8 degrees C, dew point temperature minus 13 degrees C, and altimeter setting 30.21 inches of Hg. Remarks included hourly precipitation less than 0.01 inch. 

A review of the observations indicated that snow first began at Chatham at 0645 EST and continued through the time of the accident with a few periods of brief instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions in a few heavier snow showers.

The next closest weather reporting facility to the accident site was from Barnstate Municipal Airport – Boardman/Polando Field (HYA), Hyannis, Massachusetts, which was the destination of where the practice instrument approach was planned and was located approximately 10 miles southwest of the accident site at an elevation of 54 feet. 

The HYA weather observation at 0956 included wind from 310 degrees at 14 knots gusting to 20 knots, visibility 1 1/2 miles in light snow, ceiling overcast at 1,900 feet, temperature minus 11 degrees C, dew point temperature minus 15 degrees C, and altimeter setting 30.21 inches of Hg. Remarks included that snow began at 0913 EST, hourly precipitation less than 0.01 of an inch, and 6-hour precipitation less than 0.01 of an inch. 

The HYA weather observation at 1056 included wind from 320 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 21 knots, visibility 1 mile in light snow, ceiling broken at 1,700 feet, overcast at 2,600 feet, temperature minus 11 degrees C, dew point temperature minus 14° C, and altimeter setting 30.21 inches of Hg. Remarks included hourly precipitation less than 0.01 of an inch.

A review of the raw observations indicated that snow first started at HYA at 0913 and continued through the time of the accident. 

The accident airplane departed from Martha’s Vineyard Airport (MVY), Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, located approximately 32 miles southwest from the accident site at an elevation of 67 feet. The MVY weather observation at 0853 included wind from 340 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 19 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky clear below 12,000 feet, temperature minus 9 degrees C, dew point minus 17 degrees C, and altimeter 30.21 inches of Hg.

The closest upper air sounding or rawinsonde (ROAB) observation was from the National Weather Service (NWS) site number 74494, located at Chatham, Massachusetts, about 8 miles southeast of the accident site. The 0700 sounding indicated a layer of low stratocumulus type clouds with bases near 1,800 feet agl with tops near 4,300 feet. The entire sounding was below freezing, even with two low-level temperature inversions. The soundings supported a chance of light to moderate icing in the stratocumulus type clouds, with the highest probability near the cloud bases. 

Two pilot reports in the vicinity reported light to moderate turbulence below 4,000 feet.

Immediately prior to the accident, at 0945, the NWS Aviation Weather Center (AWC) issued their series of Airmen’s Meteorological Information (AIRMET) for the northeast and the hourly Convective Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMET) advisories. The only weather hazard identified over the area was a threat of turbulence below 8,000 feet. No large scale areas of IFR or icing conditions were identified by the NWS outside of convective activity at that time, and no Convective SIGMETs were issued for the area surrounding the period.

The NWS Current Icing Product was issued by the AWC at 1000 on the day of the accident. The chart depicted a greater than 50 percent probability of icing conditions at 2,000 feet over eastern Cape Cod and over the accident site.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The wreckage was found submerged in Cape Cod Bay, at coordinates 41 46.600 north, 70 06.996 west. Inspectors with the FAA observed the recovery of the wreckage. Once recovered, the wreckage was sent to a storage facility at Clayton, Delaware for further examination.

Examination of the wreckage did not reveal evidence of in-flight or post-crash fire and no soot was observed on the recovered wreckage. The forward cabin section contained the instrument panel area, control wheels, rudder pedals, avionics and engine controls. The firewall was present and exhibited impact damage. The engine mount was attached to the firewall and the engine was attached to the mount. All side skins and top and bottom skins were missing as were all window enclosures. 

The rudder pedals were in place and the control cables were attached. The engine controls were impact-damaged and could not be moved. The pilot’s control wheel was not present and the co-pilot’s control wheel exhibited impact damage. Both rudder and stabilator trim controls and primary controls were impact-damaged and could not be operated. The cables were traced aft to their separation points. All breaks in the cables showed evidence of overstress or cuts by recovery personnel. The pilot and co-pilot seats were not located. 

The primary electrical harness was in place. The circuit breakers were impact-damaged and separated from their mountings in the circuit breaker panel. Several electrical switches were impact-damaged. The pitot heat switch was found in the “on” position, as was the alternate pitot/static air source selector switch. The electrical harness was examined for pre-impact wiring integrity as were various associated components. All panel-mounted avionics were impact-damaged. The aircraft’s primary battery was not recovered. Several electrical and avionics components were removed for examination at the NTSB Materials Laboratory.

The center section of the fuselage had the left inboard wing root section attached. All top, bottom and side skins were breached. Two sets of seat belts were attached to the floor and side wall. One set had the shoulder restraint belt attached to the lap belt. The aft bench seat was located, but was not attached to the structure. The fuel valve was located and noted to be on the “right tank” position. The flap control lever was located and was impact-damaged.

The empennage was comprised of the attached vertical fin with rudder attached and the two stabilator halves. All were attached to the tail cone section in their normal positions.
The vertical fin was attached to the fuselage and exhibited leading edge impact damage and skin separation at its root areas. 

The rudder was attached to the vertical fin at its hinge points. It exhibited impact damage and breaching of the skins. The balance weight was not located. Control continuity was traced forward to the aft cabin area separations, then to the forward cabin area separations. All separations exhibited overload signatures or were cut by recovery personnel.

The stabilator assembly was attached to its hinge points on the aft bulkhead. Impact damage was observed on the upper and lower surfaces. Both trim tabs were attached to the stabilator assembly and exhibited minor impact damage. The outboard 4.5 feet of each stabilator/trim tab was removed by recovery personnel. The balance weight was intact. Control cable continuity was traced forward to the forward cabin area. The trim cables were separated by recovery personnel and the trim setting was measured at 0.53 inches at the trim drum, which equated to a slight nose-up condition.

The left wing root section was attached to the fuselage. The main landing gear was damaged from impact and found in the up (retracted) position. The outboard section was breached and exhibited accordion type aft crushing of the leading edge. The fuel tank was not recovered. The upper spar cap was partially separated and bent upward approximately 45 degrees. The left aileron and its balance weight were separated. The weight was located. Aileron control continuity was established to its bellcrank. The aileron control cables were found in the instrument panel area and offered limited movement due to impact damage. The flap was segmented and partially attached.

The right wing was segmented and separated from the fuselage and had leading edge, accordion-type crushing aft. The wing skin was breached at the main fuel tank to inboard sections. The fuel tank was not recovered. The landing gear was attached and was in the up (retracted) position, with impact damage noted. The aileron was partially attached to its hinges and was bent from impact damage. Control cable continuity was established to the aileron bellcrank and then to cable separations. All separations exhibited overload signatures or were cut by recovery personnel.

The propeller hub was fractured and about 60 percent was missing. The propeller blades were not recovered.

An examination of the engine revealed that the right and left magnetos were secure and in position. When removed, both drive gears were intact. When rotated by hand, no internal binding or unusual noises were noted. There was no attempt to produce spark due to salt water and sand ingestion. The ignition wiring harness could not be tested due to impact and salt water damage.

The carburetor was broken away from the engine at its mount. A small piece of the carburetor body was recovered.

The oil pump rotated freely with no binding or unusual noises noted. No internal contamination was noted. The propeller governor drive was intact. When rotated by hand, no internal binding or unusual noises were noted.

The top spark plugs were removed for inspection. All electrodes were impacted with sand. After cleaning with water, the electrodes appeared normal in color and wear when compared to a Champion Check-A-Plug chart.

The vacuum pump was normal in appearance. The drive coupling was intact and was not sheared. The internal vanes and rotor were normal in appearance.

The numbers 2 and 4 cylinders were removed. The valves, rockers, and springs were normal in appearance. The numbers 2 and 4 pistons were removed and examined. The piston surfaces were normal appearance. No metal particulates were observed inside the oil sump. The sump contained sand. After the numbers 2 and 4 cylinders were removed, an attempt to rotate engine was made. When the propeller hub was rotated, engine continuity was established to all accessory drive gears.

The engine-driven fuel pump was removed and examined. The pump actuator was secure and there was freedom of movement. The odor of aviation fuel was evident when the pump was opened. The material between the fuel pump gaskets was extensively eroded.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

Pilot

The pilot reported, on his most recent FAA third class medical certificate application of December 9, 2010, the following medications: lovastatin (commercially known at Mevacor), which is a cholesterol-lowering medication used to treat elevated lipids, allopurinol (commercially known as Zyloprim), which is used to treat gout, and vitamins. During his most recent FAA examination, it was noted that the pilot was treated for elevated cholesterol with no side effects, and was treated with allopurinol for gout in remission. No other concerns were reported by the pilot and no significant issues were identified by the aviation medical examiner.

The pilot’s wife reported that he did not drink alcohol, and went to the gym for exercise. She also stated that he was working on getting off the medications he was on. 

A postmortem examination of the pilot was performed at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on January 17, 2012. The autopsy report noted the cause of death as severe multiple injuries and the manner of death was “accident (plane crash).” 

Forensic toxicology testing was performed on specimens of the pilot by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory (CAMI), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The CAMI toxicology report indicated no carbon monoxide, cyanide, or ethanol in the blood. Testing of muscle specimens indicated 10 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) of ethanol. The CAMI report noted that the ethanol found in this case was from sources other than ingestion.

The following drugs were detected: 0.169 micrograms per milliliter (ug/ml) diazepam in the liver, 0.129 ug/ml diazepam in blood, 0.335 ug/ml nordiazepam in the liver, 0.17 ug/ml nordiazepam in blood, 1.019 ug/ml tramadol in the liver, 0.462 ug/ml tramadol in blood, and warfarin was detected in the liver and blood.

Diazepam (commercially known as Valium) is a prescription benzodiazepine derivative that has anxiolytic, sedative, muscle-relaxant, anticonvulsant, and amnestic effects. It is used to treat anxiety disorders, alcohol withdrawal, and muscle spasm. Nordiazepam is a metabolite of several different sedating benzodiazepines which are used as a treatment for anxiety. Tramadol (commercially known as Ultram) is a prescription medication that is a centrally acting sedating narcotic analgesic. The makers of this drug provide warnings that it may impair mental and/or physical ability required for the performance of potentially hazardous tasks (e.g. driving and operating heavy machinery). Warfarin (commercially known as Coumadin) is a prescription anticoagulant which acts by inhibiting vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors. The medicine is used to treat patients with deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolus, and atrial fibrillation.

The autopsy report noted that the blood used in the CAMI analysis was obtained from a body cavity. According to CAMI, the assessment of pilot impairment from cavity blood samples is not reliable due to concerns with postmortem redistribution of drugs.

Flight Instructor 

Forensic toxicology testing was performed on specimens of the flight instructor by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory (CAMI), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The CAMI toxicology report indicated no carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, or drugs in the blood. 

TESTS AND RESEARCH

Following the wreckage examination of February 28, 2012, several components and parts from the wreckage were sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, DC for additional inspection. The items included a McCoy MAC 1700 comm/nav receiver, a King KNA-24 audio selector panel, two avionic cooling fans, a Davtron fuel flow indicator, an InterAv overvoltage control, a voltage regulator, power feed cables, a digital amp meter, and two 50-amp circuit breakers, including the 50-amp alternator circuit breaker, part number W23X1A1G50.

All components were x-rayed and visually examined for the presence of electrical arcing, soot, and other indicators of overheating and /or fire. There was no evidence of overheating or fire on any of the examined components.

Robert H. Walker, 68, of Waquoit, formerly of Worcester, died January 15, 2012 in a plane crash. He was the husband of Margaret M. "Molly" Johnston and the late Beverly A. (Darling) Walker.

For 33 years he worked as a ceramic engineer and manager for Norton Company in Worcester. In 2002 he retired to Waquoit and enjoyed a wonderful retirement life with his beloved wife Molly. Every summer they sailed for 3 months on their 36 foot sailboat Juliet to Maine and Canada. They lived in Spain for 3 months, and he hosted a radio show there featuring Dixieland jazz, his favorite genre. He was an avid photographer and was a member of Upper Cape Camera Club. He was also a volunteer pilot for the charitable organization Angel Flight Northeast and was a member of Cape Area Pilots Association.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Kimberly A. Walker of Worcester, Wendy A. Walsh of Georgetown, SC, Maglenes Paige of West Boylston, and Misael Vazquez of Fairbanks, Alaska; his 4 granddaughters; his brother James D. Walker of Charlton; and his several nieces and nephews.

Delaware River and Bay Authority to rename Millville Airport (KMIV) Administration Building in honor of Lewis Finch Jr.

File photo/The News
Lewis B. Finch Jr., the former director of the Millville Airport was honored by the DRBA Tuesday. They are renaming the airport's administration building in his honor.

MILLVILLE — The Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) commission unanimously agreed to rename the Millville Airport Administration Building in honor of a late manager and administrator of the city’s airport.

Lewis B. Finch Jr., who died in October 2002, was honored at the DRBA commission meeting Tuesday with the airport administration building changing names to the “Lewis B. Finch Jr. Administration Building at Millville Airport.”

“As a result of his perseverance, dedication and diligence on behalf of Millville Airport, Mr. Finch took a small, fledging airport under his wing and helped it grow,” James T. Johnson Jr. read from the resolution at the DRBA meeting.

“Mr. Finch understood the advantages and vision of the partnership between the city of Millville and the DRBA concerning the management and operation of Millville Airport and he worked tirelessly behind the scenes on the federal, state and local level to make it happen,” Johnson continued.

In October 1999, Millville agreed to allow the DRBA manage and operate the Millville Airport, around the same time Finch retired from his management position at the airport that he had been in since 1974.

Following his retirement in June, he joined the DRBA as the airport’s administrator to secure millions of dollars in federal funding to upgrade the runway, taxiway and lightning infrastructure.

According to the DRBA’s resolution, Finch was an active member of the New Jersey Airport Advisory Committee and had previously been inducted into the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame for his work at the city’s airport.

City officials were pleased to hear the good news.

“I had hoped they’d do that a while ago, and I’m really glad they have,” said Commissioner Jim Quinn, director of public affairs. “This was his life, and (Finch) did so much to bring in millions of dollars for the airport. It was his passion.”

Quinn was elected to the commission under parks and recreation in 1997, just two years before Finch retired.

“He was so much a part of Millville in every way,” Quinn said. “Even down to the little league, which I took over when he retired. He was just very active in this community.”

Regarding the funds he brought in for the airport, Quinn said Finch did it by building strong relationships with federal and state officials.

“He had relationships where he could just pick up the phone and make a call, and immediately the elected officials would help him in any way they could,” Quinn said.

Quinn added that he was pleased to see a building named after someone involved in the community.

“When you look in Millville, we have Waltman and Corson parks, both named after prominent people, and Bacon and Wood schools and the Jim Hurley Industrial Park, but not much more than that,” Quinn said. “Vineland names their schools after prominent people in their community, and I’d like to see more of that in Millville. I don’t think we do enough of that.

“It’s just wonderful to hear the naming of the administration building after Lew Finch,” Quinn added.

Finch attended Millville public schools and graduated from the high school in 1945. Following his graduation, studied business and law management through LaSalle in 1948 and 1949, before joining the U.S. Army as a technician in Company A, Third Regiment, and served in World War II.

Finch was a member of the American Legion as well as the Millville Board of Education, and was the youngest member serving at the age of 24.

Finch was also a member of the Millville Exchange Club and the Millville Zoning Board, Democratic Organization and the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Committee, as well as a charter member of the Millville Little League baseball league.

He was also a husband, father to four sons, a grandfather and a great-grandfather.

Three Tornadoes Confirmed After Severe Weather Outbreak. Madison Municipal Airport (KIMS), Indiana.

Tornado Damage: Additional damage occurred east of the tornado damage at Madison Municipal Airport.

Photo: National Weather Service


 A National Weather Service storm survey team confirmed three tornadoes in Jefferson, Clark and Floyd counties Tuesday morning.

The Jefferson county tornado touched down briefly at 10:40 AM near the Madison Municipal County Airport. Wind speeds were estimated at 85 MPH. The tornado moved a 500 pound dumpster 35 feet and pushed a Beechcraft King airplane while damaging the nose gear.

Another tornado touched down at a Wal-mart parking lot in Clarksville turning over a car and damaging homes in it’s 2 mile path.

A cold front colliding with unusually warm January temperatures produced severe weather over most of south central Indiana Tuesday morning leaving thousands without power.

http://indianapublicmedia.org

Northwest Territories: Yellowknife Airport braces for incoming winter storm

Yellowknife, N.W.T. - The Yellowknife Airport is preparing for the worst as a winter storm is expected to pass through Tuesday night.

Flights have already been cancelled out of Inuvik, which got the brunt of that same system on Tuesday.

But Yellowknife airport manager Steve Loutit said everything there is operating normally with no major changes.

"We're doing the friction testing on the runways and everything, and making sure our resources are all available, making sure our manpower is all in place. And we'll be doing extra patrols around the airport just to make sure everything's going well."

Because a lot of snow is expected, making sure the runways are clear is important and Loutitt said his staff is doing just that.

"The vehicles are out there throughout the day as the conditions change. Obviously they're very diligent at it, they'll be out there many times throughout the day."

Loutitt said the airport will remain open should there be the need for passengers to remain overnight if flights are cancelled.

Source:  http://hqyellowknife.com

Jackson County Airport-Reynolds Field (KJXN) improvement project moves ahead with acquisition of property rights

A decade-old improvement project at Jackson County Airport moved a little closer to reality Tuesday with the settlement of a property dispute.

County commissioners voted to pay an additional $14,500 to end the objection of a Maynard Road couple whose land was condemned for an aviation easement.

Easements were needed on 26 properties, and only two remain unsettled, said Airport Manager Kent Maurer.

Improvements are needed to meet federal safety guidelines requiring 1,000 feet of clear land at the ends of runways, Maurer said. It is a massive project expected to cost $30 million.

Runways will be realigned, or turned slightly clockwise on maps. Easements and some properties were needed from neighbors.

Easements on the Maynard Road property, owned by Richard and Barbara Vanderburg, would allow the county to cut many trees.

Through the condemnation process, the county paid the Vanderburgs $21,750 in November, but they were not satisfied.

“They will lose big, old trees that define the neighborhood,” said Stephen Conley, a Jackson attorney who represents the Vanderburgs. “It will totally change the character of the neighborhood.”

As final settlement, both sides agreed to an additional payment of $14,500, plus interest and attorney fees.

Initial stages of construction are scheduled to begin this year.

Source:  http://www.mlive.com

Cast of Alaska survival movie 'The Grey' ate wolf meat



According to celebrity website Contactmusic, director Joe Carnahan says that he staged a communal meal of wolf meat for the cast of his new movie, "The Grey," a new thriller depicting a wilderness plane crash and survival ordeal set in wintry, remote Alaska but filmed in British Columbia.

Carnahan's intention with the wolf banquet, he says, was to help his actors better understand the plight of their stranded characters. The men must battle a hungry wolf pack, apparently using anything they can tape to their fists.

"I knew how bad it was gonna be and I knew what we were facing so we just all went through it together on the day. We all communally ate wolf and it wasn't appetising!," said Carnahan. "It was one of those necessary things because I wanted (the actors) to have a sense of the movie we were making. We're gonna eat wolf and we're gonna go out in the tundra."

Carnahan was vague when asked where he obtained the freezer-burned wolf meat: "Some guy had him in his basement. I don't know if it was a trap line wolf but it was a wolf that had been up to a misdeed of some sort. They were preying on cattle. We had asked if there was one we could eat and sure enough this guy had one in his freezer for six months which probably didn't help the taste!"


"The Grey" opens Jan. 18 in select cities, and Jan 27 nationwide.

http://www.alaskadispatch.com

Great Georgia Airshow cancels 2012 edition

The Great Georgia Airshow, the annual fall event at Peachtree City’s Falcon Field, has been put on hiatus for 2012, Channel 2 Action News reported.

In a prepared statement posted on the air show's Facebook page, organizers promised that the show, held every year in October, would return in 2013.

The air show said its board decided to undertake this year “a comprehensive review of all processes and put into place the level of volunteer effort, marketing, sponsorship and community support which would make the show a truly successful venture for all involved.”

“In order to devote the time and effort required to conduct this review and restructuring, GGAS will not host a show in 2012,” the air show said.

The statement did not say if finances had anything to do with the decision. Efforts to reach a spokesman for the airshow were being made Tuesday evening.

The show is a non-profit effort put on by the Kiwanis Club of Peachtree City and the Dixie Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, based at Falcon Field. Proceeds from the show support the Dixie Wing’s efforts to restore and maintain its World War II-era vintage aircraft.

The show was started in 1997 and grew from an initial audience of 7,000 to more than 20,000 in recent years.

Tornado leaves behind damage at Madison Municipal Airport (KIMS), Indiana.

Plane that was damaged by the tornado which hit the Madison, IN airport.

Damaged building at the Madison, IN airport


Damage at Clifty Engineering in Madison, IN

The Clifty Engineering building in Madison, IN

MADISON, IN (WAVE) - The National Weather Service has confirmed that an EF-0 tornado did hit the Madison Municipal Airport on Tuesday. Straight line winds of up to 95 mph hit a nearby business.

"I didn't even know what was happening at first," said airport manager Hazel Wilkerson, who told us it all happened really fast. "I thought, ‘oh, the window is going to come in,' so I made it underneath the counter here because I thought the glass was gonna come through."

It felt like it lasted only seconds according to Ralph Rogers.

"It was over so quick, I didn't have time to be scared, said Rogers, the airport assistant manager.

When Wilkerson and Rogers looked out the window, they saw an airplane on its nose. They also found part of the airport building had damage to its roof, the pillars on the outside were left mangled, and the hanger doors were damaged.

"It's kind of like it skipped from here, to here, and none of the other buildings were damaged," said Wilkerson. "When you start looking you think, ‘geez, where did it go?'"

It ended up hitting Clifty Engineering next.

"As you can see here the roof peeled off like a tin can," said Shane Jackson of Clifty Engineering. "I saw everything fly by - insulation, tree limbs, metal."

Jackson said this morning the employees that are normally on the second floor were luckily downstairs when the storm hit. The building suffered major damage.

"The roof, concrete block, gas lines," said Jackson. "We had a gas leak for awhile."

Siding from the back building was also peeled off. Insulation was scattered everywhere with part of the roof caught in a tree. Computer equipment has been saved and crews are already patching up the roof.

"To heck with the building as long as no body us hurt that is all that matters," said Jackson.

The National Weather Service says the tornado was 1/3 of a mile long, 60 yards wide, with maximum speeds of 85 miles per hour.

There were no reports of any injuries.

Source:  http://www.wave3.com
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Florida: Stuart author writes about instrument pilot training

"Teaching Confidence in the Clouds" is Tom
Gilmore's first book.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO


If you've ever wanted to learn how to fly, Tom Gilmore has written a book that could help.

"Teaching Confidence in the Clouds" is about instrument pilot training using desktop flight simulators. It begins with a history of instrument flight and how it has developed to overcome the dangerous aspects associated with flying in the clouds.

"Flying in clouds without a visual reference to the outside horizon requires a pilot to totally trust the flight instruments and neglect any internal feeling of what altitude in which the aircraft might be flying," Gilmore said. "Many early pilots died by flying by the seat of their pants."

The book is available online at Amazon.com, Google Books and www.asa2fly.com. You also can visit www.stuartjets.com.

Q: What inspired you to write?
A: I was contacted by a major aviation publishing company to write this book based on my lengthy flying experience and the knowledge I had gained using desktop flight simulators in training my students.

Q: Who do you think would most enjoy your book?
A: Pilots seeking to earn the instrument rating, flight instructors wanting to learn new techniques and even people who might be interested in learning to fly.

Q: What other books have you written?
A: This is the only book I have written; however, I have had many articles published in several aviation magazines.

Q: What is your favorite book?
A: "Fate is the Hunter" by Ernest Gann has to top the list. A really great author and pilot Robert Buck also wrote two excellent books, "Weather Flying" and "North Star Over My Shoulder."

Source:  http://www.tcpalm.com

Pentagon wants to move Lakota pilot training school from Capital City Airport to Arizona

The Pentagon wants to move the pilot training school for the Army UH-72 Lakota helicopter now at Capital City Airport to Arizona, according to one source.

Todd Smith, who as general manager of CXY Aviation runs day to day operations at Capital City in York County, said he learned in October that the National Guard Bureau had decided to move the school to an Army flight training facility in Arizona by 2015.

Pennsylvania National Guard spokesman Maj. Ed Shank could not confirm Smith’s report. The National Guard Bureau did not respond to a request for comment left by phone Tuesday.

The Lakota entered service in 2006 and is to be used for search-and-rescue and other noncombat missions.

The school on Capital City Airport trains all Army pilots on the Lakota, including those in the active Army and National Guard.

The Guard started the Lakota training in 2008 at the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site ard moved the school to Capital City Airport in March 2011, as a temporary location until the Guard can build a new facility on the Gap to provide the Lakota training.

Smith said the National Guard has a lease for the school on Capital City Airport that expires in 2015. However, he said the lease must be renewed by the government each year.

Since moving to Capital City the Lakota training has sparked complaints from some New Cumberland residents about helicopters flying low over their homes. Smith said to his knowledge the Pentagon decision to move the school is not related to the complaints.

He said the school has eight Lakota helicopters with plans to expand to 18 when the school returns to the Gap. Several hundred Army pilots have been trained since the school moved to the airport although Smith could not say exactly how many. The long-term plan also calls for mechanics to be trained at the Lakota school here.

Nearly 10,000 take-offs and landings of the Lakota have taken place at the airport since March.

Smith could not say how many people work at the school.

Homburg Canada sues I.M.P. Group

Homburg Canada Inc. is suing I.M.P. Group Ltd. over an airplane sale and charter agreement.

The Dartmouth-based real estate company alleged in an application filed in Nova Scotia Supreme Court that Quebec-based I.M.P. subsidiary Execaire failed to live up to a charter agreement involving an aircraft it sold to Homburg in 2006 for $11 million.

Homburg alleged the charter agreement was an inducement to buy the plane but claimed that Execaire’s underuse of the aircraft cost Homburg $1.1 million in charter revenues.

Homburg is seeking damages, interest and costs.

I.M.P. has contested the application.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

A tentative hearing date on the matter has been set for Oct. 9-11, 2012.

http://thechronicleherald.ca

Passengers panic over false crash alarm

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Passengers say the recorded announcement was played about 3 hours into the flight
  • "This is an emergency, we will shortly be making an emergency landing on water," voice said
  • Airline: Cabin crew canceled the announcement immediately and reassured passengers
(CNN) -- British Airways is apologizing to passengers of a trans-Atlantic flight after a recorded message announcing the plane was about to make an emergency landing in the ocean was mistakenly played over the intercom.  The incident, which happened on a flight from Miami to London late Friday, caused panic in the cabin.
Read more:   http://www.cnn.com
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EXCLUSIVE: Downed airmen tell their tale

By CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr

What to do when your plane crashes over Libya? According to two U.S. airmen: eject from the aircraft, stay on the run - and call dad.

The U.S. aerial bombing campaign over Libya was just two days old last March when F-15 pilot Maj. Kenneth Harney and Capt. Tyler Stark got their mission - conduct airstrikes against Moammar Gadhafi's forces near Benghazi.

Harney would pilot the F-15 in the front seat. Stark, a weapons system officer on his first combat mission, was in the back.

In exclusive interviews with CNN, for the first time both men told their harrowing story of what happened that night when their plane crashed. They had not been permitted by the Air Force to talk until a months-long investigation was recently completed.

The two sat down with CNN at their home base in Lakenheath, England.

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Texas nearly ends rabies with aerial vaccine drops

(Reuters) - Three King Air planes are lined up on a small runway in the town of Del Rio preparing to bomb south Texas -- not with explosives, but with hundreds of thousands of packets of rabies vaccine.

The packets, each about the size of fast food ketchup, contain enough vaccine to inoculate the coyotes which roam the southwest Texas brush country against rabies, a disease which until the last two decades was threatening livestock and humans alike.

"We had two outbreaks of rabies in coyotes and in foxes," recalls Ernest Oertli, a veterinarian who works with ranchers in this area. "There were a couple of human deaths from rabies, and it was spreading northward and eastward into the populated parts of the state, and was on the outskirts of San Antonio, Austin, Waco and Ft. Worth."

Oertli said that at the time, animal and human health experts were worried about an urban rabies epidemic, and were urgently telling residents to vaccinate their pets against rabies. Rabies in humans is almost always fatal unless the patient receives immediate and lengthy treatment.

A handful of human rabies cases are reported in the United States every year. A woman in South Carolina died from the disease in December and a case was recently reported in Massachusetts, both believed to be infected from bats.

Researchers with the Texas Department of State Health Services learned of an aerial vaccination program underway in Canada, and decided to try it in the equally vast south and west regions of Texas. The results over the past 18 years have been dramatic, according to department spokesman Chris Van Deusen.

"Animal cases of the canine strain of rabies in southern Texas fell from 122 the year before the program began, to zero in 2000," Van Deusen said. "There have only been two cases since then, and both of them were within a mile of the Rio Grande."

He said the program is also concentrated against the fox strain of rabies, and those cases have been reduced from 244 animal cases in 1995, to zero cases in the past two years.

"We have effectively eliminated these two strains of rabies from Texas," Van Deusen said, adding that there have been no human cases of rabies in the region since the airdrop began.

"This in the same idea of the airborne attack against the Mediterranean Fruit Fly in California," Oertli said as he supervised the launch of the planes on one of the 12 flights they will make each day.

Flying at 500 to 1000 feet elevation, they will drop a total of 1.8 million packets over about 7,700 square miles of rural south and west Texas before the program comes to an end later this month. The packets are dipped in fish oil and coated with fish meal to make them attractive to coyotes and foxes, which eat them and are automatically vaccinated.

"Now our goal is to put into place and maintain a barrier zone to prevent rabies from being reintroduced from Mexico," he said.

Over the 18 years of the program, a total of 36.7 million bait packets have been dropped. In the early years of the program, local media were asked to urge people in urban areas to watch out for falling bait and asked them not to touch the packets on the ground because animals could smell humans on the bait and would not eat it. Van Deusen said as the rabies has been pushed back toward the Rio Grande and the operations now are taking place over largely rural stretches of west Texas, those warnings are less necessary.

Oertli said the idea of an aerial assault on rabies is spreading across the country. Health officials in several northeastern states are now using the same practice to fight against the spread of rabies in raccoons.

He said January is the best time to drop the bait in Texas for several reasons. Coyotes and foxes are short of food this time of year and are more likely to eat the bait, and spreading the baits makes them less susceptible to the roaming fire ants which crawl over everything in their path during hot weather.

"As a citizen, I am thrilled at what we have been able to accomplish with this program," Oertli said.

Now that fox and coyote rabies are nearly eradicated, crews are now planning a similar aerial assault against skunk rabies. He said a special bait packet has been developed for skunks.

Van Deusen stressed that the program is only successful because of laws requiring people who live in cities to vaccinate their pets against rabies.

"Vaccinating domestic animals is essential to stopping the spread of rabies," he said.

Source:  http://www.chicagotribune.com

Airport exercise has residents looking to skies

An exercise at the Charlottetown Airport Tuesday afternoon had residents looking to the skies.

What some described as erratic flying at the airport turned out to be merely a safety test by the corporation that controls the air and navigation system in Canada.

One person tweeted that they observed an airplane seemingly abort an attempted landing at the airport at 12:30 p.m.

“12:30 plane landing had to bank at the last minute and regain altitude . . . re-attempted at 12:40ish,’’ wrote @PEIDrivers, who said they observed it from their home in Mulberry Park.

Doug Newson, CEO of the Charlottetown Airport Authority, said it was a routine exercise.

“(Nav Canada was at the airport) testing their approach instruments and all that stuff. I don’t think it was an aborted landing,’’ Newson said.

Nav Canada is the country’s civil air navigation services provider, a private sector, non-share capital corporation financed through publicly-traded debt. With operations coast to coast, Nav Canada provides air traffic control, flight information, weather briefings, aeronautical information services, airport advisory services and electronic aids to navigation.

The aircraft people saw banking at the last minute and regaining altitude was a Navy Canada aircraft.

“They install all of our landing systems, that sort of technology, so they’re just testing it to make sure it’s working properly. It’s standard testing that they do.’’

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca

Marine Found Deceased in Barracks ID'd

A marine who was found deceased in his barracks in Camp Pendleton on Sunday has been identified, according to officials.

Pfc. Thomas J. Angelo, 21, was found dead in his room Sunday.

The cause of death is currently under investigation by NCIS.

Angelo was from Rochester, N.Y. entered the Marine Corps Aug. 26, 2008. He served as an an avionics technician

He has been awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Source:  http://www.nbcsandiego.com

Flight simulators push students to new heights

For years Tom Dubick saw his students at Charlotte Latin School master complex math and engineering concepts and use their skills to compete in local and state robotics competitions.

Many students were able to build on those skills and enter technical programs in college. Some have become engineers.

Then he created Fly to Learn, a company that sells a computer-based program that teaches students skills for designing, building and flying airplanes.

Now students at Charlotte Latin and others around the country have a low-cost means to learn engineering concepts. Students say the program is also fun.

Middle and high schools and after-school programs in the United States and Canada are signing up to get Dubick's curriculum.

"One of the reasons I got involved with this is that I could only impact the number of kids that I could see in a normal day (at Charlotte Latin)," he said. "By writing and developing this curriculum, it has an impact for kids in Canada and Alaska that I might never meet."

Time Warner Cable chose Dubick in November as its official Charlotte super connector for his efforts to get children involved in science, technology, engineering and math, also known as STEM.

Time Warner also donated $5,000 to Partners in Out-of-School Time, which helps provide after-school and summer learning opportunities for Mecklenburg County students. POST will help bring the Fly to Learn curriculum to local after-school programs.

Dubick hopes his curriculum will give more students a foothold in engineering or other technical fields, where the demand for workers is high. His is especially interested in seeing more minorities in STEM careers.

Dubick developed Fly to Learn, the name of his product and his for-profit company which sells the program, because he couldn't find a ready-made program that would allow children to design and build airplanes on a computer.

His challenge was to make the program affordable, rigorous and enough fun that students would stick with it even when they found the work challenging.

Fly to Learn uses an old version of the X-plane flight simulator. The older software tends to be compatible with the aging computers found in most schools.

A school has to raise just $400 to get the software licenses for 20 computers, Dubick's curriculum and training. Students also compete in an annual competition by building and flying virtual airplanes. They can compete without traveling from their schools, and that keeps expenses down.

The cost of offering an engineering curriculum through Fly to Learn is affordable compared to $3,000 or more to start a school robotics program, Dubick said.

Schools in North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, Kansas, Alaska and Canada are using Fly to Learn. McClintock Middle School in Charlotte started a Fly to Learn class about a year ago. Fly to Learn classes or after-school programs are operating or in the planning stages in Charlotte at Morehead STEM Academy in University City, Community House and Ransom Middle schools, ImaginOn children's library and Discovery Place.

"I want it (Fly to Learn) in the hands of all our kids," said Cindy Moss, STEM director for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. "We've seen success with kids that are several years below grade level and with kids who are several years above - in terms of feeling like they're winning at the game."

Fly to Learn

To learn more about the program and how to participate, contact Tom Dubick, tdubick@flytolearn.com or 704-609-3773.

Air show raises $115,000 for Hasbro hospital

Credit: NBC 10 News
A member of the Rhode Island National Guard presents a check for $115,000 to a representative of Hasbro Children's Hospital. The money was raised at the 2011 air show.

PROVIDENCE -- The Rhode Island National Guard on Tuesday presented a check for $115,000 to Hasbro Children's Hospital.

The money was raised during last year's Rhode Island National Guard Open House Air Show.

The air show has been raising money for the community since 1991.

This year's air show is scheduled for June 16 and 17. The Air Force Thunderbirds will headline the event.

Plane crash exercise set for Wednesday - Dyckesville, Wisconsin.

Motorists traveling on Wisconsin 57 need not be alarmed early Wednesday if they see numerous ambulances, fire trucks and helicopters descend on the bay at Red River Park in Dyckesville. It’s only a test.

More than two dozen agencies from Door, Kewaunee and Brown counties and the U.S. Coast Guard will take part in a “mass casualty incident” responding to the scenario of a plane crashing into the bay with 51 people on board.

The exercise will begin at 8 a.m. and should be in full swing by about 9 a.m.

“This is a large-scale practice with victims out on the ice,” said Curt Vandertie, Brussels-Union-Gardner Fire Chief, whose voluntary personnel will participate in the drill.

The BUG fire department just completed a local drill in preparation for Wednesday’s event on Saturday. On Sunday they were called out for a real-life ice rescue of an ice fisherman stranded on the bay.
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Scheduled to start around 8 a.m. Jan. 18, the exercise is intended to be a realistic simulation of the crash of a 50-passenger plane into a bay. The Coast Guard and numerous agencies are participating in what Paul Gazdik, emergency management coordinator in the Brown County (Wis.) Emergency Management Department, said Jan. 17 is one of the largest exercises the department has participated in since he joined it 10 years ago. "Besides being pretty cold, we have some weather coming through today. The Coast Guard was out yesterday testing ice. We have about 8 inches of ice at the exercise site," he said. "If the ice isn't favorable for having people out there, we'll adjust our plans. If we can't get far enough out on the ice to do our dive operation, we'll adjust. We're trying to work out all the contingencies," he added.

The rule said restrictions on vessel movement within the affected area "are expected to be minimal" because under certain conditions, vessels still may travel through the safety zone when permitted by the Captain of the Port, Sector Lake Michigan. The Coast Guard said it expects there will be little to no vessel traffic "due to the fact that this portion of the waterway will be iced over," adding, "It is expected that ice fishermen may be affected but public notice flyers to be distributed throughout the town of Dyckesville, along with this publication in the Federal Register, will mitigate any economic impact and keep a substantial number of ice fishermen from being affected."

Sources: 
http://ohsonline.com

 http://www.doorcountyadvocate.com
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