Mooney M20J, N201HF: Accident occurred October 25, 2010 in Lander, Wyoming.

NTSB Identification: WPR11FA032 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, October 25, 2010 in Lander, WY
Aircraft: MOONEY M20J, registration: N201HF
Injuries: 4 Fatal.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On the afternoon of November 1, 2010, the wreckage of a Mooney M20J, N201HF, was located by ground searchers in the Wind River mountain range near Lander, Wyoming. The airplane became the subject of a week-long search after it was lost from ground-based radio communications and radar tracking facilities about 45 minutes after it departed from Jackson Hole Airport (JAC), Jackson, Wyoming, on October 25, 2010. The instrument rated owner/pilot and his three sons were fatally injured. The four had flown from the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area to JAC on October 21, 2010, and the accident flight was the first leg of the return trip to Minnesota. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan.

 Full narrative available

Luke Bucklin’s single-engine plane crashed in western Wyoming’s Wind River Range on Oct. 25, killing him, his 14-year-old twin sons Nate and Nick, and 12-year-old son Noah. There were no survivors. 

Audio Recordings ATC and Pilot

When a plane piloted by Twin Cities entrepreneur Luke Bucklin disappeared with his three sons on board in October 2010, his ex-wife temporarily moved in with his wife.

Together, they waited for news. When the four were confirmed dead, they grieved as a family.

Luke and Ginger Bucklin had been co-parenting five children from his first marriage to Michelle Bucklin, as well as Michelle Bucklin's 6-year-old son from another marriage. It was an amicable relationship. The five Bucklin children split time between their parents, while the youngest boy was able to remain close to his half-siblings and found a father figure in Luke Bucklin.

Now, the two women -- who have both cared for the boy after the crash -- are locked in a custody battle, prompting cries from both sides about who is best suited to care for him in wake of the tragedy.

Attorneys for Ginger Bucklin, who currently has court-ordered custody of the boy, maintain that she has and will continue to provide the best care for him because of his mother's instability and disregard for his emotional well-being. Michelle Bucklin's attorney counters that the accusations against her are distorted and that Ginger Bucklin's claims still would not meet the high legal threshold to remove a child from his biological parent.

"It is very sad and damaging to the entire remaining Bucklin family that [Ginger Bucklin] has chosen to take the path of litigation and drive a wedge between herself and [Michelle Bucklin]," her attorney, Kelsey Swanson wrote.

Swanson declined to comment on the specifics of the case.

"[Michelle Bucklin] loves her son, cares about him greatly and just wants to live with him in peace," she said.

Move to Arizona

The dispute arose two weeks ago when Michelle Bucklin moved with the boy to a recently purchased home in Surprise, Ariz., prompting Ginger Bucklin to seek petition for custody Jan. 13 in Hennepin County District Court. Last week, Judge William Koch granted Ginger Bucklin sole physical custody of the boy and ordered him returned to her. He is now back in the Twin Cities.

In his order, the judge wrote that evidence demonstrates the boy "may be in at least emotional danger while in her care," referring to Michelle Bucklin.

The next likely step, a hearing in Hennepin County Family Court, has not yet been scheduled.

The conflict comes 15 months after Luke Bucklin, who ran Bloomington Web-development firm Sierra Bravo Corp., died along with his 14-year-old twins Nate and Nick, and 12-year-old son Noah. Of Luke and Michelle Bucklin's two daughters, one is an adult living in Germany, and another is 18 and currently chooses to live with Ginger Bucklin.

'Life is shorter than ever'

In court documents, Michelle Bucklin says she allowed her son to be in the Bucklins' lives because the boy needed a father figure in Luke Bucklin, and she appreciated him being able to spend time with his five half-siblings. She says that the move to Arizona with her son is a fresh start to escape a sea of grief, and to be close to family members. "I feel good about this decision," she wrote in an affidavit. "After having just lost three children, I realize life is shorter than ever."

Ginger Bucklin's petition lays out a pattern of instability on the part of Michelle Bucklin, who since the boy's birth asked the Bucklins to help her care for him.

They gladly did so, Ginger Bucklin wrote in court documents, from changing the boy's diapers and rocking him to sleep to enrolling him in kindergarten and T-ball. He had a bedroom in the home and considered Luke Bucklin his father.

In her petition, Ginger Bucklin said Michelle Bucklin, who was recently hospitalized on a psychiatric hold, "is exhibiting extreme disregard for his emotional well-being by her decision removing him from Minnesota so abruptly, particularly when she acknowledges her own precarious mental health."

In court documents, attorney Swanson responded that Michelle Bucklin always cared for her son, but accepted help from the Bucklins when it was offered. The hospitalization was the result of situational depression "in the face of an unthinkable tragedy."

Attorneys for Ginger Bucklin did not return telephone calls. Michelle Bucklin did not return a telephone message. The Bucklin family declined comment, citing the child's interest.

"The Bucklin family appreciates your respect for their privacy at this time, particularly because there is a minor child involved," the family said through a spokeswoman, Bonnie Harris.

In a letter dated after the crash, the boy's biological father, who was since deported to Jamaica after serving prison time in Minnesota, gave Ginger Bucklin permission to raise the boy, though the letter does not appear to be legally binding.

"Over the years you have given selflessly to [his] overall well-being," Leroy Ruddock wrote. "Children are sensitive when it comes to those who treat them well. And you, Ginger Bucklin, have treated my sonwell."

Source: http://www.startribune.com

NTSB Identification: WPR11FA032

14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation

Accident occurred Monday, October 25, 2010 in Lander, WY

Aircraft: MOONEY M20J, registration: N201HF

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 October 25, 2010, about 1352 mountain daylight time (MDT), a Mooney M20J, N201HF, collided with mountainous terrain near Lander, Wyoming. The airplane became the subject of a week-long search after it was lost from ground-based radio communications and radar tracking facilities about 45 minutes after it departed from Jackson Hole Airport (JAC), Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on October 25, 2010. On the afternoon of November 1, 2010, the wreckage was located by ground searchers at the 11,100-foot level in the Wind River mountain range, Wyoming. The instrument rated owner/pilot and three passengers were fatally injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Instrument meteorological conditions likely existed at the location and time of the accident. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan and clearance to Pierre, South Dakota.

According to information provided by representatives from Lockheed Martin (LM) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), on the morning of the accident, the pilot obtained his initial telephone weather briefing about 0920 MDT. About 1040, he telephoned again, obtained an abbreviated weather briefing, and filed an IFR flight plan. The flight plan included a planned departure time of 1130, and a destination of Rapid City Regional Airport, (RAP) Rapid City, South Dakota. The filed route of flight was Dunoir (DWN) very high frequency omni-range (VOR) navigation facility, Boysen Reservoir (BOY) VOR, Muddy Mountain (DDY) VOR, and then direct to RAP. About 1237, the pilot used the internet to file another IFR flight plan, which again specified JAC as the origination airport. The filed departure time was 1247, and the filed route was DNW VOR, Riverton (RIW) VOR, DDY VOR, Newcastle (ECS) VOR, Rapid City (RAP) VOR, and Philip (PHP) VOR. The destination was Pierre Regional Airport (PIR), Pierre, South Dakota, and the filed altitude was 9,000 feet. Both weather briefings included AIRMETs (Airmen's Meteorological Information) for mountain obscuration, turbulence, and icing along the planned flight routes and altitudes.

The airplane departed JAC just after 1300, and was in communication with and tracked by FAA air traffic control (ATC) at Salt Lake City Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). The first radar target was recorded about 1309, and the airplane was tracked until about 1336, when it was at an altitude of 14,000 feet. About 1341, the pilot filed a pilot report via radio, which stated that he was at 14,000 feet, and was encountering light chop, and a trace of rime icing. The airplane was re-acquired by ground radar about 1346, still at the same altitude. About 1352, the last radar target associated with the airplane was recorded, with an indicated altitude of 13,300 feet. Shortly before that, the pilot radioed to ATC that he was unable to maintain altitude due to mountain wave activity.

According to information provided by the Fremont County Sheriff's Office, ground searchers located the wreckage at an elevation of 11,100 feet on a scree slope about 6 miles southeast of Gannett Peak. The wreckage exhibited significant crush and impact damage. The right wing was partially fracture-separated from the fuselage, and the propeller blades were fracture-separated from the propeller hub. All components were located within 20 feet of the main wreckage.

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with airplane single land and instrument airplane ratings. The airplane was first registered to him in January 2010. It was manufactured in 1977, and was equipped with a non-turbocharged Lycoming IO-360 series engine.

Helicopter makes emergency landing at Modesto elementary school, California. (With Video)

Modesto Bee 

A private helicopter made an emergency landing on El Vista Elementary School's playground after fueling at the Modesto Airport, Sunday morning. Feb. 5, 2012

Modesto Bee

A private helicopter made an emergency landing on El Vista Elementary School's playground after fueling at the Modesto Airport, Sunday morning. Pilot Scott Bursey from Madera said at about 800 feet he had mechanical problems and had no place else to safely land. Neighborhood residents said the helicopter made a hard landing nearly hitting treetops and a soccer goal.

MODESTO -- A helicopter pilot was forced to make an emergency landing at a Modesto elementary school Sunday morning after the aircraft developed mechanical problems, authorities said.

Police identified the pilot as Madera resident Scott Bursey. He was not injured and did not have any passengers.

Bursey was looking at land around La Grange in eastern Stanislaus County when he decided to refuel at the Modesto Airport, Modesto police Sgt. David Chamberlain said. The helicopter developed mechanical problems and was forced to land at El Vista Elementary School, about a mile from the airport.

“I was scared,” said Susanna Ballard, who lives across the street from the school. She was standing on her sidewalk with her 2-year-old son when she said the helicopter flew over them about 11 a.m. at a low altitude.

“I was just waiting to hear the big boom,” Ballard continued. “I was waiting for everything to explode.”

Bursey landed his helicopter in the school’s field. Ballard said she called 911, grabbed her son and ran across the street. She said she could not climb the school’s chain-link fence, but saw two men do so and come to Bursey’s aid.

She said Bursey sat in the helicopter for a few minutes before getting out.

The helicopter was being hauled by truck to Madera on Sunday afternoon. Bursey declined to speak at length.

“I’m not going to discuss what I was doing up here,” he said. “I appreciate it. Thank you.”

The Federal Aviation Administration’s Web site lists a Scott Christopher Bursey of Madera as having had a private pilot’s license to fly a helicopter since 2008. Chamberlain said the FFA was notified.

“They will decide what kind of investigation, if any, will be conducted,” he said.

Modesto Regional Fire Authority firefighters also responded to the incident.

Read more here: http://www.modbee.com

http://videos.modbee.com

Pilot Killed After Plane Crashes Near Fresno, California.

ERIC PAUL ZAMORA/THE FRESNO BEE

A small single-engine plane is shown where it crashed on the south side of a canal about a quarter mile west of Barstow and Garfield Avenues Sunday evening, February 5, 2012. Fresno County Sheriff Department Sgt. Brent Stalker said a male died in the crash, no other persons were involved. The identity is not being released. Stalker said the front end and passenger portions of the plane experienced "extensive damage." Stalker added the Sheriff's Department is awaiting the FAA which will investigate the incident.
~

FRESNO, California -- A small plane has crashed in Fresno County near Chateau Fresno and Barstow, killing the pilot, according to an FAA spokesperson.

The crash happened just after 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

Allen Kenitzer of the FAA told Action News that the plane involved is a Cessna 172, which can seat four people.

Authorities confirmed Sunday afternoon that the pilot was alone in the plane at the time of the crash.

Action News has learned that the plane was registered to an owner in Walnut Creek, but authorities have not released the identity of the pilot or the plane's destination.

The Fresno Fire Department says the plane severed power lines during the crash, and there were confirmed power outages in the area. About two dozen people were still without power at 6:30 p.m. Sunday evening.

6:25 p.m.: One person was killed today when his single-engine plane crashed into a canal bank west of Fresno, authorities said.

The plane, described as a Cessna 172 four person commuter plane, severed power lines during its descent and came to rest on a canal bank near Barstow and Garfield avenues, said Fresno fire Capt. Brad Driscoll.

The only occupant of the plane was the pilot, who died in the crash, Driscoll said.

The crash knocked out power to 130 customers at 4:07 p.m., PG&E spokeswoman Jana Morris said. As of 6 p.m., 21 customers were still without power, Morris said the affected customers should have their power restored by midnight.

Sgt. Brett Stalker with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said the plane was heavily damaged in the crash. He said investigators do not know where it was going or where it had come from.

5:20 p.m.:One person is dead in the crash of a small plane west of Fresno today, the Fresno Fire Department said.

The plane, described as a Cessna 172 four person commuter plane, severed power lines during its descent and came to rest on a canal bank near Barstow and Garfield avenues, said Fresno fire Capt. Brad Driscoll.

The only occupant of the plane was the pilot, who died in the crash, Driscoll said.

4:20 p.m.:Fresno emergency crews are on the scene of a plane crash involving a small plane at Garfield and Barstow avenues west of Highway 99.

Electrical lines are down. Authorities have blocked off traffic on Barstow Avenue.

Fresno County sheriff's deputies, Fresno Fire Department crews and emergency medical services personnel were responding, said Fresno fire Capt. Brad Driscoll.

No further details were immediately available.

Air crash survivor looks to the future. Swearingen SA227-BC Metro III, Manx2. Accident occurred February, 10, 2011 at Cork Airport, Ireland.

Laurence Wilson

February 10 marks the first anniversary of the fatal Cork airport tragedy which left a Larne man feeling he was the luckiest person alive.

A year after the 19-seater Fairchild Metroliner crashed in thick fog, killing six people, Laurence Wilson says he has a new outlook on life.

“Small things that I used to get worked up about, and maybe panicked about, have become quite irrelevant. I look at the bigger picture now,” said the 55-year-old Larne Skills Development co-director.

Laurence and five other survivors are still awaiting the findings of an air accident investigation.

The Gleno man was quite literally inches from death when Manx2.com flight from Belfast ended so disastrously at 9.40am on Thursday, February 10, 2011. He was buried upside-down in mud after the turbo-prop plane’s fuselage gouged into grass off the runway during the third attempt at landing.

It is expected that the official report will be published in March. A preliminary investigation last year found no mechanical faults in the air frame, systems or power plants during the flight or at the airfield. It was ascertained, however, that a wing had clipped the ground, flipping the plane on to its back.

Investigators have also been trying to ascertain why the pilots did not divert to nearby airports.

The experience of Spanish pilot Jordi Gola Lopez (31) and his English co-pilot, Andrew Cantle (27), who both died, are forming part of the investigation. Among the passengers killed were businessman Richard Noble (48) from Belfast; accountant Patrick Cullinan (45), from Tyrone; businessman Brendan McAleese (39) from Kells; and harbour master Michael Evans (51), from Belfast.

Laurence was able to walk away from the crash and was treated for what he described at the time as “minor injuries” in Cork University Hospital, but he lives daily with the “big, big trauma” of the event.

The father-of-three told the Larne Times last February that he had been close to suffocating: “It was totally dark and I was hanging upside-down and totally disorientated in my seat, held in by my seat belt.

“When the plane hit the ground off the runway, the nose broke into pieces and the front end was stuck into the ground. The mud just came surging all the way up the inside of the plane. I was clawing away at it, but what I didn’t realise was that, because I was upside-down and didn’t know it, I was actually pushing down on the mud and getting nowhere.”

Laurence eventually managed to free himself. “I don’t know how long it took, but it felt like a long time when I couldn’t get a breath,” he explained.

One of the emergency team who freed Laurence from his constraint told him: “That was some miracle, you walking out of this.”

After an emotional reunion with his wife May and their daughters Emma, Donna and Laura, Laurence reflected on the lottery of life: “There were guys in front of me not lucky at all. There was a guy behind me not lucky at all.”

Laurence was on his way to give forklift truck-driving instruction to young people in Cork when the accident happened and it was to the familiar surroundings of work that he turned to help him get over the crash.

He founded Larne Skills Development Ltd 20 years ago with co-director with Malachy Delargy. The firm, based in its own premises in the Ledcom industrial estate at Bank Road, also owns Ballymena Skills and provides young people with training and tuition to help them gain employment through apprenticeships and courses in skills like mechanical and electrical engineering, business administration and customer service.

Laurence initially thought he could simply work like he had before the crash, but soon had to slow down. “I wasn’t myself and I didn’t know it, but Malachy and myself got together and talked about it and I realised that I had gone off the boil,” he explained.

It meant allowing others to take on some of the responsibilities, but Laurence loves his job and looks forward to getting to work. “The part I really enjoy is getting out and about, talking to employers and liaising with them and the apprentices and the apprentices’ parents to make sure that everybody is happy with how things are going,” he said.

“I look after issues like the health and safety of the trainees and their transport to and from work. I’m almost like a social worker in that regard.”

And Laurence has a more relaxed attitude since Cork. “It has affected me in a way, in that small things that I used to get worked up about, and maybe panicked about, have become quite irrelevant,” he reflected.

“I look at the bigger picture now. Whereas before I would maybe not be able to see the wood for the trees, now I focus on the wood. It means I don’t get as involved with the nitty-gritty any more.”

Immediately after the crash, Laurence reckoned he would have no fear of flying, but now says: “I have never flown since. I should have done on many occasions, and I haven’t done it. I can’t say I would never fly again, but who knows?

Who indeed?

Source: http://www.larnetimes.co.uk

Glider florce landed on a ski run. Heavenly Mountain Resort; pilot and passenger reportedly OK. Minden-Tahoe Airport (KMEV), Minden, Nevada

A photo shows a glider that made an emergency landing at Heavenly Mountain Resort Sunday afternoon.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — A glider was forced to make an emergency landing on a ski run at Heavenly Mountain Resort Sunday afternoon. No injuries were reported.

The SoaringNV aircraft encountered unexpected downdraft and had to land, said Laurie Harden, a spokeswoman for the company.

“Sometimes right against some lift, you can have some sink,” Harden said.

Heavenly did not immediately return a call for comment.

The choice to land on the ski run was made by pilot Jeffrey Hazelgrove after realizing the glider was too low to make it to Lake Tahoe Airport or the Bijou Golf Course, Harden said. In addition to Hazelgrove, two passengers were aboard the craft.

The pilot chose the ski run, rather than crash-land in the trees, because there were few people on the strip of snow and he deemed it the safest place, Harden said.

“Had the slope had people on it, he would've put that glider in the trees,” she said.

Hazelgrove has more than 12,000 glider flights and decades of experience, Harden said. The glider launched from Minden-Tahoe Airport. It was removed from the Heavenly ski slope Sunday.

No investigation is underway by the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office, Lt. Les Lovell said Monday.

“There was no ill intent,” Lovell said. “I guess he did the best he could to pick a spot that was as unpopulated as possible.”

A glider plane made an unexpected landing at Heavenly Mountain Resort on Sunday afternoon.

There are no reports of injuries.

“We had one of our instructors with an experienced pilot on a flight review who got on the wrong side of the mountain and had to land,” Dan Schuler with Soaring NV out of Minden told Lake Tahoe News. The company operates the glider business out of the Minden Tahoe Airport.

Winds were calm to almost non-existent Feb. 5.

Schuler said he was not permitted to release the names of the people involved. He did say no one was injured.

A witness told Lake Tahoe News when she was on the Nevada side of Heavenly she saw the glider disengage from the plane as is normal. But then she got to the California side just after 1pm and the plane was landing near the beginner lift by the California Lodge.

No one from Heavenly returned phone calls.

A dispatcher with El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department said the U.S. Forest Service is handling the case. The Forest Service said the incident was on private property.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration could not be reached Sunday.

http://www.laketahoenews.net

A glider reportedly crashed near Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe this afternoon. A witness reports the pilot and passenger walked away from the crash, which apparently happened at around 1 p.m. near Gunbarrel at Heavenly.

A spokesman for Minden-Tahoe Airport based Soaring NV, said the pilot was flying a Duo Discus aircraft and lost altitude and had to land. The pilot is an experienced glider pilot and was doing a flight review, the spokesman said. The pilot and passenger were unhurt, he said. El Dorado County Sheriff's Office personnel and fire and rescue teams were dispatched to the scene.

Though the glider came down but there was reportedly not much damage to it. It may be up and running again this week, the spokesman said.

Winds around South Lake Tahoe have been reportedly calm.

According to a witness, a snowboarder dove to avoid the wings clipping him. There was a report of a need for a CalStar helicopter to the scene, however it is not known if it is for the glider crash or for a ski or snowboard related accident. A patient was taken by ground to Barton Memorial Hospital, according to the police scanner. It is not known if the patient is in any way related to the glider accident.

Source:  http://carsonnow.org

Small plane veers off runway into underbrush. Cape Cod Airfield (2B1) Marstons Mills, Massachusetts.

Photo Credit:   FRANK F. PAPARO 

A single-engine airplane veered into the underbush along the runway Saturday around 4 p.m. at the Cape Cod Airfield in Marstons Mills. No one was injured, and the plane was undamaged.

MARSTONS MILLS — A single engine airplane, taxiing down a grass runway at Cape Cod Airfield, veered into the nearby underbrush Saturday afternoon, according to a Centerville-Osterville-Marstons Mills Fire Department spokesman.

No one was injured, and the airplane was not damaged in the roughly 4-foot-high brush, said fire Lt. Roger Aalto. He could not confirm how many people were in the airplane or why the plane left the runway.

The mishap took place around 4 p.m.

Piper Comanche lands without landing gear at Paso Robles Municipal Airport (KPRB), California.

A plane landed without its landing gear at the Paso Robles Municipal Airport today just after 2:30 p.m., according to airport manager Roger Oxborrow.

Emergency personnel responded to the scene, but the pilot of the fixed wing Piper Comanche aircraft was uninjured.

The cause of the landing gear malfunction is unknown.

Lawsuit over Blue Angels crash could go to trial by April

A lawsuit filed against the federal government by a Beaufort couple whose home was badly damaged in the 2007 crash that killed a Blue Angels pilot could be headed for trial.

George and Shirley Smith filed the suit in October 2010, claiming their home on Pine Grove Road was destroyed in April 2007 when the landing-gear assembly of an F-18 Hornet piloted by Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis crashed through the roof of their one-story house, according to federal court documents.

The couple is seeking $2.45 million, claiming they continue to feel the psychological effects of the crash and that their property is similarly "psychologically affected," and continues to lose value.

Attorneys for the government asked U.S. District Judge C. Weston Houk to dismiss the suit, claiming the Smiths already accepted a settlement, which relieves the Navy of any liability for the property damage.

Houk ordered the parties to mediation, and said if they could not reach an agreement, they should be ready for trial no later than April 30, according to federal court records.

No agreement has been reached, court records show.

A psychologist from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston was deposed last month after reviewing the couple's medical records, and diagnosed Shirley Smith as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from the crash, according to a copy of the evaluation.

George Smith also was diagnosed as "stressed and compromised by the difficulties that stem from the Blue Angels crash," the evaluation said.

Attempts this week to reach the Smiths were unsuccessful.

The crash occurred during the 2007 Beaufort Air Show when Davis, a 32-year-old native of Pittsfield, Mass., became disoriented during a sharp turn that created gravitational forces almost seven times greater than normal.

In the performance's last maneuver, Davis was trailing the other pilots and accelerated to more than 425 mph. The sudden force caused him to lose awareness of his speed and altitude, investigators said.

Davis' F-18 Hornet clipped several trees and broke into pieces that were strewn across backyards near the intersection of Shanklin and Pine Grove roads.

Investigators say Davis never lost consciousness and likely steered the jet in its final moments to avoid hitting homes.

In addition to killing Davis, the crash injured eight people on the ground and damaged dozens of homes.

Jennifer Zeldis, spokeswoman for the Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy, said the Navy received 22 claims totaling $1.8 million in losses, and all of them have been paid.

According to a 700-page report on the crash released in January 2008, claims ranged from thousands of dollars in property damage, to those who said they were injured running from falling debris, to a man who said he lost his bifocals searching for Davis' body.

Source: http://www.islandpacket.com

Related content:

As this year's air show nears, residents, officials recall fatal 2007 Blue Angles crash, May 9, 2009

Assessing the damage one year after the Blue Angels crash, April 21, 2008

 

Read more here: http://www.islandpacket.com/2012/02/04/1952856/lawsuit-over-blue-angels-crash.html#storylink=cpy

Cessna C182RG, N2696C: Plane belly lands at City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (KCOS), Colorado Springs, Colorado

The Air Force and federal investigators are probing a Saturday incident that closed a runway at the Colorado Springs Airport.

Officials say a single-engine Cessna hit the runway with its landing gear retracted and skidded to a stop. The pilot, who sources said may have forgotten to deploy the gear, was unhurt. The pilot, who officials did not name, was the only person aboard the plane, said John McGinely, airport spokesman.

The plane was heavily damaged.

Firefighters were called the runway just after 2:20 p.m. as the plane, a Cessna Skylane, skidded over the concrete. The plane’s propeller slammed into runway, and the belly of the aircraft dragged sparks. The plane, though, did not catch fire.

The incident happened on a runway that wasn’t being used by commercial planes, so flights at the airport were not delayed. The runways at the airport are shared with neighboring Peterson Air Force Base.

The pilot had rented the Cessna from the Peterson Air Force Base Aero Club, McGinely said. In a news release, Peterson Air Force Base said the pilot landed with “an abnormal landing gear configuration on the airport’s runway 35-Right.”

“The 21st Space Wing’s Safety Office is conducting an investigation in concert with National Transportation Safety Board requirements,” the Air Force said.

The plane was hauled to a hangar, where investigators will examine it for evidence of what caused the belly-landing.

Peterson’s Aero Club is a recreation program run by the base that offers low-cost flight opportunities to military members and retirees. The Cessna that made the belly-landing and several like it are in frequent use at the airport as part of the program.

Source: http://www.gazette.com

Cessna 310R, N310JR: Accident occurred March 11, 2011 in Smyrna, Tennessee.

NTSB Identification: ERA11FA185 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, March 11, 2011 in Smyrna, TN
Probable Cause Approval Date: 03/27/2012
Aircraft: CESSNA 310R, registration: N310JR
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.

Shortly after departure, the airplane entered a rapid, full-power, near-vertical descent from about 2,700 feet above ground level to ground impact. The elevator trim actuator was found in the full tab-up or airplane nose-down position after the accident. The flight was the second flight of the day and was the fourth in a series of maintenance acceptance flights after the installation of a new avionics suite and a new autopilot system. Before the accident flight, all of the features of the autopilot system tested satisfactorily on the ground but did not yet function as designed in flight, as the airplane demonstrated a pitch-porpoise tendency when the altitude hold feature was engaged.

According to the technician who performed the installation and troubleshooting work on the airplane, he had accompanied the pilot on the first flight that day and had spoken to an autopilot manufacturing representative upon their return. Another troubleshooting procedure was performed, the technician left for lunch, and the pilot departed alone on the accident flight. When describing a previous test flight, the technician stated that the pilot worked the yoke against the autopilot, and, in response, the autopilot ran the elevator trim to the full nose-down position. The pilot responded by swiping both panel-mounted master switches to the off position (autopilot on/off switch and the trim on/off switch) then attempting to trim the airplane with the electric trim that he had just disabled. According to the technician, the pilot yelled at him to turn the system off, and the technician responded that it was off. He said that the pilot’s actions scared him and demonstrated to him that the pilot really didn't have control of the airplane. He noted that, "After the flight, I told [the pilot] he needed to go back and get in the books and learn to operate the system. He seemed very disoriented with the new technology on this flight and previous flights."

Based on the available evidence, it is likely that, after autopilot engagement, the airplane pitched down as a first action of the pitch porpoise, which may have still existed as a discrepancy in the autopilot operation. In response to the downward movement of the airplane, the pilot likely pulled back on the yoke in an effort to arrest the airplane's descent. As a result, the autopilot would have commanded the trim further toward the nose-down position. Such a scenario would require a greater and ever-increasing physical effort by the pilot to overcome the growing aerodynamic force that would result from the nose-down pitch and increasing speed of the airplane. The pilot may have removed one hand from the yoke to again reach for the panel-mounted trim and/or autopilot master switches. With that action, discounting any physical problem, he may have lost his single-handed grip on the control yoke, and the airplane descended in an unrecoverable nose-down attitude.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's improper response to a known autopilot pitch divergence anomaly. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to perform a test flight on a system for which he lacked a complete working knowledge.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On March 11, 2011, about 1343 central standard time, a Cessna 310R, N310JR, was substantially damaged during a collision with flat terrain following an uncontrolled descent after takeoff from Symrna/Rutherford County Airport (MQY), Symrna, Tennessee. The certificated commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the test flight which was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

A review of radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the radar target identified as the accident airplane was tracked for about two minutes of flight. The airplane departed MQY on a southerly heading and climbed to an altitude of 3,200 feet mean sea level (msl). The radar track showed two targets at 3,200 feet, a target at 3,100 feet, and then a target displayed at 2,700 feet. After that, no further targets were displayed. The targets were displayed at 6-second intervals, and the last few targets were almost directly over the crash site.

Several witnesses provided written statements, and all described a nose-down, vertical descent to ground contact. Witnesses described the engine sound as "Full throttle," "wide open," "really loud," and "never let up on [the] throttle." Others said the engine was "puttering" or "quit" before the descent. One said he thought the airplane was a "meteorite."

According to the airplane's owner, the flight was one in a series of maintenance acceptance flights after the installation of a new avionics suite and a new autopilot system. All of the features of the system tested satisfactorily on the ground, but did not yet function as designed in flight. According to the technician who performed the installation and troubleshooting work on the airplane, the accident flight was the second flight of the day, and the fourth in the series. He accompanied the pilot on the first flight that day, and had spoken to an autopilot manufacturing representative upon their return. Another troubleshooting procedure was performed, the technician left for lunch, and the pilot departed on his own.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

According to FAA records, the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land and instrument airplane. The pilot's most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on January 12, 2011, with the limitation "must wear corrective lenses." He reported 13,000 total hours of flight experience on that date.

The pilot's logbooks were not recovered; therefore, the entire scope of his experience could not be determined.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

According to FAA records, an airworthiness certificate was issued for the airplane in 1994. According to recent maintenance records, the airplane had accrued 5,515.5 total aircraft hours. The most recent annual inspection was completed June 19, 2010, at 5,439.1 total aircraft hours.

In an interview, the avionics technician who had worked on the accident airplane said that he had completed an avionics installation, including “glass panel” flight instruments and a digital autopilot, on January 25, 2011. After the installation, a test flight was conducted by the accident pilot and the airplane was observed to "porpoise" when the altitude hold or vertical speed modes were engaged. Troubleshooting was conducted which included the installation of a new autopilot computer, as well as a second test flight on March 3, 2011. Ground testing of the unit produced satisfactory results prior to the test flight.

During the March 3, 2011 test flight, after engaging the altitude hold mode the airplane descended and the accident pilot pulled back on the yoke. At that time, the pilot turned off the autopilot and electric trim using the master switches installed on the instrument panel. The pilot instructed the avionics technician who had accompanied the pilot on the flight to turn the autopilot off because he could no longer maintain altitude. The technician informed the pilot that he, the pilot, had already disabled both the autopilot and the electric trim. The pilot then manually trimmed the airplane and the flight returned to the airport. At the end of the test flight the technician requested the accident pilot read the manuals provided with the equipment before any more flights were conducted. The altitude hold feature of the autopilot was placarded as "INOP" and the airplane was released to the owner.

According to the owner, later that day, he and the accident pilot flew the airplane from Tupelo, Mississippi, to Jackson, Mississippi. He said, "We were flying, heading and NAV modes worked fine, but when altitude hold was engaged, the nose pitched down and the rate of descent was aggressive and about 1,000 feet per minute." When the airplane nosed over, the pilot disengaged "something" but the owner could not recall what feature was disengaged.

Additional maintenance was conducted and on the morning of the accident, the accident pilot and technician again performed an unsuccessful test flight. After landing, the technician contacted the autopilot manufacturer who instructed him to disconnect the flap compensation potentiometer (Flap Position Sensor) which he did. The autopilot manufacturer also shipped a pressure transducer (a component used by the autopilot for altitude functions) the day of the accident. The technician informed the accident pilot of this information and stated he wanted to wait until the pressure transducer arrived and was installed before conducting another flight. The accident pilot said he wanted to fly the airplane. The technician then went to lunch and the pilot departed on the accident flight.

When asked specifically about the March 3, 2011 test flight, the technician stated, "We took off, climbed to 3,000 feet, engaged the altitude hold, and he wanted to work the yoke back and forth, and he had run the trim all the way nose down. We started in a decline, and instead of hitting the disconnect, he hit the two master switches down, auto-pilot on/off switch and the trim on/off switch. When he did that, he disabled the trim button, and while we were descending, he was trying to trim the airplane with the [button] disabled. The pilot yelled at me, 'turn [the system] off' and I told him, 'It is off.' It just said to me, and scared me, that he really didn't have control of the airplane. Once he realized the configuration of the airplane, he trimmed the airplane manually. He was not supposed to hit those switches; he was supposed to hit the autopilot disconnect button. Had he done that, the trim switches still would have functioned properly. After the flight, I told him he needed to go back and get in the books, and learn to operate the system. He seemed very disoriented with the new technology on this flight and previous flights. "

An FAA airworthiness inspector (Avionics) reviewed the Pilot's Operation Handbook (POH), the Service Manual, and spoke with a field service engineer at the autopilot manufacturer with regards to the autopilot installed in the accident airplane. The POH described four ways to disable the autopilot system in the event of a failure or emergency. The POH also outlined two ways to disable the elevator trim. A pilot familiar with the POH would have the ability to disconnect, disable or interrupt the autopilot system using one of the four methods outlined, and still operate the elevator trim electronically.

Review of the service manual and discussion with the field service engineer also revealed that a disconnected Flap Position Sensor would not create any operational anomaly and should not have created an uncontrollable condition for the autopilot.

The service engineer concurred that if, in-flight, the pilot was to pull back on the yoke with the autopilot engaged, the trim would run toward the nose down direction, which would only add to the control effort required to overcome a pitch down condition. Based on industry standard for trim speed (approximately 20 seconds from a full down position to a full up position), about 12 seconds would elapse as the trim ran from a climb position to a full nose-down position.

Previous Damage

On or about October 10, 2010, the pilot taxied the airplane through a drainage ditch, which resulted in a left propeller strike and sudden stoppage of the left engine. The damage was reported as minor at the time, and therefore the Safety Board did not conduct an investigation into the event. A review of maintenance records revealed extensive repairs to the airframe and various lifting surfaces, as well as removal and inspection of the left engine and propeller assemblies.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

At 1356, the weather reported at MQY, 4 nautical miles to the north of the accident site, included clear skies, and 10 miles visibility. The wind was from 290 degrees at 9 knots, the temperature was 14 degrees C, the dew point was -3 degrees C and the altimeter setting was 30.18 inches of mercury.


WRECKAGE INFORMATION

The wreckage was examined at the accident site on March 12, 2011. There was a strong odor of fuel, and all major components were accounted for at the scene. The airplane struck the ground 90 degrees nose down, on a level field of mowed grass, and was almost entirely contained inside the initial impact crater. Only fragments of sheet metal, plexiglass, and individual instruments and radios were found outside the crater. The impact crater was limited to the outline of the airplane, and was consistent with a vertical descent.

The airplane was excavated from the impact crater with two backhoe earth-moving machines. During extraction, control cable continuity was established from the flight control surfaces, to their respective cable breaks, and ultimately to the cockpit area. All cable, pulley, and bellcrank separations were consistent with overload. The elevator trim tab actuator was measured, and the measurement was consistent with a full "tab up" position or aircraft nose down. The cockpit and cabin areas were completely destroyed by impact, and only the dual tachometer and the fuel gauge were readable, as they were ejected from the instrument panel. The flap setting could not be determined, and the landing gear was in the up and locked position.

The left engine was recovered from 7 feet below the surface, and the right engine was recovered from about 10 feet below the surface. The propeller blades from the two 3-bladed systems were recovered, and all 6 blades displayed similar twisting, bending, leading-edge gouging and chordwise scratching. Two propeller blades from the right engine were broken. One was broken at the tip, and the other was broken outboard of the blade root. The fractures were consistent with overload.

Several gallons of fuel poured from each wing as they were extracted from the crater.

Examination of the engines revealed that they were both significantly damaged by impact, and that neither could be rotated at the crankshaft or through the accessory section. The oil pump housing covers from each engine were removed, and examination revealed rotational scoring on each cover. The fuel pumps were partially separated from their mounts, and their driveshafts were fractured. The fractures were consistent with overload. Both pumps contained fuel, and were absent of water and debris.

All four magnetos were separated from their mounts, and were destroyed by impact.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The Office of the Medical Examiner for the State of Tennessee performed the autopsy on the pilot. The cause of death was attributed to multiple blunt force injuries.

Toxicological testing for the pilot was performed by the FAA’s Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Test results were negative for drugs or alcohol.

Video by vietnamfac007 
February 22, 2011

"My final flight with Rock Abou-Sakher returning from Covington, Tennessee to Camden, Tennessee"

Smyrna - The widow of a man who died in a plane crash here last year is suing Smyrna Air Center for $20 million in compensatory damages and $20 million in punitive damages.

In a suit filed Monday in the Middle District of Tennessee of the United States District Court by Catherine Abou-Sakher, six companies including Smyrna Air Center are named as defendants. Garmin International, Garmin AT, Garmin USA, S-TEC Corp. and Cobham Holdings were also named in the suit.

Rock Abou-Sakher, a certificated commercial pilot, was killed March 11, 2011, after the plane he was flying crashed near LifePoint Church shortly after taking off from Smyrna Airport, which is about two miles away.

Smyrna Air Center CEO Robert Fields declined to comment on the lawsuit.

According to the suit, Rock Abou-Sakher was flying the plane for its owner, Hudson Management, on a series of "maintenance acceptance flights" following the installation of a new avionics suite and new autopilot system. The components of the new system were designed, developed, tested and/or manufactured by Garmin International, Garmin AT, Garmin USA, S-TEC Corp. and/or Cobham.

The suit goes on to say that Smyrna Air Center was involved in the sale, installation and testing of the components in the plane flown by Rock Abou-Sakher.

The lawsuit states that Catherine Abou-Sakher is seeking $20 million in compensatory damages and $20 million in punitive damages from each of the defendants.

Catherine Abou-Sakher contends in the lawsuit that the fatal crash was caused by "the failure of the aircraft's engine, avionics suite, autopilot system and/or other related components."

Her attorney, Keith Williams, of Lebanon-based Lannom & Williams, said Smyrna Air Center had installed a Garmin GPS system and an S-TEC autopilot system in the plane. The two systems didn't work well together and created what is called a "sneak circuit," which occurs when one electronic component conflicts with another, Williams said.

According to Williams, the day before Rock Abou-Sakher's fatal crash, the pilot did several test flights in which the plane nose-dived and he was able to disengage autopilot and steady the plane. On the day of the crash, Rock Abou-Sakher was continuing to test the new components.

"The obvious reason why (the autopilot system) wouldn't disengage is because he was going straight down," Williams said. "A mechanic (from Smyrna Air Center) had been on the phone with Garmin and S-TEC that (day)."

Williams said that while the two components are sold separately, Garmin should have known that their GPS systems would be put in the same cockpits as the S-TEC autopilot systems, as both products are extremely popular.

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Stansted Airport: Fire crews called to ‘technical problem’ on passenger plane. (UK)

Essex: Fire in plane engine at Stansted

Six fire crews were called to Stansted Airport after a plane engine set on fire.

The crews from Great Dunmow, Leaden Roding, Stansted, Billericay, and Bishop Stortford were called at 10.17 this morning.

A fire spokesman said: "Following an indication of a fire warning in an engine aeroplane crews followed standard procedures.

"The aircraft was returned to stand and passengers disembarked in a controlled way.

"Essex fire crews attended as part of standard procedures in incidents of this nature." 

Source:   http://www.gazette-news.co.uk

Fire crews from five stations in Essex dealt with an incident in a airplane engine today.

Firefighters from Great Dunmow, Leaden Roding, Stansted, Billericay and Bishop Stortford, were called to Stanstead Airport at 10.17am.

It was on the stand when the problem occurred and all the 190 passengers were taken off the aircraft.

A spokeswoman for Stansted Airport said there had been a technical problem with the aircraft which was a chartered flight heading to Chambery, in France.

“The aircraft was preparing for take off,” she said. “It was not on the runway. It was very low key.”

A spokesperson for Titan Airways said: “There was a technical problem with the aircraft prior to departure.

“As a precaution passengers were offloaded whilst checks were carried out. We are now preparing for a new departure time of 4pm today.”

The incident was dealt with by 10.48am.

Were you on the flight? If so call the newsdesk on 01473 324800.

Source: http://www.eadt.co.uk

Piper PA-28R-201T, N38906: Accident occurred February 04, 2012 in Kalispell, Montana

NTSB Identification: WPR12LA092 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, February 04, 2012 in Kalispell, MT
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28R-201T, registration: N38906
Injuries: 3 Minor.

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 may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On February 4, 2012, at 1345 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28R-201T, N38906, experienced a partial loss of engine power shortly after takeoff, at Kalispell City Airport, Kalispell, Montana. The pilot attempted to land on a residential street. The airplane collided with parked vehicles, ending up inside the first floor of a two story home. The pilot operated the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot and his two passengers received minor injures, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot stated to the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) that he fueled the airplane with 45 gallons of avgas, taxied to pick up his passengers, and performed a complete engine run-up and preflight checks. During takeoff the airplane behaved normally and accelerated smoothly. After takeoff, between 300 and 500 feet above ground level (agl), the airplane's engine started to sputter and lose power. The airplane was over a residential area. The pilot selected the longest street on to which to make a forced landing. He lowered the flaps and slowed the airplane to a minimum controllable airspeed. The airplane collided with a number of vehicles and trees, and in the process, the left wing separated from the fuselage. The airplane rotated inverted and embedded itself into the front of a domestic house. The pilot egressed through the pilot's side window, and he assisted the egress of his passengers.

KALISPELL- Three people are lucky to be alive after crashing their plane upside down into a home earlier on Saturday afternoon in Kalispell.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the unusual circumstances in which a small aircraft spiraled out of control and crashed into a residential home. But what's even more unusual is that all three passengers inside the aircraft walked away with only minor cuts and bruises.

The details surrounding the crash are still limited but Kalispell Fire Chief Dave Dedman says it appears the pilot had taken off from the Kalispell City Airport airstrip on Saturday afternoon, before crashing in a nearby neighborhood on the other side of Airport Road.

"All of a sudden we heard this plane. It started sputtering out. It came over our house and started crashing through trees and went down the street where it ended up upside down in somebody's house," witness Gary Sams recalled.

Sams and his dad Kim say they ran over to the plane after it crashed on Golden Eye Court in search of survivors, but both were skeptical whether they'd find any.

"You're thinking you're going to have some fatalities, but everyone was good," Kim said.

"We started digging into the side of the plane, and a couple of dogs came out first. And then we heard some muffling noises. We dug a little further and there was a passenger hanging upside down. She said 'get me out of here,' and that's what we did," Gary added.

The pilot and his other female passenger were able to get out of the plane and exit through the front door of the house they crashed into.

"The homeowner was not injured. He was actually in the upstairs of the house at the time of the impact. He did assist the passengers of the plane out of the plane itself, so we thank him for that," Dedman told us.

He added the pilot and his two passengers refused medical treatment, but did later go to Kalispell Regional Medical Center on their own accord.

"It's pretty amazing actually, if you look at the amount of damage. How they were able to self-extricate from that plane and walk away. I don't understand how they did that, but luckily they did," Dedman observed.

"It's just amazing. It just shows God's looking out for us. And luckily, there were people around to do something," Gary concluded.

Dedman says all of the agencies on scene were able to secure the perimeter, and are now waiting on the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board to come investigate and review the evidence.

Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and could last for months.

Kalispell - A male pilot and two female passengers were flying in a small plane, just south of Kalispell, when the plane lost control and crashed into a home on Golden Eye Court.

The accident happened Saturday afternoon, just after 1:30 p.m.

Reporter Laura Wilson spoke with several residents in the neighborhood who watched the plane go down.

They tell us they saw the plane weave between trees and houses and they say it looked as if the pilot was trying to land on the road.

The plane crashed into a house.

After the crash, several of the eyewitnesses rushed to the plane and pulled pieces of the plane from the body of the aircraft to help the pilot and passengers who were trapped inside.

A female passenger and two dogs were safely pulled out from the plane.

The pilot and the other passenger exited the plane from inside the house, in which the plane crashed.

Kalispell Fire Chief, Dan Dedman says the pilot and passengers refused medical attention at the scene of the crash, but later checked themselves in to Kalispell Regional Medical Center on their own accord.

Eyewitnesses say the homeowner was inside the house during the time of the crash.

http://registry.faa.gov/N38906

http://www.krtv.com

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Cessna T206H Stationair, N445GH: Accident occurred February 04, 2012 in Show Low, Arizona

NTSB Identification: WPR12FA091 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, February 04, 2012 in Show Low, AZ
Aircraft:  CESSNA T206H, registration: N445GH
Injuries: 2 Fatal,2 Serious.

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

On February 4, 2012, at 0628 mountain standard (MST), a Cessna T206H, N445GH, collided with level terrain after takeoff from Show Low Regional Airport, Show Low, Arizona. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The certificated private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured, and two passengers sustained serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage during the accident sequence, and was partially consumed by post impact fire. The personal flight departed Show Low about 0627, with a planned destination of Boulder City Municipal Airport, Boulder City, Nevada. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed.

The passengers and pilot were destined for a convention in the Las Vegas area, which was due to start at 1030 Pacific daylight time on the day of the accident.

A witness who was traveling in her automobile north on Route 77, was about 1,000 feet southwest of the departure end of runway 24, when she observed an airplane to her right. The airplane appeared to be descending steeply, and traveling at a high rate of speed. She stated that she was familiar with operations at this airport, and was concerned that the airplane was flying much higher and faster than was appropriate, and that it may overshoot the runway. She slowed down, concerned that the airplane may collide with her automobile. The airplane passed out of her view behind the elevated runway, and she assumed it had landed. A few seconds later, she observed an explosion beyond the runway. She immediately reported the accident to her husband, who was a firefighter based at the airport fire station. She stated that she could clearly see the airplane prior to the accident, and observed the flashing strobe lights on both wings, as well as the white tail light. She did not see any smoke, fire, or vapors trailing from the airplane at any time. Seven minutes after the accident, the area became enveloped with fog, such that she could no longer see the fire.

An instrument rated pilot departed his house for the airport at 0610. He stated that the weather conditions for the ride to the airport were clear, and that he could see stars in the sky. Airport security records revealed that he opened the airport gate at 0615. After removing his airplane from the hangar, he noticed haze forming around the street lamps. Concerned that the area may soon become enveloped in fog, he expedited his preflight checks and started the airplane's engine. He began to taxi to runway 24, and as he reached the intersection of runway 21 and the taxiway, the lights for runway 24 turned off. He turned the lights back on, and lined up the airplane on runway 24 for departure. He could see the runway lights clearly, and observed clear skies directly ahead to the west. He began the takeoff roll, and took off. Once he reached an altitude of between 100 and 200 feet, he entered a cloud layer and lost ground reference. He realized he was inadvertently beginning a left turn, and became slightly disoriented. He began to fly the airplane by reference to the instruments, and just as he was about to turn on the autopilot, the airplane broke out into clear skies. He continued the flight, reporting that the skies were completely clear once he was about 1 mile west of the airport. He was unaware that there had just been an accident, and while he did not see fire on the ground, he stated that his focus at that time was primarily with monitoring the airplane's flight instruments. The airplane did not accumulate any ice during the event.

Show Low Airport was equipped with an Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS), located north of the airport, adjacent to threshold of runway 24, 4,500 feet east of the accident site.

An aviation routine weather report (METAR) was recorded at 0615. It reported: calm winds; visibility 10 miles; 300 feet broken cloud ceiling; temperature -6 degrees C; dew point -7 degrees C; altimeter 30.15 inches of mercury. At 0635, the visibility had reduced to 8 miles, with a 200 feet overcast ceiling. At 0655, the weather had deteriorated further with visibilities of 1/4 mile in freezing fog, and an overcast cloud ceiling of 100 feet.

The accident site was located 1,700 feet north of the approach end of runway 6, at an elevation of 6,371 feet mean sea level. The terrain was level, and comprised of soft dirt and rocks, interspersed with brush and 10-feet-tall trees.

The first identified point of impact was characterized by a 10-inch-wide, 40-foot-long swath of excavated dirt. The ground excavation was oriented on a bearing of about 340 degrees magnetic. A section of wing tip rib was located at the initial disruption, and a green wing tip navigation light was located an additional 30 feet downrange. A second ground disruption began 25 feet northwest of the first impact point. This disruption was on a bearing of about 360 degrees, was 25 feet in length, and expanded to a width of 6 feet as it intersected the initial ground disruption. The second ground disruption was about 18 inches deep, and contained a segment of the right landing gear leg brake line, and a section of the nose landing gear scissor-assembly and shimmy-damper. Fragmented sections of the right landing gear wheel pant were dispersed around the area.

The debris field continued 260 feet further to the main wreckage, and contained fragments of insulation material, the remaining nose landing gear assembly, the upper engine cowling, and the pilot's door. The red wing tip navigation light was located in the center right-hand side of the debris field. The nose wheel was located about 200 feet beyond the primary wreckage, about 500 feet beyond the initial point of impact.

Two people from Snowflake-Taylor were killed in the crash.

Photo Credit: Ron Rosedale

Photo Credit: Terence Corrigan - The Independent

SHOW LOW, AZ - As investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board arrived in northeastern Arizona to begin their investigation, a member of the Show Low Fire Department recounted the daring rescue of a man involved in a plane crash early Saturday morning.

Captain Chris Francis and his fellow firefighters got the call around 6:30 a.m.

The dispatcher informed them a plane had gone down at the Show Low airport.

"We automatically expect the worst but hope for the best," said Francis by telephone Sunday.

Francis arrived to find a single engine Cessna off the runway and fully engulfed in flames.

Firefighters could also hear the sound of someone screaming for help.

"If we know there's a life to be saved, we're willing to risk our own lives to make that happen," said Francis.

So Francis ran toward the fire and found a total of four people.

Rescuers couldn't do anything for the couple in the front of the plane, therefore Francis focused in on 38-year- old Rob Hatch who sat trapped in one of the plane's rear seats.

"He had severe trauma injuries you'd expect with a high impact accident such as an aircraft collision," said Francis.

While other firefighters tended to 36-year-old Kelly Hatch on the outside of the plane, Francis eventually pulled her husband to safety.

Paramedics airlifted the couple to a hospital in Phoenix.

"It's definitely a team effort," said Francis. "Our shift worked together and accomplished the job".

One day later, Francis received word that Rob and Kelly hatch will survive.

"That's the best news we can get," said Francis. "It's good to know care is being continued and they're on the road to recovery."

The couple in the front of the plane are identified as 66-year-olds Gerald and Ruth Hatch of Snowflake.

Investigators say the Hatch family was headed to Las Vegas when the accident happened.

Source: http://www.abc15.com

Prominent auto dealer Gerald Hatch, who died in a predawn plane crash at Show Low Regional Airport Saturday, was a good pilot who didn't take chances, an airport employee said.

"He was conservative in his flying habits," said airport lineman Lou Booker. "It was a surprise to us when this happened."

Hatch and his wife, Ruth, both 66 years old, died about 6:30 a.m. when their single-engine Cessna 206 crashed 1,500 feet on state land north of the runway.

The Las Vegas-bound plane had just turned northwest, which was a standard takeoff.

The couple's son Rob Hatch, 38, and his wife, Kelly, 36, were passengers, and they remained in critical condition Sunday in a Phoenix hospital.

Gerald Hatch had auto dealerships in Show Low, Winslow and Snowflake. He flew out of the airport about twice a week, usually going to Phoenix or to his auto dealership in Winslow, Booker said.

Investigators from the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board arrived in Show Low on Saturday.

The crash will be more difficult than some to investigate because there were no witnesses, Booker said.

Although the airport is open 24 hours a day, it is staffed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and no employees had arrived at work at the time of the crash.

A motorist driving on Arizona 77 called authorities to report a fireball.

Although there was a blaze, fire did not totally consume the plane.

Winds were calm at takeoff.

"After the accident happened, there was fog," Booker said. "Whether there was fog at the time he attempted to take off, we don't know."

Show Low city manager Ed Muder described Gerald Hatch as a good businessman and a generous supporter of the community.

"Gerald wanted quality dealerships, and he built them up to be quality," Muder said.

"What stands out to me is how he tried to help different organizations. ... He personally would help raise donations for high schools, youth groups and such."

Muder added that the Hatches would be greatly missed.

"It's a big loss for Show Low and the entire White Mountain area."

Gerald and Ruth Hatch are survived by five sons and a daughter. Sons Guy and Gentry Hatch work in the family dealerships in Show Low, and Rob Hatch runs the dealership in Snowflake.

Seth Gaston,the husband of the Hatches' daughter, Jessica, works in a dealership in Show Low.

Gerald and Ruth Hatch were members of the Snowflake stake of the Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com

SHOW LOW, Ariz -- Federal investigators are working to figure out what caused a deadly plane crash in Show Low Saturday morning.

Two Snowflake residents were killed and two others were seriously hurt.

A spokesman with the Show Low Police Department said the Cesna 206 Stationair TC single-engine plane crashed just after taking off from the Show Low Regional Airport.

The plane was engulfed in flames when police and fire units arrived.

Crews found Kelly Hatch, 36, alive 40 feet away from the wreck. Her husband, Rob Hatch, 38, was still in his seat when rescuers also found him alive in the cockpit area of the plane.

Rob's father, Gerald Hatch, and his wife, Ruth, were killed in the crash. Both were 66.

The family is well-known in the area. The Hatch family owns five car dealerships in the Show Low area. Rob is the general manager of the Snowflake Hatch GMC Dealership.

Family said the four were possibly traveling to Las Vegas for a car show.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.

Kelly is being treated for serious injuries at the Maricopa County Burn Center in Phoenix and Rob is being treated at Good Samaritan Hospital.

PHOENIX (AP) — A small plane crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff Saturday in an eastern Arizona mountain community, killing a well-known rural Arizona auto dealer and his wife and seriously injuring his son and daughter-in-law.

The son was pulled from the burning plane by firefighters, while the daughter-in-law was found near the wreckage. Both were flown to Phoenix-area hospitals in critical condition.

The single-engine Cessna 206 crashed just before dawn and burst into flames moments after taking off from the Show Low airport en route to Las Vegas.

The four onboard were affiliated with a series of automobile dealerships in eastern Arizona mountain towns, Show Low police Sgt. Shawn Roby said.

The dead were identified as Gerald Hatch and his wife, Ruth Hatch, of Snowflake-Taylor. Both were 66.

Gerald's 38-year-old son, Rob Hatch, was pulled from the flaming airplane by firefighters, Show Low Police Chief Jeffrey Smythe said. His 36-year-old wife, Kelly Hatch, was outside the plane when firefighters arrived and was badly burned and had a broken femur.

Gerald Hatch was the primary owner of dealerships in Show Low, Winslow and Snowflake, Smythe said. They included two Ford dealerships.

Rob Hatch also worked for the dealerships, as did other family members.

It was foggy and cold at the time of the wreck, but it wasn't known if that contributed to the crash, Smythe said. A Federal Aviation Administration investigator was at the crash site, and one from the National Transportation Safety Board was headed to the town about 150 miles northeast of Phoenix Saturday afternoon.

The loss will be felt through the small communities, Smythe said.

"Clearly they've been here for decades and decades in the Snowflake-Taylor area," Smythe said. "That's where they all lived primarily is Snowflake-Taylor, but as businessmen here in Show Low they were very well-known and well-respected, and it's going to be a big impact."

The police chief said Rob Hatch owed his life to the firefighters.

The battalion chief was first to arrive at the scene and used a hand-held fire extinguisher to keep the flames away from Rob Hatch while crews got a hose running, he said.

"They didn't know how much fuel was left in it, and yet they stood right there by that plane and extricated Rob and got him out and absolutely saved his life," Smythe said.

"Which is what they get paid to do, yeah, but I don't think the average person can recognize the idea of intentionally running up to a flame ball and dragging a person out to save their life, and that's what these guys did this morning."

 
A plane crash in eastern Arizona has killed a well-known rural Arizona auto dealer and his wife and severely injured the man's son and his wife.

The single-engine plane crashed moments after taking off Saturday morning in Show Low.

Show Low police Sgt. Shawn Roby identified the dead as Gerald Hatch and his wife, Ruth Hatch, of Snowflake-Taylor. Both were 66.

Gerald Hatch's 38-year-old son, Rob Hatch, was pulled from the flaming airplane by firefighters. Rob Hatch and his 36-year-old wife, Kelly Hatch, were flown to Phoenix hospitals.

Police Chief Jeffrey Smythe says Gerald Hatch was the primary owner of a series of automobile dealerships in the eastern Arizona mountain communities of Show Low, Winslow and Snowflake.

Roby says Ruth, Rob and Kelly Hatch also were affiliated with the dealerships.

The plane was headed to Las Vegas. 

The identities of the victims of this morning's deadly plane crash have been confirmed as Gerald and Ruth Hatch. Gerald's son Rob Hatch and his wife Kelly survived the crash and were transported to valley hospitals in critical condition. The foursome were en-route to Las Vegas, Nevada.

SHOW LOW — Two people were killed and two others were critically injured in a plane crash early this morning (Feb. 4), just a few yards north of the west end of the runway at Show Low Regional Airport.

The two that were critically injured were taken to Summit Regional Medical Center awaiting air transport. The delay in the air ambulance flight was reportedly due to the heavy fog conditions in Show Low.

According to Show Low Police Chief Jeffrey Smythe, the identity of the victims has not been released pending notification of the family.

It is believed the victims were flying to either Phoenix or Las Vegas.

A motorist saw the plane and the fireball from the crash and reported it to police, Smythe said.

The plane crashed in a open area. The plane came to rest only a few plane-lengths from the point of impact. It is believed that the plane had just taken off from Show Low Airport and airport officials had to temporarily suspend fuel sales to determine if the plane was fueled up before takeoff.

The FAA and NTSB was notified and was enroute to the crash site by 7:30 a.m.
.

An airplane crash in Show Low killed two people and injured two others early Saturday morning, FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer said.

The Cessna 206 single-engine airplane crashed at 6:29 a.m. after takeoff in in rugged terrain less than a mile north of Show Low Regional Airport, Kenitzer said.

The plane was registered to Show Low Ford Inc.

Show Low Police Chief Jeffrey Smythe said the plane was enroute to the Las Vegas area. He said the injured were in critical condition.

A male and female died and a male and female were taken to the hospital, Smythe said.

He said the victims' names and residences are expected to be released later today.

Although there was fog in the area, Smythe declined to speculate on the cause of the crash.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating this accident.


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