Sunday, April 22, 2012

South Australia university expands flying school

The University of South Australia has spent $1 million to upgrade its aviation school to help cater for a global shortage of pilots.

The upgrade is set to be completed at the end of April and will include pre-flight, dispatch and post-flight teaching facilities.

"This will significantly benefit the learning and teaching at the aviation academy and will allow us to take on more students each year, which will in turn impact on the airline industry," the university's head of aviation Neil Hyland said.

"Many of our graduates are recruited to fly within regional aviation of Australia through to some of the world's biggest airlines."

Mr Hyland said as the global population continued to become more mobile the demand for aviation skills had never been stronger.

"The advent of the low-cost carrier and associated low fares and increased frequency in the Asia-Pacific region has all contributed to a pilot shortage," he said.

Students at the University of South Australia study for a graduate diploma in aviation and bachelor of applied science (civil aviation), with the three-year course giving them the minimum qualifications necessary to fly for hire.

Letter to the Editor: 'Superdell' Hurts Flying People Everywhere - "The man is a renegade and needs to be stopped before he ruins things for everyone," a paramotor pilot said.

This letter was written by Jim Lewis, an ultralight vehicle (UV) pilot in Hampshire, England. On Thursday IB Patch published an article about a ban of UV flight in IB in response to rooftop flights by Dell Schanze last month.

I write this all the way from the nice little island of England In response to the Dell Schanze story.

I am a paramotor pilot and cannot help but feel as many others in my sport do that Mr. Schanze is bad for our sport.

His many videos and comments on forums do nothing to promote the sport in a safe and decent manner and make it harder for law abiding pilots all over the world. Just watch some of his youtube videos.

In the past year alone I have been told I cannot fly from certain places because the landowner has seen his videos and believe that is how pilots in my sport fly.

On top of this he pushes wings and motors to newbie pilots that are not suitable for them or others. I feel he is a disgrace to our amazing sport and does nothing to further safety and good understanding between pilots and the authorities. I would love to see this man banned from our sport but fear it could not happen.

Even in England we have certain pilots that break the rules you can never get away from them. The blatant gung-ho attitude he posseses will only endanger other people. They see him and think oh the aircraft can do that and try it themselves only to get hurt, hurt others or even scare themselves so badly they might give up the sport. The man is a renegade and needs to be stopped before he ruins things for everyone. Many ultralight pilots as you mention in the article have already been stopped from flying over San Diego.

How many more people will he have to get banned before people finally realize that he is only doing it for his own good publicitry and not for the good of our beloved sport?

Source:  http://imperialbeach.patch.com

In the West, airline would have had to pay $20 million damages to all passengers: Bhoja Air Boeing 737-200, AP-BKC, Flight B4-213, Islamabad, Pakistan

Sabir Shah 

 Monday, April 23, 2012
 
LAHORE: Had Bhoja Air been operating anywhere in the developed West and had any of its planes met a disaster there, the May 1999 Montreal Convention on Air Law would have legally forced it to pay a compensation to the tune of over US $20 million to all the on-board passengers.

On the contrary, if one takes into account the fact that while the victims of the PIA Fokker crash at Multan were paid Rs two million each and that the Air Blue had announced a compensation of Rs5.5 million per ill-fated passenger after one of its planes had encountered a disaster at the Margalla Hills of Islamabad in July 2010, these figures speak volume of the plight of the Pakistanis travelling by their local air carriers if one compares them in the international perspective-as has been done in the introductory paragraph of this story.

The Pakistan Carriage by Air Act 2010, approved in 2011 by the National Assembly, is piteously nowhere near to the May 1999 Montreal Convention on Air Law, when it comes to compensating the victims of air crashes that take place in this part of the world.

According to Article 21 of the May 1999 Montreal Convention on Air Law, unless an airline proves that an accident during flight operations was not caused by the negligence of its crew or other wrongful act or omission of the carrier and until it does not present substantial evidence that the damage was inflicted solely due to a third party, it is legally bound to pay a liability of 1,00,000 Special drawing rights (SDRs) to each passenger on-board.

In simple economic terms, SDRs are supplementary foreign exchange reserve assets defined and maintained by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). These SDRs are actually a mix of currency values established by the IMF.

Although an SDR is not a currency, it represents a claim to currency held by IMF member countries, for which it may be exchanged.This figure of 1,00,000 SDRs under the May 1999 Montreal Convention on Air Law, was later updated to 1,13,100 on December 31 2009.

A per passenger liability of 1,13,100 SDRs would have meant that had Bhoja faced an accident in any of the Western countries, the family of each passenger aboard its flight in that case would have been paid an amount to the tune of US $1,69,650 (equivalent to Pakistani Rs15.39 million).

This is how these calculations have been done:According to the IMF website, each SDR during April 2012 is roughly equivalent to US $1.47639 or $1.5 (as per the three significant figure phenomenon of Mathematics).

Therefore, with 1,13,100 SDRs equivalent to US $1,69,650 (1,13,100 SDRs multiplied by 1.5), the per passenger compensation in today’s value would have come to $1,69,650 or Pakistani Rs15.39 million.

These calculations have been conducted by taking into view the latest rupee-dollar parity in Pakistani kerb market.Now multiplying this figure of US $1,69,650 by 118 passengers (the number of travelers aboard the unfortunate Bhoja Air flight), the total compensation amount for all passengers would hence have come to $20,018,700 or over US $20 million.

It is interesting to note that the Montreal Convention of 1999, which was attended by 118 states including Pakistan, is quite silent on the compensation of the crewmembers aboard the flights that meet accidents.

It is imperative to note that the Montreal Convention of 1999 had re-established the urgency needed for the uniformity and predictability of rules relating to the international carriage of passengers, baggage and cargo in a bid to recognize the tragic consequences flowing from aircraft accidents and taking cognizance of the plight of the families of victims or survivors of such calamities.

This moot, formally known as the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, was held in the Canadian city of Montreal between May 10 and 28, 1999 under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

It had basically amended the important provisions of the Warsaw Convention’s regime concerning compensation for the victims of air disasters.This Convention had also amended the jurisdictional provisions of Warsaw Convention and had allowed the victims or their families to sue foreign carriers, where they maintained their principal residence.

This conference had required all air carriers to carry liability insurance.By the way, as research reveals, Pakistan had ratified the Montreal Convention on December 19, 2006 and as of July 2010, not fewer than 97 countries had signed the Montreal Protocol treaty.

Fuel depletion may also be cause of crash: Bhoja Air Boeing 737-200, AP-BKC, Flight B4-213, Islamabad, Pakistan

Mumtaz Alvi
Monday, April 23, 2012

Islamabad

The plane tragedy in Islamabad has left behind a plethora of questions. Why and how the jet met the accident. If one goes by the past aviation history in Pakistan, facts that led to the precious loss of life Friday may never be known and remain confined to the official record or to a select group of persons who matter.

As happens in our part of the world, various ‘theories’ are making rounds since the eventful murky evening. But concrete information on the crash, may or may not reach the public.

Two aviation experts, who preferred not to be identified here, shared their views with The News. One of them said that rough weather could be singled out as the major reason behind one of the most tragic happenings in Pakistan’s history, while the other believed fuel depletion factor could not be overlooked.

One of them out rightly rejected that lightning might be the reason and also noted apparently the jet also did not catch fire, as the wreckage suggested. “The condition of plane wings, intact tyres, un-burnt seats, purses, mobile sets and even toys, it was not on fire while coming down,” he noted.

He continued on the face of it, fuel depletion was also evident from the type of wreckage being recovered. He added the plane, in a standard procedure, was supposed to carry enough fuel to go back from where it had taken off if a need arose but it was not so.

The expert noted the prescribed quantity of oil in the plane’s fuel tanks would have given a different look to the wreckage. “Perhaps, the pilot made up his mind to land the plane in view of fuel depletion despite rough weather and was probably trapped in microburst,” he maintained.

He explained: “A microburst is sinking air, producing damaging divergent and straight lines of winds at the surface. These are of two kinds: wet microburst and dry microburst. The scale and suddenness of a massive microburst causes a great danger to an aircraft and this might have brought the jet down”.

The expert noted the black box held the key, as recording would make the picture relatively clear regarding the events, which ultimately led to the plane crash. Like the Airblue Airline plane that met a horrible accident in July 2010, the Bhoja Air airbus also became a victim of weather.

The other expert said standing wheat crop in Hussainabad fields suggested that the plane faced fuel depletion otherwise these would have been turned to ashes within no time. Ostensibly, he added, the pilot could have attempted to he land as early as possible due to fuel factor.

However, he made it clear what he narrated was obviously his personal view and this could not be construed as the ultimate finding, as a judicial inquiry was already ordered to find out what exactly went wrong in this particular case.


Rising demand may boost Isa airline competition

Updated April 23, 2012 09:47:10

By Stephen Smiley
 
The operators of Mount Isa Airport say air traffic volumes in and out of the north-west Queensland city will grow in coming years, which could mean more competition between airlines.

Mount Isa is now the 16th most popular domestic destination from Brisbane.

Regional airport chief operating officer Kevin Gill says he is aware of concerns raised by Mount Isa's three mayoral candidates about the comparatively high cost of airfares.

He says they are in talks with the airlines about how they might be able to improve their services.

"Flight prices have always been a contentious issue in Mount Isa," he said.

"It's a destination that is a strong business market and the airlines are aware of that.

"As the destination grows and as demand grows airlines will look at Mount Isa - the strong passenger numbers - and we certainly take that view."

He says the airport is working with airlines to create more competition on key routes.

"The more that demand grows, then hopefully more options will be available," he said.

"Brisbane to Mount Isa now - there are double daily flights, seven days of the week. That's a really good outcome," he said.

"The aircraft that are operating that route now I think are primarily the larger, new 737 800-series and that clearly demonstrates that demand has grown."

Zodiac CH 601XL, N8060J: Accident occurred March 30, 2012 in Belmont, Ohio

NTSB Identification: CEN12FA217
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, March 30, 2012 in Belmont, OH
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/05/2013
Aircraft: OLIVER JOSEPH ZODIAC CH 601XL, registration: N8060J
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The pilot had previously flown the experimental, amateur-built airplane cross-country to a potential buyer; the sale was not completed and the airplane did not fly for several months until arrangements could be made to return the airplane. The pilot was ferrying the airplane on the return flight. A witness reported seeing the airplane in cruise flight when its engine “cut out” and its attitude dipped slightly then leveled; the airplane then nosed over and descended straight down, impacting the ground in a residential yard. Another witness reported that the engine “roared loudly” and sped up just before the airplane nosed over. A review of the airplane maintenance records revealed an annotation dated about 4 months before the accident indicating that the pilot had previously performed a precautionary landing due to a rough running engine. The reason for the rough running engine and any repairs made were not found in the airplane records.

A postcrash examination of the airplane’s engine showed heavy sooting and contaminants in the carburetor inlet, the inlet side of the carburetor slide, the outlet side of the butterfly valve, and the lower outlet portion of the venturi, which exhibited a distinct washing of the soot. The inlet side of the venturi had minor sooting. The outlet side of the slide was relatively free of sooting but exhibited a varnish or gum-type build-up. The slide was found in the closed position and did not move freely; however, it would move if a prying force was applied to the bottom of the slide. Sooting patterns on the outlet side of the engine components are usually indicative of a leaking intake valve, which could cause blowback of gases into the intake manifold and carburetor. If severe enough, this blowback could result in engine failure. In addition, the build-up observed on the carburetor slide was much more than normal and could have caused the slide to stick open during the accident flight. If the throttle were reduced while the slide was stuck, air flow would be reduced while fuel flow remained high, resulting in a rich mixture that could stop the engine. The engine would again run at full throttle but not at any reduced throttle setting. Although the carburetor slide was found in the closed position, a problem with engine operation would be expected with a slide that does not move freely. Based on the examination of the carburetor and other engine components, it is likely that the engine experienced a loss of power. The witness statements indicating the airplane’s sudden drop in altitude suggest that the pilot’s attention was focused on the engine problem rather than maintaining airplane control, resulting in the airplane entering a rapid descent and impacting terrain.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The loss of engine power and the pilot’s diverted attention to the engine power loss, which resulted in a rapid descent and impact with terrain.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On March 30, 2012, about 1840 eastern daylight time, a kit built Zodiac CH 601XL, N8060J, departed cruise flight and impacted a residential yard near Belmont, Ohio. The commercial rated pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to the Wings of Hope (WOH), Chesterfield, Missouri, and operated by a private individual. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 cross country flight. The flight originated from the Mifflin County Airport, (KRVL) Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about 1700 EST and destined for the Spirit of St. Louis Airport (KSUS), Chesterfield, Missouri, via unknown routing. 

The pilot had flown the airplane to Pennsylvania several months earlier for WOH, who had a buyer for the airplane. The purchase of the airplane was not completed and the airplane did not fly for about four months until arrangements with the pilot were made to return the airplane to Missouri. 

Witnesses reported that the airplane was in cruise flight. Some reported that the engine stopped, restart, and speeded up. The airplane’s attitude dipped slightly, leveled, then nosed over and came straight down. 

PILOT INFORMATION 

The pilot held commercial pilot certificates for airplane single-engine land and sea, multiengine land and instrument-airplane ratings, as well as, commercial pilot ratings for gliders and rotorcraft-helicopter. He also held flight instructor ratings for single, multi-engine and instrument airplane, and mechanic certificate with airframe and power plant ratings. 

A first-class Federal Aviation Administration, (FAA) medical was issued on February 7, 2012. An electronic excel spreadsheet logbook was provided. The pilot had approximately 3,355 total flight hours, 2,333 in single-engine airplane, 430 in multiengine airplanes and about 82 hours in rotorcraft. The pilot’s records indicated that he flew the accident airplane for 7.7 hours, excluding the accident flight. The most recent time in the accident airplane was about four months earlier.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The Zodiac 601 airplane is an all-metal, side-by-side, two-seat, fixed landing gear airplane, that could either be assembled as a kit by a builder or produced by Aircraft Manufacturing and Design (AMD) as a Special – Light Sport (S-LSA) airplane per ASTM standard. The accident airplane was produced from a kit by a builder and received its airworthiness certificate in the Experimental – Amateur Built category on August 4th, 2004, as a Oliver Joseph, model Zodiac CH 601XL. The airplane was powered by a 120 horsepower, Jabiru 3300a engine which turned a Sensenich wooden, fix-pitch, two bladed propeller.
According to maintenance records, the airplane's most recent annual condition inspection was completed by a WOH mechanic on November 8, 2011, with an airframe total time of 210.0 hours. The review of the maintenance records also revealed that the airplane had been involved in a prior precautionary landing due to a rough running engine, and was annotated in the November 8, 2011 entry. The problem or specific corrective actions were not noted in the log.


The Zodiac CH 601XL and CH650 were subject to Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) CE-10-08, dated November 7, 2009, that identified a concern with regards to the airplane’s wing structure. To address the SAIB, the kit manufacturer provided a wing upgrade modification package for builders/owners to incorporate into their airplanes. Examination of the accident airplane revealed that wing modification had been accomplished.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

At 1853, the automated weather observation facility located at the Wheeling Ohio County Airport (KHLG) about 20 miles northeast of the accident site, reported wind from 180 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 9,000 feet, temperature 64 Fahrenheit (F), dew point 48 F, and a barometric pressure of 29.70 inches of mercury.

A review of the carburetor icing probability chart, located in the FAA's Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35, dated June 30, 2009, and relevant meteorological data, revealed that the weather conditions for carburetor icing, in the general area, were favorable for serious icing at glide power and just outside conditions for serious icing at cruise power.

The engine manufacturer representative stated that the Jabiru engines are generally not susceptible to icing, unless conditions are just right, such as moisture present. He added that the carburetor is located behind the muffler and it helps keep the area warm.

COMMUNICATIONS and RADAR INFORMATION

The pilot was not in contact with air traffic control and there were no reported distress calls from the pilot. Review of radar data revealed the airplane heading westbound at a consistent altitude/airspeed, with the last radar return at 1840, with the airplane at 3,200 feet.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION 

The National Transportation Safety Board, and inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), examined the airplane wreckage on site. The airplane came to rest in a residential yard, just a few feet from a home. All major components of the airplane were accounted for on scene. There was no post-impact fire.

The airplane wreckage and wing outline was consistent with a near vertical, high energy impact with the ground. The fuselage, wings, and engine all displayed extensive crushing. The shape of the ground damage was consistent with wings that were intact and straight at impact. 

The both wings remained attached to the fuselage with extensive damage along the leading edge. The both wing fuel tanks was breached and absent of fuel, vegetation blight consistent with fuel contamination was present.

The propeller hub remained bolted to the engine crankshaft however; the wooden blades had disintegrated on impact

The empennage exhibited extensive damage to the horizontal and vertical stabilizers, and their respective control surfaces. The rudder, elevator and trim tab, remained attached via their respective hinges. 

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

Due to the violent nature of the impact, the Belmont County Coroner’s office was unable to conduct an autopsy on the pilot. 

The FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, could not perform toxicological tests on the specimens for carbon monoxide or cyanide. The specimens were negative for ethanol and tested drugs.

TEST AND RESEARCH

Further examination of the airframe revealed that the airplane did not exhibit the flutter or structural signatures that were identified in airplanes that brought about the SAIB.

Control continuity was established from each of the respective control surfaces to the front section of the fuselage.

Damage to the aircraft engine appeared consistent with impact damage. Continuity from the propeller through the crankshaft and pistons, camshaft and starter ring gear was established. The two distributors had separated from the engine. The left distributor shaft was bent and would not rotate. The rocker covers were removed and the valves were free to move. The valve seats were clean and appeared normal. The exposed valve heads and piston heads had varying degrees of heavy corrosion, becoming more severe on the forward pistons. Under the corrosion the piston heads appear to have a light sooting consistent with normal operation. A stain between the number five and six cylinders was present, indicating leaking between the cylinder heads and cylinders. Heavy rain had passed over the accident site, before the airframe and engine were recovered and the left front cylinder exhibited a “water mark” as if the cylinder was partially full of water while in a nose-down attitude. The oil reservoir had separated from the engine exposing the lower part of the engine.

A piece of filter material was found in the airflow divider. The piece appeared similar to a section of filter material from a NAPA 1394 oil filter. Review of the engine log noted that a NAPA 1394 oil filter had been installed at the last oil/filter change. The material did not match the air filter material typically used in the engine installation. The oil filter is positioned in front of the airflow divider.

A Bing carburetor was installed on the engine. The carburetor inlet, the sides of the carburetor slide and needle facing the inlet (filter side) exhibited moderate to heavy sooting/contamination. The outlet or engine side of the slide was relatively free of sooting. However, there was a varnish or gum type build up on the outlet side of the slide. The bottom of the slide was contaminated with sooting on the outlet side. The slide was found in the closed position and did not move freely, but would move if a prying force was applied to the bottom of the slide. 

The outlet or engine side of the butterfly valve was heavily sooted and darkened. The lower outlet portion of the venturi was sooted below the butterfly with a distinct washing of the soot at the bottom dead center. 

The carburetor bowl was clean and the floats were free to move. The needle valve was free to move and remained attached to the floats. The engine driven fuel pump’s rubber diaphragm was supple and intact; the pump shaft was free to move.

The engine manufacturer’s representative stated that the sooting patterns on the engine side of the components are typical of a leaking intake valve. A leaking intake valve could cause blow back into the intake manifold and carburetor. The representative added that the blowback could stop the engine if severe enough. The representative had not seen the type of contamination noted in the inlet and on the inlet sides of the slide and needle. There was a massive head to cylinder barrel leak on cylinder number six, and small leaks on several others. The head to cylinder barrel leaks were not likely to cause engine stoppage, but could have caused a rough running engine from an overly lean mixture. He also added that the amount of buildup on the carb slide was much more than he was accustomed to seeing. This buildup could have caused the slide to stick open. With the slide stuck open the fuel metering needle would stay up and allow fuel flow sufficient for full throttle operation. If the throttle was reduced while the slide was stuck open, the air flow would be reduced but fuel flow would remain high resulting in a rich mixture which could stop the engine. It would again run at full throttle but not at any reduced throttle setting. The slide was found in the closed position.


NTSB Identification: CEN12FA217 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, March 30, 2012 in Belmont, OH
Aircraft: OLIVER JOSEPH ZODIAC CH 601XL, registration: N8060J
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

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

On March 30, 2012, about 1840 eastern daylight time, a kit built Zodiac CH 601XL, N8060J, impacted terrain after a loss of control during cruise flight near Belmont, Ohio. The commercial rated pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to the Wings of Hope, Chesterfield, Missouri, and operated by a private individual. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 cross country flight.

Initial statements from witnesses, to the responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors, state that the airplane was in cruise flight, when the airplane altitude changed slightly, then nosed over and came straight down.

The airplane impacted a yard near a residential home. After an initial documentation of the accident site, the wreckage was moved to a nearby airport for further examination.

Preliminary review of radar data reveals the airplane heading westbound, with the last radar return at 1840, with the airplane at 3,200 feet.

The Zodiac CH 601XL and CH650 were subject to Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) CE-10-08, dated November 7, 2009, that identified a concern with regards to the airplane’s wing structure. To address the SAIB, the kit manufacturer provided a wing upgrade modification package for builders/owners to incorporate into their airplanes.

Examination of the accident airplane revealed that wing modification had been accomplished. Further examination of the airframe revealed that the airplane did not exhibit the flutter or structural signatures that were identified in airplanes that brought about the SAIB.

=========

Fatal plane crash in Belmont County that killed Donald Cates. Cates was on his way to the Spirit of St. Louis airport when his small plane crashed in a yard on State Route 149, officials said. According to the NTSB's preliminary report, the experimental plane built by an amateur lost control during the flight, and investigators were concerned about the wing structure. The report stated whoever built the airframe modified the wings according to the kit manufacturer. 

After 8 hours, Karachi airport back in business

KARACHI - The runway of the Jinnah International Airport Karachi, which was closed for flights following an emergency landing of a malfunctioned Shaheen Air International aircraft, has been reopened for operation after eight hours.

According to reports, Shaheen Air International’s Boeing 737-400, with over 100 passengers onboard, escaped a crash while landing at the Karachi airport.

Sources in the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said that the landing gear of the Shaheen Air International flight had stopped functioning while landing at one of the Karachi airport’s runways.

They said, “The pilot was asked to use emergency breaks to stop the aircraft amid the malfunction of the gear just after landing at the runway.”

The pilot used emergency breaks and saved the aircraft from crashing, but its tyres burst with a loud bang, they added.

They also said that the aircraft was tilted to the left side and stationed at the runway with the support of its wing.

Following the blast of the tires, CAA fire tenders reached the runway, but there was no fire in any part of the aircraft, they added.

Then, they went on to say, the rescue operation started and all the passengers were pulled out of the malfunctioned aircraft by using an emergency ladder.

Initially, they continued, women and children were pulled out of the plane, and later, men were rescued by using the emergency ladder. None of the passengers or crew members was hurt during the incident, they added.

In a statement issued by the CAA, the authority’s spokesman Pervez George said that the Shaheen Air International’s flight number was NL-122.

George said, “The tyres of the wheel landing gear exploded while landing. The plane went forward, but then screeched to a halt at the runway.”

He said that Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar has directed the CAA director general (DG) to check the aircraft of all the private airlines.

He also said that all the private airlines have been issued notices and their aircraft have been grounded for fitness checking.

He further said that the fitness checking of all the aircraft would start from Monday (today) and would be completed in two days.

“Only those aircraft would be allowed for operation that meet the criteria of the international aviation law. The pilots would also undergo a similar test,” he added.
CAA DG Nadeem Khan Yousafzai has ordered an immediate inquiry of the landing incident and asked for the report to be submitted at the earliest.

Yousafzai requested the Pakistan International Airlines for support in removing the malfunctioned aircraft from the runway.

He directed the CAA staff to remove the aircraft from the runway as early as possible for restoration of local and international flights.

Due to the emergency landing of the Shaheen Air International aircraft at the Karachi airport, 20 national and international flights were postponed.

The postponed flights included PK-787 (Karachi to London), UL-183 (Colombo to Karachi), UL-184 (Karachi to Colombo), PK-304 (Karachi to Lahore), PK-308 (Karachi to Islamabad), EU-606 (Karachi to Jeddah), PK-730 (Karachi to Riyadh), EK-602 (Karachi to Dubai), PK-732 (Karachi to Jeddah), and D8-356.

However, Pakistan International Airlines flight PK-303 (Lahore to Karachi) was landed at the Nawabshah Airport, whereas the international flight TG-507 (Thailand to Karachi) landed in Muscat, Oman.

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk

Cessna 150F, N7911F: Accident occurred April 21, 2012 in Fairbanks, Alaska

NTSB Identification: ANC12LA031 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, April 21, 2012 in Fairbanks, AK
Probable Cause Approval Date: 10/09/2012
Aircraft: CESSNA 150F, registration: N7911F
Injuries: 1 Serious.

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

The student pilot departed on a solo local area practice flight. He said that during the takeoff roll, he held forward pressure on the yoke to keep the nose wheel on the ground. At 50 mph, he let the nose wheel come off the ground, and the airplane rotated into a steep climb. He tried to push the nose down, but the stall warning horn sounded, and the airplane descended toward the ground. He said he did not reduce engine power, and he did not remember checking the elevator trim position before takeoff.

Another student pilot who flew the airplane earlier, reported that he was with an instructor and that his flight was uneventful. He said there were no problems associated with the airplane’s controls. His last landing was a simulated engine out, and he utilized a lot of nose-up trim to maintain the best angle of glide. He said he does not routinely return the trim to neutral after a flight.

An inspection of the airplane showed the trim was set close to the full nose-up position. It is likely that the pilot did not check the trim setting during the pretakeoff inspection, which would have been indicated in the pretakeoff checklist. No interference was found with the flight controls.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The student pilot did not control the airplane’s pitch attitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall during the takeoff initial climb. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to use the pre-takeoff checklist.

On April 21, 2012, about 1630 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 150F airplane, N7911F, sustained substantial damage during takeoff at the Fairbanks International Airport (PAFA), Fairbanks, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight, under 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo student pilot received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on April 21, an FAA inspector at the accident site said that after lifting off, the airplane descended steeply, impacted the runway, and slid off the right side of the runway. He said the nose wheel broke off, and the engine's lower cowl and forward fuselage bottom were crushed upward. The tail of the airplane had broken off at the aft cabin window. The inspector also said that witnesses reported seeing the airplane liftoff from the runway in a steep climb before descending steeply, and impacting the ground. He said the airplane received substantial damage to the fuselage and wings.

During an interview with the NTSB IIC on April 24, the pilot said during the takeoff roll the airplane wanted to fly at 40 miles per hour. He said he held forward pressure on the yoke to keep the nose wheel on the ground. At 50 miles per hour he said he let the nose wheel come off the ground, and the airplane rotated into a steep climb. As he tried to push the nose down, the stall warning horn came on, and the airplane dove toward the ground. He said he pulled back on the yoke just before the airplane impacted the ground. He did not reduce engine power. He said he did not remember checking the elevator trim position prior to takeoff.

During a telephone conversation with the NTSB IIC on June 4, a student pilot who was the last person to fly the airplane prior to the accident flight, reported that he was with an instructor, and that the flight was uneventful. He said that he had never had any problems associated with the airplane’s controls. His last landing was a simulated engine out. He said he did not think he used full flaps, but he used a good bit of nose-up trim to maintain best angle of glide. He does not routinely return the trim to neutral after a flight.

An inspection of the airplane by the NTSB IIC showed the trim was set in almost the full nose up position. The Cessna 150 Owner's Manual states in the before takeoff checklist, item number 7, Trim Tab -- "TAKE-OFF" --setting. No evidence of any preimpact flight control interference was found.

---------
 FAIRBANKS - One person was injured when a Cessna 150 crashed on the East Ramp of the Fairbanks International Airport on Saturday afternoon.

The crash happened at approximately 4:30 p.m. and there were two people in the plane, airport spokeswoman Angie Spear said.

Spear did not have details about the crash but said one of the two occupants had to be extricated from the plane and was taken to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening.

Both the airport and University of Alaska Fairbanks fire departments responded to the crash, she said.

Plane crash commission a fraud: Chief Minister. Bhoja Air Boeing 737-200, AP-BKC, Flight B4-213, Islamabad, Pakistan

Monday, April 23, 2012

LAHORE


Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said the judicial commission, set up by the federal government, to investigate the crash of the Bhoja Air plane is a fraud.

In a statement on Sunday, he said the judicial commission had been set up without consultation of the chief justice and as such it had no legal standing. He said there was no serving officer in the commission. He said the federal government was trying to hoodwink the people.

Shahbaz Sharif has said that the energy crisis is the result of plundering of the corrupt rulers. He said the steps to overcome electricity shortage should be taken on an emergent basis but the non-seriousness of the rulers was aggravating the situation. He said non-implementation of the decision of equal loadshedding throughout the country, made in the energy conference, was lamentable, warning that injustice being meted out to Punjab regarding loadshedding would not be tolerated.

He was presiding over a meeting of the Energy Implementation Committee on Sunday. The meeting reviewed the implementation of the decisions of energy conference. The chief minister said equal loadshedding throughout the country and other decisions of the energy conference should be completely implemented. He disclosed that a joint meeting of chambers of commerce & industries, trade and agriculture had been convened on Tuesday and traders, industrialists and elected representatives of the districts affected by loadshedding would also attend the meeting. He said the joint meeting would discuss the ways to resolve the crisis.

Shahbaz said the energy crises had not only caused an irreparable loss to the country’s economy but also made the life of the masses miserable. He said had an appropriate strategy been evolved for overcoming the energy crises, the country would not have plunged into darkness. He said that due to long outages, industries had halted in Punjab and hundreds of thousands of labourers had become jobless and the people were protesting against it.

The CM said there was a need of moving forward swiftly for overcoming the crisis, adding that besides short term steps, there was also need of long term planning for the purpose. He said Punjab, being a big province, also contributed an overwhelming share to the GDP and added that if the economy of the province was affected due to unequal loadshedding, it was tantamount to causing a loss to the country’s economy. Therefore, the injustice regarding electricity loadshedding, being meted out to Punjab, should be stopped immediately, he stressed.

He said the outstanding electricity dues against Punjab would be paid as per promise within one and a half months.

Shahbaz Sharif said there was a need of paying attention to the projects of generating energy from cheap sources instead of costly ones. He said the projects of generating energy through coal, hydel, solar, bagasse and other sources should be executed speedily. He said the Punjab government was also working on the projects of generating energy through alternative sources. He said a policy had also been evolved in consultation with sugar mills owners for generating energy through bagasse.

The chief minister directed the Energy secretary to prepare a joint presentation regarding mines and energy within three days and the programme of provision of subsidy on solar tube-wells should also be implemented speedily for facilitating farmers.

Earlier, Secretary Energy Jehanzeb Khan informed about the pace of implementation on the decisions of energy conference.

Members National Assembly Khurram Dastagir Khan, Pervaiz Malik, vice-chairman Punjab Investment Board, secretary Energy, vice-president Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry and other officers concerned attended the meeting.

http://www.thenews.com.pk

Bolivian Senator, 10 Others Die in Three L.America Plane Crashes

Authorities work at the scene of a light aircraft crash in which a Bolivian opposition Senator Gerald Ortiz died, near to the airport Viru Viru, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, 21 April 2012. The father of the legislator Luis Ortiz, pilot of the aircraft, and mechanic Mario Torres, also died in the crash. 
Credit: EPA 


Eleven people, including a senior Bolivian opposition senator, have been killed in three separate private plane crashes in Bolivia and Guatemala.

A twin-engine Curtiss C-46 plane with four people on board, including the senator, Gerald Ortiz, crashed just minutes after take-off from the Viru Viri international airport in the eastern Bolivian city if Santa Cruz on Saturday, the country’s chief civil aviation official, Luis Coimbra, said.

The plane, flown by Ortiz’s father, with the senator as second pilot, went down while trying to make an emergency landing. It split into two parts and burst into flames after hitting the ground.

The senator’s son, who was one of the two passengers onboard, survived the crash. He is in hospital.

Ortiz, 46, was head of the commission in charge of international affairs in the Bolivian Senate.

Another plane, the single-engine Cessna 206, disappeared from radar screens in the early hours of Saturday. It crashed 10 kilometers from the southern town of Monteagudo, where it was discovered later in the day. The five people on board died.

The causes of the two crashes are yet to be established. Bolivian President Evo Morales expressed his condolences to the victims’ families.

Another air accident occurred on Saturday in Guatemala, where a private single-engine plane crashed on a zoo on the outskirts of Guatemala City, firefighters said. The three people on board – two crew members and a passenger – were killed.

The plane crew reported a technical failure immediately after take-off from La Aurora airport in the Guatemalan capital. The aircraft crashed while trying to make an emergency landing.

The falling plane had hit a zoo employee who was taken to hospital with serious burns.

There could have been more casualties if the crew did not manage to maneuver the aircraft away from the main area of the zoo where some 100 people gathered on a Saturday afternoon, eyewitnesses said.

PavCo challenges Vancouver float-plane terminal over safety concerns

Passengers offload from a Harbour Air seaplane in Vancouver, March 13, 2012.
 John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail


WENDY STUECK
VANCOUVER— From Monday's Globe and Mail
Published Sunday, Apr. 22, 2012 7:45PM EDT
Last updated Sunday, Apr. 22, 2012 7:48PM EDT



A new float-plane terminal in Vancouver’s downtown harbour “has never been safe or functional for float-plane operations,” B.C. Pavilion Corp. alleges in court documents filed as part of a lawsuit relating to the facility.

And the risk of contact between airplanes and docks in parts of the terminal, known as the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre, “may cause property damage and personal injury,” PavCo said in its April 13 response to a claim filed against it in the Supreme Court of B.C.

The allegations, which have not been proved in court, echo safety concerns that float-plane companies have previously raised about VHFC, a $22-million facility at the north end of the new convention centre.

The privately financed terminal was supposed to be a spiffy new home for float-plane operators that whisk an estimated 300,000 passengers a year between Victoria and Vancouver, as well as other destinations. But even before it opened last May, VHFC was bogged down in a controversy over fees, with float-plane companies balking at what they viewed as excessively high rents to use the facility. As that dispute dragged on, would-be tenants also raised safety concerns, which VHFC characterized as a ploy to avoid having to move in to the new facility.

Currently, the new VHFC terminal and the makeshift facility it was to replace are both in business – with VHFC losing about $250,000 a month, while the biggest player in the business, Vancouver-based Harbour Air, continues to operate from the “temporary” facility.

The province last September commissioned a report to look into safety and design concerns at the terminal, but to date that report has not been released. In the meantime, two seaplane companies, Seair and Tofino Air, fly passengers to and from the facility daily.

“I’m going to let a court decide whether [the terminal] is safe and functional,” VHFC president Paul McElligott said last week. “We believe it’s safe and it is functional – it’s been operating since last May and there are float-plane companies operating out of it today. Now that it’s before the courts, I’ll let it get settled in that arena.”

VHFC has already filed a response rejecting PavCo’s allegations.

PavCo officials declined to comment.

The legal slugfest got underway last month, when VHFC sued PavCo, Harbour Air and two of its executives, and the Vancouver Commercial Seaplane Operators Association.

In its suit, VHFC said PavCo – which owns the water lot where the new terminal is located, and leases it to VHFC – had breached that lease and “failed to take steps to terminate the use of the temporary facility and has permitted it to be used in competition with the new facility.”

In a bid to woo companies to the new terminal, PavCo last year agreed to defer VHFC’s rent, allowing VHFC to lower the rates it charged to prospective tenants. Two tenants signed up after that reduction – which worked out to float-plane companies paying about $9.50 in costs instead of an earlier-proposed $12 per flight in and out of the harbour.

The dispute hit bumpy water before it wound up in court. Last November, a Harbour Air float plane partly sank while docked at VHFC as part of a safety test. The incident became controversial, with both sides suggesting the other was responsible in the mishap.

A draft report into that incident by aviation investigation firm R.J. Waldron and Co. and commissioned by PavCo, a copy of which was provided to The Globe and Mail, found none of the perceived safety concerns raised by Harbour Air – such as docks being too high and overly exposed to waves – were a factor.

Instead, the report found the primary cause for the sinking was inadequate checks by Harbour Air personnel for water on the plane’s pontoons and, in particular, a missed check on the night of Nov. 4 last year – the night before the plane was spotted, tail sinking in the water, at about 4:27 a.m.

Harbour Air CEO Greg McDougall, while conceding that human error contributed to the incident, has stated that the safety test gathered data that could highlight potential public safety concerns at the terminal.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com

Private airlines grounded as two planes escape disasters in Karachi, Lahore

LAHORE/KARACHI - Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar ordered the grounding of all private airlines until they obtained requisite technical clearance certificates, just as two planes of Shaheen Air International narrowly escaped accidents at Lahore and Karachi airports on Sunday.

Talking to reporters, the defence minister ordered for inspection of planes of all private airlines to ensure safety of passengers.

He said all private airlines had been given a shakedown message to ground their planes for thorough checking by the Civil Aviation Authority from tomorrow.

Mukhtar said if proved that the recently crashed Bhoja airline plane was not fit for flight‚ the license of the airline would be cancelled.

Earlier, only hours after a Shaheen Air plane made an emergency landing at Karachi airport due to busted tires, another plane of the same airline avoided an accident at Lahore airport, officials said.

Airport officials said the airline’s plane carrying more than 200 passengers was stopped at Lahore before it was about take off for Mashhad, Iran, as authorities noticed a leakage in the fuel tank and directed pilots not to take off.

Officials said Shaheen Airline’s Boeing 737 had arrived from Dubai and was heading to the Iranian city when technicians noticed its fuel tank leaking.

Officials said the leaking was caused by loading the plane beyond capacity.

All passengers were taken off the plane and transferred to the international lounge where they staged a protest against the potentially fatal error and demanded a new plane to carry them to Mashhad.

Hours earlier, another passenger plane of the same company escaped a major disaster at Karachi airport on Sunday. According to airport officials, the rear landing gear of the Shaheen Airline’s Boeing 737-400 broke down during landing at Karachi airport. The commercial passenger Flight ML-112, carrying almost 162 passengers was at the end of its flight from Islamabad.

Fire tenders and rescue workers of the Civil Aviation Authority cordoned off the plane and took immediate safety measures.\ Fire brigade vehicles surrounded the aircraft soon after it made a crash landing with burst tyres, which broke its landing gear, forcing the plane’s right wing to drag along the runway.
All passengers and crew remained safe during the emergency landing; officials said, adding that airport was closed for all flights until the faulty aircraft was removed from the main runway.

Meanwhile, passengers of flights diverted to other airports after the Karachi incident suffered in heat, as shortage of fuel, forced the planes to shut the air cooling system.

All airplanes approaching Karachi from Islamabad Gwadar, DG Khan and Lahore were diverted to Nawabshah airport. However, the passengers of these flights, more 500 men, children and women, were confined to these flights for more than five hours.

Among the passengers were the PIA MD and federal minister Faisal Saleh Hayat; both of who were accorded full protocol while the rest of the travelers singed in heat inside the planes. The Karachi airport was reopened for operations after eight hours.

Letisko Piestany / LZPP RWY 01

 

 April 19, 2012 by motopejo 

#1  Shark (OM-SHA)
#2  Let L-200 Morava (OK-OFL)
#3  Piper PA-46-500TP Meridian (D-FOKE)
#4  Cessna C-152 (OM-SLA)
#5  Robinson R-44 (OM-VMT)
#6  Let L-410 UVP-E20 Turbolet (2718)

Airport Piestany 18.april 2012

Beechcraft G18S, Great American Transportation Co., Inc., N6B: Incident occurred April 21, 2012 at Cornelia Fort Air Park (M88), East Nashville, Tennessee

http://registry.faa.gov/N6B 

http://www.flickr.com/photo
 
FAA IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 6B        Make/Model: BE18      Description: 18 
  Date: 04/22/2012     Time: 0000

  Event Type: Incident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
  City: NASHVILLE   State: TN   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT FOUND GEAR UP IN THE GRASS AT THE CLOSED CORNELIA FORT AIRPORT, 
  NEAR NASHVILLE, TN

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   1
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    


OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: NASHVILLE, TN  (CE19)                 Entry date: 04/23/2012 


Russell Brothers, Jr., stands next to the vintage twin-engine Beechcraft airplane that he guided to a belly-slide landing at Cornelia Fort Airpark on Friday night. He said this photo was taken on Saturday. 
Provided by Russell Brothers, Jr. 


Written by Tony Gonzalez 
The Tennessean

Flying through rain in the dark before midnight on Friday, a 74-year-old pilot said he used the lights of Opryland to guide his vintage airplane to a smooth belly landing on a grass strip at a shuttered airport in East Nashville, landing without injury but stirring up questions about his past.

Even without landing gear, Russell Brothers, Jr., came down so gently in his 1961 twin-engine Beechcraft Model 18 that he didn’t trigger the crash locator that he said would have given authorities his location at Cornelia Fort Airpark.

He was alone and uninjured at an airstrip he’d flown to for more than 50 years before it closed. He said he called his wife to pick him up and they rode back to Burns, Tennessee, leaving the airplane behind as a mystery for police.

“We were just both thankful that I wasn’t hurt and that was all we talked about,” Brothers said by phone this morning.

He said he was flying Friday from Miami to Dickson, Tennessee, near his home. When his landing gear did not work, Brothers thought of the only grass strip he knew in Nashville.

“When your gear won’t come down, you don’t pull it over to the side of the road and call the wrecker,” Brothers said. “That field was the most appropriate place to put it down.”

He knew it’d be smooth because of the years he spent as air traffic manager at the airpark.

“There were no lights, but I had been flying in and out of that place 55 years and was familiar with the terrain and geography,” he said. “We used Opryland as an approach fix, and so then I flew out over Old Hickory Lake to Opryland and all the lights and made an approach into the strip.”

Brothers said he wasn’t scared.

“I’m Christian and I prayed about this obviously and felt that my safety was in the hands of the Lord,” he said. “I was concerned about tearing up my airplane. That was the main thing on my mind.

“People are not calm in situations like this, but you gotta do what you gotta do,” he said. “I don’t want to sound cavalier, but when you’ve been flying as long as I have you’re going to find situation like this that occur.”

Brothers wrote an account of the night for the Federal Aviation Administration and Metro Nashville police.

Unusual landing raises questions about pilot's past 

 Don Aaron, police spokesman, said a Metro Parks Department maintenance worker found the plane Saturday and notified police the next day when it had not moved.

Aaron said officers hope to meet with Brothers in the coming week — the latest in Brothers’ long history of encounters with police. In 1988, he was convicted of international drug smuggling, having brought 1.5 tons of cocaine into South Florida. He served 11 years in prison as part of a 60-year sentence.

Brothers said he wasn’t carrying drugs Friday.

“I certainly don’t want any more part of that,” Brothers said. “Like a lot of men in their midlife crisis, they forget about what is important in their life, and I did.

“I hurt my family then and I certainly don’t want to go through that again,” Brothers said. “It’s not a remote option.”

As for the potential police interview, he said he’d be glad to talk with them.

“I have nothing to hide,” he said.

Brothers said he reported the airplane Saturday to a Metro Parks employee who he knows. That information did not make it to law enforcement until Sunday.

“When I was out there in the field Sunday afternoon nobody knew whose it was,” Aaron said.
Brothers grew up in Belle Meade, attended Vanderbilt University and lived at the Airpark before losing his home in the 2010 flood.

FAA records show Brothers received his first pilot’s license in 1966, but that he is not current on the accompanying medical certificate that is required to fly. Asked if he should not have been flying without it, he said that is “essentially correct.”




Metro Police and the Federal Aviation Administration are working to identify the pilot who landed a 1961 Beechcraft twin-engine airplane on the grass at the closed Cornelia Fort Airpark in East Nashville. 

The plane has been on the runway since at least yesterday, when it was first discovered by a Metro Parks employee. 

When the landing gear became inoperable, police said, the pilot apparently cut the engines before belly landingin a large grassy area adjacent to the runway.

 The propellers and engines show obvious damage. 

 The plane is registered to Great American Transportation, Inc., which lists its address as Cornelia Fort Airpark. 

Metro police have no information about who or what was onboard the airplane and there is no indication that anyone was seriously injured. 

No cargo or contraband was located when officers arrived Sunday. Metro officers and the FAA are working to determine the plane’s whereabouts over the last several weeks.



NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Metro Nashville police and federal investigators are trying to locate the person responsible for crash-landing and leaving a small plane at a closed airpark.

Metro police said in a release that a 1961 Beechcraft twin-engine airplane went down on grass at the closed Cornelia Fort Airpark in East Nashville.

The statement says a maintenance worker with the parks department found the plane Saturday morning near the runway and notified police Sunday because it wasn't moved.

Police say it appears the landing gear became inoperable and the pilot or pilots belly-landed the plane, which is registered to Great American Transportation Inc. There is no indication anyone suffered serious injury in the landing.

Pilot plans to fix crashed plane and fly again

 

5:36 PM, Apr. 22, 2012 
Written by Wausau Daily Herald

The pilot of the biplane that crashed into Lake Wausau Saturday plans to fix the craft and fly it again.

But it won’t be anytime soon, said Dustin Burt, 17, of Wausau, the son of the pilot, Dr. Glenn Burt. Glenn Burt, 60, of Wausau still was shaken Sunday from the crash in his Sopwith Cub, a plane he built from a kit, and he declined to speak with the Wausau Daily Herald.

“It probably will take a while before he’ll want to fly again,” Dustin Burt said.

Glenn Burt was practicing takeoffs and landings from the Wausau Downtown Airport shortly before noon on Saturday when the fuel in one of the plane’s two tanks ran out. The pilot tried to start the engine from a second tank, but was unsuccessful, Dustin Burt said. Glenn Burt also had to loop around the lake as another plane landed at the airport. It all created a chain of events that led to the wet crash landing, Dustin Burt said.

Glenn Burt was unhurt in the incident, and was picked up by a couple of men from the Shawano area who were fishing from a boat near Glenn Burt’s crash landing site.

Dustin Burt said there is plenty of work to do before the Sopwith Cub could fly again. “We’ll need to clean the engine, and replace electrical equipment,” Dustin Burt said.

Read the full story in print and online in Monday's Wausau Daily Herald.

Christen Eagle II (built by Bumford-Royer), Cottonwood Motors of Santa Fe, N80BH: Accident occurred April 22, 2012 in Pearland, Texas

NTSB Identification: CEN12LA253 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, April 22, 2012 in Pearland, TX
Probable Cause Approval Date: 06/11/2014
Aircraft: BUMFORD-ROYER CHRISTEN EAGLE II, registration: N80BH
Injuries: 1 Serious.

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

The airplane’s engine experienced a total loss of power during initial climb, and the pilot subsequently attempted to turn back toward the airport but was unable to reach the airport or a suitable forced landing area. The airplane impacted trees and terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. A large fuel spill occurred, but no postimpact fire ensued. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that a B nut attaching the fuel supply line was only “finger tight” and was able to be loosened with finger pressure. Further, evidence of dye from a fuel stain was observed near the loose B nut. A review of maintenance records revealed that maintenance had recently been performed in that area of the engine; however, when the insufficient torque was applied to the B nut could not be determined.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
A loose B nut on the fuel inlet line due to maintenance personnel’s application of insufficient torque on the nut at an unknown time, which resulted in a fuel leak and a subsequent total loss of engine power during initial climb.

On April 22, 2012, about 1620 central daylight time, a Bumford-Royer, Christen Eagle II, N80BH, impacted terrain during initial climb at Pearland Regional Airport (LVJ), Pearland, Texas. The pilot was seriously injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to Cottonwood Motors of Santa Fe, and operated by the pilot, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as a personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. At the time of the accident the airplane was departing from LVJ for a local flight.

A witness said the airplane was near the north end of the runway and had climbed to about 300 to 400 feet above ground level when they heard a loss of engine power. Other witnesses reported hearing popping or sputtering soon after the airplane became airborne. After the total loss of engine power the pilot attempted a left turn back toward the airport, but was unable to reach a suitable forced landing area. The airplane impacted trees and the bank of a drainage ditch, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Emergency responders reported there was a substantial fuel spill, but no postimpact fire. 

A J. P. Instruments EDM-700 panel-mounted engine monitoring system was removed from the wreckage and examined at the National Transportation Safety Board Recorders Laboratory in Washington, DC. Data downloaded from that unit showed that engine fuel flow (FF) increased about 6 minutes and 50 seconds after the recorded data began, corresponding to the application of takeoff power. There was a decrease in FF and EGT about 30 seconds later which corresponded to the loss of engine power. Data ended after a total of 7 minutes and 30 seconds. 

A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that a "B nut" attaching the fuel supply line to the flow divider was found "finger tight." Further, there was evidence of dye from a fuel stain in the lower surface of the engine crankcase in the area of the fuel supply line. There had been recent maintenance performed in that area of the engine.


NTSB Identification: CEN12LA253  
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, April 22, 2012 in Pearland, TX
Aircraft: BUMFORD-ROYER CHRISTEN EAGLE II, registration: N80BH
Injuries: 1 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 may have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On April 22, 2012, about 1620 central daylight time, a Bumford-Royer, Christen Eagle II, N80BH, impacted terrain after takeoff from Pearland Regional Airport (LVJ), Pearland, Texas. The pilot was seriously injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to Cottonwood Motors of Santa Fe, and operated by a private individual, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as a personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. At the time of the accident the airplane was departing from LVJ for a local flight.

A witness said the airplane was taking off and had climbed to about 300 to 400 feet above ground level (AGL) when the witness heard a loss of engine power. It appeared the pilot attempted a 180 degree turn back to the airport. The airplane impacted trees and the bank of a drainage ditch before coming to rest upright.


  

PEARLAND, Texas – Life Flight was called to the scene of a small plane crash in Brazoria County Sunday afternoon.

It happened around 3:45 p.m. at the Pearland Regional Airport, just south of Dixie Farm Road, near CR 127.

Pearland firefighters and EMS found the crash site on the northwest corner of the airport.

Police said there was only one person onboard the plane, the 55-year-old pilot.

Investigators believe he may have experienced power failure to his engine shortly after taking off.

The pilot tried to turn back around and get to a runway, but he didn’t quite make it. The plane clipped some trees in a wooded area just beyond the runway and slammed into a creek bed.

Paramedics said the pilot was conscious when they arrived, but he had suffered some head injuries.

He was airlifted to the hospital, but was expected to survive.

Investigators were waiting on the FAA to come out to the scene to determine exactly what happened.

The pilot’s identity was not released.


A single-engine plane reportedly crashed into trees in the Pearland area Sunday afternoon, injuring the pilot. 

A 55-year old man suffered head injuries after the plane crashed at Clover Field Airport in Brazoria County. 

The man, the only occupant of the plane, was flown by LifeFlight to Memorial Hermann hospital in the Texas Medical Center. 

The investigation will be handled by the Brazoria County Sherrif’s Department and Texas DPS, said Lt. Onesimo Lopez, public information officer for the Pearland police department.   


PEARLAND, Texas – Life Flight was called to the scene of a small plane crash in Brazoria County Sunday afternoon.

It happened around 3:45 p.m. at the Pearland Regional Airport, just south of Dixie Farm Road, near CR 127.

Pearland firefighters and EMS responded to the scene and found the crash site on the northwest corner of the airport.

Police said there was at least one person in the plane, a 55-year-old man, who suffered head injuries. His condition was not known, and it was not immediately clear what caused the plane to go down.

PEARLAND, TX (KTRK) -- A pilot was injured Sunday afternoon when his plane went down in Pearland.

It happened around 3:45pm just south of Dixie Farm Rd. near County Road 127.

According to Pearland police, the single-engine plane crashed in some trees on the northwest corner of Pearland Regional Airport.

Authorities said the 55-year-old pilot suffered head injuries. Life Flight was called to the scene. He was taken to area hospital in unknown condition.

Officers have not said if he was the only person on board or what may have caused the crash.

The incident is under investigation by the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety.