Saturday, July 28, 2012

FAA-approved flight school to open at the Natchitoches Regional Airport (KIER), Louisiana

NATCHITOCHES — A grand opening is set for 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the Natchitoches Regional Airport for a new flight school being opened by Flight Academy of New Orleans. 

City and airport officials are excited about the opportunities the flight school will bring to the community.

“According to an economic study done more than four years ago, the Natchitoches Regional Airport brings $13,797,000 of direct and indirect benefit to our city,” Airport Manager Larry Cooper said. “This flight school offers significant opportunities to utilize one of our most important assets and provide growth for Natchitoches aviation.”

The school will be in the hangar formerly occupied by Northwestern State University.
Founded in 2003, FANO will train professionals for all types of pilot jobs, including corporate jets and airlines and for business or personal use.

The school will also offer elective courses using prior learning assessment to students from Northwestern State University.

FANO has an existing flight school campus at the Lakefront Airport in New Orleans. 


Source:   http://www.shreveporttimes.com

Report critical of city in Woodward: West Woodward Airport (KWWR), Oklahoma

WOODWARD — A letter from Edward Chambers, compliance program manager of the airports division of FAA Southwest Region to Woodward’s Mayor is critical of the city in regard to the West Woodward Airport.

An FAA report by Chambers claims the city inappropriately transferred title to airport land to the Woodward Municipal Authority for industrial development purposes over the years.

The report said on Jan. 6, 1989 the FAA released 4 tracts of land totalling around 135 acres the east side of the airport for development of an industrial park.

Chambers wrote that the deed of release contained a supplemental agreement that the parcels would be sold or leased for fair market value based on appraisal and sale proceeds or lease revenue would be used on airport capital or operating costs.

The report claims that appeared to not happen as the parcels were transferred to the WMA and in turned leased to industrial manufacturing entities and the airport “is not receiving the lease revenue.”

The report claims this has happened on several occasions.

The report also mentions that a juvenile detention facility is located on land released in 1989 as well as another building and “it was reported to us that the airport receives no revenue from these two facilities,” Chambers said.

In the report, Chambers recommends the city transfer title to several parcels of land back to the airport and assign the leases to the airport and for those parcels sold to a non-city entity, the fair market value of the land at the time of the sale based on historic appraisal should be deposited in the airport account. The leases on the parcels should then be assigned from the municipal authority to the airport, according the report.

The report also asks the city to take steps to improve and market the non-aeronautical use property such as clearing brush, demolishing abandoned buildings and improving access to the area.

“Property in this area can and should be leased at fair market value rental rates for commercial property as a continuing source of income for the airport.”

Chambers also estimates in the report that roughly $77,000 worth of asphalt appears to have been removed from a stockpile at the airport with “little, if any, compensation to the airport.”

Chambers is also asking the city to remove a travel trailer and cargo trailer off airport property and for the city to remove a gun range from airport land.


Source:  http://enidnews.com/state/x44818049/Report-critical-of-city-in-Woodward

Ontario sisters find piece of WWII U.S. bomber plane at lake

SARNIA, Ont. -- A group of local girls have stumbled upon a significant piece of Second World War history that’s resurfaced from the depths of Lake Huron. 

 Amy Cooper, 13, and sister Lisa, 12, were swimming with friends at the Sarnia Riding Club beach Sunday when they stumbled upon a piece of twisted metal buried in the sandy floor of the lake several feet from shore.

“My concern was that someone was going to get hurt so we decided to try to dig it out,” Amy said. “There was only a foot showing and once we realized it was longer than that, it was more difficult to get out.”

Lisa, who first spotted the treasure under water, thought it was a licence plate until she saw the identification tags.

“I read it and I thought, ‘Oh, it’s an airplane piece.’ But the other girls didn’t believe me at first,” she said.

As it turns out, the hunk of metal came from a P-47 Thunderbolt, one of the main fighter-bombers used by U.S. Army Air Forces in the Second World War.

Each single-piston engine bomber was loaded with eight .50-calibre machine guns, which proved to be mighty during ground attacks in the European and Pacific theatres.

Several units of U.S. airmen trained on the planes at the Selfridge Army Air Field, near Mount Clemens, Mich., including members of the now famous Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American pilots in the U.S. Army.

Read more here:   http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/2012/07/27/ontario-sisters-find-piece-of-wwii-us-bomber-plane-at-lake

Type Rating student from Austria: From a dream to 19 years experience in aviation


July 20, 2012 
 
http://www.balticaa.com  

Baltic Aviation Academy interviews Jurgen Auer, an Airbus A320 Type Rating student from Austria with 19 years experience in aviation. Jurgen tells his story from decision making to Type rating course in Baltic Aviation Academy and emphasizes the main tips of how to choose the best aviation school.

South Carolina: Pilot to co-pilot, father to son, men share deep bond

 
Scott, left, and Rob Creveling were lucky enough to share the cockpit on Rob's first commercial flight with U.S. Airways.


FLORENCE, S.C. -- Many people would be nervous on their first day as a commercial airline pilot, but in late June, Rob Creveling had the fortune of co-piloting for someone he really trusted – his dad. 

Scott Creveling, 60, has been a pilot for U.S. Airways for 29 years after serving in the Navy, and in all his years, he has only heard of one father/son duo getting to fly together and none on a first day.

“It’s been really the highlight of my flying career is being able to fly with him; that was awesome,” Scott Creveling said. “We give the Lord credit for that, for kind of working everything out because it was not the kind of thing you could really orchestrate on your own.”

For one thing Rob, 33, didn’t always plan on being a pilot. He started lessons in high school thinking flying could be a fun hobby, but he got serious about it at the University of South Carolina. He then spent some time flying forestry planes and the USC athletics plane – where he hauled the likes of Lou Holtz and Steve Spurrier – before joining the Air Force.

Last December while he was flying refueling jets over Iraq and Afghanistan, he started applying for commercial airlines, putting in as many applications as possible because airlines have done so little hiring for the past five years.

The first one to offer him an interview and a job when he returned to the states was U.S. Airways. He didn’t get his hopes up at first because all the new hires were being assigned to Embraer 190 planes, and not in Charlotte where his dad was based. That is until his class, which mostly got 737s leaving from Charlotte.

Read more here:   http://www2.scnow.com

Myrtle Beach’s Vision Airlines passengers in limbo as flight delays stretch, one more than a day

MYRTLE BEACH -- A flight out of Myrtle Beach became a precious commodity for some travelers Saturday. 

 Flights on Vision Airlines to Louisville, Ky., and Indianapolis were delayed for hours or days. In the case of Indianapolis fliers, the delay has already lasted more than a day. Scheduled to depart at 4:40 p.m. Friday, the flight to Indianapolis had yet to leave Saturday evening, leaving its passengers stranded an extra day on the Grand Strand. The airline’s website estimated it wouldn’t depart until 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning. The flight to Louisville had been scheduled to take off at 11 a.m. Saturday, but the airline’s website estimated Saturday night that the flight would not leave until 11:05 p.m Saturday.

Mary Ryan, whose daughter and young children had been planning on flying to Louisville Saturday, said, “It’s been a nightmare.”

Ryan said nobody in her family had been able to get in touch with anybody at the airline on Saturday, and they weren’t sure when the flight might leave. “They're not telling anybody anything,” Ryan said.

Customer service hours for the charter airline, which provides service from Myrtle Beach to six cities in the Midwest, are open only Monday through Friday, and calls to numbers at the airline’s headquarters went unanswered Saturday.

After nearly six hours at the airport, Ryan’s group left and returned to their home in North Carolina without knowing when they should show back up. Vision’s policies state that in delays of more than an hour, customers should be provided a time to be back at the gate, in case they choose to leave.

Meanwhile, a representative at Myrtle Beach International Airport said that the phone’s been ringing off the hook.

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

UK: Immigrants sent home on almost empty jets

The UK Border Agency is spending millions of pounds hiring charter flights to deport illegal immigrants and failed asylum seekers... then lets the planes take off with hundreds of empty seats. 

At times these hugely expensive charter flights leave the UK with just 10 per cent of seats occupied by people being returned to their homeland.

As the planes jet out with row upon row of empty seats they leave behind hundreds who exploit legal loopholes to stay.

UKBA figures reveal the cost of charter flights to deport people back to their home country is about £5,000 each.

The total cost of air deportations – including tickets for regular flights – has risen 40 per cent in the past five years. It now stands at £133million per year. The figure is so high because so many planes leave more than half empty. UKBA officials say the ­numbers being flown back are so low partly ­because the majority of people facing deportation put in a successful 11th- hour appeal which ­allows them to ­prolong their stay in the UK.

Incredibly some of the planes fly with just a few dozen people being sent back because the UK has “deals” with the host country so that not too many ­people arrive at the same time.

On a February flight to Pakistan 194 people were put on a list to be sent back. At take-off there were just 46 men and four women on the flight. A total of 144 people had used the legal loophole to allow them to be left behind.

UKBA, which admits some flights have twice as many escort guards as deportees, says it plans for last‑minute drop‑outs and insists it tries to ensure its planes all fly with a full complement of people being expelled by topping up with people held on a reserve list.

In February a flight to Sri Lanka took off with just 52 deportees on board after 101 made successful 11th-hour applications to stay.

Two recent flights to Ghana had a total of 45 deportees. Eighty five were erased from the passenger list, nearly twice the number eventually flown home. In the past year the UKBA has ­chartered 37 flights at a cost to the taxpayer of almost £9million. This is around £250,000 per plane.   
       
A total of 17 have returned people to Afghanistan, nine to Nigeria, four to Sri Lanka, three to Pakistan, two to Ghana and one each to Iraq and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Somebody who is being deported has to be given 72 hours ­notice, which gives them ample time to appeal.

The UKBA said: “It is right those with no right to be here should go home and these flights still ­represent a cost effective way of ­removing in ­volume. The increased expenditure on charter flights reflects the general rise in the cost of air travel and the fact that our ­charters operate almost ­exclusively to long-haul destinations.”

The TaxPayers’ ­Alliance said: “The UK Border Agency should do more to keep costs down.

“If 11th-hour ­appeals are so common, they should overbook even more than they do ­already.

“It’s absurd international agreements about how many people can ­arrive at the same time are ­stopping us from deporting those who have no right to be here and incurring extra costs for British ­taxpayers.”
 

Source:   http://www.express.co.uk

Quebec City - Young cadet takes on army after flight accident

QUEBEC CITY – An air cadet injured in a glider accident has been battling the Department of National Defence since 2006.

The department refuses to compensate Pascale Bouchard-Cannon, 22, after a flight accident in which she fractured two vertebrae, leaving her with permanent after effects.

The event took place when she was 16 at the Valcartier base, near Quebec City. The young woman is now asking for $788,000 in compensation.

Bouchard-Cannon’s glider crashed just as she was landing after her 11th flight of the day in September 2006. The wind’s direction suddenly changed, but the control tower did not tell the young woman. The plane’s wing hit a tree before crashing.

‘‘I look like an 80-year-old lady, I’m [like] a granny with a hunched back... Since the accident, things are worse. I tried a lot of medication, physiotherapists, Chinese medicine, Cortisone for five years,’’ Bouchard-Cannon said, adding she can’t sit nor stand for too long and needs to crack her back all the time.

Three internal DND reports leave few doubts about the cause of the accident.

‘‘The glider (...) had an accident because there was not enough space on the runway for a safe landing ... the plaintiff also received contradictory information from the control tower during the accident...,’’ a November 2007 DND report said.

But the department refuses to pay and its lawyers ‘‘are multiplying procedure’’ to ‘‘tire the family."

"‘Since the conclusions are in the Defense’s favour, it’s doing everything so [the conclusions] don’t end up in court,’’ Bouchard-Cannon’s father said.

The government’s lawyers have refused to negotiate an agreement, according to the young woman’s lawyer, François Marchand. ‘‘What’s shocking is that they are contesting the events. That’s dramatic. 

Imagine a 16-year-old girl who has to fight against the big machine of the Defense,’’ Marchand said.

The court of appeal sided with Bouchard-Cannon early in July when it allowed her to use the accident reports as evidence, but she will have to face another year-and-a-half of procedures.

The DND declined to comment on the case.

Story and photo:   http://www.torontosun.com/2012/07/28/young-cadet-takes-on-army-after-grave-accident

Two Saturday Flights Divert To Lambert-St Louis International Airport (KSTL), St Louis, Missouri

Engine trouble forced a Delta Airlines charter flight carrying more than 100 military troops to Indianapolis from Fort Hood, Texas, to make an unplanned landing in St. Louis. 

The airline calls it a  precautionary landing at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport at 4:10 Saturday morning.

Airport spokesman Jeff Lea says the airport deployed emergency equipment, but the plane landed without incident.

Then at about noon Saturday, a Delta flight from Atlanta made an emergency landing in St. Louis after a passenger smelled smoke in the cabin.  Again, no one was injured.

For both flights, Delta sent replacement planes to finish the travelers’ trips.

Source:   http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2012/07/28/two-saturday-flights-divert-to-st-louis/

 

Copters irritate neighbors - Joint Base Lewis-McChord

A spokesman at Joint Base Lewis-McChord said Friday that the base was remiss in not informing residents of a major change in air routes that has resulted in dozens of public complaints about helicopter noise this month. 

More than 50 residents living south of the base have lodged complaints since the first week of July, when helicopters began flying outside Lewis-McChord for the first time to reach training areas.

Neighbors say the aircraft are flying too often, too low and too late, rattling windows as well as nerves and interrupting sleep.

“We should have done a lot better in notifying our communities that we are going to begin flying these new routes, especially because they were off the installation,” said Joe Piek, the base spokesman.

As a result of the complaints, the base commander is deciding whether to adjust the air routes or increase the altitude of the helicopters that fly them. It’s uncertain when he will make that decision.

A base official said the heavy traffic is expected to drop off in a month anyway as aviators finish getting familiar with the new routes.

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

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/07/28/2230897/copters-irritate-neighbors.html#storylink=cpy

Beech A36TC, N6672X: Accident occurred July 28, 2012 in Fayetteville, North Carolina

NTSB Identification: ERA12LA489 
 4 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, July 28, 2012 in Fayetteville, NC
Aircraft: BEECH A36TC, registration: N6672X
Injuries: 3 Uninjured.

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 July 28, 2012, at approximately 1230 eastern daylight time, a Beech A36TC, N6672X, was substantially following a total loss of engine power during approach to Fayetteville Regional Airport (FAY), Fayetteville, North Carolina. The certificated private pilot and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed Billy Mitchell Airport (HSE) Hatteras, North Carolina, about 1100 EDT. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

The pilot stated that, prior to departing from HSE, he observed that the right wing fuel tank was leaking at the sump. He removed the fuel tank cap, and observed that the tank was absent of fuel. He stated that the left wing tank contained approximately 33 gallons.

The pilot departed HSE and flew north along the coast for approximately fifteen minutes before turning on course to FAY. He stated that, approximately 15 miles from the airport, the left fuel tank gauge indicated about 1/8 full, but shortly after, the gauge "shot up" to a 3/4 full indication. While on final approach for landing, at an altitude of approximately 200 feet, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot switched the fuel tank selector to the right tank, and performed a forced landing to a field short of the runway.

Postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the right wing. The left fuel tank gauge indicated 1/8 full, while the right fuel tank gauge indicated 1/4 full. The fuel tanks were visually inspected, and no fuel was observed in either tank. The inspector reported there was no fuel staining observed on either wing, and that when actuated the right fuel sump operated normally.


FAA IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 6672X        Make/Model: BE36      Description: 36 Bonanza
  Date: 07/28/2012     Time: 1630

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

LOCATION
  City: FAYETTEVILLE   State: NC   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT LOST POWER AND WAS FORCED TO LAND IN THE WOODS. FAYETTEVILLE, NC

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Pass:   2     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Landing      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: GREENSBORO, NC  (SO05)                Entry date: 07/30/2012
 
 http://registry.faa.gov/N6672X

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N6672X
A small fixed-wing, single engine aircraft made an unplanned landing at the Fayetteville Regional Airport Saturday after experiencing aircraft issues, officials said. 

Toney Coleman, the airport's assistant director, said the pilot came in just short of runway 28. The plane was slightly damaged, with right wing damage, during the landing.

The pilot was not injured and the plane was towed from the runway, Coleman said.

The cause of the emergency landing is being investigated, he said.

http://www.fayobserver.com

FCC Fines Alaska Man for Interfering with Air Traffic Using CB Radio

On July 17, the FCC announced that it had issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order (NAL) in the amount of $12,500 to Glenn S. Yamada, of Kenai, Alaska. Yamada is accused of “apparently willfully and repeatedly violat[ing] Section 301 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and Sections 95.409(a) and 95.411(a)(1) and (b) of the FCC Rules by operating his CB radio “without requisite Commission authorization.”

In January 2012, the FCC received a complaint regarding interference to an authorized user in the aeronautical band -- a safety of life service -- on 21.964 MHz. According to the FCC, the complaint “Concerned a male subject talking and interfering with the control and monitoring of air traffic over the North Atlantic.” The FCC’s High Frequency Direction Finding Center (HFDFC) monitored the frequency over the next few days, and on January 31, “observed a subject matching the details of the compliant transmitting on the frequency 21.965 MHz.” The HFDFC noted that the subject was using the call “1600 Alaska,” that the actual operating frequency was 27.025 (CB channel 6) and that the transmissions were coming from Kenai.

An agent from the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau in Anchorage used direction finding techniques to locate the source of the interference. He found the source to be coming from Yamada’s residence and found that the interfering signal to 21.964 MHz was determined to be on 21.965 MHz, which correlates to CB channel 6 on 27.025 MHz; apparently, faulty equipment on CB Channel 6 produced a spurious signal on frequency 21.965 MHz, the source of the interference to frequency 21.964 MHz. A review of the FCC’s Universal Licensing System revealed that Yamada had no individual license to operate a CB radio station.

Read more here:   http://www.arrl.org

eHam.net:   http://www.eham.net/articles/28642

East Hampton residents say new airport control tower has worsened noise problem - East Hampton Airport (KHTO), New York

Hamptons, we have a problem.

A new, taxpayer-funded air-traffic control tower at East Hampton Airport — which was supposed to cut down on the deafening roar from hovering helicopters — is actually increasing the noise level, residents charge.

“The town presented this whole expensive project as a way to help with the noise, but it’s only getting worse,” nearby resident Frank Dalene said about the tower, which began operating in June.

The old system allowed all of the hovering pilots to get on the same radio frequency and land on a first-come, first-served basis.

But with the new system — run by retired FAA air-traffic controllers on contract with the town government — choppers are hovering more because they have to obey safety rules.
“It’s just bureaucracy,” said a pilot. “There are more delays in the air, so that’s going to affect noise for people in the area.”

Local residents are furious with the $500,000-per-year tower, saying it’s destroying their prized serenity.

Read more and comments:  http://www.nypost.com

Air India flight makes emergency landing

Kochi, July 28 (PTI) An Air India flight landed tonight at the airport after the pilot detected problem in its nose wheel, airline sources said.

The pilot of the Delhi-Kochi-Thiruvananthapuram flight, carrying 60 passengers from Delhi, informed airport authorities that there was some problem with the nose wheel and asked permission for emergency landing.

The flight landed safely at 8.30 PM, the sources said.

Passengers to Thiruvananthapuam would be taken by road, they said.


http://www.ptinews.com

2 Atlanta-bound planes delayed after false alarm - Westchester County Airport (KHPN), White Plains, New York

ARMONK, N.Y. — Authorities say no explosives were found on board two planes at a suburban New York airport after a phone tip prompted a search. 

A Westchester County Airport spokesman says a caller told officials he overheard two men talking about explosives aboard a flight to Atlanta on Friday at 7 p.m. As a precaution, police searched two Atlanta-bound planes with bomb-sniffing dogs and re-screened all luggage.

No explosives were found.

The flights were delayed for about two hours and took off at about 9:30 p.m. Police are investigating the phone tip.

Source:    http://www.ajc.com

Federal Aviation Administration tells city of Woodward to remove gun range near West Woodward Airport (KWWR), Oklahoma

Woodward officials ordered to remove gun range from airport property 

WOODWARD — A Federal Aviation Administration compliance manager has written a pointed letter to the mayor of Woodward directing the city to remove an unauthorized gun range from West Woodward Airport property and cease illegally diverting airport revenue. 

The outdoor trap shooting range is in the line of approach to one runway, about a half mile from where the runway starts. It is also in the air traffic pattern of another runway, the FAA said in its land use inspection report.

FAA officials said they wrote a letter to the gun range’s sponsor in 1989 objecting to a city proposal to locate the gun range on airport land.

“Apparently, the city did it anyway,” the report said. “This use cannot be excused.”

Airport manager Rory Hicks said airplanes are typically flying anywhere from 20 feet to 800 feet above the ground when they pass directly over the gun range, depending on whether they are coming in for landings or in air traffic patterns.

Hicks said he didn’t normally give the gun range a lot of thought when landing, but “occasionally I would look down and think, ‘What if?’”

“There’s always the possibility of something happening,” he said.

“Years back, I worked construction, and I had a quail hunter shoot my flood lights out of the motor grader I was operating. I never dreamed that would have happened either, but it did. There is always something that can happen, especially in aviation.”

The airport doesn’t have airline service, but it’s not unusual for more than 100 aircraft fly in and out of the airport in a month, including a number of executive jets and oil company jets, Hicks said. The airport is busy because of booms in wind energy and oil industries, he said. About 50 aircraft were on the field Friday afternoon.

City Manager Alan Riffel said the gun range has been there about 20 years and is seldom used.

“Obviously, we’ll comply with the directions of the FAA,” Riffel said, adding he had not yet seen the FAA letter and report.
Inspection report

The inspection report was highly critical of the City of Woodward for taking airport land that the federal government had released to it and “inappropriately” transferring that property to the Woodward Municipal Authority for a nominal amount. The authority then resold or leased the properties “for less than fair market value” to various businesses as part of the city’s economic development efforts, the report indicated.

“Nonaviation city use of airport property at less than fair market value is illegal airport revenue diversion,” Edward Chambers, FAA compliance program manager, wrote in his letter to Woodward Mayor Roscoe Hill.

Agreements between the city and federal government require that proceeds from lease of airport property be used for “airport purposes,” he stated.

It does not appear the airport has been receiving the lease revenue, the report said.

The report raised concerns about the way the city handled transactions that resulted in the sale of land to an underwear manufacturing plant and lease of land to a chemical company and a petroleum pipe storage yard. It also said the airport receives no revenue from a juvenile detention facility and portable structure manufacturing business on airport land released by the federal government in 1989.

An airport hangar was scrapped, and part of a stockpile of milled asphalt from a runway project was sold or given away without the airport receiving any of the salvage proceeds it should have gotten, the report indicates.

“It appears that about half to two-thirds of the stockpile has been removed from the airport with little, if any, compensation to the airport,” the report said. “One estimate of the missing asphalt put the amount at 3,850 tons or roughly $77,000 worth of material.”

The city manager told The Oklahoman he doesn’t believe nearly that much asphalt material was taken.

The missing asphalt was the subject of an investigation by the Woodward County district attorney’s office earlier this year, but so far no charges have been filed.

During the course of that investigation, Assistant City Manager Douglas Haines reportedly told an investigator that under Haines’ authorization and without contacting airport officials, the city had sold asphalt millings from the airport to three different entities, including Cattleman’s Choice Feedyard Inc., of Fargo, and the city had received $428.82 from the feed yard.

Haines told the investigator he discontinued sales after an Airport Board official told him he couldn’t give away or sell the millings without jeopardizing federal grant funds, according to the investigative report that was released to The Oklahoman.

First Assistant District Attorney A. J. Laubhan told The Oklahoman on Friday that he has not yet seen the FAA report but plans to review it to see whether any state crimes have been committed.

If there are any crimes, they may be federal crimes since a federal agency is involved, he said.

If so, it would be up to federal prosecutors to determine whether charges are warranted.
City’s instructions

Meanwhile, the FAA is asking the City of Woodward to take corrective action.

“Relocation of the gun range should be accomplished within 90 days of receipt of this letter,” the report says.

Within 45 days, the city is being asked to:

•Credit the airport fund with the full fair market value of the removed milled asphalt and salvage value of the scrapped hangar.

•Return title to the airport of airport property from other city departments and entities.

•Make rental income for leases of airport property payable to the airport account.

•Ensure leases for airport property for non-aeronautical uses are for at least fair market value.

•Get a travel trailer and a cargo trailer removed from airport property.

Hicks, the airport manager, said there has been controversy in Woodward for several years over whether the airport should have been receiving the money from the lease and sale of airport property.

“I’m really hoping that this will be resolved and the airport will get what it is due,” he said.

Land use at the West Woodward Airport was examined by the FAA under an inspection program that was instituted in response to a 1999 General Accounting Office report titled, “Unauthorized Land Use Highlights Need for Improved Oversight and Enforcement.”

Data from the Woodward inspection, along with data collected from inspections of other airports found to be out of compliance, is to be presented in an Annual Airport Improvement Program Report to Congress.

Read more: http://newsok.com

Taxpayers, University Donors Pick Up Tab For Public Universities’ Private Planes Rides


COLUMBUS, Ohio - Tax dollars and tuition keep the lights on at state universities, but taxpayer money also pays to own and maintain some high speed airplanes 

10 Investigates’ Paul Aker found those airplanes loaded with university officials and their families taking trips from New York to Boca Raton.

School officials said that the planes help them raise money, but some question whether the turbo-prop aircraft are necessary.

At Miami University in Oxford, the road to the big city is a long one. But for a privileged few it is not a road at all, it is a runway.

Miami spokeswoman Claire Wagner said that the university owned King Air TurboProp airplane allows for efficient use of time.

“To my knowledge, the flights are always about university business,” Wagner said.

Ohio University also owns a turbo-prop, which costs about $1,650 per hour.

Watchdog 10 found Ohio University and Miami University are the only ones that own turbo-props for dozens of employee trips.

In 2010, Ohio University's plane went up 166 times.

University chief administrators and their family members are among the privileged few with tickets to ride. Often, the trips are for “development,” which university officials said means fundraising.

Each university says those trips university officials take for fundraising are paid for by money given by university donors.

Those fundraising trips included plenty to New York City, a frequent stop for Miami University President David Hodge and his wife, Valerie, a university ambassador.

Miami University President David Hodges’ 25- year-old daughter, Meriem, also went on trips to New York and Chicago.

On one trip, only the Hodges traveled. Miami officials said those were fundraising trips. A Miami University spokeswoman also said that Meriem was valuable because she has a good rapport with younger university supporters.

Though university officials said that the plane use was for important school purposes, not everyone is so sure.

Henry Eckhart is with a government watchdog group. He said that the money does not seem well spent.

“The whole concept of a state university owning their own turbo-prop causes me real doubt,” Eckhart said.

Ohio University President Roderick McDavis, paid $429,000 per year, took trips to Naples and Fort Meyers, Fl. He knows the area well and owns a home there.

Other trips on the Ohio University plane included trips to sports events.

There was also a trip to this Tennessee bar called the “Wild Horse Saloon.” The flight was for a fundraiser called the “Bobcat Bash.”

It said that in past years the travel cost taxpayers about $250,000 a year. But it just started a program to rent out the plane that university officials said that they believed would off-set all of those costs. Beyond that, the university said that all of the travel is for official business.

Eckhart said the travel seems unnecessary.

“That sounds like a social bash,” Eckhart said. “If he's getting paid  a very competitive salary, why should he have an aircraft at his disposal too?”

University officials said that the cost to operate aircraft is the same no matter how many people fly, making it no more expensive for family members to come along.


Story, video and comments:   http://www.10tv.com

Van's RV-6, N766HS and Van's RV-4, N122JA: Accident occurred July 27, 2012 in Valentine, Nebraska

NTSB Identification: CEN12LA488A
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, July 27, 2012 in Valentine, NE
Probable Cause Approval Date: 01/31/2013
Aircraft: Joseph C. Andrews, Jr. Vans, registration: N122JA
Injuries: 1 Fatal,1 Minor.



NTSB Identification: CEN12LA488B 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, July 27, 2012 in Valentine, NE
Aircraft: Harold H. Smith RV-6, registration: N766HS
Injuries: 1 Serious,1 Minor.


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 accident airplanes were part of a flight of four airplanes. The first airplane, an RV-4, landed and exited the runway. The second airplane, another RV-4, landed and was in the process of turning off the runway at a runway intersection. Although the third airplane, an RV-6, had been making S-turns for spacing behind the second RV-4, he did not obtain proper separation and landed and collided with it. The fourth airplane, an RV-4, abandoned the approach, went around, and then landed uneventfully. The RV-6 pilot said he expected that the pilot of the second RV-4 would roll out to the end of the runway.

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

The RV-6 pilot's failure to monitor the location of the RV-4, resulting in the on-ground collision. Contributing to the accident was the RV-6 pilot not ensuring proper separation from the RV-4 and his expectation that the pilot of RV-4 would roll out to the end of the runway.

On July 27, 2012, about 1350 central daylight time, a Vans RV-6, N766HS, collided with a Vans RV-4, N122JA, after landing at Miller Field (KVTN), Valentine, Nebraska. The pilot of the RV-4 was seriously injured and succumbed to his injuries on August 17, 2012. The pilot of the RV-6 sustained minor injuries. Both airplanes were substantially damaged. Both airplanes were registered to and operated by their respective pilots under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as personal flights. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plans had been filed. The cross-country flights originated from Jackson Municipal Airport (KMJQ), Jackson, Minnesota, about 1000.

According to the pilots involved, this was a flight of four airplanes, three Vans RV-4s and a Vans RV-6, that were en route from the 2012 Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to their home bases in Washington State. They had landed for fuel at KMJQ and were landing at KVTN for fuel at the time of the accident.

According to the accident report submitted by the pilot of the RV-6, the first airplane, N49DB, an RV-4, landed on runway 14 and exited at the end of the runway. The pilot of the RV-6 said he was following the accident RV-4 (N122JA) and made S-turns on final approach for more separation. He said he also moved to the far left side of the runway in order to avoid wake turbulence over the runway threshold from N122JA. As the RV-6 crossed the runway threshold, he saw that N122JA had landed and was on rollout. The RV-6 pilot flared for landing in a 3-point conventional attitude but did not see that N122JA had moved to the left of the centerline. The collision followed. The pilot exited his airplane and went to the aid of the pilot of N122JA. He said when they landed at other airports, all the airplanes would roll out to the end of the runway, then back-taxi to the ramp together. This was what he had expected.

The pilot of the fourth airplane, N579MS, an RV-4, saw the RV-6 making S-turns for spacing behind the RV-4. He said N49DB, the lead aircraft, had landed and had rolled to the end of runway 14 and N122JA had landed on the first third of the runway. He said the RV-6 was close behind and lined up to the left of the centerline and was beginning to touch down. N122JA slowed and started turning left at a runway intersection. The RV-6 then struck the left side of the RV-4 and cartwheeled over the top of it, coming to rest close to the RV-4. The pilot of N579MS abandoned his approach, went around, and landed uneventfully. He also went to the aid of the injured pilot.

An employee of the airport's fixed base operator, who was in the shop, looked up and saw the RV-4 bounce up in the air. He said the RV-6 had already gone past the RV-4 and was sliding backwards. He said it appeared that the RV-6 had struck the RV-4 behind the pilot's seat with its propeller and landing gear, almost cutting it in half.

A Valentine police officer's report noted that he was dispatched to the airport at 1352. When he arrived, the pilot of the RV-6 told him he did not realize the RV-4 had slowed and had turned into his path.

The RV-4 was nearly cut in half. Both wings on the RV-6 bore leading edge damage, and the vertical stabilizer was twisted.


 NTSB Identification: CEN12LA488A  
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, July 27, 2012 in Valentine, NE
Aircraft: Joseph C. Andrews, Jr. VAN RV-4, registration: N122JA
Injuries: 1 Serious,1 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.


On July 27, 2012, about 1400 central daylight time, a Vans RV-6, N766HA, landed on top of a Vans RV-3, N122JA, at Miller Field (KVTN), Valentine, Nebraska. The pilot of N122JA was seriously injured. The pilot of N766HA received minor injuries. Both airplanes were substantially damaged. Both airplanes were registered to and operated by their respective pilots under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as personal flights. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plans had been filed. The cross country flights originated from Jackson Municipal Airport (KMJQ) Jackson, Minnesota, at an undetermined time.

Preliminary information indicated this was a flight of four airplanes. The first airplane landed and exited the runway. The second airplane (N122JA) landed, but was on the runway. The third airplane (N766HS) landed on top of N122JA. The fourth airplane went around and circled the airport until the runway was cleared, and then landed.


NTSB Identification: CEN12LA488B 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, July 27, 2012 in Valentine, NE
Aircraft: Harold H. Smith RV-6, registration: N766HS
Injuries: 1 Serious,1 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.


On July 27, 2012, about 1400 central daylight time, a Vans RV-6, N766HA, landed on top of a Vans RV-3, N122JA, at Miller Field (KVTN), Valentine, Nebraska. The pilot of N122JA was seriously injured. The pilot of N766HA received minor injuries. Both airplanes were substantially damaged. Both airplanes were registered to and operated by their respective pilots under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as personal flights. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plans had been filed. The cross country flights originated from Jackson Municipal Airport (KMJQ) Jackson, Minnesota, at an undetermined time.

Preliminary information indicated this was a flight of four airplanes. The first airplane landed and exited the runway. The second airplane (N122JA) landed, but was on the runway. The third airplane (N766HS) landed on top of N122JA. The fourth airplane went around and circled the airport until the runway was cleared, and then landed.


FAA IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 766HS        Make/Model: EXP       Description: EXP- RV6
  Date: 07/27/2012     Time: 1900

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Minor     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
  City: VALENTINE   State: NE   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. VALENTINE, NE

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


OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: LINCOLN, NE  (CE09)                   Entry date: 07/30/2012 

http://registry.faa.gov/N766HS

The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into what caused a pilot to land his small plane on top of another plane at the Valentine municipal airport in north-central Nebraska.

An FAA spokeswoman based in Kansas City says no one was killed in the Friday afternoon crash, but one person suffered minor injuries.

Neither the FAA nor local officials would identify the person hurt in the crash.

Elizabeth Cory with the FAA says the federal agency is investigating.

Source: http://www.1011now.com

The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into what caused a pilot to land his small plane on top of another plane at the Valentine, Nebraska municipal airport Friday afternoon. 

FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory said no one was killed in the crash, but one person suffered minor injuries. 

Source:   http://www.wowt.com  

VALENTINE, Neb. — The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into what caused a pilot to land his small plane on top of another plane at the Valentine municipal airport in north-central Nebraska. 

 An FAA spokeswoman based in Kansas City says no one was killed in the Friday afternoon crash, but one person suffered minor injuries.

Neither the FAA nor local officials would identify the person hurt in the crash.  Elizabeth Cory with the FAA says the federal agency is investigating.

Hawker-Beechcraft Model 200, Brazilian registration PR-DOC: Accident occurred July 28, 2012 in Juiz de Fora, Brazil

NTSB Identification: ERA12WA488 
14 CFR Non-U.S., Non-Commercial
Accident occurred Saturday, July 28, 2012 in Juiz de Fora, Brazil
Aircraft: BEECH 200, registration: PR-DOC
Injuries: 8 Fatal.


On July 28, 2012, about 1000 universal coordinated time, a Hawker-Beechcraft Model 200, Brazilian registration PR-DOC, was destroyed when it impacted trees, structures, and electrical power lines 450 meters prior to the landing threshold of runway 03 at Francisco Alvares De Assis Airport (SBJF), Juiz De Fora, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The foreign certificated pilots and 6 passengers received fatal injuries. The flight departed Pampulha-Carlos Drumond De Andrade Airport Airport (SBBH), Belo Horizonte, Brazil; destined for SBJF. The airplane was conducting a non-precision instrument approach procedure in dense fog at the time of the accident.

This accident investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Aeronautical Accident Prevention and Investigation Center (CENIPA) of Brazil. Any further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from:

Aeronautical Accident Prevention and Investigation Center
Investigation Division
CENIPA
SHIS - QI 05-VI Comar
Brasilia-DF, Brazil 71.615-600
Telephone: (55-61) 3364-8800
Fax: (55-61) 3365-1004
dipaa.spai@cenipa.aer.mil.br

This report is for informational purposes and contains only information released by the Government of Brazil.


 http://aeroportodecanela.blogspot.ca/2010_05_01_archive.html

Aircraft involved; Beechcraft B200 Super King Air  PR-DOC s/n BY-051 Owner; Vilma Alimentos (Brazilian Food Company)

Crash Photo; http://noticias.terra.com.br/brasil/noticias/0,,OI6027744-EI8139,00-MG+aviao+cai+em+Juiz+de+Fora+e+mata+pelo+menos+sete+pessoas.html

http://g1.globo.com/minas-gerais/noticia/2012/07/aeronave-cai-proximo-ao-aeroporto-de-juiz-de-fora-em-mg.html


The eight occupants of a twin-engine plane died when the aircraft crashed while landing in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, firefighters said Saturday. 

Firefighters in the state of Minas Gerais originally found seven mutilated bodies in the wooded area where the accident occurred, and had to continue their search for almost two hours until they found the charred remains of the eighth and last victim.

The accident occurred around 7:30 a.m. near Serrinha Airport in Juiz de Fora at a time of fairly unfavorable weather conditions due to low visibility in the thick fog.

Among the victims were the president of the Vilma Alimentos company, Domingos Costa, who was also an adviser to the traditional Brazilian soccer club Cruzeiro, as well as the vice president of sales and marketing of the same firm, Cezar Tavares.

The plane's pilot and copilot also died, as did the four other passengers, also employees of Vilma Alimentos but whose identities were not provided by the company.

According to the Fire Department bulletin, the plane that crashed was a Beech King Air B-200 twin-engine turboprob with a capacity for 10 passengers that was on a flight from Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, to Juiz de Fora, the second largest city in the state.

The aircraft, property of Vilma Alimentos, hit a country inn and several trees before going down and exploding in a forest reserve on a farm near the airport.

Members of the company's management were arriving on the plane to participate in a conference organized by the Minas Gerais State Federation of Industries in Juiz de Fora.


 Google Translator; A twin-engine plane crashed on Saturday morning (28) in Juiz de Fora, in the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais. Infraero said the aircraft took off from Pampulha Airport at 7:07 a.m. with eight people. According to the Fire Department at 11:30 am, eight bodies had been located.

The aircraft were the president of Vilma Alimentos, Domingos Costa and Cesar Tavares vice president, according to the company. The advisory did not pass information about the other victims and said the executives were going to a company event in the city. According to Infraero, the aircraft belonged to Vilma Alimentos.

The plane crashed in an inaccessible area near the airport. According to the Military Police, the aircraft exploded on touching the ground. Firefighters reported that at the time of the accident there was haze in the region.



Thank you, Rob "BizJets"

Human remains found at site of WWII RAF Spitfire crash - Westruther near Greenlaw in Berwickshire

 
 Police and university experts at the crash site near Greenlaw 
Photo: Lothian and Borders police

• Spitfire crashed at Borders site in 1943

• Specialists helping police with search
 
POLICE have been searching for human remains at a site where a Second World War fighter plane crashed in the Borders 69 years ago.

Officers spent yesterday combing an area at Westruther near Greenlaw, Berwickshire, where an RAF Spitfire crashed in 1943. A number of bones had already been found buried nearby.

The team is being assisted by anthropologists from Dundee University’s Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification, who joined the search after pathologists confirmed that the bones were human.

An RAF Spitfire crashed in the Borders on the afternoon of 16 January, 1943, killing its 20-year-old pilot, Sergeant Malcolm Robertson of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

At the time, investigators said there was only one person on board the aircraft, which was on a training flight from Drem air base, East Lothian, where 602 Squadron was based.

Sgt Robertson’s remains were believed to have been interred at Craigton Cemetery in Glasgow.

But bones were discovered recently by a local group which specialises in the excavation and recovery of Second World War aircraft, when they were working at the site.

Detective Superintendent Lesley Boal of Lothian and Borders Police said: “We will not be able to confirm identity until specialist forensic testing has been carried out.

“Our primary objective is to safely and securely undertake a dignified recovery of any other human remains present at the previously excavated site.

“While we are unable to confirm identification at the moment, the next of kin of the deceased pilot have been contacted and we will continue to keep them updated.

“An initial report has been submitted to the Scottish 
fatalities investigation team of the Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service, and we continue to liaise with the Ministry of
Defence.”. 


Related:

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk

http://www.scotsman.com/news

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news

http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news

Researcher: New air traffic control system is hackable

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Researcher: Hackers could trick new air traffic control systems into seeing fake aircraft
  • The new system will be rolled out in the United States by 2014
  • The FAA says it conducts onging assessments of vulnerabilites

(CNN) -- Air traffic control technology is getting a major upgrade in the United States that is scheduled to be completed in 2014, but the new systems are susceptible to potentially dangerous manipulation, according to a security researcher.

The actual flaws might seem mild compared to everyone's worst fears and common Hollywood plot lines. Planes cannot be forced from the sky or dangerously redirected. But the researcher says the system can be tricked into seeing aircraft that are not actually there. Messages sent using the system are not encrypted or authenticated, meaning anyone with the basic technology and know-how could identify a plane and see its location.

Computer scientist Andrei Costin, a Ph.D. student at Eurecom, gave a talk on the weaknesses of the new air traffic system at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday. He did not mention any known hacks of the system, but did demonstrate the potential negative scenarios.

Old radar systems are being replaced with a new technology called Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast system, or ADS-B. The traditional radars work by sending a signal that triggers an aircraft's responder to send back its position. The new system uses the global satellite navigation system to continuously broadcast the locations of planes. The information is sent to other aircraft and ground stations; the ground station sends the location to air traffic controllers.

The new system will open up this flight information to a new player: the general public.

Read more here:   http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/26/tech/web/air-traffic-control-security/index.html

Interplane Skyboy EX, N582YB: Accident occurred July 27, 2012 in Sandy, Oregon

NTSB Identification: WPR12LA329
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, July 27, 2012 in Sandy, OR
Probable Cause Approval Date: 04/23/2014
Aircraft: INTERPLANE SKYBOY EX, registration: N582YB
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

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 pilot had been flying the airplane for about 1 hour before the accident. He landed, shut down the engine, boarded new passengers, and restarted the engine. The total time from shut down to start up was about 5 minutes. He stated that the airplane's engine performed normally during run-up and takeoff. After takeoff, about 300 to 400 feet above ground level, the engine began to lose power. The pilot made a hard right turn and landed in an open field. The airplane impacted a fence post with its right wing during the landing roll. An engine examination revealed that the engine did not have a carburetor heat system installed. The subsequent engine test run on the airframe confirmed that a partial loss of engine power occurred after about 1.5 minutes of operation. The temperature, dew point, and relative humidity were nearly identical during the engine test run and the accident event. A carburetor icing chart indicated the possibility of serious carburetor icing at cruise power at the reported atmospheric conditions. The engine was removed from the airframe, examined, and tested at an engine tech services facility. During the engine test run the engine performed at various power levels for 28 minutes without degraded power output. The atmospheric conditions during this test were significantly different than the conditions at the time of the accident. The engine inspection concluded that there were no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

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

A partial loss of engine power during takeoff due to carburetor icing. Contributing to the accident was the lack of a carburetor heat system installed on the airplane.

HISTORY OF THE FLIGHT

On July 27, 2012, at 1830 Pacific daylight time, an Interplane Skyboy EX, N582YB, experienced a partial loss of engine power and collided with a fence during the off-field landing near Sandy River Airport (03S), Sandy, Oregon. The private pilot operated the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot and single passenger were not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot reported that he had been flying the airplane for about 1 hour before the accident. He landed, shut down the engine, changed passengers, and restarted the engine. The total time from shut down to start up was about 5 minutes. He said that the airplane's engine run-up and takeoff were normal. After takeoff, about 300 to 400 feet above ground level (agl), the engine began to lose power. The pilot made a hard right turn and landed in an open field. The airplane impacted a fence post with its right wing during the landing roll out.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 41, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land issued January 17, 2012, and a second-class airman medical certificate issued June 22, 2011, with the limitation that the holder shall wear corrective lenses. The pilot reported 338.1 total flight hours, and 1.2 hours in the accident airplane make and model.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The two-seat, high-wing, fixed gear, experimental category airplane, serial number 06192001735, was manufactured in 2001. It was powered by a Rotax 582, 64-horsepower engine, and equipped with a Powerfin 3-bladed fixed pitch propeller. The pilot reported that the airplane had 159.6 hours total time, and the most recent annual inspection was completed on July 9, 2012. The engine was not equipped with a carburetor heat system. The engine manufacturer stated in the Rotax 582 installation manual that, "If the aircraft is to be operated in climatic conditions where carburetor icing is likely to occur, a heating system must be fitted."

METEROROLOGICAL INFORMATION

Meteorological information collected by a Remote Automated Weather Station (RAWS) located on Firewood Road, 1.7 miles south of Sandy River Airport recorded ambient temperature, dew point, and relative humidity for that location. The data recorded on July 27, at 1848, was the ambient temperature of 63 degrees F; the dew point was 55 degrees F; and the relative humidity was 76 percent. Data for August 9, at 1248, was the ambient temperature of 62 degrees F; the dew point of 56 degrees F; and relative humidity of 81 percent. The ambient conditions at the time the engine was being examined and tested by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector on August 9 matched closely with the ambient conditions at the time of the accident on July 27.

Meteorological conditions in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada, on November 12, 2012, when the engine was test run at the manufacturer's technical representative's facility, indicated an ambient temperature of 32 degrees F; a dew point of 31 degrees F; and a relative humidity of 91 percent.

WRECKAGE & IMPACT INFORMATION

Photographs of the airplane after the accident showed damage to the leading edge of the right wing outboard of the lift strut attach point. The left landing gear main mount and nose wheel were collapsed. The windscreen exhibited a crack across the entire face of the windscreen. No damage to the engine or propeller was evident.

An FAA inspector, assisted by an airframe and power plant (A&P) mechanic, examined the airplane and engine on August 9, 2012. The engine remained attached to the airframe and was test run multiple times. The FAA inspector reported that the fuel, oil injection, and engine control system was checked and appeared to operate properly. The pistons were viewed through the exhaust ports and appeared to have normal wear signatures with no sign of seizure. The engine was started and accelerated to 5,900 revolutions per minute (rpm). After approximately 1 1/2 minutes of operation the engine rpm began to degrade until a total reduction of approximately 1,000 rpms occurred, then stabilized around 5,000 rpms. After the carburetor fuel jets were replaced with ones of a smaller orifice size, as well as the replacement of spark plugs, the engine run was repeated; the results were consistent with the first engine run. Carburetor fuel pressure was observed to maintain 3 pounds per square inch after engine shut down. Under the direction of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Investigator-in-Charge (IIC), the engine was removed from the airframe, crated, and shipped to the Rotech facility, located in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada, for further examination.

On November 13, 2012, the engine was examined at the Rotech facility under the supervision of the NTSB IIC. The engine was removed from the sealed crate and placed on an engine test stand. A static examination of the engine failed to reveal anomalies. Oil was present in the gear box, both carburetors were closely synchronized, the fuel filter was checked for leaks and held a 15 kilopascals (Kpa) vacuum, all spark plug gaps were 0.032 inches, and the piston heads exhibited normal combustion signatures. The engine was run on the test stand, first for 8 minutes at 3,000 rpm, then to maximum (max) power at 5,500 rpm. The test propeller was re-pitched to 12 degrees in order to produce max power rpm. The engine was run at 6,250 rpm for 2 minutes, 6,000 rpm for 5 minutes, then 4,900 rpm for 5 minutes. The engine was shut down, inspected, and restarted. It was run at idle for 1 minute, then at 6,200 rpm for 2 minutes, then 4,800 rpm for 10 minutes. An engine acceleration test followed by accelerating the engine from 3,150 rpm to 5,800 rpm; this was performed two times. It was then run at 3,150 rpm for 2 minutes, and then shut down and sat for 1 hour. The fuel transducer was removed and the engine restarted; it produced a new maximum rpm of 6,480. In summary, the engine was run for approximately 28 minutes without losing power or rpm, shut down for 1 hour, then restarted and found to maintain normal power rpm.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Carburetor Icing

The carburetor icing chart indicated the possibility of serious carburetor icing at the reported atmospheric conditions. The Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25A) states that first indication of carburetor ice in an airplane with a fixed pitch propeller is a decrease in engine rpm. Additionally, it states that when conditions are conductive to carburetor icing that carburetor heat should be applied immediately and should be left ON until the pilot is certain all the ice has been removed. If ice is present applying partial heat or leaving heat on for an insufficient time might aggravate the situation.


 http://registry.faa.gov/N582YB

 NTSB Identification: WPR12LA329 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, July 27, 2012 in Sandy, OR
Aircraft: INTERPLANE SKYBOY EX, registration: N582YB
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

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 July 27, 2012, at 1830 Pacific daylight time, an Interplane Skyboy EX, N582YB, experienced a partial loss of engine power and collided with a fence during the off field landing near Sandy River Airport, Sandy, Oregon. The private pilot operated the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91. The pilot and single passenger were not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot reported to the NTSB investigator that the airplane's engine run-up and takeoff were normal. After takeoff, about 300-400 feet above ground level (agl), the engine began to lose power. The pilot made a hard right turn and landed in an open field. The airplane impacted a fence post with its right wing during the landing roll out.



Sandy Fire Department
No injuries were reported after a two-seat ultralight plane crash-landed near the Sandy River Airport on Friday.


A flight instructor and passenger escaped an ultralight plane unharmed Friday after the aircraft crash-landed near the Sandy River Airport.

The plane ran into engine trouble soon after takeoff at about 6:30 p.m., said Deputy Marcus Mendoza, a spokesman for the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. 

While attempting to land, the plane touched down in a pasture, crashed through a wire fence and came to a stop in the 42900 block of Southeast Oral Hull Road in Sandy. 

The pilot, Jason "Wolf" Emonds, 41, of Portland, and his passenger, Ronald Barnes, 59, of La Pine were not injured. 

Emonds is a flight instructor at Captain Drake's Family Aerial Adventures, a flight school on Southeast Oral Hull Road.

Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee, G-KATS, Trustees of the G-KATS Group: Accident occurred July 27, 2012 at Eastbach (Spence) Airfield, near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire




Two people were injured, one of them seriously, following a plane crash in Gloucestershire this afternoon.

West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to reports of a small plane that had crashed on landing at an airfield in Eastbach, English Bicknor at around 12.30pm.  The Midlands Air Ambulance from Strensham and the Trusts Hazardous Area Response Team were sent to the scene.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “The Midlands Air Ambulance arrived and found a small plane that had crashed whilst attempting to land.  The plane had subsequently set on fire.

“Fortunately, the man and the woman who were in the plane had managed to escape from the wreckage despite being injured.

“A man, believed to be in his 60’s was treated at the scene for a serious head injury and also suspected back injuries.  His condition was stabilized and he was airlifted to Gloucester Royal Hospital for further treatment.

“A woman, believed to be in her 40’s, received treatment at the scene for a minor head injury and also neck pain.  She was also treated at the scene and transferred by a GWAS ambulance to hospital for further treatment.

“Considering the damage to the plane the pair were extremely fortunate not to have suffered more serious or even fatal injuries.

“The Trusts HART Team were stood down before they arrived at the scene as it was established that their specialist skills were not required.”


An aircraft with a pilot and passenger on board crashed into a hedge and set alight in the Forest of Dean today. 

 The man and woman on the light aircraft were taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital after attempting to land at Spence Airfield in Eastbach near English Bicknor.

The male pilot and the woman passenger had managed to escape the plane and flames by the time emergency services arrived.

Both are said to have suffered slight, but not life-threatening injuries.

It is unknown where the pair are from and their ages are yet to be released.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service watch commander Gordon Lambert said: "As the plane came into land at the airfield, the wheels clipped a hedge at the end of the runway causing the plane to spin over and lose a wing.

"The plane landed upside down and immediately caught fire."

The pilot was flown to hospital by Air Ambulance.

A spokesman from the police said he was suffering from back injuries and cuts to the face.

The female was taken to the same hospital by road ambulance, believed to be also be suffering from cuts and possible head injuries.

Nine firefighters were called out just before 1pm on Friday before asking for back up. They were on scene for an hour.

Story:  http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk

Mooney M20TN Acclaim, 4th Wave Inc., N411JL: Accident occurred July 27, 2012 in Adrian, Michigan

http://registry.faa.gov/N411JL

NTSB Identification: CEN12FA487
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, July 27, 2012 in Adrian, MI
Probable Cause Approval Date: 09/29/2014
Aircraft: MOONEY AIRPLANE COMPANY, INC. M20TN, registration: N411JL
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

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 reported that the airplane, with its autopilot engaged, experienced a “violent pitch-up” without warning while it was climbing through about flight level 180. Extreme forward yoke pressure (the pilot estimated between 100 and 150 pounds force) was required to keep the airplane from pitching up and stalling, so the pilot kept both hands on the yoke.
The Airplane Flight Manual contains emergency procedures for use in the event of an autopilot out-of-trim event; the third item on the checklist directs pilots to re-trim the pitch, if necessary, using the trim wheel. The pilot noted that he did not attempt to use the manual trim wheel to change the airplane’s pitch attitude because that would have required him to release hand pressure on the control yoke. He was uncertain when or how the autopilot was disengaged. He declared an emergency and made a spiraling descent to lose altitude. He reported that he encountered multiple violent pitch up and down oscillations near the bottom of the descent; the pilot’s seat was broken during one of the oscillations, which allowed the pilot to use his knees to apply forward yoke pressure. He stated that by using his knees to control the yoke, the airplane was “quasi-stable,” pitch oscillations still occurred due to the lack of precise pitch control. While still having difficulty controlling the airplane’s pitch with the electric nose pitch trim in the full up position, he prepared for an emergency landing. The pilot used his knees to provide forward yoke pressure as he landed the airplane about 450 feet short of the runway. The airplane’s nose gear collapsed, the main landing gear were sheared off, and the airplane skidded about 900 feet before coming to rest to the left of the runway. The duration of the flight from the initial pitch up event to landing was about 27 minutes. Three separate examinations of the airplane’s flight controls and autopilot system found no anomalies with the autopilot system or an explanation for the violent nose-pitch-up event. The Emergency Section of the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) supplement for the autopilot stated that for an Autopilot Out of Trim emergency the pilot should: 1) disengage the autopilot 2) maintain/regain aircraft control, and 3) pitch trim...re-trim if necessary using the trim wheel.
 
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
An initial nose-pitch-up event and out-of-trim condition, the reason for which could not be determined because the examinations of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to use the manual trim wheel to reset the pitch trim.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On July 27, 2012, about 0846 eastern daylight time (all times edt), a Mooney M20TN, N411JL, experienced a severe nose pitch-up while climbing through flight level (FL) 180 to FL230. The private pilot, the sole occupant, initiated an emergency descent. During the attempted landing at the Lenawee County Airport (ADG), Adrian, Michigan, the airplane landed short of the Runway 23. The nose gear collapsed and the main landing gear separated from the airplane which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by 4thWave, Inc., under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight departed from the Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, about 0732 on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan with the Manassas Regional Airport (HEF), Manassas, Virginia, as the intended destination.

The pilot reported that he departed Oshkosh under visual flight rules (VFR) and hand flew the airplane for about 20 minutes, and then he turned the airplane's autopilot on. Passing Muskegon, Michigan, he activated his IFR flight plan and received an air traffic control (ATC) clearance to climb to 17,000 feet above mean sea level (msl). The pilot reported that while in the climb, his backup oxygen system which he was using was not working. He descended to 15,000 feet msl in order to change his mask to the Mooney built in oxygen system. Once he confirmed that the airplane's oxygen mask was working properly, he resumed the climb to 17,000 feet msl.

At 0843:12, ATC instructed the pilot to climb to FL 230, which the pilot acknowledged. The pilot reported that during the climb, the airplane experienced a "violent pitch up." (The ATC transcript and radar data indicated that the pitch up occurred when the airplane was climbing approximately through FL180) The pilot stated that it was a rapid pitch up with no warning signs, and extreme forward yoke pressure was required to keep the airplane from pitching up to avoid a possible aerodynamic stall. He estimated that it took 100 to 150 pounds of force, with both hands on the yoke, to keep the airplane from pitching up.

The ATC transcript indicated that at 0846:43, the ATC controller asked the pilot if he had copied the routing instructions. The pilot responded, "Negative. I've got an issue right now. I'll get back to you." The radar returns indicated that the airplane was leveling at FL190. At 0848:42, the pilot stated, "I have to descend. I can't seem to control the airplane. It wants to keep climbing. I have to descend." The ATC controller issued a descent to 14,000 feet msl, and subsequently, asked the pilot if he was declaring an emergency. The pilot responded, "Negative. I think I have it under control. It's going to be a struggle." The airplane's heading changed to a more southerly heading. At 0850:59, the airplane had descended to 11,000 feet msl. ATC told the pilot to state his intentions, and the pilot responded, "Going to have to declare an emergency; can't hold the plane."

At 0851:29, another aircraft on the radio frequency stated that the accident pilot sounded hypoxic and needed to get his oxygen mask on. The ATC transcript shows that another aircraft made an unintelligible transmission.

The pilot stated that he had his oxygen mask on and he was not hypoxic. However, the task of maintaining control of the airplane was taking his focused attention, and the stressful situation resulted in his radio calls being sporadic and less clear than typical.

The pilot reported that his major concern was to avoid stalling and spinning the airplane. He therefore kept both hands on the yoke to keep the airplane from pitching up. He did not attempt to use the manual trim wheel to change the airplane's pitch attitude, because that would have required him to release hand pressure on the control yoke. He was uncertain when or how the autopilot was disengaged. He did not attempt to push the autopilot power switch located on the instrument panel, which works as the autopilot's system's circuit breaker, or pull any of the other circuit breakers. After the pitch up occurred, he tried using the manual electric trim split switch located on the yoke, but it had no effect. He stated that the airplane "would continually go into a stall condition, and this reinforced actions to keep [the] nose down, which required the greatest yoke pressure." He made no rudder application during the entire incident because he was concerned that it might cause an incipient spin.

At 0852:07, the pilot stated to ATC, "I just got to descend. I can't keep airplane down to descend." In order to lose altitude, the pilot reported that he "achieved a quasi-stable descent with a rapid spiral descent." The ATC radar returns indicated that the airplane appeared to be in a spiral descent. At 0901:59, ATC stated, "Say altitude." The pilot responded, "10,000…I just want to get on the ground. I'm having trouble controlling the airplane. It continues to want to stall."

The pilot reported that he encountered multiple violent pitch up and down oscillations near the bottom of the descent. The pilot seat was broken during one of the oscillations, which allowed the pilot to use his knees to apply forward pressure to the yoke. He stated that by using his knees to control the yoke, the airplane was "quasi-stable," but there were still pitch oscillations due to the lack of precise pitch control.

At 0906:18, the pilot stated, "I finally got the airplane under control. I'm at 3,000 feet. I might be able to take it down." The ATC controller stated, "Roger, what type of airport to you need?" The pilot responded, "I'll take anything. I might have to land in a field. Having a devil of a time controlling the plane. What's close by?" About 0909, ATC reported that they lost radar contact with the airplane due to the airplane descending below radar coverage.

The airplane continued heading southwest for about 8 nautical miles after descending below radar coverage. By referencing the airplane's moving map, the pilot decided to try to land at ADG. While still having difficulty controlling the airplane's pitch, he prepared for an emergency landing. The pilot used his knees to provide forward pressure to the control yoke as he flew the approach to ADG, which ended in a hard landing in the grass short of runway 23.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The 68-year-old private pilot held a private pilot's certificate with single-engine land, glider, and instrument airplane ratings. He held a third class medical certificate that was issued on January 3, 2011, with the limitation of wearing corrective lenses. He had a total flight time of 917 hours with 346 hours in the accident airplane.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane was a single-engine Mooney M20TN, serial number 31-0096, manufactured in 2008, and powered by a 280 horsepower Lycoming TSIO-550-G1 engine. The last annual maintenance inspection was completed on December 2, 2011, and the total time on the airframe, engine, and propeller at the time of inspection was 410.5 hours. The total time at the time of the accident was 594 hours.

The airplane was equipped with the Garmin G1000 Integrated Avionics System which consisted of a primary flight display (PFD), a multi-function display (MFD), an audio panel, and attitude and heading reference system (AHRS), an air data computer (ADC), and the sensors and computers to process flight and engine information for display to the pilot. The G1000 also interfaced to the S-TEC55x autopilot and repeated the autopilot mode annunciations on the G1000 PFD.

The airplane was also equipped with the Garmin GFC 700 Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) which was a 2 axis autopilot and flight director system. The system consisted of autopilot controls on the MFD, servos with autopilot processing logic, flight director processing logic in the Garmin integrated avionics (GIAs), a control wheel-mounted elevator trim switch, a control wheel-mounted trim interrupt and autopilot disconnect (A/P DISC/TRIM INTER) switch, a control wheel-mounted control wheel steering (CWS) switch, a remote-mounted go-around switch, and PFD/MFD-mounted altitude preselect, heading, and course knobs.

The GFC 700 autopilot contained an electric pitch trim system which is used by the autopilot for automatic pitch trim during autopilot operation and by the pilot for manual electric pitch trim when the autopilot is not engaged. The manual electric pitch trim system was operated by a split switch on the pilot's control wheel.

The GFC 700 autopilot and manual electric trim will not operate until the system has satisfactorily completed a preflight test. The preflight test begins automatically with the initial power application to the aircraft and the A/P POWER switch set to the ON position. Use of the autopilot or manual electric trim system is prohibited if the preflight test is not satisfactorily completed.

The Emergency Procedures section of the Mooney Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) Supplement for the Garmin GFC 700 autopilot system provided the emergency procedures to use in the event of an AUTOPILOT OUT OF TRIM. The emergency procedure was:

1) A/P DISC/TRIM INTER Switch---DEPRESS AND HOLD---while grasping control wheel firmly

2) Aircraft Attitude---MAINTAIN/REGAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL ---using standby attitude indicator if necessary

3) Pitch Trim---RE-TRIM if necessary, using the trim wheel

4) A/P POWER SWITCH---OFF

5) A/P DISC/TRIM INTER button---RELEASE

-WARNING-

FOLLOWING AN AUTOPILOT, AUTOTRIM OR MANUAL ELECTRIC TRIM SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, DO NOT ENGAGE THE AUTOPILOT OR OPERATE THE MANUAL ELECTRIC TRIM UNTIL THE CAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTION HAS BEEN CORRECTED.

-WARNING-

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO OVERPOWER THE AUTOPILOT IN THE EVENT OF A PITCH MISTRIM. THE AUTOPILOT SERVOS WILL OPPOSE THE PILOT INPUT AND WILL CAUSE PITCH TRIM TO RUN OPPOSITE THE DIRECTION OF PILOT INPUT. THIS WILL LEAD TO A SIGNIFICANT OUT-OF-TRIM CONDITION RESULTING IN LARGE CONTROL WHEEL FORCE WHEN DISENGAGING THE AUTOPILOT

The Emergency Section of the AFM Supplement contains this warning in the AFTER TAKEOFF section. It reads in part:

-WARNING-

...DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MANUALLY FLY THE AIRPLANE WITH THE AUTOPILOT ENGAGED. THE AUTOPILOT SERVOS WILL OPPOSE THE PILOT INPUT AND WILL TRIM OPPOSITE THE DIRECTION OF PILOT INPUT (PITCH AXIS ONLY). THIS COULD LEAD TO A SIGNIFICANT OUT-OF-TRIM CONDITION. DISCONNECT THE AUTOPILOT IF MANUAL CONTROL IS DESIRED...

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

At 0853, the surface weather observation at ADG was: wind light and variable, sky clear, visibility 10 miles, temperature 24 degrees Celsius (C), dew point 19 degrees C, and altimeter 29.85 inches of mercury.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

A Federal Aviation Administration avionics inspector examined the airplane at the accident site and after the airplane was moved into a hangar at ADG. The examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted the terrain about 450 feet short of runway 23. The main landing gear and doors sheared off, the nose gear collapsed into the wheel well, the propeller blades were bent back as the airplane skidded though the grass, across the asphalt threshold, and into the grass for another 450 feet before it came to rest. The empennage and fuselage were twisted at the empennage attach points, the left wing was bent at the outboard section of the wing, and all flight control surfaces were damaged. The landing gear handle was in the down position, the flaps were up, and no burnt odors were noticed in the cockpit area.

The following items were found in the front cockpit seats: back up oxygen bottle and mask; 2 oxygen masks with boom mikes; CO2 detector; blood oxygen monitor; 2 headsets, and a flight bag with flight related items.

The examination of the flight controls revealed the following:

1) The tail stabilator was in the full down position.

2) The pitch trim was 2 wheel notches from nose full up (manual pitch trim setting).

3) The pitch trim continuity was verified; however, the trim travel was limited to full nose up to neutral due to the tail damage that limited trim travel.

4) The pitch electrical trim was operative and indication was verified on the Garmin MFD; however, the trim travel was limited to full nose up to neutral due to the tail damage that limited trim travel.

5) The elevator control continuity was verified; however, the control travel was not verified due to tail damage.

6) Yaw control continuity was verified; however, the control travel was not verified due to tail damage.

7) The rudder electric trim was verified as operative.

8) The roll control continuity was verified; however, the control travel was not verified due to wing and aileron damage.

9) The speed brakes did deploy and retract when operated.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

Flight Controls and Autopilot

The airplane's flight controls and autopilot system were examined again on August 21, 2012, with National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) oversight. The autopilot and flight controls were examined with the following results:

1) The pitch trim wheel was manually operated. The trim could be moved to the nose up stop, but only to approximately mid-range in the nose down direction due to the damage to the tail section and empennage of the airplane.

2) The Garmin PFD and MFD started up normally. The autopilot automated preflight test began and completed successfully.

3) Using the pilot's control wheel switches, the electric pitch trim moved nose up and nose down accordingly. The pilot's control wheel AP disconnect/Trim Interrupt switch interrupted the electric pitch trim when the switch was pushed and held.

4) The split trim switch operated normally. The test verified that the electric pitch trim did not move when each half was actuated individually.

5) The autopilot operated normally in the HDG (heading) and PIT (pitch attitude hold) modes.

6) The autopilot Nose UP and Nose DN buttons on the MFD operated correctly, with associated elevator movement.

7) Used the autopilot Nose UP button on the MFD and restrained the control wheel movement. The test verified nose up electric auto pitch trim response.

8) Used the autopilot Nose DN button on the MFD and restrained the control wheel movement. The test verified nose down electric auto pitch trim response.

The examination of the airplane on August 21, 2014, revealed no evidence of an electrical fire or a short. There was no burnt smell from the avionics equipment or cockpit displays.

On September 24, 2012, a third examination of the flight controls and autopilot system was conducted by an avionics service facility with FAA oversight. The autopilot preflight tests were conducted and no error messages were noted. Tests of the autopilot in the normal operating mode revealed no defects. Operational tests of the autopilot in all modes were performed. The roll mode followed heading commands and course changes. The pitch mode functioned normally including auto trim functions. All disconnect functioned normally, and the manual electric trim functioned normally. The two integrated Garmin GIAs that control the Garmin 700 autopilot system were put into the maintenance mode to access the maintenance logs to determine if there were any fault codes. The dates of all fault codes were prior to 2009 and none of the fault codes were related to servo issues or the autopilot.

The static wicks on the ailerons, elevator, and rudder were tested using a MEG OHM tester. All static wicks were found to test between 6 to 15 MEG OHMS with 1,000 volts applied, which was within allowable limits.

On January 31, 2013, the pitch servo, the pitch trim servo, and the roll servo were tested at another avionics facility, with FAA oversight, to measure breakaway torque. The inspection of the pitch servo was found to have a torque reading of 50 in/lb., which was +2 in/lb. above the 42+/-6 in/lb. specification. The pitch trim servo was tested and found to have a torque reading of 70 in/lb. The specification is 70+/-9 in/lb. The roll servo could not be tested due to a loose drive plate retainer nut, but it had passed the autopilot self-test during the autopilot examinations.

Radar Performance Study

A NTSB radar performance study was conducted based on the Lang Range Air Route Surveillance Radar located near Detroit, Michigan. The radar track data depicted the flight path of the airplane during the portion of the accident flight from 08:17:36 to the last radar return at 09:06:36. The time from the initial upset around 0846 until the airplane landed at ADG at 0913 was approximately 27 minutes in duration. The initial upset at FL180 was not discernible in the radar track data due to the coarseness of the data. The calculated airspeed after the initial upset fluctuated by more than 100 knots during the remainder of the flight.

The radar track data indicated that the airplane descended from 15,000 feet pressure altitude at 0900 to 3,800 feet pressure altitude at 0906, with an average descent rate of 1,866 feet per minute. During that same period, the ground speed fluctuated between 50 to 90 knots. The track data during this timeframe is consistent with an airplane in a spiraling descent.

The slowest groundspeed during the flight was below 50 knots which occurred about 0902 and again at 0904. The track data indicated that the flight stabilized around 0906 as it descended from about 3,800 feet pressure altitude to 1,400 feet pressure altitude on a southerly heading, and the airspeed increased to about 130 knots before decreasing to 100 knots at the last radar return.


NTSB Identification: CEN12LA487 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, July 27, 2012 in Adrian, MI
Aircraft: Mooney Airplane Company, Inc. M20TN, registration: N411JL
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

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 July 27, 2012, about 0846 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20TN, N411JL, experienced a severe nose pitch-up while climbing through flight level (FL) 190 to FL230. The private pilot, the sole occupant, initiated an emergency descent and during the attempted landing to runway 23 at the Lenawee County Airport (ADG), Adrian, Michigan, the airplane landed about 300 feet short of the runway. The nose gear collapsed and the main landing gear separated from the airplane which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by 4thWave, Inc., under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight departed from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, about 0732 on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan.






MADISON TWP., Mich. —   A single-engine plane made an emergency landing around 9:15 a.m. Friday at the Lenawee County Airport.

 Madison Township Police Chief Mike Shadbolt described the landing as a “hard” landing that damaged the plane.

The plane’s pilot was not injured, Shadbolt said. The pilot was from Virginia and was on his way to Virginia when he was forced to land, Shadbolt said.

The pilot was the only person in the plane, Shadbolt said.

Shadbolt referred further questions to the Federal Aviation Administration, which arrived at the scene to investigate the incident.

A call to a number provided by FAA personnel did not produce any further information Friday afternoon.

According to an FAA database, the plane is registered to 4th Wave Inc. of Alexandria, Va. Its website says it is a computer consulting firm.

The flight-tracking website flightaware.com said the plane took off from Fremont in western, lower Michigan

The pilot was continuing his journey to Virginia Friday afternoon, Shadbolt said.