Thursday, August 09, 2012

Aviat A-1C-180 Husky, Shell Aviation LLC, N62WY: Accident occurred December 03, 2011 in McKinney, Texas

http://registry.faa.gov/N62WY
 
NTSB Identification: CEN12LA125
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation 
Accident occurred Saturday, December 03, 2011 in McKinney, TX 
Probable Cause Approval Date: 05/30/2013
Aircraft: AVIAT AIRCRAFT INC A-1C-180, registration: N62WY
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.

After returning from a short night flight, the airplane was parked on a ramp in front of a hangar to deplane the passenger and take another person on a flight. The engine was at idle power and the propeller was turning. The pilot stated that he leaned across the airplane and opened the right door so the passenger could exit. When he saw that she was exiting toward the front of the airplane, he put his arm out and told her to walk toward the rear after exiting. Once the pilot saw that the passenger was clear of the wing strut and walking away, he lowered his arm. A witness who was walking from the hangar toward the airplane saw that the passenger was walking toward the front of the aircraft. He yelled for her to stop, and a second later she hit the propeller from the rear and fell to the ground. He noticed that the pilot immediately shut the engine down and then called emergency services. FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 91-42D, "Hazards of Rotating Propeller and Helicopter Rotor Blade,” states that a propeller under power, even at slow idling speed, has sufficient force to inflict injuries. It cautions that the engine “should be shut down before boarding or deplaning passengers.” It further states that “when it is necessary to discharge a passenger from an aircraft on which an engine is running, never stop the aircraft with the propeller in the path of the passenger’s route from the aircraft.”

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

The passenger's inadvertent contact with a rotating propeller after exiting the parked airplane. Contributing to the accident were the dark night conditions and the deplaning of the passenger while the propeller was turning.

On December 3, 2011, about 2050 central daylight time, a passenger of a parked Aviat Aircraft Inc., Husky A-1C, N62WY, came into its rotating propeller after exiting the airplane on the ramp of the Aero Country Airport (T31), McKinney, Texas. The airplane was registered to Shell Aviation, LLC, McKinney, Texas, and was being flown by a private pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Dark night visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident. The passenger was seriously injured and the pilot, who was the only other person remaining on board, was not injured. The flight had originated from T31 and had just returned from flying in the local area to view holiday lights.

A witness who was with the group of people who were at the airport to fly in the airplane that night reported that he and the pilot pushed the airplane out of the hanger approximately 2030 in preparation for the flight. He stated that the weather was VFR with ceilings around 3500 ft and good visibility. Several minutes after the pilot had started the airplane, he walked the first passenger to the aircraft, made specific mention to her of the propeller and to be careful, then helped her enter the aircraft and fasten her seat belts. Once she was situated in the rear seat he walked away from the aircraft and back into the hanger. The airplane then took off to view the holiday lights. After 10-15 minutes passed, he saw the airplane taxi back onto the ramp and park facing toward the north. After a brief discussion with another person in the hangar, he saw the shadow of the passenger exiting the airplane. He then began walking toward the aircraft and noticed that the passenger was walking toward the front of the aircraft. He yelled for her to "STOP", and a second later she hit the propeller from the rear and fell to the ground. He noticed that the pilot immediately shut the engine down and then called emergency services.

According to the pilot (as he recalled the event in a written statement), after landing from the planned 20-minute flight, he stopped the airplane on the ramp with the engine running in anticipation of taking another passenger to view the holiday lights. He opened the door on the right side of the airplane expecting a friend to come out and assist his passenger in deplaning. After he opened the door, the passenger started to get out of the airplane. Upon noticing that she was exiting in front of the strut, the pilot leaned out of his seat and placed his right hand and arm in front of her to divert her away from the front of the airplane and the propeller. He continued to keep his arm extended and told the passenger that she should walk behind the airplane. Once he saw that the passenger was at least beyond where the strut was attached to the wing, and walking away, he dropped his right arm and returned to his normal seat position. The pilot then looked to the left side of the airplane and opened his window to ask who was next to go for a ride. The pilot then heard someone yell, "STOP," and he immediately shut down the engine and saw the passenger lying in front of the airplane.

The NTSB did not travel to the scene of the accident, however, after notification of the event, an FAA inspector responded to the accident scene. He reported that when he arrived, the airplane was hangared, the scene cleaned up, and the injured passenger had been taken to the hospital. Local law enforcement and emergency medical personnel had processed the scene prior to the arrival of the FAA inspector. Both the FAA inspector's statement of his observations and the law enforcement report of the event are included in the supporting docket for this report.

FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 91-42D "Hazards of Rotating Propeller and Helicopter Rotor Blade,” outlines safety considerations for pilots and passengers of aircraft with turning propellers or rotors. The AC is advisory in nature and not mandatory guidance. In part, the circular states that a propeller under power, even at slow idling speed, has sufficient force to inflict fatal injuries. On page 4 of the circular, it cautions that the engine “should be shut down before boarding or deplaning passengers”...”when it is necessary to discharge a passenger from an aircraft on which an engine is running, never stop the aircraft with the propeller in the path of the passenger’s route from the aircraft.” The Advisory Circular is included in the supporting docket for this report.


Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

In her first interview since she walked into a spinning plane propeller eight months ago, Lauren Scruggs showed that her vibrant spirit remains intact. 

The 24-year-old fashion blogger and model from Plano, Texas, spoke to Savannah Guthrie in London on TODAY Thursday. Since her December accident at a private airport in McKinney, Texas, she has made a remarkable recovery. She has received a prosthetic eye and hand, and told Guthrie she is off of pain medication.

“Spiritually, I’ve just learned to live by faith and not by sight,’’ Scruggs said. “Even though I’ve lost my left eye, I’ve just realized that the Lord has a strong purpose in it, and I need to use that.’’

A devout Christian, Scruggs, nicknamed “Lolo,” has relied on her faith, her parents and her twin sister, Brittany, to persevere. Her story received worldwide attention, and her parents posted regular updates on her progress posted on the site CaringBridge.org. Those posts received more than 1.5 million visits.


“I’m feeling good,’’ Scruggs said. “I think physically, it’s good that I’m off all my pain meds and all medication and haven’t had pain since January, so that’s a blessing. Emotionally, days are hard sometimes, just accepting the loss of my eye and hand, but it just gets better and I realize God’s in control of my life and there’s a purpose to this story.’’

Read more, photos and video:   http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/48586089/ns/today-today_news/#.UCRo2pb3u70


NTSB Identification: CEN12LA125
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, December 03, 2011 in McKinney, TX
Aircraft: AVIAT AIRCRAFT INC A-1C-180, registration: N62WY
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.


On December 3, 2011, about 2050 central daylight time, a passenger of a parked Aviat Aircraft Inc., Husky A-1C, N62WY, contacted its rotating propeller after exiting the airplane on the ramp of the Aero Country Airport (T31), McKinney, Texas. The airplane was registered to Shell Aviation, LLC, McKinney, Texas, and was being flown by a private pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The passenger was seriously injured and the pilot, who was the only other person remaining on board, was not injured. The flight had originated from T31 and had just returned from flying in the local area to view holiday lights from the air.

According to the pilot (as he recalls the event), after landing from the planned 20-minute flight, he stopped the airplane on the ramp with the engine running in anticipation of taking another passenger to view the holiday lights. He opened the door on the right side of the airplane expecting a friend to come out and assist his passenger in deplaning. After he opened the door, the passenger started to get out of the airplane. Upon noticing that she was exiting in front of the strut, the pilot leaned out of his seat and placed his right hand and arm in front of her to divert her away from the front of the airplane and the propeller. He continued to keep his arm extended and told the passenger that she should walk behind the airplane. Once he saw that the passenger was at least beyond where the strut was attached to the wing, and walking away, he dropped his right arm and returned to his normal seat position. The pilot then looked to the left side of the airplane and opened his window to ask who was next to go for a ride.

The pilot then heard someone yell, "STOP STOP," and he immediately shut down the engine and saw the passenger lying in front of the airplane.

Regulation, Age of Aircraft and Air Safety in Nigeria

Domestic air traffic is at the lowest ebb because many Nigerians are afraid of traveling by air after the crash of Dana Air flight. Chinedu Eze appraises issues raked up by the tragic accident 

There are fears that the domestic air transport in Nigeria may become moribund. And this is happening at the time international air travel in the country is enjoying a boost, but unfortunately, while 21 foreign airlines operate into the country, three Nigerian airlines are involved in international operations. And they have about one per cent of that market.

The situation has become worrisome now that the domestic air market is shrinking because of the ill-fated Dana Air flight 0992, which crashed on June 3, 2012, killing 163 persons.

Industry experts say that domestic traffic has crumbled below 35 per cent and if it does not pick up in the foreseeable future, the few existing airlines may dissipate their operation funds and go into liquidation as revenue has significantly plummeted

In a knee-jack situation, the crash prompted a lot of reactions, including the controversial question on age of aircraft, the allegation of laxity on the regulatory body, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and alleged poor compliance on the side of the airlines.
 

At the height of uncertainty and confusion, the report of the Technical and Administrative Review Panel on Domestic Airlines (TARPA) released recently started a blame game, which was out of tune with the standard in the industry.

The report exacerbated the already tensed situation and gave angry Nigerians the organisations to blame for the crash even before the result of the investigation of the crash is released by the concerned authority that has the legal obligation to do so.

The consequences of the crash is adversely affecting the airlines as THISDAY gathered last Monday that both the airlines that operate modern and old aircraft are feeling the reaction of the passengers in the ugly place - their revenue coffers. Many passengers have abandoned the airports. They have also abandoned Nigerian airlines because whether old or new they believe that as long as Nigerians are in charge, the situation is foreboding.

This is the effect of so much ventilation of pent-up fury after the accident, which like the action of a mob lacked rationality as so much  was said that ought not to be said and all that were said have imbued potential passengers with the fear to fly.
 

The frightening factors include the allegation by TARPA that Dana Air’s, “certain maintenance practices by Dana Airline particularly the use of Technical Logbook were not in conformity with standard and recommended practices.”

While Dana Air was accused of that misdemeanor in that report, Nigerians would see it as a general malaise with all Nigerian airlines and tracing that allegation to the past, THISDAY investigations revealed that the alleged shortcoming has been there in the industry.

A circular from the Federal Republic of Nigeria Federal Civil Aviation Authority Aeronautical Information Services, dated February 12, 1992, titled: “Use of Aircraft Technical Log” stated: “It has been observed and confirmed that some pilots are not recording defects experienced during flights. In an attempt to make  quick turnaround or prevent uninterrupted operation of aircraft, pilots, in collusion with management and maintenance personnel, have in some cases decided to pay no attention to, or cover up the existence of such defects which otherwise would have been rectified before further flight.”

The circular accused pilots of not making entries in the tech log, deferring them to a convenient time or sometimes “scribble something on a piece of paper for maintenance engineers to rectify.” The circular, which ironically was signed by the Director General of NCAA, Dr Harold Demuren, who was then the Managing Director of the aforementioned agency, said that such action of the pilots “has grave consequences for the safety of flight.”

This showed that the allegation of the committee was not new in the industry; it was an age old tradition, unfortunately.


In spite of all the hoopla, the international aviation community still rates Nigeria in terms of air safety as one of the highest in Africa and Indian Region (AFI) and that explains why in the European Union (EU) blacklisted airlines which are 284 in number from 24 countries of the world none was blacklisted in Nigeria. These airlines are banned from flying to anywhere in Europe.

The Secretary General of African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Dr Elijah Chingosho at the recent African Ministerial Meeting on Aviation Safety held in Abuja, lamented how the EU unjustifiably treats African airlines.


“Out of the 24 countries worldwide with airlines on the banned list, 17 of them or over 70 per cent are in Africa. This means that about a third of all African countries are on the banned list. Currently, no African country has ever been removed from the list even though we have witnessed general improvement of aviation safety on the continent and a number of countries on the blacklist have rectified several safety deficiencies identified through ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) audit,” Chingosho complained.

Aviation is international because it follows the same standard worldwide and if the international aviation community does not have confidence in Nigeria since after the accident, ICAO would have made that known, the same with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States, which gave Nigeria Category one. Yet Nigerians have lost confidence in their airlines.

At the Ministerial Conference in Abuja it was made public that some African countries including Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana, Sierra Leone and Liberia are understudying the safety standard achieved by Nigeria in the aviation sector as international organisations, including the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and ICAO rated Nigeria’s air safety high at the event.
 

On age of aircraft which has become highly controversial in Nigeria, ICAO listed all the countries and their aircraft age and exposed the fact that most advanced countries have the most aged aircraft.

Currently, there are 26, 508 aircraft captured across the various continents with 59 per cent of aircraft above 15 years of age. Oceanic tops the list with 82 per cent of the aircraft above 15 years. North America is ranked second among Category One countries that that have aircraft above 15 years.

In Africa, Nigeria is ranked second as the largest country with aircraft fleet above 15 years of age, while Ethiopia, Morocco and Egypt seem to have smaller number of aircraft above 15 years and these countries have also benefitted from strong national/flag carriers and also government support. These countries also have significantly smaller domestic traffic compared to Nigeria.


It is generally believed that whether old or new if aircraft is not well maintained it would be prone to accidents. At the same it is also known that older aircraft demand more money from its operator for effective maintenance.

The Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Captain Akin George, in a recent presentation in Lagos said that the age of an aircraft had no direct correlation to operational safety, but that “focus should be that adequate maintenance in accordance with the manufacturer and the NCAA is carried out.”

George referred to the age of aircraft owned by prominent personalities in the world and disclosed that US President’s aircraft, Air Force One is over 23 years old; that of the Queen of England is over 25 years, while the average fleet of American airlines include Delta Airline,  A320 Fleet – 19 years; Alaska Airlines , United Airlines,  British Airways B 737  17 years.

“All airlines should put in place an effective Safety Management System (SMS). This will ensure a quality system is in place to monitor all aspects of airline operations.  (This is already a requirement by the NCAA and other CAAs’)”, the Aero Contractor’s boss advised.


The challenge really is that in Nigeria it is alleged that when they consider the huge cost of carrying out major maintenance checks, many Nigerian airlines may want to defer such checks and also cut corners to maximise the utilisation of their aircraft.

But industry experts, including operators said that no airline would like to be involved in a crash because that means the end of that airline, in Nigeria. Besides, who would like to incur the huge loses engendered by air crash or damage his or her reputation, just to earn a few millions of Naira?


http://www.thisdaylive.com

SPOKANE TELEVISION FIRST! Matt Rogers & The 'Mobile 6' Takes Flight LIVE On KHQ Local News Today!




MATT ROGERS: In 1946, Bill Brooks began taking people on flights over Lake Coeur d'Alene. On Thursday morning Bill's son Grant helped KHQ's Matt Rogers in a Spokane television first. With the technology of the Q6 Mobile Backpack, the two took a flight over the lake on live television. Bill owns and operates Brooks Seaplane in Coeur d'Alene, and you can find him right on the dock at Independence Point. Bill took Matt up in a Cessna 206 and the view is amazing! Watch the live shots above and you can contact Brooks Seaplane at 208-664-2842.

http://www.khq.com

Crew’s negligence caused plane crash - Witness: Dana Air, McDonnell Douglas MD-83, 5N-RAM, Lagos-Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Nigeria


 

A witness in the on going inquest into the death of the 153 passengers on the Dana Air plane that crashed in Iju/Ishaga area of Lagos on June 3, Tito Omaghomi, a retired flight captain, on Thursday, told the coroner, Mr Alexander Komolafe, that negligence of  the flight crew led to the tragedy.

At the resumed hearing of the inquest before a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, Omaghomi, who had over 32 years experience as a pilot with the Nigerian Airways, said his opinion of the preliminary report of the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) was that the pilot and his crew neglected to keep to necessary checklists to prevent fatalities.

Omaghomi, who was led by Femi Falana, said his view of the AIB’s report was that “it was a disorganized cockpit” and that “it became a flight that nobody had control of.”

The retired captain also said from his deductions, the pilot did not call for help when he should have done, adding that he called when the plane had already lost two engines.

He stated further that the pilot flew for more than 100 hours in a month, adding that from observations, the pilot of the ill-fated plane had put in 120 hours of flight within 13 days, which, according to him, was illegal.

Tito said it was a bad development that between 1965 and 2003, only 17 air accidents occurred, adding that from 2003 till date, there had been about 21 air crashes.

Another witness, Daniel Akpokoje, an aviation operations manager with Total Nigeria Plc, had earlier testified that the last time Dana Air bought fuel from the company was in November 2011.

According to him, before fuel was supplied to an aircraft, several checks were made to ensure that there were no sediments or water mixed with it.

The magistrate consequently adjourned the inquest till August 13.

http://tribune.com.ng

No airshow planned for 2013: Upper Cumberland Regional Airport (KSRB), Sparta, Tennessee

WHITE COUNTY -- There won't be an air show at the Upper Cumberland Regional Airport in 2013.

That update comes from a recommendation by the Operational Committee who forwarded the recommendation to the UCRA board.

That recommendation was approved during last night's board meeting.

"We'd like to recommend to the board that, because of the change over in the management and not having an FBO (fixed-base operator), the committee would like to recommend to the board that we don't do an air show next year," Wallace Austin, UCRA board chairman and operational committee representative, said. Austin added that the board evaluate airport operations for a period of 90 days -- evaluating the airport's revenue stream and consider a salary adjustment for the additional hours current employees are putting in.

The airport has been without an FBO for nearly two months. Since UCRA bought the assets and inventory of Region Air, Jim Kmet, airport manager, has been operating all aspects of the airport and, as a result, has been logging extra hours.

Since Region Air's split from the airport, flight students have been going "elsewhere" to continue their training.

"We have a number of flight students, of course, who have had to go elsewhere to get flight instruction due to the fact that Region Air owned the rental aircraft here and we're presently without a rental aircraft," Will Roberson, pilot committee representative, told board members. "The airport really doesn't have any way to facilitate the flying lessons. I understand there's more on that to come tonight ... and some possibilities there."

Two representatives from Crystal Air were in attendance at the meeting to make a pitch to board members about the services they could provide to the airport.

Crystal Air operates three FBOs in the region -- Sewanee, TN; Cleveland, TN and Dalton, GA.

The company also provides flight instruction and charter services in Chattanooga.

"We'd like to put our best foot forward in the flight instruction arena," Taylor Newman of Crystal Air said. "Flight instruction grows the airport because we're growing users to the airport. (With) flight instruction you don't make a tremendous amount of money as its individual business segment ... you're going to slowly wither away to not having any users at the airport outside of business folks coming in. You're going to lose the community base out of not having flight instruction at the airport."

The current SASO, or specialized aviation services operator, application is for flight training, charter services and aircraft rental.

Fuel sales and maintenance services may be provided by Crystal Air at a later time but are not a part of the current drafted agreement. Concerns about necessary insurance coverage were discussed and it was decided that the board should seek further counsel regarding the matter before committing to the agreement. The board unanimously approved the recommendation to allow Crystal Air to provide flight training, charter services and aircraft rental contingent upon the insurance item being resolved.

Contingent upon those items being resolved, Crystal Air would likely begin providing services on a full time basis next month.

In other business, the airport is considering the possibility of a new FBO but that decision isn't likely to be made any time soon.

"I think that's a possibility," Austin said. "It just kind of depends on how it operates with the manager and how the board feels about it but we (the operation committee) feel like, in 90 days, we'd have a good picture of how the airport would operate under a management system ... And, to say that we'll never have another FBO -- no. To say we're going to have it tomorrow -- no."

The new Rotax 912iS fuel injected powerplant on Zenith Aircraft

 

Aug 8, 2012 by zenithairco

Here's a look at the new Rotax 912iS at the Zenith Aircraft Company "Engine Day" at AirVenture (Oshkosh) 2012.

Also, the Rotax 912iS engine has been installed on the Zenith STOL CH 701 aircraft in Ghana, Africa, by WAASPS:
http://www.waasps.com/

General Aviation Manufacturers Association Issues Second Quarter Shipment Report, Signs of Stability and Growth Across Segments

http://www.gama.aero/media-center/press-releases/content/gama-issues-second-quarter-shipment-report-signs-stability-and-g

Inside the Lakeshore Express Saab 340B [N9CJ] at Pellston Regional Airport of Emmet County (KPLN), Michigan

 

Aug 5, 2012 by tigersfanatic98 

*please leave a comment* 

"A *HUGE* thanks to Lakeshore Express for letting me tour their Saab 340. It was very, very cool."  - by tigersfanatic98

New! Transportation Safety Board Canada interactive flickr map

Transportation Safety Board Canada, new interactive flickr map - each photo has a link to the completed accident report.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tsbcanada/map/

http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/index.asp

John Clifford: Fatal accident occurred August 06, 2012 in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

 
Photo courtesy of Clifford family 

 Seattle’s John Clifford, seen here in this 2007 photo with daughter, Kaya, died after crashing into the Lillooet River during Canadian National Paragliding Championship competition in Pemberton on August 6, 2012.



The RCMP is continuing its investigation into the death of a Seattle man who drowned while in Pemberton to compete in the Canadian National Paragliding Championships.

John Clifford, 55, crashed into the Lillooet River during competition on Monday (August 6, 2012). His body was recovered on Tuesday afternoon (August 7, 2012).

Clifford, a tandem paragliding instructor, is survived by wife, Kathy, and 5-year-old daughter, Kaya.

The victim’s family members contacted The Question and described Clifford as a “very experienced pilot” who was “much loved.”

Police and event organizers are still trying to determine exactly what caused Clifford to crash into the river 18 kilometres northwest of Pemberton.

“The investigation has revealed that the victim was flying at an altitude of 300 feet when he appeared to lose control and went into the water,” said an RCMP press release.

Competitors were ordered out of the air at approximately 5:10 p.m. on Monday as a storm front approached. A press release from event officials issued Tuesday said almost all other competitors had landed safely on the ground by that time, but “it is believed that Clifford somehow flew himself near to the edge of the front at a relatively low altitude over the river” when the accident took place. He crashed into the water about 20 minutes after the order to land was made.

Clifford’s body was found underneath a log jam in the water on Tuesday, approximately 200 metres from the crash site, said the RCMP.

“This is extremely unfortunate for John, his family and friends,” said event co-organizer Nigel Protter in the release. “All of us involved in the event… are devastated and we’re thinking deeply about what this means for John’s loved ones.”

Protter said race officials were well aware of the weather conditions and “clearly communicated” that to pilots in a mandatory, pre-race briefing. More than 65 competitors safely completed the day’s course.

Protter added that pilots are ultimately responsible for their own safety and that “good pilot decision-making is by far the most important factor in safe flying” but the urge to get to a race goal in competition can sometimes affect that process.

“Our understanding is that he, for some reason, wasn’t pulling a proper deep spiral to get himself down,” Protter said in a later interview. “He shouldn’t have been where he was at the time.

“It does happen. Good (pilots) find themselves in bad situations.”

The victim’s sister, Christen Clifford, emailed The Question to say she found comments from event organizers “painful to a family in grief,” particularly after speaking with event safety director Pete Michelmore. She said Michelmore told her that John Clifford did exactly “what I would have done” in a similar situation and felt as though organizers were trying to place all blame on the victim rather than categorizing it as a “freak accident.”

“I understand that organizers of the (event) have to distance themselves from any blame; it’s their job, of course,” she wrote.

When asked to respond, Protter said organizers’ comments had been misinterpreted, as it wasn’t their intention to place fault on the late Clifford or to imply he wasn’t a capable pilot.

“We’re not saying anything negative about John… this could have happened to anyone,” he said. “(Risk is) a part of the game and I think John knew that. He had to have.

“I didn’t know him, personally, but a lot of the pilots here do and there was never anything negative said about John. There were a lot of fond memories of him.”

Protter added that organizers are looking forward to meeting with Clifford’s family members, who are expected to come up to Pemberton before the end of the event.

“We’re going to go out of our way to do anything we can to help them come to terms with their loss,” he said. “We’re here for them.”

Competition was suspended on Tuesday out of respect for the victim but organizers plan to continue with the event until its planned conclusion on Sunday (August 12, 2012).

Clifford is the third person to die in a gliding accident in the province this year, said the B.C. Coroners Service.


http://www.whistlerquestion.com

Cessna 421C Golden Eagle, G-HIJK: Accident occurred May 16, 2012 at Bournemouth Airport

Summary:
Whilst landing at Bournemouth Airport, the pilot heard a whining sound followed by severe vibration and a swing to the left. He was unable to prevent the aircraft from leaving the paved surface, in the course of which the nose landing gear collapsed. The nosewheel tyre was found to have deflated.
 
Report and photo:  
PDF icon
Cessna 421C Golden Eagle G-HIJK 08-12.pdf (898.11 kb) 

Beechcraft A23 Musketeer, Beechcraft Aviation Club LLC, N8771M: Accident occurred July 16, 2012 in Laytonsville, Maryland

NTSB Identification: ERA12FA458 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, July 16, 2012 in Laytonsville, MD
Probable Cause Approval Date: 06/19/2013
Aircraft: BEECH A23, registration: N8771M
Injuries: 1 Fatal,1 Minor.

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 performed a preflight inspection and fueled the airplane with no anomalies noted. He performed two takeoffs and landings without incident. Before the third takeoff, the pilot verified that the flaps were retracted for takeoff and that the left fuel tank was selected. The pilot applied power to take off and released the brakes. As the airplane rolled down the runway, it lifted off the ground, and then settled back onto the runway. The pilot stated that he continued to apply full power but that the airplane was not performing as well as on the previous takeoffs. The airplane eventually became airborne. The pilot stated that he initiated a turn to the right in order to avoid striking trees off the end of the runway; the flight instructor subsequently took the flight controls as the right turn became steeper and the airplane began to descend. According to a witness, the airplane appeared like it would not clear the trees, banked right, and then entered a spin before impacting the ground.

Postaccident examination of the fuel selector revealed it was in a mid-range position, with neither the left or right tank selected. When the fuel selector was placed to the center position, similar to where it was found after the accident, fuel would not flow through the fuel selector. Thus, it is likely that the pilot did not turn the fuel selector completely so that it was not locked in the detent, which restricted fuel flow and resulted in a loss of engine power. In addition, the main fuel line and the return fuel line were removed and there was no fuel present.

A postaccident engine teardown was performed and the fuel manifold was disassembled; dry rot was noted on the manifold diaphragm and it was leaking. The leak might have reduced fuel consumption, but not a significant amount. It is likely that, because of the loss of engine power, the airplane would not have been able to adequately climb above the trees off the end of the runway. Therefore, the pilot attempted to avoid the trees and initiated a turn during the initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent spin.

Although postaccident testing indicated that the flight had adult-onset diabetes, it could not be determined if the flight instructor experienced symptoms from the condition or side effects from the medication that treated the diabetes, which could have hindered his ability to operate the airplane. Furthermore, the flight instructor did not report the diabetic condition or medications on his most recent application for an Aviation Medical Certificate.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s failure to ensure that the fuel selector handle was correctly positioned, which resulted in an interruption of fuel to the engine and a loss of engine power during the takeoff, which necessitated a turn away from the trees at the end of the runway and the subsequent stall.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On July 16, 2012, about 1905 eastern daylight time, a Beech A23, N8771M, was substantially damaged following a collision with terrain in Laytonsville, Maryland. The private pilot received minor injuries and the flight instructor was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to a corporation and was operated by an individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a Washington, DC, special visual flight rules flight plan was filed for the local flight. The flight originated from Davis Airport (W50), Laytonsville, Maryland, about 1845.

According to the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to prepare for a flight review with the flight instructor. The pilot performed a preflight inspection and fueled the airplane prior to takeoff with no anomalies noted. They performed two takeoffs and landings prior to the accident. After each landing they would perform the after landing checklist, then prior to takeoff, they would perform the before takeoff checklist. During the check, the pilot verified that the flaps were retracted for takeoff and that the left fuel tank was selected with the fuel selector.

During the final takeoff, the pilot applied power and released the brakes. The airplane rolled down the runway, lifted off the ground, and then settled back onto the runway. The pilot stated that he continued to apply full power but the airplane “did not have nearly as much lift” as the previous takeoffs. As the airplane continued to climb, the pilot initiated a turn to the right in order to avoid striking trees off the end of the runway. The flight instructor then took the flight controls as the right turn became steeper. The airplane then entered a spin and impacted the ground.

According to witnesses, the pilot applied full engine power in order to take off on runway 26. One witness stated that it seemed the airplane was "having difficulty climbing out of ground effect." The airplane continued the takeoff, climbed to about 150-200 feet above ground level, banked right, and entered a stall and subsequent spin until it impacted the ground. One witness stated that the airplane would not be able to clear the trees at the end of the runway. Another witness noted that the engine "backfired" and that he heard it lose power prior to impacting the ground.

According to an employee at the airport, he topped off the fuel tanks prior to the accident flight. He then observed the airplane perform several successful takeoffs and landings prior to the accident.

The wreckage came to rest approximately 425 feet beyond and to the right of the departure end of runway 26.


PERSONNEL INFORMATION

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot, age 83, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued September 24, 2010, and at the time of the examination the pilot reported 2,300 total hours of flight experience. The medical certificate was issued with two restrictions: must wear corrective lenses and must wear hearing amplification. According to the pilot's logbook, he accumulated 2,319.2 total hours of flight time. His most recent flight review occurred in July 2010. He accumulated 1.9 hours of flight time in the past 90 days in the accident airplane.

According to FAA records, the flight instructor, age 79, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, single-engine sea, multiengine land, glider, and instrument airplane. In addition, he held a flight instructor certificate for airplane single-engine, multiengine, instrument airplane, gliders, as well as an advanced ground instructor certificate and an instrument ground instructor certificate. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued June 12, 2012, and at the time of the examination the pilot reported 18,000 total hours of flight experience. At the time of this writing no pilot logbooks had been located.

AIRPLANE INFORMATION

According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1964, and was registered to a corporation in 2002. It was a low-wing, fixed, tricycle gear airplane that was equipped with a Continental Motors IO-346-A series engine rated at 165 horsepower. The most recent annual inspection was performed on September 13, 2011, and at that time, the airplane had accumulated 1,989.66 hours of total flight time.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The 1855 recorded weather observation at Gaithersburg, Maryland (GAI), located approximately 5 nautical miles south of the accident location, included calm wind, clear skies, temperature 31 degrees C, dew point 23 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.89 inches of mercury.

AERODROME INFORMATION

Davis Airport was located about three miles north of Laytonsville, Maryland, at 630 feet elevation. The asphalt runway was 2,005 feet long, 25 feet wide, and oriented 08/26. The Airport Facility Directory noted that there were trees at both ends of the runway and a glide angle of four degrees was needed to clear the trees.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The main wreckage came to rest in an area of dense underbrush. The coordinates of the main wreckage were 39:14.545 N, 077:09.274 W, and the first indication of ground contact was about 45 feet east of the main wreckage.

A note pad found in the fuselage indicated the date, July 16, and a start tach time of 1,993.08 for the flight. The tachometer discovered in the airplane indicated a tach time of 1,993.37 hours.

There were no pre-impact anomalies noted with the airframe. All components of the airplane were located within the area of the main wreckage. The right wing tip was located next to the initial impact ground scar approximately 45 feet from the main wreckage.

Flight control cable continuity was established from the cockpit controls to the control surfaces. Flight control cable continuity was observed to be intact from the cockpit control connection point to the empennage flight controls. The aileron flight controls were observed to be intact from the cockpit flight controls to the left and right aileron bell cranks. Rudder control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit area to the rudder. Flap control continuity was established from the flap control handle to the left and right flap turnbuckles.

The left wing remained attached to the fuselage and was displaced slightly aft. The forward section of the left wing root was separated from the fuselage and the aft portion of the wing root was crushed into the fuselage. The outboard six feet of the wing was crushed in the aft and positive direction. The wing tip and pitot tube remained attached to the left wing. The left main landing gear remained attached to the wing. The outer leading edge, next to the wing tip attachment, was buckled and vegetation debris was found in the area of the buckle. The aileron remained attached to the wing at all attach points. The flap remained attached to the wing via the inboard flap attachment and the outboard attachment point. The flap control rod was separated from the flap torque tube.

The left wing fuel tank was breached and empty. There was a small area of blight on the vegetation under the left wing root. The left wing fuel cap seals were examined with no anomalies noted. The left wing fuel vent was clear and free of debris.

The stall warning indicator was located on the leading edge of the left wing. Stall warning continuity was confirmed with a multimeter through the switch housing.

The right wing remained attached to the fuselage. The leading edge of the right wing exhibited brown scoring/markings in the left to right direction. The outboard three feet of the right wing was damaged in the aft and positive direction. The forward section of the right wing root was crushed toward the fuselage. The aft section of the right wing root was separated from the fuselage. The right aileron remained attached to the right wing. The right flap remained attached to the wing via the inboard and outboard flap attachment points and was displaced toward the fuselage about 4-6 inches. The flap control rod was separated from the flap torque tube. The right main landing gear remained attached to the right wing. The right wheel was displaced to the inboard side of the right main landing gear strut.

The right wing fuel tank was filled to about a quarter inch above the bottom of the tab. It was reportedly full of fuel when the first responders arrived. The right wing fuel cap seals were examined with no anomalies noted. The right wing fuel vent was clear and free of debris. A fuel sample was taken from the right wing and no contaminants were noted.

The forward area of the fuselage was bent and buckled in several places on both the left and right sides. The right side of the fuselage forward of the right wing was buckled. The roof of the fuselage was cut and removed by first responders. Both front seats had separated from the seat tracks. Three of the four seat mounts on both the left and right front seats were spread. The seatbelts remained attached to their respective attachment points. Both the right front and left front seat belt webbing did not exhibit any deformation or stretching. The airplane was not equipped with shoulder harnesses.

The airplane fuel tank capacity was 59.8 gallons, of which 58.8 gallons were usable. The left fuel filler cap was installed with the latch closed. The left fuel tank output line was found separated at the fuselage side wall. The right tank fuel filler cap was installed with the latch closed. The fuel selector valve was located between the left front and right front seats along the forward edge of the seats. The fuel selector was discovered in a mid-range position between the left and right fuel tanks. Fuel system continuity was confirmed from the left tank through a void at the wing root to the fuel selector and from the right tank to the fuel selector. The fuel selector was tested with no anomalies noted. When the fuel selector was placed to the center position, similar to where it was found after the accident, fuel would not flow through the fuel selector. In addition, there was a witness mark from the fuel selector knob on the plate that covered the fuel selector. The mark was consistent with the center position indication that the fuel selector was found in.

The fuselage exhibited witness marks that were in the vicinity of the inboard edge of the flap. The scoring was in the vicinity of the zero degree flap position. In addition, the flap selector was discovered in the zero degree (retracted) position.

The empennage was displaced to the right of the longitudinal axis and was separated at the aft bulkhead. It was separated on the left side but remained attached to the fuselage on the right side. It was displaced about 80-90 degrees to the right of the longitudinal axis. The horizontal stabilizers remained attached to the rear empennage. The left side of the horizontal stabilizer was displaced in the forward direction and the right horizontal stabilizer was displaced in the aft direction. The vertical stabilizer remained attached to the rear empennage and the rudder remained attached to the vertical stabilizer. The stabilizer trim tab remained attached to the trailing edge of the stabilizer and was bent in the positive direction. The leading edge of the horizontal and vertical stabilizer remained undamaged. The left side of the empennage was dented inward in the vicinity of the left stabilizer.

The engine remained attached to the engine mounts which remained attached to the firewall on all but one mount leg. It was displaced down and to the right of the longitudinal axis of the airplane. There were oil stains on the vegetation under the engine noted after the wreckage was moved. The engine controls were found in the full forward positions.

The engine remained intact. The propeller remained attached to the crankshaft propeller mounting flange. The muffler remained attached to the exhaust system but was impact damaged. Both magnetos remained attached to the engine. The vacuum pump remained attached. The oil filter was attached to the accessory section.

The top spark plugs were removed from the cylinders and the fine wire electrodes exhibited normal wear and color when compared to the Champion fine wire spark plug inspection card.

The engine crankshaft was rotated by hand via the propeller and continuity was confirmed from the propeller to the accessory drive section of the engine. Cylinder valve train continuity was observed to be intact with no anomalies noted. Compression and suction were confirmed on all four cylinders using the thumb compression method.

The shower of sparks ignition system remained attached to the firewall.

All cylinders were borescoped and no anomalies were noted. The valves remained intact and no anomalies were noted.

No fuel was discovered when the main fuel line and the return fuel line were disconnected from the engine. The fuel pump drive remained attached to the engine, and rotated freely with no anomalies noted. The fuel manifold was disassembled. The plunger gasket exhibited a small amount of dry rot. The fuel manifold screen was free of debris and fuel was present in the manifold. The fuel injectors were removed. The Nos. 1, 3, and 4 injectors were clear with no obstructions. The No. 2 injector was partially blocked.

The propeller was a two bladed Sensenich fixed pitch propeller. The propeller blades displayed leading edge nicks and gouges and chordwise scratching on the blade back. One blade was bowed aft.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Maryland performed the autopsy on the flight instructor. The autopsy report indicated that the flight instructor died as a result of “multiple injuries.”

The FAA’s Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicological testing of the flight instructor. Fluid and tissue specimens from the flight instructor tested negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and ethanol. However, the toxicological test did test positive for acetaminophen and rosuvastatin in the urine, desmethylsertraline, diphenhydramine, glipizide, and sertraline in the liver, and desmethylsertraline, glipizide, and piolitazone in the blood.

In addition, according to a postmortem clinical report on the flight instructor, 34 (mg/dl ) Glucose was detected in Vitreous, 1150 (mg/dl ) Glucose was detected in Urine, and 8.7 (%) Hemoglobin A1C was detected in Blood.

Sertraline (Zoloft®) is a prescription selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). It is used as an antidepressant.

Desmethylsertraline is the predominant metabolite of the antidepressant sertraline, Zoloft®. While it is an active metabolite, it is substantially less active than sertraline.

Diphenhydramine (Benadryl® or Sominex®) is an over-the-counter sedating antihistamine used to treat allergies and Sominex® is marketed as a nonprescription sleep aid.

Glipizide (Glucotrol®) is an oral blood-glucose-lowering drug of the sulfonylurea class that stimulates the release of insulin from the pancreas. The medication is used to treat type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes and may cause hypoglycemia.

Pioglitazone (Actos®) is an oral antidiabetic agent that acts primarily by increasing uptake of glucose by peripheral organs and decreasing glucose production by the liver. It is used in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Rosuvastatin (Crestor®) is a prescription lipid lowering agent used to treat elevated blood lipids and elevated cholesterol.

According to the FAA, on the flight instructor’s most recent FAA medical certificate application, he did not report using any medication. In addition, he reported that he did not have any type of diabetes.

The pilot was asked about the physical condition of the flight instructor and stated that he did not observe the flight instructor under any duress, showing lack of alertness, or any health issues.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

The engine was examined at the manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama, in October 2012, under the supervision of a NTSB investigator. During the examination, the starter, fuel pump, vacuum pump, fuel manifold, generator, magnetos, spark plugs, cylinders, and oil filter were removed and disassembled for examination. The fuel manifold was placed on a test stand and leaked fluid from its vent hole. A full report of the engine examination can be found in the public docket for this case.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Beechcraft Musketeer A23 Owner’s Manual stated in the BEFORE START CHECK to “use 15 gallons from left tank first; thereafter select the fuller tank.” In addition, “Always bear in mind that the engine-driven fuel pump returns excess fuel to the left hand fuel tank. Provide space for the returned fuel by using fuel from the left hand tank until it is approximately one-half empty, before drawing fuel from the right hand tank.”



NTSB Identification: ERA12FA458
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, July 16, 2012 in Laytonsville, MD
Aircraft: BEECH A23, registration: N8771M
Injuries: 1 Fatal,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.


On July 16, 2012, about 1905 eastern daylight time, a Beech A23, N8771M, was substantially damaged when it crashed during takeoff from Davis Airport (W50), Laytonsville, Maryland. The private pilot received minor injuries and the certified flight instructor was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to a corporation and operated by an individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a Washington, D.C., special visual flight rules flight plan was filed for the local flight. The flight originated from W50 about 1845.

According to witnesses, the pilot applied full engine power in order to takeoff on runway 26, which was about 2,005 feet in length. One witness stated that it seemed the airplane was "having difficulty climbing out of ground effect." The airplane continued the takeoff, climbed to about 150 to 200 feet above ground level, banked right, and then stalled and subsequently entered a spin from which it impacted the ground. One witness noted that the engine "backfired" and that he heard it lose power prior to impacting the ground.

The airplane came to rest approximately 425 feet past and to the right of the departure end of runway 26. All structural components of the airplane were located within the area of the main wreckage. Flight control continuity was confirmed to all flight control surfaces and the engine was retained for further examination.



 
The wreckage as seen from the crash site, located about 100 yards at the end of the runway of Davis Airport in Laytonsville. 


Rescue workers attempt to rescue two pilots from a small aircraft that crashed just beyond the runway of Davis Airport in Laytonsville.


Firefighters remove the roof from the wreckage in attempt to rescue the two pilots on board.


Members of the NTSB had the wreckage pulled from the woods and placed in the hangar.

View more videos at: http://nbcwashington.com.

A pilot whose plane went down in Maryland last month told News4's Shomari Stone it was the grace of God that saved him from a brush with death.

The crash killed flight instructor Frank Schmidt, 79. Allen Rothenberg, 83, said the plane lost power right after takeoff from Davis Airport in northern Montgomery County.

Rothenberg was piloting to get a biannual re-certification. He said he regrets decisions he made seconds before the crash that killed his friend.

“It lifted off the runway but we didn’t have any power," he said. "I tried to turn to the right. Frank tried to grab the controls also, and we crashed. I don’t remember hitting anything else.”

The NTSB is investigating exactly what happened.

Rothenberg has more than 40 years of piloting experience and said he plans to fly again one day.

http://www.nbcwashington.com

Conviasa ATR-72-212 YV2421 Reactivando Vuelos Al Aeropuerto De San Tome

Welsh daily newspaper apologizes over caption error

 
Bob Jones founded Mid Wales Airport in Welshpool
 ~

The Western Mail has apologized after an error in a picture caption which appeared to make light of an airport boss’s death in a plane crash.
 
Bob Jones, manager of Mid Wales Airport, was killed after a light aircraft in which he was a passenger crashed into trees on a hillside in Powys in January.

A report in today’s Western Mail on the outcome of an inquiry into the accident contained a picture of Mr Jones which was captioned:  “Mid-Wales airport manager Bob Jones, 60, who was killed in the crash LOL.”

The erroneous inclusion of the letters LOL – which mean Laugh Out Loud – led to widespread condemnation of the newspaper on the social networking site Twitter.

Freelance journalist Jack Seale nominated it as the worst caption fail of all time, while Western Mail reader Barry Taylor said the paper had sunk to “unacceptable new lows.”

A spokesman for publisher Trinity Mirror said:  “The caption error in today’s Western Mail is under internal investigation.

“We apologize for any offense this error may have caused.”

http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk

Welshpool air deaths: Plane hit trees in cloud - AAIB

 
Two pilots were killed when a light aircraft hit cloud-covered trees on a Powys mountain's upper slope, an accident report has found.

Bob Jones, 60, who founded Mid Wales Airport in Welshpool, died on nearby Long Mountain along with Steven Carr, 55, from Ruthin, Denbighshire.

An Air Accidents Investigation Branch report said the men might have thought they had cleared high ground.

Mr Carr was flying the Piper PA plane to re-familiarize himself with it.

The aircraft crashed on Long Mountain on the morning of 18 January this year.

Mr Carr, a former commercial airline pilot, and Mid Wales Airport manager Mr Jones, who was also a pilot, would have been aware of the proximity of the mountain, said the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report.

But they "may have thought they had cleared the high ground", it added.
'May have misjudged height'

The report said it was unlikely the pilots would have deliberately entered the cloud, "but may have misjudged their height above it and inadvertently entered the top of the cloud, which was obscuring the trees".

Mr Jones built Mid Wales Airport on fields near his farm, developing it from a grass strip in 1990 to act as a base for businesses operating aircraft in the area.

The airport has an annual air show which has now been named the Bob Jones Memorial Air Show.

Mr Carr, who had flown Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s, was carrying out the flight to re-familiarize himself with the Piper PA, which he had not flown since November 1998.

The Piper PA took off from Welshpool and was due to land back there.

Both pilots were married with children.

Wreckage from the aircraft was taken to the AAIB's headquarters in Farnborough, Hampshire, following the crash.

http://www.bbc.co.uk

Rare WWII Naval Dispatch Up for Auction

 
  Aug 9, 2012 by Associated Press 

A Rare naval dispatch declaring World War II's end will be up for auction on August 15th, the 67th anniversary of V-J Day.

Tanker survives tire mishap: Firefighting aircraft makes safe emergency landing at Rogue Valley International - Medford Airport (KMFR), Oregon, after wheel shreds on takeoff

A firefighting air tanker contracted by the Oregon Department of Forestry made a safe emergency landing Wednesday at the Medford airport after it was discovered to have a bad tire. 

The DC-7 owned by Madras-based Butler Aviation touched down on the airport runway at 12:19 p.m. under the watchful eyes of airport and Medford Fire Department crews called in, authorities said. None of the three crew members was injured.

The faulty tire, one of two under the plane's left wing, was later changed and the plane was back in operation that afternoon, ODF spokesman Brian Ballou said.

The tanker was full of retardant when it left the airport at 10:49 a.m. bound for the 1,500-acre Barry Point fire on Dog Mountain, about 24 miles southwest of Lakeview, Ballou said.

But after takeoff, crews noticed pieces of tire on the runway and called ahead to the tanker, Ballou said.

While still in mid-air, the tanker's pilot lowered the landing gear so the pilot of the lead plane in the fleet could take a look at it, Ballou said. The tire had visibly missing tread but it was still inflated, so crews decided to the plane should drop its retardant before heading back to Medford, he said.

The drop was successful and the plane did not return to that fire because no further retardant drops were ordered after the tire was replaced.

DC-7s are equipped with two tires under each wing and one under the nose.


http://www.mailtribune.com

Ontario, Canada: Heavy lift aircraft coming to the North

 
The Basler Turbo 67 is a refitted and updated DC-3 that will soon be making an appearance in Ontario's Far North this winter.


A new aviation entity with heavy-lift cargo capability is taking to the skies of Northern Ontario this fall.

And the man behind the stick is a familiar face.

Canadian aviation pioneer Frank Kelner of Thunder Bay has formed Cargo North, an investment group, that is poised to be on the front lines of mineral exploration and development in the Far North.

The outfit has bought a Basler Turbo 67 (BT-67) and expects to have the aircraft in service for cargo and fuel hauls by early November.

Manufactured by Basler Turbo Conversions of Oshkosh, Wisc., the BT-67 is a refitted, modern version of the DC-3, considered one of the most reliable and versatile cargo and passenger aircraft ever built.

“It's a new aircraft when it comes out of the factory,” said Kelner, whose company has options to acquire two more early next year.

The $7-million aircraft comes with state-of-the-art navigation and electronic gear, a stronger airframe, a lengthened fuselage, and a payload capacity of 11,000 pounds, more than double that of the DC-3.

“It's got some amazing features with a completely modernized cockpit and wiring system,” said Kelner.

With more fuel capacity for a longer range, the former piston-driven aircraft has been updated with twin Pratt & Whitney turboprop engines.

“What's nice about these turbines is you put one engine in reverse mode and you can handle a crosswind a lot easier than with a piston DC-3. It slows down in no time.”

 Besides hauling bulk fuel and drum fuel, Kelner said the wider cargo doors will enable them to carry small excavators and pick-up trucks, drill rigs and power generators.

Heavy equipment can be lifted and swung aboard with a boom arm and pulley on the aircraft. “We're pretty self-contained,” said Kelner.

“This aircraft is designed to fly non-stop for 100,000 hours. All these other aircraft, once you fly 1,000 or 1,500 hours it's down (for maintenance) for a month or two. There's no such thing with this aircraft.”

Kelner plans to put it to the test right away.

“Right out of the gate we're going to have five crews on the aircraft. This aircraft will fly 24 hours a day. We're not going half-assed, I'll tell you that.

“If a customer wants to fly 10,000 drums onto a (frozen) lake somewhere, we'll fly in the night before on skiis with our own Kubota (tractor) onboard, drop the equipment, fly back to base while crews brush out a runway overnight, and the aircraft arrives back on wheels to carry a larger payload. We look after it all for the customer.”

Kelner is a well-known figure in Northern Ontario aviation circles with more than 30 years of experience with jets, turboprops and the air cargo business.

As founder of the Kelner Group, among his interests are V. Kelner Helicopters and Pilatus Centre Canada, the Canadian distributor for Pilatus PC-12 aircraft.

With mineral development advancing in the Ring of Fire, Kelner said the opportunity to dive in was too good to pass up.

“I've been watching up north for the last six, seven years and nobody's got any heart and soul into keeping the customers happy, from what I can see. And my phone kept ringing all the time. In the old days, we always kept people happy, and we've done very well for ourselves.”

Kelner confirms he has some ventures cooked up with mining companies this winter that will leave any competitors behind in the dust.

His group has also formed an operational alliance with Nakina Air Service and North Star Air which gives Cargo North access to key staging bases to be closer to their northerly clients.

“Cargo North is dedicated to these two companies. If North Star has a big job up north, they have the first opportunity to get this new aircraft as well as Nakina. Both companies are entitled to the aircraft.” 

http://www.northernontariobusiness.com

AERONCA 7CCM, N83129: Accident occurred August 07, 2012 in Norridgewock, Maine

NTSB Identification: ERA12CA499
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, August 07, 2012 in Norridgewock, ME
Aircraft: AERONCA 7CCM, registration: N83129
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.


The student pilot stated that while landing on runway 21, immediately following contact of the main landing gear onto the runway, the right wing “came up.” The pilot compensated with left rudder and right aileron and kept the aircraft centered on the runway. Shortly thereafter, the right wing raised up a second time. The airplane then departed the right side of the runway and came to rest after the right wing impacted a tree located 270 feet from the runway. A certified flight instructor at the airport stated that the wind favored runway 21 but had reversed direction during the accident flight. A meteorological report from the airport indicated wind from 190 degrees at 3 knots about the time of the accident with no wind speeds exceeding 3 knots throughout the duration of the landing roll. Post-accident inspection revealed substantial damage to the right wing spar. The inspection did not reveal any evidence of preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane following the accident.


 NORRIDGEWOCK, Maine — An airplane pilot was uninjured after losing control of his plane and crashing into trees on Tuesday morning, police said. 

 Somerset County Sheriff’s Department Cpl. Ritchie Putnam responded to a report of a plane crash at 10:56 a.m. Tuesday at Central Maine Regional Airport, according to Detective Lt. Carl E. Gottardi II.

After David Atwood, 60, of Old Town landed his Aeronca Champ on the runway, he lost control of the plane, which left the runway and crashed into several trees, said Gottardi.

“The pilot was not injured in the crash and the plane sustained damage to its wings and tail section,” said Gottardi.

Gottardi said the Federal Aviation Administration was contacted. The scene was secured by deputies until FAA representatives arrived.

The FAA is investigating, according to a spokesperson for the agency. She said the National Transportation Safety Board will determine probable cause for the crash, but the report will take several months.


http://bangordailynews.com

 http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/222957L.html

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 83129        Make/Model: 7CCM      Description: 1946 AERONCA 7CCM
  Date: 08/07/2012     Time: 1510

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

LOCATION
  City: NORRIDGEWOCK   State: ME   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, WENT OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY, NORRIDGEWOCK, ME

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Pass:   0     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: PORTLAND, ME  (EA65)                  Entry date: 08/08/2012
 
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=83129
 
 

Plane uses ice runway to evacuate American from Antarctic outpost


Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


An Australian team successfully evacuated a member of a U.S. government Antarctic expedition in apparent need of urgent surgery on Thursday, after a rare mid-winter emergency flight involving landing on an ice runway.

"The patient has been taken to (a) hospital for treatment in Christchurch," spokeswoman Patti Lucas of the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) research program told NBC News. Australian officials did not have details about the expeditioner's age or sex, she added.

The pilots took advantage of the short twilight to land the plane, after completing the most perilous part of its journey when it touched down after the five-hour flight from Christchurch, New Zealand, The Australian reported.

An Australian medical team has used favourable weather conditions in Antarctica to airlift an American from the US McMurdo station.

The Australian Antarctic Division's (AAD) Airbus A319 is on its way to New Zealand after an hour on the ground at the base.

Temperatures hit -25C at McMurdo but conditions otherwise were described as "perfect" for the jet to land at the base after a five-hour flight from Christchurch.

The five-member Australian team arrived around 11am (AEST) on Thursday and left just after midday, taking advantage of a brief twilight as Antarctica emerges from its six-month-long dark winter.

US staff prepared the ice runway, known as Pegasus. It is one of a handful in Antarctica that can land wheeled aircraft.

The AAD received a call for help from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) on Wednesday.

"The patient, whose identity NSF is not releasing, is currently stable but may require immediate corrective surgery best delivered at a more capable facility than is available at McMurdo," a statement from NSF said.

"The facility at McMurdo is equivalent to an urgent-care centre in the US and is not equipped for the type of procedure being contemplated."

The NSF would not disclose the nature of the illness or injury.

The patient was being treated on board the aeroplane and was expected to receive more medical help in Christchurch.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force provided search and rescue coverage for the flight.

McMurdo is the main US Antarctic base and is on the southern tip of Ross Island 3800km south of Christchurch and 1360km north of the South Pole.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au