Bird strikes, lightning strikes, wear and tear, loose nuts
and bolts - everything is inspected and repaired before an airliner can
take off again. Yang Jian talks to inspectors who signs the checklist
certifying that an airliner is safe and good to go.
When
an airliner touches down at Hongqiao International Airport, Zhao
Gangfeng, a senior aircraft maintenance engineer-inspector rushes onto
the tarmac with his two partners.
Armed with flashlight, tools and
clipboard, he crouches under the fuselage to carefully check the
undercarriage, engines, fuel tanks and other parts to ensure everything
is in good operating condition and every nut, bolt and screw is tight.
He checks the tires.
Zhao, a veteran with 24 years' of
maintenance, works for Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines. He is one
of around 1,800 airline maintenance employes checking around 400 flights
that land and take off each day at the Hongqiao airport, according to
Huang Shaohu, deputy manager of China Eastern Engineering and Technology
Co.
Many thousands of maintenance workers are employed at
Hongqiao and Pudong international airports in Shanghai, going through
check lists required by Chinese and international civil aviation
authorities.
While Zhao checks the fuselage, one of the other two
inspectors on his team enters the cockpit and makes a thorough check,
with the other checking the tail and rudder.
After all the checks
required by civil aviation authorities are completed an hour or so
later, Zhao signs his name on a safety check-off chart to confirm the
airliner is ready to take off again.
Zhao makes minor repairs. If there's a serious problem, repair work is ordered at once.
By
this time, the team's uniforms are soaked through with sweat;
temperatures on the tarmac can reach 60 degrees Celsius, while those in
the cabin can reach 40 degrees in summer, when the air-conditioning is
switched off.
After a brief rest, when their uniforms are barely dry, they rush off to do the same thing again when another plane lands.
"We
must not only check every part carefully, but also complete the checks
as soon as possible to ensure the aircraft can take off on time," Zhao
says.
Zhao, 46, checks at least six aircraft every day, from 8am to 8pm. Then the night shift takes over.
As
head of his maintenance team, each time Zhao signs his name, he assumes
responsibility for the safety and airworthiness of every aircraft he
checks.
"Sometimes I feel pressure when I sign my name, but I
always tell myself to think of the pressure as responsibility for every
passenger onboard," Zhao says.
In all his years, he has never made a mistake in maintenance or certification of aircraft safety, Zhao says.
Bird
strikes are among the most common problems, occurring when birds and
aircraft collide during take off or landing. If the birds are sucked
into engines, there can be serious malfunctions.
"It can cause big
problems, since we have to change entire parts if there are bird
strikes on the wings or engine casings," Zhao says.
Some strikes
are obvious, but some can be difficult to notice. Zhao says they go over
the aircraft carefully, looking for blood, even tiny specs, as well as
feathers or dents, which could indicate impact damage beneath the
surface.
Lightning strikes are another problem, especially in
summer. Whenever inspectors spot a burn on the surface, they check
inside parts and electrical systems that could be damaged by lightning.
If
problems cannot be fixed in a short time, the aircraft is grounded and
repaired overnight, if possible, to ensure the flight schedule won't be
affected the following day.
Overnight work is not uncommon; Zhao works five nights a month.
Nighttime work on the tarmac is painful in winter, when temperatures are lower and the windchill makes it seem worse.
Liu
Xiaofeng, one of Zhao's colleagues, has been an airline mechanic for 20
years and says he has severe arthritis in his fingers and knees.
"Our fingers get wet with fuel while we repair engines and they turn numb when the cold wind blows," Liu says.
He
and others must crouch or kneel under the fuselage for several hours
during major repairs at night and it can get freezing cold. "Arthritis
is a common problem for nearly every mechanic here," Liu says.
Stomach
problems also are not uncommon since workers frequently must interrupt
their meals and rush to the runway whenever an aircraft lands. The food
can go bad in summer and get cold in winter.
Apart from daily
checks and repairs, inspection and maintenance staff such as Zhao and
Liu undertake longer, comprehensive checks on every aircraft every year.
One
of the biggest nuisances is the annual opening and checking of the
inflatable evacuation slides that are used in emergencies.
With a
big bang, the escape slide is fully inflated by 3,000 pounds of helium
within seven seconds. Then the slide is checked for leaks and damage. It
then takes at least four days for four men to refold the slides,
working in a small room, and put them back in place. Each large airliner
usually has three evacuation slides on each side.
Each slide also contains 15 emergency packages that include torches, signal flares and a simple sea water purification system.
At Hongqiao airport, China Eastern staff must check and fold 40 slides each month.
Despite
all the hard work and pressure, Zhao says he never regrets his work,
but he's sorry he doesn't have more time to spend with his wife and
12-year-old son.
He feels especially proud when his son points to an airliner in flight and says, "that's repaired by my father."
Source: http://www.shanghaidaily.com
August 20, 2012
Editorial: Mayors right to focus effort on ailing Memphis International (KMEM) Airport, Tennessee
Editorial: The mayors are right to focus attention on Memphis International Airport, but where to focus?
Mayors A C Wharton and Mark Luttrell rightly are aligning forces to try to keep Memphis International Airport strong. But they need to focus their efforts with one top priority in mind — keeping Pinnacle Airlines headquartered in Memphis.
Other airport-related issues will, in time, need attention from the mayors and the Memphis political and business leadership: attracting a new low-cost airline, working with FedEx to help retain its contract with the U.S. Postal Service, making sure Delta Air Lines doesn't further gut its service in Memphis.
But these important issues pale in comparison to the front-burner challenge: not letting Pinnacle Airlines relocate its headquarters from Memphis to Minneapolis, Detroit or anywhere else.
Here's why this must be a priority. Pinnacle is currently in bankruptcy proceedings. As a result, it can get out of its lease in Downtown Memphis. It can renegotiate contracts with pilots and other employees. Working with Delta, it can basically do whatever the company thinks is necessary to cut costs and survive. And all those decisions will be made by October, when the company plans to come out of bankruptcy.
Just days ago, Pinnacle management asked its nonunion employees to take a 6 percent pay cut, chop a week of vacation and otherwise help the company trim $76 million in costs. Only weeks ago, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport pitched the idea of Pinnacle pulling up stakes in Memphis and relocating its employees to the airport up there — where Pinnacle already has unoccupied office space.
A relocation would not leave a pretty picture in Memphis. Pinnacle Airlines, even after emerging from bankruptcy as a smaller company, likely will still employ 450 or more well-paid men and women in its company headquarters at One Commerce Square — the most important office building in the Downtown core.
Having Pinnacle headquartered in Memphis means most Pinnacle pilots come here for training and staff events — filling up hundreds of hotel rooms annually. And the headquarters here helps keep Delta at the airport, since Pinnacle is its largest regional partner.
How might the two mayors help keep Pinnacle in Memphis? Getting Gov. Bill Haslam to follow through on state incentives to keep Pinnacle in Memphis will be important. Working with the airport authority to keep Memphis the lowest-cost hub of operations will be crucial. Making sure the current headquarters are viewed as a bargain will be a factor, too.
Memphis needs to keep Pinnacle. That's job one for the mayors as they join the effort to shore up Memphis International Airport.
Source: http://www.commercialappeal.com
Mayors A C Wharton and Mark Luttrell rightly are aligning forces to try to keep Memphis International Airport strong. But they need to focus their efforts with one top priority in mind — keeping Pinnacle Airlines headquartered in Memphis.
Other airport-related issues will, in time, need attention from the mayors and the Memphis political and business leadership: attracting a new low-cost airline, working with FedEx to help retain its contract with the U.S. Postal Service, making sure Delta Air Lines doesn't further gut its service in Memphis.
But these important issues pale in comparison to the front-burner challenge: not letting Pinnacle Airlines relocate its headquarters from Memphis to Minneapolis, Detroit or anywhere else.
Here's why this must be a priority. Pinnacle is currently in bankruptcy proceedings. As a result, it can get out of its lease in Downtown Memphis. It can renegotiate contracts with pilots and other employees. Working with Delta, it can basically do whatever the company thinks is necessary to cut costs and survive. And all those decisions will be made by October, when the company plans to come out of bankruptcy.
Just days ago, Pinnacle management asked its nonunion employees to take a 6 percent pay cut, chop a week of vacation and otherwise help the company trim $76 million in costs. Only weeks ago, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport pitched the idea of Pinnacle pulling up stakes in Memphis and relocating its employees to the airport up there — where Pinnacle already has unoccupied office space.
A relocation would not leave a pretty picture in Memphis. Pinnacle Airlines, even after emerging from bankruptcy as a smaller company, likely will still employ 450 or more well-paid men and women in its company headquarters at One Commerce Square — the most important office building in the Downtown core.
Having Pinnacle headquartered in Memphis means most Pinnacle pilots come here for training and staff events — filling up hundreds of hotel rooms annually. And the headquarters here helps keep Delta at the airport, since Pinnacle is its largest regional partner.
How might the two mayors help keep Pinnacle in Memphis? Getting Gov. Bill Haslam to follow through on state incentives to keep Pinnacle in Memphis will be important. Working with the airport authority to keep Memphis the lowest-cost hub of operations will be crucial. Making sure the current headquarters are viewed as a bargain will be a factor, too.
Memphis needs to keep Pinnacle. That's job one for the mayors as they join the effort to shore up Memphis International Airport.
Source: http://www.commercialappeal.com
Delta Airlines to end flights from Columbia to Memphis in November
COLUMBIA — Delta Airlines will cancel its morning flights from Columbia Regional Airport to Memphis beginning Nov. 2 and replace them with flights to Atlanta beginning March 3, Public Works Department spokesman Steven Sapp said Monday morning.
The schedule changes represent the latest development in fluctuating flight service at the airport. Mayor Bob McDavid announced last week that Frontier Airlines will offer two weekly nonstop flights to Orlando, at 4:15 p.m. and 10:25 p.m. each Tuesday and Saturday, beginning Nov. 20. Frontier will fly new Airbus 319s capable of carrying 138 passengers.
Sapp said Delta Airlines has full autonomy over its flight schedules and the new changes are part of normal seasonal adjustments. Sapp said the changes are market driven.
The morning flights to Memphis International Airport depart at 6:30 a.m.; the flights to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport that begin in March will leave at the same time. There will be three flights to and from Atlanta Sundays through Fridays starting in March. Delta Airlines will continue to offer two flights to Atlanta on Saturdays.
Detailed departure and arrival times can be viewed on flymidmo.com.
Source: http://www.columbiamissourian.com
The schedule changes represent the latest development in fluctuating flight service at the airport. Mayor Bob McDavid announced last week that Frontier Airlines will offer two weekly nonstop flights to Orlando, at 4:15 p.m. and 10:25 p.m. each Tuesday and Saturday, beginning Nov. 20. Frontier will fly new Airbus 319s capable of carrying 138 passengers.
Sapp said Delta Airlines has full autonomy over its flight schedules and the new changes are part of normal seasonal adjustments. Sapp said the changes are market driven.
The morning flights to Memphis International Airport depart at 6:30 a.m.; the flights to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport that begin in March will leave at the same time. There will be three flights to and from Atlanta Sundays through Fridays starting in March. Delta Airlines will continue to offer two flights to Atlanta on Saturdays.
Detailed departure and arrival times can be viewed on flymidmo.com.
Source: http://www.columbiamissourian.com
Sixty-Five Percent of Business Travelers in Greater Philadelphia Say Non-Stop Flights are Extremely Important
(PRWEB) August 20, 2012
“We’re excited about the responses to this important survey and we value everyone’s feedback,” said Philadelphia International Airport Chief Executive Officer Mark Gale. “The results of this exercise will help us build the business case in targeting additional non-stop domestic and international destinations from Philadelphia, and further our mission as a world-class airport.”
Domestic destinations desired by business travelers for non-stop service from PHL were Orange County, CA; Austin, TX; and Honolulu, HI, while internationally Asia was the clear top choice with Tokyo, Japan; and Shanghai and Beijing, China in the top three. Top overall domestic destinations for current travel by business travelers are Chicago, Dallas and Boston.
“We applaud Select Greater Philadelphia and the CEO Council for Growth for conducting this Air Travel Survey,” said John Saler, Chairman, Government & Public Affairs Group of Stradley, Ronon, Stevens &Young, LLP and Chairman of the Philadelphia International Airport Advisory Board. ”The data will help us better understand the current travel needs of those living and/or working in the Greater Philadelphia region.”
For business travelers responding to the survey, both non-stop flight availability and convenient flight times were found to be extremely important. Over half the respondents use their organization’s corporate travel department to make travel arrangements.
“The Philadelphia International Airport is a critically important asset in the Greater Philadelphia region for business travel and to attract leisure visitors, “said Tom Morr, President & CEO of Select Greater Philadelphia and member of the Philadelphia International Airport Advisory Board. “This survey helps identify passenger demand for potential new flights in key markets. It is intended to help airlines make more informed choices about where to add flights from PHL.”
Top destinations for current travel by leisure travelers are in the West with Chicago, San Francisco/San Jose and Los Angeles rounding out the top three spots. Top domestic destinations desired by leisure travels for non-stop service from PHL were all warm weather locations domestically with Honolulu, HI; Austin, TX; and Orange County, CA in the top three, while internationally Milan, Italy; Vancouver, Canada; and Sao Paulo, Brazil were among the top choices.
Half or more of survey respondents describing their leisure or personal travel needs ranked price and non-stop flight availability as extremely important factors when booking air travel. Leisure travelers were primarily booking coach class tickets for travel. Over 80% of respondents were heading straight to the airline website to purchase their leisure airfare tickets.
The survey was distributed to members of the business and non-profit communities in Greater Philadelphia. Over 1,000 individuals responded to the survey detailing their personal and business travel needs. The goal of the survey is to use information gathered to assist the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) in their efforts to seek additional domestic and international air service.
Top Non-Stop Desired International Destinations (Business Travel)
1 Tokyo, Japan
2 Shanghai, China
3 Beijing, China
4 Mumbai, India
5 Milan, Italy
Top Non-Stop Desired Domestic Destinations (Business Travel)
1 Orange County, CA
2 Austin, TX
3 Honolulu, HI
4 San Jose (US), CA
5 San Antonio, TX
Top Non-Stop Desired International Destinations (Leisure Travel)
1 Milan, Italy
2 Vancouver, Canada
3 Sao Paulo, Brazil
4 Tokyo, Japan
5 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Top Non-Stop Desired Domestic Destinations (Leisure Travel)
1 Honolulu, HI
2 Austin, TX
3 Orange County (SNA), CA
4 San Jose (US), CA
5 San Antonio, TX
About Select Greater Philadelphia
Select Greater Philadelphia (Select) is an economic development marketing organization dedicated to attracting companies to the Greater Philadelphia region. Select assists companies interested in the vicinity by providing detailed information about the 11-county area and a one-stop connection to numerous resources that help companies make informed decisions about locating to the region. Through global marketing efforts, Select works to promote the region’s key assets to help build the area’s economy. The Greater Philadelphia region encompasses northern Delaware, southern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania. Select is a private, non-profit organization and an affiliate of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit http://www.selectgreaterphiladelphia.com or call 215-790-3777. Follow Select on twitter at: @selectgrphila.
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9816859.htm
Southwest raises fares; other airlines follow
Airfares look to be going up for the fifth time this year.
Southwest Airlines led the latest attempt by U.S. airlines to raise fares, with a $5 increase on one-way routes of less than 500 miles.
Usually, when Southwest raises fares, other U.S. carriers match, and the increase lasts.
So far, some of the largest legacy carriers — Delta, US Airways, United and American — have followed Southwest's lead. Virgin America also raised fares on short-haul markets where it competes with Southwest, including San Francisco to San Diego, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
Airlines have had a profitable year so far but still complain of higher operating expenses, primarily jet fuel costs. They've been able to keep fares up by cutting back on the number of flights and making fewer seats available.
"We never want to increase fares for customers, and are proud of the low fares we offer on Southwest.com," says Ashley Dillon, a spokeswoman for Southwest. "Sometimes, though, an increase is necessary to cover the cost of our business, including fuel."
Airlines have tried to raise fares eight times so far this year. Four have been successful. This latest Southwest-led move would bring the tally to five.
Southwest's average passenger airfare is $141.72 one-way, and the average passenger trip length is about 939 miles.
Last year, airlines made 22 attempts to increase fares. Nine were successful.
Airlines are changing their strategy this year, says Rick Seaney, CEO of Farecompare.com.
Typically, carriers increase fares on a wider range of routes. But last week, Delta tried to raise prices on fares more common among business travelers, those tickets bought at the last-minute for higher-price seats with more leg room. That attempt failed when other airlines didn't match.
"It is pretty clear that domestic airlines would like to hike domestic prices … but seem skittish about continued broadbased hikes and are switching, at least temporarily, to plan B — targeting specific segments of the flying public," Seaney says.
Seaney expects this latest fare jump to stick.
"It is rare for any type of hike where Southwest participates to fail," he says. "Rather, the opposite is normally the case, as many hikes fail due to their lack of participation."
Source: http://www.courier-journal.com
Southwest Airlines led the latest attempt by U.S. airlines to raise fares, with a $5 increase on one-way routes of less than 500 miles.
Usually, when Southwest raises fares, other U.S. carriers match, and the increase lasts.
So far, some of the largest legacy carriers — Delta, US Airways, United and American — have followed Southwest's lead. Virgin America also raised fares on short-haul markets where it competes with Southwest, including San Francisco to San Diego, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
Airlines have had a profitable year so far but still complain of higher operating expenses, primarily jet fuel costs. They've been able to keep fares up by cutting back on the number of flights and making fewer seats available.
"We never want to increase fares for customers, and are proud of the low fares we offer on Southwest.com," says Ashley Dillon, a spokeswoman for Southwest. "Sometimes, though, an increase is necessary to cover the cost of our business, including fuel."
Airlines have tried to raise fares eight times so far this year. Four have been successful. This latest Southwest-led move would bring the tally to five.
Southwest's average passenger airfare is $141.72 one-way, and the average passenger trip length is about 939 miles.
Last year, airlines made 22 attempts to increase fares. Nine were successful.
Airlines are changing their strategy this year, says Rick Seaney, CEO of Farecompare.com.
Typically, carriers increase fares on a wider range of routes. But last week, Delta tried to raise prices on fares more common among business travelers, those tickets bought at the last-minute for higher-price seats with more leg room. That attempt failed when other airlines didn't match.
"It is pretty clear that domestic airlines would like to hike domestic prices … but seem skittish about continued broadbased hikes and are switching, at least temporarily, to plan B — targeting specific segments of the flying public," Seaney says.
Seaney expects this latest fare jump to stick.
"It is rare for any type of hike where Southwest participates to fail," he says. "Rather, the opposite is normally the case, as many hikes fail due to their lack of participation."
Source: http://www.courier-journal.com
Nigeria's domestic airlines ''to raise fares by 30%''
Domestic airline operators in Nigeria are to raise their fares by 30% following an increase in the cost of leasing aircraft as well as higher insurance premiums, the local media reported Monday.
The report said the recent classification of Nigeria among ''high risk nations'' have raised the cost of leasing an aircraft by 60%.
It is also believed that the recent crashes involving Nigerian airlines have led to higher insurance premiums for the country's operators.
On 3 June, a DANA Air MD-83 plane flying from the inland capital city of Abuja to the economic capital city of Lagos crashed into a residential area on the outskirts of the city, killing at least 150.
When the planned increase in fares is effected, the price of a round trip ticket for a one-hour flight will increase to between 37,000 (US$231) and 42,000 Naira (US$262), from the current average of 28,000 (US$175) and 33,000 Naira (US$206).
The increase will be the second in recent times, coming closely on the heels of a 20 per cent hike in fares by the airlines.
Nigeria's domestic airline operators have been groaning under tough operational conditions, including rising cost of fuel.
http://www.africanmanager.com
The report said the recent classification of Nigeria among ''high risk nations'' have raised the cost of leasing an aircraft by 60%.
It is also believed that the recent crashes involving Nigerian airlines have led to higher insurance premiums for the country's operators.
On 3 June, a DANA Air MD-83 plane flying from the inland capital city of Abuja to the economic capital city of Lagos crashed into a residential area on the outskirts of the city, killing at least 150.
When the planned increase in fares is effected, the price of a round trip ticket for a one-hour flight will increase to between 37,000 (US$231) and 42,000 Naira (US$262), from the current average of 28,000 (US$175) and 33,000 Naira (US$206).
The increase will be the second in recent times, coming closely on the heels of a 20 per cent hike in fares by the airlines.
Nigeria's domestic airline operators have been groaning under tough operational conditions, including rising cost of fuel.
http://www.africanmanager.com
Philadelphia International (KPHL), Pennsylvania: "A little love" for Terminal F at airport - More upgrades are planned
Businessman Thomas Bennett did not relish taking a shuttle bus from Terminal C, where he flew in from Pittsburgh, to connect to a flight in Terminal F, at the other end of Philadelphia International Airport.
Especially in the rain.
"I would put a cover where the bus drop is here," Bennett said the other day, as he waited in busy Terminal F to board a commuter jet to Manchester, N.H.
Bennett, who clocks 100 to 150 flights a year, gives the Philadelphia airport a general thumbs-up.
But, he said, "if you are talking specifically about F Terminal, it seems a little distant, and it needs a little love."
Love is just what the commuter Terminal F is getting: a $127 million expansion and makeover aimed at making travel easier and more fun.
Soon, those inclement weather days will be over for Bennett and the 4.9 million other travelers who fly each year on small planes into or out of the 38-gate commuter terminal.
Terminal F is getting a new, larger shuttle bus stop with a covered vestibule. Passengers won't have to step into rain or snow when connecting by bus to other terminals.
And passengers may rejoice that, inside, the terminal is getting twice as many restaurants and concessions, more passenger seating, and an expanded security checkpoint to accommodate the crowds.
The improvements are unrelated to a long-term $5.2 billion airport proposal that calls for a fifth runway along the Delaware River. US Airways is acting as construction manager of the Terminal F redesign, which will be completed in early 2016 and financed by fees charged to airlines.
One-sixth of the Philadelphia airport's 31 million annual passengers start or end trips in Terminal F, which was designed in the late 1990s for smaller 30- and 50-seat regional jets.
When the $98 million terminal opened in 2001, US Airways Group Inc. flew 175 daily Express flights out of it. Today, US Airways operates 275 daily Express flights and uses all 38 gates.
When 50-seat jets were in fashion, fuel was $1 a gallon. "Now at $4 a gallon that changes the economics," said Rhett Workman, US Airways managing director of corporate real estate. Delta Air Lines recently announced plans to shed 218 50-seat jets.
"Regional jets are not going away," said aviation consultant Michael Boyd in Evergreen, Colo. "We are just going to have bigger airplanes."
As US Airways expanded in Philadelphia, its second-largest hub and primary international hub, more "feeder" traffic has come into Terminal F.
Source: http://articles.philly.com
Especially in the rain.
"I would put a cover where the bus drop is here," Bennett said the other day, as he waited in busy Terminal F to board a commuter jet to Manchester, N.H.
Bennett, who clocks 100 to 150 flights a year, gives the Philadelphia airport a general thumbs-up.
But, he said, "if you are talking specifically about F Terminal, it seems a little distant, and it needs a little love."
Love is just what the commuter Terminal F is getting: a $127 million expansion and makeover aimed at making travel easier and more fun.
Soon, those inclement weather days will be over for Bennett and the 4.9 million other travelers who fly each year on small planes into or out of the 38-gate commuter terminal.
Terminal F is getting a new, larger shuttle bus stop with a covered vestibule. Passengers won't have to step into rain or snow when connecting by bus to other terminals.
And passengers may rejoice that, inside, the terminal is getting twice as many restaurants and concessions, more passenger seating, and an expanded security checkpoint to accommodate the crowds.
The improvements are unrelated to a long-term $5.2 billion airport proposal that calls for a fifth runway along the Delaware River. US Airways is acting as construction manager of the Terminal F redesign, which will be completed in early 2016 and financed by fees charged to airlines.
One-sixth of the Philadelphia airport's 31 million annual passengers start or end trips in Terminal F, which was designed in the late 1990s for smaller 30- and 50-seat regional jets.
When the $98 million terminal opened in 2001, US Airways Group Inc. flew 175 daily Express flights out of it. Today, US Airways operates 275 daily Express flights and uses all 38 gates.
When 50-seat jets were in fashion, fuel was $1 a gallon. "Now at $4 a gallon that changes the economics," said Rhett Workman, US Airways managing director of corporate real estate. Delta Air Lines recently announced plans to shed 218 50-seat jets.
"Regional jets are not going away," said aviation consultant Michael Boyd in Evergreen, Colo. "We are just going to have bigger airplanes."
As US Airways expanded in Philadelphia, its second-largest hub and primary international hub, more "feeder" traffic has come into Terminal F.
Source: http://articles.philly.com
Aeroflot Gets $1.26Bln to Buy Boeings
VEB Leasing has concluded a $1.26 billion deal to finance Aeroflot's acquisition of four Boeing 777-300ER airliners, the airline said.
VEB Leasing is a subsidiary of state lender VEB.
The aircraft will be supplied from January to April 2013. The acquisition is part of an Aeroflot agreement to buy six Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and eight Boeing 200ER planes that was concluded in March 2011.
Andrei Rozhkov, an analyst at Metropol, said the contract was a profitable deal for Aeroflot. Usually airlines have to wait longer for Boeing supplies, he said.
Aeroflot could use the new aircraft to operate flights in the peak traffic period during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Rozhkov said.
The Boeing contract will help Aeroflot in its future negotiations with Airbus, Rozhkov said, adding that the airline would have more leverage in talks with Boeing's main competitor.
Currently, Aeroflot has eight Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, according to the company's website.
Boing 777 airliners are the world's largest twin-engine jets. They also have the biggest turbofan engines of any aircraft.
The Boeing 777 is Boeing's first fly-by-wire airplane and its first entirely computer-designed aircraft.
Boeing 777-200ERs are used for international flights. They have a capacity of 327 passengers and a range of 13,400 kilometers.
The Boeing 777-300ER has a capacity of 365 passengers and a range of 14,685 kilometers.
Read more: http://www.themoscowtimes.com
VEB Leasing is a subsidiary of state lender VEB.
The aircraft will be supplied from January to April 2013. The acquisition is part of an Aeroflot agreement to buy six Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and eight Boeing 200ER planes that was concluded in March 2011.
Andrei Rozhkov, an analyst at Metropol, said the contract was a profitable deal for Aeroflot. Usually airlines have to wait longer for Boeing supplies, he said.
Aeroflot could use the new aircraft to operate flights in the peak traffic period during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Rozhkov said.
The Boeing contract will help Aeroflot in its future negotiations with Airbus, Rozhkov said, adding that the airline would have more leverage in talks with Boeing's main competitor.
Currently, Aeroflot has eight Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, according to the company's website.
Boing 777 airliners are the world's largest twin-engine jets. They also have the biggest turbofan engines of any aircraft.
The Boeing 777 is Boeing's first fly-by-wire airplane and its first entirely computer-designed aircraft.
Boeing 777-200ERs are used for international flights. They have a capacity of 327 passengers and a range of 13,400 kilometers.
The Boeing 777-300ER has a capacity of 365 passengers and a range of 14,685 kilometers.
Read more: http://www.themoscowtimes.com
Now, fly from Ahmedabad to Bhavnagar in less than 2 hours
From Monday, Deccan Charters will begin its Ahmedabad-Bhavnagar air service which will touch Surat along the way. Travelling to Bhavnagar by air may prove slightly expensive for Amdavadis but, for a Surti, going to the Saurashtra city by the same flight may prove economical.
Sources said that a ticket on the Bhavnagar–Ahmedabad flight is likely to cost around Rs6,000 while the Surat-Bhavnagar ticket will come for around Rs4,500.
Deccan Charters Limited (DCL), formerly known as Deccan Aviation Limited, is launching its intra-state flights in Gujarat from Monday. The airline will operate non-scheduled chartered flight services within Gujarat under the brand name, Deccan Shuttles.
There will be six flights daily and these will be serviced by 15-seater aircraft between the three cities.
It will take 1 hour 45 minutes to fly from A’bad to Bhavnagar via Surat. The first flight on Monday will take off from Ahmedabad at around 7:30 am and go straight to Surat.
The aircraft will make four Surat-Bhavnagar flights by evening that day. It will finally take off from Surat at around 6 pm for its return flight to Ahmedabad.
Flights on the Ahmedabad-Kandla route will be started from August 27 and the Ahmedabad-Jamnagar route will be added subsequently, said a statement issued by the company. In the coming days, this service will connect key economic hubs of Gujarat, viz, Ahmedabad, Surat, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Kandla.
“Later two more aircraft are likely to be added. By the end of the month, the A’bad–Kandla–A’bad and A’bad–Jamnagar–A’bad services will be started,” a source said.
Deccan wants to identify tourist, industrial and other important clusters that are currently not serviced by airlines to provide customised charter flights on these routes.
When asked about the high ticket prices estimated for the service, a government official said that currently travelling in luxury to any city of Gujarat from Ahmedabad does not cost more than Rs1,000.
On May 1 last year, Deccan Charters, under the brand name of Deccan 360, had planned intra-state services for Gujarat connecting 11 cities of the state. But for various reasons, it got delayed. Later, Deccan Charters wanted to start the service under the brand name of Simply Fly but DGCA did not approve it.
According to industry experts, financially the business is not very viable. “Flying to Bhavnagar from Ahmedabad will be expensive. It will take almost 2 hours. By road, it takes around 3 hours and a road trip costs less than Rs500,” said an expert.
Source: http://www.dnaindia.com
Sources said that a ticket on the Bhavnagar–Ahmedabad flight is likely to cost around Rs6,000 while the Surat-Bhavnagar ticket will come for around Rs4,500.
Deccan Charters Limited (DCL), formerly known as Deccan Aviation Limited, is launching its intra-state flights in Gujarat from Monday. The airline will operate non-scheduled chartered flight services within Gujarat under the brand name, Deccan Shuttles.
There will be six flights daily and these will be serviced by 15-seater aircraft between the three cities.
It will take 1 hour 45 minutes to fly from A’bad to Bhavnagar via Surat. The first flight on Monday will take off from Ahmedabad at around 7:30 am and go straight to Surat.
The aircraft will make four Surat-Bhavnagar flights by evening that day. It will finally take off from Surat at around 6 pm for its return flight to Ahmedabad.
Flights on the Ahmedabad-Kandla route will be started from August 27 and the Ahmedabad-Jamnagar route will be added subsequently, said a statement issued by the company. In the coming days, this service will connect key economic hubs of Gujarat, viz, Ahmedabad, Surat, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Kandla.
“Later two more aircraft are likely to be added. By the end of the month, the A’bad–Kandla–A’bad and A’bad–Jamnagar–A’bad services will be started,” a source said.
Deccan wants to identify tourist, industrial and other important clusters that are currently not serviced by airlines to provide customised charter flights on these routes.
When asked about the high ticket prices estimated for the service, a government official said that currently travelling in luxury to any city of Gujarat from Ahmedabad does not cost more than Rs1,000.
On May 1 last year, Deccan Charters, under the brand name of Deccan 360, had planned intra-state services for Gujarat connecting 11 cities of the state. But for various reasons, it got delayed. Later, Deccan Charters wanted to start the service under the brand name of Simply Fly but DGCA did not approve it.
According to industry experts, financially the business is not very viable. “Flying to Bhavnagar from Ahmedabad will be expensive. It will take almost 2 hours. By road, it takes around 3 hours and a road trip costs less than Rs500,” said an expert.
Source: http://www.dnaindia.com
August 19, 2012
Daher Socata TB10, N5542Z: Accident occurred August 12, 2012 in Shirley, New York
NTSB Identification: ERA12FA514
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, August 12, 2012 in Shirley, NY
Aircraft: SOCATA TB 10, registration: N5542Z
Injuries: 2 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 August 19, 2011, about 1155 eastern daylight time, a Daher Socata TB10, N5542Z, was substantially damaged when it collided with trees and a construction dumpster during a forced landing after takeoff from Brookhaven Calabro Airport (HWV), Shirley, New York. The certificated private pilot/owner and a passenger were fatally injured, and a pilot-rated passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight that was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to witnesses, their attention was drawn to the airplane during its takeoff roll. The pace was described as "slow" and "anemic" as the airplane used almost the entire length of the runway, which was 4,222 feet long, before it took off. They described the airplane as it climbed slowly to tree-top height, in a nose-high pitch attitude, and disappeared from view. Moments later, a large smoke plume appeared out of the trees a short distance beyond the airport boundary.
A witness who stood on his back porch, said the airplane appeared above the trees at the back border of his property, and that the sound of the engine was "really loud." The airplane descended over his back yard and below the height of his one-story house in a left 30-degree bank. The airplane then pitched up, climbed over the house, and struck a tree and a construction dumpster in front of the house, where it burst into flames. The witness then described his efforts to extinguish the fire and assist the occupants of the airplane.
Preliminary radar data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed the airplane climbed to 200 feet mean sea level (msl) and accelerated to 63 knots groundspeed before the radar target was lost in the vicinity of the crash site.
The pilot/owner held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land. His most recent FAA third class medical certificate was issued on August 1, 2003. He reported 18 total hours of flight experience on that date.
According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1991. More recently, the FAA issued a ferry permit on June 20, 2012, in order to relocate the airplane in order to perform an annual inspection and other maintenance at HWV. The mechanic who ferried the airplane stated that there was nothing wrong with the performance and handling of the airplane on the ferry flight to HWV.
The wreckage was examined at the accident site on August 20, 2012. The airplane was largely consumed by post-crash fire. Control cable continuity was established from the cockpit to components identifiable with the flight control surfaces. The cockpit was severely damaged by fire. The engine was recovered from the scene and examined at HWV. The engine was rotated by hand and continuity, compression, and ignition spark were all confirmed.
Obituary: David J. McElroy
Visiting hours for David J. McElroy will take place Friday, August 24, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Bayport-Blue Point Funeral Home, 683 Montauk Highway in Bayport.
A Funeral Mass will be held Saturday, August 25, at 10 a.m. at St. Lawrence R.C. Church on Montauk Highway in Sayville. Interment will follow.
Donations may be made to McElroy Children’s Fund, c/o Bridgehampton National Bank, P.O. Box 1567, Southold, NY 11971.
Police confirm Suffolk Times report of Orient man killed in crash
In his heart, Chris Melendez believes he and his neighbors are alive today because of a pilot’s quick thinking in the cockpit.
Mr. Melendez said he was just about to hop in the shower Sunday morning when he heard a thunderous crash outside his Helene Avenue home in Shirley. His fiancée, who had just pulled out of the driveway on her way to take his children to a petting zoo, phoned him frantically.
“She just kept yelling, ‘Get out of the house! Get out of the house!’” Mr. Melendez, 42, recalled a day later.
As he reached his front yard, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
A single-engine plane owned by David McElroy, a 53-year-old pilot from Orient, had taken off from Brookhaven Calabro Airport shortly after 11:30 a.m. before crashing into a dumpster right outside Mr. Melendez’ home a mile from the airport. As the Shirley resident began his sprint to the crash, the plane exploded.
“All I could see were 30-foot high flames,” Mr. Melendez said.
He grabbed a garden hose and immediately began spraying into the cockpit in an attempt to save Mr. McElroy, who was burning about four feet away, just out of reach.
“He reached out to me,” Mr. Melendez said. “Then I saw him take his last breath.”
Suffolk police confirmed Monday that Mr. McElroy, who FAA records show is the owner of the plane, died in the crash. The crash also killed passenger Jane Unhjem, 60, of Goshen, N.Y., who died eight hours later. Another person aboard the plane, Erik Unhjem, 61, was listed in critical condition at Stony Brook University Medical Center.
A licensed pilot, Erik Uhnjem was also in the cockpit when the plane crashed, a National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson told the media Monday.
It is not yet clear to investigators who was flying the plane at the time of the crash.
Mr. Melendez said he and his fiancée, who saw the plane touch ground, believe there would have been more victims if not for the pilot’s ability to navigate the plane away from the houses on their street.
Mr. Melendez said his fiancée, Kimberly Pastore, watched as the pilot steered away from high tension wires near their home. The plane then closely navigated around several homes before landing perilously in a dumpster on Mr. Melendez’ property line, 30 yards from his living room, he said.
Mr. Melendez added that if Mr. McElroy was flying the plane, he “paid with his life” to save others.
“I believe [the pilot] did everything he could to avoid hitting any houses,” Mr. Melendez said.
NTSB Investigator Brian Rayner said the engine of the Socata TB10 was in “surprisingly good shape” and will be examined further after removal from the aircraft.
Investigators do not know where the plane was headed, officials said.
Louie Cruz of Shirley was doing yard work when he heard what he thought was a car crash on William Floyd Parkway. He ran around the bend to see the fire and smoke from the plane crash, the second he’s witnessed in his Shirley neighborhood.
He said he saw his neighbors pulling the Unhjems from the plane. Like Mr. Melendez, he said Mr. McElroy couldn’t be reached.
“No one could get to him,” Mr. Cruz said. “He just burned right up.”
Mr. Melendez said he was forced to stay at his parents’ home nearby last night, as Helene Avenue remained closed outside his house. He was hoping to be let back into his home this afternoon.
He said he’s having a hard time shaking thoughts of Sunday’s crash from his head.
“I wish there was more I could do for [Mr. McElroy],” he said. “It was just horrible. I’ll never be able to forget him.”
Source: http://suffolktimes.timesreview.com
Friends remember Goshen educator's love for children
Jane Unhjem, assistant superintendent in Goshen, died in a fiery plane crash Sunday
Jane Unhjem, a Goshen School District assistant superintendent, died in a fiery plane crash Sunday afternoon on Long Island. A man believed to be the pilot also was killed in the crash, and Unhjem's husband, Erik, was critically injured.
Officials at Stony Brook University Hospital Medical Center said Jane Unhjem, 60, was declared dead at the hospital several hours after the plane plummeted into a residential street in Shirley, on eastern Long Island, at about noon. Erik Unhjem, 61, the sole survivor of the crash, was being treated for burns, hospital officials said.
People who knew Jane Unhjem through her civic activities offered heartfelt testimonials on Monday, breaking down with emotion at times as they described Unhjem as a selfless, sunny person who devoted herself to her community and inspired people who came in contact with her.
“She really had an incredible knack with and love for kids,” said Doris Obremski, president of the Rotary Club of Goshen, for which Unhjem coordinated an annual leadership program and international exchange program for students.
“She just had this warmth and smile,” Obremski recalled.
Lynn Cione, executive director of the Goshen Chamber of Commerce, called Unhjem “an exceptional human being” and “probably the most authentic person I ever met.”
“People were excited to be around her,” said Cione, who knew Unhjem through chamber events and other interactions. “There was always joy in her face and joy in her voice.”
“She was genuine,” Cione added. “What you saw was what you got. And what you got was all good.”
Grief counselors from the district and BOCES are available at the Goshen High School Monday for any staff members or students who need support, according to the district's website. The counselors will also be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 21, and their time in the district will be extended if necessary. The website said Jane Unhjem is survived by her husband, Erik, her children, Gayle and Matthew, and her parents, Val and Ray Walesky. Services are unknown at this time.
“Jane was deeply loved and respected within our district and community, not only as an educator but as a friend,” Goshen Superintendent Daniel Connor said in a statement on the district's website. “She was a tremendous force in our district and the mark she has left will not soon fade. Words can't express how sorely she will be missed.”
The district website posted this description of Jane Unhjem: "Jane was a vibrant educator and leader with an infectious energy that affected everyone around her. She took tremendous pride in her work and her warmth and enthusiasm for learning was evident each and every day she spent at Goshen Schools. During her time with the district, she touched the lives of countless students, parents and faculty members. The entire Goshen community is deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend."
Jane Unhjem, who lived with her husband in Goshen, had a long history as a leading mid-Hudson educator and worked in a number of local school districts, going back to the mid-1980s.
She was the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the Goshen School District. She also served as director of staff development in the Monroe-Woodbury District, as assistant director of special education in the Pine Bush School District and as a special education teacher in Pine Bush. She also taught at Orange-Ulster BOCES.
In local education circles, Unhjem was known for encouraging students to become active members of their communities.
In November 2010, speaking at an assembly encouraging students to get involved in Rachel's Challenge, a program to counteract violence, she urged parents to get involved, saying, "Our parents are a powerful catalyst in the effort to increase kindness and positive behaviors in our students' everyday lives."
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the single-engine propeller plane went down shortly after taking off from Brookhaven Calabro Airport near Shirley.
The front of the plane landed on a tree-lined street flanked with homes - ending up about 100 feet from the nearest house and several hundred from half-a-dozen others - and its tail plunged into a nearby construction trash bin, said Jeff Litwin, who lives near the crash site.
A neighbor "was trying to put out the fire with a garden hose, but it was too hot and he couldn't get to a person trapped inside," Litwin said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
-- The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Do you have more information about this story? Contact me
A small plane crashed in a fireball on a Long Island street yesterday, killing the pilot and a woman on board and critically injuring her husband.
Neighbors armed only with garden hoses tried to save the victims from 20-foot flames.
“I watched a man burn to death in front of my eyes. This man fought to live, and there was just nothing we could do. It was awful,” said former Navy aviation mechanic Darnell Lee, 26, who braved 20-foot flames to try to save the pilot.
People living near the crash site in Shirley said the pilot steered his plane away from the houses.
“This man is a hero. You could see that he tried to avoid hitting my house,” said Lee.
“I respect this man. He died fighting. I wish I could meet his family and tell them this.”
Another neighborhood resident, Dan Tooker, 29, used a hose to spray water on the pilot through a sheared-off door.
“The plane was upside down, so his feet were pinned,’’ Tooker said. “He was struggling to get himself out of the plane. He was on fire.’’
Lee watched in horror, helpless, as the pilot died. “You could see him give up. It was heartbreaking. It’s something I can’t get out of my head.”
An Orange County woman and a pilot were killed Sunday after a single-engine plane crashed into a residential neighborhood on Long Island, authorities said, and another passenger -- the husband of the female passenger -- was critically injured.
Witnesses said the two passengers emerged from the plane in Shirley appearing dazed and severely burned before they were taken to the hospital.
SHIRLEY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) - One person was confirmed dead after a small plane carrying three people crashed in the eastern Long Island town of Shirley Sunday morning, authorities said.
1010 WINS’ Carol D’Auria reported that the pilot was trapped in the fiery wreckage and killed.
Neighbor Ed Finnegan told D’Auria he was reading his morning newspaper when the plane went down.
“I heard the crash and then I hopped in my truck, drove over there, and it was completely engulfed in flames,” Finnegan told D’Auria.
Neighbors used garden hoses to put out the flames coming off the plane, D’Auria reported.
Finnegan said he knew the plane was flying too low, but credited the pilot for preventing greater catastrophe.
“The plane somehow managed to go between two houses and not hit them and hit the tree in front of the house, and came down on the street. It’s unnerving,” he said.
Riding in the plane at the time of the crash were Erik Unhjem, 61, and his wife Jane, 60, of Goshen, New York. The couple was airlifted to Stony Brook University Medical Center.
Authorities said the small plane was a Socata TB10, registered to an Orlando, FL man.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the plane went down in a vacant lot near a residential area about a mile north of Brookhaven Calabro Airport.
The FAA reported that the accident happened on departure from Brookhaven Airport.
Neighbors told CBS 2′s Steve Langford that they did their best to save the pilot.
“We were trying so hard to get him out and we couldn’t, we kept him wet, he was trapped,” said Darnell Lee.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com
Authorities investigate the scene where a small plane carrying three people plummeted into a residential Long Island street in Shirley, N.Y., Sunday, Aug 19, 2012. The fiery crash killed one person aboard as neighbors tried to douse the flames with fire extinguishers and garden hoses. The single-engine, propeller plane went down around noon, shortly after taking off from nearby Brookhaven Calabro Airport, a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said.
Authorities investigate the scene where a small plane carrying three people plummeted into a residential Long Island street in Shirley, N.Y., Sunday, Aug 19, 2012. The fiery crash killed one person aboard as neighbors tried to douse the flames with fire extinguishers and garden hoses. The single-engine, propeller plane went down around noon, shortly after taking off from nearby Brookhaven Calabro Airport, a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said.
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, August 12, 2012 in Shirley, NY
Aircraft: SOCATA TB 10, registration: N5542Z
Injuries: 2 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 August 19, 2011, about 1155 eastern daylight time, a Daher Socata TB10, N5542Z, was substantially damaged when it collided with trees and a construction dumpster during a forced landing after takeoff from Brookhaven Calabro Airport (HWV), Shirley, New York. The certificated private pilot/owner and a passenger were fatally injured, and a pilot-rated passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight that was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to witnesses, their attention was drawn to the airplane during its takeoff roll. The pace was described as "slow" and "anemic" as the airplane used almost the entire length of the runway, which was 4,222 feet long, before it took off. They described the airplane as it climbed slowly to tree-top height, in a nose-high pitch attitude, and disappeared from view. Moments later, a large smoke plume appeared out of the trees a short distance beyond the airport boundary.
A witness who stood on his back porch, said the airplane appeared above the trees at the back border of his property, and that the sound of the engine was "really loud." The airplane descended over his back yard and below the height of his one-story house in a left 30-degree bank. The airplane then pitched up, climbed over the house, and struck a tree and a construction dumpster in front of the house, where it burst into flames. The witness then described his efforts to extinguish the fire and assist the occupants of the airplane.
Preliminary radar data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed the airplane climbed to 200 feet mean sea level (msl) and accelerated to 63 knots groundspeed before the radar target was lost in the vicinity of the crash site.
The pilot/owner held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land. His most recent FAA third class medical certificate was issued on August 1, 2003. He reported 18 total hours of flight experience on that date.
According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1991. More recently, the FAA issued a ferry permit on June 20, 2012, in order to relocate the airplane in order to perform an annual inspection and other maintenance at HWV. The mechanic who ferried the airplane stated that there was nothing wrong with the performance and handling of the airplane on the ferry flight to HWV.
The wreckage was examined at the accident site on August 20, 2012. The airplane was largely consumed by post-crash fire. Control cable continuity was established from the cockpit to components identifiable with the flight control surfaces. The cockpit was severely damaged by fire. The engine was recovered from the scene and examined at HWV. The engine was rotated by hand and continuity, compression, and ignition spark were all confirmed.
Photo credit: Handout
David J. McElroy, 53, of Orient, owner of of the single-engine Socata TB10 and Jane Unhjem, 60, an assistant school superintendent from upstate Goshen were killed Sunday August 19, 2012.
Obituary: David J. McElroy
Visiting hours for David J. McElroy will take place Friday, August 24, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Bayport-Blue Point Funeral Home, 683 Montauk Highway in Bayport.
A Funeral Mass will be held Saturday, August 25, at 10 a.m. at St. Lawrence R.C. Church on Montauk Highway in Sayville. Interment will follow.
Donations may be made to McElroy Children’s Fund, c/o Bridgehampton National Bank, P.O. Box 1567, Southold, NY 11971.
View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.
Jane Unhjem, right, a Goshen School District assistant superintendent, died in a fiery plane crash Sunday afternoon on Long Island. Unhjem's husband, Erik, left, was critically injured.
Photo via Facebook
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BRIAN HARMON PHOTO
Chris Melendez and Kimberly Pastore, witnesses to the crash and its aftermath.
KAYLA CHIARAMONTE COURTESY PHOTO
Burning wreckage from the Shirley plane crash that took the life of David McElroy Sunday.
In his heart, Chris Melendez believes he and his neighbors are alive today because of a pilot’s quick thinking in the cockpit.
Mr. Melendez said he was just about to hop in the shower Sunday morning when he heard a thunderous crash outside his Helene Avenue home in Shirley. His fiancée, who had just pulled out of the driveway on her way to take his children to a petting zoo, phoned him frantically.
“She just kept yelling, ‘Get out of the house! Get out of the house!’” Mr. Melendez, 42, recalled a day later.
As he reached his front yard, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
A single-engine plane owned by David McElroy, a 53-year-old pilot from Orient, had taken off from Brookhaven Calabro Airport shortly after 11:30 a.m. before crashing into a dumpster right outside Mr. Melendez’ home a mile from the airport. As the Shirley resident began his sprint to the crash, the plane exploded.
“All I could see were 30-foot high flames,” Mr. Melendez said.
He grabbed a garden hose and immediately began spraying into the cockpit in an attempt to save Mr. McElroy, who was burning about four feet away, just out of reach.
“He reached out to me,” Mr. Melendez said. “Then I saw him take his last breath.”
Suffolk police confirmed Monday that Mr. McElroy, who FAA records show is the owner of the plane, died in the crash. The crash also killed passenger Jane Unhjem, 60, of Goshen, N.Y., who died eight hours later. Another person aboard the plane, Erik Unhjem, 61, was listed in critical condition at Stony Brook University Medical Center.
A licensed pilot, Erik Uhnjem was also in the cockpit when the plane crashed, a National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson told the media Monday.
It is not yet clear to investigators who was flying the plane at the time of the crash.
Mr. Melendez said he and his fiancée, who saw the plane touch ground, believe there would have been more victims if not for the pilot’s ability to navigate the plane away from the houses on their street.
Mr. Melendez said his fiancée, Kimberly Pastore, watched as the pilot steered away from high tension wires near their home. The plane then closely navigated around several homes before landing perilously in a dumpster on Mr. Melendez’ property line, 30 yards from his living room, he said.
Mr. Melendez added that if Mr. McElroy was flying the plane, he “paid with his life” to save others.
“I believe [the pilot] did everything he could to avoid hitting any houses,” Mr. Melendez said.
NTSB Investigator Brian Rayner said the engine of the Socata TB10 was in “surprisingly good shape” and will be examined further after removal from the aircraft.
Investigators do not know where the plane was headed, officials said.
Louie Cruz of Shirley was doing yard work when he heard what he thought was a car crash on William Floyd Parkway. He ran around the bend to see the fire and smoke from the plane crash, the second he’s witnessed in his Shirley neighborhood.
He said he saw his neighbors pulling the Unhjems from the plane. Like Mr. Melendez, he said Mr. McElroy couldn’t be reached.
“No one could get to him,” Mr. Cruz said. “He just burned right up.”
Mr. Melendez said he was forced to stay at his parents’ home nearby last night, as Helene Avenue remained closed outside his house. He was hoping to be let back into his home this afternoon.
He said he’s having a hard time shaking thoughts of Sunday’s crash from his head.
“I wish there was more I could do for [Mr. McElroy],” he said. “It was just horrible. I’ll never be able to forget him.”
Source: http://suffolktimes.timesreview.com
Friends remember Goshen educator's love for children
Jane Unhjem, assistant superintendent in Goshen, died in a fiery plane crash Sunday
Jane Unhjem, a Goshen School District assistant superintendent, died in a fiery plane crash Sunday afternoon on Long Island. A man believed to be the pilot also was killed in the crash, and Unhjem's husband, Erik, was critically injured.
Officials at Stony Brook University Hospital Medical Center said Jane Unhjem, 60, was declared dead at the hospital several hours after the plane plummeted into a residential street in Shirley, on eastern Long Island, at about noon. Erik Unhjem, 61, the sole survivor of the crash, was being treated for burns, hospital officials said.
People who knew Jane Unhjem through her civic activities offered heartfelt testimonials on Monday, breaking down with emotion at times as they described Unhjem as a selfless, sunny person who devoted herself to her community and inspired people who came in contact with her.
“She really had an incredible knack with and love for kids,” said Doris Obremski, president of the Rotary Club of Goshen, for which Unhjem coordinated an annual leadership program and international exchange program for students.
“She just had this warmth and smile,” Obremski recalled.
Lynn Cione, executive director of the Goshen Chamber of Commerce, called Unhjem “an exceptional human being” and “probably the most authentic person I ever met.”
“People were excited to be around her,” said Cione, who knew Unhjem through chamber events and other interactions. “There was always joy in her face and joy in her voice.”
“She was genuine,” Cione added. “What you saw was what you got. And what you got was all good.”
Grief counselors from the district and BOCES are available at the Goshen High School Monday for any staff members or students who need support, according to the district's website. The counselors will also be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 21, and their time in the district will be extended if necessary. The website said Jane Unhjem is survived by her husband, Erik, her children, Gayle and Matthew, and her parents, Val and Ray Walesky. Services are unknown at this time.
“Jane was deeply loved and respected within our district and community, not only as an educator but as a friend,” Goshen Superintendent Daniel Connor said in a statement on the district's website. “She was a tremendous force in our district and the mark she has left will not soon fade. Words can't express how sorely she will be missed.”
The district website posted this description of Jane Unhjem: "Jane was a vibrant educator and leader with an infectious energy that affected everyone around her. She took tremendous pride in her work and her warmth and enthusiasm for learning was evident each and every day she spent at Goshen Schools. During her time with the district, she touched the lives of countless students, parents and faculty members. The entire Goshen community is deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend."
Jane Unhjem, who lived with her husband in Goshen, had a long history as a leading mid-Hudson educator and worked in a number of local school districts, going back to the mid-1980s.
She was the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the Goshen School District. She also served as director of staff development in the Monroe-Woodbury District, as assistant director of special education in the Pine Bush School District and as a special education teacher in Pine Bush. She also taught at Orange-Ulster BOCES.
In local education circles, Unhjem was known for encouraging students to become active members of their communities.
In November 2010, speaking at an assembly encouraging students to get involved in Rachel's Challenge, a program to counteract violence, she urged parents to get involved, saying, "Our parents are a powerful catalyst in the effort to increase kindness and positive behaviors in our students' everyday lives."
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the single-engine propeller plane went down shortly after taking off from Brookhaven Calabro Airport near Shirley.
The front of the plane landed on a tree-lined street flanked with homes - ending up about 100 feet from the nearest house and several hundred from half-a-dozen others - and its tail plunged into a nearby construction trash bin, said Jeff Litwin, who lives near the crash site.
A neighbor "was trying to put out the fire with a garden hose, but it was too hot and he couldn't get to a person trapped inside," Litwin said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
-- The Associated Press contributed to this report.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 5542Z Make/Model: TB10 Description: SOCATA TB 10
Date: 08/19/2012 Time: 1600
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
City: BROOKHAVEN State: NY Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE WERE 3 PERSONS ON
BOARD, 2 WERE FATALLY INJURED, 1 SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES, BROOKHAVEN, NY
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 2
# Crew: 3 Fat: 2 Ser: 1 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: Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: FARMINGDALE, NY (EA11) Entry date: 08/20/2012
http://registry.faa.gov/N5542Z
A small plane crashed in a fireball on a Long Island street yesterday, killing the pilot and a woman on board and critically injuring her husband.
Neighbors armed only with garden hoses tried to save the victims from 20-foot flames.
“I watched a man burn to death in front of my eyes. This man fought to live, and there was just nothing we could do. It was awful,” said former Navy aviation mechanic Darnell Lee, 26, who braved 20-foot flames to try to save the pilot.
People living near the crash site in Shirley said the pilot steered his plane away from the houses.
“This man is a hero. You could see that he tried to avoid hitting my house,” said Lee.
“I respect this man. He died fighting. I wish I could meet his family and tell them this.”
Another neighborhood resident, Dan Tooker, 29, used a hose to spray water on the pilot through a sheared-off door.
“The plane was upside down, so his feet were pinned,’’ Tooker said. “He was struggling to get himself out of the plane. He was on fire.’’
Lee watched in horror, helpless, as the pilot died. “You could see him give up. It was heartbreaking. It’s something I can’t get out of my head.”
An Orange County woman and a pilot were killed Sunday after a single-engine plane crashed into a residential neighborhood on Long Island, authorities said, and another passenger -- the husband of the female passenger -- was critically injured.
Witnesses said the two passengers emerged from the plane in Shirley appearing dazed and severely burned before they were taken to the hospital.
SHIRLEY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) - One person was confirmed dead after a small plane carrying three people crashed in the eastern Long Island town of Shirley Sunday morning, authorities said.
1010 WINS’ Carol D’Auria reported that the pilot was trapped in the fiery wreckage and killed.
Neighbor Ed Finnegan told D’Auria he was reading his morning newspaper when the plane went down.
“I heard the crash and then I hopped in my truck, drove over there, and it was completely engulfed in flames,” Finnegan told D’Auria.
Neighbors used garden hoses to put out the flames coming off the plane, D’Auria reported.
Finnegan said he knew the plane was flying too low, but credited the pilot for preventing greater catastrophe.
“The plane somehow managed to go between two houses and not hit them and hit the tree in front of the house, and came down on the street. It’s unnerving,” he said.
Riding in the plane at the time of the crash were Erik Unhjem, 61, and his wife Jane, 60, of Goshen, New York. The couple was airlifted to Stony Brook University Medical Center.
Authorities said the small plane was a Socata TB10, registered to an Orlando, FL man.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the plane went down in a vacant lot near a residential area about a mile north of Brookhaven Calabro Airport.
The FAA reported that the accident happened on departure from Brookhaven Airport.
Neighbors told CBS 2′s Steve Langford that they did their best to save the pilot.
“We were trying so hard to get him out and we couldn’t, we kept him wet, he was trapped,” said Darnell Lee.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com
Authorities investigate the scene where a small plane carrying three people plummeted into a residential Long Island street in Shirley, N.Y., Sunday, Aug 19, 2012. The fiery crash killed one person aboard as neighbors tried to douse the flames with fire extinguishers and garden hoses. The single-engine, propeller plane went down around noon, shortly after taking off from nearby Brookhaven Calabro Airport, a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said.
(AP Photo/Newsday, John Roca) NYC LOCALS OUT
Authorities investigate the scene where a small plane carrying three people plummeted into a residential Long Island street in Shirley, N.Y., Sunday, Aug 19, 2012. The fiery crash killed one person aboard as neighbors tried to douse the flames with fire extinguishers and garden hoses. The single-engine, propeller plane went down around noon, shortly after taking off from nearby Brookhaven Calabro Airport, a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said.
(AP Photo/Newsday, John Roca) NYC LOCALS OUT
Please note: The photo shown in the video is from a crash a few years ago- NOT FROM SHIRLEY
Boulder, Colorado, to ask voters, again, to extend lease terms for city properties: Local institutions say longer leases necessary to procure investments
Jim Polstra, senior engineer at Avidyne, pumps gas into an experimental airplane on August 17, 2012, at the Boulder Municipal Airport. Avidyne is working to build a safer autopilot system and is using the airplane as a test plane. The airport is one of the city properties negatively impacted by the short leases offered to tenants by the city of Boulder. Photo by Jeremy Papasso.
( JEREMY PAPASSO )
Four years ago, David Rubin had a $5 million loan lined up for a complete redo of A Spice of Life Event Center at the Flatirons Golf Course. Rubin, president of the catering and events company, wanted to make it the greenest building in Boulder and a facility that the golf course's clientele "deserves."
Those plans went on the shelf when Boulder voters narrowly rejected a charter amendment that would have allowed the city to offer leases of up to 40 years. The charter currently limits the city to leases of no more than 20 years. However, many investors and banks balk at putting money into facilities that don't have longer leases.
The Boulder City Council plans to present a similar charter amendment -- this time for 30 years instead of 40 -- to voters this fall. The City Council will vote on the final ballot and ordinance language on Tuesday.
Approving leases longer than 20 years would require a two-thirds majority of the City Council, according to the proposed ballot language. Longer leases also would have to show they offered a "public benefit," like generating revenue for the city, creating jobs or providing important services not offered by the city.
City leaders have asked the voters twice before to allow longer leases on city property. In 2007, nearly 61 percent of voters said no to a charter amendment that would have allowed 40-year leases. In 2008, the vote was much closer, with 51 percent rejecting the proposal.
The restrictions on lease lengths affects a number of community institutions, including the Boulder Municipal Airport, the Colorado Chautauqua Association, the Dairy Center for the Arts, A Spice of Life Event Center and the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art.
At the airport, tenants lease land from the city and build structures that become property of the city at the end of the lease.
Because of the shorter lease terms, several potential tenants have decided not to locate at the Boulder airport, said city spokeswoman Jody Jacobson.
"We've had about a dozen potential tenants out there who looked into building new structures but decided they couldn't recoup their costs," she said. "Some of those could have added jobs to Boulder County, and instead, they moved on to other airports."
The Dairy Center has the capacity to have a 100-kilowatt solar power system on its roof, but solar systems typically pay for themselves in 25 years.
"It's hard to justify putting in that kind of money with a 20-year limit," said Joe Castro, the city's facilities manager.
The Dairy ended up installing a 34-kilowatt system instead, paid for with a federal grant.
Richard Polk, chairman of the Dairy's board, said it's also an issue when trying to solicit large donations.
"People want it to mean something that they were alive, but they want to give money to places that are going to be around for a long time," Polk said. "To give real money, people need to have confidence that you're going to be around."
Polk said that ideally, for cultural institutions like the Dairy, the city would offer 50-year leases. However, a 30-year lease would at least make lenders more comfortable.
Boulder Parks and Recreation Director Kirk Kincannon said public-private partnerships allow the city to leverage private financing to offer services the city cannot afford on its own.
Investors in a tennis facility were interested in locating at Valmont City Park, but they passed because of the shorter lease terms.
A Spice of Life's Rubin said some cities offer 99-year leases. The lease terms are structured so that bad operators who don't generate revenue or maintain facilities would lose their lease.
He would prefer something above 40 years but said 30 years would be a good start.
Rubin said the complete renovation he imagined doesn't make sense with a 20-year term.
"By the time it's paid off, you lose the land lease," he said. "Why would any entrepreneur invest in a business like that?"
He's continued to put money into the event center -- hundreds of thousands of dollars, he said -- but the building's 40-year-old plumbing and electric systems needs constant attention.
"It looks great right now but it could be amazing if we completely redid it," Rubin said. "It works, but they do not have and cannot offer their clientele the facilities they deserve."
Story and photo: http://www.dailycamera.com
If you go -
What: Boulder City Council meeting
When: 6 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Municipal Building, 1777 Broadway
More information: bouldercolorado.gov
What: Boulder City Council meeting
When: 6 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Municipal Building, 1777 Broadway
More information: bouldercolorado.gov
All 31 Passengers, Including Minister, Killed in Sudanese Plane Crash
A Sudanese civil plane carrying a ministerial delegation crashed early Sunday in Sudan's South Kordofan State, killing all 31 passengers, including a minister, an aviation official told Xinhua.
"The plane, Antinov, belonging to a civil aviation company, left Khartoum at 6:00 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) carrying a ministerial delegation of 31 people," said Abdul-Hafez Abdul- Rahim, spokesperson of Sudan's Civil Aviation.
Among the killed was Minister of Guidance and Religious Endowments Ghazi al-Sadiq, the spokesman said.
"The plane flew over Taloudy airport in South Kordofan. An explosion was heard inside the mountains surrounding the area," he said, stressing "The plane crashed, killing all the people on board."
South Kordofan State has been recently witnessing armed clashes between the Sudanese army and rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA)/northern sector.
Abdul-Rahim did not exclude the assumption that the plane was exposed to a hostile act, but said "there are ongoing investigations to know the facts about the incident."
"We cannot tell exactly what happened now," he said.
Sudan has seen several plane crashes in recent years.
On June 20, 2012, a Sudanese military training aircraft crashed at the air base in Port-Sudan city in eastern the country, leaving its two-member crew killed.
On December 30, 2011, six crew members were killed when a military helicopter crashed in the western region of Darfur.
In 2008, at least 11 were killed in two cargo plane crashes in Sudan.
http://english.cri.cn
A Sudanese government minister was among up to 31 people killed after a plane crashed in southern Sudan.
Guidance and Religious Endowments Minister Ghazi al Sadiq Abdel Rahim was on board the flight, which came down in mountains in war-torn South Kordofan state.
It was landing at Talodi for a function marking the Muslim Eid holiday when it crashed.
Abdelhafiz Abdelrahim, a spokesman for the Sudan Aviation Authority, said: "All people on board were killed."
He added that the aircraft was landing this morning when "an explosion was heard and the plane was destroyed" and that 31 people including the flight crew were killed.
Oil-producing South Kordofan borders South Sudan, which seceded more than a year ago. The border state has been the site of an insurgency since shortly before South Sudan's independence.
A spokesman for the main rebel group in the area, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement North, said it had nothing to do with the plane crash.
More follows...
"The plane, Antinov, belonging to a civil aviation company, left Khartoum at 6:00 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) carrying a ministerial delegation of 31 people," said Abdul-Hafez Abdul- Rahim, spokesperson of Sudan's Civil Aviation.
Among the killed was Minister of Guidance and Religious Endowments Ghazi al-Sadiq, the spokesman said.
"The plane flew over Taloudy airport in South Kordofan. An explosion was heard inside the mountains surrounding the area," he said, stressing "The plane crashed, killing all the people on board."
South Kordofan State has been recently witnessing armed clashes between the Sudanese army and rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA)/northern sector.
Abdul-Rahim did not exclude the assumption that the plane was exposed to a hostile act, but said "there are ongoing investigations to know the facts about the incident."
"We cannot tell exactly what happened now," he said.
Sudan has seen several plane crashes in recent years.
On June 20, 2012, a Sudanese military training aircraft crashed at the air base in Port-Sudan city in eastern the country, leaving its two-member crew killed.
On December 30, 2011, six crew members were killed when a military helicopter crashed in the western region of Darfur.
In 2008, at least 11 were killed in two cargo plane crashes in Sudan.
http://english.cri.cn
A Sudanese government minister was among up to 31 people killed after a plane crashed in southern Sudan.
Guidance and Religious Endowments Minister Ghazi al Sadiq Abdel Rahim was on board the flight, which came down in mountains in war-torn South Kordofan state.
It was landing at Talodi for a function marking the Muslim Eid holiday when it crashed.
Abdelhafiz Abdelrahim, a spokesman for the Sudan Aviation Authority, said: "All people on board were killed."
He added that the aircraft was landing this morning when "an explosion was heard and the plane was destroyed" and that 31 people including the flight crew were killed.
Oil-producing South Kordofan borders South Sudan, which seceded more than a year ago. The border state has been the site of an insurgency since shortly before South Sudan's independence.
A spokesman for the main rebel group in the area, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement North, said it had nothing to do with the plane crash.
More follows...
Piper PA-28-140, N7301F: Aircraft force landed on a dirt road, near Riverside, California
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 7301F Make/Model: PA28 Description: PA-28 CHEROKEE, ARROW, WARRIOR, ACHER, D
Date: 08/18/2012 Time: 2346
Event Type: Incident Highest Injury: None Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: None
LOCATION
City: RIVERSIDE State: CA Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED ON A DIRT ROAD, NEAR RIVERSIDE, CA
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 2 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: RIVERSIDE, CA (WP21) Entry date: 08/20/2012
http://registry.faa.gov/N7301F
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N7301F
http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo
Photo Credit: FRANK BELLINO
The pilot of this airplane had to make a hard landing in a field off Hillside and Central avenues just short of the Riverside Municipal Airport.
Photo Credit: FRANK BELLINO
Two men look for the fence from the Riverside Municipal Airport side at a airplane that made a hard landing in a field off of Hillside Ave and Central Ave just short of the Riverside Municipal Airport in Riverside,
August 18, 2012.
A small passenger plane made a hard landing just outside of the Riverside Municipal Airport on Saturday afternoon, August 18.
No one on board was harmed and the plane suffered no visible damage, according to passenger Jim Cooper.
The plane, which carried the pilot, Cooper and another passenger, was blown off course to the runway by strong crosswinds. It landed in the drainage ditch of a nearby industrial complex.
According to Cooper, a friend of the pilot, he was not too afraid when he noticed the plane veering off course. He would not disclose the pilot’s name. The other passenger did not give his name.
“You’re just kind of along for the ride,” Cooper said, laughing. “You can get scared later. My life didn’t flash before my eyes or anything. I just noticed there was no power and there was no way we would make the runway.”
Story and photos: http://www.pe.com
FLEET 16B, N343SF: Aircraft on landing, flipped over, Bayport, New York
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 343SF Make/Model: FLEE Description: 1940 FLEET 16B
Date: 08/18/2012 Time: 2100
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: None Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
City: BAYPORT State: NY Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, FLIPPED OVER, BAYPORT, NY
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 2 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: FARMINGDALE, NY (EA11) Entry date: 08/20/2012
http://registry.faa.gov/N343SFhttp://www.russellw.com/photoalbum/photo_drilldown.asp?ID=1728&qModel=e16B
Photo credit: Chuck Christophersen
A single-engine plane flipped over during landing Saturday afternoon at the Bayport Aerodrome, Suffolk County police said. No injuries were reported.
(August 18, 2012)
No injuries were reported after a single-engine plane flipped over during landing Saturday afternoon at the Bayport Aerodrome, Suffolk County police said.
Fifth Precinct Sergeant Michael Tavares said the 1940 Fleet 16, an antique biplane, was carrying the pilot and one passenger when it skidded on landing and then flipped over about 5 p.m.
Tavares said neither the pilot, 54-year-old Steve Martin of Huntington Station, or his passenger, 67-year-old Tom Paradise of Alexandria, Va., complained of any injuries. But the plane's landing gear tail fin and one of its wings were damaged in the bumpy landing.
The plane's landing gear could be to blame, police said. Tavares said the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the cause of the crash.
Story and photo: http://www.newsday.com
August 18, 2012
Cessna 172M Skyhawk, N9677H: Aircraft force landed on a highway, near Sellersburg, Indiana
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 9677H Make/Model: C172 Description: Skyhawk
Date: 08/18/2012 Time: 1347
Event Type: Incident Highest Injury: None Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Minor
LOCATION
City: SELLERSBURG State: IN Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED ON A HIGHWAY, NEAR SELLERSBURG, IN
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: INDIANAPOLIS, IN (GL11) Entry date: 08/21/2012
Police said the plane ran out of fuel.SELLERSBURG, Ind. - No one was hurt when a small plane made an emergency landing Saturday morning on a highway in Indiana.
Two people were on board the aircraft when it landed on Highway 60 near Interstate 65 at about 10 a.m.
Cheryl Koetter, who works at Cricket's Cafe, spoke with the passenger. She said he told her they lost power a ways back and were debating whether to crash land into a tree or a pond. He told her when they got to the road, they decided to land instead of crashing.
The passenger was shaken. He said it was his first time in a plane, and he'd never go up again.
It is believed that a fuel issue was the reason the pilot had to put the plane down. After refueling, police escorted the plane about a mile and a half to the Clark County Regional Airport.
Read more: http://www.wlky.com
http://registry.faa.gov/N9677H
http://www.flickr.com/photos
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) - - Think about if you're driving down the road and all of the sudden a plane decides it's going to use your lane as a runway.
That was the story Saturday near Sellersburg.
Motorist David Via said “I was headed this way (points) and outta nowhere I just looked up and there’s a plane coming at me. So I tried to veer over to the right as much as I could. He landed, kinda bounced around a little bit, and then the next thing I know the wing clips my truck and goes right over top of my car. It was the wildest thing I've ever seen. I can't believe it.”
A single engine Cessna had to make an emergency landing on SR 60 at about 10 a.m. because the plane ran out of gas.
Eyewitnesses say several cars had to move off the road to avoid being hit by the plane.
One driver that couldn't move in time was David Via.
His red truck now has marks on the roof to show where the plane scrapped across it.
Cpl. Nick Mobley with the Clark County Sheriff's Office said “There were no injuries. We were very lucky that we sustained no injuries, especially at the time due to the traffic volume at the time on SR 60.”
The plane landed about a mile and a half from the Clark County Airport.
The pilot and authorities went to get gas and after it was refueled police officers from Sellersburg and Indiana State Police were able to escort the plane down the highway and back into the airport safely.
Source: http://www.whas11.com
SELLERSBURG, Ind. -- A single-engine plane made an emergency landing on a rural road in southern Indiana early Saturday, officials said.
About 10 a.m., investigators said several cars had to move off State Road 60 in Sellersburg to avoid being hit by the plane.
Police said the plane ran out of gas.
One driver could not clear the roadway fast enough and the plane scraped across the roof of his truck.
“I tried to veer over to the right as much as I could. The pilot landed and kind of bounced around a little bit. The next thing I know, the wing clips and goes right over the top of my car. It was the wildest thing I’ve ever seen,” driver David Via said.
State police escorted the plane down the highway and into a regional airport.
No injuries were reported.
http://www.theindychannel.com
'14 pilots, 31 cabin crew members failed pre-flight alcohol test'
NEW DELHI: Fourteen pilots and 31 cabin crew members failed alcohol test during the pre-flight medical examination between January and March this year, civil aviation minister Ajit Singh said on Friday.
"This year 14 pilots and 31 cabin crew members failed the breathalyzer test, compared to four and 21 last year," Singh said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.
Of the 14 pilots, four are of Jet Airways, three of Air India, two each of Kingfisher Airlines, SpiceJet and IndiGo while one was of Jetlite, he said, adding that last year only pilots were found under the influence of alcohol, of which two were of Kingfisher and one each of Jet Airways and Jetlite.
Compared to 21 last year, this year 31 cabin crew members were caught drunk on duty. Of these 10 were of Jet Airways, nine of IndiGo, three each of Jetlite, Air India and SpiceJet while one each were of Kingfisher, Go Airways and Air India Express.
Singh informed the House that as per the Civil Aviation Regulation (CAR), licenses of first time offender were suspended for three months while those caught for the second time had their licenses cancelled for five years.
The license of a Jetlite pilot was cancelled for five years as he tested positive for second time while the services of a cabin crew member of the same airline were terminated as per company procedure as she was on probation, Singh said.
Last year, between January and March, no pilot and cabin crew member of Air India and Air India Express were found reporting under the influence of alcohol.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
"This year 14 pilots and 31 cabin crew members failed the breathalyzer test, compared to four and 21 last year," Singh said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.
Of the 14 pilots, four are of Jet Airways, three of Air India, two each of Kingfisher Airlines, SpiceJet and IndiGo while one was of Jetlite, he said, adding that last year only pilots were found under the influence of alcohol, of which two were of Kingfisher and one each of Jet Airways and Jetlite.
Compared to 21 last year, this year 31 cabin crew members were caught drunk on duty. Of these 10 were of Jet Airways, nine of IndiGo, three each of Jetlite, Air India and SpiceJet while one each were of Kingfisher, Go Airways and Air India Express.
Singh informed the House that as per the Civil Aviation Regulation (CAR), licenses of first time offender were suspended for three months while those caught for the second time had their licenses cancelled for five years.
The license of a Jetlite pilot was cancelled for five years as he tested positive for second time while the services of a cabin crew member of the same airline were terminated as per company procedure as she was on probation, Singh said.
Last year, between January and March, no pilot and cabin crew member of Air India and Air India Express were found reporting under the influence of alcohol.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Macleod FW-190 1/2 Scale, N149AM: Accident occurred August 18, 2012 in Columbus, Georgia
NTSB Identification: ERA12FA513
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, August 18, 2012 in Columbus, GA
Aircraft: MCLEOD ALAN FW-190 1/2 SCALE, registration: N149AM
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On August 18, 2012, about 1023 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur built FW-190 ½ scale replica, N149AM, registered to and operated by a private individual, crashed near the approach end of runway 13 at Columbus Metropolitan Airport (CSG), Columbus, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal, local flight from CSG. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the commercial pilot, was fatally injured. The flight originated from CSG about 1018.
According to preliminary air traffic control (ATC) information, the pilot was cleared for takeoff for left traffic to runway 24 at 1018, and advised that the wind was from 290 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot acknowledged the takeoff clearance and left traffic instruction from the controller. The pilot remained in the traffic pattern for runway 24, and at 1020:46, the pilot advised the controller that he was on left base for runway 24.The controller cleared the pilot for the option on runway 24 and advised the wind was from 310 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot acknowledged the instructions from the controller and at 1022:07, the pilot advised the controller he intended to land on runway 13, and reported a partial loss of engine power. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane when it was west of runway 06/24 and south of runway 13/31, turn onto the downwind leg for runway 13. One witness described hearing a reduced power setting, while another witness estimated the airplane was at 200 feet.
Preliminary ATC information further indicates that at 1022:22, the pilot advised the controller that he intended to land on runway 13, and again advised of a loss of engine power. The controller cleared the pilot to land on runway 13. When the flight was near the approach end of runway 13, the airplane was observed in a left bank, with one witness describing the left bank as a, “pretty good turn to the left.” The same witness reported the left wing dropped, the nose pitched down, and the airplane stalled.
Preliminary examination of the accident site revealed an impact scar associated with the right wing and engine oriented on a magnetic heading of 258 degrees; the impact scar was located approximately 157 feet and 327 degrees from the approach end centerline of runway 13. The wreckage came to rest on a magnetic heading of 302 degrees. All components necessary for flight remained attached or were found in close proximity to the main wreckage. There was no evidence of in-flight or postcrash fire on any observed components.
The pilot of an experimental plane died early Saturday after his single-engine aircraft plunged into a grassy field at the Columbus Metropolitan Airport, an official said.
George Wade, 71, of Columbus died in the crash, Muscogee County Coroner Bill Thrower said.
The plane had taken off from the airport when it immediately experienced engine problems. The pilot of the small craft tried to return to the airport when the aircraft crashed on its nose.
Thrower pronounced Wade dead at 11:20 a.m.
Steven Hewlett said Wade was a pilot and instructor at the airport. Hewlett, also a pilot, said he last saw Wade two days ago.
In a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration, spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the single-engine aircraft, an FW-190, was practicing approaches about 10:40 a.m.
"After completing one touch and go, the pilot announced he lost engine power and would be landing on Runway 13," the statement said. "The aircraft crashed short of the runway and was destroyed."
Debris was scattered east of Armour Road and south of Airport Thruway just off a taxiway to the hangars at the west end of the fenced airport. The crash site was sealed off with bright yellow tape.
The crash remains under investigation by the FAA. Thrower said an investigator was headed to Columbus Saturday, and he would be at the scene this morning.
Thrower said Wade's body would be sent Monday to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Atlanta for an autopsy.
Bergen said the cause of the crash would be determined by the National Transportation Safety Board, which could take up to a year.
The aircraft was registered to a Columbus man, but the owner wasn't identified.
Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com
http://registry.faa.gov/N149AM
COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) - Emergency responders were called to the Columbus Airport Saturday morning after a plane went down near the runway.
Coroner Bill Thrower said he pronounced 71-year-old George Wade dead around 11: 20 a.m. on the scene.
Wade's small experimental plane crashed near the runaway while he was making an emergency landing, according Sherry Goodrum, chairperson for the airport commission.
The crash site is located off Airport Thruway. It is unclear what caused the plane to crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are en route to Columbus to investigate.
Wade was an independent instructor at the Columbus Airport.
Story, photo and video: http://www.wsfa.com
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, August 18, 2012 in Columbus, GA
Aircraft: MCLEOD ALAN FW-190 1/2 SCALE, registration: N149AM
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On August 18, 2012, about 1023 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur built FW-190 ½ scale replica, N149AM, registered to and operated by a private individual, crashed near the approach end of runway 13 at Columbus Metropolitan Airport (CSG), Columbus, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal, local flight from CSG. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the commercial pilot, was fatally injured. The flight originated from CSG about 1018.
According to preliminary air traffic control (ATC) information, the pilot was cleared for takeoff for left traffic to runway 24 at 1018, and advised that the wind was from 290 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot acknowledged the takeoff clearance and left traffic instruction from the controller. The pilot remained in the traffic pattern for runway 24, and at 1020:46, the pilot advised the controller that he was on left base for runway 24.The controller cleared the pilot for the option on runway 24 and advised the wind was from 310 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot acknowledged the instructions from the controller and at 1022:07, the pilot advised the controller he intended to land on runway 13, and reported a partial loss of engine power. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane when it was west of runway 06/24 and south of runway 13/31, turn onto the downwind leg for runway 13. One witness described hearing a reduced power setting, while another witness estimated the airplane was at 200 feet.
Preliminary ATC information further indicates that at 1022:22, the pilot advised the controller that he intended to land on runway 13, and again advised of a loss of engine power. The controller cleared the pilot to land on runway 13. When the flight was near the approach end of runway 13, the airplane was observed in a left bank, with one witness describing the left bank as a, “pretty good turn to the left.” The same witness reported the left wing dropped, the nose pitched down, and the airplane stalled.
Preliminary examination of the accident site revealed an impact scar associated with the right wing and engine oriented on a magnetic heading of 258 degrees; the impact scar was located approximately 157 feet and 327 degrees from the approach end centerline of runway 13. The wreckage came to rest on a magnetic heading of 302 degrees. All components necessary for flight remained attached or were found in close proximity to the main wreckage. There was no evidence of in-flight or postcrash fire on any observed components.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 149AM Make/Model: EXP Description: FW-190
Date: 08/18/2012 Time: 1423
Event Type: Incident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: COLUMBUS State: GA Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED OFF THE RUNWAY, THE 1 PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED,
COLUMBUS, GA
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 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: Pleasure Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: COLLEGE PARK, GA (SO11) Entry date: 08/20/2012
The pilot of an experimental plane died early Saturday after his single-engine aircraft plunged into a grassy field at the Columbus Metropolitan Airport, an official said.
George Wade, 71, of Columbus died in the crash, Muscogee County Coroner Bill Thrower said.
The plane had taken off from the airport when it immediately experienced engine problems. The pilot of the small craft tried to return to the airport when the aircraft crashed on its nose.
Thrower pronounced Wade dead at 11:20 a.m.
Steven Hewlett said Wade was a pilot and instructor at the airport. Hewlett, also a pilot, said he last saw Wade two days ago.
In a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration, spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the single-engine aircraft, an FW-190, was practicing approaches about 10:40 a.m.
"After completing one touch and go, the pilot announced he lost engine power and would be landing on Runway 13," the statement said. "The aircraft crashed short of the runway and was destroyed."
Debris was scattered east of Armour Road and south of Airport Thruway just off a taxiway to the hangars at the west end of the fenced airport. The crash site was sealed off with bright yellow tape.
The crash remains under investigation by the FAA. Thrower said an investigator was headed to Columbus Saturday, and he would be at the scene this morning.
Thrower said Wade's body would be sent Monday to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Atlanta for an autopsy.
Bergen said the cause of the crash would be determined by the National Transportation Safety Board, which could take up to a year.
The aircraft was registered to a Columbus man, but the owner wasn't identified.
Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com
http://registry.faa.gov/N149AM
ROBIN TRIMARCHI, ledger-enquirer.com
Airport officials, the Columbus Police Department and the Muscogee County Coroner work at the scene of an experimental aircraft crash on the west taxiway of the Columbus Airport. The pilot, George Wade of Columbus, was killed as he tried to land the aircraft Saturday morning.
COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) - Emergency responders were called to the Columbus Airport Saturday morning after a plane went down near the runway.
Coroner Bill Thrower said he pronounced 71-year-old George Wade dead around 11: 20 a.m. on the scene.
Wade's small experimental plane crashed near the runaway while he was making an emergency landing, according Sherry Goodrum, chairperson for the airport commission.
The crash site is located off Airport Thruway. It is unclear what caused the plane to crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are en route to Columbus to investigate.
Wade was an independent instructor at the Columbus Airport.
Story, photo and video: http://www.wsfa.com
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