An investigation has been launched into an incident where a
Polynesian Airlines plane nearly collided with a Samoa Air aircraft
above Vaimoso on 21 June this year.
The investigation is
being carried out by the Civil Aviation division of the Ministry of
Works, Transport and Infrastructure (MWTI), CEO of Polynesian Airlines,
Taua Fatu Tielu confirmed.
“The near collision was the result of
miscommunication,” Taua said adding that it’s the first time such an
incident has surfaced.
“Both airlines have lodged reports with the Civil Aviation and the investigation has already started on the matter.”
Repeated attempts to get a comment from Civil Aviation yesterday were unsuccessful.
But
Taua said a report filed by the Polynesian Airline pilot who manned the
aircraft that day indicated that Samoa Air did not advise them about
the path of its flight.
“But Samoa Air claims that they did advise us,” said Taua.
The miscommunication resulted in the two planes being on the same flight path.
Chief
Pilot for Samoa Air, Peniata Maiava, who flew the airline’s plane that
day, downplayed the incident. Mr Maiava said he was with a co-pilot
during the flight.
He told the Samoa Observer they were flying out
of Fagali’i Airport while Polynesian Airlines was heading to Fagali’i
and both planes had no passengers on board.
“There are many
stories being thrown around,” Mr Maiava said. “The incident was the
result of poor communication with the tower and the other aircraft.
“We
have already sent a report through the proper channel to get it
investigated. Nothing happened, people just think it did and a lot of
stories are made up to make others look bad.”
Mr Maiava is unsure when the investigation would be completed.
“It
will take some time,” he said. “We’ve filed our report with Civil
Aviation and we have left it to the Airport Authority and the tower to
deal with it.”
Mr Maiava said the result of the investigation should improve the safety of flights for the two airlines.
Taua agrees. He said he has already written to Samoa Air pointing out certain procedures they need to follow.
“That they must advise us before departure and before landing,” said Taua.
The CEO said safety is paramount and its something Polynesian values highly.
“Lets make sure we work together for the safety of passengers and also for the smooth running of all operations”.
http://www.samoaobserver.ws
Friday, August 24, 2012
Piper PA-24-250, N8218P: Accident occurred Thursday, August 02, 2012 in Truckee, California
NTSB Identification: WPR12FA339
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, August 02, 2012 in Truckee, CA
Aircraft: PIPER PA-24-250, registration: N8218P
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 2, 2012, about 0814 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250, N8218P, sustained substantial damage when it impacted a hangar during takeoff initial climb from Truckee-Tahoe Airport (TRK), Truckee, California. The airplane was registered and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight which was originating at the time of the accident.
Representatives from Los Medicos Voladores reported that the pilot was participating in a flight to Baja, Mexico for medical outreach and was transporting two passengers and medical supplies.
Two witnesses, who were previously onboard the airplane during a first takeoff attempt reported that the accident flight was the second attempted takeoff by the pilot. Prior to the first takeoff, the pilot and passengers loaded baggage into the aft baggage compartment and rear seat area. After a normal taxi out and pre-takeoff checks, the pilot initiated takeoff on runway 19. The passengers stated that the airplane appeared to have accelerated and lifted off normally, however, as the airplane ascended through about 20 feet above the runway, the airplane wobbled to the left and right, and drifted slightly to the left. The pilot told the passengers that something did not feel right and that the airplane was not climbing. Subsequently, the pilot aborted the takeoff and landed uneventfully on the remaining runway.
During the taxi back to the terminal area, the pilot and his two passengers discussed various ideas why the airplane was not climbing, including potential weight and balance issues and center of gravity issues. The witnesses further reported that the pilot told them that he was going to try and takeoff alone in order to troubleshoot. Upon returning to the terminal area, the pilot had both passengers exit the airplane while the engine was still running and taxied back to runway 19.
The witnesses further stated that while observing the airplane takeoff a second time from runway 19, the takeoff roll seemed to be uneventful and the airplane lifted off about one-third down the runway and entered a nose high attitude. The witnesses said that the airplane seemed to wobble back and forth several times as it was ascending. One witness said that as the airplane was over the departure end of the runway, at an altitude of about 150 feet above the runway, it appeared to enter a right turn and bank. As the turn continued, the bank angle of the airplane increased beyond 90-degrees as it descended behind a hangar.
Additional witnesses located within the vicinity of the accident site reported that the airplane lifted off normally and entered a nose high attitude as if it was going to “stall.” The witnesses continued to watch the airplane continue its takeoff initial climb and noticed that it began to wobble back and forth prior to entering a right turn. Subsequently, witnesses observed the airplane descend into an airplane hangar. All witnesses reported that during the takeoff and accident sequence, the engine sounded normal and appeared to be producing power.
Examination of the accident site revealed the airplane impacted an enclosed airplane hangar about 924 feet northwest of runway 19, and about 4,166 feet from the approach end of the runway. Wreckage debris was located within about 350 feet of the main wreckage. All major structural components of the airplane were located within the wreckage debris path. The wreckage was transported to a secure location for further examination.
Truckee-Tahoe Airport (KTRK), California
Friday, August 24, 2012
By Margaret Moran, Sierra Sun
TRUCKEE, Calif. — Additional laboratory testing on fuel sold to Truckee Tahoe Airport prior to a fatal single-engine plane crash earlier this month found it to be in compliance with international regulations, officials said Thursday.
World Fuels, Truckee Tahoe Airport’s Chevron distributor, recently had samples of its July 20 fuel shipment to the airport tested by Inspectorate, an independent laboratory in Torrance, Calif., after previous surveys by a separate company indicated the fuel had substandard octane levels.
The tests were made following the Aug. 2 plane crash at the airport that killed 66-year-old James R. Ungar of Yreka, Calif., the cause of which is still unknown. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident, said Ian Gregor, a spokesperson for the FAA, in a previous story.
Shortly after the accident, Truckee Tahoe Airport contacted World Fuels for a lab recommendation on where to have the July 20 fuel shipment tested, which was sold at the airport between July 20 and Aug. 2, and was referred to Saybolt Lp, in Martinez, Calif.
“Fuel sampling and testing after aircraft incidents is standard airport operating procedure,” according to press release by the Truckee Tahoe Airport District.
Initial tests of the 100 Low Lead fuel on Aug. 5 indicated a “slight discrepancy” in its octane content, according to the airport. Octane content needs to be at a 99.7 rating in order to meet international regulations for aviation gasoline — results of a small sample of the July 20 delivery showed the content to be at a 97 octane rating.
Due to the discrepancy, World Fuels replaced the airport’s fuel on Aug. 6 and Aug. 7.
“They (World Fuels) were still maintaining that they didn’t feel anything was wrong with the fuel,” said Kevin Smith, general manager of Truckee Tahoe Airport, at Thursday’s airport district board of directors meeting in Truckee.
World Fuels is federally regulated, so before it ships any fuel, the company tests it to ensure it’s in compliance with international specifications and attaches a certificate of analysis stating as such.
“They swapped it out to get us going, and also they wanted to run their own tests,” Smith said.
While Truckee Tahoe Airport waited for World Fuels to get its own tests results from Inspectorate, the airport decided to contact its customers.
“The airport had an obligation to inform our customers that the fuel purchased between July 20 and Aug. 2 could have potential octane discrepancy,” Smith said. “Potential, because World Fuels was saying we need to do additional testing.”
Approximately 130 customers had the fuel in their airplanes, Smith said, including Ungar’s Piper Comanche 250. The airport began to notify customers early Aug. 8, after Saybolt re-tested its fuel sample, confirming its Aug. 5 findings.
“You did a good job,” Jim Morrison, an airport board member, told Smith and other airport staff, a sentiment echoed by other board members.
But one meeting attendee disagreed.
“My concern, to be honest with you, is my plane was fueled with that, and my wife’s plane, and we weren’t contacted on Wednesday (Aug. 8) or on Thursday (Aug. 9),” said Rob Lober, of Crystal Bay. “Only until I called the airport on Thursday and was told, ‘Oh, yeah, you’re on the list, we’re getting to you.’ I think there was a lack of urgency on this, so, sorry, I don’t go for the kudos on job well done.”
After the meeting, Smith discussed the issue in an interview.
“There’s a lot of people that said we didn’t call them, but that’s because they had heard — we did e-blasts and got word out,” he said. “The idea is that you get word out so people will know and then we’ll either call them or they’ll call us. So, yeah, we didn’t call him, but we didn’t call him because he called us and we told him the information.”
Smith said airport staff learned many lessons from this experience, among which: how to best notify customers in the event of a fuel quality control or safety issue.
As for how initial tests by Saybolt showed a discrepancy with the fuel’s octane rating, Smith said it could have been caused by several factors, such as how the samples were stored and the lab’s testing protocols.
“We’re confident in our fuel here now and we’re confident in the quality control in the airport,” Smith said.
http://www.sierrasun.com
http://www.flyingdocs.org/index.php/members/46-trips/274-lmv-grieves-the-loss-of-jim-ungar-flying-doctor
Photos from Jim’s May 2012 LMV Trip to San Pedro de la Cueva, Sonora, Mexico
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, August 02, 2012 in Truckee, CA
Aircraft: PIPER PA-24-250, registration: N8218P
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 2, 2012, about 0814 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250, N8218P, sustained substantial damage when it impacted a hangar during takeoff initial climb from Truckee-Tahoe Airport (TRK), Truckee, California. The airplane was registered and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight which was originating at the time of the accident.
Representatives from Los Medicos Voladores reported that the pilot was participating in a flight to Baja, Mexico for medical outreach and was transporting two passengers and medical supplies.
Two witnesses, who were previously onboard the airplane during a first takeoff attempt reported that the accident flight was the second attempted takeoff by the pilot. Prior to the first takeoff, the pilot and passengers loaded baggage into the aft baggage compartment and rear seat area. After a normal taxi out and pre-takeoff checks, the pilot initiated takeoff on runway 19. The passengers stated that the airplane appeared to have accelerated and lifted off normally, however, as the airplane ascended through about 20 feet above the runway, the airplane wobbled to the left and right, and drifted slightly to the left. The pilot told the passengers that something did not feel right and that the airplane was not climbing. Subsequently, the pilot aborted the takeoff and landed uneventfully on the remaining runway.
During the taxi back to the terminal area, the pilot and his two passengers discussed various ideas why the airplane was not climbing, including potential weight and balance issues and center of gravity issues. The witnesses further reported that the pilot told them that he was going to try and takeoff alone in order to troubleshoot. Upon returning to the terminal area, the pilot had both passengers exit the airplane while the engine was still running and taxied back to runway 19.
The witnesses further stated that while observing the airplane takeoff a second time from runway 19, the takeoff roll seemed to be uneventful and the airplane lifted off about one-third down the runway and entered a nose high attitude. The witnesses said that the airplane seemed to wobble back and forth several times as it was ascending. One witness said that as the airplane was over the departure end of the runway, at an altitude of about 150 feet above the runway, it appeared to enter a right turn and bank. As the turn continued, the bank angle of the airplane increased beyond 90-degrees as it descended behind a hangar.
Additional witnesses located within the vicinity of the accident site reported that the airplane lifted off normally and entered a nose high attitude as if it was going to “stall.” The witnesses continued to watch the airplane continue its takeoff initial climb and noticed that it began to wobble back and forth prior to entering a right turn. Subsequently, witnesses observed the airplane descend into an airplane hangar. All witnesses reported that during the takeoff and accident sequence, the engine sounded normal and appeared to be producing power.
Examination of the accident site revealed the airplane impacted an enclosed airplane hangar about 924 feet northwest of runway 19, and about 4,166 feet from the approach end of the runway. Wreckage debris was located within about 350 feet of the main wreckage. All major structural components of the airplane were located within the wreckage debris path. The wreckage was transported to a secure location for further examination.
Truckee-Tahoe Airport (KTRK), California
Plane Crash Scene on Thursday, August 02, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
By Margaret Moran, Sierra Sun
TRUCKEE, Calif. — Additional laboratory testing on fuel sold to Truckee Tahoe Airport prior to a fatal single-engine plane crash earlier this month found it to be in compliance with international regulations, officials said Thursday.
World Fuels, Truckee Tahoe Airport’s Chevron distributor, recently had samples of its July 20 fuel shipment to the airport tested by Inspectorate, an independent laboratory in Torrance, Calif., after previous surveys by a separate company indicated the fuel had substandard octane levels.
The tests were made following the Aug. 2 plane crash at the airport that killed 66-year-old James R. Ungar of Yreka, Calif., the cause of which is still unknown. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident, said Ian Gregor, a spokesperson for the FAA, in a previous story.
Shortly after the accident, Truckee Tahoe Airport contacted World Fuels for a lab recommendation on where to have the July 20 fuel shipment tested, which was sold at the airport between July 20 and Aug. 2, and was referred to Saybolt Lp, in Martinez, Calif.
“Fuel sampling and testing after aircraft incidents is standard airport operating procedure,” according to press release by the Truckee Tahoe Airport District.
Initial tests of the 100 Low Lead fuel on Aug. 5 indicated a “slight discrepancy” in its octane content, according to the airport. Octane content needs to be at a 99.7 rating in order to meet international regulations for aviation gasoline — results of a small sample of the July 20 delivery showed the content to be at a 97 octane rating.
Due to the discrepancy, World Fuels replaced the airport’s fuel on Aug. 6 and Aug. 7.
“They (World Fuels) were still maintaining that they didn’t feel anything was wrong with the fuel,” said Kevin Smith, general manager of Truckee Tahoe Airport, at Thursday’s airport district board of directors meeting in Truckee.
World Fuels is federally regulated, so before it ships any fuel, the company tests it to ensure it’s in compliance with international specifications and attaches a certificate of analysis stating as such.
“They swapped it out to get us going, and also they wanted to run their own tests,” Smith said.
While Truckee Tahoe Airport waited for World Fuels to get its own tests results from Inspectorate, the airport decided to contact its customers.
“The airport had an obligation to inform our customers that the fuel purchased between July 20 and Aug. 2 could have potential octane discrepancy,” Smith said. “Potential, because World Fuels was saying we need to do additional testing.”
Approximately 130 customers had the fuel in their airplanes, Smith said, including Ungar’s Piper Comanche 250. The airport began to notify customers early Aug. 8, after Saybolt re-tested its fuel sample, confirming its Aug. 5 findings.
“You did a good job,” Jim Morrison, an airport board member, told Smith and other airport staff, a sentiment echoed by other board members.
But one meeting attendee disagreed.
“My concern, to be honest with you, is my plane was fueled with that, and my wife’s plane, and we weren’t contacted on Wednesday (Aug. 8) or on Thursday (Aug. 9),” said Rob Lober, of Crystal Bay. “Only until I called the airport on Thursday and was told, ‘Oh, yeah, you’re on the list, we’re getting to you.’ I think there was a lack of urgency on this, so, sorry, I don’t go for the kudos on job well done.”
After the meeting, Smith discussed the issue in an interview.
“There’s a lot of people that said we didn’t call them, but that’s because they had heard — we did e-blasts and got word out,” he said. “The idea is that you get word out so people will know and then we’ll either call them or they’ll call us. So, yeah, we didn’t call him, but we didn’t call him because he called us and we told him the information.”
Smith said airport staff learned many lessons from this experience, among which: how to best notify customers in the event of a fuel quality control or safety issue.
As for how initial tests by Saybolt showed a discrepancy with the fuel’s octane rating, Smith said it could have been caused by several factors, such as how the samples were stored and the lab’s testing protocols.
“We’re confident in our fuel here now and we’re confident in the quality control in the airport,” Smith said.
http://www.sierrasun.com
http://www.flyingdocs.org/index.php/members/46-trips/274-lmv-grieves-the-loss-of-jim-ungar-flying-doctor
Photos from Jim’s May 2012 LMV Trip to San Pedro de la Cueva, Sonora, Mexico
Pilot recounts 'miracle' crash landing: Thoughts of death lost out to survival instincts on approach - Piper PA-24-260, N8546P, Accident occurred August 16, 2012 in Holton, Kansas
PHIL ANDERSON/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL
Hours after crash-landing the plane he was piloting, Dave Osborne, of Berryton, holds a picture of the wrecked Piper Comanche. "It's a miracle," he said of surviving the crash.
August 24, 2012
By Phil Anderson
THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL
I still can’t get over how all three people in a small Piper Comanche airplane lived to tell about their harrowing crash landing last week near Holton.
A miracle?
Maybe. No, probably. No, definitely.
How else do you explain how the pilot, David F. Osborne, 58, of Berryton, was able to get the plane to land in complete darkness, on a rural gravel road, between a tree line on his right and a electrical poles and lines on his left, with virtually no margin for error?
If that doesn’t seem fantastic enough, consider the plane had lost all of its power about 5 minutes before the crash landing. And that its cockpit was filling up with smoke.
I spoke with Dave at his home Aug. 17 afternoon, about 18 hours after the incident. Stiff and sore, he looked exhausted. Yet he was still able to describe in detail what had happened the night before.
Osborne, who owns DF Osborne Construction, told me how he and his passengers, Steven L. Stutzman, 52, and Stephen M. Graff, 47, of Topeka, had taken off earlier Thursday afternoon from New Town, N.D., wrapping up a business trip.
The trio landed in Mitchell, S.D., home of the Corn Palace, where they were planning to refuel and get a bite to eat. Only they didn’t refuel, because no one was on duty at the airport. No big deal — the plane had enough fuel to get back to Topeka.
After dinner, the three took off again and headed for Topeka. With about 600 miles behind them, the plane began to lose power about 35 miles north of Topeka.
“We lost oil pressure,” Osborne recounted. “And the constant speed propeller began to run wild as the instrument panel lit up.
“Since the engine oil and propeller oil work together, the engine began to run rough, at which time I called Kansas City Center, the controlling agency for the Federal Aviation Administration in this area, and declared an emergency.”
At the same time, Osborne said, the instrument panel began to “light up like a Christmas tree.” And the cabin of the four-seat plane began to fill with smoke.
I’m not sure what I would have done had I been on board that plane. I’m guessing I would’ve started praying — hard.
Osborne said the thought of dying did cross his mind, knowing these situations don’t often work out for the best for the pilot or his passengers. But rather than panic, he put into practice all the training he’d received through the years.
“Since there were no airports within flying distance of the glide path of the airplane and remaining engine time,” he said, “I began to look for a road or another suitable place to land. However, by this time, the airplane was vibrating violently.”
Making matters worse, he said, “the skies were overcast and there was no moon. So, in the darkness, finding a suitable landing spot was nearly impossible.”
Osborne said he thought he saw the lights of an automobile below him, on a country road. With little speed or altitude left, he headed for that road.
“Getting closer to the road, I noticed that there were power poles close on one side and trees on the other, with insufficient room in between to land. I allowed the airplane to glide through the edge of the trees, which brought it to a rapid decrease in horizontal speed, followed by a rapid vertical decrease from the treetops to the edge of the road, where we finally came to a halt with a severe stop. We were fortunate there was not a fire.
“That’s about the size of it. There were three of us on board. The back-seat passenger was virtually unharmed, except for a few scrapes and bruises. The right-seat passenger suffered multiple fractures.
“It was the wildest ride of my life.”
The whole thing happened in five or 10 minutes, from the point where the plane lost power to when it crash-landed. With his life, and that of Stutzman and Graff’s, in his hands, Osborne kept his cool and made a number of instantaneous decisions, all of which proved to be the right ones.
“It’s a miracle,” he said. “It’s hard to explain. You have to make split-second judgment. You can’t see anything at night until you’re right there, even with your landing lights on.”
It hurt Osborne to move the next day. It hurt him to breathe. He had severe bruising in his chest area, but no broken bones.
Blessed to see the light of the next day, Osborne realized just how amazing it was that he and his passengers had all survived.
“I suppose after the initial shock of knowing you have an emergency, that’s probably where some of the training came in,” he said, “because I was able to continue to fly the airplane and make the best of a bad situation.”
Did he ever, even for a moment, think this might be it? That this could be the date he would meet his destiny?
“Well, the thought did occur to me that our chances of survival were not necessarily good,” he said. “But I needed to stay calm and do the things I’d been trained to do — to fly the airplane and do the very best I could possibly do to put that airplane down with the least amount of consequence to my passengers and myself.”
Then he added, “People usually don’t survive this type of plane crash.”
He insists planes are still “a very safe thing,” but “as with anything in life, there are dangers.”
He said he was thankful to God for the outcome and the chance to live another day.
“We’re very thankful to the Lord for sparing our lives,” he said. “God was gracious.”
Some have said that God is their co-pilot. After last week’s experience, Osborne would probably be the first to say “amen.”
Story and photo: http://cjonline.com
NTSB Identification: CEN12LA551
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, August 16, 2012 in Holton, KS
Aircraft: PIPER PA-24-260, registration: N8546P
Injuries: 2 Serious,1 Minor.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On August 16, 2012, at 2154 central daylight time, the pilot of a Piper PA-24-260, N8546P, made a forced landing on a rural road 3 miles south of Holton, Kansas. The pilot and a pilot-rated passenger were seriously injured. Another passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by N8546 PAPA, LLC, Tecumseh, Kansas, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a business flight. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The cross country flight originated in Tioga (KD60), North Dakota approximately 1930, and was en route to Topeka, Kansas (KFOE).
Preliminary information indicates the pilot reported to air traffic control that the propeller was overspeeding, there was smoke in the cockpit, the engine was losing power, and he couldn't maintain altitude. The pilot attempted to land on a rural road but clipped trees and impacted a ditch. There was no evidence of fire in flight.
Pilot error may have caused plane crash: Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II, Aviatour Air, RP-C4431, off Masbate, Philippines
The body of 22 year-old Kshitiz Chand (shown in photo) of the ill-fated plane that crashed on Aug. 20, 2012, off Masbate City, was retrieved by fishermen on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012.
PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK
Student pilot Kshitiz Chand may have panicked at the first
sign of engine trouble and caused him to mishandle the ill-fated Piper
Seneca aircraft that carried Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and his
aide, Senior Insp. June Paolo Abrazado.
According to
Cesar Lucero, special investigator 1 of the Civil Aviation Authority of
the Philippines (CAAP), Capt. Jessup Bahinting, the owner of the
aircraft and flying school Aviatours, would have faced a string of
charges had he survived the plane crash.
“Nepalese pilot Chand was
the one occupying the left side of the cockpit after Capt. Bahinting
was found seated on the right seat when he was retrieved by the
technical divers 180 feet beneath Masbate Sea,” Lucero said during a
weekly news forum in Quezon City on Friday.
Citing the initial
results of their probe, Lucero said that it seemed Bahinting was not the
one flying the plane since being a highly-skilled and experienced pilot
as he was, he could have switched on all the emergency buttons before
gliding the plane to safety.
The CAAP prober added that had
Bahinting been on the main pilot seat, he could have safely crash landed
into the sea and radioed for rescue.
“Malamang nag-panic na yung
Nepalese pilot dahil kulang pa sa experience [It seems the Nepalese
pilot panicked because he lacked experience],” he said.
Double compensation
Lucero
also disclosed that Bahinting could have made a double compensation
from his last flight because a student pilot pays P27,500 for every
flight hour on the main pilot seat which is on the left side of the
cockpit. Besides, Robredo paid for their air fare.
“Double
compensation yan. Kita ka na sa student pilot who is after to complete
the 10-hours required flights to familiarize the Piper Seneca, kita ka
pa kay Secretary Robredo na pasahero nya [It’s double compensation. He
earned from the student pilot who paid to complete his 10-hours required
flights to familiarize the Piper Seneca and from Secretary Robredo who
was a passenger],” Lucero pointed out.
Bahinting was chief executive officer of Aviatours, which operates a flying school and air taxi.
Lucero
said that Bahinting should not have allowed his co-pilot to occupy the
left seat of the plane because it is exclusively for the senior pilot if
the plane is being used as air taxi or during commercial flight.
He
said that Aviatours violated Civil Air Regulations part 8 that
prohibits any air taxi to allow student pilots to be on the pilot seat
whenever the aircraft is being used for commercial purposes.
Lucero
stressed that the same incident happened to another plane of Aviatours
that crashed in Camiguin province earlier this year. Transportation
Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas 2nd ordered the suspension of Aviatours but
the company blamed the incident on the prevailing weather condition at
that time.
Distress calls
According to Lucero, there were two distress calls made by the pilot, one received by the control tower at Cebu City minutes after they took off and the second was received by the control tower of Masbate airport.
Bahinting, who was also an aircraft mechanic, was known to have used second hand and reconditioned engines and plane parts.
Besides
Lucero, an inspection by the three-man Aircraft Accident Investigation
and Inquiry Board investigating team of the CAAP indicated that the
emergency location transmitter (ELT) of the Piper Seneca plane was in
the off position, explaining why it failed to activate upon the plane’s
impact off the waters of Masbate on August 18.
CAAP Director
General William Hotchkiss 3rd said that prior to the accident, the
plane’s ELT was functioning well when they conducted, regular routine
check.
An ELT is a plane device that automatically activates when a
plane encounters emergency landing or any disaster. CAAP last checked
the plane’s ELT on November 21, 2011 and is valid for operation within a
year.
Missing engine
The ELT was found with the plane wreckage on Wednesday but the right engine of the plane is yet to be recovered. The plane wreckage is now under tight security at Masbate airport.
“The engine is a key part of our investigation.
This will determine if indeed it was due to technical or mechanical
problem that caused it to fail,” Hotchkiss said.
Hotchkiss also
dismissed speculations that diluted aviation fuel was used by the plane
that caused the fatal crash. He said that premature conjectures like
this will not help CAAP’s investigation.
The Board is also
reconstructing the flight path of the ill-fated plane including
communication between control towers and the pilot. CAAP has also taken
the statements of key witnesses and will issue subpoena to others to
shed light on the incident.
Hotchkiss also said that CAAP will
look into the unsafe practices of aviation firms that enable them in the
past to continue operating in spite of getting involved in previous
plane accidents.
PNP probe
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said also on Friday that it is ready to assist in the investigation.
Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr., PNP spokesman, said that the police are ready to provide any kind of assistance to the CAAP.
Cerbo said that they will help in securing evidence and making available witness or witnesses in the accident.
“The PNP is ready to help in the investigation and we will ensure the available of Abrazado,” Cerbo told reporters in Camp Crame.
With a report from Anthony Vargas
Cessna 150M, N63672: Accident occurred August 24, 2012 in Arrow Rock, Missouri
NTSB Identification: CEN12LA583
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, August 24, 2012 in Arrow Rock, MO
Aircraft: CESSNA 150M, registration: N63672
Injuries: 1 Minor.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On August 24, 2012, about 1100 central daylight time, a Cessna 150M airplane, N63672, impacted terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Arrow Rock, Missouri. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, reported that he sustained minor injuries. The airplane received substantial fuselage damage. The airplane was owned and operated by Dyer the Flyer Inc. under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual flight rules (VFR) conditions prevailed for the flight, which did not operate on a VFR flight plan. The local flight originated from the Marshall Memorial Municipal Airport, near Marshall, Missouri, at time unknown.
At 1053, the recorded weather at the Sedalia Regional Airport, near Sedalia, Missouri, was: Wind 200 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 18 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 32 degrees C; dew point 12 degrees C; altimeter 30.04 inches of mercury.
http://registry.faa.gov/N63672
Authorities in Saline County said they were called to the scene of a small plane crash in the 20,000 block Poplar Avenue, in the eastern portion of the county.
Click to hear KMZU’s Kristie Cross talk with Saline County Sheriff Wally George:
The plane reportedly went down near Highway 41, north of Arrow Rock. “Once at the site, deputies discovered a two-seat Cessna 150,” George said. “The pilot, Eugene Wayne Patty Jr., had engine trouble and went down in this field.”
When a plane ended up in a field rather than on a runway Friday morning, it had emergency responders arriving from around the county.
Although a Cessna 150 crash-landed on private property just south of Hardeman, the pilot was able to escape without injury, according to officials at the scene.
Eugene Pattie Jr., who piloted the aircraft, apparently wasn’t in need of medical attention as Saline County Ambulance crews were cancelled en route. As law enforcement officials investigated the incident, Pattie and the property owners waited the plane’s owner, Sam Dyer, to arrive.
Other officials, such as Saline County Sheriff’s Department, Arrow Rock Fire Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol were on scene.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
http://www.kmzu.com
http://www.salinecountysheriff.com
http://www.marshallnews.com
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, August 24, 2012 in Arrow Rock, MO
Aircraft: CESSNA 150M, registration: N63672
Injuries: 1 Minor.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On August 24, 2012, about 1100 central daylight time, a Cessna 150M airplane, N63672, impacted terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Arrow Rock, Missouri. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, reported that he sustained minor injuries. The airplane received substantial fuselage damage. The airplane was owned and operated by Dyer the Flyer Inc. under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual flight rules (VFR) conditions prevailed for the flight, which did not operate on a VFR flight plan. The local flight originated from the Marshall Memorial Municipal Airport, near Marshall, Missouri, at time unknown.
At 1053, the recorded weather at the Sedalia Regional Airport, near Sedalia, Missouri, was: Wind 200 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 18 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 32 degrees C; dew point 12 degrees C; altimeter 30.04 inches of mercury.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 63672 Make/Model: C150 Description: 150, A150, Commuter, Aerobat
Date: 08/24/2012 Time: 1630
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Minor Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
City: MARSHALL State: MO Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A FIELD, NEAR MARSHALL, MO
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 1 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: KANSAS CITY, MO (CE05) Entry date: 08/27/2012
http://registry.faa.gov/N63672
(Sarah Reed/Democrat-News)
Some landing gear was located roughly 10 yards from a plane that landed in a Saline County field Friday morning, Aug. 24.
(Sarah Reed/Democrat-News)
Authorities in Saline County said they were called to the scene of a small plane crash in the 20,000 block Poplar Avenue, in the eastern portion of the county.
Click to hear KMZU’s Kristie Cross talk with Saline County Sheriff Wally George:
The plane reportedly went down near Highway 41, north of Arrow Rock. “Once at the site, deputies discovered a two-seat Cessna 150,” George said. “The pilot, Eugene Wayne Patty Jr., had engine trouble and went down in this field.”
When a plane ended up in a field rather than on a runway Friday morning, it had emergency responders arriving from around the county.
Although a Cessna 150 crash-landed on private property just south of Hardeman, the pilot was able to escape without injury, according to officials at the scene.
Eugene Pattie Jr., who piloted the aircraft, apparently wasn’t in need of medical attention as Saline County Ambulance crews were cancelled en route. As law enforcement officials investigated the incident, Pattie and the property owners waited the plane’s owner, Sam Dyer, to arrive.
Other officials, such as Saline County Sheriff’s Department, Arrow Rock Fire Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol were on scene.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
http://www.kmzu.com
http://www.salinecountysheriff.com
http://www.marshallnews.com
Stearman M-2, N9055: Accident occurred August 24, 2012 in Robbinsville, New Jersey
NTSB Identification: ERA12CA533
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, August 24, 2012 in Robbinsville, NJ
Aircraft: STEARMAN AIRCRAFT M-2, registration: N9055
Injuries: 1 Minor.
NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.
According to the pilot, when the tailwheel equipped airplane touched down during landing, it began to veer to the left. He attempted to straighten the subsequent landing roll by applying right brake, but the airplane continued to the left, ground looped, and then came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
1929 Stearman M-2 (N9055) flipped over while landing at Trenton-Robbinsville Airport (N87) on Friday. There were no serious injuries.
A vintage plane flipped after landing at the Trenton-Robbinsville Airport (N87), next to the Miry Run Golf Course on Friday afternoon, but the pilot was not seriously injured.
ROBBINSVILLE – A restored 1920s U.S. Army mail delivery plane flipped while attempting to land at Trenton Robbinsville Airport after the pilot apparently lost control, police said.
Pilot Alan Lopez suffered minor injuries, Lt. Scott Texidor said. He was alone in the bi-plane.
Fuel leaked from the plane after it came to a rest upside down, Texidor said. A HAZMAT team is on the scene cleaning the spill and a crane was en route to turn the plane back over, Texidor said.
Phil Schirmer, a pilot at the airport who witnessed the accident and was the first to respond, said Lopez had a cut over his right eye and a bump on his head but was conscious and seemed otherwise unharmed.
"I thought it was going to be really cool to get to watch this beautiful old plane land like that, but unfortunately, it turned into a disaster," Schrimer said. "He's really lucky."
http://registry.faa.gov/N9055
http://www.robbinsvilleairport.com
http://www.nj.com
ROBBINSVILLE — A recently restored 1929 biplane flipped upside down after landing at Robbinsville airport Friday afternoon, but the pilot walked away from the crash with only a minor cut on his forehead.
Township police, as well as firefighters from Robbinsville and surrounding communities, responded to the accident, which occurred on a runway near the 16th hole of the Miry Run Golf Course. There were no injuries on the ground.
The pilot told a reporter after the crash that he was “fine,” but declined to give his name. Robbinsville police could not immediately provide additional information.
The upside-down plane with its wheels pointed skyward drew a group of curious onlookers to the small airport on Sharon Road and required the closing of the runway to air traffic. Airport officials said the plane would not be moved from the runway until a Federal Aviation Administration investigator arrived later Friday afternoon.
http://www.centraljersey.com
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, August 24, 2012 in Robbinsville, NJ
Aircraft: STEARMAN AIRCRAFT M-2, registration: N9055
Injuries: 1 Minor.
NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.
According to the pilot, when the tailwheel equipped airplane touched down during landing, it began to veer to the left. He attempted to straighten the subsequent landing roll by applying right brake, but the airplane continued to the left, ground looped, and then came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 9055 Make/Model: M2 Description: 1929 STEARMAN M-2
Date: 08/24/2012 Time: 1625
Event Type: Incident Highest Injury: Minor Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Unknown
LOCATION
City: TRENTON State: NJ Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, FLIPPED OVER, TRENTON, NJ
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 1 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Landing Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: PHILADELPHIA, PA (EA17) Entry date: 08/27/2012
http://registry.faa.gov/N9055
1929 Stearman M-2 (N9055) flipped over while landing at Trenton-Robbinsville Airport (N87) on Friday. There were no serious injuries.
Photo by Sean Lynch
A vintage plane flipped after landing at the Trenton-Robbinsville Airport (N87), next to the Miry Run Golf Course on Friday afternoon, but the pilot was not seriously injured.
Photo by Sean Lynch
~
ROBBINSVILLE – A restored 1920s U.S. Army mail delivery plane flipped while attempting to land at Trenton Robbinsville Airport after the pilot apparently lost control, police said.
Pilot Alan Lopez suffered minor injuries, Lt. Scott Texidor said. He was alone in the bi-plane.
Fuel leaked from the plane after it came to a rest upside down, Texidor said. A HAZMAT team is on the scene cleaning the spill and a crane was en route to turn the plane back over, Texidor said.
Phil Schirmer, a pilot at the airport who witnessed the accident and was the first to respond, said Lopez had a cut over his right eye and a bump on his head but was conscious and seemed otherwise unharmed.
"I thought it was going to be really cool to get to watch this beautiful old plane land like that, but unfortunately, it turned into a disaster," Schrimer said. "He's really lucky."
http://registry.faa.gov/N9055
http://www.robbinsvilleairport.com
http://www.nj.com
ROBBINSVILLE — A recently restored 1929 biplane flipped upside down after landing at Robbinsville airport Friday afternoon, but the pilot walked away from the crash with only a minor cut on his forehead.
Township police, as well as firefighters from Robbinsville and surrounding communities, responded to the accident, which occurred on a runway near the 16th hole of the Miry Run Golf Course. There were no injuries on the ground.
The pilot told a reporter after the crash that he was “fine,” but declined to give his name. Robbinsville police could not immediately provide additional information.
The upside-down plane with its wheels pointed skyward drew a group of curious onlookers to the small airport on Sharon Road and required the closing of the runway to air traffic. Airport officials said the plane would not be moved from the runway until a Federal Aviation Administration investigator arrived later Friday afternoon.
http://www.centraljersey.com
Missing millionaire Peter John Elliott's wife flies to Indonesia to join search
Peter Elliott, the Perth businessman missing in Borneo, in happier times with wife Lita.
Source: Supplied
Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency in Jakarta yesterday confirmed Peter John Elliott was one of four people on a Cessna aircraft that lost radio contact while on a mapping survey trip on Borneo Island on Friday morning.
It left from Samarinda the provincial capital of East Kalimantan for a 90-minute flight.
Cuddling their two young sons Roydon, 11, and two-year-old Douglas, Mrs Lita Elliott, 37, said she had to remain strong and confident for the sake of her family.
"I want to remain focused and totally positive," she told The Sunday Times yesterday from their home in Kardinya.
"I have hope and believe he is alive.
"I will be flying to Jakarta in a few hours tonight and then go straight to Kalimantan. My husband's family are on their way here from Melbourne now.
"I am confident we will find him alive. I want to remain positive and do not even want to talk about anything else."
Dr Elliott, 57, is the general manager of Elliott Geophysics International, a Bibra Lake-based company that specialises in geophysics and geology for mineral, oil, coal and groundwater exploration.
Roydon said his father often carried out mining surveys from the air in Indonesia.
"Dad would stay home for one or two months then go to Indonesia for two or three weeks to work, then come home," he said.
"We are all praying he will be OK."
Mrs Elliott said her husband was happy because Friday marked the last day of his training using specialist geophysics equipment.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said a search and rescue mission had been undertaken on Friday, but stopped because of poor light.
An eight-member rescue team was sent to the area and the search resumed yesterday morning.
After the search and rescue mission was temporarily suspended, Dr Elliott's daughter, Amelia Edwina Robinson Elliott, posted a Facebook message yesterday saying wreckage had been found.
"The search and rescue think they've spotted the plane by satellite image and are sending men in, but it's difficult terrain. Fingers crossed," she wrote.
Earlier she had asked people to "please pray for him".
A pilot and two Indonesians are believed to have also been on the plane.
The Australian Embassy in Jakarta said it was aware of the incident and was providing consular assistance to the family.
http://www.perthnow.com.au
The Cessna aircraft failed to return from a surveying mission in Bontang, Temindung Airport chief official Rajoki Aritonang said last night.
It was chartered by Elliott Geophysics International, a Perth-based surveying company.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said it was aware of a plane missing in Samarinda, in the East Kalimantan province.
"We understand an Australian citizen was on board," a spokesman said.
Aritonang said the plane left Samarinda, the provincial capital of East Kalimantan, on Friday morning for a 90-minute flight to survey a coal mining site.
It was carrying the pilot, two other Indonesians and the company's Australian owner.
National Search and Rescue Agency spokesman Gagah Prakoso said an eight-member team was sent to search the area where the plane lost radio contact with the airport.
The DFAT spokesman said a search and rescue operation was cancelled because of poor light and was likely to resume this morning.
The Australian embassy in Jakarta is providing consular assistance.
Schweizer G-164B, N36289, Accident occurred August 15, 2012 in Kaplan, Louisiana
NTSB Identification: CEN12CA544
14 CFR Part 137: Agricultural
Accident occurred Wednesday, August 15, 2012 in Kaplan, LA
Aircraft: Schweizer, N36289 G-164B, registration: N36289
Injuries: 1 Serious.
According to the operator's accident report, the pilot was conducting an aerial application flight on a field about 3-1/2 miles from the airstrip. He had previously dispersed 4 loads of fertilizer on the field. During the application of the fifth load, the airplane struck an 80 to 90 foot-tall power line. The airplane nosed over and impacted the ground. The pilot was seriously injured and the airplane was substantially damaged.
Photographs taken at the accident site revealed no markers on the power line. An FAA inspector found no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal aircraft operation.
KAPLAN - A crop duster crash north of Kaplan has brought together two families who never knew each other until that moment.
A week ago last Wednesday, Kristyn Abshire and Gary Noel had no idea each other existed.
Today, they are close friends because of a heroic act Abshire and another man did that may have saved Noel’s life after the crash.
Before the plane crash, Abshire was at her house debating when she should leave to go to her dentist appointment. The nursing student put leaving off for another five minutes and then she heard the noise of an airplane. Then the lights blinked on and off in her parents’ home.
She then heard the crash because it occurred just over two football fields away from her house. She looked outside and saw a yellow crop duster smashed in a field. She realized it crashed because it had clipped an electrical line.
Abshire quickly got in her car, drove to the accident to search for the pilot.
At the same time she arrived, two other men were on scene. The three saw smoke coming from the airplane, so there was a chance that Noel, the pilot, could be in danger.
Abshire said she told one of the men (no one knows who he was) to pull the pilot out of the plane and drag him to safety. Abshire, a brand new nursing student studying for her LPN license, saw the large cut on Noel’s head and realized it was bleeding.
She asked one of the men if they had a towel or rag to apply pressure to the cut. She said one of them took off his shirt and gave it to her. She wrapped the shirt around Gary’s forehead and applied pressure. She also knew not to let him lie down because of the bleeding.
She and another guy sat him up and tried to keep him awake until Acadian Ambulance arrived.
“It took about 25 minutes, but it felt like it was forever,” said Abshire, who is a 2010 graduate of Kaplan High School. Mr. Gary wanted me to call his wife. He also kept asking me what happened.”
She informed him his plane clipped a wire and crashed. The entire time they talked, Kristyn said Gary was in good spirits but he was also in pain.
“I should have left for the dentist five minutes earlier,” said Abshire. “But something kept me at the house. I think I was meant to be there.”
Well, fast forward eight days, and Abshire has not forgotten Gary Noel. She remains in contact with the Noel family.
She went to visit him Saturday when he was in a Lafayette hospital. Noel is slowly recovering from his broken bones and internal injuries. On Wednesday he had surgery to repair his right leg and collar bone. Next week doctors at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital will repair his left leg.
James Noel, his father, said his son has a long road to recovery and will be in Baton Rouge for a few more weeks.
Gary Noel, 45, has been a crop duster pilot for 17 years and was less than a month away from retirement.
Abshire said what occurred that Wednesday morning and how she handled the situation assured her nursing is what she is put on this Earth to do.
“I told myself, ‘This is what I was meant to do.’”
Gary Noel and his family are grateful she did. She said her parents, Frankie and Lou Abshire, are also proud of her.
Read more: Tangilena.com - Heroic action gets crop duster out of downed plane emergency treatment started
NTSB Identification: CEN12LA544
14 CFR Part 137: Agricultural
Accident occurred Wednesday, August 15, 2012 in Kaplan, LA
Aircraft: Schweizer, N36289 G-164B, registration: N36289
Injuries: 1 Serious.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On August 15, 2012, about 1115 central daylight time, the pilot of a Schweizer G-164B, N36289, struck a power line, made a forced landing in an adjacent field, and nosed over near Kaplan, Louisiana. The pilot, the sole occupant on board, was seriously injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by Vincent's Flying Service of Kaplan, Louisiana, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight originated from Kaplan approximately 1100.
Preliminary information indicates the pilot was conducting an aerial application when the airplane struck a power line. The pilot made a forced landing in a nearby field and the airplane nosed over.
14 CFR Part 137: Agricultural
Accident occurred Wednesday, August 15, 2012 in Kaplan, LA
Aircraft: Schweizer, N36289 G-164B, registration: N36289
Injuries: 1 Serious.
According to the operator's accident report, the pilot was conducting an aerial application flight on a field about 3-1/2 miles from the airstrip. He had previously dispersed 4 loads of fertilizer on the field. During the application of the fifth load, the airplane struck an 80 to 90 foot-tall power line. The airplane nosed over and impacted the ground. The pilot was seriously injured and the airplane was substantially damaged.
Photographs taken at the accident site revealed no markers on the power line. An FAA inspector found no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal aircraft operation.
KAPLAN - A crop duster crash north of Kaplan has brought together two families who never knew each other until that moment.
A week ago last Wednesday, Kristyn Abshire and Gary Noel had no idea each other existed.
Today, they are close friends because of a heroic act Abshire and another man did that may have saved Noel’s life after the crash.
Before the plane crash, Abshire was at her house debating when she should leave to go to her dentist appointment. The nursing student put leaving off for another five minutes and then she heard the noise of an airplane. Then the lights blinked on and off in her parents’ home.
She then heard the crash because it occurred just over two football fields away from her house. She looked outside and saw a yellow crop duster smashed in a field. She realized it crashed because it had clipped an electrical line.
Abshire quickly got in her car, drove to the accident to search for the pilot.
At the same time she arrived, two other men were on scene. The three saw smoke coming from the airplane, so there was a chance that Noel, the pilot, could be in danger.
Abshire said she told one of the men (no one knows who he was) to pull the pilot out of the plane and drag him to safety. Abshire, a brand new nursing student studying for her LPN license, saw the large cut on Noel’s head and realized it was bleeding.
She asked one of the men if they had a towel or rag to apply pressure to the cut. She said one of them took off his shirt and gave it to her. She wrapped the shirt around Gary’s forehead and applied pressure. She also knew not to let him lie down because of the bleeding.
She and another guy sat him up and tried to keep him awake until Acadian Ambulance arrived.
“It took about 25 minutes, but it felt like it was forever,” said Abshire, who is a 2010 graduate of Kaplan High School. Mr. Gary wanted me to call his wife. He also kept asking me what happened.”
She informed him his plane clipped a wire and crashed. The entire time they talked, Kristyn said Gary was in good spirits but he was also in pain.
“I should have left for the dentist five minutes earlier,” said Abshire. “But something kept me at the house. I think I was meant to be there.”
Well, fast forward eight days, and Abshire has not forgotten Gary Noel. She remains in contact with the Noel family.
She went to visit him Saturday when he was in a Lafayette hospital. Noel is slowly recovering from his broken bones and internal injuries. On Wednesday he had surgery to repair his right leg and collar bone. Next week doctors at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital will repair his left leg.
James Noel, his father, said his son has a long road to recovery and will be in Baton Rouge for a few more weeks.
Gary Noel, 45, has been a crop duster pilot for 17 years and was less than a month away from retirement.
Abshire said what occurred that Wednesday morning and how she handled the situation assured her nursing is what she is put on this Earth to do.
“I told myself, ‘This is what I was meant to do.’”
Gary Noel and his family are grateful she did. She said her parents, Frankie and Lou Abshire, are also proud of her.
Read more: Tangilena.com - Heroic action gets crop duster out of downed plane emergency treatment started
NTSB Identification: CEN12LA544
14 CFR Part 137: Agricultural
Accident occurred Wednesday, August 15, 2012 in Kaplan, LA
Aircraft: Schweizer, N36289 G-164B, registration: N36289
Injuries: 1 Serious.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On August 15, 2012, about 1115 central daylight time, the pilot of a Schweizer G-164B, N36289, struck a power line, made a forced landing in an adjacent field, and nosed over near Kaplan, Louisiana. The pilot, the sole occupant on board, was seriously injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by Vincent's Flying Service of Kaplan, Louisiana, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight originated from Kaplan approximately 1100.
Preliminary information indicates the pilot was conducting an aerial application when the airplane struck a power line. The pilot made a forced landing in a nearby field and the airplane nosed over.
Acro Sport II, C-GTXT: Plane in crash a nostalgic hobby … Homebuilt craft made of wood and sweat – Manitoba, Canada
WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
The plane that crashed in a lagoon north of the Manitou airstrip Thursday morning is loaded on a trailer.
Steel tubing, wood and fabric.
Those are the raw materials for a homebuilt plane like the kind that crashed in Manitou.
The Acro Sport II is a big step up from the wood-and-wire wings the Wright brothers fashioned for their historic flight, but there’s no mistaking the nostalgic appeal of this biplane.
This is the kind of plane with an open cockpit you see in old movies, where an aviator’s scarf flutters like a silk banner behind the handsome pilot as he lifts off.
The practical reality is the biplane hasn’t been available through an airplane manufacturer since the 1930s.
It can only be had by building one yourself or buying one second-hand.
For all that, it’s as safe as any aircraft that takes to the sky, aviation experts on both sides of the border insist.
“I’ve seen the fantastic workmanship of the homebuilt planes and I know a lot of homebuilders. They take great pride in good workmanship,” said Shirley Render, executive director of the Western Canada Aviation Museum. “If it’s properly built, it’s safe.”
Federal aviation regulations are strict for planes built under amateur construction.
“They’re built under strict regulations. You’re not allowed to fly them unless they’ve been inspected every step of the way by a Transport Canada inspector,” Render said.
That means before the plane’s ribs and struts are covered, every rivet gets an inspector’s gaze first.
The model of biplane in the Manitou crash is an Acro Sport II, designed in the 1970s by an American aviator famous for aircraft designs.
Paul Poberezny spent 30 years in the U.S. Air Force, serving in the Second World War and in Korea flying more than 400 different types of aircraft. He started flying at age 16.
In 1953, he founded the Experimental Aviation Association in Oshkosh, Wis., for flyers who wanted to build their own planes.
Today, the EAA is home of the biggest private air show in the world.
Poberezny designed hundreds of planes in his lifetime but the biplane held a special appeal, said a technical specialist at EAA’s Oshkosh headquarters on Thursday.
“The big appeal is the nostalgia factor… You have an open cockpit. You can hear the wind whistling and in the homebuilt movement, the biplane remained the most popular style until the 1960s,” said Tim Hoversten, EAA’s technical aviation specialist.
The Acro Sport II is not a kit to assemble. The aviator had better be good with a plane and saw or have the money to buy from a builder who is.
“It’s not built from parts that are made. You have to make every part,” Hoversten said. “It’s made from steel tubing, wood and fabric. Those are the major construction materials.”
You can build an Acro Sport II for as little as $20,000 from scratch. New, an engine alone will set you back $20,000.
Acro Sport II
Basic dimensions for a Acro Sport II, a biplane with an open cockpit designed by American aviator Paul Poberezny:
Tandem two-seater
Weight: About 700 kilograms
Wingspan 6.6 metres
Length: 5.7 metres,
Height: About two metres
Range: 692 kilometres
Maximum ceiling: 6,000 metres
Maximum speed, 245 km/h
Cruising speed, 198 km/h
– source: Wikipedia, verified through the Experimental Aircraft Association.
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Piper PA-24-260 Comanche, N8546P: Topeka man continues recovery from plane crash, Stutzman was most seriously injured in crash west of Holton, Kansas
FACEBOOK PH0TOGRAPH
Steve Stutzman continues to recover from a broken pelvis suffered in a plane crash Aug. 16 near Holton. The other two people on the plane also survived.
A Topeka man who suffered serious injuries in an airplane crash last week near Holton continues to recover at a Kansas City, Kan., hospital.
Steve Stutzman, 52, underwent a 5 1/2-hour surgery for a broken pelvis Tuesday afternoon and evening at The University of Kansas Hospital, said his pastor, the Rev. Mike Shinkle, of Open Way Church in North Topeka.
“He’s doing well,” Shinkle said. “The surgery went well. He’s just dealing with pain issues now.”
Despite the pain, Shinkle said, Stutzman was in “good spirits.”
Stutzman was the front-seat passenger in a four-seat Piper Comanche airplane that was returning to Topeka from a business trip from New Town, N.D.
The plane was piloted by David F. Osborne, 58, of Berryton, owner of DF Osborne Construction.
Osborne was treated at Stormont-Vail Regional Health Center for injuries he sustained in the evening crash but was released from the hospital this past Friday.
Stephen M. Graff, 47, of Topeka, was the third passenger in the plane. He was seated in a back seat and didn’t suffer serious injuries in the crash, which occurred about 9:50 p.m. Aug. 16 on a country road about 3 miles west of Holton.
http://cjonline.com
NTSB Identification: CEN12LA551
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, August 16, 2012 in Holton, KS
Aircraft: PIPER PA-24-260, registration: N8546P
Injuries: 2 Serious,1 Minor.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On August 16, 2012, at 2154 central daylight time, the pilot of a Piper PA-24-260, N8546P, made a forced landing on a rural road 3 miles south of Holton, Kansas. The pilot and a pilot-rated passenger were seriously injured. Another passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by N8546 PAPA, LLC, Tecumseh, Kansas, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a business flight. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The cross country flight originated in Tioga (KD60), North Dakota approximately 1930, and was en route to Topeka, Kansas (KFOE).
Preliminary information indicates the pilot reported to air traffic control that the propeller was overspeeding, there was smoke in the cockpit, the engine was losing power, and he couldn't maintain altitude. The pilot attempted to land on a rural road but clipped trees and impacted a ditch. There was no evidence of fire in flight.
Décollage en campagne Cessna 152
August 13, 2012 by florentcapron
Décollage en campagne que j ai organisé suite à une panne d essence .....Depuis une champ
"Takeoff campaign that I have organized following a breakdown of gasoline ..... From a field"
Ace pilot comes home: Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II, RP-C4431
Captain Jessup Bahinting finally arrived home in Cebu yesterday.
His widow Margarita burst into tears when the body bag containing the pilot’s body emerged from the Beechcraft Baron 55, accompanied by their youngest daughter, Sarah Lynn.
The plane owned by Cheyn Air touched down 8 a.m. in the Aviatour Air hangar in Mactan.
About 200 flight students, pilots and instructors gathered at the hangar to join the sad welcome party.
Some wept openly, including the couple’s fellow members of the Christian congregation Grace Communion International.
Later in the mortuary, Margarita expressed her dismay over media reports quoting security chief Voltaire Gazmin saying the Cebu-based pilot was found in the right side of the plane, traditionally the seat assigned for the co-pilot, when their Piper Seneca was spotted about 180 feet below the sea off Masbate City.
Margarita said the report was erroneous because her husband was the main pilot seated in the left. She didn’t want it misconstrued that Capt. Bahinting had let his young Nepalese co-pilot Kshitz Chand handle the flight.
A sealed “eternal blue” casket with two framed photos of Capt. Bahinting occupy St. Matthew Hall for the vigil in St. Peter Life Funeral Homes in Imus Street (not Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes as reported here yesterday.)
After a three-day vigil, the pilot’s remains will be brought on Sunday morning to the family’s beach resort in Ginatilan town.
The funeral is tentatively set for Monday.
Citom chief Sylvan Jakosalem said light planes will do an aerial drop of flowers and a fly-by as a salute on Sunday, just as the pilot’s remains are brought to Ginatilan.
“This will be Cebu’s aviation tribute to their fallen brother who was a hero”, Jakosalem said.
A Mass at noon today will be offered by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma at the Metropolitan Cebu Cathedral for Secretary Jesse Robredo, Bahinting and his Nepalese co-pilot.
In the vigil on Saturday, the Cebu City government will confer a “Lifesaver” award for Bahinting’s role in saving the life of a zoo keeper who was bitten by a King Cobra three days before the fatal plane crash.
Anti-venom shots were flown in from Camiguin province by a plane sent by Bahinting, who himself had flown several volunteer missions to ferry goods and victims of typhoons and other calamities.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and the recovered zoo keeper Ronaldo “Ron-ron” Aventurado will hand the award to the pilot’s widow, said Jakosalem.
Remembering the ritual goodbye kiss her husband forgot to give her as he rushed to the Mactan airport last Saturday to pilot the aircraft for Secretary Robredo, Margarita said she missed giving a loving gaze: “I wanted to linger on his face.”
“He is a great loss not only to our family, our company, but also to our church and the communi ty,” she said, fighting back tears.
Aviatour, the flight school and chartered plane service Capt. Bahinting founded, voluntarily suspended operations immediately after the Saturday crash to give way to a government investigation.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines announced the start of the probe on Wednesday. A suspension order on Aviatour’s operations soon followed.
Co-pilot arrives . . .
The body of Nepalese co-pilot Chand arrived in Cebu around 3 p.m. on board a Cessna 182 plane and was also brought to St. Peters Funeral Homes.
Chand’s father Tek Bahadur and uncle Damand Chand who came all the way from Kathmandu were on the same flight.
The 21-year-old pilot was found floating near the crash site early morning Thursday by a fishing vessel. His remains will be flown to Kathmandu, Nepal.
The retrieval of Chand completed the five-day search and rescue operation which was spearheaded by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard. Volunteer technical divers of different nationalities and local fishermen played important roles in the operations.
Capt. Bahinting, founder and CEO of Aviatour was a church pastor who was active in charity and mercy missions.
He flew patients from hinterland communities in the Visayas and Mindanao and volunteered for disaster relief work in the Ginsaugon, Leyte landslide in 2007, the Sendong floods in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities in December last year and the earthquake that badly hit Negros Oriental in January this year.
Margarita said that it was a consolation that the death of the pilot “glorified his life for his works, which were otherwise not on public awareness when he was alive.”
Investigation
Jureidini told reporters that the investigation to be conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is just “normal.”
He assured the company’s full cooperation. He however said that they will appeal that their flying school will be exempted from the suspension as it would affect more than 100 students from different nationalities.
“It’s normal (for CAAP to conduct investigation) whether it’s a small or big airline in case of accidents.” said Jureidini.
Jureidini said the preventive suspension is “adherent” until such a time that their company will be able to prove to CAAP the “safety”./with Correspondent Gabriel C. Bonjoc
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/256882/ace-pilot-comes-home
His widow Margarita burst into tears when the body bag containing the pilot’s body emerged from the Beechcraft Baron 55, accompanied by their youngest daughter, Sarah Lynn.
The plane owned by Cheyn Air touched down 8 a.m. in the Aviatour Air hangar in Mactan.
About 200 flight students, pilots and instructors gathered at the hangar to join the sad welcome party.
Some wept openly, including the couple’s fellow members of the Christian congregation Grace Communion International.
Later in the mortuary, Margarita expressed her dismay over media reports quoting security chief Voltaire Gazmin saying the Cebu-based pilot was found in the right side of the plane, traditionally the seat assigned for the co-pilot, when their Piper Seneca was spotted about 180 feet below the sea off Masbate City.
Margarita said the report was erroneous because her husband was the main pilot seated in the left. She didn’t want it misconstrued that Capt. Bahinting had let his young Nepalese co-pilot Kshitz Chand handle the flight.
A sealed “eternal blue” casket with two framed photos of Capt. Bahinting occupy St. Matthew Hall for the vigil in St. Peter Life Funeral Homes in Imus Street (not Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes as reported here yesterday.)
After a three-day vigil, the pilot’s remains will be brought on Sunday morning to the family’s beach resort in Ginatilan town.
The funeral is tentatively set for Monday.
Citom chief Sylvan Jakosalem said light planes will do an aerial drop of flowers and a fly-by as a salute on Sunday, just as the pilot’s remains are brought to Ginatilan.
“This will be Cebu’s aviation tribute to their fallen brother who was a hero”, Jakosalem said.
A Mass at noon today will be offered by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma at the Metropolitan Cebu Cathedral for Secretary Jesse Robredo, Bahinting and his Nepalese co-pilot.
In the vigil on Saturday, the Cebu City government will confer a “Lifesaver” award for Bahinting’s role in saving the life of a zoo keeper who was bitten by a King Cobra three days before the fatal plane crash.
Anti-venom shots were flown in from Camiguin province by a plane sent by Bahinting, who himself had flown several volunteer missions to ferry goods and victims of typhoons and other calamities.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and the recovered zoo keeper Ronaldo “Ron-ron” Aventurado will hand the award to the pilot’s widow, said Jakosalem.
Remembering the ritual goodbye kiss her husband forgot to give her as he rushed to the Mactan airport last Saturday to pilot the aircraft for Secretary Robredo, Margarita said she missed giving a loving gaze: “I wanted to linger on his face.”
“He is a great loss not only to our family, our company, but also to our church and the communi ty,” she said, fighting back tears.
Aviatour, the flight school and chartered plane service Capt. Bahinting founded, voluntarily suspended operations immediately after the Saturday crash to give way to a government investigation.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines announced the start of the probe on Wednesday. A suspension order on Aviatour’s operations soon followed.
Co-pilot arrives . . .
The body of 22 year-old Kshitiz Chand (shown in photo), co-pilot of the
ill-fated plane that crashed on Aug. 20, 2012, off Masbate City, was
retrieved by fishermen on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012.
PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK
The body of Nepalese co-pilot Chand arrived in Cebu around 3 p.m. on board a Cessna 182 plane and was also brought to St. Peters Funeral Homes.
Chand’s father Tek Bahadur and uncle Damand Chand who came all the way from Kathmandu were on the same flight.
The 21-year-old pilot was found floating near the crash site early morning Thursday by a fishing vessel. His remains will be flown to Kathmandu, Nepal.
The retrieval of Chand completed the five-day search and rescue operation which was spearheaded by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard. Volunteer technical divers of different nationalities and local fishermen played important roles in the operations.
Capt. Bahinting, founder and CEO of Aviatour was a church pastor who was active in charity and mercy missions.
He flew patients from hinterland communities in the Visayas and Mindanao and volunteered for disaster relief work in the Ginsaugon, Leyte landslide in 2007, the Sendong floods in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities in December last year and the earthquake that badly hit Negros Oriental in January this year.
Margarita said that it was a consolation that the death of the pilot “glorified his life for his works, which were otherwise not on public awareness when he was alive.”
Investigation
Jureidini told reporters that the investigation to be conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is just “normal.”
He assured the company’s full cooperation. He however said that they will appeal that their flying school will be exempted from the suspension as it would affect more than 100 students from different nationalities.
“It’s normal (for CAAP to conduct investigation) whether it’s a small or big airline in case of accidents.” said Jureidini.
Jureidini said the preventive suspension is “adherent” until such a time that their company will be able to prove to CAAP the “safety”./with Correspondent Gabriel C. Bonjoc
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/256882/ace-pilot-comes-home
Captain’s wife dismayed husband not found on pilot seat:Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II, RP-C4431
Margarita Bahinting uses her mobile phone in monitoring the retrieval of her husband, Captain Jessup Bahinting, inside their house in Cansojong, Talisay City, on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012. Mrs. Bahinting expressed dismay at the reports that her husband was found on the right side of the cockpit, saying this was erroneous.
CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA
CEBU CITY—Margarita Bahinting, the wife of Captain Jessup Bahinting, chairman and executive officer of Aviatour Air, expressed dismay at the reports that her husband was found on the right side of the cockpit, saying this was erroneous.
She said that her husband was on the left side of the plane, on the seat of the main pilot. She said the media reports could be misconstrued that Bahinting had allowed the student pilot, Kshitiz Chand, 21, to handle the plane.
Chand’s body was found floating near the crash site Thursday morning.
The bodies of the two pilots of the light plane that crashed off Masbate with Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo were flown to Cebu on Thursday.
The body of Bahinting, 61, was accompanied by his daughter Sarah Lynn on board a Beechcraft RPC 9980 plane, which landed at the Mactan Cebu International Airport at 8:01 a.m.
At 3:03 p.m., Cessna 182 RPC 2214 arrived with the body of Bahinting’s Nepali co-pilot, Chand.
Bahinting and Chand piloted the Piper Seneca plane that was supposed to bring Robredo from Cebu to Naga City in Camarines Sur. But the plane reportedly experienced engine trouble and was trying to make an emergency landing at the Masbate Airport when it crashed into the sea.
Bahinting’s body was retrieved from the right side of the cockpit on Wednesday, according to media reports. Sarah identified her father through his Fossil watch and ring.
Emotional
Bahinting’s friends and the students of Bahinting’s Aviatour Flight School formed a line when the small plane arrived. They were all emotional as Bahinting’s wife cried when the body bag containing the remains of her husband was pulled out of the plane, said former Cebu City Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem.
Bahinting’s body was taken to St. Peter Funeral Homes on New Imus street where the wake would be held until Sunday noon. It will be transferred to Ginatilan town, about 135 km southwest of Cebu City, for burial on Monday, said Sarah Lynn.
Chand’s father, Tek Bahadur Chand, and uncle Damand Chand arrived in Cebu at 3:17 p.m. on board another plane. Chand’s body was expected to be flown to Nepal.—With reports from Jhunnex Napallacan and Chito O. Aragon, Inquirer Visayas
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)