Wednesday, August 22, 2012

What do airplanes mean for Alaska? In a word, everything

In Alaska, 82 percent of communities are situated off of the state's road system. Without airplanes and pilots, many of these communities would be unreachable during winter months. And that means no emergency health care, no food or water deliveries, no winter fuel transport, no trips to Anchorage or Fairbanks.

The Alaska Division of Statewide Aviation produced this two-part series video that attempts to illustrate how important the aviation industry is to the 49th state. So doing, the state also offers a glimpse of what life would be like without airplanes, bush pilots, Era, Ryan Air, Alaska Airlines or the myriad other airlines that keep things moving up here. 

Part one of the series was filmed on location in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, a region roughly the size of Oregon. The Y-K Delta is one of rural Alaska's most populated regions, home to Bethel, Alaska's second-busiest cargo airport, and encompasses 35 villages populated by nearly 25,000 Y'upik Eskmos. Hear first-hand what life in Southwest Alaska would be like without flight.

Watch video: http://www.alaskadispatch.com

Cessna T210N, N85S: Accident occurred August 22, 2012 in Boulder, Colorado

NTSB Identification: CEN12CA564 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, August 22, 2012 in Boulder, CO
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/05/2012
Aircraft: CESSNA T210N, registration: N85S
Injuries: 2 Minor,1 Uninjured.

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.

The pilot stated that he overshot the final approach to the runway and had to maneuver the airplane back to the final approach course. Because the airplane was high on the approach, he extended 30 degrees of flaps and descended at an airspeed of between 80 and 85 knots. The pilot stated that he thought that the approach was not stabilized; however, he continued the approach and landed. The pilot further stated that, during the landing roll, he thought that the airplane was being pushed by a strong tailwind and that he was unable to stop the airplane before the end of the runway. The airplane departed the runway, went down an embankment, and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe and both wings. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s decision to continue the unstable approach, which resulted in a loss of control during landing and a runway excursion.

The pilot was returning to the airport to land on runway 8. He stated that he overshot the final approach and had to maneuver the airplane back to the final approach course. The airplane was high on the approach so he extended 30 degrees of flaps and descended at an airspeed between 80 and 85 knots. The pilot stated that he felt that the approach was not stabilized; however, he continued the approach and landed. During the landing roll the pilot felt that he was being pushed by a strong tailwind and was unable to stop the airplane before the end of the runway. The airplane departed the runway environment to the right, went down a 65 foot embankment, and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe and both wings. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident. Wind at the time of the accident was recorded as 340 degrees at 4 knots.


IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 85S        Make/Model: C210      Description: 210, T210, (Turbo)Centurion
  Date: 08/22/2012     Time: 1620

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

LOCATION
  City: BOULDER   State: CO   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT RAN OFF THE RUNWAY AND FLIPPED OVER, BOULDER, CO

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


OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: DENVER, CO  (NM03)                    Entry date: 08/23/2012 

 

A small plane went off the Boulder Municipal Airport runway this morning and rolled over in a nearby ravine. 
(Paul Aiken / Daily Camera) 

 Investigators examine a small plane that went off the Boulder Municipal Airport runway this morning and rolled over in a nearby ravine. (Cliff Grassmick / Daily Camera)



DENVER -- A small plane crashed at Boulder Municipal Airport Wednesday when it rolled over into a ravine. 

The Daily Camera reported a pilot and two passengers walked away from the crash unhurt. 

Airport Manager Tim Head said the pilot was landing from the west and came in too fast. He was unable to stop the plane and it ran off the southeast side of the runway. 

 The plane rolled down a 40-foot embankment before coming to a rest on its roof.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will both conduct investigations into the accident.--------Information from The Daily Camera

Story, photos, video and comments:  http://www.dailycamera.com

http://registry.faa.gov/N85S

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N85S

You've pretended to see North by Northwest, now pretend to live it: Conneaut D-Day 2012 - SUPER LOW Bomber Fly-By

Epidemic Over Long Island: Yet More Incidents Of Laser-Pointing At Planes, Cops... Sun Country Airlines Jet, Suffolk Police Chopper Zapped; 3 Officers Injured

RONKONKOMA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – There continues to be danger in the sky above Long Island. Police are now investigating two more laser incidents.

On Tuesday the night, the crew of an international flight, in addition to responding police officers, was hit by blinding green laser beams, CBS 2’s Carolyn Gusoff reported.

Three Suffolk police pilots ended up in an emergency room after being on the wrong end of the lasers, police said. Sun Country Airlines Flight 8800 out of Reykjavik, Iceland, was on approach to John F. Kennedy International Airport at around 8:30 p.m. when at 12,000 feet over Brookhaven the pilots said they saw flashes of green laser beams.

“Our pilots began to search the area and they, too, were stuck by a beam from a laser,” said Capt. John Blosser of the Suffolk Police Aviation Bureau.

Police searched a Shirley neighborhood but made no arrests in what they called a troubling trend.

On Monday, a Sayville teen was arrested for pointing a laser at police boat. In addition, a 14-year-old is under investigation for allegedly shining a green laser into a Suffolk police chopper last month. A week before that a JetBlue flight experienced getting hit by lasers.

“We just got lasered up here,” a JetBlue pilot said, referring to the incident on July 26. “Two green, two green flashes into the cockpit.”

Anyone can buy or sell a laser pointer, but there are federal laws against aiming them at people and planes. The FBI said it is investigating the latest incident.

“We’re seeking the public’s help because somebody might have heard something or seen something. We want to find out who did this,” FBI spokesperson James Margolin said.

Earlier this month, Sen. Charles Schumer said he wants to require most pointers to be sold at a lower strength and restrict the sale of the most powerful lasers.

At Camera Concepts in Patchogue, the owner said he won’t sell laser pointers to just anyone. He said an astronomy teaching tool  is  being abused by Internet merchants who sell overpowered lasers, like the kind that pops balloons in videos seen YouTube.

“We are self-regulating. There is no law that stops me from selling this to a 5-year-old, technically,” Jeffrey Norwood said.

The Food and Drug Administration said it is cracking down on overpowered lasers — some are 100 times stronger than what police believe was used over Suffolk, but added even low-level lasers can cause damage.

Suffolk police called the lasers a new weapon being used against them and they are testing new devices to be fitted onto their night vision goggles to protect their pilots from laser beams.

The three crew members from the Suffolk police chopper were treated for headaches and their vision was being monitored.

Sun Country Airlines did not respond to CBS 2’s inquiries about their pilots.

Over 3,500 laser-related incidents have happened nationwide in the past year.

Source:   http://newyork.cbslocal.com

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 19, 2012 in Shirley, NY
Probable Cause Approval Date: 08/13/2013
Aircraft: SOCATA TB 10, registration: N5542Z
Injuries: 2 Fatal, 1 Serious.

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

The accident flight was a pre-purchase demonstration of the accident airplane. The buyer intended to examine and photograph the maintenance records then fly the airplane around the airport traffic pattern with the owner. However, the owner insisted that they fly the airplane before reviewing the maintenance records. Upon starting the airplane, the owner announced that he had just been informed by the mechanic of the airplane’s inoperative tachometer but continued to taxi to the runway.

Witnesses who observed the airplane’s departure described the takeoff roll as “slow” and “anemic” and stated that the airplane used almost the entire length of the runway to become airborne. The airplane climbed slowly to treetop height in a nose-high 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 was standing on his back porch facing northeast, about 1.5 miles from the airport, said the airplane appeared above the trees at the back border of his property, flying directly toward him, and that the sound of the engine was "really loud." The airplane descended over his backyard and below the height of his one-story house in a 30-degree left 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 mechanic stated that the whereabouts of the maintenance records were unknown, but he provided a handwritten list of discrepancies he found and work he performed on the accident airplane, including 3 hours of disassembling and cleaning of the carburetor.

Examination of the wreckage revealed that the mixture control cable was disconnected from the carburetor mixture control arm. The cable displayed a light coating of soot, with no damage or fraying of the cable. The cable grip hardware on the mixture control arm was also undamaged, and the cable grip hole was completely open and unobstructed by the cable grip hardware, indicating that the cable had been removed from the arm and had not been reattached before the flight.

Although the owner and mechanic had represented the airplane to the buyer as airworthy with a completed annual inspection, they knew this was not the case, as the tachometer was inoperative; further, during a test flight 3 days before the accident, the engine would not produce full power. The pilot complained of the lack of engine power to the mechanic, but the mechanic stated he did nothing to troubleshoot the discrepancy because of the inoperative tachometer and further stated that he had not “signed off” the annual inspection in the maintenance records.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot/owner's operation of the airplane with known deficiencies, and the mechanic's failure to reattach the mixture control cable to the mixture control arm following maintenance of the carburetor.


HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On August 19, 2012, 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 the pilot-rated passenger, a prospective buyer for the airplane, was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

The purpose of the accident flight was a pre-purchase demonstration of the accident airplane; a Daher Socata TB10 "Tobago." The buyer said that he intended to examine and photograph the maintenance logbooks and the Airworthiness Directives log, then fly the airplane around the airport traffic pattern with the owner. If he was satisfied with the maintenance logs and the performance of the airplane, he was going to order a pre-purchase examination of the airplane from a maintenance facility that specialized in the Socata.

In a postaccident interview, the buyer said he and his wife arrived at Brookhaven Airport, and asked the owner for the maintenance logbooks to examine and photograph. The owner pointed to a table where the logbooks were sitting, but insisted that they fly the airplane first, and examine them afterward. The buyer then placed his camera tripod on the table next to the logbooks, and walked with his wife and the owner to the airplane.

The buyer explained to the owner that he was unfamiliar with the Socata TB10, and asked the owner to perform the engine start and preflight checks. Once the engine was started and the checks completed, the owner stated that the mechanic had just informed him that the tachometer was “unreliable.” The owner then proceeded to taxi the airplane to the runway for takeoff.

The buyer performed the takeoff roll and stated that the airplane’s acceleration was unusually slow, and that the airplane used significantly more runway than he anticipated. At 65 knots indicated airspeed, the buyer attempted to rotate the airplane for takeoff. The airplane lifted off, but immediately settled back onto to the runway. The buyer then relinquished the flight controls to the owner, who continued the takeoff.

The buyer stated that, after lifting off the runway, the airplane “didn’t leave ground effect.” He stated that the airplane would not climb, and was “skimming the treetops.” After reaching an altitude of about 150 feet, the airplane then “broke to the right and entered a classic stall/spin.”

The buyer believed that he was ejected from the airplane during the collision with the trees and the dumpster, and described how he found himself and his wife outside the airplane and on fire.

When asked if he thought to abort the takeoff, he said he started to, and at the same time, he gave the flight controls to the owner. When asked if he thought the owner would abort the takeoff at that point, he said he had no expectation of whether the owner would abort or continue, because he felt that the airplane’s lack of performance was due to his possibly “doing something incorrectly.” As the owner continued the takeoff, another pilot announced over the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency, “Tobago on takeoff, check your carb[uretor] heat.” The buyer said he looked and confirmed that the throttle, mixture, propeller, and carburetor heat controls were all in the “full forward” position.

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 4,000-foot-long runway to become airborne. 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 was standing on his back porch facing northeast, about 1.5 miles from the airport, said the airplane appeared above the trees at the back border of his property, flying directly toward him, and that the sound of the engine was "really loud." The airplane descended over his backyard and below the height of his one-story house in a 30-degree left 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.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot/owner held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class medical certificate was issued on August 1, 2003. He reported 18 total hours of flight experience on that date. His pilot logbooks were not recovered.

The buyer held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent FAA third class medical certificate was issued on December 12, 2011. Examination of his logbook revealed the pilot had logged 189.8 total hours of flight experience, none of which was in the accident airplane make and model.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1991 and was issued a ferry permit on June 20, 2012, in order to relocate the airplane and perform an annual inspection and other maintenance at HWV. Although the maintenance records were not recovered, the investigation revealed a two-page handwritten list of discrepancies for the airplane, prepared by the mechanic who relocated the airplane to HWV and was performing the maintenance on it. He stated that there were no anomalies with the performance and handling of the airplane on the ferry flight to HWV, but that the tachometer was "intermittent" and appeared to work properly only at high rpm engine settings.

Item number 27 on the mechanic's list was "Carb[uretor] has sediment in bowl – disassemble & clean." The item was checked in the margin and 3 hours of labor was annotated and billed.

The buyer stated that the airplane had been posted on the internet for sale, but that the owner did not reply to several requests to see the airplane and its records. He and his wife flew to Mattituck, New York, where the airplane had been parked for several years, to examine the exterior of the airplane. Afterwards, they continued to try to contact the owner. After several months, the owner finally responded to the buyer and informed him that the airplane had been flown to HWV for an annual inspection and correction of maintenance discrepancies in preparation for its sale.

Prior to the buyer’s examination and test flight of the airplane at HWV, the owner represented to him in emails, text messages, and over the telephone that the annual inspection was completed, that there were no outstanding discrepancies, that the airplane was airworthy, and that it was ready for sale.

FAA inspectors, who responded immediately to the accident site, visited the mechanic at his facility the same day. The inspectors requested the maintenance records of the accident airplane, but the mechanic insisted that he did not possess them, and that he had surrendered them to the owner to "make copies." In a series of interviews with the FAA, as well as a statement submitted through his attorney, the mechanic stated that he did not complete the annual inspection because of the faulty tachometer, and because the pilot had complained about a lack of engine power following a flight in the accident airplane on August 16, 2012, 3 days prior to the accident. He stated that he made no effort to troubleshoot the engine power issue, because the airplane’s tachometer was not operational.

The owner had a friend accompany him on the flight 3 days before the accident. In an interview, the friend explained that the airplane "would not climb properly" and never reached an altitude above 300-400 feet. The friend heard the owner complain to the mechanic that the tachometer was inoperative and that there was "something wrong with the power" that prevented the airplane from climbing normally. A witness to that flight reported to the FAA that he saw the airplane "struggling to get into the air." He described the airplane as "extremely" nose-high and tail-low, "barely" clearing the trees, "struggling" around the traffic pattern, and finally completing a "hard landing." The same witness observed the accident flight, and said that the airplane used the full length of the runway and again had "trouble" taking off.

According to his lawyer, the mechanic brought the airplane into the hangar on the day of the accident for the buyer's inspection, and then subsequently moved the airplane back outside for the owner, and told the owner the airplane "should not be flown." He also briefed the buyer about the features of the "new tach[ometer]" at the request of the owner because the tachometer was inoperative. The owner, the buyer, and his wife then left the hanger, and the airplane was heard to start and taxi away. The mechanic told his lawyer he "never thought" the owner would fly the airplane.

After the accident, the FAA inspectors who responded to the maintenance facility recovered the buyer’s camera tripod from the bed of the pilot/owner's pickup truck. The buyer stated that he placed the tripod next to the maintenance logbooks on a work table in the hangar just prior to the accident flight.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The 1156 weather conditions reported at HWV, at 81 feet elevation, included clear skies, visibility 10 miles, temperature 23 degrees C, dewpoint 14 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.97 inches of mercury. The wind was from 140 degrees at 7 knots.

WRECKAGE INFORMATION

The wreckage was examined at the accident site on August 20, 2012. The airplane was largely consumed by post-crash fire. The airplane struck a tree and a commercial construction dumpster that was parked on a residential street. Several pieces of angularly cut wood were found along the wreckage path.

A review of video footage revealed that, immediately after the crash, the airplane rested inverted on top of the dumpster. As the fire progressed, the remains of the wings, fuselage, empennage, and tail section fell into the dumpster. The cockpit and engine, with propeller attached, fell to the street, inverted, outside the dumpster.

Control cable continuity was established from the cockpit to components identifiable with the flight control surfaces. The cockpit was severely damaged by fire, and no usable evidence was gathered from it. The engine compartment forward of the firewall sustained minor fire damage. The engine cowlings were removed, and the engine displayed soot coatings on external components. Closer inspection revealed that the mixture control cable was disconnected from the carburetor mixture control arm. The cable displayed a light coating of soot, with no damage or fraying of the cable. The cable grip hardware on the mixture control arm was also undamaged, and the cable grip hole was completely open and unobstructed by the cable grip hardware.

The engine was recovered from the scene and examined at HWV. The engine was rotated by hand and continuity was established through the powertrain and valvetrain to the accessory section. Compression was confirmed on all but the number 1 cylinder, due to impact damage to the exhaust pushrod and the valve rocker. The single-drive, dual magneto was removed; rotated by hand, and produced spark at all terminal leads. The engine-driven fuel pump was removed, actuated by hand, and pumped fluid. The carburetor was removed, disassembled, and revealed heat damage to the carburetor floats. Further examination revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical deficiency.

The carburetor mixture control cable was sectioned several inches from the carburetor end. The sectioned cable and the carburetor mixture control arm were sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory, Washington, DC, for examination.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed the toxicological testing for the pilot. The following Tested-for-Drugs were detected:

Nicotine detected in blood and urine. Nicotine is an alkaloid found in tobacco products and is used as an insecticide.
Cotanine detected in blood and urine. Cotanine is a metabolite of nicotine.

A 12 percent concentration of carbon monoxide was detected in the pilot's blood. Up to 13 percent concentration can be detected in the blood of heavy smokers. The pilot was also exposed to significant post-crash fire.

The Office of the Medical Examiner, Suffolk County, New York, performed an autopsy on the pilot. The cause of death was the result of multiple blunt force and thermal injuries.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

On April 12, 2013, an NTSB Senior Materials Engineer examined the carburetor mixture control arm and cable section. According to his report, examination of the cable revealed that the cable had experienced clamping and sliding forces in the clamping area of the cable at some time during its service life, and that the associated contact areas of the attachment hardware similarly displayed signatures consistent with sliding forces. When measured, the minimum diameter of the cable was 0.001 inch less than the clamping space between the washer and the bolt shoulder on the control arm as found at the crash site.



 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.


The crash of  Socata TB-10 Tobago, N5542Z, on August 19 into a residential neighborhood in Shirley killed two of the three people on board, authorities said, and the lone survivor is critically injured.



Erik Unhjem, the Goshen man injured in a single-engine plane crash on Long Island that killed two others, including his wife, was upgraded to serious condition Wednesday, and according to his family, is able to speak after having tubes removed.

Erik Unhjem, 61, can speak, though his voice is hoarse, his brother, Mark Unhjem, told Newsday.

The family expects him to be in the hospital for “weeks if not months,” the brother said.

Stony Brook University Hospital officials would only say that his condition has been updated from critical to serious.

His wife Jane Unhjem, 60, a popular assistant school superintendent in Goshen, died several hours after arriving at the hospital on Sunday. Also killed in the fiery crash was the plane’s owner, David McElroy, 53, of Orient, Long Island, who died at the scene.

The Goshen couple, interested in purchasing a plane, were on a test flight of a single-engine Socata TB10 when it crashed shortly after takeoff Sunday on the eastern end of Long Island. It is still unclear who was flying the plane.

Erik Unhjem was an experienced flyer, and according to federal records, had his pilot license since 2001.

Witnesses said the Unhjems emerged from the plane on Crestwood Drive in Shirley appearing dazed and severely burned before they were taken to the hospital.

The cause of the crash has not been determined.

The plane’s maintenance records are a focal point of the National Transportation Safety Board investigation.

Funeral arrangements for Jane Unhjem are not yet complete, her brother-in-law said.

http://registry.faa.gov/N5542Z

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

Piper PA-28RT-201T Arrow I, N2970G: Accident occurred August 22, 2012 in Gulf of Mexico

http://registry.faa.gov/N2970G

NTSB Identification: ERA12LA522  
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, August 22, 2012 in Hernando Beach, FL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 08/13/2013
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28RT-201T, registration: N2970G
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

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

While en route over the Gulf of Mexico, the pilot reported that the engine began to run rough and experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot declared an emergency, searched for a place to land, and performed a gear-up landing in the water. The pilot egressed and was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. A postaccident engine examination revealed that the No.6 cylinder fuel injection nozzle was blocked with debris. After the fuel nozzle was cleaned and reinstalled, an engine run was performed. The engine started and ran smoothly, accelerated to maximum power without hesitation, and was shut down with no anomalies noted. It is likely that a small particle of debris in the fuel became lodged in the No. 6 fuel injection nozzle, which resulted in the loss of engine power.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
A partial loss of engine power due to a blockage of the No. 6 cylinder fuel injector nozzle.

On August 22, 2012, about 1140 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T, N2970G, was substantially damaged following a ditching into the Gulf of Mexico, near Hernando Beach, Florida. The private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight departed Knoxville Downtown Island Airport (DKX), Knoxville, Tennessee, about 0800 with the intended destination of St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida.

According to the pilot, he fueled the airplane prior to the accident flight. While en route, the pilot maneuvered the airplane around several thunderstorms before the engine began to run rough and experienced a partial loss of power over the Gulf of Mexico. The pilot declared an emergency, searched for a place to land, and located a few islands nearby. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot performed a gear-up landing in the water, and the airplane came to rest in approximately 3 to 4 feet of water. The pilot egressed and was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard around 1215.

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class medical certificate was issued June 28, 2011. He reported 4,660 total hours of flight time, of which 3,085 were in the accident airplane make and model.

According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1979 and registered to the owner in 2006. It was equipped with a Continental Motors TSIO-360-FB1B, 200-horsepower engine. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on September 16, 2011. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accumulated 10,507 total hours of flight time.

The 1053 recorded weather observation at Hernando County Airport (BKV), Brooksville, Florida, located approximately 15 miles to the east of the accident location, included wind from 180 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 28 degrees C, dew point 24 degrees C; barometric altimeter 30.09 inches of mercury, and a remark of distant lightning to the north and northwest of the airport.

The airplane was recovered from the water two days after the accident and moved to a salvage facility, where an engine examination was conducted on September 7, 2012. The engine remained intact and exhibited signs of salt water immersion. The variable pitch propeller was still attached, and all three blades displayed minor bending. The spark plugs were removed prior to inspection of the engine. The spark plugs showed signs of salt water immersion and of normal wear. The internal magneto timing could not be verified due to salt water damage. A visual inspection of the fuel supply line fittings revealed significant amounts of rust.

The first attempt to start the engine resulted in intermittent firing. The spark plugs were removed and cleaned of salt water contamination. The engine was started a second time, which resulted in rough-running operation at a maximum power of 2,000 rpm with the fuel mixture set to full rich. A third engine run was performed, and the engine continued to run rough. Further examination revealed that the No.6 cylinder was cold. The No.6 cylinder spark plugs were removed, cleaned, and reinstalled. The No.6 fuel injection nozzle was removed and found to be clogged with debris. The nozzle was cleaned and reinstalled into the cylinder. The fourth and fifth engine runs resulted in smooth operation, and the engine reached a maximum of 2,600 rpm.

The aircraft was equipped with a JBI Engine Analyzer unit. Readout of the unit at the NTSB Recorders Laboratory showed that for undetermined reasons the unit did not record the final stages of the accident flight.



 NTSB Identification: ERA12LA522 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, August 22, 2012 in
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28RT-201T, registration: N2970G
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On August 22, 2012, about 1140 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T, N2970G, was substantially damaged following a forced landing into the Gulf of Mexico, about 11 miles west of Brooksville, Florida. The private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight departed Knoxville Downtown Island Airport (DKX), Knoxville, Tennessee, about 0800 with the intended destination of St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida.

According to the pilot, he fueled the airplane prior to the accident flight. While en route, the pilot maneuvered the airplane around several thunderstorms before the engine began to run rough and lost partial power over the Gulf of Mexico. The pilot declared an emergency, searched for a place to land, and located a few islands nearby. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot made a gear up landing in the water, and the airplane came to rest in approximately 3 to 4 feet of water. The pilot egressed and was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard around 1215.

The airplane was recovered two days later and has been retained for further examination.


IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 2970G        Make/Model: PA28      Description: PA-28 CHEROKEE, ARROW, WARRIOR, ACHER, D
  Date: 08/22/2012     Time: 1510

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

LOCATION
  City: BROOKSVILLE   State: FL   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO, THE 1 PERSON ON BOARD WAS RESCUED 
  BY THE COAST GUARD, NEAR BROOKSVILLE, FL

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: TAMPA, FL  (SO35)                     Entry date: 08/23/2012 




 
(PHOTO/USCG)
 The pilot of the crashed plane was flown back to land by a Coast Guard helicopter Wednesday afternoon.

 
(PHOTO/PCSO) 
This photo from the Pasco Co. Sheriff’s Office shows the plane almost submerged in the Gulf of Mexico waters.
 


HERNANDO BEACH — A Coast Guard air crew proved Wednesday that practice makes perfect.

The Clearwater-based crew was heading out on a training operation when they were thrust into a real-life rescue mission. Reports of a downed plane came over the radio moments before they were to depart.

The distressed plane went down shortly after 11 a.m., landing in the Gulf of Mexico in 3 feet of water about 1 mile west of Hernando Beach.

The pilot, who was traveling alone, survived and was able to swim to a marsh and call for help, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Federal Aviation Administration reported that the Piper fixed-wing single engine plane — which had been en route from Knoxville, Tenn., to the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport — lost power before crashing. The plane is registered to Turbo Arrow Aviation LLC out of Knoxville.

Around the same time, Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater Lts. Tom Huntley and Tyler Monez, co-pilots of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, were preparing to head out with a swimmer and a flight mechanic on a training mission to practice making water rescues.

After getting a call from the FAA, however, the Coast Guard dispatched the helicopter, as well as two boats from its stations in Yankeetown and Sand Key, to Hernando.

Huntley and Monez squinted through the heavy wind-driven rain that left only a quarter-mile of visibility. But they couldn’t spot the plane’s pilot, who called authorities to say that he could see the helicopter flying overhead.

Using the helicopter’s onboard cameras, the flight mechanic spotted the bright yellow color of the man’s life raft, which had blown ashore, and then the tail and wings of the man’s partially submerged plane.

The crew quickly hoisted the shivering man into their helicopter, where they gave him a quick medical check and dry clothes before hauling him back to their Clearwater base for further observation.

The crew believes a combination of engine problems and inclement weather contributed to the crash.

“He was very thankful,” Huntley said. “I think he was a little bit in shock.”

The rescue pilots said the pilot, who didn’t want to be identified and was released early Wednesday afternoon, was “lucky.” However, they shrugged off the title “hero.”

“We train every day for that exact mission, so it was a pretty quick shift,” Huntley said, adding: “It’s just the job. It comes with wearing a green flight suit. That’s what we’re here for.”


CLEARWATER, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard rescued the pilot of a small plane that went into the Gulf of Mexico off Hernando Beach.

Petty Officer Michael DeNyse says a helicopter crew hoisted the man to safety just before noon Wednesday.

Authorities say the pilot of the Piper Arrow aircraft swam away from the wreckage and used his cell phone to call 911 about 11:30 a.m.

DeNyse says the pilot told the dispatcher he had just seen a Coast Guard helicopter fly by and asked if they could send it back.

The helicopter returned to the area and the man was taken to the Coast Guard base in Clearwater. DeNyse says the man was not injured.

There was no word on why the plane crashed.

A rescued pilot has been flown back to the Florida mainland after his small plane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico off the Pasco County coast Wednesday morning.

The plane, a fixed wing single-engine Piper, crashed five miles off the coast near Aripeka, near the border of Pasco and Hernando Counties.

The U.S. Coast Guard picked up the pilot, who was the only person on board. Authorities said he was able to swim away from the wreckage and used his cell phone to call 911 around 11:30 a.m.

A Coast Guard helicopter flew the uninjured pilot to the Coast Guard base in Clearwater. He has not been identified, but officials said the man is from Knoxville, Tenn.

Jet’s emergency chute accidentally deployed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (KSEA), Seattle, Washington

 
Credit: Bob Sullivan, NBC News

The emergency chute from a United Airlines jet was deployed at Sea-Tac International Airport Wednesday, NBC News reports, delaying the flight.

United 856 had not departed from the gate and no one was injured.

The pilot was the one who accidentally deployed the chute. He was assisting a flight attendant who was unable to close the door to the Boeing 757, according to NBC’s Bob Sullivan, who was on board.

The pilot reportedly yanked on the door and caused it to break free from the plane, after which the chute deployed onto the tarmac.

Passengers had to deplane and the flight was rescheduled to take off after 1:00 p.m.

The pilot apologized to passengers over the intercom, according to Sullivan.

“I forgive United for this major delay — mistakes happen,” Sullivan said. “Now, I wonder if United will forgive me the next time I have to change a flight.”

The flight was bound for Newark, New Jersey.

 http://www.king5.com

Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II, Aviatour Fly'In, RP-C4431: Accident occurred August 18, 2012. off Masbate - Philippines

  Body of Capt Jessup Bahinting taken to shore


   
 "Body of Capt Jessup Bahinting taken to shore Divers recovered the body of one of the pilots of the plane that crashed off Masbate as a machine tried to haul the ill-fated aircraft out of the water on Wednesday, August 22. The body, which was "unrecognizable," according to Roxas, was later identified as Capt Jessup Bahinting."


   
 "Masbate Crash, plane wreck Divers on Wednesday evening, August 22, recovered the wreckage of the plane that crashed off Masbate and carried Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and its two pilots to their death."  


 

Man locks himself in airplane cockpit, identified: Baton Rouge Metropolitan, Ryan Field (KBTR), Baton Rouge, Louisiana

 
A man locked himself inside the cockpit of this American Eagle plane. Police have the plane surrounded.
Photo courtesy WAFB-TV


BATON ROUGE (WAFB) - 

 Officials at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport have identified the man who locked himself in a cockpit Wednesday afternoon.

He's identified as Andrew Alessi. Officials have confirmed he was a ticketed passenger.

Officials said Alessi was a ticketed passenger for American Eagle Flight 2795 to Dallas/Fort Worth. They say he pushed past a gate agent around 11:30 a.m. and ran down the jetway on to the plane.

They said when he got onto the empty plane he ignored the commands of an agent cleaning it and went into the cockpit, locking the door behind him.

Investigators reported Metro Airport police and the Baton Rouge Police Department tried to negotiate with the man, but he refused.

Power and oxygen were cut externally and the man surrendered to police just before 3 p.m.

The airport remained open during the ordeal.

BRPD, Metro Airport police and the FBI are investigating.


http://www.wafb.com

Two planes reportedly almost collided at Westchester County Airport (KHPN), White Plains, New York

FAA investigating small planes’ close call at Westchester County Airport

Two small planes reportedly almost collided at Westchester County Airport over the weekend, prompting an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, county officials said.

A pilot involved in the close call notified the county today about Sunday’s incident, a county spokeswoman said.

The pilot told authorities he had received clearance and was taking off when he came too close to a small aircraft that was landing.

Because it involves the airport’s air traffic controllers, the FAA is looking into the matter, the county spokeswoman said.

The FAA did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

http://www.lohud.com

Beech V35B Bonanza, N6658R and Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee, N23SC: Accident occurred on May 28, 2012 in Warrenton, Virginia

NTSB Identification: ERA12RA367A14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, May 28, 2012 in Sumerduck, VA
Aircraft: BEECH V35B, registration: N6658R
Injuries: 2 Fatal,1 Serious

NTSB Identification: ERA12RA367B
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, May 28, 2012 in Sumerduck, VA
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28-140, registration: N23SC
 Injuries: 2 Fatal,1 Serious.

On May 28, 2012, about 1604 eastern daylight time, a Beech V35B, N6658R, and a Piper PA-28-140, N23SC, collided in flight in the vicinity of Sumerduck, Virginia. The Beech was destroyed, and the pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured; the Piper was substantially damaged, and the pilot was seriously injured. Neither of the local flights was operating on a flight plan, and both were being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The Beech departed Warrenton-Fauquier Airport, Warrenton, Virginia, on a flight review for the private pilot, and the Piper departed Culpeper Regional Airport, Culpeper, Virginia, on a personal flight.

The pilot/owner of the Beech was an employee of the NTSB, and the pilot/owner of the Piper was an employee of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Under the provisions of Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation and by mutual agreement, the United States delegated the accident investigation to the government of Canada. The NTSB designated an accredited representative to the investigation on behalf of the United States, and the FAA designated an advisor to the accredited representative.

The investigation is being conducted by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada under its statutes. Further information may be obtained from:

Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Place du Centre
200 Promenade du Portage, 4th Floor
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 1K8

Tel: 1 (800) 387-3557
Fax: 1 (819) 997-2239
Email: airops@tsb.gc.ca
Web: http://www.tsb.gc.ca

Occurrence Number: A12H0001

This report is for informational purposes only, and only contains information released by or provided to the government of Canada.

NTSB Identification: ERA12RA367B
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, May 28, 2012 in Sumerduck, VA
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28-140, registration: N23SC
Injuries: 2 Fatal,1 Serious.

The foreign authority was the source of this information.

On May 28, 2012, about 1604 eastern daylight time, a Beech V35B, N6658R, and a Piper PA-28-140, N23SC, collided in flight in the vicinity of Sumerduck, Virginia. The Beech was destroyed, and the pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured; the Piper was substantially damaged, and the pilot was seriously injured. Neither of the local flights was operating on a flight plan, and both were being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The Beech departed Warrenton-Fauquier Airport, Warrenton, Virginia, on a flight review for the private pilot, and the Piper departed Culpeper Regional Airport, Culpeper, Virginia, on a personal flight.

On May 28, 2012, about 1604 eastern daylight time, a Beech V35B, N6658R, and a Piper PA-28-140, N23SC, collided in flight in the vicinity of Sumerduck, Virginia. The Beech was destroyed, and the pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured; the Piper was substantially damaged, and the pilot was seriously injured. Neither of the local flights was operating on a flight plan, and both were being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The Beech departed Warrenton-Fauquier Airport, Warrenton, Virginia, on a flight review for the private pilot, and the Piper departed Culpeper Regional Airport, Culpeper, Virginia, on a personal flight.

The pilot/owner of the Beech was an employee of the NTSB, and the pilot/owner of the Piper was an employee of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Under the provisions of Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation and by mutual agreement, the United States delegated the accident investigation to the government of Canada. The NTSB designated an accredited representative to the investigation on behalf of the United States, and the FAA designated an advisor to the accredited representative.

The investigation is being conducted by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada under its statutes. Further information may be obtained from:

Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Place du Centre
200 Promenade du Portage, 4th Floor
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 1K8

Tel: 1 (800) 387-3557
Fax: 1 (819) 997-2239
Email: airops@tsb.gc.ca
Web: http://www.tsb.gc.ca

Occurrence Number: A12H0001

This report is for informational purposes only, and only contains information released by or provided to the government of Canada.




  Beech V35B, N6658R
Two Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigators examining the wreckage from the Beechcraft BE-35. On May 28, 2012, at approximately 1621, a Piper PA-28 and a Beechcraft BE-35 collided in flight just over 6 miles from Warrenton-Fauquier Airport in Sumerduck, VA. After the collision, the Piper PA-28 crash landed in a field and the BE-35 crashed vertically in a lightly wooded area. The sole occupant of the Piper PA-28 survived, but the two occupants of the BE-35 were fatally injured

Piper PA-28-140, N23SC


WARRENTON, Va. — Canadian officials are continuing the investigation into what led two small, private planes to collide in mid-air on Memorial Day in Fauquier County.

Two people were killed and another injured in the May 28 crash near Warrenton-Fauquier Airport.

The crash is being investigated by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada because the pilot of one of the planes was a National Transportation Safety Board employee and the other plane is owned by an employee of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Officials Wednesday said the investigation team is working to determine what caused the crash and how to stop it from happening again. Investigator Jon Lee says they’re focusing on whether the aircraft were visible to each other before the collision and what role traffic control may have played.

http://www.dailypress.com

TSB Update on Midair Collision between Beechcraft V35B Bonanza and Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee near Warrenton, Virginia (A12H0001)  

 GATINEAU, QC, Aug. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -

The Accident

On 28 May 2012, at 1605 Eastern Daylight Time, near Warrenton, Virginia, a Beechcraft V35B Bonanza was in a shallow climb headed southbound when it collided with a Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee, which was in level flight headed in a southeasterly direction. As a result of the collision, the Bonanza broke up in flight and the pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured in the crash. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the Cherokee, was able to conduct a forced landing in a pasture approximately 6 nautical miles south of the Warrenton-Fauquier Airport (KHWY). The pilot was taken to hospital and later released.

The Investigation Team

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) was delegated the authority to investigate this accident by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) under Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Section 5.1. The investigation is being conducted under the laws and policies applicable to the TSB.

The investigation team is led by TSB Investigator-in-Charge, Jon Lee. Mr. Lee has 25 years aviation experience: 12 years as a commercial pilot in the aviation industry, and 13 years as an aircraft accident investigator. He is assisted in this investigation by experts in flight operations, aircraft performance, aircraft systems, aircraft engines, human performance and air traffic control. While most of these experts come from the TSB, assistance has also been provided by the NTSB, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Hawker Beechcraft and Piper Aircraft Inc.

Investigation Process

Each investigation consists of three phases. The first phase is the field phase, when information is gathered from a number of sources; it includes examination of the wreckage and accident site. The second phase is the post-field phase where information continues to be gathered and the analysis begins. The final phase is the report production phase. This phase includes writing the report, consulting designated reviewers and, once the Board approves the final report, preparing the report for release to the public.

This investigation has now entered phase 2. While continuing to accumulate the information it needs, the team has now begun the work of analyzing the considerable amount of data in order to determine what happened, why it happened and, what needs to be done to ensure this does not happen again.

Work Completed to Date

Progress has been made in a number of areas. The accident site was extensively photographed and documented, and all major aircraft components were located. The team reviewed eye-witness statements taken by local law enforcement officials, and had several conversations with the surviving pilot. Air traffic controllers were also interviewed.
 

Relevant records were examined. FAA air traffic radar data along with flight path information recorded on a GPS in the Cherokee were retrieved. This information provides valuable data that will assist investigators in understanding what happened during the moments leading up to the collision.

What We Know

Both aircraft were certified, equipped and maintained in accordance with existing regulations and approved procedures. Nothing was found to indicate that there were any airframe failures or system malfunctions before or during the flight. All control surfaces were accounted for, and all damage to both aircraft was attributable to the collision and impact forces.

Records indicate that the Bonanza pilot and instructor and the Cherokee pilot were certified and qualified for the flight in accordance with existing regulations.

Both aircraft were flying under visual flight rules (VFR). VFR flight requires a pilot to be able to see outside the cockpit, to control the aircraft's attitude, navigate, and avoid obstacles and other aircraft. Governing agencies establish specific requirements for VFR flight, including minimum visibility and distance from clouds, to ensure that aircraft operating under VFR are visible from enough distance to ensure safety.

The weather for the Warrenton area was consistent with good visual meteorological conditions with visibilities well in excess of the minimums required for VFR.

After departing the Culpeper Airport and levelling at 2000 feet above sea level, the pilot of the Cherokee contacted Potomac terminal radar approach control (TRACON) and requested air traffic control services to conduct a practice instrument approach into the Warrenton Airport. The Potomac TRACON controller was in the process of radar identifying the Cherokee when the collision occurred. The collision alert alarm had sounded on the controller's console before the collision.

Investigation Activities in Progress

The TSB is proceeding along several avenues of investigation concurrently in order to understand why the aircraft collided. To that end, investigators, assisted by specialists in aircraft performance and human performance, are reviewing factors that may have contributed to this tragic accident. A field-of-view analysis is being performed for each aircraft to determine whether either aircraft would have been visible to either pilot as they approached.

The TSB has classified this occurrence as a midair collision. The issues being actively investigated are:

  • the effectiveness of "see and be seen" as a defense for aircraft flying under  VFR; and 
  • FAA policies and procedures regarding controller responses to collision alerts between VFR aircraft.
Communication of Safety Deficiencies

Should the investigation team uncover a safety deficiency that represents an immediate risk to aviation, the Board will communicate without delay in an effort to make the aviation system safer.

The Families

The TSB investigation team knows that the survivor and the families who lost loved ones want answers. As we continue our work, our hope is that we will be able to answer: What happened? Why did it happen? What can we learn so that it does not happen again? We look for these answers in order to make a safer transportation system.

The information posted is factual in nature and does not contain any analysis. Analysis of the accident, along with the findings of the Board will come when the final report is released. The investigation is ongoing.

The TSB is an independent agency that investigates marine, pipeline, railway and aviation transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.

This news release, photos and other related material can be found on the TSB website at www.bst-tsb.gc.ca.

SOURCE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD OF CANADA

PR Newswire


Williamsburg Regional (KCKI), Kingstree, South Carolina: County airport leaders seek direction

 
Williamsburg County Airport’s Interim-Director Jack Whiteside speaks before Williamsburg County Council Tuesday, Aug. 21 in Kingstree. Whiteside said the county’s airport needs an infusion of funding in order to meet FAA regulations.

KINGSTREE, S.C. -- 

 After years of being supported by volunteers and part-time employees, those in charge of Williamsburg County’s airport are asking for some direction.

At an Aug. 21 county council meeting in Kingstree, members of the force that maintains the Williamsburg County Regional Airport pleaded their case to council, asking for an idea of what the county plans to do with the airport.

The airport, which opened in 1970, is home to a dozen aircraft, according to AirNav.com. The airport sees an average of 115 aircraft operations a week with 99 percent of that general aviation -- 84 percent local and 15 percent transient.

AirNav.com rates the airport's asphalt runway as being in good shape.

The plan laid out by the volunteers, led by Jack Whiteside, the interim-director of the airport, provided the council with two options – to either provide sufficient funding for the airport to allow it to meet Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines, or allow it to continue to flounder and lose the certifications and existing state and federal funding it currently receives.

While the plan for the later is already laid out – simply continue to not meet guidelines and the funding the airport currently receives will cease.

The plan for curating the airport would be a little more complex. Significant funding would need to be allocated to meet some of the FAA guidelines the airport is currently out of regulation with, but the most pressing issue would be to provide the airport with a form of governance to lead a facility that been directionless for the past decade.

Whiteside said the guidelines the airport is out of regulation with will not be too pressing for the next year, but after that, he expects the federal and state authorities that govern the airport and supply it with a small parcel of funding will be forced to act.

“We’ve been told in no uncertain terms by the Federal Aviation [Administration] and the state aeronautics commission that there won’t be any more money if we don’t do something,” Whiteside said. “There are things that we need to do that we haven’t been doing. We need governance and some form of revenue.”

Currently, the most pressing issue facing the airport is its need for perpetual maintenance.

The mile long runway and the accompanying taxiways leave a large swatch of land with grass to be cut on a continual basis.

Since the airport’s inception, it’s dealt with rudimentary tools to address the grass, with a tractor that is now dated at more than 30-years-old and a mower that was purchased by one of the volunteers.

Whiteside, who has been the interim-director since 2002, said the state initially provided much of the funding used to maintain the airport, but recently, all but the most basic of funding has been cut.

“Our present situation is that we have no revenue on the airport and very few fund available,” he said. “The state is not doing anything now at all. They do not fund growth retardant… I’m not saying they don’t help, but they don’t help with the costs of maintenance.”

The airport’s troubles don’t end with the grass, though. Illegal motorcycle races and hunters trespassing onto the property have also plagued the facility.

Whiteside recounted one instance in which a landing aircraft was forced to abort its approach due to a deer standing on the runway.

Although no action was taken in support or against increasing the county’s support of the airport, Williamsburg County Supervisor Stanley Pasley said the airport – if maintained properly – could become an integral asset to the county.

“The one thing I want to emphasize… is that this is an asset,” Pasley said. “It’s come time that we deal with it in that matter. These are some of the things that are going to be talked about… Moving forward, I think it’s compelling that we not squander an opportunity to maximize the potential of this asset that the county has."

Story and photo:  http://www2.scnow.com


Related:

Mangalore airport still unsafe

Six airports—Patna, Mangalore, Calicut, Jammu, Port Blair, Agartala—remain classified as dangerous 

New Delhi: Flying to six of the 11 Indian airports classified as dangerous airfields continues to remain unsafe for emergencies.

This emerged after the airport operator in each of these airports admitted that the airports still have concrete structures at the end of the runway, a key reason for the Air India Express crash in Mangalore that caused the death of 158 people.

In a reply to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by Mint, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) disclosed that Mangalore airport continues to have concrete structures at the end of the runway and that five other airports—Patna, Calicut, Jammu, Port Blair and Agartala—have similar structures.

Nothing has changed even though the crash happened in 2010.

An aircraft that overshoots the runway could hit a concrete structure, breaking its wing, spilling fuel and causing a fire.

“If an aircraft overun takes place at any of these airports, the fate of the passengers is in God’s hands,” said Mohan Ranganathan, an air safety expert and a member of the government-appointed Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Council.

Most of these airports handle a lot of traffic, including international passengers, on a daily basis. Mangalore airport handled 2,937 passengers daily in May, Patna 3,081, Calicut 6,601, Jammu 2,979, and Agartala 2,446, according to AAI traffic data.

In comparison, Delhi airport on average handles 85,588 passengers daily.

AAI said it had tried to procure frangible, or breakable, structures, but failed to do so.

“The Directorate of CNS (Communication, Navigation and Surveillance) Planning initiated procurement of frangible glide path mast and housing of transmitters (localizer/glide path), but due to non-availability of frangibility criteria for these items from Icao (International Civil Aviation Organization), AAI could not procure glide path mast and frangible shelters for localizer and glide path,” AAI said in its 7 August response to the RTI.

Icao is a United Nations agency that was set up to promote safe flying.

The reply is at odds with an assurance given by civil aviation minister Ajit Singh in Parliament on 3 May.

Singh told Parliament that aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation had inspected 11 critical airports  after the Mangalore crash and said these airports met “frangibility” standards.

“On the basis of suggestions in the inspections, following actions have been taken to enhance the safety at the aerodromes with the aerodrome operators: provision of runway end safety area, ensure proper marking on runway, proper maintenance of basic strip and ensuring frangibility area,” he said.

Singh didn’t respond to phone calls and messages seeking comment.

An AAI spokesperson said it was a work in progress. “We are replacing those structures in a phased manner all over the country. At least 30-40% is done. The remaining is in process,” he said.

A court of inquiry report on the Mangalore crash of the IX-812 clearly pointed out that the aircraft fire was caused when the Boeing 737-800 aircraft’s wing hit the concrete structure and fuel was spilled, leading to a fire. The inquiry found that the victims died from injuries from the fire and not because of the impact of the crash. It asked AAI to address the issue in Mangalore within six months.

“It is mandatory for all structures protruding above the runway safety areas to be frangible,” the report said. “At Mangalore, the ILS (instrument landing system) localizer antenna is mounted on a concrete structure.”

Ranganathan said, “If there was no concrete structure, the aircraft at Mangalore could have potentially taken off or at least there would not have been a fire improving the probability of passengers surviving the crash.”

For example, at Aizwal’s Lengpui airport, equipped with frangible structures, a Cessna Caravan aircraft overshot the end of the runway in May last year and passengers survived.

AAI in its RTI reply confirmed that of the 11 airports classified as dangerous, only Lenpui had a frangible structure.

Ranganthan said he would raise the issue with the government, especially in light of the fact that an international safety audit of India’s safety regulator by Icao is slated for December. The outcome of the audit impacts the commercial interests of the industry.

“Its about time the ministry and DGCA realize that safety of passengers is more important than being politically correct,” he said. 

http://www.livemint.com