The Federal Government yesterday read the riot act to pilots, reiterating they must obtain and confirm their destination weather reports from the Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) before take-off and landing.
The Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, explained that the government was compelled to take the position, because it has been observed lately that only Flight Dispatchers go to the AIS to obtain Meteorological Folders without the pilots getting the briefings.
She said this accounts for why aircraft take off and get to their destinations but are unable to land.
Oduah said the recklessness on the part of airline operators and pilots will no longer be tolerated, vowing that infractions will be met with serious sanctions.
According to the Minister: " Henceforth, all Airline Operators and Pilots are required to obtain and confirm their destination weather reports from the AIS before start-up and take-off according to international standard and best practices in order to prevent incidents of avoidable air returns due to unfavorable weather condition.
"There is, therefore, absolutely no reason and justification for an aircraft to make an air return on the basis of poor weather condition since initial weather report from the AIS would have been adequate to indicate the futility of an initial take-off under such harsh weather conditions. "
She also denied government is contemplating selling off the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) Zaria.
Oduah, in a statement said:" Those circulating this malicious rumor have clearly ulterior motives that are not in tandem with the current administration's desire and determination to reposition the college as a premier aviation training institute on the African continent.
"The speculation is only intended to malign and distract the management of the college from its clear objective of repositioning the college as a veritable source of manpower development and recruitment for the aviation industry in Nigeria."
http://www.thenationonlineng.net
August 25, 2012
Piper PA-24-250, N7774P: Accident occurred August 25, 2012 in Milner, Colorado
NTSB Identification: CEN12FA571
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, August 24, 2012 in Milner, CO
Probable Cause Approval Date: 06/04/2013
Aircraft: PIPER PA-24-250, registration: N7774P
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
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 student pilot departed on a cross-country flight and was not in contact with air traffic controllers; no flight plan had been filed. Log data recovered from the handheld global positioning system (GPS) unit depicted a flight track consistent with the accident flight and logged a maximum speed of 135 knots and a maximum GPS altitude of 18,379 feet. The airplane’s wreckage was located in a remote valley the following afternoon. An examination of the engine and airframe revealed no anomalies. Damage to the airplane and ground scars were consistent with the airplane being in a stall and flat spin at the time of impact. During the examination of the wreckage, marijuana and an opened six-pack of beer were found; the beer bottles were located in the front of the airplane, within the pilot’s reach. Toxicological testing found both alcohol and marijuana in the pilot’s system. The amount of alcohol in the pilot’s system would have significantly impaired the pilot’s performance. In addition, the amount of marijuana and its metabolite found in the pilot’s system indicated he was actively smoking in the hour before the accident; this would also have significantly impaired his ability to control the airplane. Both of these intoxicants may have impaired his judgment and contributed to the pilot’s decision to fly above 18,000 feet in an aircraft not equipped with oxygen. The resulting hypoxia also impaired his ability to control the airplane.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The student pilot’s impairment from alcohol, marijuana, and hypoxia, which adversely affected his ability to maintain control of the airplane.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On August 24, 2012, about 1445, a Piper PA-24-250, N7774P, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain northwest of Milner, Colorado. The student pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was being operated without a flight plan. The flight originated from Glenwood Springs Municipal Airport (KGWS), Glenwood Springs, Colorado at 1359.
According to the Routt County Sheriff’s Office, a sheepherder found the wreckage around 1000 on August 25, 2012. The airplane was not in contact with air traffic control. According to a family member, the airplane departed Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and was en route to Minnesota. The airplane was not reported missing by friends or family, and an Alert Notification for a missing airplane had not been filed.
Radar data, provided by Denver Center in en route radar intelligence tool (ERIT) format, depicted a flight path consistent with that of the accident airplane. The transponder in the airplane was off so the radar data did not depict the altitude of the flight.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot, age 36, held a student pilot certificate issued on March 21, 2011. He was issued a third class airman medical certificate without limitations on March 21, 2011. At the time of application, the pilot reported that he had logged zero hours of flight time.
A personal logbook reflecting the flight experience of the pilot or instructor endorsements was not located.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The accident airplane, a Piper PA-24-250 (serial number 24-2990), was manufactured in 1962. It was registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on a standard airworthiness certificate for normal operations. A Lycoming O-540-A1-D5 engine rated at 250 horsepower at 2,575 rpm powered the airplane. The engine was equipped with a metal, 3-blade, McCauley propeller.
The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual, and was maintained under an annual inspection program. A review of the maintenance records indicated that an annual inspection had been completed on March 1, 2012, at an airframe total time of 7,303 hours. The airplane had flown 67 hours between the last inspection and the accident, and had a total airframe time of 7,370 hours. The airplane was not equipped with a supplemental oxygen system or a portable bottle.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
The closest official weather observation station was Steamboat Springs Airport/Bob Adams Field (KSBS), Steamboat Springs, Colorado, located 8 nautical miles (nm) east of the accident site. The elevation of the weather observation station was 6,882 feet above mean seal level (msl). The routine aviation weather report (METAR) for KSBS, issued at 1453, reported, wind 040 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky condition, scattered clouds at 2,100 feet, broken clouds at 12,000 feet, temperature 18 degrees Celsius (C), dew point temperature 4 degrees C, altimeter 30.08 inches.
FLIGHT RECORDERS
A Garmin GPSMAP 696 portable multi-function display and global positioning system receiver was found in the wreckage. The unit was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Vehicle Recorders Lab in Washington, D.C., for data recovery. The unit was capable of recording flight track history when configured to do so. The unit was repaired and recorded waypoint, route, and tracklog data was successfully downloaded. The unit had been configured not to record tracklog data; however, flight history from May 24, 2012, through August 24, 2012, was recovered. The last flight log recovered was consistent with the accident flight and logged a maximum ground speed of 135 knots and a maximum GPS altitude of 18,379 feet, though the groundspeed and altitude values could not be validated.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The wreckage came to rest upright on a heading of 010 degrees in the bowl of a valley, surrounded by deciduous and coniferous trees and bushes, at a measured elevation of 7,070 feet msl. The main wreckage included the engine and propeller assembly, the fuselage, empennage, and the right and left wings. Paint chips, plexiglass, and small components surrounded the main wreckage. One ground scar, approximately 8 inches in depth, was located just forward of the engine. There were no other ground scars or points of impact noted.
The engine remained attached to the fuselage. The upper two engine mounts were bent, broken, and pushed aft, and the engine cowling was bent and crushed up and aft around the engine. The propeller remained attached to the engine at the propeller flange. The propeller blades were labeled “A”, “B”, and “C” for identification purposes in the report. Blade “A” was unremarkable. Blade “B” exhibited leading edge polishing, and was otherwise unremarkable. Blade “C” was bent aft 45 to 55 degrees under the engine. Blade “C” exhibited leading edge polishing but was otherwise unremarkable. The spinner on the engine was crushed aft.
The left wing included the left aileron and left flap and remained attached to the fuselage. The entire leading edge of the left wing was crushed up and aft in an accordion manner. Paint along the entire leading edge separated from the airplane. The main and auxiliary left wing fuel tanks were crushed down and the fuel bladders torn open. No fuel was present in either tank. The left aileron remained attached to the left wing and was impact damaged. Bending and wrinkling of the wreckage prevented full manipulation of the left aileron; however, both the primary and balance cables were continuous. The left flap remained attached, was impact damaged, and appeared to be extended several degrees.
The fuselage on the left side of the airplane, between the left wing and the empennage was buckled in several locations. The fuselage between the empennage and the right wing was unremarkable.
The empennage included the stabilator, rudder, and vertical stabilizer, and remained attached to the empennage. The left side of the stabilator was wrinkled along the entire control surface. The right side of the stabilator was wrinkled along the outboard trailing edge of the control surface. The vertical stabilizer was unremarkable. The upper portion of the rudder control was bent to the left. Bending and wrinkling of the wreckage prevented full manipulation of the rudder and stabilator; however, both the stabilator and rudder control cables were continuous.
The right wing included the right aileron and the right flap, and remained attached to the fuselage. The entire leading edge of the right wing was crushed up and aft in an accordion manner, with the extent of crushing decreasing in intensity toward the tip of the wing. Paint along the entire leading edge separated from the airplane. The main and auxiliary right wing fuel tanks were crushed down and the fuel bladders torn open. No fuel was present in either tank. The right aileron remained attached to the right wing and was impact damaged. Bending and wrinkling of the wreckage prevented full manipulation of the right aileron; however, both the primary and balance cables were continuous. The right flap remained attached, was impact damaged, and appeared to be extended by several degrees.
The fuselage included the forward and aft cabin, and the instrument panel. The front two seats remained in the seat track and were crushed down. The rear seat was crushed down and the floor of the airplane was crushed up. The forward portion of the fuselage, including the floor and the instrument panel was crushed up and aft. The upper portion of the fuselage was bent and wrinkled and the plexiglass windscreen separated and was fragmented. The roof of the cabin had been bent aft for the purpose of extracting the pilot. An auger, a chain saw, a backpack full of personal effects, a basket of clothing, food, six beer bottles, marijuana, and various other personal effects were located throughout the cabin. The beers bottles were in a cardboard container with a six pack configuration located in the front seat of the airplane and were broken.
The fuel selector valve was in the right auxiliary position.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
An autopsy was performed on the pilot by a Forensic Pathology Consultant as authorized by the Routte County Coroner’s office on August 27, 2012. A toxicology screen conducted by the Horizon Lab, LLC, detected amphetamine and cannabinoid in the blood, in addition to 0.110 g/dl of ethanol. The autopsy noted the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries and listed the specific injuries. It stated that “acute ethanol intoxication may have been a contributing factor in the events which lead up to the accident. Based on comparison of the ethanol levels in the blood with those in the vitreous fluid, it is likely that [the pilot] was consuming ethanol within 1 – 2 hours of the accident. Based on this behavior, suicide cannot be excluded as the manner of death.” The manner of death was listed as undetermined.
The FAA’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicological tests on specimens that were collected during the autopsy (CAMI Reference Number 201200176001). A sample of peripheral blood detected 104 mg/dL of ethanol, 0.072 ug/ml Tetrahydrocannabinol (Marihuana), and 0.0174 ug/ml Tetrahydrocannabinol Caroxylic Acid (Marihuana). Amphetamines were not detected in these samples.
TESTS AND RESEARCH
The wreckage was recovered and relocated to a hangar in Greeley, Colorado, for further examination.
There were no shoulder harnesses installed in the accident airplane. Neither of the forward lap belts were latched. The webbing of the buckle end of the left seatbelt was chaffed and the flat end webbing was unremarkable.
Approximately 5 ounces of fuel was recovered from the fuel bowl at the fuel selector valve. The fuel was clean, bright, and blue in color. Small particles were found in the fuel bowl and the fuel bowl screen was free of contamination. Approximately ¼ cup of fuel was recovered from one electric fuel boost pump and a trace amount of fuel was recovered from the other electric fuel boost pump. The filters were free of debris.
The position of the flap transmission assembly was consistent with retracted flaps. The jack screw exposed 8 threads which is also consistent with retracted flaps. Flight control continuity for the rudder and ailerons was confirmed from the center portion of the fuselage forward to the flight control yokes in the cabin.
The engine was removed from the airframe to aid in the examination. Both magnetos exhibited impact damaged and were removed for further examination. When actuated by hand, spark was observed at each lead. The vacuum pump was impact damaged and the shaft of the pump was intact and unremarkable. The engine driven fuel pump was dry and when actuated by hand, air movement/suction was produced.
The top bank of sparkplugs was removed and the leads on the sparkplugs were light in color consistent with a lean fuel mixture. The engine was rotated at the propeller flange. Air and valve movement was noted on all six cylinders. All six cylinders were examined with a boroscope and no anomalies were noted.
The oil pick-up screen, the propeller governor screen, and the carburetor fuel inlet screen were all clear of contaminations. No fuel was noted in the carburetor. The mounting flange was impact damaged and the carburetor was otherwise unremarkable. The throttle cable remained attached to the carburetor. The mixture cable separated from the mixture control arm, consistent with impact damage.
NTSB Identification: CEN12FA571
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, August 25, 2012 in Milner, CO
Aircraft: PIPER PA-24-250, registration: N7774P
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.
On August 24, 2012, at an unknown time, a Piper PA-24 -250, N7774P, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain under unknown circumstances near Milner, Colorado. The pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was being operated without a flight plan. The flight originated from Glenwood Springs Municipal Airport (KGWS), Glenwood Springs, Colorado at an undetermined time.
According to the Routt County Sheriff’s Office, a sheepherder found the wreckage around 1000 on August 25, 2012. The airplane was not in contact with air traffic control and no flight plan had been filed. According to a family member, the airplane departed Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and was en route to Minnesota. The airplane had not been reported missing by friends or family and an Alert Notification for a missing airplane had not been filed.
The wreckage came to rest upright on an heading of 010 degrees in the bowl of a valley, surrounded by trees and bushes. The main wreckage included the engine and propeller assembly, the fuselage, empennage, and the right and left wings. Paint chips, Plexiglas, and small components surrounded the main wreckage. One ground scar, approximately 8 inches in depth, was located just forward of the engine. There were no other ground scars or points of impacted noted.
The airplane was recovered and relocated to a hangar for further examination.
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N7774P
Steamboat Springs — The Routt County Sheriff’s Office was investigating a plane crash Saturday and the death of the plane’s only occupant.
The crash was discovered at about noon by a sheep herder about three miles north of the Camilletti Ranch house, which is at the end of Routt County Road 48 near Milner.
Undersheriff Ray Birch wrote in an email that the crashed plane is a single engine Piper and that it was being flown by a male.
Routt County Coroner Rob Ryg wants to make sure all of the family members are notified before the man is identified. The man's name should be available Sunday morning.
Birch added that the man was not from the area.
Birch said it is not known when the plane crashed. He said that the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board has been notified and that NTSB investigators were expected to arrive at the crash Saturday evening.
http://www.steamboattoday.com
Photo by Matt Stensland
MILNER, Colo. (CBS4) – One person is dead after a plane crash in Routt County on Saturday.
The plane was discovered by a sheep herder at about noon north of Milner, which is about eight miles west of Steamboat Springs.
It’s not known when the crash occurred. Deputies arrived and confirmed a male solo occupant was deceased.
The aircraft is a single engine Piper. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have been notified.
http://www.steamboattoday.com
http://denver.cbslocal.com
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, August 24, 2012 in Milner, CO
Probable Cause Approval Date: 06/04/2013
Aircraft: PIPER PA-24-250, registration: N7774P
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
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 student pilot departed on a cross-country flight and was not in contact with air traffic controllers; no flight plan had been filed. Log data recovered from the handheld global positioning system (GPS) unit depicted a flight track consistent with the accident flight and logged a maximum speed of 135 knots and a maximum GPS altitude of 18,379 feet. The airplane’s wreckage was located in a remote valley the following afternoon. An examination of the engine and airframe revealed no anomalies. Damage to the airplane and ground scars were consistent with the airplane being in a stall and flat spin at the time of impact. During the examination of the wreckage, marijuana and an opened six-pack of beer were found; the beer bottles were located in the front of the airplane, within the pilot’s reach. Toxicological testing found both alcohol and marijuana in the pilot’s system. The amount of alcohol in the pilot’s system would have significantly impaired the pilot’s performance. In addition, the amount of marijuana and its metabolite found in the pilot’s system indicated he was actively smoking in the hour before the accident; this would also have significantly impaired his ability to control the airplane. Both of these intoxicants may have impaired his judgment and contributed to the pilot’s decision to fly above 18,000 feet in an aircraft not equipped with oxygen. The resulting hypoxia also impaired his ability to control the airplane.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The student pilot’s impairment from alcohol, marijuana, and hypoxia, which adversely affected his ability to maintain control of the airplane.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On August 24, 2012, about 1445, a Piper PA-24-250, N7774P, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain northwest of Milner, Colorado. The student pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was being operated without a flight plan. The flight originated from Glenwood Springs Municipal Airport (KGWS), Glenwood Springs, Colorado at 1359.
According to the Routt County Sheriff’s Office, a sheepherder found the wreckage around 1000 on August 25, 2012. The airplane was not in contact with air traffic control. According to a family member, the airplane departed Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and was en route to Minnesota. The airplane was not reported missing by friends or family, and an Alert Notification for a missing airplane had not been filed.
Radar data, provided by Denver Center in en route radar intelligence tool (ERIT) format, depicted a flight path consistent with that of the accident airplane. The transponder in the airplane was off so the radar data did not depict the altitude of the flight.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot, age 36, held a student pilot certificate issued on March 21, 2011. He was issued a third class airman medical certificate without limitations on March 21, 2011. At the time of application, the pilot reported that he had logged zero hours of flight time.
A personal logbook reflecting the flight experience of the pilot or instructor endorsements was not located.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The accident airplane, a Piper PA-24-250 (serial number 24-2990), was manufactured in 1962. It was registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on a standard airworthiness certificate for normal operations. A Lycoming O-540-A1-D5 engine rated at 250 horsepower at 2,575 rpm powered the airplane. The engine was equipped with a metal, 3-blade, McCauley propeller.
The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual, and was maintained under an annual inspection program. A review of the maintenance records indicated that an annual inspection had been completed on March 1, 2012, at an airframe total time of 7,303 hours. The airplane had flown 67 hours between the last inspection and the accident, and had a total airframe time of 7,370 hours. The airplane was not equipped with a supplemental oxygen system or a portable bottle.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
The closest official weather observation station was Steamboat Springs Airport/Bob Adams Field (KSBS), Steamboat Springs, Colorado, located 8 nautical miles (nm) east of the accident site. The elevation of the weather observation station was 6,882 feet above mean seal level (msl). The routine aviation weather report (METAR) for KSBS, issued at 1453, reported, wind 040 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky condition, scattered clouds at 2,100 feet, broken clouds at 12,000 feet, temperature 18 degrees Celsius (C), dew point temperature 4 degrees C, altimeter 30.08 inches.
FLIGHT RECORDERS
A Garmin GPSMAP 696 portable multi-function display and global positioning system receiver was found in the wreckage. The unit was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Vehicle Recorders Lab in Washington, D.C., for data recovery. The unit was capable of recording flight track history when configured to do so. The unit was repaired and recorded waypoint, route, and tracklog data was successfully downloaded. The unit had been configured not to record tracklog data; however, flight history from May 24, 2012, through August 24, 2012, was recovered. The last flight log recovered was consistent with the accident flight and logged a maximum ground speed of 135 knots and a maximum GPS altitude of 18,379 feet, though the groundspeed and altitude values could not be validated.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The wreckage came to rest upright on a heading of 010 degrees in the bowl of a valley, surrounded by deciduous and coniferous trees and bushes, at a measured elevation of 7,070 feet msl. The main wreckage included the engine and propeller assembly, the fuselage, empennage, and the right and left wings. Paint chips, plexiglass, and small components surrounded the main wreckage. One ground scar, approximately 8 inches in depth, was located just forward of the engine. There were no other ground scars or points of impact noted.
The engine remained attached to the fuselage. The upper two engine mounts were bent, broken, and pushed aft, and the engine cowling was bent and crushed up and aft around the engine. The propeller remained attached to the engine at the propeller flange. The propeller blades were labeled “A”, “B”, and “C” for identification purposes in the report. Blade “A” was unremarkable. Blade “B” exhibited leading edge polishing, and was otherwise unremarkable. Blade “C” was bent aft 45 to 55 degrees under the engine. Blade “C” exhibited leading edge polishing but was otherwise unremarkable. The spinner on the engine was crushed aft.
The left wing included the left aileron and left flap and remained attached to the fuselage. The entire leading edge of the left wing was crushed up and aft in an accordion manner. Paint along the entire leading edge separated from the airplane. The main and auxiliary left wing fuel tanks were crushed down and the fuel bladders torn open. No fuel was present in either tank. The left aileron remained attached to the left wing and was impact damaged. Bending and wrinkling of the wreckage prevented full manipulation of the left aileron; however, both the primary and balance cables were continuous. The left flap remained attached, was impact damaged, and appeared to be extended several degrees.
The fuselage on the left side of the airplane, between the left wing and the empennage was buckled in several locations. The fuselage between the empennage and the right wing was unremarkable.
The empennage included the stabilator, rudder, and vertical stabilizer, and remained attached to the empennage. The left side of the stabilator was wrinkled along the entire control surface. The right side of the stabilator was wrinkled along the outboard trailing edge of the control surface. The vertical stabilizer was unremarkable. The upper portion of the rudder control was bent to the left. Bending and wrinkling of the wreckage prevented full manipulation of the rudder and stabilator; however, both the stabilator and rudder control cables were continuous.
The right wing included the right aileron and the right flap, and remained attached to the fuselage. The entire leading edge of the right wing was crushed up and aft in an accordion manner, with the extent of crushing decreasing in intensity toward the tip of the wing. Paint along the entire leading edge separated from the airplane. The main and auxiliary right wing fuel tanks were crushed down and the fuel bladders torn open. No fuel was present in either tank. The right aileron remained attached to the right wing and was impact damaged. Bending and wrinkling of the wreckage prevented full manipulation of the right aileron; however, both the primary and balance cables were continuous. The right flap remained attached, was impact damaged, and appeared to be extended by several degrees.
The fuselage included the forward and aft cabin, and the instrument panel. The front two seats remained in the seat track and were crushed down. The rear seat was crushed down and the floor of the airplane was crushed up. The forward portion of the fuselage, including the floor and the instrument panel was crushed up and aft. The upper portion of the fuselage was bent and wrinkled and the plexiglass windscreen separated and was fragmented. The roof of the cabin had been bent aft for the purpose of extracting the pilot. An auger, a chain saw, a backpack full of personal effects, a basket of clothing, food, six beer bottles, marijuana, and various other personal effects were located throughout the cabin. The beers bottles were in a cardboard container with a six pack configuration located in the front seat of the airplane and were broken.
The fuel selector valve was in the right auxiliary position.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
An autopsy was performed on the pilot by a Forensic Pathology Consultant as authorized by the Routte County Coroner’s office on August 27, 2012. A toxicology screen conducted by the Horizon Lab, LLC, detected amphetamine and cannabinoid in the blood, in addition to 0.110 g/dl of ethanol. The autopsy noted the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries and listed the specific injuries. It stated that “acute ethanol intoxication may have been a contributing factor in the events which lead up to the accident. Based on comparison of the ethanol levels in the blood with those in the vitreous fluid, it is likely that [the pilot] was consuming ethanol within 1 – 2 hours of the accident. Based on this behavior, suicide cannot be excluded as the manner of death.” The manner of death was listed as undetermined.
The FAA’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicological tests on specimens that were collected during the autopsy (CAMI Reference Number 201200176001). A sample of peripheral blood detected 104 mg/dL of ethanol, 0.072 ug/ml Tetrahydrocannabinol (Marihuana), and 0.0174 ug/ml Tetrahydrocannabinol Caroxylic Acid (Marihuana). Amphetamines were not detected in these samples.
TESTS AND RESEARCH
The wreckage was recovered and relocated to a hangar in Greeley, Colorado, for further examination.
There were no shoulder harnesses installed in the accident airplane. Neither of the forward lap belts were latched. The webbing of the buckle end of the left seatbelt was chaffed and the flat end webbing was unremarkable.
Approximately 5 ounces of fuel was recovered from the fuel bowl at the fuel selector valve. The fuel was clean, bright, and blue in color. Small particles were found in the fuel bowl and the fuel bowl screen was free of contamination. Approximately ¼ cup of fuel was recovered from one electric fuel boost pump and a trace amount of fuel was recovered from the other electric fuel boost pump. The filters were free of debris.
The position of the flap transmission assembly was consistent with retracted flaps. The jack screw exposed 8 threads which is also consistent with retracted flaps. Flight control continuity for the rudder and ailerons was confirmed from the center portion of the fuselage forward to the flight control yokes in the cabin.
The engine was removed from the airframe to aid in the examination. Both magnetos exhibited impact damaged and were removed for further examination. When actuated by hand, spark was observed at each lead. The vacuum pump was impact damaged and the shaft of the pump was intact and unremarkable. The engine driven fuel pump was dry and when actuated by hand, air movement/suction was produced.
The top bank of sparkplugs was removed and the leads on the sparkplugs were light in color consistent with a lean fuel mixture. The engine was rotated at the propeller flange. Air and valve movement was noted on all six cylinders. All six cylinders were examined with a boroscope and no anomalies were noted.
The oil pick-up screen, the propeller governor screen, and the carburetor fuel inlet screen were all clear of contaminations. No fuel was noted in the carburetor. The mounting flange was impact damaged and the carburetor was otherwise unremarkable. The throttle cable remained attached to the carburetor. The mixture cable separated from the mixture control arm, consistent with impact damage.
NTSB Identification: CEN12FA571
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, August 25, 2012 in Milner, CO
Aircraft: PIPER PA-24-250, registration: N7774P
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.
On August 24, 2012, at an unknown time, a Piper PA-24 -250, N7774P, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain under unknown circumstances near Milner, Colorado. The pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was being operated without a flight plan. The flight originated from Glenwood Springs Municipal Airport (KGWS), Glenwood Springs, Colorado at an undetermined time.
According to the Routt County Sheriff’s Office, a sheepherder found the wreckage around 1000 on August 25, 2012. The airplane was not in contact with air traffic control and no flight plan had been filed. According to a family member, the airplane departed Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and was en route to Minnesota. The airplane had not been reported missing by friends or family and an Alert Notification for a missing airplane had not been filed.
The wreckage came to rest upright on an heading of 010 degrees in the bowl of a valley, surrounded by trees and bushes. The main wreckage included the engine and propeller assembly, the fuselage, empennage, and the right and left wings. Paint chips, Plexiglas, and small components surrounded the main wreckage. One ground scar, approximately 8 inches in depth, was located just forward of the engine. There were no other ground scars or points of impacted noted.
The airplane was recovered and relocated to a hangar for further examination.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 7774P Make/Model: PA24 Description: PA-24 Comanche
Date: 08/25/2012 Time: 1900
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Unknown
LOCATION
City: STEAMBOAT SPRINGS State: CO Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE 1 PERSON ON BOARD WAS
FATALLY INJURED, NEAR STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: DENVER, CO (NM03) Entry date: 08/27/2012
http://registry.faa.gov/N7774P
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N7774P
Steamboat Springs — The Routt County Sheriff’s Office was investigating a plane crash Saturday and the death of the plane’s only occupant.
The crash was discovered at about noon by a sheep herder about three miles north of the Camilletti Ranch house, which is at the end of Routt County Road 48 near Milner.
Undersheriff Ray Birch wrote in an email that the crashed plane is a single engine Piper and that it was being flown by a male.
Routt County Coroner Rob Ryg wants to make sure all of the family members are notified before the man is identified. The man's name should be available Sunday morning.
Birch added that the man was not from the area.
Birch said it is not known when the plane crashed. He said that the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board has been notified and that NTSB investigators were expected to arrive at the crash Saturday evening.
http://www.steamboattoday.com
Photo by Matt StenslandMILNER, Colo. (CBS4) – One person is dead after a plane crash in Routt County on Saturday.
The plane was discovered by a sheep herder at about noon north of Milner, which is about eight miles west of Steamboat Springs.
It’s not known when the crash occurred. Deputies arrived and confirmed a male solo occupant was deceased.
The aircraft is a single engine Piper. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have been notified.
http://www.steamboattoday.com
http://denver.cbslocal.com
Plane makes emergency landing after fuel problem – southeastern Wisconsin
MT. PLEASANT — After a plane released a group of skydivers it experienced a fuel issue and had to make an emergency landing.
At 9:34 a.m. officers from the Mt. Pleasant Police Department responded to a report of a plane landing upright in a bean field near I-94 and Louis Sorenson Rd in the Village of Mt. Pleasant.
The pilot of the twin engine plane, John Helmle, 41, was seen walking around the plane after the landing.
It appears that the pilot was forced to land due to a fuel issue. Either it ran out of fuel or there was a malfunction with the fuel system.
Prior to this emergency landing, Helmle had taken a group of skydivers into the air and released them. He then attempted to land on at the Sky Diving business near the West side of I-94 in Racine County.
Due to the engine failure Helmle was forced to land on the East side of I-94.
A witness observed the plane flying very low to the ground facing westbound before it landed safely.
The FAA was contacted and will investigate the incident further.
There was no damage to the plane and Helmle, the sold occupant of the aircraft, was not injured.
http://www.cbs58.com
At 9:34 a.m. officers from the Mt. Pleasant Police Department responded to a report of a plane landing upright in a bean field near I-94 and Louis Sorenson Rd in the Village of Mt. Pleasant.
The pilot of the twin engine plane, John Helmle, 41, was seen walking around the plane after the landing.
It appears that the pilot was forced to land due to a fuel issue. Either it ran out of fuel or there was a malfunction with the fuel system.
Prior to this emergency landing, Helmle had taken a group of skydivers into the air and released them. He then attempted to land on at the Sky Diving business near the West side of I-94 in Racine County.
Due to the engine failure Helmle was forced to land on the East side of I-94.
A witness observed the plane flying very low to the ground facing westbound before it landed safely.
The FAA was contacted and will investigate the incident further.
There was no damage to the plane and Helmle, the sold occupant of the aircraft, was not injured.
http://www.cbs58.com
Schleicher ASW-19 glider, N438AS: Accident occurred August 25, 2012 in Dansville, New York
NTSB Identification: ERA12LA528
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, August 25, 2012 in Dansville, NY
Aircraft: SCHLEICHER ASW-19, registration: N438AS
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 may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On August 25, 2012, about 1530 eastern daylight time, a Schleicher ASW-19 glider, N438AS, sustained substantial damage when it collided with the ground in Danville, New York. The commercial pilot received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, personal flight. The flight originated from the Danville Municipal Airport (DSV) Danville, New York, about 1230.
Witnesses at the departure airport observed the glider depart and it was seen again upon its return to the airport. It was observed about one mile from the approach end of runway 14 in a right 90-degree bank heading west just above the treetops. The glider leveled out on the approach end of the runway. Moments later, the glider rolled toward the north away from the airport as it was lost from sight behind trees. One witness observed the glider flying slow and its wings were “tipping back and forth” before it descended toward the ground, impacting nose first, followed by the right wing, and came to rest flat on its belly in the open field.
A wreckage examination by the responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the landing gear was in the down and locked position, the right wing separated from the spoiler box outward, the left wing had impact damaged underneath and at the wing tip. The forward section was ripped open and crushed back into the cockpit area. The canopy assembly was opened but remained attached to the fuselage with the Plexiglas broken and shattered throughout the debris field. The tail boom was partially separated and bent toward the right of the glider. Flight controls continuity was established during the examination.
The wreckage was retained for further examination.
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=438AS
Dansville, N.Y. – A Rochester man was killed after his glider crashed in a field near the Dansville Airport Saturday afternoon.
That man has been identified as 66-year-old James Rizzo, an active member of the Fingerlakes Soaring Club based out of the Dansville Airport.
Rizzo's glider plane went down around 3:30 Saturday afternoon in the area of Zerfass and Meter Roads.
The Fingerlakes Soaring Club was known to fly over this area often, it was a popular gliding area.
The soaring club was hosting a contest Saturday out of the airport but members from the club tells 13 wham that Rizzo was not a part of that competition.
Rizzo was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police are trying to figure out the cause of the crash.
"We're trying to determine that now, we'll work with the medical examiner to determine if there was a medical cause or in fact there was a flying issue," Livingston County UnderSheriff James Szczesniak said.
The glider Rizzo was flying is also called a sailplane.
They're usually engineless aircrafts that glide through the air.
In this setting, police say there are not radio communications back and forth from a tower.
Police say there are data systems that will be collected and examined by the F.A.A and NTSB, who are also joining the investigation.
Livingston County deputies say that one man died after his glider crashed in a field near the Dansville Airport on Saturday afternoon.
First responders got to the scene at about 3:30 in the afternoon, to find the damaged glider and the pilot, 66 year old James Rizzo of Rochester, with serious injuries.
He later died at Noyes Hospital.
Rizzo is a member of the Fingerlakes Soaring Club. The club was hosting a flying event for the Soaring Society of America at the Dansville Airport, but it says Rizzo was on his own and was not part of those activities.
The sheriff’s department, along with the FAA and the NTSB are investigating the cause of the accident.
http://www.wham1180.com
Dansville Fatal Glider Crash
One man is dead after the glider he was operating crashed in Dansville.
The Livingston County Sheriffs Office tells us the crash happened just outside the Dansville airport near Zerfass Road.
YNN was told that the glider aircraft was taken up by a powered aircraft and was supposed to fly back to the airport.
There is no information as to what caused the crash at this time.
The pilot was taken by ambulance to Noyes Memorial Hospital.
Police are not releasing the victim’s name at this time.
http://fingerlakes.ynn.com
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, August 25, 2012 in Dansville, NY
Aircraft: SCHLEICHER ASW-19, registration: N438AS
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 may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On August 25, 2012, about 1530 eastern daylight time, a Schleicher ASW-19 glider, N438AS, sustained substantial damage when it collided with the ground in Danville, New York. The commercial pilot received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, personal flight. The flight originated from the Danville Municipal Airport (DSV) Danville, New York, about 1230.
Witnesses at the departure airport observed the glider depart and it was seen again upon its return to the airport. It was observed about one mile from the approach end of runway 14 in a right 90-degree bank heading west just above the treetops. The glider leveled out on the approach end of the runway. Moments later, the glider rolled toward the north away from the airport as it was lost from sight behind trees. One witness observed the glider flying slow and its wings were “tipping back and forth” before it descended toward the ground, impacting nose first, followed by the right wing, and came to rest flat on its belly in the open field.
A wreckage examination by the responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the landing gear was in the down and locked position, the right wing separated from the spoiler box outward, the left wing had impact damaged underneath and at the wing tip. The forward section was ripped open and crushed back into the cockpit area. The canopy assembly was opened but remained attached to the fuselage with the Plexiglas broken and shattered throughout the debris field. The tail boom was partially separated and bent toward the right of the glider. Flight controls continuity was established during the examination.
The wreckage was retained for further examination.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 438AS Make/Model: ASW1 Description: SCHLEICHER ASW-19 GLIDER
Date: 08/25/2012 Time: 1930
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: DANSVILLE State: NY Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE 1 PERSON ON BOARD WAS
FATALLY INJURED, NEAR DANSVILLE, NY
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: ROCHESTER, NY (EA23) Entry date: 08/27/2012
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=438AS
That man has been identified as 66-year-old James Rizzo, an active member of the Fingerlakes Soaring Club based out of the Dansville Airport.
Rizzo's glider plane went down around 3:30 Saturday afternoon in the area of Zerfass and Meter Roads.
The Fingerlakes Soaring Club was known to fly over this area often, it was a popular gliding area.
The soaring club was hosting a contest Saturday out of the airport but members from the club tells 13 wham that Rizzo was not a part of that competition.
Rizzo was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police are trying to figure out the cause of the crash.
"We're trying to determine that now, we'll work with the medical examiner to determine if there was a medical cause or in fact there was a flying issue," Livingston County UnderSheriff James Szczesniak said.
The glider Rizzo was flying is also called a sailplane.
They're usually engineless aircrafts that glide through the air.
In this setting, police say there are not radio communications back and forth from a tower.
Police say there are data systems that will be collected and examined by the F.A.A and NTSB, who are also joining the investigation.
Livingston County deputies say that one man died after his glider crashed in a field near the Dansville Airport on Saturday afternoon.
First responders got to the scene at about 3:30 in the afternoon, to find the damaged glider and the pilot, 66 year old James Rizzo of Rochester, with serious injuries.
He later died at Noyes Hospital.
Rizzo is a member of the Fingerlakes Soaring Club. The club was hosting a flying event for the Soaring Society of America at the Dansville Airport, but it says Rizzo was on his own and was not part of those activities.
The sheriff’s department, along with the FAA and the NTSB are investigating the cause of the accident.
http://www.wham1180.com
Dansville Fatal Glider Crash
One man is dead after the glider he was operating crashed in Dansville.
The Livingston County Sheriffs Office tells us the crash happened just outside the Dansville airport near Zerfass Road.
YNN was told that the glider aircraft was taken up by a powered aircraft and was supposed to fly back to the airport.
There is no information as to what caused the crash at this time.
The pilot was taken by ambulance to Noyes Memorial Hospital.
Police are not releasing the victim’s name at this time.
http://fingerlakes.ynn.com
Ultralight pilot injured in crash near Vashon Municipal Airport (2S1), Washington
VASHON ISLAND, Wash. – A pilot was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center after his ultralight plane crashed in a Vashon Island field Friday evening, officials said.
The small gas-powered aircraft crashed at about 8 p.m. Friday in a horse pasture just south of Vashon Municipal Airport, said King County sheriff’s spokesperson Katie Larson.
When medics reached the scene, they found the pilot still conscious and breathing. He was airlifted to Harborview with non-life-threatening injuries.
The FAA has been notified and will investigate the crash, Larson said.
The small gas-powered aircraft crashed at about 8 p.m. Friday in a horse pasture just south of Vashon Municipal Airport, said King County sheriff’s spokesperson Katie Larson.
When medics reached the scene, they found the pilot still conscious and breathing. He was airlifted to Harborview with non-life-threatening injuries.
The FAA has been notified and will investigate the crash, Larson said.
Destiny XLT powered-parachute, N1674A: Accident occurred August 24, 2012 in Hart, Michigan
NTSB Identification: CEN12LA578
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, August 24, 2012 in Hart, MI
Aircraft: DESTINY XLT, registration: N1674A
Injuries: 1 Fatal,1 Serious.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On August 24, 2010, about 1800 eastern daylight time, an experimental Destiny XLT powered-parachute, N1674A, impacted terrain following a downwind turn at the Silver Lake State Park near Hart, Michigan. The airline transport pilot and the passenger sustained fatal injuries. The powered-parachute’s frame structure sustained substantial damage. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot 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 flight’s origination and destination are unknown.
At 1754, the recorded weather at the Fremont Municipal Airport, near Fremont, Michigan, was: Wind 150 degrees at 5 knots; visibility 7 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 30 degrees C; dew point 13 degrees C; altimeter 30.02 inches of mercury.
Condolences to friends and family of the Austin’s.
GOLDEN TOWNSHIP, MI – A Shelby couple died when the powered parachute they were flying at Silver Lake State Park crashed on Friday evening.
The accident happened shortly after 6 p.m. in an area of the park known as “Test Hill” in Golden Township.
Henry H. Austin, 66, was flying the aircraft and his wife, Carol Austin, was riding in the passenger seat when it crashed into the dunes. Oceana County Sheriff’s Lt. Craig Mast said both of the victims were killed on impact.
Oceana County Sheriff Robert Farber said an investigation into what caused the crash is continuing. The Federal Aviation Administration was at the scene Friday evening and allowed the aircraft to be removed from the dune.
Farber said autopsies on both of the Austins will be performed in Grand Rapids on Saturday following FAA protocols.
Henry Austin was well-known around Muskegon for years with his hobby of flying powered parachutes. He trained dozens of people how to fly powered parachutes over the years through Shelby Paraflite School, the business he owned with his wife.
Farber said Henry Austin was a retired commercial pilot.
“He’s very experienced,” Farber said.
Henry Austin also volunteered as a reserve Oceana County sheriff deputy for many years, assisting with several searches for lost people and with other police functions. Farber described Henry Austin as a “wonderful person.”
“It tears me up,” Farber said. “Hank was such a busy guy but he always found time to help out.”
He said the Austins were nearly inseparable, especially in the air.
“His wife was always with him,” Farber said of Henry Austin. “Carole was always his second set of eyes riding in the back.”
Managing Producer Ryan Jeltema also contributed to this report.
Story and comments
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, August 24, 2012 in Hart, MI
Aircraft: DESTINY XLT, registration: N1674A
Injuries: 1 Fatal,1 Serious.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On August 24, 2010, about 1800 eastern daylight time, an experimental Destiny XLT powered-parachute, N1674A, impacted terrain following a downwind turn at the Silver Lake State Park near Hart, Michigan. The airline transport pilot and the passenger sustained fatal injuries. The powered-parachute’s frame structure sustained substantial damage. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot 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 flight’s origination and destination are unknown.
At 1754, the recorded weather at the Fremont Municipal Airport, near Fremont, Michigan, was: Wind 150 degrees at 5 knots; visibility 7 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 30 degrees C; dew point 13 degrees C; altimeter 30.02 inches of mercury.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 1674A Make/Model: EXP Description: DESTINY XLT PARASAIL
Date: 08/24/2012 Time: 2304
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: MEARS State: MI Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE 2 PERSONS ON BOARD WERE
FATALLY INJURED, NEAR SILVER LAKE PARK, OCEANA COUNTY, NEARS MEARS, MI
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 2
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
OTHER DATA
Activity: Pleasure Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: GRAND RAPIDS, MI (GL09) Entry date: 08/27/2012
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=1674A
Condolences to friends and family of the Austin’s.GOLDEN TOWNSHIP, MI – A Shelby couple died when the powered parachute they were flying at Silver Lake State Park crashed on Friday evening.
The accident happened shortly after 6 p.m. in an area of the park known as “Test Hill” in Golden Township.
Henry H. Austin, 66, was flying the aircraft and his wife, Carol Austin, was riding in the passenger seat when it crashed into the dunes. Oceana County Sheriff’s Lt. Craig Mast said both of the victims were killed on impact.
Oceana County Sheriff Robert Farber said an investigation into what caused the crash is continuing. The Federal Aviation Administration was at the scene Friday evening and allowed the aircraft to be removed from the dune.
Farber said autopsies on both of the Austins will be performed in Grand Rapids on Saturday following FAA protocols.
Henry Austin was well-known around Muskegon for years with his hobby of flying powered parachutes. He trained dozens of people how to fly powered parachutes over the years through Shelby Paraflite School, the business he owned with his wife.
Farber said Henry Austin was a retired commercial pilot.
“He’s very experienced,” Farber said.
Henry Austin also volunteered as a reserve Oceana County sheriff deputy for many years, assisting with several searches for lost people and with other police functions. Farber described Henry Austin as a “wonderful person.”
“It tears me up,” Farber said. “Hank was such a busy guy but he always found time to help out.”
He said the Austins were nearly inseparable, especially in the air.
“His wife was always with him,” Farber said of Henry Austin. “Carole was always his second set of eyes riding in the back.”
Managing Producer Ryan Jeltema also contributed to this report.
Story and comments
Bell 407, N407N: Accident occurred August 24, 2012 in Abingdon, Virginia
NTSB Identification: ERA12FA527
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, August 24, 2012 in Abingdon, VA
Aircraft: BELL 407, registration: N407N
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.
On August 24, 2012, about 2230 eastern daylight time, a Bell 407, N407N, crashed into South Holston Lake during a night departure from a river bank in Abingdon, Virginia. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged when it impacted the water. The helicopter was registered to and operated by K-VA-T&W-L Aviation LLC under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as a personal flight. Visual night meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to a witness in a boat, he watched the helicopter land with the landing light on and the passengers exit the helicopter. The helicopter then departed without the landing light on and turned toward the lake, descended down an embankment, and made a turn over the lake. The helicopter traveled approximately 150 yards when the bottom skids collided with the lake. The helicopter nosed over and made a loud splash. The witness waited for a short moment and then turned on his spot light and moved towards the position of the helicopter. As he moved forward, his boat collided with the tail boom which was floating away from the fuselage. He continued forward and the cabin area was floating upside down.
The helicopter was recovered from the lake and is pending further examination by the NTSB.
By Mike Still - A barge pushes a recovery crane near the site of a helicopter crash on South Holston Lake Saturday evening. Crews are still searching the site of a Friday night helicopter crash believed to have involved Food City chief pilot Bill Starnes, but the crane was sent back to a nearby marina until Sunday.
By David Crigger/Bristol Herald Courier
Spectators gathered on the shoreline early this morning as rescue crews continued the search for a helicopter pilot who crashed into the lake late Friday.
Rescue crews assist divers in the search for a missing helicopter pilot this morning. The aircraft crashed into South Holston Lake late Friday.
Photo by AP Photo/Jason Smith, CIA Bristol Motor Speedway, Pool
Story and comments: http://www2.tricities.com
Keep checking Tricities.com for more information. On Twitter, follow @BHC_Allie and@tricities_com as reporter Allie Robinson posts updates throughout the day.
Emergency 911 calls on the downed helicopter
Calls on the helicopter traffic begin about a third of the way into the audio. Go to about 11 minutes in to catch the start. Live Scanner Audio Credit: http://Scannerfood.com and hosted by http://RadioReference.com
UPDATE: 9 p.m. SATURDAY
Jerry Caldwell, general manager at Bristol Motor Speedway, made the following announcement over the Speedway public-address system regarding the accident prior to the start of the race: “As you may have heard, our partners at Food City need our prayers. They are like family to us. When they hurt, we hurt. So please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.”
UPDATE: 7 p.m. SATURDAY
The Sullivan County, Tenn., Sheriff’s Office dive team joined the search Saturday for a missing corporate pilot whose helicopter crashed lated Friday in South Holston Lake.
Search crews who had spend the night searching the wreckage, spent much of Saturday using side-sonar in their efforts.
The divers will continue their work through the night Saturday as well, and until the pilot is found, Corinne N. Geller, a public relations officer with the Virginia State Police, said in a written news statement updating the search.
Geller confirmed Saturday that the helicopter did break apart upon impact with the water, with the bulk of the aircraft still submerged.
The depths of the water at the crash site ranges from about 25 to 40 feet.
UPDATE: 12:15 p.m. SATURDAY:
Dive crews are still searching the wreckage this afternoon for the pilot of the crashed helicopter, said Virginia State Police Sgt. Michael Conroy.
The crews will "keep searching until they find" him, Conroy said. Police still haven't named the pilot missing from Friday night's wreck.
------------------------------
UPDATE 11:32 A.M. SATURDAY:
Castlewood, Va., resident Larry Buchanan was sitting around a campfire with his friends and family late Friday, watching as helicopters flew in and over the area at Washington County Park on South Holston Lake.
They were watching the helicopter that crashed take off again after its second visited to the area, Buchanan said.
The helicopter had just taken off from the house when it crashed, he said.
“It smacked the water and sounded like a big wall falling and then there was silence," Buchanan said. "We came running down here, but there was nothing we could do from the shore.”
He said boats that were already out on the lake rushed over to the site.
The helicopter was flying low over the lake, he said, but that was normal from what they had seen; the aircraft would stay low until it cleared the trees, he said.
Police and rescue squads were on the scene pretty quick after the crash, he said.
--------------------------------------
UPDATE 10:45 A.M. SATURDAY:
Additional divers and sonar equipment arrived at South Holston Lake this morning to aid in the search for the pilot of a Food City helicopter that crashed into the water near Washington County Park late Friday.
The helicopter has been located, but rescue teams working through the night were still unable to find the pilot, who was the only person on board when the helicopter crashed, Virginia State Police Sgt. Michael Conroy said.
“Right now we’re searching around the crash scene,” Conroy said.
The crash occurred about 10:30 p.m., shortly after the end of the Food City 250 race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The pilot is the only person believed to have been on board; authorities have declined at this point to release the pilot’s name.
“Last night when they first got on scene, it [the helicopter] was skids up,” Conroy said. “That may have changed with the current and everything. It did break up into pieces; we’re not sure how many pieces. It’s still submerged in probably 20 to 25 feet of water.”
The helicopter, according to the Federal Aviation Administration registry, was registered to K-VA-T and W-L Aviation LLC in Abingdon, Va. It was a Bell model 407, manufactured in 1996.
“Right now, we’re focusing on recovering the pilot,” Conroy said this morning. “After that we’ll move the helicopter for inspection. That’s down the road.”
----------------------------------------------
Virginia State Police divers and troopers continue this morning to for the pilot of a Food City helicopter that crashed into South Holston Lake late Friday.
Divers spent much of the night searching the wreckage for the pilot, said Corinne Geller, state police spokesperson, in a written statement sent out this morning.
The police search and recovery team will use side-scan sonar today to help look for the pilot. The helicopter remains in the water upside down, she said. Police will work to remove the wreckage today, she said.
The corperate Bell helicopter had been bringing passengers from Bristol Motor Speedway to a private residence along Lake Road, Geller said. One of the passengers had just been dropped off when the crash occurred, she said.
Keep checking back to Tricities.com for more information. On Twitter, follow @BHC_Allie and@tricities_com as reporter Allie Robinson posts updates throughout the day.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
3:03 a.m.:
Divers continued searching early this morning for the pilot of a helicopter that crashed into South Holston Lake late Friday.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12:30 a.m.:
A Bell helicopter registered to Food City’s parent company and an Abingdon, Va., aviation company crashed late Friday into South Holston Lake, near the Washington County Park on County Park Road, which is just north of the state line.
The helicopter, according to the Federal Aviation
Administration registry, was registered to K-VA-T and W-L Aviation LLC
in Abingdon, Va. It was a Bell model 407, manufactured in 1996.
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, August 24, 2012 in Abingdon, VA
Aircraft: BELL 407, registration: N407N
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.
On August 24, 2012, about 2230 eastern daylight time, a Bell 407, N407N, crashed into South Holston Lake during a night departure from a river bank in Abingdon, Virginia. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged when it impacted the water. The helicopter was registered to and operated by K-VA-T&W-L Aviation LLC under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as a personal flight. Visual night meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to a witness in a boat, he watched the helicopter land with the landing light on and the passengers exit the helicopter. The helicopter then departed without the landing light on and turned toward the lake, descended down an embankment, and made a turn over the lake. The helicopter traveled approximately 150 yards when the bottom skids collided with the lake. The helicopter nosed over and made a loud splash. The witness waited for a short moment and then turned on his spot light and moved towards the position of the helicopter. As he moved forward, his boat collided with the tail boom which was floating away from the fuselage. He continued forward and the cabin area was floating upside down.
The helicopter was recovered from the lake and is pending further examination by the NTSB.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 407N Make/Model: B407 Description: Bell 407
Date: 08/25/2012 Time: 0220
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
City: ABINGDON State: VA Country: US
DESCRIPTION
N407N BELL 407 ROTORCRAFT CRASHED INTO A LAKE, THE 1 PERSON ON BOARD IS
MISSING AND PRESUMED FATAL, NEAR ABINGDON, VA
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk: 0
# 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: RICHMOND, VA (EA21) Entry date: 08/27/2012
Photo by Mike Still
Flags fly at half-mast at Virginia Highlands Airport in Abingdon, Virginia
~
By Mike Still - A barge pushes a recovery crane near the site of a helicopter crash on South Holston Lake Saturday evening. Crews are still searching the site of a Friday night helicopter crash believed to have involved Food City chief pilot Bill Starnes, but the crane was sent back to a nearby marina until Sunday.
By David Crigger/Bristol Herald Courier
A police boat keeps boaters away from the area of Friday nights corporate helicopter crash on South Holston Lake. The helicopter belonged to Food City and was leaving the home of CEO and President Steve Smith when it went into the lake.
Spectators gathered on the shoreline early this morning as rescue crews continued the search for a helicopter pilot who crashed into the lake late Friday.
Rescue crews assist divers in the search for a missing helicopter pilot this morning. The aircraft crashed into South Holston Lake late Friday.
Photo by AP Photo/Jason Smith, CIA Bristol Motor Speedway, Pool
A Food City corporate helicopter crashed into a South Holston Lake in upper East Tennessee after leaving Bristol Motor Speedway following the Nationalwide race late Friday, August 24, 2012. The race is sponsored by the grocery chain. The search continued early Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012 for the pilot of the craft, who authorities believe was the lone occupant.
(AP Photo/Jason Smith, CIA Bristol Motor Speedway, Pool)
Story and comments: http://www2.tricities.com
Keep checking Tricities.com for more information. On Twitter, follow @BHC_Allie and@tricities_com as reporter Allie Robinson posts updates throughout the day.
Emergency 911 calls on the downed helicopter
Calls on the helicopter traffic begin about a third of the way into the audio. Go to about 11 minutes in to catch the start. Live Scanner Audio Credit: http://Scannerfood.com and hosted by http://RadioReference.com
UPDATE: 9 p.m. SATURDAY
Jerry Caldwell, general manager at Bristol Motor Speedway, made the following announcement over the Speedway public-address system regarding the accident prior to the start of the race: “As you may have heard, our partners at Food City need our prayers. They are like family to us. When they hurt, we hurt. So please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.”
UPDATE: 7 p.m. SATURDAY
The Sullivan County, Tenn., Sheriff’s Office dive team joined the search Saturday for a missing corporate pilot whose helicopter crashed lated Friday in South Holston Lake.
Search crews who had spend the night searching the wreckage, spent much of Saturday using side-sonar in their efforts.
The divers will continue their work through the night Saturday as well, and until the pilot is found, Corinne N. Geller, a public relations officer with the Virginia State Police, said in a written news statement updating the search.
Geller confirmed Saturday that the helicopter did break apart upon impact with the water, with the bulk of the aircraft still submerged.
The depths of the water at the crash site ranges from about 25 to 40 feet.
UPDATE: 12:15 p.m. SATURDAY:
Dive crews are still searching the wreckage this afternoon for the pilot of the crashed helicopter, said Virginia State Police Sgt. Michael Conroy.
The crews will "keep searching until they find" him, Conroy said. Police still haven't named the pilot missing from Friday night's wreck.
------------------------------
UPDATE 11:32 A.M. SATURDAY:
Castlewood, Va., resident Larry Buchanan was sitting around a campfire with his friends and family late Friday, watching as helicopters flew in and over the area at Washington County Park on South Holston Lake.
They were watching the helicopter that crashed take off again after its second visited to the area, Buchanan said.
The helicopter had just taken off from the house when it crashed, he said.
“It smacked the water and sounded like a big wall falling and then there was silence," Buchanan said. "We came running down here, but there was nothing we could do from the shore.”
He said boats that were already out on the lake rushed over to the site.
The helicopter was flying low over the lake, he said, but that was normal from what they had seen; the aircraft would stay low until it cleared the trees, he said.
Police and rescue squads were on the scene pretty quick after the crash, he said.
--------------------------------------
UPDATE 10:45 A.M. SATURDAY:
Additional divers and sonar equipment arrived at South Holston Lake this morning to aid in the search for the pilot of a Food City helicopter that crashed into the water near Washington County Park late Friday.
The helicopter has been located, but rescue teams working through the night were still unable to find the pilot, who was the only person on board when the helicopter crashed, Virginia State Police Sgt. Michael Conroy said.
“Right now we’re searching around the crash scene,” Conroy said.
The crash occurred about 10:30 p.m., shortly after the end of the Food City 250 race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The pilot is the only person believed to have been on board; authorities have declined at this point to release the pilot’s name.
“Last night when they first got on scene, it [the helicopter] was skids up,” Conroy said. “That may have changed with the current and everything. It did break up into pieces; we’re not sure how many pieces. It’s still submerged in probably 20 to 25 feet of water.”
The helicopter, according to the Federal Aviation Administration registry, was registered to K-VA-T and W-L Aviation LLC in Abingdon, Va. It was a Bell model 407, manufactured in 1996.
“Right now, we’re focusing on recovering the pilot,” Conroy said this morning. “After that we’ll move the helicopter for inspection. That’s down the road.”
----------------------------------------------
Virginia State Police divers and troopers continue this morning to for the pilot of a Food City helicopter that crashed into South Holston Lake late Friday.
Divers spent much of the night searching the wreckage for the pilot, said Corinne Geller, state police spokesperson, in a written statement sent out this morning.
The police search and recovery team will use side-scan sonar today to help look for the pilot. The helicopter remains in the water upside down, she said. Police will work to remove the wreckage today, she said.
The corperate Bell helicopter had been bringing passengers from Bristol Motor Speedway to a private residence along Lake Road, Geller said. One of the passengers had just been dropped off when the crash occurred, she said.
Keep checking back to Tricities.com for more information. On Twitter, follow @BHC_Allie and@tricities_com as reporter Allie Robinson posts updates throughout the day.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
3:03 a.m.:
Divers continued searching early this morning for the pilot of a helicopter that crashed into South Holston Lake late Friday.
The pilot was the only person on board the Bell
helicopter, owned by K-VA-T Food Stores, the parent company for the Food
City grocery chain, Virginia State Police Sgt. Michael Conroy said.
The helicopter crashed into the lake about 10:30
p.m. Friday, Conroy said, near Lake Road and County Park Road just north
of the Tennessee border.
As of 2 a.m. the pilot still had not been found, and police and rescue crews plan to search until he is located, Conroy said.
“Right now the focus is on finding the pilot,” he said just before 2 a.m.
State police dive crews and a state police
helicopter could be seen around the site of the crash early Saturday.
The helicopter’s spotlight swept the lake as the dive teams methodically
checked the area between Painters Creek Marina and Washington County
Park. The water in some places near the crash site is at least 40 feet
deep.
The helicopter was found, and is still in the lake, Conroy said.
The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to
be on the scene this morning and will investigate the cause of the
crash, Conroy said.
Food City is the corporate sponsor of the Food City
250 Nationwide Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The crash occurred
less than an hour after the race concluded Friday.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office, conservation
officers with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and
the Green Springs Volunteer Fire Department responded to assist with the
search, Conroy said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12:30 a.m.:
A Bell helicopter registered to Food City’s parent company and an Abingdon, Va., aviation company crashed late Friday into South Holston Lake, near the Washington County Park on County Park Road, which is just north of the state line.
Washington County Sheriff Fred Newman confirmed that
the aircraft had gone down just before 11 p.m., landing in the water,
and that search and rescue teams from his office and several other
agencies were searching for survivors. The search was expected to last
well into the morning.
Food City President and CEO Steven C. Smith was not
on board when the helicopter went down, but the crash occurred not far
from his home on South Holston Lake.
It is unclear at this time how many passengers were
on board the helicopter at the time of the crash, which happened less
than an hour after the end of the Food City 250 at Bristol Motor
Speedway.
Food City has sponsored that NASCAR Nationwide Series race for 20 years.
The emergency agencies assisting in the search late
Friday include the Virginia State Police, the Washington County
Lifesaving Crew and the Green Springs Volunteer Fire Department. The
state police medical helicopter was providing support with spotlights on
the water.
Cessna 172S, C-FNET: Accident occurred August 24, 2012 in Moorefield, Canada
NTSB Identification: CEN12WA575
14 CFR Non-U.S., Non-Commercial
Accident occurred Friday, August 24, 2012 in Moorefield, Canada
Aircraft: CESSNA 172, registration: C-FNET
Injuries: 4 Fatal.
On August 24, 2012, about 2030 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172S, Canadian registration C-FNET, was substantially damaged on impact with terrain near Moorefield, Ontario, Canada. The pilot and three passengers sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions existed in the vicinity of the accident site. The local personal flight originated from the Kitchener/Waterloo Airport.
The investigation of this accident is under the jurisdiction and control of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the Government of Canada. Further information pertaining to this incident can be obtained from:
Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Place du Centre
200 Promenade du Portage, 4th Floor
Gatineau, Québec, Canada
J8X 4B7
Three men and one woman are dead after a single-engine plane crashed in a cornfield northwest of Kitchener, Ont.
The small, four-seat Cessna 172 was located in the field near the town of Moorefield, Ont., about 150 kilometres northwest of Toronto, late Friday night.
Const. Keith Robb of Wellington County OPP confirmed that there were four occupants on board the plane and none survived the crash.
The woman was 19-years-old and the three males are in their twenties, said police.
The passengers had been out on a sightseeing trip over Niagara Falls and Toronto for nearly two hours before they crashed, CTV Toronto’s Ashley Rowe reported.
Police had received a call at about 8:40 p.m. Friday alerting them to a plane spiralling out of control above Mapleton Township, Robb said.
Robb said the plane had apparently disappeared from radar about 20 minutes earlier.
Officers, firefighters and paramedics located the plane shortly after 10 p.m.
Resident Llori Nicholls told CP she and her husband spotted a plane weaving uncontrollably in the sky Friday night.
Nicholls said before the crash she saw the plane’s engine sputter, though the pilot appeared to regain control of the plane.
“The pilot got the engine going again," said Nicholls. "It was nice and strong, full power, but only for a second or two. Then it just went dead."
The couple went back to their home to find supplies to help locate any survivors, but when they returned they could not locate the crash site.
The couple then went to a neighbour’s house to call 911.
Resident Curtis Bultz, 21, heard strange noises Friday evening followed by the sound of the crash.
Bultz then drove his ATV through neighbouring cornfields to investigate, but after 10 minutes of searching he returned home.
“I heard it but there was no smoke or anything," said Bultz. "There was no smoke at all. That's what you think, (that) there'd be something but there was nothing."
Bultz, his neighbours and emergency crews did a grid search by foot, tractor and four-by-fours.
Two hours later, they were able to locate the wreckage, said Bultz.
Once the wreckage was located, Bultz’s father used a tractor to clear a path for crews to get to the scene.
OPP said weather is not believed to be a factor in the crash.
According to investigators, the 20-year-old pilot of the plane was fully licensed to fly.
He was also a regular client of the nearby Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre from where the plane was rented, Rowe reported.
The pilot’s grief-stricken uncle arrived at the scene of the crash on Saturday and told reporters he was at a loss for words over his nephew’s death.
“Very special. Better than my heart. He was something like…,” he said, trying to describe his nephew. “I don’t have words for it.”
Bob Connors, the general manager of the flight centre, would not comment on the pilot’s flying experience.
Connors told CP that the school had not seen a crash like this in a “long, long, long time.”
Two investigators from the Transportation Safety Board were at the scene of the crash Saturday trying to determine if the plane suffered mechanical failure.
“We’re looking at all the aircraft systems and determining if the aircraft was without power at the time, if all the flight controls were hooked up and working properly,” TSB investigator Ken Webster told reporters.
The bodies of the victims have been transported to a Hamilton hospital for autopsies. The victims will not be identified until all the next of kin have been notified.
Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca
Cessna 172S, C-FNET, crashed Friday night in a cornfield near Moorefield; about 50 kilometres northwest of Kitchener.
MOOREFIELD, Ont. - When Llori Nicholls and her husband first spotted a plane weaving back and forth in the sky Friday night, they had thought it was putting on a show.
Seconds later, the small plane disappeared out of sight and then they heard it nose-dive into the ground, killing all four people on board.
"It was doing these spirals but really high up in the air, like at first, we thought it was controlled," said Nicholls, who was out walking her dog.
"But then as we watched, we realized that it didn't look like controlled movements. It looked like it had lost control and it was going down."
Investigators are now trying to piece together what caused the light-coloured Cessna 172 to crash into a cornfield near Moorefield, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say three men and one woman were pronounced dead at the scene following the accident, which occurred around 8:30 p.m. Friday.
One of the victims was a 19-year-old woman. The three others were in their 20s, according to police. All were from the Greater Toronto Area.
Nicholls said before the crash, she saw the plane's engine sputtering but as it got closer to the ground, it looked like the pilot had been able to regain some control.
"The pilot got the engine going again," she said. "It was nice and strong, full power, but only for a second or two. Then it just went dead."
She and her husband then raced back to their nearby home to grab a first aid kit and sleeping bag, in hopes of finding any survivors. But when they returned in their pick-up truck, they couldn't locate the crash site.
They then went to a neighbour's house to call 911.
Nicholls said she's distraught over how scared the passengers must have been.
"There was definitely time in their descent for them to be terrified, and it just kind of doesn't sit good with me," said Nicholls, her voice quivering.
Curtis Bults was getting ready to leave for a baseball game when the Nicholls' showed up.
Moments earlier, he had heard strange noises behind his house.
"It sounded like a whiny noise, like a go-kart, like a small plane going 'Eee Eeee Eeeee!,' said the 21-year-old.
"And (then) a couple second delay, and I heard a thud. I heard kind of a shake in the ground."
Bults said his two dogs were "absolutely freaking" from the commotion, which could be heard clearly even though all the house's windows were closed.
He then drove his ATV through the adjacent cornfields to investigate. After about 10 minutes, he returned home after finding nothing.
"I heard it but there was no smoke or anything," said Bultz. "There was no smoke at all. That's what you think, (that) there'd be something but there was nothing."
Bultz said he, his neighbours and emergency crews did a grid search on foot, tractors and four-by-fours.
It wasn't until two hours later that they were able to locate the plane wreckage.
Once it was found, his father used a tractor to carve out a path for the emergency crews to get to the scene, he said.
"It was the middle of nowhere," said Bultz. "It was in the middle of a 50-acre cornfield."
OPP Const. Keith Robb said an emergency transponder signal had been activated when the plane went off the radar around 8:20 p.m.
It's unclear how long the plane had been in flight before it crashed.
At this point, the investigation remains in its preliminary stages but police do not believe weather was a factor.
"It was a clear, sunny night," he said.
Two investigators from the Transportation Safety Board remain at the scene, and are trying to determine whether mechanical failure is at fault. The plane was expected to be removed from the field later Saturday.
Bob Connors, the general manager of the Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre, said the plane was one of his and it was a rental.
He said the flight school, which operates out of the Waterloo Region International Airport, had not had a crash like this in a "long, long, long time."
Connors would not comment on the pilot's flying experience.
The victims' bodies have been transported to a hospital in Hamilton for autopsies and police were in the process of contacting their families.
14 CFR Non-U.S., Non-Commercial
Accident occurred Friday, August 24, 2012 in Moorefield, Canada
Aircraft: CESSNA 172, registration: C-FNET
Injuries: 4 Fatal.
On August 24, 2012, about 2030 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172S, Canadian registration C-FNET, was substantially damaged on impact with terrain near Moorefield, Ontario, Canada. The pilot and three passengers sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions existed in the vicinity of the accident site. The local personal flight originated from the Kitchener/Waterloo Airport.
The investigation of this accident is under the jurisdiction and control of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the Government of Canada. Further information pertaining to this incident can be obtained from:
Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Place du Centre
200 Promenade du Portage, 4th Floor
Gatineau, Québec, Canada
J8X 4B7
Three men and one woman are dead after a single-engine plane crashed in a cornfield northwest of Kitchener, Ont.
The small, four-seat Cessna 172 was located in the field near the town of Moorefield, Ont., about 150 kilometres northwest of Toronto, late Friday night.
Const. Keith Robb of Wellington County OPP confirmed that there were four occupants on board the plane and none survived the crash.
The woman was 19-years-old and the three males are in their twenties, said police.
The passengers had been out on a sightseeing trip over Niagara Falls and Toronto for nearly two hours before they crashed, CTV Toronto’s Ashley Rowe reported.
Police had received a call at about 8:40 p.m. Friday alerting them to a plane spiralling out of control above Mapleton Township, Robb said.
Robb said the plane had apparently disappeared from radar about 20 minutes earlier.
Officers, firefighters and paramedics located the plane shortly after 10 p.m.
Resident Llori Nicholls told CP she and her husband spotted a plane weaving uncontrollably in the sky Friday night.
Nicholls said before the crash she saw the plane’s engine sputter, though the pilot appeared to regain control of the plane.
“The pilot got the engine going again," said Nicholls. "It was nice and strong, full power, but only for a second or two. Then it just went dead."
The couple went back to their home to find supplies to help locate any survivors, but when they returned they could not locate the crash site.
The couple then went to a neighbour’s house to call 911.
Resident Curtis Bultz, 21, heard strange noises Friday evening followed by the sound of the crash.
Bultz then drove his ATV through neighbouring cornfields to investigate, but after 10 minutes of searching he returned home.
“I heard it but there was no smoke or anything," said Bultz. "There was no smoke at all. That's what you think, (that) there'd be something but there was nothing."
Bultz, his neighbours and emergency crews did a grid search by foot, tractor and four-by-fours.
Two hours later, they were able to locate the wreckage, said Bultz.
Once the wreckage was located, Bultz’s father used a tractor to clear a path for crews to get to the scene.
OPP said weather is not believed to be a factor in the crash.
According to investigators, the 20-year-old pilot of the plane was fully licensed to fly.
He was also a regular client of the nearby Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre from where the plane was rented, Rowe reported.
The pilot’s grief-stricken uncle arrived at the scene of the crash on Saturday and told reporters he was at a loss for words over his nephew’s death.
“Very special. Better than my heart. He was something like…,” he said, trying to describe his nephew. “I don’t have words for it.”
Bob Connors, the general manager of the flight centre, would not comment on the pilot’s flying experience.
Connors told CP that the school had not seen a crash like this in a “long, long, long time.”
Two investigators from the Transportation Safety Board were at the scene of the crash Saturday trying to determine if the plane suffered mechanical failure.
“We’re looking at all the aircraft systems and determining if the aircraft was without power at the time, if all the flight controls were hooked up and working properly,” TSB investigator Ken Webster told reporters.
The bodies of the victims have been transported to a Hamilton hospital for autopsies. The victims will not be identified until all the next of kin have been notified.
Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca
Debris from a plane crash sits in a field in Moorefield, Ontario
Cessna 172S, C-FNET, crashed Friday night in a cornfield near Moorefield; about 50 kilometres northwest of Kitchener.
Photo Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Transportation Safety Board
MOOREFIELD, Ont. - When Llori Nicholls and her husband first spotted a plane weaving back and forth in the sky Friday night, they had thought it was putting on a show.
Seconds later, the small plane disappeared out of sight and then they heard it nose-dive into the ground, killing all four people on board.
"It was doing these spirals but really high up in the air, like at first, we thought it was controlled," said Nicholls, who was out walking her dog.
"But then as we watched, we realized that it didn't look like controlled movements. It looked like it had lost control and it was going down."
Investigators are now trying to piece together what caused the light-coloured Cessna 172 to crash into a cornfield near Moorefield, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say three men and one woman were pronounced dead at the scene following the accident, which occurred around 8:30 p.m. Friday.
One of the victims was a 19-year-old woman. The three others were in their 20s, according to police. All were from the Greater Toronto Area.
Nicholls said before the crash, she saw the plane's engine sputtering but as it got closer to the ground, it looked like the pilot had been able to regain some control.
"The pilot got the engine going again," she said. "It was nice and strong, full power, but only for a second or two. Then it just went dead."
She and her husband then raced back to their nearby home to grab a first aid kit and sleeping bag, in hopes of finding any survivors. But when they returned in their pick-up truck, they couldn't locate the crash site.
They then went to a neighbour's house to call 911.
Nicholls said she's distraught over how scared the passengers must have been.
"There was definitely time in their descent for them to be terrified, and it just kind of doesn't sit good with me," said Nicholls, her voice quivering.
Curtis Bults was getting ready to leave for a baseball game when the Nicholls' showed up.
Moments earlier, he had heard strange noises behind his house.
"It sounded like a whiny noise, like a go-kart, like a small plane going 'Eee Eeee Eeeee!,' said the 21-year-old.
"And (then) a couple second delay, and I heard a thud. I heard kind of a shake in the ground."
Bults said his two dogs were "absolutely freaking" from the commotion, which could be heard clearly even though all the house's windows were closed.
He then drove his ATV through the adjacent cornfields to investigate. After about 10 minutes, he returned home after finding nothing.
"I heard it but there was no smoke or anything," said Bultz. "There was no smoke at all. That's what you think, (that) there'd be something but there was nothing."
Bultz said he, his neighbours and emergency crews did a grid search on foot, tractors and four-by-fours.
It wasn't until two hours later that they were able to locate the plane wreckage.
Once it was found, his father used a tractor to carve out a path for the emergency crews to get to the scene, he said.
"It was the middle of nowhere," said Bultz. "It was in the middle of a 50-acre cornfield."
OPP Const. Keith Robb said an emergency transponder signal had been activated when the plane went off the radar around 8:20 p.m.
It's unclear how long the plane had been in flight before it crashed.
At this point, the investigation remains in its preliminary stages but police do not believe weather was a factor.
"It was a clear, sunny night," he said.
Two investigators from the Transportation Safety Board remain at the scene, and are trying to determine whether mechanical failure is at fault. The plane was expected to be removed from the field later Saturday.
Bob Connors, the general manager of the Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre, said the plane was one of his and it was a rental.
He said the flight school, which operates out of the Waterloo Region International Airport, had not had a crash like this in a "long, long, long time."
Connors would not comment on the pilot's flying experience.
The victims' bodies have been transported to a hospital in Hamilton for autopsies and police were in the process of contacting their families.
Pilatus PC-12/47, Swiss registration HB-FPZ, operated by Air Sarina GmbH
NTSB Identification: CEN12WA674
14 CFR Non-U.S., Non-Commercial
Accident occurred Friday, August 24, 2012 in Solemont (Doubs), France
Aircraft: , registration:
Injuries: 4 Fatal.
The foreign authority was the source of this information.
On August 24, 2012, at 1558 universal coordinated time, a Pilatus PC-12/47, Swiss registration HB-FPZ, operated by Air Sarina GmbH, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain under unknown circumstances near Solemont (Doubs), France. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The flight originated from Antwerp (EBAW), Belgium, and was en route to Saanen (LSGK), Switzerland.
On August 24, 2012, at 1558 universal coordinated time, a Pilatus PC-12/47, Swiss registration HB-FPZ, operated by Air Sarina GmbH, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain under unknown circumstances near Solemont (Doubs), France. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The flight originated from Antwerp (EBAW), Belgium, and was en route to Saanen (LSGK), Switzerland.
Preliminary information from investigators indicate the airplane broke up in flight. There was a post-impact fire. Weather at LFSX at 1600 UTC was as follows: Wind, variable at 3 knots; ceiling 900 feet, broken; 1,300 feet overcast; temperature, 20 degrees Celsius (C.); dew point, 18 degrees C.
The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the
French Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses. This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the French government or BEA.
Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from:
Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau
Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses
Zone Sud
200 rue de Paris
Aêroport du Bourget
93350 Le Bourget Cedex
France
Tél. : +33 1 49 92 72 00
Fax : +33 1 49 92 72 03
www.bea.aero
http://www.bazl.admin.ch/fachleute/luftfahrzeugregister/index.html?lang=en&lfrSucheDetailKnz=HB-FPZ
A tourist plane with four people on board crashed near Montbeliard in eastern France on Friday, officials said.
Local police said the plane had taken off from Belgium and was headed to Switzerland. All four occupants were Swiss.
Rescuers found wreckage of the plane about 40 minutes after it sent a distress call. There was no immediate sign of survivors.
Local mayor Didier Grillot said several witnesses had told him the plane was struck by lightning.
"There's nothing but a mass of debris, the plane was torn to pieces," he said after visiting the crash site.
Four Swiss citizens died when their light airplane crashed near Montbéliard, eastern France, on Friday evening. Local people say the plane was struck by lightning.
The aircraft took off from Antwerp in Belgium and was heading for Switzerland when it crashed in Solemont, near Montbéliard.
Police at first said that three people were in the plane but aviation officials later said that four Swiss nationals got on board before take-off.
Belfort public prosecutor Alexandre Chevrier on Saturday morning confirmed that there were no survivors.
The plane sent out a distress signal at about 6.00pm before plummeting into rocks, scattering debris over a large area.
The cause of the crash has not yet been officially determined but a storm was taking place at the time and several local people have told Solemont mayor Didier Grillot that they saw lighting hit the aircraft.
Economy Minister Pierre Moscovici, who is also a local councillor, expressed his deep sympathy for the victims’s families.
Tourist plane explodes after struck by lightning
A tourist plane with four people on board has crashed after being hit by a lightning, 500 meters from the town of Solemont, France, killing all on board. The light plane, built by Pilatus Aircraft, took off from Belgium and was headed to Switzerland. All four occupants were Swiss.
Rescuers found wreckage of the plane about 40 minutes after it sent a distress call. “There’s nothing but a mass of debris, the plane was torn to pieces,” said Solemont Mayor Didier Grillot.
Quatre Suisses ont été tués vendredi lorsque l’avion de tourisme à bord duquel ils se trouvaient s’est écrasé au sud de Montbéliard (France).
Des techniciens spécialistes en catastrophes aériennes sont venus de Paris samedi prêter main forte à la gendarmerie du Doubs pour investiguer le site du crash aérien dans lequel quatre Suisses ont péri vendredi soir. L’avion de tourisme à bord duquel les victimes se trouvaient s’est écrasé au sud de Montbéliard (France).
Suspendues vendredi peu après 21h00, les recherches ont repris samedi matin, a indiqué à l’ats la brigade de gendarmerie de Pont-de- Roide.
Les causes du crash étaient toujours indéterminées, mais de fortes précipitations tombaient sur la région au moment où l’accident s’est produit et la visibilité était limitée. Un point de presse est prévu vers 16h00.
L’avion, un appareil de type PC-12 qui avait décollé d’Anvers en Belgique et se dirigeait vers la Suisse, s’est écrasé à proximité de la commune de Solemont vers 18h00. Les débris de l’appareil ont été retrouvés vers 18h30, a indiqué vendredi la préfecture.
Dans un communiqué publié tard vendredi, le ministre de l’Economie et des Finances et conseiller délégué de l’agglomération du Pays de Montbéliard, Pierre Moscovici, fait part de son «émotion» et de «sa profonde sympathie» à l’égard des victimes.
http://www.bazl.admin.ch/fachleute/luftfahrzeugregister/index.html?lang=en&lfrSucheDetailKnz=HB-FPZ
14 CFR Non-U.S., Non-Commercial
Accident occurred Friday, August 24, 2012 in Solemont (Doubs), France
Aircraft: , registration:
Injuries: 4 Fatal.
The foreign authority was the source of this information.
On August 24, 2012, at 1558 universal coordinated time, a Pilatus PC-12/47, Swiss registration HB-FPZ, operated by Air Sarina GmbH, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain under unknown circumstances near Solemont (Doubs), France. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The flight originated from Antwerp (EBAW), Belgium, and was en route to Saanen (LSGK), Switzerland.
On August 24, 2012, at 1558 universal coordinated time, a Pilatus PC-12/47, Swiss registration HB-FPZ, operated by Air Sarina GmbH, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain under unknown circumstances near Solemont (Doubs), France. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The flight originated from Antwerp (EBAW), Belgium, and was en route to Saanen (LSGK), Switzerland.
Preliminary information from investigators indicate the airplane broke up in flight. There was a post-impact fire. Weather at LFSX at 1600 UTC was as follows: Wind, variable at 3 knots; ceiling 900 feet, broken; 1,300 feet overcast; temperature, 20 degrees Celsius (C.); dew point, 18 degrees C.
The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the
French Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses. This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the French government or BEA.
Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from:
Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau
Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses
Zone Sud
200 rue de Paris
Aêroport du Bourget
93350 Le Bourget Cedex
France
Tél. : +33 1 49 92 72 00
Fax : +33 1 49 92 72 03
www.bea.aero
http://www.bazl.admin.ch/fachleute/luftfahrzeugregister/index.html?lang=en&lfrSucheDetailKnz=HB-FPZ
A tourist plane with four people on board crashed near Montbeliard in eastern France on Friday, officials said.
Local police said the plane had taken off from Belgium and was headed to Switzerland. All four occupants were Swiss.
Rescuers found wreckage of the plane about 40 minutes after it sent a distress call. There was no immediate sign of survivors.
Local mayor Didier Grillot said several witnesses had told him the plane was struck by lightning.
"There's nothing but a mass of debris, the plane was torn to pieces," he said after visiting the crash site.
Four Swiss citizens died when their light airplane crashed near Montbéliard, eastern France, on Friday evening. Local people say the plane was struck by lightning.
The aircraft took off from Antwerp in Belgium and was heading for Switzerland when it crashed in Solemont, near Montbéliard.
Police at first said that three people were in the plane but aviation officials later said that four Swiss nationals got on board before take-off.
Belfort public prosecutor Alexandre Chevrier on Saturday morning confirmed that there were no survivors.
The plane sent out a distress signal at about 6.00pm before plummeting into rocks, scattering debris over a large area.
The cause of the crash has not yet been officially determined but a storm was taking place at the time and several local people have told Solemont mayor Didier Grillot that they saw lighting hit the aircraft.
Economy Minister Pierre Moscovici, who is also a local councillor, expressed his deep sympathy for the victims’s families.
Tourist plane explodes after struck by lightning
A tourist plane with four people on board has crashed after being hit by a lightning, 500 meters from the town of Solemont, France, killing all on board. The light plane, built by Pilatus Aircraft, took off from Belgium and was headed to Switzerland. All four occupants were Swiss.
Rescuers found wreckage of the plane about 40 minutes after it sent a distress call. “There’s nothing but a mass of debris, the plane was torn to pieces,” said Solemont Mayor Didier Grillot.
Quatre Suisses ont été tués vendredi lorsque l’avion de tourisme à bord duquel ils se trouvaient s’est écrasé au sud de Montbéliard (France).
Des techniciens spécialistes en catastrophes aériennes sont venus de Paris samedi prêter main forte à la gendarmerie du Doubs pour investiguer le site du crash aérien dans lequel quatre Suisses ont péri vendredi soir. L’avion de tourisme à bord duquel les victimes se trouvaient s’est écrasé au sud de Montbéliard (France).
Suspendues vendredi peu après 21h00, les recherches ont repris samedi matin, a indiqué à l’ats la brigade de gendarmerie de Pont-de- Roide.
Les causes du crash étaient toujours indéterminées, mais de fortes précipitations tombaient sur la région au moment où l’accident s’est produit et la visibilité était limitée. Un point de presse est prévu vers 16h00.
L’avion, un appareil de type PC-12 qui avait décollé d’Anvers en Belgique et se dirigeait vers la Suisse, s’est écrasé à proximité de la commune de Solemont vers 18h00. Les débris de l’appareil ont été retrouvés vers 18h30, a indiqué vendredi la préfecture.
Dans un communiqué publié tard vendredi, le ministre de l’Economie et des Finances et conseiller délégué de l’agglomération du Pays de Montbéliard, Pierre Moscovici, fait part de son «émotion» et de «sa profonde sympathie» à l’égard des victimes.
http://www.bazl.admin.ch/fachleute/luftfahrzeugregister/index.html?lang=en&lfrSucheDetailKnz=HB-FPZ
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