Friday, September 07, 2012

Goodyear F2G-2 Super Corsair, N5577N: Fatal accident occurred September 07, 2012 in Valley City, North Dakota

National Transportation Safety Board - Aviation Accident Final Report: http://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Docket And Docket Items -  National Transportation Safety Board: http://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

National Transportation Safety Board -  Aviation Accident Data Summary:   http://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

http://registry.faa.gov/N5577N
 
NTSB Identification: CEN12LA615
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, September 07, 2012 in Valley City, ND
Probable Cause Approval Date: 04/10/2013
Aircraft: GOODYEAR F2G, registration: N5577N
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

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

Witnesses reported that the pilot completed the initial portion of his airshow practice routine without any apparent difficulties. One witness noted that during those maneuvers, the airplane reached altitudes of about 2,000 feet above ground level (agl). The pilot then executed a four-point roll. The witnesses stated that the airplane pitched up and rolled to the left, as if the pilot were entering a barrel roll. However, the airplane only reached an altitude of about 1,000 feet agl during this maneuver. When the airplane was inverted, the roll stopped, and the airplane pitched down toward the ground. One witness noted that vapor trails were visible from the wing tips during the attempted pull out. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground in a nearly level attitude. The airplane was severely fragmented during the accident sequence and the debris field was extensive. No anomalies consistent with preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction were observed during postaccident examination, but the extent of the impact-related damage to the airframe precluded a complete examination of the flight control system. However, witness statements were consistent with the pilot initiating the final aerobatic maneuver from an altitude that did not allow full recovery of the airplane.
Toxicological tests identified ethanol in the pilot’s tissue samples; however, it is likely that the ethanol detected was due to postmortem production.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s decision to initiate the aerobatic maneuver at an altitude that did not allow for full recovery of the airplane before ground impact.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On September 7, 2012, about 1755 central daylight time, a Goodyear F2G Corsair, N5577N, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during an aerobatic practice routine at the Barnes County Municipal Airport (BAC), Valley City, North Dakota. The pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an air show practice flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from BAC about 1740.

A witness reported that the practice routine proceeded normally. During the final barrel roll, the airplane pitched to about 10 degrees nose up and rolled left until about 10 degrees past inverted, at which point the roll slowed and ultimately stopped. The airplane then pitched down and started to pull through from a vertical nose down attitude. Vapor trails were visible from both wing tips from about 80 degrees to 40 degrees nose down. At this point the airplane was about 100 feet above ground level. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground in about a 10-degree nose down, wings level attitude.

A second witness reported that there appeared to be no issues with the initial part of the practice routine. During most of those maneuvers, the airplane reached altitudes of 2,000 feet to 2,500 feet above ground level (agl). The maneuver immediately before the accident was a four-point roll from east to west, with a turn back toward the east. While heading back toward show center, the airplane pitched up and rolled to the left, as if the pilot was entering a barrel roll. However, during this maneuver, the airplane only climbed to 1,000 feet to 1,200 feet agl. The airplane was inverted at an altitude of about 1,000 feet agl, on a north heading. At that point, the roll stopped and the airplane “pulled through” until it impacted the ground.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with single- and multi-engine land airplane, single-engine sea airplane, helicopter, and glider ratings. His pilot certificate included type ratings for Cessna 500, Cessna 525, Douglas DC-3, Learjet, and Socata TBM airplanes. He also held pilot and flight instructor authorizations for Chance Vought F4U, Curtis P-40, Mitsubishi A6M, Northrup F-5, North American P-51, North American T-28, Yakovlev Yak-3, and Yakovlev Yak-9 airplanes. His most recent aerobatic competency evaluation (ACE) was completed on December 31, 2012, with an authorization for solo aerobatics. His most recent performance was reportedly on August 26, 1012.

The pilot held a flight instructor certificate with single and multi-engine airplane, and instrument airplane ratings. He held a mechanic certificate with airframe and powerplant ratings, and an inspection authorization. He was issued a second class medical certificate on November 1, 2011, with a restriction for corrective lenses and a waiver for color vision. On the application for that medical certificate, the pilot reported a total flight time of 19,975 hours, with approximately 150 hours within the previous 6 months.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The accident airplane was a restored World War II era fighter airplane. Records indicated that it entered service with the United States Navy in February 1946. It was restored and re-issued an experimental airworthiness certificate for exhibition and air racing purposes in July 2011. Maintenance records indicated that a condition inspection was completed on July 12, 2012. The airplane had accumulated 107.9 hours total time at the time of that inspection.

METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS
The Jamestown Regional Airport (JMS) Automated Surface Observing System, located 27 miles west of BAC, at 1756 recorded conditions as: wind from 330 degrees at 9 knots, 10 miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 18 degrees Celsius, dew point 6 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 30.12 inches of mercury.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
Initial ground impact was located about 500 feet from the approach threshold of runway 31; about 90 feet southwest of the edge of the runway. The debris path was about 900 feet long by 200 feet wide, and oriented on a south bearing.

The airframe was fragmented during the impact sequence and a postimpact fire ensued. The engine had separated from the airframe. It came to rest in the debris field, about 450 feet from the initial impact point. Three of the four propeller blades had separated near the blade root and were embedded into the ground at the initial impact point. The fourth propeller blade remained attached to the hub, with the hub remaining attached to the engine.

A postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies consistent with preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction. Damage to the flight control system was consistent with impact forces. However, the extent of the damage to the airframe precluded a complete examination of the flight control system.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
An autopsy of the pilot was conducted on September 10, 2012, at the North Dakota State Forensic Examiners Office in Bismarck, North Dakota. The pilot’s death was attributed to multiple blunt force injuries sustained in the accident.

The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute toxicology report noted:
62 (mg/dL, mg/hg) Ethanol detected in Muscle;
52 (mg/dL, mg/hg) Ethanol detected in Kidney;
24 (mg/dL, mg/hg) Ethanol detected in Lung;
No Ethanol detected in Brain;
N-Propanol detected in Kidney;
N-Propanol detected in Muscle.

No drugs in the screening profile were detected in Liver tissue. The report indicated that the tissue samples were putrefied.


 NTSB Identification: CEN12LA615
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, September 07, 2012 in Valley City, ND
Aircraft: GOODYEAR F2G, registration: N5577N
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 September 7, 2012, about 1755 central daylight time, a Goodyear F2G Corsair, N5577N, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during an aerobatic practice routine at the Barnes County Municipal Airport (BAC), Valley City, North Dakota. The pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an air show practice flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from BAC prior to the practice routine.

A witness reported that the practice routine proceeded normally. During the final barrel roll, the airplane pitched to about 10 degrees nose up and rolled left until about 10 degrees past inverted, at which point the roll slowed and ultimately stopped. The airplane then pitched down and started to pull through from a vertical nose down attitude. Vapor trails were visible from both wing tips from about 80 degrees to 40 degrees nose down. At this point the airplane was about 100 feet above ground level. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground in about a 10-degree nose down, wings level attitude.

Initial ground impact was located about 500 feet from the approach threshold of runway 31, about 100 feet southwest of the edge of the runway. The debris path was oriented on a southerly bearing and was about 450 feet in length. The airplane was fragmented during the impact sequence and a postimpact fire ensued.

The accident airplane was a restored World War II era fighter airplane. Records indicated that it entered service with the United States Navy in February 1946. It was restored and re-issued an experimental airworthiness certificate for exhibition and air racing purposes in July 2011.




VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) The Barnes County Municipal Airport is open again following the plane crash that killed pilot Bob Odegaard of Kindred.

Barnes County Airport Authority board member Lori Jury says the board will take several weeks to discuss all options concerning what to do with those who purchased advance tickets. She says save your tickets.


Jury says it maybe another two years before another Airshow is scheduled in Valley City. But she stresses, no decisions have been made concerning advance tickets or a future show.

 Barnes County Airport Authority Board Chairman Dennis Helland says anyone with photos of the plane in flight, on the ground or during the crash is asked to submit them to Barnes County Airport officials or the Barnes County Sheriff’s office.

66-year-old Bob Odegaard died after his plane crashed practicing his routine for the Wings & Wheels Airshow on Friday.

A Prayer Service for Odegaard will be held today at 7pm at St. Maurice Catholic Church in Kindred. A Funeral Service will be held Wednesday at the church at 2pm.

http://www.newsdakota.com



  
Famed North Dakota pilot Bob Odegaard was killed Friday night during a practice run for an air show here.

Odegaard, 66, of Kindred, was renowned for both his skills in the cockpit and for restoring airplanes, and he was an instrumental part of getting the Fargo AirSho – and later the Fargo Air Museum – off the ground.

“I’m kind of stung by it. It’s a shock,” said Dick Walstad, co-chairman of the Fargo air show. “He’s one of those guys where if it had wings, he could fly it.”

Sgt. Troy Hischer of the North Dakota Highway Patrol said the crash, which happened at the Barnes County Municipal Airport about 5:55 p.m., reportedly happened while Odegaard was attempting a barrel roll while practicing for the Valley City show that was set for today but canceled after the fatal crash.

Hischer said authorities aren’t yet sure if the crash was caused by mechanical or human error.

“Something went terribly wrong and he crashed,” the trooper said.

Kris Youle of Sanborn works near the airport and was on break watching the planes practice when the crash happened.

Youle said the plane was doing loops when it slammed into the ground.

“He just didn’t pull up. He went right into the ground,” she said.

Youle said she didn’t notice any smoke or hear any explosions coming from the airplane before the crash.

Larry Welken, vice chairman of the airport’s board of directors, was on the field helping fuel planes when the crash happened.

“It looked like he was possibly trying to get out of the plane, like he knew something was wrong,” said Welken, a pilot for 35 years. “He just plowed into the ground.”

Welken said he didn’t notice any explosions, either, and the only fire was a small one on the ground that was probably ignited by fuel. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating, he said.

“You couldn’t find a pilot with more experience anywhere. He’s known all over the country,” he said.

Walstad said he was told Odegaard was flying a rebuilt Super Corsair, a rare and superpower WWII-era airplane designed to counter kamikaze attacks.

There were less than 20 ever built, and the only two operating models still in existence were both rebuilt by Odegaard within the last year or so, Walstad said.

“He literally took them from junkyards,” he said.

Walstad said the single-seat Super Corsair was a difficult plane to fly, but he also said Odegaard was “an accomplished, expert pilot.”

Odegaard’s longtime plane-building partner was Gerald Beck, a Wahpeton man who was killed at an air show in Oshkosh, Wis., in 2007. Odegaard owned a company that specialized in wing building, while Beck’s specialized in fuselages.

Beck was killed in a collision with Odegaard’s son, Casey, as they both flew P-51 Mustangs, another single-seat fighter used in WW II and the aircraft with which Odegaard is most closely associated.

“That’s where he got initiated in aircraft restoration,” Walstad said. “He was world renowned, I mean world renowned.”

Walstad said Odegaard – along with Beck, himself and Darrol Schroeder – was one of the four individuals who founded the Fargo Air Museum, helped along by proceeds from the Fargo AirSho, where Odegaard was a mainstay ever since the first year in 1989.

“He was just an absolute sweetheart,” Walstad said. “It’s a huge loss.”


Read more here:   http://www.inforum.com

VALLEY CITY, N.D. (AP) — Investigators hope a recovered camera memory card will help them find out what caused an airplane crash that killed a veteran pilot. 

Bob Odegaard died Sept. 7 when he crashed his vintage Super Corsair plane while practicing for a Valley City air show.

His plane had a camera attached. Former North Dakota National Guard commander Mike Haugen says searchers found the camera's memory card Wednesday.

Haugen was a longtime friend of Odegaard's, and he helped to look for the card. He says it's been given to federal investigators.

Haugen says the crash probe will take a long time to finish. He says it will include an autopsy and an analysis of the plane's wreckage.

Odegaard was a longtime pilot and airplane rebuilder who owned an aerial spraying business. 


The Barnes County Municipal Airport is looking for volunteers on Wednesday to help search for a memory card from a digital camera attached to the plane of Bob Odegaard just before the September 7th crash.

Barnes County Airport Authority Chairman Dennis Helland says anyone with a metal detector with head phones or anyone who wants to volunteer in the search should show up at the airport at 9am Wednesday.

Odegaard died in a plane crash practicing for an air show in Valley City on September 7.

Opinion: It's time for restrictions on helicopters

September 7, 2012 | 3:36 p.m.

Hooray, the Federal Aviation Administration hopes to come up with recommendations to deal with Los Angeles residents’ noise complaints by next summer. What noise complaints? Those made by helicopters over the L.A. area.

One homeowner likened the deafening chopper sounds to a “war zone.” Another homeowner said the vibrations rattled dishes in her china cabinet.

Years of complaints about noise from helicopters have led to restrictions on helicopter traffic over Long Island, N.Y., which suffers from the same problem. Who owns this country, the helicopter industry or the voting citizens? Let’s show our moxie. We need restrictions and need them fast. The noise from these planes is horrific. Let’s get busy, pass some fair restrictive laws and be done with it. Allowing time to correct it and doing nothing is a waste of energy.

Wesley Greene

http://www.burbankleader.com/opinion

Gulfstream G650 receives FAA certification: First ultra-long-range aircraft to be delivered soon to customer

http://www.gulfstream.com/news/releases/2012/gulfstream-g650-receives-type-certificate.htm

http://www.gulfstream.com/news/releases/2012/_images/g650_tc.jpg


 http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4124/5087135066_c8a6b807b9_o.jpg

Died in a flight test accident at Roswell, NM April 2nd 2011.

Kent Rex Crenshaw 1947-2011  http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/savannah/obituary.aspx?n=kent-rex-crenshaw&pid=150001908#fbLoggedOut

Reece Emil Ollenburg 1962-2011  http://www.funeralhomemasoncity.com/sitemaker/sites/HoganB1/obit.cgi?user=350248Ollenburg

David Ellis McCollum 1963-2011  http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/04/flight_test_engineer_david_ell.html

Vivan Leroy Rangusa 1959-2011  http://obit.jacksonvillememorygardens.com/obitdisplay.html?task=Print&id=916436


EDITORIAL: Crash investigation: Nothing to hide 
Posted: June 18, 2012 - 7:17pm | Updated: June 19, 2012 - 12:11am 

THE WAR of words between federal investigators and Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. over last year’s fatal crash of a test aircraft in New Mexico is troubling on several levels.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Gulfstream must consider themselves teammates, not adversaries. There’s nothing to hide — and no reason to hide anything either.

Four crew members died when a G650 aircraft crashed April 2, 2011. Both the government and Gulfstream owe it to the families and to the public to work together in the ongoing investigation of this accident, which saddened many in the this community where these aircraft are built.

Anything less is unacceptable. And, quite frankly, senseless.

On May 21, Gulfstream went on record and admitted the buck for this tragedy stops on the company’s desk. In a submission placed last week on the NTSB’s public docket, the company indicated that it “accepts full responsibility for the accident.” 

That’s pretty clear. Unfortunately, an exchange of letters that occurred several months prior to May 21, between Gulfstream President Larry Flynn and NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman, left the impression that the relationship between the two organizations had devolved into a backroom feud, not a willing partnership. This makes no sense given the NTSB’s mission and Gulfstream’s reputation.

The NTSB is an independent arm of the federal government that has no regulatory or enforcement powers. Its focus is soley on improving safety — a mission the public has supported since 1967, when the board was created to investigate all civil aviation accidents in the United States.

Indeed, Congress took special care to help the NTSB root out all the facts following any crash. The board’s analysis of factual information and its determination of probable cause cannot be entered as evidence in a court of law, according to the board’s Web site. There’s no reason to lawyer up, redact names and other information and become combative.

In some ways, dealing with the board’s investigators is like talking with priests in confessionals. Information that’s obtained through this process can’t be used in potential lawsuits — a hugely important restriction, given today’s litigious world. 

Likewise, Gulfstream is a leading corporate citizen in Savannah and the entire state. Its management and employees have earned a well-deserved reputation for their many positive economic and civic contributions to the community and the region. 

So what happened? Why did Mr. Flynn feel the need to send a letter to the NTSB chairman on March 31, 2012, as well as an earlier one on Feb. 22, 2012? Those letters triggered a written response on April 4, 2012 — almost a year to the date after the fatal crash — from Ms. Hersman. She fired back with a list of concerns raised by NTSB investigators and managers, including stonewalling and the loss of evidence.

For example, it was reported that a key piece of evidence related to the NTSB investigation — the computer hard drive that contained accident-related telemetry data — was missing. Investigators routinely comb through hard drives to mine data that may be important. But in this case, according to the FBI, the hard drive likely had been “inadvertently discarded in the trash” by a Gulfstream employee charged with its safekeeping. That’s mind-boggling. How could such a thing have happened in a presumably controlled enviroment after a fatal crash?

It’s possible to conclude from the letters between Gulfstream and the NTSB that the company may be concerned about the public release of proprietry information during or after the investigative process.
That’s no small matter.

The G650 is Gulfstream’s ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range business aircraft. It has a $58 million base price. The market for these high-end products is extremely competitive. If secrets get out, it could mean lost sales and jobs.

Mr. Flynn obviously tried to reassure the NTSB chairman in his March 30 letter, stating that “Gulfstream has fully supported the NTSB investigation, has behaved with the highest ethical standards and has at all times made the safety of its flight test and flight operations its highest priority.” 

But it’s equally clear, given the response from the NTSB chairman just four days later, that concerns remained. “Litigous behavior frustrates the party process and degrades working relationships,” Ms. Hersman wrote. “We expect all parties to work with us toward our mutual goals of fully understanding the circumstances of the accident and improving safety.”

Two months have elapsed since those words were written. That’s plenty of time for the war of words to have ended — and for Gulfstream and the NTSB to be on the same page, not on different planets.

Job One is to cooperate. Job Two is to figure out what happened in Roswell so that it never happens again.

http://savannahnow.com/opinion/2012-06-18/editorial-crash-investigation-nothing-hide#.UEpw14b3u71

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.'s ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G650 business-jet aircraft received a type certificate today from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The certification verifies the airworthiness of the aircraft's design. Gulfstream expects to deliver the first fully outfitted G650 business jets to customers before year end. The company has received more than 200 orders for the aircraft.

"The G650 is a superlative aircraft with the most technologically advanced flight deck in business aviation and the largest, most comfortable cabin in its class. In short, the G650 speaks to all that is good about business aviation: safety, security, flexibility, comfort, and capability," said Larry Flynn, president, Gulfstream. "We designed the G650 with significant input from our Advanced Technology Customer Advisory Team, and we're extremely proud of what our entire organization has accomplished with this aircraft."

"The G650 sets the new world standard for business-jet performance, range, speed and comfort," said Jay L. Johnson, chairman and chief executive officer of Gulfstream's parent corporation, General Dynamics.  "The Gulfstream team has done an outstanding job in designing and manufacturing what is already the envy of the global market and is sure to become a milestone aircraft in aviation history."


Read Saturday's Savannah Morning News and return to savannahnow.com for the complete story.

First local public heliport planned for Ormond Beach

ORMOND BEACH — Construction at the city's municipal airport is about to take off after receiving a federal grant that will improve sections of the facility and pave the way for what could be the county's first public heliport.

Last September, the city submitted an application to the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program, which so far this year has apportioned more than $229 million to states. On Aug. 31, the city was awarded a $2.3 million grant.

Construction is expected to begin in November, which will include the rehabilitation of three taxiways and construction of a new compass rose, a feature that provides direction for pilots. The compass rose has faded and currently does not meet FAA regulations, said Airport Manager Steve Lichliter.

But the addition that is seen as key for the airport is a heliport, which would separate helicopter and airplane operations and could help lure businesses to the area.

"It's the least expensive part of the project," Lichliter said, aside from repainting the compass rose.

It's arguably, though, the most important part, he said.

Today, helicopter pilots don't have a designated landing or take-off area, Lichliter said. But with the heliport, pilots will be given approved routes to separate plane traffic from helicopters. Those routes will also take helicopter traffic away from residential housing, Lichliter said.

Once established, airport officials envision the heliport being used by business executives who want to hitch a ride to Orlando. It's believed that it will be the only public-use helicopter facility in the county.

"Hopefully, the airport will be able to serve that need when businesses come to the area," he said.


Read more here:  http://www.news-journalonline.com

Gnoss Field Airport (KDVO), Novato, California: Pilots push for a runway extension

 
 For more information, visit gnossfield.org.


Facing Gnoss Field’s runway, the 1968 Beech Bonanza V35ATC six-seater increased in speed and lifted off the ground, rising in altitude through a beautiful Marin skyline August 29.  Within minutes the plane overlooked Alcatraz, San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge, which was blanketed in thick fog. The turquoise bay mirrored the landscape until hitting the Marin coastline, which too was engulfed by fog. 

 Pilot Bruce Wold circled the Bay, pointing to various iconic landmarks along the way. Wold fell in love with aviation as a teenager, admitting that time in the sky is like no other.

“It’s a very satisfying combination — an intellectual and emotional experience,” Wold said. “It’s constantly changing, and it’s challenging; but it keeps me coming back.”

Wold has utilized Gnoss Field for the last seven years and is hopeful that plans to extend the north end of the runway by 1,100 feet will be completed.

Wold is also the vice-president of the Gnoss Field Community Association, a five-year-old organization made up of pilots and supporters of Gnoss Field. One of the organization’s hot topics is the runway extension project, which the group says will provide significant benefits to the residents of Bahia, Rush Creek and other nearby communities, as well as pilots.

“The extension would put us 3,000-4,000 feet away from their homes,” Wold said. “People hear that Gnoss Field wants to expand, and they assume that means we’re having new facilities and capabilities. That’s not true.”

After the extension is complete, neighbors will be subject to less noise because takeoffs will start 1,100 feet farther away, Wold said.

The ”13/31” runway was named because it has a heading of approximately 130 degrees for southeast departures and 310 degrees for northwesterly departures. An aircraft’s takeoff or landing point is dictated by wind — landing into or taking off into the wind is almost always the case.

“For safety, flying around the towers almost always happens on the side closest to [homes], GFCA President Mark Sheron said.

The KCBS towers restrict left turns from takeoff point and force aircraft to be closer to homes and newly created marshland as of today, Wold said.

Aircraft turning north of the KCBS towers from the proposed takeoff point will also be 2,000 feet farther away from homes.

“The inescapable conclusion seems to be that if the aircraft using Gnoss are flying farther away from homes, noise will be reduced and safety enhanced,” Sheron said. “Having started farther away, the aircraft will also be higher and thus able to reduce power earlier, added factors contributing to sound reduction. Quieter and safer operations are clear benefits for our neighbors.”

An environmental impact report, a necessary hurdle in the runway’s future, was cleared and released to the public in February.

“A bonus for environmentalists and pilots is that aircraft noise will also be farther away from the marsh restoration area and the birds inhabiting the marsh land,” GFCA said. “Safety is enhanced when birds and airplanes have less opportunity for close encounters.”

“The birds in the newly completed marsh restoration area would likely appreciate traffic and noise moving farther away from them,” Sheron said.

Gnoss Field, officially titled Marin County Airport, was built in 1939 and has only one runway, 3,300 feet long and 75 feet wide. The county purchased the airfield in 1965 and paved it three years later. It serves approximately 95,000 takeoffs and landings a year, according the Marin County Community Development Agency.

In 1930 Marin County sold 730 acres, where Hamilton Air Force Base was eventually built, to the United States government for $1 million. Marin County acquired the land for $135,000 with the sole purpose of getting the government to build an air base. Hamilton was active until 1976 when it was decommissioned as an Air Force Base, Wold said.

“For many years there had been debates as to where to locate a real airport for Marin,” Wold said. “One commission studying the issue proposed in 1954 that there be an airport built in Corte Madera. Eventually, Novato was proposed as the site. Due to financial constraints, only one runway was built and it was built shorter than originally designed.”

Residents have expressed concern over the potential for increased airport use, with larger aircraft and commercial airliners, if the extension is completed.

“The increase in runway length will be nowhere near what airlines would need, nor would the current and planned 75-foot width of the runway be sufficient,” Wold said. “There will be no commercial aviation.”

“The runway, even at its extended length, would be too short and too narrow to handle aircraft big enough to carry more than 10 passengers,” Sheron said.

For more information, visit gnossfield.org.


 http://www.airnav.com/airport/KDVO

http://marinscope.com

Medals awarded to World War II air ace who downed at least 20 German bombers in night-time raids sell for record £384,000

The outstanding war medals of legendary fighter ace John ‘Cat’s Eyes’ Cunningham have sold for an astonishing 384,000 pounds.

The late Battle of Britain airman was the highest-scoring night-fighter pilot of the Second World War, downing at least 20 German bombers over the English Channel.

He became a hero of the RAF who gave him the nickname ‘Cat’s Eyes’ for his ability to see in the dark and for his skill and bravery.

He destroyed one bomber without firing a single shot after he daringly dived down through cloud at great speed and drove the enemy aircraft into the ground.

The secret to his deadly accuracy? Carrots.

Cunningham's insistence that it was the humble garden root vegetable which kept his sight in tip top form convinced generations of children to eat their vegetables.

It has since been revealed that Group Captain Cunningham’s ability to see enemy planes at night was more likely to be down to top secret radar technology that he was one of the first to trial than carrots.

But the myth was snapped up by war time health ministers as a way to encourage children towards healthy eating.

And it is hoped his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of young pilots now his impressive cluster of medals and flying memorabilia have been sold to raise money for a purpose built training centre.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

The wild blue yonder still beckons at age 90

 
Rex Smuts, left, celebrated his 90th birthday by taking the Cessna 172 for a spin.  Hank Henry served as co-pilot.
 (Photo by Jerry Baker/HC)

When Houstonian Rex Smuts celebrated his 90th birthday recently, he wanted to do something special. 

 With the help of co-pilot Hank Henry, 87, Rex took a 50-minute spin in a Cessna 172.

Rex did the flying on this particular joy ride.

“But Hank kept me on the right path,” Rex said. “I was a little rough, but it just seemed natural.”

Rex, a retired swimming pool contractor,  was a pilot during World War II and the Korean War. He continued to fly in the ’70s before abandoning his favorite hobby.

I asked Rex if he plans to fly again when he turns 91.

“I may not wait that long,” he said.

Story and comments:  http://blog.chron.com

Wahpeton-Breckenridge, North Dakota: Local farmers work to improve lives in South Africa

 
Carrie McDermott • Daily News
 Wallie Hardie stands with his Piper Seneca plane. He will fly a similar aircraft down to Africa in February to assist with farming operations.

Members of Kiwanis Club of Wahpeton-Breckenridge were treated to an educational presentation by farmer and businessman Wallie Hardie Wednesday afternoon. 

 Hardie and his son, Josh, recently returned from a three-week trip to Mozambique and Tanzania at the invitation of Aslan Group Global, an agricultural company that helped create sustainable farming in Ukraine. The company needed farming expertise for its large Rei de Agro farm it was creating in South Africa.

Hardie’s relationship with Africa actually began five years ago when his daughter spent a year in Mozambique as a missionary nurse.

“She loved it there, and my family visited her there, and we loved it too,” he said. “We loved the people — such caring and warm people.”

Unfortunately, unemployment is the reality in that area. Eighty percent of the people who live in Mozambique and Tanzania live on less than $2 a day, Hardie said.

“This is a tragedy of the human spirit. You drive the roads and you see them sitting there, doing nothing — no jobs, no prospects,” he said. “That’s the heartbreaking thing when you visit Africa. Everybody is the same, the desperate poverty is homogenous, it’s everywhere.”

Mozambique gave a 50-year concession of 35,000 tree-covered acres to Aslan to clear the land and plant soybeans, corn and other crops. Soybeans are needed to develop the chicken industry, Hardie explained.

“Chickens can be raised by families, and there are places you can get chicks, but the problem is the high price of feed,” Hardie said. “Soybeans have to be imported from Argentina at about $22 per bushel.”

Read more here:  http://www.wahpetondailynews.com

Cessna 402B, Rossi s.r.l. Aerofotogrammetria - Brescia, I-EJRA: Accident occurred September 07, 2012 near Rome Ciampino Airport - LIRA - Italy


Italian firefighters hose down the gutted remains of cars after a small plane crashed in a car depot, killing the two people on board and sparking a fire on the ground, on the outskirts of Rome, Friday, Sept. 7, 2012. A spokeswoman for Rome firefighters, says the flames enveloped about 30 cars in the depot, which is located near Rome's Ciampino airport. The depot contained vehicles sequestered by police

http://www.ilmessaggero.it 


Italian firefighters say a plane has crashed in a car depot on the outskirts of Rome, killing the two people on board and sparking a fire on the ground. 

Simona Pognant, a spokeswoman for Rome firefighters, says the flames enveloped about 30 cars in the depot, which is located near Rome's Ciampino airport. The depot contained vehicles sequestered by police.

She says the Cessna aircraft had left Montichiari, near Brescia and was headed for Rome's small Urbe airport.

Firefighters, who pulled the two bodies from the aircraft, were working to control the blaze.

Lunch with Richard de Crespigny: Richard de Crespigny is the cool hero of Qantas flight QF32, but the experience in the air took its toll, writes Robert Upe



THE perfectly cooked beef cheek on creamy mashed potato is coming apart on my fork, a metaphor for flight QF32, which almost fell apart not long after takeoff from Singapore bound for Sydney on November 4, 2010.

The Qantas A380 - the pride of the airline's fleet - was rocked by an engine explosion that ripped the plane's vital operating systems to shreds.

Pieces of the $400 million plane fell on Indonesia and within moments there were misinformed tweets around the world that it had crashed. Although it was still flying, there were holes in a wing, parts of the fuselage had been blown off and fuel was streaming out of ruptured tanks. The passengers could see the damage and the free-flowing fuel on a channel of their entertainment systems that relays views from a tail camera.

In the captain's seat was Richard de Crespigny. ''It started like any other day,'' he recalls. ''I had a simple breakfast of some eggs and juice at the Fairmont Hotel in Singapore about 7.30am, checked out of my room and boarded the crew bus for the airport.


''Before the flight, we [the pilots] went into a briefing room where we analyse things that will affect the flight, such as weather and, on this day, an erupting volcano [Mount Merapi, which killed more than 350]. Volcanic ash doesn't mix with jet engines so I checked the position of the ash cloud and I took on extra fuel in case we had to divert.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au

Yakovlev 42D, RA-42434: Charges brought in Lokomotiv plane crash case - Accident occurred September 7, 2011, near Yaroslavl-Tunoshna Airport (IAR), Russia

 
Victims of 2011 Lokomotiv plane crash 

 On Sept. 7, 2011, Yak-42 plane carrying the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey club crashed near Tunoshna Airport in Yaroslavl. On the anniversary of the tragedy, NHL.com honors the 44 people who lost their lives. 

Victims of 2011 Lokomotiv plane crash 
 Read more here:   http://www.nhl.com


 On September 7, 2011, a Yak-42 aircraft carrying the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team crashed during takeoff. Forty-four people lost their lives in the tragedy. Today, new faces make up the team, and Lokomotiv is once again on the ice. But the memory of the former players and staff of Yaroslavl's hockey team will certainly never be forgotten.

The former deputy director of Yak Service Airlines, Vadim Timofeev, has been charged in connection with the plane crash which killed the entire Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey squad last September.

­Investigative Committee’s spokesman, Vladimir Markin, told RIA-Novosti that Timofeev is accused of violating the rules of air traffic safety and air transport operation.

According to the investigators, the official was in charge of flight operations at Yak Service, with control of the pilots’ qualification being his direct responsibility.

"By putting the crew in the air Timofeev broke the rules of air transport operations. At the moment of the disaster, that crew wasn’t entitled to fly,” Markin stressed. “Timofeev had allowed the captain to fly based on falsified documents, and the co-pilot hadn’t finished his training on the Yak-42 plane and had no right to be in air.”

The Yak-42 aircraft carrying the KHL side Lokomotiv crashed a few minutes after taking off from Yaroslavl airport on September 7, 2011.

44 people died in the accident, with engineer Aleksandr Sizov being the only survivor.

Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee has held pilots Andrey Solomentsev and Igor Zhevelov responsible for the crash as they weren’t qualified to fly the plane.

Yak Service’s license was revoked two weeks after the tragedy, leading to the airline going out of business.

It took Lokomotiv a year to recruit a new competitive squad as the Yaroslavl side made their KHL comeback by collecting a 5-2 win at Sibir Novosibirsk on Thursday.

Source:   http://rt.com

Raw Video: Plane Almost Hits Mountain




 Aspen Colorado, Highlands Bowl Hike and Video capture of a dangerous Fly Bye and near airplane crash. The following is a good link of a description of the area and hike:
http://www.howtoski.net/sub_featured_resort.htm

Cirrus SR-22 GTS, N449SR: Flap Failure inflight


September 6, 2012 by Plyon123 

Flap Failure inflight Cirrus SR-22 GTS 2006 N449SR

1st power up of Learjet 75 Vision Cockpit on Production Line

http://www.bombardier.com/en/corporate/media-centre/press-releases/details?docID=0901260d8024981a

Click on High Resolution photo of the new Learjet 75 Vision Cockpit