Published on September 17, 2012 by Columbia Air
Columbia Air Services - TBM 850 by Daher-Socata
Monday, September 17, 2012
Beechcraft Bonanza: 2 injured as plane makes emergency landing
VINEMONT, Ala. (AP) — Two people were hurt when a small airplane crashed while making an emergency landing in Cullman County.
WAFF-TV reports that a Beechcraft Bonanza was trying to land near Vinemont on Monday afternoon.
It bounced off the pavement and came to rest across a street from where it first touched down.
A male pilot and female passenger were conscious and talking to rescuers about what happened afterward.
Paramedics took two people to Huntsville Hospital.
Story and comments: http://blog.al.com
WAFF-TV reports that a Beechcraft Bonanza was trying to land near Vinemont on Monday afternoon.
It bounced off the pavement and came to rest across a street from where it first touched down.
A male pilot and female passenger were conscious and talking to rescuers about what happened afterward.
Paramedics took two people to Huntsville Hospital.
Story and comments: http://blog.al.com
Reno, Nevada: Volunteer firefighters have always worked out at the Air Races but they didn't this year
Steve Earle called in recently asking why volunteer firefighters were not working out at the Air Races this year ?
Steve I talked to a few people about this. Tim Spencer is a battallion chief for the Reno Fire Department and he's also the emergency services director for the Air Races.
Volunteer firefighters have always worked out at the Air Races but they didn't this year. Spencer says he offered the volunteers a different assignment this year. Instead of working on the tarmac with the other Reno Firefighters he wanted them stationed on the outlying areas of the race course and outside the gates. Those areas are in the county jurisdiction and not the city.
Spencer says he was concerned the union would file a grievance if volunteers were allowed to work alongside Reno Firefighters. So he offered the volunteers a different job this year and they sent a letter to the fire chief declining that offer.
I also talked to the union vice president. He says they were not involved in this issue and did not threaten to file a grievance. But the bottom line is the volunteers did not like the assignment they were given and were not part of the Air Races this year.
Story and video: http://www.mynews4.com
Ultralight crashes raise questions about safety
SPRING HILL, Florida -- A wooden cross and flowers sat facing the street in front of Pilot Country Airport one day after an Ultralight aircraft crashed into power lines before landing. The pilot, 53-year-old William Athey, was killed upon impact.
Athey's family, along with fellow pilots and the manager of Pilot Country, did not want to talk on Monday. They're still too stunned by his passing.
Pilots are also concerned about how incidents like this one, and one just hours later on Sunday that killed 50-year-old Ultralight pilot Christopher Washington at Hernando County Airport, affect the general perception of aviation. They stress that it's very safe, especially with the correct training.
Ultralight aircrafts are often built from a kit. The planes typically weight 254 pounds or less, carry up to five gallons of fuel at a time, and have just a single seat. A pilot's license is not required to fly them, and the Federal Aviation Administration doesn't require an airworthiness check. Appropriate instruction and practice is highly recommended.
http://www.wtsp.com
William George "Bill" ATHEY
ObituaryATHEY, William George "Bill" 53, of Odessa died unexpectedly Sunday, Sept. 16, 2012. He is survived by sons, Ryan & Wilson Athey; parents, Billy F. and Georgia Lee Athey, all from Odessa; and sister, Sybil (Rick) Bowen; his nieces, Leanne and Marisa Bowen of St. Louis, MO; and special friend, Vicky Truong of Tampa. He was a Senior Software Engineer at CAE in Tampa engineering flight simulators for the past 6 years. In addition, he was very involved in Educational and Community Outreach Programs at CAE. Previously he was employed 20 yrs as a software engineer in Clearwater for Honeywell where he developed software for Space Guidance and Navigation. He received numerous awards for Software Development, Outstanding Community Service and was inducted as a Honeywell Inventor. He was a graduate of Eckerd College with a BS in Information Systems/Computer Science. Bill was a lifelong learner of science/nature and loved to share his knowledge with schools and community groups. With his guidance, some participated in the Starshine Project where students polished mirrors for a satellite launched from the Space Shuttle in 1999/2001. He held an Extra Class Amateur Radio license and was a certified First Responder. He was an Eagle Scout and served as Scoutmaster of Troop 68 for 12 years; recently receiving BSA District Merit Award. He twice completed the Wasatch Front 100-mile Endurance Run in Utah. He loved to hike, backpack, Geo Cache, scuba dive, pursue flying, investigate genealogy and fly his newly created Quad Copter. He played various stringed instruments and raised white homing pigeons which have been used in Epiphany celebrations in Tarpon Springs. He loved long-distance bicycle riding and competed once in Olympic trials. Bill spent his life in service to others and above all honoring his Lord, Jesus Christ. Visitation will be Saturday, 5-7 pm at Blount & Curry Funeral Home, 6802 Silvermill Drive, Tampa. Services will be held Sunday, 2 pm at Hillsdale Baptist Church, 6201 Erhlich Road, Tampa. Graveside services to follow at Keystone UMC, 16310 Race Track Road, Odessa. Please sign online guestbook www.blountcurrywest.com.
Mooney M20M, N1085A: Accident occurred September 17, 2012 in Crane Hill, Alabama
NTSB Identification: ERA12FA566
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, September 17, 2012 in Crane Hill, AL
Aircraft: MOONEY M20M, registration: N1085A
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On September 17, 2012, about 1400 central daylight time, a Mooney M20M, N1085A, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain in Crane Hill, Alabama. The private pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and the airplane was operating on an instrument flight rules flight plan from Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (DTS), Destin, Florida, to Sumner County Regional Airport (M33), Gallatin, Tennessee. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to preliminary air traffic control information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), at 1317, while airplane was at 13,000 feet, the pilot requested information about conditions at 15,000 feet. The center controller responded that there was no icing, "but a lot of course deviations with precipitation ahead." The pilot requested and was granted a climb to 15,000 feet.
At 1325, the pilot was told to contact the center's next sector controller, and upon doing so, that controller advised him of moderate to extreme precipitation for about the next 90 miles along the route of flight. The pilot subsequently stated that he was looking at ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast), and needed to deviate for several miles before turning back to the north. The controller approved 10 degrees' right and left deviation, and direct to M33 when able.
At 1334, the controller advised the pilot of moderate to extreme precipitation at his 12 to 1 o'clock position about 12 miles ahead. The pilot requested another 10 degrees' deviation to the left, and the controller approved deviations left and right, and direct to M33 when able.
At 1336, the pilot advised the controller that he was turning the airplane to 320 degrees, which the controller acknowledged.
At 1354, the controller issued the pilot a radio frequency change, to which, the pilot responded, "Unable, we're battling some pretty bad" (end of transmission.)
At 1359:01, the controller called the pilot, who responded with, "MAYDAY (unintelligible) MAY eight five alpha MAYDAY MAYDAY." There were no further transmissions from the airplane.
A witness stated that, at the time of the accident, it was raining "like crazy," but with no thunder. He heard an engine noise; it "sounded like he had power, then [I] heard a 'thud.'" When the witness arrived at the accident site, the airplane's cabin was on fire.
The airplane first impacted rolling pastureland in the vicinity of 33 degrees, 58.58 minutes north latitude, 087 degrees, 07.04 west longitude, at an elevation of about 560 feet.
A ground imprint of the airplane's tail commenced about 5 feet beyond an undamaged 5-foot fence post. The ground imprint was consistent with the airplane having impacted the ground flat and upright, with the landing gear up. Airplane fragments were located along an approximately 225-foot debris path, heading about 010 degrees magnetic, with the cabin area and still-attached engine located near the end of the debris path. Although vegetation was pushed over in many spots along the debris path, there was a lack of ground scaring between the first ground impact and where the cabin came to rest.
Both wings and the tail section were separated from the airplane and were not burned, and there were no soot streaks on any fuselage components to indicate an in-flight fire. The aft portion of the main fuselage behind the passenger seats was unburned and crushed downward. The roof and sidewalls of the cabin area were missing, with the rest of the cabin charred forward of the supplemental oxygen bottle that was located just behind the aft cabin bulkhead. The oxygen bottle, mounted horizontally with the cap pointed forward, was also charred in the cap area.
All flight control surfaces were accounted for at the accident scene; however, due to the extensive fracturing of the airplane and subsequent fire, flight control continuity could not be confirmed.
One propeller blade was found separated from the hub at the initial impact point, and the hub, with the two remaining propeller blades, was found separated from the engine about 75 feet beyond the first blade. One propeller blade exhibited extensive curling and bending, the other two blades exhibited torsional bending, and all blades had leading edge burnishing and chordwise scratching.
The engine could not be examined due to extensive fire and impact damage; however, the starter ring exhibited rotational fracturing.
No airplane recording devices could be found in the wreckage.
Nancy and Gary Cohen
Tanya Long-Garro/Reflections by Tanya
Dr. Gary D. COHEN
Obituary
COHEN, Dr. Gary D.
Age 61 of Hendersonville. Passed away with Nancy, his wife of 36 years,
on Monday, September 17, 2012. He was preceded in death by his father,
Jack Cohen. Survived by his children, Ben Cohen, Grace (Adam) Veenker,
and Melissa Kate Cohen; grandchildren, Steven and Jonah Veenker; mother,
Johnnie Cohen; sister, Cynthia Cohen. Dr. Cohen was a graduate of UT
Memphis and St. Louis University. He was the founder and President of
Smile Construction, Inc. A member of and Deacon at the First Baptist
Church in Hendersonville, he also founded the Nashville Chapter of the
Seattle Study Club. Dr. Cohen loved the outdoors, hunting, fishing, and
flying, but mostly, his grandchildren. Visitation will be held at
Hendersonville First Baptist Church Friday, September 21st from 4-8
p.m., and Saturday, September 22nd from 10 a.m. until service time at 3
p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Cumberland Crisis
Pregnancy Center, Hendersonville First Baptist Church or Tennessee
Baptist Children’s Home. COLE & GARRETT FUNERAL HOME,
Hendersonville, TN (615) 824-8605.
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Dr. Nancy Norris COHEN
Obituary
COHEN, Dr. Nancy Norris
Age 60 of Hendersonville. Passed away with Gary, her husband of 36
years, on September 17, 2012. She was preceded in death by her parents,
Ben and Ruth Norris. Survived by her children, Ben Cohen, Grace (Adam)
Veenker, and Melissa Kate Cohen; grandchildren, Steven and Jonah
Veenker; sister, Jo Norris (Buddy) Palmore and nephew, Ben Palmore. She
was a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy, and
was a Pharmacist at Perkin’s Drugs in Gallatin. She was a member of
First Baptist Church of Hendersonville, where she founded the Women’s
Ministry and taught Sunday School. Nancy was a true lady who loved to
shop and entertain. She loved her grandsons, and was like a mother to
all who knew her. Visitation will be held at Hendersonville First
Baptist Church Friday, September 21st from 4-8 p.m., and Saturday,
September 22nd from 10 a.m. until service time at 3 p.m. In lieu of
flowers, donations may be made to The Cumberland Crisis Pregnancy
Center, Hendersonville First Baptist Church, or the Tennessee Baptist
Children’s Home. COLE & GARRETT FUNERAL HOME, Hendersonville, TN
(615) 824-8605.
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The two were returning from a weekend vacation in Destin, Fla., and leave behind three adult children and two grandchildren.
Funeral services will be Saturday at 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church Hendersonville. Visitation will be Friday at the church from 4-8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. until time of service.
Word of the couple’s death spread quickly through the social networking site Facebook Monday night even though officials hadn’t officially released their names.
On Tuesday, the Hendersonville office of Cohen’s Smile Construction was closed. A note outside the building on Springhouse Court asked for privacy while staff members grieved.
“Out of respect for Dr. Cohen’s family, friends and staff, we are asking that all news media refrain from coming into the building,” the note read. “We appreciate your concern, but please allow us to grieve!”
Dr. Gary Cohen, 61, also had satellite offices in Gallatin and White House.
The couple’s small-engine plane went down at around 2:20 p.m. Monday about 25 miles northwest of Birmingham near the small town of Jasper, Ala., according to Mark Persall with the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office. He said his agency was the first on the scene of the crash and that the wreckage was still burning when rescue workers arrived.
Persall said officials with the Federal Aviation Administration arrived within hours of the crash and were continuing their investigation on Wednesday. National Transportation Safety Board officials were also investigating, he added.
He said the plane broke into hundreds of small pieces and created a debris field of 80-150 yards.
Although federal officials will determine the cause of the crash, Persall said he does believe it’s weather-related.
“We were having some heavy bands of rain [on Monday],” he said. “Steady downpours just came in rainbands. The weather was really terrible for small aircraft. There’s no visibility at all in conditions like that.”
According to the Cullman County Times, the National Weather Service recorded 3-5 inches of rain across Cullman County on Monday.
Persall said his office was told that a distress call was made from the plane.
The Mooney M20 single-propeller aircraft took off Sept. 17 from Destin-Fort Walton Beach airport at 12:44 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive at Sumner County Regional Airport at 3:34 p.m., according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flights. The flight’s path shows it reversed direction somewhere over northern Alabama and began heading south.
FAA records show the plane is registered to SC Leasing LLC. That entity is owned by the Cohens, who kept the plane in a hangar at the Gallatin airport, said Sumner County Regional Airport Administrator Steve Sudbury.
Sudbury said he knew Gary Cohen to be a “perfectionist” and a “very meticulous person,” especially when it came to his plane.
“It’s a sad day for aviation in the Sumner community; we don’t have many plane crashes,” he said. “Gary was a great guy, very personable, always had a smile on his face.”
Cohen had filed a flight plan, Sudbury said, so airport officials were expecting him to arrive Monday. However, it became clear from radio communications that the couple was in trouble.
“He was in contact with the Atlanta tower, and evidently, at some point after the first point of notification, later called in a mayday,” he said.
Cullman County Coroner Steve Rodgers said he expected federal officials to let him release the bodies from the forensics laboratory in Huntsville, Ala., on Wednesday. The couple had not been officially identified by this newspaper’s deadline on Wednesday. Rodgers said there have been three fatal plane crashes in the northern Alabama area in three days.
“Three crashes in three days, that’s unheard of for our area,” said the coroner, who services a large area in northern Alabama. “That has hampered our progress.”
A community grieves
Those who knew the couple say the Hendersonville and Gallatin communities have suffered a great loss.
Nancy Cohen, 60, worked as a pharmacist at Perkins Drugs in Gallatin for 12 years, according to former owner Ferrell Haile, who retired in January.
“She was such an asset to our patients,” Haile said. “She was compassionate, but she also knew how to have fun. They both had a strong faith they lived and walked. They were the radiation of Jesus Christ.”
Gary Cohen put braces on each of Hendersonville dentist Brandon Hodge’s three children.
“He was a wonderful man who truly cared for his patients and followed them through their lives,” said Hodge, who was also a friend of the Cohens. “Gary had a zeal for life. He was always up for new adventures. He and Nancy had a love for one another that was evident every time I was around them. Going to dinner with them was like double-dating with teenagers.”
Bruce Chesser, senior pastor at First Baptist Church Hendersonville, also recalled a fun-loving couple. The Cohens had been members of FBCH for 24 years.
“There’s no telling how many children have straight teeth because of Gary Cohen,” said Chesser, whose daily email on Tuesday informed the 8,000-member church of the couple’s death. “They were gregarious, giving people,” he said, recounting how Gary Cohen often rode around on Sunday morning in a golf cart greeting church members.
“The shock of healthy, vibrant people their age – the death of both – there’s where the punch in the gut to the community comes from,” he said.
According to the Smile Construction website, Dr. Cohen graduated from the College of Dentistry at the University of Tennessee. He then worked as a general dentist for five years before entering an orthodontic residency at St. Louis University. He completed the residency training in 1983.
Cohen’s staff members released a statement Tuesday on the Smile Construction Facebook page:
“Dr. Gary Cohen provided excellent orthodontic care for all those who needed it. He set the highest standards for himself, his staff and patients. During this transition period we will honor his memory by ensuring those standards are maintained,” the statement reads.
“We have the support of the Hendersonville area dental community and numerous Board Certified Orthodontists who will be helping to ensure Dr. Cohen's standard and continuity of care is upheld.
In honor of Dr. Cohen, we will continue to care for his patients and maintain client services reflecting the Smile Construction mission statement of providing the highest quality orthodontic care in a warm and caring environment.”
Source: http://www.tennessean.com
He was 61. She was 60.
Gary Cohen issued a weather-related mayday call from his blue-and-white Mooney M20 at about 2:20 p.m. Monday, said Mark Persall of the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office.
FAA records show the plane is registered to SC Leasing LLC. That entity is owned by the Cohens, who kept the plane in a hangar at the Gallatin airport, said Sumner County Regional Airport Administrator Steve Sudbury.
Sudbury said he knew Gary Cohen to be a “perfectionist” and a “very meticulous person,” especially when it came to his plane.
Cohen had filed a flight plan, Sudbury said, so airport officials knew to expect him Monday. However, it became clear from radio communications that the couple was in trouble.
The plane took off from Destin-Fort Walton Beach airport at 12:44 p.m., and was scheduled to arrive at Sumner Regional Airport in Gallatin at 3:34 p.m., according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flights. The flight’s path shows it reversed direction somewhere over northern Alabama and began heading south. It crashed in Cullman County about 55 miles north of Birmingham.
On Tuesday, friends remembered a couple that worked hard at their church and other philanthropic organizations.
“They just enjoyed opening their life and home up to other people,” said the Rev. Bruce Chesser, the senior pastor of First Baptist Hendersonville where the Cohens attended church. “I see them with their arms around each other and both with great big smiles on their faces.”
Gary Cohen was an orthodontist at Smiles Under Construction, which has its main office in Hendersonville. Nancy Cohen was a pharmacist at Perkins Drugs in Gallatin for 12 years, according to former owner Ferrell Haile.
Gary Cohen spent many Sunday mornings in a golf cart, shuttling churchgoers from their cars to First Baptist Hendersonville’s worship center, Chesser said. Nancy Cohen helped lead Bible studies and Sunday school sessions, said friend Judy Sindle.
In a congregation of about 8,000, Chesser said, the pair was widely known and respected.
They also supported other community organizations, he said, including the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes.
The Cohens’ work for others had a sturdy spiritual foundation, according to Sindle.
“It was all centered around their commitment to their church and to God.”
The Cohens are survived by three adult children and two grandchildren, Sindle said.
http://www.tennessean.com
http://registry.faa.gov/N1085A
ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, Sports
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N1085A
http://registry.faa.gov/N1085A
Hendersonville orthodontist Gary Cohen and his wife, Nancy, were killed Monday in a plane crash in Alabama as they were flying back to Gallatin, the couple’s pastor confirmed Tuesday.
Nancy Cohen, 60, worked as a pharmacist at Perkins Drugs in Gallatin for 12 years, according to former owner Ferrell Haile, who retired in January.
“She was such an asset to our patients,” Haile said. “She was compassionate, but she also knew how to have fun. They both had a strong faith they lived and walked.”
According to the Cullman (Ala.) Times, a small, single-engine plane crashed in southwest Cullman County, Ala., Monday afternoon, killing both the pilot and a single passenger. No one on the ground was injured.
The plane, a Mooney M20 single-propeller aircraft, went down in a pasture less than a mile from a residential area, the newspaper reported. Severe weather was reported in the area shortly before 2:30 p.m., when the crash occurred. The news outlet also reported Federal Aviation Administration investigators arrived at the scene about two hours after the crash and that an official with the National Transportation Safety Board is expected to visit today.
The plane took off from Destin-Fort Walton Beach airport in Destin, Fla., at 12:44 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive at Sumner Regional Airport in Gallatin at 3:34 p.m., according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flights. The flight’s path shows it reversed direction somewhere over northern Alabama and began heading south.
FAA records show the plane is registered to SC Leasing LLC. That entity is owned by the Cohens, who kept the plane in a hangar at the Gallatin airport, said Sumner County Regional Airport Administrator Steve Sudbury.
Sudbury said he knew Gary Cohen to be a “perfectionist” and a “very meticulous person,” especially when it came to his plane.
“It’s a sad day for aviation in the Sumner community; we don’t have many plane crashes,” he said. “Gary was a great guy, very personable, always had a smile on his face.”
Cohen had filed a flight plan, Sudbury said, so airport officials knew to expect him Monday. However, it became clear from radio communications that the couple was in trouble.
“He was in contact with the Atlanta tower and evidently, at some point after the first point of notification, later called in a mayday,” he said.
The Cohens’ pastor, Bruce Chesser, of First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, asked church members in an email Tuesday to pray for the three children of the couple.
“We have many, many deaths in our church family and they are all equally significant. But this is such an unusual situation to have husband and wife both killed so tragically,” he wrote.
A spokesperson for Cullman County, Ala., Coroner Steve Rogers said it may be Wednesday before the victims are officially identified. The city of Cullman is about 55 miles north of Birmingham.
Chesser said the couple was returning from a weekend trip in Destin, Fla., and that their deaths shook the community.
“The shock of healthy, vibrant people their age – the death of both – there’s where the punch in the gut to the community comes from,” he said.
A note was posted Tuesday on the front door of Gary Cohen’s main office in Hendersonville: “Out of respect for Dr. Cohen’s family, friends and staff, we are asking that all news media refrain from coming into the building. We appreciate your concern, but please allow us to grieve!”
Smiles Under Construction, where Cohen, 61, was an orthodontist, also has locations in Gallatin and White House.
The Gallatin News Examiner will have more on this breaking story as it unfolds.
CULLMAN COUNTY, AL - The Cullman County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that two people are dead after a plane crashed near Smith Lake Monday afternoon.
The Sheriff's Office says the plane went down off of County Road 174 near the Crane Hill community. Sheriff's deputies and local fire department officials are on the scene now.
The FAA reports that a Mooney 20 aircraft with two people on board crashed around 2 p.m. today. The plane was flying from Destin, Fla. to the Sumner County Airport in Gallatin, Tenn. The identities of the two people killed in the crash have not yet been released by officials.
This crash is the third deadly plane crash in Alabama in the past three days.
Saturday, a pilot named William Shaver crashed into Weiss Lake in Cherokee County. Shaver was the only person on board the aircraft and was flying from Guntersville to visit friends in the area. Officials say Shaver was trying to land when he clipped a main power line and crashed into the lake. He did not survive.
Two people also died in a plane crash in Madison County on Sunday near the Moontown Airport in Brownsboro, Tenn. The pilot of the plane, George Myers, 74, and a 17-year-old passenger named Christian Schmitt were killed in the crash.
Check back for more details on this developing story.
CULLMAN, Alabama -- The pilot of a single engine airplane that crashed, killing two people, called out a mayday before it went down near Smith Lake, according to the Cullman County Sheriff's Office.
Mark Persall, deputy in administration at the Cullman County Sheriff's Office, said that according to the Federal Aviation Administration the Mooney 20 airplane was out of Destin, Fla., and was in contact with the FAA's tower in Atlanta as the plane headed to Gallatin, Tenn. Before the crash the pilot radioed that there were difficult weather conditions and called in a mayday, he said.
Heavy rains did pass through Cullman County this afternoon, Persall said.
The plane crashed near Smith Lake in the Ardell community, which is near Crane Hill, Persall said. "It's a fairly large debris field," he said.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board, which investigate fatal aircraft crashes has been notified, Persall said.
Story and comments: http://blog.al.com
VINEMONT, Ala. (AP) - Authorities say an airplane crash in Cullman County has killed two people.
Mark Persall, the administrative chief of Cullman County Sheriff's Department, says a small, blue & white plane went down about 2:20 p.m. Monday near a county road.
Persall says air traffic controllers from Atlanta were monitoring the aircraft when it developed problems. Persall says controllers report that the pilot talked about being in bad weather before losing contact.
Storms with heavy rains were moving across the region at the time.
Officials say the flight didn't originate at Cullman County's airport, and it apparently wasn't headed there.
Authorities haven't released the names of the victims.
http://www.myfoxal.com
CULLMAN — Authorities have confirmed that a small, single-engine plane has crashed in Cullman County just off Co. Rd. 174 near Smith Lake. Authorities believe there were 1-2 occupants inside the plane, and responders at the scene report there were no survivors.
The crash occurred in an overgrown field at approximately 2:20 p.m.. Debris is spread out approximately 80-yards from the initial impact zone.
Authorities say the plane was being tracked from Birmingham on radar when it crashed.
Officials from the FAA are en route to the scene.
http://www.cullmantimes.com
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, September 17, 2012 in Crane Hill, AL
Aircraft: MOONEY M20M, registration: N1085A
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On September 17, 2012, about 1400 central daylight time, a Mooney M20M, N1085A, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain in Crane Hill, Alabama. The private pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and the airplane was operating on an instrument flight rules flight plan from Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (DTS), Destin, Florida, to Sumner County Regional Airport (M33), Gallatin, Tennessee. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to preliminary air traffic control information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), at 1317, while airplane was at 13,000 feet, the pilot requested information about conditions at 15,000 feet. The center controller responded that there was no icing, "but a lot of course deviations with precipitation ahead." The pilot requested and was granted a climb to 15,000 feet.
At 1325, the pilot was told to contact the center's next sector controller, and upon doing so, that controller advised him of moderate to extreme precipitation for about the next 90 miles along the route of flight. The pilot subsequently stated that he was looking at ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast), and needed to deviate for several miles before turning back to the north. The controller approved 10 degrees' right and left deviation, and direct to M33 when able.
At 1334, the controller advised the pilot of moderate to extreme precipitation at his 12 to 1 o'clock position about 12 miles ahead. The pilot requested another 10 degrees' deviation to the left, and the controller approved deviations left and right, and direct to M33 when able.
At 1336, the pilot advised the controller that he was turning the airplane to 320 degrees, which the controller acknowledged.
At 1354, the controller issued the pilot a radio frequency change, to which, the pilot responded, "Unable, we're battling some pretty bad" (end of transmission.)
At 1359:01, the controller called the pilot, who responded with, "MAYDAY (unintelligible) MAY eight five alpha MAYDAY MAYDAY." There were no further transmissions from the airplane.
A witness stated that, at the time of the accident, it was raining "like crazy," but with no thunder. He heard an engine noise; it "sounded like he had power, then [I] heard a 'thud.'" When the witness arrived at the accident site, the airplane's cabin was on fire.
The airplane first impacted rolling pastureland in the vicinity of 33 degrees, 58.58 minutes north latitude, 087 degrees, 07.04 west longitude, at an elevation of about 560 feet.
A ground imprint of the airplane's tail commenced about 5 feet beyond an undamaged 5-foot fence post. The ground imprint was consistent with the airplane having impacted the ground flat and upright, with the landing gear up. Airplane fragments were located along an approximately 225-foot debris path, heading about 010 degrees magnetic, with the cabin area and still-attached engine located near the end of the debris path. Although vegetation was pushed over in many spots along the debris path, there was a lack of ground scaring between the first ground impact and where the cabin came to rest.
Both wings and the tail section were separated from the airplane and were not burned, and there were no soot streaks on any fuselage components to indicate an in-flight fire. The aft portion of the main fuselage behind the passenger seats was unburned and crushed downward. The roof and sidewalls of the cabin area were missing, with the rest of the cabin charred forward of the supplemental oxygen bottle that was located just behind the aft cabin bulkhead. The oxygen bottle, mounted horizontally with the cap pointed forward, was also charred in the cap area.
All flight control surfaces were accounted for at the accident scene; however, due to the extensive fracturing of the airplane and subsequent fire, flight control continuity could not be confirmed.
One propeller blade was found separated from the hub at the initial impact point, and the hub, with the two remaining propeller blades, was found separated from the engine about 75 feet beyond the first blade. One propeller blade exhibited extensive curling and bending, the other two blades exhibited torsional bending, and all blades had leading edge burnishing and chordwise scratching.
The engine could not be examined due to extensive fire and impact damage; however, the starter ring exhibited rotational fracturing.
No airplane recording devices could be found in the wreckage.
Nancy and Gary Cohen
Tanya Long-Garro/Reflections by Tanya
Dr. Gary D. COHEN
Obituary
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Dr. Nancy Norris COHEN
Obituary
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Members of the Hendersonville and Gallatin communities are mourning the loss of orthodontist Gary Cohen and his wife, Nancy, who were killed Monday when their small-engine plane crashed near Jasper, Ala.
The two were returning from a weekend vacation in Destin, Fla., and leave behind three adult children and two grandchildren.
Funeral services will be Saturday at 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church Hendersonville. Visitation will be Friday at the church from 4-8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. until time of service.
Word of the couple’s death spread quickly through the social networking site Facebook Monday night even though officials hadn’t officially released their names.
On Tuesday, the Hendersonville office of Cohen’s Smile Construction was closed. A note outside the building on Springhouse Court asked for privacy while staff members grieved.
“Out of respect for Dr. Cohen’s family, friends and staff, we are asking that all news media refrain from coming into the building,” the note read. “We appreciate your concern, but please allow us to grieve!”
Dr. Gary Cohen, 61, also had satellite offices in Gallatin and White House.
The couple’s small-engine plane went down at around 2:20 p.m. Monday about 25 miles northwest of Birmingham near the small town of Jasper, Ala., according to Mark Persall with the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office. He said his agency was the first on the scene of the crash and that the wreckage was still burning when rescue workers arrived.
Persall said officials with the Federal Aviation Administration arrived within hours of the crash and were continuing their investigation on Wednesday. National Transportation Safety Board officials were also investigating, he added.
He said the plane broke into hundreds of small pieces and created a debris field of 80-150 yards.
Although federal officials will determine the cause of the crash, Persall said he does believe it’s weather-related.
“We were having some heavy bands of rain [on Monday],” he said. “Steady downpours just came in rainbands. The weather was really terrible for small aircraft. There’s no visibility at all in conditions like that.”
According to the Cullman County Times, the National Weather Service recorded 3-5 inches of rain across Cullman County on Monday.
Persall said his office was told that a distress call was made from the plane.
The Mooney M20 single-propeller aircraft took off Sept. 17 from Destin-Fort Walton Beach airport at 12:44 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive at Sumner County Regional Airport at 3:34 p.m., according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flights. The flight’s path shows it reversed direction somewhere over northern Alabama and began heading south.
FAA records show the plane is registered to SC Leasing LLC. That entity is owned by the Cohens, who kept the plane in a hangar at the Gallatin airport, said Sumner County Regional Airport Administrator Steve Sudbury.
Sudbury said he knew Gary Cohen to be a “perfectionist” and a “very meticulous person,” especially when it came to his plane.
“It’s a sad day for aviation in the Sumner community; we don’t have many plane crashes,” he said. “Gary was a great guy, very personable, always had a smile on his face.”
Cohen had filed a flight plan, Sudbury said, so airport officials were expecting him to arrive Monday. However, it became clear from radio communications that the couple was in trouble.
“He was in contact with the Atlanta tower, and evidently, at some point after the first point of notification, later called in a mayday,” he said.
Cullman County Coroner Steve Rodgers said he expected federal officials to let him release the bodies from the forensics laboratory in Huntsville, Ala., on Wednesday. The couple had not been officially identified by this newspaper’s deadline on Wednesday. Rodgers said there have been three fatal plane crashes in the northern Alabama area in three days.
“Three crashes in three days, that’s unheard of for our area,” said the coroner, who services a large area in northern Alabama. “That has hampered our progress.”
A community grieves
Those who knew the couple say the Hendersonville and Gallatin communities have suffered a great loss.
Nancy Cohen, 60, worked as a pharmacist at Perkins Drugs in Gallatin for 12 years, according to former owner Ferrell Haile, who retired in January.
“She was such an asset to our patients,” Haile said. “She was compassionate, but she also knew how to have fun. They both had a strong faith they lived and walked. They were the radiation of Jesus Christ.”
Gary Cohen put braces on each of Hendersonville dentist Brandon Hodge’s three children.
“He was a wonderful man who truly cared for his patients and followed them through their lives,” said Hodge, who was also a friend of the Cohens. “Gary had a zeal for life. He was always up for new adventures. He and Nancy had a love for one another that was evident every time I was around them. Going to dinner with them was like double-dating with teenagers.”
Bruce Chesser, senior pastor at First Baptist Church Hendersonville, also recalled a fun-loving couple. The Cohens had been members of FBCH for 24 years.
“There’s no telling how many children have straight teeth because of Gary Cohen,” said Chesser, whose daily email on Tuesday informed the 8,000-member church of the couple’s death. “They were gregarious, giving people,” he said, recounting how Gary Cohen often rode around on Sunday morning in a golf cart greeting church members.
“The shock of healthy, vibrant people their age – the death of both – there’s where the punch in the gut to the community comes from,” he said.
According to the Smile Construction website, Dr. Cohen graduated from the College of Dentistry at the University of Tennessee. He then worked as a general dentist for five years before entering an orthodontic residency at St. Louis University. He completed the residency training in 1983.
Cohen’s staff members released a statement Tuesday on the Smile Construction Facebook page:
“Dr. Gary Cohen provided excellent orthodontic care for all those who needed it. He set the highest standards for himself, his staff and patients. During this transition period we will honor his memory by ensuring those standards are maintained,” the statement reads.
“We have the support of the Hendersonville area dental community and numerous Board Certified Orthodontists who will be helping to ensure Dr. Cohen's standard and continuity of care is upheld.
In honor of Dr. Cohen, we will continue to care for his patients and maintain client services reflecting the Smile Construction mission statement of providing the highest quality orthodontic care in a warm and caring environment.”
Source: http://www.tennessean.com
Gary and Nancy Cohen, a couple known throughout Sumner County
as shepherds of the community, died Monday when the small plane they
were flying home from a weekend on the Florida panhandle crashed in
Alabama.
He was 61. She was 60.
Gary Cohen issued a weather-related mayday call from his blue-and-white Mooney M20 at about 2:20 p.m. Monday, said Mark Persall of the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office.
FAA records show the plane is registered to SC Leasing LLC. That entity is owned by the Cohens, who kept the plane in a hangar at the Gallatin airport, said Sumner County Regional Airport Administrator Steve Sudbury.
Sudbury said he knew Gary Cohen to be a “perfectionist” and a “very meticulous person,” especially when it came to his plane.
Cohen had filed a flight plan, Sudbury said, so airport officials knew to expect him Monday. However, it became clear from radio communications that the couple was in trouble.
The plane took off from Destin-Fort Walton Beach airport at 12:44 p.m., and was scheduled to arrive at Sumner Regional Airport in Gallatin at 3:34 p.m., according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flights. The flight’s path shows it reversed direction somewhere over northern Alabama and began heading south. It crashed in Cullman County about 55 miles north of Birmingham.
On Tuesday, friends remembered a couple that worked hard at their church and other philanthropic organizations.
“They just enjoyed opening their life and home up to other people,” said the Rev. Bruce Chesser, the senior pastor of First Baptist Hendersonville where the Cohens attended church. “I see them with their arms around each other and both with great big smiles on their faces.”
Gary Cohen was an orthodontist at Smiles Under Construction, which has its main office in Hendersonville. Nancy Cohen was a pharmacist at Perkins Drugs in Gallatin for 12 years, according to former owner Ferrell Haile.
Gary Cohen spent many Sunday mornings in a golf cart, shuttling churchgoers from their cars to First Baptist Hendersonville’s worship center, Chesser said. Nancy Cohen helped lead Bible studies and Sunday school sessions, said friend Judy Sindle.
In a congregation of about 8,000, Chesser said, the pair was widely known and respected.
They also supported other community organizations, he said, including the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes.
The Cohens’ work for others had a sturdy spiritual foundation, according to Sindle.
“It was all centered around their commitment to their church and to God.”
The Cohens are survived by three adult children and two grandchildren, Sindle said.
http://www.tennessean.com
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 1085A Make/Model: MO20 Description: M20M
Date: 09/17/2012 Time: 1859
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: JASPER State: AL Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE 2 PERSONS ON BOARD WERE
FATALLY INJURED, NEAR JASPER, AL
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 2
# Crew: 2 Fat: 2 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: BIRMINGHAM, AL (SO09) Entry date: 09/18/2012
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N1085A
http://registry.faa.gov/N1085A
The plane crashed off of CR 174 in the Crane Hill Community near Smith Lake.
Source: Christy Hutchings
~
Authorities work the scene of a plane crash Monday afternoon in Cullman County. Reports indicate there were no survivors.
Police direct traffic near the site of the plane crash in western Cullman County.
(Photo: Matt Kroschel, WHNT News 19)
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N1085A
http://registry.faa.gov/N1085A
Hendersonville orthodontist Gary Cohen and his wife, Nancy, were killed Monday in a plane crash in Alabama as they were flying back to Gallatin, the couple’s pastor confirmed Tuesday.
Nancy Cohen, 60, worked as a pharmacist at Perkins Drugs in Gallatin for 12 years, according to former owner Ferrell Haile, who retired in January.
“She was such an asset to our patients,” Haile said. “She was compassionate, but she also knew how to have fun. They both had a strong faith they lived and walked.”
According to the Cullman (Ala.) Times, a small, single-engine plane crashed in southwest Cullman County, Ala., Monday afternoon, killing both the pilot and a single passenger. No one on the ground was injured.
The plane, a Mooney M20 single-propeller aircraft, went down in a pasture less than a mile from a residential area, the newspaper reported. Severe weather was reported in the area shortly before 2:30 p.m., when the crash occurred. The news outlet also reported Federal Aviation Administration investigators arrived at the scene about two hours after the crash and that an official with the National Transportation Safety Board is expected to visit today.
The plane took off from Destin-Fort Walton Beach airport in Destin, Fla., at 12:44 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive at Sumner Regional Airport in Gallatin at 3:34 p.m., according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flights. The flight’s path shows it reversed direction somewhere over northern Alabama and began heading south.
FAA records show the plane is registered to SC Leasing LLC. That entity is owned by the Cohens, who kept the plane in a hangar at the Gallatin airport, said Sumner County Regional Airport Administrator Steve Sudbury.
Sudbury said he knew Gary Cohen to be a “perfectionist” and a “very meticulous person,” especially when it came to his plane.
“It’s a sad day for aviation in the Sumner community; we don’t have many plane crashes,” he said. “Gary was a great guy, very personable, always had a smile on his face.”
Cohen had filed a flight plan, Sudbury said, so airport officials knew to expect him Monday. However, it became clear from radio communications that the couple was in trouble.
“He was in contact with the Atlanta tower and evidently, at some point after the first point of notification, later called in a mayday,” he said.
The Cohens’ pastor, Bruce Chesser, of First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, asked church members in an email Tuesday to pray for the three children of the couple.
“We have many, many deaths in our church family and they are all equally significant. But this is such an unusual situation to have husband and wife both killed so tragically,” he wrote.
A spokesperson for Cullman County, Ala., Coroner Steve Rogers said it may be Wednesday before the victims are officially identified. The city of Cullman is about 55 miles north of Birmingham.
Chesser said the couple was returning from a weekend trip in Destin, Fla., and that their deaths shook the community.
“The shock of healthy, vibrant people their age – the death of both – there’s where the punch in the gut to the community comes from,” he said.
A note was posted Tuesday on the front door of Gary Cohen’s main office in Hendersonville: “Out of respect for Dr. Cohen’s family, friends and staff, we are asking that all news media refrain from coming into the building. We appreciate your concern, but please allow us to grieve!”
Smiles Under Construction, where Cohen, 61, was an orthodontist, also has locations in Gallatin and White House.
The Gallatin News Examiner will have more on this breaking story as it unfolds.
CULLMAN COUNTY, AL - The Cullman County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that two people are dead after a plane crashed near Smith Lake Monday afternoon.
The Sheriff's Office says the plane went down off of County Road 174 near the Crane Hill community. Sheriff's deputies and local fire department officials are on the scene now.
The FAA reports that a Mooney 20 aircraft with two people on board crashed around 2 p.m. today. The plane was flying from Destin, Fla. to the Sumner County Airport in Gallatin, Tenn. The identities of the two people killed in the crash have not yet been released by officials.
This crash is the third deadly plane crash in Alabama in the past three days.
Saturday, a pilot named William Shaver crashed into Weiss Lake in Cherokee County. Shaver was the only person on board the aircraft and was flying from Guntersville to visit friends in the area. Officials say Shaver was trying to land when he clipped a main power line and crashed into the lake. He did not survive.
Two people also died in a plane crash in Madison County on Sunday near the Moontown Airport in Brownsboro, Tenn. The pilot of the plane, George Myers, 74, and a 17-year-old passenger named Christian Schmitt were killed in the crash.
Check back for more details on this developing story.
CULLMAN, Alabama -- The pilot of a single engine airplane that crashed, killing two people, called out a mayday before it went down near Smith Lake, according to the Cullman County Sheriff's Office.
Mark Persall, deputy in administration at the Cullman County Sheriff's Office, said that according to the Federal Aviation Administration the Mooney 20 airplane was out of Destin, Fla., and was in contact with the FAA's tower in Atlanta as the plane headed to Gallatin, Tenn. Before the crash the pilot radioed that there were difficult weather conditions and called in a mayday, he said.
Heavy rains did pass through Cullman County this afternoon, Persall said.
The plane crashed near Smith Lake in the Ardell community, which is near Crane Hill, Persall said. "It's a fairly large debris field," he said.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board, which investigate fatal aircraft crashes has been notified, Persall said.
Story and comments: http://blog.al.com
VINEMONT, Ala. (AP) - Authorities say an airplane crash in Cullman County has killed two people.
Mark Persall, the administrative chief of Cullman County Sheriff's Department, says a small, blue & white plane went down about 2:20 p.m. Monday near a county road.
Persall says air traffic controllers from Atlanta were monitoring the aircraft when it developed problems. Persall says controllers report that the pilot talked about being in bad weather before losing contact.
Storms with heavy rains were moving across the region at the time.
Officials say the flight didn't originate at Cullman County's airport, and it apparently wasn't headed there.
Authorities haven't released the names of the victims.
http://www.myfoxal.com
CULLMAN — Authorities have confirmed that a small, single-engine plane has crashed in Cullman County just off Co. Rd. 174 near Smith Lake. Authorities believe there were 1-2 occupants inside the plane, and responders at the scene report there were no survivors.
The crash occurred in an overgrown field at approximately 2:20 p.m.. Debris is spread out approximately 80-yards from the initial impact zone.
Authorities say the plane was being tracked from Birmingham on radar when it crashed.
Officials from the FAA are en route to the scene.
http://www.cullmantimes.com
Era resumes limited flights following weekend shutdown
Airline spokesman Steve Smith says flights Monday morning were being routed by dispatchers to provide service to those most affected by the weekend grounding.
The planes were grounded after Federal Aviation Administration officers determined cockpit voice recorders were out of date and needed to be upgraded. Era says high winds also affected some flights.
Some passengers were put up in Anchorage hotels and others were put on other carriers to continue their flights. Era serves a number of Alaska communities.
KMXT reports the federal investigation stems from an incident this month when an Era plane traveling from Anchorage to Homer dropped 5,000 feet before pilots regained control.
Read more here: http://www.adn.com
The planes were grounded after Federal Aviation Administration officers determined cockpit voice recorders were out of date and needed to be upgraded. Era says high winds also affected some flights.
Some passengers were put up in Anchorage hotels and others were put on other carriers to continue their flights. Era serves a number of Alaska communities.
KMXT reports the federal investigation stems from an incident this month when an Era plane traveling from Anchorage to Homer dropped 5,000 feet before pilots regained control.
Read more here: http://www.adn.com
‘There is an enormous opportunity for low-cost air travel in India’: Air Arabia’s Adel Abdullah Ali reiterates his commitment to the country
Mumbai: Adel Abdullah Ali , board member and group chief executive
officer of Sharjah-based low fare carrier Air Arabia (PJSC), isn’t one
to follow the herd. While most international carriers service Indian
metros, he has focused on connecting other cities. The strategy has paid
off and his airline covers 13 cities, more than Emirates Airline, which
operates to and from 10 Indian cities. Ali, who has worked with Gulf
Air and British Airways, has also ensured this strategy has been
profitable for the past eight years. His formula: low costs (single
passenger class, single aircraft type, fly to less-congested airports), a
simple fare scheme, and the use of direct sales channels. In an
interview with Mint, Ali declined to comment on his intention to invest
in Indian carriers, now that the Indian government has relaxed the norms
for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the aviation business, but he
reiterated his commitment to the country. Edited excerpts:
Why would someone want to fly Air Arabia?
Air Arabia is all about value for money. Since we started the low-cost model in this part of the world, the airline has remained focused on offering affordable, reliable and on-time air travel. We have seen great appeal for our services and managed to maintain the world’s highest seat load factor for nine consecutive years. With the large number of Indian expatriates in the Middle East, there is a strong need for affordable air travel—for this community to travel to their homes. We see a lot of families and students travelling with us and also connect to the wider network we offer from Sharjah.
You fly to more cities in India than even Emirates Airline…
Air Arabia started flying to India in March 2005 and currently offers over 112 flights a week, flying directly from our hub in Sharjah to 13 destinations in India. This does represent the most comprehensive destination network of any international airline in India. Our business model is such that is suited best to the needs of Indian travellers. Over these years, India has grown to be an important market for us and we are always looking to expand operations and cater to more markets between the United Arab Emirates and different cities in India.
What next?
We follow the reciprocal flight rights set between both countries and will be looking forward to add more destinations and frequencies into India as and when we secure the approvals to do so. For example, we announced an increase in our flights to Delhi starting September 2012 and also ramped up our Nagpur flights, increasing the frequency to four flights a week beginning June 2012. Strategy on new routes will largely depend on the demand we see for travel and the response we get from our consumers. Our twice-daily flights from Delhi starting September 2012 are the most recent example of this. Having said that we will continue our due diligence of exploring newer locations around the globe, and India is no exception.
You fly mostly to non-metros. Why?
We fly where we believe it adds value to our customers and business. Air Arabia operates services to smaller cities such as Nagpur, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Cochin, Coimbatore and Thiruvananthapuram, making it easier for our customers to fly to their destinations directly from their home town. Our efforts to operate to central as well as smaller, less-congested airports closer to our customer base have been successful. We are also the first international airline to fly to Nagpur and Jaipur and this step underscores Air Arabia’s commitment to tier II cities and the burgeoning Indian market at large.
What was the biggest challenge in India? How was the competition?
Challenges such as fuel price, open skies, airport charges and infrastructure have been hindering the pace at which low-cost airlines can grow. Having said that, there is an enormous opportunity for low-cost air travel in India and the wider region. We have proved this through our operations in these seven years. Over the past couple of years, we have seen many low-fare carriers enter the market and many more will in the near future, but in such challenging times, managing ruthless costs will be vital for any new airline to survive.
There are no low-cost terminals in India and airport charges are high. How have you managed to stay profitable?
It is true that charges vary from airport to another and some are considered expensive to the airline as well as the customer. As a low-cost carrier, we enjoy the advantage of saving costs at every given step such as the fast turnaround times at every airport to best serve our operational efficiency and save on airport associated costs. Air Arabia enjoys one of the world’s lowest operational costs and is also one of the 10 most profitable low cost carriers in the world. Issues such as growing fuel surcharges, airport taxes, and poor infrastructure do impact the pace of growth as far as low cost airlines are concerned. Particularly, since low-cost models work on lower margins, it does have an impact on the overall profit margins.
Does oil give you an edge?
Since inception, Air Arabia has been focused on running a successful and profitable business. Air Arabia is a publicly joint stock company and the airline shares are traded on the Dubai Financial Market. The airline’s financial performance is transparently published on the company’s website and in public domains. The airline achieved financial breakeven from the first year of operations and has been profitable since then. In the second quarter of this year, Air Arabia reported a net profit of AED 66million, an increase of 31% compared to AED 51 million in the corresponding period in 2011. As far as oil is concerned, Air Arabia pays the same oil price as any other airline across the globe and oil price fluctuation is a key challenge.
http://origin-www.livemint.com
Why would someone want to fly Air Arabia?
Air Arabia is all about value for money. Since we started the low-cost model in this part of the world, the airline has remained focused on offering affordable, reliable and on-time air travel. We have seen great appeal for our services and managed to maintain the world’s highest seat load factor for nine consecutive years. With the large number of Indian expatriates in the Middle East, there is a strong need for affordable air travel—for this community to travel to their homes. We see a lot of families and students travelling with us and also connect to the wider network we offer from Sharjah.
You fly to more cities in India than even Emirates Airline…
Air Arabia started flying to India in March 2005 and currently offers over 112 flights a week, flying directly from our hub in Sharjah to 13 destinations in India. This does represent the most comprehensive destination network of any international airline in India. Our business model is such that is suited best to the needs of Indian travellers. Over these years, India has grown to be an important market for us and we are always looking to expand operations and cater to more markets between the United Arab Emirates and different cities in India.
What next?
We follow the reciprocal flight rights set between both countries and will be looking forward to add more destinations and frequencies into India as and when we secure the approvals to do so. For example, we announced an increase in our flights to Delhi starting September 2012 and also ramped up our Nagpur flights, increasing the frequency to four flights a week beginning June 2012. Strategy on new routes will largely depend on the demand we see for travel and the response we get from our consumers. Our twice-daily flights from Delhi starting September 2012 are the most recent example of this. Having said that we will continue our due diligence of exploring newer locations around the globe, and India is no exception.
You fly mostly to non-metros. Why?
We fly where we believe it adds value to our customers and business. Air Arabia operates services to smaller cities such as Nagpur, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Cochin, Coimbatore and Thiruvananthapuram, making it easier for our customers to fly to their destinations directly from their home town. Our efforts to operate to central as well as smaller, less-congested airports closer to our customer base have been successful. We are also the first international airline to fly to Nagpur and Jaipur and this step underscores Air Arabia’s commitment to tier II cities and the burgeoning Indian market at large.
What was the biggest challenge in India? How was the competition?
Challenges such as fuel price, open skies, airport charges and infrastructure have been hindering the pace at which low-cost airlines can grow. Having said that, there is an enormous opportunity for low-cost air travel in India and the wider region. We have proved this through our operations in these seven years. Over the past couple of years, we have seen many low-fare carriers enter the market and many more will in the near future, but in such challenging times, managing ruthless costs will be vital for any new airline to survive.
There are no low-cost terminals in India and airport charges are high. How have you managed to stay profitable?
It is true that charges vary from airport to another and some are considered expensive to the airline as well as the customer. As a low-cost carrier, we enjoy the advantage of saving costs at every given step such as the fast turnaround times at every airport to best serve our operational efficiency and save on airport associated costs. Air Arabia enjoys one of the world’s lowest operational costs and is also one of the 10 most profitable low cost carriers in the world. Issues such as growing fuel surcharges, airport taxes, and poor infrastructure do impact the pace of growth as far as low cost airlines are concerned. Particularly, since low-cost models work on lower margins, it does have an impact on the overall profit margins.
Does oil give you an edge?
Since inception, Air Arabia has been focused on running a successful and profitable business. Air Arabia is a publicly joint stock company and the airline shares are traded on the Dubai Financial Market. The airline’s financial performance is transparently published on the company’s website and in public domains. The airline achieved financial breakeven from the first year of operations and has been profitable since then. In the second quarter of this year, Air Arabia reported a net profit of AED 66million, an increase of 31% compared to AED 51 million in the corresponding period in 2011. As far as oil is concerned, Air Arabia pays the same oil price as any other airline across the globe and oil price fluctuation is a key challenge.
http://origin-www.livemint.com
75 Years Of Air Travel To Scilly
The Isles of Scilly has been marking 75 years of air travel to the islands this weekend with events at St Mary’s airport.
And those interested in finding out more, had a chance to see an exhibition in the terminal building showing old photos, advertising brochures and tickets collected over the years.
Museum curator, Amanda Martin, who organized the display, gave us an insight into the fascinating history of flying here.
She said the first flight, a de Havilland Dragon aircraft, arrived on September 15th 1937 but at that time, the runaway was actually at the golf club. Tourism had started to take off in a big way at that time and Amanda said the first air travelers were well-healed, upper middle class people who had the money for the expensive ticket.
The golf club was used for the first two years because it was thought to be good, relatively protected site, with many features in common with the current airport. And it had easy access to Hugh Town.
But she says it didn’t take long to be moved to the present site, probably because the golf players were sick of having their games disturbed!
Amanda says St Mary’s was always going to be the prime site for an airport, especially with the difficulty of finding suitable terrain on such low-lying islands. In fact, only Tresco has another suitable flat area, but the runway would have taken up most of the centre of that island.
In 1939, there was just an old airport building, on the far side of the runway from the present terminal building, close to where the training helicopter mock-up is now. And it would have been very different inside from the current building too – Amanda said it was furnished with classic, Lloyd-Loom armchairs.
A detachment of Hurricane fighters was stationed at the airport during the war, but in 1947, BEA took over the route, flying de Havilland Rapide aircraft from Land’s End. BEA also introduced Britain’s first scheduled helicopter service to the islands in 1964, originally from Land’s End but transferring to a new heliport in Penzance later that year.
Brymon was here for many years and would have continued if a longer runway had been built. Amanda says they wanted to use larger Dash 7 aircraft and even produced timetables based on those planes and brochures advertising their 47-seat aircraft.
A significant development at the site was also heralded by the opening of the new terminal building at St Mary’s by Prime Minister Harold Wilson in 1975.
While this year has seen the sad announcement that the helicopter service will end after 48 years in operation, Amanda says we need to remember that many different operators have flown to the islands over the years, such as Scillonia Airways, Channel Airlines, Great Western and Brymon, and she says there’s no reason why that couldn’t happen again.
See photos from the Airport Funday here.
Read more: http://www.scillytoday.com
And those interested in finding out more, had a chance to see an exhibition in the terminal building showing old photos, advertising brochures and tickets collected over the years.
Museum curator, Amanda Martin, who organized the display, gave us an insight into the fascinating history of flying here.
She said the first flight, a de Havilland Dragon aircraft, arrived on September 15th 1937 but at that time, the runaway was actually at the golf club. Tourism had started to take off in a big way at that time and Amanda said the first air travelers were well-healed, upper middle class people who had the money for the expensive ticket.
The golf club was used for the first two years because it was thought to be good, relatively protected site, with many features in common with the current airport. And it had easy access to Hugh Town.
But she says it didn’t take long to be moved to the present site, probably because the golf players were sick of having their games disturbed!
Amanda says St Mary’s was always going to be the prime site for an airport, especially with the difficulty of finding suitable terrain on such low-lying islands. In fact, only Tresco has another suitable flat area, but the runway would have taken up most of the centre of that island.
In 1939, there was just an old airport building, on the far side of the runway from the present terminal building, close to where the training helicopter mock-up is now. And it would have been very different inside from the current building too – Amanda said it was furnished with classic, Lloyd-Loom armchairs.
A detachment of Hurricane fighters was stationed at the airport during the war, but in 1947, BEA took over the route, flying de Havilland Rapide aircraft from Land’s End. BEA also introduced Britain’s first scheduled helicopter service to the islands in 1964, originally from Land’s End but transferring to a new heliport in Penzance later that year.
Brymon was here for many years and would have continued if a longer runway had been built. Amanda says they wanted to use larger Dash 7 aircraft and even produced timetables based on those planes and brochures advertising their 47-seat aircraft.
A significant development at the site was also heralded by the opening of the new terminal building at St Mary’s by Prime Minister Harold Wilson in 1975.
While this year has seen the sad announcement that the helicopter service will end after 48 years in operation, Amanda says we need to remember that many different operators have flown to the islands over the years, such as Scillonia Airways, Channel Airlines, Great Western and Brymon, and she says there’s no reason why that couldn’t happen again.
See photos from the Airport Funday here.
Read more: http://www.scillytoday.com
Global Elite Group Announces Expansion into Washington Dulles International Airport (KIAD), Washington, District of Columbia; Global continues growing relationship with Emirates Airline
Emirates Airline has engaged Global Elite Group to provide
security services for its flights at Washington Dulles International
Airport. Emirates Airline is the largest major airline in the Middle
East. It is the national airline of Dubai, United Arab Emirates and
operates over 2500 passenger flights per week to 122 cities in 74
countries.
Global currently provides security services to Emirates five other airports in the U.S. The addition of the sixth location in the U.S. signifies a successful growth of the relationship between the two companies. Global will work closely with Emirates’ Aviation Security Department and the Washington Airport Management team to provide specialist functions.
Working with its aviation clients, Global has been recognized for its unique approach to providing custom security solutions. Global provides customer oriented professional services and ensures that effective security and regulatory compliance is delivered.
http://www.prweb.com
Global currently provides security services to Emirates five other airports in the U.S. The addition of the sixth location in the U.S. signifies a successful growth of the relationship between the two companies. Global will work closely with Emirates’ Aviation Security Department and the Washington Airport Management team to provide specialist functions.
Working with its aviation clients, Global has been recognized for its unique approach to providing custom security solutions. Global provides customer oriented professional services and ensures that effective security and regulatory compliance is delivered.
http://www.prweb.com
Braintree: 'Hidden ridge' responsible for aircraft crash
The plane crash landed in a field next to the runway at Andrewsfield
A plane had to make a crash landing after it hit a hidden ridge in the runway and took off too early, an investigation has concluded.
The four-seater aircraft, carrying the pilot and one passenger, crashed at Andrewsfield, in Stebbing, on January 6.
Police, paramedics and firefighters all attended the scene, but neither the pilot nor his passenger were injured in the crash.
The 74-year-old pilot held a basic commercial pilot’s license and had nearly 10,000 hours of flying experience.
A report into the crash by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the plane had to abort its take-off after it failed to pick up enough speed once it became airborne.
The report stated: “Two individuals, one a flying instructor, observed the behavior of the aircraft after it left the ground and were sufficiently concerned that they both began running, from different locations, towards the airfield crash alarm whilst the aircraft was still airborne.”
Source: http://www.braintreeandwithamtimes.co.uk
First solo Cessna 152
Published on September 16, 2012 by kellysmith437
"After flying a few circuits in a C152, my instructor finally says I'm ready to go up on my own - there's only one first solo and this is mine. Landed first time, a little off centre line, but otherwise happy with it. I only put the landing on the video, didn't think anyone would be interested in seeing the loop-the-loop and barrel rolls I was doing out of the instructor's sight! (only joking Steve). An awesome experience, thanks to all at Fly365 Wickenby for getting me this far. Now the real work begins....."
Opinion > Columnist: The other air crashes
Robert Tuck
The other air crashes
Originally published September 17, 2012
The 30th anniversary of the mysterious crash of an EC-135N aircraft on an Advanced Range Instrumented Aircraft training mission from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, that fell from the skies over Walkersville, was duly noted and recounted by The Frederick News-Post in its May 8, 2011, edition. Two other notable aircraft tragedies have occurred in Frederick County.
Whatever happened aboard a Republic F-84 Thunderjet, just shy of 10 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 1950, seems either to be undetermined, or, at least, officially undisclosed. It was a routine weather training mission of two jets assigned to the District of Columbia Air Guard's 121st Tactical Fighter Squadron.
The sultry late summer air temperature was 80 degrees, and cloud cover measured about 80 percent at the time. After passing south near Gettysburg, Pa., the F-84C, piloted by 2nd Lt. Michael E. Alkire, abruptly exploded in midair at tree height, less than a mile south of the Pennsylvania border. Hence, the crash has been dubbed the "1950 Mason-Dixon Line F-84 crash."
Read more: http://www.fredericknewspost.com
The other air crashes
Originally published September 17, 2012
The 30th anniversary of the mysterious crash of an EC-135N aircraft on an Advanced Range Instrumented Aircraft training mission from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, that fell from the skies over Walkersville, was duly noted and recounted by The Frederick News-Post in its May 8, 2011, edition. Two other notable aircraft tragedies have occurred in Frederick County.
Whatever happened aboard a Republic F-84 Thunderjet, just shy of 10 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 1950, seems either to be undetermined, or, at least, officially undisclosed. It was a routine weather training mission of two jets assigned to the District of Columbia Air Guard's 121st Tactical Fighter Squadron.
The sultry late summer air temperature was 80 degrees, and cloud cover measured about 80 percent at the time. After passing south near Gettysburg, Pa., the F-84C, piloted by 2nd Lt. Michael E. Alkire, abruptly exploded in midair at tree height, less than a mile south of the Pennsylvania border. Hence, the crash has been dubbed the "1950 Mason-Dixon Line F-84 crash."
Read more: http://www.fredericknewspost.com
Lufthansa Technik AG Celebration and ARSA Strategic Leadership Conference Ready to Rock Hamburg
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 17, 2012
Lufthansa Technik AG Celebration and ARSA Strategic Leadership Conference Ready to Rock Hamburg
Speakers include rock star Bruce Dickenson who, in addition to serving as vocalist for heavy metal band Iron Maiden, is a commercial pilot and has recently launched his own aviation repair company in the United Kingdom, Cardiff Aviation. Dickenson will speak to the challenges and opportunities in the aviation maintenance industry and the factors that inspired his passion for aviation.
Joining Dickenson as headlining speakers are the Honorable Philip D. Murphy, U.S. Ambassador to Germany, who will highlight the impact of aviation on trade and international relations; and, via video, Michael Huerta, acting FAA Administrator, who will discuss advances in aviation technology, regulation, and safety.
Day One of the gathering will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Lufthansa Techniks’ FAA certificate and decades of transatlantic cooperation in aviation maintenance services. To underscore the importance of the industry’s international character, speakers will highlight the value of close cooperation in aviation for both local and global economies.
Day Two’s SLC is ARSA’s annual invitation-only event for senior executives and leaders in the aviation maintenance industry. The conference facilitates a high-level dialogue surrounding emerging trends and challenges confronting the industry as a whole. The Hamburg event will mark the first time that ARSA has hosted the SLC outside the United States.
The two-day event will feature a variety of panel discussions on topics such as developments in aviation safety, expanding international aviation agreements, safety management systems, and efforts to create a favorable business, regulatory, and legal environment.
For more information about the event, please contact ARSA Vice President of Operations Crystal Maguire at +1-703-739-9543 or crystal.maguire@arsa.org or Lufthansa’s Anne Dharmaratne at +49-40-5070-65330 or anne.dharmaratne@lht.dlh.de.
###
The Lufthansa Technik Group, with more than 30 subsidiaries and about 26,000 employees worldwide, is one of the leading manufacturer-independent providers of services for the aviation industry. Lufthansa Technik is licensed internationally as a repair, production and development enterprise. The Group’s portfolio encompasses the entire spectrum of services in the areas of maintenance, repair, overhaul, modification and conversion, engines and components.
Piper PA-28-181 Archer III, N4188E: Accident occurred September 13, 2012 in Strawberry, Arizona
NTSB Identification: WPR12FA420
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, September 13, 2012 in Strawberry, AZ
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28-181, registration: N4188E
Injuries: 3 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On September 13, 2012, about 1453 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181, N4188E, collided with wooded terrain within a canyon near Strawberry, Arizona. CAE Global Academy Phoenix (CAE) was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as an instructional flight. The student pilot, certified flight instructor (CFI), and private pilot-rated passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage during the accident sequence, and was subsequently consumed by post impact fire. The cross-country flight departed Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona, at 1412, with a planned destination of Payson, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The student pilot was enrolled in the KLM Flight Academy (KLS) flight training program, and receiving flight training at CAE. The ground portion of the training was provided by KLS in the Netherlands, with the flight portion performed at the facilities of CAE in Mesa, under a training services agreement between the two companies. The flight training was provided by CAE in accordance with the European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) standards JAR-FCL 1.055, as a European Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR) approved, integrated Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) program. CAE provided aircraft, flight instructors, and training facilities as part of the agreement. Check rides and progress phase checks were performed by evaluator pilots employed by KLS, who held JAA examiner authorizations.
The airplane was occupied by the student pilot, located in the forward left seat, the CFI in the forward right seat, and the private pilot rated passenger (evaluator), located in an aft seat. Both the student and evaluator were Dutch citizens, and the CFI was a United States citizen. The evaluator held an airline transport pilot certificate with flight examiner, and class examiner rating authorization, issued in Europe; his Federal Aviation Administration private pilot’s license was issued on the basis of his JAA license.
The purpose of the flight was to conduct a phase check for the student as part of his training towards JAA certification. Prior to departure, the evaluator reported to a CAE instructor that his intention was to have the student plan for a VFR flight to Winslow, Arizona, with a subsequent emergency practice diversion (the destination of which was unknown to the student) to Payson.
The airplane did not return at the expected time, and became the subject of an Alert Notice (ALNOT) about 1800. A search was conducted by the Civil Air Patrol, utilizing radar data and network-based cell phone signal analysis, and the airplane was subsequently located about 2100 on September 14.
Preliminary radar data revealed a target departing Falcon Field runway 22L, and initiating a climbing right turn to the north, where it followed the Verde River at an altitude of 3,300 feet mean sea level (msl). About 50 miles north of Falcon Field, the target changed heading to the north-northeast, where over the next 10 minutes it began a climb to 5,600 feet. It then made a 35-degree right turn, entering a northeast oriented canyon. For the next 2 1/2 minutes, the target continued approximately level with the canyon rim. The last minute of radar data indicated that the target climbed to an altitude of 5,800 feet as it entered the Calf Pen Canyon, 17 miles northwest of Payson.
The airplane wreckage was located at an elevation of about 5,800 feet within a densely forested area of the Fossil Creek Wilderness, at the northeast end of Calf Pen Canyon, 4 miles beyond the last radar target. The airplane came to rest at the base of a rock abutment, and was surrounded by pine trees ranging in height from 50 to 100 feet. Scaring was present on the bark of a tree adjacent to the wreckage, and fresh rock damage was noted to the abutment at the 50-foot level. About 150 feet west, freshly cut tree limbs were noted to a tree at the 75-foot level. No other tree damage was noted. The wreckage was surrounded to the north, east, and south by steep canyon walls, rising to an elevation of about 6,800 feet.
The cabin structure, right wing, vertical stabilizer, and right stabilator were consumed by fire. The engine sustained thermal damage to its accessory case, but was otherwise intact, and still attached to the firewall. The remnants of the empennage were located underneath the fuselage debris.
Taylor Daniel Bennell was an extraordinary human being. He was a man of integrity,courage, determination and insurmountable strength. Taylor was pure sunshine. His love tank was always full and therefore had love in abundance to give. Like the faithful fisherman who may wait for hours, days, and sometimes weeks to catch a fish, Taylor also had faith that he would succeed in life. Taylor indeed succeeded in life. His passing came when, as a Flight Instructor, his plane went down in a canyon in Arizona due to a heavy downdraft. We know that his final moments were filled with a heroic effort to save his crew. Taylor died doing what he was most passionate about in life: his life's work, becoming the best pilot he was capable of becoming. Taylor was always a bright light.
He is loved by the hundreds that he so joyfully entered into their lives. Rob his father and Marlene his mother who love him more than life itself and Shanna his sister who had boundless love for him and Ashley his dearly beloved fiancée, and his whole family will hold him dearly in their hearts forever. We were always there for him and he will always be here for us forever. Ten thousand words cannot describe the story of his presence in all of our lives.
Please join his family for a graveside service honoring Taylor's life at 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012 at Grandview Cemetery, West Mountain Ave., in Fort Collins. Afterwards, friends are invited to gather and continue this day of remembrance at his parent's home.
Piper PA-28-181 Archer III, N4188E
http://registry.faa.gov/N4188E
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N4188E
MESA, AZ – A small plane that belonged to an Arizona flight school was found crashed in a canyon in the mountains east of Phoenix on Saturday, and all three men on board were confirmed dead.
Among those on the missing plane were two residents of the Netherlands, one a student pilot and the other an instructor for Dutch airline KLM, which contracted with the school for pilot training.
The single-engine Piper PA-28 left Falcon Field in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa on Thursday for a round-trip flight to Winslow, Ariz., with a stop in Payson. Officials with CAE Global Academy reported it overdue after several hours.
The Civil Air Patrol launched planes and used radar tracks and the passengers’ cell phone signals to narrow the search area on Friday. The wreckage was found in a box canyon early Saturday by a state police helicopter crew.
The plane apparently hit a cliff wall, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said. A search-and-rescue team from the Gila County sheriff’s office hiked to the site and determined there were no survivors.
The flight instructor on the missing plane was from the Phoenix area. He was identified as 25-year-old Taylor Bennell, said Nathalie Bourque, vice president of communications for CAE Inc., which runs flight schools around the world.
The student pilot was Lucas Westenberg, 19, from the Netherlands, Bourque said.
She identified the third person on the plane as Rob Van Den Heuvel, a 68-year-old retired KLM flight officer and former Dutch air force fighter pilot who was helping train KLM cadets in Arizona.
CAE’s Arizona operations train classes of KLM cadets for 21 weeks and then students return to the Netherlands for more training, Bourque said. Training was suspended in the aftermath of the crash.
“We’re taking care of our cadets and our instructors and more importantly the families,” Bourque said. “We all know that it’s trying times right now.”
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, September 13, 2012 in Strawberry, AZ
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28-181, registration: N4188E
Injuries: 3 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On September 13, 2012, about 1453 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181, N4188E, collided with wooded terrain within a canyon near Strawberry, Arizona. CAE Global Academy Phoenix (CAE) was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as an instructional flight. The student pilot, certified flight instructor (CFI), and private pilot-rated passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage during the accident sequence, and was subsequently consumed by post impact fire. The cross-country flight departed Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona, at 1412, with a planned destination of Payson, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The student pilot was enrolled in the KLM Flight Academy (KLS) flight training program, and receiving flight training at CAE. The ground portion of the training was provided by KLS in the Netherlands, with the flight portion performed at the facilities of CAE in Mesa, under a training services agreement between the two companies. The flight training was provided by CAE in accordance with the European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) standards JAR-FCL 1.055, as a European Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR) approved, integrated Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) program. CAE provided aircraft, flight instructors, and training facilities as part of the agreement. Check rides and progress phase checks were performed by evaluator pilots employed by KLS, who held JAA examiner authorizations.
The airplane was occupied by the student pilot, located in the forward left seat, the CFI in the forward right seat, and the private pilot rated passenger (evaluator), located in an aft seat. Both the student and evaluator were Dutch citizens, and the CFI was a United States citizen. The evaluator held an airline transport pilot certificate with flight examiner, and class examiner rating authorization, issued in Europe; his Federal Aviation Administration private pilot’s license was issued on the basis of his JAA license.
The purpose of the flight was to conduct a phase check for the student as part of his training towards JAA certification. Prior to departure, the evaluator reported to a CAE instructor that his intention was to have the student plan for a VFR flight to Winslow, Arizona, with a subsequent emergency practice diversion (the destination of which was unknown to the student) to Payson.
The airplane did not return at the expected time, and became the subject of an Alert Notice (ALNOT) about 1800. A search was conducted by the Civil Air Patrol, utilizing radar data and network-based cell phone signal analysis, and the airplane was subsequently located about 2100 on September 14.
Preliminary radar data revealed a target departing Falcon Field runway 22L, and initiating a climbing right turn to the north, where it followed the Verde River at an altitude of 3,300 feet mean sea level (msl). About 50 miles north of Falcon Field, the target changed heading to the north-northeast, where over the next 10 minutes it began a climb to 5,600 feet. It then made a 35-degree right turn, entering a northeast oriented canyon. For the next 2 1/2 minutes, the target continued approximately level with the canyon rim. The last minute of radar data indicated that the target climbed to an altitude of 5,800 feet as it entered the Calf Pen Canyon, 17 miles northwest of Payson.
The airplane wreckage was located at an elevation of about 5,800 feet within a densely forested area of the Fossil Creek Wilderness, at the northeast end of Calf Pen Canyon, 4 miles beyond the last radar target. The airplane came to rest at the base of a rock abutment, and was surrounded by pine trees ranging in height from 50 to 100 feet. Scaring was present on the bark of a tree adjacent to the wreckage, and fresh rock damage was noted to the abutment at the 50-foot level. About 150 feet west, freshly cut tree limbs were noted to a tree at the 75-foot level. No other tree damage was noted. The wreckage was surrounded to the north, east, and south by steep canyon walls, rising to an elevation of about 6,800 feet.
The cabin structure, right wing, vertical stabilizer, and right stabilator were consumed by fire. The engine sustained thermal damage to its accessory case, but was otherwise intact, and still attached to the firewall. The remnants of the empennage were located underneath the fuselage debris.
He is loved by the hundreds that he so joyfully entered into their lives. Rob his father and Marlene his mother who love him more than life itself and Shanna his sister who had boundless love for him and Ashley his dearly beloved fiancée, and his whole family will hold him dearly in their hearts forever. We were always there for him and he will always be here for us forever. Ten thousand words cannot describe the story of his presence in all of our lives.
Please join his family for a graveside service honoring Taylor's life at 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012 at Grandview Cemetery, West Mountain Ave., in Fort Collins. Afterwards, friends are invited to gather and continue this day of remembrance at his parent's home.
Piper PA-28-181 Archer III, N4188E
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 4188E Make/Model: PA28 Description: ARCHER
Date: 09/13/2012 Time: 1200
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: PAYSON State: AZ Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. PAYSON, AZ
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 3
# Crew: 0 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 2 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: SCOTTSDALE, AZ (WP07) Entry date: 09/17/2012
http://registry.faa.gov/N4188E
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N4188E
MESA, AZ – A small plane that belonged to an Arizona flight school was found crashed in a canyon in the mountains east of Phoenix on Saturday, and all three men on board were confirmed dead.
Among those on the missing plane were two residents of the Netherlands, one a student pilot and the other an instructor for Dutch airline KLM, which contracted with the school for pilot training.
The single-engine Piper PA-28 left Falcon Field in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa on Thursday for a round-trip flight to Winslow, Ariz., with a stop in Payson. Officials with CAE Global Academy reported it overdue after several hours.
The Civil Air Patrol launched planes and used radar tracks and the passengers’ cell phone signals to narrow the search area on Friday. The wreckage was found in a box canyon early Saturday by a state police helicopter crew.
The plane apparently hit a cliff wall, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said. A search-and-rescue team from the Gila County sheriff’s office hiked to the site and determined there were no survivors.
The flight instructor on the missing plane was from the Phoenix area. He was identified as 25-year-old Taylor Bennell, said Nathalie Bourque, vice president of communications for CAE Inc., which runs flight schools around the world.
The student pilot was Lucas Westenberg, 19, from the Netherlands, Bourque said.
She identified the third person on the plane as Rob Van Den Heuvel, a 68-year-old retired KLM flight officer and former Dutch air force fighter pilot who was helping train KLM cadets in Arizona.
CAE’s Arizona operations train classes of KLM cadets for 21 weeks and then students return to the Netherlands for more training, Bourque said. Training was suspended in the aftermath of the crash.
“We’re taking care of our cadets and our instructors and more importantly the families,” Bourque said. “We all know that it’s trying times right now.”
Pilots’ cooperation sought over fire zones: Agencies find interference at times in fighting wildland blazes
Posted: Sunday, September 16, 2012 9:20 pm
STAFF REPORT
DULUTH — A number of state and federal agencies dealing with wildfires are asking civilian pilots for some consideration when battling blazes.
Wildfires have blackened millions of acres, destroyed hundreds of homes, and caused loss of life this year. In Minnesota, where there is ever increasing urban interface (areas where people are building in forests and near wetlands) firefighters are responding with a more aggressive assault on wildfires that includes the extensive use of aircraft, the U.S. Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, among other agencies, said in a statement Saturday.
Minnesota firefighters are asking for cooperation from all pilots to ensure a safe environment for aerial firefighting aircraft and crews.
“Most Minnesota wildfires are quick moving, wind-driven fires that pose the greatest threat to life, property and resources within the first few hours after they start. Current drought conditions in Minnesota are causing our forests and wetlands to be in high to extreme fire danger,” the statement said.
Firefighting agencies use helicopters and airplanes to assist ground crews. Several aircraft and crews may be on standby at strategic locations around the state every day to support fire suppression efforts with aerial delivery of water, retardant, firefighters, supplies and for fire detection.
One or more aircraft could be dispatched to any fire in the state within minutes after it starts. When aerial firefighters are allowed to operate in a safe environment over a wildfire they can be very effective.
This was proven in May near Ely. The “Highway One Fire” received top priority for aviation resources due to the threat to life and property. Firefighting agencies from across the state provided assistance and aircraft that included five air tankers, three helicopters and aerial supervision aircraft.
Pilots successfully completed more than 300 missions that day in the smoke filled airspace over the community, scooping water from local lakes to accurately deliver over 197,000 gallons of water and retardant to the fire; they were working around towers and power lines that ran through the fire perimeter.
Unfortunately, aerial firefighters were not provided with a safe environment a week later when they were asked to assist with a fire in western Minnesota near Rothsay.
While firefighting aircraft were maneuvering over that fire a single engine Cessna airplane flew within 250 feet of one of the air tankers. The tanker had to bank to the left to avoid the Cessna. According to reports from personnel on the ground, the small aircraft seemed to be getting into position for a better look at the tankers as they were working on the fire.
Minnesota DNR’s Bob Perleberg, air attack officer on both fires, confirmed that sometimes conflicts arise between private aircraft and firefighting aircraft when they find themselves in the same airspace.
He has directed tactical aircraft in his role as an airborne air traffic coordinator of firefighting aircraft in both the United States and Canada. He says that some private pilots seem to be naturally attracted to smoke and will change course or even take a quick flight just to see what’s burning. He and his colleagues have seen this type of behavior occur all over the nation which sometimes causes air operations to be suspended until the airspace can be cleared.
Large fires that burn for several days often have a temporary flight restriction placed over the fire in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration. This restriction creates and area of airspace closed to all aircraft that are not participating with fire suppression efforts. However, because of the quick response time on most Minnesota fires, there simply is no time to get a TFR in place and notify pilots.
“Voluntary cooperation by all pilots in the state will be much more effective,” Perleberg said. “We are asking for the professional courtesy of all pilots to stay 5 miles and 5,000 feet MSL from fires so we can do our job safely, efficiently, and effectively.”
Source: http://www.virginiamn.com
STAFF REPORT
DULUTH — A number of state and federal agencies dealing with wildfires are asking civilian pilots for some consideration when battling blazes.
Wildfires have blackened millions of acres, destroyed hundreds of homes, and caused loss of life this year. In Minnesota, where there is ever increasing urban interface (areas where people are building in forests and near wetlands) firefighters are responding with a more aggressive assault on wildfires that includes the extensive use of aircraft, the U.S. Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, among other agencies, said in a statement Saturday.
Minnesota firefighters are asking for cooperation from all pilots to ensure a safe environment for aerial firefighting aircraft and crews.
“Most Minnesota wildfires are quick moving, wind-driven fires that pose the greatest threat to life, property and resources within the first few hours after they start. Current drought conditions in Minnesota are causing our forests and wetlands to be in high to extreme fire danger,” the statement said.
Firefighting agencies use helicopters and airplanes to assist ground crews. Several aircraft and crews may be on standby at strategic locations around the state every day to support fire suppression efforts with aerial delivery of water, retardant, firefighters, supplies and for fire detection.
One or more aircraft could be dispatched to any fire in the state within minutes after it starts. When aerial firefighters are allowed to operate in a safe environment over a wildfire they can be very effective.
This was proven in May near Ely. The “Highway One Fire” received top priority for aviation resources due to the threat to life and property. Firefighting agencies from across the state provided assistance and aircraft that included five air tankers, three helicopters and aerial supervision aircraft.
Pilots successfully completed more than 300 missions that day in the smoke filled airspace over the community, scooping water from local lakes to accurately deliver over 197,000 gallons of water and retardant to the fire; they were working around towers and power lines that ran through the fire perimeter.
Unfortunately, aerial firefighters were not provided with a safe environment a week later when they were asked to assist with a fire in western Minnesota near Rothsay.
While firefighting aircraft were maneuvering over that fire a single engine Cessna airplane flew within 250 feet of one of the air tankers. The tanker had to bank to the left to avoid the Cessna. According to reports from personnel on the ground, the small aircraft seemed to be getting into position for a better look at the tankers as they were working on the fire.
Minnesota DNR’s Bob Perleberg, air attack officer on both fires, confirmed that sometimes conflicts arise between private aircraft and firefighting aircraft when they find themselves in the same airspace.
He has directed tactical aircraft in his role as an airborne air traffic coordinator of firefighting aircraft in both the United States and Canada. He says that some private pilots seem to be naturally attracted to smoke and will change course or even take a quick flight just to see what’s burning. He and his colleagues have seen this type of behavior occur all over the nation which sometimes causes air operations to be suspended until the airspace can be cleared.
Large fires that burn for several days often have a temporary flight restriction placed over the fire in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration. This restriction creates and area of airspace closed to all aircraft that are not participating with fire suppression efforts. However, because of the quick response time on most Minnesota fires, there simply is no time to get a TFR in place and notify pilots.
“Voluntary cooperation by all pilots in the state will be much more effective,” Perleberg said. “We are asking for the professional courtesy of all pilots to stay 5 miles and 5,000 feet MSL from fires so we can do our job safely, efficiently, and effectively.”
Source: http://www.virginiamn.com
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