Beech E33, N7133N: Accident occurred September 26, 2012 in Greeley, Colorado

NTSB Identification: CEN12LA675
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, September 26, 2012 in Greeley, CO
Aircraft: BEECH E33, registration: N7133N
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On September 26, 2012, approximately 1500 mountain daylight time, a Beech E33, N7133N, registered to All Seasons Window Cleaning LLC, of Broomfield, Colorado, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing after a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff from the Greeley-Weld County Airport, Greeley, Colorado. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The local flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

On the morning of the flight, the pilot/owner asked a local A&P mechanic to take a look at airplane's fuel system. The mechanic opened the engine cowling and found nothing out-of-the-normal visually. He then disconnected the fuel line between the fuel pump and the throttle body, unmetered fuel, and installed a remote pressure gauge to check to see where the fuel pressure was set. After removing the right side inspection cover of the lower cowling to access the throttle body, and while the pilot operated the engine from the cockpit controls, he found that the idle mixture was slightly rich and the fuel pressure at idle was within specifications. He readjusted the idle mixture setting at the
throttle body and then checked the fuel pressure which was within specifications. The engine was shut down twice, restarted and the fuel pressure at idle and idle mixture settings were checked again. The pilot said that the engine ran so much better after making the idle mixture adjustments. After making final checks for fuel pressure and the locknuts on the idle mixture arm and an overall visual check of the engine compartment, the cowls were reinstalled.

After a normal run-up, the pilot took off from runway 9 for a local test flight. The airplane was seen climbing out normally and started to circle the airport. The airplane then descended toward the approach end of runway 27 as the pilot declared an emergency due to engine problems. The airplane landed in plowed field gear up about 1/2 mile from the approach end of runway 27.

After the accident, the airplane was moved to a local facility for further examination.

 A single-engine plane was forced to land in a bean field east of Greeley-Weld County Airport on Wednesday after experiencing engine trouble shortly after taking off. The pilot walked away with no injuries.

Authorities at the scene said Tim Pritchard of Longmont made a smooth landing around 2:30 p.m. in his Beechcraft Bonanza. Dale Lyman, a Greeley Fire Department spokesman, said Pritchard was standing outside the aircraft when crews arrived. 

Lyman said the plane’s engine had recently been worked on, and Pritchard noticed engine trouble just after takeoff. He said Pritchard spotted the plowed field and was able to land the plane, causing minor damage to the plane’s propeller and underside. Pritchard was the only person aboard. 

Greeley police said initial reports indicated that smoke was billowing from the plane before it landed, but fire officials said there was no fire and nothing leaking from the plane. 

Aliza Wilson-Wheeler, an airport operations specialist, said the National Transportation Safety Board had released the plane to be removed from the field. Pritchard remained at the site as workers from Beegles Aircraft Service used a crane to load the aircraft onto a truck. 

The aircraft is registered to All Seasons Window Cleaning Inc.

Story, video and photos:
http://www.thedenverchannel.com

http://www.greeleytribune.com

 http://registry.faa.gov/N7133N
 

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 7133N        Make/Model: BE33      Description: 33 Debonair, Bonanza
  Date: 09/26/2012     Time: 2100

  Event Type: Incident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Minor

LOCATION
  City: GREELEY   State: CO   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED IN A FIELD SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, NEAR GREELEY, CO

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     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: Landing      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: DENVER, CO  (NM03)                    Entry date: 09/27/2012 

 

 

The propeller of a Beechcraft Bonanza plane was bent during a forced landing in a field near the Greeley-Weld County Airport.

'Illegal to lease United States-registered plane here'

KUALA LUMPUR: The mystery surrounding the ownership and funding of a private jet used by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and other opposition leaders has taken another twist.

A source with the country's aviation authorities said the United States-registered plane could not have been legally chartered by the company which arranged the flight carrying Anwar and his entourage.

"It's illegal to lease an American registered aircraft in Malaysia. Only the owner can use it here," he said.

It was reported yesterday that local aircraft charter company, Tjets Sdn Bhd, had arranged for the lease of the aircraft to ferry the opposition leaders from here to Labuan for the opposition's Malaysia Day celebrations.

A local operator of chartered aircraft concurred to the fact that the United States-registered aircraft could not have been leased under the country's aviation laws.

"It is possible that the foreign owner of the aircraft had allowed the opposition leaders to use the aircraft in a deal only known to them."

PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali yesterday said Tian Chua needed to check his facts before making statements.

Tian Chua had reportedly said the jet was chartered at a "quite cheap" rate, whereas Anwar had mentioned a mysterious friend as the source of sponsor for the jet.

"Tian Chua should stick to the right information, which is that made by Anwar."

http://www.nst.com.my

http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com

Affidavit — Ex-employee tipped feds to Kustom Products Inc.’s alleged schemes: Worker feared for self, family document says

COOS BAY — A former employee of the local company indicted on federal fraud charges provided the tip that investigators used to search the company’s premises last week, according to court documents released Tuesday.

Joshua Kemp, who also is charged in the case against Kustom Products Inc., told investigators in August that “he wanted to do the right thing,” according to the documents.

Investigators said they uncovered evidence in 2010 that Kustom Products Inc.; its owner, Harold Ray Bettencourt II; several members of the Bettencourt family; and other employees sold the Defense Department counterfeit and defective aviation locknuts for the OH-58 A/C Kiowa helicopter between 2005 and 2010.

The locknut is used to secure the helicopter’s rotor to its body. The fraud allegedly profited the company millions of dollars.

The Bettencourts’ attorney could not be reached for comment this morning.

Alleges additional fraud
 
The company and its employees were indicted in December 2011 on charges of wire fraud, fraud and money laundering related to the locknuts.

In August, Kemp detailed several other fraud schemes he said the company had undertaken since 2005, according to the affidavit supporting last week’s search warrant.

He also told investigators where at the company’s headquarters at 1084 S. Fifth Street, Coos Bay, to look for evidence of the schemes.

Kemp alleged, in addition to the locknuts, Kustom Products sold the Defense Department fabricated catalytic converters or exhaust systems for Humvees, vehicle battery box covers, vehicle mounting brackets, and metallic non-skid tread frame sections for a fifth-wheel ramp.

Kemp participated in the frauds as the company’s purchasing agent and shipping department manager, he said. He left the company Aug. 28, 2010.

Made in Mexico

He said the company began the schemes by winning Defense Department contracts to supply parts.

When the Defense Department buys parts, it first approves certain companies to manufacture its materials, then contracts with another company to purchase those materials, and finally buys the parts from the purchasing company.

Kustom Products set itself up as the go-between company.

The Bettencourts would order one of the genuine parts. They then would hire another company — often based in Mexico — to counterfeit the part for a lower price.

According to Kemp, the company created fake documents to fool federal inspectors. He told investigators they would find those documents, the purchase orders for the real parts, and the actual parts in Kustom Products’ storage area.

Secrecy for safety
 
Federal officials kept Kemp’s interview a secret until Monday to give law enforcement time to guarantee his safety.

“Kemp stated that he was fearful for his life and safety should the Bettencourt family become aware that he was cooperating with the government,” the affidavit reads.

After investigators first searched Kustom Products in Sept. 2010, Harold Bettencourt moved Kemp’s office next to his own to “‘keep an eye on him' and as an intimidation factor,” according to the affidavit. And Bettencourt family members made several loud and obvious comments about physically harming people involved in the investigation, Kemp said.

“During the interview, Kemp was very emotional at times, breaking into tears when discussing his family and his desire to ‘do the right thing,’” the affidavit states.

“Kemp is married, and he and his wife have three children.”

Made no promises

In exchange for Kemp’s “truthful information” and “cooperation,” the United States said it may offer Kemp “a benefit,” but made no promises, according to the affidavit.

It is unclear what evidence, if any, the federal agents seized during Thursday’s search. That information won’t be available until officials publicly release the returned search warrant.

Agents from the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, the IRS and other agencies participated in the search.

The World will update this story when officials release the returned search warrant.

http://theworldlink.com

The story so far

• Sept. 22, 2010: Federal agents search Kustom Products Inc. for evidence the company supplied the U.S. Defense Department with non-conforming, defective and counterfeit parts. They seize 153 boxes of hard-copy evidence and 22 digital devices. Agents also seize the alleged physical non-conforming parts, which had been rejected by the Defense Department and returned to the company.

• Dec. 14, 2011: Kustom Products Inc.; its owner Harold Ray Bettencourt II; and several of his family members and other employees are indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud. Harold Bettencourt and a few of his employees are additionally charged with fraud involving aircraft parts. Bettencourt and the remaining employees not charged with fraud are charged with money laundering.

• Aug. 14, 2012: Joshua Kemp, the purchasing agent at Kustom, sits for the first of three “truthful” interviews with federal agents.

• Aug. 28, 2012: Kemp leaves his job at Kustom Products Inc.

• Thursday: Federal agents raid Kustom’s premises looking for additional evidence provided by Kemp.

• Tuesday: Federal officials release the affidavit supporting the search warrants.

Altercation between two flight attendants sends United jet back to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (KRDU), North Carolina

A United Airlines flight to Chicago returned to Raleigh-Durham International Airport shortly after takeoff Wednesday morning, after an altercation broke out between two flight attendants.

“Our law enforcement team was notified by the tower that the captain had requested law enforcement to meet the aircraft,” said Mindy Hamlin, RDU spokeswoman. “The aircraft had gotten about 50 miles out when he reported a possible assault on the aircraft.”

United Flight 1214, a Boeing 737-800 with 52 passengers, departed for Chicago at 6 a.m. and returned to RDU at 6:40 a.m.

Airport police officers determined that no assault had taken place and no blows were exchanged, Hamlin said. They made no arrests.

“One flight attendant had crossed their leg and accidentally brushed the other person, and it was not intentional,” Hamlin said. “It appears there was a disagreement before that, that became elevated.”

The two attendants were removed from the plane and replaced with other employees. The flight continued to Chicago O’Hare after a three-hour delay.

“No charges were filed, and we will conduct our own internal review, and we of course apologize to our customers,” United spokeswoman Christen David said.

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

N215US, McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32: Paul Ryan's plane encounters mechanical issues

Passengers' bags were removed from Paul Ryan's campaign jet while crews performed maintenance. (Source: CNN)

(CNN) - Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan's plane was delayed in Houston early Wednesday, causing a flight delay to campaign plans.

The plane was boarding around 8:30 a.m. from a Houston airport.

About an hour later, everyone was taken off the plane and their bags were also removed.

A spokesman said a mechanical issue caused the delay.

According to the Romney campaign, Ryan was headed to Colorado for the afternoon.

He had two events scheduled.

http://registry.faa.gov/N215US

N215US - USA JET AIRLINES INC (BELLEVILLE MI) 
This aircraft (N215US) is not available for public tracking per request from the owner/operator. 

http://www.airport-data.com/photos

http://flightaware.com/photos

 http://www.myfoxal.com

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada: Man wants answers after finding aircraft identification placard in yard

Found. Alain Quintard shows off the small piece of a plane he found on his lawn on Labour Day. Torstar Network 

 It was a perfectly predictable Labour Day Monday for Alain Quintard before he saw it.

The 60-year-old Mississauga man mowed his large lawn late in the afternoon. An hour or two later, he spotted something black shining on top of his pristine grass.

“I was puzzled, because the lawn was freshly cut; there were no foreign objects on it last time I checked,” Quintard said.

A look at the credit-card-sized piece of black metal, bearing a sketch and words, left him stunned.

“When I looked at the script on it, I understood right away it was coming from the sky. It came from a plane,” he said.

“It said ‘brake manifold’ and I knew what a brake manifold is,” said Quintard, a manager for distribution quality at Molson Coors who has a technical background. His home is not far from the runways at Pearson International Airport.

Mark Laurie, who teaches aviation maintenance at Mohawk College, said the part absolutely came off an aircraft and looks like an identification placard. He said losing it wouldn’t affect the safety or operation of the aircraft.

Nevertheless, said Quintard, “It’s worrisome that a part is falling off of a plane, no matter how small. Not to mention that it could have hit somebody on the ground. I want somebody to investigate this.”

The part landed too far from the fence for someone to have thrown it into his large backyard, Quintard said.

He contacted two people at the Transportation Safety Board of Canada who told him they would pass on his issue to someone who could help, but he hasn’t heard back.
 

“I found that very strange, that they weren’t more interested and were taking it very lightly,” Quintard said.

Frustrated, he then wrote an e-mail to Transport Canada’s Civil Aviation unit, and got a response from a regional manager in Strategies and Coordination saying they needed precise details of the time the part fell into the yard, as well as a part itself, to continue their investigation.

Quintard said he had already supplied that information as well as a photo of the piece, and voiced suspicions that authorities “are trying to cover up something that is embarrassing for them.”

Transport Canada confirmed to the Star it is indeed “looking into a report of a piece of metal that may have fallen from an aircraft in the Mississauga area.”
 

Spokesperson Pam Mintern said Transport Canada received seven reports of fallen aircraft parts in the GTA in 2011, and it does happen from time to time.
 

Quintard said he still wants an investigation.

“Their lack of interest in the fact that a piece of a plane has fallen and response to send it in to them seems like they want it covered up quickly. It’s concerning,” he said.

Story and comments:   http://www.mississauga.com

Diamond DA40: In Descent Proposal

 

 Ryan Thompson took his girlfriend on a private flight, where he planned to propose. Unbeknownst to his girlfriend, Thompson had planned to pretend that the plane's controls were malfunctioning, and mid-flight, he told her that he needed her to read the emergency procedure to him. Watch the video above to see how Thompson saves the day with his "in descent" proposal. The descent starts at 1:57.

Landing Le Touqet Paris-Plage (LFAT) Socata TB-10 Martinair Flight Academy

 

Published on Sep 26, 2012 by jeroen737 

This video shows a landing with a Socata TB-10 Tobago of the Martinair Flight Academy with registration PH-MLQ at Le Touqet Paris-Plage (LFAT) in Belgium. The flight was from Lelystad (EHLE) to Le Touqet Paris-Plage (LFAT) with a 'touch and go' at Ostend Airport (EBOS).

Cessna 172B, N8059X: Accident occurred Sunday, September 23, 2012 in the Atlantic Ocean

NTSB Identification: ERA12LA578 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, September 23, 2012 in
Aircraft: CESSNA 172B, registration: N8059X
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On September 23, 2012, about 0430 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172B, N8059X, was presumed substantially damaged following impact with the Atlantic Ocean. The certificated commercial pilot was not found and presumed fatally injured. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed from Herlong Recreational Airport (HEG), Jacksonville, Florida, about 0242. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to information provided by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the pilot was reported missing on September 25, 2012, and during a subsequent investigation it was revealed that the pilot’s airplane was also missing, and his car was parked in the airplane’s hangar. Review of electronic access records at HEG showed that the pilot last entered the airport on September 23 at 0204.

Review of preliminary air traffic control information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), showed a radar target with a 1200 transponder code departing the vicinity of HEG about 0242. The target tracked roughly eastbound, before it crossed the shoreline and proceeded southeast over the Atlantic Ocean. The target began tracking north before the final radar target was observed at 0429, about 21 nautical miles east of Mayport Naval Station (NRB), Mayport, Florida. The position of the last radar target was 30 degrees 23.219 minutes north by 81 degrees 0.378 minutes west.

Later that day, about 1230, a commercial diving vessel recovered an approximate 4-foot by 4-foot section of aircraft debris at 30 degrees 22.764 minutes north by 80 degrees 59.140 minutes west. After receiving notification from the FAA regarding a missing aircraft on September 25, the US Coast Guard undertook a search for the pilot and the airplane in the vicinity of the last observed radar target and where the aircraft debris was recovered. The search subsequently ceased on September 26, and neither the pilot nor any additional wreckage was recovered.

Photographs of the recovered debris were forwarded to the airframe manufacturer and later identified as exhibiting features consistent with those of the inboard wing section and fuel tank of a Cessna 172B. Additionally, a placard allowing for the use of unleaded automotive gasoline was observed adjacent to the fuel filler port. Review of FAA airworthiness records for the accident airplane showed that a supplemental type certificate allowing for the use of unleaded automotive gasoline was filed in January 1988.

 

Gene Milowicki

  (Courtesy of FSCJ)

 Charter boat Capt. Dan Lindley told Channel 4 he was out Sunday afternoon on a dive charter when they spotted the aircraft wreckage 12 to 15 miles offshore.  He said he hauled a pieces of the fuselage and other parts of the plane onto his boat.

Provided by Guy Gautreaux -This four-foot chunk of a plane's wing was brought aboard a dive charter off the coast of Jacksonville Sunday. 

~

 

Photo by Capt. Dan Lindley

Charter boat spots aircraft wreckage in ocean

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Police are investigating a missing man who is believed to have flown his airplane into the ocean. 

Jacksonville Sheriff's Officers were called to Herlong Airport on Tuesday when a man was trying to locate his friend Gene Milowicki. The man told police he believed Milowicki flew his plane into the ocean, according to a release from JSO Public Information Officer Melissa Bujeda.

Police found Milowicki's vehicle in the hangar, but not the plane. A suicide note dated Sunday, September 23, 2012 at 2:25 a.m. was found on the passenger's seat of Milowicki's vehicle.

Police also confirmed that Milowicki did indeed enter Herlong Airport at 2:04 a.m. through the east gate ramp.

Michael Corby of Florida State College at Jacksonville confirmed that Milowicki was employed at the school. The school's website lists him as FSCJ's Director of Aviation Programs.

According to Duval County Clerk of Courts records, Milowicki was arrested after he violated an injunction for protection against domestic violence on August 20.

His wife filed for divorce the next day, August 21. Milowicki then filed a counter petition on September 17.

Since Sunday, a fisherman found some airplane parts along St. Augustine, but Bujeda said no human remains have been found. The Federal Aviation Administration said a wing of a plane was found near Fernandina Beach and that the U.S. Coast Guard is searching 32 miles from the entrance of the St. Johns River into the ocean.

The Coast Guard will regroup at 12:30 to decide whether to continue with the search.

Police are working with the Coast Guard and the FAA on this case to determine if the airplane parts belong to Milowicki's plane. No foul play is suspected, Bujeda said.
First Coast News

Authorities search for suicidal Jacksonville pilot after wing found off coast

Authorities are continuing to search for a missing suicidal Jacksonville pilot after a dive charter found a piece of a small plane’s wing off the Mayport coast Sunday.

Investigators are trying to determine if the 4-foot piece found 20 miles off the coast matches that of a plane belonging Gene Milowicki, the estranged husband of a Jacksonville police officer and former director of Aviation Programs for Florida State College at Jacksonville.

Milowicki, 48, took off from Herlong Airport in his four-seat Cessna 172 about 2 a.m. Sunday morning, the Sheriff’s Office said. An acquaintance told police Tuesday that Milowicki was missing and may have flown into the ocean.

Police found the plane missing from the small airport off Normandy Boulevard and a suicide note in Milowicki’s vehicle. The Sheriff’s Office said no foul play is suspected in Milowicki’s disappearance.

Guy Gautreaux said he was among 15 people on a dive charter returning to Jacksonville about 2 p.m. Sunday when they spotted a piece of white metal floating in the ocean and hoisted it aboard.

“We went to flip it over and fuel started spilling out,” said Gautreaux, 34.

The U.S. Coast Guard was notified but had no reports of missing planes in the area and did not conduct a search, said Jessica Potter, a Coast Guard spokeswoman.

The Coast Guard began searching the ocean by sea and air Tuesday after being told about the missing pilot, Potter said. The search for more debris and any human remains continued Wednesday afternoon.

The Federal Aviation Administration learned about the found plane part Tuesday night, said FAA spokesman Jim Peters. The National Transportation Safety Board will try to determine whether the wing matches Milowicki’s plane.

Court records show Milowicki’s wife filed for divorce last month and he filed a counter petition last week. Police arrested Milowicki last month and charged him with violating an injunction for protection. A judge granted the petition to his wife of 14 years after he threatened to harm her and himself, records show.

Milowicki spent 24 years in the U.S. Navy and retired as a commander, according to an FSCJ autobiographical video. He identified himself as the director of aviation programs at the college’s Aviation Center of Excellence at Cecil Field, where he once flew Navy planes.

An FSCJ spokesman said he planned to give the Times-Union with information about Milowicki this afternoon.
http://jacksonville.com

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -  Police say a man reported missing Tuesday may have crashed his small plane into the ocean miles off the coast of Mayport.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says Gene Milowicki's car was found at Herlong Airport with a suicide note on the passenger seat and his small plane was missing from its hanger. Airport records show Milowicki entered the airport at 2:04 a.m.

Charter boat Capt. Dan Lindley told Channel 4 he was out Sunday afternoon on a dive charter when they spotted the aircraft wreckage 12 to 15 miles offshore.  He said he hauled a pices of the fuselage and other parts of the plane onto his boat.

"Capt. Dan Lindley photo of aircraft wreckage You could tell it was fresh wreckage; no grass or barnacles," Lindley said.

Lindley said police came Tuesday night and picked up the debris.  Police said investigators are trying to determine if the parts match Milowicki's aircraft.

Police are working with the Federal Aviation Administration and the United States Coast Guard on the case, and no foul play is suspected.
http://www.news4jax.com

FSCJ Aviation Center Director Milowicki explains possible causes of plane fuselage tear

Brazil flight makes 'precautionary landing' at John F Kennedy International Airport (KJFK), New York

 

 NEW YORK (WABC) -- A Brazilian airliner made a successful precautionary landing at JFK Airport because of a problem with its landing gear. 

 The TAM Airlines flight had what officials described as "twisted front landing gear."

Flight 8078 originated in Rio de Janeiro with 190 people on board.

FAA says investigators will talk to the carrier to try to determine if there was an actual problem with the wheel. They know that the time of the landing, the gear was in the proper position.

As related to Port Authority officials, there was believed to be a nose gear problem on the flight. The plane did a "go around" so the tower could look at the wheel. The plane was cleared for landing and it did land "without incident" at 11:00 a.m.

Port Authority staged on the tarmac for emergency response, but the plane landed safely and was able to taxi to the gate under its own power.

The pilots could be heard on radio transmissions thanking the air traffic control tower for their assistance after the landing.

Story, video and comments:  http://abclocal.go.com

Lawrence County, South Dakota: Emergency Landing

The Lawrence County Sheriff's Department says a 62-year-old pilot and his passenger escaped with only minor injuries after a plane crash Tuesday evening.

Authorities say a plane was forced to make an emergency landing after a failed landing attempt on a private airstrip near the crash scene; approximately 6 miles west of Spearfish.
  
The Cessna 175's front landing gear was torn from the plane, causing the plane to skid to a stop in a hay field. The pilot, 62-year-old John Widdoss of Spearfish, and his passenger, Justin Bierschwale of Texas, were both able to exit the plane before it caught on fire. The fire quickly engulfed the airplane and then spread into the grass of the hay field. The fire destroyed the plane and burned approximately 2 acres of grass, before being extinguished by fire crews.

Widdoss sustained minor injuries and his male passenger was not hurt.

The crash is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration.

http://www.kotaradio.com

Eclipse Aerospace Announces Anti-Skid Brakes

Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sep 26, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Today, Eclipse Aerospace, Inc. formally announces the addition of an Anti-Skid Braking System (ABS) as a new option for the Eclipse Twin-Engine Jet, the world's first and most efficient Very Light Jet. The new Anti-Skid Braking System is available as an option on the new production Eclipse 550 jets and will be offered as a retrofit to the existing fleet. In-aircraft testing is complete with certification and availability expected within six months.

ABS allows for maximum braking energy and skid control without the need for a conventional hydraulic system, which is unique to the Eclipse Jet. "Testing of this system has exceeded our expectations, from normal touchdown speeds to a complete stop in less than 750 feet with aggressive braking," states Cary Winter, SVP of Engineering at Eclipse Aerospace .

This innovative and proven technology will add yet another level of safety to the Eclipse Jet's robust set of safety features and stellar safety record. The new system will include two brake control valves installed in each wheel well, two axle mounted wheel speed sensors, a computer, and a software update to our Avio Processing Center software. The total installation weighs approximately seventeen pounds. Eclipse Aerospace will also be offering a weight reduction package that will minimize the weight impact of the ABS installation. The Anti-Skid Braking System will be available as an option on all IFMS equipped aircraft.

"ABS and the previously announced Auto Throttles are just two of the many exciting new features and engineering enhancements Eclipse Aerospace will be releasing in the very near future." stated Winter.

The fully certified ABS retrofit installation for the Eclipse Jet will be available in early 2013, with installation on new production Eclipse 550 Jets available at initial deliveries. Based on the performance experienced in testing, Eclipse will seek to adjust the Aircraft Flight Manual performance numbers as appropriate.

This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com

SOURCE: Eclipse Aerospace, Inc.

For more information and to view a video of the Eclipse Anti-Skid Brake Test, visit www.ECLIPSE.aero .

http://www.marketwatch.com

Families of Polish plane crash victims ask: Who did we bury? Tupolev 154M, Accident occurred April 10, 2010 near Smolensk Air Base - Russia

WARSAW, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Relatives of the victims of a plane crash that killed Poland's president and 95 others in 2010 are facing the possibility that they buried strangers instead of their loved ones due to mistakes identifying remains.

Polish prosecutors said on Tuesday that the remains of Anna Walentynowicz, one of the people killed in the crash near the Russian city of Smolensk, were mixed up with those of another victim.

That revelation has raised questions about how many of the other bodies were wrongly identified after the crash - an event which traumatised the nation and still complicates relations with Poland's neighbour Russia.

Prosecutors have so far ordered that the remains of four victims should be exhumed to check if they are indeed the people their relatives thought they buried.

"I don't want to say that there will be a wave of exhumations just yet, but it won't end with just four," said Rafal Rogalski, a lawyer representing the relatives of several victims, including former President Lech Kaczynski.

"What has happened only underlines the approach of the Russian authorities and how reliable their documentation is. For now I can say that I am only certain (about the identity) of 10 or 11 bodies," he told Reuters.

Lawyers and relatives said on Wednesday they were considering requesting that many more bodies be unearthed.

The crash has particular poignancy for Poles because it evokes memories of the Katyn massacre, when Soviet secret police murdered an estimated 22,000 Poles in a forest during World War Two. The crash victims were travelling to Smolensk to take part in ceremonies to mark Katyn's fiftieth anniversary.

"ETERNAL INFAMY"

The remains of the Smolensk victims were examined by Russian investigators in the presence of Polish officials in Moscow before being flown back to Warsaw in metal coffins. They were then handed over to relatives for burial.

Opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, twin brother of the late president who died in the crash with other civilian and military officials, accused the government of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk of failing to make sure Russian officials dealt properly with the remains.

"The people responsible for what happened with the exhumation should leave Polish politics and leave in eternal infamy," said Kaczynski, who has been accused of seeking to score political points from the disaster.

The Justice Minister was scheduled to discuss the exhumations at a parliamentary session on Thursday.

"The original sin was when Poland decided not to work with Russian investigators hand-in-hand immediately after the crash," said Stefan Hambura, an attorney for the family of Walentynowicz. A former Solidarity activist, her case sparked the review of how the remains were identified.

Russian investigators have blamed the crew of the Polish government Tu-154 for the crash, while a Polish report pointed the finger at Russian ground controllers for allowing the jet to land in heavy fog at a small airport near Smolensk.

Hambura told Reuters he had already asked military prosecutors to test the remains of Stefan Malak, a Smolensk victim, at the request of his brother.

Magdalena Merta, a widow of another victim, said she regretted not checking whether it really was the body of her husband that had lain in the coffin she kept in her home before the funeral.

"This was a chance to establish his identity," she told Polish television.

"I regret that I did not stand up to my family in this matter, but they feared that opening it would have been the last thing I did in my life."

 http://www.reuters.com

Philippines: Shut down bird haven, government told

A GROUP of pilots and aircraft owners on Wednesday called for the removal of the man-made bird sanctuary at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area to prevent bird strikes and lessen the risk of fatal aircraft accidents.
 
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of the Philippines urged the government to relocate the bird sanctuary that sits directly along the flight path of aircrafts landing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Runway 06-24.

Manila International Airport Authority reported recorded 39 bird strike incidents at the country’s premier airport, an increase of 50 percent incident compared to last year.

The man-made bird sanctuary was proclaimed by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area and its removal will require the repeal of the Arroyo proclamation by President Aquino, who has not indicated a position on the matter.

AOPA Secretary General Gomeriano Amurao, said the removal of the bird sanctuary will permanently resolve the bird strike problem that may cause deadly aircraft accidents.

http://manilastandardtoday.com

NASA Boeing 747-123 [N905NA] Final Takeoff From Los Angeles

  Published on September 24, 2012 by SpeedbirdHD 

 Departed to Mojave Airport to be parted out!
 ~

Delivered to American Airlines in 1970 as N9668. It was then acquired by NASA in 1974 as N905NA. This aircraft is the 86th Boeing 747 ever produced. It's 42 years old. After carrying Space Shuttle Endeavor to California, this aircraft will head to Mojave and get parted out for NASA's 747SP SOFIA. This is the last takeoff for this SCA (Shuttle Carrier Aircraft)

Lee County grounds emergency helicopters; Bayflite must fill in

SARASOTA COUNTY - The Bayflite helicopter and crew based in Sarasota County is now temporarily, and indefinitely, available to handle medical emergencies in Lee County. 

Last month, Lee County grounded two county-owned copters and fired the pilots because the emergency medical service used to airlift patients failed to meet federal safety requirements.

Bayflite, a service of Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, is on alert that its copter and crew based at Dove Field east of the Interstate 75 and Fruitville Road interchange in Sarasota may be summoned to assist Lee County paramedics.

Lee County dispatchers reportedly called Bayflite to an accident scene last week but cancelled the call after learning it would take about 25 minutes for the crew from Sarasota to arrive.

Estero Fire Rescue reportedly criticized Lee dispatchers for not calling Collier County's Medflight crew sooner. Two people in the traffic accident were instead transported by ambulances to Lee Memorial Hospital.

Rod VanOrsdol, Sarasota County's assistant chief in charge of emergency medical services, said he is confident that Bayflite can coordinate service so that Sarasota County remains covered if its Sarasota crew is sent south.

“I'm totally comfortable with it,” VanOrsdol said. “I don't have any worries about it.”

VanOrsdol noted that Bayflite has a mutual aid agreement with Tampa General Hospital's Aeromed copter service.

Typically, Bayflite airlifts trauma victims in this area to either Blake Medical Center in Bradenton or to Bayfront Medical Center.

Its copter can travel “about 120 to 150 mph in a straight line,” VanOrsdol said.

Scott Wyant, program director at Bayflite's dispatch center in St. Petersburg, was not immediately available for comment.

 http://www.heraldtribune.com

Two F15 fighter jets buzz Nantucket, Massachusetts

(Sept. 26, 2012) What was that noise? Two F15 fighter jets buzzed Nantucket Wednesday morning, flying about 1,500 feet over the island during a practice intercept exercise.

The two planes, out of the Westover Air Force base in Chicopee, Mass., were following a single engine Cessna aircraft as part of the training exercise, according to Nantucket air traffic manager Patrick Topham.

There were similar training exercises over Nantucket during the past month, Topham said, but at higher elevations, so they were likely not as noticeable as Wednesday's flyover, which could be heard all over the island.


http://www.ack.net

Beechcraft Travel Air: Museum of Contemporary Art Australia

 

A light plane as part of art work by artists Claire Healy and Shaun Cordeiro called Stasis being installed in front of the MCA Pic: Nic G Source: The Daily Telegraph

 

A light plane as part of art work by artists Claire Healy and Shaun Cordeiro called Stasis being installed in front of the MCA Pic: Nic G Source: The Daily Telegraph

When you aim an aircraft at a city building, it automatically hits everyone's 9/11 button.
 
That's the dilemma faced by Blackheath artists Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro, who yesterday supervised the installation of their orange Beechcraft Travelair in mid-swoop on the lawn outside the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.

"It's very hard to escape [the 9/11 inference],'' Cordeiro said. "But when people are going to look at it, what other reference do they have?''

Stasis, as the Healy and Cordeiro artwork is called, was actually inspired by the 19-year-old German Mathias Rust who in 1987 flew a light aircraft from Helsinki to Moscow, foiling the full might of Soviet air defences and landing right next to Red Square.

Rust said he wanted to build an "imaginary bridge'' between the East and West, then in the grip of the Cold War.

"It kick-started the fall of the Soviet Union, in a strange way,'' Cordeiro said.

Stasis, like Rust, demonstrated the unlikely power of the lone dissenter, he said.

Stasis is part of a survey show at the MCA called Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro which opens on Thursday.

It's not the first time the artist couple has canibalised an aircraft in the name of art. Their exhibition also includes Par Avion, comprising a Cessna 172 which was cut into 70 pieces, posted to Sydney from San Francisco and reassembled on the gallery wall.

There are 18 works in the exhibition incuding Future Remnant - a stack of partially-assembled IKEA furniture propped up with a life-size replica of a dinosaur skeleton.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au

Piper Seneca II PA 34 200T Ferry from Seething/UK to St. Gallen/Switzerland with Emergency - Landing Gear

 

 Published on September 17, 2012 by kesswil 

 "Ferry from Seething/UK to St. Gallen/Switzerland with fuel stop in Luxembourg. Lost hydraulic pressure during flight. At landing, we made a tower fly by, gear was not fully down, so we made a free drop and second fly by and gear seems to be fully down and locked. But still the landing is a surprise, but all went OK!"

Horses, rhinos come to air cargo's aid in recession

FRANKFURT, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Milano de Flore, waiting dozily at Frankfurt airport for a flight to Buenos Aires after competing in the London Olympics, had no idea how important he is to the air freight business.

That is because he is a horse - one of the many millions of live animals whose transport by air has helped operators cushion the ups and downs of the air cargo sector in the past few years with lucrative specialty freight business.

"It's stayed relatively constant throughout the crisis. There's hardly any volatility like with usual freight. People just love animals," Axel Heitmann, head of Lufthansa Cargo's Animal Lounge in Frankfurt, told Reuters.

And like other kinds of speciality freight - such as pharmaceuticals that have to stay cold, perishables like flowers or valuables like gold - animal cargo is more profitable than general freight.

Larger animals in particular - such as dolphins bound for a water park in Dubai, giant pandas on their way to a new home in Paris or thoroughbred race horses - offer carriers hefty margins.

Lufthansa Cargo, the freight arm of Germany's leading airline Deutsche Lufthansa transports around 100 million live animals per year, almost as many as the number of passengers served by parent Lufthansa.

That number does however include 3,000 tonnes of worms to be used as fishing bait and a lot of tropical fish, Heitmann said.

ABSOLUTELY PROFITABLE

At around 30 million euros ($39.4 million) in annual sales, Lufthansa Cargo's live animal business is still small, compared to its overall sales of 1.4 billion. But it's "absolutely a profitable business," Heitmann said.

Lufthansa invested at least 10 million euros in a new 4,000 square metre animal facility, the Animal Lounge opened in 2008, when its old facilities reached capacity and it was having to turn down business.

Lufthansa Cargo expects its animal business to grow revenues by about 3-4 percent this year, Heitmann said. That compares with a fall of 9.2 percent in volumes for Lufthansa Cargo's overall business in the first six months of the year.

Animals have been transported by air since the early 1930s.

In Germany, the demand for moving pets via planes was driven in the early days by army personnel, who wanted to take their dachshunds back with them to the United States.

Nowadays few airlines transport live animals because there are very strict regulations on the facilities they need to offer and how animals should be treated to keep them safe and well.

GIRAFFES RISK HEART ATTACKS, RHINOS NEED SEDATION

Zoo animals are often especially challenging because they may be especially large, fragile or poisonous. Rhinoceroses, unsurprisingly, have to be sedated throughout the flight.

"You don't want such a large animal lumbering about in flight," Lufthansa's Heitmann said.

And giraffes are so sensitive and at such risk of heart attacks that they have to gradually get used to rising noise levels on the plane before taking off.

But the dangers of transporting animals are worth it for those cargo carriers that are willing to make the investment.

KLM Cargo, part of Air France-KLM, which ships animals ranging "from bumblebees to giraffes and from guppies to horses", says it has seen no declines in demand for animal cargo in the crisis.

Industry-wide, demand for overall air freight meanwhile declined by 2.8 percent in the seven months through July this year, according to airline industry body IATA.

Horses like the 12-year-old stallion Milano de Flore, who placed 64th at the London Olympics, are a particular growth area for cargo carriers. This is due to the popularity of events such as the Spruce Meadows show-jumping in Canada and relatively new tournaments, including the Dubai World Cup.

Data from the Federation Equestre Internationale, the international body governing equestrian sport, shows a marked rise in events over the last four years. Since 2008, the start of the financial crisis, the number of annual events has jumped 34 percent.

"Given the growing popularity of equestrian sport worldwide, we expect the number of FEI competitions at all levels to continue growing," a spokeswoman for the federation said.

Cargolux, a freight-only carrier that flies up to 3,000 horses a year, recently invested in new horse containers that allow it to carry as many as 78 horses per flight on its Boeing 747-400 freighters, or 90 on the new 747-8F.

PRICE NO OBJECT?

Growth of animal cargo "is not necessarily linked to economic factors," Hiran Perera, Senior Vice President - Cargo Planning & Freighters at Dubai-based Emirates, said.

Animals flown on cargo aircraft can be very valuable, and owners are much more concerned with safety and reliability than with how much the trip will cost.

Air freight is generally more popular for transporting valuable goods such as gold or pharmaceuticals than ships or trucks. Air cargo accounts for just over a third of goods transported around the world by value but only about 0.5 percent of the tonnage, according to data from IATA.

It can cost anywhere between 5,000-8,000 euros to transport a horse from Europe to North America, compared with around 800 euros for a medium-sized dog.

Unlike pets such as cats and dogs, horses do not fit in the hold of regular passenger planes, which are only 1.60 metres high, and so have to fly on freight aircraft and require special containers that can fit up to three horses side-by-side.

If no horses are booked for the return trip, the container has to be flown back empty, which the cost of the shipment needs to cover as well.

Emirates has been transporting horses since 2001 and in April this year brought 70 of them from Oman to Britain for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, a record number for the company.

"Pet and horse transportation has increased. It's partly because of the aircraft that we have and the fact that we've invested in all of this. It's beginning to pay off," Perera said.

Perera said Emirates has worked with aircraft maker Boeing to ensure the 777 freighter planes it was buying would be suitable for the shipment of animals as well as other cargo.

Such planes may require, for instance, heating as well as seats for grooms that travel with the animals.

On one of its 777s, Emirates flew thoroughbred horses from Sydney to upstate New York in 2010 - its longest non-stop cargo flight ever at 17.5 hours - and says the horses may have been worth more than the aircraft on which they were travelling.

A 777 Boeing freighter is worth $280 million at list prices, while a thoroughbred racehorse can cost hundreds of thousands or even tens of millions of dollars.

Story:  http://www.reuters.com

Air-to-air/Aerial Highlight Reel of Diamond DA42 and Cessna 172

 

Published on September 24, 2012 by JDProductionsINC

 Air-to-air/Aerial Highlight Reel of Diamond DA-42 & Cessna 172 from 2011.

Fifth annual M Mountain Fly-In taking off: Socorro Municipal Airport (KONM), New Mexico

The skies over Socorro will be alive with the sounds of various aircraft this weekend when the M Mountain Fly-In takes place at the Socorro Municipal Airport on Sept. 29 and 30.

Heading into its fifth year, the Fly-In will again give residents from all around the area a chance to check out aircraft of all types, including vintage, home-built and experimental airplanes and much more, says organizer Dave Finley.

“Its been great for the general public to come and see these airplanes,” he said.

Finley, along with pilot and aviation consultant Laura Haines and a few others, first put the event together in 2008.

The Civil Air Patrol in Socorro had recently been chartered as well, so Finley and company got to work printing out fliers, putting notices in newspapers and, he said, people just started showing up.

“We know there are fly-ins elsewhere in the state. Socorro’s in a central location, we’ve got a great airport, we’ve now got some people that can help put it on,” Finley said of the original planning stages.

And since the inaugural Fly-In, the community and the city have shown the event is one that should thrive for some time to come.

“The community has supported it really well. The city has been great,” Finley said.

“The funny thing about that first one, we thought it would be a really big success if we got 20 planes to come here from out of town, and at one point we had 65.”

In past years, the M-Mountain Fly-In has played host to historic aircraft, such as the U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey tiltroter and the AH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, and it’s now in its third year of having Air Force support, Finley said.

He said the Osprey has proved a huge bonus for attendees in the past.

“That was a huge draw,” he said. “That’s a really neat aircraft. It’s pretty impressive just to see it land and take off.”

While he expects to see the Osprey make a return appearance this year, perhaps the real draw in 2012 will come in the form of what is probably the most iconic and notably historic American aircraft, the B-17 Flying Fortress.

“It was sort of the queen of the sky in the European theater,” Finley said. “It was a workhorse for the bombing campaign against Germany.”

And while the mere appearance of the B-17 is a sight to behold, its presence in Socorro might also give local residents an opportunity to take in an integral piece of U.S. history.

“It’s an amazing piece of history. It’s something I think every American ought to know a little bit about,” Finley said.

He pointed out that the Flying Fortress was a beloved aircraft because it could take a substantial beating and get its crew home safely, but 50 percent of B-17 crews were still casualties during World War II, and those crews made a tremendous sacrifice.

“It wasn’t by any means all glory,” he said. “It was a lot of pain and agony and suffering, with great dedication and great devotion to their country.”

Attendees will be able to walk through Sentimental Journey and rides will be available.

In addition to the various aircraft that will be present, the Fly-In will also offer entertainment, food and fun. Finley said there will be plenty of vendors on site, lots of activities, and musician Doug Figgs is scheduled to sing the National Anthem as well as the New Mexico Centennial dedication song.

There will even be a trailer devoted to the sale of B-17 memorabilia.

At around 9 a.m. on Saturday, Skydive New Mexico will be on hand to preform a jump, and there will be fly-bys and demonstrations.

At 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, the New Mexico Centennial Air Tour will make its final stop. According to www.nmcentennial.org, “the tour highlights historic aviators, aircraft, and significant N.M. aviation events, such as the first commercial air route and Charles Lindbergh’s development of aerial archeology.”

The M-Mountain Fly-In will commence at 8 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday, and admission is free.

“With the food and the singing and everything else and all the airplanes, its a great place to spend the day and see all kinds of interesting general aviation aircraft,” Finley said.

http://www.dchieftain.com

Indian aviation: only itself to blame

Will the Indian aviation industry ever learn? Last year, as beyondbrics reported, the industry was is turmoil after state carrier Air India initiated a price war that caused the airlines to spiral into a $20bn collective debt hole.
 
Now it seems, they’re at it again. Air India started the cutting, announcing its jaldi jaldi scheme last Thursday, an early bird program that offers up to 40 per cent discounts on certain routes booked in advance. Let another price war commence.

The scheme is a response to the aviation minister, who asked the state carrier to provide a plan to increase its market share, which has fallen to 18.2 per cent, putting it in fourth place among India’s airlines.

By Wednesday, Jet Airways and number-one carrier IndiGo had both announced similar schemes, with SpiceJet expected to follow suit shortly.

Considering that the fuel sales taxes that have hurt the industry remain high, fuel prices are close to all-time highs, and airport charges continue to increase, airlines have no business slashing rates, analysts said. But intense competition fueled by a drop in demand has forced them to cut – and that’s not good news for anyone, and is unlikely to entice any foreign airlines to take advantage of the new policy allowing them to invest up to 49 per cent in local carriers.

“If one [airline] goes at it with such a scheme the others have to [follow] – you can’t fly with an empty airplane,” said Sharan Lillaney, analyst at Angel Broking. “People are price sensitive, they will go for the cheaper ticket. So one [airline] will follow another, and the next will follow that one and everyone will end up making losses again – this is just not sustainable.”

From January to August, Indian airlines carried 39.8m passengers, in an increase of just 0.5 per cent over the same period last year, according to data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, compared to the double digit passenger growth the industry once saw. Meanwhile, flights are flying at around 70 per cent capacity, and closer to 60 per cent for some airlines, and a cheaper ticket sold is better than no ticket at all.

That’s good for consumers, but bad for business.

Source:  http://blogs.ft.com

Arik Air Bars 27 People including Japheth Omojuwa & FAAN MD from Flying on its Aircrafts

Japheth Omojuwa, a social media activist with a huge online following brewed up quite a storm when he took to Twitter and his website, omojuwa.com some weeks ago to publicize how his iPad got missing on an Arik-Air flight.

With hash tags like #Arikaircriminals and #ArikWhereIsMyiPad, he made his grievance with the airline public.

Little wonder he was one of the people barred from flying on the airline.

Arik Air recently released a list of people barred from flying on any of its aircrafts for both domestic and international flights.

According to the airline, Japheth was barred “for giving Arik negative publicity on social media after losing his iPad on the airlines flight in June this year”.

Another prominent name on the list was the Managing Director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Mr George Uriesi. The reason given for Mr. Uriesi’s blacklisting was simply explained as “management decision.”

There are speculations that the decision might not be unconnected with the ongoing battle between the airline and FAAN. FAAN had earlier accused the airline of owing it over N7 billion, an amount which was defiantly denied. Arik Air insisted that it had been paying the Authority and only owed it over N1 billion.

According to Vanguard, the reasons given for the ban range from fighting Arik staff, disrupting Arik flight operations, to being declared wanted by security agencies.

The list which was last updated on September 24, 2012 said all those listed are banned ‘permanently’ from flying on Arik Air.

iREPORTS-NG lists the names of some of those barred from the airline and the reasons for the decision:
Omojuwa Japheth (for giving Arik negative publicity on social media after losing his iPad on the airlines flight in June this year) ; Messrs Victor-Ogbondah Elo,Lawal Lateef and Obayomi Osoba ( for insulting Arik staff); Obiriki James; Guanah Raymos; Messrs Moulim Buobacal, Muossa Baba and Al- Laranma Ibrahim( Somalians for terrorism); Warsame Ahmed Adbukadir, a Somalian for terrorism; Abdel Rahman Wala Eldin, a Sudanese for terrorism; Mohammed Murtada Awad Allad Ahmad, a Sudanese for terrorism; Bakare Lanre (former Arik employee over alleged bank fraud); Miss Davies- Fasan Adesola (for fighting with an Arik staff); Mrs Ejilasisi Kudirat Abike; Mr Musa Azeez Arisekola; Mr Adesugba Sijuade Adekoya; Oluseye Yakubu Idowu; Olomiwe Peter Chukwu; Nwachukwu Austin; Messrs Orji Daniel Ikechukwu and Uzoh Himan (over fraud in SA); Adesanya David; Ikukoyi Olufemi Olukay; and Grace Ikiruka Guobadia.

 http://www.bellanaija.com

Close Shave for Kingfisher Passengers at Chennai Airport - India

Chennai, Sep 26 (Zee News): Passengers on board a Kingfisher Airlines’ plane had a close shave after a baggage trolley collided with the aircraft at the Chennai airport on Wednesday.

The incident occurred today morning when after Kingfisher ATR plane with flight number IT-2494 was pushed back from the parking bay and was taxiing to the active runway for takeoff to Bangalore. All of sudden, fluting rules, a baggage trolley vehicle intruded into the flight path and collided with the plane.

The aircraft’s fuselage was substantially damaged, leading to the abandoning of the flight plan.

All the 48 passengers who were on board at the time of the accident are being sent to Bangalore in another aircraft.

A probe has being ordered to look into the sequence of events and nail the guilty.

Defence Ministry: Military plane crashes in northern Serbia, 1 pilot dead

BELGRADE -- A Serbian military airplane on Wednesday morning crashed into a residential area of Nova Pazova, north of Belgrade, it has been confirmed.

There have been no reports of causalities among the residents, but one of the pilots perished in the accident.

The other pilot did not sustain serious injuries.

The aircraft - a V-54 Lasta - was on a routine technical flight when it went down.

According to Nova Pazova Municipal President Đorđe Radinović, the plane crashed into the yard of a private house, while the pilot who lost his life is to credit for the fact there were no causalities on the ground:

"The aircraft went down between two structures. One pilot ejected, while the other made an effort until the last moment (before ejecting) not to hit a house in this residential area. Once the plane stopped there was no explosion either."

The pilot - identified as Major Goran Savić - was found close to his plane and was in a very serious condition when medical teams reached him. The doctors of the Military clinic VMA were fighting to save his life, but news came shortly after midday that he had succumbed to his injuries.

Defense Minister Aleksandar Vučić on Wednesday ordered an urgent investigation into the accident, it was announced in Belgrade.

A small military plane crashed Wednesday in an inhabited area in northern Serbia, killing one of the two pilots but injuring no one on the ground, the defence ministry said.

The light training aircraft crashed around 0815GMT in Nova Pazova, about 30 kilometres (nine miles) northwest of the capital Belgrade, the defence ministry statement said.

It said that the pilots ejected before the plane crashed. One of them, Maj. Goran Savic, died later Wednesday in the military hospital in Belgrade from the injuries sustained in the crash, the ministry said.

The other pilot is injured but his life is not in danger, the statement said.

The ministry said that an investigation is under way to determine the cause of the crash. The pilots were on a regular testing flight, it said.

Local media have reported that the plane landed in a private garden in a central street in Nova Pazova.

Korean Air wins maintenance contract from United States Air Force

The nation’s leading passenger airline, Korean Air, won a $31 million (35 billion won) maintenance contract Wednesday from the United States Air Force (USAF), for work on F-16 fighter jets over the next five and a half years.

The work will involve maintenance and inspections of wing parts, landing gear and lower bulkheads as well as spraying the jets with special radar-deflecting paint that can improve chances of non-detection from enemy surveillance systems by 70 to 80 percent.

The firm will also be a support partner of the U.S. Air Force throughout the Asia Pacific region by dispatching a special team to oversee emergency repairs within operational units.

The U.S. Air Force invited bids for the contract in April and several domestic and foreign airline companies put forward offers, including Korean Air.

“The U.S. Air Force has selected our company after a thorough inspection of our facilities and capability. They have recognized our unrivaled production and repairing technologies as well as our stable business and operational skills,” said a Korean Air manager.

“We expect this project will lead to a prolonged project to elongate the lifespan of aircraft,” he added.

The company plans to utilize the same repair technology it will use on the U.S. fighters on maintenance of Korean jets.

Korean Air has repaired 630 U.S. F-16 planes since 1983 and repaired and enhanced the functions of 2,600 additional aircraft such as F-15s, A-10s, C-130s, KA-130Js, CH-47s, CH-53s, and UH-60s since 1978.

The company has a technology center located in Busan where it produces parts and repairs aircraft. All of Korean Air’s airplanes are inspected and repaired at this center and some foreign airlines also have planes repaired there. They also conduct repairs to foreign fighter jets upon request.

The nation’s largest airline company started assembling fighter jets and other aircraft in 1976 and has assembled 500 F-5 planes, and MD and UH-60 helicopters. This was expanded to civilian aircraft in 1986.

The company supplies wing components to Airbus and Embraer as well as participates in co-production of airplanes with Boeing.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr