Kathryn's Report: 2012-09-30

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Cirrus SR22 GTS, N80KW: Accident occurred October 06, 2012 in Birmingham, Alabama

NTSB Identification: ERA13LA012
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, October 06, 2012 in Birmingham, AL
Aircraft: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22, registration: N80KW
Injuries: 1 Serious,1 Minor.

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 October 6, 2012, about 1215 central daylight time, a Cirrus SR22, N80KW, operated by a private individual, was substantially damaged during deployment of the Cirrus Airplane Parachute System (CAPS), following a loss of control during a missed approach at Birmingham International Airport (BHM), Birmingham, Alabama. The private pilot incurred minor injuries and the passenger was seriously injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Charles B Wheeler Downtown Airport (MKC), Kansas City, Missouri; destined for BHM.

The pilot stated that while on the instrument landing system approach to runway 6 at BHM, he reported missed approach at 2,000 feet to the BHM air traffic control tower. The tower controller instructed the pilot to fly the runway heading; however, the pilot reported to the controller that he was unable due to weather. The tower controller then instructed the pilot to fly a heading of 180 degrees and climb to 4,000 feet. The pilot acknowledged the instruction and during the turn, lost control of the airplane. He then observed the altimeter indicating a descent through 1,700 feet and elected to deploy the CAPS. The airplane subsequently descended and came to rest in a commercial parking lot, about 2 miles south of BHM.

Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the fuselage and a puncture of the left wing near the left main landing gear.

The airplane was equipped with a remote data module (RDM), intended to record flight and engine parameters. The inspector recovered the RDM from the airplane and forwarded it to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory, Washington, DC, for data download.

The recorded weather at BHM, at 1153, included an overcast ceiling at 700 feet above ground level (1350 feet above mean sea level).

 IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 80KW        Make/Model: SR22      Description: SR-22
  Date: 10/06/2012     Time: 1717

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

LOCATION
  City: BIRMINGHAM   State: AL   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. BIRMINGHAM, AL

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Pass:   1     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: 10/09/2012

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N80KW
  
http://registry.faa.gov/N80KW

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) - Following the crash we wanted to learn more about the parachute that kept both of the planes occupants alive.

So we turned to the Birmingham Flight Center where the experts here train pilots to deal with just this kind of situation.

What we learned is that parachutes in small aircraft are not common, but fortunately for Billy Sprague and his passenger... they were flying in a Cirrus airplane which uses the technology exclusively.

Flight instructor Mitch McCommons explains, "Well the Cirrus parachute is a rocket propelled parachute that is stored in the tail of the aircraft... and when you pull the handle a rocket propels the parachute out of the back of the aircraft and it just carries the airplane down it just carries the plane down. It's in a slightly nose low attitude and you are falling at about 1500 feet-per-minute. It works pretty well. it's a lot better than alternative.

You can learn more about the Birmingham Flight Center by calling 205-849-7742 or by clicking here.

You can hear more from Mitch McCommons regarding the parachute technology and training for these kinds of situation below.

Story and videos: http://www.cbs42.com

Newark Liberty International (KEWR), New Jersey: Secret observers find 'shocking' lapses in airport security, report says

NEWARK — Screeners at Newark Liberty International Airport are properly executing standard pat-downs of passengers only 16.7 percent of the time and they identify and take appropriate action on prohibited items in only a quarter of all cases, according to a secret internal report.

The revelations are contained in a document, obtained by The Star-Ledger, titled "PACE Airport Evaluation" and dated June 8. It was compiled by an undercover team of Transportation Security Administration employees from other airports who were asked to observe screeners at work at Newark Liberty.

PACE is an acronym for Presence, Advisements, Communication and Execution, the four job performance headings that included a total of 47 individual procedures or skills observed by the visiting evaluation teams.

To some TSA watchdogs, such poor performance on standard procedures was startling coming a decade after the TSA was formed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

Thomas McDonnell, a Pace Law School professor and author of "The United States, International Law and the Struggle against Terrorism," said the findings are unacceptable.

"There’s that often-repeated phrase, ‘We’ve got to get it right all the time,’ " said McDonnell. "When it’s under 50 percent, under 20 percent, that to me is very shocking."

A finding of the evaluation that was particularly shocking to McDonnell and other civil rights advocates was that in no cases — 0 percent — did screeners properly inform passengers of their right to opt out of a full-body scan in favor of a pat-down.

"As a civil libertarian, I am very concerned that people are not being advised what their rights are," said John F. Banzhaf III, a professor of public interest law at George Washington Law School.

"There are certainly anecdotal reports, in addition to this, that people who elected not to go through the scanner and have elected the pat-down have been patted down much more aggressively."

The PACE evaluation by out-of-town TSA employees — nicknamed "secret shoppers" by the screeners being scrutinized — comes amid a crackdown that has resulted in retraining or disciplinary action against dozens of Newark screeners and is now working its way up the local TSA ranks. The crackdown is being led by Federal Security Director Donald Drummer, who replaced the airport’s former security chief in April 2011 amid a string of security breaches and reports of plummeting employee morale.

Asked to comment on the PACE evaluation, TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein issued a statement saying: "TSA is an agency that evaluates its workforce constantly with an eye toward continuous improvement."

"PACE evaluation is designed to be a ‘snapshot in time’ to assess various areas of passenger interaction. TSA uses the results as a guide to educate its workforce on areas where its employees are strong and areas where it can improve."

Despite his defense of fliers’ liberties, Banzhaf said he by no means advocates sacrificing security in the name of liberty. He calls for incorporating racial and religious characteristics, along with age, sex and other factors, into calculations of how closely to screen individual fliers, and, for example, would favor closer scrutiny of young Muslim or Arabic men than of elderly women.

The PACE report was not all bad. In 17 categories, including removing prohibited items found during physical searches and exhibiting good listening skills, screeners were observed carrying out their duties properly 100 percent of the time.

The PACE evaluation process at Newark began several months ago, and has involved at least three visits by PACE teams, according to TSA employees in Newark. In some cases, the team members position themselves discretely at checkpoints in order to observe a particular screener performing the same function over and over on a number of passengers. At other times, the evaluator will pass through the checkpoint as if en route to a flight, in order to undergo the various screening procedures himself.

While Newark Liberty has been undergoing a staffwide shakeup over the past year resulting directly from a string of repeated and sometimes high-profile security breaches, TSA officials say PACE evaluations are carried out at the country’s largest airports not necessarily to address chronic security-related problems, but rather to ensure standardization of procedures nationwide. Officials say the evaluations are not meant to gauge screeners’ performance in extreme situations and, for example, the prohibited items that evaluators attempt to carry through checkpoints include oversized liquid containers and gels not properly stored in so-called 3-1-1 bags — not guns or bombs.

Mecca Scott, a former Newark screener who is now a national organizer with the Association of Federal Government Employees, the union representing 44,000 screeners, said scrutiny comes with the territory.

"They’re tested on a regular basis locally, so it’s not something they’re not used to," Scott said.

Stacy Bodtmann, another AFGE union official who is still a screener in Newark, said the evaluation points to the need for more training.

"I’m not blaming everything on training," Bodtmann said. "I just feel that Newark doesn’t get the amount of hours it should."

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

Schleicher ASH25M, N513WK: Accident occurred October 07, 2012 in Kamuela, Hawaii

NTSB Identification: WPR13LA007
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, October 07, 2012 in Kamuela, HI
Aircraft: SCHLEICHER ASH25M, registration: N513WK
Injuries: 1 Serious.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. 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 October 7, 2012 about 1007 Hawaiian standard time, a Schleicher ASH-25M glider, N513WK, landed approximately 1 mile short of the runway at the Waimea-Kohala Airport (PHMU), Kamuela, Hawaii. The private pilot sustained serious injuries. The glider was registered to, and operated by, the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight that departed PHMU at approximately 1000.

Witnesses reported that as the self-launching glider entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for runway 22, they observed the glider’s retractable propeller in the up position; however, it was not spinning. Witnesses further reported that they could not hear any engine or propeller noise from their location. The glider made a steep turn to the base leg and the left wing tip struck the ground. Subsequently, the glider cart wheeled and came to rest in a field.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 513WK        Make/Model: AS25      Description: ASH-25E/M
  Date: 10/07/2012     Time: 2007

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

LOCATION
  City: KAMUELA   State: HI   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. KAMUELA, HI

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


OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Approach      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: HONOLULU, HI  (WP13)                  Entry date: 10/09/2012

http://registry.faa.gov/N513WK

WAIMEA, Hawaii: One man was injured when a motorized glider crashed 150 yards southeast of the runway at the Waimea Airport on Hawaii Island, fire officials say.

The 80 year old pilot was taken to North Hawaii Community Hospital where he is in stable condition.

The Carbon Fiber Motorized Glider model ASH 25 MI reportedly suffered an engine failure during its approach to landing around 10 a.m. on Sunday. According to the fire dispatch:

“During approach to land while in Glider mode, pilot experienced inadequate lift while turning from downwind to base leg of landing pattern. Pilot attempted to start engine in an attempt to make it to the runway, but the engine failed to start, resulting in a forced landing in a pasture approximately 150 yards South East of the Runway.”

Officials say the glider sustained moderate damage to the empennage, fuselage, landing gear, wing and tail sections. It is valued at approximately $250,000.

http://www.bigislandvideonews.com

http://www.alexander-schleicher.de/produkte/ash25/ash25_main_e.htm

Fly Montserrat Britten-Norman BN2 A Islander, VP-MON, Flight 5M-107

This bulletin contains facts which have been determined up to the time of issue. This information is published to inform the aviation industry and the public of the general circumstances of accidents and must necessarily be regarded as tentative and subject to alteration or correction if additional evidence becomes available.

Preliminary Report on FlyMontserrat Crash

The preliminary report from the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority into the fatal plane crash on 7 October is printed below.

The substantive investigation into the crash is ongoing. The Governor’s Office will immediately release further details to the public as they become available.

preliminary report

ECCAA No.7AC/1/99

ACCIDENT

Aircraft Type and Registration: Britten-Norman BN2A-26 Islander, VP-MON serial number 082)
No & Type of Engines: 2 Lycoming O-540-E4C5 piston engines

Year of Manufacture: 1969

Location V.C. Bird International Airport, Antigua (TAPA)

Date & Time (UTC): 7 October 2012 at 2010 hrs

Type of Flight: Commercial Air Transport (Passenger)

Persons on Board: Crew: 1 Passengers: 3

Injuries: Crew 1 (fatal)

Passengers 2 (fatal)

1 (serious)

Nature of Damage: Aircraft destroyed

Commander’s Licence: Commercial Pilot’s Licence

Commander’s Age: 31 years

Commander’s Flying Experience: 710 hours total of which 510 were on type

Last 28 days- 25 hours

Last 24 hours – 0.5 hours

Information Source: ECCAA Accident Investigation

All times in this report are UTC; Antigua time is UTC – 4 hrs

The investigation

The Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority was informed of the accident immediately, and senior staff attended the accident site without delay.

The Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority began an investigation under the Antigua and Barbuda Civil Aviation Regulations 2004. In accordance with established international arrangements, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) of the United Kingdom, representing the State of Design and Manufacture of the aircraft, and (through its registration in a British Overseas Territory) the State of Operator, appointed an Accredited Representative to participate in the investigation. The AAIB Accredited Representative is supported by an AAIB Advisor. Britten-Norman, the aircraft manufacturer, has been informed of the accident and has offered assistance. Air Safety Support International (ASSI)1, which performs regulatory oversight of the aircraft operator, has been informed of the accident and is cooperating with the investigation. Montserrat Airways Limited, the operator, is also cooperating with the investigation.

Initial investigative activity focused on examination of the aircraft wreckage and accident site, gathering of evidence from witnesses, and examination of technical records. Further investigation will encompass all operational and engineering matters relevant to the accident. A comprehensive accident report will be published in due course.

History of the flight

The aircraft, which had flown earlier during the day, was on a commercial air transport (passenger) flight from V.C. Bird International Airport, Antigua (TAPA), to John A. Osborne Airport, Montserrat (TRPG), with the pilot and three passengers on board. Weather conditions at the time of departure were good, though convective clouds and heavy rain showers had passed over the airport while the aircraft was parked before flight.

Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft was observed to yaw to the right, and to cease climbing. The aircraft then descended rapidly, apparently out of control. The aircraft impacted the ground within the airport perimeter, right wingtip first and steeply banked to the right, at low forward speed. Ground marks and damage to the wing tips and nose indicate that the aircraft cart-wheeled before coming to rest erect. The fuselage forward of the wings was destroyed; there was comparatively less damage to the rear part of the aircraft.

The pilot and two passengers, both of whom were seated in the forward part of the cabin, were fatally injured. Another passenger, seated in the rear-most row of seats, was seriously injured and taken to hospital for treatment.

Examination of the wreckage indicates that the number two (right-hand) engine was not producing power at the time of impact, and investigation of the fuel system feeding that engine found significant quantities of water.

Following failure of one of the two engines on the Islander aircraft, the failed engine’s propeller should be feathered, to reduce the drag produced. Following successful feathering, continued flight should be possible. Examination of the right-hand propeller showed that it was not in the feathered position.

1 ASSI is a wholly-owned, not-for-profit, subsidiary of the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA)

This bulletin contains facts which have been determined up to the time of issue. This information is published to inform the aviation industry and the public of the general circumstances of accidents and must necessarily be regarded as tentative and subject to alteration or correction if additional evidence becomes available.

Extracts can be published without specific permission providing that the source is duly acknowledged.

http://www.caribarena.com/antigua/news/latest/101898-preliminary-report-on-flymontserrat-crash.html#ixzz29BYZbU2V

Engine failure pinpointed as cause of crash

St. John’s Antigua- A combination of engine failure and tainted fuel have been blamed for Sunday’s deadly Fly Montserrat crash, a preliminary report revealed.
The Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) reported, “examination of the wreckage showed the right hand engine was not producing power at the time of impact. Investigation of the fuel system showed contamination with significant quantities of water.”

One aviation industry expert explained while all fuel contains some amount of water, there was too much in the tank of the doomed plane.

This water, the source said, would have gone to the engine instead of gas, thus, the engine would stop.

The aircraft needs both engines, located on the two sides of the plane, for take off, the source indicated.

Explaining how water could have gotten into the tank, the expert cited several reasons.
“It could be that the fuel tank cap on the wing was not properly sealed; not properly installed or it was leaky for a range of other reasons. It could have also occurred during refuelling if there was rain, but that is unlikely,” the individual noted.

The source said the company’s records and even interviews with other pilots who commanded the doomed aircraft could help determine the exact cause of the fuel contamination.

He said pre-flight inspections are usually done to see whether water is in the fuel.

Additional preliminary findings in the ECCAA report indicated the right propellor was not feathered.
This, another expert said, is either done automatically based on the type of aircraft or has to be done manually by the pilot to create “drag” on the side of the aircraft with the failed engine.

The report, available on The Aviation Herald website further indicated that VP-MON, flight 107 titled to the right shortly after take off at the VC Bird International Airport and stopped climbing while moving right.

As a result the Britten Norman (BN) Islander aircraft lost height and crashed to the ground, right wing first, at low forward speed.

It then cartwheeled before coming to a rest in an upright position, the ECCAA reported.
“The fuselage section forward of the wing was destroyed and the rest of the aircraft sustained comparatively less damage,” the report noted.

Airportdata.com reports the aircraft, built in 1969 as an Islander BN2A, was modified to a BN2A‑26, which gave it a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 6,600 pounds, and a maximum landing weight (MLW) of 6,300 pounds.

While, the Flight Safety Foundation said the aircraft was powered by two Lycoming 0-540 Piston engines and could have carried up to 10 people including the pilot.

The 31-year-old UK-born pilot, Captain Jason Forbes died on the spot in the crash and so did passenger Annya Duncan, 27, of Jamaica.

Another passenger, Sandrama Poligadu, 57 of Guyana died shortly after arrival at Mount St John’s Medical Centre.

The sole survivor of the accident, Michael Hudson of the UK, is said to have seen trouble was ahead due to the movement of the aircraft and he reportedly blacked out just before it smashed into the ground.

Forbes, the ECCAA report said, had a total of 710 hours on his Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and 510 hours on type rating.

ECCAA officials assisted the UK’s Air Accident Investigative Branch,which probes such accidents in British Overseas Territories.

Meantime, head of the ECCAA Donald McPhail confirmed the preliminary report was submitted to the Civil Aviation Ministry here, but declined to discuss the findings.

And, oversight officer within that ministry, Peter Abraham said, “Once we have it in our hands and we’ve studied it, the necessary release would be made to the media at a press conference.”

http://www.antiguaobserver.com/?p=82447

The wreckage of the doomed nine-seater plane

By Martina Johnson- Observer Media - Friday, October 12th, 2012.

St. John’s Antigua- In a matter of hours the nation will know whether engine failure – as eyewitnesses believe – was the cause of Sunday’s air disaster which killed three people.

Donald McPhail, boss of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) – tasked with leading the probe – yesterday said the preliminary findings should be in the hands of Minister of Civil Aviation John Maginley by 9 am today.

Horrified onlookers reported seeing the doomed nine-seater Fly Montserrat plane “drop” from the sky shortly after take-off from VC Bird International Airport.

With regards to the advancement of the investigation, McPhail said, “We at the ECCAA are very much satisfied with the progress we’ve made so far. In fact we have progressed more than we had anticipated when we last spoke on Sunday.”

Two officials, one from ECCAA and the other from the UK’s Air Accident Investigative branch, travelled from Antigua to Montserrat on Tuesday to visit Fly Montserrat operators.

Investigators, McPhail said, went to gather background information on the carrier, the aircraft and any other information that could assist them.

Those who died in the incident were the UK-born pilot Jason Forbes and passengers Sandrama Poligadu, 57, of Guyana, and Annya Duncan, 29, of Jamaica. A fourth person, Michael Hudson of the UK, sustained a broken right leg, fractured right hand and other cuts and bruises. Up to press time he was still a patient at Mount St John’s Medical Centre.

One witness told OBSERVER Media he heard the revving of the aircraft engine but then it cut out suddenly. Shortly afterwards, he said, emergency vehicles rushed to the area and he later got news of the crash.

Another witness, Karen Abbott-Winter, recalled seeing the aircraft climbing in the air near the end of the runway, but that it looked “too low”.

She said it lurched sideways as if it were headed back to the runway but then slammed to the ground near Runway 10.

Captain Jason Forbes

BRADES, Montserrat, October 8th, 2012 – Montserrat was in mourning Monday following a crash of the national airline on Antigua late Sunday afternoon.

News reached the island shortly after 4pm on Sunday, October 7 that a British Norman Islander nine-seat aircraft operated by Fly Montserrat had crashed shortly after takeoff from the V.C. Bird International Airport.

There were three passengers on board along with the pilot, Jason Forbes who was pronounced dead on the scene. A woman, later identified as Annya Duncan, a Jamaican national and teacher at the Montserrat Secondary School also died in the aircraft. A 50-year old Guyanese woman was the other victim.

She died shortly after arriving at the Mount Saint John Medical Centre. The sole survivor is a British national, who was said to have sustained bruises, lacerations and a broken ankle. None of his injuries were life threatening according to official reports.

The Honourable Deputy Premier Charles Kirnon, who has responsibility for aviation said Monday “The government and people of Montserrat are deeply saddened by the incident yesterday. The government will be looking at offering grief counselling to the relatives of the victims of the plane crash. This incident has touched us all.”

His Excellency, the Governor Adrian Davis said in a press statement “I was extremely saddened to hear about the tragic incident at Antigua airport on 7 October involving a Fly Montserrat aircraft. This is a very sad day for our community, the effects of which will be felt by many on island and in the region.

“I want in particular to extend my heartfelt sympathies to the families and friends of the three people who died in the incident. The thoughts of my wife and I are with them at this difficult time. The fourth person in the crash has suffered injuries but is currently in a stable condition and is being treated at the St John’s Hospital in Antigua. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials in London and the Caribbean are in contact with him and his family and are providing assistance.”

Governor Davis added that the investigation was being lead by Antiguan authorities and the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority with support from members of the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch, who were expected to arrive in Antigua late Monday to try and establish the cause of the incident.

Honourable Opposition Leader Donaldson Romeo said the incident has touched us all and sent his prayers and well wishes to the families and friends mourning the deaths of the three victims.

Early Monday, the Honourable Minister of Education Colin Riley, the acting Permanent Secretary for Education Glenn Francis, members of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), the Mental Health unit and the Montserrat Christian Council, visited the Montserrat Secondary School to offer support to the students and teachers mourning the loss of Duncan, who taught Mathematics and Integrated Science there.

A candlelight vigil will be held at the Montserrat Secondary School on Tuesday evening at 6pm to remember her. A prayer vigil was held Monday evening by former students of the school who had been impacted by her work.

Fly Montserrat resumed its regular scheduled service on Monday between Antigua, Montserrat and Nevis. Meanwhile, the government increased the ferry service to daily operations to accommodate passengers who may be concerned about travelling by air.

http://www.sknvibes.com

Sandrama Poligadu

(Guyana Times photo)

A 57-year old Guyanese woman, who was travelling to Montserrat to assist her pregnant daughter, was among several persons who died in Sunday’s air-plane crash at Antigua’s VC Bird International Airport.

Dead is Sandrama Poligadu of 4 Williamsburg Corentyne.

Her daughter, Dina, told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com) that she learnt of her mother’s demise through officials at hospitals in Montserrat and Antigua who had been in contact with her via telephone.

It is unclear whether the woman died on the spot when the Briitten Norman Islander plane, that was being operated by Fly Montserrat, crashed or at the Mount St. John Medical Centre.

Dina said her brother-in-law travelled to Antigua to make arrangements to return Sandrama’s body to Guyana. He is also expected to be in contact with Fly Montserrat.

The last time she spoke with her mother was by phone at the VC Bird International Airport where she had been checking in to board the Montserrat-bound flight.

Dina recalled being anxious and worried that no one had called to say whether her mother, who had been travelling by air for the first time, had arrived on the British overseas dependency.

The Fly Montserrat lost altitude on take-off and plunged to the end of the airstrip around 4:16 PM.

The pilot and another woman also perished in the crash.

http://www.demerarawaves.com

Annya Duncan (left) and a friend on a beach in Montserrat.
~

Annya Duncan remembered as a dedicated teacher

ANNYA Duncan, the Jamaican teacher who died in a plane crash at VC Bird International Airport in Antigua on Sunday, was yesterday remembered as a dedicated professional who would go the extra mile to help her students.

"She was one of those teachers who stayed back after school to help the children," Karlene Foreshaw, a friend and colleague Jamaican teacher at Montserrat Secondary School, told the Jamaica Observer yesterday in a phone interview. "It's so sad that we've lost her that way."

Duncan, who observed her 29th birthday on Sunday, and the Antiguan pilot of the Fly Montserrat aircraft, Jason Forbes, died after the twin-engine Britten-Norman Islander plane crashed onto Runway Seven shortly after take-off about 4:00 pm.

The nine-seater aircraft was destined for Montserrat where Duncan had been teaching Mathematics since 2010.

Yesterday, Foreshaw said that Duncan had just renewed her teaching contract at the school which has a student population of just over 300.

Foreshaw, who teaches Integrated Science and Agriculture, said the entire school was in mourning.

"The students are in tears. We had a counselling session this (yesterday) morning which was attended by the minister of education, the Anglican and Catholic priests, the permanent secretary in the education ministry, the president of the Parent Teachers' Association and parents," said Foreshaw, who has been teaching at the school for the past five years.

She added that a candlelight vigil will be held in honour of Duncan tonight, and lamented the fact that she was not able be to show her departed friend how much she appreciated her.

People travelling between Montserrat and Antigua normally do so via air or ferry.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Annya Duncan, the Jamaican teacher who died in a plane crash at VC Bird International Airport in Antigua on Sunday, was today remembered as a dedicated professional who would go the extra mile to help her students.

“She was one of those teachers who stayed back after school to help the children,” Karlene Foreshaw, a friend and colleague Jamaican teacher at Montserrat Secondary School, told the Jamaica Observer this afternoon in a phone interview. “It’s so sad that we’ve lost her that way.”

A plane crash at the V. C. Bird International Airport

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua (AP) A tiny Caribbean airline says three people have died in the crash of a twin-engine plane at Antigua's airport.

FlyMontserrat CEO Nigel Harris says two passengers and pilot Jason Forbes were killed in the Sunday afternoon crash at V.C. Bird International Airport in Antigua. He says one passenger has been critically injured.

The nine-seat Britten-Norman Islander plane with four people aboard was headed from Antigua to Montserrat when it slammed into the ground off a rain-slicked runway seconds after takeoff.

Stanley Smith is the head of the Antigua & Barbuda Airport Authority. He said Monday they will only release the identities of the passengers after relatives are contacted.

UPDATE: Three of the four have died (the pilot and a passenger) died in the crash and the third was dead on arrival at the hospital. The fourth is being treated at the hospital.

Two people have been reported dead in a plane crash at the V. C. Bird International Airport today (Sunday) afternoon.

Informed sources said the pilot and a female passenger of the Fly Montserrat Islander aircraft died when the plane failed to take-off around 4 pm.

Reports say four people were on the aircraft and two people are hospitalized at the Mount St. John’s Medical Centre.

Early reports indicate that the pilot was cleared for take-off by the Control Tower, but that the plane crashed while taking-off.

One man who was in the area said he heard a loud noise causing him to rush to the airport to investigate the sound. “I immediately felt that the plane crashed,” said Raymond Chaia, who lives nearby at Coolidge.

Airport authorities closed the airport as scores of emergency personnel converged on the scene of the crash near number 10 runway within the airport compound.

The airport has since been re-opened.

Speculations are that weather conditions may have been a factor in the crash. There have been heavy rains accompanied by thunder and lightning before and around the time of the crash.

Story, photos and comments: http://www.caribarena.com

The Antiguan police have confirmed that two people are dead following the crash of a Fly Montserrat plane at the V.C. Bird International airport today.

CANA News reports that Sergeant William Holder confirmed the death of the pilot and a female passenger.

Two other passengers have been hospitalized at the Mount St John Medical Center.

Just after four o'clock this afternoon, the plane crashed onto the eastern section of the runway sh ortly after takeoff.

Police and emergency officials are at the scene of the incident.

http://go-jamaica.com

KINGSTON, Jamaica – A tiny Caribbean airline said one of its small planes has crashed during takeoff at Antigua’s airport, killing the pilot.

The status of the three passengers aboard the FlyMontserrat plane was not immediately clear after the Sunday accident at V.C. Bird International Airport.

FlyMontserrat spokeswoman Karen Allen said she can only confirm the death of the pilot, whose name has not been released. Allen said the airline was still gathering information about the crash and expects to issue a statement later.

The twin-engine Britten-Norman Islander plane crashed off a runway about 4 p.m. EDT. It was headed from Antigua to the nearby island of Montserrat.

Antigua’s airport was closed for at least an hour as emergency officials responded to the crash.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net

FBI cracking down on laser pointer attacks on aircraft

WASHINGTON - The FBI is taking the threat of laser pointers being pointed at pilots seriously. So seriously they've recently launched a national initiative to crack down on the incidents.

The problem isn't anything new, but the incidents are on the rise. The FBI predicts that there will 3,700 incidents this year, compared to just 283 in 2005. That doesn't include the attacks that go unreported every year.

Pilots says these incidents aren't only distracting, they can actually cause temporary blindness.

Laser pointers are now cheaper, more powerful and easier to get.

That's why the FBI setup a Laser Strike Working Group National Initiative. The idea came from the FBI's Sacramento Division, which created a work group in 2008 and was a decrease of 75 percent in the number of incidents at Sacramento International Airport.

There are two federal statutes that a person who points a laser pointer at an aircraft can be prosecuted under - with a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000. Though a newer, different law specifically about laser strikes has the maximum sentence set at five years, and the maximum fine at $11,000.

http://www.wtop.com

South Carolina governor reimburses state for plane usage

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has repaid about $10,000 for using state planes to attend news conferences and bill signings, after The Associated Press informed her of a rule against that.

Haley's spokesman said her office was unaware legislators put a clause in the budget last year that added the restrictions. She returned $9,590 on Friday to the state Aeronautics Commission, which operates the state's two taxpayer-funded planes. The reimbursement covers flights taken across the state over seven days since last July.

During the trips, she ceremoniously signed five laws, including those creating the state Medal of Valor and drawing the new 7th congressional district anchored in Horry County. Three days of flights involved her promoting her ethics reform and tax-cut plans.

Spokesman Rob Godfrey called the trips "entirely staff oversight."

"In none of those cases did the governor use the state plane for anything unrelated to her official state duties, and she never has," he said.

Statewide officers and legislators can use the planes at no cost to them on a first-come, first-served basis, as long as the trips are official business. However, a rule first inserted into the 2011-12 budget, and kept in this year's, specifies that bill signings, press conferences and political functions don't count as official business.

The clause says the flights are ethics violations.

Haley said the purpose of her fly-around stops are to educate people on what she's pushing and why. She also said it makes sense to hold ceremonial bill signings in places that recognize those who pushed for the measure.

"This takes away my ability to get close to the people," she said. "When you look at time is money, now it will take me three hours to get to Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head, and I won't be able to hit as many spots as I do. I want to get the most out of my day. It calls into question, what do you want the role of your governor to be?"

The reimbursement represents a quarter of her state plane usage since she took office in January 2011.

According to flight logs and manifests, she was the most frequent flier among elected officials with free access to the planes, taking flights over 30 days, at a cost to the aeronautics agency of $39,590.

Legislators and statewide politicians other than the governor have taken a combined $70,380 worth of flights since January 2011.

By contrast, former Gov. Mark Sanford took $83,800 worth of flights over his last two years in office.

Flights authorized by legislators, the governor and other constitutional officers are absorbed as part of the agency's budget. Agencies and public colleges also can use the planes for official business, but they must pay by the hour: $850 for the King Air C90 and $1,250 for the King Air 350. The agency is barred from making a profit on the per-hour cost.

Rep. Boyd Brown, D-Winnsboro, is a frequent critic of the Republican governor, but he said he can't fault her for using state planes.

"I didn't know that proviso was in there," Brown said.

He took the plane to Chicago in July to meet with a biofuel company executive about locating in his district _ a possibility he said is still in the works. He defends legislative use of state planes as a way to promote South Carolina, noting the state's come a long way since the rampant abuses decades ago.

Former Democratic Sen. John Lindsay famously took a state plane to the Super Bowl in 1984.

In those days, the state owned 11 aircraft and employed 17 pilots. The agency now has one full-time and five contract pilots, said agency director Paul Werts.

Senators who sponsored the rule on plane usage for press conferences and bill signings say the issue predates Haley.

In 2010, Sanford agreed to pay $74,000 in ethics fines, the largest in state history, to resolve dozens of travel-related ethics charges, including personal use of state planes. Sanford was also known for bashing legislators in news conferences across the state.

"The intent of the plane is not to be used for political purposes but for the business of the state," said Sen. Vincent Sheheen, D-Camden, a co-sponsor of the budget clause. "We had seen some of our leaders spending more time trying to be in front of the camera than using it for state business. When politicians are being politicians, they ought to use their own campaign funds. They ought not to politic on the state's dollar."

Sheheen, who lost to Haley in 2010, said the co-sponsors believed the law needed to be very specific on what is considered official business.

Sen. Jake Knotts, R-West Columbia, said he believes officials should use the planes only to fly outside the state, for economic development or taking a group to Washington to meet with federal officials, for example. South Carolina is a small enough state that any town is within a two-to-three hours' drive from Columbia, he said.

"You can operate a car a lot cheaper than a plane," said Knotts, who said he co-sponsored the clause to save taxpayers money. Besides, he said, politicians can use email and social media these days to quickly get their message statewide.

http://www.theitem.com

A look at the flights reimbursed by Gov. Haley

Gov. Nikki Haley reimbursed the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission $9,590 for her following trips on state planes, after The Associated Press informed her of a budget clause preventing their use for press conferences and bill signings:

_Aug. 23, 2012, to Anderson to celebrate an Electrolux expansion, then to Spartanburg to ceremoniously sign two anti-abortion bills at a crisis pregnancy center. She paid back $250 to cover the leg from Anderson to Spartanburg.

_Aug. 22, 2012: She and Attorney General Alan Wilson flew to Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Greenville to promote her plan for reforming state ethics laws. She paid back the full $2,500 cost.

_Aug. 21, 2012, to Anderson to ceremoniously sign a law creating a state Medal of Valor to recognize fallen military service members. Attendees at the Anderson Armory included the mother who inspired the legislation. She reimbursed the full $1,125.

_March 13, 2012, to Greenville, then Aiken, back to Columbia, then Charleston in her second day promoting her demand that legislators include in the state budget her proposal to cut corporate and personal income taxes. She flew back to Columbia mid-day for the swearing-in ceremony of Lt. Gov. Glenn McConnell. She paid back the full $2,000.

_March 12, 2012, to Myrtle Beach to launch her "tax relief tour" on the opening day of budget debate on the House floor. She paid back the full $1,375.

_Aug. 1, 2011, to North Myrtle Beach to sign the bill redrawing U.S. House district boundaries and creating the new 7th District anchored in Horry County. The signing and rally were at Broadway at the Beach. She returned the full $1,320.

_July 18, 2011, to Myrtle Beach to ceremoniously sign an insurance law. She returned the full $1,020.

Sources: Aeronautics Commission, governor's office.

http://www.theitem.com

Sudan military plane crashes near capital, kills 15: Antonov An-12BP, Azza Air Transport, ST-ASA

KHARTOUM, Oct 7 (Reuters) - A Sudanese military plane carrying personnel and equipment to the strife-torn Darfur region crashed near the capital Khartoum on Sunday killing 15 people on board, the army said.

The plane's engine stopped working and the pilot was trying to make an emergency landing when it went down about 40km (25 miles) southwest of the Khartoum suburb of Omdurman, state news agency SUNA reported.

The Antonov 12 transport plane was travelling to El Fasher in northern Darfur, military spokesman Al-Sawarmi Khalid said.

Thirteen people initially died and nine were injured in the crash, all of them military personnel, he added. Two of the injured later died of their wounds, SUNA reported.

There have been several crashes in Sudan in recent years, where years of U.S. sanctions have made it difficult for airlines to get spare parts for their fleets. Antonov aircraft are Russian built however and not subject to sanctions.

The plane belonged to Azza Air, the state-linked Sudanese Media Centre reported. An Azza cargo plane leased by Sudan Airways crashed in the United Arab Emirates in 2009.

In August, 32 people including a government minister died when a plane taking them to an Islamic festival crashed in a southern border state. State media blamed that accident on bad weather.

A military helicopter crashed in the country's North Kordofan state in December because of a technical failure, killing six crew members, the military said at the time.

The armed forces has formed a committee to investigate "the reasons for the recurrence of Antonov aircraft accidents", SUNA said.

Government forces have been battling an insurgency in Darfur since rebels took up arms in 2003, accusing Khartoum of neglecting the remote region.

http://www.reuters.com

Thirteen Sudanese military personnel died and nine others were injured when their transport plane crashed west of Khartoum Sunday on its way to conflict-plagued Darfur, state media reported.

"Thirteen were killed instantly, and nine were taken to hospital," Sawarmi Khaled Saad, the Sudanese army spokesman, was quoted as saying by the state SUNA news agency.

It is the worst toll in a series of Sudanese military aviation incidents since early last year, and follows a recent surge of unrest in Darfur, the far-west region where a rebellion began nearly a decade ago.

Saad said the plane carried six crew and 16 other members of the armed forces.

"The pilot informed the airport that he had a problem with one of his engines," before the plane went down in the desert west of Jebel Aulia, Saad said earlier.

Saad added that the Antonov was carrying military equipment from Khartoum to El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.

A witness said a helicopter ferried the dead and injured from the crash scene, which had been sealed off by soldiers, about 70 kilometres (43 miles) west of the capital.

Jebel Aulia is a popular recreational site about one hour's drive south of the Khartoum area.

Sudan's armed forces, which rely on Russian-made planes and helicopters, have experienced a number of aircraft losses in recent years.

In July, Darfur rebels said they shot down an Mi17 helicopter, killing seven personnel from the military which blamed a malfunction for the incident.

Last December, all six crewmen aboard another military helicopter died when it crash-landed and burned in North Kordofan state. The army blamed a technical problem, as it did in April last year when a helicopter went down in Darfur killing all five soldiers aboard.

The United States on Thursday voiced concern that security in western Darfur was worsening and threatening the implementation of peace accords there.

"The United States is deeply concerned by the sharp deterioration in security in North Darfur and adjacent parts of Jebel Marra, Sudan," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement.

More than 70 civilians were killed in Hashaba, north Darfur, between September 25 and 27 in fighting and aerial bombardments between rebels and the Sudanese government forces, she said.

The US was also "appalled" by Tuesday's attack on a UN patrol in which four Nigerian peacekeepers were killed and eight injured, she added.

Rebels from black African tribes rose up against the Arab-dominated Khartoum government in 2003. Clashes with government troops, banditry and inter-ethnic fighting continue, but the levels of violence have fallen compared to nearly a decade ago.

http://www.middle-east-online.com

Piper PA-28-181, N970WC: Aircraft lost power and was forced to land in a field - Provo, Utah

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 970WC        Make/Model: PA28      Description: PA-28 CHEROKEE, ARROW, WARRIOR, ACHER, D
  Date: 10/06/2012     Time: 1855

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

LOCATION
  City: PROVO   State: UT   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT LOST POWER AND WAS FORCED TO LAND IN A FIELD. PROVO, UT

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

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Landing      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: SALT LAKE CITY, UT  (NM07)            Entry date: 10/09/2012

http://registry.faa.gov/N970WC

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N970WC
VINEYARD -- A plane carrying three people made an emergency landing Saturday in Vineyard.

According to Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon, the plane was carrying three people when, for unknown reasons, it began to lose power. After failing to maintain altitude, the pilot landed the plane in the old Geneva Steel site. It sustained "very minimal" damage, Cannon said, and successfully used its landing gear.

Authorities learned of the incident at 12:49 p.m.

Cannon said all three passengers were uninjured and the plane should be able to fly again when the power problem is identified. The plane reportedly had sufficient fuel and the incident was not due to negligence.

Witnesses reportedly identified the plane as a Piper Arrow.

According to Cannon, the FAA was investigating the incident and local authorities had completed their involvement by 2 p.m. Cannon added that the plane would probably remain at the Geneva Steel site until authorities could figure out a way to move it.

"It's really no different than a car breaking down on the road, except it happens to be an airplane," he added.

Cannon did not have information about the origin or destination of the plane.

• Daily Herald

Cirrus SR22 GTS, N80KW: Accident occurred October 06, 2012 in Birmingham, Alabama

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 80KW        Make/Model: SR22      Description: SR-22
  Date: 10/06/2012     Time: 1717

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

LOCATION
  City: BIRMINGHAM   State: AL   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. BIRMINGHAM, AL

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Pass:   1     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: 10/09/2012

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N80KW
  
http://registry.faa.gov/N80KW

Published on October 6, 2012 by Phillip Ohnemus

Mitch McCommons Explains Cirrus Parachute Technology following plane crash in Birmingham Alabama.

Cirrus SR22 GTS, N80KW: Accident occurred October 06, 2012 in Birmingham, Alabama

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 80KW        Make/Model: SR22      Description: SR-22
  Date: 10/06/2012     Time: 1717

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

LOCATION
  City: BIRMINGHAM   State: AL   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. BIRMINGHAM, AL

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Pass:   1     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: 10/09/2012

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N80KW

http://registry.faa.gov/N80KW

Published on October 6, 2012 by Phillip Ohnemus

CBS42 speaks with Pilot Billy Sprague by phone. Sprague managed to crash land his single engine plane in the heart of Downtown Birmingham Alabama without hurting anyone. Sprague walked away without injury. His passenger suffered minor injuries.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)-- The lot outside of The Furnace a Birmingham gentlemen’s club, isn't usually reserved for aircrafts. On Saturday October 6th the pilot of a Cirrus SR22 was forced to make an emergency landing outside of the business near downtown Birmingham.

"He was in the clouds at the time. He kind of lost his bearings. He was in touch with the tower and was forced to make this emergency landing due to visibility problems,” said Birmingham Fire Department Battalion Chief C.W. Mardis.

Mardis says the pilot and one passenger inside the small plane were headed to Tampa from Kansas City and were attempting to refuel in Birmingham.

The pilot's experience and quick thinking aren't the only things being credited for his successful emergency landing.

A parachute attached to the plane served as a lifesaver.

"When you have a plane that small the parachute is a very vital component for safety so he did the right thing and we're glad he did and we came away basically he, unscathed and his passenger with minor injuries,” said Mardis.

Public Information Officer, Sgt. Johnny Williams with the Birmingham Police Department is grateful no one else was injured as a result of the crash.

“Maybe it was luck, maybe it was skill, maybe a little bit of both but we're happy that no one else was injured and no other property was damage."

The passenger was taken to UAB hospital with bumps and bruises, the pilot though visibly unharmed was also taken to the hospital to be checked out.

UPDATE: CBS 42 has confirmed that the pilot of this plane is Billy Wayne Sprague of Key West, Florida.

CBS42 spoke exclusively with Pilot Billy Sprague.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N80KW

http://registry.faa.gov/N80KW

VIDEO: Student Pilot - Maneuvers - Cessna 172

Published on September 25, 2012 by juanmiguel2404

"Hey, I'm a student at aviator college in Florida and this is just some maneuvers I have to do for my PPL. Its kind of long but it has a lot of maneuvers in it. Steep turns, power off and power on stalls (in turns) slow flight, and I think I got some turns around a point and s turns across a road in there. Hope you like them and if you have any tips or advice leave it in a comment."

http://youtu.be/UM_MMEH1_W0

Relinquishing control in potential Atlantic City International Airport (KACY) takeover worries some South Jersey Transportation Authority officials

Discussions about a potential takeover of Atlantic City International Airport have left local officials wondering how much control South Jersey will retain over its own transportation system.

Some believe a sale or lease of the airport by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey could bring new momentum to talks of merging the South Jersey Transportation Authority with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, an option that’s been considered by various lawmakers for more than a decade.

“Without the airport it absolutely leaves open that possibility, which means then (South Jersey) will have no say on the Atlantic City Expressway or the Garden State Parkway,” SJTA Commissioner Jeffery April said. “I also would be concerned about the absence of any South Jersey representation on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.”

The Port Authority announced last month that it would undertake a study on the legal, environmental and business effects associated with taking control of Atlantic City International, located in Egg Harbor Township. The SJTA operates the airport and the expressway.

The parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike were consolidated in 2003 after then-Gov. James McGreevey said the merger would net millions of dollars. Grouping the highways eliminated the parkway’s former operator, the New Jersey Highway Authority, a group that included South Jersey representation.

Decision-making power for the roadway was shifted to the Woodbridge, Middlesex County-based turnpike authority. That group is governed by seven board members, none of whom is from Atlantic, Cape May or Ocean counties. A bill introduced earlier this year by state Sens. Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, and Chris Connors, R-Ocean, Burlington, Atlantic, would require the authority to include a representative from one of those three counties.

McGreevey had originally proposed including the expressway in the parkway-turnpike merger as well, but the plan was later abandoned. That decision was touted as a victory for the region by lawmakers who feared the 44-mile expressway would be overshadowed by the parkway and turnpike.

The Port Authority is a mammoth, dual-state organization that oversees five airports, six bridges and tunnels, five marine terminals and several other developments, including the 16-acre World Trade Center site in Manhattan. Officials say the authority’s influence could help bring more flights to Atlantic City’s airport, though others have voiced concern that the operation could be overshadowed by other interests.

SJTA Commissioner Bob McDevitt, also president of casino workers union Local 54 of UNITE-HERE, acknowledged that discussions about merging the expressway with other roadways could re-emerge — a possibility that leaves him with mixed feelings.

“It’s nice to have a regional authority which administers the transit system. People think it gives the feeling of local autonomy,” McDevitt said. “But at the end of the day, the governor of New Jersey has the most impact on how all of these authorities are run, and local autonomy can be an illusion. Whether it’s McGreevey or (Jon S.) Corzine or (Chris) Christie, they select the people who are there. If things are reconstructed again in a way that benefits motorists and benefits air travel, then it’s a good thing.”

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com

View from International Space Station as it travels around the earth . . .

The International Space Station travels in orbit around Earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour (that's about 5 miles per second!). This means that the Space Station orbits Earth (and sees a sunrise) once every 92 minutes! What a view . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ObnEpRccHM

Beechcraft Super King Air: Government plane sold for spare parts

A plane, which in conjunction with the government jet has been flying ministers around Ireland and Europe for decades, has been sold to a US firm for spare parts.

The Beechcraft Super King Air plane, which ferried ministers around at a cost of €1,700 an hour, had been in storage for three years prior to being sold for just over €230,000. It was bought for €317,000 in 1978.

Source: http://www.independent.ie

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Seaplanes could help save lives if big quake hits Seattle area

by GLENN FARLEY / KING 5 News

The Kenmore Air dock at the north end of Lake Washington could go from airport to triage station.

In an emergency, pilots would fly injured patients from other places around Western Washington here so they could be transferred to larger aircraft and flown to hospitals east of the Cascades with room to take them.

On Saturday, seaplane pilots prepared for the big earthquake, which would knock out bridges, roads and even runways.

A seaplane could still get around where there's water. Many are also equipped to land on runways.

“I'm trying to see how much of a viable source this is and how we could utilize this in the event we have a disaster within the City of Seattle,” said Lt. Eric Grant, Seattle Fire Dept. Station 6

The Seattle Fire Department is just one agency that wants to find out more about what seaplanes can do.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Washington National Guard were there to help.

“We provide resources for local communities if they ever ran out, particularly communications assets,” said Monte Simpson, Radio Liaison, Washington State Guard.

Since the seaplane pilots held a large fly in at Lake Whatcom back in May, pilots in Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia are looking to join forces. Washington pilots are also in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Read more here: http://www.king5.com

Beechcraft A36 Bonanza, N32GP: Accident occurred October 06, 2012 in Mabank, Texas

NTSB Identification: CEN13FA006
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, October 06, 2012 in Mabank, TX
Aircraft: BEECH A36, registration: N32GP
Injuries: 4 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 October 6, 2012, about 0945 central daylight time, a Beech A36 airplane, N32GP, impacted terrain during a descent near Mabank, Texas. The pilot, pilot rated passenger and two other passengers were fatally injured. The airplane sustained substantial airframe and engine damage. The airplane was registered to Palm-L Aviation LLC and was operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument flight rules conditions (IFR) conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on an activated IFR flight plan. The flight originated from the Northwest Regional Airport (52F), near Roanoke, Texas, about 0845, and was destined for the Athens Municipal Airport (F44), near Athens, Texas.

The airplane was based at 52F and witnesses saw the airplane depart from there between 0830 and 0900. The departure airport, 52F, did not dispense Jet-A fuel.

According to preliminary air traffic control (ATC) information received from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the flight encountered weather at F44 and requested a clearance to Terrell Municipal Airport (TRL), near Terrell, Texas. The flight was provided the clearance to TRL and subsequently given a frequency change. The FAA’s last reported radar return from the airplane was at 0944:23 at a pressure altitude of 2,900 feet. No further radio transmissions were received.

Both F44 and TRL have services that dispense Jet-A fuel. An IFR flight plan from F44 to the Fletcher Field Airport, near Clarksdale, Mississippi, was on file.

The pilot held a private pilot certificate, with an airplane single engine land and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot's most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on August 31, 2011. The medical certificate had a limitation for corrective lenses. At that time, he reported that he had accumulated 340 hours of total flight time and had accumulated no flight time during the six months prior to that application.

The pilot rated passenger held a private pilot certificate with a single engine land rating. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on April 26, 2012. The medical certificate had a limitation for corrective lenses. At that time, he reported that he had accumulated 130 hours of total flight time and had accumulated no flight time during the six months prior to that application.

N32GP, a 1985-model Beech A36, serial number E-2230, was a low wing, single-engine, six-place monoplane, which had retractable tricycle landing gear. According to FAA airworthiness records, the airplane was powered by a Rolls Royce 250-B17C turbine engine, which was installed in accordance with a Soloy Conversions, Ltd., supplemental type certificate SA3523NM. The installation was approved on major repair and alteration form dated July 3, 1986. The engine drove a Hartzell, 3-bladed, all-metal, constant-speed propeller.

At 0953, the recorded weather at TRL was: wind 020 degrees at 10 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; overcast clouds at 600 feet; temperature 12 degrees C; dew point 9 degrees C; altimeter 30.16 inches of mercury.

The airplane impacted a field about one-half nautical mile east of the intersection of Farm to Market Road 90 and Van Zandt County Road 2702. A debris path started at an egg-shaped impact depression that was about 12 feet long and about two feet deep. The path continued on an observed heading of about 300 degrees and extended about 200 feet. The airplane was fragmented along this path with a section of the fuselage coming to rest about 95 feet from the start of the depression and the engine coming to rest about 190 feet from the start of the depression. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site.

All flight control cables were traced. All observed control cable separations had a broom straw appearance consistent with overload. The left and right wing flap jackscrew actuator measurements corresponded to a zero degree flap setting. The aileron trim actuator measurement was consistent with a neutral setting. The landing gear linkage position was consistent with retracted landing gear. The engine separated from the airframe. Debris was found in the engine’s turbine section. Fuel was found in the fuel pump filter bowl. The fuel shutoff valve handle was separated from its valve housing and light could be seen through a valve housing end when a flashlight illuminated the other end. The propeller was separated from the engine. Two propeller blades remained attached to their hub and they exhibited chordwise abrasions. The separated blade exhibited S-shaped bending and chordwise abrasion. Both vacuum pumps were disassembled and their rotors exhibited impact damage. All vanes in both pumps were intact. The attitude indicator was disassembled and its gyro and cage exhibited rotational scoring. The emergency locator beacon was found within the wreckage debris and it was crushed. Due to impact damage, the total fuel on board the airplane at the time of the accident could not be confirmed.

Radar data and communication records have been requested from the FAA for a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) ATC Factual Report. Two annunciator panels have been retained and will be examined at the NTSB Materials Laboratory.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 32GP        Make/Model: BE36      Description: 36 Bonanza
  Date: 10/06/2012     Time: 1445

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: TERRELL   State: TX   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. TERRELL, TX

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   4
                 # Crew:   0     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   3     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    


OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: DALLAS, TX  (SW05)                    Entry date: 10/09/2012

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N32GP

http://registry.faa.gov/N32GP

Photo Courtesy of the Department of Public Safety

Debris from the crash of a single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza plane cover a wide field outside Mabank, where it went down just inside Van Zandt County on Saturday killing the pilot, co-pilot and two teenage passengers. First responders arrived at the crash site at 8:30 p.m. off VZCR 2702 and half mile from FM 90.

A Weslaco dentist, his brother and his two sons were killed in a plane crash on Saturday.

RAW VIDEO: Aerial view of Van Zandt County plane crash

VAN ZANDT COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) – Medical examiners have confirmed that two teenagers were among four people who died in a plane crash that happened Saturday.

The Van Zandt County Justice of the Peace Court has identified the victims as 62-year-old Gregory Ledet, 60-year-old Donald Ledet and his two sons Paul and Mason.

17-year-old Paul and 13-year-old Mason were both students in the Carroll Independent School District.

Caroll ISD released the following statement on Sunday with the permission of the Ledet family: “The family thanks everyone for their thoughts and prayers – particularly the prayers – during this difficult time. They ask that you please respect their privacy as they grieve the loss of their loved ones.

Source: http://dfw.cbslocal.com

Bad weather may be factor in fatal plane crash

SOUTHLAKE — Investigators are looking for the cause of Saturday's small plane crash in Van Zandt County that claimed the lives of all four on board.

The single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza left Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke at 9:09 a.m. Saturday. It circled around near Terrell before disappearing from radar about 30 minutes later.

The wreckage wasn't located until late Saturday night in the middle of a pasture.

The manager of Northwest Regional Airport told News 8 he saw the plane's owner — Dr. Leonard Ledet — before taking off on Saturday. The plane is registered to the Southlake dentist and also to a company called Palm-L Aviation.

The airport manager said Ledet had been flying his Beechcraft Bonanza out of Northwest Regional for the past year, often traveling with his brother.

Saturday's flight plan included a stop in Athens, Texas, for fuel. But the plane diverted to Terrell, possibly due to poor weather conditions.

A Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter spotted the wreckage just before 9 p.m. Saturday, about 7 miles short of a runway.

Pilot Leonard Ledet and his son Paul have been confirmed as two of the victims. Investigators are withholding the names of the other two passengers.

Christopher Browning worked with Paul Ledet at Urban Air Trampoline Park in Southlake. He got a phone call at 2 a.m. Sunday alerting him to the tragic news.

"He just brought so much joy, and he was really, really good," Browning said. "He was one of those people we wanted interacting with the customers because he really brought to the facility just so much joy, and I just can't explain."

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the cause of the crash.

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Photo Credit: WFAA

Investigators on Sunday examined wreckage of the Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft that crashed in a rural Van Zandt County pasture on Saturday.

Photo Credit: WFAA

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — The wreckage of a small plane that disappeared from radar near Terrell on Saturday morning was found hours later in rural Van Zandt County. All four people on board were killed.

An all-day search by the Civil Air Patrol and law enforcement personnel started around 9:40 a.m., shortly after the Beechcraft Bonanza took off from Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke and the pilot lost communication with the control tower.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the last reported position of the aircraft with tail number N32GP was about 25 miles southeast of Terrell.

The wreckage was discovered by a Department of Public Safety helicopter in a pasture near the intersection of FM 90 and County Road 2702 in Van Zandt County, about 25 miles southeast of Kaufman and 22 miles southwest of Canton.

Aerial views of the scene by daylight Sunday showed only small pieces of the aircraft remained, scattered over a wide area of the pasture.

The crash site was more than half a mile from the nearest road. Rescue personnel had to walk part of the way because of muddy terrain.

No additional information was available about the identity of the pilot or the passengers. An FAA spokesman said the plane was registered to an address in Southlake.

Federal records show that the plane that crashed had six seats and was built in 1985.

The Beechcraft Bonanza is a single-engine plane that has been in continuous production since 1947.

Saturday's tragedy is the second deadly crash in the past two weeks of a plane that took off from Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke.

Last month, Charlie Yates and Chris Pratt died shortly after takeoff. Yates — a flight instructor — was helping Pratt "brush up" on his flying skills when the Piper Arrow lost altitude.

The NTSB is still investigating the cause of that crash.

http://www.wfaa.com

The Texas Department of Safety confirmed one of its helicopters located a downed aircraft with four fatalities late Saturday night near Terrell. The crash scene is near the State Highway 243 and Farm-To-Market Road 47.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed a Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft departed Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke around 9:40 a.m. Saturday. It was bound for Mississippi. Controllers lost radar and radio contact with the plane 25 miles southeast of Terrell in Kaufman County.

The tail number of plane belongs to a company based in Southlake.

NBC 5 went to the Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke on Saturday night but no one was available for comment.

This is the second fatal crash in two weeks involving a plane that departed the Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke. A pilot and flight instructor died September 23 shortly after takeoff. The cause of that crash is still under investigation.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — The wreckage of a small plane that went missing near Terrell on Saturday morning was found hours later in rural Van Zandt County. All four people on board were killed.

An all-day search by the Civil Air Patrol and law enforcement personnel started around 9:40 a.m., shortly after the Beechcraft Bonanza took off from Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke and the pilot lost communication with the control tower.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the last reported position of the aircraft with tail number N32GP was about 25 miles southeast of Terrell.

The wreckage was discovered near the intersection of FM 90 and County Road 2702 in Van Zandt County, about 25 miles southeast of Kaufman and 22 miles southwest of Canton.

No additional information was available about the identity of the pilot or the passengers. An FAA spokesman said the plane was registered to an address in Southlake.

Federal records show that the plane that crashed had six seats and was built in 1985. The Beechcraft Bonanza is a single-engine plane that has been in continuous production since 1947.

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VAN ZANDT COUNTY — The wreckage of a small plane that disappeared from radar near Terrell on Saturday morning was found hours later in rural Van Zandt County. All four people on board were killed.

An all-day search by the Civil Air Patrol and law enforcement personnel started around 9:40 a.m., shortly after the Beechcraft Bonanza took off from Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke and the pilot lost communication with the control tower.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the last reported position of the aircraft with tail number N32GP was about 25 miles southeast of Terrell.

The wreckage was discovered by a Department of Public Safety helicopter in a pasture near the intersection of FM 90 and County Road 2702 in Van Zandt County, about 25 miles southeast of Kaufman and 22 miles southwest of Canton.

The crash site was more than half a mile from the nearest road. Rescue personnel had to walk part of the way because of muddy terrain.

No additional information was available about the identity of the pilot or the passengers. An FAA spokesman said the plane was registered to an address in Southlake.

Federal records show that the plane that crashed had six seats and was built in 1985.

The Beechcraft Bonanza is a single-engine plane that has been in continuous production since 1947.

Saturday's tragedy is the second deadly crash in the past two weeks of a plane that took off from Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke.

Last month, Charlie Yates and Chris Pratt died shortly after takeoff. Yates — a flight instructor — was helping Pratt "brush up" on his flying skills when the Piper Arrow lost altitude.

The NTSB is still investigating the cause of that crash.