Thursday, October 04, 2012

More work to be done on American Airlines planes: Flights may be canceled as mechanics work on Boeing 757s

More work is expected to be done on American Airlines' Boeing 757s after some of the planes had problems with loose seats this week.

American Airlines released the following statement on Thursday:


Working with the FAA, American Airlines is taking additional steps to prevent seats from becoming dislodged on some of our Boeing 757 aircraft. After further analysis by our engineering team, the company is taking additional preventative steps to enhance the locking mechanism features used to secure the seats to the aircraft floor.

“American has instructed mechanics to pay particular attention to the seat lock plunger mechanism that secures the seat to the aircraft floor. Mechanics have begun taking steps necessary to ensure that no seat can become dislodged from its track. The work is expected to be completed after the 48 affected aircraft land at their next destination.

“Some select flights may be delayed or canceled in order to complete this work. We expect this work will be completed by Saturday, Oct 6.  We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience this may cause with their travel plans. The safety of our customers and people as well as the reliability of our fleet, is always of utmost priority to American.

“We have confidence in our highly skilled maintenance and engineering teams as well our contract maintenance providers who have worked on all of the 757 aircraft involved.

We continue to work closely with the FAA to resolve this matter. – American Airlines spokeswoman Andrea Huguely

Read more:   http://www.local10.com

Air Tractor AT-502B: Suspect in crop duster shooting pleads not guilty

SAN ANGELO, Texas — A Talpa man accused of shooting a crop duster near his home earlier this year pleaded not guilty to a federal charge Wednesday afternoon.

Federal District Judge E. Scott Frost presided over the case in the San Angelo O.C. Fisher Federal Building.

John S. Young, of Sweetwater, represented James R. Cate, 68, at the hearing, which served the dual purpose as an initial appearance — where the indictment was read and it was established he understood the charge — and an arraignment — where he entered a plea.

Steve Ballard, the pilot of the crop duster, was reached Thursday afternoon but declined to comment on the case until it passes through the court system.

Denise Williams was at the hearing on behalf of the U.S. Attorney's Office.

According to court documents, an Air Tractor AT502B aircraft was damaged on Feb. 29.

Ballard reportedly was spraying a wheat field north of Talpa when the aircraft was struck by a round from a 25-06 rifle, a source with knowledge of the incident told the Abilene Reporter-News in March. As many as four rounds were fired at the plane, the source said.

One of the rounds struck the propeller, the source said, entered the fuselage near the engine and hit the 500-gallon hopper carrying agricultural chemicals. According to the source, the bullet ricocheted out of the hopper and into the cockpit, where it went through the pilot's trouser leg.

The propeller, the body of the plane and the plane's electrical and navigation systems were damaged, the source said.

"It's an unfortunate event," Young said after Wednesday's hearing. "This is a pilot that has had numerous complaints filed against him for dangerous conduct ... including taking down power lines and starting a grass fire near Coleman just recently."

In May, a crop duster dragging a power line with three live lines crashed and caused a grass fire on a wheat field in Winters, according to the Brownwood Bulletin.

The newspaper cited Ballard, of Ballard Crop Dusting Services, as the pilot. The plane was dragging a power line it had hit in Coleman, and crashed with the live power lines on the north side of the road. It caused the lines to break and start the fire.

The incident caused a blackout affecting traffic lights and some businesses and homes on the west side of Winters, the Bulletin reported.

In September a federal grand jury in Lubbock indicted Cate on one count of destruction of an aircraft. He faces up to 20 years in prison, along with a $250,000 fine if convicted.

The indictment stemmed from the February crop duster incident.

In court Wednesday, Williams said she was not opposed to Cate's release as long as he complied with terms set by the court, including turning over firearms, not having contact with witnesses or potential witnesses in future proceedings, and not to use alcohol excessively.

Cate's attorney, Young, told the judge Cate still may have a few firearms at his home but would transfer them that afternoon.

"Mr. Cate has been cooperating with state and federal authorities since the beginning," Young said. "We expect it to continue and seek reasonable resolution to these allegations."

Runnels and Coleman county officials investigated the incident initially, then turned over findings to the FBI.

http://m.gosanangelo.com

Cape Air drops fares as September passenger numbers fall: Quincy Regional Airport-Baldwin Field (KUIN), Quincy, Illinois

A decline in passenger boardings at Quincy Regional Airport comes on the heels of a push from the City and Cape Air to still hit 10,000 enplanements this year.

September boardings were down to 775 from 823 in September 2011.

Jeff Steinkamp, interim airport director, said weather was a factor in the drop.

“Passenger Boardings took a moderate decline in September due to several reasons, including the prudent cancellation of seven flights during the past month mostly because of severe weather flying conditions,” Steinkamp said.  “These unsafe conditions were not so much experienced in the Quincy area but mostly in the surrounding St. Louis (Lambert International) Airport vicinity.”

Steinkamp said QRA is still running 8.5% ahead of 2011’s year-to-date boardings at 7,235 passengers and that number is 31% ahead of 2010’s mark.

Andrew Bonney of Cape Air says the price is being reduced on selected St. Louis flights to $39 to help them get to 10,000 so the City can qualify for $1 million of Federal Grant money that can be used for Capital Infrastructure and Safety Improvement Projects.

“This discount fare is our way of saying thanks to the Quincy community for its support as we continue to work for 10,000 enplanements in 2012,” Bonney said.

Steinkamp added that Quincy Mayor John Spring has been working on an incentive with Cape Air in an effort to increase the chances of hitting the 10,000 passenger mark.

Read more and comments:  http://quincyjournal.com

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

NTSB Identification: ERA12LA578 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, September 23, 2012 in
Probable Cause Approval Date: 05/09/2013
Aircraft: CESSNA 172B, registration: N8059X
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

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

The pilot had been experiencing difficulties in his personal life and had joked with a clergyman about 2 days before the accident that he should, “just fly his plane into the ocean.” The pilot was subsequently reported missing. The investigation revealed that he arrived at the airport where his airplane was kept about 2 o’clock in the morning the day of the accident. Radar data showed that a primary radar target departed the airport vicinity about 45 minutes later and flew east. After a brief period of maneuvering over the open ocean about 21 nautical miles from shore, radar contact with the target was lost. A portion of airplane wreckage was recovered from the ocean later that day by a commercial diving vessel and was subsequently identified as being of the same make, model, and vintage as the accident airplane. No further wreckage was recovered, nor were the remains of the pilot. A hand-written suicide note was found inside the pilot’s vehicle, which was parked in the airplane’s hangar.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s suicidal act.

On September 23, 2012, about 0430 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172B, N8059X, was 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 by a clergyman on September 25, 2012. According to the clergyman, he had last spoken with the pilot about two days before the accident flight, and during the conversation the pilot confided difficulties he was undergoing in his personal life. The pilot also joked during the conversation, “I should just fly my plane into the ocean.” During a subsequent investigation by the Sheriff’s Office it was revealed that the pilot’s airplane was also missing, and his vehicle was parked in the airplane’s hangar at HEG. Review of electronic access records at showed that the pilot last entered the airport on September 23 at 0204. Additionally, upon searching the pilot’s vehicle, the officers discovered a hand-written suicide note that was dated September 23, 2012 at 0225.

Radar information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Jacksonville Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), showed a primary radar target with no associated transponder beacon departing the vicinity of HEG about 0242. The target tracked northeast over the city of Jacksonville, Florida, before it turned southeast bound and headed out over the Atlantic Ocean. About 22 nautical miles east of Saint Augustine, Florida, the target began tracking north. About 0422, the target began maneuvering until the final radar target was observed at 0429, about 21 nautical miles east of Mayport Naval Station (NRB), Mayport, Florida (30 degrees 23.219 minutes north by 81 degrees 0.378 minutes west).

Radar tracks recorded by three other radar facilities showed a similar primary radar target departing from HEG and terminating over the Atlantic Ocean within 20 seconds of the data recorded by Jacksonville TRACON.

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, about 1.2 nautical miles southeast of the final recorded radar target. 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 model year 1961 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.


 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.




"This memorial website was created in the memory of our loved one, Gene Milowicki, 48, born on January 2, 1964 and passed away on September 23, 2012. We will remember him forever."

Visit memorial website:   http://www.forevermissed.com/gene-milowicki/#about

Wood Max L MUSTANG II FB, N112MW: Accident occurred October 04, 2012 in San Manuel, Arizona

NTSB Identification: WPR13LA002 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, October 04, 2012 in San Manuel, AZ
Aircraft: WOOD MUSTANG II FB, registration: N112MW
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 October 4, 2012, about 0930 mountain standard time, an experimental amateur built Wood Mustang II FB, N112MW, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain near the San Manuel Airport (E77), San Manuel, Arizona. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The private pilot, sole occupant, was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight which originated from E77 at an undetermined time.

According to multiple witnesses located at E77, the pilot reported low oil pressure and that he was returning to the airport. The witnesses observed the airplane in a final turn for a visual approach to runway 11 and noticed that it appeared to be low and slow, as if it was stalling. Subsequently, the airplane impacted a ridge line approximately three-quarters of a mile northwest of E77.

Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector revealed that the forward portion of the airframe and wings were mostly consumed by fire. The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 112MW        Make/Model: EXP       Description: MUSTANG II FB
  Date: 10/04/2012     Time: 1650

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

LOCATION
  City: SAN MANUEL   State: AZ   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE 1 PERSON ON BOARD WAS 
  FATALLY INJURED, NEAR SAN MANUEL, AZ

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


OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: SCOTTSDALE, AZ  (WP07)                Entry date: 10/05/2012 
 
http://registry.faa.gov/N112MW

MAMMOTH, AZ (CBS5) - A small plane crashed shortly after taking off from San Manuel Airport in Pinal County on Thursday morning, killing the 77-year-old pilot, according to local law enforcement authorities.

The name of the pilot, who is from Oracle, was not released until family could be notified.

The single-engine, homebuilt Mustang II FB crashed in a canyon about two miles from the airport about 9:30 a.m., according to Ian Gregor of the FAA.

Pinal County sheriff's spokesman Tim Gaffney said the pilot was the only person on board.

According to a witness, the pilot reported over the radio he was having oil pressure problems and was returning to the airport, Gaffney said. Suddenly, the plane went into a spin and crashed into a canyon known as Smelter Wash.

Gregor said the FAA believes the pilot was planning on making a local flight and returning to San Manuel.

Gregor said he could not confirm the plane's tail number because it caught fire after the crash.
He said the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate this accident and that the NTSB is the lead investigative agency.

The San Manuel Airport is approximately 45 miles northeast of Tucson.

No other information was immediately available.

Stay with cbs5az.com and CBS 5 News as this story develops.

Airplane wreckage discovered near Jeffrey City, Wyoming

Sheriff’s Capt. Ryan Lee said his office is investigating the discovery of the tail section of an airplane found in the Willow Creek area near Jeffrey City.

The find was reported to the sheriff’s office at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. According to the department’s call log, the caller stated the tail had a number on it, looked rusted and might be old.

Lee said a Fremont County resident was recreating in the area when the wreckage was found. He was unsure if the plane was located on public or private property.

“The wreckage appears to be decades old, possibly a 1950′s era crash site,” Lee said. “We are in the process of confirming the identity of the aircraft and researching the history behind the wreckage.”

Lee said deputies are speaking with area residents to learn more about the incident.

“We just want to make sure that this was a reported incident years ago and not something that has been missing for the last 60 or 70 years and just discovered,” he said. “There is an expanse of country out there and it would not be impossible for something to go undiscovered for decades.”

There were no signs of human remains found with wreckage, Lee confirmed.

http://county10.com

Reality TV star's chopper pilot dies in crash

POLICE divers will today try to retrieve the body of a pilot who worked for Northern Territory charter flight company owner and reality TV star Milton Jones after a helicopter crashed into a remote Kimberley gorge yesterday.

The 40-year-old pilot and another pilot had been mustering on Louisa Downs station, 140km west of Halls Creek, in two separate Robinson 22 helicopters.

At the end of the day, as they flew back to their accommodation at nearby Larrawa station, they landed to go for a swim in the gorge. But when the 40-year-old later took off, he clipped the side of the ravine and crashed to the bottom and into 2m of water.

The cook at Larrawa station, Wendy Brockhurst, said yesterday the pilots had been there for two weeks and the dead man was "lovely, you couldn't get a nicer person".

"He didn't come across as a foolhardy person," she said.

Staff at Mr Jones's Darwin-based Northern Australian Helicopters would not comment, except to say a statement would be released in coming days.

Mr Jones is the owner of NAH, which has been operating across northern Australia since 1993 and serves mining companies, government departments, tourism and mustering.

He appeared in last year's hit Ten Network reality series Keeping Up With the Joneses, about life on his 400,000ha cattle station.

He has been fighting efforts by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to examine uncut footage from the program allegedly showing him piloting a helicopter after drinking alcohol, leaving children unattended in a running helicopter and using a helicopter to tow his son on water skis.

A CASA spokesman said yesterday the footage was still being examined. No charges have been laid. Mr Jones has described that investigation as a "witch-hunt".

There are no roads to the remote gorge on Louisa Downs Station and police divers and two Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigators sent from Perth were not expected to reach the site until midday today.

A police spokesman said officers would not release the pilot's name until they reached the site and could confirm the person's identity and inform his family.

ATSB general manager of aviation safety investigations Ian Sangston said an operations investigator, who was a licensed helicopter and plane pilot, and an aircraft mechanical engineer had been sent to the scene.

In July last year, Jillian Jenys, 48, was killed in an R22 helicopter as she was returning from mustering northeast of Fitzroy Crossing, in the Kimberley.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au

Crash landing in Carrickmore?

Published on Thursday 4 October 2012 15:31

THERE were reports last week that a light aircraft was involved in a crash as it came to land at an airstrip near Carrickmore.

Reports on one internet forum suggest that a Cessna 152 plane had a landing accident that resulted in the plane coming to rest on its back on Saturday 22nd September.

There were no reports of any injuries.

It is believed the same plane had been involved in a training accident in Derry in 2010.

Can you provide us with anymore information? If so contact news@tyronetimes.co.uk.

http://www.tyronetimes.co.uk/news/local/crash-landing-in-carrickmore-1-4329138

Beech 58 Baron, N21DA: Incident occurred November 07, 2017 at Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport (KSBY), Maryland -and- Incident occurred October 04, 2012 at Chesterfield County Airport (KFCI), Richmond, Virginia

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Baltimore, Maryland

Aircraft on taxi, went off the side of the taxiway and struck a taxiway light. 

Baron 21DA LLC: http://registry.faa.gov/N21DA

Date: 07-NOV-17
Time: 18:21:00Z
Regis#: N21DA
Aircraft Make: BEECH
Aircraft Model: BE58
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: OTHER
Flight Phase: TAXI (TXI)
City: SALISBURY
State: MARYLAND





Incident occurred October 04, 2012 at Chesterfield County Airport (KFCI), Richmond, Virginia

CHESTERFIELD, VA (WWBT) - A small, private plane was forced to make an emergency landing at the Chesterfield County Airport after its landing gear wouldn't immediately go down.

The pilot of the Beechcraft Baron model plane ultimately manually cranked down the landing gear for a safe arrival around noon Thursday.

The plane, owned by Midlothian's Delta Airport Consultants, departed from Charlotte, N.C. just before 11 a.m. Thursday. The contract pilot and one passenger were headed to West Virginia, but ran into an issue mid-flight when the control switch to the landing gear wasn't activating

"The pilot has an emergency procedure checklist. He pulled that out, and we reviewed that," said Chesterfield County Airport chief mechanic Tony Nunes.

Fire and EMS crews readied themselves on the tarmac, for any outcome. Emergency vehicles, including some loaded with extinguishing foam were called to the scene.

"In a situation of an aircraft landing, with the fuel that is on board, if it does catch fire, it's going to need a lot of foam to be able to extinguish it." said Chesterfield Fire Lt. Jason Elmore.

The pilot successfully manually cranked the landing gear down and after nearly an hour of uncertainty, the plane carrying coasted easily down the runway.

"This has happened several times in the past. Some have been good outcomes… some have been not so good outcomes, as far as actual crashes," said Lt. Elmore.

The owners of the 1978 plane say it's never before had an issue with landing.

Original article can be found here: http://www.nbc12.com

Qantas Boeing 747-400, VH-OJC, Flight QF-5: Burning Smell In Cabin

A QANTAS plane that left Sydney bound for Germany has made an emergency landing in Darwin after an unusual smell filled the cabin.

There were 305 passengers on board the Boeing 747 when it made its unscheduled stop at Darwin Airport late on Thursday.

They are being put up in hotels while engineers investigate what was described by one passenger as a burning smell.

"Qantas flight QF5 operating from Sydney to Singapore diverted to Darwin due to an odour in the cabin," a Qantas spokeswoman said.

"The captain requested a priority landing. The odour dissipated within 10 minutes.

"The captain said it smelled of plastic. No medical attention was needed for any of the passengers or crew."

Reports that there was smoke in the cabin or that oxygen masks fell from the ceiling are incorrect, she said.

The flight left Sydney Airport at 4pm (AEST) on Thursday and arrived in Darwin at 8.30pm (ACST). It was due to stop over in Singapore before continuing to Germany.

Passengers are currently waiting for information on when their journey will resume.

Twitter users on board the flight described the experience.

Mark Cubey wrote: "It was all going well - aisle seat, Moonrise Kingdom - until the smell of burning filled the plane. Now grounded in Darwin. Waiting..."

He said they had been told they would be in Darwin until tomorrow night.

Jim Macnamara wrote: "Electrical fire on Qantas QF5 to Singapore over NT. Landed safely in Darwin. Stranded. But welcome Terra firma."

http://www.theaustralian.com.au

Mitsubishi UFJ Lease to Purchase Jackson Square Aviation

Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance Co. agreed to buy Oaktree Capital Group LLC (OAK)’s Jackson Square Aviation LCC for 100 billion yen ($1.3 billion) to add about 70 planes to its commercial-aircraft fleet.

The purchase will be completed in December, Tokyo-based Mitsubishi UFJ Lease said in a statement today. The lessor, an affiliate of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. (8306), Japan’s biggest publicly traded bank, will do the deal by buying Jackson Square’s parent JSA International Holdings LP.

Japanese banks are targeting plane-leasing and expansion overseas as a shrinking population saps demand at home and because a stronger yen has made foreign assets cheaper to buy. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. (8316) completed the $1.2 billion purchase of Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc’s plane-leasing unit in June.

“Expansion prospects in Japan are limited,” said Shiro Yoshioka, a Tokyo-based analyst at Japaninvest Group Plc. “The stronger yen is also helping boost purchasing power.”

Jackson Square has 76 planes valued at more than $4 billion, the San Francisco-based lessor said in a statement. The jets are in service with carriers including Air France-KLM Group (AF), Emirates and Virgin America Inc., according to aviation- data provider Ascend. The company’s fleet is predominately narrow-body Boeing Co. and Airbus SAS planes, Ascend said.

Management Team

The lessor has “at the core of its business, a management team with expertise in the industry,” Mitsubishi UFJ Lease said. Jackson Square, named after the San Francisco district where it’s based, began operating in 2010 after Oaktree committed $500 million in equity to Richard Wiley, Toby Bright and Scott Weiss.

The trio founded Pegasus Aviation Finance Co., sold it in 2007 to Terra Firma Capital Partners Ltd. and then created Sky Holding Co., which was renamed Jackson Square with Oaktree’s involvement. Wiley had worked with Oaktree since the mid-1990s, doing more than $6 billion in aircraft transactions through Pegasus. Bright had been Boeing’s commercial-plane sales chief.

“Having the support of another major international financial services company enables us to continue to provide our airline customers with new capital to finance their next- generation deliveries,” Wiley said in the statement.

Mitsubishi UFJ Lease owns four Boeing planes, according to Ascend. The company leases assets including machine tools, computers, cars and real estate, according to its website.

Shares Rise

The lessor jumped 3 percent to 3,395 yen at the close in Tokyo. The shares have gained 11 percent this year. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial holds a 9.2 percent stake, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The deal “is in line with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group’s business strategy to expand global assets,” said Hironori Imafuku, a spokesman for the Tokyo-based bank. Leasing “is one of our business pillars in addition to banking, brokerage, trust banking and credit-card services.”

Japanese companies announced $51.7 billion of overseas takeovers last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. This year, $31.1 billion of deals have been announced, led by Marubeni Corp.’s $5.6 billion purchase of U.S. grain merchandiser Gavilon Group LLC. The yen has gained 6 percent against the dollar in the past two years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Lease Expansion


The jet-leasing industry has been growing since its birth in the 1970s, and about 35 percent of the global fleet is now leased rather than owned, up from 25 percent in 2000, according to a Fitch Ratings report in July. Airlines will take 34,000 new planes valued at $4.5 trillion through 2031, according to Boeing. That’s a 1.5 percent increase from a 33,500-jet estimate a year earlier.

Jackson Square specializes in sale-leaseback deals, functioning as a third-party financier. In such transactions, airlines order jets, getting discounts off the purchase price, and then seek to preserve cash by selling the planes to lessors and signing operating leases instead.

Competitors include units of General Electric Co. (GE), American International Group Inc. (AIG) and CIT Group Inc. (CIT), as well as independent companies such as Air Lease Corp. (AL) and AerCap Holdings NV.

http://www.businessweek.com

United States Pilot Freed After Days Detained in Kalimantan

Indonesian Air Force members search Cessna 208 pilot Michael A. Boyd after forcing him to land at Sepinggan Airport in Balikpapan on Sunday. The aircraft entered Indonesian airspace without proper documents.
(Antara Photo)
 Photo Credit: Jakarta Globe Reported News.


Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. Authorities here on Thursday released a United States pilot they had detained since Sunday for transgressing Indonesian airspace, officials said.

Michael A. Boyd was arrested on Sunday after Air Force planes forced him to land in Balikpapan on board his Cessna 208 aircraft. The American did not have clearance to fly into Indonesian airspace.

Col. Djoko Putroseno, the commander of the Balikpapan military airbase, released Boyd at 10:00 a.m. after he officially obtained a security clearance from the government.

Boyd took off and headed for Singapore, Djoko said.

“This morning at around 9:00 a.m. the clearance documents were issued, so therefore we do not want to hinder anyone and we have released him,” Djoko said.

Rustino, the head of the airport authority at Balikpapan’s Sepinggan Airport, where the airbase is also located, said Boyd had completed all the administrative requirements, including getting the necessary clearance and paying landing fees. Djoko said Boyd had also apologized for having entered Indonesian airspace without the necessary permits.

The airbase commander added that while keeping him in custody over the past four days, Boyd had been well treated.

“We want to leave a good impression on Michael while he was under detention so that when he goes home, he can say that he was well treated,” Djoko said.

Boyd entered Indonesian airspace near the northern tip of Sulawesi island, en route to Singapore. He told the Indonesian Air Force he only had clearance to fly over the airspace of Singapore and Malaysia, and that he had been forced to fly over Indonesia's Gorontalo province due to bad weather.

The US pilot said he was delivering a new airplane ordered by a Papuan businessman. There were no more details on the aircraft owner, other than he was identified as “Mr. Bus.”

 
Story, comments and photo:  http://www.thejakartaglobe.com

Beechcraft 100 King Air, C-GXRX: Mother of dead British Columbia pilot pleads for life-saving device

A British Columbia mother whose son died after a 2011 plane crash is pleading for airplanes to be fitted with an inexpensive device that could have saved his life.

Pilots Matt Robic, 26, and Luc Fortin, 44, were at the controls on Oct. 27, 2011, when their twin-engine plane crashed and burned just short of the runway while trying to make an emergency landing at Vancouver airport.

The two pilots died from burns suffered in a 2011 crash near Vancouver airport.The two pilots died from burns suffered in a 2011 crash near Vancouver airport. (CBC)


Fortin died within a few hours of the crash, while co-pilot Robic succumbed to his severe burns three weeks later. Their seven passengers survived — some with serious injuries — after scrambling out of the burning Beechcraft King Air plane.

An initial report suggested the fire could have been prevented by a simple kill switch, which cuts power from the battery and stops sparks from igniting spilled fuel.

"You deal with the grieving, with all the things you’ve got to deal with and then you find out the accident was survivable, that there was no reason for him to get burned like that, that was the killer," said Robic's mother, Corinna Robic.

Full of fuel


The NT Air flight from Vancouver to Kelowna had almost a full load of fuel aboard. The pilots turned the flight around about 15 minutes after taking off when an oil indicator light suggested there was a problem with the aircraft and were given permission to return for an emergency landing.

The aircraft crashed on a public road, about 900 metres short of the runway.

The Transportation Safety Board recommended five years ago that all planes install a kill switch — at a cost of a few hundred dollars — that would automatically cut off power on impact,

The TSB's Bill Yearwood agrees the switch might have saved Robic's life.

"It’s easy to conclude this is one way to remove fires or post-crash fires," Yearwood said.

Corinna Robic wrote to the federal minister of transport asking for kill switches to be required.

The ministry did respond in writing, saying it was working to reduce crash fatalities due to fires, but gave no indication it will make the kill switch mandatory.

Story and video: http://www.cbc.ca

Telefonica Said to Sell Jets as Part of Spending Cuts

Telefonica SA (TEF), the Spanish phone company whose net debt is bigger than its market value, plans to reduce its fleet of private jets as part of an effort to cut costs, two people familiar with the matter said.

Telefonica, which has more private planes than any other Spanish publicly traded company, plans to put up for sale two of its four Gulfstream business jets in two to four weeks, one of the people said, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are private. The company could raise about 35 million euros ($45 million) for the jets, the person said.

Spain’s biggest phone operator will replace one of the jets by March or April with a new Gulfstream G650, which it ordered about three years ago, the person said. Madrid-based Telefonica, which has a department for aviation, may have paid about 50 million euros, less than the 70 million euros a new G650 costs now, the person said.

The jet sales are part of a cost-reduction program that spans office supplies, employee refreshments, compensation and asset disposals. After an $85 billion acquisition spree over the past decade, Chief Executive Officer Cesar Alierta is cutting back, selling assets that include shares in German and Latin American units as well as the call-center business Atento.

The company, which faces competition from France Telecom SA (FTE)’s Orange Spain unit and Jazztel Plc (JAZ), reduced managers’ total compensation by 30 percent in July, while board members agreed to take a 20 percent pay cut. Saddled with more than 58 billion euros of net debt, Telefonica also scrapped this year’s dividend and halved next year’s to save an estimated 10.2 billion euros as it rushes to avoid further debt downgrades.

Leather Seats

The jets for sale are a General Dynamics Corp. (GD) Gulfstream G200, which can fly for about 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 kilometers), and a Gulfstream GV with a range of more than 5,000 nautical miles, the person said. Both carry 10 to 14 passengers and include leather seats, couch, Internet, TV and satellite connection, the person said. The average maintenance cost for this type of jet is about 10,000 euros for each hour of flight, the person said.

Telefonica’s other two jets are Gulfstream G550 models. The company bought its first jet, a second-hand Gulfstream GIV, from the Sultan of Brunei in the late 1990s under the leadership of Alierta’s predecessor, Juan Villalonga, the person said.

A Telefonica official declined to comment.

Coffee, Photocopies

Only top executives at Telefonica use the jets, though less often than they used to, people familiar with the matter said. Alierta is known in the aviation industry as a sensible jet user, having rented one for personal use from outside the company, one of the people said.

Telefonica follows other telecommunications companies in selling planes. Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM), the maker of the BlackBerry smartphone, was selling one of its two business jets under a plan to save $1 billion in operating costs, people familiar with the matter said in July.

As part of a broad cost-cutting program, Telefonica may move some of the about 370 employees of its international unit, known as TISA, to Brazil from Spain by early next year, two people familiar with the matter said. The final number of people to be moved hasn’t been decided and the rest will be relocated to other operating units or fired, the people said.

Telefonica has also reduced the number of color photocopies for most employees, two people said. The phone company is also cutting back on travel, coffee and phone expenses, one of the people said. Other cost cuts include the use of company cars, for which directors now have stricter gasoline-allowance limits, the person said.

http://www.businessweek.com

C-GRIS Accident Report just released . .

Accident occurred June 17 2011 Buttonville Airport (Near Toronto, ON, Canada)
 

No injuries, aircraft damaged beyond economical repair.

Falcon 10 serial number 02 original FalconJet Demonstrator

There were 3 prototypes, so C-GRIS was the 5th Falcon 10 built.

It was delivered from France (test reg F-WJMM) as N10FJ in November 1973


Sold as N103JM to Jas S. Matthews & Company November 1975

Sold to Gary Rubinoff and Irving Schoichet and operated as Skycharter Ltd from December 1978

http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2011/a11o0098/a11o0098.asp


http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab20/bizjets101/C-GRISTSB1.jpg

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab20/bizjets101/C-GRISTSB2.jpg


http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab20/bizjets101/C-GRISTSB3.jpg


After accident, aircraft was dismantled at Buttonville Airport, and transported
  by truck to be parted out (Unknown destination assume White Industries, KS)

Virgin to resume Mumbai flights soon

The Virgin Atlantic airline will resume its London-Mumbai flights in October, after a hiatus of three years.
 

The Richard Branson-owned airline's move comes six months after Kingfisher Airlines suspended its London flights and plans to join Virgin's rival British Airways-led oneworld alliance.

Kingfisher's entry into oneworld would have given British Airways a bigger passenger feed from Indian market, and made difficult for Virgin to grab market share.

Virgin had operated London-Mumbai flights between 2005 and 2009.

Its return comes at a time when other foreign airlines are cutting down on their flights in India or pulling out altogether, citing increase in operating costs and charges at Delhi airport.

Virgin's CEO Steve Ridgway said that his airline will be able to attract airline passengers from India.

"We had to withdraw our service in 2009 due to the global economic slowdown, but we always said if it was economically viable we would come back.

The time is now right, with the Mumbai-London market growing by nine per cent since 2009, and we are looking forward to starting our flights next month and serving the people of Mumbai," Ridgway said in an email response to Business Standard.

Virgin currently flies on the Delhi-London route.

Mumbai-London is the second busiest international route from Mumbai and the 12th busiest route from London (1 million passengers flew on this route last year, according to Virgin).

Currently, Air India, British Airways and Jet Airways [ Get Quote ] fly five times daily between the cities.

There are also Gulf-based and European carriers who link the two cities, making it a very competitive market. Emirates has eight daily flights between Dubai and London and carries a large percentage of fliers on the route.

"The Mumbai-London market is crowded, but there is a room for a direct service," said an aviation expert.

According to him, for the past few years, four or five airlines from both India and the UK are operating flights on the route.

British Midland airlines was the first to pull out from the route and its place was taken by Kingfisher.

And now, Virgin is taking the space vacated by Kingfisher.

"Yield retention on the route is difficult because of the intense competition.

"Airlines need to deploy planes with the right seat configuration (260 plus seats) and get 75 per cent loads to retain yields," the expert said.

"Kingfisher flew an Airbus A-330 on the route with 217 seats. You can't make a profit with even 95 percent loads with this configuration," he added.

There is cut-throat competition on the route and Virgin will have a tough time to shake off the well-established Jet and the British Airways," he added.

Virgin's prime focus remains its premium service, and this time the airline is introducing its new Airbus A330 on the route with 266 seats (33 upper class, 48 premium economy and 185 economy).

Previously, it flew an Airbus A340 on this sector with 220 seats.

"At the core of our brand is our unique product and premium service. We are a global brand with local relevance. . .

"Our cabins, our crew and our service are our biggest differentiators," said Ridgway.

The airline boasts of the longest bed in the business class (upper class) and an on board bar.

"We have one of the biggest market shares between Delhi and London (19 per cent). We also have the second largest market share (25.1 per cent) between Delhi and Newark and strong growth across cabins, especially in business class," Ridway claimed.


http://www.rediff.com

Safi Aviation Park opens to the public this weekend

The Safi Aviation Park will open its gates for an Open Day with activities for all the family on 7 October, giving the general public the opportunity to visit the €17 million facility that was inaugurated earlier this year.

Throughout the day from 10am to 5:30pm, the public will have the opportunity to take a close view of Medavia’s and SR Technic’s hangars, each large enough to accommodate two Airbus A320, Boeing 737 or planes of similar size at the same time.

Besides the current tenants of the Safi Aviation Park, a number of other companies operating within the local aviation industry have confirmed their participation in the Open Day, thereby ensuring that a more holistic picture of the industry and the wide variety of services offered in Malta is presented.

Indeed, other participants include maintenance, repair and overhaul company MCM, as well as a number of flights schools, namely European Pilot Academy, Malta School of Flying and Skypeople Aviation Training. The latter companies will also be displaying some of their aircraft, as will do the Island Microlight Club.

The Open Day is also intended to highlight the employment and education opportunities within the growing aviation industry, which nowadays provides employment to more than 1,000 workers.

For this purpose, Malta Enterprise will also have a stand to provide information on the services it offers to support local enterprises, including the services provided through its one stop shop, Business First, as well as the wide variety of support schemes.

The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) and the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) will also be present to assist with information on the services they offer with a focus but not limited to the aviation industry.

Other participants include the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA); the Malta Model Aircraft Flying Association, which shall be displaying some of its members’ models; as well as the Aviation Museum, which shall be setting up a visual presentation on the history of Malta’s aviation industry.

Organized tours on board trackless trains will provide the opportunity to go around the Safi Aviation Park and view the new taxiway linking it to the main infrastructure at the Malta International Airport as well as the areas earmarked for future developments, including the site where Dutch company Aviation Cosmetics shall be constructing a new hangar to provide spray-painting services.

During the course of the day a variety of entertainment activities are being organized for all the family, including displays by the Armed Forces of Malta, the Civil Protection Department, the Malta Red Cross and the Scout Association of Malta.

Additionally, Zoo will be animating the Open Day with a number of shows, sketches and interactive games with aviation as their theme, to which the group will add its characteristic comic touch. There will also be a small play area with a bouncing castle for young children and a challenge wall.

A number of trial flights courteously provided by the flight schools and the microlight club will also be given out through competitions being organized on the day, as well as through draws among those who attend the Open Day and those who like the Malta Enterprise page on Facebook.

Entrance and all entertainment activities are free of charge.

While the areas just outside the Park will be available for parking, a shuttle service is also being organized for those wishing to make use of public transport, with transport departing at regular intervals from Triq il-Kuċċard in Safi, which may be reached with bus number 71.

For more information call on 2542 1000, visit www.maltaenterprise.com or the Malta Enterprise page on Facebook.

http://www.independent.com.mt

Helicopter films commercial at Santa Maria Public Airport/Capt G Allan Hancock Field (KSMX), Santa Maria, California

An English Air Service helicopter that was seen circling the Santa Maria Public Airport on Wednesday afternoon was filming a commercial for the airport, according to General Manager Chris Hastert.

The helicopter, which flew from about 1:30 to 3 p.m., was capturing the airport from all angles for the commercial being developed by S. Lombardi & Associates, based in San Luis Obispo.

English Air Service is based at the airport.

Contractor gets Brac airport work

Travellers to Cayman Brac later this year will have to put up with construction work at Charles Kirkconnell International Airport as a $2.5 million facelift project gets under way.

Brac construction firm DSS Contractors has been chosen to do the preliminary work on expansion plans designed to enhance international commercial passenger operations at the airport in the larger of the two Sister Islands, the Cayman Islands Airports Authority 
has reported.

“The project will accommodate a larger ticketing hall, enhanced passenger screening and hold baggage screening facilities and the addition of outgoing immigration counters,” said Nicholas Johnson, the airports authority’s project manager. “The departure lounge will also be expanded to create additional retail space and a larger restaurant. Office space is also being created for Cayman Airways, as well as the airport’s security unit and a VIP lounge.”

Initial work includes relocating sewerage facilities, constructing a temporary outdoor baggage area, creating a temporary interior baggage corridor and demolishing the existing exterior baggage area.
Main terminal expansion work, which is being sought to accommodate nonstop outgoing international flights between Cayman Brac, the United States and elsewhere, is expected to begin by the end of the year.

The airports authority did not report cost projections in its news release. However, in late April, the statutory authority applied to the Development Control Board, which oversees planning matters for Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, for permission to build two additions to the airport facilities in Cayman Brac as part of a two-phase project with an estimated cost of $2.5 million, according to board records.

The first phase would include a 6,816-square-foot addition to the east end of the existing terminal building, with a check-in area, restrooms, security room, baggage screening, enlarged departure lounge and relocated cafe/bar. The second phase would include a 4,670-square-foot addition to the west end of the building, for a new baggage claim area. The board approved the airport extension plans on 7 May.

Jeremy Jackson, chief executive officer of the Cayman Islands Airports Authority, said the airports authority was funding the expansion work, which he said he expected would be completed next summer.

The airport in Cayman Brac is serviced almost exclusively by national flag carrier Cayman Airways and its wholly-owned subsidiary Cayman Airways Express.

Following a departmental tender process, which began in August, the airports authority reported it signed a contract with DSS Contractors on 21 September.

Mr. Johnson is said to be working with Donal McGrath of BDCL Architects on the primary design and planning phases. Mr. Johnson said the terminal will remain operational during all aspects of the expansion and efforts will be made to minimise interruption to passenger processing as the building is extended to the east.

The airports authority first announced its intentions to expand facilities in Cayman Brac in March.

In July, Cayman Islands Premier McKeeva Bush delivered the keynote address during a ground-breaking ceremony at the airport, where he also announced the renaming of the facility from Gerrard-Smith International Airport to Charles Kirkconnell International Airport.

“This is an important milestone in furthering the development of the tourism industry in Cayman Brac,” Mr. Bush said. “If we are to see the Island’s tourism industry grow, then improved airport facilities are an essential element. The plans that have been laid for the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport are excellent, and as premier and minister responsible for airports, I am extremely happy that this initiative by my government is now under way.”

Mr. Jackson said he is looking forward to the project’s conclusion next summer.

“The expansion is being funded by the Cayman Islands Airports Authority and will undoubtedly provide a much-needed boost to the continued economic development of Cayman Brac,” he said.

http://www.compasscayman.com