Sunday, October 21, 2012

FCA Flight Center: Flight school ready to fill future demand for pilots - Fitchburg Municipal Airport (KFIT), Massachusetts

Charley J. Valera, owner of the FCA Flight Center at Fitchburg Municipal Airport, is shown with his dog Frankie. Mr. Valera says flight schools like his will supply the next generation of airline pilots.
 (Telegram & Gazette/RICK CINCLAIR)



Sunday, October 21, 2012

By Paula J. Owen TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF 

 FITCHBURG —  Experts say the airline industry will soon face a crunch from a lack of experienced pilots.

Charley J. Valera, who has owned the flight school at Fitchburg Municipal Airport for the past year, said the anticipated demand has encouraged him to keep the school open.

Mr. Valera took over the flight school, FCA Flight Center, after one of his partners, Richard G. Sahldeck, died. Up to that point, Mr. Valera had been handling marketing for the school.

After a year of struggling with the decision to keep it open, Mr. Valera said he is now determined to train the future generation of airline pilots.

The military is not training as many pilots as it once was, he said, and many airline pilots trained in the military are approaching retirement.

“Who’s going to fill their shoes, and where are they going to get them from?” Mr. Valera asked. “With UAVs (unmanned air vehicles) and drones flown from central headquarters remotely, there are a lot less aircraft needed than there ever was and the military doesn’t train as many pilots as they did. Almost all airline pilots are ex-military, because the only way to accumulate the amount of flight hours airlines are looking for is to have someone else pay for it.”

But, he said, commercial airlines are going to have to rely more heavily on small flight schools to provide experienced pilots. Small flight schools are also more cost-effective for pilots-to-be, he said.

“You can go to a flight academy and you might pay $60,000 for your pilot’s license, or you can go to a local flight school and pay $6,000,” Mr. Valera said.

Pilots also can then gain more flight experience through instructing while earning money at the same time, he said.

Flight instructor Richard B. “Bo” Riley of Boylston, who will provide instruction at Mr. Valera’s flight school in the new Cirrus airplane arriving next week, said soon those instructors will be in demand.

“As the need grows for airline pilots when the economy expands again, airlines are going to have to pay them a lot more. It is going to be a supply and demand issue,” Mr. Riley said.

Until airlines offer higher salaries and better working conditions to attract more pilots, there will be a time when the airlines suffer because of a lack of pilots, he said.

He said the pilots who do it the “old-fashioned way,” of coming to a small local airport, taking lessons, getting a pilot’s license, building up experience, obtaining further ratings and then becoming flight instructors to gain more flight time, will be in high demand.

“There needs to be a crunch time before that shift occurs, but it is coming,” he said.

There are more than 5,000 small airports in the country like Fitchburg’s, he said, and only about 30 large airports like Logan, LaGuardia and Atlanta.

“These little airports are where all the grass-roots instructions happen, and where all certified instructors come from,” he said. “They are an important resource often underestimated by the communities in which they operate. Towns and cities that have airports and sometimes operate them have a hard time understanding they act as a conduit and through it the cash flows.”

It is not the $50 landing fee the airport gets that is the benefit, but the business owner who decides to set up shop in Fitchburg because he knows he can fly in from anywhere in the country and land a jet at the airport to check on the 200 people he is now employing, he said.

“That is the magic of small airports,” he said. “It draws in ancillary business that often the city doesn’t recognize.”

Right now, Mr. Valera’s flight school is experiencing a crunch of its own, having more students than instructors, Mr. Valera said.

But, that is a good crunch because the flight school has grown quickly in the last five years, he said.

“We have more students than instructor hours available, and in other parts of the country flight schools have plenty of instructors and not enough students,” Mr. Valera said. 


Story and photo:  http://www.telegram.com
 
http://fcaflightcenter.com

Missing Man flyover honors Maj. Garrett Wayne Knowlan

Three F16 jets from Eglin Air Force Base, Florida fly over Jackson City Park Saturday, October 20, 2012 after flying a missing man formation in honor of Maj. Garrett Wayne Knowlan over Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson. Knowlan, 32, who was based at Eglin, died October 11 while participating in a water survival training exercise in Pensacola, Fla. A native of Jackson, he was a 2002 graduate of the Air Force Academy and a 2010 graduate of the Air Force Test Pilot School. He flew the CV-22 Osprey and HC/MC 130J.

See Photo:  http://www.semissourian.com

Aviation Career Day at Groton-New London Airport (KGON), Connecticut

Groton/New London Airport is hosting the United States Coast Guard’s pilots along with their airplanes and helicopters from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 27. This is a rare opportunity for the community to learn about aviation on the airfield.

The first 100 youth who enter the airport’s gate that day will receive a gift. There will also be refreshments for guests. Persons who are interested in attending should email catherine.young@ct.gov or call (860) 445-8549 in advance.

Local military personnel saluted

Greg Dubrule, Heather Dubrule and Faith Allen of the Niantic sportfishing boat Black Hawk won the Military Community Support Award from the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut during Friday’s annual Military Appreciation Breakfast at the Mystic Marriott.

Among the speakers were U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman.

Others to speak included Rear Adm Richard P. Breckenridge, commander of Submarine Two; Major Gen. Thaddeus J. Martin, adjutant general of the Connecticut National Guard; retired Rear Adm. Joseph Walsh, an Electric Boat vice president, and Capt. Wes Pulver, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Barque Eagle.


 http://www.theday.com

U.S. Army Veteran Kreg Smith Makes Jet Engines at GE

 

GE and its partners launched a new coalition to train and find high-tech manufacturing jobs for veterans. The goal is to train and place 100,000 veterans by 2015.

Aviation firm flies into new Daedalus business complex

A DRIVE to turn a former naval airfield into a thriving business park has got under way.

Sapphire Aviation, which specializes in aircraft management and handling, has moved into a hangar at the former HMS Daedalus in Lee-on-the-Solent.

It has become the first firm to benefit from Fareham and Gosport borough councils’ new business rate rebate scheme. This gives businesses the chance to be exempt from paying business rates for five years.

It’s hoped businesses will invest the money they save into creating new jobs – boosting the local economy.

Sapphire Aviation is a start-up firm, whose parent company is Sapphire Jet Ltd in West Sussex.

It had been looking at potential sites and finally settled on Daedalus. Twenty new jobs will be created.

Steve Ford, managing director at Sapphire Aviation, said the opportunity gives the firm the chance to invest in its infrastructure.

He said: ‘The money that would have gone into the rate system is being self-invested. It’s being spent directly on the infrastructure on the airfield to sustain it in the long term.

‘One of the biggest challenges for private enterprise is dealing with the public sector, but what’s happening here is the councils have approached it as if they were in the private sector as well.

‘There’s no free lunch. We’ve taken a 1941 hangar and made them usable, so employees can work in them safely.

‘Instead of going to Fareham and Gosport councils for grants, we are investing in ourselves and cutting out a lot of red tape, which is exactly what the government is talking about in making it easier for businesses.’

As reported, almost 1,200 jobs are set to be created after it was announced more than £25m will be pumped into Daedalus.

Fareham council leader Sean Woodward said: ‘It’s going to be huge for them.

‘As someone who runs a business themselves, it’s got incredible potential for jobs and enterprise in Fareham.

‘They have taken a few hangers in there. We are the council councils, in partnership, to have this scheme and the first in the country to get the scheme in operation.’


http://www.portsmouth.co.uk

Farnborough Airfield celebrates 100 years of innovation

Farnborough has been at the forefront of innovation and engineering for years.

 The Airfield is celebrating it’s centenary this year and to celebrate BAE systems have opened up their archives in the famous Black Sheds.

 It showcases the town's rich aviation history - with over 16 million items.

 Heritage Manager for BAE Systems Howard Mason says British engineering is still going strong:

“If you look at what we have in the archive it’s never actually been lost- we’ve been innovating for a century and we shall continue to do so.

 “The company values are trusted, innovative and bold and what we’re showing here are records of how we’ve been bold in the past and innovative, so that we can be trusted in the future.”

http://www.964eagle.co.uk

Show respect for WWII hero

Opinion  

Grant Mahoney Park is a quaint, 1.5-acre park at Mariposa Street at Arkansas Street in Vallejo. It includes a children's play area, open turf, picnic tables, rose garden, and community building.

One small problem. It's "Mahony."

Now, I get that human spellcheck is horribly flawed. But Grant Mahony wasn't just some local dignitary or a resident who forked over cash to get his name on a park.

Far, far from it.

Lt. Col. Grattan "Grant" Mahony was believed to be Vallejo's first WWII hero, winning the Distinguished Service Cross as announced by Gen. Douglas MacArthur in Manilla on Dec. 20, 1941.

The citation for "extra-ordinary gallantry in action" in which Mahony "displayed exceptional courage" is second only to the Congressional Medal of Honor.

It wasn't his last heroic act.

In early 1945, Mahony believed other flyers in his squadron didn't have the experience to strafe a Japanese seaplane in the southern part of Luzon. So he did it himself.

Mahony made the first run and was ambushed. The seaplane was a decoy and Mahony's plane was hit and plunged into the water.

He left a wife and a young son in Astoria, Ore., parents who had moved from Vallejo to Oakland, and, apparently, a city that can't even respect a war hero by spelling his name correctly.

When notified earlier this week, Shane McAfee, director of the Greater Vallejo Recreation District, said it's the first he's heard that the spelling was incorrect.

"GVRD will now begin to review and change the written spelling both electronically and in print," McAfee said.

Well, now you know. And if it's going to take a few bucks to correct, I'm willing to write a check toward the cost.

Veterans' Day is coming up Nov. 11. What better way to make amends by not only installing a sign for Grant MAHONY Park, but perhaps our city officials can retell the story of the fallen WWII at the local ceremony.

And if the GVRD and city can't even get that right, Vallejo's more lost than I thought.


Source:  http://www.timesheraldonline.com/opinion

Medical helicopter station opens at Potsdam Municipal Airport (Damon Field) KPTD, Potsdam, New York

POTSDAM — St. Lawrence County welcomed the arrival of medical helicopter service at the official opening Thursday of Air Methods’ LifeNet of New York station at Potsdam Municipal Airport.

The north country’s need for medical helicopters has been alleviated by two new LifeNet stations opening this year; the station at Watertown International Airport near Dexter opened in June.

According to Air Methods Regional Vice President David M. Poulsen, the choice to bring service to Potsdam was an easy one.

Local leaders “knew what they needed, and they knew the answers to our questions, so it was an easy match,” Mr. Poulsen said.

The helicopters have been operating out of Potsdam since Oct. 1, but Thursday’s ribbon-cutting marked the ceremonial start for the fee-for-service business here. Village Mayor Steven W. Yurgartis and Administrator David H. Fenton welcomed the helicopter and its crew to the region.

The Potsdam station will employ 14 full-time staff members: four pilots, four paramedics, four registered nurses and two mechanics. Some employees are on loan from other stations at the moment, as LifeNet recruits and trains new full-time staff.

The local staff expects to respond to about 20 calls a month. The Potsdam and Watertown stations will back each other up in case of multiple emergencies.

Helicopters respond to emergency scenes such as car crashes or travel to area hospitals to fly critically injured patients to trauma centers such as Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, or Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington, Vt.

The job is stressful, but rewarding, said flight paramedic Lanny A. Miglioraro. “It’s ever-changing every day. You never know what you’re going to get,” he said.

Every flight has a team of three: the pilot, a nurse and a paramedic.

Even before the crew gets off the ground, there are important decisions to be made. The Potsdam station has made two flights so far, but has had to turn down several other requests because of weather conditions unsafe for flying.

“The weather is the ultimate factor in what we do,” said Jesse A. Edwards, the lead pilot at the Potsdam station.

Mr. Edwards took the job as a LifeNet pilot after finishing his time with the Army at Fort Drum. “It gave me a chance to keep flying,” he said.

The pressure is high when patients’ lives are on the line.

“We’ve seen some of the worst, most critically injured patients,” said Mr. Miglioraro, who has worked as a paramedic for 22 years.

Sometimes, despite best efforts, a patient doesn’t survive the trip to the hospital. But many do, with crucial time saved thanks to the speed provided by medical helicopters. This is what makes the job worthwhile, Mr. Miglioraro said.

“There’s always that positive feeling,” he said.

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com

Learn more about the Naples Municipal Airport Water Management Improvement and Taxiway A Project

The City of Naples Airport Authority invites the community to an open house to learn more about planned water-management system improvements and the Taxiway A extension project at Naples Municipal Airport. From 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7, information stations will provide details about the project’s engineering, water-quality goals, environmental effects and taxiway extension design. Brief overview presentations will be repeated throughout the two-hour event, and visitors will have the opportunity to discuss the project with airport staff and project consultants. The open house will be held in the airport’s commercial terminal on the south side of the airport at 500 Terminal Drive.

This story is contributed by a member of the Naples community and is neither endorsed nor affiliated with Naples Daily News

Indiana State Police crack down on reckless driving: by air



INDIANAPOLIS (WTHI) - The Indiana State Police crack down on reckless driving: by air.

ISP patrol the road, enforcing speed limits to keep you safe.

Often, they’ll track your speed with a radar gun, but with the help of a Cessna Skyhawk, Troopers know how fast you’re traveling without even seeing you.

“This is our airplane detail. This mainly focuses on aggressive driving and reckless driving,” said ISP Trooper BJ Patterson. “We use a system called VASCAR, which we pre-determined marks on the roadway that measures vehicle speed. So, basically, it’s time and distance that equals the vehicles speed.”

The moment a car crosses a painted mark in the road...the pilot starts to calculate the time it took for the car to travel a predetermined distance.

If you're speeding, the calls goes out.

“He’ll be able to determine how fast that care is going. He will then radio the Troopers that are on the ground, and point out the vehicle to the troopers,” said Trooper Patterson. “Our main goal is to reduce reckless driving and aggressive driving. That’s our number one goal.”

It’s a tool used to crack down on unsafe drivers, giving police eyes in the sky to keep you safe.

In a specific exercise, the pilot and Indiana State Troopers pulled over 22 cars in a matter of two hours.


http://www.wthitv.com

Judge: No mining rights to Flight 93 site

A Somerset County company does not have coal mining rights to land beneath the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stonycreek, a federal judge ruled.

U.S. District Judge Donetta Ambrose said Svonavec Inc. of Somerset failed to prove it had mining rights under the memorial site when the federal government took the land in September 2009 through eminent domain.

“Defendant relies primarily on missing, unrecorded, and incomplete documents to support its chain of title for the alleged coal leases,” Ambrose said in the order issued on Tuesday. “... Svonavec Inc. has not shown that it possessed any right to mine the coal underlying the property.”

Svonavec, a coal and quarry company, owned about 275 acres of land that the government took, including six acres where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

An attempt to reach the company on Saturday evening was not successful. A spokesperson for the Families of Flight 93, a nonprofit organization representing the Flight 93 passengers and crew, also could not be contacted.

The 40 passengers and crew members on Flight 93 are credited with storming the cockpit and preventing terrorists from crashing the plane into landmarks in Washington. The plane crashed in a field in Stonycreek. All aboard were killed.

The memorial will be built in phases. The first phase, dedicated last year, includes a Memorial Plaza, which overlooks the crash site.

The crash site, called Sacred Ground, is off-limits to the public. It will be left untouched and is considered the final resting place of the passengers and crew. Only family members will have access, though the public can view it from the Memorial Plaza.

The names of the passengers and crew are inscribed on a white marble wall that follows the path of the doomed plane.


http://triblive.com

Cessna 172D Skyhawk, N2879U: Accident occurred October 20, 2012 in Indian Trail, North Carolina

http://registry.faa.gov/N2879U

NTSB Identification: ERA13LA037
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, October 20, 2012 in Indian Trail, NC
Probable Cause Approval Date: 09/12/2013
Aircraft: CESSNA 172D, registration: N2879U
Injuries: 4 Uninjured.

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 airplane departed from a 2,350 foot long runway that had tall trees located off its departure end. As loaded, with full fuel and the pilot and three passengers aboard, the airplane was about 117 pounds below its maximum gross operating weight at takeoff. The pilot selected 10 degrees of flaps for takeoff; however, the owner's manual stated that normal and obstacle clearance takeoffs were to be performed with wing flaps retracted and specified the use of takeoff flaps only for soft or rough fields.

Just after liftoff (the pilot estimated the altitude to be about 40 feet above the ground), the airspeed began to deteriorate and the stall warning sounded. Because of the row of trees off the end of the runway, the pilot could not land straight ahead, so he turned about 10 degrees left and aimed toward a shorter tree. The airplane’s right main landing gear impacted the tree, and the pilot landed the airplane on a nearby road. During the landing roll, the left wing struck a tree, the airplane swerved to the left, and the nose landing gear sheared off before the airplane slid to a stop.

Examination of the airplane and a postaccident engine run did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation. It is likely that the pilot’s improper use of flaps during takeoff while operating near the airplane’s maximum gross weight reduced the airplane’s climb capability and it was unable to clear the trees off the end of the departure runway.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s improper use of flaps for takeoff, which resulted in the airplane’s failure to attain adequate climb airspeed and subsequent collision will trees during takeoff.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On October 20, 2012, about 1430 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172D, N2879U, was substantially damaged when it struck trees and terrain shortly after takeoff from Goose C reek Airport (28A), Indian Trail, North Carolina. The certificated airline transport pilot and his three passengers were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91.

According to the pilot, on the day of the accident he was originally supposed to rent a Piper J-3 Cub but it was unavailable. Instead he rented the Cessna 172D but was not given a rental checkout in the airplane by a flight instructor.

Prior to the flight he checked the weather conditions, and weight and balance accounting for the three passengers and the 36 gallons of fuel which was already on board. He then did a preflight inspection of the airplane, loaded his passengers and briefed them.

Prior to takeoff from runway 22, he performed an engine run-up. Everything was "in the green" and though a witness reported "popping", the pilot did not hear it and did not notice any engine anomalies. He then selected the wing flaps to "10 degrees", added full power, and commenced his takeoff. At 60 "knots" indicated airspeed, he pulled back on the control wheel and the airplane lifted off. Upon liftoff, the speed began to deteriorate, the stall warning sounded, and about 40 feet above ground level he "got a sinking feeling". There was a row of trees off the end of the runway and there was not enough room for him to land so he turned slightly left by about 10 degrees and aimed towards a tree that was lower in height, but the right main landing gear impacted one of the trees. He then tried to lower the angle of attack to aid in stall recovery but the airplane would not accelerate, so he landed on a nearby road. During the landing rollout the left wing struck a tree, the airplane swerved to the left, and the nose landing gear sheared off. The airplane then slid to a stop on top of a fallen tree.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and pilot records, the pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multi-engine land, commercial privileges for airplane single-engine land, and type ratings for B-737, CL-65, ERJ-170, and ERJ-190. He also held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine and instrument airplane. His most recent application for a FAA third-class medical certificate was dated October 3, 2012. The pilot reported that he had accrued 5,890 total hours of flight experience, of which 362 hours were in the accident airplane make and model.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The accident aircraft was a four place, strut braced, high wing airplane, of conventional metal construction. Unlike later higher horsepower Cessna 172s, it was powered by a 6 cylinder, 145 horsepower, air cooled, horizontally opposed engine, and its flap system was manually operated.

According to FAA and maintenance records the airplane was manufactured in 1963. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on September 8, 2012. At the time of the inspection, the airplane had accrued 6982.7 total hours of operation.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The recorded weather at Charlotte-Monroe Executive Airport (EQY), Monroe, North Carolina, located 6 nautical miles southwest of the accident site, at 1353, included: winds 270 at 7 knots, 10 miles visibility, sky clear , temperature 20 degrees C, dew point 05 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.83 inches of mercury.

AIRPORT INFORMATION

Goose Creek Airport was uncontrolled. Field elevation was 565 feet above mean sea level (msl). It had one runway, 4/22. Runway 22 was asphalt, in good condition. The runway was 2,350 feet long and 35 feet wide. Obstructions in the form of 65 foot high trees were present, 404 feet from the departure end of the runway, which took a 3:1 slope to clear.

Density altitude at the airport at the time of the accident was approximately 1,498 feet msl.


WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

Post accident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the airplane displayed multiple areas of damage and that during the impact with the tree, the left wing spar incurred substantial damage. Examination of the engine revealed that oil was present, drive train continuity was present, the magnetos would produce spark, and thumb compression was present on all cylinders.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

Engine Tests

At the request of the NTSB, on October 26, 2012 the engine was test run in the presence of an FAA inspector. Due to damage to the propeller that was incurred during the accident a propeller with the same part number was procured and mounted on the engine for the test run. During the test no evidence of any preimpact malfunctions or failures of the engine were discovered which would have precluded normal operation.

Engine start was achieved on the second revolution of the propeller. The engine idled normally and oil pressure was observed to rise 5 seconds after the start and the needle moved into the green arc on the oil pressure gauge within 30 seconds. The engine was idled for approximately 3 minutes and after the oil temperature began to rise, the engine was accelerated to 1,600 rpm and a magneto check was performed. During the magneto check, a drop of approximately 50 rpm for the left magneto, and a drop of approximately 25 rpm for the right magneto, was observed. Carburetor heat was then applied, and the engine rpm dropped approximately 25 rpm. The throttle was then retarded to the rear stop, and the engine decelerated till it was at approximately 525 rpm. The throttle was then pushed in until the engine was at idle, and it was observed to run smoothly. The throttle was then pushed in smoothly and quickly to the forward stop, and the engine accelerated without hesitation to a maximum static rpm.

Takeoff Procedures

Review of the Cessna Model 172D Skyhawk and Powermatic Series Owner's Manual, revealed that two procedures for takeoff were published in the "Operating Check List" section. One was for "NORMAL TAKE-OFF", and the other for "MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE TAKE-OFF".

The normal takeoff procedure specified that the nose wheel should be lifted at "60 MPH" and that the climb was to be conducted at "85 MPH".

The maximum performance takeoff procedure specified that the elevator was to be used to maintain a "slight tail low" attitude during the takeoff roll, and that the climb was to be conducted at "65 MPH".

Both procedures stated that the wing flaps should be "Up" for takeoff. The owner's manual went on to say in the "Operating Details" section that, "Normal and obstacle clearance takeoffs are performed with flaps up". The use of 10 degrees of flaps would shorten the ground roll approximately 10 percent, but this advantage was lost in the climb to a 50-foot obstacle. Therefore the use of 10 degrees of flaps was reserved for minimum ground runs or takeoffs from soft or rough fields "with no obstacles ahead".

Weight and Balance Information

According to fueling records and pilot statements, the airplane had been topped off prior to the accident flight and with him included; all four seats on the airplane were occupied. He estimated that takeoff weight was approximately 2,183 pounds which was about 117 pounds under the maximum gross operating weight.

Performance Information

Exact owner's manual based performance calculation for the takeoff roll (ground run) and distance to climb over a 50-foot obstacle, which accounted for the actual conditions of the flight, could not be accomplished because the actual conditions were not addressed by, the manufacturer's published data. The owner's manual did not account for flap settings other than flaps up, or non standard temperature/altitude combinations. All of which, would have had an adverse effect on takeoff and climb performance, and would be cumulative in combination with each other. Therefore, only the zero wind calculations for takeoff ground roll and 50-foot obstacle clearance distances based on the available data published in the owner's manual for flaps up (retracted) could be used, which indicated that at sea level, at a gross weight of 2,300 pounds, ground run would have been 865 feet, and distance to clear a 50 foot obstacle would have been 1,525 feet.

  NTSB Identification: ERA13LA037 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, October 20, 2012 in Indian Trail, NC
Aircraft: CESSNA 172D, registration: N2879U
Injuries: 4 Uninjured.

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

 
On October 20, 2012, about 1430 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172D, N2879U, was substantially damaged when it struck trees and terrain shortly after takeoff from Goose creek Airport (28A), Indian Trail, North Carolina. The certificated airline transport pilot and his three passengers were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91.

According to the pilot, on the day of the accident he was originally supposed to rent a Piper J-3 Cub but it was unavailable. Instead he rented the Cessna 172D but was not given a rental checkout in the airplane by a flight instructor.

Prior to the flight he checked the weather conditions, and weight and balance accounting for the three passengers and the 36 gallons of fuel which was already on board. He then did a preflight inspection of the airplane, loaded his passengers and briefed them.

Prior to takeoff from the 2,350 foot long asphalt runway, he performed an engine run-up. Everything was "in the green" and though a witness reported "popping", the pilot did not hear it and did not notice any engine anomalies. He then selected the wing flaps to ten degrees, added full power, and commenced his takeoff. At 60 "knots" indicated airspeed, he pulled back on the control wheel and the airplane lifted off. Upon liftoff, the speed began to deteriorate, the stall warning sounded, and about 40 feet above ground level he "got a sinking feeling". There was a row of trees off the end of the runway and there was not enough room for him to land so he turned slightly left by about 10 degrees and aimed towards a tree that was lower in height, but the right main landing gear impacted one of the trees. He then tried to lower the angle of attack to aid in stall recovery but the airplane would not accelerate, so he landed on a nearby road. During the landing rollout the left wing struck a tree, the airplane swerved to the left, and the nose landing gear sheared off. The airplane then slid to a stop on top of a fallen tree.

Post accident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the left wing spar had incurred substantial damage.


 
Credit: Diana Rugg
 Pilot talking to FAA. 
They're pointing out path of travel. 
Note the broken tree limb near the wing tip on ground 

 
 Credit: Diana Rugg 
 Plane lost part of its wing as pilot tried to land. 
Witness say it clipped the trees

UNION COUNTY, N.C. -- The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash of a small plane from a Union County flight school, hours after the pilot attempted to land it on N. Rocky River Road in Indian Trail.
 

The pilot and three other people on board were not injured in the rough landing, which happened around 3 p.m.
 

A witness said he saw the plane coming down, and watched as it clipped trees in front of his home.  Val Kavardakov said the plane continued down the road before crashing off to the side.
 

The 1963 Cessna 172D is registered to Leighton Pressley, who runs Pressley Aviation at nearby Goose Creek Airport.  A tip of one wing could be seen feet from the plane.
 

Pressley declined to comment about the rough landing, except to say he was glad everyone was safe.
 

The pilot and passengers also declined to comment.
 

Another pilot on scene as the plane returned to the airport around 5 p.m. said he believed the plane was too heavy with a full tank of fuel and four people on board, but the pilot also declined to confirm that.
 

 http://www.wcnc.com



 CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - A small plane that took off from Goose Creek Airport in Union County crashed Saturday afternoon on the Highway. 

Nobody was hurt. 

The pilot just rented the plane from Pressley Aviation located at the airport. 

 The owner of the aircraft company says the pilot crashed on Rocky River Road near Indian Trail and Fairview Roads, clipping trees on either side of the plane. 

The FAA was on the scene looking into the cause. 

 Investigators later transported the plane back to airport. No word tonight on where the flight was heading.