Source: http://picayuneitem.com
http://www.airnav.com/airport/KMJD
December 23, 2012
AIRPORT SIGN: Picayune Municipal (KMJD), Mississippi
Picayune's municipal airport has a new sign, which is still under construction. Airport manager Andy Greenwood said the sign will display the city logo soon and the empty flower bed in front of it will be filled with plants and blooms.
Source: http://picayuneitem.com
http://www.airnav.com/airport/KMJD
Source: http://picayuneitem.com
http://www.airnav.com/airport/KMJD
Beechcraft 55 Baron, N30WC: Accident occurred December 21, 2012 in Las Cruces, New Mexico
NTSB Identification: CEN13LA110
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, December 21, 2012 in Las Cruces, NM
Aircraft: Beech 95-B55 (T42A), registration: N30WC
Injuries: 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 December 21, 2012, at 1648 mountain standard time, a Beech 95-B55, N30WC, impacted terrain 2 miles southeast of runway 30 while on landing approach to Las Cruces International Airport (KLRU), Las Cruces, New Mexico. The pilot, the sole occupant on board, sustained minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight originated from Santa Teresa, New Mexico (K5T6) approximately 1625.
According to the pilot, the right engine began running rough. He said he secured the engine and feathered the propeller. Shortly thereafter, the left engine lost power. The airplane impacted terrain, shearing off the left wing. The right engine was partially separated from the right wing.
EL PASO, Texas - A plane crashed about two miles south of the Las Cruces airport Friday evening, according to New Mexico State Police
The ABC-7 Investigative team learned the plane belongs to a man by the name of Sean Tommervik from East Bridgewater, Massachussetts.
Dona Ana County Sheriff Kelly Jameson said airport personnel called central dispatch at 5:08 p.m. after receiving radio dispatch from the pilot that they were having engine failure.
New Mexico State Police found the plane. The pilot was uninjured.
"Captain Rich Libicer said it's still unclear if the plane crashed or had an emergency landing," according to the Associated Press.
A person who lives near the scene of the accident said the beach craft plane hit a sand dune but did not catch on fire.
http://www.kvia.com
http://registry.faa.gov/N30WC
http://flightaware.com/photo
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, December 21, 2012 in Las Cruces, NM
Aircraft: Beech 95-B55 (T42A), registration: N30WC
Injuries: 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 December 21, 2012, at 1648 mountain standard time, a Beech 95-B55, N30WC, impacted terrain 2 miles southeast of runway 30 while on landing approach to Las Cruces International Airport (KLRU), Las Cruces, New Mexico. The pilot, the sole occupant on board, sustained minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight originated from Santa Teresa, New Mexico (K5T6) approximately 1625.
According to the pilot, the right engine began running rough. He said he secured the engine and feathered the propeller. Shortly thereafter, the left engine lost power. The airplane impacted terrain, shearing off the left wing. The right engine was partially separated from the right wing.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 30WC Make/Model: BE55 Description: 55 Baron (T-42 Cochise, C-55, E-20)
Date: 12/21/2012 Time: 2348
Event Type: Incident Highest Injury: Minor Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Unknown
LOCATION
City: LAS CRUCES State: NM Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED SHORT OF THE AIRPORT, NEAR LAS CRUCES, NM
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 1 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: Landing Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: ALBUQUERQUE, NM (SW01) Entry date: 12/26/2012
Photo Credit: Scorpion
EL PASO, Texas - A plane crashed about two miles south of the Las Cruces airport Friday evening, according to New Mexico State Police
The ABC-7 Investigative team learned the plane belongs to a man by the name of Sean Tommervik from East Bridgewater, Massachussetts.
Dona Ana County Sheriff Kelly Jameson said airport personnel called central dispatch at 5:08 p.m. after receiving radio dispatch from the pilot that they were having engine failure.
New Mexico State Police found the plane. The pilot was uninjured.
"Captain Rich Libicer said it's still unclear if the plane crashed or had an emergency landing," according to the Associated Press.
A person who lives near the scene of the accident said the beach craft plane hit a sand dune but did not catch on fire.
http://www.kvia.com
http://registry.faa.gov/N30WC
http://flightaware.com/photo
Civil Aviation Safety Authority suspends Cairns-based airline
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority yesterday suspended all operations by a Cairns-based charter company because of alleged serious safety risks.
The federal authority said it had evidence Barrier Aviation, which has a fleet of 34 aircraft, was operating aircraft with serious and known defects and was directing its pilots to fly with known aircraft defects.
The company is also accused of failing to record those defects on aircraft maintenance documentation when they became known.
A CASA spokesman said Barrier Aviation had been under investigation for six weeks, but more alleged maintenance problems had come to light in the "past couple of days''.
"There was an increased level of risk which was just too high," the spokesman said.
The five-day ban could stretch to another 40 days if the Federal Court agrees to extend the suspension while CASA carries out further investigations.
Managing director of Barrier Aviation, David Kilin, said the company was examining the suspension notification and would take legal advice on the matter.
"We will be challenging the allegations in the Federal Court," he said yesterday.
He said about 50 staff, including 37 pilots, would be affected by the suspension but the company had not had time to consider their options yet.
"We will also be notifying clients and helping them with alternative arrangements."
CASA acknowledged the timing of the suspension was "regrettable" for passengers and Barrier's employees, but its "primary and overriding consideration" was safety.
In its statement yesterday, CASA said:
"The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has suspended the operations of Barrier Aviation Pty Ltd with immediate effect from 23 December 2012.
"This action has been taken because CASA believes permitting Barrier Aviation to continue to fly poses a serious and imminent risk to air safety."
Barrier Aviation provides charter services, aerial work and is a flying training air operator with bases in Cairns, Darwin and Horn Island.
It also offers interstate, international flights,scenic flights over the Great Barrier Reef, and the carriage of dangerous and difficult cargo throughout PNG.
Source: http://www.cairns.com.au
Watch Video: http://www.abc.net.au
http://www.barrieraviation.com
The federal authority said it had evidence Barrier Aviation, which has a fleet of 34 aircraft, was operating aircraft with serious and known defects and was directing its pilots to fly with known aircraft defects.
The company is also accused of failing to record those defects on aircraft maintenance documentation when they became known.
A CASA spokesman said Barrier Aviation had been under investigation for six weeks, but more alleged maintenance problems had come to light in the "past couple of days''.
"There was an increased level of risk which was just too high," the spokesman said.
The five-day ban could stretch to another 40 days if the Federal Court agrees to extend the suspension while CASA carries out further investigations.
Managing director of Barrier Aviation, David Kilin, said the company was examining the suspension notification and would take legal advice on the matter.
"We will be challenging the allegations in the Federal Court," he said yesterday.
He said about 50 staff, including 37 pilots, would be affected by the suspension but the company had not had time to consider their options yet.
"We will also be notifying clients and helping them with alternative arrangements."
CASA acknowledged the timing of the suspension was "regrettable" for passengers and Barrier's employees, but its "primary and overriding consideration" was safety.
In its statement yesterday, CASA said:
"The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has suspended the operations of Barrier Aviation Pty Ltd with immediate effect from 23 December 2012.
"This action has been taken because CASA believes permitting Barrier Aviation to continue to fly poses a serious and imminent risk to air safety."
Barrier Aviation provides charter services, aerial work and is a flying training air operator with bases in Cairns, Darwin and Horn Island.
It also offers interstate, international flights,scenic flights over the Great Barrier Reef, and the carriage of dangerous and difficult cargo throughout PNG.
Source: http://www.cairns.com.au
Watch Video: http://www.abc.net.au
http://www.barrieraviation.com
Plane aborts take-off with fire in engine: General Mitchell International Airport (KMKE), Milwaukee, Wisconsin
MILWAUKEE - Everyone is okay after a plane at Mitchell International had to abort take-off with engine problems.
What started out as an ordinary flight for those Delta passengers turned into a travel nightmare. Many of them tell TODAY'S TMJ4 they don't think they'll make it home in time for Christmas Eve.
The plane was headed to the Twin Cities.
"There was a loud bang on the right side and they aborted the take-off," says Milwaukee resident Bob Noel. "You're not thinking about where you're going, you're thinking about your own safety. When you hear that, it's not a good sign."
Milwaukee County Fire Department crews were called to the airport at about 9:30 a.m. after a Delta commercial plane began having engine trouble.
An airport public relations official says the mechanical trouble happened prior to take-off.
"We can't get any other flight until tomorrow," Andy Smith says. "They told us later the right engine had lost its oil and had been on fire."
Many of the fire crews were called off before they got to the airport as the fire was under control quickly.
Right now, it's not clear how many passengers had to be put on other flights.
Story and video: http://www.todaystmj4.com
What started out as an ordinary flight for those Delta passengers turned into a travel nightmare. Many of them tell TODAY'S TMJ4 they don't think they'll make it home in time for Christmas Eve.
The plane was headed to the Twin Cities.
"There was a loud bang on the right side and they aborted the take-off," says Milwaukee resident Bob Noel. "You're not thinking about where you're going, you're thinking about your own safety. When you hear that, it's not a good sign."
Milwaukee County Fire Department crews were called to the airport at about 9:30 a.m. after a Delta commercial plane began having engine trouble.
An airport public relations official says the mechanical trouble happened prior to take-off.
"We can't get any other flight until tomorrow," Andy Smith says. "They told us later the right engine had lost its oil and had been on fire."
Many of the fire crews were called off before they got to the airport as the fire was under control quickly.
Right now, it's not clear how many passengers had to be put on other flights.
Story and video: http://www.todaystmj4.com
Flights return to Aoraki: First commercial Mt Cook flight in 15 years
Aoraki Mt Cook put on stunning blue skies for the first scenic flight from Christchurch to Mt Cook in 15 years yesterday.
The passengers were treated to the first Air NZ commercial flight into the newly refurbished Mt Cook airfield since the service was stopped due to failing demand and more pressing need for aircraft in other parts of the country.
The flight was close to full, with 57 passengers taking the Christchurch to Mt Cook leg of the trip on the 68-seat ATR-72 plane.
It flew on to Queenstown before returning to Christchurch via Mt Cook later in the day.
The Hermitage Aoraki Mount Cook hotel general manager Nigel Harper said the weather was ''brilliant'' and the passengers had a good view of the mountains.
The hotel owns the airfield and had spent $50,000 to prepare it for commercial flights.
Most of the passengers appeared to be Kiwis, he said, with some stopping for lunch at the hotel before catching the return trip back to Christchurch in the afternoon.
An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said the flight was aimed at tourists and offered a convenient way of seeing several popular South Island visitor destinations.
The service would run three times a week until January 27 and there were no plans to make it a year-round route.
It could become a regular seasonal passage if it was popular enough, she said.
http://www.stuff.co.nz
The passengers were treated to the first Air NZ commercial flight into the newly refurbished Mt Cook airfield since the service was stopped due to failing demand and more pressing need for aircraft in other parts of the country.
The flight was close to full, with 57 passengers taking the Christchurch to Mt Cook leg of the trip on the 68-seat ATR-72 plane.
It flew on to Queenstown before returning to Christchurch via Mt Cook later in the day.
The Hermitage Aoraki Mount Cook hotel general manager Nigel Harper said the weather was ''brilliant'' and the passengers had a good view of the mountains.
The hotel owns the airfield and had spent $50,000 to prepare it for commercial flights.
Most of the passengers appeared to be Kiwis, he said, with some stopping for lunch at the hotel before catching the return trip back to Christchurch in the afternoon.
An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said the flight was aimed at tourists and offered a convenient way of seeing several popular South Island visitor destinations.
The service would run three times a week until January 27 and there were no plans to make it a year-round route.
It could become a regular seasonal passage if it was popular enough, she said.
http://www.stuff.co.nz
Top 10 of 2012, #8: Local plane crashes (With Video)
From now until Dec.
31, CTV Kitchener is counting down the top 10 local stories of 2012.
Catch the countdown each night on CTV News at Six.
At number 8 are the stories of six people with ties to Waterloo Region and the surrounding area that died tragically in plane crashes.
Calabogie crash
74-year-old Bob Reany was a pilot from Port Elgin with extensive international flying experience. But on Thanksgiving, he was killed when his brand new six seater plane went down in a wooded area near Calabogie.
Reany was the only one in the plane at the time, as he had dropped off the owner in Ottawa.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. At the time, Reany’s family said they couldn’t imagine a mechanical malfunction he was incapable of handling.
“If anybody could have done anything to salvage that aircraft and not crash it, he would have been the fellow,” Bob’s brother Bill Reany told CTV News at the time.
Puslinch Lake
A few weeks after the Calabogie incident, a float plane crashed at Puslinch Lake. The plane had been landing and taking off all afternoon.
The pilot, 47-year-old Russel Hawkins of Guelph, died at the scene. A passenger survived the crash.
Moorefield crash
In August, a single engine Cessna 172 from the Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre went down north of Kitchener in a cornfield near Moorefield.
Four people were on board and had taken off from the Region of Waterloo airport on what was supposed to be a sightseeing tour to Niagara Falls and Toronto. All four were killed when the plane crashed.
20-year-old Marko Misic was the pilot of the rented plane, and described by a former classmate as an avid flyer.
Read more: http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca
At number 8 are the stories of six people with ties to Waterloo Region and the surrounding area that died tragically in plane crashes.
Calabogie crash
74-year-old Bob Reany was a pilot from Port Elgin with extensive international flying experience. But on Thanksgiving, he was killed when his brand new six seater plane went down in a wooded area near Calabogie.
Reany was the only one in the plane at the time, as he had dropped off the owner in Ottawa.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. At the time, Reany’s family said they couldn’t imagine a mechanical malfunction he was incapable of handling.
“If anybody could have done anything to salvage that aircraft and not crash it, he would have been the fellow,” Bob’s brother Bill Reany told CTV News at the time.
Puslinch Lake
A few weeks after the Calabogie incident, a float plane crashed at Puslinch Lake. The plane had been landing and taking off all afternoon.
The pilot, 47-year-old Russel Hawkins of Guelph, died at the scene. A passenger survived the crash.
Moorefield crash
In August, a single engine Cessna 172 from the Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre went down north of Kitchener in a cornfield near Moorefield.
Four people were on board and had taken off from the Region of Waterloo airport on what was supposed to be a sightseeing tour to Niagara Falls and Toronto. All four were killed when the plane crashed.
20-year-old Marko Misic was the pilot of the rented plane, and described by a former classmate as an avid flyer.
Read more: http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca
'Horrific': Glider slams to ground
A MELBOURNE man suffered “horrific” but not life-threatening leg injuries after his glider crashed near the Tocumwal aerodrome yesterday afternoon.
Sen-Constable James Prentice, of Finley police highway patrol, said the 40-year-old was 400 metres south of the aerodrome when his right wing clipped a tree as he tried to gain altitude about noon.
The glider crashed to the ground and Sen-Constable Prentice said the Melbourne man suffered “horrific” leg injuries, particularly to his ankles.
The man was placed on a spinal board but officers don’t believe he has spinal injuries and it was a precautionary measure.
The man, a recreational pilot, was flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Sen-Constable Prentice said the warm, westerly winds, affecting the glider’s climb, could have contributed to the crash.
Ambulance, NSW Fire and Rescue, the VRA and SES attended.
Pictures from the crash scene: http://www.bordermail.com.au
Sen-Constable James Prentice, of Finley police highway patrol, said the 40-year-old was 400 metres south of the aerodrome when his right wing clipped a tree as he tried to gain altitude about noon.
The glider crashed to the ground and Sen-Constable Prentice said the Melbourne man suffered “horrific” leg injuries, particularly to his ankles.
The man was placed on a spinal board but officers don’t believe he has spinal injuries and it was a precautionary measure.
The man, a recreational pilot, was flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Sen-Constable Prentice said the warm, westerly winds, affecting the glider’s climb, could have contributed to the crash.
Ambulance, NSW Fire and Rescue, the VRA and SES attended.
Pictures from the crash scene: http://www.bordermail.com.au
Air India flight cancelled
Air India has canceled its Chandigarh-Delhi flight (AI864/863) for December 24. The operation of the flight has been canceled due to uncertainty in weather. Officials said that since this flight goes to Mumbai as well, the operation between Delhi and Mumbai has not been canceled and will operate as per normal schedule.
The passengers who were to board the flight from Chandigarh will be required to reach the Chandigarh Airport at 8 am from where alternate arrangements will be made to take them to Delhi.
Due to the thick cover of fog on Saturday, no airline could ply flights to and from Chandigarh. This led to harassment of the passengers who were stranded.
Station Manager, Air India, Chandigarh, M R Jindal said that many passengers have connecting flights from Delhi with the holiday season starting. It was decided that in order to avoid uncertainty, the flight would be canceled and passengers given alternate transportation facilities.
http://www.indianexpress.com
The passengers who were to board the flight from Chandigarh will be required to reach the Chandigarh Airport at 8 am from where alternate arrangements will be made to take them to Delhi.
Due to the thick cover of fog on Saturday, no airline could ply flights to and from Chandigarh. This led to harassment of the passengers who were stranded.
Station Manager, Air India, Chandigarh, M R Jindal said that many passengers have connecting flights from Delhi with the holiday season starting. It was decided that in order to avoid uncertainty, the flight would be canceled and passengers given alternate transportation facilities.
http://www.indianexpress.com
Air India pilot crunch grounds 300 flyers for 18 hours
MUMBAI: It was an almost 18-hour ordeal for 300 passengers booked on an Air India (AI) flight to Riyadh on Sunday morning. Facing a crew constraint, the airline rescheduled the flight at the eleventh hour, leaving flyers in the lurch. The flight was supposed to depart at 2.50am, but left only at 8.30pm. The flyers, however, were informed about the delay only after they had checked in.
Flight AI 921 was supposed to take off from Mumbai at 2.50am for Riyadh and flyers checked in around midnight. While they were waiting to board the plane, they were told the flight had been delayed. Till that time, they didn't know the long wait that was to follow.
Around 2am, the flyers were told the airline was facing a shortage of pilots and that the flight had been scheduled for 8.30pm. This agitated the flyers who were already upset that AI hadn't bothered to inform them in advance. "Suddenly, there was a chaos. Nobody was willing to wait that long for a flight. Also, they were not offered any refreshments by the airline while they waited at the terminal," said an airport official. Many flyers had arguments with the airline's ground staff. Officials said that many surrounded the airline's lounge at the airport demanding entry.
"People were upset as they were not informed about the delay. Also, since it was not a small delay, they expected the airline to at least make them feel at ease while they waited. They said that no food was offered by the airline despite the massive delay," said an airport official posted at the international terminal.
Refreshments came only later in the day.
An AI spokesperson said, the airline had a cockpit crew shortage.
"Refreshments and meals were provided to passengers for the delayed flight."
The incident highlights the shortage of pilots in AI. While the number of flights has gone up, the increase in the crew hasn't been proportional said airline insiders.
"If a crew member falls sick at the last moment or cannot report to duty due to other emergency, there is no one to fill in for him or her. The airline has been short of pilots for a long time now," and this affects the passengers as well,"
said a n airline source.
Trauma At Terminal
* AI's flight for Riyadh is supposed to take-off from Mumbai at 2.50am on Sunday morning
* After passengers check-in around midnight, they are told that the flight has been delayed
* Around 2am, the flyers are told that the airline is facing a shortage of pilots. The flight is eventually scheduled for 8.30pm
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Flight AI 921 was supposed to take off from Mumbai at 2.50am for Riyadh and flyers checked in around midnight. While they were waiting to board the plane, they were told the flight had been delayed. Till that time, they didn't know the long wait that was to follow.
Around 2am, the flyers were told the airline was facing a shortage of pilots and that the flight had been scheduled for 8.30pm. This agitated the flyers who were already upset that AI hadn't bothered to inform them in advance. "Suddenly, there was a chaos. Nobody was willing to wait that long for a flight. Also, they were not offered any refreshments by the airline while they waited at the terminal," said an airport official. Many flyers had arguments with the airline's ground staff. Officials said that many surrounded the airline's lounge at the airport demanding entry.
"People were upset as they were not informed about the delay. Also, since it was not a small delay, they expected the airline to at least make them feel at ease while they waited. They said that no food was offered by the airline despite the massive delay," said an airport official posted at the international terminal.
Refreshments came only later in the day.
An AI spokesperson said, the airline had a cockpit crew shortage.
"Refreshments and meals were provided to passengers for the delayed flight."
The incident highlights the shortage of pilots in AI. While the number of flights has gone up, the increase in the crew hasn't been proportional said airline insiders.
"If a crew member falls sick at the last moment or cannot report to duty due to other emergency, there is no one to fill in for him or her. The airline has been short of pilots for a long time now," and this affects the passengers as well,"
said a n airline source.
Trauma At Terminal
* AI's flight for Riyadh is supposed to take-off from Mumbai at 2.50am on Sunday morning
* After passengers check-in around midnight, they are told that the flight has been delayed
* Around 2am, the flyers are told that the airline is facing a shortage of pilots. The flight is eventually scheduled for 8.30pm
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Christmas flight chaos at Warsaw's Modlin airport after safety fears
Warsaw's newly-opened Modlin airport has announced that all scheduled flights have been redirected to the capital's Chopin airport after concern about the state of the runway.
A notice on the web site of Modlin airport – which opened this year to take much of the low-cost air traffic flying in and out of the Polish capital – announces (in Polish only on Sunday morning) that the 2500 metre runway has been cut to 1500, meaning scheduled flights using, for example, Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s will not now be able to land over the busy holiday period.
All flights, including those of no-frills airline Ryanair, are now being redirected to Warsaw's Chopin international airport.
The decision taken by the Provincial Building Inspector to cut the runway length at Modlin airport, around 45 kilometres from Warsaw, will be in place until at least 31 December.
"The ERBUD S.A. Company is required to repair any damage occurring to the runway under warranty [and] the company will also be required to cover [financial] losses resulting from the need to suspend operations at the airport,” says a statement by the airport.
Passengers can ring a special infoline – at 00 48 22 346 43 60 – for more information.
The news of more travel chaos at Modlin airport comes after low-cost airline Wizz Air announced last week that it was suspending flights over the Christmas period due to safety concerns about the lack of a ground-based instrument landing system (ILS), which provides precision guidance to planes as they approach runways.
Wizz Air said that the “unprecedented decision” to suspend the flights between 17 December and midnight on 6 January was taken “over the Christmas peak travel period for over 55,000 passengers who otherwise would be subject to Modlin Airport’s lack of ILS infrastructure and massive flight disruptions and cancellations".
Since opening for business in July this year, Modlin has handled over 720,000 passengers on more than 5,000 air operations. "By the end of the year we will have handled over 900,000 passengers,” claimed the airport in a statement in November, though those numbers will now have to be revised downwards.
http://www.thenews.pl
A notice on the web site of Modlin airport – which opened this year to take much of the low-cost air traffic flying in and out of the Polish capital – announces (in Polish only on Sunday morning) that the 2500 metre runway has been cut to 1500, meaning scheduled flights using, for example, Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s will not now be able to land over the busy holiday period.
All flights, including those of no-frills airline Ryanair, are now being redirected to Warsaw's Chopin international airport.
The decision taken by the Provincial Building Inspector to cut the runway length at Modlin airport, around 45 kilometres from Warsaw, will be in place until at least 31 December.
"The ERBUD S.A. Company is required to repair any damage occurring to the runway under warranty [and] the company will also be required to cover [financial] losses resulting from the need to suspend operations at the airport,” says a statement by the airport.
Passengers can ring a special infoline – at 00 48 22 346 43 60 – for more information.
The news of more travel chaos at Modlin airport comes after low-cost airline Wizz Air announced last week that it was suspending flights over the Christmas period due to safety concerns about the lack of a ground-based instrument landing system (ILS), which provides precision guidance to planes as they approach runways.
Wizz Air said that the “unprecedented decision” to suspend the flights between 17 December and midnight on 6 January was taken “over the Christmas peak travel period for over 55,000 passengers who otherwise would be subject to Modlin Airport’s lack of ILS infrastructure and massive flight disruptions and cancellations".
Since opening for business in July this year, Modlin has handled over 720,000 passengers on more than 5,000 air operations. "By the end of the year we will have handled over 900,000 passengers,” claimed the airport in a statement in November, though those numbers will now have to be revised downwards.
http://www.thenews.pl
Cracks in runway force closure of Warsaw airport
Warsaw's Modlin airport serving budget airlines was forced to close because of apparent cracks in the runway, its director said Sunday.
Wizzair and Ryanair flights were being diverted to Warsaw's main airport, Okecie, Piotr Okienczyc said, adding that repair work would begin on Monday.
The airport, which opened six months ago, handles about 20 flights and an average of 5,000 passengers daily.
Officials ordered the facility closed after an inspection Saturday.
http://news.ph.msn.com
Wizzair and Ryanair flights were being diverted to Warsaw's main airport, Okecie, Piotr Okienczyc said, adding that repair work would begin on Monday.
The airport, which opened six months ago, handles about 20 flights and an average of 5,000 passengers daily.
Officials ordered the facility closed after an inspection Saturday.
http://news.ph.msn.com
Passenger caught at Cairo airport with ninety-six (96) snakes: Customs suspected passenger’s bulging clothes inside bag
Egyptian authorities arrested a man who was about to board a flight from Cairo to Saudi Arabia with 96 snakes he planned to sell in the Gulf Kingdom.
Customs men in Cairo suspected the passenger’s bulging clothes inside his bag as he headed for the aircraft, newspapers in Egypt and Saudi Arabia said.
When they searched the bag again, they found 96 snakes with a length ranging between 30 and 90 cm each.
The man said he had concealed the snakes to take them to Saudi Arabia to sell them for a large sum of money to known customers. The papers said the snakes ere of various types but it was not clear if they were poisonous.
http://www.emirates247.com
Customs men in Cairo suspected the passenger’s bulging clothes inside his bag as he headed for the aircraft, newspapers in Egypt and Saudi Arabia said.
When they searched the bag again, they found 96 snakes with a length ranging between 30 and 90 cm each.
The man said he had concealed the snakes to take them to Saudi Arabia to sell them for a large sum of money to known customers. The papers said the snakes ere of various types but it was not clear if they were poisonous.
http://www.emirates247.com
Robinson R22 BETA, N27AT: Rotorcraft crashed on landing at a private residence
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 27AT Make/Model: R22 Description: ROBINSON R22
Date: 12/23/2012 Time: 1631
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Minor Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: CORCORAN State: MN Country: US
DESCRIPTION
N27AT ROBINSON R22 ROTORCRAFT CRASHED ON LANDING AT A PRIVATE RESIDENCE,
CORCORAN, MN
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 1 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: Pleasure Phase: Landing Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: MINNEAPOLIS, MN (GL15) Entry date: 12/26/2012
Nils T. Svard , 68, of Minneapolis suffered minor injuries Sunday when the private helicopter he was piloting burned upon landing in Corcoran, where he’d flown to visit his grandchildren, according to the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.
Story and reaction/comments: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com
Story and photo: http://www.kare11.com
http://registry.faa.gov/N27AT
http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft photo
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A 68-year-old grandfather was injured Sunday in a helicopter accident in Corcoran.
Police say the man was on his way to visit his grandkids when the accident occurred. Corcoran Police, Rogers Police, Rogers Fire and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a single-engine helicopter crash around 10:30 a.m.
Officers say when the helicopter landed on the helipad at a private residence, it started to spin and the tail hit a nearby unoccupied trailer and caught on fire.
The victim’s son, Stefan Svard, witnessed the incident.
“Within a few seconds the fire started, I ran out with extinguisher,” said Svard. “We got him out. We got his jacket off that was burning. Like I said, he’s just fine, but my extinguisher is no match for 20 gallons of fuel.”
Crews removed the man from the helicopter. They say he suffered minor burns in the incident.
Svard says the chopper is a Robbinson 22 and that his dad is a seasoned pilot.
The FAA is investigating the incident.
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com
CORCORAN, Minn. (AP) - The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a helicopter caught fire after landing at a private home in Corcoran.
Maj. Tracey Martin says the pilot had just landed on a helipad at his son's home around 10:30 a.m. Sunday when the helicopter started to spin and then collided with a nearby unoccupied trailer. The helicopter then caught fire.
The son says he heard the crash and ran out to his backyard. He used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames on his father's clothing . The helicopter fire was too large to contain and was left to burn.
Sheriff's officials say no other structures were damaged.
No one else was on board.
The pilot was examined by a paramedic at the scene for minor injuries.
The Star Tribune says the pilot is a 68-year-old Minneapolis grandfather who had flown to see his grandchildren.
http://www.kare11.com
Cessna 150H, N7005S: Bizarre Christmas Eve plane crash remembered
MIRAMAR BEACH — The fog rolled in quickly on that long-ago Christmas Eve, and by 1 p.m., it was so thick that people on the top floors of Hidden Dunes Resort couldn’t see the ground.
It also obscured the high rise from pilot Timothy Warren Butler, who was hurrying home for Christmas in his single-engine Cessna.
About 1:30 p.m. Dec. 24, 1987, Butler flew into the 19th floor of Hidden Dunes on U.S. Highway 98. The landing gear lodged in the window of a corner unit, keeping the plane from crashing to the ground.
“That fog just came in so damn fast,” Butler told reporters nearly a month after the crash. “It was clear — and then there was fog.”
Butler was critically injured. His passenger, 31-year-old Deanna Atkins, died at the scene, according to news reports.
Both lived in the Milton area, where Butler is believed to still be living. He could not be reached for comment.
News accounts of the crash in the days and weeks that followed were plentiful.
Then-Walton County Sheriff’s Lt. Bill Fowler told reporters that when he first drove up to the building, the fog was so thick he couldn’t see anything.
“As the fog cleared, I could see what had happened,” he said in 1987 news accounts. “I could see a body hanging out.”
He took the elevator to the 19th floor, broke down the door to Unit 1901 and found a tire from the plane had bounced off and rolled across the empty room.
He leaned out the hole in the wall while a woman he didn’t know held onto his belt to keep him from falling.
“I took hold of the woman’s (Atkins’) arm while the other woman held onto my belt,” Fowler told reporters at the time. “I was thinking, ‘what am I going to do?’ ”
Other rescue workers recalled getting the call about a plane hitting a building. They though it was a hoax until they got to the scene.
While horrified rescue workers watched, Butler undid his seat belt, slipped from the cockpit and became wedged between the building’s wall and the plane’s right wing, news accounts said. He was pulled to safety through an 18th-floor window.
“His time wasn’t up,” Fowler told reporters. “He should have slipped and fallen 19 floors.”
The plane was secured with ropes during the rescue. On Christmas Day, a helicopter was brought in to lower it to the ground.
Butler and Atkins were flying home from Cocoa Beach, where they had visited Atkins’ brother.
Their destination was a small airstrip in Navarre.
Atkins was the mother of a 3-year-old boy.
In an interview nearly a month after the crash, Butler told reporters that they wanted to get home for Christmas.
The weather had been “nearly perfect” on the first part of their trip, he said. But conditions deteriorated as the Cessna neared Destin.
Butler, who was not rated for instrument flying, said he planned to land in Destin. He spoke to someone at the airport who said there already was someone landing and he needed to go around again.
“So I was going around and — bingo — I smacked into that damned condo,” he said.
The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the crash. It found Butler to be at fault for flying in conditions for which he did not have the necessary ratings.
The report called his “in-flight planning/decision” poor, and cited fog as a contributing factor.
The Hidden Dunes tower was largely empty at the time. Unit 1901 belonged to Michael Pizitz of Birmingham, Ala. A decorator had been working in the unit, but was not there when the crash occurred because it was Christmas Eve.
Friends from Destin started calling Pizitz within 30 minutes of the wreck.
“I’ve got bad news and worse news,” one told him. “It crashed into the building. It also crashed into the unit.”
Pizitz requested a copy of the newspaper photo, which shows the plane hanging from the condo. A framed copy hangs in the bedroom where the crash occurred.
He said last week that the crash is still a topic of conversation around Hidden Dunes, even though decades have passed.
“My next door neighbor, who is relatively new, requested a picture of it when I was down there,” said Pizitz, who made her a copy.
“Now the condo is being used by children and grandchildren who weren’t even alive at the time.”
Story and photo: http://www.nwfdailynews.com
NTSB Identification: MIA88FA071.
The docket is stored on NTSB microfiche number 35640.
Accident occurred Thursday, December 24, 1987 in DESTIN, FL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 02/24/1989
Aircraft: CESSNA 150H, registration: N7005S
Injuries: 1 Fatal,1 Serious.
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.
WITNESSES STATED THAT THEY OBSERVED THE ACFT FLYING IN THE FOG IN A SOUTHEASTERLY DIRECTION AND TURN HARD RIGHT JUST BEFORE IT STRUCK THE 19TH FLOOR OF A CONDOMINIUM. THE FOG ACCORDING TO RESIDENTS OF THE BLDG WAS SO THICK THAT THE GROUND COULD NOT BE SEEN FROM THE TOP FLOORS.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC..CONTINUED..PILOT IN COMMAND
Contributing Factors
IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION..POOR..PILOT IN COMMAND
Contributing Factors
WEATHER CONDITION..FOG
It also obscured the high rise from pilot Timothy Warren Butler, who was hurrying home for Christmas in his single-engine Cessna.
About 1:30 p.m. Dec. 24, 1987, Butler flew into the 19th floor of Hidden Dunes on U.S. Highway 98. The landing gear lodged in the window of a corner unit, keeping the plane from crashing to the ground.
“That fog just came in so damn fast,” Butler told reporters nearly a month after the crash. “It was clear — and then there was fog.”
Butler was critically injured. His passenger, 31-year-old Deanna Atkins, died at the scene, according to news reports.
Both lived in the Milton area, where Butler is believed to still be living. He could not be reached for comment.
News accounts of the crash in the days and weeks that followed were plentiful.
Then-Walton County Sheriff’s Lt. Bill Fowler told reporters that when he first drove up to the building, the fog was so thick he couldn’t see anything.
“As the fog cleared, I could see what had happened,” he said in 1987 news accounts. “I could see a body hanging out.”
He took the elevator to the 19th floor, broke down the door to Unit 1901 and found a tire from the plane had bounced off and rolled across the empty room.
He leaned out the hole in the wall while a woman he didn’t know held onto his belt to keep him from falling.
“I took hold of the woman’s (Atkins’) arm while the other woman held onto my belt,” Fowler told reporters at the time. “I was thinking, ‘what am I going to do?’ ”
Other rescue workers recalled getting the call about a plane hitting a building. They though it was a hoax until they got to the scene.
While horrified rescue workers watched, Butler undid his seat belt, slipped from the cockpit and became wedged between the building’s wall and the plane’s right wing, news accounts said. He was pulled to safety through an 18th-floor window.
“His time wasn’t up,” Fowler told reporters. “He should have slipped and fallen 19 floors.”
The plane was secured with ropes during the rescue. On Christmas Day, a helicopter was brought in to lower it to the ground.
Butler and Atkins were flying home from Cocoa Beach, where they had visited Atkins’ brother.
Their destination was a small airstrip in Navarre.
Atkins was the mother of a 3-year-old boy.
In an interview nearly a month after the crash, Butler told reporters that they wanted to get home for Christmas.
The weather had been “nearly perfect” on the first part of their trip, he said. But conditions deteriorated as the Cessna neared Destin.
Butler, who was not rated for instrument flying, said he planned to land in Destin. He spoke to someone at the airport who said there already was someone landing and he needed to go around again.
“So I was going around and — bingo — I smacked into that damned condo,” he said.
The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the crash. It found Butler to be at fault for flying in conditions for which he did not have the necessary ratings.
The report called his “in-flight planning/decision” poor, and cited fog as a contributing factor.
The Hidden Dunes tower was largely empty at the time. Unit 1901 belonged to Michael Pizitz of Birmingham, Ala. A decorator had been working in the unit, but was not there when the crash occurred because it was Christmas Eve.
Friends from Destin started calling Pizitz within 30 minutes of the wreck.
“I’ve got bad news and worse news,” one told him. “It crashed into the building. It also crashed into the unit.”
Pizitz requested a copy of the newspaper photo, which shows the plane hanging from the condo. A framed copy hangs in the bedroom where the crash occurred.
He said last week that the crash is still a topic of conversation around Hidden Dunes, even though decades have passed.
“My next door neighbor, who is relatively new, requested a picture of it when I was down there,” said Pizitz, who made her a copy.
“Now the condo is being used by children and grandchildren who weren’t even alive at the time.”
Story and photo: http://www.nwfdailynews.com
NTSB Identification: MIA88FA071.
The docket is stored on NTSB microfiche number 35640.
Accident occurred Thursday, December 24, 1987 in DESTIN, FL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 02/24/1989
Aircraft: CESSNA 150H, registration: N7005S
Injuries: 1 Fatal,1 Serious.
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.
WITNESSES STATED THAT THEY OBSERVED THE ACFT FLYING IN THE FOG IN A SOUTHEASTERLY DIRECTION AND TURN HARD RIGHT JUST BEFORE IT STRUCK THE 19TH FLOOR OF A CONDOMINIUM. THE FOG ACCORDING TO RESIDENTS OF THE BLDG WAS SO THICK THAT THE GROUND COULD NOT BE SEEN FROM THE TOP FLOORS.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC..CONTINUED..PILOT IN COMMAND
Contributing Factors
IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION..POOR..PILOT IN COMMAND
Contributing Factors
WEATHER CONDITION..FOG
Learjet 25, N345MC: Wolk Law Firm in Philadelphia embarked on its own investigation of this accident and will report its findings on their website.....
Jenny Rivera Lost in Lear 25 Accident
Comments by Arthur Alan Wolk
On December 9th , 2012, an icon in Mexican/American music tragically lost her life along with 6 others in a Lear 25 accident.
Jenny Rivera was perhaps the most important Mexican/American music artist of all time. She will be missed.
But the accident investigation has already been marred by two unrelated events.
The first is that articles of importance have already been found in the homes of local police who took them from the site.
The second is that the public campaign suggesting that criminal misconduct caused or contributed to the crash is in full swing.
Read more here: http://www.airlaw.com/Media-News/Aviation-News/Jenny-Rivera-Lost-in-Lear-25-Accident.asp
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 345MC Make/Model: LJ25 Description: LEARJET 25
Date: 12/09/2012 Time: 0630
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A MOUNTAINOUS AREA, THE 7 PERSONS ON BOARD WERE
FATALLY INJURED, 61 MILES FROM MONTERREY, MEXICO
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 7
# Crew: 7 Fat: 7 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: DALLAS, TX (SW05) Entry date: 12/10/2012
Cessna 172P Skyhawk, N5404K, Raritan Valley Flying School
Plane that landed on Bay Head beach late Sun. afternoon
(December 23, 2012)
Credit Barnegat Bay Island
Equipment starting to move the small plane that landed on Bay Head beach Sun. afternoon.
Credit Max Lindeman on Barnegat Bay Island
A plane making an emergency landing on the beach in Bay Head hit debris under the sand on Sunday and flipped over. Neither the pilot nor a passenger were hurt, police said.
Photo courtesy of Sgt. Todd LaRue, Bay Head Police
Two people walked away from the small plane that landed on the beach and to an ambulance where they were checked, said Bay Head Assistant Fire Chief Joe Todisco at the firehouse on Bridge Avenue in Bay Head.
"I asked the pilot if we should be concerned about fuel in the wings and he said, 'I wouldn't worry about it, it's pretty empty,' " said Todisco, adding he did not know the name of the pilot or passenger.
The plane had departed from an airport in Princeton and the two aboard were checked by the Point Pleasant First Aid and Emergency Squad and were found to be unharmed, officials said.
State police and police, fire and first aid squads from Bay Head, Mantoloking Point Beach and Point Borough responded to the scene. A crew removed the plane through an entry point on the beach at Williams Avenue in Mantoloking, Todisco said.
Todisco said he believes police are having the wings removed from the plane so they can transport it elsewhere.
"I don't know where they're taking it," he said.
After the plane was removed, authorities had it in a section of East Avenue, which is parallel to Route 35, which is restricted to the public and blocked off by National Guard due to damage caused by Superstorm Sandy.
http://www.princetonairport.com/1980-cessna-172p-n5404k/
http://registry.faa.gov/N5404K
http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo
http://farm9.staticflickr.com
http://forums.radioreference.com
Story, photos and reaction/comments: http://brick.patch.com
BAY HEAD — A small plane crashed along the beach in Bay Head about 3:30 p.m. Sunday, police said. The small Cessna-style plane — which was flying northbound along the coast — experienced engine trouble and glided down to land on the beach near Johnson Street, said Lt. Geoffrey W. Barger of the Bay Head Police Department.
During the landing, it struck debris under the sand and flipped over, Barger said. Police said the pilot and a passenger — who were not identified — escaped the craft without injuries. “Right now we’re in the process of removing the plane from a beach because of the tide moving in,” Barger said. The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified and an examination of the craft will be performed, he said.
Story and photo: http://www.app.com
BAY HEAD, N.J. (AP) — Two people escaped injury when a small plane crashed on a beach in southern New Jersey. The crash occurred around 3:30 p.m. Sunday in the Ocean County community of Bay Head.
Authorities say the Cessna-style plane apparently experienced engine trouble and glided down to land on the beach. But as it came down, it struck debris under the sand and flipped over. The pilot and a passenger, whose names were not released, were able to get out of the aircraft by themselves and did not appear to be injured. No one on the ground was injured.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by local authorities and the Federal Aviation Administration.
http://www.newstimes.com
BAY HEAD — A small plane crashed along the beach in Bay Head, in an incident that did not result in any injuries, police said. Police said the unidentified pilot was able to walk away from the plane. No other details were available. The incident occurred at around 3:30 p.m.
Story and reaction/comments: http://www.nj.com
Me first!
Air India pilots in fight to train for Dreamliner
Everybody in Air India (AI), it seems, wants to fly the premium Dreamliner.
In May, erstwhile AI pilots (who fly international routes) struck work when the company decided to distribute Dreamliner training slots between them and erstwhile Indian Airlines (IA) pilots.
Now,tension is simmering again with IA pilots appearing to be at loggerheads with each other on who gets to fly the state-of-the-art flying machine.
Commanders, based on seniority, from both AI and IA, are being sent for training on Dreamliners. However, in December, eight simulator slots in Singapore meant for training IA pilots had to be cancelled as the airline was unable to spare pilots.
In a letter dated December 17, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) — an association of IA pilots — demanded that the management break away from the tradition of following seniority for career upgrades and send pilots who are down below in seniority for training on Dreamliners.
Executive pilots (those who hold managerial posts) belonging to IA - and who are the senior most in the cadre and first in line to be trained on Dreamliner - are resisting the proposal. "Seniority is sacrosanct in any airline," an executive pilot said.
"The ICPA proposal not only violates line seniority but will create bad blood in rank and file and destabilize the airline... The co-pilots being trained on Dreamliners are anyways junior pilots so the ICPA shouldn't have raised this issue in the first place."
An ICPA office bearer said their suggestion was to "streamline the promotion process" and to ensure that there is no shortage of training captains on the Airbus fleet, which IA flies.
Story and reaction/comments: http://www.hindustantimes.com
Everybody in Air India (AI), it seems, wants to fly the premium Dreamliner.
In May, erstwhile AI pilots (who fly international routes) struck work when the company decided to distribute Dreamliner training slots between them and erstwhile Indian Airlines (IA) pilots.
Now,tension is simmering again with IA pilots appearing to be at loggerheads with each other on who gets to fly the state-of-the-art flying machine.
Commanders, based on seniority, from both AI and IA, are being sent for training on Dreamliners. However, in December, eight simulator slots in Singapore meant for training IA pilots had to be cancelled as the airline was unable to spare pilots.
In a letter dated December 17, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) — an association of IA pilots — demanded that the management break away from the tradition of following seniority for career upgrades and send pilots who are down below in seniority for training on Dreamliners.
Executive pilots (those who hold managerial posts) belonging to IA - and who are the senior most in the cadre and first in line to be trained on Dreamliner - are resisting the proposal. "Seniority is sacrosanct in any airline," an executive pilot said.
"The ICPA proposal not only violates line seniority but will create bad blood in rank and file and destabilize the airline... The co-pilots being trained on Dreamliners are anyways junior pilots so the ICPA shouldn't have raised this issue in the first place."
An ICPA office bearer said their suggestion was to "streamline the promotion process" and to ensure that there is no shortage of training captains on the Airbus fleet, which IA flies.
Story and reaction/comments: http://www.hindustantimes.com
December 22, 2012
Survivor of Nunavut plane crash recalls a mother’s anguished cries: C-GFWX Metroliner III, Perimeter Aviation chartered to Keewatin Air
A woman on a plane that crashed in Nunavut, killing an infant, says she heard the child’s frantic mother crying as she and the other survivors clamoured from the wreckage to safety.
Malaya Uppik says she doesn’t know how the tiny six-month-old was killed and she doesn’t remember much about the crash, but she can still hear the mother’s screams.
“I remember she was crying: ‘My baby. I lost my baby,“’ Ms. Uppik, 46, said from her home in Sanikiluaq. “I only hear that she was crying ‘My baby’ and ‘I lost my baby’ and that’s all I remember.”
Ms. Uppik was one of nine people — seven passengers and two pilots — on the chartered Fairchild Metro 3/23 twin-engine turbo prop when it crashed while landing Saturday night at the airport in Sanikiluaq.
Sanikiluaq is a community of 800 located on the Belcher Islands in the southeastern corner of Hudson Bay. As in all Nunavut communities, flying is the only way in and out.
RCMP say the crash occurred near the end of the runway, which sits on the north tip of Flaherty Island, roughly 150 kilometres from the Quebec shoreline. The Transportation Safety Board confirmed there was some blowing snow at the time of the crash, but said it was too early to say whether that played a role.
Flight 671 originated in Winnipeg and was chartered for Keewatin Air, which schedules three trips a week between Winnipeg and Sanikiluaq. The aircraft belonged to Winnipeg-based Perimeter Aviation.
Some of the passengers on board, including Ms. Uppik, were in Winnipeg for medical appointments and were on their way home. Ms. Uppik says the baby, a boy, came along on the trip with his mother because he was still breast feeding. RCMP would not confirm the child’s identity.
The primary language in Sanikiluaq is Inuktitut. Ms. Uppik struggled to recall what happened in English.
“When the plane crashed, I don’t remember what I was doing,” she said. “I didn’t black out, but ... when we looked like crashing, I just closed my eyes.”
When she opened them, Uppik said she heard the pilot yelling for people to get out.
“The pilot went across my seat. He cracked the window. He told us to go out right away,” she said.
The ground was slippery with fuel, but there was no fire. It was dark and she didn’t see the other passengers or how badly they were hurt.
She and another survivor were met by Ski-Doos on the runway and were loaded on a trailer for the ride back to the airport.
RCMP Sgt. Paul Solomon said none of the survivors suffered life-threatening injuries, though he didn’t have details beyond that.
“I don’t have the exact injuries, but I can tell you that the pilot and co-pilot have since been medevaced from Sanikiluaq for further medical treatment,” Sgt. Solomon said from Iqaluit.
Ms. Uppik said she bit her tongue, but was otherwise fine.
“I’m just a little bit tired right now.”
Sarah Qavvik was also on the plane. She said she suffered bruises and hit her head.
She too didn’t have any idea what caused the accident.
“It was so scary,” she said. “I’m still in shock.”
Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the crash.
Spokeswoman Gayle Conners said the black box was retrieved by the RCMP and was to be taken into laboratory in Ottawa for analysis.
She said investigators are planning to interview the pilot and co-pilot, examine aircraft maintenance records and the weather to try to determine what caused the crash.
“We’re at the beginning of the investigation,” she said. “It’s the data collection phase.”
Perimeter Aviation president Mark Wehrle said that six staff from Perimeter and Keewatin were heading to the community.
“We’re arranging to go up and meet with the community and all the people involved and work with the authorities to determine the cause and go from there.”
Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak expressed her condolences in a statement.
“It is with profound sadness that I offer my condolences to everyone affected by the tragic plane crash,” she said. “During this holiday season, my thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of the infant whose life ended far too soon, to the survivors, and to the entire community of Sanikiluaq.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com
http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/enquetes-investigations/aviation/2012/a12q0216/a12q0216.asp#photo-02
Crash in Sanikiluaq claimed the life of 6-month-old infant
The pilot and co-pilot who were involved in a plane crash that killed an infant in Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, have been flown to a Winnipeg hospital for treatment. They are both reportedly in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries. The plane was on its way from Winnipeg to the community when Perimeter Aviation charter Flight 671 crashed as the aircraft approached the runway around 6:13 p.m. ET Saturday. Keewatin Air had chartered the flight. The crash claimed the life of a six-month-old infant. All of the other six passengers survived. [More]
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/PAG993
Malaya Uppik says she doesn’t know how the tiny six-month-old was killed and she doesn’t remember much about the crash, but she can still hear the mother’s screams.
“I remember she was crying: ‘My baby. I lost my baby,“’ Ms. Uppik, 46, said from her home in Sanikiluaq. “I only hear that she was crying ‘My baby’ and ‘I lost my baby’ and that’s all I remember.”
Ms. Uppik was one of nine people — seven passengers and two pilots — on the chartered Fairchild Metro 3/23 twin-engine turbo prop when it crashed while landing Saturday night at the airport in Sanikiluaq.
Sanikiluaq is a community of 800 located on the Belcher Islands in the southeastern corner of Hudson Bay. As in all Nunavut communities, flying is the only way in and out.
RCMP say the crash occurred near the end of the runway, which sits on the north tip of Flaherty Island, roughly 150 kilometres from the Quebec shoreline. The Transportation Safety Board confirmed there was some blowing snow at the time of the crash, but said it was too early to say whether that played a role.
Flight 671 originated in Winnipeg and was chartered for Keewatin Air, which schedules three trips a week between Winnipeg and Sanikiluaq. The aircraft belonged to Winnipeg-based Perimeter Aviation.
Some of the passengers on board, including Ms. Uppik, were in Winnipeg for medical appointments and were on their way home. Ms. Uppik says the baby, a boy, came along on the trip with his mother because he was still breast feeding. RCMP would not confirm the child’s identity.
The primary language in Sanikiluaq is Inuktitut. Ms. Uppik struggled to recall what happened in English.
“When the plane crashed, I don’t remember what I was doing,” she said. “I didn’t black out, but ... when we looked like crashing, I just closed my eyes.”
When she opened them, Uppik said she heard the pilot yelling for people to get out.
“The pilot went across my seat. He cracked the window. He told us to go out right away,” she said.
The ground was slippery with fuel, but there was no fire. It was dark and she didn’t see the other passengers or how badly they were hurt.
She and another survivor were met by Ski-Doos on the runway and were loaded on a trailer for the ride back to the airport.
RCMP Sgt. Paul Solomon said none of the survivors suffered life-threatening injuries, though he didn’t have details beyond that.
“I don’t have the exact injuries, but I can tell you that the pilot and co-pilot have since been medevaced from Sanikiluaq for further medical treatment,” Sgt. Solomon said from Iqaluit.
Ms. Uppik said she bit her tongue, but was otherwise fine.
“I’m just a little bit tired right now.”
Sarah Qavvik was also on the plane. She said she suffered bruises and hit her head.
She too didn’t have any idea what caused the accident.
“It was so scary,” she said. “I’m still in shock.”
Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the crash.
Spokeswoman Gayle Conners said the black box was retrieved by the RCMP and was to be taken into laboratory in Ottawa for analysis.
She said investigators are planning to interview the pilot and co-pilot, examine aircraft maintenance records and the weather to try to determine what caused the crash.
“We’re at the beginning of the investigation,” she said. “It’s the data collection phase.”
Perimeter Aviation president Mark Wehrle said that six staff from Perimeter and Keewatin were heading to the community.
“We’re arranging to go up and meet with the community and all the people involved and work with the authorities to determine the cause and go from there.”
Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak expressed her condolences in a statement.
“It is with profound sadness that I offer my condolences to everyone affected by the tragic plane crash,” she said. “During this holiday season, my thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of the infant whose life ended far too soon, to the survivors, and to the entire community of Sanikiluaq.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com
http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/enquetes-investigations/aviation/2012/a12q0216/a12q0216.asp#photo-02
Crash in Sanikiluaq claimed the life of 6-month-old infant
The pilot and co-pilot who were involved in a plane crash that killed an infant in Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, have been flown to a Winnipeg hospital for treatment. They are both reportedly in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries. The plane was on its way from Winnipeg to the community when Perimeter Aviation charter Flight 671 crashed as the aircraft approached the runway around 6:13 p.m. ET Saturday. Keewatin Air had chartered the flight. The crash claimed the life of a six-month-old infant. All of the other six passengers survived. [More]
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/PAG993
Piper PA-28-140, N8174N: Aircraft force landed near Robert S Kerr Airport (KRKR), Poteau, Oklahoma
Scotty White, 21, of Poteau, right, and his girlfriend, Sarah Hall, 20, of Heavener pose by the Piper Cherokee in which they were passengers late Friday afternoon when it crashed near the Robert S. Kerr Airport at Poteau. White's father, Poteau City Councilman David White, was at the controls of the aircraft at the time of the mishap. No one was injured, witnesses said.
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Crop-dusting plane sprays dozens of Yuma farmworkers with pesticide
| News for Yuma, Imperial Valley, El Centro, AZ
Ten farmworkers, two in serious condition, were transported to the hospital Friday night after a crop duster sprayed them with chemicals while they were working in a field west of Avenue G and County 12th Street.
Emergency personnel with Rural/Metro responded to the scene at about 7:30 p.m. At first they were told only two farmworkers had been sprayed, but once on site the first responders found the “crop duster had also passed over two field worker buses, which gives us 40 more patients,” said Rural/Metro Captain Don Graham.
Many of the farmworkers were complaining of irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and skin after being exposed to the agricultural chemicals.
Because of the large number of patients involved, Rural/Metro was assisted by the Yuma Fire Department and the Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department.
Emergency personnel with Rural/Metro and YFD set up a portable decontamination zone at the site while Yuma County Sheriff's deputies cordoned off the area.
The process of decontaminating each farmworker involved stripping them down and then rinsing them off with a fire hose. The situation was made even more unpleasant because the temperature was in the mid-50s.
“Unfortunately it is cold,” Graham said. “I have had it done to me, and it is necessary. The chemical involved is a mild skin, eye and throat irritant. You just don't want it on you.”
After being sprayed off by a firehose, the patients were given gowns and blankets “to keep them warm,” Graham continued, adding those who were transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center were placed in the back of ambulances in which heaters were operating. After initial decontamination, at least 10 farmworkers were sent to YRMC for additional treatment.
Rural/Metro would not release the name of the chemical used in the incident, but noted the fungicide and insecticide mixture can cause coma in large amounts. However, Graham did not believe the farmworkers had been exposed to enough of the agchemical to cause a coma.
He said the dose they were exposed to was not full strength since the chemical had been mixed with water before being sprayed by the crop duster.
“We are talking ounces to cover an entire acre,” Graham said.
Rural/Metro would not release the name of the crop dusting company responsible for the incident, and the Yuma County Sheriff's Department personnel on scene refused to comment.No other information was available as of press time Friday.
Story and reaction/comments: http://www.yumasun.com
YUMA - KSWT News 13 has learned a crop duster has sprayed about three dozen people working in a west Yuma field.
It happened this evening at Avenue G and West County 12th Street.
Rural Metro Fire Department says about 33 people were working in the field when they were doused with chemicals from a crop duster. Charly McMurdie of Rural Metro says the spray consisted of an insecticide and a fungicide. The area is being treated as a haz-mat scene.
Teams from multiple agencies were on scene, including Yuma Fire, the Yuma County Sheriff's Office and Somerton. The sprayed workers were being decontaminated on-site and then taken to the hospital in multiple ambulances.
McMurdie says at least 10 people were taken to the hospital. Eight people had minor injuries. Two people were transported with serious injuries.
At this time, it's unknown why the crop duster sprayed the field while people were in it.
KSWT News 13 will continue to follow this story and bring you further details as they become available.
Ten farmworkers, two in serious condition, were transported to the hospital Friday night after a crop duster sprayed them with chemicals while they were working in a field west of Avenue G and County 12th Street.
Emergency personnel with Rural/Metro responded to the scene at about 7:30 p.m. At first they were told only two farmworkers had been sprayed, but once on site the first responders found the “crop duster had also passed over two field worker buses, which gives us 40 more patients,” said Rural/Metro Captain Don Graham.
Many of the farmworkers were complaining of irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and skin after being exposed to the agricultural chemicals.
Because of the large number of patients involved, Rural/Metro was assisted by the Yuma Fire Department and the Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department.
Emergency personnel with Rural/Metro and YFD set up a portable decontamination zone at the site while Yuma County Sheriff's deputies cordoned off the area.
The process of decontaminating each farmworker involved stripping them down and then rinsing them off with a fire hose. The situation was made even more unpleasant because the temperature was in the mid-50s.
“Unfortunately it is cold,” Graham said. “I have had it done to me, and it is necessary. The chemical involved is a mild skin, eye and throat irritant. You just don't want it on you.”
After being sprayed off by a firehose, the patients were given gowns and blankets “to keep them warm,” Graham continued, adding those who were transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center were placed in the back of ambulances in which heaters were operating. After initial decontamination, at least 10 farmworkers were sent to YRMC for additional treatment.
Rural/Metro would not release the name of the chemical used in the incident, but noted the fungicide and insecticide mixture can cause coma in large amounts. However, Graham did not believe the farmworkers had been exposed to enough of the agchemical to cause a coma.
He said the dose they were exposed to was not full strength since the chemical had been mixed with water before being sprayed by the crop duster.
“We are talking ounces to cover an entire acre,” Graham said.
Rural/Metro would not release the name of the crop dusting company responsible for the incident, and the Yuma County Sheriff's Department personnel on scene refused to comment.No other information was available as of press time Friday.
Story and reaction/comments: http://www.yumasun.com
YUMA - KSWT News 13 has learned a crop duster has sprayed about three dozen people working in a west Yuma field.
It happened this evening at Avenue G and West County 12th Street.
Rural Metro Fire Department says about 33 people were working in the field when they were doused with chemicals from a crop duster. Charly McMurdie of Rural Metro says the spray consisted of an insecticide and a fungicide. The area is being treated as a haz-mat scene.
Teams from multiple agencies were on scene, including Yuma Fire, the Yuma County Sheriff's Office and Somerton. The sprayed workers were being decontaminated on-site and then taken to the hospital in multiple ambulances.
McMurdie says at least 10 people were taken to the hospital. Eight people had minor injuries. Two people were transported with serious injuries.
At this time, it's unknown why the crop duster sprayed the field while people were in it.
KSWT News 13 will continue to follow this story and bring you further details as they become available.
Passenger who tried to headbutt captain during flight walks free
A man who tried to headbutt the captain of a transatlantic flight after taking prescription drugs and alcohol has walked free from court.
The actions of the unruly passenger on the transatlantic aircraft "could have had catastrophic consequences", a judge has said.
Judge Patrick Durcan made his comment when ordering Damian Kington (35) to pay €4,300 in compensation to British Airways (BA) and a poor box donation arising from the air rage incident that forced the flight to divert to Shannon on Wednesday.
The judge said "an attempted assault of a serious nature was discharged towards the captain of the plane by Mr Kington".
Living in New York, Australian national Mr Kington was one of 30 passengers on the exclusive business class 32-seater service BA operates between New York's JFK airport and London's City airport.
Mr Kington pleaded guilty to two related air rage offenses.
Judge Durcan at Ennis District Court, said "Mr Kington suffered a huge change in character by virtue of the unfortunate combination of drugs and alcohol".
The court heard Mr Kington consumed a Xanax and an Ambien tablet. The mixing of Ambien and alcohol by REM guitarist Peter Buck formed part of his successful defence against an air rage offence a number of years ago. The court heard Mr Kington stood over two passengers in an intimidating way and called them paedophiles.
His disruption forced the captain, Commander Mike Jones, to intervene.
In his statement to gardai, Mr Jones said that in the galley of the plane, "he (Mr Kington) swore at me, pushed me and tried to headbutt me. I stepped back to avoid getting a headbutt and then restrained him. It took two of us to restrain him." He added: "At this point I considered him a serious risk to passengers and to the safety of the flight."
Judge Durcan told the court that "the Damian Kington that is reflected so well in the references and testimonials before me ceased to exist and that for a period on the airplane a different person was wearing his clothes and was occupying his skin and physical person".
Mortified
Mr Kington – a global communications manager with an investment firm – said: "I was and still am extremely mortified by the accounts given by the witnesses and I don't have any recollection of the events or my actions. I am extremely and profusely apologetic to the passengers, the pilot, BA, this court and the gardai. It is extremely out of character and I am very remorseful. I was on new medication and it was irresponsible of me not to check."
Gda Noel O'Rourke said the incident cost BA €3,367 through €2,460 in fuel, ground handling costs of €487 and €410 in landing charges.
Solicitor for Mr Kington, Una Moylan, asked that the Probation Act be imposed.
Judge Durcan ordered Mr Kington to pay €3,367 in compensation and €1,000 to the poor box. The judge said that on the basis of the money paid and the other factors outlined, he would strike out the charge.
Source: http://www.independent.ie
The actions of the unruly passenger on the transatlantic aircraft "could have had catastrophic consequences", a judge has said.
Judge Patrick Durcan made his comment when ordering Damian Kington (35) to pay €4,300 in compensation to British Airways (BA) and a poor box donation arising from the air rage incident that forced the flight to divert to Shannon on Wednesday.
The judge said "an attempted assault of a serious nature was discharged towards the captain of the plane by Mr Kington".
Living in New York, Australian national Mr Kington was one of 30 passengers on the exclusive business class 32-seater service BA operates between New York's JFK airport and London's City airport.
Mr Kington pleaded guilty to two related air rage offenses.
Judge Durcan at Ennis District Court, said "Mr Kington suffered a huge change in character by virtue of the unfortunate combination of drugs and alcohol".
The court heard Mr Kington consumed a Xanax and an Ambien tablet. The mixing of Ambien and alcohol by REM guitarist Peter Buck formed part of his successful defence against an air rage offence a number of years ago. The court heard Mr Kington stood over two passengers in an intimidating way and called them paedophiles.
His disruption forced the captain, Commander Mike Jones, to intervene.
In his statement to gardai, Mr Jones said that in the galley of the plane, "he (Mr Kington) swore at me, pushed me and tried to headbutt me. I stepped back to avoid getting a headbutt and then restrained him. It took two of us to restrain him." He added: "At this point I considered him a serious risk to passengers and to the safety of the flight."
Judge Durcan told the court that "the Damian Kington that is reflected so well in the references and testimonials before me ceased to exist and that for a period on the airplane a different person was wearing his clothes and was occupying his skin and physical person".
Mortified
Mr Kington – a global communications manager with an investment firm – said: "I was and still am extremely mortified by the accounts given by the witnesses and I don't have any recollection of the events or my actions. I am extremely and profusely apologetic to the passengers, the pilot, BA, this court and the gardai. It is extremely out of character and I am very remorseful. I was on new medication and it was irresponsible of me not to check."
Gda Noel O'Rourke said the incident cost BA €3,367 through €2,460 in fuel, ground handling costs of €487 and €410 in landing charges.
Solicitor for Mr Kington, Una Moylan, asked that the Probation Act be imposed.
Judge Durcan ordered Mr Kington to pay €3,367 in compensation and €1,000 to the poor box. The judge said that on the basis of the money paid and the other factors outlined, he would strike out the charge.
Source: http://www.independent.ie
Federal Aviation Administration won't let Naples Connection take off from airport to Florida destinations
NAPLES — Naples Connection hasn't connected.
The company that planned to launch air service between the Naples Municipal Airport and four Florida cities this year lost its operating certificate, putting it out of business.
But the company, Twin Air Calypso Limited Inc., is fighting to get its certificate back.
"We are working on it," said Joel Johnson, who was overseeing the Naples Connection start-up here.
Twin Air had planned to begin scheduled air service at the Naples Municipal Airport in October, offering four weekly flights to Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Key West and Orlando using nine-passenger aircraft.
On Aug. 7, the Federal Aviation Administration revoked Twin Air's operating certificate, determining that "an emergency exists related to safety in air commerce." On Nov. 6, the U.S. Department of Transportation notified the Fort Lauderdale-based company that its on-demand air taxi registration was canceled and that it no longer could "directly engage in air transportation."
The carrier was grounded after the FAA found it illegally operated as a scheduled airline, rather than as an on-demand service, for flights between Fort Lauderdale International Airport and the Bahamas.
"We are just not settled with the FAA. We have requested a re-evaluation of the certificate and are working on getting it reissued," Johnson said.
With its certificate, Twin Air couldn't operate more than four weekly scheduled flights between two or more points, but an investigation found it had daily service from Fort Lauderdale to Treasure Cay, Marsh Harbour and Walker Cay on Abaco Island and flew six days a week to South Eleuthera Island, Governor's Harbour and North Eleuthera Island. The company operated the service on three small planes, each with fewer than 10 seats.
Twin Air has appealed the FAA's emergency order of revocation. The appeal is pending before the National Transportation Safety Board and a decision could come in the next few weeks, Johnson said.
"The board is considering it. I don't know the status of it, though," said Keith Holloway, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington, D.C.
In February, the U.S. Department of Transportation reached a settlement with Twin Air, requiring it to pay a civil penalty of $70,000 and to "cease and desist from further violations." But the company didn't comply with the agreement, continuing to act as a commuter air carrier without first being found fit to do so, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's letter canceling the company's air taxi registration.
In its defense, Twin Air has said it didn't intend to violate any rules and that it fully cooperated with an investigation by the Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings.
Twin Air is the successor company to Twin Town Leasing Co., which in 2005 was fined $20,000 and ordered to stop similar violations.
The idea for Twin Air service in Naples actually came from George Brown, the chairman and CEO of American Aviation Group Inc., who said he planned to buy Twin Air and expand it before the company lost its operating certificate. If Twin Air wins its appeal, he said, he still will be interested in buying it and suspects the carrier will still want to sell, especially with all the money it has lost since being forced out of business.
It's not all that unusual for an air carrier to get its operating certificate back, but that decision depends partly on the severity of the violations and the cooperation between the company and its regulators, Brown said.
"It's not an impossible thing. It's done all the time. People do get their license back. They do get their certification back," he said.
Ted Soliday, executive director of the Naples Municipal Airport, said anything that's done with a federal agency is a long, complicated process.
He had hoped to see the service launch at the start of the busy season so there would be "success from the start."
He said he hopes everything with the FAA will be resolved soon so Naples Connection will fly. The airport doesn't have a commuter airline and it remains a top priority for him and his board, Soliday said.
JetBlue showed some interest in flying out of the Naples airport, but backed away from those talks in October, following a letter-writing campaign by Naples residents who didn't like the idea. A weight waiver would have been required from the FAA for the carrier to fly its larger EMB 190 aircraft in and out of the city's airport.
"We are obviously very eager to get a small aircraft providing commercial service at the airport," Soliday said.
Story and photos: http://www.naplesnews.com
http://www.flytwinair.com
http://www.flynaples.com
http://www.airnav.com/airport/KAPF
The company that planned to launch air service between the Naples Municipal Airport and four Florida cities this year lost its operating certificate, putting it out of business.
But the company, Twin Air Calypso Limited Inc., is fighting to get its certificate back.
"We are working on it," said Joel Johnson, who was overseeing the Naples Connection start-up here.
Twin Air had planned to begin scheduled air service at the Naples Municipal Airport in October, offering four weekly flights to Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Key West and Orlando using nine-passenger aircraft.
On Aug. 7, the Federal Aviation Administration revoked Twin Air's operating certificate, determining that "an emergency exists related to safety in air commerce." On Nov. 6, the U.S. Department of Transportation notified the Fort Lauderdale-based company that its on-demand air taxi registration was canceled and that it no longer could "directly engage in air transportation."
The carrier was grounded after the FAA found it illegally operated as a scheduled airline, rather than as an on-demand service, for flights between Fort Lauderdale International Airport and the Bahamas.
"We are just not settled with the FAA. We have requested a re-evaluation of the certificate and are working on getting it reissued," Johnson said.
With its certificate, Twin Air couldn't operate more than four weekly scheduled flights between two or more points, but an investigation found it had daily service from Fort Lauderdale to Treasure Cay, Marsh Harbour and Walker Cay on Abaco Island and flew six days a week to South Eleuthera Island, Governor's Harbour and North Eleuthera Island. The company operated the service on three small planes, each with fewer than 10 seats.
Twin Air has appealed the FAA's emergency order of revocation. The appeal is pending before the National Transportation Safety Board and a decision could come in the next few weeks, Johnson said.
"The board is considering it. I don't know the status of it, though," said Keith Holloway, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington, D.C.
In February, the U.S. Department of Transportation reached a settlement with Twin Air, requiring it to pay a civil penalty of $70,000 and to "cease and desist from further violations." But the company didn't comply with the agreement, continuing to act as a commuter air carrier without first being found fit to do so, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's letter canceling the company's air taxi registration.
In its defense, Twin Air has said it didn't intend to violate any rules and that it fully cooperated with an investigation by the Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings.
Twin Air is the successor company to Twin Town Leasing Co., which in 2005 was fined $20,000 and ordered to stop similar violations.
The idea for Twin Air service in Naples actually came from George Brown, the chairman and CEO of American Aviation Group Inc., who said he planned to buy Twin Air and expand it before the company lost its operating certificate. If Twin Air wins its appeal, he said, he still will be interested in buying it and suspects the carrier will still want to sell, especially with all the money it has lost since being forced out of business.
It's not all that unusual for an air carrier to get its operating certificate back, but that decision depends partly on the severity of the violations and the cooperation between the company and its regulators, Brown said.
"It's not an impossible thing. It's done all the time. People do get their license back. They do get their certification back," he said.
Ted Soliday, executive director of the Naples Municipal Airport, said anything that's done with a federal agency is a long, complicated process.
He had hoped to see the service launch at the start of the busy season so there would be "success from the start."
He said he hopes everything with the FAA will be resolved soon so Naples Connection will fly. The airport doesn't have a commuter airline and it remains a top priority for him and his board, Soliday said.
JetBlue showed some interest in flying out of the Naples airport, but backed away from those talks in October, following a letter-writing campaign by Naples residents who didn't like the idea. A weight waiver would have been required from the FAA for the carrier to fly its larger EMB 190 aircraft in and out of the city's airport.
"We are obviously very eager to get a small aircraft providing commercial service at the airport," Soliday said.
Story and photos: http://www.naplesnews.com
http://www.flytwinair.com
http://www.flynaples.com
http://www.airnav.com/airport/KAPF
Brazil aviation faces turbulence
After a decade of soaring growth as millions of Brazilians flew for the first time, Brazil's aviation industry has come back down to earth with a thud.
Experts warn the sector is facing higher taxes and fuel costs, inadequate infrastructure and a leveling-off of demand.
"2012 can be seen as the worst year for commercial civil aviation," said Paulo Kakinoff, president of Gol, the country's second biggest airline.
"This is due to a series of factors: a nearly 60 percent hike in fuel costs, the 10 percent depreciation of the real in relation to the dollar, higher taxes and new taxes."
Fuel represents 45 percent of the airline's expenses, he said.
The national airport operator, Infraero, has slapped a 150 percent hike on its rates, which had previously not changed since 2005.
With accumulated losses of $500 million up to September, Gol was forced to cut costs, with fever services and greater plane occupancy rates, a strategy pursued by other companies.
Late last month, Gol announced it was shutting down its Webjet low-cost unit and laying off 850 employees. But this week, a judge ordered the airline to take them back.
Brazil's top airline TAM, which merged with its Chilean counterpart LAN earlier this year to become Latin America's biggest airline, was also forced to cut costs.
TAM has yet to release its latest results but in the first quarter its earnings had slumped 21.7 percent over the same period of last year.
"In 2012, we spent a lot because of poor infrastructure, higher fuel prices and new taxes," said Gianfranco Beting, a spokesman for the Azul airline, which operates new routes with smaller aircraft.
According to industry data, the top five airlines are TAM, with 41.1 percent market share, Gol with 33.9, Azul with 9.35, Trip with 4.53 and Avianca Brasil at 5.95 percent.
Azul merged with Trip and Avianca earlier this year.
Although demand in this continent-sized country of 194 million people has stabilized, experts say the potential for further growth remains huge.
In 2002, 33 million air tickets were sold, a figure which nearly trebled to 86 million last year.
"In Brazil, each person makes 0.4 trips a year. In more mature markets, the average rate is 2.7. We have a huge potential," insisted Adalberto Febeliano, of the Brazilian Airline Association.
But he said he expected demand to remain stable in 2013 coupled with a reduction in supply to maintain profit.
His group is pressing the government for lower taxes and lower fuel costs.
Most of Brazil's 70 airports are congested or in urgent need of an upgrade as the country prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
The Miami-based Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association has expressed concern.
"The Brazilian market will continue to grow but we are concerned about the infrastructure, which has not been planned with this development in mind," it noted, lambasting the country's "lack of competitiveness."
President Dilma Rousseff slowly began privatizing some airports last year, starting with two in commercial hub Sao Paulo and one in the capital Brasilia.
Next year, she plans to grant concessions for the airports in Rio and Belo Horizonte to the private sector. Last week, she announced the construction of 800 regional airports across the country.
Source: http://business.iafrica.com
Experts warn the sector is facing higher taxes and fuel costs, inadequate infrastructure and a leveling-off of demand.
"2012 can be seen as the worst year for commercial civil aviation," said Paulo Kakinoff, president of Gol, the country's second biggest airline.
"This is due to a series of factors: a nearly 60 percent hike in fuel costs, the 10 percent depreciation of the real in relation to the dollar, higher taxes and new taxes."
Fuel represents 45 percent of the airline's expenses, he said.
The national airport operator, Infraero, has slapped a 150 percent hike on its rates, which had previously not changed since 2005.
With accumulated losses of $500 million up to September, Gol was forced to cut costs, with fever services and greater plane occupancy rates, a strategy pursued by other companies.
Late last month, Gol announced it was shutting down its Webjet low-cost unit and laying off 850 employees. But this week, a judge ordered the airline to take them back.
Brazil's top airline TAM, which merged with its Chilean counterpart LAN earlier this year to become Latin America's biggest airline, was also forced to cut costs.
TAM has yet to release its latest results but in the first quarter its earnings had slumped 21.7 percent over the same period of last year.
"In 2012, we spent a lot because of poor infrastructure, higher fuel prices and new taxes," said Gianfranco Beting, a spokesman for the Azul airline, which operates new routes with smaller aircraft.
According to industry data, the top five airlines are TAM, with 41.1 percent market share, Gol with 33.9, Azul with 9.35, Trip with 4.53 and Avianca Brasil at 5.95 percent.
Azul merged with Trip and Avianca earlier this year.
Although demand in this continent-sized country of 194 million people has stabilized, experts say the potential for further growth remains huge.
In 2002, 33 million air tickets were sold, a figure which nearly trebled to 86 million last year.
"In Brazil, each person makes 0.4 trips a year. In more mature markets, the average rate is 2.7. We have a huge potential," insisted Adalberto Febeliano, of the Brazilian Airline Association.
But he said he expected demand to remain stable in 2013 coupled with a reduction in supply to maintain profit.
His group is pressing the government for lower taxes and lower fuel costs.
Most of Brazil's 70 airports are congested or in urgent need of an upgrade as the country prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
The Miami-based Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association has expressed concern.
"The Brazilian market will continue to grow but we are concerned about the infrastructure, which has not been planned with this development in mind," it noted, lambasting the country's "lack of competitiveness."
President Dilma Rousseff slowly began privatizing some airports last year, starting with two in commercial hub Sao Paulo and one in the capital Brasilia.
Next year, she plans to grant concessions for the airports in Rio and Belo Horizonte to the private sector. Last week, she announced the construction of 800 regional airports across the country.
Source: http://business.iafrica.com
Chicagoland Aviation, LLC: Requested Injunction Against Former Flight Instructor Crashes At Take-Off
By Peter Steinmeyer
A federal judge in Chicago recently wrestled with two issues that we frequently blog about: what constitutes misappropriation of confidential information, and to what extent can a current employee prepare to compete with his employer without breaching his fiduciary duty?
In Chicagoland Aviation, LLC v. Richard R. Todd, et al., flight instructor Richard Todd left his job and started a rival business. Shortly thereafter, Chicagoland Aviation sued him for, among other things, breaching his fiduciary duty by allegedly misappropriating confidential information and starting a competing business while still employed by Chicagoland Aviation. Chicagoland Aviation eventually requested a preliminary injunction, which the court denied.
The court began its analysis of Chicagoland Aviation’s breach of fiduciary duty claim by summarizing the background legal principles: “[g]enerally, employees have a duty not to improperly compete with their employer, solicit the employer’s customers, entice co-workers away from the employer, divert business opportunities, engage in self-dealing, and/or otherwise misappropriate the employer’s property or funds.”
Regarding the purported theft of confidential information, the court concluded that the information at issue was either not confidential or not misappropriated.
Read more: http://www.tradesecretsnoncompetelaw.com
Case: 1:12-cv-01139 Document #: 137 Filed: 11/27/12
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER
http://www.chicagolandaviation.com
A federal judge in Chicago recently wrestled with two issues that we frequently blog about: what constitutes misappropriation of confidential information, and to what extent can a current employee prepare to compete with his employer without breaching his fiduciary duty?
In Chicagoland Aviation, LLC v. Richard R. Todd, et al., flight instructor Richard Todd left his job and started a rival business. Shortly thereafter, Chicagoland Aviation sued him for, among other things, breaching his fiduciary duty by allegedly misappropriating confidential information and starting a competing business while still employed by Chicagoland Aviation. Chicagoland Aviation eventually requested a preliminary injunction, which the court denied.
The court began its analysis of Chicagoland Aviation’s breach of fiduciary duty claim by summarizing the background legal principles: “[g]enerally, employees have a duty not to improperly compete with their employer, solicit the employer’s customers, entice co-workers away from the employer, divert business opportunities, engage in self-dealing, and/or otherwise misappropriate the employer’s property or funds.”
Regarding the purported theft of confidential information, the court concluded that the information at issue was either not confidential or not misappropriated.
Read more: http://www.tradesecretsnoncompetelaw.com
Case: 1:12-cv-01139 Document #: 137 Filed: 11/27/12
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER
http://www.chicagolandaviation.com
Allegiant Hawaii Service Popular at Santa Maria Public Airport/Capt G Allan Hancock Field (KSMX), Santa Maria, California
KCOY Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo - News
SANTA MARIA AIRPORT - Allegiant Air added the non-stop flight to and from Honolulu at the Santa Maria Airport after the runway was extended to accommodate larger aircraft.
And, like the saying goes, if you build it, they will come, and passengers have been at the Santa Maria Airport.
"I've never been there through the holidays", says traveler Karen Taylor of Arroyo Grande," this flight made it a little more accessible for people, not paying for parking, cheaper tickets, all that."
With more people coming to the airport and the terminal, there's more business for long-time terminal tenants like the car rental companies, Pepper Garcia's restaurant and next door at the airport Radisson Hotel.
"How many places can you go, with the convenience of a small airport, to Honolulu?", added traveler Mike Wright, "I think its great."
Since the Hawaii flights started less than six weeks ago, its too early for officials to calculate the direct and indirect economic impact to the airport and surrounding area.
The Wednesday flight to Honolulu was sold out.
Passengers Central Coast News spoke with, some coming from as far away as the Central Valley,say as long as Allegiant offers discount fares and the parking remains free at the Santa Maria Airport, they'll keep coming back.
"I'm hoping that if they keep this going, that they keep that free parking because it really makes it cost effective", adds Karen Taylor.
Story and video: http://www.kcoy.com
http://www2.allegiantair.com
http://www.santamariaairport.com
http://www.airnav.com/airport/KSMX
SANTA MARIA AIRPORT - Allegiant Air added the non-stop flight to and from Honolulu at the Santa Maria Airport after the runway was extended to accommodate larger aircraft.
And, like the saying goes, if you build it, they will come, and passengers have been at the Santa Maria Airport.
"I've never been there through the holidays", says traveler Karen Taylor of Arroyo Grande," this flight made it a little more accessible for people, not paying for parking, cheaper tickets, all that."
With more people coming to the airport and the terminal, there's more business for long-time terminal tenants like the car rental companies, Pepper Garcia's restaurant and next door at the airport Radisson Hotel.
"How many places can you go, with the convenience of a small airport, to Honolulu?", added traveler Mike Wright, "I think its great."
Since the Hawaii flights started less than six weeks ago, its too early for officials to calculate the direct and indirect economic impact to the airport and surrounding area.
The Wednesday flight to Honolulu was sold out.
Passengers Central Coast News spoke with, some coming from as far away as the Central Valley,say as long as Allegiant offers discount fares and the parking remains free at the Santa Maria Airport, they'll keep coming back.
"I'm hoping that if they keep this going, that they keep that free parking because it really makes it cost effective", adds Karen Taylor.
Story and video: http://www.kcoy.com
http://www2.allegiantair.com
http://www.santamariaairport.com
http://www.airnav.com/airport/KSMX
Inside the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (KIWA), Phoenix, Arizona; home of air service from St. Cloud
MESA, ARIZ. — When more than 150 people boarded an Allegiant Air flight from St. Cloud to Arizona a week ago today, they became part of the revival of not just one airfield, but two.
Flight 109 marked St. Cloud’s return to scheduled commercial air service three years after being grounded by the pullout of Delta Air Lines. It also was the airport’s first foray into regularly scheduled jet service flight.
While Dec. 15 was a very big day for St. Cloud Regional Airport, it was no small one for Phoenix/Mesa Gateway Airport. While Gateway has three commercial air carriers serving almost 40 U.S. cities from Honolulu to as far east as Grand Rapids, Mich., its history as a small hub powerhouse is short — just five years.
Even more remarkable is that its success grew from a local economic disaster: the 1993 closure of Williams Air Force Base and the resulting loss of 3,800 jobs and $300 million in annual economic activity.
A phoenix
The airport that now serves about 1.25 million passengers a year started life in 1941 as Higley Field, a pilot training facility in southwest Mesa.
It was renamed Williams Field in 1942, then became Williams Air Force Base. More than 26,000 pilots were trained there during 52 years.
But by the 1990s, it was targeted for closure by the Department of Defense in a landmark wave of base realignments. The base was decommissioned in 1993.
While the airfield reopened for civilian flight just a few months later, Williams Gateway Airport had no large-scale passenger service. It was a tiny shadow of its former self, and of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport — one of the world’s 15 busiest — just 20 miles away.
It would be 12 years before Vision Airlines would begin scheduled commercial service with only one destination, Las Vegas. Vision would last at Gateway just over two years.
But by the time Vision left, Allegiant had arrived. The low-cost carrier was able to provide regular service to 13 cities.
That pushed the airport to begin what has been a steady drumbeat of expansion. More than 66,500 feet of space have been added since 2008, bringing the airport to eight gates with service by three airlines; Frontier and Spirit joined Allegiant at Gateway this year.
And the growth isn’t over. Two more gates are scheduled for construction in 2013, Airport Director Casey Denny said.
Passenger-friendly
What fliers love about Gateway — its easily negotiable size — is top of mind as the airport grows, Denny said.
He points out passenger-friendly details in an arrivals lobby so new it’s served only a few weeks worth of passengers; baggage carousels share a huge area with rental car desks just across the room.
Passengers who didn’t check a bag can walk straight through the airy space to the parking lot or taxi stand.
Leather seating groups with outlets for charging electronics are steps from the doors, ready for people waiting for a ride or to pick up arriving passengers.
Parking just outside the airport doors is free for 30 minutes, double that with a receipt from an airport cafe. ATMs stand prominently in the check-in and baggage claim areas. Volunteers who push wheelchairs, answer questions or give directions are seemingly everywhere. And announcements on the PA system are loud and clear.
In short, the airport is trying to be everything huge airports struggle to achieve: easy to navigate, efficient for travelers and those who are dropping off or meeting them, and comfortable.
It does throw some curves, however.
“With all the construction and expansion,” Denny said, “even we sometimes need some time to adjust to where things are this week.”
A four-lane security screening area is now open in space that was, as recently as this fall, the baggage claim. The check-in and ticketing counters will move soon to space cleared when the TSA moved one building over. Until then, a large part of the space is cordoned off with yellow tape and a vending/lounge area is clearly makeshift.
But airside, the work seems to be done. The Copper Plate, a restaurant with indoor and patio seating, offers the airport’s only bar. Paradise Bakery has specialty coffees, pastries, sandwiches and soups (there’s a smaller version in baggage claim) and several shops sell books and magazines, souvenirs and sundries.
But the airport’s best-kept secret is just outside the doors, where a courtyard lined with palms and cacti offers a place for ticketed passengers to soak up fresh air before or after a long flight.
The centerpiece happened by accident as the airport grew, Denny said, created as one building was built next to another.
“But people love it,” he said, so much that they’re intentionally making another courtyard as they do this year’s expansion.
More to come
There are bigger plans in the works though, that will eventually mean walking away from what’s been done to serve the commercial passengers.
Standing on the tarmac as an Allegiant plane disgorges arriving passengers for their walk to the terminal, Denny sweeps his arm across the runway into the distance.
That’s where the big airport will be built in the years to come, ready to handle far more traffic than the one whose growth he’s overseen.
Eventually, Denny said, all of the work on Gateway’s new facilities will be turned into a base for private flights.
But until then, “we’re concentrating on serving the customers and the airlines we have. We want (the) St. Cloud (route) to succeed. We want all of our new routes to succeed.”
Story, photos and video: http://www.sctimes.com
http://www.phxmesagateway.org
http://www.airnav.com/airport/KIWA
CHINA: Gold awaits at end of three-leg flight
But still much needs to be done to make industry flight worthy
General aviation is an important part of China's civil aviation industry, and a stimulus to the entire sector and indeed the economy as a whole. General aviation can also be highly lucrative, often producing spectacular returns. In addition, it is effective not only in shaping the entire industry chain, but providing many job opportunities. It also serves as a base for China's commercial aviation professionals.
As reform of the country's low-airspace management continues apace, the general aviation industry is entering an era in which change will be rapid and the opportunities aplenty.
But if you cast an eye over general aviation policy and infrastructure in developed countries, it becomes clear that in China the industry is still much closer to its point of departure than its final destination.
First, China's outdated airspace-management system and strict air-traffic control system are fundamental constraints to the development of the country's general aviation. The system is administered by the military and by civil-aviation people, but the great bulk of airspace comes under the auspices of the military. At the same time, gaining approval for new routes is slow and cumbersome, which poses another serious constraint on general aviation.
Second, infrastructure is sparse. At the end of 2010 there were 286 general aviation airports and temporary landing spots, of which only 43 were certified, while in the US there were more than 20,000, and 70 percent of airports were privately owned. At the same time, China had about 1,200 registered general aviation aircraft, half a percent of the number in the US.
Third, there is also a severe shortage of professional talent. General aviation demands a lot of high technology, which in turn demands highly trained people with technical skills. Therefore, as general aviation continues to develop rapidly, the demand for pilots and crew members will continue to rise. The problem is that at the moment China's aviation professional personnel training system caters only to the needs of airlines.
As the airspace management system is reformed, general aviation policy constraints will gradually disappear, and market demand will gradually rise. Those investing in the industry will include local governments and social funds.
Low-altitude airspace management reform is now in view, and the policy bottleneck in general aviation development will gradually disappear. In 2010 the government issued guidelines on continuing reforms to low-altitude airspace management. It identified the short-term goals and overall aims of airspace reform, and divided low-altitude airspace in a reasonable way.
There will be three phases to this, first with trial reforms in particular regions. The changes will then be applied nationally, building a management and service support system that combines government rules, industry guidance and the workings of the market. In the long run the reforms will also need new regulation, operation and service systems, low-altitude airspace will need to be developed to its full potential.
The low-altitude reforms will get into full swing next year and those policies, promoting opening-up, will allow general aviation to grow rapidly.
In turn, increased demand will give a fillip to industrial restructuring. At present China's general aviation is engaged mainly in manufacturing, agriculture, forestry and flight training, and profits are limited.
As the number of wealthy Chinese rises, as more non-commercial aircraft are used to conduct business, and as air-travel market opportunities grow, the number of private aircraft, business flights, and general aviation flights will increase rapidly. They will become a driving force for the general aviation industry and a new engine for regional economies.
The author is a transport industry researcher at CIConsulting. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
Source: http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn
General aviation is an important part of China's civil aviation industry, and a stimulus to the entire sector and indeed the economy as a whole. General aviation can also be highly lucrative, often producing spectacular returns. In addition, it is effective not only in shaping the entire industry chain, but providing many job opportunities. It also serves as a base for China's commercial aviation professionals.
As reform of the country's low-airspace management continues apace, the general aviation industry is entering an era in which change will be rapid and the opportunities aplenty.
But if you cast an eye over general aviation policy and infrastructure in developed countries, it becomes clear that in China the industry is still much closer to its point of departure than its final destination.
First, China's outdated airspace-management system and strict air-traffic control system are fundamental constraints to the development of the country's general aviation. The system is administered by the military and by civil-aviation people, but the great bulk of airspace comes under the auspices of the military. At the same time, gaining approval for new routes is slow and cumbersome, which poses another serious constraint on general aviation.
Second, infrastructure is sparse. At the end of 2010 there were 286 general aviation airports and temporary landing spots, of which only 43 were certified, while in the US there were more than 20,000, and 70 percent of airports were privately owned. At the same time, China had about 1,200 registered general aviation aircraft, half a percent of the number in the US.
Third, there is also a severe shortage of professional talent. General aviation demands a lot of high technology, which in turn demands highly trained people with technical skills. Therefore, as general aviation continues to develop rapidly, the demand for pilots and crew members will continue to rise. The problem is that at the moment China's aviation professional personnel training system caters only to the needs of airlines.
As the airspace management system is reformed, general aviation policy constraints will gradually disappear, and market demand will gradually rise. Those investing in the industry will include local governments and social funds.
Low-altitude airspace management reform is now in view, and the policy bottleneck in general aviation development will gradually disappear. In 2010 the government issued guidelines on continuing reforms to low-altitude airspace management. It identified the short-term goals and overall aims of airspace reform, and divided low-altitude airspace in a reasonable way.
There will be three phases to this, first with trial reforms in particular regions. The changes will then be applied nationally, building a management and service support system that combines government rules, industry guidance and the workings of the market. In the long run the reforms will also need new regulation, operation and service systems, low-altitude airspace will need to be developed to its full potential.
The low-altitude reforms will get into full swing next year and those policies, promoting opening-up, will allow general aviation to grow rapidly.
In turn, increased demand will give a fillip to industrial restructuring. At present China's general aviation is engaged mainly in manufacturing, agriculture, forestry and flight training, and profits are limited.
As the number of wealthy Chinese rises, as more non-commercial aircraft are used to conduct business, and as air-travel market opportunities grow, the number of private aircraft, business flights, and general aviation flights will increase rapidly. They will become a driving force for the general aviation industry and a new engine for regional economies.
The author is a transport industry researcher at CIConsulting. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
Source: http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn
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