Monday, December 24, 2012
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Government regulations hinder private jet industry: VistaJet
New Delhi, Dec 24
VistaJet, the Switzerland-based luxury aviation company that operates private jets for top corporates and business honchos, thinks some government regulations are working against this niche sector's growth and should be re-looked at.
Thomas Flohr, founder and chairman of VistaJet, said some of the issues faced by private operators include delays in getting statutory clearances, lengthy paper works in all destinations of port and cash payment hurdles.
"Schedules of our clients who happen to be business heads are not known in advance, but the regulation says that there needs to be an application before a certain number of days (six days). This either delays the trip or cancels it," Flohr said in an interaction with IANS.
"We operate nearly 10 times the number of operations from Moscow than, compared to India. This is not because India is a smaller market but because of some regulations that hinder the private jet industry," Flohr said.
VistaJet is one of the fastest growing private jet operators in the world and is eying to expand presence in the fast-growing Indian market, which itself is growing between 10-15 percent year-on-year and is expected to reach a market size of Rs.1,600 crore ($290.90 million) by 2017.
Flohr said the company has had an interaction with government officials and that he was confident that some changes may take place.
The company recently placed the biggest order in business aviation history. It ordered for 142 aircraft which includes a firm order for 56 jets and an optional 86 more worth over $7.8 billion from Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier.
Deliveries of these aircraft will begin in 2014.
"These jets and the current fleet is focusing on emerging countries such as India and China. Businessmen here know the value of time and as business expands to far and remote areas for setting up of plants or for natural resources, general aviation will grow," Flohr said, adding that the company provides point-to-point transportation across the globe at a short notice.
Indian corporates are the ones who are driving the growth of the sector as they travel to new markets for business and resources.
Data by the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), show the private jet fleet in the country is between 135-155 out of a total of 1,146 aircraft.
The niche sector is also attracting all major aircraft manufacturers like Bombardier, Hawker Beechcraft, Dornier Seaplanes, Cessna, Gulfstream and Pacific Aerospace.
Apart from private jet operators, Indian business honchos too have bought their very own ride in the sky which can be worth anywhere between $4 million to $58 million. The owners’ club includes the likes of DLF’s K.P. Singh, Raymond’s Gautam Singhania, Reliance Group’s Mukesh Ambani and GMR group’s G.M. Rao.
http://www.prokerala.com
VistaJet, the Switzerland-based luxury aviation company that operates private jets for top corporates and business honchos, thinks some government regulations are working against this niche sector's growth and should be re-looked at.
Thomas Flohr, founder and chairman of VistaJet, said some of the issues faced by private operators include delays in getting statutory clearances, lengthy paper works in all destinations of port and cash payment hurdles.
"Schedules of our clients who happen to be business heads are not known in advance, but the regulation says that there needs to be an application before a certain number of days (six days). This either delays the trip or cancels it," Flohr said in an interaction with IANS.
"We operate nearly 10 times the number of operations from Moscow than, compared to India. This is not because India is a smaller market but because of some regulations that hinder the private jet industry," Flohr said.
VistaJet is one of the fastest growing private jet operators in the world and is eying to expand presence in the fast-growing Indian market, which itself is growing between 10-15 percent year-on-year and is expected to reach a market size of Rs.1,600 crore ($290.90 million) by 2017.
Flohr said the company has had an interaction with government officials and that he was confident that some changes may take place.
The company recently placed the biggest order in business aviation history. It ordered for 142 aircraft which includes a firm order for 56 jets and an optional 86 more worth over $7.8 billion from Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier.
Deliveries of these aircraft will begin in 2014.
"These jets and the current fleet is focusing on emerging countries such as India and China. Businessmen here know the value of time and as business expands to far and remote areas for setting up of plants or for natural resources, general aviation will grow," Flohr said, adding that the company provides point-to-point transportation across the globe at a short notice.
Indian corporates are the ones who are driving the growth of the sector as they travel to new markets for business and resources.
Data by the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), show the private jet fleet in the country is between 135-155 out of a total of 1,146 aircraft.
The niche sector is also attracting all major aircraft manufacturers like Bombardier, Hawker Beechcraft, Dornier Seaplanes, Cessna, Gulfstream and Pacific Aerospace.
Apart from private jet operators, Indian business honchos too have bought their very own ride in the sky which can be worth anywhere between $4 million to $58 million. The owners’ club includes the likes of DLF’s K.P. Singh, Raymond’s Gautam Singhania, Reliance Group’s Mukesh Ambani and GMR group’s G.M. Rao.
http://www.prokerala.com
Bayelsa crash: Pilot’s family accuses authorities of partiality
He was aged 32, got married on March 26th 2011 to his wife, Eniola and had his first daughter, Teniola barely nine months ago. He was the bread winner of his family and his parents are still alive. That is the sad story of Lt. David Adeyemi Sowole, the co-pilot of the ill-fated Navy helicopter that crashed on Saturday in Bayelsa state.
The family of Lt. Adeyemi Sowole, the co-pilot of the Navy helicopter which crashed on Saturday in Bayelsa State have expressed disappointment that authorities have only reckoned with the dignitaries that died on the flight. ”
The co-pilot’s elder brother, Taiwo, said the government had not treated other victims as important as the two dignitaries – Gen. Andrew Azazi and Governor Patrick Yakowa – on board.
Taiwo, spoke with our correspondent on Tuesday, at the family’s 28, Akintoye Street, Iyana Ipaja, Lagos home.
The ambience was sombre, as relations and friends sat around Adeyemi’s father, Solomon, in the family’s sitting room.
Words were few. But some of the sympathizers intermittently offered prayers to break the silence.
The deceased’s brother said, “All lives are equal. At this point, the right thing to do is for government to treat all the victims with respect and give them the same recognition.
“But it seems as if only the dignitaries on board the helicopter died. Adeyemi is also important.
“Adeyemi and a senior colleague lost their lives also. They are equally precious to their families. It was their responsibility to transport the dignitaries even though their own lives were on the line.”
Another family member, an aunt of the deceased, broke down in tears. She expressed sadness that while the news about the crash was circulating, authorities only focused on Yakowa and Azazi.
“It’s like the people in government see our son and his colleague as unimportant. Is it only Azazi and Yakowa that died in that crash? Why can’t they sympathize with us as well? The incident happened and all they were talking about were the two government officials on board,” the aunt, who declined to give her name, stated.
Taiwo described his brother as a humble man, who loved his job since he was young.
He said he never believed his brother would die doing what he loved best: flying.
Adeyemi was the fifth child of his parents’ seven children.
Taiwo said, “We called him ‘Yemi Olopa (policeman)’ because he always behaved like one. But when he got into the Nigerian Defence Academy, it was a dream come true for him.
“He loved what he did so much that he never expressed fear at any point in time about the nature of the job.”
Adeyemi graduated from the NDA in 2005 having studied Geography and trained as a pilot.
Taiwo said the last time he spoke with his brother was about 10 days before the crash.
Adeyemi, according to him, was very concerned about their father’s coming 80th birthday, which the family had scheduled for celebration in March 2013.
“Adeyemi insisted we should start planning for the birthday now. We discussed a lot of things, the hall to be used, the expenses and many other things. He said we would discuss it more when he comes home for Christmas,” Taiwo said.
Taiwo got the news about his brother’s death at 8pm on Saturday through one of his brothers.
“All we heard initially was that his helicopter crashed and we were praying at the time that it will turn out to be a hoax. We were hoping it would be a mistake because we thought Navy pilots only fly military personnel or the President and Vice-President,” he said.
Two of Adeyemi’s other siblings – Owolabi and Aderonke – have not come to terms with the fact that their brother was dead.
Owolabi explained that the last time Adeyemi called him, it was also to discuss their father’s coming birthday celebration.
He became suspicious when a friend of the deceased, who is close to the family, called him to request for his parents’ number.
“He called but did not say anything. He called my dad and mum and said he only wanted to find out how they were doing. He eventually called me again to break the news. I can’t believe I’m not going to see my brother again,” he said.
Aderonke, who was her brother’s “pet,” broke down in tears as she described the last time she spoke with him.
She said, “Anytime he was coming home, I would ask what he wanted to eat and he would say ‘you should know because you are my mum.’
“Few days before the incident, I asked if he was coming home for Christmas and he jokingly said ‘no’. I told him he dared not. He said he would come and I was looking forward to seeing him. I still wish all this noise about his death is just a rumor.
Story: http://www.nigerianeye.com
Microlight crash pilot did not have permit to fly in Ireland
The pilot of a microlight that suffered substantial damage after hitting an electric fence in West Cork on Apr 6 last did not have a permit to fly in Ireland.
The 51-year-old male, who hit the fence while landing at Enniskeane Airfield, 17km west of Bandon, had a permit to fly in Britain but did not have permission from the Irish Aviation Authority.
A report compiled by air accident investigators said while landing on the runway, the microlight’s main wheel “caught in an electrified wire fence leading to a heavy landing on the runway and damage to the aircraft”.
Photographs of the aircraft following the accident show that both the nose wheel and the right-hand main wheel had separated and there was also some damage to the engine cowling.
The pilot said he was familiar with the runway — a level grass strip about 400m long, located alongside the River Bandon — but that while making his approach, he encountered “a very strong down draught [downward movement of air] just prior to the threshold”.
The pilot said he applied power but realized his right-hand wheel had snagged the single strand wire fence, electrified to contain farm animals. He reduced power and the aircraft came to rest about 17m from the runway threshold.
Air accident investigators from the Department of Transport said the aircraft had a British permit to fly but there was no record of permission having been given by Irish authorities to operate in Ireland.
The pilot said the reason he had not complied with the requirements in seeking permission to operate in Ireland was due to an oversight, as he had believed a home-built microlight could fly under certain provisions.
The investigators concluded that the pilot was unprepared for a down-draft which resulted in the aircraft’s right-hand wheel getting caught in an electrified fence and a consequent heavy landing, which resulted in damage to the aircraft undercarriage and engine cowling.
http://www.irishexaminer.com
The 51-year-old male, who hit the fence while landing at Enniskeane Airfield, 17km west of Bandon, had a permit to fly in Britain but did not have permission from the Irish Aviation Authority.
A report compiled by air accident investigators said while landing on the runway, the microlight’s main wheel “caught in an electrified wire fence leading to a heavy landing on the runway and damage to the aircraft”.
Photographs of the aircraft following the accident show that both the nose wheel and the right-hand main wheel had separated and there was also some damage to the engine cowling.
The pilot said he was familiar with the runway — a level grass strip about 400m long, located alongside the River Bandon — but that while making his approach, he encountered “a very strong down draught [downward movement of air] just prior to the threshold”.
The pilot said he applied power but realized his right-hand wheel had snagged the single strand wire fence, electrified to contain farm animals. He reduced power and the aircraft came to rest about 17m from the runway threshold.
Air accident investigators from the Department of Transport said the aircraft had a British permit to fly but there was no record of permission having been given by Irish authorities to operate in Ireland.
The pilot said the reason he had not complied with the requirements in seeking permission to operate in Ireland was due to an oversight, as he had believed a home-built microlight could fly under certain provisions.
The investigators concluded that the pilot was unprepared for a down-draft which resulted in the aircraft’s right-hand wheel getting caught in an electrified fence and a consequent heavy landing, which resulted in damage to the aircraft undercarriage and engine cowling.
http://www.irishexaminer.com
Pilatus Aircraft to Set Production Base in Chongqing Liangjiang
CHONGQING, China, Dec. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Pilatus Aircraft Co., Ltd., a world famous aircraft manufacturer from Switzerland, opened its Chinese headquarters on December 18 (production & service base and delivery center) in Chongqing Liangjiang New Area.
The first two PC-6 airplanes produced on that day were provided to the General Administration of Sports of China as training planes. Over 20 more were ordered by Xinjiang General Aviation Co., Ltd., Yunnan Ruifeng Group and Minsheng Financial Leasing Co., Ltd.
Chongqing mayor Huang Qifan said, "China only has around 1,154 airplanes in service at present, with less than 0.4 percent of that in America. In 2015, China will completely relax the control of aircrafts at low altitude so that the demand will greatly increase."
Chongqing has technology advantages in aluminum fabrication and production of general motor, transmission gear and gear case. Pilatus chose the right time to enter the Chinese market.
The vice president of Pilatus Aircraft said, "The company is optimistic about Liangjiang New Area's status and function in mainland China and the massive Chinese market. Pilatus will build the industrial line of general aviation in Chongqing for aircraft production and conduct training."
According to the agreement, this project, with a total investment of some $400 million, includes the establishment of a company engaged in production, general assembly and maintenance of general aircraft, and the relocation of PC-12 production lines for the Asia-Pacific Region and PC-6 production lines from Switzerland to Chongqing.
An annual production capacity of 150 PC-6 and PC-12 airplanes will be formed after the completion of the whole project.
Representing the development of inland China, Liangjiang New Area experienced a year-on-year growth of 20 percent and 300 percent in its economy and international trade respectively from January to September 2012, attracting many transnational enterprises.
Kautex Textron of Germany, one of the world's top 100 automotive fuel tank producers, opened its new factory in Liangjiang New Area on November 29, 2012.
Chongqing Wallenberg Electromechanical Device Co., Ltd., the first authorized dealer of Sweden SKF (manufacturer of bearings) in southwest China, opened in Liangjiang Industrial Park on November 28.
A European Parliament delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China paid a visit to Liangjiang New Area on November 1, 2012. The chair of the delegation said that they will further enhance cooperation with Chongqing.
Dr. Gerold Amelung, the new consul-general of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Chengdu and Sylvie Bermann, the French Ambassador to China, visited Liangjiang New Area on November 28. They hoped more European companies would benefit from the development of the country's western regions.
Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe International Railway, honored as the "modern Silk Road," greatly promotes the development of auto and information technology industries in Liangjiang New Area.
The auto production capacity of Liangjiang New Area accounts for one-tenth of China's total while the laptop production capacity occupies one-third of the world's total.
SOURCE Chongqing Liangjiang New Area
http://www.marketwatch.com
The first two PC-6 airplanes produced on that day were provided to the General Administration of Sports of China as training planes. Over 20 more were ordered by Xinjiang General Aviation Co., Ltd., Yunnan Ruifeng Group and Minsheng Financial Leasing Co., Ltd.
Chongqing mayor Huang Qifan said, "China only has around 1,154 airplanes in service at present, with less than 0.4 percent of that in America. In 2015, China will completely relax the control of aircrafts at low altitude so that the demand will greatly increase."
Chongqing has technology advantages in aluminum fabrication and production of general motor, transmission gear and gear case. Pilatus chose the right time to enter the Chinese market.
The vice president of Pilatus Aircraft said, "The company is optimistic about Liangjiang New Area's status and function in mainland China and the massive Chinese market. Pilatus will build the industrial line of general aviation in Chongqing for aircraft production and conduct training."
According to the agreement, this project, with a total investment of some $400 million, includes the establishment of a company engaged in production, general assembly and maintenance of general aircraft, and the relocation of PC-12 production lines for the Asia-Pacific Region and PC-6 production lines from Switzerland to Chongqing.
An annual production capacity of 150 PC-6 and PC-12 airplanes will be formed after the completion of the whole project.
Representing the development of inland China, Liangjiang New Area experienced a year-on-year growth of 20 percent and 300 percent in its economy and international trade respectively from January to September 2012, attracting many transnational enterprises.
Kautex Textron of Germany, one of the world's top 100 automotive fuel tank producers, opened its new factory in Liangjiang New Area on November 29, 2012.
Chongqing Wallenberg Electromechanical Device Co., Ltd., the first authorized dealer of Sweden SKF (manufacturer of bearings) in southwest China, opened in Liangjiang Industrial Park on November 28.
A European Parliament delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China paid a visit to Liangjiang New Area on November 1, 2012. The chair of the delegation said that they will further enhance cooperation with Chongqing.
Dr. Gerold Amelung, the new consul-general of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Chengdu and Sylvie Bermann, the French Ambassador to China, visited Liangjiang New Area on November 28. They hoped more European companies would benefit from the development of the country's western regions.
Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe International Railway, honored as the "modern Silk Road," greatly promotes the development of auto and information technology industries in Liangjiang New Area.
The auto production capacity of Liangjiang New Area accounts for one-tenth of China's total while the laptop production capacity occupies one-third of the world's total.
SOURCE Chongqing Liangjiang New Area
http://www.marketwatch.com
Military warned - no cover-ups
Military bosses were told
"it is important the RNZAF does not cover up" its illegal shipment of
pyrotechnic canisters which endangered the lives of hundreds of
passengers on an Air New Zealand flight.
The incident was first revealed by the New Zealand Herald, which has now been provided with a copy of the report into the safety breach that says it "endangered the lives of civilians" and "brought the reputation of the RNZAF under considerable threat".
The internal report told military commanders that they could minimize the damage to the air force's reputation by telling appropriate agencies it happened. The report said "openness to relevant authorities" could "prevent serious repercussion or damage to the RNZAF's reputation should concealment be uncovered by any airline, TAIC [Transport Accident Investigation Commission] or media in the future".
As it happened, no one was told of the incident until it was uncovered by the Herald during its investigation into the air force's safety record. Major changes have now been ordered to the air force's safety structure and external oversight.
The air force has maintained the failure to tell the Civil Aviation Authority, TAIC, Air NZ or any other party was accidental. TAIC was initially misinformed about the nature of the incident - a Defence Force spokesman later said the air force "failed to close the loop" by providing the investigation report into the incident.
The CAA is investigating after the Herald revealed the incident, in which two chemical oxygen generators were put on board an Air NZ flight from Auckland to Canada in 2009. The same sort of canisters - banned from passenger flights - led to a passenger jet disaster, killing more than 100 people. The investigation found military bosses could have been jailed over the breach. The Defence Force could have been blacklisted from civilian airlines.
Investigators found "a considerable number of larger organizational factors and preconditions" led to the safety breach. It also emerged the canisters flown to Canada were actually more dangerous than previously revealed. Neither was properly wrapped or had "safety pins" in place to stop accidental ignition, and one was damaged.
Investigators found injury or death from the shipment could have led to "serious criminal charges" against those involved - including Defence Force commanders. The act of shipping the canisters could still see those involved, and senior commanders, charged under the Crimes Act and/or hazardous goods laws which carry a three-month jail term.
They found "RNZAF's moral responsibility for the safety of the people" in the flight was "of at least equal importance and significance as any other liability".
The CAA investigation is ongoing. The initial inquiry identified "communication processes between the RNZAF and civilian agencies" as needing further investigation.
http://www.odt.co.nz
The incident was first revealed by the New Zealand Herald, which has now been provided with a copy of the report into the safety breach that says it "endangered the lives of civilians" and "brought the reputation of the RNZAF under considerable threat".
The internal report told military commanders that they could minimize the damage to the air force's reputation by telling appropriate agencies it happened. The report said "openness to relevant authorities" could "prevent serious repercussion or damage to the RNZAF's reputation should concealment be uncovered by any airline, TAIC [Transport Accident Investigation Commission] or media in the future".
As it happened, no one was told of the incident until it was uncovered by the Herald during its investigation into the air force's safety record. Major changes have now been ordered to the air force's safety structure and external oversight.
The air force has maintained the failure to tell the Civil Aviation Authority, TAIC, Air NZ or any other party was accidental. TAIC was initially misinformed about the nature of the incident - a Defence Force spokesman later said the air force "failed to close the loop" by providing the investigation report into the incident.
The CAA is investigating after the Herald revealed the incident, in which two chemical oxygen generators were put on board an Air NZ flight from Auckland to Canada in 2009. The same sort of canisters - banned from passenger flights - led to a passenger jet disaster, killing more than 100 people. The investigation found military bosses could have been jailed over the breach. The Defence Force could have been blacklisted from civilian airlines.
Investigators found "a considerable number of larger organizational factors and preconditions" led to the safety breach. It also emerged the canisters flown to Canada were actually more dangerous than previously revealed. Neither was properly wrapped or had "safety pins" in place to stop accidental ignition, and one was damaged.
Investigators found injury or death from the shipment could have led to "serious criminal charges" against those involved - including Defence Force commanders. The act of shipping the canisters could still see those involved, and senior commanders, charged under the Crimes Act and/or hazardous goods laws which carry a three-month jail term.
They found "RNZAF's moral responsibility for the safety of the people" in the flight was "of at least equal importance and significance as any other liability".
The CAA investigation is ongoing. The initial inquiry identified "communication processes between the RNZAF and civilian agencies" as needing further investigation.
http://www.odt.co.nz
Air Carriers to Start Nonstop Flights to Key West International Airport: Officials
Airport officials said the flight between New York City and Key West is the longest commercial flight ever to serve the island.
Peter Anderson, right, blows a conch shell Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, as passengers exit a US Airways plane in Key West, Fla., marking the arrival of the first nonstop flight from Reagan National Airport to Key West International Airport. Saturday also marked the initiation of limited nonstop service from New York's La Guardia Airport to Key West via Delta Airlines.
Two commercial carriers started nonstop seasonal service to Key West International Airport over the weekend, the Florida Keys News Bureau announced Sunday.
Delta and U.S. Airways will offer the direct flights from New York City and Washington D.C. respectively through Jan. 5.
Passengers Saturday were greeted by water-squirting fire trucks and a man blowing a conch shell, all while walking on a red carpet.
Delta’s direct flights from LaGuardia Airport will also continue each Saturday between March and early April. U.S. Airways flights from Reagan National Airport will continue each Saturday through April as well, officials told NBC 6 South Florida.
Airport officials said the flight between New York City and Key West is the longest commercial flight ever to serve the island.
Southwest Airlines will begin daily service between New Orleans and Key West on March 9.
The director of Monroe County airports said 2012’s passenger count surpassed 2011's number by the end of November, according to the news bureau.
http://www.nbcmiami.com
http://www.keywestinternationalairport.com
http://www.airnav.com/airport/KEYW
Peter Anderson, right, blows a conch shell Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, as passengers exit a US Airways plane in Key West, Fla., marking the arrival of the first nonstop flight from Reagan National Airport to Key West International Airport. Saturday also marked the initiation of limited nonstop service from New York's La Guardia Airport to Key West via Delta Airlines.
(Photo by Carol Tedesco/Florida Keys News Bureau)
Two commercial carriers started nonstop seasonal service to Key West International Airport over the weekend, the Florida Keys News Bureau announced Sunday.
Delta and U.S. Airways will offer the direct flights from New York City and Washington D.C. respectively through Jan. 5.
Passengers Saturday were greeted by water-squirting fire trucks and a man blowing a conch shell, all while walking on a red carpet.
Delta’s direct flights from LaGuardia Airport will also continue each Saturday between March and early April. U.S. Airways flights from Reagan National Airport will continue each Saturday through April as well, officials told NBC 6 South Florida.
Airport officials said the flight between New York City and Key West is the longest commercial flight ever to serve the island.
Southwest Airlines will begin daily service between New Orleans and Key West on March 9.
The director of Monroe County airports said 2012’s passenger count surpassed 2011's number by the end of November, according to the news bureau.
http://www.nbcmiami.com
http://www.keywestinternationalairport.com
http://www.airnav.com/airport/KEYW
Abusive flight instructor 'mentally tortured' students
New Zealand's lucrative
market for foreign students is under the spotlight after a group of
Indian students say they were assaulted, ripped off and forced to fly in
unsafe conditions at a Palmerston North flight school.
ONE News was first contacted a year and a half ago by a desperate group of Indian students who said they were being physically abused by their flight instructor, who also had control of their accommodation and their visas.
The students at Wings Flight Training Academy say they were assaulted by their chief instructor Ravindra Singh who would hit them while they were flying, causing them to lose control.
"He hit me... and banged me on the aircraft window," one of the students told ONE News.
When approached, Singh denied the allegations, but on Friday, he was found guilty of assaulting two students.
Three others also say they were assaulted.
"I was bleeding like anything and my shirt was full of blood and I told him, 'Sir, I cannot fly'. And he was like, 'No, no, no, I want you to fly right now'," said a student.
Three of Singh's students were certified medically unfit to fly due to stress. One tried to commit suicide.
"He has mentally tortured us so much, we don't concentrate on flying studies, we are scared of him," said student Arjun Ghai.
The Civil Aviation Authority grounded three of Wings' planes, finding loose nuts, missing screws and outdated maps. It also cancelled Singh's pilot license, and Wings flight school has been liquidated.
Most of the students have returned to India, but without their qualifications and without a refund of their fees.
Singh will be sentenced on the assault charges next year.
Story and video: http://tvnz.co.nz
ONE News was first contacted a year and a half ago by a desperate group of Indian students who said they were being physically abused by their flight instructor, who also had control of their accommodation and their visas.
The students at Wings Flight Training Academy say they were assaulted by their chief instructor Ravindra Singh who would hit them while they were flying, causing them to lose control.
"He hit me... and banged me on the aircraft window," one of the students told ONE News.
When approached, Singh denied the allegations, but on Friday, he was found guilty of assaulting two students.
Three others also say they were assaulted.
"I was bleeding like anything and my shirt was full of blood and I told him, 'Sir, I cannot fly'. And he was like, 'No, no, no, I want you to fly right now'," said a student.
Three of Singh's students were certified medically unfit to fly due to stress. One tried to commit suicide.
"He has mentally tortured us so much, we don't concentrate on flying studies, we are scared of him," said student Arjun Ghai.
The Civil Aviation Authority grounded three of Wings' planes, finding loose nuts, missing screws and outdated maps. It also cancelled Singh's pilot license, and Wings flight school has been liquidated.
Most of the students have returned to India, but without their qualifications and without a refund of their fees.
Singh will be sentenced on the assault charges next year.
Story and video: http://tvnz.co.nz
FLIGHT SCHOOLS: Minister admits more 'rogue' education operators exist
Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce has admitted there are rogue operations in the education sector after ONE News revealed details of a flight schools where Indian students were assaulted.
New Zealand's lucrative foreign student market has come under fire following revelations flight instructor Singh Ravindra had been convicted of assaulting two of his students at Wings Flight Training Academy flight school in Palmerston North.
Joyce described the flight school has "very disappointing" and admitted there was room for improvement in monitoring education providers.
He said the sector would look at trying to create better cooperation to deal with complaints.
"We're constantly tightening the system up, it's important of course to make sure we get it right and encourage the students to come here and they're looked after."
Wings Flight Training Academy flight school received glowing reports from NZQA for four years, before the school was placed into liquidation.
NZQA said there were "highly confident" in Singh who they described as a "respected father figure" to his students. They said he had created a "family atmosphere".
Former students say the NZQA was duped.
"Our money is gone, our life is gone, our education problem is still here," said Ajitesh Tripati.
Tripati, along with other students, began to receive late night phone calls from a man in India after they complained about their abusive flight instructor to New Zealand authorities.
"If there is any legal action against you, there is no one that will be able to save you, not even the prime minister of India," said the unidentifiable man.
An education appeals authority later found Singh had been breaking rules from the very day he started training pilots.
"Captain Singh effectively controls everything that these students do from the moment they arrive," read the report.
"They can seek no independent assistance...His system is alien to the New Zealand education system."
There are currently more than 100,000 international students studying in New Zealand with the biggest group originating from India.
Joyce recently flew to New Delhi to sign an agreement promoting flight training for Indian student in New Zealand.
Story and video: http://tvnz.co.nz
New Zealand's lucrative foreign student market has come under fire following revelations flight instructor Singh Ravindra had been convicted of assaulting two of his students at Wings Flight Training Academy flight school in Palmerston North.
Joyce described the flight school has "very disappointing" and admitted there was room for improvement in monitoring education providers.
He said the sector would look at trying to create better cooperation to deal with complaints.
"We're constantly tightening the system up, it's important of course to make sure we get it right and encourage the students to come here and they're looked after."
Wings Flight Training Academy flight school received glowing reports from NZQA for four years, before the school was placed into liquidation.
NZQA said there were "highly confident" in Singh who they described as a "respected father figure" to his students. They said he had created a "family atmosphere".
Former students say the NZQA was duped.
"Our money is gone, our life is gone, our education problem is still here," said Ajitesh Tripati.
Tripati, along with other students, began to receive late night phone calls from a man in India after they complained about their abusive flight instructor to New Zealand authorities.
"If there is any legal action against you, there is no one that will be able to save you, not even the prime minister of India," said the unidentifiable man.
An education appeals authority later found Singh had been breaking rules from the very day he started training pilots.
"Captain Singh effectively controls everything that these students do from the moment they arrive," read the report.
"They can seek no independent assistance...His system is alien to the New Zealand education system."
There are currently more than 100,000 international students studying in New Zealand with the biggest group originating from India.
Joyce recently flew to New Delhi to sign an agreement promoting flight training for Indian student in New Zealand.
Story and video: http://tvnz.co.nz
Samba XLA, EI-JIM: Plane crashed into vegetation at Fenland airfield because runway was mowed too narrow
A plane crashed into overgrown vegetation at a Fenland airfield because the landing strip had not been mowed correctly, an investigation has revealed.
The aircraft suffered damage to the landing gear, wings and tailplane after it ploughed into the plants and spun off the runway at Chatteris Airfield.
The 55-year-old pilot and his passenger, who had flown from Duxford, were unharmed in the crash which happened on August 18 this year.
An Air Accidents Investigation Branch report found that Runway 23 at the airfield, off Block Fen Drove, was listed in a commercial flight guide as being 11m wide.
The report said: “Just before touchdown, the aircraft’s right wing contacted vegetation to the right of the runway, causing it to yaw through 180 degrees and depart the runway about 200m from the threshold.
“In his report, the pilot stated that the wing had struck vegetation over 1m high, and that the runway strip was in fact only mowed to a width of about 6m.”
The 10m wing-span of the Samba XLA plane, which was visiting from Ireland, made it impossible to avoid the collision on the overgrown runway.
The pilot, who had more than 1,000 hours of flying experience, had been informed to consult the flight guide by the airfield, which is home to the North London Parachute Centre.
He had made radio contact with a parachute jump aircraft and waited until all parachutists had landed before approaching the runway.
http://www.elystandard.co.uk
http://www.aaib.gov.uk/publications/bulletins/december_2012/samba_xla__ei_jim.cfm
http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/EI-JIM.html
The aircraft suffered damage to the landing gear, wings and tailplane after it ploughed into the plants and spun off the runway at Chatteris Airfield.
The 55-year-old pilot and his passenger, who had flown from Duxford, were unharmed in the crash which happened on August 18 this year.
An Air Accidents Investigation Branch report found that Runway 23 at the airfield, off Block Fen Drove, was listed in a commercial flight guide as being 11m wide.
The report said: “Just before touchdown, the aircraft’s right wing contacted vegetation to the right of the runway, causing it to yaw through 180 degrees and depart the runway about 200m from the threshold.
“In his report, the pilot stated that the wing had struck vegetation over 1m high, and that the runway strip was in fact only mowed to a width of about 6m.”
The 10m wing-span of the Samba XLA plane, which was visiting from Ireland, made it impossible to avoid the collision on the overgrown runway.
The pilot, who had more than 1,000 hours of flying experience, had been informed to consult the flight guide by the airfield, which is home to the North London Parachute Centre.
He had made radio contact with a parachute jump aircraft and waited until all parachutists had landed before approaching the runway.
http://www.elystandard.co.uk
http://www.aaib.gov.uk/publications/bulletins/december_2012/samba_xla__ei_jim.cfm
http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/EI-JIM.html
Sunday, 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
Saturday, 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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http://flightaware.com/photo
http://www.airnav.com/airport/KRKR
http://registry.faa.gov/N8174N
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.
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