Friday, December 21, 2012

Beechcraft 55 Baron, N30WC: Accident occurred December 21, 2012 in Las Cruces, New Mexico

http://registry.faa.gov/N30WC

NTSB Identification: CEN13LA110 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, December 21, 2012 in Las Cruces, NM
Probable Cause Approval Date: 06/24/2013
Aircraft: BEECH 95-B55 (T42A), registration: N30WC
Injuries: 1 Minor.

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

The pilot said he added 31 gallons of fuel (for a total 0f 70 gallons) prior to departure. The fuel gauges indicated the main tanks were one-half to three-quarters full, with the remainder in the auxiliary tanks. The fuel selectors were on the main tanks. After a short 10-minute flight, the pilot executed an ILS approach in VMC. Ten miles from the runway threshold, the right engine started surging. Fuel flow fluctuated between 28 gph and 2 gph. He advanced the throttle, propeller, and mixture controls and turned on the fuel boost pumps. The airplane yawed and he identified the right engine as having lost power. He feathered the propeller and secured the engine. 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. An FAA inspector examined the wreckage and said the right propeller was not feathered and both fuel selectors were in the auxiliary tank position. The left engine throttle, propeller, and mixture controls were full forward. The right engine throttle and propeller control were only slightly retarded, and the mixture control was in the IDLE CUTOFF position. Both fuel selectors were positioned on the auxiliary tanks, but the fuel gauge selector switch was on the main tanks.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's failure to properly manage the airplane's fuel, which resulted in engine failure due to fuel starvation.

On December 21, 2012, at 1650 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 (5T6), New Mexico, approximately 1640.

According to the pilot's accident report, he added 31 gallons of fuel (for a total of 70 gallons) prior to departing K5T6. The fuel gauges indicated the main tanks were one-half to three-quarters full, with the remainder in the auxiliary tanks. The fuel selectors were on the main tanks. He executed the ILS (instrument landing system) to runway 30, in visual meteorological conditions, and was 10 miles from the runway threshold when the right engine started surging. Fuel flow fluctuated between 28 gph (gallons per hour) to 2 gph. He advanced the throttle, propeller, and mixture controls and turned on the fuel boost pumps. He said the airplane yawed 45 to 70 degrees left and right, and he identified the right engine as having lost power. He feathered the propeller and secured the engine. 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. In a hospital interview, the pilot told a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that he had shut down the right engine and he described the procedure he used.

The inspector told the pilot that the right propeller had not been feathered and that both fuel selectors were in the auxiliary tank position. Photographs taken by the inspector showed the left engine throttle, propeller, and mixture controls were full forward. The right engine throttle and propeller control were only slightly retarded, and the mixture control was in the IDLE CUTOFF position. Both fuel selectors were positioned on the auxiliary tanks, but the fuel gauge selector switch was on the main tanks.

In his written statement, the inspector estimated there should have had about 7 gallons in each auxiliary tank, and he computed this to be the fuel remaining after a flight from Santa Teresa to the accident site. The inspector also noted a placard affixed on the instrument panel, warning: DO NOT TAKE OFF IF FUEL QUANTITY GAGE INDICATES IN YELLOW ARC OR WITH LESS THAN 13 GALLONS IN EACH MAIN TANK.


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.


 
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.


LAS CRUCES — An aircraft crashed Friday evening south of Interstate 10 near the Las Cruces International Airport, according to police. New Mexico State Police Capt. Rich Libicer said a small, single-engine airplane went down about 2 1/2 to 3 miles from the airport, on the city's West Mesa. He said the plane's pilot was the only person in the aircraft, and appeared to be unhurt. The identity of the pilot was not immediately disclosed.

"He was just shaken up," Libicer said. "He's fine. There were no injuries."

Libicer said it was not yet clear if the plane performed an emergency landing or had "a bad crash." The Federal Aviation Administration was notified of the mishap and an investigation will be conducted.

The last plane crash near the airport was in May 2010, according to Sun-News archives. A single-engine Cessna crashed shortly after takeoff.

The pilot and two passengers suffered injuries, but were able to walk back to the terminal.

Jacksonville Aviation Authority hopes $1 million makeover will fill vacant hangar

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It could mean millions of dollars and lots of high-paying jobs at Jacksonville International Airport. A lucrative defense contract to build state-of-the-art fighter planes in the River City is on hold. But Action News has learned, the Jacksonville Aviation Authority is still spending more than $1 million to renovate the hangar where assembly is supposed to take place.

Air Force officials awarded Embraer, an international defense company, a $355 million contract to build A-29 Super Tucano attack planes for the military.

But rival company, Kansas-based Hawker-Beechcraft, stepped in protesting that it was wrongly excluded from vying for the contract. Air Force officials in January announced that the war planes were back open for bidding.

Embraer had stated it would build that military might at a hangar in Jacksonville. It's an operation that promised to deliver 50 high-paying assembly jobs to Jacksonville International Airport.

Instead of collecting monthly rent from a private company, JAA's only empty hangar is used for a far less lucrative event once a year.

"Last year and this year we were hoping this was the last time we would be using it for the holiday party because we would be having a paying tenant in here," said Michael Stewart with JAA.

After 15 years of sitting empty, 2012 brought hope that the 27,000-square-foot facility would house the production of Air Force warplanes.

"We are cautiously optimistic on getting them here because of the size of the company," said Stewart. "The potential of them bringing more business to Jacksonville is really what's exciting."

Even though the deal is far from done, JAA is giving the hangar a top-to-bottom renovation priced at $1.1 million.

From refinishing floors and windows to painting and replacing insulation, Stewart says the million-dollar makeover is money well spent. "It would shorten the timeline of them getting in because the work needs to be done and if we don't get it, it puts us in a position to market this much more aggressively for potential tenants."

The Department of Defense expects to make a decision on the fighter plane contract next month, possibly Jan. 10. 


Source:   http://www.actionnewsjax.com

German bank sues Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Kingfisher Airlines

NEW DELHI | Fri Dec 21, 2012 9:46pm IST

(Reuters) - Germany's DVB Bank SE has sued aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Kingfisher Airlines to have two planes it financed for the troubled carrier deregistered, a possible first step towards recouping its funds.

The case underlines the problems that leasing firms and financing companies face in recovering grounded planes from Kingfisher, as airports, banks and tax authorities scramble for the crisis-hit carrier's assets.

International Lease Finance Corp (ILFC) - owned by U.S. insurer AIG - is also struggling to take back Kingfisher planes it owns, one of which, an Airbus A-320, has been impounded by tax authorities for non-payment of dues by the carrier.

The DGCA must deregister the DVB-financed Airbus planes, now parked in Istanbul, before the bank can put them to use or lease them out.

"Our main trouble really is with the DGCA, which should deregister the aircraft," Carsten Gerlach, senior vice president of aviation finance at DVB, told Reuters.

"We have now filed a writ petition at the High Court in Delhi against DGCA and also Kingfisher, strictly focused on deregistration," Gerlach said by phone from Frankfurt.

However, the DGCA argues that those aircraft were not financed by DVB alone, so deregistering them would make the DGCA answerable to other financiers, who are also trying to recover their money, according to a senior government source with direct knowledge of the situation.

The DGCA and Kingfisher did not respond to requests for comment.

Meanwhile, leasing company IFCL has also asked the DGCA to deregister four Kingfisher-operated planes, but it faces separate obstacles.

These planes include an Airbus A-320 parked at Mumbai airport that was impounded by tax authorities last week after the carrier failed to settle long-pending dues.

"People just go the airport, see a plane in Kingfisher colors, and stake their claim on it," the source said, referring to the tax authorities' impounding of the Airbus.

"What they don't understand is that the plane may not belong to Kingfisher at all."

Kingfisher, owned by flamboyant liquor baron Vijay Mallya, has hit back at the tax authorities' actions, saying it is illegal for authorities to seize aircraft that are owned by foreign lessors.

"This will send a very wrong signal to any foreigner who wishes to do business in the aviation industry in India," the airline said in a statement last week.

Kingfisher has 33 scheduled passenger planes registered in India, according to data from the DGCA. It had a fleet of 64 a year back, when it was India's No. 2 carrier by market share.

It is saddled with a combined debt load of $2.5 billion, according to one estimate, and has not paid salaries for months.

Kingfisher, which has not flown since October, had its license suspended in October after months of canceled flights and staff walkouts.


Source:    http://in.reuters.com

United States refuses airspace navigation charges to Pakistan

LAHORE - Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was told that United States (US) has refused to pay Rs72.4 million owed for using country’s airspace by its aircrafts, a private TV channel reported.

According to the source, Lieutenant General (retd) Asif Yaseen Malik told PAC that US has refused payment on grounds military aircrafts belonging to the state are exempted from navigation charges under international laws, adding that Pakistan’s aircrafts were not charged by US on several similar occasions.

However, domestic analysts say Islamabad did not authorize US operations in Pakistan airspace and that exemption from navigation charges is allowed only when missions like joint air exercises are agreed by the two countries.

Earlier in July, PAC had asked defense secretary to raise the issue with the foreign office and invoke bilateral agreement for the recovery of airspace navigation charges.


Source:    http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk

Disruptive passenger removed from plane at Richmond International Airport (KRIC), Virginia

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) – A “disruptive passenger” was pulled off a U.S. Air Flight at Richmond International Airport Friday afternoon, according to airport spokesman Troy Bell. 

The flight, which was heading to Atlanta from Philadelphia, made an unscheduled stop in Richmond. Bell did not know what, if any, charges the passenger faced nor what exactly happened on the plane that convinced the crew to make the unexpected landing.

The plane continued on its trip to Atlanta at 2:15 p.m.


Story and reaction/comments:   http://wtvr.com


http://www.flyrichmond.com

http://airnav.com/airport/RIC

Audit: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department managers misused aircraft for personal use

An audit released Thursday found that Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department managers improperly used department aircraft, including a helicopter dispatched to give a commander’s daughter a ride to a retirement party. 

In another instance, sheriff’s officials used a department airplane to fly to Connecticut, costing the county more than $35,000 for a trip that would have been significantly cheaper and likely faster on a commercial flight. 

The county audit was prompted earlier this year by a Los Angeles Times report about allegations that officials were abusing aircraft privileges, purposely delaying emergency calls to make the case for more overtime pay, and possibly manipulating time sheets. The Times reporting was based on internal sheriff’s memos and a deputy’s lawsuit that implicated officials.

While the audit found that aircraft were improperly used, it did not find evidence to support the most troubling claims: that calls for emergency service were ignored or that time sheets were manipulated. The auditor-controller’s office found those allegations were not supported by sheriff’s records.

Department spokesman Steve Whitmore called the audit an “exoneration” of the department’s air support division, saying the most serious allegations were unsubstantiated.

“They’re always going to find little things that are questionable,” he said. “The sheriff does not accept any questionable uses of county items and is prepared to correct anything that needs correcting.”

The audit pointed to three problematic trips. Along with the $35,000 flight to Connecticut to research new helicopters, a department plane was flown to Tucson, Ariz., in 2010 to pick up three sheriff’s officials for a conference. The trip was recorded as a training flight, a description that “appears notably convenient,” the audit found.

The third flight, also in 2010, involved the daughter of a commander being picked up in Calabasas by a sheriff’s helicopter, and given a ride to the commander’s retirement party in East Los Angeles. At the time, the helicopter was supposed to be assigned to patrol duty.

“The daughter had allegedly been delayed by highway traffic,” according to the audit.

At a county Board of Supervisors meeting in March after the allegations were made public, the unit’s captain said that one of the accusers had himself flown two relatives on a department helicopter a few years back, picking them up from northern L.A. County and flying them to LAX. 

Whitmore said the Sheriff’s Department has not yet decided whether to discipline anyone involved in the questionable flights mentioned in the audit. He said he did not have any of their names, and that Sheriff Lee Baca had not yet decided whether to release those names.

Story and reaction/comments:    http://latimesblogs.latimes.com

Want to buy an airplane engine?

SUMMERSIDE — Have several hundred thousand dollars to spare?

If so, a powerful — and expensive — aircraft engine could be yours.

On Dec. 27, at 800 Aerospace Blvd., Hangar 8 in Slemon Park, the engine of an ATR 42-300 aircraft, serial number 601 (model PW127FS/NPCE-127068) will be auctioned off.

The engine will sold subject to a reserve bid and there are conditions of the sale, said Derek Key, Q.C., solicitor for Vector Aerospace Engine Services — Atlantic Inc.

The public auction is being held under terms of the Garage Keeper’s Lien Act with Trans Airways Ltd. as debtor and Vector Aerospace Engine Services — Atlantic Inc. as creditor and lien holder.

“It’s the only way to transfer the title from the debtor to the people that did the work,” said Key of why a public auction must be held.

He added the aerospace industry has been pressuring the province for almost a decade to enact “legitimate” commercial lien legislation.

“All of the other aerospace provinces… they all have good commercial lien legislation. We’re relying on the Garage Keeper’s Lien Act,” said Key. “Aircraft engines and parts fit under the provisions of the Garage Keeper’s Lien Act.”

He said a similar auction was held two months ago.

“It’s the same thing as if you took your car into Canadian Tire and you don’t pay for it, they have the right to sell it. In this case it’s just a little more money and instead of being something with four wheels it’s an engine in a box.”

The ATR 42-300 is a twin-turboprop, short-haul regional airliner built in France and Italy by ATR (Aerei da Trasporto Regionale or Avions de Transport RĂ©gional) from 1981 to 1996. The name 42 comes from the aircraft's standard seating, which varies from 40 to 52. The aircraft retails for $12 to $16 million.

The aircraft engine had been shipped to Slemon Park from Indonesia to be prepared by Vector Aerospace Engines Services.

“Before the engine gets released of course you get paid because it’s usually several hundred thousand dollars,” said Key. “These folks didn’t pay and couldn’t pay. This has gone on quite a while so now the engine is going to be sold.”

If the engine doesn’t sell, which Key said it likely won’t, it will become the property of Vector Aerospace Engine Services.

“They can either use it for parts or sell to somebody else.”

Key has received calls of interest about the airplane engine.

“One guy wanted one for his fishing boat. It’s a hoot.”

But, added Key, there aren’t many people with several hundreds of thousands of dollars sitting around to buy the engine and fewer with a need for it.


Source:    http://www.journalpioneer.com

New York State Police helicopter used in search for missing boaters

 
A state police helicopter aids in the search for two Dutchess County men in the Hudson River after their boat overturned this morning. 
 Ryan Paraggio -Poughkeepsie Journal




HYDE PARK — As long as there's daylight, authorities will search for the two Dutchess County men whose boat capsized in the Hudson River this morning, said Hyde Park Police Chief Eric Paolilli. 

 Police are searching the river and surrounding land for Barrett Raymond, 31, of Hyde Park and Baylin Coddington, 26, of Millbrook.

Raymond, Coddington and Michael Maurer, 29, of Hyde Park took a canoe into the Hudson River around 11:30 p.m. Thursday, when the boat became unbalanced and tipped roughly 200 yards off shore today at 1:37 a.m., Paolilli said.

The three men clung to the canoe, but the 48 degrees water pressured Maurer into swimming to shore. Once on land, he walked through the woods and knocked on an apartment door at the Royal Crest Apartments in the Town of Hyde Park. Maurer was unsure what happened to Raymond and Coddington, the chief said.

Maurer is at Saint Francis Hospital with hypothermia but suffered no serious injuries, Paolilli said.

The chief said officials are trying to determine how the boat flipped and why the men were on the river, but said there's "no reason to believe there's any criminality."

Officials will search as long as there's daylight and if still unsuccessful authorities will meet later today to decide their next steps, the chief said.

Based on the Coast Guard formula for survivability, the men could survive for approximately eight hours in 48-degree water. They have been missing for more than 12 hours, but the search is still a rescue mission, Paolilli said.

The three men's canoe excursion by Bard Rock near the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site.

Hyde Park police Lt. Robert Benson said shortly after 11 a.m. that, "We’re still right in the middle of the search right now."

He said officers from the National Park Service, state forest rangers, the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office, state police, Northern Dutchess Paramedics, and firefighters from the Roosevelt, Staatsburg and Hyde Park fire departments, and members of Dutchess County Emergency Response were on the scene.

A state police helicopter was dispatched to assist in the search, he said.

Coast Guard officials say its New York City sector was notified around 2 a.m. Friday that a canoe with three aboard overturned near the Rodgers Point Boat Club in Hyde Park, on the river's east bank just north of Poughkeepsie.

Paolilli said authorities are searching land three miles above and below the point where it's believed the boat capsized and are checking a quarter-mile into the river on all sides.

The Coast Guard Cutter Hawser, based in Bayonne, N.J., was already on the river when the call came in and is assisting in the search along with local and state police and firefighters.

A command post has been set up at the boat club.

Check back for updates.

2 Air Canada flights to New York City warned of flying too low: Embraer 175s on autopilot made runway approaches below regulations

Twice within the span of two weeks, an Air Canada plane's crew was warned by air traffic controllers that it was flying too low while approaching New York's LaGuardia airport.

On Dec. 9, Air Canada Flight 730 left Toronto's Pearson airport bound for LaGuardia. The plane, an Embraer 175 with 72 people on board, was on autopilot, nearing the airport and about to make its final approach to runway 4.

That's when air traffic controllers noticed the plane was coming in below the minimum approach height of 1,400 feet. After air traffic control alerted the flight crew, the plane rose up to 1,500 feet before continuing its approach and landing safely.

The incident was similar to an event a little over a week earlier, with the same type of aircraft. In that case, an Embraer 175 with 40 people on board flying from Montreal to LaGuardia. In that case, too, the plane was on autopilot when it became apparent it was making its approach well under the minimum approach height. The flight crew abandoned their first landing attempt before another approach and landing, without incident.

"We are studying these two cases," Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said. "During both approaches the crew followed all standard operating procedures and all path corrections were completed well above the alerting thresholds."

"At no time were the passengers and crew in any danger," Fitzpatrick said. "Flight crews have been instructed to no longer use this type of approach in LGA and there have been no other such instances. We are also following up with Embraer and Honeywell," the company that makes the plane's electronics, he said.


Source:   http://www.cbc.ca

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Delta Air Gets 22,000 Applications for 300 Attendant Jobs

Delta Air Lines Inc., the world’s second-largest carrier, received 22,000 applications for about 300 flight attendant jobs in the first week after posting the positions outside the company.

The applications arrived at a rate of two per minute, Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson told workers in a weekly recorded message. Applicants will be interviewed in January and those hired will begin flying in June, for the peak travel season.

“We’re hunting for foreign-language speakers as we continue to expand to all points around the globe,” Richard Anderson, chief executive officer of Delta Air Lines Inc. said.

“We’re hunting for foreign-language speakers as we continue to expand to all points around the globe,” Anderson said. “We are experiencing a phenomenal response to the job posting.”

Delta’s applicant rush reflects the demand for jobs amid a 7.9 percent U.S. unemployment rate and the interest in an industry where flight privileges are a prized employee benefit. The Atlanta-based carrier received 100,000 applications for 1,000 jobs when it last hired flight attendants in October 2010.

While Anderson put the number of positions in the latest round of hiring at about 300, Betsy Talton, a spokeswoman, said it could reach 400. As many as 30 percent will speak languages including Japanese, Hindi, Mandarin and Portuguese, she said.

Delta has said it plans to develop Seattle into a U.S. West Coast gateway for flights to Asia, adding service to Tokyo’s Haneda airport and to Shanghai. In October, the Atlanta-based airline said it would add flights between Paris and 11 U.S. cities in 2013.

US Airways Group Inc. attracted 14,000 applicants when it hired 420 attendants in December of that year.

Airline Employment

U.S. passenger airlines employed 384,310 workers in October, down 1.3 percent from a year earlier, the U.S. Transportation Department’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics said in a report today. The total for October, the latest month for which government statistics are available, was the lowest since May 2011, the agency said.

Five so-called network airlines that include Delta and United Continental Holdings Inc. employ two-thirds of the total workers. They reported 1.4 percent fewer full-time equivalent employees in October from a year earlier.

Low-cost carriers such as Southwest Airlines Co. and JetBlue Airways Corp. reported a 1.6 percent increase, BTS said.

Source:    http://www.bloomberg.com

Trident Aircraft at Bay Bridge Airport (W29), Stevensville, Maryland

"Anyone have any experience with Trident Aircraft?  I hear good things.  Any feedback about customer service/maintenance?"

Shadowdog is inquiring: http://kentisland.proboards.com

http://www.tridentaircraft.com

http://www.airnav.com/airport/W29

Aviation recruitment never stops

 DENTON— Keeping one of the nation’s largest flight schools up and running requires a steady focus on recruiting CFIs and students. At any given time there are about 75 CFIs working with 230 - 250 students in the two training facilities owned by US Flight Academy, a branch of the US Aviation. Training operations are conducted at the home field in Denton Texas as well as at Grayson County Airport in Sherman, Texas.

The average tenure for a CFI at US Flight Academy varies according to the hiring activity in the airlines. "In most cases, a CFI will instruct for six to nine months before moving on to the airlines, cargo lines or to a job in corporate flying,” said David Adams, Director of Logistics and Assistant Chief Instructor at the Academy. "We’ve had a few who have been here for a couple years, because they like it and are in no rush to sign up with a regional airline.” Over 90 percent of the students the CFIs work with are training for careers as professional pilots, primarily in the airlines.


Once the federal requirement for airline employment increases this summer to 1500 hours, the tenure of CFIs at US Flight Academy will also change. A CFI at US Flight Academy can log between 800 and 1000 hours a year, so their stay at the Academy will begin to average 18 months before they move on. Given the looming airline pilot shortage and the average pilot age, 51 years, there is little doubt that CFIs from US Flight Academy will have no problems getting employment once they hit the 1500 hour mark.


The trips to job fairs will continue. Adams is in constant communication with schools like Embry Riddle, Spartan, Southeast Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and Utah Valley University for candidates. He also receives resumes from all over the United States. Once every three weeks he starts an indoctrination class for new CFIs, covering a 250-page training manual and a flight test. "It’s a lot like the airlines in that everything a CFI does with one of our students is articulated in the manual,” said Adams. "Once they learn the discipline of training, they find it easy to adapt to airline procedures.” Airline recruiters have already begun showing up at US Flight Academy to sign new pilots from the CFI ranks.


For more information on CFI opportunities visit www.USFlightAcademy.com

Story and photo:   http://focusdailynews.com

US Flight Academy:  http://www.usflightacademy.com

American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-83, N962TW, Flight AA-1295: Engine shut down in flight, landed without incident - Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport (KCLE), Ohio

CLEVELAND - An American Airlines jet suffered engine failure upon takeoff from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport around 2 p.m. Friday, airport officials said. 

 The flight was sent back to the airport. 

The Aircraft Rescue and Firefighter Station was called out after officials issued an "Alert 2."

There were about 139 people on board American Airlines Flight 1295, an MD80 that was headed to Dallas, Texas.

A section of the runway was cleared and the plane landed safely around 2:40 p.m.


http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL1295

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KCLE

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Plane Makes Emergency Landing at Elmira/Corning Regional Airport (KELM), New York

 

Big Flats, N.Y. (WETM 18) - A single-engine aircraft landed at Elmira-Corning Regional Airport. 

 The flight was traveling from Rochestor to Wilkes-Barre Scranton.

The pilot on board the flight called for an emergency landing because the windshield of the aircraft began to ice over.

The aircraft landed safely, and the people on board were alerted to the issue.

No one was injured as a result of the emergency landing. 


http://www.wetmtv.com

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KELM

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Bell 230, Operated by Sky-Line: Helicopter force landed

A helicopter has made an emergency landing on a coastal sidewalk due to the harsh weather conditions in Sarıyer, the northernmost district of Istanbul on the European side, daily HĂ¼rriyet has reported.

The helicopter was carrying a well-known Turkish businessman, chairman of the executive board of Hattat Holding Mehmet Hattat, as well as his two companions.

"We left Amasra [in the Black Sea province of Bartın] and it took one-and-a-half hours to reach Istanbul with a calm flight. We were supposed to land in Maslak, but there was a smoke cloud above it. It is important for a helicopter not to enter fog or cloud, and I didn't want to take a risk. This is why I landed the helicopter in the safest place I found," helicopter pilot Mehmet Aksel said after landing.

Wintry weather caused traffic chaos around Istanbul yesterday, causing accidents and bottlenecks on highways on both sides of the city.

Watch Raw Video:  http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com


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Hummel H5, N156FH: Accident occurred December 18, 2012 in Calhoun, Georgia

NTSB Identification: ERA13LA093
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, December 18, 2012 in Calhoun, GA
Aircraft: RUSSOM ROY G HUMMEL H5, registration: N156FH
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

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


On December 18, 2012, about 1400 eastern standard time, an experimental amateur-built Hummel H5, N156FH, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain shortly after taking off from Tom B. David Field (CZL), Calhoun, Georgia. The private pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local personal flight which was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to a responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, witnesses reported that the airplane took off from runway 17 with engine sounds, ground roll and departure all "normal." Then, about 300 feet above ground level, the airplane began a slow roll to the right, reaching about 90 degrees angle of bank and 60 degrees nose-down when it descended into trees heading about 300 degrees magnetic.

The airplane's initial impact point was in a tree, about 50 feet above the ground, in the vicinity of 34 degrees, 27.03 minutes north latitude, 084 degrees, 55.83 minutes west longitude. The wreckage path angle of decent was about 60 degrees, heading approximately 290 degrees.

The engine and firewall sustained heat damage, and most of the center section aft of the fire wall was consumed by fire. The right wing exhibited compressions consistent with an initial right-wing-down impact, and the wooden propeller was broken near the hub flange.

The wreckage was subsequently moved to a hangar for further examination. Throttle and mixture were at full power positions and the carburetor heat control was found in the full cold position. Flight control continuity was confirmed, but with numerous flight control surfaces separated from the cockpit controls, consistent with impact overload.

The FAA inspector also noted that the airplane had accumulated 3.8 hours of total flight time as part of its initial Phase I operating limitations for an amateur-built aircraft.


 Roy Gardner Russom
(February 9, 1936 - December 18, 2012)

Mr. Roy Gardner Russom, age 76 of Calhoun, died Tuesday, December 18, 2012. He was born in Cairo, TN on February 9, 1936, son of the late R.D. and Sarah Maye Warren Russom.

Mr. Russom was a veteran, serving his country in the United States Air Force for over 21 years. He retired as an Aircraft Maintenance Superintendent. He was a member of the EAA.

Survivors include his wife, Eula Mae Comer Russom of the residence; a daughter and son-in-law, Tina and Randy Hopkin of Rake, Iowa; a brother, William Russom of Covington, TN; a sister, Barbara Ray, also of Covington; a granddaughter, Jennifer Anne Ihle of Winnebago, Minnesota; three great-grandchildren, Keagen, Jalan, and Koby Ihle; and several nieces and nephews.

Mr. Russom will be cremated, and a memorial service will be held from the chapel of Max Brannon and Sons Funeral Home. Date and time of the service will be announced at a later date.

The family requests flowers be omitted, and memorial contributions made in Mr. Russom’s name to the American Cancer Society, 200 W. Emery St., Ste 3, Dalton, GA 30720.

Online condolences may be expressed and the guest book signed at www.maxbrannonandsons.com. Max Brannon and Sons Funeral Home, a legacy of compassion and care, is in charge of funeral arrangements for Mr. Roy Gardner Russom, age 76 of Calhoun.

 
Guest Book:   http://www.legacy.com

Obituary:   http://www.maxbrannonandsons.com

Hummel H5, N156FH 

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 156FH        Make/Model: EXP       Description: EXP- 
  Date: 12/18/2012     Time: 1900

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

LOCATION
  City: CALHOUN   State: GA   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A WOODED AREA, THE 1 PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY 
  INJURED, NEAR CALHOUN, GA

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


OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: COLLEGE PARK, GA  (SO11)              Entry date: 12/19/2012 

Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority OKs air charter company lease at Toledo Express Airport (KTOL), Ohio

A California air charter company has begun hiring pilots and mechanics to work at a new base at Toledo Express Airport for which the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority approved a hangar lease Thursday

 Sierra West Airlines, based in Oakdale, Calif., will pay $52,560 a year, plus a 3 percent annual escalator, for use of a 17,550-square-foot hangar formerly used by BD Aeroworks LTD.

The lease is for 30 years, with two 10-year options.

Kendra Robinson, Sierra West’s vice president of operations, said the firm already flies here — primarily handling automotive-related freight — and has “had our eyes on it [Toledo] for a while” as a permanent operating location.

Ms. Robinson’s mother, Debbe Robinson, founded and owns Sierra West. Before Sierra West, which operates on-demand air cargo, passenger, and ambulance flights, moves in, the port authority will provide up to $100,000 worth of energy-efficiency improvements to the building.

Port directors voted 11-0 to approve the deal, with board members Opie Rollison and Sharon Speyer absent.

Sierra West’s fleet consists primarily of small jets. Port officials said the company provides for-hire charter services on behalf of Grand Aire Inc., an aviation services company at Toledo Express.

“We’ve worked with Sierra West since 1985,” Jim Renda, Grand Aire’s business-development manager, told the port board Thursday.

“It’s good to have a charter operator based at Toledo Express to compete with the folks up at Willow Run,” he said, referring to a busy business-jet airport near Ypsilanti, Mich.

“There’s a lot of business that can come in and go out of Toledo Express that’s been going to other airports,” port President Paul Toth said after the vote. He noted that Grand Aire had flown such charters itself before a series of crashes during the mid-2000s that killed six of its pilots, including its founder Tahir Cheema.

Sierra West recently has based several airplanes at Grand Aire, with assigned pilots and mechanics. Ms. Robinson said her firm has hired several more trainees and expects to employ between 10 and 15 people in Toledo when it moves into the hangar.

“We plan on continuing to do business with Grand Aire. They’re a big part of our success,” Ms. Robinson said, adding that Sierra West expects to “join a really big team” of aviation-related businesses at the local airport.

Besides serving its customers, Mr. Toth agreed, Sierra West should become a customer itself for airport businesses that provide aviation fuel, aircraft maintenance, and other services.


http://www.toledoblade.com
 
http://www.sierrawestairlines.com

http://www.toledoexpress.com

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KTOL

Cessna 150J, Pressley Aviation Inc., N50757: Accident occurred December 20, 2012 in Indian Trail, North Carolina

NTSB Identification: ERA13LA095 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, December 20, 2012 in Indian Trail, NC
Aircraft: CESSNA 150J, registration: N50757
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

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

On December 20, 2012, about 1530 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150J, N50757, was substantially damaged following a runway overrun at Goose Creek Airport (28A), Indian Trail, North Carolina. The commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Bamert Aviation LLC under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed from 28A at 1400.

According to the pilot, he was demonstrating flight maneuvers to a passenger. He approached the airport for a full stop landing. While in the downwind, he set the flaps. However, he was unable to determine their position since there was no flap position indicator. He looked out the window and estimated that the flaps were at 8-degrees down. He continued his approach at 60 knots and realized that he was fast and high on short final. When the airplane crossed over the runway numbers, he reduced power but the airplane went into ground effect and was unable to land. The airplane touched down approximately 300-400 feet from the end of the runway. He applied the brakes and was unable to stop the airplane. The airplane overran the runway, went down an embankment and collided with trees.

A post-accident examination by the Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the left and right wings had received substantial damage.





UNION COUNTY, N.C. -- A single-engine Cessna aircraft crashed Thursday afternoon at the Goose Creek airport in Union County.

 The Union County Sheriff's Office says the aircraft ran off the end of the runway during landing around 3:15 Thursday afternoon.

The FAA was notified of the crash, and has authorized the removal of the aircraft.

No one was injured.


http://www.wcnc.com

 http://www.goosecreekairport.com

Nose gear collapsed: Fairoaks Airport - UK

 
Photo Credit: High Level Photography Ltd

A light aircraft tipped onto its nose on the runway at Fairoaks Airport in Chobham on Friday (December 21).

 A student pilot at Fairoaks Flight Centre had just landed from a solo flight when the aircraft fell forwards at around 2pm.

Glen Heavens, managing director of Synergy Aviation, based at the airport, said the student was flying on his own as part of a private pilot license course.

Mr Heavens said the plane had just landed when something happened to its nose, which resulted in the aircraft ending up sitting on its front.

"It started on the ground and finished on the ground," he said.

No-one was injured as a result of the incident but firefighters attended the scene 

Have more to add?  
News tip? Tell us


http://www.getsurrey.co.uk

 http://www.fairoaksairport.com

 http://www.flysynergy.com

Chicago to Explore Leasing Midway International Airport (KMDW), Emanuel Says

Chicago plans to explore leasing Chicago Midway International Airport and would proceed with a deal only if a transaction would benefit taxpayers and travelers, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said today.

The decision by Emanuel, who has criticized a 75-year lease of the city’s parking-meter system pushed by his predecessor, Richard M. Daley, revives an idea that died in 2009. The new proposal envisions a lease of fewer than 40 years, and the city would retain ownership. The airport is Chicago’s second-biggest, behind O’Hare International.

The city said it will submit a preliminary application to the Federal Aviation Administration that would preserve a slot to make such a deal through the Airport Privatization Pilot Program. Emanuel described the move as “exploratory” and said no decisions have been made about leasing the facility. Initial proceeds would be used to pay debt that Chicago issued in 1996 to rebuild Midway.

“I am exploring all options on behalf of taxpayers,” the mayor, a Democrat, said in a news release today. “We all know the parking meter deal was bad for taxpayers and the city, and I have instructed my staff to ensure we mandate significant changes that protect us from the mistakes made with the parking meter deal.”


Deficit Plug

 
Daley came under criticism for using meter revenue to plug operating deficits. Emanuel said the city would receive a percentage fee from the lease deal as well as an annual cash stream.

The federal program is designed to enable airports to raise private capital for development and improvements. It allows as many as 10 public airport sponsors to sell or lease an airport, according to a statement from the FAA. The deadline to participate is Dec. 31.

Puerto Rico in July received a $2.6 billion offer in a proposed 40-year lease of its San Juan airport, the busiest airport in the Caribbean.

Midway was dedicated in 1927 and is home to the Chicago operations of Southwest Airlines Co. The facility handled about 16.4 million passengers in 2012 through October. That was up 4 percent from the previous year, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation’s website. In comparison, 56.7 million passengers traveled through O’Hare during the same period.

Midway had $1.4 billion of debt as of Dec. 31, 2011, according to an annual fiscal report.


Source:   http://www.bloomberg.com

http://www.airnav.com/airport/MDW

Cobb Board of Commissioners OKs $2.56M control tower for Cobb County Airport-Mc Collum Field (KRYY), Atlanta, Georgia

(A big thank you to *Augusta Jim* for sharing!)


MARIETTA – The Cobb Board of Commissioners is planning to build a new, $2.56 million control tower at Cobb County McCollum Field.

Commissioners issued a request for qualifications for the tower during Thursday’s board meeting in a 4-0 vote, with Woody Thompson absent.

Airport manager Karl Von Hagel said the new tower should be in place by fall of 2014.

The county expects the Federal Aviation Administration to pay for half the cost, county chairman Tim Lee said, with the rest coming out of the General Fund.

The existing tower, which has a floor 31 feet above ground, was built in 1994 for $360,000.

“It’s not terribly old in age, but when it was built in 1994 it was built as a starter control tower, meaning that it was built with all local funds, and the primary goal of it was efficiency of cost,” Von Hagel said. “When we constructed it, we did as little as we had to to be compliant since it was all local funding involved.”

Commissioners also approved a $94,590 expense with The LPA Group, Inc., an engineering consultant, to determine the best location and size of the new tower.

The current tower is square with four windows. The corners of the windows are supported by frames which cause visibility problems. FAA guidelines call for control towers that are shaped as hexagons to eliminate blind spots, Von Hagel said.

Von Hagel addressed a rumor that a hangar built in 2002 beside the tower by one of the fixed-base operators at McCollum, Atlanta Executive Jet Center, was the reason the county had to build the new tower. Von Hagel said he’s heard some pilots allege that the 12,000-square-foot hangar, which rises to about 30 feet in height by the tower, was violating FAA rules by creating a blind spot for traffic controllers.

“That’s not the case,” Von Hagel said. “But it does create a blind spot on the parking apron where the aircraft park.”

However, controllers are not required to see the parking apron, he said.

Another problem is that as aircraft come in from the northwest, they don’t become visible “until late in the process” because of the height of the tower relative to the height of the trees and the hills that are to the northwest of the airport, he said.

“All of these put together create a diminished situational awareness for the controller,” he said.

The airport contributes $112.4 million to the local economy each year, with 842 local jobs dependent on activity conducted at the airport. There are about 225 aircraft based at McCollum Field and about 186 takeoffs or landings every day, Von Hagel said.

“It’s important,” Lee said. “The airport is such a huge economic grinder for us in terms of developing the opportunity for fleets. In fact, we had an aircraft leave the other day from our airport who went all the way down to Argentina. As soon as we get customs in — that’s another thing we’re going to bring this fall — that will increase the number of flights coming in directly from overseas. Having a good tower with good visibly and communication is important for the safety, not only for the aircraft and the pilots and the folks on the aircraft, but the people who work there as well.”

Private and corporate jets flying from outside of the country have not been able to land at McCollum Field because it lacks a customs inspection office. That will soon change because of a deal the county recently struck with Atlanta Executive Jet Center, which will build a facility and pay the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to operate it.

The deal calls for Atlanta Executive to reimburse the county for all expenses related to the customs service for up to 10 years. The cost of the customs operation is estimated at $140,000 in the first year of operation, and $120,000 per year thereafter. The $140,000 will not begin until the building is put into operation, which will be Sept 30, Von Hagel said. Atlanta Executive Jet Center must also build a facility that meets the standards of U.S. Customs. The proposed 2,500-square-foot customs building, which will be located on the south apron, is estimated to cost $450,000.

In other business Thursday, the commissioners allotted $136,220 to renovate the Tax Commissioner’s Motor Vehicle satellite office in the East Cobb Government Service Center. The work is in reaction to Georgia’s new car tax law that goes into effect on March 1, which is expected to cause a good deal of public frustration, Tax Commissioner Gail Downing said.

“The overall protection of customers, employees, cash and inventory at our East Cobb Motor Vehicle Satellite needs to be addressed,” Downing writes in the agenda item. “It is anticipated that the implementation of HB386 on March 1, 2013 will result in a more complex and contentious tag, title and registration transactions as well as an increase in the amount of cash handled by our staff.”

The proposed new office layout would better allow Downing to control public access to restricted work areas while also improving customer service, she writes.

Also Thursday, commissioners made several appointments.

Rose Wing was appointed to the Historic Preservation Commission to serve out the remainder of Karen Lockhart’s term, which expires on Dec. 31, 2014. Wing was nominated by Commissioner JoAnn Birrell.

Roger Phelps was reappointed to the Board of Tax Assessors, nominated by Commissioner Bob Ott.

Peggy Holbrook was reappointed to the Cobb Public Library Board, nominated by Commissioner Helen Goreham.

Commissioner-elect Lisa Cupid was appointed to the Solid Waste Management Authority, replacing outgoing Thompson. Cupid was nominated by Lee.

All votes were 4-0. Thompson, who will be replaced by Cupid in January, did not attend the last commission meeting of the year.


Source: The Marietta Daily Journal


Related:

http://dot.cobbcountyga.gov/mccollum.htm

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KRYY

Boeing 727-221F, 5N-BJN, Allied Air: Families Of Plane Crash Victims Hire U.S. Lawyer, Accident occurred June 02, 2012 in Accra, Ghana

 

 After much frustration with the airline and its insurers, the families of those killed in the Allied Air Cargo Plane crash in Ghana on June 2, 2012 have hired John K. Akpalu, a high-powered Harvard-trained US and Ghanaian lawyer with expertise in insurance law to fight for compensation for them. 

John Akpalu, who has been practicing insurance law and litigation in New York, previously worked as defense counsel for insurance carriers including the City of New York and the New York City Transit Authority. He is a member of both the New York and Ghana Bars and has a satellite office in Accra.

In an interview in his New York office, Lawyer Akpalu lamented the reluctance of the airline and its insurers to deal fairly with the victims’ families. Noting that some of these victims were the breadwinners of their families, he said: “I am sure that the owners will put in for millions of dollars in insurance claims to cover damage to the aircraft, yet they and their insurers want to devalue the lives of their victims.” “Ghanaian lives are not cheap, and no airline should be operating in the country if they do not have adequate insurance to cover damages for their negligent acts.”

Allied Air Cargo Plane, a Boeing 727, crashed on landing at Kotoka International Airport in Accra on June 2, 2012, breaking the airport perimeter fence in the process and running into a bus and a taxi on the Elwak stadium road killing ten people and injuring several others. Aside of huge funeral expenses which the families have had to endure with only a meager contribution from the airline, the families continue to suffer financial hardships due to the loss of income from their deceased relatives.

Lawyer Akpalu also complained about the way insurance companies and wrongdoers in Ghana get away with paying little or no compensation to their victims and pointed to the recent Melcom building collapse and the frustrations the families are going through in securing compensation. He stated that he is in consultation with some of those families to secure compensation for them and added that not all lawyers have expertise in insurance law and it behooves clients to retain the proper attorney.

Shifting to the serious problem of medical malpractice in Ghana, Lawyer Akpalu opined that Ghana is now a middle income country and must learn from the developed world where doctors are required to carry insurance so that their victims can be compensated in cases of negligent treatment leading to death or serious injury. Hospitals and Clinics, he said, must also be made to carry insurance so that they will be more careful in hiring and supervising their staff.

Story and reaction/comments:  http://www.ghanaweb.com


Photos:   http://vibeghana.com

Cessna T210L Turbo Centurion, Victor Pantaleo (rgd. owner), N732BX: Accident occurred June 26, 2011 in Romeoville, Illinois

NTSB Identification: CEN11FA425 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, June 26, 2011 in Romeoville, IL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 05/21/2012
Aircraft: CESSNA T210L, registration: N732BX
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.

According to the passenger, the pilot had successfully completed two touch-and-go landings, and during the climbout, the engine lost power. The airplane impacted trees, a power line, and terrain. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no fuel in the wing fuel tanks, and the gascolator only contained about 2 ounces of fuel. Only a trace amount of fuel was found in the engine’s fuel manifold valve. The passenger said that the pilot had drained the fuel sumps, but he did not recall whether the pilot had fueled the airplane. A subsequent examination and operational test of the airplane’s engine was performed. No defects in engine operation were detected and the engine produced full rated power during the test.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot’s inadequate fuel planning.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On June 26, 2011, about 1431 central daylight time, a Cessna T210, N732BX, impacted trees, a power line, and terrain, during a forced landing after a loss of engine power near Romeoville, Illinois. The private pilot was fatally injured and the passenger received serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage during the impact. 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 flight rules (VFR) conditions prevailed for the flight which was not on a flight plan. The flight originated from the Brookeridge Airpark (LL22), Downers Grove, Illinois at an unconfirmed time and was en route to the Lewis University Airport (LOT), Romeoville, Illinois.

The airplane was owned by the pilot and based at LL22. LOT is located 10 miles south-southwest of LL22. The passenger in the airplane reported that they departed LL22 with the intention of completing some touch and go’s at LOT. He stated that they had just completed two touch and go maneuvers and were climbing out when the engine quit. He stated that the pilot attempted an off field landing short of the airport. The passenger stated that he remembered the pilot draining the fuel sumps before takeoff but could not remember if they ever put fuel in the aircraft.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land airplane and instrument airplane ratings. He was issued a third class airman medical certificate, with a limitation requiring the pilot to have glasses available for near vision, on November 10, 2009. He reported 5,850 hours total flight time on his most recent airman medical certificate application. His most recent flight review was completed on May 31, 2011. The pilot’s flight logbook was not available for review during the investigation.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The airplane was a 1976 Cessna model T210L airplane, serial number 21061397. The airplane was a six seat, high wing monoplane of predominately aluminum construction. It had a tricycle retractable landing gear configuration, and was powered by a 285 horsepower, turbo-charged six cylinder engine. The engine was a Continental Motors model TSIO-520-PCH, bearing serial number 513067.

The airplane had accumulated about 5,160 hours at the time of the most recent annual inspection. That inspection was completed on August 16, 2010. About 9 hours had accumulated on the airplane since that inspection.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
At 1440, the weather conditions recorded at LOT were: wind from 110 degrees at 7 knots; visibility 10 miles; scattered clouds at 2,000 feet above ground level (agl); temperature 27 degrees Celsius; dew point 14 degrees Celsius; altimeter 29.93 inches of mercury.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The airplane came to rest on the side of an embankment near the intersection of Airport Road and Illinois Route 53 in Romeoville, Illinois. During the impact sequence, the airplane struck trees and a power line. The resting location of the airplane was about 2,100 feet east-northeast of the approach end of runway 27 at LOT. The airplane came to rest facing east having struck a tree during the impact sequence. Impact evidence indicated that the airplane was travelling in a southwest direction prior to its impact with the tree. The airplane struck the tree on the forward right side of the fuselage which was crushed rearward and inward. The airplane’s engine was separated from the airframe and located about 50 feet southwest of the main wreckage. The airplane wreckage was removed from the accident site for further examination.

Examination of the airplane in a hangar at LOT was conducted on June 30, 2011. The engine was separated from the airframe and was resting on a wooden pallet. The engine was lifted using an engine hoist. The propeller was removed during the examination. The upper spark plugs were removed and a borescope examination of the engine performed. No defects that would prevent engine operation were detected. The engine rotated freely and compression and suction could be felt on all cylinders while rotating the engine. The magneto impulse couplings could be heard while rotating the engine. Spark was detected on all spark plug leads during rotation. The fuel manifold valve was opened and a trace amount of fuel was found. The engine was shipped to Continental Motors for a possible engine run examination.

The airframe was substantially intact. The airplane was positioned level and the wings shored up to keep it level. The wings and tail surfaces remained attached. The landing gear was in the retracted position and the flaps were in the up position. The elevator trim tab actuator was measured to be 1.55 inches equating to a 0 to 5 degrees tab down deflection. There was buckling of the aft fuselage in a downward left direction. There was leading edge damage to the left wing that was consistent with the reported impact with the overhead power line. All control surfaces remained attached and all hinge locations were intact. Continuity was confirmed from each control surface to the cockpit area. No fuel was found in either wing fuel tank when checked with a fuel strainer cup. The gascolator was removed and its contents drained. An estimated 2 ounces total quantity of liquid was drained from the gascolator. Of that 2 ounces, about 1-1/2 ounces appeared to be 100LL aviation gasoline and ½ ounce appeared to be water. The sample was tested using a water detection paste to confirm the presence of water. The separated layer was confirmed to be water.

A subsequent examination and test run was conducted on the engine from the airplane on October 11, 2011 at the Continental Motors facility in Mobile, Alabama. The NTSB investigator in charge was present for the preparation and engine test run. Several engine components that had sustained impact damage during the accident were replaced with substitute or repaired parts prior to the engine test run. Subsequently, the engine was placed into an engine testing cell and run at various throttle settings from idle to full throttle. No defects were detected in the operation of the engine during the test run. The engine was able to produce full rated power output and exhibited no hesitation or stumbling during throttle application.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
An autopsy of the pilot was performed on June 27, 2011. The pilot’s was attributed to multiple traumatic injuries sustained in the accident.

The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute forensic toxicology report noted the presence of Ibuprofen and Quinine in the submitted samples. Specifically, the report noted:
Ibuprofen detected in Urine;
Quinine detected in Urine;

Ibuprofen is a nonnarcotic analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent. It is available in prescription, as well as nonprescription, forms.
Quinine is an anti-malarial used in the treatment of malaria and leg cramps. It is an additive in tonic water.

========

The survivor of a July 2011 plane crash in Romeoville is suing the estate of the Darien man who was piloting the aircraft.

Victor Pantaleo, 68, was killed when his Cessna 210 went down near the Lewis University Airport.

The sole passenger in Pantaleo's plane, Daniel Guinta, filed his lawsuit against Pantaleo at the Will County Courthouse. The suit alleges that Pantaleo failed to adequately control the plane or to ensure it was sufficiently fueled.

Pantaleo ran the plane into power lines and trees prior to crashing down to the ground, according to the lawsuit. Guinta's lawsuit claims Pantaleo should have seen the power lines and trees before he hit them.

The lawsuit also says Guinta suffered severe and permanent injuries as well as anguish.

Story, reaction/comments:    http://romeoville.patch.com


 
Victor Pantaleo 
(Submitted photo)








Vote for U.S. Coast Guard's Top Moments of 2012

The U.S. Coast Guard unveiled their Top 10 compelling videos of 2012 at their Cape May Training Center Wednesday morning.   A preview of the videos was released on the Coast Guard’s YouTube page. Included in the preview are videos of rescues at sea and on ice as well as the Coast Guard battling heavy surf.  The public will get the chance to view the full videos and vote on their favorite video starting Saturday on Youtube and on Facebook.
 
 
 
We've combed through all of the Coast Guard's videos from throughout the year to select the top 10 videos highlighting the year's most compelling cases from the work done every day by America's Coast Guard. Now we need your help in deciding the top three!

These real-life operations, like many performed by the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard, largely go unseen by members of the public. While some may get a glimpse of the action, we wanted to give you something more... 

Tune in through the end of the year, Dec. 22 through Dec. 31, so you can watch each individual video and vote for your favorite.

Visit www.uscgnews.com, facebook.com/UScoastguard, ‪http://coastguard.dodlive.mil or www.uscgnews.com for more information.