Friday, January 18, 2013

Bengals offensive lineman Andre Smith arrested after allegedly bringing gun to Hartsfield - Jackson Atlanta International Airport (KATL), Atlanta, Georgia

ATLANTA - Bengals offensive lineman Andre Smith was arrested Thursday after he allegedly brought a gun to an airport in Atlanta. 

 Atlanta police say they found a loaded .380 pistol in Smith's carry-on bag when he tried to board a plane at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport around 4:50 p.m. Thursday. Police responded to the scene and arrested Smith.

“We continue to remind passengers of the importance of looking through carry-on bags to ensure there are no prohibited items inside,” said Jon Allen, TSA spokesman.

TSA officials say this is the third firearm discovered at Hartsfield-Jackson airport this year. In 2012, 1,548 firearms were discovered at airports nationwide, which is up 1,320 from 2011. Officials say the majority of the firearms were loaded.

Smith, 25, of Birmingham, Alabama, appeared in court Friday morning and was issued a $3,000 bond.

Smith was one of just 10 Bengals to start all 16 games in the 2012 season.

Source:   http://www.kypost.com

With 2,700 Jobs on the Way, Duluth Needs Workforce Housing Options

Duluth, MN (NNCNOW.com) - With Kestrel Aircraft expecting 500 additional jobs by 2016, AAR and Maurices expecting to bring a combined 400 jobs by summer, and expansions at Altec Hiline and Kuettel & Sons also boosting those figures, it seems like job growth in the Northland workforce market is back on track.

According to DEDA Executive Director Christopher Eng, now we need to find a place to put these estimated 2,700 new employees.

"These are good–paying jobs. These are $60,000 – $80,000 jobs. Those folks are going to be looking for housing opportunities, and we want them to choose Duluth," said Eng.

While Eng says high–end retirement–style housing is more than adequate in the city, there's a significant shortage of workforce housing.

"And that's the homes... in the range of about $180,000 – $200,000," said Eng.

Some are contributing the nationwide housing construction boom to low–interest housing and construction loan options that banks and credit unions have been advertising, which Duluth Teachers Credit Union Assistant VP of Lending Bryan Lent says are just as available in the Northland.

"It really boils down to how they can build, [and] how much equity they need to bring to the table, which creates some hurtles at the time of initiating," said Lent.

Along with that, Lent says the lean toward buying already built homes over building is still keeping workforce housing construction slow.

So, what's going to get the workforce housing construction on the fast–track?

According to Eng, the problem might actually result in the solution, as the need for construction should bring in the contractors.

"That will bring some of those builders back to Duluth, and we'll see some new construction happening—I'm hoping—as early as this spring," said Eng.

...promising news for the 2,700 or so new employees that will need it.

And where did many of the builders and contractors flock to?

According to Eng, where the jobs are, which, in large, has been in North Dakota with their recent boom in the oil industry.



Source:   http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com

Flight school issued training certificate: Victoria Regional Airport (KVCT), Texas

Calhoun Air Center at Victoria Regional Airport was recently certified to teach private airplane pilots lessons.

The center also offers helicopter private lessons.

The next step for the flight school is to add instrument, commercial, certified flight instructor and certified flight instructor instrument to the certification.

Erin Michael, chief flight instructor, is working on the instrument and commercial approval. Once those courses are approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, the flight school will begin the process to become certified by the Veterans Administration. This will enable veterans to attend the flight school and use their VA benefits.

In addition, an application has been submitted for the flight school to accept international students through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System program.

The Flight School is working on approval for all courses for helicopter training as well.

To learn more about the newest addition to Calhoun Air Center's airplane flight training courses, contact Michael at 361-575-2359 or via email at erin@calhounaircenter.com. For more information on helicopter flight training courses, contact Toni McCarthy at 361-575-2359 or via email at toni@calhounaircenter.com.


Source:   http://www.victoriaadvocate.com

Boeing Halts Dreamliner Deliveries Pending FAA Approval

Boeing Co. will suspend deliveries of its grounded 787 Dreamliner while working to meet a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration directive to ensure that the plane’s lithium-ion batteries are safe.

“Production of 787s continues,” Marc Birtel, a Boeing spokesman, said today in an interview. “We will not deliver 787s until the FAA approves a means of compliance with their recent airworthiness directive concerning batteries and the approved approach has been implemented.”

Halting handovers of Boeing’s most advanced model ever adds to fallout from the Jan. 16 FAA order that 787s in the U.S. be taken out of service due to “potential battery fire risk,” a move followed by regulators worldwide. With Dreamliners barred from flying, airlines can’t get new ones at Boeing’s Washington state and South Carolina factories.

Boeing isn’t changing the 787’s production rate, now at five planes a month, Birtel said. Chicago-based Boeing is working to double monthly output in 2013 to help shrink a backlog of about 800 unfilled orders that swelled during seven delays to the jet’s debut, which finally came in late 2011.

Deliveries are important because that’s when planemakers get large bulk payments on the purchase price of a jet. While the 787’s list price starts at about $207 million, airlines typically buy at discount.

One Delivery

Only one Dreamliner has been handed over this year, on Jan. 3, said Lori Gunter, a spokeswoman. That plane marked the 50th delivery. Boeing said yesterday that it was in talks with the FAA on plans for deliveries and production test flights while work continues to assure the safety of the battery packs.

Boeing fell 0.3 percent to $75.04 at the New York close. The shares have risen 2.4 percent in the past year.

The FAA and its counterparts abroad acted after a fire on a Japan Airlines Co. 787 last week in Boston and an emergency landing by an All Nippon Airways Co.  plane on a domestic flight in Japan this week because of a battery-fault warning.

“We have high confidence in the safety of the 787 and stand squarely behind its integrity,” Chief Executive Officer Jim McNerney said today in a message to employees. “We are working around the clock to support the FAA, our customers, and others in the investigations.” 

Source:  http://www.bloomberg.com

Flabob Airport (KRIR), Riverside/Rubidoux, California: Aviation charter school pitched for airport

A request that Jurupa schools approve a charter school at Flabob Airport appears headed for defeat when it comes before the school board Tuesday, Jan. 22.

In her report on the charter petition for the proposed Tom Wathen Center-Big Picture Aviation Academy, attorney Dina Harris raises questions about the project’s budget and cash flow, and educational program.

“The Charter Petition presents an unsound educational program for the pupils to be enrolled in the Charter School,” Harris states.

Bill Sawin, president and chief executive officer of the Tom Wathen Center, which owns Flabob Airport, said he wasn’t happy with Harris’ review and that she overlooked many of the positives about the proposal

“I think she’s wrong,” Sawin said. “They’re looking at nuts and bolts. All those things are fixable.”

“This kind of school opens the doors for so many things,” he said.

Charter schools operate with public money but are free of many of the regulations that govern regular public schools. However, there remain many regulations that they must follow.

Sawin said the Wathen Center is partnering with Big Picture Schools California to establish a comprehensive high school with an emphasis on aviation studies.

The school would open in fall for the 2013-14 school year. It would start with 9th and 10th grades, and 11th and 12th grades would be added over the next two years respectively.

The Jurupa Unified School District board held a public hearing on the proposal in November, when parents and students enrolled at the existing Tom Wathen Academy, also a charter school, expressed support for the charter school petition.

Sawin said the existing aviation academy will vacate its modular classrooms at Flabob Airport to make way for the new charter school.

The Tom Wathen Center hopes to break ground on a school building in spring 2014 that will include classrooms, offices and a meeting room.

If the Jurupa school board follows its attorney’s recommendation and votes down the charter petition, Sawin said it would be submitted to the Riverside County Office of Education.

“We’ll open our doors for t he fall semester,” Sawin said. “I wish we could have had a working relationship with Jurupa because it would benefit everyone.”

CHARTER SCHOOL PITCH

WHAT: The Jurupa school board will consider a charter petition for The Tom Wathen Center – Big Picture Aviation Academy at Flabob Airport.

WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 22, at 6 p.m.

WHERE: Benita B. Roberts Education Center, 4850 Pedley Road, Jurupa Valley.

INFORMATION: 951-360-4100.

Source:  http://www.pe.com

Bob Hope Airport (KBUR), Burbank, California: Airport to spend $82,000 on emergency lighting system after recent outage

Bob Hope Airport is taking a two-path approach to preventing another outage like the one on Nov. 28 that took out operations on its longest runway.

The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority on Monday voted to buy an emergency lighting system while officials complete a multimillion-dollar proposal to replace the dated wiring system that caused the outage.

“That outage, frankly, was not to the standard that we offer to the traveling public ... it creates havoc for those customers that couldn’t fly out of here at night,” said Dan Feger, the airport’s executive director.

The cause of the outage was the normal deterioration of the high-voltage connectors attaching each runway light to the single-wire circuit for the runway, Feger said. The connectors were installed more than 30 years ago.

Feger said airport officials were putting together a bid proposal for contractors and have a design completed in time to start construction this summer.

The project’s total cost would be close to $3 million, and would likely be completed by the end of the year, according to Feger.

The authority intends to ask the Federal Aviation Administration for permission to use funds raised by the passenger facility charge — a $4.50 fee attached to every departure ticket at the airport — to pay for the project.

In the meantime, the airport will be getting an emergency lighting system to use in case of any future failure, whether from faulty equipment or something more drastic, officials said.

“We’ve done a lot of work on emergency response here at the airport — how to operate the airport after either some natural disaster or even a human-caused problem,” said Denis Carvill, the airport’s director of contractors and properties.

In an emergency, Carvill said the airport could use the emergency lighting system to set up a helicopter landing area, as well as light any one of its runways.

The airport authority unanimously voted to spend $82,610 in reserves to buy the emergency lighting system.

Commissioner Susan Georgino said that until the new runway lighting infrastructure is completed, paying for the emergency system was a small price to pay to prevent another outage.

“I know personally $82,000 is not a small amount, but compared to a $3-million investment, it seems like a small amount to ensure this capacity,” she said.

Source:   http://www.burbankleader.com

Pilatus PC-12/45, N68PK, operating as Skylab 53: Accident occurred January 16, 2013 in Burlington, North Carolina

NTSB Identification: ERA13FA115 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, January 16, 2013 in Burlington, NC
Probable Cause Approval Date: 01/14/2016
Aircraft: PILATUS PC-12/45, registration: N68PK
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

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.

The pilot departed in night instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions on a medical specimen transport flight. During the climb, an air traffic controller told the pilot that the transponder code he had selected (2501) was incorrect and instructed him to reset the transponder to a different code (2531). Shortly thereafter, the airplane reached a maximum altitude of about 3,300 ft and then entered a descending right turn. The airplane’s enhanced ground proximity warning system recorded a descent rate of 11,245 ft per minute, which triggered two “sink rate, pull up” warnings. The airplane subsequently climbed from an altitude of about 1,400 ft to about 2,000 ft before it entered another turning descent and impacted the ground about 5 miles northeast of the departure airport. The airplane was fragmented and strewn along a debris path that measured about 800-ft long and 300-ft wide. Postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded the pilot from controlling the airplane. The engine did not display any evidence of preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. An open resistor was found in the flight computer that controlled the autopilot. It could not be determined if the open resistor condition existed during the flight or occurred during the impact. If the resistor was in an open condition at the time of autopilot engagement, the autopilot would appear to engage with a mode annunciation indicating engagement, but the pitch and roll servos would not engage. The before taxiing checklist included checks of the autopilot system to verify autopilot function before takeoff. It could not be determined if the pilot performed the autopilot check before the accident flight or if the autopilot was engaged at the time of the accident. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the known effects of spatial disorientation. Dark night IFR conditions prevailed, and the track of the airplane suggests a loss of attitude awareness. Although the pilot was experienced in night instrument conditions, it is possible that an attempt to reset the transponder served as an operational distraction that contributed to a breakdown in his instrument scan. Similarly, if the autopilot’s resistor was in an open condition and the autopilot had been engaged, the pilot’s failure to detect an autopilot malfunction in a timely manner could have contributed to spatial disorientation and the resultant loss of control.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control due to spatial disorientation during the initial climb after takeoff in night instrument flight rules conditions.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On January 16, 2013, about 0556 eastern standard time, a Pilatus PC-12/45, N68PK, operated by LabCorp, Inc., as Skylab 53 (SKQ53), was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport (BUY), Burlington, North Carolina. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed for the flight destined for the Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU), Morristown, New Jersey. The corporate flight was transporting medical specimens and was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

Review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control (ATC) audio data revealed that at 0541, the pilot contacted Greensboro (GSO) clearance delivery, while on the ground at BUY, and requested an IFR clearance to MMU. The pilot was advised that there was no flight plan stored in the ATC system. His original flight plan had a proposed departure time of 0315 and the flight plan was only good for 2 hours. The pilot subsequently requested to file an IFR flight plan and provided the routing details.

At 0550, GSO ATC provided an IFR clearance to SKQ53 from BUY to MMU, which included an initial altitude of 3,000 feet. ATC subsequently provided a transponder code of 2531, an altimeter setting of 30.01, an initial vector of a left turn to 360 degrees after takeoff, and a clearance void time of 0600, at 0551:30. The pilot acknowledged, read back the assigned transponder code as 2501, and stated that he would be airborne in about 30 seconds.

At 0554, the pilot advised GSO ATC that he was "climbing through thirty." The pilot was asked to "ident" and responded that he was turning to a heading of 360 degrees at 3,000 feet. The pilot was then directed to reset his transponder to code 2531, which he acknowledged with "531."

At 0555, ATC advised the pilot that his transponder indicated a code of 2501 at an altitude of 2,000 feet. The pilot did not respond and ATC made numerous attempts to contact SKQ53 without success. The airplane was not radar identified by ATC.

The airplane was subsequently found fragmented in an athletic field that was located about 5 miles northeast of BUY.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

According to FAA and company records, the pilot, age 57, held an airline transport pilot and flight instructor certificates, with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane. The pilot's most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on November 19, 2012.

According to the pilot's most recent logbook entry, as of January 11, 2013, he had accumulated about 6,370 hours of total flight experience, which included about 315 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane. He had also logged about 600 hours of flight experience in actual instrument meteorological conditions, and about 3,245 hours as night flight experience. In addition, he had accumulated about 45 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane during the 90 days preceding the accident, which included about 25, and 20 hours logged in night and actual meteorological conditions; respectively.

According to the company chief pilot, the accident pilot had been flying the PC12 approximately 4 days per week since September 2012. His current schedule called for morning flights with "show times" at 0330. On the day prior to the accident, the pilot flew from BUY to Charleston, West Virginia (CRW). He took a nap at CRW before flying to Columbus, Ohio (OSU), and returned to BUY about 0940. His duty time ended at 1015, on January 15, 2013.

According to company records, in November 2012, the chief pilot arranged for an evaluation flight for the accident pilot in a Pilatus PC12. The chief pilot asked the instructor pilot conducting the evaluation flight to not allow the accident pilot to use the autopilot and preferred that the flight be conducted without flight director programming.

Following the evaluation flight, the flight instructor noted that the accident pilot seemed to get behind the airplane because of lack of trim usage. This was usually masked when using the autopilot, which would input the correct trim for the airplane and was magnified when only using, or not using at all, the flight director. The instructor pilot made some suggestions to the accident pilot that included engine power settings and trim verification, which markedly improved his handling of the airplane. The instructor pilot added that the last two-thirds of the evaluation flight were satisfactory to FAA standards for an instrument rating and commercial pilot single-engine land privileges.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

According to FAA records, the low wing, T-tail, retractable-gear airplane, serial number 265, was issued an airworthiness certificate on July 6, 1999. It was constructed primarily of aluminum and powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B, turboprop engine, with a takeoff power rating of 1,200 shaft horsepower that was equipped with a Hartzell four-bladed hydraulically actuated, constant-speed propeller assembly.

According to the airplane flight manual, the flight control system utilized push-pull rods and carbon steel cables and were equipped with electric trim systems. Each wing contained a single piece fowler-type flap that was electrically actuated. The airplane was also equipped with a stick shaker-pusher system to improve handling in the low speed flight regime by preventing the airplane from inadvertently entering a stall condition.

According to maintenance records, the airplane's most recent inspection was a "300-hour mini inspection" that was performed on January 14, 2013, at a total airframe time of 4,637 hours. A crack on the underside of the left flap was repaired on January 15, 2013. At the time of the accident, the airplane had been operated for about 4,650 total hours.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The 0554 recorded weather observation at BUY included wind from 040 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, broken cloud celling at 700 feet, overcast at 1,700 feet, temperature 4 degrees Celsius (C), dew point 3 degrees C; and an altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of mercury.

The 0700 Greensboro-High Point, North Carolina upper air sounding depicted a frontal inversion extending immediately about the surface to 3,533 feet agl. While the surface temperature was 4 degrees C, the freezing level was identified at 11,553 feet. No icing was indicated on the sounding due to the frontal inversion.

AERODROME INFORMATION

Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport was a non-tower-controlled airport with a common traffic advisory. It was equipped with single runway designated as runway 06/24. Runway 06/24 was constructed of asphalt, 6,405-feet-long, and 100-feet-wide. The field elevation for the airport was 616 feet above mean sea level (msl).

FLIGHT RECORDERS

The airplane was not equipped, nor was it required to be equipped with a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder.

WRECKAGE INFORMATION

The elevation at the accident site was 531 feet msl and the majority of the wreckage was located strewn in a field. All major portions of the airplane, including all flight control surfaces and associated counterweights were located at the accident site. A debris path that was about 800 feet long, and 300 feet wide, was observed on a magnetic heading about 140 degrees. The right wing pitot tube was located about 10 feet from the initial impact point. Various sizes of wing spar segments were located in an impact crater. The crater was located on a berm, extended about 50 feet, and varied in depth to about 3 feet. The propeller hub, two propeller blades and the front reduction gear box were located in the crater. The third propeller blade was located about 200 feet along the debris path. The spinner was located in the vicinity of the third propeller blade. The fourth propeller blade and the propeller overspeed governor were located about 400 feet along the path. All four propeller blades exhibited S-bending damage.

The cabin area, just aft of frame 24 and forward of the aft pressure bulkhead, was located about 300 feet along the debris path. The right aileron and about one-third of the right flap were located with the cabin and with the nose landing gear. The empennage was located in the vicinity of the cabin. The horizontal and vertical stabilizers were impact damaged. The horizontal stabilizer came to rest inverted. The vertical stabilizer was fractured and came to rest on the horizontal stabilizer. The left wing was located on the right side of the debris path, about 350 feet from the initial impact point. Signatures on the bottom on the left wing, similar to fence impressions were noted. The cockpit was located about 350 feet from the initial impact point. Both cockpit seats and the throttle quadrant were located in the vicinity of the cockpit.

Flight control continuity was confirmed for the aileron, elevator, and rudder. Mechanical trim control continuity was confirmed for the horizontal stabilizer, aileron, and rudder trim systems. Measurement of the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator corresponded with a trim setting consistent in the takeoff range. Measurement of the aileron trim actuator corresponded with a neutral trim setting. The rudder trim actuator measured 1.125 inches, which was near the full right trim position of 1.18 inches. Examination of the inboard and outboard flap actuators corresponded to the retracted flap position. All 3 landing gear were in the up position.

The engine was located within the debris path. In the vicinity of the engine, there was evidence of a small postcrash fire. There was no soot staining or thermal damage observed on the wreckage that would have been consistent with an in-flight fire.

The engine sustained impact damage and was partially dissembled at the accident site. Rotational scoring was confirmed at both the compressor and power turbines, and mechanical continuity was confirmed from the compressor to the accessory gearbox. The engine displayed compressive deformation to the exhaust duct and the gas generator case. The compression was more pronounced on the front and bottom sections of the case and duct. The front and rear reduction gearboxes were separated at their respective mating flanges. The power turbine shaft was fractured consistent with torsional overload. The rear reduction gearbox and the power turbine shaft housing were separated from the engine. Rotational signatures on the compressor turbine, the 1st stage power turbine, and the 2nd stage power turbine from contact with their adjacent components were consistent with the engine producing power at the time of impact. Subsequent testing and examination of the fuel control unit and the fuel pump did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have prevented normal operation. The engine did not display any indications of any pre-impact anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Raleigh, North Carolina. Review of the autopsy report revealed that the cause of death was identified as "Massive blunt force trauma due to plane crash."

The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute toxicology report was negative for all drugs in the screening profile. In addition, the report stated that no ethanol was detected in muscle or liver. A carbon monoxide test was not performed.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

Autopilot Flight Computer

The airplane was equipped with a KFC-325 autopilot system. Several components of the autopilot system were forwarded to their manufacturer, Honeywell, Olathe, Kansas, for examination under the supervision of an FAA inspector.

Examination of the KCP-220 flight computer revealed no physical damage to the circuit cards. A return to service test was conducted for the applicable airframe, which required replacement of the personality modules. The unit powered up and passed the self-test; however, the "AP CLU" lamp indicated there was no drive voltage to the Autopilot Roll and Pitch Servo clutches. Subsequent troubleshooting revealed that the R-259 resistor, which did not contain any obvious signs of physical damage, was open. The resistor was manufactured by Ohmite. It could not be determined if the open condition existed during the flight or was the result of impact forces. It could also not be determined if the autopilot was engaged at the time of the accident.

According to Honeywell, during autopilot operation, a drive voltage is applied to the "AP Clutch Engage" solenoid when the autopilot is activated. This drive voltage enables the roll and pitch servos by engaging the clutches. If the autopilot is not engaged, the open R-259 resistor would have no effect on the flight control system. If the resistor is in an open condition at the time of autopilot engagement, the autopilot will appear to engage with a mode annunciation indicating engagement, but the pitch and roll servos will not engage. If the R-259 resistor becomes open while the autopilot is engaged, the pitch and roll servos will disengage and an aural warning would sound. The unit passed all return to service tests after the R-259 resistor was replaced.

According to Honeywell, any failure of the R-259 resistor would not affect a pilot's ability to manually control the airplane. In addition, the before taxiing checklist of the airplane flight manual (AFM) included checks of the autopilot system to verify autopilot function prior to takeoff, and section 4.20.1 Autopilot Operation Summary, included a warning which stated, in part: "The pilot in command must continuously monitor the autopilot when it is engaged, and be prepared to disconnect the autopilot and take immediate corrective action – including manual control of the airplane and/or performance of emergency procedures – if autopilot operation is not as expected or if airplane control is not maintained…."

During March 2015, Honeywell issued service bulletin KCP 220-22-A0017, which included an inspection and replacement of the R-259 resistor on certain KCP-220 Flight Computers, if the resistor was manufactured by Ohmite or if the manufacturer could not be determined.

Central Advisory and Warning System

The airplane's Central Advisory and Warning System display unit was examined for filament analysis by the NTSB Materials Laboratory, Washington, DC. The "INERT SEP" (Inertial Separator), "PROBES DEICE", "FLAPS" and "WSHLD HEAT" were found to have hot coil filament stretching on one or both bulb filaments. With regards to the "FLAPS" caution, while it was noted that all 4 flap actuators were in a position consistent with the retracted position, a Pilatus representative noted that if the flap computer detected a flap malfunction which was not resettable, the flaps would not have been available for landing and appropriate procedures were provided for such a condition in the airplane flight manual.

Flap Control and Warning Unit

The airplane's Flap Control and Warning Unit (FCWU) was initially examined by the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory, Washington, DC, and subsequently downloaded by its manufacturer, EMCA Electronic Ltd., Horw, Switzerland, under the supervision of an investigator from the Swiss Accident Investigation Board (AIB). The download revealed no error codes stored in the FCWU's non-volatile memory unit.

Elevator and Stick Pusher Assembly

Portions of the elevator and stick pusher assembly consisting of a section of the elevator control cable and the entire length of the bridle cable were examined at the NTSB Materials Laboratory, Washington, DC, and then tested at Pilatus, Stans, Switzerland, under the supervision of an investigator from the Swiss AIB. Bridle cable displacement from its original manufactured position was noted. On the forward cable clamp, the extension of the bridle cable past the end of the clamp was 29mm (29 millimeters), in accordance with the airplane maintenance manual. On the aft clamp, only the bead on the end of the bridle cable extended past the end of the clamp approximately 1mm (1 millimeter). The length of the bridle cable between the forward clamp and turnbuckle was 5 mm (5 millimeters). Examination of the capstan pulley revealed mechanical damage to the periphery of the pulley with no anomalous wear. A tensile load test of the clamp assemblies revealed that both the forward and aft cable clamps resisted slippage on the control cable beyond the expected operational force of 600N (600 newtons); however, the force that resulted in the displacement of the aft clamp from its manufactured position could not be determined. [Additional information can be found in Materials Laboratory Factual Report No. 15-031 located in the public docket.]

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Airplane Flight Path

Radar data obtained from FAA revealed a radar target at 0553:36 consistent with the accident airplane about .75 mile from the departure end of runway 6, at 1,800 feet and climbing. The airplane flew on northeasterly heading and reached an altitude of 3,200 feet at 0554:50.

The accident airplane was equipped with a KMH 820 Multi-hazard computer. According to Honeywell, when an enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) alerting event occurs, an alert history record will be created in non-volatile memory. Each alert record contains a history of EGPWS signals from 20 seconds prior to the event to 10 seconds after the event. The KMH-820 was sent to Honeywell, Redmond, Washington, and successfully downloaded under the supervision of an NTSB investigator.

The takeoff time recorded in the status log was about 2 minutes prior to the beginning of recorded flight data, which began about 0554:46. At that time, the airplane was at an altitude about 3,200 feet, a ground speed about 208 knots, and a heading about 030 degrees. The airplane was in a right turn and reached a maximum recorded altitude of about 3,326 feet about 10 seconds later, before entering a descending right turn. About 0555:05, a descent rate of 11,245 feet per minute was recorded which was followed by a "sink rate" and "pull up" warning. Shortly thereafter, the GPS signal was lost. A second "pull up" warning was recorded about 0555:13, at an altitude of about 1,400 feet. Shortly thereafter, the recorded altitude indicated a climb to about 2,000 feet, which was the last recorded altitude on the KMH-820.

Radar data indicated that the airplane was at altitude of 2,000 feet, and a heading of about 065 degrees at 0555:46. Approximately 4 seconds later, the airplane was at an altitude of 1,900 feet, and a heading of about 140 degrees, which was followed by the last recorded radar target at 0555:55, at an altitude of 1,400 feet and a heading of about 100 degrees.

Spatial Disorientation

According to the FAA Instrument Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-15A), flying in instrument meteorological conditions can result in sensations that are misleading to the body's sensory system. FAA-H-8083-15A further stated:

"…Orientation is the awareness of the position of the aircraft and of oneself in relation to a specific reference point. Disorientation is the lack of orientation, and spatial disorientation specifically refers to the lack of orientation with regard to position in space and to other objects.

Orientation is maintained through the body's sensory organs in the three areas: visual, vestibular, and postural. The eyes maintain visual orientation. The motion sensing system in the inner ear maintains vestibular orientation. The nerves in the skin, joins, and muscles of the body maintain postural orientation. When healthy human beings are in their natural environment, these three systems work well. When the human body is subjected to the forces of flight, these senses can provide misleading information. It is this misleading information that causes pilots to become disoriented…."

NTSB Identification: ERA13FA115 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, January 16, 2013 in Burlington, NC
Aircraft: PILATUS PC-12/45, registration: N68PK
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 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.

On January 16, 2013 about 0557 eastern standard time, a Pilatus PC-12/45, N68PK, operating as Skylab 53, was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground in Burlington, North Carolina. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and a instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight. The flight departed from Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport (BUY), Burlington, North Carolina at 0553, and was destined for Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU), Morristown, New Jersey. The business flight transporting medical specimens was operated by LabCorp, Inc. under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

Review of preliminary air traffic control radar and communication data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Greensboro Approach Control, revealed that the airplane departed from runway 06 at BUY and made initial contact while climbing to the assigned altitude of 3,000 feet mean sea level. The pilot was told to reset his transponder and no further communications were received from the accident flight.

According to FAA records, the pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with multiple ratings, including airplane single-engine land, as well as a flight instructor certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on November 19, 2012, at which time he reported 6,279 total hours of flight experience.

The accident site was located in a park approximately 5 miles northeast of BUY. The initial impact location was identified by a ground impression with various parts of the right wing and also a crater that measured about 3 feet deep. The wreckage debris field was 793 foot-long and 298 foot-wide, oriented on a 140 degree heading. Various sizes of wing spar segments, the propeller hub, two propeller blades, and the front reduction gear box were located in the crater. The engine was located about 100 feet from the impact point. Fragments of the airplane, including a section of the cabin area, empennage, left and right wings, and cockpit were located along the wreckage path. The two other propeller blades were located about 200 and 400 feet from the impact point, and exhibited some S-bending damage. All major flight control surfaces and associated counter weights were located in the debris field.

The 0554 recorded weather observation at BUY, included wind from 040 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles, broken clouds at 700 feet above ground level (agl), overcast at 1,700 agl, temperature 4 degrees C, dew point 3 degrees C; barometric altimeter 30.02 inches of mercury.


http://registry.faa.gov/N68PK 





 


Greensboro, N.C.— Allen Cranford still remembers his last conversation with his brother-in-law David Gamble.

 “He would always mentioned what trip he was going on next. He loved his job,” Cranford said.

Gamble, a pilot for LabCorp for nearly five years died when his plane crashed in a softball field in Burlington Wednesday morning.

Investigators say he was in route for the company when the crash happened.

“We are all still in shock,” Cranford said.

The family says the 57- year-old father of three has had a passion for flying since he was a teenager. Gamble, a graduate of Clemson University was an avid gardener, fisherman, and hunter.

“Dave always put others first. You know that’s just him,” Cranford said.

Gamble’s actions have a lot of people calling him a hero. Investigators say Gamble avoided hitting dozens of homes near where his plane went down.

“There was a lady on Fox8 Ms. Bird that was quoted as saying he must have been a very special person to do something like that for us and that touched my sister,” Cranford said.

The NTSB and the FAA will release a preliminary report on the crash in six months.

The family is planning a celebration of life service at the Centenary United Methodist Church on Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

Story and Video:  http://myfox8.com


Pilatus PC-12/45, N68PK, operating as Skylab 53: Accident occurred January 16, 2013 in Burlington, North Carolina

NTSB Identification: ERA13FA115
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, January 16, 2013 in Burlington, NC
Probable Cause Approval Date: 01/14/2016
Aircraft: PILATUS PC-12/45, registration: N68PK
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

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.

The pilot departed in night instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions on a medical specimen transport flight. During the climb, an air traffic controller told the pilot that the transponder code he had selected (2501) was incorrect and instructed him to reset the transponder to a different code (2531). Shortly thereafter, the airplane reached a maximum altitude of about 3,300 ft and then entered a descending right turn. The airplane’s enhanced ground proximity warning system recorded a descent rate of 11,245 ft per minute, which triggered two “sink rate, pull up” warnings. The airplane subsequently climbed from an altitude of about 1,400 ft to about 2,000 ft before it entered another turning descent and impacted the ground about 5 miles northeast of the departure airport. The airplane was fragmented and strewn along a debris path that measured about 800-ft long and 300-ft wide. Postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded the pilot from controlling the airplane. The engine did not display any evidence of preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. An open resistor was found in the flight computer that controlled the autopilot. It could not be determined if the open resistor condition existed during the flight or occurred during the impact. If the resistor was in an open condition at the time of autopilot engagement, the autopilot would appear to engage with a mode annunciation indicating engagement, but the pitch and roll servos would not engage. The before taxiing checklist included checks of the autopilot system to verify autopilot function before takeoff. It could not be determined if the pilot performed the autopilot check before the accident flight or if the autopilot was engaged at the time of the accident. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the known effects of spatial disorientation. Dark night IFR conditions prevailed, and the track of the airplane suggests a loss of attitude awareness. Although the pilot was experienced in night instrument conditions, it is possible that an attempt to reset the transponder served as an operational distraction that contributed to a breakdown in his instrument scan. Similarly, if the autopilot’s resistor was in an open condition and the autopilot had been engaged, the pilot’s failure to detect an autopilot malfunction in a timely manner could have contributed to spatial disorientation and the resultant loss of control.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control due to spatial disorientation during the initial climb after takeoff in night instrument flight rules conditions.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On January 16, 2013, about 0556 eastern standard time, a Pilatus PC-12/45, N68PK, operated by LabCorp, Inc., as Skylab 53 (SKQ53), was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport (BUY), Burlington, North Carolina. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed for the flight destined for the Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU), Morristown, New Jersey. The corporate flight was transporting medical specimens and was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

Review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control (ATC) audio data revealed that at 0541, the pilot contacted Greensboro (GSO) clearance delivery, while on the ground at BUY, and requested an IFR clearance to MMU. The pilot was advised that there was no flight plan stored in the ATC system. His original flight plan had a proposed departure time of 0315 and the flight plan was only good for 2 hours. The pilot subsequently requested to file an IFR flight plan and provided the routing details.

At 0550, GSO ATC provided an IFR clearance to SKQ53 from BUY to MMU, which included an initial altitude of 3,000 feet. ATC subsequently provided a transponder code of 2531, an altimeter setting of 30.01, an initial vector of a left turn to 360 degrees after takeoff, and a clearance void time of 0600, at 0551:30. The pilot acknowledged, read back the assigned transponder code as 2501, and stated that he would be airborne in about 30 seconds.

At 0554, the pilot advised GSO ATC that he was "climbing through thirty." The pilot was asked to "ident" and responded that he was turning to a heading of 360 degrees at 3,000 feet. The pilot was then directed to reset his transponder to code 2531, which he acknowledged with "531."

At 0555, ATC advised the pilot that his transponder indicated a code of 2501 at an altitude of 2,000 feet. The pilot did not respond and ATC made numerous attempts to contact SKQ53 without success. The airplane was not radar identified by ATC.

The airplane was subsequently found fragmented in an athletic field that was located about 5 miles northeast of BUY.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

According to FAA and company records, the pilot, age 57, held an airline transport pilot and flight instructor certificates, with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane. The pilot's most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on November 19, 2012.

According to the pilot's most recent logbook entry, as of January 11, 2013, he had accumulated about 6,370 hours of total flight experience, which included about 315 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane. He had also logged about 600 hours of flight experience in actual instrument meteorological conditions, and about 3,245 hours as night flight experience. In addition, he had accumulated about 45 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane during the 90 days preceding the accident, which included about 25, and 20 hours logged in night and actual meteorological conditions; respectively.

According to the company chief pilot, the accident pilot had been flying the PC12 approximately 4 days per week since September 2012. His current schedule called for morning flights with "show times" at 0330. On the day prior to the accident, the pilot flew from BUY to Charleston, West Virginia (CRW). He took a nap at CRW before flying to Columbus, Ohio (OSU), and returned to BUY about 0940. His duty time ended at 1015, on January 15, 2013.

According to company records, in November 2012, the chief pilot arranged for an evaluation flight for the accident pilot in a Pilatus PC12. The chief pilot asked the instructor pilot conducting the evaluation flight to not allow the accident pilot to use the autopilot and preferred that the flight be conducted without flight director programming.

Following the evaluation flight, the flight instructor noted that the accident pilot seemed to get behind the airplane because of lack of trim usage. This was usually masked when using the autopilot, which would input the correct trim for the airplane and was magnified when only using, or not using at all, the flight director. The instructor pilot made some suggestions to the accident pilot that included engine power settings and trim verification, which markedly improved his handling of the airplane. The instructor pilot added that the last two-thirds of the evaluation flight were satisfactory to FAA standards for an instrument rating and commercial pilot single-engine land privileges.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

According to FAA records, the low wing, T-tail, retractable-gear airplane, serial number 265, was issued an airworthiness certificate on July 6, 1999. It was constructed primarily of aluminum and powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B, turboprop engine, with a takeoff power rating of 1,200 shaft horsepower that was equipped with a Hartzell four-bladed hydraulically actuated, constant-speed propeller assembly.

According to the airplane flight manual, the flight control system utilized push-pull rods and carbon steel cables and were equipped with electric trim systems. Each wing contained a single piece fowler-type flap that was electrically actuated. The airplane was also equipped with a stick shaker-pusher system to improve handling in the low speed flight regime by preventing the airplane from inadvertently entering a stall condition.

According to maintenance records, the airplane's most recent inspection was a "300-hour mini inspection" that was performed on January 14, 2013, at a total airframe time of 4,637 hours. A crack on the underside of the left flap was repaired on January 15, 2013. At the time of the accident, the airplane had been operated for about 4,650 total hours.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The 0554 recorded weather observation at BUY included wind from 040 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, broken cloud celling at 700 feet, overcast at 1,700 feet, temperature 4 degrees Celsius (C), dew point 3 degrees C; and an altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of mercury.

The 0700 Greensboro-High Point, North Carolina upper air sounding depicted a frontal inversion extending immediately about the surface to 3,533 feet agl. While the surface temperature was 4 degrees C, the freezing level was identified at 11,553 feet. No icing was indicated on the sounding due to the frontal inversion.

AERODROME INFORMATION

Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport was a non-tower-controlled airport with a common traffic advisory. It was equipped with single runway designated as runway 06/24. Runway 06/24 was constructed of asphalt, 6,405-feet-long, and 100-feet-wide. The field elevation for the airport was 616 feet above mean sea level (msl).

FLIGHT RECORDERS

The airplane was not equipped, nor was it required to be equipped with a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder.

WRECKAGE INFORMATION

The elevation at the accident site was 531 feet msl and the majority of the wreckage was located strewn in a field. All major portions of the airplane, including all flight control surfaces and associated counterweights were located at the accident site. A debris path that was about 800 feet long, and 300 feet wide, was observed on a magnetic heading about 140 degrees. The right wing pitot tube was located about 10 feet from the initial impact point. Various sizes of wing spar segments were located in an impact crater. The crater was located on a berm, extended about 50 feet, and varied in depth to about 3 feet. The propeller hub, two propeller blades and the front reduction gear box were located in the crater. The third propeller blade was located about 200 feet along the debris path. The spinner was located in the vicinity of the third propeller blade. The fourth propeller blade and the propeller overspeed governor were located about 400 feet along the path. All four propeller blades exhibited S-bending damage.

The cabin area, just aft of frame 24 and forward of the aft pressure bulkhead, was located about 300 feet along the debris path. The right aileron and about one-third of the right flap were located with the cabin and with the nose landing gear. The empennage was located in the vicinity of the cabin. The horizontal and vertical stabilizers were impact damaged. The horizontal stabilizer came to rest inverted. The vertical stabilizer was fractured and came to rest on the horizontal stabilizer. The left wing was located on the right side of the debris path, about 350 feet from the initial impact point. Signatures on the bottom on the left wing, similar to fence impressions were noted. The cockpit was located about 350 feet from the initial impact point. Both cockpit seats and the throttle quadrant were located in the vicinity of the cockpit.

Flight control continuity was confirmed for the aileron, elevator, and rudder. Mechanical trim control continuity was confirmed for the horizontal stabilizer, aileron, and rudder trim systems. Measurement of the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator corresponded with a trim setting consistent in the takeoff range. Measurement of the aileron trim actuator corresponded with a neutral trim setting. The rudder trim actuator measured 1.125 inches, which was near the full right trim position of 1.18 inches. Examination of the inboard and outboard flap actuators corresponded to the retracted flap position. All 3 landing gear were in the up position.

The engine was located within the debris path. In the vicinity of the engine, there was evidence of a small postcrash fire. There was no soot staining or thermal damage observed on the wreckage that would have been consistent with an in-flight fire.

The engine sustained impact damage and was partially dissembled at the accident site. Rotational scoring was confirmed at both the compressor and power turbines, and mechanical continuity was confirmed from the compressor to the accessory gearbox. The engine displayed compressive deformation to the exhaust duct and the gas generator case. The compression was more pronounced on the front and bottom sections of the case and duct. The front and rear reduction gearboxes were separated at their respective mating flanges. The power turbine shaft was fractured consistent with torsional overload. The rear reduction gearbox and the power turbine shaft housing were separated from the engine. Rotational signatures on the compressor turbine, the 1st stage power turbine, and the 2nd stage power turbine from contact with their adjacent components were consistent with the engine producing power at the time of impact. Subsequent testing and examination of the fuel control unit and the fuel pump did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have prevented normal operation. The engine did not display any indications of any pre-impact anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Raleigh, North Carolina. Review of the autopsy report revealed that the cause of death was identified as "Massive blunt force trauma due to plane crash."

The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute toxicology report was negative for all drugs in the screening profile. In addition, the report stated that no ethanol was detected in muscle or liver. A carbon monoxide test was not performed.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

Autopilot Flight Computer

The airplane was equipped with a KFC-325 autopilot system. Several components of the autopilot system were forwarded to their manufacturer, Honeywell, Olathe, Kansas, for examination under the supervision of an FAA inspector.

Examination of the KCP-220 flight computer revealed no physical damage to the circuit cards. A return to service test was conducted for the applicable airframe, which required replacement of the personality modules. The unit powered up and passed the self-test; however, the "AP CLU" lamp indicated there was no drive voltage to the Autopilot Roll and Pitch Servo clutches. Subsequent troubleshooting revealed that the R-259 resistor, which did not contain any obvious signs of physical damage, was open. The resistor was manufactured by Ohmite. It could not be determined if the open condition existed during the flight or was the result of impact forces. It could also not be determined if the autopilot was engaged at the time of the accident.

According to Honeywell, during autopilot operation, a drive voltage is applied to the "AP Clutch Engage" solenoid when the autopilot is activated. This drive voltage enables the roll and pitch servos by engaging the clutches. If the autopilot is not engaged, the open R-259 resistor would have no effect on the flight control system. If the resistor is in an open condition at the time of autopilot engagement, the autopilot will appear to engage with a mode annunciation indicating engagement, but the pitch and roll servos will not engage. If the R-259 resistor becomes open while the autopilot is engaged, the pitch and roll servos will disengage and an aural warning would sound. The unit passed all return to service tests after the R-259 resistor was replaced.

According to Honeywell, any failure of the R-259 resistor would not affect a pilot's ability to manually control the airplane. In addition, the before taxiing checklist of the airplane flight manual (AFM) included checks of the autopilot system to verify autopilot function prior to takeoff, and section 4.20.1 Autopilot Operation Summary, included a warning which stated, in part: "The pilot in command must continuously monitor the autopilot when it is engaged, and be prepared to disconnect the autopilot and take immediate corrective action – including manual control of the airplane and/or performance of emergency procedures – if autopilot operation is not as expected or if airplane control is not maintained…."

During March 2015, Honeywell issued service bulletin KCP 220-22-A0017, which included an inspection and replacement of the R-259 resistor on certain KCP-220 Flight Computers, if the resistor was manufactured by Ohmite or if the manufacturer could not be determined.

Central Advisory and Warning System

The airplane's Central Advisory and Warning System display unit was examined for filament analysis by the NTSB Materials Laboratory, Washington, DC. The "INERT SEP" (Inertial Separator), "PROBES DEICE", "FLAPS" and "WSHLD HEAT" were found to have hot coil filament stretching on one or both bulb filaments. With regards to the "FLAPS" caution, while it was noted that all 4 flap actuators were in a position consistent with the retracted position, a Pilatus representative noted that if the flap computer detected a flap malfunction which was not resettable, the flaps would not have been available for landing and appropriate procedures were provided for such a condition in the airplane flight manual.

Flap Control and Warning Unit

The airplane's Flap Control and Warning Unit (FCWU) was initially examined by the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory, Washington, DC, and subsequently downloaded by its manufacturer, EMCA Electronic Ltd., Horw, Switzerland, under the supervision of an investigator from the Swiss Accident Investigation Board (AIB). The download revealed no error codes stored in the FCWU's non-volatile memory unit.

Elevator and Stick Pusher Assembly

Portions of the elevator and stick pusher assembly consisting of a section of the elevator control cable and the entire length of the bridle cable were examined at the NTSB Materials Laboratory, Washington, DC, and then tested at Pilatus, Stans, Switzerland, under the supervision of an investigator from the Swiss AIB. Bridle cable displacement from its original manufactured position was noted. On the forward cable clamp, the extension of the bridle cable past the end of the clamp was 29mm (29 millimeters), in accordance with the airplane maintenance manual. On the aft clamp, only the bead on the end of the bridle cable extended past the end of the clamp approximately 1mm (1 millimeter). The length of the bridle cable between the forward clamp and turnbuckle was 5 mm (5 millimeters). Examination of the capstan pulley revealed mechanical damage to the periphery of the pulley with no anomalous wear. A tensile load test of the clamp assemblies revealed that both the forward and aft cable clamps resisted slippage on the control cable beyond the expected operational force of 600N (600 newtons); however, the force that resulted in the displacement of the aft clamp from its manufactured position could not be determined. [Additional information can be found in Materials Laboratory Factual Report No. 15-031 located in the public docket.]

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Airplane Flight Path

Radar data obtained from FAA revealed a radar target at 0553:36 consistent with the accident airplane about .75 mile from the departure end of runway 6, at 1,800 feet and climbing. The airplane flew on northeasterly heading and reached an altitude of 3,200 feet at 0554:50.

The accident airplane was equipped with a KMH 820 Multi-hazard computer. According to Honeywell, when an enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) alerting event occurs, an alert history record will be created in non-volatile memory. Each alert record contains a history of EGPWS signals from 20 seconds prior to the event to 10 seconds after the event. The KMH-820 was sent to Honeywell, Redmond, Washington, and successfully downloaded under the supervision of an NTSB investigator.

The takeoff time recorded in the status log was about 2 minutes prior to the beginning of recorded flight data, which began about 0554:46. At that time, the airplane was at an altitude about 3,200 feet, a ground speed about 208 knots, and a heading about 030 degrees. The airplane was in a right turn and reached a maximum recorded altitude of about 3,326 feet about 10 seconds later, before entering a descending right turn. About 0555:05, a descent rate of 11,245 feet per minute was recorded which was followed by a "sink rate" and "pull up" warning. Shortly thereafter, the GPS signal was lost. A second "pull up" warning was recorded about 0555:13, at an altitude of about 1,400 feet. Shortly thereafter, the recorded altitude indicated a climb to about 2,000 feet, which was the last recorded altitude on the KMH-820.

Radar data indicated that the airplane was at altitude of 2,000 feet, and a heading of about 065 degrees at 0555:46. Approximately 4 seconds later, the airplane was at an altitude of 1,900 feet, and a heading of about 140 degrees, which was followed by the last recorded radar target at 0555:55, at an altitude of 1,400 feet and a heading of about 100 degrees.

Spatial Disorientation

According to the FAA Instrument Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-15A), flying in instrument meteorological conditions can result in sensations that are misleading to the body's sensory system. FAA-H-8083-15A further stated:

"…Orientation is the awareness of the position of the aircraft and of oneself in relation to a specific reference point. Disorientation is the lack of orientation, and spatial disorientation specifically refers to the lack of orientation with regard to position in space and to other objects.

Orientation is maintained through the body's sensory organs in the three areas: visual, vestibular, and postural. The eyes maintain visual orientation. The motion sensing system in the inner ear maintains vestibular orientation. The nerves in the skin, joins, and muscles of the body maintain postural orientation. When healthy human beings are in their natural environment, these three systems work well. When the human body is subjected to the forces of flight, these senses can provide misleading information. It is this misleading information that causes pilots to become disoriented…."

http://registry.faa.gov/N68PK 

NTSB Identification: ERA13FA115 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, January 16, 2013 in Burlington, NC
Aircraft: PILATUS PC-12/45, registration: N68PK
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 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.

On January 16, 2013 about 0557 eastern standard time, a Pilatus PC-12/45, N68PK, operating as Skylab 53, was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground in Burlington, North Carolina. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and a instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight. The flight departed from Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport (BUY), Burlington, North Carolina at 0553, and was destined for Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU), Morristown, New Jersey. The business flight transporting medical specimens was operated by LabCorp, Inc. under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

Review of preliminary air traffic control radar and communication data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Greensboro Approach Control, revealed that the airplane departed from runway 06 at BUY and made initial contact while climbing to the assigned altitude of 3,000 feet mean sea level. The pilot was told to reset his transponder and no further communications were received from the accident flight.

According to FAA records, the pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with multiple ratings, including airplane single-engine land, as well as a flight instructor certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on November 19, 2012, at which time he reported 6,279 total hours of flight experience.

The accident site was located in a park approximately 5 miles northeast of BUY. The initial impact location was identified by a ground impression with various parts of the right wing and also a crater that measured about 3 feet deep. The wreckage debris field was 793 foot-long and 298 foot-wide, oriented on a 140 degree heading. Various sizes of wing spar segments, the propeller hub, two propeller blades, and the front reduction gear box were located in the crater. The engine was located about 100 feet from the impact point. Fragments of the airplane, including a section of the cabin area, empennage, left and right wings, and cockpit were located along the wreckage path. The two other propeller blades were located about 200 and 400 feet from the impact point, and exhibited some S-bending damage. All major flight control surfaces and associated counter weights were located in the debris field.

The 0554 recorded weather observation at BUY, included wind from 040 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles, broken clouds at 700 feet above ground level (agl), overcast at 1,700 agl, temperature 4 degrees C, dew point 3 degrees C; barometric altimeter 30.02 inches of mercury.


IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 68PK        Make/Model: PC12      Description: PC-12, Eagle
  Date: 01/16/2013     Time: 1055

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

LOCATION
  City: BURLINGTON   State: NC   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  N68PK SKYLAB FLIGHT SKQ53 PILATUS PC12 AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN 
  CIRCUMSTANCES, THE 1 PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, NEAR BURLINGTON, 
  NC

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: Business      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: GREENSBORO, NC  (SO05)                Entry date: 01/17/2013 


 
Workers with Atlanta Air Recovery remove debris Friday from the site of an airplane crash in Burlington. 
Scott Muthersbaugh/Times-News 
 

The North Park ballfield where a plane crashed earlier this week should be repaired and ready for play this spring. 

 The plane belonged to LabCorp. David Gamble, 57, was the pilot and sole occupant. He died, the only person injured.

The site is adjacent to the Mayco Bigelow Community Center and serves as a ballfield for teams playing youth baseball and softball in leagues sponsored by the Burlington Recreation and Parks Department.

Employees of Atlanta Air Recovery were retrieving the wreckage Friday – loading it onto a flatbed trailer. A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board said it’s not unusual to take a year or more to determine the cause of such crashes.

Tony Laws, director of the Recreation and Parks Department, said because of the volume of fuel spilled at the site, a good portion of soil will have to be excavated and removed. Emergency personnel said as much as 400 gallons of aviation fuel were on the plane at the time of the crash.

The aircraft had taken off minutes earlier from Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport. It was en route to New Jersey.

Laws said that once the extent of the contamination is determined, the appropriate amount of soil will be excavated. It’ll be replaced with fresh dirt, Laws said, and the infield redone. The outfield will be resodded and damaged fencing replaced.

“I feel pretty confident it will be ready by the start of the season,” Laws said. He said that will be either late April or early May.

Laws said it has yet to be determined who’ll pay for the repairs, though he said he hopes it’ll be covered by insurance. He said this is his 44th year with the Recreation and Parks Department and the first time a plane has crashed on a ball field or in a park belonging to the city.

“It’s very unusual and certainly a tragedy,” Laws said. “In my opinion, if the pilot had to put a plane down in that area, he picked the best possible site. I give a lot of credit to him. He saved lives.”

Numerous residents of the area surrounding the field agreed, noting they heard the plane in distress prior to the crash, the pilot seeming to be searching for a vacant field in which to land. Many hailed Gamble as a hero.

Alamance County Emergency Management Director David Leonard was in his office on Martin Street – near the old Western Electric plant – early Wednesday at the time of the crash. The office isn’t far from North Park and Leonard was among the first emergency responders to arrive.

He said he called Zack Smith, Burlington’s emergency management coordinator, on the drive over. Smith arrived just minutes after Leonard.

Leonard said debris from the wreck was on fire when he arrived, though firefighters with the Burlington Fire Department quickly extinguished the flames. He said there were numerous residents of the community at the site – all searching frantically for survivors.

Leonard said he was told by NTSB officials the wreckage will be carried to Atlanta where it will be sheltered until an investigation is complete. He said volunteers with the Red Cross were a great help to emergency responders and investigators, as were volunteers from a number of other organizations.

“So many people stepped up from within the community,” Leonard said.

A spokesman for LabCorp said the plane that crashed Wednesday was one of three belonging to the company that fly out of Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport. He said the planes are principally used for the transportation of medical specimens between LabCorp facilities and collection sites.


Story and Photo:   http://www.thetimesnews.com

Is outsourcing to blame for Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner woes?

It’s been a miserable week for Boeing. Federal investigators have grounded all of the U.S. company’s new and much-hyped 787 Dreamliner jets after reports that the aircraft’s lithium-ion batteries were overheating and catching fire.

And already, a favorite culprit has emerged: outsourcing. Critics have long charged that Boeing was far too reliant on offshore suppliers for the 787′s production. More than 30 percent of the jetliner’s components came from overseas, including the Japanese-made lithium-ion battery that is now garnering all the headlines. (By contrast, just 5 percent of the parts of its predecessor, the 747, were foreign-made.)

But why should outsourcing matter here? After all, it’s not as if Japan is incapable of making decent lithium-ion batteries. And this is where the argument gets a bit fuzzier. One possibility is that Boeing’s far-flung network of suppliers made it that much trickier for the U.S.-based manufacturer to spot and evaluate systemic problems. Here’s the Globe and Mail’s Guy Dixon making that case:
But the vast collection of components by hundred of suppliers that go into a 787 makes troubleshooting potentially more difficult. Although outsourcing has always been a part of commercial aviation, the difference now is the complexity and co-dependence of the electronics operating the aircraft.
Aerospace consultant Scott Hamilton quotes an engineer who raises similar worries:
“There aren’t that many qualified outside experts (except at Airbus). Where are they going to get them from?” he says. “This is where the extreme outsourcing really causes problems. How are they going to get their suppliers to be truthful? That has always been a problem in aeronautics. The 787 organization makes it much, much worse.”
These concerns are hardly novel. Back in 2011, Michael Hiltzik published a long piece for the Los Angeles Times questioning Boeing’s over-reliance on foreign suppliers for the Dreamliner. That piece, however, was largely focused on delays and cost overruns: “The drawbacks of this approach emerged early,” Hiltzik wrote. “Some of the pieces manufactured by far-flung suppliers didn’t fit together. Some subcontractors couldn’t meet their output quotas, creating huge production logjams when critical parts weren’t available in the necessary sequence.”

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