There are plenty of questions as to why two small planes went down within two weeks, in the Quad Cities area.
Even though both planes took off from the Davenport Municipal Airport, manager Tom Vesalga says there's no need to worry.
"It just happened to be a coincidence that we had two of them within weeks of each other and the pilots themselves; they did it by the book," he explains.
Last night, a small plane made an emergency landing near 60th and Fairmount Street in Davenport. This comes just ten days after another small prop plane went down in a Cordova cornfield.
While both cases are still under investigation, Vesalga says pilots are trained to handle anything.
"Aviation is still the safest mode of travel," Vesalga adds. "Whether it's for pleasure or business or vacations or whatever - I will always choose an airplane over a car any day."
Vesalga says pilots are taught how to land in a field if they have a problem in the air that they can't solve.
Story and Video: http://www.whbf.com
Tuesday, April 02, 2013
Cirrus SR22, N960CM: Dennis Hunter turns himself in to authorities
Dennis Hunter
BENTON, Ark. (KTHV) - The man who took off in a plane in Saline County has turned himself in.
Lt. Scott Courtney with the Saline County Sheriff's Office says that Dennis Hunter, of California, turned himself in Friday afternoon.
He is out on a $150,000 bond.
Authorities were initially called Monday to assist Homeland Security by going to the Saline County Airport to check on a plane that was to arrive. When deputies got there, the plane was fueling up. As deputies approached, the pilot got back in the plane and quickly took off.
The plane was found Tuesday night on a dirt road just outside of Stuttgart.
Lt. Courtney said he doesn't know why the pilot or plane is wanted by the government. As for why he's wanted by federal authorities and how they knew he would refuel in Saline County, investigators tell THV they cannot release any more information at this time.
He is charged with aggravated assault and fleeing.
Story and Reaction/Comments: http://www.thv11.com
Story and Reaction/Comments: http://www.katv.com
http://registry.faa.gov/N960CM
Pilot Of Fugitive Plane In Arkansas ID’d
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has released the name of a pilot they suspect was flying a fugitive plane located in east Arkansas this week.
Dennis Hunter of California was spotted in Saline County, where he touched down in Benton on Monday (April 1) to refuel, but took off as authorities approached, officials said.
The abandoned plane was later found on a remote road 10 miles east of Stuttgart. However, the pilot escaped and ran off into the woods, according to FAA officials.
Jay Watsabaugh of Buffalo, Wyo., told 5NEWS he bought the aircraft in 2001, selling it six months ago to Hunter.
Hunter, owner of GeoPlanter in Petaluma, Calif., could not be reached Tuesday for comment. According to the company’s Twitter account, GeoPlanter makes “breathable pots and planters that Make Plants Happy.”
Watsabaugh said he sold the aircraft to Hunter on eBay for $107,000 but never met him in person. Watsabaugh said Hunter still owes him about $12,000 for the plane.
The aircraft can fly more than 200 mph with a tailwind and hold 1,000 pounds of cargo, Watsabaugh said.
Lt. Scott Courtney with the Saline County Sheriff’s Department said deputies were asked to check the Saline County Regional Airport, also called “Watts Field” Monday for a Cirrus model aircraft.
When deputies arrived on the runway, the plane was fueling up, and when the pilot saw deputies approaching, he jumped back in the single-engine plane and took off.
The suspect and plane were headed to Northwest Arkansas, possibly Fayetteville, according to Lt. Courtney.
Fayetteville police said they received a call at 11:52 p.m. Monday from Lockheed Martin, a company in the aerospace and defense in industries.
“They didn’t give a whole lot of specifics about what they wanted however they did mention to us that if we found it just notify them and not too approach the plane,” said Sgt. Craig Stout, Fayetteville Police.
Officers searched Drake Field, but were unable to locate the plane.
Fort Smith Police said they received a similar call and also checked the Fort Smith Regional Airport early Tuesday morning.
The Federal Aviation Administration also issued an alert for Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, according to Shain Carter, the airport’s Public Information Officer.
The FAA told police not to search or approach the aircraft if the plane was located, but to instead call FAA investigators immediately.
Source: http://5newsonline.com
KATV - Breaking News, Weather and Razorback Sports
ARKANSAS COUNTY (KATV) - A missing plane being flown by a fugitive was found about 15 miles outside of Stuttgart.
Department of Correction officials have a dog on the ground to help in the manhunt after the suspect jumped out of the plane and ran away, according to the Arkansas County sheriff's office. The plane was found near Hunt and Boone Hill roads off of Highway 153 near the town of Casscoe.
Officials would not say what the fugitive was charged with or wanted for or what his name is. the Arkansas County sheriff identified him only as a white male with long hair and dark pants who might be barefoot. The Department of Homeland Security would confirm only that the suspect is not from Arkansas.
The only sign they have found of him since the plane crashed in Arkansas County is a sweater in a field they believe to be his.
Saline County Sheriff Bruce Pennington told Channel 7 News that the suspect flew into the Saline County airport Monday night. Deputies tried to arrest him there while he re-fueled but the suspect managed to get back in the air before they could reach him. Sheriff Pennington said the suspect nearly hit one of his deputies during that getaway. The suspect used a credit card for someone out of California. Investigators are not sure if it's his or if it was stolen.
He was not seen again until the plane was found in Arkansas County Tuesday morning.
The Federal Aviation Administration would not confirm if the plane was stolen.
Story, photos, video, reaction/comments: http://www.katv.com
http://registry.faa.gov/N960CM
Authorities have located a missing plane from Benton, Ark., law enforcement officials told CNN Tuesday afternoon (April 2).
The aircraft was located 10 miles east of Stuttgart. However, the pilot escaped and ran off into the woods, according to FAA officials.
Jay Watsabaugh of Buffalo, Wyo., told 5NEWS he bought the aircraft in 2001 and sold it six months ago to Dennis Hunter of California. Hunter could not be reached Tuesday for comment.
Lt. Scott Courtney with the Saline County Sheriff’s Department said deputies were asked to check the Saline County Regional Airport, also called “Watts Field” Monday (April 1) for a Cirrus model aircraft.
When deputies arrived on the runway, the plane was fueling up, and when the pilot saw deputies approaching, he jumped back in the single-engine plane and took off.
The suspect and plane were headed to Northwest Arkansas, possibly Fayetteville, according to Lt. Courtney.
Fayetteville police said they received a call at 11:52 p.m. Monday from Lockheed Martin, a company in the aerospace and defense in industries.
“They didn’t give a whole lot of specifics about what they wanted however they did mention to us that if we found it just notify them and not too approach the plane,” said Sgt. Craig Stout, Fayetteville Police.
Officers searched Drake Field, but were unable to locate the plane.
Fort Smith Police said they received a similar call and also checked the Fort Smith Regional Airport early Tuesday morning.
The Federal Aviation Administration also issued an alert for Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, according to Shain Carter, the airport’s Public Information Officer.
The FAA told police not to search or approach the aircraft if the plane was located, but to instead call FAA investigators immediately.
5NEWS talked to the previous owner of the aircraft, he lives in Wyoming and said he sold it to a man in California six months ago for $107,000.
Story, Video, Reaction/Comments: http://5newsonline.com
Dubai: American pilot wins suspended punishment for confining friend: Lawyer argues defendant didn’t have criminal intention
Dubai: A pilot, who
was accused of confining his female friend in his flat, has won a
suspended punishment after his lawyer convinced the court that he didn’t
have any criminal intention.
The 28-year-old American pilot had pleaded not guilty and asked for his six-month imprisonment to be overruled when he defended himself before the Dubai Appeal Court.
In February, the Dubai Court of First Instance jailed the pilot for six months after he was convicted of unlawfully confining his 23-year-old Bahraini friend by locking her inside his flat.
“My client did not have any criminal intention. His friend waived her complaint and she even appeared before the court to testify that it was a misunderstanding. No harm was inflicted on the woman and she willingly dropped her complaint. The pilot did not have intention of wrongdoing or breaking the law. On the contrary he is a law-abiding resident,” the American’s advocate Diana Hamade told the appellate court.
However, the Appeal Court’s presiding judge Mahmoud Fahmi Sultan suspended the six-month imprisonment earlier this week.
Last year the Court of First Instance sentenced the defendant in absentia to one year in jail followed by deportation.
The pilot turned himself in, according to the Criminal Procedures law, and requested a retrial. The primary court handed him six months in jail.
The advocate provided the presiding judge with a waiver that was obtained from the Bahraini.
Advocate Hamade argued before the Appeal Court: “The claimant reconciled with the defendant and dropped her complaint. We ask the court to cancel his imprisonment and acquit him. The claimant is my client’s friend and she came to court to drop her complaint in person.”
“The defendant and I are close friends… we reconciled. The confinement did not cause me any injury. When I communicated with the police, I explained that the defendant had had an accident and he wasn’t aware of what he did. I am here to drop my complaint,” stated the Bahraini friend.
Records said the American got angry with his friend when she spoke to him tensely so he locked her for one hour in his flat in Shurouq near Mirdif.
Court records said the defendant prevented his friend from leaving the flat on October 4.
Records said the friend had deposited her passport in the traffic department after the pilot was involved in a car accident. She claimed that he got angry and locked her inside the flat while she was searching for the police receipt that she needed to release her passport.
The appellate judgement remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court within 28 days.
Source: http://gulfnews.com
The 28-year-old American pilot had pleaded not guilty and asked for his six-month imprisonment to be overruled when he defended himself before the Dubai Appeal Court.
In February, the Dubai Court of First Instance jailed the pilot for six months after he was convicted of unlawfully confining his 23-year-old Bahraini friend by locking her inside his flat.
“My client did not have any criminal intention. His friend waived her complaint and she even appeared before the court to testify that it was a misunderstanding. No harm was inflicted on the woman and she willingly dropped her complaint. The pilot did not have intention of wrongdoing or breaking the law. On the contrary he is a law-abiding resident,” the American’s advocate Diana Hamade told the appellate court.
However, the Appeal Court’s presiding judge Mahmoud Fahmi Sultan suspended the six-month imprisonment earlier this week.
Last year the Court of First Instance sentenced the defendant in absentia to one year in jail followed by deportation.
The pilot turned himself in, according to the Criminal Procedures law, and requested a retrial. The primary court handed him six months in jail.
The advocate provided the presiding judge with a waiver that was obtained from the Bahraini.
Advocate Hamade argued before the Appeal Court: “The claimant reconciled with the defendant and dropped her complaint. We ask the court to cancel his imprisonment and acquit him. The claimant is my client’s friend and she came to court to drop her complaint in person.”
“The defendant and I are close friends… we reconciled. The confinement did not cause me any injury. When I communicated with the police, I explained that the defendant had had an accident and he wasn’t aware of what he did. I am here to drop my complaint,” stated the Bahraini friend.
Records said the American got angry with his friend when she spoke to him tensely so he locked her for one hour in his flat in Shurouq near Mirdif.
Court records said the defendant prevented his friend from leaving the flat on October 4.
Records said the friend had deposited her passport in the traffic department after the pilot was involved in a car accident. She claimed that he got angry and locked her inside the flat while she was searching for the police receipt that she needed to release her passport.
The appellate judgement remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court within 28 days.
Source: http://gulfnews.com
FAA Finds New Software Problem in Boeing’s 737 MAX: Plane maker agrees to address the problem and believes it can be fixed with a software tweak
The Wall Street Journal
By Andrew Tangel and Andy Pasztor
Updated June 26, 2019 9:55 pm ET
Boeing Co. and federal regulators said they have identified a new software problem on the 737 MAX, further delaying the process of returning the troubled jet to service.
The new issue involves software that is separate from changes to the aircraft’s faulty flight-control system called MCAS, according to people familiar with the matter. The software system in question, though distinct from MCAS, is related to an emergency procedure that can be used by pilots to address MCAS malfunctions, these people said.
The plane maker disclosed in a securities filing on Wednesday the Federal Aviation Administration’s request to address the new problem, which it said wouldn’t be covered by planned changes to the MCAS system.
Boeing said it agreed with the FAA’s decision and is working on the required software fix.
The software issue involves an emergency procedure that would be used to counteract MCAS if it malfunctions, erroneously pushing the plane’s nose down, according to the people familiar with the matter. The FAA identified the problem last week during simulator tests, these people said, after an agency test pilot determined that the procedure took more time than was acceptable to execute.
The new problem is related to software that was original to the aircraft, not revisions in conjunction with changes to MCAS that were made after two fatal crashes of 737 MAX jets, according to one of the people familiar with the matter.
Boeing believes it can resolve the issue with a software tweak, these people said. Otherwise, they added, there is a chance that the company would have to replace a computer chip in all 500 MAX planes that have been delivered or built, a process that would add significant delays.
Certification flight tests, an important step before regulators around the world allow the MAX to fly again, had been expected to begin as soon as last week, according to people familiar with the details.
“Boeing will not offer the 737 MAX for certification by the FAA until we have satisfied all requirements for certification of the MAX and it’s safe return to service,” the company said in its filing.
An FAA spokesman said the agency is following a thorough process and has no timeline for allowing the 737 MAX to return to service. “The FAA recently found a potential risk that Boeing must mitigate,” he said.
A total of 346 people died in two 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. Regulators around the globe grounded the aircraft after the Ethiopian crash in March.
United Continental Holdings Inc. on Wednesday became the latest U.S. carrier to strike the MAX from its schedule through Labor Day. United said it is pulling MAX flights out of its schedule until Sept. 3, following similar moves by American Airlines Group Inc. and Southwest Airlines Co. United said it is trying to minimize disruptions by swapping out aircraft and using bigger planes in lieu of the MAX, but it will still have to cancel some 1,900 flights in August, or 60 a day.
Wednesday’s developments illustrate how unexpected complications can upset months of painstaking preparations to get the MAX fleet back in the air. Boeing originally submitted an MCAS software fix to the FAA in January, and since then the Chicago plane maker has been on a roller-coaster ride of shifting timetables and deadlines for getting the green light from the FAA.
Boeing previously hasn’t submitted filings about last-minute changes and delays to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
It isn’t clear how long this latest delay may last. The biggest variable, one person familiar with the matter said, is whether Boeing can make the required changes entirely through software revisions. FAA officials still have to be convinced that is feasible, this person said. If a new microprocessor or other electronic component is required, the person added, the delay could stretch into months rather than weeks.
In particular, people familiar with the matter said, the software issue relates to how quickly pilots can use electric switches on the control column, or yoke, to get the aircraft into more level flight.
Stabilizing the aircraft is an early step in the emergency procedure, which later calls for hitting separate switches to cut off power to MCAS and the plane’s system for electronically moving its rear-horizontal stabilizer that controls the angle of the plane’s nose.
The emergency procedure has come under scrutiny in the wake of the crashes.
After a Lion Air 737 MAX crashed in Indonesia in October, Boeing and the FAA emphasized that pilots should use the procedure to disable MCAS in the event it misfired. Pilots in that accident don’t appear to have followed the procedure.
But after an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crashed in March, investigators and executives at the plane’s operator said the pilots followed Boeing’s emergency procedure.
That claim, however, has been sharply disputed by outside pilots, aviation industry officials and safety experts, who say the Ethiopian Airlines pilots didn’t appear to have adequately followed the procedure’s steps and apparently turned MCAS back on before its fatal nosedive.
Over the past two months, Boeing and the FAA have been wrestling with still another issue requiring extensive engineering analyses, simulator scenarios and actual flight tests. That effort resulted in previous delays to the commercial return of the global MAX fleet.
As part of its anticipated overall approval of revised 737 MAX flight-control systems, the FAA has been looking into whether the average pilot has enough physical strength to manually crank a wheel to raise the aircraft’s nose in extreme emergencies, especially at unusually high speeds.
https://www.wsj.com
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