Monday, June 17, 2013

Ken Day, Boca Raton Airport (KBCT) manager, dies at 56

 
Ken Day

Ken Day was the manager of Boca Raton Airport. He died Sunday. (June 17, 2013) 



By Anne Geggis, Sun Sentinel
7:51 p.m. EDT, June 17, 2013



Boca Raton Airport's longtime manager died Sunday, not long after the air control tower had gotten through the threat of being closed due to federal cuts.

Ken Day, 56, who had led the airport operations in Boca for 13 years, died at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of an undisclosed illness.

Frank Feiler, chairman of the Boca Raton Airport Authority lauded his service.

"Ken was a remarkable individual who knew his role and performed at the highest level any executive could deliver in running such a large and complex operation," Feiler said in a written statement.

In March, Boca Raton Airport had been on the list of 147 airport towers that would have closed April 7 if sequestration cuts to the federal budget had been put into effect. But some last-minute legislation had allowed federal money to continue flowing — at least for now.

What will happen to the federal money after this fiscal year ends is still uncertain. About $650,000 per year comes from the federal government to pay seven air traffic controllers.

Boca's airport authority had filed suit with the Federal Aviation Administration to stop the cuts. But that litigation has been put on hold.

In the wake of those cuts, however, Mr. Day's salary became an issue for one member of the Boca Raton Airport Authority. Board member David Freudenberg resigned his position last month, questioning whether Mr. Day should be receiving a $218,000 per year salary for leading an airport with 50,000 operations a year, more than most managers of airports that size.

Mr. Day had come to Boca Raton from the Midland International Airport in Texas.

A celebration of his life will be held at 4 p.m., Wednesday at Signature Flight Support, 3300 Airport Road in Boca. The public is welcome.

The Ken Day Scholarship Fund is being established to help an aviation student in need. Make donations to the Airport Authority at 3701 FAU Boulevard, Suite 205, Boca Raton, 33431. 


Source:  http://www.sun-sentinel.com

Cessna 337B Skymaster, C-FZBW, Southern Aircraft Services: Accident occurred June 12, 2013 near Crawford Bay, British Columbia – Canada

http://www.flickr.com/photo

Coroner releases report into Nelson pilot’s death

The pilot who died when his plane went down near Crawford Bay experienced bad weather this summer before the crash.

The BC Coroner’s office released its report the case of Anthony (Tony) Quibell this week.

The 53-year-old local man died when his Cessna Skymaster 337 airplane crashed near Crawford Bay. Quibell was the lone occupant in the plane, full of fuel, which took off from the Nelson Airport at 1:30 p.m. on June 12 intending to fly to La Ronge, Saskatchewan.

His six-hour flight was cut tragically short when his plane crashed in “high-treed terrain” and burst into flames upon impact. Quibell died at the scene.

Coroner Jed Maddock concluded that Quibell died of “blunt force trauma and thermal exposure as the result of an aircraft crash and subsequent post-crash fire.”

The cause of the crash was due to a frontal system that had moved into the Crawford Bay valley at the time of the accident creating rain and low visibility.

“The crash site’s position was within a few hundred metres of Rose Pass and well below the surrounding mountain tops, and is consistent with deteriorating weather limiting the pilot’s ability to climb higher while maintaining visual reference to the terrain,” wrote Maddock in his report.

Calling Quibell a “very experienced” pilot the coroner said he had over 4,000 hours flying time of which about 450 hours were in this type of aircraft. The plane was also in “good mechanical condition” at the time of the flight.

http://www.nelsonstar.com


Anthony QUIBELL
Obituary
June 6, 1960 – June 12, 2013

Tony Quibell, 53, of Nelson, B.C., died June 12, 2013 in a plane crash near Crawford Bay, B.C. Tony was born to Lee (Pocha) and Arnold Quibell in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on June 6, 1960. He graduated from Walter Murray Collegiate in Saskatoon in 1978. Tony worked as an equipment operator and foreman for Quibell Trenchways from 1978 to 1987. During this time he got his pilot license, bought his first airplane and became certified as a scuba diver. In 1987 his father started Western Canada Wholesale Motor Products where Tony worked as a manager and mechanic. In 1988 the family moved to Edmonton where Tony worked for Whissel Construction and Sunrise Trenching. He continued to be involved with aviation by flying for the Vermillion Parachute Club where he also obtained his sky diving certification. In 1989 the family moved to La Ronge, Saskatchewan where he apprenticed as an aircraft engineer at Norcanair/Athabaska Airways. In 1993 he obtained his Aircraft Mechanical Engineer certificate in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. He continued to work in La Ronge for Athabaska Airlines, Canadian Lake Wild Rice and Northern Air Operations. In 1999 the family moved to Nelson, B.C. He worked as a pilot and AME for Nelson Mountain Air, Babin Air in Invermere and Selkirk College in Castlegar. In 2004 he obtained certification to work on rotary wing aircraft. In 2005 he established Southern Aircraft Services offering aircraft charter services and a Transport Canada approved aircraft maintenance facility. His passions were riding his 1979 Kawasaki 1000 MK11 and skiing in the fantastic conditions Nelson offered. Tony is survived by his parents, Lee (Dave) Galbraith and Arnie Quibell, his sisters, Valoree (Keith) Barwell and Donna (Dean) Wright, his brothers, Shawn (Stacey) Quibell and Darren (Maxine Hadubiak) Quibell, his children Andrew (Lacey MacMillan) Quibell, Ryan Quibell and Jamie Quibell, their mother, Alana Armstrong-Quibell, his love Wendy Baker-Konkin and her children, Cole Baker, Roxanne Baker and Marina Baker. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to BC Search and Rescue at www.bcsara.com. A memorial service will be held on Friday July 5, 2013 at the Prestige Lakeside Resort at 2 p.m. Online condolences may be expressed at www.thompsonfs.ca. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Thompson Funeral Service Ltd.




Tony Quibell, 53, had a picture of this airplane on his Facebook page.
Photo Courtesy and Credit: Facebook 


The local aviation community is in shock after one the region’s most experienced pilots died in a crash last Wednesday.

Anthony (Tony) Quibell, 53, died when his Cessna Skymaster 337 airplane crashed near Crawford Bay. Quibell was the lone occupant in the plane that took off from the Nelson Airport at 1:30 p.m. on June 12 intending to fly to La Ronge, Saskatchewan. His six-hour flight was cut tragically short when his plane crashed in “high-treed terrain.” Quibell died at the scene.

“It was a real shock, he’s a very gifted and experienced pilot,” said Case Grypma, a longtime Nelson Pilots’ Association member and past president of the local association.

“As a group, we really offer our condolences to the family and our support. Tony was a really big part of the airport and he will be really missed as a pilot, a friend and an aircraft engineer.”

Quibell operated an aircraft repair business and contracted to the Ministry of Forests for forest fire spotting duty.

“He was one of the pilots right on the frontline of protection here, he is really going to be missed,” said Grypma.

Quibell’s plane was reported missing on Wednesday evening when it failed to arrive at its destination. Early the next morning the wreckage of the plane was spotted in a heavily treed area at the 6,500-foot level of a mountain near Crawford Bay. The BC Coroners Service and the Transportation Safety Board continue to investigate the accident.

Quibell has three children in their 20s and was originally from Saskatchewan. His Facebook page paints a picture of a man very active in the outdoors who loved aviation, motorcycles and skiing.

Grypma said Quibell was passionate about flight and did everything he could to ensure others enjoyed it as much as he did.

“He would drop whatever he was doing and help somebody, he was just that kind of guy,” said Grypma. “He was a reserved, but always there for you.”

Grypma said Quibell was no stranger to the part of the Kootenays where his plane crashed.

“It was basically his backyard where he crashed, he knew that area very well,” said Grypma.

Though he did not want to speculate too much on the specifics of what happened last week, Grypma said from his experience it’s a challenging area to fly.

“The weather that day was up and down,” said Grypma. “The east side of the lake, the mountains on that side, are kind of a weather factory. You can get really nasty downdrafts and the weather can change so quickly.”

Transportation Safety Board investigations can take up to a year. When this one is finished, Grypma hopes his friend’s death will help ensure future accidents don’t take place.

“I just hope that Transport Canada will be able to determine exactly what happened, whether it was mechanical or weather related,” he said. “As an industry we need to learn from this and that is why the investigations take so long because they need to make sure they get all the facts right. Any lessons to be learned are then disseminated and put into the curriculum of Transport Canada’s accident avoidance program.

“There is no point in assigning blame, it’s about finding a better way to things and improve the safety record of general aviation.”

Though it is a sad time around the Nelson airport, Grypma said those involved in flying know of the risks each time they lift their airplane’s wheels off the ground.

“Everytime you go flying there is an inherent risk, especially when you do it as a living,” said Grypma. “The longer you are involved in aviation, the higher chance somebody you know is going to have an accident.”

Source:  http://www.nelsonstar.com

Piper PA-24-260 Comanche, N8815P: Accident occurred June 15, 2013 in La Pointe, Wisconsin

NTSB Identification: CEN13FA351
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, June 15, 2013 in La Pointe, WI
Probable Cause Approval Date: 04/23/2014
Aircraft: PIPER PA-24-260, registration: N8815P
Injuries: 2 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 was landing the airplane after a cross-country flight. A witness heard squealing and the sound of screeching tires. He looked toward the runway and saw the airplane bouncing out of control. He reported that the airplane then went to full throttle and pitched nose-up to about 45 degrees as it started climbing. The witness thought the airplane was going to attempt another landing. He turned around, but subsequently heard an explosion. The airplane impacted in a nearby wooded area and a ground fire subsequently occurred. Broken tree branches indicated a linear downward path to where the airplane came to rest. All three propeller blade tips were ground down, consistent with contact with the runway. An examination of the runway showed a series of parallel witness slash marks consistent with propeller contact. The runway exhibited a white media transfer that approximated the path of the slash marks. Strips of copper were also found on the runway. The airplane was equipped with a white antenna mounted to its underbelly and the recovered strips of copper were consistent in shape with sections of the antenna assembly's copper sense plate. No anomalies with the airplane's engine or systems were found. Although the landing gear was found extended at the accident site, based on the evidence on the runway and the damage to the propellers and the underbelly antenna, it is likely that the pilot did not lower the landing gear during his first landing attempt.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control after deciding to go around after a gear-up landing, resulting in an aerodynamic stall.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On June 15, 2013, about 1828 central daylight time, a Piper PA-24-260 airplane, N8815P, impacted trees and terrain during a go-around from runway 22 at the Major Gilbert Field Airport (4R5), near La Pointe, Wisconsin. A post impact ground fire occurred. The pilot and pilot rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed during the impact and ground fire. The airplane was registered to and was operated by 8815 Papa LLC under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual flight rules conditions (VFR) conditions prevailed for the flight, which did not operate on a VFR flight plan. The flight originated from the John F Kennedy Memorial Airport (ASX), near Ashland, Wisconsin, at time unknown.

The airplane was based at the La Crosse Municipal Airport (LSE), near La Crosse, Wisconsin. According to information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the airplane departed from LSE on June 15, 2013, at 1102. An entry in an airport visitor's log at ASX showed that the pilot signed in on June 15, 2013, at time unknown. The entry showed that the flight was a recreational flight, which departed from LSE with two occupants on board. That entry did not have a destination listed. Airport fueling records at ASX were reviewed and no fuel services were rendered to the pilot representing N8815P.

A witness at 4R5 stated that he heard an airplane engine, heard "squealing," and heard sounds like screeching tires. He looked at the runway and saw the airplane bouncing "out of control" on the runway. It appeared that the airplane flew in from the northeast and was attempting to land. The airplane subsequently "went to full throttle" and pitched up to about 45 degrees where it started climbing. The witness saw the airplane fly to the right and he thought it was going to circle around to attempt another landing. He turned around and subsequently heard an explosion. He looked back, saw a plume of black smoke, and called 911.


PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held a private pilot certificate, with an airplane single engine land and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot's most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on May 29, 2012. The pilot's medical certificate had a limitation for corrective lenses. He reported that he had accumulated 1500 hours of total flight time at the time of the application for that medical certificate and that he had accumulated 50 hours of flight time during the six months prior to that application. The pilot also reported that he was taking Rosuvastatin, Ramipril, and Asprin. Logbook entries showed that the pilot was endorsed to fly complex airplanes on April 1, 2001 and was endorsed to fly high performance airplanes on July 17, 1999. His last flight review was endorsed on August 29, 2011. A relative of the pilot reported that the pilot had accumulated about 689 hours of flight time in PA-24-260 airplanes.

The pilot rated passenger held a private pilot certificate with a single engine land rating. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on June 6, 2006. His medical certificate had a limitation for corrective lenses for near vision. He reported that he had accumulated 280 hours of total flight time at the time of the application for that medical certificate and that he had accumulated 8 hours of flight time during the six months prior to that application.


AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

N8815P, a 1965-model Piper PA-24-260 Comanche, with serial number 24-4270, was a low wing, single-engine, four-place monoplane, which had retractable tricycle landing gear. The airplane was constructed predominately of aluminum alloy materials. The airplane was powered by a Lycoming IO-540-D4A5, six-cylinder, reciprocating engine, marked with serial number L-2144-48. The engine drove a Hartzell, 3-bladed, all-metal, constant-speed propeller. The propeller was installed in accordance with supplemental type certificated SA288CH and was approved on a major repair and alteration form dated October 14, 1997. Another major repair and alteration form dated November 17, 1989, indicated that a King KA 42B automatic direction finder (ADF) was installed on the airplane. The housing of the ADF antenna is white colored and its housing supports an internal copper sense plate. A picture of the airplane revealed that the ADF antenna was installed on the fuselage's belly skin. A relative of the pilot reported that the airplane's last annual inspection was completed on July 7, 2012, and it accumulated 2,922 hours of total time. The airplane was flown approximately 33 hours in the year prior to that annual inspection.


METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

At 1753, the recorded weather at ASX, located about 16 nautical miles and 204 degrees from the accident site, was: wind calm; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition few clouds at 2,200 feet; temperature 21 degrees C; dew point 18 degrees C; altimeter 29.85 inches of mercury.

At 1833, the recorded weather at 4R5 was: temperature 62.5 degrees F; dew point 58.0 degrees F; altimeter 29.81 inches of mercury; wind south southwest at 3.0 mph; humidity 84 percent.


AIRPORT INFORMATION

The 4R5 airport was a publicly owned, non-towered airport located about 2 miles north east of the city of La Pointe, Wisconsin, at an elevation of 649 feet. Its runway 4/22 was a 3,000 foot by 75 foot asphalt runway, which was marked as a non-precision runway.


WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane impacted a wooded area about one-half nautical mile southwest of runway 22's threshold. Tree branches were broken in a linear path and that path downward through the trees was nearly vertical to where the airplane came to rest. The airplane came to rest inverted on a heading of about 40 degrees magnetic. The nose landing gear strut, its fork, and its tire and an outboard section of the right wing were found separated from the airplane and all separated components were found near the main impact site. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site.

An on-scene examination of the wreckage was conducted. The center portion of the fuselage was melted, consumed, and deformed consistent with a ground fire. First responders cut control cables and marked them. All flight control cables were traced and flight control continuity was established. The throttle, propeller, and mixture controls were found in their forward positions. The engine sump was melted. Engine control cables were connected to their respective throttle and mixture controls on the fuel servo and the propeller control cable was attached to its governor. The flap jackscrew measurement was consistent with a 10-degree flap extended setting. The landing gear cable extension measurements were consistent with extended landing gear. One landing gear tire was melted and the other two landing gear tires did not exhibit any abrasions or flat spots. The magnetos and vacuum pump were melted and deformed. The propeller hub was attached to the engine and all three propeller blades exhibited ground tips consistent with contact with the runway. Due to impact and fire damage, the total fuel quantity on board the airplane at the time of the accident could not be confirmed.

Runway 22 was examined. The surface of the runway, about one tenth of a nautical mile from the start of its threshold, exhibited witness slash marks consistent with contact with the propeller. The path of the witness marks proceeded down the runway just left of centerline and the marks migrated to the right. A white colored media transfer was also found on the runway. The media transfer path approximated the path of the slash marks. There were no trails of landing gear tire witness marks associated with the path of the slash marks and media transfer marks. Copper colored strips of metal were found on the runway. The strips of metal were consistent in shape with sections of a KA 42B ADF antenna assembly's copper sense plate.


MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Dane County Medical Examiner's Office, on June 17, 2013, where toxicological samples were taken. The pilot's cause of death was reported as multiple blunt force trauma injuries.

The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute prepared a Final Forensic Toxicology Accident Report in reference to the pilot's toxicological samples. The report indicated:

Ibuprofen detected in Urine
Rosuvastatin detected in Urine
Rosuvastatin detected in Liver

The FAA Forensic Toxicology's WebDrugs website description of Ibuprofen, in part, indicated it was a nonnarcotic analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent.

The FAA Forensic Toxicology's WebDrugs website description of Rosuvastatin, in part, indicated it was a member of the drug class of statins, used to treat high cholesterol and related conditions, and to prevent cardiovascular disease.

The FAA Forensic Toxicology's WebDrugs website description of Ramipril, in part, indicated it was an angiotensinconverting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, used to treat hypertension and congestive heart failure.

A common description of Aspirin indicated it was an over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat aches and pains and as a preventative measure against heart attacks.

An autopsy was performed on the pilot rated passenger by the Dane County Medical Examiner's Office, on June 17, 2013, where toxicological samples were taken. The pilot rated passenger's cause of death was reported as multiple blunt force trauma injuries.

The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute prepared a Final Forensic Toxicology Accident Report in reference to the pilot rated passenger's toxicological samples. The report was negative for the tests performed.


 http://registry.faa.gov/N8815P

NTSB Identification: CEN13FA351
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, June 15, 2013 in La Pointe, WI
Aircraft: PIPER PA-24-260, registration: N8815P
Injuries: 2 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 June 15, 2013, about 1828 central daylight time, a Piper PA-24-260 airplane, N8815P, impacted trees and terrain during a go-around from runway 22 at the Major Gilbert Field Airport (4R5), near La Pointe, Wisconsin. A post impact ground fire occurred. The pilot and pilot rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed during the impact and ground fire. The airplane was registered to and was operated by 8815 Papa LLC under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual flight rules conditions (VFR) conditions prevailed for the flight, which did not operate on a VFR flight plan. The flight originated from the John F Kennedy Memorial Airport (ASX), near Ashland, Wisconsin, at time unknown.

The airplane was based at the La Crosse Municipal Airport (LSE), near La Crosse, Wisconsin. According to initial information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the airplane departed from LSE at 1102. An entry in an airport visitor’s log at ASX showed that the pilot signed in on June 15, 2013, at time unknown. The entry showed that the flight was a recreational flight, which departed from LSE with two occupants on board. That entry did not have a destination listed. Airport fueling records at ASX were reviewed and no fuel services were rendered to the pilot representing N8815P.

A witness at 4R5 stated that he heard an airplane engine, heard "squealing," and heard sounds like screeching tires. He looked at the runway and saw the airplane bouncing “out of control” on the runway. It appeared that the airplane flew in from the north east and was attempting to land. The airplane subsequently "went to full throttle" and pitched up to about 45 degrees where it started climbing. The witness saw the airplane fly to the right and he thought it was going to circle around to attempt another landing. He turned around and subsequently heard an explosion. He looked back, saw a plume of black smoke, and called 911.

The pilot held a private pilot certificate, with an airplane single engine land and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot's most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on June 29, 2012. The pilot’s medical certificate had a limitation for corrective lenses. He reported that he had accumulated 1500 hours of total flight time at the time of the application for that medical certificate and that he had accumulated 50 hours of flight time during the six months prior to that application.

The pilot rated passenger held a private pilot certificate with a single engine land rating. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on June 6, 2006. His medical certificate had a limitation for corrective lenses for near vision. He reported that he had accumulated 280 hours of total flight time at the time of the application for that medical certificate and that he had accumulated 8 hours of flight time during the six months prior to that application.

N8815P, a 1965-model Piper PA-24-260 Comanche, with serial number 24-4270, was a low wing, single-engine, four-place monoplane, which had retractable tricycle landing gear. The airplane was constructed predominately of aluminum alloy materials. The airplane was powered by a Lycoming O-540, six-cylinder, reciprocating engine, marked with serial number L-2144-48. The engine drove a Hartzell, 3-bladed, all-metal, constant-speed propeller. The propeller was installed in accordance with supplemental type certificated SA288CH and was approved on major repair and alteration form dated October 14, 1997.

At 1753, the recorded weather at ASX, located about 16 nautical miles and 205 degrees from the accident site, was: wind calm; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition few clouds at 2,200 feet; temperature 21 degrees C; dew point 18 degrees C; altimeter 29.85 inches of mercury.

At 1833, the recorded weather at 4R5 was: temperature 62.5 degrees F; dew point 58.0 degrees F; altimeter 29.81 inches of mercury; wind south southwest at 3.0 mph; humidity 84 percent.

The airplane impacted a wooded area about one-half nautical mile southwest of runway 22’s threshold. Tree branches were broken in a linear path and that path downward through the trees was nearly vertical to where the airplane came to rest. The airplane came to rest inverted on a heading of about 40 degrees magnetic. The nose landing gear strut, its fork, and its tire and an outboard section of the right wing were found separated from the airplane. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site.

An on-scene examination of the wreckage was conducted. The center portion of the fuselage was melted, consumed, and deformed consistent with a ground fire. First responders cut control cables and marked them. All flight control cables were traced and flight control continuity was established. The throttle, propeller, and mixture controls were found in their forward position. The engine sump was melted. Engine control cables were connected to their respective throttle and mixture controls on the fuel servo and the propeller control cable was attached to its governor. The flap jackscrew measurement was consistent with a 10-degree flap extended setting. The landing gear cable extension measurements were consistent with extended landing gear. One landing gear tire was melted and the other two landing gear tires did not exhibit any abrasions or flat spots. The magnetos and vacuum pump were melted and deformed. The propeller hub was attached to the engine and all three propeller blades exhibited ground tips consistent with contact with the runway. Due to impact and fire damage, the total fuel quantity on board the airplane at the time of the accident could not be confirmed.

Runway 22 was examined. The surface of the runway, about one tenth of a nautical mile from the start of its threshold, exhibited witness slash marks consistent with contact with the propeller. The path of the witness marks proceeded down the runway just left of centerline and the marks migrated to the right. A white colored media transfer was also found on the runway. The media transfer path approximated the path of the slash marks. There were no trails of landing gear tire witness marks associated with the path of the slash marks and media transfer marks.

 
Dr. Rick Renwick



   


Gundersen Health System remembers doctor who died in a plane crash

 LA CROSSE, Wis. (WEAU) -- An area hospital is remembering a doctor who was killed in a plane crash.

Sixty-three-year-old Rick Renwick of La Crosse and his 58-year-old brother Bruce Renwick of Waunakee died in a plane crash on Madeline Island Saturday.

The single-engine Piper Comanche went down south of a runway, and burst into flames.

Rick Renwick worked in OB/GYN at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse for more than 20 years.

Dr. Mary Kuffel worked with Renwick.

She said she’s known him for more than 20 years, and met him while she was a medical student.

“He treated every woman the same whether it was someone who he was seeing here in the clinic, whether it was a patient he was seeing at St. Clare Mission, whether it was a patient that he was caring for in Nicaragua when he was able to do some medical mission work,” said Kuffel.

Dr. Renwick’s coworkers say he was passionate about sailing, flying and helping patients.

Kuffel said Renwick was an experienced pilot.

“He just, he would get in his plane, and go places. He would take some of us. We had flown with him several times,” said Kuffel.

She’ll remember Renwick’s easy going style and his ability to make every one feel comfortable and important.

She also said he loved life.

“That was really what Rick just what he taught us all,” said Kuffel.

Kuffel called Renwick more than a coworker, but a friend as well.

She said it’s a great loss.

“Not only to the community, but to his family. It certainly was a shock to all of us and we’re dearly going to miss him,” said Kuffel.

Renwick leaves behind a wife and daughter.


http://www.weau.com







Ashland County authorities say a La Crosse doctor and his brother were killed in a single-engine plane crash on Madeline Island. 

Sheriff Mick Brennan identifies the victims as the pilot, 63-year-old Dr. Richard Renwick, and his brother, 58-year-old Bruce Renwick from Waunakee. WXOW-TV reports Dr. Renwick was a physician in obstetrics and gynecology at Gundersen Health System. In a statement, Gundersen says Renwick "was an exceptional physician, but even more important, he was a wonderful friend and family man."

The Piper Comanche went down south of a runway on the island in northwestern Wisconsin Saturday evening and became engulfed in flames. A witness told sheriff's investigators the pilot was trying to land the plane, then aborted the landing and turned to make a second approach before it went down.

The victims' bodies were recovered from the crash wreckage on Sunday and autopsies are being performed.

A news release said the crash happened at 6:34 near the airport in La Pointe. Authorities said they found the plane between 150 and 200 yards south of the runway fully engulfed in fire.

Marcus Liebenberg, a pilot, landed a plane at the same airport Sunday. He said it can be a difficult place to land.

"It is short," Liebenberg said. "You have a lot of trees next to the side of the runway, so when you have a day with high winds and crosswinds, especially, the winds are not as predictable as one might normally find at a normal airport."


 Source:  http://www.wdio.com

 A La Crosse physician and his brother were killed in the fiery crash of a Piper PA-24-260 Comanche plane in northwest Wisconsin Saturday night. 

Dr. Richard "Rick" Renwick, 63, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Gundersen Health System, was piloting the plane that crashed near the Madeline Island airport about 6:30 p.m., killing him and his brother, Bruce Renwick, 58, of Waunakee, Ashland County Sheriff Mick Brennan confirmed this afternoon.

The crash took place about 6:30 p.m. Saturday in a wooded area just short of the Madeline Island airport as the plane tried to land, Brennan said.

A witness saw the plane try to land, abort the maneuver and try to make a second approach, the sheriff said.

“There was a loud crash and explosion when it crashed and then a fire,” Brennan said. ‘“It was engulfed in flames when the fire department arrived.”

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating, he said.

 
http://lacrossetribune.com

A plane crash on Madeline Island Saturday evening killed two people, according to the Ashland County Sheriff's Office.

According to ABC station WXOW in La Crosse, Wisconsin, one of the men killed was an OB/GYN at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse. WXOW said he was Dr. Rick Renwick.

WXOW reported that the other victim killed in the crash was a relative.

The victims' bodies were recovered from the crash wreckage on Sunday and autopsies are being performed.

The
Piper PA-24-260 Comanche went down south of a runway on the island in northwestern Wisconsin Saturday evening and became engulfed in flames. Ashland County Sheriff Mick Brennan says the two men were the only occupants.

A news release said the crash happened at 6:34 near the airport in La Pointe. Authorities said they found the plane between 150 and 200 yards south of the runway fully engulfed in fire.

A witness told sheriff's investigators the pilot was trying to land the plane, then aborted the landing and turned to make a second approach before it went down.

Marcus Liebenberg, a pilot, landed a plane at the same airport Sunday. He said it can be a difficult place to land.

"It is short," Liebenberg said. "You have a lot of trees next to the side of the runway, so when you have a day with high winds and crosswinds, especially, the winds are not as predictable as one might normally find at a normal airport."

Airline Immunity on Threat Reports Gets U.S. High Court Review

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to use a case involving an Air Wisconsin pilot upset about losing his job to consider giving airlines broader immunity from lawsuits when they report potential security threats.

The justices today said they will review a $1.4 million award won by the pilot, William L. Hoeper. He sued the airline for telling federal officials as he was preparing to board a flight that he was “unstable” and possibly armed. Closely held Air Wisconsin Airlines Corp. flies for US Airways Group Inc. (LCC)

Airlines say a Colorado Supreme Court ruling upholding the award leaves them legally vulnerable when they follow instructions from the Transportation Security Administration, which tells carriers to err on the side of reporting security issues. President Barack Obama’s administration joined the industry in urging the Supreme Court to take up the case.

“The Colorado court’s analysis may chill other air carriers from timely providing the government with critical information about threats to aviation security,” U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli argued in court papers.

The case tests the 2001 Aviation and Transportation Security Act, a law enacted two months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The measure requires airlines to report security threats to the TSA. It also immunizes carriers from lawsuits, except for reports made with “actual knowledge” that they are false or “reckless disregard” for the truth.


‘Personal Vendettas’


Hoeper says Air Wisconsin officials aren’t entitled to immunity because they knew they were providing false information about him when they called TSA in 2004.

“Providing unrestricted immunity for even bogus reports to the TSA intended to inflict harm on innocent parties to settle personal vendettas does nothing to further national security,” Hoeper argued.

The incident occurred after Hoeper, a 20-year commercial pilot, failed on his fourth and final try to pass a certification test. The airline was requiring Hoeper to prove his proficiency because it was discontinuing the type of airplane he had been piloting.

During the fourth test, Hoeper became angry with the test administrators, allegedly screaming at them and accusing them of deliberately undermining his chances.

Hoeper left the facility and an Air Wisconsin manager, Patrick Doyle, booked the pilot on a flight to his Denver home. Before the flight left, Doyle called TSA to report Hoeper as a potential security threat.

Mental Stability

 
Among other things, Doyle said he was concerned about Hoeper’s mental stability and about the whereabouts of the firearm he had been issued in his capacity as a federal flight deck officer.

Hoeper was removed from the plane, arrested and later released. A Colorado state-court jury awarded Hoeper damages after concluding the airline had defamed him.

In upholding the award, the Colorado Supreme Court said Air Wisconsin wasn’t entitled to immunity because Doyle’s statements were made with reckless disregard as to their truth or falsity.

Air Wisconsin contends the case would have turned out differently had the Colorado court analyzed whether the statements were true before considering the issue of recklessness.

“The idea that a true report could subject an airline to suit is inimical to the ATSA’s goal of encouraging prompt disclosure of threat information,” Air Wisconsin argued.

Hoeper’s lawyers urged the justices not to take the case, saying the Colorado court in effect decided that the statements were false.

Air Wisconsin’s “real quarrel with the courts below is not the standard of review they applied, but with the courts’ understanding of the connotation of Doyle’s statements,” Hoeper argued in court papers.

The case, which the court will take up during its 2013-14 term, is Air Wisconsin v. Hoeper, 12-315. 


Source:   http://www.businessweek.com

General Electric Bets on Ceramic Jet-Engine Parts: Material Offers Airlines Promise of Reduced Maintenance and Fuel Costs: WSJ

June 17, 2013

By KATE LINEBAUGH

The Wall Street Journal


General Electric Co. is expanding its ability to produce ceramic-based parts for its jet-engine business, betting that the risks of using a novel material are outweighed by the expected fuel savings.

On Monday, GE Aviation plans to announce that it will build a factory in Asheville, N.C., that will produce engine parts made out of ceramic matrix composites, which combine silicon carbide and ceramic resin.

Small-scale production of one part will begin early next year. The world's largest maker of jet engines plans to start testing a broader range of ceramic-matrix parts in the upgraded engine for Boeing Co.'s next-generation 777 wide-body airplane.

Engine makers are competing to provide airlines with fuel savings, increased thrust and lower cost. GE is putting its money on advanced composite materials that promise to be more durable and weigh less than those made from the typical nickel and titanium metal alloys. The idea is to reduce maintenance costs for airlines and cut fuel consumption by lowering the weight of the engine.

Ceramic matrix composites have been considered as a new material for jet engines for decades. But the material has been dogged by cost concerns and worries about fragility.

GE's chief rival for single-aisle aircraft business, United Technologies Corp.'s  Pratt & Whitney, has not embraced ceramic composites in the same way and instead is focused on a new engine design to achieve the same result.

The "geared turbofan engine" that Pratt is developing and testing uses a gear that allows for a bigger front fan that is expected to bring better performance.

GE says it has developed new coatings and processing techniques that can overcome concerns about the durability of ceramic composites. The company aims to expand the use of composite parts in its engines to 50% from 10% now. Most composites are carbon fiber and used in the so-called cold parts of the engine—away from where the fuel is burned. The new variety of ceramic matrix composites will be used in the hot section.

Early next year the Asheville factory will begin work on a stationary part, known as a turbine shroud, in the hottest section of the jet engine. The parts will be used in the new Leap engine that GE makes with Safran SA of France for the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320neo. Airbus is a unit of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. EAD.

The Leap engine will come into service in 2016, and GE plans to deliver 1,200 of the engines in 2017. The company then plans to increase the number of parts made out of ceramic matrix composites in the "hot" section to as many as nine, GE Aviation manufacturing executive Mike Kauffman said.

"We see this growing into other stationary components, and are even doing developments on rotating parts like turbine blades," Mr. Kauffman said.

GE has been working on the materials for two decades. In recent years, it set up a development center in Delaware and acquired a venture that produces a key raw material, silicon carbide.


Source:   http://online.wsj.com

Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee, N199: Accident occurred June 16, 2013 in Coolin, Idaho

EARTH & AIR LLC:  http://registry.faa.gov/N199 

NTSB Identification: WPR13CA273 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, June 16, 2013 in Coolin, ID
Probable Cause Approval Date: 09/05/2013
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28-140, registration: N199
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The pilot reported that prior to arrival at the airport he received a calm wind report from a nearby airport. After turning right base for landing, he realized that he was too close in to the runway, so he reduced the power to idle, turned a 0.5-nautical-mile final approach, and added three notches of flaps. Prior to touchdown, he realized that he was running out of runway, and that it was too late to go around due to obstacles (trees) at the end of the runway. The airplane subsequently touched down, and the pilot retracted the flaps, turned off the ignition, and applied the brakes. The pilot tried to ground loop the airplane, but the landing gear struck one of the horizontal log railings at the end of the runway. The airplane bounced onto and skidded across an asphalt road and into some scrub brush and saplings. The left wing and all three landing gear separated. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate glide path, which led to a runway excursion and collision with objects.


 
Bonner County Sheriff's Office courtesy photo


A pilot walked away after his private plane slid off a runway near Priest Lake, Idaho on Sunday evening. 

 Shortly before 6 p.m., Joseph Burch, of Texas, was landing at Cavanaugh Bay Airstrip in Coolin when he was unable to stop at the south end of the runway, a release from the Bonner County Sheriff’s office said.

The plane slid across Eastshore Road and came to rest in the brush and small trees. The plane sustained extensive damage, the release said.

Burch was the only person in the aircraft at the time of the crash.

The investigation was forwarded to the Federal Aviation Administration for any additional follow-up.


http://www.spokesman.com

Piper PA-36-285 Pawnee Brave, Four States Sky Ag Inc., N55719: Accident occurred May 14, 2013 in Galena, Kansas

NTSB Identification: CEN13LA280
14 CFR Part 137: Agricultural
Accident occurred Tuesday, May 14, 2013 in Galena, KS
Probable Cause Approval Date: 03/13/2014
Aircraft: PIPER PA-36-285, registration: N57719
Injuries: 1 Minor.

NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot noticed a decrease in the engine's oil pressure. The engine then sustained a total loss of power, and the airplane collided with terrain during the forced landing. An examination of the engine revealed that the No. 2 piston had failed. In addition, each of the spark plugs had two washers installed, instead of one, and the oil filter contained many metal particles. The two washers likely altered the detonation characteristics of the pistons, causing them to overheat. As the No. 2 piston degraded, metal particles collected in the oil filter. Maintenance records indicate that the engine was overdue for a recommended oil change; the deteriorating piston would likely have been detected during an oil change. The mechanic who performed the last annual inspection was not aware that additional spark plug washers had been installed on the engine.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The loss of engine power due to improper maintenance by an unknown individual that led to the degradation and deterioration of the No. 2 piston, which was undetected because of overdue maintenance.

On May 14, 2013, about 1050 central daylight time, a Piper PA-36-285 airplane, N57719, conducted a forced landing near Galena, Kansas. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The airplane was registered to and operated by Four States Sky Ag Inc. under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an agricultural application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The local flight departed the Swalley Airpark (78KS), Baxter Springs, Kansas, about 1045.

According to a statement provided by the pilot to the responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors, the airplane had departed 78KS and he had just began to level off when he noticed a decrease in oil pressure. The engine experienced a total loss of power before the pilot could set up for a forced landing. The airplane collided with terrain in an open field.

An examination of the engine conducted by the FAA inspectors revealed that the number 2 cylinder piston had failed. A large amount of aluminum particles were observed in the oil and the oil filter. Each spark plug had two spark plug washers. Maintenance records determined that the recommended oil change time had been exceeded. The mechanic that performed the last annual inspection stated he had not installed the extra spark plug washers and was not aware of their presence on the engine. It could not be determined who installed the additional spark plug washers.

 NTSB Identification: CEN13LA280
14 CFR Part 137: Agricultural
Accident occurred Tuesday, May 14, 2013 in Galena, KS
Aircraft: PIPER PA-36-285, registration: N57719
Injuries: 1 Minor.

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

On May 14, 2013, about 1050 central daylight time, a Piper PA-36-285 airplane, N55719, conducted a forced landing near Galena, Kansas. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuried. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The airplane was registered to and operated by Four States Sky Ag Inc. under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an agricultural application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The local flight originated from a private air strip at an unknown time.

According to the pilot, while performing an aerial application flight, the engine's oil pressure decreased and the engine experienced a loss of power. He performed a forced landed to a nearby field. During the landing, the landing gear broke off the airplane and the fuselage was substantially damaged.


 
Tim Kellogg of Riverton, Kansas, holds his 1-year-old grandchildren Hayden Kellogg of Columbus, Kan., and Andee Chesnut of Baxter Springs, Kan., in front of his Piper Brave crop dusting airplane at the Miami Regional Airport. 


RIVERTON, Kan. — Two minutes after John “Tim” Kellogg flew over his rural Cherokee County home and waved at his wife on their porch, the oil pressure in his crop-dusting plane dropped and the engine began smoking.

“I knew I was going to be on the ground in 15 to 20 seconds, and I knew it was going to be a hard landing,” he said.

A former mechanic on F-16s, F-15s and F-4s for the U.S. Air Force, Kellogg, 48, had to make a split-second decision.

He opted to kill the plane’s electric power because he had 45 gallons of gas on board and thought he might break the tank when he landed.

“I didn’t want a spark to ignite my fuel,” he said.

He aimed his Piper Brave at a field east of Highway 69 near Boston Mills Road, but he knew he wouldn’t make it.

“I crash-landed in a field I couldn’t see from the air — just because I knew it was there,” he said of the soon-to-be-planted cornfield owned by Rick Jesse. “I went over trees, did 180 degrees.”

The only thing still intact on the plane after the crash that sunny May day was the cockpit.

“It ripped the gear off, ripped every tire off the airplane, broke the windshield out,” Kellogg said.

Kellogg this week plans to again hit the skies over Southeast Kansas, Southwest Missouri and Northeast Oklahoma. He said he’s well aware that his is a risky profession: Each year there are news reports of crop-dusters crashing.

Crop-dusters have seen a tremendous increase in the number of hours — up 29 percent from 2003 through 2007, according to the Federal Aviation Administration — and in recent weeks have been in peak demand in Crawford and Cherokee counties because of an invasion of army worms and muddy fields that have kept farmers from accessing crops on the ground.

Finding help

Kellogg said he has a lot invested in the profession. He spent thousands of dollars on education so that he could fly, and he holds numerous certifications. As the owner of Four States Sky Ag Inc., flying crop-dusters also is his livelihood. And, he said, he loves it.

After the crash on May 14, Kellogg thought he had lost his cellphone, which had been on the dash moments before the plane went down.

In addition to his experience with planes, Kellogg also is a former emergency room nurse and knew he had to get help immediately.

“I had fungicide in my eyes, and it was burning,” he said. “I felt like I had an abdominal bleed, my gut hurt so bad. I worried I would just lay there and bleed out.”

He discovered his cellphone nearby in a puddle of fungicide by the plane. After wiping it off, he dialed the customer for whom he was spraying.

“He’d know where I was and could get me help,” Kellogg said. “I tried calling three or four times, then decided it was time to get up and hoof it.”

Kellogg saw a tractor in use in a nearby field and, running the last 100 yards, headed almost blindly toward it in search of water to flush his eyes.

“I went to stop him. He was throttling the tractor down, and I think I must have freaked him out,” Kellogg said.

That man, Chris Holt, drove Kellogg to the guard shack at nearby Jayhawk Chemical, where a Wiese Co. truck mechanic, Mark Fowler Sr., of Webb City, Mo., helped him flush his eyes.

Kellogg, who today can’t stop praising the man, later would call Fowler’s company headquarters in Springfield, Mo., and recommend him for employee of the year.

Kellogg was still covered with fungicide, and his eyes were his biggest concern.

When they reached his wife of 30 years, DeAnn, she took him to the emergency room at Mercy Hospital in Joplin, Mo., for treatment, then a follow-up doctor’s appointment to make sure his eyes were OK. They are. Kellogg said it took almost a week, but the pain subsided and his vision is back at 100 percent.

Customer support

His next concern was his livelihood and his promises to customers.

“After I tore up my airplane, I had 1,600 acres left to do,” Kellogg said. “If I lost that, I lost my income.”

Fowler isn’t the only one Kellogg now refers to as a guardian angel during and after his ordeal. He said he’s also blessed that others have come to his aid.

“For one thing, I have really neat customers,” he said.

They include about 20 or 30 pecan growing operations, the producers’ co-ops in Columbus and Oswego, and dozens of individual farmers.

“Some of my biggest customers called and asked, ‘We didn’t lose you, did we?’” Kellogg said. “I had one guy prepay for his acreage to help get me back up and going.”

He also had a call from fellow crop-duster Kevin Kingsley, of Lamar, Mo.

“I called him when a guy in training went down a few weeks before,” Kellogg said. “This time, it was him calling me and offering his help. He said when he got caught up, he’d come help me. We’re kind of all in it together.”

Meanwhile, he wasted no time getting back in the cockpit.

“I’ve been looking around for planes the past few weeks,” Kellogg said. “I’m chomping at the bit. I think everyone else is nervous about me flying, but I’m not. There’s stuff to do.”

Kellogg bought a new crop-duster in South Dakota and flew it home. A few days later, he was on his way to buy a backup plane in Independence, Kan.

“My wife is a little nervous — she doesn’t hardly sleep,” he said.

“She keeps telling me to wait until I’m ready. I’ve been ready for two weeks. I’d just as soon be in the air.”

Father was a pilot

JOHN “TIM” KELLOGG’S FATHER, Lowell Kellogg, grew up and learned to fly in Opolis, Kan. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II as a waist gunner on a B-17 and was shot down over Germany. He was a prisoner of war for the last year of the war. Having most recently lived in Carl Junction, he died in 1998. He would have been 99 this year.

Source:  http://www.joplinglobe.com

Piper PA-28-181 Archer II, N9160Q: Plane makes emergency landing in Waiehu, Maui, Hawaii














June 16, 2013 

The Maui News
Updated 9:42 p.m.

A small plane made an emergency landing in brush near the shoreline in Waiehu on Sunday afternoon with all four aboard uninjured, according to Maui firefighters.

Firefighters responded to the call of a plane crash at 5:38 p.m., said Fire Services Chief Lee Mainaga. An engine company from Wailuku came across the pilot, who reported that he and the three other men on board were uninjured.

The crash landing site was about 50 yards from the shoreline in brush, makai of Lower Waiehu Beach Road and north of the river mouth in the area, he said.

Ian Gregor, public affairs manager for the FAA Pacific Region, reported that the pilot of the Piper Cherokee on a flight from Honolulu to Maui declared a mayday at 5:40 p.m., about 3 to 4 miles from Kahului Airport.

The pilot made an emergency landing, he said. Gregor also confirmed that there were no injuries.

There was minor damage to the plane, whose tail number is N9160Q, Gregor said.

The FAA will be investigating the incident, he added.


Source:  http://www.mauinews.com
 
http://registry.faa.gov/N9160Q

Cessna T210L Turbo Centurion, N94086: Accident occurred June 16, 2013 in Fresno, California

NTSB Identification: WPR13LA274
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, June 16, 2013 in Fresno, CA
Aircraft: CESSNA T210L, registration: N94086
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

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

On June 16, 2013, about 1140 Pacific daylight time (PDT), a Cessna T210L, N94086, landed gear-up at Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Fresno, California. The owner/pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local personal flight departed Fowler, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot reported that he was unable to fully retract the landing gear after takeoff. He was unable to correct the situation and attempted to manually extend the landing gear. That too was unsuccessful and he elected to land with the nose gear partially extended and the main gear retracted. During the landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, left aileron, left horizontal stabilizer, and elevator.

The airplane was recovered for further examination.



FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Cessna 210 made an emergency landing Sunday at the Fresno Yosemite International Airport due to landing gear issues. 

he pilot had to make an emergency crash landing at Fresno Yosemite International Airport.

The emergency landing caused several flight delays after shutting down the runway. Luckily, the couple inside the aircraft was not injured.

"It did a lot of damage to the airplane but hey, we're in one piece," said Jim Simonian. He and his wife, Eileen, walked away from a crash landing at FYI Sunday, without any injuries.

The couple flew out of Selma's airport that same morning to have Father's Day breakfast at Harris Ranch when they noticed something wrong with their Cessna 210.

"When I left, I noticed that the landing gear didn't come up properly and I tried to put it back down again and it didn't work," said Jim Simonian.

The Fowler City Councilman and stone fruit farmer has been a pilot for 40 years but never encountered a problem this severe.

"You train for this kind of stuff and so I didn't like it. But I didn't exactly start screaming at the top of my lungs either," said Jim.

Jim said he then handed over the controls to his wife while he read the emergency manual and called for help. "I'm okay. It was quite an experience," said Eileen Simonian.

Emergency crews directed them to land on FYI's runway. "We landed and we rolled out. It was just like a normal landing except the wing dipped and it kind of took us around," said Jim. The plane was damaged but he and his wife were okay.

The crash shutdown the airport's only functioning runway delaying outgoing flights while rerouting incoming flights.

"We came here on the other side to see if we could take a look and find out what was going on. And then my wife called me and told me they were going to be in Bakersfield for at least 2 hours," said Timothy Simmons of Clovis. His wife's Phoenix flight was rerouted from Fresno to Bakersfield.

Despite the entire ordeal, the Simonian's had a positive attitude about the situation. "We're still going to go have breakfast. How does that sound?," said Jim.

It took airport crews several hours to remove the aircraft and reopen the runway.

Story and Comments/Reaction:  http://abclocal.go.com


http://registry.faa.gov/N94086