Prop system ready for flight testing

After years of research, Thunder Bay’s Aerovate Inc. will flight-test its variable-pitch propeller system this summer, with the goal of bringing the technology to market this fall.

Aerovate’s system, the brainchild of owner Andrew Kondor, is designed to be used on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, for civilian and military applications.

The company has completed construction on a 12-foot unmanned aircraft, which will be used to test the system, and Florida-based Sensenich, Aerovate’s partner in making the propeller part of the hub system, has finalized the design for the new prop.

Kondor anticipated the system would be fully tested by the end of August.

“Our test airplane is finished, and we’re at the point where, obviously, we know that our system works, and we were in the process in the last few years of testing it to make sure we have something that works,” Kondor said. “But now we have to get it in the air to be able to give real-time flight data to potential customers.”

To help facilitate his work, Aerovate was approved for $62,500 in funding from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp.

“It’s going to be used to leverage the current investment funds that we have to be able to buy equipment that otherwise would be a little bit out of our range, as far as pricing goes,” he said. “It allows us to have the best possible equipment on hand to test our propeller system and allow us to commercialize it to the fullest extent, providing the best data to our customers.”

The money will allow the company to buy a better quality autopilot system, telemetry equipment to monitor in-flight progress, and transportation equipment for the plane. Government funding means the company will have to borrow less to finance the project.

Aerovate’s funding announcement coincided with another government release. In June, the National Research Council Canada (NRC) launched a series of new programs designed to support the Canadian aerospace industry.

One program, the Civil Unmanned Aircraft Systems program, is designed to address challenges associated with system technology and regulation, as well as facilitate collaboration between developers, providers and key end-users for successful demonstration projects.

Kondor said testing he’s done in the past through the NRC has been helpful in collecting data needed to prove the viability of the technology to investors, and there could be potential for this new funding.

“We do certainly have civilian applications for this propeller system; statistics show that the greater use of UAVs in the next five to 10 years will be in the high-value civilian applications areas and less will be actually used in the military sense, so for our product itself it’s not specific to military,” he said. “It’s basically something that can be strapped onto any unmanned system to help it fly better.”

High-value civilian applications encompass search and rescue, monitoring the migration of animals, harbour patrol, border patrol, disaster relief uses, observation for police companies, and security agencies, amongst other uses.

But currently the greater use for UAVs remains military observation, he noted, so the system his company has designed will be targeted for a specific motor size and range, which is widely in use now. Kondor’s optimistic that, as civilian agencies adopt more use of UAV technology, they’ll use Aerovate’s propeller system to give them more efficiencies in flight.

In August, Aerovate will attend the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) convention, taking place in Washington, DC, where the company will showcase its hub system. Kondor hopes to be fielding orders at that time and into early fall. He’s received inquiries from Israeli Aerospace and the U.S. Army about the technology.

The system’s reputation has already preceded its appearance in Washington. Aerovate was one of six Canadian companies invited to the Canadian Embassy in September to present its new technology at a technology-based conference there.

“One of the people at the Canadian embassy called us,” Kondor said. “I’m not sure how they got our number, but I’m quite happy about that. It’s a very big deal for us.”

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

GE Aviation test records hottest temperatures in jet engine history

GE Aviation has recorded the highest temperatures in history for a jet engine during tests, the Evendale company said Monday.

The jet engine maker tested an engine core for a potential military combat engine as part of a research and development program in partnership with the U.S. Air Force.

Temperatures in the test exceeded the target by 130 degrees Fahrenheit, demonstrating the highest combination of compressor and turbine temperatures ever recorded in aviation history, GE Aviation said.

The actual temperature reached is classified information, said Matt Benvie, spokesman for GE Aviation.

GE Aviation conducted the test in February this year, Benvie said. The information is being publicly released now after getting security clearance.

The entire engine test ran for 60 total hours. The turbine fan ran during the test for two hours above state-of-the art temperatures. And the engine was tested for 85 minutes above the goal temperature, Benvie said.

The technology is unprecedented.

“If you can go over a target temperature while still having the hardware perform well, there’s a lot of margin in terms of the durability of the engine,” he said. And “if you run an engine hotter, you’re able to extract more energy from the fuel.”

Based on the test’s success, conducted in Evendale, in Hamilton County, the first full adaptive cycle engine test is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2013 in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, housed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton.

The new military engine in development uses the company’s proven commercial engine technologies: the next-generation LEAP high-pressure compressor; heat-resistant ceramic matrix composite materials in the combustor and high-pressure turbine; and additive (3-D) manufactured components, GE Aviation said.

The LEAP engine is a product of GE’s and French company Snecma’s joint venture CFM International. LEAP will be GE Aviation’s next big commercial product to enter service in 2016, and the first commercial engine to contain ceramic matrix composite parts.

The record-setting engine test was for the Adaptive Versatile Engine Technology program in partnership with the U.S. Air Force.

“The engine hardware is in excellent condition, even with operation above the target temperatures. We are pleased with the core test results and look forward to continuing the success with the full-engine adaptive cycle demonstration,” said Matt Meininger, Air Force Research Laboratory ADVENT program manager, in a statement.

Source:  http://www.toledoblade.com

Airline worker charged with stealing luggage after Asiana crash: San Francisco International Airport (KSFO), California

SAN FRANCISCO -- A United Airlines customer service agent and his wife have been charged with one felony count of grand theft and two felony counts of commercial burglary for allegedly stealing luggage at San Francisco International Airport in the disarray following the crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214, prosecutors said Monday.

Sean Sharif Crudup, 44, and Raychas Elizabeth Thomas, 32, both of Richmond, Calif., are out on bail. Crudup has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Thomas is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 26 and has yet to file a plea. If convicted, each could receive a maximum sentence of four years and 4 months in state prison.

“On July 8 our victims were flying home to SFO from the Cayman Islands,” said San Mateo County Dist. Atty. Stephen Wagstaffe. “Their luggage, several pieces, which contained an extensive amount, $30,000 of clothing … went on an earlier plane and landed at SFO before the crash.”

But the victims’ plane was diverted, Wagstaffe said in an interview, first to Houston and finally to Los Angeles, where they rented a car to drive north. But when they arrived at the luggage area at SFO, their baggage was nowhere to be found. The prosecutor did not identify the victims.

Surveillance video allegedly showed Crudup going into an airport baggage office, taking a piece of luggage, bringing it out and handing it to Thomas. He then returned to the office, collected another bag and handed it to a second woman, not yet identified, Wagstaffe said. The group later left the airport.

“Ms. Thomas had taken a bunch of the clothing to Nordstrom to sell it back,” Wagstaffe said. “A search warrant was issued for their home in Richmond, and a large number of the items were found there.”

Wagstaffe said it is still unclear whether such theft was an ongoing practice or whether “it was an isolated incident, taking advantage of the hectic world of SFO that day.”

The Asiana crash July 6 killed three young Chinese students and injured nearly 200 passengers and crew members. It also wrought havoc on airline operations in the Bay Area for several days, canceling outgoing flights and causing a large number of incoming flights to be diverted.

Crudup and Thomas were arrested at the San Francisco airport where the thefts allegedly occurred. They were heading to Hawaii on July 25 -- Crudup’s birthday, three days before Thomas'.

“Whether we’ll have future charges [against the couple], law enforcement will let us know,” Wagstaffe said. Either way, “Thievery when no one’s around, I find it deplorable, especially if they’re taking advantage of a case like this.... I find it a serious breach of trust.”

Story and Comments/Reaction:  http://www.latimes.com

Constant Aviation in line for state tax credit for big expansion

 

 Constant Aviation LLC, a Cleveland company that repairs and maintains jets, is in line to receive a state tax credit for a big expansion project.

The company “expects to create 300 full-time positions, generating $13.8 million in additional annual payroll and retaining $8.7 million in existing payroll as a result of (an) expansion project in the city of Cleveland,” according to a news release from Gov. John Kasich's office. The release stated that the Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved a seven-year, 60% Job Creation Tax Credit for Constant Aviation.

A project document provided by the state indicated that Constant Aviation “is considering local and national consolidation and expansion of HQ and servicing functions, which will create many high-paying jobs and a high investment. Assistance is needed to help offset these high costs and to ensure a win against competing states.”

The proposed project “involves building a new, state-of-the-art facility to house all of the company's functions and employees,” according to the state document. “The company's fixed-asset investment would be toward constructing a new building.”

A Constant Aviation spokeswoman did not immediately respond to an email sent around 1 p.m. seeking comment about the project. A voicemail left around 1:35 p.m. for president Stephen Maiden also was not immediately returned.

Constant Aviation has operations at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Birmingham International Airport in Alabama and in Las Vegas, according to its website.

In a Nov. 7, 2011, Crain's profile of the company, Mr. Maiden said a drawback to operating at Hopkins — as opposed to Burke Lakefront Airport or Cuyahoga County Airport, where many aircraft-servicing companies operate — is that Hopkins doesn't have much available space.

“If I could add another 25,000-square-foot facility here, I'd do it tomorrow,” Mr. Maiden said in the 2011 story. “But there is literally no space available.”

At the time, Constant Aviation had 170 employees, including about 35 added in the previous 12 months.

Constant Aviation specializes in airframe maintenance, engine repair maintenance, major repairs, avionics, interior refurbishment and modification, parts distribution, and accessory and composite services. 

Source:  http://www.crainscleveland.com

Ghana: Aviation Staff in Custody for Exporting Indian Hemp

A driver in the employment of Starbow Airlines and an Aviation Security Officer have been held in custody by an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly exporting 250 kilograms of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp into the United Kingdom (UK)

Benjamin Kwesi Bentil and Foster Owusu are alleged to have conspired with other accomplices to export the said amount of kilograms of suspected Indian hemp to the UK through the Virgin Atlantic Airline.

They admitted the offense in their cautioned statement upon their arrest.

They however pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to commit crime and exportation of narcotic drug without the authority of the minister of health before the court presided over by Mr. Francis Obiri.

The court denied them bail and remanded them into the custody of the BNI to re-appear before the court on August 7, 2013.

The facts of the case are that on July 7, 2013, Benjamin Kwesi Bentil and Foster Owusu and their accomplices decided to exports some dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp to the UK.

The prosecutor, DSP Aidan Dery told the court that on July 8, 2013, Foster Owusu field in for duty at Gate Number 21 to the Kotoka International Airport between 6:00am and 6:00pm, and informed his accomplices and requested that they send him ten boxes of dried leaves to his duty point before he closes.

He said this made Benjamin Kwesi Bentil to enter the airport through Foster Owusu at about 5:30pm and waited for arrival of the boxes which both of them sent to the Air Ghana Perishable Cargo Centre's warehouse.

According to him, at that point, their accomplices at the center loaded it together with food and exported them through Virgin Atlantic Airline number VC 0658/09 to the UK.

DSP Dery mentioned that at the Heathrow Airport, the ten boxes were detected to contain 250 kilograms of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

He further noted that Benjamin Kwesi Bentil and Foster Owusu were arrested and in their caution statement, they admitted having committed the offense.

Source:  http://allafrica.com

Cirrus SR22 GTS, N147KA: Accident occurred July 21, 2013 in English Channel, United Kingdom

NTSB Identification: CEN13WA427 
 14 CFR Unknown
Accident occurred Sunday, July 21, 2013 in English Channel, United Kingdom
Aircraft: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22, registration: N147KA
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. The foreign authority was the source of this information.

On July 21, 2013, about 1200 UTC, a Cirrus SR-22, N147KA, (s/n 1944) was found in the English Channel near the last radar contact coordinates. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot is missing, unlikely to have survived.

This investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the British government. Any further information may be obtained from:

Air Accidents Investigations Branch
Farnborough House
Berkshire Copse Road
Aldershot, Hampshire
GU11 2HH, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 1252 5130300
Facsimile: +444 (0) 1252 376999
E-mail: investigations@aaib.gov.uk

This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by, or obtained from, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch of England.

 

Only about 15 percent of Sascha Schornstein's Cirrus SR22 GTS aircraft has been found so far by rescue teams.

 Picture: Family handout

 

Sascha Schornstein, from Knightsbridge, with his wife wife Yulia Schornstein, who went missing when a Cirrus SR22 GTS plane he was flying crashed into the sea near the Kent coastline. 

Picture: Family handout

 

Yulia Schornstein spoke to media at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire and pleaded for help in finding her husband's body.

Photo Credit: Steve Parsons/PA Wire

• Sascha Schornstein, 36, has not been seen since crash on July 21

• His Russian wife Yulia has appealed for funds to pay for submarine search

• She said she could not think of a reason why her husband would vanish

• Police are treating case as missing person's inquiry and keeping 'open mind'

Police are investigating whether a wealthy banker whose plane crashed in the English Channel faked his own death.

Sascha Schornstein, 36, has not been seen since his Cirrus SR22 GTS aircraft came down off the coast of Kent.

Investigators pulled a small amount of wreckage from the sea but have found no trace of the financier’s body.

They insist that the apparent tragedy remains a ‘missing person’s inquiry’ as they keep an ‘open mind’ over what took place.

Officers have released a photograph of Mr Schornstein, a keen diver and sailor, in case he has been spotted since he boarded the plane.

They declined to reveal the results of checks on his bank accounts, credit cards and mobile phones that could indicate if he is still alive.

Yesterday, his wife Yulia, 28, appealed for up to £30,000 to help her solve the mystery of his disappearance.

She said her German husband, who worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland, was a methodical and careful man and she cannot understand what happened.

Fighting back tears, she revealed she wants to raise the money to pay for a submarine to find the missing wreckage after the official search was called off.

She said: ‘I have to know what happened. I know Sascha was very responsible.

‘Flying was his passion and he was German and had that attention to detail so I’m sure that in that situation something unexpected must have happened.

‘I’m a little scared of flying but he always took me and I always felt comfortable and we went to France and Germany and he was always well prepared.’

Mrs Schornstein, who is originally from St Petersburg in Russia, added that she did not know why her husband would vanish.

She said: ‘We are very happy and money was not a problem. There are really no problems. He was very busy at work and he was working one night until 4am.

‘He often stayed late in the office and was working on something that was going to finish in July and we were going on holiday to France in August for my birthday.’

Mrs Schornstein has launched a website asking for donations to help fund her search. She believes an onboard recorded could help solve the mystery.

Last night wellwishers had already given more than £3,000 towards her target.

Mr Schornstein disappeared on July 21 as his Cirrus plane crashed about 15 miles off the coast of Dungeness, Kent.

The banker, who lived in a £850,000 Knightsbridge apartment, worked for RBS in its commodity finance department.

He had been living in London since 2001 and was a graduate of the London School of Economics.

He had logged a flight plan before taking off from Blackbushe Airport in Hampshire on route to the coastal town of Le Touquet in France.

An extensive search by the British and French authorities in water 50m deep led to the recovery of between 10 and 15 percent of the aircraft.

Officials found parts of the wings, fuselage and doors but there is no sign of an emergency parachute or Mr Schornstein.

The American-registered aircraft was rented by Mr Schornstein, who married his wife - who works in the hotel industry - 18 months ago.

Sgt Andy Thomas, of Hampshire Police, said: ‘In the simplest terms because we have not found Sascha, this is a missing person inquiry.

‘Although it would appear he has been involved in an accident, we are keeping all lines of inquiry open.’

The officer said that at the moment there is nothing to suggest Mr Schornstein would have faked a crash and disappeared.

He added that it was not unusual to find more of the wreckage and that the task of locating the main part of the plane had been very difficult.

Sgt Thomas said: ‘I’m keeping an open mind as to what has happened to Mr Schornstein.

“We’re releasing a picture of him in case he has been spotted since, or if anyone else has important information that can assist us.

‘We are now conducting a missing person investigation and are working with international police as part of our inquiries.’

Officials from the Air Accident Investigation Branch are also examining what caused the aircraft to come down. The weather on the day was clear and fine.

An RBS spokesman said: ‘I can confirm that an employee of RBS is currently presumed missing following a plane crash.

‘’We are working with the authorities to understand the current situation and we are in contact with his family to ensure they receive our full support at this difficult time.’

Story, Photos, Comments/Reaction: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Police conduct background checks on missing pilot

Authorities Didn't Inform Amber Lowery's Family of Postiively Identified Remains, Brother Speaks Out

Nearly six months after she was reported missing near Rising Star, Amber Lowery's family has been told forensic tests show the remains found are hers. Michael Lowery, Amber's husband, was arrested for her murder even before her remains were found. Now we're hearing from Amber's family, who says they have been kept in the dark about the investigation. KTAB's Victor Sotelo spoke with Amber's brother about how the case is being handled.

 Ryan Christensen, Amber's brother, explained to us one of the last things his sister said to him before her death.

"Ryan I just need to tell you, that if anything happened to me, that Mike did it." Christensen said.

The details are still fresh in his mind, just as you wold expect them to be. He knew something was wrong back in July of 2013, when her husband Michael Lowery said she left their ranch by herself.

"I was assuming she was missing, because Mike's story was, 'I don't know where she is at, we had a fight and she left." Christensen states.

Now they know for sure, it was his sister's body who was found on their ranch. Something Christensen, and his family, knew in their heart when her remains were first found.

"They found her vehicle in Rising Star, they put a few more things together," Christensen said, "and shortly after that Mike was arrested with charges of murder in the first degree."

However, the positive I.D. is something the Comanche County authorities new since last October. Christianson says after leaving several messages, he had to go to Comanchy County to find out.

"Next of kin should have been notified sooner than this, in my opinion."

Now he wants to be sure the next step is taken.

"We want this legal system to prosecute Mike, the way that he needs to be prosecuted, plain and simple."

Michael Lowery is awaiting trial in Comanche County and the family says they are expecting a summer time trial.

http://www.bigcountryhomepage.com

 

Amber Lowery was photographed in the pilot's seat of an Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter in June 2012. 

By STEVE NASH,  Brownwood Bulletin

A former Brownwood Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter pilot who lives near Rising Star with her husband and two small children has been missing since July 23, and her disappearance is being investigated by the Comanche County Sheriff's Office.

Law enforcement officials found 34-year-old Amber Lowery's 2011 Honda CRV abandoned in a parking lot in Rising Star Saturday afternoon, according to information on a Facebook page called Find Amber Lowery. Lowery's brother, Ryan Christensen, a Phoenix, Ariz. accountant, said he fears for his sister's life.

Lowery gave birth to her second child in February and did not return to work, Christensen said. Her other son is 5. A former co-worker said Lowery had worked at the Brownwood base for about a year after transferring from another Air Evac Lifeteam base.

The family's home is six miles east of Rising Star just inside Comanche County. Sheriff's officials were not immediately available for comment.

Lowery's husband, Mike, is an offshore helicopter pilot and was reached by cell phone. Mike Lowery said his wife left home around 9:45 the night of July 23 and did not say where she was going. "She left in her car," Lowery said. "We had heard that she had some kind of friends coming into town. We believe she went to meet someone."

Lowery said his wife had been experiencing postpartum depression and was also depressed over the deaths of her parents, who were killed in April in a one-vehicle accident in Comanche County.

Lowery said he learned from Comanche County Sheriff's officials that his wife had told an Air Evac Lifeteam employee about some friends coming into town and that she had not been specific about who those friends were.

"Her children and I are very worried and very concerned for her well-being," Lowery said. "We're worried about her mental stability."

When asked to describe his wife, Lowery said, "She's a 34-year-old woman who has two young children. We're very concerned about her mental condition at this time. My mind's reeling 18 different directions. (We are) very concerned about her well being."

Christensen referred comment on Mike Lowery's statements to Comanche County Sheriff's officials.

Christensen, 38, did talk about his missing sister after being reached by phone at  the Bluffdale home of his late parents, Chris and Linda Christensen. Ryan Christensen said he and his wife, Megan, have been at his parents' home to settle their estate. Megan Christensen has set up the Find Amber Lowery Facebook page.

Christensen said Amber was born in Moab, Utah, the youngest of five siblings, and was raised in Kingman, Ariz. Their father was a helicopter pilot, and Amber was "daddy's little girl," Christensen said.

Amber Lowery began flying around 2003 and she worked as a helicopter instructor pilot, as well as an offshore pilot, before going to work for Air Evac Lifeteam. He said she and Mike Lowery have been married five or six years.

"She was always smiling, a positive person," Christensen said. "We're all proud of her. She's worked hard. She's a smart girl. She was an outstanding pilot. We love Amber, we miss Amber, we want her found."

Christensen said he'd spoken by phone with his sister the night of July 23 and she was supposed to be arriving in Bluffdale the next day. Christensen said his sister "would never just up and leave her kids. My absolute, driving hope is, we find her and get her home safe to her boys."

Christensen said he fears "somebody has her or something's happened to her. I think she's definitely in grave danger. I fear for her life genuinely."

Delette Gazaway, a flight nurse with the Brownwood Air Evac Lifeteam base, said Lowery's former co-workers are very concerned and "want her to be found."

Gazaway said Lowery was a good pilot and good to work with, and "loves her kids."

"We're upset. Our hands are kind of tied," Gazaway said. "We're sitting and waiting like everybody else."

Story, Photo, Comments/Reaction:   http://www.brownwoodtx.com

Accidental Aircraft Emergency Locator Beacon Activation Spurs Search

Numerous aircraft searched for a 1956 Piper PA-18A aircraft registered to William Sims last week after an Emergency Locator Beacon was detected.

Alaska State Troopers were notified of the ELT at  about 3:30 pm on Thursday and began an active search for the aircraft with Iliamna Air Taxi's assistance.

The search for the aircraft would lead them to a remote landing strip just northwest of Lower Tazimna Lake near Iliamna.

When located, the aircraft showed no sign of crashing, and no one was seen at or near the aircraft.

Alaska Wildlife Troopers would later find out from Sims that he had no idea that the locator beacon had been activated on the aircraft.

Source: http://alaska-native-news.com

City of Homer threatens to sue Grant Aviation for $20,000 in alleged back rent (With Audio)

Five months after the company suddenly pulled its operations out of the southern Kenai Peninsula, Grant Aviation is facing a lawsuit from the City of Homer. Grant owes the city about $20,000 in unpaid bills.

Grant Aviation had only been operating out of Homer for about three years when they abruptly left in February. Homer City Manager Walt Wrede says the city was very surprised to hear the news.

“We thought that things were going well for them here,” he said. “We found out about them leaving through the newspaper. They didn’t contact us ahead of time to let us know.”

Grant also pulled out of Valdez in February, under similar circumstances.

Wrede says the company owes the City of Homer about $20,000 in back rent for its spot at the Homer Airport. He says the company was four or five months behind on rent when it pulled out of town.

Wrede says that after several unsuccessful attempts to get in touch with officials from Grant Aviation, the city is now preparing a lawsuit against them to reclaim the money.

“They’ve been unresponsive so they’re leaving us with little choice,” he said.

Representatives from Grant Aviation did not respond to requests for comment for this story. The company has been operating in Alaska since 1971. According to its website, Grant currently owns a fleet of 20 small aircraft, operating in several Alaskan communities, including Anchorage, Kenai, Bethel, Dillingham and Dutch Harbor.

Wrede says the City of Homer has yet to file its lawsuit and he’s still holding out hope that it won’t come to that. He says the absence of Grant Aviation, combined with the departure of two of the airport’s three car rental agencies, has left a hole on the finances for the airport terminal.

Homer is not the only city that has had to take Grant to court over unpaid bills. In February, the City of Kenai secured a judgment in District Court for more than $56,000 in terminal lease payments and landing fees owed by Grant. Scott Bloom is the City Attorney for Kenai. He says that since that that judgment, Grant has been making installment payments on the money owed but they are still behind.

Story, Audio, Comments/Reaction:   http://www.alaskapublic.org

Homebuilt aircraft community bands together after crash

COLUMBUS, Ind. — Local aviation enthusiasts have formed a tight-knit community whose members watch movies together, restore vintage aircraft and provide help for people building their own planes.

About 40 of the local flight devotees attend monthly meetings of the local chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association. Some of them like tinkering with motors and machines, some have flown planes for decades and others simply love the more romantic aspects of aviation and its allusion to independence, freedom and exploration.

So when members of that community come to harm, as they did in an accident in Columbus on Thursday, the community tends to react with uniform sadness, said Mike Foushee, a local pilot and retired Cummins mechanical engineer.

Deputy on off-duty detail surprises would-be burglars at Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport

BROOKSVILLE --   A Hernando County deputy who was working an off-duty detail at the Hernando County Airport surprised two would-be burglars late Saturday night, officials said.

Gordon Siedzik, 33, and Brian Hale, 31, were arrested Saturday night on charges of attempted burglary.

Deputy Jay Weber was working off-duty at the airport when, during one of his patrols of the fence line near U.S. 41 and American Aviation, he saw a suspicious Jeep Wrangler near the wood line, investigators said.

Weber called for backup, then went to investigate further. Deputies said he noticed the window and tailgate were open, despite no one being around, and that there was an empty gas can and a section of garden hose in the rear of the Jeep.  Weber said he hadn't seen the Jeep the last time he patrolled the area, 30 minutes earlier.

Deputies began searching the area using air units and a K-9.  The K-9 tracked Siedzik along the wood line, to the fence line of the airport, and found him trying to hide in the brush, deputies said.

Siedzik was taken into custody by deputies. A further search of the area revealed additional gasoline containers, near the area Siedzik had been hiding, deputies said.

Deputies said Siedzik told them he and Hale had arrived at the airport with the goal of breaking into the secured area and stealing gasoline for Hale's vehicle. Siedzik told deputies that he and Hale had run into the woods to avoid being seen, the report said.

Two hours later, Hale was found near Spring Hill Drive, near the airport property.  Deputies said Hale told them he was inside the fenced area when deputies arrived. He said he then climbed over the fence and threw away the gasoline container, the report said.

The two men were taken to the Hernando County Detention Center, where they were held on $5,000.

Sources:   

http://hernandotoday.com

http://www.baynews9.com

Taxiing to a halt: Johnson County Airport (KBYG), Buffalo, Wyoming

A proposed project at Johnson County Airport that would increase its capacity for the construction of private hangars has taxied to a halt thanks to prohibitively high bids from contractors.

The project entails building a new taxiway and apron — commonly referred to as a tarmac — northeast of the airport’s fixed-based operator building, an undeveloped site where several private hangars could be built with room to spare.

Interested plane owners would need to provide their own resources to build the hangars, but the apron and taxiway are necessary before any such construction could begin.

“This is basic infrastructure that needs to be in place for that to happen,” said Gerald Fink, airport board chairman.

The plans for the project came about when the board began receiving requests for more space for hangars to be built.

“This would provide people with a suitable location to build,” Fink said.

Fink said the project could pave the way for more economic activity in the county, with businesses possibly using the new hangar space and new hangars bringing in more tax revenue to the county.

The board of directors put out a call for bids earlier this year. On July 2, the board received bids from T&T Contracting Inc., Intermountain Construction & Materials and Mountain View Building Inc.

All the bids came in considerably higher than WWC Engineering’s initial estimate of $958,208.

“All the bids came in exceptionally high,” said Ben Weaver, WWC’s project manager.

T&T Contracting offered the lowest bid at about $1.73 million. Mountain View Building followed with about $1.77 million, and ICM offered the highest bid at about $1.91 million.

Those figures are all for a less expensive asphalt runway surface. WWC estimated a cost of about $1.16 million for a second option of a more expensive concrete surface, with Mountain View bidding $2.44 million, ICM bidding about $3.53 million and T&T bidding about $13.47 million.

At their regular meeting July 16, board members met with representatives from WWC to discuss their options, which were determined to be few.

First, the board officially rejected all bids. Board members then discussed putting the project off and rebidding it later in the fall for construction to begin in spring 2014. They hoped that bids might come in lower if they delayed the project and rebid it, but Weaver had doubts about that possibility.

“We don’t think the cost would drop much, even with rebids,” he said.

Even if new bids were to come in somewhat lower than the originals, board member Kirk Kavanaugh thought the board still couldn’t afford it.

“There’s no sense in rebidding when we know we don’t have the funds to do it,” he said.

Weaver brought up the possibility of rebidding the project to be completed in phases so the cost could be spread out.

“There may be some options as to breaking it down into parts,” he said, adding that Nick Potter, the board’s Federal Aviation Administration liaison in Denver, had suggested the idea.

Fink was less concerned with the schedule of the project as to how and from where they could secure the necessary funding.

“The issue isn’t what we’re going to do; it’s where the funding is coming from,” Fink said.

Overall, though, the board agreed that rebidding the project as one done in phases, breaking the overall cost down into more manageable parts, is a good idea.

“If we break it into sections, we can do what the board deems most important first and finish the rest at a later date when funds become available,” Potter said.

On Kavanaugh’s recommendation, the board decided to table the issue until the next meeting. Meanwhile, they will scramble to file for a grant from the FAA to help with the project by its Aug. 2 deadline.

Fink thinks the project will put Buffalo more firmly on the map for aviators.

“It would probably draw some planes to the airport that aren’t here now,” he said.

Source:   http://www.buffalobulletin.com

Runway closure announced at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station

Just days after announcing the closure of Outlying Field Coupeville’s runway till the end of the calendar year, Whidbey Island Naval Air Station said this week another runway closure will be closed temporarily.

From Aug. 5 to Sept. 20, Ault Field at NAS Whidbey will have only one operational runway for flight operations, according to a press release issued by the base.

NAS Whidbey Public Affairs Officer Mike Welding said the closure of Runway 14 will have only minor impacts on scheduling and operations.

Pilot training should not be impacted, he said.

“Typically, the base uses one runway at a time at Ault Field,” Welding said. “The runway that does get used is based on winds. This type of work is scheduled during periods when winds are lightest, thereby minimizing potential impacts.”

The runway at Ault Field will close for the installation of a new arresting gear system, restricting aircraft to northeast or southwest take off and landing headings, according to a news release.

Navy officials also said that the approaches will potentially cause more frequent use of the operational runway with increased traffic over western Skagit County, Mount Vernon, La Conner, northern Island County and Lopez Island.

The arresting gear system doesn’t replace the arresting gear, Welding said.

“The current system uses rubber donuts that suspend the wire over the runway,” Welding said. “The new system will feature a pneumatic actuator that will raise and lower the gear cable on command from the Air Traffic Control Tower. This will result in fewer arresting gear system malfunctions as there will be fewer incidents of heavy aircraft landing on the cable.”

The Ault Field closure comes on the heels of the Navy’s announcement that it suspended field carrier landing practice operations at OLF Coupeville until the end of the calendar year. Operations will still be conducted at Ault Field, which could impact take off and landing schedules there.

Welding said the Navy has been working on replacing the arresting system for several years, and that the closure is unrelated to the OLF closure.

Noise complaints or concerns can be emailed to comments.NASWI@navy.mil or by calling 360-257-6665.

Source:  http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com

Former flight attendant takes Southwest Airlines to court for wrongful termination: Southeast Texas' Legal Journal

HOUSTON – A Harris County woman has taken Southwest Airlines Co. to court in the wake of her termination last year, recent court documents say.

Lisa Lyerly accuses the airliner of firing her because of her purportedly poor health, originally filing a lawsuit against her former employer in Harris County District Court last month.

Houston federal court received the case on July 19.

The suit explains that Lyerly, who worked for Southwest as a flight attendant from February 1995 to September 2012, suffers from diabetes as well as bipolar disorder and depression.

Such conditions, however, do not prevent the plaintiff from performing her essential job functions, it adds.

Beginning in late March 2010 with the death of her father, Lyerly’s mental health reportedly took a turn for the worse, and she was forced to take time off from work so she could be hospitalized early last year.

According to the suit, Southwest terminated the complainant upon her return, but reinstated her only to keep the 11 attendance penalty points it assessed against her “for the time she took off for her hospitalization and for taking earlier time off for depression and related mental and physical conditions.”

The defendant fires employees who accumulate 12 attendance penalty points in a quarterly period though “this written policy is not applied equally to all flight attendants.”

Lyerly further shows she suffered a severe foot infection in early September 2012, and it was around the same time Southwest notified her that she had 27 Family Medical Leave Act-mandated days remaining.

Later that month, after reporting to work four minutes late because of inclement weather, the respondent dismissed her for supposedly amassing 12 attendance penalty points and violating its attendance policies.

The suit contends that “the true reason or another reason for her termination was due to disability discrimination, failure of reasonable accommodation for her disability and violations of the” FMLA.

A jury trial is requested.

Attorney Steven E. Petrou of Cypress is representing the plaintiff.

Case No. 4:13-CV-2137

Source:   http://setexasrecord.com

Dyn’Aero MCR-01 Club, ZK-SML: Accident occurred April 09, 2011 in upper northern slopes of Mt Duppa, which forms part of the Bryant Range, north-east of Nelson, New Zealand

Crash pilot broke several rules finds coroner

 A former Olympic sailor who died when his plane crashed into a mountain near Nelson in 2011 was breaking several rules by flying that day, a coroner has found.

Geoffrey Smale, a leading North Shore businessman, who represented New Zealand in yachting at the 1968 Mexico Olympics, went missing on April 9, 2011.

The 86-year-old was flying his high-performance microlight from the North Shore to Ashburton.

Mr Smale had flown the four-hour route before but that was the first time he had attempted it solo after he began flying aged 82.

Mr Smale's body and the light-aircraft wreckage were found on April 11 on the northern side of Mt Duppa, northeast of Nelson.

He died on impact, suffering "very high-energy impact injuries" to his head, spine, chest, abdominal organs and limbs, coroner Carla na Nagara found in a report released today.

Although Mr Smale made appropriate pre-flight inspections, he did not have a flight plan and did not make any radio communication with any air traffic services during his flight, despite the poor weather, the coroner said.

The Civil Aviation Authority said Mr Smale did not activate the emergency parachute recovery system and it was likely he did not think he was in an emergency situation. He did not have the minimum 5 kilometres forward visibility, the authority found.

The technology he was using for information on his flight had incorrect terrain data and he trusted it, not realizing he was in a collision course with the ground.

Mr Smale thought he was flying 400 feet above the ground, but he was approaching rising terrain 200ft below Mt Duppa.

The coroner expressed concerns over an "over-reliance" on technology instead of Mr Smale using his basic navigational skills.

"Had he abided by those rules, he would not have crashed where he did.

"The fact that he was, at a time of difficulty, let down by equipment at best described as an aid to navigation and flight does not in the final analysis make that equipment responsible for his crash."

She said several steps had been taken in light of the accident, including correcting the errors in the terrain data. There was also an article in Vector magazine about the dangers of over-reliance on flight navigation technology.

Source:  http://www.stuff.co.nz

Aviation chief slams airlines for failing to comply with departure rules

Ben-Gurion Airport Manager Shmuel Zakai assails Air Dolomiti, Corsair after 150 passengers were left stranded in terminal.  

Aviation officials slammed airline for failing to comply with the departure slots assigned to them by Ben-Gurion Airport, even going so far as threatening to curb flights from one of the offending parties.

Ben-Gurion Airport Manager Shmuel Zakai sent a harsh letter on Monday to the executives of Italy-based Air Dolomiti and France-based Corsair after an incident last week in which about 150 passengers flying their airlines were forced to stay the night in Ben-Gurion Airport, the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) spokesman said.

While their planned flight was supposed to depart at 1 a.m. on the night in question, the plane arrived late in Israel and therefore missed its window of departure. In addition, due to the absence of a crew from either airline in the airport at the time, the passengers were forced to spend the night and the following day on the terminal's floor.

"I will not allow harm to passengers similar to the events that were experienced in the past two weeks," Zakai wrote. "Airlines that do not function according to the standards accepted in Israel will not be allowed to continue operations from Ben-Gurion Airport and all that this entails."

In his letter, Zakai demanded that the airlines maintain accuracy when it comes to the operational schedules assigned to them for exiting Ben-Gurion Airport.

"Failing to stand by operational punctuality results in harm to passengers and other airlines and it is expected from airlines to stand by operational punctuality with the passengers in mind," Zakai wrote.

Ben-Gurion Airport closes at night in the summer and winter and airlines that arrive late are therefore not permitted to open their check-in desks until three hours before their new departure time, the manager emphasized in his letter. Airlines that do not comply with these guidelines will lose their time slots for the relevant season, he added.

Along these lines, Zakai summoned for a second, unrelated incident a representative from Aegean Airlines after the company recently sold tickets to passengers for flights whose departure time did not coincide with the exit slot assigned to the airline by the airport. The company's failure to abide by these rules caused harm to both the passengers and the planning structure of the airport in terms of allocating resources, according to the IAA.

If Aegean Airlines does not provide a reasonable explanation for the incident by this coming Friday, Zakai warned the company that all of its flights from Ben-Gurion Airport will be canceled as of August 4.

Source:   http://www.jpost.com

Boeing 737-200, First Air, C-GNWN: Accident occurred August 20, 2011 in Resolute, Canada

Report on deadly Resolute, Nunavut, plane crash almost done: Transportation Safety Board also making progress on fatal Sanikiluaq plane crash

Almost two years after one of the deadliest plane crashes in the North, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada says it is close to completing its report on the accident.

On Aug. 20, 2011, a First Air Boeing 737 slammed into a hill near the Resolute, Nunavut, airport. Eight passengers and four crew members were killed. Three passengers survived, with injuries.

John Cottreau, a spokesperson for the board, says the board understands that people want answers.

“What I can guarantee to you is that when we come out with our final report, people will have answers, they'll know what happened and why and industry and government will have lessons that they can learn to make transportation safer," he said.

Cottreau says the report is in the final stages of completion, but it could still be a few months before it's released.

The investigation looked at the aircraft's navigation system and training and procedures.

It also focused on the Canadian Forces' establishment of a military control zone, and the operation and co-ordination of the airspace between military and civilian agencies during that year's Operation Nanook.

The crash has led to several lawsuits which are still before the courts.

TSB making progress on Sanikiluaq report

 

The board says it's also making progress on its investigation of a deadly plane crash in Sanikiluaq last December.

The Perimeter Aviation chartered aircraft was on its second approach when it came down hard and overshot the runway.

A six-month-old boy died in the crash. Eight other people on board, including the pilot and co-pilot, survived.

"All of the interviews with witnesses and people involved in the occurrence have been completed. Lab examinations are completed, the cockpit voice recorder has been examined,” said Cottreau.

Cottreau says these sort of investigations take time. While he could not yet say when the TSB’s report will be ready, he said work is moving ahead on the draft version.

Source:   http://www.cbc.ca

NTSB Identification: DCA11RA097
Accident occurred Saturday, August 20, 2011 in Resolute, Canada
Aircraft: BOEING 737, registration:
Injuries: Unavailable

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. The foreign authority was the source of this information.

On August 20, 2011, about 1230 central daylight time (local), a Boeing 737-200, Canadian registration CGNWN, operated by First Air in a combination passenger/freight configuration as flight 6560 and equipped with Pratt & Whitney JT8D engines, impacted terrain approximately 1 mile east of the airport while on approach for landing at Resolute Bay Airport, Resolute, Nunavut, Canada. Of the four crew and eleven passengers, twelve occupants were fatally injured.

The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada is investigating the accident. As the state of manufacture of the airplane and engines, the NTSB has designated a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the TSB in their investigation.

All inquiries concerning this accident should be directed to the TSB of Canada at:

Transportation Safety Board of Canada
200 Promenade du Portage
Place du Centre, 4th Floor
Hull, Quebec K1A 1K8
Canada

Website: http://www.tsb.gc.ca

Kirksville Regional (KIRK), Missouri: New airport director announced

KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- The City of Kirksville has announced a new airport director for the Kirksville Regional Airport. 

Glenn Balliew holds a Professional Aeronautics Major in Aviation with a Minor in Safety from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Balliew has received specialized training at numerous aviation academies.  He served in the United States Army in various Aviation positions from 1984 through March 2006 and since has served as a Department of Defense civilian with the US Army Reserve Command.

Since 2006, Balliew has worked as a Deputy Assistant Commandant at the US Army Aviation Center of Excellence, Fort Rucker, Alabama, in the fields of Air Traffic, Airspace and Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

Balliew will report to work August 26.

Source:   http://www.heartlandconnection.com

Cirrus SR22 GTS, N147KA: Accident occurred July 21, 2013 in English Channel, United Kingdom

NTSB Identification: CEN13WA427 14 CFR Unknown
Accident occurred Sunday, July 21, 2013 in English Channel, United Kingdom
Aircraft: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22, registration: N147KA
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. The foreign authority was the source of this information.

On July 21, 2013, about 1200 UTC, a Cirrus SR-22, N147KA, (s/n 1944) was found in the English Channel near the last radar contact coordinates. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot is missing, unlikely to have survived.

This investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the British government. Any further information may be obtained from:

Air Accidents Investigations Branch
Farnborough House
Berkshire Copse Road
Aldershot, Hampshire
GU11 2HH, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 1252 5130300
Facsimile: +444 (0) 1252 376999
E-mail: investigations@aaib.gov.uk

This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by, or obtained from, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch of England.
---------------

Wife's plea in missing pilot hunt:  Sascha Schornstein went missing after setting off from Blackbushe Airport

 

Sascha Schornstein, the missing pilot after a plane crash at Dungeness

 

Wreckage of the Cirrus SR22 GTS (N147KA) aircraft that crashed off Dungeness. 

Photo Credit: Judith Richardson/RNLI

 

We're raising £10000.00 to to find & retrieve a crashed aircraft and pilot, because we need to know what happened. 

 Project owner: Yulia Schornstein & Ian Valentine

The wife of a wealthy banker whose light aircraft apparently crashed in the English Channel after setting off from a north Hampshire airfield said today she needs money to finance a search for her husband.

German national Sascha Schornstein, 36, who worked for RBS in its commodity finance department, was the only person on board the Cirrus SR22 GTS plane which crashed about 15 miles off the coast of Dungeness, Kent, on July 21.

Yulia Schornstein, 28, from Knightsbridge in central London, said that she needed £30,000 for a three-day search to solve the mystery and find his body, plus vital flight data onboard using a GPS and sonar equipped dive vessel after the search by British authorities was called off yesterday.

“I have to know what happened,” she said fighting back tears. “I know Sascha was very responsible. Flying was his passion and he was German and had that attention to detail so I'm sure that in that situation something unexpected must have happened. I'm a little scared of flying but he always took me and I always felt comfortable and we went to France and Germany and he was always well prepared.”

Mr Schornstein had lived in London since 2001 and was a graduate of the London School of Economics. He had logged a flight plan and had taken off from Blackbushe Airport, near Hartley Wintney, en route to Le Touquet in France but he never arrived.

Mrs Schornstein, who works in the hotel industry and had been married for only 18 months, said the American registered aircraft was not owned by her husband but he paid monthly to fly it.

She said that the plane had a parachute fitted but that has also not been found. She explained that her husband, who comes from Rostock in Germany, enjoyed outdoor pursuits in addition to flying and he was a qualified sailor and diver.

Hampshire police, who are investigating the incident, said today that they are still treating it a missing persons inquiry.

Despite an extensive search by British and French authorities only around ten to 15% of the wreckage has been recovered, including parts of the wings, fuselage and doors.

Sgt Andy Thomas said: “In the simplest terms because we have not found Sascha, this is a missing person inquiry. Although it would appear he has been involved in an accident, we are keeping all lines of inquiry open.”

The officer said that the force was running background checks on Mr Schornstein’s mobile phone, bank accounts and credit cards but the results were not back. He explained this was normal procedure in such an investigation. He said that there was nothing at present in Mr Schornstein’s background or personal life to suggest he would have faked a crash and disappeared.

He explained it was not unusual not to find more of the wreckage and that the task of locating the main part of the plane had been challenging.

Mrs Schornstein, who is originally from St Petersburg in Russia, said she knew of nothing that would lead her husband to disappear.

“We are very happy and money was not a problem. There are really no problems. He was very busy at work and he was working one night until 4am. He often stayed late in the office and was working on something that was going to finish in July and we were going on holiday to France in August for my birthday,” she added.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch is also looking into what caused the aircraft to come down in water that was around 50 metres deep. The weather on the day was fine.

Mrs Schornstein is asking for donations to help fund the search. She said that there is limited time to find out what happened which could be of help to other pilots and the flight data chips are onboard the aircraft and they could solve the mystery.

Those interested in giving can do so at www.justgiving.com/local/project/findhim.  

Anyone with information about Mr Schornstein is asked to phone Hampshire Police on 101 or 0845 045 4545. 

Source:  http://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk

Chinese air crew learn kung fu to combat attacks from angry passengers dubbed the 'air rage tribe' who are incensed by delays

• Hong Kong Airlines will teach cabin crews wing chun, a form of Kung Fu 
•  They have experienced on average three attacks from passengers a week 
• Protests from frustrated customers have been reported across the country 
• No airports in China have managed to keep more than 50 per cent of flights on time this summer

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Piper PA-28R-200 Arrow II, N1549X: Accident occurred July 27, 2013 in Lake Michigan, Wisconsin

http://registry.faa.gov/N1549X

NTSB Identification: CEN13FA438 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, July 27, 2013 in Lake Michigan, WI
Probable Cause Approval Date: 03/24/2014
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28R-200, registration: N1549X
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 receiving flight-following services from an approach controller, who gave the pilot vectors to fly east over Lake Michigan and then north to avoid conflicting traffic. On the northerly heading, the accident pilot flew 1.4 miles behind the other airplane. When the accident pilot had the traffic in sight, the approach controller allowed him to pass behind the other airplane and then turn northbound as requested. Shortly thereafter, the approach controller lost radar contact with the pilot. Search and rescue operations were conducted, and the airplane was located in the lake. According to recorded radar data, the accident airplane’s flightpath crossed the other airplane’s flightpath at 1,800 feet mean sea level (msl) about 39 seconds after the other airplane passed the same location at the same altitude. Because the approach controller’s plan explicitly had the accident pilot pass behind the other airplane and the other airplane was descending from above the accident airplane, it is likely that the accident airplane encountered wake turbulence. Primary radar returns detected by airport surveillance radar were consistent with the in-flight breakup of the airplane. The approach controller did not issue a wake turbulence advisory to the pilot. Although wake turbulence is primarily the pilot’s responsibility, the Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Control Handbook does require controllers to provide pilots with a wake turbulence advisory if, in the controller’s opinion, wake turbulence may adversely affect their aircraft. In this case, the approach controller should have been cognizant of the potential hazard and issued a wake turbulence advisory to the pilot. 

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
An encounter with wake turbulence, which resulted in the pilot’s loss of control of the airplane and its subsequent in-flight breakup. Contributing to the accident was the approach controller’s failure to issue a wake turbulence advisory to the pilot. 
 
HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On July 27, 2013, at 1438 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-200 airplane, N1549X, impacted Lake Michigan about 1.2 miles east of Cudahy, Wisconsin. The airline transport pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight which operated without a flight plan. The flight originated from the John H Batten Airport (KRAC), Racine, Wisconsin, at 1431.

According to a fixed base operator (FBO) employee at KRAC, he saw the pilot in the parking lot before the flight with 4-5 people. Later he heard the pilot's voice on the radio talking to air traffic control (ATC).

The pilot was receiving visual flight rules (VFR) flight following services from Milwaukee approach; the pilot was given vectors to fly east over Lake Michigan and then north. On a northerly heading, the pilot flew 1.4 miles behind the final approach course of an MD-80 airplane inbound to the General Mitchell International Airport (KMKE), Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Shortly afterward, radar contact was lost and the air traffic controller was not able to contact the pilot.

Milwaukee ATC notified the United States Coast Guard and local authorities that the airplane had disappeared from radar. A search and rescue operation was conducted and about 30 minutes later the airplane wreckage was located by a dive team at the bottom of Lake Michigan.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot in the left seat, age 79, held an airline transport pilot certificate for airplane multiengine land and airplane single-engine land. He also held a flight instructor certificate for airplane single and multiengine land, instrument airplane, and advanced ground instructor. He was issued a Class 2 limited medical certificate on January 7, 2013, with the limitations that he must wear corrective lenses for near and distant vision. The application for this medical certificate indicated that the pilot had logged 32,920 hours of flight experience; 350 hours of which were logged in the previous six months. This pilot's logbooks were not recovered; therefore, the entire scope of his experience could not be determined.

The pilot in the right seat, age 31, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land. He was issued a Class 3 medical certificate on September 7, 2011, with no limitations. The application for his medical certificate indicated that he had logged 200 hours of flight experience; 25 hours of which were logged in the previous six months. According to this pilot's logbooks, he had accumulated about 173 total flight hours and his most recent flight review was completed on November 3, 2012.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane was a 4-seat, low wing, single engine Piper PA-28R-200 Arrow, N1549X, s/n: 28R-7535322, manufactured in 1975. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-360-C1C, serial number L-13237-51A, which was driven by a 3-blade metal Hartzell propeller. The most recent annual inspection was completed on July 1, 2013.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

At 1452, an automated weather reporting facility at KMKE, located 3 nautical miles west of the accident site, reported wind from 300 degrees at 13 knots, 10 miles visibility, scattered clouds at 3,400 feet, an overcast cloud layer at 4,000 feet, temperature 61 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dewpoint 45 degrees F, and a barometric pressure of 29.91 inches of mercury.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The main wreckage was located in Lake Michigan at 42:57.883 N, 087:49.06 W, at a depth of 46 feet. The site was 3.2 miles east of the departure end of runway 25L at KMKE and 1.2 miles from the shoreline of Cudahy, Wisconsin. The airplane was fragmented and pieces were scattered along the bottom of the lake. About 50% of the airplane was recovered during the extraction process. The fuselage was noted to be broken into three sections.

The left wing separated from the fuselage. The outboard section, including the aileron, was not recovered. The right wing inboard section remained attached to the fuselage. The rudder was attached to the vertical stabilizer at its hinge points and was impact damaged. The stabilator was attached to its mounting blocks. The flight control cables were continuous from the cockpit controls to the rudder and stabilator. The flight control cables remained attached at both aileron bell cranks. Both aileron control cables were separated in overload near the wing roots.

The landing gear was in the retracted position. The main landing gear were found in the wheel wells. The nose landing gear separated from the fuselage.

The engine control lever console separated from the instrument panel, the levers were in a forward position, and the friction lock was on. The engine control cables for the throttle, propeller, and mixture controls were attached to their respective levers.

The engine was rotated by turning the propeller; continuity of the crankshaft to the rear gears and to the valve train was confirmed. Compression and suction was observed from all four cylinders. The interiors of the cylinders were examined using a lighted borescope. The only anomalies noted were water and mud in the cylinders.

Both magnetos were operated by hand and neither would produce a spark. They were disassembled and no damage was noted to the internal components other than water contamination. The spark plugs were all intact and observed as light brown, revealed signs of normal operation, and some were covered in mud.

Water residue and a small amount of oil were observed in the engine crankcase. The oil cooler was separated from the engine baffling and was impact damaged.

The propeller blades remained secured in the propeller hub and attached to the engine. All three blades were bent aft about 10 degrees. The blade tips were bent aft about 45 degrees and revealed leading edge damage and scratches.

The right fuel tank was ruptured and portions were not recovered. The left fuel tank was not recovered. The servo fuel inlet screen was clear of debris. The fuel flow divider remained attached to the engine and no damage was noted. The fuel injector nozzles remained free of obstructions. The engine-driven fuel pump remained attached to the engine and when actuated by hand, liquid was expelled from the pump outlet. Liquid with an odor consistent with that of aviation gasoline was observed in the hoses from the electric fuel pump to the engine driven fuel pump and from the engine driven fuel pump to the fuel injector servo. The same liquid was noted in the engine driven fuel pump, the fuel injector servo, and the fuel flow divider.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on the pilot on July 29, 2013, by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The cause of death was determined to be multiple blunt force injuries and the manner of death was an accident. The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) prepared a Final Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report. The results were negative for all screened substances.

An autopsy was performed on the second pilot on July 29, 2013, by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The cause of death was determined to be multiple blunt force injuries and the manner of death was an accident. The FAA CAMI prepared a Final Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report. The results were negative for all screened substances.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Air Traffic Control Information

The accident airplane was radar identified at 1431:37, 1 mile north of the Racine airport climbing under VFR to 1,500 feet. At 1435:42, the MKE controller transmitted, "November four nine x-ray if you could turn to the east I do have traffic (inbound) for runway two five left I'll point them out and then you can pass behind them." The pilot responded, "all right." The controller then issued a traffic advisory about N1549X to Delta Airlines flight 931 (DAL931) and transferred the Delta flight to the tower frequency.

At 1436:25, the controller instructed the pilot of N1549X to turn right heading 090 and the pilot acknowledged. The controller continued, "…there is traffic just to you ah twelve o'clock and about two miles descending out of two thousand three hundred, an MD-80." The pilot replied, "all right, I can go down lower if you like" The controller responded, "…negative I need you just to turn out of there then I'll get you northbound as soon as I can." The pilot then stated, "OK, I've got them in sight." The controller replied, "…thank you, just pass behind that traffic and then you can proceed northbound as requested." The pilot responded, "All right."

At 1437:34, the MKE approach controller advised the local controller in the tower that the pilot of N1549X had the Delta flight in sight. At 1438:11, the approach controller attempted to advise the pilot that radar contact was lost, with no response. There was no further contact with the pilot.

According to recorded radar data, the flight path of N1549X crossed the flight path of DAL931at 1437:51 at 1,800 feet, which was 39 seconds after DAL931 passed the same point at the same altitude.

At the time of the accident, N1549X was operating within Milwaukee Class C airspace and was subject to mandatory separation. Separation, traffic advisories, and safety alerts are to be issued between IFR and VFR aircraft. In addition to the standard separation requirements above, controllers are also required to issue wake turbulence advisories when, in their opinion, wake may have an adverse effect on an aircraft. Since wake turbulence is unpredictable, the controller is not responsible for anticipating its existence or effect.

An FAA Advisory Circular states that vortex visualization and avoidance procedures should be exercised by pilots using the same degree of concern as in collision avoidance. Pilots are reminded that in operations conducted behind all aircraft, acceptance of instructions from ATC in the following situations is an acknowledgment that the pilot will ensure safe takeoff and landing intervals, and accepts the responsibility for providing wake turbulence separation: traffic information; instructions to follow an aircraft; the acceptance of a visual approach clearance. Under certain conditions, ATC applies procedures for separating IFR aircraft. If a pilot accepts a clearance to visually follow a preceding aircraft, the pilot accepts responsibility for separation and wake turbulence avoidance. The controllers will also provide to VFR aircraft, with whom they are in communication and which in the tower's opinion may be adversely affected by wake turbulence from a larger aircraft, the position, altitude and direction of flight of larger aircraft followed by the phrase "CAUTION - WAKE TURBULENCE." After issuing the caution for wake turbulence, the controllers generally do not provide additional information to the following aircraft unless they know the following aircraft is overtaking the preceding aircraft. Whether or not a warning or information has been given, however, the pilot is expected to adjust aircraft operations and flight path as necessary to preclude serious wake turbulence encounters.

Radar Data

The radar data used for this investigation was obtained from the ASR-9 airport surveillance radar located at MKE. N1549X was observed from immediately after departure at Racine until the end of the flight southeast of MKE. Just before the accident, the airplane presented a normal transponder return showing 1,500 to 1,600 feet altitude. At 1437:45, the altitude readout dropped to 0, which was likely representing unintelligible/unusable altitude data, and then showed 1,800 feet by 1437:49. The last MKE transponder return occurred at 1437:54, reporting the airplane's altitude as 1,400 feet. Beginning at 1437:54, four primary (non-transponder) radar returns were detected by the radar, originating just before the target where N1549X reported an altitude of 1,800 feet.

 NTSB Identification: CEN13FA438 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, July 27, 2013 in Lake Michigan, WI
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28R-200, registration: N1549X
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 July 27, 2013, about 1440 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-200 airplane, impacted Lake Michigan about 1.2 miles east of Cudahy, Wisconsin. The airline transport pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight which operated without a flight plan. The flight originated from the John H Batten Airport (KRAC) Racine, Wisconsin at an unknown time.

A preliminary review of the air traffic control communications and radar data revealed that the pilot was receiving flight following services from Milwaukee approach; the pilot was given vectors to fly eastbound over Lake Michigan and then northbound. On the northbound heading, the pilot flew about 1 mile behind the final approach course of an airplane inbound to General Mitchell International Airport (KMKE), Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Shortly afterward, radar contact was lost and the air traffic controller was not able to contact the pilot.

The wreckage was recovered for further examination.

Emergency response crews from the U.S. Coast Guard, Milwaukee Fire Department, and Racine Fire Department, return from searching and recovering debris from an apparent plane crash off the shore of Cudahy Saturday.

Batten International Airport official remembers pilot killed in plane crash.

  

RACINE COUNTY  (WITI) — We are learning more about the pilot of a plane that crashed into Lake Michigan on Saturday, July 27th. The pilot, Bill Gensler was one of two men killed in the crash. 

Gensler Aviation is one of the tenants at Batten International Airport.

The airport’s General Manager, David Mann has been at the airport for 22 years, and for that entire time, he worked alongside Gensler.

“I’ve received a lot of calls from just about all the members of his family. He has four boys that are scattered all over the country. Only one of them is here so far. He came in from Orlando (Sunday),” Mann said.

Mann spent much of the weekend at the airport.

Gensler took off from Batten around 2:30 Saturday afternoon.

Mann says he came to the airport after getting calls about the plane disappearing from radar.

“About the time I got to work, I got a call from the Coast Guard and I knew at that time we had a problem because they had found the debris field,” Mann said.

Over the next 24 hours, Mann says he’s gone through all the different scenarios, trying to figure out what caused the plane to crash, killing Gensler and his passenger.

“Where it was, the location and it could be something as plain and simple as a goose went through the window. It could be a catastrophic failure of one of the control surfaces,” Mann said.

On Saturday night, search crews still weren’t sure if there are any other people on board.

Mann says he believes only Gensler and his passenger were on board.

“We’re pretty positive about that,” Mann says.

Mann says now, he and many other pilots in Racine County are wondering what caused the crash that took away a familiar face at Batten.

“Good tenant, a good person. I enjoyed my relationship with him and I hope all the best for he and his family and we can get by from this and learn some lessons that will help us all,” Mann said.

Mann said sometime this week, he and other pilots will salute Gensler by grabbing a drink and facing west. They’ll have a toast for a man who, in their words, has flown off into the sunset.

Story, Video, Photo:  http://fox6now.com

Two people were killed when a small plane crashed Saturday in Lake Michigan off Cudahy, the U.S. Coast Guard said. 

 The bodies of two middle-age males were pulled from the plane, which was found beneath 42 feet of water, said Erik Leuenberger, search and rescue mission coordinator for Lake Michigan for the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard identified the pilot as William Gensler of Racine. Officials said they were not releasing the name of the second victim, pending notification of relatives.

Rescue crews from the Coast Guard and Milwaukee Fire Department responded to the crash, which was reported about 2:50 p.m. Sixteen divers searched the lake for more than six hours. Two helicopters and seven boats assisted in the search.

Officials said it isn't known whether any others were on the plane and that the search would continue until they confirm that no others were on board.

The plane was a four-seat, single-engine 1975 Piper Cherokee, which was reported down about 1.5 miles east of Cudahy.

The plane is registered and based out of Batten International Airport in Racine, where it took off at about 2:30 pm Saturday, according to airport general manager Dave Mann.

The Coast Guard said the plane apparently was bound for Oshkosh and the EAA AirVenture, which begins Monday.

Story, Photo and Video:  http://www.jsonline.com