Sunday, August 18, 2013

Beech 77 Skipper, N6702Y: Incident occurred August 19, 2013 in Blue Hill, Maine




http://registry.faa.gov/N6702Y


Blue Hill - Two Massachusetts residents' day trip to Maine did not go quite as planned on Sunday morning as the plane they were in had to make an emergency landing.

Fifty-year-old pilot Scott Morton of Worcester, MA and his forty-eight-year-old passenger Cheryl Rennie from Milburry, MA left Sterling, MA around 8:45am en route to Bar Harbor Airport in Trenton.

They had planned to spend the day in Acadia National Park.

The Hancock County Sheriff's department says two hours into their trip the single engine Beechcraft Skipper Scott Morton was piloting began having engine issues.

"They left with 30 gallons of fuel 15 gallons on each wing tank and the starboard tank ran out and the port side wing tank failed to bleed over so consequently the engine stalled," said Deputy Sheriff Fred Ehrlenbach.

Unable to restart the engine, authorities say Morton searched for a place to land the plane. He found a field growing Christmas trees off of Falls Bridge Rd. in Blue Hill.

Hancock County Sherrif's Department, Blue Hill Fire Department, and Peninsula Ambulance responded to the scene.

"There was no injuries. They were just gathering their belongings and looking for transportation to Bar Harbor airport, so I provided that for them," said Ehrlenbach.

The cause of the mechanical failure has yet to be determined. The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate.

"The pilot did an excellent job," said Ehrlenbach.

While this neighbor didn't see the plane go down, he said he was surprised when he saw it landed across the street from his house.

"Having been a long time pilot for many years, I could understand that they were a little bit shaken up, but they were fine. There were no cuts and bruises. They didn't even need a band aid. He did an excellent job of putting the airplane down on the field. He did a little bit of damage to the nose wheel. It's a beautiful day to fly as you can see. Too bad those things happen, but fortunately no one was injured," said Philip Tanguay.

Were the two going to continue their trip to Acadia?

"They hadn't determined that yet. They said it was early enough they might spend some time down there," said Ehrlenbach.

It was definitely not the trip to Vacationland they had imagined. 

Mooney M20J-201, Air McRoyal LLC, N9201R: Accident occurred August 18, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri

Engine Makers Blamed for Fatal Plane Crash
John and Diana Lallo 



Courthouse News Service 

PHILADELPHIA (CN) - A couple perished in a plane crash because a parts manufacturer designed an engine with defective gaskets that were prone to coming loose, their children claim in court.

The son and three daughters of Diana and John Lallo Sr. sued Lycoming Engines and several of its subsidiaries in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on Wednesday, claiming that the manufacturer's "unusual and unorthodox" engine design caused their parents' deaths.

The engine allegedly featured a single-drive ignition system rather than the double-drive model used in most Lycoming engines, according to the complaint, and its "unwieldy" design caused the engine to lose timing just moments after the Lallos took off in their plane from a Kansas City, Mo. airport.

The lawsuit alleges that the plane was only a few hundred feet in the air when the engine failed, but Lallo was unable to return to the airport in the face of the "overwhelming emergency." The plane crashed and caught fire, killing both passengers, the complaint states.

The Lallo family claim Lycoming and Continental Motors, which designed the engine's ignition system, were aware of no less than 19 past plane crashes between the years of 1983 and 2013 that resulted from problems with the design of the single-drive engine. Rather than admit the design was flawed, though, they allegedly "embarked on a campaign of shifting blame to other causes" in an attempt to conceal the dangers from regulatory agencies and members of the public.

Lycoming and its subsidiaries were even aware that the looseness of the engine gaskets didn't conform to Federal Aviation Administration regulations, the lawsuit claims, but did not disclose that during the mandatory engine certification process.

The surviving family members say the engine manufacturers intentionally committed fraud "for the purpose of selling more aircraft engines...even though they knew people would be injured or killed as a result," according to the complaint.

In addition to fraud and conspiracy, Lycoming and Continental are accused of negligence, strict product liability and of breaching the contract and warranty for the aircraft engine by not delivering on their "express and implied" promise that the product they designed was safe.

The suit also names several other defendants responsible for the design or manufacture of the defective engine or its component parts. The accused include Avco Corporation, the parent company of Lycoming, and Honeywell International, which merged with one of Continental Motors' subsidiary companies.

The Lallos' four children - John Lallo Jr., Melissa Lallo-Johnson, Erica Hoar and Samantha Lallo - are also suing for negligent infliction of emotional distress. The Estate of John and Diana Lallo is represented in the lawsuit by its administrator, Ohio attorney James Dietz.

Dietz and the Lallos are represented by Cynthia Devers of the Wolk Law Firm in Philadelphia. They seek at least $50,000 in damages.

Representatives from Lycoming Engines did not return a call seeking comment on the matter.  

Original article can be found here:  http://www.courthousenews.com

NTSB Identification: CEN13FA496
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, August 18, 2013 in Kansas City, MO
Probable Cause Approval Date: 10/30/2014
Aircraft: MOONEY M20J, registration: N9201R
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 airplane experienced a total loss of engine power during takeoff from a runway that had a usable length of 6,827 feet; however, the pilot initiated the takeoff from a taxiway intersection, which left only about 5,313 feet of runway remaining. After the loss of engine power, the airplane descended to about 10 feet above ground level (agl) with the landing gear retracted; about half of the runway length remained. Engine power was restored, and the airplane subsequently climbed to between about 300 and 400 agl. The engine again lost power, and the airplane subsequently stalled and impacted a field. The landing gear remained retracted. Typically, the landing gear should be retracted after liftoff when the airplane has reached an altitude where, in the event of an engine failure or other emergency requiring an aborted takeoff, the airplane could no longer be landed on the runway.
The airplane arrived at the departure airport 3 days before the accident and was parked on the ramp. It rained 1.22 inches during the 3 days the airplane was parked on the ramp. Examination of the airplane revealed the presence of water in the fuel diaphragm and fuel servo. No evidence of fuel contamination in the fuel pumps was found, and no reports of fuel contamination or engine power loss of airplanes that had been refueled from the fuel pumps before and after the accident were made.
Examination of the fuel filler caps revealed that the cap components were in place and that both caps were in place and secure. When water was poured onto the fuel caps when they were placed and secured back into position, they exhibited leakage into the fuel tank; however, the extent of deformation around the filler neck due to accident damage was unknown. During the most recent annual inspection, it was noted that the fuel cap O-rings were replaced because of water contamination of the fuel system. No record was found indicating that maintenance personnel pressurized the fuel tanks to check for fuel cap leakage in accordance with the airplane manufacturer’s maintenance instructions. No internal obstruction was noted in the fuel system that would have precluded the pilot from detecting water in the system while sumping it during the preflight inspection.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s improper decision to attempt continued flight after a momentary loss of engine power with usable runway remaining. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s premature retraction of the landing gear and the loss of engine power due to fuel system water contamination from precipitation, which resulted from maintenance personnel’s failure to comply with the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions and the pilot’s failure to detect fuel contamination during the preflight inspection.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On August 18, 2013, about 1448 central daylight time, a Mooney M20J, N9201R, descended and impacted terrain after takeoff from Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport (MKC), Kansas City, Missouri. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The private pilot and a passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Air McRoyal, LLC and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight that was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was en route to Youngstown, Ohio.

On August 15, 2013, the personal flight originated from Youngstown, Ohio and arrived at MKC. The airplane was parked on a ramp in front of a fixed base operator (FBO) at MKC. The president and owner of a general aviation consultant, sales, and refurbishment firm, stated that a text message from the pilot was received on August 16, 2013. The provided text message stated:

"Hey… . Just an update. ... Landed kmkc yesterday from kyng. Ran really well. Total trip time was 4:30. Not too bad. Better than spending 8 hrs in airports."

On the day of the accident, the airplane was taxied from the ramp to the airport self-serve fuel pump and 25.25 gallons of 100 low lead aviation fuel was obtained.

An airplane mechanic at the FBO stated that he heard the airplane engine run-up and takeoff. The run-up was "short" and was "less than a minute." He did not hear any engine power hesitations during the run-up, just a "quick" magneto check. He did not hear any power hesitation prior to the engine quitting during takeoff.

At 1946, N9201R was cleared for takeoff on runway 19 (6,827 feet by 150 feet, grooved concrete) at intersection K (runway available from intersection K was about 5,313 feet). During takeoff, N9201R reported an emergency during the climb. The airplane descended to an estimated height of 10 feet above the runway surface with the landing gear retracted. The airplane was approximately no farther than half down the runway before a second climb began and N9201R reported "I'm okay." The airplane attained an altitude of about 300-400 feet above ground level when it was observed to enter a turning stall. The airplane descended and impacted a field about 0.25 miles southwest of the departure end of runway 19.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 52, was issued a private pilot certificate on May 11, 2004, after passing a private pilot examination on his second attempt. A Cessna 172R was used for the examination and the pilot's total time at the time of the examination was 88.7 hours.

The first entry of the pilot's logbook was dated October 20, 2001, which was an "intro flight" using a Cessna 152.

Prior to February 12, 2013, logbook entries showed that the pilot had only flown Cessna 152, Cessna 172 and Piper PA-28-160 airplanes. From February 12 to February 14, 2013, the pilot received 11.4 hours of Mooney airplane training and a complex airplane endorsement under Part 61.31(e) using the accident airplane. The pilot's total flight time to date on February 14, 2013, was 289.5 hours. There were four entries after the pilot's last training flight. The last entry in the pilot's logbook was not dated and the total flight time to date was 308.7 hours, of which 30.6 hours were in Mooney airplanes.

The flight instructor, who provided the pilot's Mooney airplane training, stated that the pilot was a "pretty good pilot" and "pretty adept." He was "pretty thorough" and did not rush or hurry up and would not skip items. The pilot did "fine" and there were "no issues." The pilot did not have any flight time in retractable landing gear airplanes before he started training. He thought that it was "unusual" that the pilot did not have an airplane instrument rating.

The pilot did not have any previous Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) record of accident, incidents, or violations.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

N9201R was a 1978 Mooney M20J, serial number 24-0614, airplane was purchased by Air McRoyal, LLC (the aircraft registration application was signed by the pilot as president of McRoyal Industries, Inc. on December 14, 2012) on December 31, 2013.

The airplane was powered by a Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D, serial number L-19288-51A, engine. The engine was equipped with a Bendix RSA-5AD1, serial number 67270, fuel servo.

The last annual inspection of the airframe was dated January 8, 2013. A work order for the annual inspection, which was also a presale inspection, referenced an airplane total time of 2,423.84 and a tachometer time of 2,423.84. The work order for the inspection listed Item 7 with the following:

Discrepancy: Replace fuel cap O-rings

Note: Water in fuel system

Corrective Action: Replaced the fuel cap O-rings

The parts listed under Item 7 were two MS29513-010 Fuel Cap O-Rings, Small and two MS29513-338 Fuel Cap O-Rings. The work order and airframe logbook did not cite that the fuel tanks were pressurized to check for leaks of the fuel caps.

The Mooney M20J Service and Maintenance Manual, Section 28-00-01, Fuel Filler Cap Maintenance and Assembly, stated in part:

3. The sealing capability of each cap assembly should be checked periodically and at each annual inspection. This can be accomplished per the following procedures:

A. Remove cap assembly from wing filler port and inspect o'ring (1) for any damage or brittleness. Remove and replace if needed.

B. Adjust tension of shaft (2) and rotating lock plate (3) by removing cotter pin (5) from nut (6) on threaded portion of shaft (2). Tighten nut (6) so cap assembly handle (7) can be opened, turned and shut with hand pressure and still provide the necessary seal of cap assembly to keep water from entering fuel tank.

NOTE: Fuel selector should be in the OFF position before proceeding with paragraph C to pressurize the fuel tanks.

C. Connect rubber hose to each tank's vent line. Apply only one-half pound (1/2 lb.) air pressure. Check for fuel cap leaks by soaping circumference of filler cap assembly and observing bubbles. Replace o'ring if bubbles are observed and adjustment of the nut does not stop the leak.

The engine was overhauled May 22, 1992. The last annual inspection of the engine was dated January 8, 2013, at an engine total time of 2,423.84, a time since major overhaul of 1,027.25, and a tachometer time of 2,423.84.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The MKC automated surface observing system recorded at 1345: wind - 170 degrees at 7 knots, wind variable between 120 and 210 degrees; visibility - 10 statute miles. sky condition – broken at 5,000 feet above ground level, temperature 28 degrees Celsius, dew point 14 degrees Celsius, altimeter setting - 30.12 inches of mercury.

Rain totals at MKC for August 15, 16, and 17, 2014, were 0.49 inches, 0.11 inches, and 0.62 inches, respectively.

MEDICAL INFORMATION

The pilot was issued a third class airman medical certificate dated December 2, 2011, with the following limitation: "Holder must wear corrective lenses for distant vision while exercising the privileges of his airman certificate."

The FAA Final Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report for the pilot reported:

No carbon monoxide was detected in blood, cyanide testing was not performed, no ethanol was detected in vitreous, and no listed drugs were detected in urine.

An autopsy of the pilot was performed by the Jackson County Medical Examiner, Kansas City, Missouri. The cause of death was listed as multiple blunt force trauma.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The main wreckage, which included the fuselage, attached wings and empennage with their respective control surfaces, engine, and propeller was located in a field about 0.25 nautical miles southwest of the departure end of runway 19 at an elevation of about 705 feet mean sea level. The airplane was oriented in an upright position and a tail to nose heading of approximately 170 degrees. The landing gear jack screw extension was consistent with the landing gear in the retracted position. The flap jack screw extension was consistent with flaps in the 10-degree position. The empennage trim jack screw extension was consistent for a setting for a flaps 10 degree takeoff. There was no evidence of soot or fire.

The fuselage exhibited aft crushing to about the rear cabin entry door frame and cockpit roof was broken open. The engine compartment exhibited aft crushing damage. The leading edge of both wings exhibited aft crushing about 1/3 wing chord. The deformation included upward bending near the forward portion of both wing tank fuel filler necks. Both wing fuel tanks were broken open. Both wings exhibited about a 90-degree crush angle. The outer wing section of the left wing was had greater relative aft deformation and was curled upwards. The empennage was bent laterally toward the right about 10 degrees and the left horizontal stabilizer and its elevator tip was bent upwards.

Flight control continuity from all the flight control surface to the cockpit controls was confirmed.

Both wing fuel caps were in place and the fuel cap locking tabs were in the down position and flush with the top of the fuel caps. The fuel caps were removed and all of the fuel cap components were in place. A brown colored stain was present on the left fuel tank filler neck flange. Both fuel caps were replaced and locked into place and water was poured over both fuel caps, which resulted in the water pouring out from the underside of both fuel caps. The fuel caps were interchanged and water was poured over each fuel cap, which resulted in the same effect. Examination of the fuel tanks revealed that a black colored sealant was present along the bottom of the wing fuel tank ribs. The sealant did not cover any of the holes at the bottom of the ribs. There were no obstructions in the fuel sump system.

The fuel line from the fuel selector to the engine was broken open and separated. The fuel selector knob was bent and positioned near the left fuel tank selection.

The ignition key switch was at the BOTH position. The mixture, propeller, and throttle control knobs were in the forward position.

Examination of the engine confirmed control continuity of the mixture, propeller, and throttle controls from their respective engine accessories to the cockpit controls. Borescope inspection of the engine cylinders revealed no anomalies. The engine was turned through by rotating the propeller by hand, during which air was drawn in and expelled through each top spark plug hole. Valve train continuity was confirmed during the engine rotation. The magneto was rotated by hand and electrical continuity through the ignition harness was confirmed.

Examination of the airplane engine revealed the presence of a liquid consistent with water present in the fuel servo in a proportion estimated to half of that of remaining liquid that was consistent with 100 low lead aviation fuel. The fuel injector diaphragm was disassembled, and a liquid consistent with water was present under the diaphragm.

The airplane instrument panel was damaged by impact forces. The airplane's hour meter was separated from the instrument panel and three of the digits were between values. The hour meter indicated 1,176.2. The tachometer was of digital type, and no reading was obtained.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

There were no reports of fuel contamination and/or loss of engine power by airplanes fueled at the airport self-serve fuel pump where the accident airplane was fueled from. Examination of the airport fuel facility did not reveal any fuel contamination.

The flight instructor, who provided the pilot's Mooney airplane training, stated that he taught the pilot to use the fuel strainer to check the fuel and that it takes about 10-15 minutes for contaminants to settle. They discussed that Mooney airplanes can allow water through the fuel cap O-rings.

According to the Mooney M20J Pilot's Operating Handbook and FAA Approved Airplane Flight Manual, Section 4, Normal Procedures, the Preflight Inspection checklist precedes the Before Engine Starting Check checklist. The Preflight Inspection stated to sump the fuel tank sump drains.

According to the Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3A), Chapter 11, Transition to Complex Airplanes, Takeoff and Climb:

"Normally, the landing gear should be retracted after lift-off when the airplane has reached an altitude where, in the event of an engine failure or other emergency requiring an aborted takeoff, the airplane could no longer be landed on the runway. This procedure, however, may not apply to all situations. Landing gear retraction should be preplanned, taking into account the length of the runway, climb gradient, obstacle clearance requirements, the characteristics of the terrain beyond the departure end of the runway, and the climb characteristics of the particular airplane."


http://registry.faa.gov/N9201R

NTSB Identification: CEN13FA496
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, August 18, 2013 in Kansas City, MO
Aircraft: MOONEY M20J, registration: N9201R
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 August 18, 2013, about 1445 central daylight time, a Mooney M20J, N9201R, descended and impacted terrain after takeoff from Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport (MKC), Kansas City, Missouri. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The private pilot and a passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Air McRoyal LLC and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight that was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was en route to Youngstown, Ohio.

The airplane arrived at MKC on August 15, 2013, and was parked on the ramp until the day of the accident when it was taxied to the airport self-serve fuel pump and 25.25 gallons of 100 low lead aviation fuel was obtained.

A mechanic stated that he heard the airplane engine run-up and takeoff. The run-up was “short” and was “less than a minute.” He did not hear any engine power hesitations during the run-up, just a “quick” magneto check. He did not hear any power hesitation prior to the engine quitting during takeoff.

The airplane departed runway 19 (6,827 feet by 150 feet, grooved concrete) and the pilot reported an unspecified problem during climb. The airplane descended to an estimated height of 10 feet above the runway surface with the landing gear retracted. The airplane was approximately no farther than half down the runway before a second climb began. The airplane attained an altitude of about 300-400 feet above ground level when it was observed to enter a turning stall. The airplane descended and impacted a field about 0.25 miles southwest of the departure end of runway 19.

Examination of the airplane engine revealed the presence of a liquid consistent with water present in the fuel servo.

There were no reports of fuel contamination and/or loss of engine power by airplanes fueled at the fuel pump where the accident airplane was fueled from. Examination of the airport fuel facility did not reveal any fuel contamination.

The pilot bought the airplane in February 2013. He accumulated a total flight time of about 308.7 hours, of which 19.2 hours were in the accident airplane make and model.







The family of an Ohio couple that died Sunday in a small-plane crash at Wheeler Downtown Airport announced funeral plans Wednesday. 

John Kenneth Lallo Sr. and Diana Christine Ceo Lallo, ages 52 and 53 respectively, died when their single-engine plane crashed into a field just south of the runway, not long after taking off.

They were in Kansas City visiting family.

The couple married after graduating high school in the late 1970s. John Lallo worked for the family business, McRoyal Industries, Inc., in Youngstown, while Diana Lallo worked as a science teacher.

Visitation will take place Saturday at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, 1125 Turin St., Youngstown, Ohio, from 8 to 11 a.m., followed by a funeral mass.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to the church.
 

Source:   http://www.kansascity.com


KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The names of the two killed in Sunday’s plane crash at the downtown Kansas City airport were confirmed on Monday. 

John and Diana Lallo of Youngstown, Ohio died in the crash as it was taking off about 2:45 p.m. The Lallos had family in Kansas City.

The National Transportation Safety Board sifted through the wreckage on Monday, searching for clues and removed it from the levee just past the runway.

The pilot reported engine problems on takeoff and witnesses say it made a sharp turn back toward the airport.

Pilots who fly at the airport know how quickly they start flying over the populated downtown area. One pilot says it’s why he charts an emergency flight path in the air.

“You do have options. I have in the back of my head I'm going to start thinking I-70 can be used. The highway is a runway,” Pilot Ryan Westward said.

It could take weeks before the NTSB determines the cause of the crash.

Source:  http://www.kshb.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Family and friends are mourning the loss of a Youngstown State University graduate and beloved members of the community who died in a plane crash in Kansas City, Missouri.

John and Diana Lallo are being remembered for their love of kids and commitment to the Liberty Schools, their children and each other.

The Principal of WS Guy Middle School, Judd Rubin, tells 21 News he first met the two when John Lallo was on the school board and Diana Lallo was a science school teacher.

He says the couple was always together.

The Middle School Principal says John Lallo was level-headed and believed in doing things the right way; a giving man who helped the district.

Rubin says Diana Lallo was the teacher that students in high school would go back to visit. He said kids loved the way Diana brought science to life and made it fun to learn.

John Lallo was President of the company his father founded in Youngstown.

McRoyal Industries sold chairs, cabinets and other interior products to giants food service industries such as Arby's, McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell and others.

McRoyal also designed custom interiors for commercial, industrial and residential businesses such as Abercrombie and Fitch, Verizon Wireless and other well known companies.
 

Rubin says teachers and students have called expressing their sadness and condolences.

He says their hearts go out to the four children and grandchildren and that people who knew the couple are heartbroken.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the cause of the crash, which happened on August 18.

Officials say the pilot of the plane radioed the tower saying he was having engine troubles shortly before the crash and was returning to the airport.

The bodies of a man and woman have not yet been positively identified by the Medical Examiners Office.


http://www.wfmj.com
















 

 A federal investigator began Monday what could be a yearlong process to determine why a small plane crashed Sunday at Wheeler Downtown Airport, killing two people. 

Mitchell Gallo, an air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, said crews were cleaning up the wreckage of the single-engine aircraft from the field just south of the main runway.

That wreckage will be taken to an undisclosed location where investigators will study the aircraft’s systems in more detail to begin piecing together the cause of the accident.

Speaking to reporters on a levee overlooking the crash site, Gallo confirmed witness accounts that the plane went down about 2:45 p.m. Sunday without fire or explosion.

“There is no evidence of soot or fire,” Gallo said. “But I can’t draw any conclusions from that yet.”

Gallo said that investigations usually take about a year, but cautioned that “each crash is different.”

Also Monday, the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office worked to conclusively identify the two crash victims, a man and a woman.

Jackson County spokesman Dan Ferguson said the condition of the bodies had ruled out a visual identification.

“They’re still working to identify the bodies,” Ferguson said. “They’re going to have to go into forensic identification.”

Citing local aviation sources, an Ohio television station and newspaper tentatively the victims as Youngstown businessman John Lallo and his wife, Diana, which Ferguson said he could not confirm.

The family owns McRoyal Industries, which provides products to the food service industry.

Federal aviation records show that the plane was owned by Air McRoyal LLC and list the same address as that of the manufacturing company.

In an email to The Kansas City Star, James B. Dietz, a Youngstown lawyer who has represented Air McRoyal, declined to discuss either the accident or the firm.

“We are still in the process of ensuring that the family of the victims are all aware of this catastrophe and are able to cope with these circumstances,” Dietz wrote.

Efforts to reach a relative of the couple in Kansas City were unsuccessful Monday.

The plane was built by the Mooney Aviation Co. in 1978, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Lynn Lunsford, an FAA spokesman, said his agency’s understanding of the basic facts of the crash had not changed overnight.

Just after takeoff, the pilot reported engine trouble and was cleared to return to the airport. The plane soon crashed on the south side of the levee, about a quarter mile from the runway.

Witnesses said the plane appeared to have turned back to the airport as it crossed back north over the Missouri River. No fire, smoke or explosion was reported on impact.

Rescuers found the plane on its belly between the levee and the river, its wings still attached.

Gallo said Monday that the small plane did not have a flight data recorder, but that some instrumentation on the aircraft, such as GPS systems, may have recorded the plane’s speed, altitude and headings during its final minutes and seconds of flight.

Monday’s work also included documenting the wreckage and crash site with photographs and notes. Witnesses to the accident, including air traffic controllers, still need to be interviewed and pilot and maintenance records of the aircraft scrutinized.

Gallo said he isn’t prepared to say what event, or cascade of events, caused the crash until he’s pulled together the facts.

“We don’t have the factual evidence at this time,” Gallo said.

Source: http://www.kansascity.com


UPDATE:   The medical examiner’s office in Jackson County, Missouri confirmed early today that it was working to positively identify the bodies of two people who died on Sunday in a plane crash shortly after takeoff from a small airport near Kansas City.

Those close to the investigation, though, say John and Diana Lallo are likely the victims of that crash.

Dan Dickten, director of aviation at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, where the plane was registered under John Lallo’s name and where the flight first took off from on Thursday said it was apparent the couple was aboard the single-engine plane built by the Mooney Aviation Co.

The aircraft was registered to Air McRoyal. According to records at the Youngstown-Warren airport, Lallo began renting hangar space there in 2006, when he was listed under an unidentified parties aircraft. In 2009, he began renting hangar space for an aircraft that he owned.

Dickten said he believed Lallo was an avid flyer. Lallo and his wife were in Missouri at the time of the crash, he said.

The plane had taken off from the Youngstown-Regional Airport at 3:31 p.m. Thursday, stopping at the Purdue University Airport before landing at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport in Kansas City at 8:48 p.m., according to online flight records.

Authorities said the plane was leaving the airport about 2:45 p.m. Sunday when it crashed on the south side of the levee about a quarter-mile from the runway.

Lynn Lunsford, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said the National Transportation Safety Board is now in charge of the investigation because fatalities are involved. He added, however, that the pilot reported an unspecified engine problem shortly after takeoff and was cleared to return to the airport. Lunsford couldn’t be sure, but he said he didn’t believe weather was a factor.

John Lallo is listed as president of McRoyal Industries, which provides building services for fast food restaurants, banks and major retailers such as Abercrombie & Fitch. Based in Youngstown, the company was founded in 1956.

An official who answered the phone at McRoyal Industries today said that “out of respect for the family, no further information is available at this time.”

A person who answered the phone at the Lallo residence in Girard refused to comment, as well.

Dan Ferguson, a spokesman for Jackson County, Missouri, said it was unclear when the medical examiners office would positively identify the bodies.

Source:    http://www.vindy.com
 
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Youngstown-area couple has been killed after a single-engine plane crashed at a small airport near downtown Kansas City.

Officials have not confirmed but sources say that Youngstown business owners John and Diana Lallo were the victims in the crash which took place a quarter of a mile from Charles B Wheeler Airport near Kansas City's business center.

The Lallo family has owned McRoyal Industries since 1965. The business provides cabinets and seats for many food industries like Arby's, Mc Donald's, Wendy's, Chili's and more.

The coroner's office has not identified the victims yet, and the cause of the crash is still under investigation.

No flight plan was filed, and the trip was deemed recreational.

Lynn Lunsford, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, says the pilot reported engine trouble shortly after departing the airport. He says the plane crashed about a quarter mile from the airport. FAA records show the plane was registered to Air McRoyal, of Youngstown, Ohio.

Lunsford says investigators were headed to the scene.

Wheeler Airport, located just west of downtown Kansas City, is used largely by corporate and recreational flyers.


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


KANSAS CITY, Mo. —Firefighters said a small plane crashed at the Charles B. Wheeler Airport Sunday afternoon, killing two people. 

The crash happened just before 3 p.m. The single-engine Mooney had just left the airport on Runway 19 when it crashed into a levee on the south side, about a quarter-mile away.

A witness reported seeing the plane flying lower than it should have. The pilot radioed concerns to the tower and then the plane crashed.

"I looked out the window and it looked awful low for it coming in," said Charles Hamilton. "I got to the river and they said there's a plane crash, and I said, 'I bet that's the plane.'"

The pilot and the lone passenger both died in the wreck. Their names have not been released, but investigators said it was a man and a woman.

Police said the crash happened shortly after the plane took off.

It was not immediately clear where the flight was heading. Federal Aviation Administration records show the plane was registered to Air McRoyal LLC, of Youngstown, Ohio. According to FlightAware.com, the plane originally came to Kansas City from Purdue University on Thursday.

Kansas City Police Chief Darryl Forte said the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board would investigate the crash.  Investigators said they have secured the scene and the airport remains open.

Story and Video: http://www.kmbc.com


Story and Video:  http://fox4kc.com

Probe launched into Turkish pilot who abandoned flight to protest abduction of colleagues in Lebanon

A probe has been launched into a Turkish Airlines pilot who walked off an Istanbul-Beirut plane just before takeoff early this morning after announcing to passengers that he was protesting the abduction and continued captivity of two Turkish pilots in Lebanon.

Turkish Airlines authorities said in a statement that the company had launched an investigation into the matter following the claims.

The pilot in command, B.G., waited for the plane’s 151 passengers to complete the boarding procedures before announcing in Turkish and English that he would cease his duties and depart the aircraft.

The plane, which was supposed to take off at 1 a.m., had to remain at Atatürk International Airport for another 30 minutes until another captain could be found as a replacement.

On Aug. 9, gunmen ambushed a bus carrying Turkish Airlines crew from Beirut’s international airport to a hotel in the city, snatching pilot Murat Akpınar and co-pilot Murat AÄŸca.

The group has demanded that Turkey use its influence with Syria’s rebels, who it backs, to secure the release of nine Lebanese Shiites kidnapped in Syria in May 2012.


Source:    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com

Asiana Boeing 777-200, HL7742, Flight OZ-214: Accident occurred July 06, 2013 in San Francisco, California

NTSB Identification: DCA13MA120 
Scheduled 14 CFR Part 129: Foreign operation of Asiana Airlines
Accident occurred Saturday, July 06, 2013 in San Francisco, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 02/03/2015
Aircraft: BOEING 777-200ER, registration: HL7742
Injuries: 3 Fatal, 50 Serious, 137 Minor, 117 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators traveled in support of this investigation and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/aviation.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-14/01.

On July 6, 2013, about 1128 Pacific daylight time, a Boeing 777-200ER, Korean registration HL7742, operating as Asiana Airlines flight 214, was on approach to runway 28L when it struck a seawall at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), San Francisco, California. Three of the 291 passengers were fatally injured; 40 passengers, 8 of the 12 flight attendants, and 1 of the 4 flight crewmembers received serious injuries. The other 248 passengers, 4 flight attendants, and 3 flight crewmembers received minor injuries or were not injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. Flight 214 was a regularly scheduled international passenger flight from Incheon International Airport (ICN), Seoul, Korea, operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 129. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The flight crew's mismanagement of the airplane's descent during the visual approach, the pilot flying's unintended deactivation of automatic airspeed control, the flight crew's inadequate monitoring of airspeed, and the flight crew's delayed execution of a go-around after they became aware that the airplane was below acceptable glidepath and airspeed tolerances. 

Contributing to the accident were (1) the complexities of the autothrottle and autopilot flight director systems that were inadequately described in Boeing's documentation and Asiana's pilot training, which increased the likelihood of mode error; (2) the flight crew's nonstandard communication and coordination regarding the use of the autothrottle and autopilot flight director systems; (3) the pilot flying's inadequate training on the planning and executing of visual approaches; (4) the pilot monitoring/instructor pilot's inadequate supervision of the pilot flying; and (5) flight crew fatigue, which likely degraded their performance.

NTSB Identification: DCA13MA120
 Scheduled 14 CFR Part 129: Foreign operation of Asiana Airlines
Accident occurred Saturday, July 06, 2013 in San Francisco, CA
Aircraft: BOEING 777-200ER, registration: HL7742
Injuries: 3 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 traveled in support of this investigation and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On July 6, 2013, about 1128 pacific daylight time, Asiana Airlines flight 214, a Boeing 777-200ER, registration HL7742, impacted the sea wall and subsequently the runway during landing on runway 28L at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), San Francisco, California. Of the 4 flight crewmembers, 12 flight attendants, and 291 passengers, about 182 were transported to the hospital with injuries and 3 passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire. The regularly scheduled passenger flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 129 between Incheon International Airport, Seoul, South Korea, and SFO. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

--------------
 San Francisco's fire chief has explicitly banned firefighters from using helmet-mounted video cameras, after images from a battalion chief's Asiana Airlines crash recording became public and led to questions about first responders' actions leading up to a fire rig running over a survivor.

Chief Joanne Hayes-White said she issued the order after discovering that Battalion Chief Mark Johnson's helmet camera filmed the aftermath of the July 6 crash at San Francisco International Airport. Still images from the footage were published in The Chronicle.

Filming the scene may have violated both firefighters' and victims' privacy, Hayes-White said, trumping whatever benefit came from knowing what the footage shows.

"There comes a time that privacy of the individual is paramount, of greater importance than having a video," Hayes-White said.

Critics, including some within the department, questioned the chief's order and its timing - coming as Johnson's footage raised the possibility of Fire Department liability in the death of 16-year-old Ye Meng Yuan.

Unaware she was there

The footage shows a Fire Department rig running over the Chinese schoolgirl as she was covered with fire-retardant foam. It also makes clear that Johnson, who was in charge of the firefighting and rescue effort and was directing rig movements, had not been told that Ye was on the ground near the wreckage of the Boeing 777.

The San Francisco Police Department, which is investigating Ye's death, has a copy of the footage, as does the San Mateo County coroner, who concluded that Ye was alive when she was struck. The footage is also in the hands of the National Transportation Safety Board, which is reviewing the circumstances surrounding Ye's death.

Hayes-White banned video cameras in "any department facility" in 2009. She said Friday that she realized after Johnson's footage became public that she needed to spell out that the order covered helmet cameras.

"I think it is fairly clear," she said. "Without someone's permission, videos are not to be taken."

It is not clear how many San Francisco firefighters and paramedics have such cameras, but their use has spread in recent years. Paramedics, in particular, say having still and video images can be helpful if patients question how they were treated before arriving at a hospital.

Footage shot with helmet cameras has been used as a learning device to train new firefighters, said Battalion Chief Kevin Smith, president of the employee group that includes Johnson, the Black Firefighters Association.

Hayes-White said Johnson "has been interviewed" about possibly being in violation of the 2009 policy. Johnson has referred queries about the footage to Fire Department officials.

The footage raised several questions about the handling of the firefighting and rescue efforts after the Asiana plane slammed into a seawall short of the runway at SFO, spun to a stop and caught fire. Two passengers in addition to Ye died, and 180 were injured.

Girl left for dead

The helmet-camera video shows that although Johnson took command of the effort within minutes after the crash, firefighters never told him that Ye was on the ground near the plane's left wing. Johnson arrived just as other injured crash victims were being taken to an initial triage area away from the plane.

Sources have said two firefighters had concluded that Ye was already dead - a determination that the coroner's autopsy found was incorrect.

As the firefighter in charge of the scene, Johnson should have been told of the girl's presence, regardless of whether she was alive or dead, veteran firefighting experts say.

Unaware of Ye's presence, Johnson ordered a foam-spraying rig into the area where the girl lay obscured, the footage shows. The rig ran over Ye, killing her instantly.

Smith said banning helmet cameras now was "regressive" and ill-timed, given the publicity over the airport crash footage.

"The department seems more concerned with exposure and liability than training and improving efficiency," Smith said. "Helmet cams are the wave of the future - they can be used to improve communication at incidents between firefighters and commanders.

"The department should develop a progressive policy to use this tool in a way that is beneficial and not simply restrict its use," Smith said. "We are public servants, we serve the public - why be secretive?"

Lawyer critical

Anthony Tarricone, a lawyer for Ye's family, also questioned Hayes-White's timing and motives.

"Why would anybody not want to know the truth?" he said. "What's wrong with knowing what happened? What's wrong with keeping people honest?

"That's what the helmet cam did, in effect, in this case," Tarricone said.

He said video recordings increasingly are "critically important" in reconstructing first responders' actions at disaster scenes, "the same way that airplanes have cockpit voice recorders and data recorders. The idea that the Fire Department wants to prevent these cameras from being used, it's really disturbing."

Camera 'kind of scary'

Arin Pace, a lieutenant with the Jacksonville, Fla., Fire Department who also runs a company that sells helmet cameras to firefighters, said San Francisco is not the first fire department to ban the equipment. At least two other cities, Houston and Baltimore, have also done so, he said.

"Departments in general are careful about how information is handled, and for good reason," Pace said. "I think a lot of them would prefer we didn't have Facebook and YouTube. For so long, they were able to feed the media what they wanted to feed them. I think a lot of them view the helmet cam thing as kind of scary."

He said as long as patient privacy issues are respected and firefighters are careful not to record grisly accident scenes, helmet-camera footage can help a department.

"It's good to the watch the tape - like any pro football team, they watch the tape of how they did at the last game," Pace said. "It's better than a live fire exercise, because it's a real fire. It's invaluable. More departments are starting to embrace it - the trend is toward it as opposed to departments running away from it."

Pace said he understands fire officials' concerns about liability issues, but "liability doesn't mean you can just keep things quiet and brush them under the rug."

"The camera doesn't lie - it just shows what happened," he said. "In some cases, it shows something that isn't very flattering. In those cases, what are you going to do?"

Protecting sensitive details

Hayes-White said the city has no control over what firefighters might do with footage they shoot while on duty, and that the Fire Department could end up being liable for violating privacy law.

"There's a lot of concern related to privacy rights and the city taping without a person being aware of it while responding to medical calls," the chief said. "A lot of information is sensitive."

Story, Photos and Comments/Reaction:  http://www.sfgate.com

Crop dusters in flight over Chickasaw County

There is a certain time to do certain things when it comes to farming and this past week out at the Les Parker farm, southeast of Nashua, it was time to have the crop duster come in and make the sweep that would protect Parker’s fields against fungi.

In fact, crop dusters are a familiar sight around many farms in the area this time of year, and Parker said even though the spring and early summer rain caused problems for many farmers, he was one of the lucky ones.

Parker was raised on a farm by parents who began farming in the mid-forties.

“I always knew I was going to be a farmer,” Parker said. “There wasn’t anything else on the horizon for me.”

Parker farms at least 1,300 acres and does quite a lot of it on his own.

“I have some help from my son, Lee, and my daughters and wife have all been very helpful over the years as well,” Parker said. “We are a true farming family, that’s for sure.”

Pleased about being an early bird this year, Parker said, “I was able to get my corn in and planted by May 15, and I got my beans in by May 20.”

With the season starting like it did however, he said there were many farmers that were hoping that it didn’t frost until Nov. 1 at least.

“I would be okay if it frosted on Oct. 1,” Parker said, “I was lucky how things turned out to be pretty normal this year.”

Overall, Parker said he thought things had evened out pretty much for many farmers and said they could even do with a little more rain over this next week.

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

Insurance firm reinstates Freedom Air’s coverage: Airline will be told to vacate airport facilities due to $1.2M debt

The insurance company that earlier cancelled the coverage of Freedom Air’s aircraft on Aug. 16 has reinstated its coverage of the local carrier after the company paid its unpaid liability insurance premiums.

Highly-placed sources told Saipan Tribune that Houston Casualty Company London Insurers (Marsh Aviation) formally notified concerned agencies about the reinstatement of Freedom Air’s coverage over the weekend.

The insurance firm earlier notified the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, the Guam Ports Authority, and the Commonwealth Ports Authority about the insurance cancellation beginning Aug. 16 due to Freedom Air’s failure to pay the premium coverage for 10 of its aircraft.

Saipan Tribune learned that Freedom Air’s insurance certificate was issued on March 8, 2013, and is supposed to expire in March next year. Due to the nonpayment, it was cancelled last Friday, Aug. 16.

While Freedom Air has successfully rectified its insurance problem, another blow is coming its way after the CPA board adopted a decision on Friday to issue a “notice to vacate” to the company. The reason: some $1.2 million it owes CPA since 2011.

Freedom Air owner and president Joaquin Flores has yet to comment on the issue as of press time.

Saipan Tribune learned that Freedom Air has been delinquent since September last year in paying the aviation fee and this has ballooned to $533,594. The firm also owes $616,777 in passenger facility charges and $52,761 in other fees like badges, lease, utility usage, and promissory note account.

The CPA board’s decision to evict Freedom Air was reached after an hourlong executive session with its legal counsel, Robert Torres.

Freedom Air will be asked to vacate the premises of all CPA ports within 30 days after receiving the board’s letter.

During the board’s deliberation on Friday, it was learned that CPA first issued a “termination letter” to the company several months ago.

In an interview with acting CPA executive director MaryAnn Lizama, she disclosed to Saipan Tribune that since the board’s last meeting in June when Freedom Air executives appealed to the board for consideration, the company has yet to come up with a concrete plan to settle its aging accounts.

Lizama disclosed, however, that after the June meeting, Freedom Air has been paying the passenger facility charge on a daily basis, the amount of which depends on the number of passengers each day.

As a process, before a notice to vacate is issued by CPA, the company involved must be notified and issued a “termination notice” first and this was issued much earlier by the ports authority, according to CPA officials.

Freedom Air has been servicing the three islands and Guam for 39 years.

Source:   http://www.saipantribune.com

Sheriff ponders air ambulance service: Citrus County, Florida



Citrus County officials are exploring the idea of providing an air medical transport service by converting the sheriff’s office’s 2006 helicopter so it could fly patients to trauma hospitals.

The idea, they say, is twofold:

+ One, it would significantly reduce the exorbitant cost patients are saddled with when they are flown by private air services to trauma hospitals in Tampa or Gainesville.

+ Two, a Citrus County service could be a revenue source for the county.

Sheriff Jeff Dawsy said talks are in the early stage.

“There are no estimates of costs yet,” he said. “All I’m doing is going out and asking questions.”

Last month, Dawsy and his two top fire commanders, along with County Administrator Brad Thorpe, County Attorney Richard Wesch and commission Chairman Joe Meek, spent parts of three days with officials in Broward County reviewing their medical flight program.

Dawsy said he will make a similar trip to Volusia County, which also offers medical air transports through its sheriff’s helicopters.

Meek said he, Thorpe and Wesch accompanied Dawsy on the Broward trip to see how the program could work first-hand.


“The potential is very big,” Meek said. “Now it’s up to us to do the due diligence.”

Nature Coast EMS Chief Executive Officer Mike Hall said his agency is looking to partner with the sheriff’s office, should the program be implemented.

“We’re not-for-profit, the sheriff is not-for-profit. We can partner together,” Hall said. “We can do it more economically if it’s locally controlled.”

Private service fees ‘astronomical’

Dawsy said he got the idea after reading a 2012 Chronicle story about parents stuck with a $17,000 bill from a medical air company for flying their son to a trauma center.

“It was an astronomical rate. I wondered if I could do it cheaper,” he said.

Most medical flights in the region are provided by Colorado-based Air Methods Corp., which partners with trauma centers that provide air transport service, such as Tampa General Hospital and Shands Hospital in Gainesville.

The flights are not inexpensive. Hall said Air Methods’ charges can exceed $20,000, with insurance covering about $5,000.

A Google search for Air Methods found news stories across the country of families charged thousands of dollars for medical flights. In nearly every instance — including the Citrus County case — Air Methods and the patient’s family settled for a much lower amount or the portion not covered by insurance was eliminated entirely.

About 25 to 30 patients are flown from Citrus County each month to trauma hospitals, Dawsy said. Some are transfers from Citrus Memorial Health System or Seven Rivers Regional Medical Center. Others are victims of traffic accidents or assaults, with head injuries, concussions or internal injuries.

Hall said that, regardless of which hospital the helicopter is affiliated with, patients in most cases are flown to the closest trauma center. For years, that meant Gainesville or Tampa. In the past two years, trauma centers have opened at Bayonet Point in Hudson and at Ocala Regional Medical Center.

From 2001-08, Aeromed, out of Tampa General, stationed a helicopter and full-time flight crew at the Inverness Airport. In 2008 the company, citing the need for additional flights, moved its operation to Wildwood.

Hall said he believes Aeromed is leaving Wildwood, as well.

That makes a Citrus County medical flight program even more practical, he said.

“I think we can do it more cost-effectively,” he said. “We could provide better service at a better cost.”

Helicopter would have dual purpose

Because the sheriff’s helicopter, purchased in 2006 at a cost of $2.4 million, would still be used for law enforcement duties, paramedics and sheriff’s flight personnel would be cross-trained, Dawsy and Hall said.

Getting the helicopter retrofitted to fly as an air ambulance — or leasing another helicopter altogether — is another story.


“We’ve got to figure out how much it costs to get a helicopter ready,” Hall said. “That’s the biggest expense to this whole thing.”

Dawsy said he hasn’t begun the task of determining that cost because he is still exploring the idea in general.

Then there’s another, broader, matter. Dawsy wants to make sure the medical transport doesn’t take away his helicopter’s initial purpose: Law enforcement.

“That’s one of the things I’m still toying with,” he said.

A medical transport would not leave the county without a helicopter. Dawsy’s backup is a Vietnam-era helicopter that could fly at a moment’s notice.

Dawsy learned from the Broward trip that the sheriff’s helicopter is large enough to accompany a medical retrofit.


But he also said the Broward situation is much different. Broward has three trauma centers in-county — Citrus has none — and the Broward sheriff’s office has five helicopters.

Coincidentally, Broward is also the county that gave Dawsy the prototype for bringing fire services from the county commission to under his control.

Dawsy said he hopes to have a decision by the end of the year whether to move forward with the helicopter plan.


“We’re being very methodical about it,” he said.

Meek said he sees the program significantly reducing patient costs while providing a revenue source for the county.

“It’s up in the air right now,” he said. “If there’s any potential to offset some costs and at the same time lower the cost for people who need it, it’s a no-brainer to see if it’ll work.”

Source:    http://www.chronicleonline.com

Rescuers rehearse plane disaster in Rockland County, New York

PIERMONT — The call came in over the radio slightly before noon Saturday: a 747 en route to La Guardia had crashed into the Piermont Pier, spewing debris into parked cars before breaking apart in the Hudson River. 

The 300 or more emergency workers had been standing ready since 10 a.m. and moved out as if the disaster was real: firetrucks, ambulances and police cars all heading for the end of the pier to find small fires burning, people crammed into wrecked cars and more people in life jackets bobbing in the water.

“It’s a drill, a simulated plane crash into Piermont Pier to bring all the companies together to see how each team works,” said Daniel W. Goswick Jr., captain of the Piermont Fire Department and the creator of the drill.

“We conducted this drill in ’97. What we did this time was to switch it up a little bit: more people than last time, drowning victims, cars crushed, people trapped in them, people on the ground,” he said. “It’s to prepare our guys and (give) practice for our dive team.”

Goswick spent six months crafting the drill, inviting five other fire departments, four dive teams, eight marine units, 12 ambulances, the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office and the Westchester County Department of Public Safety. Teams came from Oradell, N.J., and from Tarrytown and Irvington, as well as Piermont, Orangetown, Nyack, Thiells, Sparkill and Tappan.

It’s not that the emergency workers haven’t had water disasters. Piermont was one of the departments sent out three weeks ago when a boat slammed into a moored construction barge at night, killing two.

This drill had its casualties, but they were all simulated, including four “victims” that had to be dragged up from inside and around a steel pipe that had been submerged off the pier to simulate the plane’s fuselage. Placing the pipe had caused the exercise to begin nearly an hour late, as the crane rig from Stiloski’s towing, which operates in Valley Cottage and Tarrytown, was too big.

A smaller one that fit on the pier was dispatched.

“It’s great for intermunicipal fire department communications,” said Frank Morabito, deputy chief of the Tarrytown Fire Department, who, along with former chief Ray Artus, was part of the drill. “We’ll do these as often as we can get them. It speeds things up, getting to know each team, how they operate.”

By the time the drill wound down about 1:30 p.m., the 25 “victims” recovered and those in dire straits sent away by ambulance, crews gave each other thumbs up and went back to the Piermont Firehouse for burgers and soda.

“It was an awesome, good experience, all these people coming together,” said EMS Lt. Hope Goswick, the fire captain’s sister, who coordinated emergency medical operations for the drill.

Story, Photos and Video:  http://www.lohud.com

UPS Airbus A300-600, N155UP, Freight Flight 5X-1354: Accident occurred August 14, 2013 in Birmingham, Alabama

NTSB Identification: DCA13MA133 

Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 121: Air Carrier operation of UNITED PARCEL SERVICE CO (D.B.A. operation of UNITED PARCEL SERVICE CO)
Accident occurred Wednesday, August 14, 2013 in Birmingham, AL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 02/03/2015
Aircraft: AIRBUS A300 - F4 622R, registration: N155UP
Injuries: 2 Fatal.

NTSB investigators traveled in support of this investigation and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/aviation.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-14/02. 

On August 14, 2013, about 0447 central daylight time (CDT), United Parcel Service (UPS) flight 1354, an Airbus A300-600, N155UP, crashed short of runway 18 during a localizer nonprecision approach to runway 18 at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM), Birmingham, Alabama. The captain and first officer were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire. The nonscheduled cargo flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121 on an instrument flight rules flight plan, and dark night visual flight rules conditions prevailed at the airport; variable instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) with a variable ceiling were present north of the airport on the approach course at the time of the accident. The flight originated from Louisville International Airport-Standiford Field (SDF), Louisville, Kentucky, about 0503 eastern daylight time (EDT).

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
the flight crew's continuation of an unstabilized approach and their failure to monitor the aircraft's altitude during the approach, which led to an inadvertent descent below the minimum approach altitude and subsequently into terrain. Contributing to the accident were (1) the flight crew's failure to properly configure and verify the flight management computer for the profile approach; (2) the captain's failure to communicate his intentions to the first officer once it became apparent the vertical profile was not captured; (3) the flight crew's expectation that they would break out of the clouds at 1,000 feet above ground level due to incomplete weather information; (4) the first officer's failure to make the required minimums callouts; (5) the captain's performance deficiencies likely due to factors including, but not limited to, fatigue, distraction, or confusion, consistent with performance deficiencies exhibited during training; and (6) the first officer's fatigue due to acute sleep loss resulting from her ineffective off-duty time management and circadian factors.


NTSB Identification: DCA13MA133
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 121: Air Carrier operation of UNITED PARCEL SERVICE CO
Accident occurred Wednesday, August 14, 2013 in Birmingham, AL
Aircraft: AIRBUS A300 F4-622R, registration: N155UP
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 traveled in support of this investigation and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On August, 14, 2013, at about 0447 central daylight time (CDT), United Parcel Service flight 1354, an Airbus A300-600, N155UP, crashed short of runway 18 while on approach to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (KBHM), Birmingham, Alabama. The two flight crew members were fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed. The cargo flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 121 supplemental and originated from Louisville International Airport, Louisville, Kentucky.


 UPS Airbus A300-600, N155UP,  Freight Flight 5X-1354:  Accident occurred August 14, 2013 in Birmingham, Alabama 


Federal investigators on Saturday indicated they are increasingly looking into pilot training and landing procedures, rather than any airplane malfunctions, to unravel Wednesday's crash of a United Parcel Service Inc. cargo jet while it was trying to land at the Birmingham, Ala., airport.

In the last on-site press briefing from the accident scene, the National Transportation Safety Board gave its strongest signal yet that experts haven't discovered any problems with the Airbus A300's engines, automated flight-controls or other onboard systems. In coming weeks, investigators will conduct a flight test "to learn more about" UPS pilot procedures during such a landing approach, board member Robert Sumwalt told reporters Saturday.

Stressing that "this is just the very beginning of the investigation" and no conclusions have been reached yet about the probable cause, Mr. Sumwalt nevertheless provided new details that the focus of the probe is on why the pilots failed to realize they were descending too quickly in the predawn darkness. The twin-engine jet hit some power lines and trees, before slamming into a hill and breaking apart in a field less than a mile short of the strip.

With the plane's engines and flight-control system seemingly operating normally, according to Mr. Sumwalt, the cockpit crew kept the autopilot and automated thrust-control system, called autothrust, engaged through the final phase of the approach. At one point in the briefing, however, Mr. Sumwalt suggested the autopilot may have been disconnected several seconds prior to impact but he didn't elaborate.

Mr. Sumwalt also said investigators have made a preliminary determination that the plane's speed, as well as the position of movable surfaces on the wings and tail, was consistent with a normal landing approach. But the jet's trajectory was off, its altitude was too low at the very end of the descent and an onboard warning sounded twice.

Investigators previously said that about seven seconds prior to initial impact, the pilots received the first automated alert from an onboard collision-avoidance system, warning them that the plane was sinking dangerously quickly. It isn't clear whether the autopilot was turned off before the second warning.

In mentioning the upcoming flight test, Mr. Sumwalt said the emphasis will be to understand how UPS safety officials "recommend or train" pilots to fly the type of nonprecision approach used in Birmingham the day of the accident. The plane was approaching a strip that lacks a full-blown instrument-landing system, because a longer strip that is equipped with such advanced navigation aids was temporarily closed for maintenance.

Mr. Sumwalt said pilots frequently keep autopilots and autothrottles engaged throughout landing approaches. But in the Birmingham accident, he added, investigators want "to understand what the crew was doing and what they knew" during the final few seconds of the flight.

The NTSB previously said the cockpit-voice recorder revealed that one of the pilots said the runway was "in sight" barely four seconds before the first sounds of impact.

The UPS freighter was following what is referred to as a nonprecision approach because the runway it was using wasn't equipped with a so-called glide-slope indicator. Such ground equipment, commonly used at most commercial airports, helps provide pilots with a detailed visual image of an aircraft's trajectory, particularly its descent rate and altitude in relation to potentially hazardous obstacles.

Since early July, three jetliners have been involved in high-profile accidents in the U.S at the end of visual or nonprecision approaches to runways. In response to a question about potential similarities between those crashes, Mr. Sumwalt said that after collecting the facts of the Birmingham crash, NTSB experts will "look to see if there are wider systems issues that need to be addressed."

Source:   http://online.wsj.com