Saturday, October 26, 2013

Horry County, South Carolina, to look into restricting flights over schools

Some Horry County officials are looking into writing an ordiance that prohibits helicopters from flying over area schools.
 THE SUN NEWS FILE PHOTO BY JANET BLACKMON MORGAN



CONWAY — Horry County officials hope to work with the city of Myrtle Beach to draft ordinances petitioning a flight standards office to implement a temporary flight restriction for low-flying aircraft, like helicopters, from flying over schools when children are present.

It’s a new move, one being called a “long shot” by County Councilman Al Allen, but it comes at the requests of some residents who say the fight with the choppers, specifically Helicopter Adventures off 21st Avenue North, has been a long one.

“It’s a long shot, but it’s a good case and a good possibility,” Allen said. “Washington has them. They even have one over Disney World.”

But Freddie Rick, owner of the helicopter company, said the temporary flight restriction is not needed because he made changes to the route, which did fly over the schools in the summer, back in August, and has the GPS proof that his pilots are not flying over the schools.

Horry County will look into petitioning the Flight Standards District Office in Columbia for a temporary flight restriction over schools, especially the Myrtle Beach Attendance Area where the company’s popular $20 flight route hovers over. As of Friday, the city had not heard of the effort, said Mark Kruea, spokesman for Myrtle Beach.

Allen, who is a commercial pilot himself, said the city and county councils can point out the potential safety hazard because of the close proximity of the Myrtle Beach schools and note the activity and congestion of students there during school hours as mitigating factors for the flight restriction. Residents, including Leslie Anderson, claim they have asked the company, headed by Freddie Rick, to change their routes away from the school.

“I’ve written him a letter to please, just as a matter of safety more than noise, try and avoid the school area,” she said, adding she specified the area between Grissom Parkway, Oak Street, 29th Avenue North and 38th Avenue North. “Give us the school and ball fields and fly anywhere else you want to fly. I just feel like the school should be off limits. With a single engine, just like a car, no matter how much maintenance you do, you can’t guarantee that nothing will happen.”

Rick said he has met with Anderson and invites her and any county official to examine the GPS mapping of his routes and the newly purchased equipment his helicopters use for proper tracking.

“I will absolutely guarantee, without a shadow of a doubt, that we’re not flying over a school. Period,” Rick said. “And now, not only can I say it, I can back it up with GPS data that I get several hundred data points a second.”

Companies like Helicopter Adventure have agreements of flight patterns that they enter into with the air traffic control tower at Myrtle Beach International Airport. A map on their website shows the shortest pattern, or the popular $20 deal, hovers above the area of concern, but Rick said that’s an old map that is scheduled to be updated this week. The tower enforces and monitors the agreement, but federal regulations allow the company to fly one quarter of a mile on either side of the predetermined route.

Councilman Marion Foxworth said he has noticed a change in the pattern.

“Up in the air, a half a mile corridor is not that big of a deal,” Foxworth said. “But on the ground, a half a mile could be the difference between an abandoned ground field, a school complex, a heavily traveled tourist destination, a crowded beach front or a quarter of a mile off shore. And pilots flying the same thing all day long, they’re going to have variations... And to expect them to not fly over small areas like that, I think, is asking too much. The fact remains that amusement helicopter rides in a downtown urban setting makes no sense from a public policy standpoint at all.”

Councilman Gary Loftus, who is also a pilot, said the county should look into the restriction.

“A TFR is an avenue certainly worth exploring,” Loftus said.

Helicopter Adventures just completed its second summer, but battled hard to simply open its doors in 2012. Shortly after starting the operation in May 2012, Rick changed the flight routes to fly away from the neighborhood and followed the proper process before opening. The company is in a legal battle with area resident Rick Hinde, which is over whether the helicopter business is allowed through the zoning in the area. It remains in the S.C. Court of Appeals.

Before that, the Horry County zoning administrator said initially that Helicopter Adventures fits in county zoning, then the county’s Zoning Board of Appeals said it doesn’t. It went to an Horry County judge, who ruled in January 2012 that it is allowed in that zoning, and a month later declined Hinde’s request to reconsider that ruling. Hinde appealed to the S.C. Court of Appeals.

Earlier this year, the county council announced in the heat of tourism season that it was not going to approve the lease it had with Huffman Helicopter. Eventually, the county and the helicopter company settled on a lease, where its owner, Jeremy Bass, had already agreed to re-route its flights over the ocean.

Councilman Brent Schulz, who owner Freddie Rick said he reached out to speak to Friday, said Thursday some action needs to be taken.

“This is a major situation we’ve got and if we could at least move it away from the schools, it’s a step in the right direction,” he said.

Source: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com

Pilots fly in cramped conditions to raise RM101,628 for Oxfam





PETALING JAYA: Two aviation adventurers are giving new meaning to no-frills flight in their journey from London to Sydney in a single piston engined aircraft with a cockpit the size of a Mini Cooper. 

While pilots Andy Hardy, 50, and Sam Kidd, 24, are fulfilling their personal dreams with the epic journey, they have set out to raise £20,000 (RM101,628) for global aid and development charity Oxfam.

“We will travel approximately 20,000km during the trip and our target is to raise £1 (RM5) for each kilometre traveled,” said Hardy.

Hardy made clear that the cost of the flight is being borne by him and the money raised so far from enthusiasts following their journey over Facebook and Twitter is channeled to the charity.

Flying in cramped conditions for between six and eight hours daily, the duo, who arrived in Subang airport on Thursday, have traveled over 8,000km since leaving home a month ago.

“When we left, I said we would either be mortal enemies or lovers by the time we reached the end,” quipped Kidd. Hardy retorted that he preferred if they be mortal enemies instead.

Jokes aside, their banter underscores the challenges they face while in the air in Hardy’s 1966 Piper Cherokee.

Hardy said that while they may not be breaking any aviation records, the flight is fraught with challenges.

He said there are long stretches where they would fly over oceans and deserts, which is dangerous if their single engine failed.

Answering the call of nature while in mid-air is done via a bag, which channels the waste into a bladder.

“Its like a slippery condom. I never had to use it, but Andy is an expert,” said Kidd.

The bigger call of nature is a challenge they have no answer to.

“For number two, we just have to wait until we get down on the ground,” Hardy said.

The duo were hosted during their stay in Malaysia by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Malaysia.

Yesterday, they flew past the iconic Petronas Twin Towers with EAA president Capt K. Siva Raman, who piloted a separate aircraft. 

They will leave for Indonesia today and expect to reach the final destination, Sydney, on Nov 16. 

During their journey, they would have travelled through 15 countries with stopovers in 23 cities.

Donations can be made online via fundraising.oxfam.org.uk/event/cherokeechallenge2013 or follow their journey at www.facebook.com/CherokeeChallengeFlight and via the #CherokeeChallengeFlight Twitter hashtag.

Source:   http://www.thestar.com.my

Piper PA-32R-301 Saratoga II HP, N888TP: Accident occurred October 21, 2013 in Huntsville, Arkansas

NTSB Identification: CEN14FA014
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, October 21, 2013 in Huntsville, AR
Probable Cause Approval Date: 07/09/2014
Aircraft: PIPER PA 32R-301, registration: N888TP
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.

Before departing for the flight, the noninstrument-rated pilot received weather briefings, which indicated that visual flight rules (VFR) conditions prevailed along the route of flight with no significant flight restrictions. While en route to the destination, the pilot requested and received VFR flight following services from air traffic control. The approach controller advised the pilot of moderate to heavy rain ahead along the route of flight, and the pilot replied, “vfr.” About 6 minutes later, the controller again told the pilot about heavy precipitation along the route of flight and then gave the pilot a heading to deviate around the weather. The pilot confirmed the heading. Radar data indicated that the airplane started the expected right turn shortly later and then descended at a high rate of speed. The controller queried the pilot with no response, and no further transmissions from the accident pilot were received. The wreckage was located the next day based on the emergency locator transmitter. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. No airframe or engine preimpact anomalies were detected that would have precluded normal operation. A band of light-to-moderate intensity echoes about 15 miles wide existed along the flight track, and echoes of light intensity were over the accident site. Reflectivity images did not identify any strong convective echoes along the airplane’s flightpath. The pilot likely flew into an area of known rain with reduced visibility, which resulted in his subsequent loss of airplane control.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The noninstrument-rated pilot’s continued flight into an area of known rain with reduced visibility and his failure to maintain airplane control while maneuvering the airplane after entering these conditions. 

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On October 21, 2013, about 1406 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-301 airplane, N888TP, impacted trees and terrain during a descent from cruise near Huntsville, Arkansas. The pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual flight rules (VFR) conditions prevailed for the flight, which did not operate on a VFR flight plan. The flight originated from the Thomas C Russell Field Airport (ALX), near Alexander City, Alabama, about 1045, and was destined for the Claremore Regional Airport (GCM), near Claremore, Oklahoma.

Flight service station records revealed that on October 20, 2013, the pilot representing N888TP obtained a preflight outlook weather briefing for a VFR flight departing on October 21, 2013, from ALX to GCM with an estimated time en route of four hours. On October 21, 2013, the pilot representing N888TP additionally obtained a preflight pilot briefing for a VFR flight departing at 1000 with an estimated time en route of four hours.

According to the fueling records, the airplane's fuel tanks were serviced with 57.74 gallons of aviation gasoline on October 18, 2013, at ALX. Following that fueling, a lineman at ALX helped load one suitcase, two hanging bags, and one set of golf clubs into a car. The pilot subsequently returned on October 21, 2013, and tried multiple times to start the engine. He was able to start the engine and the lineman indicated that the engine started without any "sputtering or popping." Additionally, the lineman did not see any black smoke during the engine start.

A mechanic at ALX observed the passenger and pilot board the aircraft without the pilot making a pre-flight inspection, which he thought was unusual since the aircraft had been tied down over the weekend and had sat in the rain. He then observed the pilot make numerous attempts to start the engine, "which almost completely drained the battery." The pilot was able to get the engine started without an external power source. The mechanic then observed him taxi out to the runway and depart runway 18 without ever doing a run up and/or magneto check."

The pilot was en route to GCM where he requested and was given VFR flight following. According to a transcript of recorded communications involving the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Razorback East radar approach control frequency, the pilot checked on with an approach controller about 1354. The controller advised the pilot of the current local altimeter setting and queried his altitude. The pilot replied he was at 5,800 feet. About 1357, the pilot advised the controller that the flight was descending to 4,500 feet.

At 1357:42, the controller said, "november nine eight eight tango papa roger maintain v f r altitude your discretion i'm showing moderate to to heavy rain uh at your twelve o'clock and approximately uh two
miles it's uh just south along your route of flight and then there's a heavier area uh approximately fifteen miles uh west along your route of flight."

At 1358:01, the pilot replied, "eight eight eight tango papa v f r."

At 1404:18, the controller said, "november eight eight eight tango papa the uh weather that i'm showing is at your twelve o'clock and er precipitation returns are just at your twelve o'clock and about uh six miles uh about eight miles into that it uh uh is showing um heavy precipitation that's uh developing and building uh to the east."

At 1404:38, the pilot replied, "roger eight eight eight tango papa reckon we oughta do a one eighty."

At 1404:43, the controller said, "no sir eight eight eight tango papa if you uh take you to the north if you'd like vectors through it suggest heading three five zero towards huntsville and then once you get uh just uh west of huntsville i can turn you back to the west.

At 1405:54, the pilot replied, "alright eight eight eight tango papa three five zero."

At 1405:34, the controller said, "lance eight tango papa fly heading three six zero i'm going to leave you north bound for about uh five miles then i'll turn you back to the north west to get you clear of that weather."

At 1406:47, the pilot replied, "three six zero eight tango pop."

The controller queried the flight and no further transmissions from the accident pilot were recorded. The transcript is appended to the docket material associated with this investigation.

The airplane was observed on radar to descend at a high rate of speed following the turn and the Madison County Sheriff's Office was subsequently advised of coordinates for a possible airplane down. A search was conducted and responders using an emergency locator transmitter detector located the wreckage about 0845 on October 22, 2013.


PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held a FAA private pilot certificate with an airplane single engine land rating which was issued on April 25, 2013. The pilot took an initial check ride for his private pilot certificate on April 21, 2013. He did not pass that check ride and was given a notice of disapproval of application. The pilot was subsequently reexamined on the areas failed on that check ride, which were takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds, slow flight and stalls, and emergency operations. He held a FAA Third Class Medical Certificate dated January 23, 2013, with a limitation to wear corrective lenses. The pilot reported on the application for that medical certificate that he had accumulated 45 hours of total flight time and 5 hours of flight time in the previous six months. The pilot reported to his airplane's insurance company that he had accumulated 204 hours of total flight time and accumulated 16 hours of flight time in the PA-32R-301 as of October 3, 2013. According to the pilot's logbook, he recorded that he had accumulated 224.7 hours of total flight time, 8.1 hours of simulated instrument flight time, 1.9 hours of actual instrument flight time, and 36.1 hours of flight time in the same make and model airplane as the accident airplane.


AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

N888TP was a 1997 Piper PA-32R-301 airplane with serial number 3246090. The airplane was a low-wing, all-metal, single-engine, six-place monoplane. It had a retractable tricycle landing gear configuration, and was powered by a fuel injected, six-cylinder, Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 engine, bearing serial number L-26058-48A, and was marked as producing 300-horsepower at 2,700 rpm. An airplane logbook endorsement showed that the airplane's last annual inspection was completed on September 16, 2013, and that the airplane had accumulated 2,325.3 hours of total time.


METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) senior meteorologist reviewed weather documents to include flight service station briefings given to the pilot representing N888TP. Those briefings indicated the pilot should expect VFR conditions to prevail along the route of flight with no significant flight restrictions. The meteorologists review revealed that National Weather Service (NWS) surfact analysis for 1300 depicted a cold front over the planned route of flight and immediately east of the accident site. The chart depicted overcast clouds with light continuous rain behind the front.

The NWS National radar mosaic for 1400 depicted a band of weather echoes from southern Missouri southwestward across northern Arkansas into eastern Oklahoma. The band of echoes was along the route of flight and over the accident site.

The closest weather reporting location, about 21 miles and 289 degrees from the accident site, at the Drake Field Airport (FYV), near Fayetteville, AR, reported a wind shift associated with the cold front passage with marginal VFR (MVFR) to temporary instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions in light to moderate rain behind the front. At 1353, the recorded weather at FYV was: wind calm; visibility 5 statute miles; present weather rain, mist; sky condition scattered clouds 800 feet, broken clouds 1,800 feet, overcast clouds 5,000 feet; temperature 10 degrees C; dew point 9 degrees C; altimeter 30.08 inches of mercury. The next closest reporting stations at the Springdale Municipal Airport, near Springdale, and the Boone County Airport, in Harrison, Arkansas, both reported VFR conditions with broken to overcast sky conditions with surrounding light rain.

The North American Mesoscale model sounding for 1300 over the accident site indicated a potential cloud base at 1,000 feet above ground level. The sounding was stable and supported nimbostratus type clouds capable of producing rain showers.

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) no. 13 infrared satellite imagery at 1402 depicted an extensive band of low to mid-level clouds over the region associated with the frontal system. The GOES-13 visible image for 1402 also depicted an overcast cloud cover over the accident site with nimbostratus type clouds. The satellite and radar imagery, and lightning data did not identify any cumulonimbus clouds or thunderstorms in the immediate vicinity of the accident site.

The NWS Weather Surveillance Radar 0.5 degree base reflectivity images for 1401 and 1407 depicted a band of light to moderate intensity echoes approximately 15 miles wide along the flight track. Over the accident site, the echo intensity was only 20 to 25 dBZ or light intensity echoes. The reflectivity images did not identify any strong convective echoes along the flight path of the accident airplane.

A review the lightning network indicated that there were no in-cloud or cloud-to-ground lightning activity in an approximate 20 mile radius and a 45 minute period surrounding the time of the accident.

The NWS Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) for FYV available at the time of preflight planning expected VFR conditions prevailing with a broken ceiling at 4,000 feet and light rain showers. The TAF for Tulsa International Airport, closest forecast to the destination, also expected VFR conditions to prevail with rain showers and a ceiling broken at 5,000 to 6,000 feet.

The NWS Area Forecast for the route forecast expected broken clouds at 6,000 feet above mean sea level with tops to 20,000 feet with isolated rain showers. The forecast was consistent with the TAFs issued across the region. There were no amending Airmen's Meteorological Information (AIRMET) for IFR conditions. No advisories were current for any large areas of IFR conditions or thunderstorms across the region. The Senior Meteorologist's Factual Report is appended to the docket associated with this investigation.


WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane wreckage was found about 13 miles south of Huntsville, Arkansas. It was situated about 1.4 miles and 305 degrees from the intersection of Madison County Road 5320 and Arkansas Highway 23. The wreckage was fragmented in an area that was tree covered, hilly, and had rocky terrain. The first observed impact to trees was found below the crest of a hill and the wreckage debris path extended down the hill about 450 feet to the hill's base. The debris pattern exhibited a general heading of approximately 255 degrees from the initial tree impact. Trees that were struck during the impact sequence exhibited witness marks to include broken branches, uprooted bases, and toppled over trunks in the direction of the debris pattern.

A postaccident on-scene investigation was conducted. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. The left wing and right wings were fragmented during the impact sequence. Components from both wings to include their wingtip, aileron, flap, landing gear, and control cables were found along the debris field. All damage and separations were consistent with overload. Control cable separations exhibited a broomstrawed appearance consistent with overload separation. All fuel tanks were fragmented and no fuel was noted. Trees and ground areas exhibited discoloring and charring consistent with post impact ground fires.

The empennage was found fragmented along the debris path. The largest section consisted of sections of the horizontal stabilator, vertical stabilizer, and the lower portion of the rudder. The left side of the stabilator and outboard portion of the right side were separated and were found along the debris path. Both stabilator control cable attach fittings were noted. One cable had separated from the swaged ball on the end of the cable and the other cable had a broomstrawed separation. Both rudder cables were secure to the rudder bellcrank and continuous to the forward fuselage area where both had broomstrawed separations. The stabilator hinge and stop bolts were in place and secure. The balance tube was in place with weights secure. The rudder bellcrank was partially separated from the rudder. The lower hinge bolt and stop bolts were in place and secure. The pitch trim drum showed three threads upper extension, which would have been consistent with a trim tab position of about two degrees of the available five degrees nose down trim. The fuselage was fragmented by multiple impacts with trees and terrain. Airplane fuselage parts and contents to include seats, instrument panels, luggage, window and door openings, and control cables were found along the debris path. The instrument panel's instruments were fragmented. The airspeed indicator's face was the only remaining instrument in the panel and its needle was resting near 200 knots.

The engine was separated from its engine mount and the engine was found near the bottom of the hill by the end of the debris path. The propeller and the rear-mounted accessories were separated from the engine. Both magnetos were found in the debris path. One magneto exhibited spark when its impulse coupling was rotated by hand. The other magneto did not produce spark when rotated by hand and disassembly revealed a separation in the distributor gear. That gear separation was consistent with impact damage. The engine crankshaft was rotated using a pry-bar and the crankshaft's continuity was verified. The camshaft gear was also rotated by pry-bar and movement of some of its valves was observed. Impact damage to some push rods precluded full camshaft rotation.

Portions of the propeller hub and its two retained blades were buried in the ground with a tree trunk covering one blade. One blade was separated from the hub and the blade was found down the hill in the debris path. The propeller blades exhibited s-shaped bending. The propeller attach studs remained in the crankshaft flange. The propeller hub boltholes were deformed in a pattern that was opposite the direction or rotation.

No airframe or engine pre-impact anomalies were detected that would have precluded normal operations.


MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The Medical Examiner Office at the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory performed an autopsy on the pilot on October 24, 2013. The cause of death was listed as blunt force injury.

The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute prepared a Final Forensic Toxicology Accident Report on specimens from the pilot's autopsy. The report was negative for the tests performed.


 http://registry.faa.gov/N888TP 

NTSB Identification: CEN14FA014
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, October 21, 2013 in Huntsville, AR
Aircraft: PIPER PA 32R-301, registration: N888TP
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 October 21, 2013, about 1405 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-301 airplane, N888TP, impacted trees and terrain during a descent from cruise near Huntsville, Arkansas. The pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual flight rules (VFR) conditions prevailed for the flight, which did not operate on a VFR flight plan. The flight originated from the Thomas C Russell Field Airport (ALX), near Alexander City, Alabama, about 1045, and was destined for the Claremore Regional Airport (GCM), near Claremore, Oklahoma.

The pilot was en route to GCM where he requested and was given VFR flight following. According to preliminary information, the pilot advised air traffic controllers of weather along his route of flight. A controller gave the pilot headings to fly around the weather. The airplane was observed to descend at a high rate of speed following the turn and no further radio contact was established with the pilot.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office was subsequently advised of coordinates for a possible airplane down. A search was conducted and responders using an emergency locator transmitter detector located the wreckage about 0845 on October 22, 2013.

The pilot held a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) private pilot certificate with an airplane single engine land rating which was issued on April 25, 2013. He held a FAA Third Class Medical Certificate dated January 23, 2013, with a limitation to wear corrective lenses. The pilot reported on the application for that medical certificate that he had accumulated 45 hours of total flight time and 5 hours of flight time in the previous six months. The pilot reported to his airplane’s insurance company that he had accumulated 204 hours of total flight time and accumulated 16 hours of flight time in the PA-32R-301 as of October 3, 2013.

N888TP was a 1997 Piper PA-32R-301 airplane with serial number 3246090. The airplane was a low-wing, all-metal, single-engine, six-place monoplane. It had a retractable tricycle landing gear configuration, and was powered by a fuel injected six-cylinder, Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 engine, bearing serial number L-26058-48A, and marked as producing 300-horsepower at 2,700 rpm. An airplane logbook endorsement showed that the airplane’s last annual inspection was completed on September 16, 2013, and that the airplane had accumulated 2325.3 hours of total time. According to the fueling records, the airplane’s fuel tanks were serviced with 57.74 gallons of aviation gasoline on October 18, 2013, at ALX.

The airplane wreckage was found about 13 miles south of Huntsville, Arkansas.  It was situated about 1.4 miles and 305 degrees from the intersection of Madison County Road 5320 and Arkansas Highway 23. The wreckage was fragmented in an area that was tree covered, hilly, and had rocky terrain. The first observed impact to trees was found below the crest of a hill and the wreckage debris path extended down the hill about 450 feet to the hill’s base. The debris pattern exhibited a general heading of approximately 255 degrees from the initial tree impact. Trees that were struck during the impact sequence exhibited witness marks to include broken branches, uprooted bases, and toppled over trunks in the direction of the debris pattern.

A postaccident on-scene investigation was conducted. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. The left wing and right wings were fragmented during the impact sequence. Components from both wings to include their wingtip, aileron, flap, landing gear, and control cables were found along the debris field. All damage and separations were consistent with overload. Control cable separations exhibited a broomstrawed appearance consistent with overload separation. All fuel tanks were fragmented and no fuel was noted. Trees and ground areas exhibited discoloring and charring consistent with post impact ground fires.

The empennage was found fragmented along the debris path. The largest section consisted of sections of the horizontal stabilator, vertical stabilizer, and the lower portion of the rudder. The left side of the stabilator and outboard portion of the right side were separated and were found along the debris path. Both stabilator control cable attach fittings were noted. One cable had separated from the swaged ball on the end of the cable and the other cable had a broomstrawed separation. Both rudder cables were secure to the rudder bellcrank and continuous to the forward fuselage area where both had broomstrawed separations. The stabilator hinge and stop bolts were in place and secure. The balance tube was in place with weights secure. The rudder bellcrank was partially separated from the rudder. The lower hinge bolt and stop bolts were in place and secure. The pitch trim drum showed three threads upper extension which would have been consistent with a trim tab position of about two degrees of the available five degrees nose down trim. The fuselage was fragmented by multiple impacts with trees and terrain. Airplane fuselage parts and contents to include seats, instrument panels, luggage, window and door openings, and control cables were found along the debris path. The instrument panel’s instruments were fragmented. The airspeed indicator’s face was the only remaining instrument in the panel and its needle was resting near 200 knots.

The engine was separated from its engine mount and the engine was found near the bottom of the hill by the end of the debris path. The propeller and the rear mounted accessories were separated from the engine. Both magnetos were found in the debris path. One magneto exhibited spark when its impulse coupling was rotated by hand. The other magneto did not produce spark when rotated by hand and disassembly revealed a separation in the distributor gear. That gear separation was consistent with impact damage. The engine crankshaft was rotated by pry-bar and its continuity as verified. The camshaft gear was also rotated by pry-bar and movement of some of its valves was observed. Impact damage to some push rods precluded full camshaft rotation.

Portions of the propeller hub and its two retained blades were buried in the ground with a tree trunk covering one blade. One blade was separated from the hub and the blade was found down the hill in the debris path. The propeller blades exhibited s-shaped bending. The propeller attach studs remained in the crankshaft flange. The propeller hub boltholes were deformed in a pattern that was opposite the direction or rotation.

No airframe or engine pre-impact anomalies were detected that would have precluded normal operations.



 KTUL.com - Tulsa, Oklahoma - News, Weather  

Hundreds of people from the Pryor area gathered Saturday to celebrate the life of a well-respected couple recently killed in a plane crash. 

Ivan and Adina Williams died Monday on their way home from a trip. Authorities said the plane clipped some trees and went down in Huntsville, Arkansas.

Family and friends of the Williams gathered in the Pryor High School gymnasium to listen to several speakers and watch a slide show honoring the couple. The Williams are the owners of Williams Construction. Residents said the couple was also very giving, supporting the Boy Scouts, Red Cross, and generously donating to area schools.

"They were like, as my husband said earlier, the first family of Pryor, because they were so involved in so many areas," said family friend Becki Hawkins.

Pryor's Chamber said the Williams' business has done a great deal for the community, but it is also the couple's active interest in other causes that will continue to resonate with residents. Several service attendees said the couple never expected praise for the charitable work they did.

"They will not be forgotten and they will be honored," said Chamber member and personal friend John Hawkins.

The Williams' four sons thanked attendees for their ongoing support. One of the sons said, "Don't wait until something goes wrong to say something. My parents and I said 'I love you' to each other a million times in my life, but the one thing I wish I could do now is tell them just how much I do and all the reasons why."

The Williams family said donations may be made to the following organizations in Ivan and Adina's honor:

BARHD (Bushenyi Alliance for Rural Health and Development)
P.O. Box 702008- Tulsa, OK 74170

Indian Nations Council, Boy Scouts of America
4295 S. Garnett Road- Tulsa, OK 74146
Women's Outreach of Hope
P.O. Box 455- Pryor, OK 74362

American Cancer Society
4110 S. 110th East Ave- Tulsa, OK 74146

American Red Cross
400 W. Will Rogers Blvd- Claremore, OK 74017


Source:  http://www.ktul.com





PRYOR, Okla. - Friends and family of a Pryor couple killed in an Arkansas plane crash come together to mourn their loss.  

A memorial service was held for 63-year-old Ivan B. Williams III and 52-year-old Adina Beth Williams Saturday afternoon.

Relatives along with dozens of friends honored the lives of a couple that greatly impacted their town.

The Williams family say they are trying to stay strong through the tragedy.

The husband and wife died when their plane went down in Arkansas Monday.

 It was Adina's first trip aboard her husband's plane.

Authorities say their single engine plane hit a hillside in northwest Arkansas as they were flying back to Claremore Airport from Alabama.

While this afternoon's memorial service was a celebration of their lives, family and friends say their hearts are broken by their passing.

They tell 2News they will do everything to remember the couple that meant so much to the community. 

"There's not a family that has done more good positive things and given the example for the people the way we need to live than the William's family," A friend of the Williams' family Dr. Mike Fullerton said.

Relatives and friends say the couple always showed their love, compassion and generosity to Pryor.

In the coming months, they hope to honor their legacy in town.

Ivan and Adina leave behind four sons.


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



Adina Beth Williams -  Full obituary here:   http://www.keyfuneralhome.com

Ivan B. Williams III - Full obituary here:  http://www.keyfuneralhome.com


Adina Beth Williams
(August 2, 1961 - October 21, 2013) 

Guest Book:  http://www.keyfuneralhome.com

Ivan B. Williams III 
(August 21, 1950 - October 21, 2013)
Guest Book:   http://www.keyfuneralhome.com

New jet to fly University of Pittsburgh Medical Center corporate flag: Plane's whereabouts to be unavailable for real-time public tracking

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has a new, $50 million corporate jet. But you won't be able to track its movements -- at least not in real time.

That's because UPMC, like thousands of other private plane owners and lessors in Pittsburgh and across the country, has elected to keep its flight records obscured from public view, meaning the jet's whereabouts can't be tracked in real time via typical Internet channels.

"Always been done, for all the reasons" that are customary for big companies -- security, privacy, and to protect the health system's own business interests, UPMC spokesman Paul Wood said.

UPMC's new Bombardier Global Express -- a luxury, ultra long-range business jet with twin Rolls Royce engines -- was assembled last year and was certified to fly in spring 2013. The new plane replaces UPMC's 2002-model Global Express, which UPMC has been using since 2007. That plane, in turn, replaced UPMC's old Bombardier Challenger.

UPMC did not divulge the cost of the plane, but several aviation websites put the estimated cost of a new Bombardier Global Express at $51 million. Leasing a plane of that value, plus fuel and maintenance, would typically cost millions a year.

"The old plane had to be upgraded to meet a variety of safety requirements and regulations. It was easier [and] less expensive to lease a new plane than upgrade the old one. It's the exact same jet that has the exact same annual operating costs as before," Mr. Wood said.

But those who want to follow the jet's flight path around the world will have a difficult time doing so, despite a two-year push to open that sort of data into wider view.

The Obama administration and the Federal Aviation Administration, starting in 2011, sought to tighten access to what was then known as the Block Aircraft Registration Request program, which allowed plane owners to evade those who would follow departures and arrivals via third-party flight-tracking websites.

The new rule required plane owners to show a "valid security concern" -- such as "verifiable threat to person, property or company, including a threat of death, kidnapping or serious bodily harm against an individual" -- in order to block would-be trackers. (Flight plans for private planes, as well as commercial craft, can still be requested from the FAA via a Freedom of Information Act request, so comings and goings can be pieced together weeks or months after the fact.)

The purpose of the rule-tightening was to provide greater transparency into flight data, according to the FAA. At the time the new standard was to go into effect, in summer 2011, about 7,400 of the nation's 357,000 registered airplanes were on the do-not-track list, according to the New York Times.

Why should flight plan data be easily accessible to the public? Because, according to transparency advocates, the use of national airspace relies on a system of air traffic controllers, airports and runways that are largely financed by taxpayers.

"The airways and the air traffic control system is a public commons," said Chuck Collins, scholar at the left-leaning Institute for Policy Studies. "We have to balance private needs and the public interest."

But that view, and the new standard, were opposed by the business aviation community and overruled by Congress by the end of 2011. As a result, the "new" FAA policy, which was formally ratified in September of this year, greatly resembles the one that had been in place since 2000: Dissemination of flight data can again be blocked for any reason at the request of the plane owner.

All manner of plane owners, particularly for-profit corporations (UPMC is a nonprofit) block their tail numbers from public, real-time tracking. Of the 529 private aircraft registered in Allegheny County and others based in suburban counties, dozens have blocked tail numbers.

As for UPMC's new jet, according the FAA's flight registry, the UPMC Global Express is officially owned by a "Wilmington Trust Co. Trustee," whose business address is "UPMC, U.S. Steel Building, 62nd Floor."

Wilmington Trust is a bank and safe-deposit company based in Delaware. The 62nd floor of the U.S. Steel building is where UPMC's International and Commercial Services Division is housed; that floor is also home to the office of UPMC CEO Jeffrey Romoff.

Mr. Wood said the jet is needed for "medical, international and business development purposes. The positive cash flow from UPMC's international operations more than pays for the lease on the jet." UPMC has operations in Italy, Ireland and the U.K. and is moving into Asia.

Many companies of UPMC's size -- $10.2 billion in revenues last fiscal year -- own or exclusively lease their own private jets, but most nonprofits and most hospital systems do not.

"Our expectation is that nonprofits should adhere to higher standards of conduct," said Deborah L. Rhode, a law professor at Stanford Law School who has researched the subject of ethics within the nonprofit world.

Highmark Inc., UPMC's top rival locally, leases air time though Corporate Air, a charter company based at Allegheny County Airport. It has one airplane that is reserved, but that plane is also available for use by other passengers.

If the plane is in use and Highmark executives need to fly on short notice, the company can use another plane from Corporate Air's 18-plane fleet.

Highmark's primary plane, and many of the others operated by Corporate Air, do not have "blocked" tail numbers -- though some of the fleet, particularly the larger Gulfstream planes that fly out of Pittsburgh International Airport, do have blocked numbers.


Story and Comments/Reaction:   http://www.post-gazette.com

Boeing land purchase at Charleston airport edges forward

Derailed briefly by the partial government shutdown, a deal to sell Boeing Co. a large swatch of publicly owned land in North Charleston is back on track.

The Federal Register published its first formal notice of the $13.8 million sale this week, one of the final requirements before the aerospace giant can close the 267-acre deal. Boeing’s name does not appear in the document.

“The Charleston County Aviation Authority plans to sell the … property for the purpose of aircraft manufacturing and related support functions,” according to the self-described “Daily Journal of the United States Government.”

The notice went on to say the proposed use of the land “is compatible with airport operations.”
The public has until Nov. 25 to submit comments about the sale.

The airport authority needs the Federal Aviation Administration’s blessing to sell the property. As part of that the approval, an official public notice must run in the Federal Register for 30 days.
That process was held up by the recent 16-day shutdown that furloughed of many government employees.

Paul Campbell, Charleston County’s airports director, said this week he expects the deal to be finalized within the next 30 to 35 days, barring any unforeseen obstacles.

Boeing has been trying to acquire property around its North Charleston 787 campus for about two years.

The aviation authority voted in March to sell the planemaker 320 acres for $12.5 million, splitting the difference between appraisals from both sides.

The size of the purchase was cut to 267 acres last month while the price went up about $1.3 million. Boeing will pay about $52,000 an acre.

The company has not said specifically what it plans to do with the undeveloped site.

Boeing announced in April that it will invest another $1.1 billion and add at least 2,000 more jobs during the next seven years in exchange for $120 million in state financial assistance.
 
Boeing already employs more than 6,000 workers in North Charleston who make parts for and assemble the Dreamliner.

This week, it announced plans to boost production of the 787 in South Carolina and Seattle as much as 40 percent by 2020 to help fill more than 800 orders and to meet growing demand for new versions of the airplane.

Source:  http://www.postandcourier.com

Care To Comment?

Comments can be mailed or delivered in triplicate to the FAA’s at 1701 Columbia Ave., Ste. 2-260, College Park, Ga., 30337-2747. Attention: Rob Rau, S.C. planner.

Also, 1 copy must be mailed or delivered to Paul Campbell, airports director, Charleston International Airport, 5500 International Blvd., North Charleston, S.C., 29418-6911.

To see the Federal Register notice online, go to:
tinyurl.com/n8fbu49

Famed Luke Air Force Base squadron is revived

The Air Force reactivated its famed 61st Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base on Friday, designating the unit as the first of six planned squadrons for F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets.

A crowd of about 175 airmen, family members and other guests attended the ceremony marking the 61st’s return to Luke.

The squadron, which goes by “Top Dogs,” was stationed at the base from 1994 through 2010 as a training group for F-16 pilots. In its newest incarnation, it will be a training group for F-35 pilots.

The 72-year-old base in Glendale, which has long trained F-16 pilots, secured the F-35 training mission in 2012.

Although the squadron officially restarted with a ceremonial unfurling of its blue-and-gold flag, the delivery of the first F-35 to the base isn’t expected until January.

Additional F-35s are expected to be delivered in groups of one to four until the 61st reaches its full complement of 24 planes in about two years.

Overall, Luke will serve as the permanent training base for 144 of the jets that defense analysts say will be crucial to U.S. military operations for the next 40 years.

The first order of business for the 61st will be to train F-35 instructors and test pilots, said Lt. Col. Michael “Jeb” Ebner, the newly installed squadron commander.

The Air Force is drawing from its ranks of experienced fighter pilots for the current wave of F-35 pilots. That strategy will allow the Air Force to build its cadre of F-35 pilots fairly quickly, he said.

“They’re coming from an F-15, an F-16, perhaps an A-10, so they’re experienced guys. The minimum criteria for guys coming into the F-35 right now are 750 hours in a fighter type of aircraft,” Ebner said.

As a result, F-35 trainees typically will be certified after just six flights. The training program also benefits because the jets, which can reach Mach 1.6, or approximately 1,200 mph, are remarkably easy to handle, he said.

“This plane is by far the easiest plane to land that I’ve flown,” said Ebner, who has flown F-35s on approximately 70 missions during the past 14 months.

By 2015, the newly certified instructors will begin training pilots who will be deployed to combat units around the world to take control of F-35s as fast as Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. can produce them.

Most of the training will be conducted west of Luke at military ranges in southern Arizona and Southern California.

Ebner acknowledged the responsibilities and expectations of taking command of the 61st, a squadron associated with more than seven decades of history and pride.

“That was always the hope when they deactivated it, that they would bring it back to an F-35 squadron,” he said.

The 61st was activated in 1941 and initially was stationed along the East Coast. The squadron moved to England to join Allied forces in 1943.

By 1944, it was recognized as the first fighter squadron in the European Theater of World War II to score 100 kills, according to Luke’s historical records.

From 1943 to 1945, the squadron produced 19 aces — pilots who brought down at least five enemy airplanes.

Together, the Top Dogs destroyed 248 aircraft in the air and more than 60 on the ground, according to the records.

The Air Force deactivated the 61st four times since World War II, but each time, it later reactivated the squadron with the next generation of aircraft.

By the time the current incarnation of the squadron is fully staffed, it will have a pilot for every jet, plus 200 to 300 ground personnel responsible for maintaining the planes.

The second squadron of F-35s at Luke is expected to arrive in early 2015.


Source:  http://www.azcentral.com

Gene Smith celebrates 40 years in the air: Aviator owners come together -- Fort Morgan Municipal Airport (KFMM), Colorado

 
 Former owners of the businesses which have run the Fort Morgan Airport came together to celebrate Gene Smith's 40 years of flying Saturday. From left, back, are Merle Bristol of Bristol Flying Service, Jerry Carpenter of Carpenter Flying Service, Gene Smith of Smith Aerial Spraying and Kyle Scott of Scott Aviation,and front, Dee Carpenter, Jan Smith and Brian Smith. 
(Courtesy photo / Fort Morgan Times)


 
Aviator Gene Smith, left, visits with Rosemary and Ray Tucker during a 40-year anniversary of Smith's flying career Saturday at the Fort Morgan Airport.
 (Dan Barker / Fort Morgan Times)


 A large number of people came to celebrate 40 years of flying by Gene Smith at the Fort Morgan Airport Saturday.
 (Dan Barker / Fort Morgan Times)



 
Friends and family had a chance to look at newspaper stories and other records of the agriculture pilots and their businesses during the 40th anniversary of Gene Smith's flying career at the Fort Morgan Airport.
 (Dan Barker / Fort Morgan Times)


Four of the owners of the Fort Morgan Airport agricultural flying operations came together to celebrate 40 years of flying by Gene Smith Saturday. 

 Those included Merle Bristol of Bristol Flying Service, who sold the business to Jerry Carpenter of Carpenter Flying Service, who sold it to Gene Smith of Smith Aerial Spraying, who sold it to Kyle Scott of Scott Aviation, the current owner.

It was kind of a special occasion to have them all together at one time, Scott said.

It was particularly special for Smith, who was the guest of honor.

Smith had been fascinated with aircraft as a child. He used to build model, remote control aircraft and fly them in a park on the west side of Fort Morgan, he said.

However, he always thought his eyesight was too poor for him to actually fly, Smith said.

Smith was finally encouraged to get his pilot's license when he met back up with Carpenter, while Smith was working for in a plastics company in Houston, Texas.

Carpenter had attended a chiropractic college in that city, and Smith knew Carpenter's wife. Carpenter decided to go back into the aviation business, and wanted Smith as a partner.

They moved back to Fort Morgan, and were planning to buy out the Bristol Flying Service.

While Carpenter did buy the business, Smith went to Pine Bluffs, Wyo. to do flying, and did that for 18 years before he lost much of his business to a national outfit.

About that time, Carpenter wanted out of the business, so Smith packed up and moved back to Fort Morgan again in 1991, he said.

Smith did his first solo in August of 1971, and flew agricultural spraying for 40 years.

"This business was good to us," Smith said.

Later, he got out of the business, but not out of flying, he said.

Asked why the celebration now instead of when he retired, his wife, Jan, said he would never retire.

he thanked a crowd that filled a hangar at the airport, and invited people to share their stories.

Scott told a story about a time when Smith had a contract to take a family up to spread the ashes of a loved one over a hunting club.

Smith knew that trying to dump ashes only resulted in having them fly back into the aircraft, so he tried to brainstorm a way to make it happen.

The family tried poking a hole in the bag and leaning far out of the airplane, but it still did not work, but they were not upset.

"That guy was a prankster, and that was his last joke on us," one of his friends said.

Smith did later invent an ash spreading tube that made it possible, Scott said.

People at the celebration had a chance to enjoy a barbecue lunch and take rides in Scott's helicopter.

Story and Photo Gallery:   http://www.fortmorgantimes.com

10 Tanker Air Carrier: Aviation firefighting company lands in Albuquerque

 


The aerial firefighting company 10 Tanker Air Carrier has moved its corporate headquarters from southern California to the Albuquerque International Sunport. 

The company, which supplies DC-10 Airtankers and flight crews to fight wildfires throughout the West, moved this month into a 7,600-square-foot facility previously owned by the former Eclipse Aviation Corp.

The company, now in its eighth firefighting season, relocated to be closer to fire danger zones throughout the West and Southwest, said President and CEO Rick Hatton.

“We wanted to be more centrally located because the U.S. Forest Service, our primary client, is concerned about the whole West and not just California,” Hatton told the Journal. “The dry, high desert climate and favorable weather make this a good place to work on aircraft during the off-fire season, and the tax and business environment here are favorable.”

The company currently has two airtankers, one of which is now located at the Sunport. The other will remain in service until the current fire season ends. It will arrive in Albuquerque in the spring after receiving maintenance in Michigan.

The firm is now constructing a third aircraft to enter service next year that also will be housed in Albuquerque.

During fire seasons, however, the planes may not be located here.

“We have 30 places in the West where we can operate from, so that depends on where the Forest Service wants us,” Hatton said.

Hatton and two partners originally launched 10 Tanker in 2002 to create a superior firefighting aircraft. They invested about $30 million to modernize the DC-10 and add retardant tankers to its underbelly.

Hatton said the craft’s design improves firefighting capabilities because it carries up to four times more retardant than any other tanker now flying. And, despite the extra retardant, the plane typically operates at significantly below its maximum gross takeoff weight. That, combined with the craft’s aerodynamic upgrades, provides better thrust and maneuverability in flight.

Jim Hind, the Albuquerque Aviation Department’s planning director, said New Mexico and surrounding states will benefit from 10 Tanker’s presence.

“They have a huge aircraft that carries a lot of retardant,” he said. “That’s a big benefit for our firefighting efforts.”

It also helps to increase Albuquerque’s revenue stream from non-passenger aviation companies, something the city has been pursuing.

“That makes the airport’s financial situation much more stable, because we used to get more than 50 percent of our revenue from passenger airlines,” Hind said. “Now more than 50 percent comes from nonairline companies. That makes us less vulnerable to airline market volatility.”

About half of 10 Tanker’s 20 employees will be located in Albuquerque.

The company signed a five-year lease on the property, owned by Applegate Landing, according to Stu Sherman of Berger Briggs Real Estate Insurance Inc., who helped broker the deal.


Source:    http://www.abqjournal.com

F-16 fighter pilot wins award

 
Maj. Beau Diers, an F-16 fighter pilot, is shown in front of an aircraft in March in Afghanistan. The former Fremonter has served his country in South Korea and Iraq and a successful mission over Libya.




Maj. Beau Diers has a fast-paced job. 

Really fast-paced.

The former Fremonter is an F-16 fighter pilot and what he flies can go twice the speed of sound.

Diers has served his country in South Korea and Iraq. He led a mission in which NATO aircraft bombed multiple targets in Libya — removing the remaining components of a pro-Gaddafi air defense system. He’s helped protect special operations forces in Afghanistan.

Diers now teaches at the weapons school at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

And recently, he received the Lt. Gen. Claire Lee Chennault Award for significant achievement in fighter warfare tactics and development. Diers was awarded for redesigning exercise scenarios while deployed to South Korea and for his work as the wing weapons officer in Afghanistan.

Although a high-flying pilot, Diers is down to earth when discussing the award.

“I knew I’d been submitted for it, but I didn’t know I ended up receiving it, then I won. It was really cool,” he said.

Diers’ interest in flying has familial roots: His late grandfather, Tracy, was a civilian pilot as is his dad, Brent.

A 1999 Fremont High School graduate, Beau Diers’ resume includes graduation from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Ariz., in 2003, and from pilot training at Shepherd Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, where he flew the T-37 Tweet and T-38 Talon.

He went to Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix for F-16 training. He flew training sorties in South Korea, then went to Spangdahalem Air Base in Germany, before beginning a five-month deployment in Iraq in January 2008.

“It was interesting, showing up to a nation at war,” he said. “There was a lot going on, constant 24-hour activities on the air field. … We got mortared a lot from the bad guys.”

By the time Diers returned from deployment in 2008, he was a flight lead.

Diers enjoyed living in Germany, where he met his future wife, Lela, who is a U.S. Air Force captain. He returned to Iraq in 2009, came home the next year and graduated from the F-15 weapons instructor course that December.

He later became chief instructor pilot at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.

Diers had another combat deployment in August 2011 for Operation Unified Protector — a NATO-led, humanitarian support operation in Libya.

The goal was to make sure coalition air forces could fly safely within Libyan air space. That meant dismantling an integrated air defense system — the main part of which involved surface-to-air missiles.

Assigned to the 55th fighter squadron, Diers became commander of a mission that targeted two surface-to-air missile systems in the Libyan city of Sebha.

“There were 29 NATO aircraft (including support planes) allocated and there were 41 targets,” he said.

“I specifically remember getting shot at on the way to Sebha from anti-aircraft artillery. … You could tell it was low caliber and wasn’t going to make it to the altitude we were flying at,” he said. “It was kind of unnerving knowing they were shooting at us, but it was nice to know they weren’t going to be able to hit us.”

It was the first time Diers was shot at while airborne.

“When we got closer to the city of Sebha, we were the first jets over the targets,” he said. “We dropped our bombs first. … We got shot at again with a lot of anti-aircraft artillery. It was closer to us, but it wasn’t going to hit us.”

The mission was successful. No coalition aircraft were lost. All targets were hit.

Diers returned home in mid-November 2011 and was deployed to South Korea in January 2012. He got home that April.

He left for Afghanistan in September 2012. There, he was wing weapons officer at Kandahar Air Field. He was lead weapons and tactics representative for the base.

“I flew combat sorties, close air support for troops on the ground,” he said.

At one point, special operations forces were tracking a highly valued individual responsible for the deaths of several coalition members.

“We were providing support for them from the air in case they ran into trouble,” Diers said.

The forces ran into trouble.

On the way to a target area, they began taking fire. They were pinned down and couldn’t move.

“We were talking to them on the radio and they told us what direction the fire was coming from and we found the guys who were shooting at them,” Diers said. “We marked the location for a coalition strike against the bad guys’ position and neutralized the threat. The good guys never got shot and they were glad we were there.”

Sorties in Afghanistan were challenging, in part, due to vast differences in terrain — from flat desert areas to mountains.

“Tracking the good guys and providing support on the ground is very difficult; you can’t really see them if they’re in the mountains,” Diers said. “It’s the same for weapons. You have to try and figure out a way to get the weapons where you want them to impact without flying into the mountain or having it block the bomb.”

Weather poses another challenge. Winter lasts from September to April. Storms, clouds and snow can keep pilots from seeing the ground.

Tense situations add to the challenge.

“There was a lot of the time when you’d get re-tasked to support a bad situation on the ground — so you’d show up in the area without knowing what was going on, but the people needed help, because they’re getting shot at,” he said. “It’s a very intense couple of minutes. They’re worried and trying to get you to find out where they are and help them and you want to do it as fast as possible, but it sometimes takes a little time to find out what’s going on to help them appropriately.”

Diers came home in April 2013. He and Lela moved from South Carolina to Nevada, where he trains new weapons officers. The Diers, who are expecting their first child in January, will remain in Nevada for the next 2 ½ years. They don’t know what will follow that.

“Being in the air force, you never really know what you’re going to do next or when you’re going to do it,” he said.

The job is exciting.

“I enjoy being a pilot, because no mission or no flight is ever the same,” he said. “There’s always something that’s different or challenging.”

Story and Photo Gallery:  http://fremonttribune.com

Bhatkali resident gets pilot's license in Maldives





Bhatkal:  In yet another honor for the community and the town of Bhatkal, a son of Bhatkali soil, Mohammed Adil s/o Mr. Saleh Khailfa succeeded in attaining a commercial pilot license to become one of the few pilots in the community. 

Since childhood, Adil had a determination to touch the skies and fly in the air. He completed his primary education till 7th in Measi matriculation school, Chennai after which he was enrolled in Saint Bides High School, Chennai where he studied till 12th. Later he joined the Madras flying club where he trained for two years. In 2011, he joined the Asian academy of Aeronticals training center in Maldives and trained there. He also completed his BA (criminology) through correspondence while his pilot training.

Adil's father, Mr. Saleh Khalifa lives in Hasan, Karnataka, where he has several plantations.

Apart from Adil, the Bhatkali soil has produced several pilots including Mr. Suhail Hashmi who is a captain in a famous aviation company in middle east and Mr. Mohammed Ali Kumshe.  


Story and Photo:  http://www.sahilonline.org

Seventh survivor of airline crash sues for damages

  
Carolyn Cross 
Photograph by: Jason Payne, PNG Files , The Province



A seventh passenger who survived a fatal plane crash at the Vancouver International Airport is suing the commercial airline for damages. 

Carolyn Cross, a West Vancouver businesswoman and mother of three, suffered a multitude of injuries when the small King Air 100 aircraft struck Russ Baker Way, slid across the road and burst into flames in October 2011.

Cross and six other passengers were pulled to safety. The two pilots, Luc Fortin and Matthew Robic, were also rescued but died later from burns.

The aircraft, owned and operated by Northern Thunderbird Air Inc., was on a charter flight from Vancouver to Kelowna at the time.

In a notice of civil claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court, Cross claims that the plane crashed as a direct result of the negligence of the airline's employees and that the airline is vicariously liable for the employees' negligence.

As Cross and the other passengers boarded the flight, several of them noticed the presence of oil under the aircraft's wing, says the lawsuit.

The presence of oil was reported by the fuel attendant to the flight crew and by the passengers to the flight crew, it says.

Though oil was reported under the wing and on the tarmac, the crew told the passenger who reported the oil problems that this was normal for the type of aircraft and continued the boarding process and the plane left for Kelowna, says the suit.

Soon after takeoff, when the plane had reached an altitude of more than 10,000 feet, the captain announced that the aircraft would be returning to the airport due to an oil leak.

Passengers could see oil streaming from the left engine onto the wing, says the suit.

Power was reduced to the left engine and the flight crew elected not to land at airports closer to its position than Vancouver airport, it says.

No emergency was declared by the flight crew and an attempt was made to land at Vancouver airport, Cross's lawsuit says.

"The flight crew failed to properly manage the speed of the King Air 100. The speed decreased to the point where the King Air 100 became uncontrollable," the suit said.

When the plane crashed, Cross, who had her seatbelt on, had her seat come unbolted from the floor.

She suffered multiple ligament tears and other soft tissue injuries, hard tissue fractures and unsightly scarring to her left knee and fractures and compression injuries to her spine.

Her injuries also included multiple rib fractures, a lung impact injury, fractures to her left hip and ankle and chipped and cracked teeth.

Cross says she has been hospitalized, undergone surgery and treatment and endured pain and mental distress. She says she requires further surgery, as well as medical, dental and mental health care.

She's seeking general and special damages.

An official with the airline said that the lawsuit was news to him and had no further comment.

In January, the six other passengers filed a similar lawsuit.

A civil claim contains allegations that have not been proven in court.


Source:  http://www.theprovince.com

Beechcraft 100 King Air
C-GXRX
Northern Thunderbird Air
Accident occurred October 27, 2011 
Near Vancouver International Airport, BC (YVR), Canada

Memorial service held for North Sea helicopter crash victims

Memorial service: Helicopter crash victims were remembered.



The victims of a North Sea helicopter crash were remembered on Saturday at a church service.

Representatives from the oil and gas industry joined family and friends at the ceremony in Aberdeen to honor the lives of four oil workers who died when their Super Puma helicopter plunged into the sea off Shetland on August 23.

Duncan Munro, 46, from Bishop Auckland in County Durham, and 57-year-old George Allison from Winchester, Hampshire, were killed as they returned from the Borgsten Dolphin support vessel.

The crash en route to Sumburgh Airport also claimed the lives of 45-year-old Sarah Darnley from Elgin, Moray, and Gary McCrossan, 59, from Inverness.

They were remembered at the St Nicholas Kirk service along with three other oil industry workers who have died in the past year.

The annual ceremony will see the introduction of a new Book of Remembrance to mark the 25th anniversary year of the Piper Alpha disaster.

Reverend Gordon Craig, who lead the 50-minute service, said: "The names of everyone who lost their lives offshore during the preceding year, whether through tragic accident or natural causes, will be read out during the service as an act of remembrance.

"The first names to be included in the Book of Remembrance will be the seven who have died offshore in the past 12 months, including those who perished in the tragic helicopter accident off Sumburgh Head, Shetland."

An investigation into the crash is continuing. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) says it has found no evidence of technical failure in the helicopter. 

Source:  http://news.stv.tv 

Eurocopter AS 332L2 Super Puma Mk2 
CHC Helicopter
G-WNSB
Approximately 1.5 nm west of Sumburgh Airport,  Shetland Islands

Accident occurred August 23, 2013 at 1717 hrs 

http://www.aaib.gov.uk