Friday, June 20, 2014

Taylor J-2, N16667: Accident occurred June 20, 2014 in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania

NTSB Identification: ERA14LA308
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, June 20, 2014 in Lock Haven, PA
Aircraft: TAYLOR J-2, registration: N16667
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

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

On June 20, 2014, about 1625 eastern daylight time, a Taylor J-2, N16667, impacted a tree during a forced landing in a residential area after a partial loss of engine power near William T. Piper Memorial Airport (LHV), Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. The airplane was owned and operated by an individual. The commercial pilot was not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight, which was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to the pilot, the flight had just departed and was in the traffic pattern. The airplane was "operating smoothly" and it was his first time flying behind a single-bladed propeller, when the engine suddenly lost partial power and the airplane was unable to maintain altitude. Unable to return to the airport or make a landing in a nearby river due to his low altitude, he decided to attempt a landing in a clearing between several houses. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted a tree and came to rest in an approximate 45 degree nose down attitude in the tree.

According to an eyewitness report, the airplane taxied to, and departed from a turf runway. The airplane became airborne about 1,000 feet down the runway. About 100 feet above ground level the airplane banked to the right and subsequently began a gradual descent. During the descent a "faint smoke trail" was observed trailing behind the airplane.

Examination of the airplane by an inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration revealed that both wings and the right wing strut were substantially damaged. At least 4 gallons of blue fluid, similar in color and smell as 100LL aviation fuel, was removed from the fuel tank following the accident; it was free of debris and water.

The engine was retained for further investigation.



 LOCK HAVEN — Emergency officials confirm that a plane has crashed in Clinton County.

Crews were called out Friday afternoon when a plane was reported down on Main Street in Lock Haven.

First responders said they believe the pilot lost power to the
1936 Taylor J-2 plane  which caused it to crash.

George Crug was identified as the pilot of the downed aircraft. He is taking part in the Sentimental Journey which is an aviation event celebrating Piper aircraft that takes place annually in Lock Haven.

Several people who spoke with the pilot told Newswatch 16 that the small plane went down behind a residential area just after the pilot took off.

The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to do further investigation into the crash.

Story, video and comments:  http://wnep.com


Photo  "Another plane crash":  https://twitter.com

1936 Taylor J-2, N16667,  Mark W. Stewart:  http://registry.faa.gov/N16667

Van's RV-6, N135BB: Fatal accident occurred June 20, 2014 in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota

NTSB Identification: CEN14FA306
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, June 20, 2014 in Sauk Rapids, MN
Probable Cause Approval Date: 03/02/2015
Aircraft: BRUMWELL RV-6, registration: N135BB
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.

About 5 minutes after the experimental amateur-built RV-6 airplane departed from a local airport, an air traffic controller notified the pilot that an Airbus was 30 miles southwest of the airport and inbound. About 7 minutes later, the pilot reported that he had the Airbus in sight and then stated that he was going to take a picture of it. No further communications were received from the pilot. A witness reported observing the RV-6 “rocking back and forth” before the “nose went down” and then seeing two objects come off the airplane when it entered a descent. Another witness reported hearing engine noise before observing the airplane enter a steep nose-down descent. The airplane impacted a house and was destroyed by a postimpact fire. 

The two objects that the witness observed coming off the RV-6, which were a headset and PVC material, were later located near the accident site and did not exhibit thermal damage or soot. The exit of the two objects from the airplane’s interior indicates that the canopy likely opened in flight, which led to the loss of pitch control. Fire damage precluded examination of the airplane’s canopy and systems; therefore, the reason for the canopy opening in flight could not be determined. There was no radar or recorded position and time data for either airplane; therefore, the effects, if any, of wake turbulence from the Airbus on the RV-6 could not be determined.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot’s loss of pitch control due to the in-flight opening of the canopy during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined because fire damage precluded examination of the airplane’s canopy and systems.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On June 20, 2014, about 2029 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Brumwell RV-6, N135BB, impacted a house after a departure from cruise flight near Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, and about 6 miles northwest of the St Cloud Regional Airport (STC), St Cloud, Minnesota. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed by post-crash fire. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight and was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local flight originated from STC about 2010.

According to a transcript of STC Air Traffic Control Tower (ATC) communications, the pilot contacted STC ATC about 2011 and transmitted an initial departure heading of west/southwest. 

About 2012, ATC cleared the airplane for takeoff from runway 13 and a turn to the west/southwest. 

About 2016, the pilot transmitted that it would maneuver over the western part of town, then fly up the river, and contact ATC when inbound. The pilot transmitted the flight was an aerial tour of the city for the passenger aboard. 

About 2017, ATC transmitted that an Airbus 319 [Allegiant Flight 108 (AAY108)] was 30 miles southwest of the airport and was inbound. The pilot transmitted, "I'll look for allegiant…"

About 2023, AAY108 transmitted that it was on a right base for runway 13. ATC then cleared AAY108 to land on runway 13. The pilot transmitted that they were over the river, by the hospital at 2,000 feet. The pilot then transmitted, "ah where's the airbus right now." AAY108 transmitted that it was 11 [miles] southwest of the airport.

About 2024, ATC and the pilot transmitted that they had AAY108 in sight. The pilot then transmitted, "and allegiant one three five bravo bravo i'm an r v six about your 12 o'clock position right over the river at two thousand feet." AAY108 transmitted that it had the airplane on its traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) and was currently descending through 3,300 feet. The pilot transmitted, "yeah we'll keep comms with you plenty of room to maneuver there."

About 2025, the pilot transmitted, "I got a camera out we're gonna take a picture of ya." AAY108 transmitted, "we have you in sight as well."

There were no further transmissions from the airplane.

A witness near the accident site stated seeing a jet flying east and a small airplane flying north. The small airplane started "wobbling and shaking" and then started "going down." The small airplane was offset from the jet about 45 degrees from the tail of the jet. The witness stated that the small airplane may have been at a higher altitude than the jet. The small airplane's wings were "rocking back and forth" before the "nose went down." The witness stated seeing a dark and a light colored object come from the small airplane. 

Another witness stated that he was sitting and facing east in his house's driveway. He looked south when he heard engine noise from the accident airplane. He said the airplane was in a "nose-dive." He said that the airplane was heading north. The airplane had about a 70 degree nose down attitude while in the descent. He said there was no fire from the airplane. The airplane was not rotating while it was descending. He said the winds were from the south and that there was "not a lot of wind."

OTHER DAMAGE

The home that was struck by the airplane sustained impact and fire damage.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 60, was employed as captain on Boeing 737 airplanes at an air carrier. He held an airline transport pilot certificate with airplane multiengine land, airplane single-engine land, airplane single- engine sea ratings. He held Boeing 727 and Boeing 737 type ratings. He held a flight instructor certificate with airplane single-engine and instrument airplane ratings. He held a flight engineer certificate with a turbojet powered rating. 

A pilot logbook recovered from the wreckage had a beginning entry dated April 2013 with a tachometer time entry of 1,324.7 hours and the last entry was dated June 2014 with a tachometer time entry of 1,383.2 hours. All the pilot logbook were entries for the accident airplane.

The pilot's flight experience included 24,465 total hours, of which 478 hours were in the last six months as of his last airman medical examination dated January 23, 2014. The pilot was issued a first class airman medical certificate with the following limitation: must wear corrective lenses.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane was a 1992 Brumwell RV-6, serial number 20598, experimental amateur-built airplane that was powered by a Lycoming O-360-A1A, serial number L-33015-36A, engine. The airplane was built by the previous owner/builder. The airplane was equipped with an upward (tip-up) opening canopy.

On December 19, 2012, the pilot purchased the airplane from the aircraft builder. On March 5, 2013, the airplane's registration to the pilot was accepted by the Federal Aviation Administration.

On January 6, 2013, at a total time in service and a tachometer time of 1,305.9 hours, the last aircraft logbook entry made by the previous owner/builder was for a pre-sale checkout of the airplane, which "checked ok."

The pilot logbook that was recovered from the wreckage had an entry dated August 24, 2013, for a flight in the accident airplane from JKJ [Moorhead Municipal Airport, Moorhead, Minnesota] to STC. The remarks section of this entry contained "canopy opened descending @ 120 kts STC" at a tachometer time of 1,359.6 hours. A review of the airframe logbook did not reveal a corresponding entry relating to the August 24, 2013, pilot logbook entry.

On April 14, 2014, at a total time in service and a tachometer time of 1,373 hours, an aircraft and engine logbook entries indicated that a condition inspection was completed and that the airplane and engine were found to be in a condition for safe operation. The entries were signed by an airframe and power plant mechanic. There were no additional aircraft logbook entries dated after April 14, 2014.

FLIGHT RECORDERS

There was no nonvolatile memory that could provide airplane position and time information due to the airplane's type of avionics installation and damage from the accident. There was no radar data available for the airplane. The flight data recorder from AAY108 was downloaded by the National Transportation Safety Board Vehicle Recorders Laboratory. The download included parameters of airplane position, altitude, speed, and configuration. 

A plot of AAY108's flight track was produced by a National Transportation Safety Board Senior Air Traffic Investigator and is included in the docket of the report.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane was consumed by post-crash fire and by the fire of the home that the airplane impacted. The damage precluded functional testing and examination of the airplane systems. The canopy and its latching mechanisms were consumed by fire and could not be examined.

A headset case that contained an aviation head set and white PVC material were found at a neighboring house near the accident site. The pilot's name was on materials within the headset case. The head set and PVC material did not exhibit thermal damage or soot. PVC material has been used by builders of homebuilt airplanes for wheel chocks or control locks.

MEDICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy of the pilot was conducted by the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office, Ramsey, Minnesota, on June 21, 2014. The autopsy report stated the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries due to plane crash.

The FAA's Final Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report of the pilot stated that testing for carbon monoxide and cyanide were not performed, no ethanol was detected in the muscle and the liver, and no listed drugs were detected the in liver.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

The effects of wake turbulence, if any, could not be determined without relative position and time information from radar/recorded data for both airplanes.

The Lancair Legacy Canopy Safety Issue (Thorn 2014) discusses accidents resulting from flight with the upward opening canopies that become unlatched/open in flight for Lancair and not RV airplanes, which also have upward opening canopies. The paper states in part:

"There are several potential root causes of the Legacy's open canopy flight hazard. One is the canopy is large and, if not latched down in flight, it will open to varying degrees and alter the air flow over the tail/stabilizers and under some situations create significant pitch attitude stability and control issues.

Another potential root cause may be the pilot's loss of reliable airplane pitch attitude reference where the canopy's structural frame serves as a key attitude reference line and as the open canopy moves it corrupts the pilot's normal visual pitch attitude reference cues.

There may also be a tendency for pilots flying with the shock and chaos of an open canopy, with severe cockpit wind, noise, and debris flying about, to induce pitch attitude oscillations by their control inputs."

An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board couldn't determine why a small plane crashed into a Sauk Rapids house June 20, killing the pilot and a German foreign exchange student who was a passenger.

The eight-page report provides the known details of the flight flown by St. Cloud commercial pilot Scott A. Olson, 60, and carrying passenger Alexander Voigt, a 16-year-old Technical High School student.

Both were killed when the plane crashed into a home at 731 Garden Place. Olson was flying Voigt over the St. Cloud area so the foreign exchange student, who was staying in Minnesota with St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis, could take some pictures before the end of his stay in the United States.

A man who was in the house at 731 Garden Place escaped by jumping from a second-floor window and was unharmed.

Olson's daughter was friends with Voigt, and Olson had agreed to give Voigt an aerial tour of the St. Cloud area a week before Voigt was to fly home to Germany.

The NTSB report discusses the possibility that the cockpit's canopy opened during flight, causing Olson's plane to "wobble back and forth" before beginning a nose dive that ended with the crash.

The report indicates that the plane was too badly damaged by the crash and resulting fire to do testing on the canopy and its latching mechanisms. It indicates that Olson's plane had its canopy come open during a descent in August 2013 at St. Cloud Regional Airport.

The report also states that the effects of wake turbulence from an Allegiant flight that was in the area at the time of the crash "could not be determined" because there wasn't data to tell where those planes were in relation to each other right before the crash.

Witnesses reported seeing the Allegiant flight in the same area as Olson's plane before the crash.

The NTSB report indicates that Olson and the pilot of the Allegiant flight were communicating before the crash and that both were aware of the other's position.

Five minutes before the crash, the pilot of the Allegiant flight "transmitted that it had the airplane on its traffic collision avoidance system" and was about 1,300 feet above Olson's plane and descending," according to the NTSB report.

Olson transmitted that the Allegiant flight had "plenty of room to maneuver there," according to the report.

Four minutes before the crash, Olson transmitted that he had "a camera out we're gonna take a picture of ya."

The Allegiant pilot replied "we have you in sight as well."

That was the last transmission from Olson's plane.

A witness on the ground saw Olson's plane shake and wobble before the nose went down, according to the NTSB report. That witness reported seeing a dark and a light colored object come from Olson's plane as it was descending.

Investigators believe those objects were an aviation headset belonging to Olson that was found on a property near the crash site and a piece of PVC pipe that has been used on similar planes for wheel chocks or control locks, according to the report.

The NTSB report references a report about that addressed safety issues of cockpit canopies of the type on Olson's plane.

Not having the canopy latched tightly during flight can alter the air flow over the plane's tail and stabilizers, causing significant aircraft stability and control issues, according to the report.

A loose canopy can alter the pilot's visual references relating to altitude, and an open cockpit during flight can create a chaotic environment for a pilot trying to deal with severe wind, noise and debris flying around as the pilot tries to control altitude, the report said.


  NTSB Identification: CEN14FA306 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, June 20, 2014 in Sauk Rapids, MN
Aircraft: BRUMWELL RV-6, registration: N135BB
Injuries: 2 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On June 20, 2014, about 2034 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Brumwell RV-6; N135BB, impacted a house after a departure from cruise flight about 6 miles northwest of the St Cloud Regional Airport (STC), St Cloud, Minnesota. The airplane was destroyed by post-crash fire. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight and was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local flight originated from STC about 2010.


Investigating Flight Standards District Office:   FAA Minneapolis FSDO-15 

BRUMWELL ROBERT K, Van's RV-6, N135BB, Scott A. Olson, N135BB: http://registry.faa.gov/N135BB 

Scott A. Olson, Alexander Voigt 
~

ST. CLOUD — A family friend of Scott A. Olson has confirmed to WJON that he was the pilot of the small engine plane that crashed into a home in Sauk Rapids. 

Trina Sturlaugson says Olson had 30 to 40 years of pilot experience flying both commercial and small planes. She says, “He was a very special person to our family.”

The name of the passenger on the plane, who was also killed, was 16-year-old Alexander Voigt. Voigt was a German foreign exchange student hosted by St. Cloud mayor Dave Kleis. Kleis says Olson was an experienced pilot who was giving Voigt the thrill of a lifetime by allowing him to take aerial pictures of the St. Cloud area.

Voigt was attending Technical High School.  Investigators are waiting to officially release both names once the family of the passenger has been notified.

Olson was giving Voigt an aerial tour of the St. Cloud area so the teen could take photos. Voigt was scheduled to return to Germany this week.

Kleis says Voigt loved the Olson family and stayed with them numerous times during his ten months in St. Cloud. Kleis says he has been in communication with Voigt’s mother who is planning a trip to St. Cloud.

The plane crashed into a Sauk Rapids home on Friday night. One person was in the house at the time, but he was able to get out safely. No one on the ground was hurt.

Sauk Rapids police chief Perry Beise says his department is no longer involved in the incident. He says, since it’s not a criminal investigation, the police department is not working the case.

Their primary role during the incident on Friday night was just public safety, and crowd control.

The National Transportation Safety Board the the Federal Aviation Administration are continuing to investigate what caused the plane to crash.

Meanwhile, services have been set for Olson.  Visitation for family and friends will be from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday at St. Mary’s Cathedral in St. Cloud and after 10:00 a.m. on Friday at Christ Church Newman Center in St. Cloud.  A Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 27, 2014 at Christ Church Newman Center in St. Cloud.




 Scott Olson


Scott A. Olson – Obituary 

 Age: 60

Born: 03-31-1954

Died: 06-20-2014

Visitation:
St. Mary's Cathedral, St. Cloud, Minnesota

Service:
Christ Newman Center, St. Cloud, Minnesota

Scott A. Olson, 60, St. Cloud MN made his final flight Friday, June 20, 2014.

A Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 27, 2014 at Christ Church Newman Center in St. Cloud. Reverend Anthony Oelrich will officiate. Military Honors will be held after mass on Friday.

Visitation for family and friends will be from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday at St. Mary’s Cathedral in St. Cloud and after 10:00 a.m. on Friday at Christ Church Newman Center in St. Cloud.

Scott was born to Arland and Elsie (Carter) Olson and raised in rural Sheldon, ND. After graduation, Scott enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He graduated from UND with a degree in Business Aviation. Scott worked for various airlines, he was most recently employed by Sun Country Airlines. Scott was deeply grateful to be able to support his family doing something that he loved. He was very proud of Sun Country Airlines and considered his co-workers the best in the industry and good friends. While working at Sun Country, Scott felt honored to participate in numerous Honor Flights for our military veterans. Without fail, he was known to go way above and beyond to make a memorable or more comfortable flight for his passengers. His colleagues consistently described him as one of the best in the business.
While those of us left to mourn his loss think his departure was much too soon, we are confident in an on time arrival in heaven and we know that he has planned and packed well for this final journey. He had a deep faith in God and was a member of Christ Church Newman Center where so many deep and lasting friendships have been formed. He was especially proud of his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews and cherished the innumerable one on one experiences with each and every one of them on multiple occasions.

His love of aviation was most notably evident in his E.A.A. membership supporting the Young Eagles Program. Inspiring young people to love flying was his greatest joy. Providing airplane rides to people of all ages was his greatest passion. Joining the local “fly boys” at various fly in events was one of his greatest pleasures.

Scott was a devoted Husband, Father, Grandfather, Son, Brother, and Friend.

He is survived by his wife, Becky; daughters, Jessica (Sterling) Kuntz, Sadie and Anna; son, Jacob; grandsons, Connor and Carson Kuntz; father, Arland; sisters, Deb (Rod) Garland, Heidi (Allan) Krauter, Holly (Dale) Rosenkranz; brother, Warren (Shirley); brother-in-law, Scott Schmitz; sisters-in-law, Lori (Mason) Mehring and Tammy Lopez; mother-in-law, Delores Thompson; and numerous nieces, nephew, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends all across the country.

Waiting patiently for his arrival and ready to meet him at the gates are his beloved mother, Elsie; cherished brother-in-law, Bill Lopez; and several aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

To those who were fortunate to have known him, we ask that you honor Scott’s memory by sharing a favorite memory with a friend…..preferably the long detailed version!

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. Isaiah 40:31.


Source:   http://www.danielfuneralhome.com/obituary


The area where a small plane hit a house Friday evening is likely just outside of what is considered St. Cloud's "controlled airspace," meaning that the pilot wasn't required to be in consistent contact with air traffic controllers about his location and plans for his flight.

St. Cloud Regional Airport's controlled airspace is about 4½ to 5 miles in each direction from the center of the airport, and the location of the crash is farther away from the airport than that. Investigators will look at what communication occurred between pilot Scott Olson and air traffic controllers and between those controllers and the pilot of an Allegiant Air flight that was seen in the area of Olson's plane just before the crash.

Witnesses reported seeing the planes close to one another just before Olson's plane crashed into a house at 731 Garden Place at about 8:26 p.m. Friday.

Killed in the crash were Olson, 60, and Alexander Voigt, 16, a German foreign exchange student whose host in the United States was St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis.

Olson was a tenant of St. Cloud Regional Airport, according to Bill Towle, director of St. Cloud Regional Airport. A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board confirmed that Olson's Brumwell RV-6 experimental craft departed St. Cloud Regional Airport at about 7:55 p.m. and was scheduled to return later that night.

Because Olson's flight departed from the St. Cloud airport, he had to tell air traffic controllers there what he was planning to do after takeoff, Towle said. But once he got outside controlled airspace, he wasn't required to maintain that communication, Towle said.

That doesn't mean Olson wasn't talking to those air traffic controllers. Investigators likely will review recordings of the air traffic controllers' communications to determine whether Olson knew about the proximity of the Allegiant flight and whether Allegiant's pilot knew Olson's plane was in the area.

The Allegiant flight was required to contact the control tower before it entered controlled airspace, Towle said, and that typically happens when the flight is 10-15 miles out.

"Whether they're in the airspace or not, even if they are in the vicinity, aircraft that are coming to St. Cloud typically will call from a distance, 10 or 15 miles, and they'll radio their intentions," Towle said. "They'll talk about where they're coming from, where their location is, what their altitude and speed is."

The tower can then contact all other aircraft that might be in the vicinity to ensure that each pilot is aware of that.

"They are the conduit for the aircraft operating in the area," Towle said of the air traffic controllers.

The NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration are jointly investigating the crash and hope to have a preliminary report available within 10 business days of the accident. It could take up to a year for a final conclusion about what caused the crash.

The plane crashed into a home owned by Jeff Hille, a teacher and baseball coach at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School. Hille was not home at the time. His brother-in-law, Kole Heckendorf, was in the house and escaped out of a second-floor window. Hille, Heckendorf and Hille's sister, Kristen, had been living in the home and have since been staying with family.

Hille benefit fund

BankVista has established a benefit fund for Jeff Hille, who lost his home and belongs when a plane crashed into it Friday.

Funds can be mailed to the bank — 125 Twin Rivers Court, Sartell, MN 56377 — or donated in person. To reach the bank by phone, call 320-257-1600 or 877-415-0008.
 
Story and photo:  http://www.sctimes.com
 

Sunday saw a quiet evening at St. Cloud Regional Airport, which is where 60-year-old Scott Olson stored his Brumwell RV-6 experimental airplane before it crashed into a home in Sauk Rapids, Minn.
"He was always here for everybody, and they're an awesome family," friend Bob Campbell told Fox 9 News. "I just feel sorry for everybody involved."

Family and friends are mourning the loss of a married father of 3 children who was also an experienced pilot for Sun Country airlines.

"You would never think of that happening to Scott," Campbell said. "He was meticulous at everything."

Investigators say that before the crash on Friday evening, Olson was sightseeing and taking photographs with a friend in his personal single-engine plane. Peter Knudson, with the National Transportation Safety Board, confirmed that witnesses saw Olson flying near an Allegiant Airlines plane coming from Arizona. That flight eventually landed at St. Cloud Regional Airport, but investigators are considering the possibility that Olson's plane may have been caught in the larger airliner's wake turbulence.

"Our investigator will be reviewing the radar as well as the air traffic control communications," Knudson assured. "When a plane flies through the air, it creates almost like a little tornado coming off those wing tips, but it's horizontal. So, instead of going up and down, it's side-to-side and trails the plane."

Andrea Pocklington lives in nearby Sartell, and she saw it all happen.

"The way that they were flying, it almost looked like if they kept going, they would have met," she said. "Then, the big plane turned to the right and the little plane turned towards the left and seemed to make a U-turn."

Olson eventually crashed into a home on the 700 block of Garden Place in Sauk Rapids. Somehow, Kole Heckendorf was able to survive the impact and jumped to safety from a second floor window. His brother-in-law, Jeff Hille, was not home at the time. Even so, he says his thoughts are now with the pilot and his passenger.

"Not too much to feel sorry for when you look at the pilot and whoever else was on the plane," Hille said.


Story and photo gallery:   http://www.myfoxtwincities.com


SAUK RAPIDS – Authorities on Sunday were still in the process of identifying at least one of the two victims killed in a plane crash Friday night in Sauk Rapids. And a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board likely won't be ready until at least late this week.

Sauk Rapids Police Chief Perry Beise said, while one preliminary identification apparently has been made, a second continues to delay any official announcement as to who was in the small plane that crashed into a home at 731 Garden Place at about 8:26 p.m. Friday.

"One of the families hasn't been notified yet," Beise said. "So as soon as we can do that, hopefully as soon as possible — maybe (Monday) or the next day — we can get something out. It's going to take a bit to do a 100 percent positive identification of the remains ... they weren't identifiable in the house."

Beise said the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office in Ramsey is handling the identifications of the victims. The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office did not immediately return a message Sunday.

Peter Knudson, a spokesman for the NTSB, said Sunday the plane carried the marking N135BB. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane with that number, a Brumwell RV-6 experimental craft, is owned by Scott A. Olson of St. Cloud. According to his LinkedIn profile, Olson has been a pilot for Sun Country Airlines since 1989. The NTSB and FAA are in joint investigation of the crash, Knudson said.

"Our goal is to have a preliminary report available within 10 business days of the accident, however, it's possible it could be sooner," said Knudson, who is based in Washington, D.C. "I think the investigator has finished his on-scene work, so it could possibly be out this week ... it won't be very extensive. It usually lays out the time and location and a few factual things. To reach a final conclusion takes an average of about 12 months."

The plane is a single-engine model with two seats and a bubble-top canopy.

"We understand it was departing and returning to the St. Cloud airport," Knudson said. "It took off at about 7:55 p.m."

Before the crash, the Brumwell RV-6 was in the vicinity of an Allegiant Air flight from Mesa, Arizona, that landed at St. Cloud Regional Airport. The Allegiant Airbus 319 arrived at about 8:30 p.m. Friday. Allegiant officials are cooperating with the NTSB in an effort to find out what happened.

"We are aware of that," Knudson said. "I've been asked a lot if we're looking at that, and the answer is yes. It's one of the things we're looking at. But I want to stress that it's just one element of the investigation."

According to police, the small plane was on a sightseeing trip when it crashed. Beise said the area of the crash can be in the flight path to the airport. Bill Towle, who is director of St. Cloud Regional Airport, did not immediately return a message Sunday.

"We're pretty much done with the investigation, though we didn't really have a part in it other than doing scene security," Beise said. "Our job was basically to allow the NTSB and the FAA to do their jobs and remove the victims."

The plane crashed into a home owned by Jeff Hille, a teacher and baseball coach at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School. Hille was not home at the time, but his brother-in-law, Kole Heckendorf, was in the house but escaped out of a second-floor window. Hille, Heckendorf and Hille's sister, Kristen, had been living in the home and have since been staying with family in the area.

Friday's crash was the deadliest in Minnesota since three people were killed in a crash Nov. 1 near Caledonia. The previous most recent fatal crash in Central Minnesota was Oct. 28 when one person was killed near Princeton. Two people last died in an area plane crash on Dec. 30, 2010, near Milaca. All of those planes were Piper aircraft. The last fatal plane crash in the St. Cloud metro area was Oct. 11, 1984, when one person died. In the past 50 years, there have been 19 fatal crashes in the area involving the deaths of 33 people.

Fatal plane crashes in Central Minnesota


Below is a list of the fatal plane crashes in Central Minnesota during the past 50 years, according to the National Transportation Safety Board:

Date – Crash site – Plane – Victims

» Oct. 28, 2013 – Princeton – Piper PA 22-150 – 1

» Dec. 30, 2010 – Milaca – Piper PA 46-310P – 2

» Aug. 22, 2010 – Clearwater – Schneider Christen Eagle II – 2

» July 1, 2006 – Clear Lake – Cessna A185E – 1

» March 16, 2003 – Foley – Cessna 172N – 3

» June 1, 1998 – Little Falls – Cessna 421 – 1

» May 21, 1998 – Maple Lake – Kreatz Genesis – 2

» March 29, 1997 – Big Lake – Cessna 140 – 1

» Aug. 7, 1988 – Pierz – Aeronca 7AC – 1

» Nov. 4, 1986 – Becker – Skiorsky S-58ET – 1

» July 7, 1986 – Elrosa – Bell 47G-5 – 1

» Oct. 11, 1984 – St. Cloud – Harbaugh John T Cougar-1 – 1

» July 24, 1984 – Little Falls – Grumman AA-5 – 4

» June 17, 1979 – Clearwater – Grumman AA-1B – 1

» April 17, 1978 – St. Cloud – Piper PA-23 – 1

» June 20, 1976 – Rockville – Piper PA-18 – 2

» Sept. 4, 1972 – Princeton – Piper PA-22 – 4

» Oct. 25, 1970 – St. Cloud – Mooney M20C – 3

» July 5, 1968 – Clearwater – Cessna 172H – 1

For more, visit www.ntsb.gov.


Source:  http://www.sctimes.com

 SAUK RAPIDS – Authorities on Sunday were still in the process of identifying at least one of the two victims in a fatal plane crash Friday night in Sauk Rapids.

Sauk Rapids Police Chief Perry Beise said, while one preliminary identification apparently has been made, a second continues to delay any official announcement as to who was in the small plane that crashed into a home at 731 Garden Place at about 8:26 p.m. Friday.

"One of the families hasn't been notified yet," Beise said. "So as soon as we can do that, hopefully as soon as possible – maybe tomorrow or the next day – we can get something out. It's going to take a bit to do a 100 percent positive identification of the remains ... they weren't identifiable in the house."

Beise said the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office in Ramsey is handling the identifications of the victims. The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office did not immediately return a message on Sunday.

The National Transportation Safety Board has said it is investigating the crash, which involved a Brumwell RV-6 experimental airplane. The small plane crashed after it was in the vicinity of an Allegiant Air flight from Mesa, Arizona, that landed at St. Cloud Regional Airport. The Allegiant Airbus 319 arrived at about 8:30 p.m. Friday. Allegiant officials are cooperating with the NTSB in an effort to find out what happened.

Beise said the Federal Aviation Administration also is involved in the investigation, and the Brumwell RV-6 was kept at St. Cloud Regional Airport. The area of the crash can be in the flight path to the airport, Beise said. Bill Towle, who is director of the St. Cloud Regional Airport, did not immediately return a message on Sunday.

"We're pretty much done with the investigation, though we didn't really have a part in it other than doing scene security," Beise said. "Our job was basically to allow the NTSB and the FAA to do their jobs and remove the victims."

The plane crashed into a home owned by Jeff Hille, a teacher and baseball coach at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School. Hille was not home at the time but his brother-in-law, Kole Heckendorf, was in the house but escaped out of a second-floor window. Hille, Heckendorf and Hille's sister, Kristen, had been living in the home and have since been staying with family in the area.


Source:  http://www.sctimes.com


SAUK RAPIDS, Minn. - It was a sightseeing trip gone wrong as a single-engine plane plummeted into a home around 8:30 p.m. Friday night in Sauk Rapids, sparking a massive fire.

There was a man in the home at the time, but he was able to escape through a window. Two people on board the plane died. Authorities have yet to release their names.

Investigators with the NTSB and FAA were at the home on the 700 block of Garden Place all day Saturday.

An NTSB tweet identified the plane as a Brumwell RV-6 experimental plane.

Neighbor Carrie Schueller saw the plane fall out of the sky. She was with her husband and some friends when she witnessed the crash.

"I looked up and saw a plane upside down," she told the St. Cloud Times. "I screamed run!"

The plane crashed into the kitchen of the Sauk Rapids home leaving the four external walls of the house standing.

"We turned around and watched it explode into the house," Schuller said.

Neighbor Allie Steinbach also saw the crash. She said a lot of people ran to see what happened.

"I saw the flames and it was very scary," she said.

The owner of the home Jeff Hille, a teacher and baseball coach at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School, had been standing in that kitchen with friends just minutes before the crash. He said they had just left the home to go out to eat, after a day of golf, and were only about a mile from the home when the crash occurred.

"My neighbor called me and she was just hysterical and she said, 'Your house is on fire and a plane ran into it,'" Hille said. "I couldn't believe her. I thought she was crazy at the time."

But she was right and timing was everything for Hille and his friends.

"We're very fortunate that we escaped that," he said.

Even more lucky was his brother-in-law, Kole Heckendorf, who was still inside the home.

"He just broke the window open, the second story window, broke it open with his forearm and bailed," Hille said.

Schueller and her friend Tammy Lewandowski saw Kole emerge from around the house.

"He was dazed," Schuller said. "Wth the impact, it's amazing he was alive. There had to be an angel helping get him out of the house."

Unfortunately, the two people inside the plane did not survive.

"We found two victims in the house later in the evening after the fire was out," Sauk Rapids police chief Perry Beise said.

Most of the fiberglass plane burned up in the flames. The pieces that remained were sitting out on the driveway Saturday as investigators went through them trying to figure out a cause.

Hille said he did lose his 5-year-old golden retriever, Storm, in the crash and fire but while he's missing her, he is still so grateful to be alive.

"We are very fortunate. We are obviously the lucky ones in this whole situation," Hille said.

Some witnesses reported seeing a commercial plane fly through the area moments before the small plane, but the Sauk Rapids police chief said it is unclear if there is any relationship between that larger plane flying by and the crash.

"There were conversations between the planes and they felt comfortable with their distance from each other," Beise said.

He said there was no distress call from the small plane.


Source: http://www.kare11.com

(Sauk Rapids, MN) – Based on witness accounts, there is speculation that turbulence from a larger aircraft might have caused the crash of a small plane last night in Sauk Rapids. 

Authorities say two people have died after their small plane crashed into a home in the central Minnesota city of Sauk Rapids.

Sauk Rapids Police Chief Perry Beise said Saturday the people in the single-engine plane were sightseeing in the area prior to crashing Friday night. The victims’ names have not been released.

Beise says there was one person inside the home, which was set ablaze by the crash. The man was able to evacuate through a window.

One witness told WJON Radio(Townsquare Media) that she watched as a larger plane flew over her neighborhood toward the St. Cloud Regional Airport when the smaller plane appeared to get caught in the turbulence behind the larger aircraft and went straight down into the house.

The resulting fire from the crash largely destroyed the home.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have dispatched teams to Sauk Rapids to investigate the crash.




Two people in a small plane were killed Friday night after it crashed into a Sauk Rapids, Minn., home, with the only resident at the home jumping from a second-story window as fire consumed the structure.

The people in the plane were sightseeing in the area prior to the crash, according to the Sauk Center Police Department. Their identities have not been released.

“It’s surreal,” the homeowner, Jeffrey Hille, said as he watched the blaze on the city’s north side, near 18th Street and 9th Avenue N. Sauk Rapids is about 70 miles from Minneapolis, just north of St. Cloud.

Hille’s sister and brother-in-law lived with him in the 700 block of Garden Place, which is just west of Hwy. 10. She wasn’t home, Hille said, but his brother-in-law, Kole Heckendorf, 27, was in an upstairs bedroom when he heard an explosion.

“There was just flames, with smoke,” Hille said his brother-in-law told him. “He jumped out the second-story window.”

Hille said his brother-in-law was fine.

The first 911 calls about the crash came in at 8:26 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office said.

Neighbor Courtney Breth lives within sight of Hille’s house, which is on a cul-de-sac. She saw what happened, which included a bigger airplane being followed by the small plane that crashed.

“We were sitting at my neighbors’ pool and we watched the big airlines plane go low, turning and going toward the St. Cloud airport, and then we heard this little airplane, and all of a sudden we saw the little white single-engine plane behind the bigger plane. The little plane just turned and nose-dived straight down.

“We heard this big ka-boom! And it was like, Oh my gosh,’” Breth said.

Her friend tried to call 911 but was getting a busy signal as she ran toward the scene, seeing if she could offer aid.

The fire started instantly, she said.

“It was black smoke. It just happened so fast, and before you knew it, the house was in flames. The airplane landed in the kitchen area.”

Hille, 30, and his friend, Paul Schlangen, 27, had driven away from the house about 10 minutes earlier, when Hille got a call from his neighbor, who told him a plane had crashed into his house.

They returned to find fire raging through his sand-colored, split-level house.

Multiple police and fire agencies responded. As he watched firefighters battle the blaze, Hille said he’d heard nothing about what happened to the pilot, and he could only assume the plane was inside the house.

Because of the intensity of the fire, firefighters had difficulty getting into the house to look for the pilot or any possible passengers.

“It was crazy, scary, way too close to home,” Breth said.


Story, photo gallery and video:  http://www.startribune.com

 

 
SAUK RAPIDS — An eyewitness says a small plane appeared to have crashed after crossing the wake of another plane over Sauk Rapids.

The turbulence formed behind an airborne aircraft is called “jet wash.” And while federal officials will investigate and piece-together what happened, at least one eyewitness says that turbulence may have contributed to the crash.

Sauk Rapids resident Courtney Breth lives near the crash scene. She says she was at her neighbor’s pool with her kids when a bigger airplane flew over heading towards the St. Cloud Regional Airport. She says she then saw a “little, white airplane” and within seconds, it came around the big airplane and “got stuck in the back wind or whatever.” She says it did a turn and then “went straight down.”

Sauk Rapids Police Chief Perry Beise confirmed a single-engine plane hit the home Friday night.

The homeowner, Jeff Hille, told the St. Cloud Times that his brother-in-law was in the house at the time but got out safe.

St. Cloud Regional Airport Manager Bill Towle says staff at his air traffic control tower notified him one plane reported another plane had crashed north of the airport.

Towle says the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are being notified. They will investigate the crash.

The plane crashed into the home in the Summit Avenue area in Sauk Rapids around 8:30 p.m. Friday, causing a large fire and belching thick, black smoke across the neighborhood.

Hundreds of bystanders watched as emergency crews roped-off a several block area and responded to the scene.


Story, photos and video:  http://wjon.com


Story, photos and video:  http://minnesota.cbslocal.com

Story, photos and video:  http://www.sctimes.com

Story and photos:  http://www.kare11.com

Hot air balloon makes emergency landing in Coffee Creek Correctional Facility parking lot

A hot air balloon low on fuel made an emergency landing in the parking lot of the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility Thursday, prison officials say.

The pilot, Randall Fuehrer, and two passengers were not injured when the balloon landed about 9:15 a.m. at the Wilsonville-area women's prison, said Vicki Reynolds, a Coffee Creek spokeswoman.

Fuehrer told prison officials he was taking part in the Festival of Balloons in Tigard, but was running low on fuel  and battling strong wind. The prison parking lot was the safest place available to land, Reynolds said. The three-day festival officially began Friday, but rain prevented hot air balloons from leaving the ground on opening day.

Inmates who were in the recreation yard at the time of the balloon landing were sent inside, according to Reynolds. They remained there for about 30 minutes as the balloon was removed from the area.

"The parking lot is far enough from the main facility that we felt confident in assuming this wasn't an inmate escape attempt," Reynolds said.

Fuehrer is the owner of Outback Balloon LLC, a McMinnville-based business that offers balloon flights, repairs and flight training, according to his company's website. Fuehrer did not immediately return a call for comment from The Oregonian on Friday.

Story, photo and comments:  http://www.oregonlive.com

City TV station to be responsible with flying eye in the sky

The city of Waco cable channel’s latest gizmo floats like a butterfly and buzzes like a hive of angry bees. It also captures sweeping vistas of Waco from 300 feet in the air.

The remote-controlled DJI Phantom 2 that the city bought this month looks like a flying tire tool with four propellers and a high-resolution video camera that transmits images back to the operator.

You can call it a “quadrocopter” or “cameracopter,” or an Unmanned Aircraft System, as the Federal Aviation Administration dubs it.

What municipal information director Larry Holze doesn’t want you to call it is a “drone.”

That term has scary connotations in the public’s mind as a weapon or surveillance device, said Holze, who oversees cable channel WCCC-10. He said it will not be used for spying or law enforcement.

“This is not a drone,” he said as the tiny aircraft sailed above Heritage Square for a demonstration this week. “We’re doing this for quality, beautiful images of our community. Ours was purchased for making our production one step better than anybody else’s.”

The cable channel bought the quadrocopter this month for $2,200, including gyroscopic stabilizers, camera and other add-ons. The money came from an agreement with cable companies to fund local programming, not from city tax dollars, Holze said.

Station producers have been collecting footage from parks and landmarks around town to use in feature programs about the community and for filler segments between programs. They also used it to help in the 21-hour search on June 13 search for a teenager who was swept into a flooded Flat Rock Creek.

The quadrocopter has already turned some prominent heads.

Earlier this month, Mayor Malcolm Duncan Jr., Councilman Kyle Deaver and City Manager Dale Fisseler were meeting in Fisseler’s third-floor office at City Hall when the flying camera zipped past the window.

“Kyle said, ‘What is that outside your window? Is that a drone?’” Fisseler recalled.

Fisseler thought it belonged to a local company that has such a device, but when it flew closer, he decided to ask around and found out that Holze had purchased it.

“It’s really cool,” Fisseler said. “I was impressed. It offers us a lot of unique opportunities. But we’re also going to be using it with a great deal of caution.”

Holze said he requires his producers to submit a flight plan to him before using the camera, and he doesn’t allow it to be flown in high winds or around crowded areas.

Crews can’t fly the device over private property without permission from landowners and can’t fly it more than 300 feet in the air.

“We feel a very strong obligation that we do it responsibly,” Holze said. “We’ve never seen it as playing around or trying to do something illegal.”

He said crews in the past have occasionally gone up in the county helicopter for aerial footage, but the quadrocopter is more convenient and flexible.

“This puts us in control,” he said. “These guys can be as creative as they want to.”

Zack Morris, a producer for the station who was demonstrating the camera this week using a handheld device with two joysticks, said it didn’t take long to get used to operating it.

“The learning curve wasn’t that steep,” he said.

Before flying, the operator punches in his or her GPS coordinates, and even if the flying camera lost signal, it would rise 60 feet then return to the starting point.

The use of unmanned aircraft in the last few years has grown quickly as the price has dropped as low as a few hundred dollars. Municipalities, photographic firms and newspapers such as the Tyler Morning Telegraph have used them for a variety of purposes.

But regulation of the devices and how they’re used is still a work in progress. Last year, Texas was among numerous states that passed laws on unmanned aircraft.

State law prohibits the use of unmanned aircraft to photograph private property or individuals without permission, but with broad exceptions including scholarly research, utility work, missing person searches and real estate sales. Law enforcement can use the cameras in pursuing criminals, documenting crime scenes or, with a warrant, to do searches.

Some groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have raised concerns that the legislation doesn’t go far enough to protect individuals from government surveillance.

“Where surveillance cameras are deployed by the government, the burden is on the government to show that they will be effective and cost-effective, without imposing undue privacy invasions,” said Matt Simpson, ACLU policy strategist for Texas. “Government officials should always be clear and transparent to the public on how surveillance footage is being stored, for what purposes it is being used, who it’s shared with, and for how long.”

Meanwhile, the FAA is still working on revising its restrictions on the devices, restrictions that have been largely ignored as more private users buy them.

The FAA website states that anyone using the devices for commercial purposes must have a certified aircraft, a licensed pilot and operating approval. As of March, only one company had met those criteria.

But when the FAA tried to fine a businessman $10,000 for the use of a commercial unmanned aircraft, a federal administrative judge dismissed the case, saying the agency’s rules did not apply.

The FAA rules allow public entities to get a waiver for most of the requirements for flying the aircraft, but entities must still apply for a “certificate of authorization,” according to the FAA website.

Holze said the applicability of the FAA’s rules is unclear, but “if it requires a certificate, we’ll get it.”

Fisseler said he hopes for some clarification on the rules for using the devices.

“I think it’s technology that’s gotten ahead of the regulations,” he said.


Story and photo:   http://www.wacotrib.com

Snyder Fly-In and Air Show opens to public Saturday

 SNYDER — They served their country, and now their hometown is flying them back a favor.

Area veterans took a ride above Scurry County on Friday in a World War II-era P-51 Pecos Bill plane. The aircraft caught admiration at the town’s fly-in and air show before the servicemen hopped in for a flight.

“I’m looking forward to it very much,” said Frank Miller.

The local veteran was an infantry trainee at the end of the war, narrowly missing a chance to fly in battle.

“I was saved from the invasion of Japan by Harry Truman’s bomb,” he said.

Doug Flynn, chairman of the Silent Wings Museum foundation and director of the World War II Glider Pilots Association, admired the military plane while he waited for a ride.

“This is a real nice deal — it’s a piece of history,” he said.

The air show opens to the public Saturday with general admission fees of $10. A host of planes can be found in the Scurry County Airport’s Winston Field.

“These are the absolute best of the best,” said John Rogotzke, director of the White Buffalo chapter of the Texas Air Museum.

Among the flying visitors is Patty Wagstaff, an inductee of the National Aviation Hall of Fame whose efforts in the sky have garnered multiple awards. The Florida-based pilot and flight instructor said she’s happy to share her lifelong flight affection with West Texas.

“I’ve done air shows a long time,” she said. “My dad was a pilot, so I grew up around it. I’m excited about flying in a new location.”

Pilot Kyle Franklin — in town from Neosho, Missouri — is ready to share a comedy routine with his Franklin’s Flying Circus. Portraying a would-be pilot, he flies a plane while dragging its wings on the ground, stalling it at 100 feet and everything else that could flunk a student out of flight school.

You could almost call it a how-not-to-fly class.

“It’s an act where a crazy guy steals an airplane. It’s basically what not to do when you’re flying,” he said.

The airport is located just west of Snyder. For more information, call (325) 207-3379.

Story and photo:   http://lubbockonline.com

Manufacturers, pilots argue fault in crashes: Defective equipment often result in aircraft problems, review finds

Nearly 45,000 people have been killed in crashes of small airplanes and helicopters since 1964, and while federal investigators overwhelmingly blame pilots, USA Today found repeated instances in which crashes, injuries and deaths were caused by defective parts and dangerous designs.

The findings cast doubt on government rulings and reveal the inner workings of an industry hit so hard by legal claims that it sought and won liability protection from Congress.

Wide-ranging defects have persisted for years as manufacturers covered up problems, lied to federal regulators and failed to remedy known malfunctions, USA Today found. Some defective parts remained in use for decades — and some are still in use — because manufacturers refused to acknowledge or recall the suspect parts or issued a limited recall that left dangerous components in hundreds of aircraft.

The manufacturers involved have paid hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements that received little or no public attention until now and that need not be disclosed to federal regulators.

In addition, civil-court judges and juries have found major manufacturers such as Cessna Aircraft, Robinson Helicopter, Mitsubishi Aircraft, Bell Helicopter and Lycoming Engines liable for deadly crashes, ordering them to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in compensatory and punitive damages.

The verdicts contradict findings of the National Transportation Safety Board, which conducts limited investigations into most crashes of private aircraft and asks manufacturers to look for defects in their parts, even if the manufacturers are being sued over a crash.

Judges and juries have spent weeks hearing cases that took years to prepare and unearthed evidence that NTSB investigations never discovered.

A Florida judge, finding that Cessna had known for “many years” of a potentially lethal defect in thousands of planes but hadn’t fixed it, wrote in 2001 that the company could be guilty of “a reckless disregard for human life equivalent to manslaughter.”

A USA Today review of tens of thousands of pages of internal company records, lawsuits and government documents found defects implicated in a series of fatal crashes of small planes and helicopters. The deadly defects include:

• Helicopter fuel tanks that easily rupture and ignite, causing scores of people to be burned alive after low-impact crashes that were otherwise survivable;

• Pilot seats that suddenly slide backward, making airplanes nose-dive when pilots lose grip of the controls;

• Ice-protection systems that fail to keep airplane wings clean during flight and fail to warn pilots of dangerous ice buildup that causes crashes;

• Helicopter blades that flap wildly in flight and separate from the mast or cut through the helicopter tail;

• Airplane exhaust systems that leak exhaust gas, causing engine fires;

• Engine carburetors that flood or starve engines and had been causing midair engine failures since at least 1963 when the federal government notified the manufacturer of “a serious problem” with its carburetor that had caused a recent fatal crash.

Manufacturers say crashes are caused by pilot errors, aircraft neglect or owners’ failure to follow manufacturer bulletins urging parts replacements.

The danger of private airplanes and helicopters — known as “general aviation” — far exceeds that of airline flight. In 2013 alone, there were 1,199 general-aviation crashes — more than three per day on average — killing 347 people, injuring 571 others and destroying 121 aircraft.

A domestic passenger airline hasn’t crashed since Feb. 12, 2009, when 50 died on Colgan Air Flight 3407 near Buffalo.

While the airline crash rate has plummeted to near zero, the general-aviation rate is unchanged from 15 years ago — and roughly 40 times higher than for airlines.

“When you look at aviation, the place where people are getting killed is general aviation. Year after year, we are killing hundreds of people in general aviation,” said former NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman, who left in April to become president of the National Safety Council.

One of the most gruesome and long-standing problems has caused scores of people to be burned alive or asphyxiated in fires that erupt after helicopter crashes. Such deaths are notorious because they occur after minor crashes, hard landings and rollovers that themselves don’t kill or seriously injure helicopter occupants. The impact can rupture helicopter fuel tanks, sending fuel gushing out, where it ignites into a lethal inferno.

Using autopsy reports and crash records, USA Today identified 79 people killed and 28 injured since 1992 by helicopter fires following low-impact crashes.

Although crash-resistant fuel tanks have been available since the early 1970s, when the U.S. Army installed them and dramatically reduced soldiers’ deaths, many manufacturers have not bothered, one safety expert said, because of the added cost, which the Federal Aviation Administration has estimated at several thousand dollars per tank.

“If it’s cheaper to let you die than to fix it, you’re going to die,” said Harry Robertson, who invented the crash-resistant “Robbie tanks” for the Army and is in the National Aviation Hall of Fame.


Source: http://www.coshoctontribune.com

Editorial: California Airshow

This week, we want to share some good news: KSBW and Central Coast ABC will now be the exclusive English-speaking television sponsors for this fall’s California International Airshow in Salinas.

It’s no secret that the Salinas airshow here has had a few tough years. Last year was especially difficult with the federal government sequestration resulting in an absence of any military flight team. With attendance way down, there were even whispers that perhaps last year’s show would be the last. No airshow here? That would be a terrible blow to the Central Coast! Way back in 1981, Jim Gattis and a fearless committee worked hard with the city and other stakeholders to create the Salinas airshow. Ticket proceeds have now raised more than $8 million for local charities.

This year the California International Airshow Salinas will be on Saturday and Sunday, September 27th and 28th. As we get to September, you’ll see promotional spots all over KSBW, Central Coast ABC, and on KSBW.com reminding you of the show. But tickets are on sale now, and they’re offered at a significant discount versus buying them at the gate on the day of the event.

The United States Air Force Thunderbirds will headline both days, the Central Coast’s own National Aviation Hall of Fame pilot Sean D. Tucker will be in the air, and he’ll be joined by several other world class daredevil stunt pilots.

Plus, just back from national exposure with an appearance on the Ellen Show, Watsonville’s own Rosalee Ramer will be tearing it up on the ground in her custom Monster Truck. And as he has for the last 32 years, KSBW’s own Jim Vanderzwaan will be there, live, on the mic and calling all the action. But the airshow can only be a success, if you come and join us. Our KSBW Editorial Board cannot think of a more fun and exciting way to spend a day and have such a positive impact on local charities!

Source: http://www.ksbw.com

Air Magic Valley Underway: Joslin Field - Magic Valley Regional Airport (KTWF), Twin Falls, Idaho

Twin Falls, Idaho ( KMVT-TV / KSVT-TV ) This year's Air Magic Valley theme is "celebrating freedom." 

Aircraft that encompass that theme have been flooding Joslin Field all week.

Along with an array of World War Two aircrafts, numerous planes and performers have made it to town, also.

Three of the entertainers that will be performing this weekend are recipients of Prestige's Awards for their performances in the air show industry.

The first is Kent Pietsch.

"I'll be doing a comedy act, which is one that I don't talk about much, but you got to come out and see it. Then I land a precision act ... landing on top of a pick-up truck, which is pretty hard to do in winds and stuff like that. So I call it a landing attempt," Pietsch explains.

The second is world famous hang-glider, Dan Buchanan.

And Buchanan's story is truly an inspirational one, due to the fact that he is paralyzed from the waist down.

"I had a spinal cord injury 33 years ago, flying hang-gliders. In stormy weather, should have been on the ground... shouldn't have even tried to fly but I did anyway," he says.

After his accident, Buchanan was back in the air only a half a year later.

As for his performance this weekend, it starts Friday evening with something special.

"I'll be flying after dark with pyrotechnics and explosives flying off my wings. But I'm using a hang-glider which is made out of fabric. I try to mount things so it doesn't catch fire," Buchanan explains.

And the final performer is Matt Younkin, who is flying a 1943 Twin Beach 18.

Friday evening, Younkin will be performing his famous Magic by Moonlight night show.

"We've got 50 externally visible lights that we'll mount on the airplane. The top of it will glow in the dark and the bottom of it will twinkle. We'll be doing some carefully choreographed maneuvers to a very powerful soundtrack and will be playing some different tricks and all that," Younkin explains.

A perfect night of high fly aerobatics to kickoff a perfect weekend out at Air Magic Valley.

The night show will get underway at 9 o'clock Friday evening.

Spectators are being asked to show up early and find a spot to enjoy the show.

If you haven't already, you can purchase tickets at the gates for 20 dollars or buy a weekend pass for 25.

Military and senior citizens are 15 dollars, and children 12 and under are free.

Story and video:   http://www.kmvt.com

Flybe flight for Belfast diverted to Manchester due to technical fault

A plane from Southampton to Belfast has been diverted to Manchester Airport after a technical fault.

The Flybe flight was due to land at Belfast City Airport but was diverted while over the Irish Sea.

A statement from Flybe said the plane "landed safely and was met by emergency services as a routine and precautionary measure only".

The statement added: "Once at its stand all passengers disembarked normally.

"The safety of all its passengers and crew is Flybe's highest priority."

A passenger on the plane told BBC Radio Ulster that the pilot said an engine had "malfunctioned".

"There was just this sort of noise and the engine seemed to get a lot louder," she said.

"Everyone didn't know what was going on for a while, and the captain said that the engine had malfunctioned and they were going to have to turn it off."

Source: http://www.bbc.com

Champion 7KCAB Citabria, Flying Tiger Aviation, N2978G: Accident occurred July 18, 2013 in Oak Ridge, Louisiana

http://registry.faa.gov/N2978G

NTSB Identification: CEN13FA420
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, July 18, 2013 in Oak Ridge, LA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 06/23/2014
Aircraft: CHAMPION 7KCAB, registration: N2978G
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 private pilot and instructor were practicing aerial spraying passes and turns associated with agricultural (ag) operations when the airplane stalled and collided with trees and terrain. Data downloaded from the onboard GPS revealed that after departure, the airplane flew direct to an intended practice area and conducted nine aerial spray passes. Each pass ended in an “ag turn” in the opposite direction. After the ninth pass, the airplane began the “ag turn” and entered a climbing left turn. The airplane then entered a climbing right turn to an altitude of 208 feet above ground level and slowed to a ground speed of 65 mph before the data ended at the location of where the airplane came to rest. The airplane impacted terrain in a steep, nose-down attitude consistent with a stall/spin. The private pilot had recently completed his instrument training with the instructor and had just started the Agricultural Aviation Basic Operations course with the flight school. The instructor was not an agricultural pilot and had no experience with aerial applications. As such, he was only authorized to provide tailwheel instruction in the airplane and ground school instruction on how to use a GPS when spraying and how to do an ag turn. It was unknown why the instructor and private pilot were practicing ag turns and spray passes in the airplane. Examination of the airplane found no preaccident mechanical discrepancies that would have precluded normal operation.

Postaccident toxicology testing indicated that the private pilot recently used marijuana and hydroxychloroquine, both of which would have been impairing at the levels found. Although the instructor also tested positive for several medications, it could not be determined if they contributed to the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The private pilot’s and the flight instructor’s failure to maintain airplane control while performing agricultural operations turns low to the ground, which resulted in a stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was the private pilot’s impairment due to his recent use of marijuana and hydroxychloroquine.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On July 18, 2013, between 0650 and 0720 central daylight time, N2978G, a Champion 7KCAB, sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain in Oak Ridge, Louisiana. The certified flight instructor and the private pilot receiving instruction were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to a private corporation and operated by Flying Tiger Aviation, LLC, Rayville, Louisiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. No flight plan was filed for the local flight that departed the John H Hooks Memorial Airport (M79), Rayville, Louisiana, between 0630 and 0700.

The purpose of the flight was to practice aerial spray passes and ag-turns. When the airplane did not return to Rayville, the flight school initiated a search and the airplane was located about 1000.

The airplane was equipped with a Lite Star II GPS, which is a guidance system for aerial applicators to help optimize spraying runs. The unit was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recorders laboratory in Washington DC where the accident flight was downloaded and plotted. A review of the data revealed the accident flight was about 19 minutes long and the GPS began recording when the airplane departed Rayville. However, there was too much damage to the unit's timing mechanism and an actual time of departure could not be determined. The airplane tracked northwest from the airport toward the intended practice area and conducted nine spray passes. Each pass ended in an "ag turn" back in the opposite direction. After the ninth spray pass, the airplane began the "ag turn" and entered a climbing left hand turn. The airplane then entered a climbing right hand turn to an altitude of 208 feet above ground level (agl) and slowed down to a ground speed of 65 miles per hour (mph) before the data ended. The last recorded data point was consistent with the location of where the airplane impacted terrain.

PILOT INFORMATION

The private pilot, who was seated in the front seat, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single and multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. His last Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first class medical was issued on November 1, 2010. According to the FAA, the pilot earned his instrument rating on July 1, 2013. At that time, he had a total of 274 flight hours. The pilot's personal logbook was never located.

The flight instructor, who was seated in the rear seat, held an airline transport pilot rating for airplane single and multi-engine land, single-engine sea and glider. He was also a ground instructor, and a certified flight instructor for airplane single and multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. A review of his electronic logbook, revealed he had a total of 20,585 flight hours. His last FAA second class medical was issued on December 19, 2012.

According to the chief pilot of Flying Tiger Aviation, LLC, the private pilot had recently completed his instrument training with the instructor and had just started the Agricultural Aviation Basic Operations course with the flight school. A review of dispatch records provided by the flight school revealed this was the pilot's seventh flight in the program and his second flight in the accident airplane, which was equipped with the Lite Star II GPS. The syllabus for the Agricultural Aviation Basic Operations course had 4 phases: airplane/systems knowledge, coordinated flight and tailwheel landings, commercial maneuvers, and introduction to spray runs, use of the Lite Star II GPS and forced landings. The instructor was not an agricultural pilot and had no aerial spraying experience; however, he did give ground instruction on how to use the Lite Star II GPS and how to execute an ag-turn, but was not authorized to provide flight instruction for agricultural operations. The only aspect of ag-training that the instructor was authorized to do was tail-wheel endorsements. Since the private pilot's logbook was never located it could not be determined if he had completed the tailwheel training portion of the syllabus and received a tail wheel endorsement from the instructor.

The chief pilot said the instructor wanted to start instructing agricultural students. Since the instructor did not have any aerial application experience, the chief pilot flew with him the day before the accident in an Ag-Cat and performed aerial application maneuvers. The chief pilot said the instructor "did not fly well at all" and thought he would fly the airplane much "smoother" than he did considering on his overall experience as a pilot. He was not sure why the instructor did not fly well that day.

WRECKAGE INFORMATION

An on-scene examination of the airplane was conducted on July 19, 2013, by the NTSB Investigator-in-Charge (IIC). The airplane impacted wooded terrain in a steep, nose-down attitude and came to rest upright at the edge of a creek on a heading of 334 degrees. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the site. Broken tree limbs surrounded the main wreckage, which included the entire airplane except for the right wing tip and aileron. The right wing tip came to rest approximately 10-feet forward of the main wreckage. The trees directly above the where the wingtip came to rest exhibited several broken limbs and branches. The right aileron was found 3 to 4 feet behind the main wreckage. The airplane's engine remained attached to he airframe and was buried approximately two feet into the ground. The leading edges of both wings were crushed inward, and the cockpit area sustained extensive impact damage. Flight control continuity was established for the left aileron to the left wing root, the rudder and the elevator. Continuity for the right wing was not established due to impact damage. A review of photos provided by first responders revealed the tail section was partially folded over the top of the airplane and bent to the right. The tail section was later moved back and the roof was removed to extricate both pilots

The mixture and throttle controls were found in the full forward position, and most of the instruments were damaged to the point where a viable reading could not be obtained.

Both the front and back seatbelt/shoulder harness assemblies were secure to their respective attach points and unlatched. The latching mechanism was tested on each belt and both fastened securely.

The aircraft log was found in the wreckage. The last entry was made by the flight instructor for a 1.2 hour long flight he completed the previous day with the pilot.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

At 1015, weather reported at Morehouse Memorial Airport (BQP), Bastrop, Louisiana, approximately 9 miles northwest of the accident site, was calm wind, clear skies, temperature 31 degrees C, dewpoint 24 degrees C, and a barometric pressure setting of 30.16 inches of mercury.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The autopsy on the pilot was conducted by the Moorehouse Parish Coroner's Office on July 19, 2013. The cause of death was determined to be, "multiple injuries."

Toxicological testing was conducted by the FAA's Accident Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The pilot tested positive for the following:

Hydroxychloroquine was detected in the liver and blood.

>> 2.3205 (ug/ml) tetrahydrocannabinol (marijuana) detected in the lung

>> 0.0445 (ug/ml) tetrahydrocannabinol (marijuana) detected in the liver

r>> 0.0337 (ug/ml) tetrahydrocannabinol (marijuana) detected in the blood

>> 1.205 (ug/ml) tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (marijuana) detected in the liver

>> 0.1387 (ug/ml) tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (marijuana) detected in the lung

>>0.1243 (ug/ml) tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (marijuana) detected in the blood

Hydroxychloroquine is used to treat malaria and to decrease inflammation in patients with lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. The pilot did not report a history of these medical conditions or the use of this drug to the FAA. Marijuana is a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It has mood altering effects including inducing euphoria and relaxation. In addition, marijuana causes alterations in motor behavior, perception, cognition, memory, learning, endocrine function, food intake, and regulation of body temperature. The autopsy on the flight instructor was conducted by the Moorehouse Parish Coroner's Office on July 19, 2013. The cause of death was determined to be, "multiple injuries."

Toxicological testing was conducted by the FAA's Accident Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The flight instructor tested positive for the following:

Doxazosin was detected in the liver and the blood (cavity)

>> 0.612 (ug/ml) phentermine was detected in the blood (cavity)

Phentermine detected in the liver

Valsartan detected in the liver and the blood (cavity)

Yohimbine detected in the liver and the blood (cavity)

Doxazosin is marketed under the brand name Cardura. Chemically, it is a selective inhibitor of the alpha1 subtype of alpha-adrenergic receptors; it is used to treat hypertension and symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy. Valsartan is marketed under the brand name Diovan and is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist used to treat hypertension. Phentermine is a sympathomimetic amine used in the short term treatment of obesity and marketed under the brand names Adipex and Qsymia.
Yohimbine is an a2 receptor antagonist and is available by prescription for the treatment of male sexual dysfunction but may also be found marketed as an herbal supplement. The pilot did not report the use of Phenteramine or Yohimbine to the FAA.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A weight and balance calculation was conducted using both of the pilots weights listed in the autopsy reports. The amount of fuel on board at the time they departed was not known, so 11 gallons were calculated, which was a conservative amount and the minimum needed to complete the flight. Even with the minimum amount of fuel used for the calculation, and without compensation for clothing and pilot gear, the airplane was over gross by at least 32 pounds and outside/aft the center of gravity envelope.


  OAK RIDGE (KTVE/KARD) -- The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board have released their final crash report on the fatal Oak Ridge plane crash that happened back on July 18th, 2013.

The crash killed private pilot Jonathan Whitacre of Indiana and flight  instructor Clarence Collins of Dubach, La.

KTVE/KARD was told Collins was training Whitacre in a single-engine crop duster plane.

According to the NTSB crash report, a toxicological test was conducted on Whitacre's body by the FAA's Accident Research Laboratory, revealing he had marijuana in his lungs, liver and blood.

The report also reads Whitacre had Hydroxychloroquine in his liver and blood, which is used to treat malaria and decrease inflammation in patients with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. The report reads Whitacre did not report a history of these medical conditions or the use of this drug to the FAA.

According to the report, a toxicological test performed on Collins' body revealed the presence of Doxazosin, Valsartan, Yohimbine and Phentermine in his liver and blood. Doxazosin and Valsartan are used to treat hypertension, Phentermine treats obesity.

The reports read autopsies performed by the Morehouse Parish Sheriff's Office revealed the causes of death for both me to be "multiple injuries."

MPSO said the plane left from Richland Parish around 7 a.m. the morning of July 18th and did not return.

The plane was found around noon in Oak Ridge.

The NTSB report reads the purpose of the flight was to practice aerial spray passes and ag-turns.

The plane's Lite Star II GPS system was sent to the NTSB recorders laboratory in Washington, DC and downloaded. The report reads its data shows the flight lasted 19 minutes. During that time, GPS data revealed the plane completed nine spray passes before making a right turn in the air at 208 feet above ground level, slowing down to a ground speed of 65 miles per hour.

After that point, the data ended.

The NTSB report reads that last recorded data point was consistent with the location of where the plane crashed.

According to the FAA, Whitacre had earned his instrument rating on July 1, 2013 and logged a total of 274 flight hours at the time of the crash.

The FAA's reports indicate Collins, who was instructing from the rear seat of the plane, was a certified ground and flight instructor for single and multi-engine land and instrument airplanes. He'd logged a total of 20,585 flight hours.

The NTSB report reads Collins was not an agricultural pilot and had no aerial spraying experience.

According to the report, the chief pilot of Flying Tiger Aviation, LLC out of Oak Ridge said Collins wanted to start instructing agricultural students. The chief pilot flew with Collins the day before the accident in an Ag-Cat and performed aerial application maneuvers.

The report reads the chief pilot said Collins "did not fly well at all" and he did not understand why Collins did not fly well that day.

NTSB's report reads the weather conditions on the day of the accident were calm winds and clear skies.

As far as the weight of the plane, the NTSB report calculated it using both pilots' weights and the minimum amount of fuel needed to complete the flight, which was 11 gallons. Without compensating for clothing and pilot gear, the report reads the airplane's weight was over gross by 32 pounds and outside the center of gravity envelope.


You can watch our initial coverage of that plane crash here.


Story, photo and video:   http://www.myarklamiss.com