Report on 2012 midair collision in Virginia concludes that pilots didn’t see each other: Beech V35B, N6658R and Piper PA-28-140, N23SC

 

It probably was the most unusual midair collision ever around Washington: Two veteran pilots, both working for the nation’s top aviation safety agencies, smashed their planes together 1,600 feet above Warrenton, Va., on a sunny Memorial Day afternoon two years ago.

Now, an exhaustive investigation has come to a startlingly simple conclusion: Somehow, they just didn’t see each other.

One of the planes, a Beechcraft 35, was chopped in two by the propeller of a Piper PA-28. With its tail cut off, the Beechcraft and the two certified pilots on board — James “Mike” Duncan, 60, and Paul Gardella Jr., 57 — spiraled down to their deaths.

The pilot of the Piper, Thomas R. Proven, 70, managed to bring his damaged plane down in a pasture, skidding through a narrow tree-lined path and clipping off the plane’s right wing.

Proven was an investigator for the Federal Aviation Administration. Duncan was chief medical officer for the National Transportation Safety Board, the federal agency charged with investigating airplane crashes. Gardella was a professional flight instructor and the region’s chief examining officer for the Civil Air Patrol.

Combined, the three pilots had 16,600 hours of experience at the controls of an airplane.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) was called in to handle the investigation, and the report it produced for the small-plane crash has a depth of detail normally found when a commercial airliner goes down.

The collision occurred in airspace that local pilots call the training ground, a swath generally free from airliner traffic where instructors bring fledgling pilots to practice, planes are taken to do testing and more experienced pilots go to log flying time that their certification requires.

The latter was what had Gardella and Duncan in the air that afternoon. They took off in the Beechcraft from Warrenton-Fauquier Airport for a flight review required of pilots every two years.

The TSB report says that 15 minutes after they were airborne, Proven radioed an air travel controller for clearance to land on runway 33 at the same airport. The controller responded and then turned to dealing with arrivals and departures of jetliners at nearby Dulles International Airport.

Both the Beechcraft and Piper were operating under what are known as visual flight rules: They were expected to be scanning the air for other planes.

Were they distracted by their cockpit gauges during the 37 seconds they were on a collision course? The TSB draws no conclusion.

At 4:04 p.m., the TSB said, the controller received an audio and visual warning on the computer screen of a possible collision between the two planes. The Beechcraft was 500 feet below and less than a mile away from the Piper. The controller assessed the situation and “assessed that there was no conflict” before returning to the airliners.

The two smaller planes merged at a 45-degree angle, and “the Piper’s propeller severed the Beechcraft’s fuselage just aft of the pilots’s seats.”

The TSB investigators said that “field-of-view analysis showed that there was a high likelihood that each aircraft was visible to the other, meaning that no aircraft structure would have obscured the view of either approaching aircraft.”

The report said that on board the Beechcraft, Gardella’s head might have obscured Duncan’s view, but Gardella’s view should have been unobstructed.

“There were no indications that either aircraft manoeuvered to avoid the other,” the report said.

- Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com

Investigation Report: http://www.tsb.gc.ca

James Michael "Mike" Duncan

Paul Gardella

http://registry.faa.gov/N6658R

http://registry.faa.gov/N23SC


NTSB Identification: ERA12RA367A

Accident occurred Monday, May 28, 2012 in Sumerduck, VA

Aircraft: BEECH V35B, registration: N6658R

Injuries: 2 Fatal,1 Serious.

NTSB Identification: ERA12RA367B 

Accident occurred Monday, May 28, 2012 in Sumerduck, VA
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28-140, registration: N23SC
Injuries: 2 Fatal,1 Serious.

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

On May 28, 2012, about 1604 eastern daylight time, a Beech V35B, N6658R, and a Piper PA-28-140, N23SC, collided in flight in the vicinity of Sumerduck, Virginia. The Beech was destroyed, and the pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured; the Piper was substantially damaged, and the pilot was seriously injured. Neither of the local flights was operating on a flight plan, and both were being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The Beech departed Warrenton-Fauquier Airport, Warrenton, Virginia, on a flight review for the private pilot, and the Piper departed Culpeper Regional Airport, Culpeper, Virginia, on a personal flight.

The pilot/owner of the Beech was an employee of the NTSB, and the pilot/owner of the Piper was an employee of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Under the provisions of Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation and by mutual agreement, the United States delegated the accident investigation to the government of Canada. The NTSB designated an accredited representative to the investigation on behalf of the United States, and the FAA designated an advisor to the accredited representative.

The investigation is being conducted by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada under its statutes. Further information may be obtained from:

Transportation Safety Board of Canada

Place du Centre

200 Promenade du Portage, 4th Floor

Gatineau, Quebec

K1A 1K8

Tel: 1 (800) 387-3557

Fax: 1 (819) 997-2239

Email: airops@tsb.gc.ca

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

Occurrence Number: A12H0001

This report is for informational purposes only, and only contains information released by or provided to the government of Canada.

Investigation Report: http://www.tsb.gc.ca

 Two Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigators examining the wreckage from the Beechcraft BE-35. 

Plane crash site in Fauquier County. 

Piper PA-28-140, N23SC

 

Investigator Brad Vardy inspects the Piper PA-28 that collided with another plane near Sumerduck.

Transportation Safety Board of Canada Inspector in Charge John Lee conducts a press conference on May 30th, 2012 at the Hampton Inn in Warrenton. 

FAA IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 6658R        Make/Model: BE35      Description: 35 Bonanza
  Date: 05/28/2012     Time: 1600

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: WARRENTON   State: VA   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT. WARRENTON, VA

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   2
                 # Crew:   0     Fat:   2     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: WASHINGTON IAD, DC  (EA27)            Entry date: 05/29/2012

 FAA IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 23SC        Make/Model: PA28      Description: PA-28 CHEROKEE
  Date: 05/28/2012     Time: 1600

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Minor     Mid Air: Y    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
  City: WARRENTON   State: VA   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER AIRCRAFT WHILE IN FLIGHT. WARRENTON, VA

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   1     Unk:    
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Approach      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: WASHINGTON IAD, DC  (EA27)            Entry date: 05/29/2012

Angel Flight connects rural patients with volunteer pilots

John Larsen checks his instruments during a flight from Lander to Centennial, Colorado, on Friday, Aug. 22, 2014, in Lander. 

(Tom Dixon Star-Tribune) 

Arianne Robledo rested her left temple against the window and watched the ground fall away as the plane carrying her climbed toward the morning sun. The single-engine aircraft whined as it rose into the clouds above the empty Wyoming prairie, Robledo's hometown of Lander shrinking behind her.

The 18-year-old’s first flight on a plane like this was about four years ago. She felt relaxed traveling through the air. But worries still clouded her mind.

There were doctors waiting for her in Colorado.

There were missed classes and a tube in her stomach.

There was the disease attacking her kidneys.

At least her trip to Denver Children’s Hospital was taken care of.

Angel Flight West flew Robledo and her mother, Sarah Fessler, that day and many since. The California-based nonprofit connects people like Robledo, who can’t afford regular transportation or are too sick to fly commercially, with private pilots across the west who fly patients to the care they need. The patients and their families pay nothing for the trip.

***

Robledo remembers falling ill almost overnight when she was 13. She was pale and weak.

“I had to sit down all the time,” Robledo said.

For about a year, she underwent a barrage of testing at hospitals in both Denver and Fort Collins. That meant drives that could last up to six hours at least once a month, Fessler said. As a single mother of two, that was gas money she couldn’t afford to spend, and time away from her work and Robledo’s school.

Eventually, Robledo was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder that doctors discovered was attacking her kidneys. She’d visit Fort Washakie Indian Health for dialysis three times a week. Each session would last three hours. Robledo still bears the scars in the crook of her left elbow.

And, of course, there were more hospital trips to Colorado, sometimes in dangerous weather. Fessler recalled driving along icy highways strewn with wrecked vehicles.

“It’s not fun driving the interstate for six hours,” Fessler said.

***

A nurse first told Fessler about Angel Flight. It’s not exactly surprising that they suffered through all those long car trips before learning about the program. One of Angel Flight’s biggest challenges is getting the word out to families like Fessler’s.

“We seem to be the best-kept secret around,” said Cheri Cimmarrusti, associate executive director of Angel Flight West.

The group has actually existed for 30 years. In 1984, its first year, the program flew 15 missions. Today, it boasts about 1,200 active pilots who flew about 3,700 missions last year.

Angel Flight operates through grants, foundations and individual and corporate contributions. The group recruits pilots, who donate their time and fuel. Then it connects those flyers with patients.

“For some of our passengers, it means not going into debt. For some it is truly lifesaving,” Cimmarrusti said. “Without Angel Flight, many would not be able to get their illness treated -- whether it’s somebody in a big city, but with a rare disease that’s only treated somewhere else -- to the many, many people in rural areas who just don’t have health care access.”

***

Pilot John Larsen tipped the plane’s wings starboard as the aircraft made its way toward Centennial, Colorado on a unseasonably cold Saturday in late August. Fessler’s “wow” could be heard over the roar of the engine.

“I’ve never had that view of Elk Mountain before,” she said.

Larsen smiled. He’s been flying for 14 years – ever since he came home from church and told his wife he was going to take lessons. He wife rolled her eyes at what she thought was simply a midlife crisis.

He started Angel Flight in 2005. He is one of about eight active pilots in the state, according to Cimmarrusti.

Larsen said he feels blessed to put purpose to his passion.

“I love boring holes in the sky,” Larsen said. “If I’m at all able to make it work, I will.”

***

Fessler and Robledo have flown with Angel Flight about 10 times during the past four years. Some of those trip were taken with “the suitcase” – a portable dialysis machine Robledo had to take with her everywhere she went – in tow.

“It was upsetting,” Fessler said. “I didn’t even know something like that existed.”

Robledo spent a couple month on the waiting list for a new kidney last year before her mother received a late-night call that a possible match was available.

The surgery, performed at Denver Children’s, was a success. Robledo spent three weeks in the hospital recovering, but she remembers feeling stronger, more like her old self, almost immediately.

Her first real meal after recovering was at Old Chicago’s – an all-meat pizza.

“It made everything feel normal again,” Robledo said.

In March, Robledo celebrated what the family called her first "kidneyversary" with all the foods she couldn’t have while she was ill – cheese, chocolate, cake, oranges. Robledo is a high school senior and plans to attend University of Wyoming, where she’ll study nursing. All the hospital time has left her with the desire to help others.

She still travels to Denver with her mother every few months for checkups. They make the trip through Angel Flight.

Fessler and her daughter are grateful for every single one.

“The pilots really are the angels,” Fessler said.

The plane touched down in Centennial, just southeast of Denver, about an hour after the Elk Mountain flyover. The women pulled one bag each out of the plane. Fessler’s brother was waiting in the terminal for them. He planned to take them to her first Dave and Buster’s excursion.

Robledo just smiled when asked if pizza was in her near future.

“Maybe,” Robledo said, looking at her mother.

With his passengers safely at their destination, Larsen climbed again into the sky, bound for Lander. Another mission accomplished.

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

Low-flying fighter jets entertain, startle Montrealers

 

Two Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter jets perform a fly-over at start of Montreal Alouettes versus Hamilton Tiger Cats Canadian Football League game in Montreal Sunday Sept. 7, 2014.   Photograph by: John Mahoney , The Gazette

MONTREAL — Plateau Mont-Royal residents say they were alarmed and frightened by the sight and the sound of two fighter jets that flew over downtown Montreal and Molson Stadium Sunday afternoon.

The aircraft were part of the Alouettes pregame show, but their appearance so low in the sky startled people in their homes and others who were outside enjoying the day’s nice weather.

“This is so irresponsible,” said Jeanne Schoenwandt, who heard the deafening noise as she was cleaning her home. “People don’t associate this with football and with everything going on in the Middle East, it is inappropriate. She said several of her neighbors came outside of their homes to find out what was going on.

Several Montrealers took to Twitter to inquire about why fighter jets were flying so low close to downtown. Montreal police spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant, who was on duty Sunday afternoon, said he also wondered what the noise was before learning it was part of pregame festivities.

- Story and Photo:  http://www.montrealgazette.com

 

Unidentified plane spotted by Etihad flight over Mumbai

MUMBAI, Sep 7: An unidentified aircraft today caused a security scare in Mumbai airspace after it was spotted by an Etihad Airways flight and reported to the air traffic control (ATC) here, official sources said.

The incident was also reported to the Chennai ATC to establish the identity of the plane, the sources said.

However, the sources did not divulge the make of the aircraft or whether it was a civilian or a military plane, as reported by the aircraft of the Etihad Airways which was flying from its home base of Abu Dhabi to Jakarta.

Investigations have been launched by the air traffic control, which is under the Airports Authority of India, and other security agencies, the sources said.

The incident caused panic among the aviation authorities as they were reminded of the 1995 Purulia arms drop case.

On the night of December 17, 1995, a Latvian aircraft dropped a large consignment of arms, including several hundred AK-47 rifles and over a million rounds of ammunition, on a large area in Jhalda, Ghatanga, Belamu, Maramu villages of Purulia district of West Bengal.

Several days later, when the plane re-entered Indian airspace, it was intercepted by the Indian Air Force MiG-21 and forced to land.

Five Latvian crew members and Peter Bleach, a British citizen and an ex Special Air Service operative-turned- mercenary, were arrested and imprisoned for life but released later. The alleged mastermind, Kim Davy, a Danish citizen, gave the slip and has not yet been arrested. 

- Source:  http://www.dailyexcelsior.com

Bombardier Resumes CSeries Flight Tests: Canadian Company Had Halted Test Flights After an Engine Failure in May

The Wall Street Journal
By  Jon Ostrower
Sept. 7, 2014 6:42 p.m. ET

Bombardier Inc. said on Sunday it resumed test flights of its CSeries jet, after being grounded for more than three months following a major engine failure.

One of the 110-seat CSeries jet test aircraft departed the company's Mirabel, Québec, facility late Sunday afternoon, kicking off a return to its flight-test campaign that the Canadian transportation company aims to complete by the second half of 2015.

One of its four active test aircraft on May 29 suffered a major failure of its Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines, putting a halt to test flying while the engine maker devised a modification to the oil system, which was identified as the failure's root cause.

Bombardier on Sept. 5 announced test flying would resume by the end of September after the company's second test aircraft was rolled out that same day with updated Pratt engines. Pratt & Whitney is a unit of United Technologies Corp.

The CSeries competes with the smallest single-aisle jets from Boeing Co. and Airbus Group NV.

- Source:  http://online.wsj.com

Remote Control Plane Causes 1 Acre Brush Fire

Burned Model Jet 

Saturday afternoon around 1:30pm, Forest Grove Fire & Rescue responded to a 1 acre brush fire on NW Strohmayer Road. The fire was caused by a remote control jet from a nearby model air park (a model of a Su-35 by Free Wing).

Crews arrived to find fire in grass and brush quickly spreading, firefighters were able to quickly stop the flames from spreading further. While the flames were spreading, they caught a power pole on fire. This created a serious hazard of have power lines drop onto firefighters. Once the main flames were extinguished, firefighters had to move back and wait for PGE to cut the power to the pole, deeming the scene is safe.

No one was injured and no structures were damaged.

http://www.albanytribune.com

Photo Credit: FOREST GROVE FIRE & RESCUE

 Firefighters arrived to find this one-acre blaze near Forest Grove on Saturday. 

A remote control model jet caused a one acre brush fire near Forest Grove on Saturday.

Forest Grove Fire & Rescue responded to a report of the fire near Northwest Strohmayer Road around 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 6. 

Crews arrived to find fire in grass and brush quickly spreading, and a power pole in fire with its lines fallen, creating a hazard.

Firefighters were able to quickly stop the flames from spreading further, then moved back to wait for PGE to cut the power to the pole, making the scene is safe. They were assisted on scene by Banks Fire and Oregon Department of Forestry.

The fire was caused by a remote control model of a Su-35 jet by Free Wing from a nearby model air park. 

No one was injured and no structures were damaged. 

- Source:  http://portlandtribune.com

Corsair: Historic military aircraft restored in Stratford, Connecticut

 
STRATFORD, Conn. (WTNH)– A historic military aircraft with ties to the world is currently being restored here in Connecticut. In fact, the plane was built in Stratford decades ago.

A piece of aviation history is coming back to life…

“Once you get involved in it, it’s hard to get away from it,” said Mark Corvino, CT Air & Space Center.

It is an aircraft known as a Corsair. Designed and developed in Stratford by former aircraft manufacturer “Vought-Sikorsky,” it took to the skies during World War II.

“This plane it’s just the first aircraft, propeller driven aircraft to go over 400 miles per hour level flight, it won the pacific war,” said Ed McGuinness, CT Air & Space Center.

During World War II these aircraft were in such high demand that one would be coming off the assembly line every 86 minutes in Stratford. Nearly 13,000 Corsairs were produced up until the 1950’s. Fast forward to Sunday, there aren’t too many left in the world.

“Probably around 100 but maybe 22, 25 are flying,” said McGuinness.

The aircraft is now in that elite class. In the early 70’s this one was put atop a pedestal at the entrance of Sikorsky Airport. Six years ago it was taken down due to corrosion and disrepair. Now, the folks with the Connecticut Air and Space Center are helping to restore her and they’re dedicating a great deal of time.

“A lot of us supply our own stuff we are all volunteers we take our own time, tools, parts we have friends making parts for us as we need them,” said McGuinness.

Sue French is part of that same group and has a personal connection to this aircraft, her late father.

“He would train Army, Navy cadets to fly on a special type of plane and once they learned to fly that then they were all checked out and ready to go in the Corsair for the second world war,” said French.

Funding is key for this project, aside from private donations events, like this car show held  Sunday, helps raise money. Aside from the plane, restoration will also start on a nearby hangar, turning it into a museum for the Corsair, and historic planes just like it. Keeping the history of flight alive.

Story and Video:  http://wtnh.com

Skydive Swoop parachutist has close call with hydro line: Incidents like this 'virtually never' happen, club's vice-president says

A parachutist from a Hamilton-area skydiving club had a close call with a hydro line in Dundas on Sunday afternoon.

The incident took place in the area of Highway 5 and Sydenham Road, near Skydive Swoop, a non-profit, volunteer-run skydiving club. Paramedics were called to the area around 3:30 p.m.

Harvey Thompson, vice-president of the club, confirmed that the man is a member of the club and said he was freed without any injuries.

"The ambulance came, checked him out and said: 'You're fine.'" he told CBC Hamilton.

Claudio Mostacci with the Hamilton Fire Department said firefighters were called to the scene after initial reports that the man's parachute was tangled in the power lines. But when they arrived at the scene, the man was already free.

Mostacci said it is unclear what exactly happened, but it appeared the man clipped a hydro wire on his way down.

Thompson said that incidents like this "virtually never" happen. He added that the club is co-operating with the police and conducting its own investigation into the incident.

Hamilton police and the Hamilton Paramedic Service could not be immediately reached for comment. 

- Source:  http://www.cbc.ca

William D. "Duffy" Thompson: Longtime Volunteer for Sun 'n Fun Dies at 87

Duffy Thompson takes his place volunteering in the ground advisory tower ("Duffy's Tower") at the 30th annual Sun 'n Fun Fly-In, as he had done since the first Fly-In. He was a founder of the Fly-In and a member of its board of directors.

 SCOTT WHEELER | THE LEDGER

~

LAKELAND | When William D. "Duffy" Thompson died Saturday at age 87, he left the community a better place because he was here.

His wife, Joan Blakely Thompson, said he was in hospice care in Auburndale when he died. "It was at 6 a.m.," she said. "He was holding my hand."

Thompson came to Lakeland in 1966 to work for the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce. He was a fundraising executive there for about 20 years. He also started Lakeland's Retired Senior Volunteer Program.

But the volunteer work he was most passionate about took place at Sun 'n Fun.

A pilot who owned seven aircraft, he was one of the Sun 'n Fun founders. He was a board member and an extremely active volunteer for about 40 years.

At the annual Sun 'n Fun Fly-In, Thompson could be seen operating from "Duffy's Tower," where he guided taxiing aircraft by radio to various parking areas. He only recently relinquished the job to others.

Bob Knight, chairman of the Sun 'n Fun board, said Saturday he was able to visit with Thompson several times in recent days. He bestowed honors to the longtime volunteer on behalf of Sun 'n Fun, he said.

"He acted as chairman of the campground back acres for years, and just before he died, I visited him with an artist's rendering of a new entrance into the campground — naming it ‘Camp Duffy,'?" he said. "It was his pet project for years.

"I told him it'll say that in great big letters," he said.

Thompson loved being a part of the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In and was proud of his many years of service.

"He wanted me to make him an emeritus member of the board before he died," Knight said. "So we had a plaque made up for him."

Although he was weak from the cancer that eventually took his life, Thompson was aware of the distinctions he was given and smiled, Knight said.

"He was a great guy," Knight said. "He was really well-liked by everybody and will be sorely missed."

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Thompson attended Georgia Military College in Atlanta and obtained a bachelor's degree from Ohio State University. He was an Army veteran of World War II and served in China and on occupation duty in Korea.

In addition to his wife, Joan, he is survived by his son, William Wayne Thompson of Lakeland, and his daughter, Susan Joan Thompson of Flower Mound, Texas.

Service arrangement details were not available yet on Saturday.

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

New app gives flyers access to private jets

 

Sergey Petrossov said he was a frustrated private jet traveler. It isn't a problem most people have, but Petrossov, 26, said he wants more people to be able to travel on private planes, and access them without hassle.

Video:  http://www.local10.com

A flying problem: Aviation regulator can't be lax about safety norms

The revelation made by India's civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), that as many as 135 pilots of Jet Airways have been flying planes without its mandatory approvals is shocking. It undermines the safety of the thousands of passengers who used the airline mistakenly believing that all safety norms are in place. Even more shocking is the regulator's response to the large-scale violation. The pilots were allowed to fly for months after their last pilot proficiency check expired; and, even now, the regulator has merely issued show-cause notices to most of them, instead of suspending them from flying till they're approved. A show-cause notice has been served on the airline's chief of operations; the airline has been directed to remove its chief of training; but only four pilots have been de-rostered. A decision on de-rostering the remaining errant pilots is still being debated for the ostensible reason that such a move could upset the flying schedule of the airline on many routes. This reflects poorly not just on India's second-largest airline, but also on the DGCA's supervision.

This glaring violation of norms didn't come to light as a result of DGCA's routine checks or supervision. An inexplicably careless lapse by the Jet Airways pilots led to one of its planes suddenly losing height of about 5,000 feet early last month while flying over the Turkish airspace. This was duly reported to the regulators. Pilots are permitted to lose height gradually and any abrupt or rapid descent of more than 1,000 or 1,500 feet is not allowed unless in an emergency situation. In this case the pilot was reported to have not followed the mandated flight norms. This led to an audit by the regulator, which has now revealed the rampant violation of norms by pilots in the periodic renewal of their proficiency certificates.

Ironically, these developments seem to retrospectively justify the decision taken by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (US FAA) earlier this year, to downgrade Indian aviation's safety rating citing a lack of safety oversight; the DGCA responded with prompt remedial measures aimed at beefing up its regulatory personnel strength. A review of the rating by US FAA is due to be held in November. The DGCA still has some time to get its act together and ensure proper and effective supervision of Indian airlines and their pilots from the point of view of safety. A civil aviation regulator's primary concern should be observance of all the norms it stipulates; the least of its concerns should be whether its actions could destabilize an airline's operations. Instead of debating whether it should de-roster the remaining errant pilots, it should do what is reasonable and necessary for passenger safety: Ask all the 131 Jet Airways pilots to renew the validity of their pilot proficiency check, and not fly the planes till they complete such formalities. And additionally, the DGCA should review the status of all pilots in other airlines and take similar steps if any one of them is found guilty of such violations.

- Source:   http://www.business-standard.com/opinion

Mooney M20R Ovation, Chair Covers Leasing Inc., N1046L: Fatal accident occurred January 06, 2014 in Boyne City, Michigan

NTSB Identification: CEN14FA102
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, January 06, 2014 in Boyne City, MI
Probable Cause Approval Date: 09/24/2014
Aircraft: MOONEY M20R, registration: N1046L
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 instrument-rated pilot received weather data via a computerized flight planning service on the morning of the accident. The briefing included a synopsis for upper Michigan that indicated overcast conditions at 3,000 feet with cloud tops at 12,000 feet, visibility of 3 to 5 miles with light snow showers and mist, and wind from the northwest gusting to 25 knots. An airmen’s meteorological information was current for instrument flight rules conditions with ceilings below 1,000 feet and visibility below 3 miles with precipitation, mist, and blowing snow at the time of the accident. Several witnesses reported hearing the airplane heading west, which was in the direction of the departure airport. Another witness stated that, due to the snow, he could only see the airplane's lights but that it appeared that the airplane banked “hard,” pitched up and down, and accelerated as it descended. The airplane impacted terrain about 1 mile east of the airport in a heavily wooded valley. The airplane was substantially damaged from impact and a postimpact fire. One witness reported whiteout conditions and several witnesses reported that it was snowing heavily at the time of the accident. Dark light and gusting wind conditions were also present at the time of the accident. An examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have prevented normal operation. The pilot was likely trying to return to the airport after encountering dark night conditions and heavy snow showers and subsequently lost control of the airplane.  

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

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane as he attempted to return to the airport after encountering dark night conditions and heavy snow showers.  

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On January 6, 2014, at 0706 eastern standard time, a Mooney M20R airplane, N1046L, collided with trees and terrain about 1 mile east of the Boyne City Municipal Airport (N98), Boyne City, Michigan. The instrument rated private pilot and the passenger on board were both fatally injured. The airplane was substantially damaged from impact with the terrain and a post impact fire. The airplane was registered to Chair Covers Leasing, Inc., and operated by the private pilot as a personal flight under the provision of 14 Code of Federal Regulations 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident with a destination of the Oakland/Troy Airport (VLL), Troy, Michigan. 

The pilot flew the airplane from VLL to N98 on January 3, 2014. Upon his arrival at N98, the pilot parked the airplane in his hangar and did not receive any fuel services. According to a family member, the pilot and passenger were going to return to VLL on January 5, 2014, but delayed the flight until the next day due to the weather conditions. The pilot frequently flew the airplane between VLL and N98.

At 0614, the pilot used a commercial computerized flight planning service to obtain weather data and file an IFR flight plan. The flight plan included a proposed departure time of 0715. The route of flight was direct to the Grayling (CGG), Michigan very high frequency omnidirectional range (VOR) then direct to VLL. The pilot requested an en route altitude of 5,000 feet with an estimated time en route of 51 minutes. The pilot did not receive an IFR clearance. 

There were several witnesses that either heard and/or saw the airplane prior to the accident. One witness reported hearing the airplane engine while the airplane was on the airport. She stated it sounded like the airplane took off to the east. Two witnesses who heard the airplane stated the engine sounded like it "choked up" and "tightened up." Other witnesses reported hearing normal, loud engine sounds. Some of the witnesses reported that it sounded as if the airplane was heading back toward the airport. Several witnesses stated it was snowing heavily and it was dark, so they were only able to see the lights on the airplane and not the airplane itself. One witness reported seeing the airplane descend at a 45 degree angle. Another witness stated that due to the snow he could only see the airplane's lights, but it appeared the airplane banked "hard", pitched up and down, and accelerated as it descended. 

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land airplane and instrument airplane ratings. He was issued a third class airman medical certificate on December 23, 2013. The medical certificate contained the limitation that the pilot must have glasses available for near vision. At the time of the examination the pilot reported having 1,400 hours of flight time, 50 hours of which were flown in the previous 6 months. 

The pilot's logbook(s) were not located during the investigation. The pilot completed an insurance application on August 13, 2013. He reported on the application that he had 1,572 total hours of flight time, 1,497 hours of flight time in airplanes with retractable landing gear, 1,272 hours of flight time in Mooney M20R airplanes, and 100 hours of flight time in the previous year. 

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The accident airplane was a 2001 Mooney model M20R airplane, serial number 29-0275. It was a low wing, single-engine airplane, with a retractable landing gear configuration. The airplane was powered by a 310-horsepower Continental IO-550-G6B reciprocating engine, serial number 684928. The airplane was issued a normal category airworthiness certificate on April 19, 2001. The pilot's company, Chair Covers Leasing, Inc., purchased the airplane on August 17, 2001.

The airframe, engine, and propeller logbooks were not located during the investigation. An airframe and powerplant mechanic who had worked on the airplane stated that he did not have any records and that it had been about a year since he had worked on the airplane. He stated that the last work he did on the airplane was probably an annual inspection. 

The last known fuel records were obtained from N98 which showed the pilot purchased 63.5 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel on December 8, 2013. 

METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS

The weather conditions recorded at the Charlevoix Municipal Airport (KCVX), Charlevoix, Michigan, located 16 miles northwest of the accident site were:

At 0655: wind from 340 degrees at 18 knots gusting to 27 knots, visibility 2.75 miles with light snow, sky condition 1,800 scattered, 2,500 feet broken, 2,900 feet overcast, temperature -12 degrees Celsius, dew point -16 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 29.75 inches of mercury.

At 0715: wind from 340 degrees at 18 knots gusting to 27 knots, visibility 1.25 miles with light snow, sky condition 1,400 feet broken, 2,300 feet broken, 2,900 feet overcast, temperature -12 degrees Celsius, dew point -16 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 29.75 inches of mercury.

The weather conditions recorded at the Gaylord Regional Airport (GLR), Gaylord, Michigan, located 19 miles southeast of the accident site were:

At 0653: wind from 330 degrees at 7 knots gusting to 16 knots, visibility 4 miles with light snow, sky condition 3,900 feet broken, 6,500 feet overcast, temperature -15 degrees Celsius, dew point -18 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 29.63 inches of mercury.

At 0714: wind from 330 degrees at 8 knots varying from 290 degrees to 010 degrees, visibility 1.75 miles with light snow, sky condition 3,400 feet overcast, temperature -15 degrees Celsius, dew point -18 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 29.63 inches of mercury.

The weather conditions recorded at the Harbor Springs Airport, (MGN), Harbor Springs, Michigan, located 15 miles north of the accident site were:

At 0654: wind from 320 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 15 knots varying between 290 degrees to 350 degrees, visibility 4 miles with light snow, sky condition 1,200 feet broken, 2,600 feet broken, 2,600 feet overcast, temperature -13 degrees Celsius, dew point -16 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 29.72 inches of mercury.

At 0715: wind from 300 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 15 knots varying from 290 degrees to 350 degrees, visibility 5 miles with haze, sky condition 1,500 feet scattered, 3,600 feet broken 5,000 feet overcast, temperature -13 degrees Celsius, dew point -17 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 29.72 inches of mercury.

Records indicate the pilot received a computerized weather briefing on the morning of the accident. The briefing included local observations, area forecasts and synopsis, notices to airmen, winds aloft, significant meteorological information (SIGMETS) and airmen's meteorological information (AIRMETS). The synopsis for upper Michigan called for overcast conditions at 3,000 feet with cloud tops at 12,000 feet, visibilities 3 to 5 miles with light snow showers and mist, and wind from the northwest gusting to 25 knots. An AIRMET issued for IFR conditions with ceilings below 1,000 feet and visibilities below 3 miles with precipitation, mist, and blowing snow. 

A witness who heard the airplane while it was on the airport stated the wind velocity was 10 to 15 miles per hour and gusting. She stated it was dark and snowing at the time. She stated the blowing snow occasionally created white-out conditions. Several witnesses reported that it was snowing heavily at the time of the accident. 

COMMUNICATIONS

The pilot did not receive an IFR clearance for the flight and there was no radio communication between the pilot and air traffic control. Local pilots reported that it was very difficult to contact air traffic control on the ground at N98 and that most pilots departing IFR from N98 pick up their clearances once airborne. 

The airplane was below radar coverage for the area.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

Extreme winter weather conditions delayed the investigative team's arrival until January 9, 2014. Prior to the team's arrival, the wreckage was moved by Boyne City and Charlevoix County Sheriff's Office personnel to a secured hangar at N98.

The accident site was 1.07 miles east of the departure end of runway 09 at N98. The wreckage was located at the edge of a heavily wooded area that was in a valley between two rolling hills. The wooded area contained trees that ranged between 50 and 80 feet in height. A path of broken trees on the down sloping terrain was visible leading up to the snow covered ground impact area. The heading from the initial tree strike to the ground impact was 300 degrees. Broken tree branches indicated a descent angle of about 45 degrees. The distance from the initial tree impact to the main ground impact was about 200 feet. 

The Charlevoix County Sheriff's Department reported the fuselage came to rest up against a tree that was near the initial ground impact. The engine was located about 100 feet northwest of the initial ground impact and the propeller was about 50 feet northwest of the engine. The right wing was located between the engine and the propeller. Portions of the wreckage were subjected to a postimpact fire. 

The cockpit area including the instrument panel was destroyed by impact and fire damage. The center section of the fuselage below the floor remained attached to the inboard section of the right wing. The cockpit area above the floor was destroyed by impact and fire. All of the structural and flight control tubing sustained impact and fire damage. The aft fuselage was separated from the cockpit area. The rudder remained attached to the vertical stabilizer. The elevators remained attached to the horizontal stabilizers. The entire empennage sustained impact damage. The position of the landing gear jackscrew indicated the landing gear was in a transit position. 

The right wing was separated from the airframe. Both the inboard and wingtip section of the wing were separated from the center portion of the wing. The inboard section of the wing, including the landing gear, remained attached to the lower portion of the fuselage. The inboard section of the wing sustained fire damage. The leading edge of the center section of the wing was crushed. The leading edge of the wing just outboard of the inboard portion of the aileron contained concave impact damage indicative of a tree strike. The aileron was attached to the wing. The flap was bent and separated from the wing. The fuel cap remained in place.

The left wing separated in numerous pieces. The flap separated from the wing in two pieces. The outboard section of the aileron remained attached to the wing. The inboard section of the aileron was crushed and separated from the wing. The leading edge of the wing, outboard of the fuel filler cap, sustained concave impact damage indicative of a tree strike. The fuel cap remained in place. The left landing gear was separated from the wing.

Flight control continuity to the wings could not be established due to the amount of impact damage and separation of the control push/pull tubes. Control continuity was established from the aft fuselage to the rudder and elevator control surfaces.

The propeller was separated from the engine. The propeller spinner was crushed around the propeller hub. All of the blades contained varying degrees of chordwise scratching and polishing. One blade was twisted and bent rearward. The tip of the blade was curled aft. Impact damage was visible on the trailing edge of the blade with a chunk of the blade missing. The outboard third of the second blade was curled aft about 270 degrees. The third blade was relatively straight with leading edge damage on the outboard section of the blade.

The engine was separated from the airframe. The engine sustained impact damage with the No. 6 cylinder pushed into the No. 4 cylinder. The piston pin on the No. 1 cylinder piston could not be removed and the pin would not clear the crankcase which prevented the crankshaft from being manually rotated. Cylinders Nos. 1, 3, and 5 were removed from the engine for examination. The intake and exhaust valves were intact. No anomalies were noted with the cylinders, pistons, crankshaft, camshaft, and bearing saddles. The magnetos, engine driven fuel pump, vacuum pump, spark plugs, fuel injection servo, oil pump, induction system, and fuel manifold were examined. The examination of the engine and engine components did not reveal any anomalies that would have prevented normal operation. 

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

Autopsies were performed on the pilot and passenger at Spectrum Health, Grand Rapids, Michigan on January 7, 2014. The cause of death for both the pilot and passenger was attributed to multiple blunt injuries. 

Toxicology testing was performed by the Federal Aviation Administration Civil Aerospace Medical Institute. Testing results were negative for all substances in the screening profile.

http://registry.faa.gov/N1046L

  

NTSB Identification: CEN14FA102
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, January 06, 2014 in Boyne City, MI
Aircraft: MOONEY M20R, registration: N1046L
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 January 6, 2014, at 0700 eastern standard time, a Mooney M20R airplane, N1046L, collided with trees and terrain about 1 mile east of the Boyne City Municipal Airport (KN98), Boyne City, Michigan. The private pilot and the passenger on board were both fatally injured. The airplane was substantially damaged from impact with the terrain and a post impact fire. The airplane was registered to Chair Covers Leasing, Inc., and operated by the private pilot under the provision of 14 Code of Federal Regulations 91. The purpose of the flight is unknown at this time. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident with a destination of the Oakland/Troy Airport (KVLL), Troy, Michigan.

The airplane departed KN98 just prior to the accident. At 0655, the weather conditions recorded at the Charlevoix Municipal Airport (KCVX), Charlevoix, Michigan, located 16 miles northwest of the accident site were: wind from 340 degrees at 18 knots gusting to 27 knots, visibility 2.5 miles with light snow, sky condition 2,600 broken, 3,200 broken, 4,200 overcast, temperature -12 degrees Celsius, dew point -16 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 29.76 inches of mercury.

The pilot used a commercial computerized flight planning service to file the IFR flight plan. The flight plan included a proposed departure time from KN98 of 0715. The route of flight was direct to the Grayling very high frequency omnidirectional range (VOR) then direct to KVLL. There were no known communications between the airplane and air traffic control.

 Report: Whiteout conditions prevailed when Boyne plane crash killed 2 Birmingham men
Fox 2 News Headlines  

Whiteout conditions were occurring when a plane departing from Boyne City crashed and killed two Birmingham businessmen in January, according to an NTSB report released Friday. 

Pilot Todd Lloyd, 51, and his partner, Christopher Neumann, 38, died when the plane they were in crashed one mile from the Boyne City Municipal Airport. They were returning to Oakland/Troy Airport in Troy, a trip they had already delayed a day, according to the report.

“The blowing snow occasionally created white-out conditions” at the time of the accident, a witness told investigators. “Several witnesses reported that it was snowing heavily at the time of the accident.”

The NTSB findings come in the form of a factual report, which attempts to provide a synopsis of the events surrounding a crash but does not identify a probably cause.

Reports from the nearest weather stations indicated light snow and visibilities of 1.25 miles to 4 miles at the time of the crash, which was placed at 7:06 a.m. on Jan. 6. The two had been skiing in the area, according to published reports.

Lloyd was an instrument rated pilot, which means he would have been trained to fly in low visibilities.

He was president and CEO of Chair Covers and Linens, a Madison Heights-based company, and Top That! Event, a Livonia-based bridal services company.

Neumann was a public relations professional with Weber Shandwick.

The Mooney single-engine plane with retractable landing gear was owned by one of Lloyd’s companies.

The wreckage did not show any signs of mechanical difficulties, the NTSB said.

Story and Comments: http://www.detroitnews.com

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Pilot Todd Glen Lloyd and Christopher Neumann 

 

Discrepancy in flydubai course, pilot transmission cause of Iran landing

Iran says a flydubai airliner with about 100 Americans on board made an emergency landing in southern Iran due to the discrepancy between flight plan and pilot transmissions.

Iranian officials said the chartered plane, transporting Americans from the US airbase at Bagram, Afghanistan, to Dubai, diverted to Iran’s Bandar Abbas Airport on Friday, after the crew supplied “false information.”

Speaking to reporters in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said the aircraft was allowed to leave Bandar Abbas for Dubai after its flight documents were reviewed and the ambiguities resolved.

The US Department of State said on Friday that the plane landed in the Iranian port city after being rerouted because of a “bureaucratic issue... involving the plane’s flight plan.”

A US official said the aircraft had not updated its flight plan after leaving Bagram for Dubai.

Iranian officials first asked the plane to turn around and then then land at the Bandar Abbas Airport when they were told that the aircraft did not have enough fuel to return to Afghanistan, the US official said.

US Department of State spokeswoman Marie Harf rejected media reports that Iranian jets had escorted the flydubai plane. “No Iranian jets were scrambled in this situation,” she said.

“We appreciate the efforts of all parties to help the passengers get safely to their destination,” Harf added.

Iran comments on weird plane incident

 

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Iran ordered a commercial aircraft chartered by the U.S.-led military coalition in Afghanistan to land in the Islamic Republic so it could pay expenses and complete paperwork, an official there said Saturday.

The comments by Mansour Haghighatpour, a member of the parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, are the first official word from Iran over the diversion Friday of the chartered flight from Dubai-based low-cost carrier flydubai.

The plane, on its way from Bagram airfield north of Kabul to Dubai, was allowed to depart after spending several hours on the ground in Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. The flight path goes through Iranian airspace.

A U.S. official told CBS News the Fly Dubai charter plane was re-routed "because of a bureaucratic issue."

"The plane was ordered to land in order to pay related expenses and doing paperwork to continue its flight," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted Haghighatpour as saying. "Americans should know that Iran strongly defends its territory in land, sea and air. They should observe international measures in this regards. Otherwise they will face such an attitude."

Jasem Jaderi, the governor of Hormozgan province, where Bandar Abbas is the capital, told Iranian news website yjc.ir that out of 140 passengers on the diverted flight, 110 were American.

Iranians radioed the plane's crew to say they did not have the proper paperwork and to return to Bagram, a U.S. official said Friday. The pilots said they did not have enough fuel to return so the Iranian authorities told them to land in Iran.

Flydubai, like its larger sister carrier Emirates, is owned by the government of the emirate of Dubai, one of seven states in the United Arab Emirates.

Story and Comments:   http://www.cbsnews.com

Cessna L19-305A Bird Dog, Aerial Banners Inc., N212KY: Incident occurred September 06, 2014 in Atlantic Ocean off Miami Beach, Florida

AERIAL BANNERS INC: http://registry.faa.gov/N212KY

Flight Standards District Office: FAA Miami FSDO-19

AIRCRAFT, DURING BANNER TOW OPERATIONS, FORCE LANDED INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN OFF THE COAST OF MIAMI BEACH, THE 1 PERSON ON BOARD WAS RESCUED, NEAR MIAMI, FL

The pilot of the banner plane that crashed off Miami Beach. 

U.S. Coast Guard crews at the scene of the plane crash off Miami Beach. 

Good Samaritan George Daly 

A piece of the Cessna L19-305A Bird Dog plane being brought to shore.  

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) -- A banner tow plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Miami Beach Saturday afternoon, leading a Good Samaritan to spring into action to rescue the injured pilot. 

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the crash took place off 47th and 48th Streets and Collins Avenue, near the Fontainebleau Hotel, around 2:30 p.m.

The pilot was trailing an advertisement banner when, according to the FAA, his aircraft lost power and ditched into the ocean.

George Daly witnessed the aircraft fly lower before it plummeted into the water. The Good Samaritan said he immediately got on his personal watercraft and rode out to the site of the crash. "As soon as I get up there, he was in the water, he had a minor cut over here," said Daly as he pointed above his right eyebrow.

The pilot told Daly he was flying the L19-305 banner tow aircraft by himself. "I asked him if there was anybody else on the plane with him. He said, 'no,'" said Daly. "So I got him on board and brought him to the shore and Ocean Rescue took over right away."

Witness Ann Brito said the victim was concerned he may have injured someone when the plane went down. "He wasn't even worried much about himself. He wasn't even trying to touch himself or anything," she said. "The first question he ever asked, it was, 'Did I hit anybody?' As soon as we said no, he said, "Thank God.'"

Witnesses on the beach said the crash happened within seconds. "The plane is looking like it's going to land, but it has no pontoons on it, so we knew something was wrong," said Elias Hanono.

"It just dropped the advertisement, and it kept going that way, and it kept going lower and lower, and then it went like face first into the water," said Mashelyn Carrera.

Daly said the pilot told him the crash may have been caused by a mechanical problem. "Engine shut down, or something like that," he said, "so I'm hoping they take the plane out of there soon, because it had quite a big amount of fuel."

The plane sank completely. It is registered to Aerial Banners Inc. in Pembroke Pines.

Carrera captured the moment Daly and the pilot made it to shore on her cell phone camera. Beachgoers greeted Daly and the injured pilot with a round of applause as they got off the personal watercraft.

Daly said the pilot thanked him profusely for rescuing him, and that he was grateful and relieved that he didn't injure anyone. "He didn't know how to thank me [enough]; he was really thankful that I got him out of there on time," he said. "I felt like a hero, so I was happy he was OK and he was conscious, and everybody's happy."

"Sir, are you OK?" Carrera asked the pilot.

"Yeah," he replied.

The pilot was transported to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where he was treated for minor injuries.

Several hours later, authorities located the plane and brought it back to shore. A large crowd gathered around the scene to watch the aircraft be pulled out from the water in three large pieces.

The pieces were later placed on a flatbed trailer and taken away to be examined.

The FAA is investigating what led to the plane's power outage.