Friday, October 17, 2014

Piper PA-46 301P Malibu, N9126V, Grand River Emergency Department Consultants LLC: Accident occurred October 13, 2014 in Dubuque, Iowa

NTSB Identification: CEN15FA008 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, October 13, 2014 in Dubuque, IA
Aircraft: PIPER PA 46-310P, registration: N9126V
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

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

On October 13, 2014, approximately 2305 central daylight time, a Piper PA-46 airplane, N9126V, collided with trees and impacted the ground near a residential area following a missed approach to Runway 36 at the Dubuque Regional Airport (DBQ), Dubuque, Iowa. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Dark night Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed throughout the area and during the approach. An Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the flight which was conducted under the provisions of Federal Code of Regulations Part 91. The flight originated from the Ankeny Regional Airport (IKV), Ankeny, Iowa, about 2200, and its destination was DBQ.


http://registry.faa.gov/N9126V  

Flight Standards District Office: FAA Des Moines FSDO-61 

Any witnesses should email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.


 
Dr. Douglas J. Butzier MD
~


Dr. Douglas J. Butzier MD, 59, of Dubuque, died Oct. 13, 2014, as a result of injuries sustained in an airplane accident.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Heritage Center on Bennett and McCormick, University of Dubuque, where a visitation will follow until 6 p.m. The Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Westview Funeral Home and Crematory, 2659 John F. Kennedy Road, Dubuque, is assisting the family.

Douglas was born on June 2, 1955, in Mount Pleasant, the son of Kenneth and Mary (Rutledge) Butzier.

Doug’s family moved to Cedar Falls in 1960, where he attended Malcom Price Laboratory School from kindergarten through 12th grade, graduating from the Northern University High School in 1973. He started his college career at the University of Montana, studying forestry. While living in Missoula, Mont., he began working as a fireman and then an EMT, where he found his passion for the medical community. He returned to his home state to attend the University of Iowa, to complete his undergraduate degree and then his MD from the University of Iowa Medical School in 1984. Doug completed his emergency medicine internship training at Deaconess Hospital, Spokane, Wash. He then attended his residency training at the University of Arizona Trauma Center, Tucson, finishing this training in 1987.

Following his education, Doug worked as an ER doctor in the Twin Cities and Tucson before moving to Dubuque in 1997, where he has been with Mercy Medical Center Since. He has remained very active in Mercy Hospital administrative service duties, including serving as medical staff president. He remained in practice as an emergency room physician at the time of his death. In his continuous pursuit of learning, Doug went on to obtain his MBA at the University of Iowa’s "Executive Program" in 2007. In addition, he was the chair of the Iowa Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council.

Doug was very active in his community, volunteering his time and talent on numerous boards, committees and organizations.

He was always looking for his next adventure, ranging from a six-week medical expedition to Nepal, to coaching and refereeing youth soccer and other sports as his five children grew up. He served as the medical director for the Dubuque and Asbury Fire Departments. He was the staff physician to the Dubuque County Jail and the medical director for Kunkel & Associates. He obtained his pilot’s license and loved flying his own plane. His most recent calling was becoming involved in the political process and so became a candidate for the Libertarian Party for the U.S. Senate seat from the Great State of Iowa. He felt compelled to make a difference regarding several national issues about which he was passionate and particularly well qualified to speak. He was an avid outdoorsman, loving backpacking, mountain climbing, hunting, exploring, biking and working in his yard.

His greatest passion, after Ann, was flying, needing only the slightest excuse to go fly anywhere. He jumped at every opportunity to treat anybody to a scenic excursion in the sky. He was a highly experienced and tested pilot, and was alone in the plane at the time of the accident. He was an instrument rated pilot, and was working on his FAA Certified Flight Instructor’s license. He had logged more than six times the national average for private pilots, having flown over 1,000 hours in just the last six years.

Surviving are his wife, Ann; two sons, Nic of Iowa City and Alex of Eden Prairie, Minn.; stepdaughter Sarah Chapman and stepsons Ben Chapman and Chris Chapman, all of Dubuque. Also his bothers, David and Suzi of Boise, Idaho, and Stuart and Robin of Albuquerque, N.M.; and his five treasured nephews, Christopher, Logan, Matthew, Joseph and Daniel.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Dubuque Mercy Health Foundation, 250 Mercy Drive, Dubuque, IA 52001; MPLS Plaza Project, University of Northern Iowa Foundation, 205 Commons, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0282

For more information please visit www.egelhofsiegertcasper.com

Special thank you to all the first responders for this terrible accident as well as all of the emergency community of Dubuque and the surrounding area.

- Source:  http://wcfcourier.com




Sunken WWII-era fighter plane found in Northwestern Hawaiian Islands


Maritime archaeologists working with NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service revealed Thursday the remains of a sunken World War II era P-40K Warhawk fighter aircraft. 

 The aircraft was discovered in August while the team conducted research in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument aboard NOAA Ship Hi‘ialakai.

The wreckage was found in about 25 feet of water off the southeast side of the barrier reef within the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National Memorial.

According to Kelly Gleason, Monument Maritime Heritage Coordinator, this is the third historic aircraft that the team has discovered. “Each discovery really kind of opens up a window into the rich history of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge,” she said.”Lot of times you might just pass over it and it’s been heavily encrusted over time. We’re looking at something that’s several decades later, so Mother Nature has taken its toll upon these artifacts.”

During drift dive and towboard surveys at an area off Eastern Island, the site of Midway’s historic runways, the team found various artifacts: an engine, landing gear, numerous .50-caliber shells with the markings “1941” and several other objects. A few hundred feet away, the team found three propeller blades (one with a hub still attached), a strut, three .50-caliber machine guns, a machine gun muzzle, dozens of .50-caliber shells and other aircraft parts.

“What we came across was what looked like an engine and then some landing gear, so we knew we were looking at a historic aircraft, but at that time, we weren’t sure which type,” Gleason said. “Upon further survey in a little deeper area about 300 feet to the west, we found the remainder of this sunken aircraft site and that’s what helped us put the pieces of the puzzle together so that we could identify what we were looking at.”

Conducting research back aboard the ship, the team determined that the engine was an Allison V-1710, used in Curtiss P-40K Warhawk airplanes, and that the landing gear was consistent with what would be found on such an aircraft. The machine gun muzzle contained an attached plate that identified the type of gun and aircraft it belonged to, also pointing to a Curtiss P-40K Warhawk. According to archival records, only one P-40K Warhawk wrecked at the east of the reef of Eastern Island at Midway Atoll in February 1943, when the plane’s controls froze and the pilot, Lt. Ray Obenshain, Jr., parachuted to safety.

“Most of the sites really are (scattered), particularly the aircraft because of the materials that they’re made out of, they tend to break apart and, as most as these sites, they’ve crashed in pretty dramatic conditions and so they break apart on impact, but then, over several decades, they break apart in the waves,” Gleason said.

Further research by the maritime heritage team uncovered that this particular plane was part of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) 78th Fighter Squadron, which made aviation history in the planning and execution of the longest over-water flight of a single engine, land-based airplane ever attempted. The squadron was stationed at Midway from January 23 until April 21, 1943; their mission was to protect the island, its garrison and fortifications and the submarine and communications base from enemy attacks.

“This is an exciting time for the refuge,” said U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Refuge Manager Dan Clark. “Discovering this wreckage is a tangible reminder of the sacrifice of so many for our freedom. We honor our American heroes as the find continues to remind us why Midway Atoll is a national memorial in addition to a wildlife refuge that deserves the continued underwater research efforts by NOAA’s Maritime Heritage Program. As a former Coast Guard aviator, I am humbled to know another important part of our national aviation history has now been discovered.”

The team documented the site with measured sketches, a preliminary site map and photographs. Further research is ongoing.

The Monument has at least 60 potential shipwreck sites and 70 potential sunken aircraft sites; to date, 22 of these have been discovered and documented. This is the fourth historic WWII era aircraft discovered within the Monument.

- Source:  http://khon2.com


Photo: Jim Tapp

Tampa International Airport (KTPA) ex-lawyer being investigated for Sunshine Law violation

TAMPA — The Florida Bar is investigating whether former Hillsborough County Aviation Authority attorney Gigi Rechel, who abruptly resigned on Thursday, violated the state's Sunshine Law governing open public records. 

The Bar said Friday that it has started an inquiry into Rechel in her capacity as the authority's general counsel. Rechel, 53, spent 15 years giving legal advice to the board that oversees Tampa International Airport before announcing her immediate retirement on Thursday.

"There are possible public records violations," said Florida Bar spokeswoman Francine Walker. "I can confirm that we do have such a complaint pending at a staff level investigation."

That level is the first step in the Bar's disciplinary process. It's a preliminary investigation conducted by a Bar attorney to determine whether there's any merit to the complaint and whether it should go up to the next level for further inquiry.

The Bar would not identify who filed the complaint, when it was filed or what the specific allegations in the complaint are.

But anyone is free to file a compliant against a lawyer in Florida, and the Bar must make a preliminary inquiry into all such complaints. According to the Bar, Rechel has had no disciplinary action taken against her in the past 10 years. The Bar has also not conducted any investigations into Rechel's conduct in the past year.

Rechel made $210,000 annually as the airport's top lawyer. She could not be reached for comment Friday. The airport said it may release a statement later in the day.

Rechel announced her retirement Thursday through this statement sent to the authority:

"After 15 years with the aviation authority, I am announcing today my retirement with an agreement to stay committed with the transition and certain projects until January 15th.

"My tenure as counsel for the authority, while challenging, has been rewarding professionally and I am proud of our many accomplishments. The management team of Joe Lopano has been successful and has charted an ambitious new path for the airport. The time is now right for me to enjoy a new challenge. I wish everyone well at the Authority."


- Source:  http://www.tampabay.com

Bobby Coggins - MaconMedia: USMC Refueling Operation at the Macon County Airport (1A5), Franklin, North Carolina

Published on October 17, 2014 


Two UH-1Y Venoms and six AH-1W Super Cobras stopped to refuel at the Macon County Airport in Franklin, NC on October 16, 2014.

DeHavilland Dash 8 Seen Flying Low Wasn’t In Trouble



 

An airplane spotted by several readers making low passes with its landing gear up near Windsor Airport on Thursday was not in danger, it was just testing a vital airport navigation system. 

In video sent to windsoriteDOTca by reader Chris Boychuk, a twin engine DeHavilland Dash 8 turboprop was seen descending towards Windsor airport’s southwest facing runway at a high rate of speed.

The plane’s landing gear was not extended.

As the plane continued to descend, it suddenly switched to a climb, banked to the left and circled around for another approach.

But the aircraft wasn’t in danger. It was just testing a radio frequency navigation system that lets commercial airplanes use autopilot to descend along a precise path for a smooth landing on Windsor’s main runway.

Nav Canada, the plane’s owner, is responsible for more than a hundred ground-based ‘instrument landing systems’ along with hundreds of other navigational beacons across Canada. They work by transmitting radio waves.

In order to test the accuracy of the radio beams being emitted, a specially modified aircraft with highly calibrated equipment is used.

The pilot flies the airplane by hand for several approaches to the runway while carefully testing the ground-based systems for problems and calibration issues.

Airports in Canada are typically tested once to twice a year, according to Nav Canada.

The plane previously tested an airport in Kingston before making its way to Windsor on Thursday. After testing, it took off for Sarnia’s airport.


- Source:  http://windsorite.ca

No-Fly List: Texas Gov. Perry Asks Obama to Bar People With Close Contact to Ebola Patients From Flying

The Wall Street Journal
By Alison Sider

Updated Oct. 17, 2014 1:05 p.m. ET


Texas Gov. Rick Perry said the U.S. should institute a partial travel ban to help stop the spread of the Ebola virus.

“I believe it is the right policy to ban air travel from countries that have been hit hardest by the Ebola outbreak,” Gov. Perry said at a news conference on Friday.

He added that there should be an exception for aid workers, “so they can continue their important work fighting this disease.”

President Barack Obama said Thursday that he wouldn’t object to a travel ban if experts advise one is needed, but said that he hasn’t been advised that it is necessary. Several countries have put temporary travel restrictions in place for West African nations hardest hit by Ebola, such as Liberia.

On Friday, an official said Mr. Obama plans to name Ron Klain, a longtime Democratic aide, as the administration’s “Ebola czar.”

Gov. Perry said Friday it “defies common sense” that people who had been exposed to the disease had traveled outside of the state, or in one case, boarded a cruise ship. He also said he’s asked the president to enforce a no-fly list to prevent people who have been in close proximity to Ebola patients from boarding airplanes.

“He does have the authority,” said Gov. Perry, a Republican. “That is an option I ask him to consider.”

At the state level, Gov. Perry said he lacks the authority to restrict travel—something he said might change. “I would suggest to you that’s one of the things the Legislature is going to address as we go forward,” he said.

Dallas is the site of the first Ebola cases in the U.S. Gov. Perry said there has been ample opportunity for improvement in the response, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all the way down to the local hospital.

“Considering this was the first time Ebola has been diagnosed on American shores, perhaps it’s understandable that mistakes were made, but it’s also unacceptable,” he said.

On Thursday, the Texas Department of State Health Services issued new rules barring dozens of health-care workers who treated Liberian Thomas Eric Duncan, the first patient to be diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S., from taking public transportation and visiting public places. Judge Clay Jenkins, Dallas County’s highest elected official, said that although the directions restricting workers’ movements are binding, he’s confident that they will voluntary comply.

Earlier this month, Gov. Perry created a task force to focus on the state’s response to the disease. The task force’s initial recommendations, released Friday, include establishing specific Ebola treatment centers, providing more training for health-care workers, and setting up additional diagnostic testing laboratories in different parts of the state.

- Source:  http://online.wsj.com

Aviation: Togo, Benin accuse Ghana of withholding revenue

The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is struggling to hold on to management of Togo and Benin’s airspace as the two countries complain of non receipt of revenue for decades.

The authority manages the airspace of the two countries over the Atlantic Ocean and in 2010 alone made over 2 million dollars in air navigation charges.

Togo and Benin are motivated to break free because the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar based in Senegal is offering to manage their airspace and pay them good revenue.

Acting Director General of the GCAA Abdulai Alhassan tells Joy News losing the Togo-Benin deal will lead to a more than 50 percent drop in revenue and will affect the Authority’s operations.

There was “no written arrangement” but a co-management deal was proposed for the two countries to bring their personnel to man their equipment. Under this condition the GCAA would reinvest any proceeds into managing its equipment and “whatever is left we will share”, he recalled.

The aviation industry is not a profit making institution, Mr. Alhassan said, “so over the years we have been buying the modern equipment to ensure a safe and secure airspace”.

The GCAA is still pushing for the co-management to avert the impending revenue implication for the industry. If this is agreed, Ghana, he said, will charge “the operating cost against the 62% and share the net proceeds”.

Transport Minister, Dzifa Ativor is expected to meet the Togolese and Béninoise delegations on the issue next week.


- Source:  http://www.myjoyonline.com


Singaporean photographer snaps rare pictures onboard North Korean aircraft

SINGAPORE - Singaporean Aram Pan, 38, is one lucky man.

The freelance photographer was given rare access to take pictures in North Korea last month while on different aircraft types owned by the state-owned airline Air Koryo. Usually, no pictures are allowed on any of the aircraft.

Mr Pan did so while on a tour with UK-based company Juche Travel, which has been running Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) aviation tours for the past three years, The Daily Mail reported.



Pilots spot flying man at 3,500ft



Pilots on a passenger plane were stunned when a “flying man” zipped past the side of their aircraft at 3,500ft.

Aviation experts admitted they were baffled by the sighting of the human UFO, who has been dubbed Superman of Macclesfield.

He appeared from nowhere as the Airbus 320 passed the Cheshire town while it was coming in to land at Manchester Airport.

The pilot and first officer, who reported the sighting to air traffic control, thought the man was a paraglider but could not see a canopy.

And the mystery deepened when there was no sign of him on radar.

Further checks failed to find any paragliders, parachutists or ­balloonists in the area at the time.

Officials at the UK Airprox Board, which investigates near-misses in British airspace, admitted that the mystery may never be solved.

Describing the pilots’ account, the report said: “They first sighted the object a few hundred metres in the 11 o’clock position 200 to 300ft above.

“It passed down the left-hand side of the aircraft at 100 to 200 metres.  

 “The crew only saw it fleetingly, there was no time to take avoiding action and they reported that they based their assumptions on it being a person under a canopy.”

At the time, skies were clear and visibility was about six miles, the report said.

But it added: “Neither can remember seeing a canopy.”

Air traffic controllers on the ground could also see nothing on their radar screens at the time of the ­incident at 1.30pm on June 13.

And experts from the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association said weather conditions at the time would have made it impossible for a lone flyer to be in the area.

They also told­ ­investigators the pilots would probably not have missed a canopy or parachute as it “would have been the most obvious object by a ­significant margin”.


The report added the pilots “could not be certain that it was not a person-shaped balloon” but that was also unlikely in the ­conditions.

It concluded: “The board agreed that it was unfortunate that there was really no information that could lead to identifying the unknown object.

“This was frustrating to both the board and the pilots concerned, who had clearly seen something or someone, but there was no way or corroborating what they had reported.”

The incident was not the first sighting of human UFOs.

In April a figure was filmed flying over people in Qutub Minar, India, and the video quickly went viral on the internet.

Closer to home in Staffordshire, another man was spotted soaring over Cannock Chase in February 2009.

Five people contacted the local newspaper and described it as a “Superman” moment, with one believing he was using a James Bond-style jetpack.

In 1969 US Marine Corps private Earl Morrison and two friends saw a strange “winged” figure with a “greenish glow” crossing the night sky near Da Nang, Vietnam.

He said: “After it got close enough we could see what it was. It looked like a woman, a naked woman.”

Read more here:   http://www.mirror.co.uk

Frontier Airlines are trying to hunt down dozens of Floridians

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida -- Right now, the Centers for Disease Control and Frontier Airlines are trying to hunt down dozens of Floridians who flew on the same plane as Amber Vinson, a nurse infected with Ebola.

Altogether, the CDC is trying to get in touch with hundreds of people on multiple flights, including two flights that involved Ft. Lauderdale International Airport.

Vinson is the second nurse to catch Ebola in America.

She was not on the plane at the same time as the Ft. Lauderdale passengers.

Vinson flew to Dallas on the plane Monday night. Then on Tuesday, the same jet took passengers from Cleveland to Ft. Lauderdale and back to Cleveland, and later between Cleveland and Atlanta.

At that point, the CDC notified Frontier and the airline grounded and quarantined the plane.

Doctors say the risk to these passengers is extremely low. Vinson was not showing any signs of Ebola beyond a low fever, and patients have to have symptoms to transmit the virus.

Plus, any fluids she may have left behind almost certainly would have dried up by the next day. For more on how long Ebola can live on surfaces, check out the facts about Ebola.

Still, if these passengers know, they can monitor their health and talk to their doctors.

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

Airport CEO: Ebola risk at Philadelphia International (KPHL) is very low

MEDIA >> The chief executive officer of the Philadelphia International Airport updated Delaware County officials Thursday regarding the Ebola precautions the airport has taken.

Mark Gale told Delco officials that the risk of an Ebola-infected person entering the airport is very low, according to County Council Chairman Tom McGarrigle.

About 2,000 passengers travel through Philadelphia from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea — the three West African countries where the epidemic is centered. There are no direct flights to or from those countries.

Also, the airport has had an active quarantine station for seven years and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has a presence, McGarrigle said. Airport officials also are being trained to identify people displaying Ebola symptoms.

Gale was not present for the press conference.

County Council launched an Ebola and Infectious Disease Task Force this week to improve awareness of Ebola, which has been contracted by two health workers in Dallas and killed more than 4,000 people in West Africa.

“We just want to ensure the residents of Delaware County that their health and safety is the utmost concern to us on Delaware County Council,” said McGarrigle, a Republican running against John Kane for the open seat in the 26th Senatorial District.

Kane commended airport officials for working to ensure regional safety while criticizing the county government for relying on a task force in the absence of a county-wide health department.

County officials were not alone in seeking the best precautions against Ebola becoming widespread in the United States.

U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, of Upper Darby, and U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., each called Thursday for tighter travel restrictions.

Meehan called for a temporary ban on commercial travel to the West African countries where the outbreak is present, saying the United States should take every sensible step to isolate the outbreak while assisting them in battling the disease.

Toomey wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, asking why a commercial ban would not be appropriate. He also said continuing to provide aid to the countries is paramount.

Mary Ellen Balchunis, a Democrat challenging Meehan, agreed that a temporary commercial ban is prudent, but criticized Congress for previously cutting funding for vaccine research.


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

Bobby Coggins - MaconMedia: USMC HueyCobra Landing at Macon County Airport (1A5), Franklin, North Carolina

 

Published on October 16, 2014  

"I've got over an hour of footage of helicopters refueling at the local airport this morning…here is a quick video of one of the Super Cobras moving up to refuel at the airport. At one point in the video, I was nearly knocked over by the downdraft from the rotor and turbines. My hat flew off and landed about 50 yards away. I'll post more video in the morning, both a short video for those who want just the basic highlights and a longer one for those of us who can't get enough of this stuff." -Bobby Coggins, MaconMedia

Rolls-Royce shares crash

Shares in Rolls-Royce tumbled more than 15% after the British engineering firm warned it would not return to profit growth next year, blaming worsening economic conditions and tighter Russian trade sanctions.

The shares fell 143.5 pence to 797 pence, making them the biggest faller on the FTSE 100 index.

The company said this had led a number of customers to delay or cancel orders, particularly in its nuclear and energy and power systems businesses. “In the last few months economic conditions have deteriorated and Russian trade sanctions have tightened,” Rolls-Royce said.

It stuck to its forecast of “flat” profits this year but no longer expects to return to growth in 2015. Its current “best estimate” is that underlying profit will be flat to 3% lower next year, with revenues in the range of 3% higher to 3% lower.

Rolls-Royce, the world’s second-largest aircraft engine maker behind General Electric, also cut its revenue forecast for this year. It now expects revenues to be 3.5% to 4% lower, rather than flat as previously thought. That excludes a negative currency impact of £500m, which had been flagged up before.

In June, Rolls-Royce lost jet engine orders worth £2.6 billion after Emirates airline canceled a planned purchase of 70 A350 aircraft from Airbus. Rolls-Royce is the sole manufacturer and supplier of the engines for the A350, seen as Airbus’ answer to Boeing’s Dreamliner.

Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, said: “Despite the fact that a downgrade in fortunes had been largely expected, today’s profit warning from Rolls-Royce comes at a time when investors are taking no prisoners, and has resulted in an 8% dip in the share price in early trade.

“The stock has been under pressure as general defense spending is under scrutiny, with the shares having dropped 15% over the last year.”

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk

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

Piper PA-28-161 Cadet, G-BXJJ, West London Aero Club: Incident occurred October 17, 2014 near White Waltham Airfield, United Kingdom

Hero flight instructor steps in to bring plane down in field after loss of power

Emergency services attended an ‘incident’ involving a plane near White Waltham Airfield this morning.

A spokeswoman for West London Aero Club, which is based at the airfield in Waltham Road,  confirmed a fixed wing aircraft was involved in an ‘incident’ this morning in a field adjacent to the club.

She said the emergency services – including the Air Ambulance – attended the scene.

She added that ‘everybody is fine’ and there were no serious injuries.

Police say they were called at 9.30 to reports that a light aircraft had crashed.

The officers reported that they suspect the crash was caused by a 'loss of power' to the plane.

Two people were taken to Wexham Park Hospital.

UPDATE 12.27pm:

South Central Ambulance said it was called at 9.26am.

It sent an ambulance officer, two ambulance crews and the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance to the West London Aero Club.

Two men were taken to Wexham Park Hospital by ambulance.

A spokesman for the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch said: “We are aware of the incident and we are making initial inquiries.”

UPDATE 12.52pm:

Mark Green, a pilot and chief fire officer at West London Aero Club, has given further details on the incident.

He said the plane was being used for a flying lesson.

The trainee pilot was flying circuits as part of learning how to take off and land

The plane suffered a loss of power.

Mark said: “The instructor took control and made the decision to try and land in a field. He realized he wasn’t going to make the airfield.”

Mark said: “On the approach to the field he displayed excellent pilot skills and managed to fly underneath the power cables before clipping a hedge, which then brought the aircraft to an abrupt half in the field.

The instructor put in a mayday call to the club, who dispatched their own fire crew and called the emergency services

Mark added that both the instructor and learner pilot are expected back at the airfield this afternoon, with neither seriously hurt.


- Source:  http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk

 




Man Freezes to Death on Airline

Courthouse News Service
By MIKE HEUER


Thursday, October 16, 2014
Last Update: 10:50 AM PT
   

LAS VEGAS (CN) - An 85-year-old man froze to death after being left in the back of a Korean Air Lines plane in subzero temperatures during a stopover in Seoul, his family claims in court.

The late Romeo Teodoro, of Las Vegas, was returning from the Philippines with his son, Ernesto, Teodoro's daughter Rosemarie T. Bone says in the federal lawsuit.

Teodoro, though afflicted with diabetes and needing a wheelchair, saw a doctor before his return flight and was given a clean bill of health, his daughter says.

On Dec. 5, 2013 that father and son boarded a Korean Air Lines flight bound for Las Vegas with a stopover in Seoul.

During the stopover, Bone says, the flight attendants forgot about her father, who was left in the last row of the unheated airplane and was unable to leave without assistance.

While Ernesto waited for his father to leave the plane, Bone says, the flight crew "apparently forgot about Romeo or willfully failed to assist him and negligently left him in his seat on the empty aircraft."

Bone says the outdoor temperature was -5 degrees Fahrenheit, and the airline crew opened the back door while Romeo was still on board, with snow flying into the aircraft.

"Romeo was eventually noticed and assisted off the aircraft after having been subjected to intense cold temperatures for an unreasonable and unnecessary time," Bone says. "While waiting for the connecting flight to Las Vegas, Romeo was complaining of chills and otherwise suffering."

Bone says Romeo and Ernesto eventually boarded the flight home to Las Vegas and fell asleep. En route, Ernesto found his father "unresponsive." She says the flight crew had Ernesto "carry his unresponsive father to the rear of the plane. There a retired physician tried to revive Romeo, performing CPR to no avail."

Bone says her father died "as a result of negligent, reckless or intentional conduct" of the flight crew and others under the control of Korean Air Lines.

The family seeks punitive damages from Korean Air Lines for negligence, wrongful death, emotional distress, violations of the Death on the High Seas Act and violations of rules for international carriage by air.

They are represented by Randal R. Leonard, of Las Vegas.


- View Original Article:  http://www.courthousenews.com

The Smoking Gun: Lake LA-250 Renagade, C-FDKQ • John Wayne-Orange County Airport (KSNA), Santa Ana, California

Wannabe Playboy Model In Ecstasy Trafficking Bust
Feds: Pair caught with 50,000 pills and 40 kilos of popular club drug



OCTOBER 15--A wannabe Playboy model and a male associate were arrested by federal agents after flying into a California airport from Las Vegas in a private plane loaded with a massive cache of Ecstasy pills and powder, according to court records.

Acting on information that the plane may have been involved with the smuggling of drugs or currency, investigators questioned the duo upon landing last Thursday at John Wayne Airport in Orange County.

Krista Boseley, 30, and pilot Gilles Lapointe, 61, were both carrying large sums of cash that they claimed to have won the prior evening at the Bellagio casino. The pair, both of whom are Canadian citizens, subsequently had their bags searched after a drug detection dog alerted to the presence of narcotics.

As detailed in a U.S. District Court complaint, agents found about 30,000 Ecstasy pills in Lapointe’s luggage, and another 28,000 pills inside the plane. The aircraft also contained nearly 90 pounds of powdered Ecstasy and a “GPS Tracker Detector” that, investigators allege, is used by drug smugglers “to determine whether law enforcement has placed a tracking device on their vehicles or planes.”


Read more here:   http://www.thesmokinggun.com

Michigan airport executive to direct Waterloo Regional Airport (KALO), Iowa

Keith Kaspari
WATERLOO | City officials long have wanted to market the "regional" function of Waterloo Regional Airport.

Now they say they've hired a new airport director who can do just that.

Keith Kaspari, who for the last 2 years has been senior vice president and chief operating officer at Capital Region International Airport in Lansing, Mich., will take over as the new director at the Waterloo airport Nov. 17, city officials confirmed Tuesday.

The Waterloo City Council has not yet given its official approval, but Mayor Buck Clark said, “It’s done.”

Kaspari will replace Mike Wilson, who left in August for a position in Minnesota after only six months on the job.

He accepted an offer of $95,000 a year, according to Cheryl Huddleston, manager of the city’s human resources department.

“He’s got a great background,” Clark said Tuesday. “He’s got a pretty impressive track record of having some success at regional airports.”

This time the job won’t be a layover, Clark said.

“Of course, we got a commitment from Mike Wilson that he was here to stay, but (Kaspari) indicated that this is his last move. He wants to be the guy in charge of the airport. I think this is kind of a perfect situation for him.”

Prior to Lansing, Kaspari also worked at airports in Marquette, Mich.; Abilene, Texas; Sioux City; and Grand Forks, N.D.

“Without question, you move around a little in this business, and my wife and I are very much looking toward putting down some long-term roots, and Waterloo gave us that opportunity,” Kaspari said Tuesday.

Kaspari said he was particularly active in marketing the Marquette airport after securing grant money to expand service.

He hopes to accomplish the same thing in Waterloo, which currently has two daily flights to and from Chicago O’Hare International Airport on American Airlines’ American Eagle regional service.

Consolidation of the airline industry will toughen that challenge.

“You’ve got four majors (commercial carriers) that are providing service to the balance of airports in this country, and it has forced them to think, ‘Ideally, how does a community fit in our route network?’” Kaspari said. “So it’s going to take some time to see how things can be done.”

It can happen, he said.

“There’s certainly room for growth, because if we were leaking a certain amount of traffic" to airports in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, "what can we do to stem that leakage?” he said.

Kaspari will take over a smaller operation than his current gig, where he supervises 35 full-time staff at a facility served by three airlines with direct connections to six cities and seasonal flights to Cancun, Mexico.

“I’m looking forward to the challenges of working with a smaller staff but at the same time, there’s that work ethic in Iowa and everyone doing their part to take Waterloo to that next level.”

Bob Justis, a member of the airport board that interviewed two finalists, said he was impressed.

“He’s knowledgeable, experienced, sincere and understands PR and marketing, and you know my history,” said Justis, who has been involved in marketing for decades in the area. “Not everybody has that, and he has quite a bit of experience. Not only does he have, I think, the right personality and background, but he understands what this airport needs to do in terms of growing its market, including, hopefully, enticing more airlines to give us a serious look.”

View Original Article: http://wcfcourier.com

Airbus Cuts Production Plan for A330 Jetliner • Plan to Reduce Output of Widebody Jet to Nine a Month From 10 a Month

The Wall Street Journal
By Robert Wall
Updated Oct. 17, 2014 5:02 a.m. ET


Airbus Group NV on Friday cut its production plans for the A330 long-range jet in the first indication aircraft makers may struggle to sustain record output levels for some of their planes as they introduce upgraded models.

Airbus said it would reduce the build-rate for the A330 to nine aircraft a month in the fourth quarter of next year. It currently builds 10 A330s a month, a record for the company. The A330 is a key profit contributor for the European plane maker.

The Toulouse-based company is working on an updated model of the widebody, called the A330neo, for “new engine option,” due for delivery from 2017. The plane maker, which introduced the version in July, has already booked commitments for more than 120 of those jets.

Airbus and rival Boeing Co. are introducing updated models of their current jets as they seek to extend their popularity by adding new engines that are more efficient and help airline buyers cut fuel costs.

Airbus was hoping to maintain A330 production at a steady pace through the transition period. Sales for the model have slowed, though, as more efficient rivals, including the Boeing 787 and Airbus’s own A350 jet become available. The company has booked only 41 orders for the current A330 version in the first nine months. A long-pending order from China for more A330s so far has failed to materialize.

“Our role as an aircraft manufacturer is to anticipate and adapt our output to ensure we continue to maintain a smooth production flow for Airbus and for our supply chain,” Airbus executive vice president for programs Tom Williams said in a statement.

Boeing currently is in the process of trying to sell current model 777, the largest twin-engine long-range jet available, to sustain production at record pace as it moves to the updated 777X version at the end of the decade. Boeing builds 777’s at a rate of 8.3 jets a month. Most of the 261 net orders Boeing has booked this year for the 777 are for the new version.

Aircraft makers often struggle selling the last aircraft of a type that aren't as popular because they are less efficient than the replacement.

With their single-aisle jet programs, the backbone of global flying, Airbus and Boeing appear to be succeeding in efforts to bridge from their current types to upgrades models. Airbus is upgrading the A320 with new engines and Boeing is doing the same on the 737.

Boeing said this month it would hike 737 output to 52 aircraft a month in 2018 from 42 today. Airbus also has announced it would boost output to 46 A320s in 2016 from 42 today and may go further.

Airbus chief plane salesman John Leahy said last month the company next year may decide to hike output for the A350, its newest long-range jet. Demand is strong enough to warrant going beyond the planned rate of 10 planes a month in 2018, he said.

- Source:  http://online.wsj.com

Ebola Threatens Financial Viability Of Aviation Industry

The global aviation industry could once more be under siege as the Ebola virus crisis expands with the discovery of a second patient in the US who flew via a commercial flight.

In the past, commercial air carriers suffered from low passenger numbers over terrorist attacks such as the 9/11 in 2001, natural disasters like the Icelandic volcanic eruptions in 2012 and air mishaps such as the twin tragedies of the missing or downed Malaysia Airlines jets.

Shares of major airlines declined on Thursday on news that 29-year-old Amber Joy Vinson, who contracted the Ebola virus after she treated Thomas Eric Duncan, flew on Frontier Airlines Flight 1143 from the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to Dallas/Fort Worth on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Vinson was diagnosed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with Ebola. Duncan, a Liberian, was the first patient diagnosed with the Ebola virus in the US. He died on Oct 8. Vinson is being treated at a special isolation unit at the Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

On the same day, shares of American Airlines went down 1.5 percent, of Delta declined 2 percent, United Continental by over 3.6 percent and Spirit Airlines by about 3 percent, the Washington Post reports.

Actually, shareprices of American Airlines has tumbled down by 15 percent since the start of October, while Delta's dipped 13 percent for the same time frame and United Continental by 14 percent. Stocks of Spirit Airlines slipped 21 percent and Southwest Airlines 13 percent.

CDC Director Thomas Friedsen believes that Vinson should not have been allowed to board a commercial aircraft, which explains why travelers are now more hesitant to fly with pressurized air inside airplanes circulating among passengers.

But CNN reports that Vinson's temperature was 37.5C, below the CDC threshold of 38C, which explains why she was not barred from flying Frontier.

This is, however, not the first time that a health problem caused financial ruin to the aviation industry. In 2003, the Asian airline industry reeled from the impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), although Ebola is not spread airborne.

Moreover, the nurse did not puke while on the flight and was not bleeding, keeping to a minimum the chances that the other passengers' health were placed at risk.

While Vinson did not show signs or symptoms of the deadly virus while aboard Flight 1143, the proximity of the period between the evening flight and first report of illness the next day led the CDC to reach out to the rest of the 131 passengers on board the same trip.

Frontier said the jet arrived in Dallas/Fort Worth at 8:16 pm local time and stayed overnight at the gateway for thorough cleaning before it flew out the next day. "The safety and security of our customers and employees in our primary concern ... Frontier will continue to work with CDC and other government agencies to ensure proper protocols and procedures are being followed," the airline said in a statement.

- Source:  http://au.ibtimes.com