Saturday, October 25, 2014

That Caribbean Airlines crash in 2011 • Lack of effective communication in cockpit -Report

A Caribbean Airlines (CAL) aircraft crashed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) in Guyana in 2011 because of a number of factors, including a lack of effective communication in the cockpit, an official report released in the South American country has said.

CAL said yesterday the captain of the Boeing 737 flight remains employed as a first officer.

The former first officer left the airline in 2012.

A CMC report out of Georgetown said yesterday that country’s Ministry of Public Works said it hoped the findings into the July 30 crash of the Boeing 737-800 with 157 passengers and a six-member crew on board, will aid in preventing aircraft accidents.

No one was killed in the accident, but eight passengers last July filed lawsuits claiming a total of GUY$8 million (One Guyana dollar = US$0.004 cents).

A statement by the Government Information Agency (GINA) quoted the report of the investigation as indicating that the crew of flight BW523 did not command maximum brake pressure of 3,000psi until the aircraft was 250 feet away from the end of the runway, CMC reported.

Lead investigator Paula McAdam said this led to the conclusion that under the event conditions, the aircraft could have been brought to a safe stop on the remaining pavement if maximum braking pressure had been applied.

Another probable cause for the accident was that the aircraft touched down at approximately 4,700 feet beyond the runway threshold some 2,700 feet from the end of the runway.

As a result of the captain maintaining excess power during the flare, and upon touching down, failure to utilize its full deceleration capacity resulted in the aircraft overrunning the remaining runway and fracturing the fuselage, CMC stated.

McAdam said the flight crew’s indecision as to the execution of a go-around, their failure to execute a go-around after the aircraft floated some distance down the runway and their diminished situational awareness contributed to the accident as well.

Other findings of the investigation include the increase of power by the pilot on short final to maintain glide path and did not considerably reduce power when crossing the runway threshold, CMC said.

“Based on the findings put together from information provided to the investigation team, the pilot’s failure to considerably reduce power resulted in the 4,700 ft touchdown,” GINA said, noting that immediately after the crash the pilot and the co-pilot were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where they successfully passed tests for alcohol and drugs.

The report said the wet runway surface did not inhibit the braking capacity of the aircraft and that the investigation team made recommendations to CAL and the Trinidad and Tobago Aviation Authority (TTCAA) as well as CJIA “to prevent aircraft accidents based on their findings.

“The investigation team suggested to TTCAA to carry out full review of the CAL flight and crew training program to ensure it is in compliance with the Boeing program,” GINA said, noting that a recommendation had been made to “CJIA to provide an easily identifiable area for the comfort to passengers and their relatives, who may be in distress during an emergency”.

In response to Sunday Express inquiries, Caribbean Airlines said it has reviewed the final report of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority’s (GCAA) investigation into the Flight BW 523 aircraft touchdown incident at Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

“The incident investigation has been thorough and CAL has worked with the GCAA to uncover all the facts as they related to the incident. The airline appreciated the opportunity granted by the GCAA to make submissions during its investigation and respects its final conclusions.

The findings of the report reiterated that the Captain was a veteran pilot and the First Officer was experienced. CAL is committed to working with our flight crew to ensure they meet the required regulatory standards. The Captain of flight BW523 remains employed by CAL as a first officer. The First Officer of the flight left employment at CAL in 2012. All regulatory requirements vis-à-vis the crew were met following the event.”

CAL said it examined the findings of the report and has already incorporated all of the recommendations.

“Based on the report’s findings, CAL has re-emphasized the airline’s commitment to working with our flight crew to ensure their effectiveness. Additional training was also covered during initial and recurrent training for CAL’s pilots.”

With regard to legal actions, CAL said the majority of personal injury claims arising from the incident have been resolved.

“CAL cannot comment specifically on the findings of the report as there is litigation in respect to a few claims, pending in the United States,” it added.
 

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

NTSB Identification: DCA11RA092

Scheduled 14 CFR Non-U.S., Commercial
Accident occurred Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Georgetown, Guyana
Aircraft: BOEING 737, registration:
Injuries: 1 Serious,161 Uninjured.

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

On July 30, 2011, at 1:25 am local time (0525 UTC), a Boeing 737-800, Trinidad & Tobago registration 9Y-PBM, operated by Caribbean Airlines as flight 523, overran the runway upon landing at Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Georgetown, Guyana. Of the 156 passengers and six crew on board, there was reportedly one serious and multiple minor injuries. Weather was reported as raining at the time of the accident. Preliminary details from local authorities indicate that the airplane fractured in two pieces as a result of the overrun. The flight was a scheduled passenger flight from Piarco International Airport, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago.

The accident is being investigated by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The NTSB has designated a U.S. Accredited Representative as the state of manufacture. All inquiries should be directed to the Guyana CAA at:

Civil Aviation Authority
Fairlie House Lot 96
Duke St
Kingston
Georgetown

Cessna T210M, N761SU: Fatal accident occurred October 24, 2014 in Bay City, Wisconsin

NTSB Identification: CEN15FA027 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, October 24, 2014 in Bay City, WI
Probable Cause Approval Date: 09/23/2015
Aircraft: CESSNA T210M, registration: N761SU
Injuries: 1 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 non-instrument rated pilot departed on a cross-country flight. When the airplane was reported overdue by family members, a search was initiated, and the airplane wreckage was located about 3 miles from a regional airport. Witnesses reported seeing an airplane maneuvering near the airport about the time of the accident; one witness reported it was in a steep bank. That witness reported the weather as “murky” with a low overcast sky and an estimated visibility of 3 miles; another witness reported there was a light breeze and drizzle. The automated weather reporting station at the airport recorded a 900-ft overcast ceiling and 5 miles visibility in mist. Additionally, weather reports and forecasts along the route of flight included overcast clouds and instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions. There was no record of the pilot obtaining a weather briefing for the flight. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. It is likely that the pilot entered IFR conditions on approach to the airport, was unable to maintain visual references, and subsequently lost control of the airplane.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The non-instrument rated pilot’s continued visual flight into instrument flight rules conditions, which resulted in an in-flight loss of control.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On October 24, 2014, about 1445, central daylight time (CDT) a Cessna T210 airplane, N761SU, impacted terrain near Bay City, Wisconsin. The airplane was destroyed and the private rated pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and the airplane was not on a flight plan. The flight originated from the Kings Land O' Lakes Airport (KLNL), Land O' Lakes, Wisconsin, about 1315 CDT and was en route to the Hartington Municipal Airport / Bud Becker Field (0B4), Hartington, Nebraska.

When family members reported the airplane overdue, an ALNOT (Alert Notice) was issued. A search located the airplane wreckage in a field, about three miles east of the Red Wing Regional airport (KRGK).

A witness, located about five miles south of the accident, reported that about 1530-1600, he saw an airplane for about five seconds; it was in a 90-degree bank and didn't appear to be maneuvering. He reported the weather as a low overcast, murky, with probably three miles visibility. He thought it might have been an airplane making an approach to the airport.

Another witness, who was fishing on the river, between 1400 and 1530, reported hearing an airplane at a high pitch engine sound, and seeing it bank, then head towards the Bay City area. When he first saw the airplane it was below the bluff, but then disappeared past the bluff. He added that at the time, there was a breeze with periodic drizzle.

PILOT INFORMATION

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with rating for airplane single land, there was no record of him holding an instrument rating. The pilot held a third class special medical certificate that was issued on October 16, 2013, with the restriction; "must wear corrective lenses for near or distant vision". The pilot reported on his application for a medical certificate; he had 156 total flight hours with 125 hours in the last six months. The pilot's logbook was located in the wreckage. A review of the logbook revealed the pilot's last entry was on October 8, 2014, and he had accumulated 206.9 total flight hours with 86 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The Cessna T210 is a high-wing, single-engine airplane, with retractable landing gear, and powered by a six cylinder Continental TSIO-520 reciprocating engine and a constant-speed propeller. A review of the airplane's maintenance records revealed the last annual inspection was completed on June 18, 2014, with a tachometer time of 1204.2 hours, and 417 hours total time on the engine.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

At 1511, the automated weather observation facility located at the Red Wing Regional airport about 3 miles from the accident site recorded; wind from 200 degrees at 5 knots, 5 miles visibility in mist, an overcast ceiling at 900 feet, temperature 59 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 55 F, and a barometric pressure of 29.84 inches of mercury.

Synoptic conditions – The National Weather Service (NWS) Surface Analysis Chart for 1300 CDT on October 24, 2014 depicted a high pressure system to the southeast over Indiana and a cold front over northern Minnesota into South Dakota. The expected winds were from the south and approximately 10 knots or less over the region. The station models depicted an area of overcast clouds extending from northern Missouri into Iowa and southern Minnesota and Wisconsin with visibility restricted in mist.

The NWS Weather Depiction Chart for 1400 CDT depicted an area of Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) conditions line over southern Minnesota, Iowa and portions of Wisconsin. A larger area of Marginal Visual Flight Rule (MVFR) conditions surrounding the period and extended over the accident site by an unshaded contour.

Satellite – The GOES-13 (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) visible image at 1430 CDT depicted a band of low stratiform clouds extending from central and eastern Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and southwestern Wisconsin and extended over the accident site. The Bay City area was located within the cloud band. The infrared cloud top image indicated cloud tops near 19,000 feet.

Minneapolis Sounding – The NWS morning sounding indicated a surface based temperature inversion with light southerly winds, and several other inversions due to subsidence below 18,000 feet, which resulted in a stable atmosphere. The wind profile showed winds increasing rapidly above the surface inversion from the southwest at 30 knots at 2,000 feet with winds veering to the west with height. The mean 0 to 18,000 feet wind was from 260 at 24 knots. The freezing level was identified at 11,780 feet during the period.

The afternoon sounding continued to depict a stable atmosphere with light winds below 1,000 feet, and winds from the west to northwest, and reflected the cold front moving through the area that evening.

NWS Forecasts & Advisories-The NWS Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) for Rochester International Airport (KRST) the closest forecast to the accident site was as follows: The forecast expected IFR conditions to prevail at the approximate time of the accident. The forecast was amended near the time of the departure and again prior to the accident adjusting the ceiling and visibility, but still expected IFR conditions.

Area Forecast (FA) current at the time of departure route expected a broken to overcast clouds at 2,500 feet msl and visibility 3 to 4 mile in mist gradually improving by 1300 CDT to scattered conditions.

The forecast was amended by AIRMET Sierra for IFR conditions over the area due to low stratiform clouds and mist with conditions continuing through 1600 to 2200 CDT.

The next issued Area Forecast was issued immediately after departure at 1345 CDT and amended the forecast to continue the overcast conditions at 2,000 feet msl and visibility 3 to 4 miles in mist through the period.

There were no SIGMETs, Convective SIGMETs or Center Weather Advisories issued applicable for the route during the period.

There was no record of the pilot receiving a weather briefing from either AFSS or DUATS.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The on-site examination of the wreckage revealed the airplane's left wing impacted an open area of a corn field. From the initial impact point, the wreckage path consisted of a large crater, then several fragments of airplane. The wreckage path then continued into standing corn stocks. Both wings were fragmented and separated from the fuselage, the main cabin was severely crushed; the empennage was twisted from the fuselage and remained attached primarily by cable/wiring.

The engine had separated from the fuselage and was further down the wreckage path; the engine was located about 290 feet from the main ground crater. The 3-bladed propeller had separated from the engine and hub. One blade was found in the main crater, another blade was located about 30 feet from the main crater, and the third blade was about 100 feet from the main crater, but to the right of the wreckage path. There was not a post-crash fire.

The control column and two control yokes had separated in the crash. Aileron continuity was established at each of the wing bellcranks, both cables had separated from the control column. Control continuity for the elevators and rudders was established to their respective control surfaces. The flap actuator was extended, which corresponded to a flaps retracted position. The landing gear was not retracted; however, the position of the landing gear prior to impact was not determined. The nose landing gear strut and each main gear strut had separated from the airplane during impact. The engine was retrieved and transported to a hangar facility for further examination.

The engine had sustained extensive impact damage. The crankshaft propeller flange had fractured; the break exhibited 45-degree shear lips with spiral cracking on the crankshaft. The alternator, magnetos, and oil cooler had separated from the engine. Additionally, multiple pieces of the exhaust and induction system had also separated from the engine. The engine was rotated by hand; continuity was established to the accessory section of the engine and through the valve train, except for the number six cylinder; which was missing a portion of the cylinder head. Only one magneto was recovered; when rotated by hand, the impulse coupling engagement was observed and the magneto produced spark on each terminal.

The top spark plugs exhibited light colored combustion deposits and the electrodes exhibited worn out – normal signatures, in accordance with the Champion aviation check-a-plug chart. The bottom spark plugs were inspected using a lighted bore scope and exhibited worn out – normal signatures.

The fuel pump remained attached to the engine. The fuel pump drive rotated freely by hand. The fuel pump was disassembled and the fuel pump vanes were intact. The oil pump was disassembled, the drive and driven gears showed no anomalies, and were coated with oil.

No pre-impact abnormalities were noted during the airframe or engine examinations.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
The Office of the Medical Examiner, St. Paul, Minnesota conducted an autopsy on the pilot. The cause of death was determined to be, "multiple traumatic injuries".

The FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, conducted toxicological testing on the pilot. The specimens were not tested for carbon monoxide or cyanide. The test was positive for ethanol (20 mg/dL) in muscle and likely from a source other than ingestion. The test detected doxylamine in the liver and glyburide in liver and muscle.

Doxylamine is an over-the-counter antihistamine used in the short-term treatment of insomnia; it is also used in combination with decongestants and other medications to relieve sneezing, runny nose, and nasal congestion caused by the common cold and allergies.

Glyburide is used to help control type 2 diabetes; the medication use had been previously reported to the FAA.

TEST AND RESEARCH

The airplane was equipped with an engine monitor, which was removed and shipped to the NTSB vehicle recorder lab in Washington, DC for download. The engine monitor was successfully downloaded; no abnormalities were noted for the accident flight. The Specialist's Factual Report is located in the official docket for this investigation.

http://registry.faa.gov/N761SU

NTSB Identification: CEN15FA027
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, October 24, 2014 in Bay City, WI
Aircraft: CESSNA T210M, registration: N761SU
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 24, 2014, at an unknown time, a Cessna T210 airplane, N761SU, impacted terrain near Bay City, Wisconsin. The airplane was destroyed and the private rated pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and the airplane was not on a flight plan. The flight originated from the Kings Land O' Lakes Airport (KLNL), Land O' Lakes, Wisconsin, about 1315 CDT and was en route to the Hartington Municipal Airport / Bud Becker Field (0B4), Hartington, Nebraska.

When family members reported the airplane overdue, an ALNOT (Alert Notice) was issued. A search located the airplane wreckage in a field, about three miles east of the Red Wing Regional airport (KRGK).

The on-site examination of the wreckage revealed the airplane's left wing impacted an open area of a corn field. From the initial impact point, the wreckage path consisted of a large crater, then several fragments of airplane. The wreckage path then continued into standing corn stocks. Both wings were fragmented and separated from the fuselage, the main cabin was severely crushed; the empennage was twisted from the fuselage and remained attached primarily by cable/wiring. The engine had separated from the fuselage and continued down the wreckage path; the engine was located about 290 feet from the main ground crater. The 3-bladed propeller had separated from the engine and hub. One blade was found in the main crater, another blade was located about 30 feet from the main crater, and about 100 feet from the main crater, but to the right of the wreckage path, was the third blade.

After the initial on-site documentation of the wreckage, the airplane was recovered for further examination.


Federal Aviation Administration Flight Standards District Office:  FAA Milwaukee FSDO-13

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.


(ABC 6 News) -- Early Saturday evening a search and rescue effort for a missing plane was initiated by the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, units from the Minnesota and Wisconsin Civil Air Patrol, Ellsworth Fire Department and Red Wing Ambulance.

The Civil Air Patrol notified officials of a Cessna 210 aircraft that had gone missing Friday, October 24, 2014.

Deputies searched the area on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin near Red Wing and went to a farm field north of 130th Avenue and 570th Street. It is the location where Air Patrol believed they spotted the plane.

Upon arrival, Deputies found a single engine Cessna had crashed in the field.

Investigation shows that there was a single occupant in the plane. He died at the scene and identified as Richard Schweitzer, 73, of Watersmeet, Michigan.

According to the Wisconsin Unit of the Civil Air Patrol, the aircraft left northeastern Wisconsin Friday afternoon bound for Nebraska. The pilot had a last known contact around 3:00pm Friday near the Red Wing Airport.

The FAA and the NTSB assisted the Sheriff’s Office in the initial investigation, but now have taken over the investigation.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted on scene by Ellsworth Fire, Red Wing Ambulance, Ellsworth First Responders, The FAA, NTSB and the Civil Air Patrol.


A missing Wisconsin plane has been found.

A search aircraft from the Eau Claire Composite Squadron located the aircraft near Bay City around 6:30 p.m. Saturday night.

The aircraft was missing since Friday.  It took off from an airport in northeast Wisconsin heading to Nebraska and had not arrived at its destination as of Saturday afternoon.

The condition of the aircraft and its occupants is being withheld pending notification of relatives.

The Wisconsin Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, with assistance from the Minnesota Wing, is currently looking for an overdue aircraft.

The plane left Friday, early afternoon from Land O' Lakes Airport in northeastern Wisconsin bound for Nebraska.

The aircraft's last known whereabouts were three miles southeast of the Red Wing Municipal Airport.

The single engine, Cessna 210 is described to have a "high wing" design with red, white, and blue markings.

The Civil Air Patrol asks that anyone who may have seen an aircraft similar to the description, or who heard an aircraft at low altitudes in southeastern Minnesota or western Wisconsin, to contact Public Information Officer Major Tod Mandel at 608-487-9053.

Piper Navajo Chieftain: Incident occurred October 24, 2014 at Pierre Regional Airport (KPIR), South Dakota

PIERRE, S.D. – (DRG News) Pierre emergency crews were summoned to the Pierre Regional Airport last night after the pilot of a cargo plane reported that the aircraft was having equipment issues.

Pierre Airport Manager Mike Issacs says the Mustang Aviation plane, a Piper Navajo,  had problems with its nose gear on the way to Huron, so the pilot turned the aircraft around and flew it back to Pierre.

The Airport Fire Department, Pierre Fire Department’s Rescue Squad and other emergency responders were called to the airport about 8:00 p.m. to wait for the plane to return.

When the aircraft landed about 20-30 minutes later, Issacs says the nose wheel turned sideways and skidded until it was flat. 

He says damage to the plane appeared to be limited to the wheel and tire.

The pilot was the only one on board and was not hurt.

There was no damage to the runway, but Isaacs says it was closed for a short time until the plane could be towed away.


- Source:  http://www.drgnews.com

Mustang Aviation: http://www.mustangaviation.aero

UPDATE: WestJet flight threatened at Kelowna Airport; person of interest in custody

KELOWNA – It was a long day for the passengers on a WestJet flight after a threat was phoned in Saturday afternoon. RCMP refuse to divulge the nature of the threat against the aircraft. 

 RCMP, firefighters and paramedics responded to the Kelowna Airport around noon.

“The threat itself, I can’t divulge the nature of the threat, was specific to a departing flight,” RCMP Const. Kris Clark told reporters gathered at the airport. “Once it landed, it was held away from the terminal.”

While police tried to figure out if the threat was real, the 98 passengers were taken off the plane and put on buses parked away from the terminal building.

Clark says RCMP, along with a police service dog, searched the plane and the passengers’ luggage. The luggage of the passengers who were preparing to board the flight was searched as well.

“Nothing of note was found,” he says.

“We are confident that the threat was not confirmed,” Clark says. “The investigation is ongoing and a person of interest has been taken into custody.”

The man arrested at the airport has not been charged.

The terror attacks in eastern Canada recently did not change the way police reacted to the threat, according to Clark.

“This is something we are trained for. There are policies and procedures are in place for instances just like this and those policies and procedures were activated.”

 The passengers held on the plane and then a bus for a total of three hours weren’t happy with the RCMP’s communication and were angry they were left in danger on a plane which might have had an explosive on board.

“We were left hanging. RCMP didn’t tell us nothing,” Steve Vadnais says. “First indication we got was from the pilot who said there was a threat to the plane. We didn’t get word about a bomb threat until we were actually on off the plane and in the buses.”

Fellow passenger Mike Wasalenkoff agrees, “When we got off the plane, that’s when they told us there had been a bomb threat.”

Const. Clark wouldn’t say if it was a bomb threat, “The nature of the threat has not been divulged and that’s subject to the ongoing investigation.”

Airport manager Sam Samaddar says the emergency coordination centre was activated when the threat was received, “We have protocols in our emergency procedures to deal with this specific threat we received today.”

The airport was in operation during the police incident although Samaddar says some flights were delayed. The aircraft, subject to the threat, was flown with just a crew to Calgary Saturday afternoon.

Story, Comments, Photos:  http://infotel.ca


A person of interest is taken into custody at the Kelowna Airport, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014. 
(HOWARD ALEXANDER /InfoTel Multimedia)


UPDATE 4 P.M. 

 Passengers aboard a WestJet flight that landed in Kelowna over the noon hour were relatively calm despite what is believed to have been a bomb threat.

The flight landed at Kelowna International Airport shortly before 1 p.m. Saturday with police, fire crews and BC Ambulance attendants standing by. The plane taxied to an area at the end of the runway, away from the terminal.

Castanet has learned two WestJet flights were checked by bomb sniffing dogs.

Sabrina Thievin, a passenger on the plane travelling from St. Albert, AB, spoke with Castanet News Director Trevor Rockliffe following what turned out to be a three hour ordeal.

"We landed about 12:35 or 12:40 and we sat on the plane for a couple of hours. Then we got taken onto buses...took all the luggage off...they brought the dogs on and they were sniffing the luggage.

Before they did that they moved the buses because we were pretty close to the luggage.

They brought us water, some cookies.

Everyone was really good. People weren't freaking out, it was great.

We just let the police and fireman do their jobs.

It was a long wait and not knowing was hard. Then they got a third bus in and brought us here.

It's a long day."

Thievin was asked the mood of the passengers while everyone waited, not knowing exactly what was going on.

Surprisingly we were commenting there was nobody freaking out..there was no one getting really pissed off.

The longer we were on the bus the harder it got. There were three small children and one of the girls was crying. It got hard for them.

A lady with a baby and some older people. People were getting a little impatient but the WestJet staff was great.

The police came on board and told us what was going on and we really got the feeling they were trying to keep us up to date with what was going on."

Thievin says many on board believed there was a bomb threat.

"That's what we heard. Some people said it was a bomb scare, some people said no but no one actually said for sure what it was.

Evidently the reason it took so long for us to get off the plane was because they had to find drivers for the buses and get the buses out. Then it took longer because the dogs were sniffing the on-going passengers luggage before they did ours since the threat was against that flight and not ours."

Thievin's travelling companion, Joyce Cameron, also from St. Albert, says people were relatively calm throughout.

"It was a long duration but overall everybody kept their sense of humour. Nobody was trying to scare anybody and we all just kept calm and thankful that hopefully it's over."

Cameron added events from earlier this week in Montreal and Ottawa went through her mind while they waited for the ordeal to conclude.

Planes are still not landing at YLW.

UPDATE 3:20 P.M.

Passengers from the WestJet flight are now in the terminal at Kelowna International Airport after a dog checked their luggage.

Fire and ambulance personnel have left the scene.

One female passenger was taken away by ambulance.

UPDATE 2:45 P.M.

A WestJet flight has landed safely at Kelowna International Airport after what Castanet has been told was a threat to the plane.

The plane parked at the far end of the runway away from the terminal where passengers were waiting to be loaded into waiting buses for transport to the terminal.

Luggage is being removed from the plane and collected onto the tarmac.

Devon, a passenger on the WestJet flight told Castanet News a bomb sniffing dog is going through everything.

She says it will be at least a half hour before they are able to move.

Several arrivals have been delayed.

Planes are now taking off, however, nothing has been landing.

More details as they become available.

Emergency crews are on standby at YLW, they are apparently waiting for a WestJet flight to land.

The press release from the airport states:

Kelowna Airport's Aircraft Rescue Firefighters, Kelowna Fire Department, BC Ambulance and RCMP are currently on scene for an unsubstantiated and unconfirmed emergency.

More details to follow, we have a reporter at the airport.


Passengers from a WestJet flight board a bus to be taken to the main terminal after the plane was directed to land at the far end of the runway. (Castanet.net)








Beech 95-B55 (T42A), N22605: Incident occurred October 25, 2014 at Crystal River Airport (KCGC), Florida

Event Type: Incident 

 Highest Injury: None

Damage: Unknown

Description: AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP, CRYSTAL RIVER, FL

Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)

Federal Aviation Administration Flight Standards District Office: FAA Miami FSDO-19

REGISTRATION PENDING: http://registry.faa.gov/N22605

CITRUS COUNTY (FOX 13) -

A small plane crashed at the Crystal River Airport in Citrus County just after 1:00 p.m. Saturday.

The plane landed safely and no one was hurt.

Deputies say the plane's landing gear did not work properly.

The FAA is investigating the crash.

Stay with FOX 13 for the latest.




STOL UC-1 Twin Bee, N950TB, Yellow Peril Aero LLC: Incident occurred October 25, 2014 near Cherokee County Airport (KJSO), Jacksonville, Texas

Highest Injury: Unknown

Damage: Minor

Description: AIRCRAFT STOL UC-1, FORCE LANDED IN A FIELD, 6 MILES FROM CHEROKEE COUNTY AIRPORT, NEAR JACKSONVILLE, TX
 
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)

FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Dallas FSDO-05

http://registry.faa.gov/N950TB 


CHEROKEE COUNTY, TX (KLTV) - Emergency crews are responding to a plane crash in Cherokee County on Saturday afternoon.

According to the Department of Public Safety, a twin-engine aircraft carrying four people crashed on County Road 1314 near Farm to Market 768, about four miles east of the Cherokee County airport.

One person was taken to ETMC in Jacksonville while another was flown to ETMC in Tyler. The condition of the other two occupants is unknown.

The Federal Aviation Administration says the pilot reported a problem with the right engine and made a forced landing near the Cherokee County airport.

Federal Aviation Administration officials will be on scene later on Saturday to investigate.

We will provide updates as they become available.


KTRE.com | Lufkin and Nacogdoches, Texas 
 

Cessna 310R, Owls Roost Flying Club, N310WL: Accident occurred October 24, 2014 in Governors Harbor, Bahamas

NTSB Identification: ERA15WA026 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, October 24, 2014 in Governors Harbor, Bahamas
Aircraft: CESSNA 310R, registration: N310WL
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

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

On October 24, 2014, about 0810 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 310R, N310WL, was substantially damaged when it impacted the water near the Governors Harbour Airport (MYEM), Governors Harbour, Bahamas. The pilot was fatally injured. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed from St Lucie County International Airport (FPR), Fort Pierce, Florida, destined for MYEM. The airplane was registered to a flying club and operated by a private individual under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The flight originated from FPR around 0700.

According to preliminary information, the pilot attempted to land at MYEM, however, due to inclement weather, he performed a missed approach. No other contact was made with the pilot.

The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of the Bahamas. Any further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from:

Manager of Flight Standards Inspectorate, Bahamas
P.O. Box AP 59244
Nassau, N.P. Bahamas
Phone: (242) 377-3445/3448
Facsimile: (242) 377-6060

This report is for information purposes only, and contains only information released by or obtained for the Bahamian Government.


Federal Aviation Administration  Flight Standards District Office:  FAA Miami FSDO-19

http://registry.faa.gov/N310WL

NASSAU, Bahamas — Police in the Bahamas have identified a U.S. citizen killed when his small plane crashed while attempting to land on the island of Eleuthera. 

A police official says Coy Lee Austin was the only one aboard the Cessna 310. Superintendent Paul Rolle says the 88-year-old Austin had owned a home on Eleuthera and lived there part time for many years. Police said he was originally from Texas.

Austin was attempting to land near Governour’s Harbor on Friday when the control tower redirected him to an airstrip at the island’s northern tip. Rolle said there was heavy rain, strong winds and poor visibility and the control tower lost contact with the experienced pilot shortly after redirecting him.

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Eleuthera, Bahamas -  Police on Friday afternoon, October 24, 2014, at about 4pm were alerted to the presence of a dead body on the seashore of James' Cistern in the vicinity of the Eleuthera Bible Center, strapped in an aircraft seat.  

EMS responded to the scene where the male was pronounced dead by the local doctor.

The body was that of a Caucasian male, who was later identified as being an American pilot of private Cessna 310 aircraft (registration:  N310WL) that had crashed. 

The man, whose identity we are not publishing at this time, was also a homeowner and resident of Wykee Estates, Eleuthera and reported to be a retired ex-military pilot who had been associated with the island for more than 40 years.

Officials indicate that the plane approached Governor's Harbor Airport (GHB) sometime around 8:30am and attempted to land, but encountered poor visibility and bad weather. 


The local Air Traffic Controllers reportedly directed him to the North Eleuthera Airport, however the control tower eventually lost communication with the aircraft some time later.

What is unclear at this time is what happened after the tower lost contact with the plane.  


We have from reliable sources, that Police on Eleuthera were only aware of this pilot and his plane, after his body washed ashore in James Cistern later that afternoon, about 8 hours after his attempt to land at Governor's Harbour.

Other sources indicated that weather in North Eleuthera on Friday morning was no better at the time of the landing attempt, and other aircraft reportedly landed at GHB that morning with no incident.

Police on Friday night flew the body of the deceased to New Providence where an autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death.  


The Bahamas Flight Standard Inspectorate will continue investigation in the cause of the crash.

Original source:  http://www.eleutheranews.com    

Diamond DA42, Griffon Aviation School, 5B-CLI: Accident occurred October 22, 2014 in Larnaca, Cyprus

Air crash debris being taken away for examination



The absence of a black box and a cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the aircraft that crashed into the sea between Cyprus and Lebanon on Wednesday killing both people on board, makes the investigation into the accident more difficult, the senior investigator into the case said yesterday. 

Yiannakis Loizou, head of the Air Accident Incident Investigation Board (AAIIB) said his team is searching the causes of the crash of the twin-prop Diamond DA42 on Wednesday night en route to Beirut causing the death of Cypriot pilot Avgoustinos Avgousti, 54, and Lebanese businessman and trainee pilot George Obaji, 47.

It will not be an easy task, however, since from the aircraft’s collected debris its two engines and the cockpit are missing.

“At this point we cannot draw any conclusions for the simple reason that essential parts are missing, like the engines and the cockpit of the aircraft. We only have the tail and some pieces of the fuselage,” Loizou told CyBC radio.

He added that the remaining pieces of the aircraft lay at the sea bed at 2,000 meters depth and that their collection is impossible without a seep-sea submersible and a special robot.

He also said that there is need to find more pieces of the debris.

“A start, of course, is also the discussion with the control tower but it doesn’t help shed light since when he (the pilot) mentioned a small problem, he didn’t say what the problem was,” Loizou said.

He added that the state of the collected debris indicate that there was a violent impact in the sea.

“Liquid does not compress so it is worse than granite that’s why the aircraft was shattered to small pieces. The biggest piece is the tail of around 1.5 metres,” Loizou said.

At noon, the defence ministry announced the conclusion of the search and rescue mission that begun on Wednesday when the aircraft disappeared from the radar of the Nicosia flight information region (FIR) at 7.04pm, some 80 kilometres south east of Larnaca.

“This outcome, regardless of its tragic nature, is due to the rapid response of the Cyprus authorities under the coordination of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) of the Republic, which was immediately mobilized, according to the national SAR plan ‘NEARCHOS’, after being notified that the trace of the aircraft was lost,” the ministry said in a written statement.

It added that the port and naval police and the National Guard mobilized at sea and in the air to carry out a coordinated search which traced the point of impact.

The aircraft took off from Paphos airport at 6.20pm and reports suggested the plane, belonging to Avgousti’s pilot training school, started circling over Akrotiri at an altitude of 9,000 feet.

The last communication with the control tower was when at about 40 nautical miles outside Larnaca the aircraft was authorised to plot a new route, which the pilot confirmed.

A while later the traffic controller contacted the pilot again to ask why he did not head in the direction agreed, to which the pilot replied that he was now heading there and that he was encountering a small problem he was trying to fix.

The controller came back saying “if you have any problems we are here to help.” The pilot then responded something along the lines, “Ok, no problem.” That was the last communication with the tower control.

Loizou said on Thursday that the tower control next heard sounds coming from the plane and tried to contact the pilot as did other aircraft in the area, but without any success.

The debris, which were taken to a location near Larnaca airport for the AAIIB to begin its investigation, were located some 45 nautical miles south-east of Larnaca, as well as the bodies of the two men.

Defence Minister Christophoros Fokaides said yesterday that there was no evidence to suggest interference from Turkish warships which were not near at the time of the accident.

He reiterated that during the search and rescue operation, there was no communication between the Larnaca Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) and the Turkish ships that rushed to the area where the aircraft fell. He added that when the realized that the operation was headed by the JRCC they left.

The Mediterranean Institute of Flight Safety urged everyone to wait for the results and refrain from commenting on airplane accidents while the investigation is underway for ethical reasons and respect for the victims’ families.

“We observe that many comments are made about the accident of the small aircraft off the coast of Cyprus, most of which are just speculation and not serious, since no one knows the exact details,” the announcement said.


Source:   http://cyprus-mail.com


The men who were flying the Diamond DA42 were Cypriot national Avgoustinos Avgousti (pictured left) and Lebanese national George Opeki. Mr. Avgousti was a flight instructor and an extremely experienced pilot, with over 9,000 hours flight experience and high safety standards.

 

Cyprus dismissed on Friday rumors that Turkish warships operating in the eastern Mediterranean may have been involved in the crash of a light plane that killed two people.
    
The twin-engine Diamond DA42 plane, flying from the Cypriot airport of Paphos to Beirut, crashed about 74 km southeast of Cyprus on Wednesday night, killing its Cypriot pilot and a Lebanese passenger.
    
There was immediately widespread speculation that it might have been brought down by Turkish fire as it was flying adjacent to an area declared out of bounds by the Turkish army.
  
 "The Turkish warships operating off the Cypriot south shores have not interfered in any way with the aircraft's flight," Defense Minister Christoforos Fokaides told journalists.
    
He said the Turkish vessels were not near where the plane crashed. The Turkish ships approached later but sailed away when informed that a search and rescue operation was being coordinated by the Cypriot Search and Rescue Center.
    
Turkish warships are providing cover for a seismic data ship prospecting for natural gas in an area within the Cypriot exclusive economic zone -- an action deplored by the European Union on Friday.
    
Debris of the plane and the bodies of the two people aboard the plane were recovered by German and Brazilian warships providing support to the United Nations Intervention Force in Lebanon.
    
Cypriot investigators said the pilot had initially reported an unspecified mechanical problem which he later said was resolved. The plane disappeared from the radar screen shortly afterwards. 

- Source:  http://www.finlandtimes.fi

STOL CH 701, N34WS: Accident occurred October 24, 2014 in Mount Vernon, Indiana

http://registry.faa.gov/N34WS

NTSB Identification: CEN15LA026 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, October 24, 2014 in Mount Vernon, IN
Aircraft: STEPHENSON STOL CH 701, registration: N34WS
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 may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On October 24, 2014, about 1900 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Stephenson STOL CH 701 airplane, N34WS, struck powerlines and impacted terrain near Mount Vernon, Indiana. A ground fire subsequently occurred. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as personal flight. Visual flight rules conditions prevailed for the flight, which did not operate on a flight plan. The local flight originated from a provate airstrip at time unknown.

At 1855, the recorded weather at the Henderson City-County Airport, near Henderson, Kentucky, was: Wind calm; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition broken clouds at 4,700 feet; temperature and dew point missing; altimeter 30.05 inches of mercury.


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.

 
Federal Aviation Administration Flight Standards District Office:  FAA Indianapolis FSDO-11


MT. VERNON, IN (WFIE) - The Posey County Coroner's Office has released the name of the person who died after a single engine plane crash on Friday. 

 The corner's office says 69-year-old Kathryn Day Culley was flying her Zenith 701 amateur built airplane around 5:15 p.m. Friday near the intersection of Copperline Rd. and Base Rd. northwest of Mt. Vernon.

They say she made a turn in the air and struck a power line.

As a result, the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

The Federal Aviation Administration conducted an investigation on the scene Saturday morning.

They say Kathryn had an active private pilot license and the aircraft was legally registered to her.


http://www.14news.com



One person was confirmed dead after a single-engine plane crash in rural Posey County on Friday evening.

The crash occurred at about 5 p.m. No other persons were believed to be on board.

The identity of the pilot was not known Friday night. 


State Police Sgt. Todd Ringle said an autopsy would be necessary to identify the body.

“The aircraft did burn,” Ringle said.

The plane went down west of Indiana 69. 


The plane crashed into a field north of Mount Vernon in Black Township. 

The plane hit power lines and caught fire, Ringle said.

Posey County resident Judy Beste said she was outside on her patio and saw the plane go down. She said the plane hit the ground about a quarter-mile from the edge of her property, near Crab Orchard Road.

“I wasn’t sure it was a plane because I just ... heard the crash and saw all the sparks,” she said. “It exploded. That’s what I heard, was the explosion.”

Ringle said Friday night police would remove the body once the state police’s crime scene technician finished processing the scene. 


Ringle estimated at 8 p.m. Friday night that it would take three hours to process the scene.

From there, the Federal Aviation Administration would take control of the investigation. 


Ringle said the FAA would arrive Saturday morning.

“Our job was basically to preserve the scene and take photos,” Ringle said.

Copperline, Base and Crab Orchard roads were blocked off about a half-mile from the crash site, Ringle said.

Greg Oeth, the Posey County sheriff, said the aircraft was not an ultralight plane.


According to Oeth, there are no airports near the site of the crash, but he said that some local residents have landing strips on their property.

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




POSEY CO., IN (WFIE) - 14 News has just learned that a single engine plane crashed near Base and Copperline Roads just northwest of Mount Vernon. 

Sheriff Greg Oeth tells us the Posey County coroner is on scene.

We're told at least one person has died.

Federal Aviation Administration officials are headed to the scene.

Authorities say the plane was heavily damaged and burned after the crash.

Sgt. Todd Ringle with Indiana State Police says the plane made contact with utility lines before crashing in a field. Some homes are without power and Vectren is on the scene.


- Source:   http://www.14news.com

Maryland State Police record-keeping of helicopters reviewed by Legislative Auditors; incomplete and lacking in documentation

Background and Scope of Review

The Department of State Police Aviation Command’s (hereinafter referred to as the Aviation Command) primary mission is to provide emergency medical transportation (medevac) with helicopters located in seven bases throughout Maryland. The helicopters are also used for aerial law enforcement, search and rescue, homeland security, and disaster assessment services.  All requests for medevac or other services are made to a central dispatch facility known as the System Communications Center (SYSCOM).  Upon receipt of a call for a helicopter, SYSCOM personnel record the request in a computer-aided dispatch system and contact the appropriate helicopter base to dispatch the aircraft.  Information from this system is the source for the Aviation Command’s reported mission data, which was the subject of the OLA’s review.

According to the Department of Legislative Services, since fiscal year 2003, the Aviation Command has received approximately 80 percent of its funding from the Maryland Emergency Medical System Operations Fund (MEMSOF) and 20 percent funding from the General Fund based on the ratio of medically-oriented missions to non-medically-oriented missions. MEMSOF is primarily funded by a surcharge levied on owners of motor vehicles registered in the State.

The scope of our work consisted of obtaining mission data extracts for fiscal years 2006 to 2013 from the computer-aided dispatch system maintained by SYSCOM, which is the underlying basis for the Aviation Command mission data annually reported in the Managing for Results (MFR) section of the State’s budget books. We assessed the reliability of the data by comparing it to independent records, such as aircraft logs maintained by pilots.  In accordance with the committees’ request, we also reviewed SYSCOM and the Aviation Command procedures for accumulating and reporting helicopter mission data to assess if those procedures provided reasonable assurance as to the reliability of the reported data.  The scope of our review was less than that of an audit conducted in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.


Results of Review


Our review of the Department of State Police Aviation Command’s mission data and collection methodology disclosed the following:


Mission Data


OLA’s tabulation of the Aviation Command helicopter mission data for fiscal years 2006 to 2013 is shown on Exhibit 1 in accordance with the eight mission types identified in the committees’ request. We also separately included cancelled missions – when a helicopter was requested, but was cancelled before take-off.  (According to the Aviation Command, mission cancellations were included in its reported mission data, such as medically-oriented and law enforcement activities.)  Together, data for the eight mission types and the cancellations represent the Aviation Command’s total mission activity.
Collection Methodology

Our review of the collection methodology used to record and report helicopter mission data disclosed that the Aviation Command needs to address the following four issues to improve its effectiveness in providing accurate mission information:

The Aviation Command had not developed comprehensive definitions for the mission data (such as Air Medical Activities) reported in the Managing for Results (MFR) section of its annual budget submission (see Exhibit 2). The Department of Budget and Management’s MFR Guidebook requires agencies to develop definitions for the measures reported in the budget documents.  Although, via footnote, the Aviation Command had identified certain activities included as Air Medical, the list was not all inclusive.  For example, we were advised that the Aviation Command included all cancelled medical missions and deemed all support missions to be medically-oriented for reporting purposes.  Thus, the reader may not have a clear understanding of how the Aviation Command determined the number of medically-oriented missions it reported, including how cancelled missions are counted.

The Aviation Command lacked written procedures to document and ensure consistency in how MFR data is retrieved and reported. Furthermore, there was no documented supervisory review of the mission data reported in the MFR sections of the budget documents.

The Aviation Command did not maintain a historical record showing how the reported mission data was compiled and was unable to recreate the reported information from the existing data. We noted certain differences between the mission data reported annually by the Aviation Command and those we present in Exhibit 1.  For example, total actual missions (including mission cancellations) reported for fiscal year 2013 (5,737) differed with OLA’s total (6,097) by 360.

There were no documented quality assurance reviews over the recordation of nonmedically-oriented missions (such as law enforcement missions) recorded in the computer-aided dispatch system. In comparison, the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) annually reconciles medical missions recorded in the SYSCOM dispatch system to a separate MIEMSS system that is used to document patient care.

We shared these results with the Department of State Police, which generally concurred with OLA’s tabulation. The Department advised that it intends to take appropriate action to address the four bullet points above and thus improve its mission collection and reporting methodologies.

Read more here:  http://www.the-chesapeake.com