Thursday, March 19, 2015

A high-flying award: Larry Diffley to be inducted into Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame



BEMIDJI -- Larry Diffley was all about reaching for new heights.

Now, the late aviation pioneer from Bemidji will soar into the Hall of Fame.

Diffley is one of six people who will be inducted into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame in Bloomington on April 25.

“We are extremely proud and excited,” said Jennifer Benjamin, Diffley’s daughter. “We heard from so many of the pilots that he had trained them or that he had an impact on their careers.”

Diffley died at age 74 in 2012 when his plane crashed during an aerial pipeline survey near Chicago.

Diffley and Mark Shough took over Bemidji Aviation in 1970; at the time the company had three planes and three employees. Now, the employee-owned company is the fixed base operator at the Bemidji Regional Airport, with 60 employees and more the 40 planes. The company does everything from providing fuel, maintenance, hangar and plane rental to flight training and more.

Diffley was born in Bemidji, growing up on the family farm in Becida. He was a graduate of Bemidji High School and attended Bemidji State College. He joined the National Guard and at age 21 and later moved to Los Angeles, where he took flight lessons and soloed out of the famed LAX airport, before returning to Bemidji in 1970 to purchase Bemidji Aviation with Shough.

“He was for everything aviation and anything to promote aviation,” Shough, Bemidji Aviation’s president, said of Diffley. “He had a big impact on a lot of employees over the years, many of whom are still in aviation.”

Along with flight instruction, Diffley also flew charters, air ambulance and patrolled pipelines. He often flew aerial surveys for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, as well as fire patrols; in fact, he flew all over the U.S. on firefighting missions, according to his Hall of Fame induction release.

In the wake of Diffley’s death, his children established the Larry Diffley Memorial Aviation Scholarship Fund with the Northwest Minnesota Foundation, which awards scholarships to young people embarking on careers in aviation.

The Diffley family also established the Mimi Diffley Memorial Scholarship Endowment with the Sanford Health Foundation of Northern Minnesota after Diffley’s wife, Mimi, died in 2007 of breast cancer. That fund provides scholarships for Sanford Health employees wanting to further their education and advance their careers. Mimi Diffley worked as a nurse for North Country Health Services for more than 20 years.

Along with Diffley, the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame will induct Robert Gilruth, former NASA director from Nashwauk; Gen. Leo Goodrich of St. Paul, Air National Guard officer and assistant adjutant general; Frank Judd, early Northwest Airlines captain from Minneapolis; Robert Rishovd, helicopter pioneer from Minneapolis and Lt. Col. John Voth, Air Force veteran from St. Cloud. The organization also will give out awards for Aviation Writer of the Year and Aviation Artist of the Year, as well as present various scholarships to youth pursuing careers in the aviation or aerospace industries, a release said.

Original article can be found here:  http://www.bemidjipioneer.com

NTSB Identification: CEN13FA089
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, December 04, 2012 in Manhattan, IL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 09/30/2013
Aircraft: BEECH 58, registration: N4016A
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 pilot was conducting pipeline surveillance at the time of the accident. A witness reported that he observed the accident airplane in level flight about 50 feet above a nearby two-story house. Everything appeared normal at that time; however, when he looked up a few moments later, the airplane was “sideways” with the wings oriented vertically. The airplane impacted an open field. The accident site was located about 1/3 mile east-southeast of the pipeline under surveillance. The debris path was about 950 feet long, and the airframe was fragmented during the impact sequence. A postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. Analysis of all available information related to the accident did not reveal a definitive cause for the in-flight loss of control and impact with terrain.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
An in-flight loss of control and impact with terrain for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On December 4, 2012, about 1438 central standard time, a Beech model 58, N4016A, impacted an open field near Manhattan, Illinois. The commercial pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The aircraft was registered to and operated by Bemidji Aviation Services under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a pipeline surveillance flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from Bemidji Regional Airport (BJI) about 0915. The intended destination was Joliet Regional Airport (JOT), Joliet, Illinois, after completion of the surveillance activity.

A witness reported that he observed the accident airplane in level flight, heading south at a “really low” altitude; estimating its altitude as about 50 feet above a nearby two-story house. Everything appeared normal at that time. He noted that it was not uncommon to see airplanes and helicopters flying low in that area as they conducted pipeline or power line surveillance. He went back to his work; however, when he looked up again a few moments later, the airplane was “sideways” with the wings oriented vertically.

The airplane impacted an open field on a south-southeast bearing. The accident site was located about one-third mile east-southeast of the pipeline under surveillance.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single and multi-engine land airplane, single-engine sea airplane, and instrument airplane ratings. He was issued a second class airman medical certificate on May 23, 2012, with a restriction for corrective lenses.

On the application for his medical certificate, the pilot reported a total flight time of 27,000 hours, with about 40 hours flown within the preceding 6 months. He had reported a flight time of approximately 11,000 hours in Beech model 58 airplanes on a pilot qualification record dated June 10, 2011.

Full Narrative: http://www.ntsb.gov

Plane crash leads to a dilemma with insurance; home's owners getting a lesson in aircraft liability coverage: Renegade Spirit, N955R, fatal accident occurred December 13, 2014 near Malcolm McKinnon Airport (KSSI), St. Simons Island, Brunswick, Georgia

ST. SIMONS ISLAND | Deborah and Sinclair Frederick are learning a lesson about aircraft insurance - or the lack of it.

On Dec. 13, the Fredericks were at their weekend home in Camden County when a biplane nose-dived into their house while taking off from McKinnon St. Simons Island Airport. The pilot and owner of the plane, James Ronald Wood, 68, was killed when his one-seat biplane crashed off the south end of the airport.

The damage to their home wasn't extensive. It crashed into a section of the overhang of the living room roof, splintering the supports and crushing the soffit, the covering underneath the eaves. The corner wall of the room is sagging and a crack runs from the ceiling a short distance down the corner.

Sitting in the living room of his house, Sinclair Frederick pointed to a window just below where the plane made impact and said, "It didn't even break that window."

It would suggest an easy fix, but the Fredericks' white brick ranch house may be unlike any others in their neighborhood and perhaps the county. Deborah Frederick showed a small plaque found inside an interior wall during a remodeling project that indicates their home is a U.S. Steel house.

It was built in 1959, when U.S. Steel and Foster Gunnison were turning out prefab homes with steel roof trusses and other components. The sturdiness of the steel may be why the window wasn't broken, but it may make repairs difficult.

The roof is repaired, but the rafter tails that extend the roof beyond the exterior walls are exposed underneath because the steel soffit that was crushed isn't readily available, if at all. As far as they can tell, nobody is making the steel materials that would let them restore their house to the way it was before Dec. 13.

The Fredericks were distraught over Woods' death as were their neighbors. Witnesses said they heard popping noises from the experimental plane before the engine quit altogether and the plane went almost straight down.

Now the Fredericks are faced with the lingering aggravation of repairs.

"We've run into the problem of the pilot not having insurance,'' Deborah Frederick said.

The Fredericks learned that, unlike auto insurance - and, under President Barack Obama, health insurance - liability insurance on aircraft is not mandatory.

"There is no statutory requirement for insurance on airplanes,'' said Glenn Allen, a spokesman for the Georgia Insurance Commissioner's Office.

The normal remedy, he said, is for the homeowner's insurer to cover the loss and go after the estate of the person responsible for the loss.

"They would subrogate the damages,'' and the Fredericks shouldn't even have to pay a deductible, Allen said.

But the Fredericks said they have been in touch with Woods' family, and it appears the estate doesn't have the assets to cover the damage.

That leaves them wondering why the Glynn County Airport Commission doesn't require liability insurance.

Robert Burr, executive director of the Glynn County Airport Commission, said the commission doesn't have the authority to require it because such regulation would come under the FAA, which licenses pilots.

The county owns the airports on St. Simons and in Brunswick and the airport commission operates the two facilities.

"We require businesses to have insurance,'' he said. "We own real estate. We lease buildings and real estate."

Others familiar with the issue said that when states have tried to mandate liability insurance for aircraft, the federal government has asserted its authority, saying such a requirement would interfere with constitutionally protected interstate commerce.

DeKalb Peachtree Airport in Atlanta does require plane owners there to have $1 million in liability insurance, said Mike Van Wie, director of the county-owned airport.

The requirement is only for planes based at the airport, he said.

"That's not necessarily for the protection of homeowners,'' Van Wie said. "That's for the protection of the planes here."

Should a pilot accidentally strike and damage another plane while taxiing, for example, the damage would be covered, he said.

He couldn't say whether the policies would cover damage in a crash off airport property.

Van Wie said it's part of doing business at the airport.

"For them to be based here, they have to enter into an agreement with the airport or another tenant,'' he said.

The Fredericks don't know if they'll ever get their house back to some semblance of the way it was.

The roof is fixed and the house stays dry when it rains. Sinclair Frederick is an electrician, so he handled the electrical problems.

But for the steel parts, they're searching wherever they can, so far without luck.

Original article can be found here:    http://insurancenewsnet.com

http://registry.faa.gov/N955R 

NTSB Identification: ERA15LA075 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, December 13, 2014 in Brunswick, GA
Aircraft: JOHNSON DAVID EARL RENEGADE SPIRIT, registration: N955R
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 December 13, 2014, about 1340 eastern standard time, an experimental amateur-built Johnson David Earl Renegade Spirit, N955R, was substantially damaged when it impacted a residence just after takeoff from Malcom McKinnon Airport (SSI), Brunswick, Georgia. The private pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local, personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

A witness, who was also a friend of the pilot, reported that he and the pilot had been working on the accident airplane for several weeks, and that the pilot had been having trouble with the airplane's engine. On the day of the accident, the pilot stated that he was going to perform some high-speed taxi tests, and that he might attempt to fly the airplane. The witness observed as the pilot taxied to runway 22, applied engine power, and accelerated down the runway. The airplane became airborne and disappeared from sight behind a row of hangars. The airplane then re-appeared momentarily just over the trees at the end of the runway, and the witness stated that it was in a "nose-high" attitude and appeared to be "struggling." 

The airplane came to rest upright against a residence. The forward fuselage and cockpit area sustained significant aft crushing damage, and the empennage remained intact. First responders stated that fuel was leaking from the airplane. There was no postcrash fire. 

The airplane was subsequently recovered from the accident site, and further examination of the airframe and engine was scheduled for a later date.







Piper PA-46-500TP Meridian, Daedalus Air LLC, N301D: Fatal accident occurred February 04, 2015 in Lubbock, Texas

NTSB Identification: CEN15FA135 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, February 04, 2015 in Lubbock, TX
Probable Cause Approval Date: 05/02/2016
Aircraft: PIPER PA46 500TP, registration: N301D
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 instrument-rated private pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight in the airplane. A review of the air traffic control transcripts and radar data revealed that the pilot was executing the RNAV GPS Y instrument approach to the runway. The air traffic controller then canceled the pilot’s approach clearance and issued a heading change off of the approach course to provide spacing between a preceding aircraft. The pilot acknowledged the heading assignment. Radar data indicated that, after the controller cancelled the approach, the airplane began a left climbing turn from 5,600 to 5,800 ft, continued the left turn through the assigned 270 heading, and then descended rapidly. At that point, the airplane was no longer visible on the controller’s radar display, and contact with the pilot was lost. The final recorded radar return showed the airplane at 5,100 ft. The airplane impacted a television tower guy wire, several power lines, and terrain, and then came to rest in an open field about 800 ft from the tower. 

A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed rotational signatures on the first-stage compressor blades and light rotational signatures in the compressor and power turbines, and debris was found in the engine’s gas path, all of which are consistent with engine rotation at impact. 

A witness in the parking lot next to the television tower stated that he heard the accident airplane overhead, saw a large flash of light that filled his field of view, and then observed the television tower collapse on top of itself. Surveillance videos located 1.5 miles north-northeast and 0.3 mile north-northwest of the accident site showed the airplane in a left descending turn near the television tower. After it passed the television tower, multiple bright flashes of light were observed, which were consistent with the airplane impacting the television tower guy wire and then the power lines. Further, the radar track and accident wreckage were consistent with a rapid, descending left turn to impact. 

Weather conditions were conducive to the accumulation of ice at the destination airport about the time that the pilot initiated the left turn. It is likely that the airplane accumulated at least light structural icing during the descent and that this affected the airplane’s controllability. Also, the airplane likely encountered wind gusting up to 31 knots as it was turning; this also could have affected the airplane’s controllability. 

The night, instrument meteorological conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the development of spatial disorientation, and the airplane’s rapid, descending left turn to impact is consistent with the pilot’s loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation. Therefore, based on the available evidence, it is likely that, while initiating the climbing left turn, the pilot became spatially disoriented, which resulted in his loss of airplane control and his failure to see and avoid the tower guy wire, and that light ice accumulation on the airplane and the gusting wind negatively affected the airplane’s controllability. 

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot's loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation and light ice accumulation while operating in night, instrument meteorological conditions with gusting wind.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On February 4, 2015, at 1930 central st
andard time, a Piper PA46 500TP airplane, N301D, collided with a television (TV) tower guy wire and terrain about 7 miles south of the Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport (LBB), Lubbock, Texas. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to Deadalus Air LLC, 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 at the time of the accident and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed en route. The airplane departed the Cavern City Air Terminal (CNM), Carlsbad, New Mexico about 1830 and was en route to LBB. 

A review of the LBB air traffic control transcripts and radar data revealed the pilot was executing the RNAV (GPS) Y instrument approach to runway 35L. The controller canceled the pilot's approach clearance for spacing and issued a heading change off of the approach course. The airplane started a left climbing turn and then descended; the airplane was no longer visible on the radar display and contact with the pilot was lost. Additional attempts to contact the pilot were unsuccessful. 

A witness located in a parking lot next to the TV tower stated that he heard the accident airplane overhead and it sounded like the airplane's engine was operating. He looked up and saw a large flash of light that filled his field of view. He observed the TV tower's red beacon lights disappear and then the tower collapsed on top of itself. He described the weather as cold, very low clouds, and no precipitation. 

Surveillance videos from two different locations showed the airplane in a steep descent headed toward the tower. The airplane passed behind the tower and then multiple large flashes of light were observed. 

PERSONNEL INFORMATION 

The pilot, age 60, held a private pilot certificate with single engine and multi-engine land airplane and instrument airplane ratings. According to his training records and incomplete pilot logbook entries, as of December 31, 2013, he had accumulated 1,073 total hours, 117 of which were at night. He had accumulated 50 hours in actual IFR conditions and 44 hours in simulated IFR. The pilot's complete background in the accident airplane could not be determined because the logbook entries were incomplete. 

On March 29, 2013, the pilot was issued a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third class medical certificate with the limitation that he must have available glasses for near vision. On the application for the medical certificate, he reported his total flight experience to be 2,067 hours and 45.5 hours in the last 6 months. 

On December 31, 2013, the pilot completed a biennial flight review (BFR). During the BFR, the pilot satisfactorily completed an instrument proficiency check and was found proficient in the operation of a pressurized aircraft. 

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The six-seat, low wing, retractable landing gear airplane with cabin pressurization capability, was manufactured in 2001. The airplane was powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A reverse flow, free turbine engine. The engine drove a four blade, metal, constant speed propeller with reversing and full feathering capabilities. Each propeller blade was equipped with an electric deice boot.

On December 22, 2014, the airframe, engine and propeller were inspected in accordance with an annual inspection and were determined to be in airworthy condition. 

On December 22, 2011, the airplane was retrofitted with pilot and co-pilot Garmin G500 flight displays, No. 1 and No. 2 Garmin GTN75O touchscreen navigators, GMA35 remote audio control, GTX33 remote mode 'S' transponder, GDL69A XM weather data receiver with XM Radio, and an upgraded S-Tec 1500 autopilot computer for wide area augmentation system (WAAS).

A fuel receipt found in the airplane, dated February 4, 2015 at 14:23:58, indicated that the airplane had been fueled with 35 gallons of Jet A fuel. 

A fuel burn calculation for the entire flight was estimated to be 35.5 gallons. 

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION 

At 1853, the weather observation station for LBB, located 10 miles north of the accident site, reported wind from 030° at 21 knots gusting to 31 knots, 8 miles visibility, overcast cloud layer at 800 ft above ground level (agl), temperature 28° F, dew point 25° F, and altimeter setting 30.24 inches of mercury; peak wind from 20° at 34 knots and occasional blowing dust. 

At 1947, a special weather observation for LBB reported wind from 040° at 18 knots gusting to 27 knots, 7 miles visibility, overcast cloud layer at 700 ft agl, temperature 28° F, dew point 25° F, and altimeter setting 30.28 inches of mercury; peak wind from 030° at 31 knots. 

Prior to the accident, a pilot report (PIREP) was issued for moderate rime ice at 5,200 ft mean sea level (msl) / 1,918 ft agl about 10 miles south of the airport. The pilot acknowledged receipt of this report. 

Lockheed Martin Flight Services had no history of contact with the accident pilot on February 4, 2015. 

COMMUNICATIONS

A chronological summary of communications with the Lubbock Air Traffic Control Tower (LBB ATCT). 

1907:20 The accident pilot first contacted LBB reporting an altitude of 16,700 ft and descending to 14,000 ft. The LBB radar controller instructed the pilot to descend at his discretion to 7,000 ft and confirmed the pilot's receipt of the current ATIS information "Whiskey."

1907:58 The LBB radar controller informed the pilot that a regional jet had reported moderate rime icing at 5,000 feet approximately 10 miles south of the airfield, and the pilot acknowledged with "okay, I'll be looking." 

1909:32 The pilot requested the current ceiling and the radar controller informed him that bases had been previously reported 3,900 feet. The pilot acknowledged stating that it was better than "his weather information" which had indicated an 800 ft ceiling. The controller then explained that the bases were reported in msl, which would make the ceiling approximately 800 feet agl. The pilot acknowledged, and stated his information was in agreement. 

1912:23 A position relief briefing took place on the LBB radar controller in which all pertinent information was passed to the relieving radar controller to include current ATIS information, PIREP information, approach in use, and traffic information including N301D who had been cleared to 7,000 ft. 

1914:19 The radar controller announced on the recorded line that the required controller two minute overlap after relief was complete. 

1918:02 The radar controller asked the pilot what type of approach was being requested and the pilot stated that he wanted the RNAV RWY 35L, but that he was having a little trouble getting his instruments set up and wanted to circle until he could get things worked out. The radar controller then asked the pilot to advise once he knew what he wanted to do. 

1918:41 The radar controller instructed the pilot to maintain at or above 8,000 ft, that he could continue on his present heading, and told him he would just box him back in once he had figured out his instrument issues. The pilot acknowledged with a correct read back. 

1921:24 The pilot stated that he wanted to turn south direct to ZOVOC for the RNAV RWY 35L. The radar controller instructed him to turn right to a 160 heading and descend and maintain 7,000 ft. The pilot acknowledged the turn, but not the descent. 

1922:20 The radar controller asked the pilot for his current altitude, and the pilot stated that he was descending through 9,340 ft to 7,000 ft. 

1923:00 The radar controller asked the pilot how many flying miles he would need to make his descent to the airport. The pilot responded that he just wanted to continue his present direction for a bit further and then he could start his turn back to the west and continue on his flight plan to ZOVOC. 

1923:17 The radar controller instructed the pilot to turn right to a 220 heading. The pilot acknowledged with a correct read back.

1924:39 The radar controller instructed the pilot to turn right to a 260 heading. The pilot acknowledged with a correct read back. 

1925:19 The radar controller cleared the flight for the RNAV Y RWY 35L approach and instructed the pilot to cross ZOVOC at or above 6,000 ft. The pilot acknowledged the "direct ZOVOC", but had some trouble understanding the remainder of the controller's instructions. After some clarification, the accident pilot acknowledged the approach clearance and altitude crossing restriction. 

1926:13 The tower controller called down and informed the radar controller that he might have to cancel N301D's approach because he had another inbound (N319ME) that had remained faster than he expected, and had also requested to circle to another runway and the controller would need room to do that. The tower controller further stated that N319ME was "flying crazy…", so the radar controller stated that he would just take N301D off the approach and bring him back around for another. 

1929:29 The radar controller cancelled N301D's approach clearance and instructed the pilot to climb to 7,000 ft and fly a heading of 275 degrees for re-sequencing. The pilot acknowledged and then confirmed the turn which the controller amended to 270 degrees. 

1929:56 The last recorded transmission from the accident pilot was a read back of the 270 heading assignment. 

1930:50 After a couple of attempts to contact the accident pilot with no response, the radar controller explained to the local controller that they had just experienced a "power spike" and that he was going to attempt contact via the portable radio in the event the power spike had effected their ground based communication equipment.

1932 LBB requested another aircraft on the frequency to attempt to contact the accident pilot. No response was received. 

1934 The tower controller called the radar controller and advised him there had been a plane crash. 

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The accident site was located in a series of large fields lined with fences and dirt paths. The main wreckage was located at latitude 33°32'36.13"N, longitude 101°50'8.10"W, at an elevation of 3,200 ft msl. A path of debris extended southwest from a local news building at 5600 Avenue A, Lubbock, Texas, to the main wreckage; the debris path was on a heading of 040 degrees and was about 800 ft in length. 

On the southeast corner of the news building stood a partially collapsed red and white TV tower, most of which had collapsed on the ground. The tower's guy wires were strewn on the ground near the tower. However, one guy wire was extended toward the main wreckage and remained connected to its base on the ground. The end of the guy wire was found next to the fuselage and exhibited signatures of tension overload. 

Several pieces of airplane debris were found near the base of the tower in the direction of the main wreckage. The left elevator surface was detached and came to rest in the debris path about 400 ft from the main wreckage. The right wing, less its aileron, was right side up in the debris path and located about 260 ft from the main wreckage. A piece of the engine cowling was in the debris path about 185 ft from the main wreckage. The entire left wing was in the debris path about 110 ft from the main wreckage. 

Two parallel sets of power lines ran north-south across the debris path about 50 west of the main wreckage. One wooden power pole was broken near the top and its associated power lines and equipment laid on the ground. Several other power lines were separated in tension overload and laid on the ground in the direction of the main wreckage.

The fuselage came to rest upright on a general heading of west. The cockpit area was opened, twisted and distorted to the left. 

The engine came to rest about 50 ft from the cockpit area to the east. A propeller blade tip separated and exhibited scoring consistent with contact with a metal wire. The propeller nose cone displayed striations consistent with a large gauge wire similar to the downed guy wire. 

Garmin G500 flight displays and a Garmin GTN750 were installed on the airplane. Several SD data cards were found in the Garmin devices and in the wreckage near the cockpit. The installed Garmin systems did not have flight data recording capabilities. 

The postaccident examination determined there was no evidence of structural icing on the airplane and no signs of ice were reported by first responders. 

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION 

An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Lubbock County Medical Examiner, Lubbock, TX, on February 5, 2015. The cause of death was multiple blunt force traumatic injuries and the manner of death was ruled an accident. The Bioaeronautical Research Laboratory at the FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute completed a Final Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report which was negative for tested drugs. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

TV Tower Information

The TV tower, constructed on June 26, 1963 was designated as a "TOWER – Free standing or guyed structure used for communication." The tower was located at latitude 33°32'32.0"N, longitude 101°50'16.0"W and stood 814 ft tall. An FAA study, SW-OE-4136, was issued on January 17, 1963. 

Video 1 summary

A review of surveillance video from a building located 1.5 miles north-northeast of the accident site revealed the airplane's lights moving from right to left. At 1930:29, two of the airplane's lights were observed and the airplane appeared to be in a left descending turn. At 1930:32 the airplane passed behind the tower, after which time the airplane's lights were not seen again. At 1930:34 multiple large flashes of light were observed to the left of the tower. At 1930:52 a final large flash of light is observed to the left of the tower. 

Video 2 Summary

A review of surveillance video from a building located 0.3 miles north-northwest of the accident site revealed that the airplane entered the cameras field of view on the upper right side and proceeded to the left. Two of the airplane's lights were observed and the airplane appeared to be in a left descending turn. The airplane passed behind the tower. Multiple large flashes of lights were observed to the left of the tower. 

Radar Data

Radar data indicated that the accident pilot followed all course and altitude instructions that were provided by ATC without noted deviation. According to audio recordings, the last instruction provided by ATC to the pilot was the approach clearance cancellation and instructions to turn left to a heading of 270 and climb to 7,000 ft. Immediately after the pilot's correct read back acknowledging the controllers instructions, radar data indicated that the accident airplane began a left climbing from of 5,600 ft altitude. It reached an altitude of 5,800 ft, entered a continued left turn through the assigned heading of 270 and then descended rapidly. Radar data revealed only two recorded returns over a 10 second time span after the airplane had reached 5,800 ft. The last recorded radar return indicated an altitude of 5,100 ft at 1930:21. The radar track and accident location were consistent with a rapid continued descending left turn to impact.

Engine Examination

On April 21, 2015, an engine examination was performed at Pratt & Whitney Engine Services, Bridgeport West Virginia, under the auspices of an FAA inspector. The examination revealed that the engine exhibited extensive impact damage. The accessory gearbox was completely separated from the engine. Compressive damage was found on the exhaust case and gas generator case. The engine's compressor showed no evidence of pre-impact damage. Rotational signatures were found on the first stage compressor blades. The compressor turbine and power turbine disks and blades exhibited no evidence of pre-impact damage. Light rotational signatures were found in the compressor and power turbines and debris was found in the gas path. There was no evidence of pre-impact anomalies on the reduction and accessory gearboxes. The examination of the engine revealed no preimpact anomalies which would have precluded the engine from producing rated power prior to the accident.

http://registry.faa.gov/N301D

NTSB Identification: CEN15FA135
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, February 04, 2015 in Lubbock, TX
Aircraft: PIPER PA46 500TP, registration: N301D
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 February 4, 2015, at 1930 central standard time, a Piper PA46-500TP airplane, N301D, collided with a TV tower guy wire while on approach to Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport (LBB), Lubbock, Texas. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to Deadalus Air LLC, and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a business flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed en route. The flight departed the Cavern City Air Terminal (CNM), Carlsbad, New Mexico and was en route to LBB. 

According to the air traffic control recording, the pilot was executing the RNAV Y instrument approach to runway 35L. The controller vectored the airplane off of the first approach for re-sequencing. While the airplane was being vectored for a second approach, contact with the pilot was lost and the airplane was no longer visible on the radar display. Attempts to contact the pilot were unsuccessful. 

According to a witness who was in the parking lot next to the TV tower, he heard the accident airplane overhead and it sounded like the airplane's engine was operating. He looked up and saw a large flash of light that filled his field of view. He observed the TV tower's red beacon lights turn off and then the tower collapsed on top of itself. He described the weather as cold, very low clouds and no precipitation. 

According to surveillance video which was recorded 1.6 miles northeast of the accident site, the airplane was observed in a 30° nose low descent near the tower. There were multiple bright flashes of light and the airplane was not observed again. 

At 1853, the weather observation for LBB, which was 10 miles north of the accident site, reported wind from 30° at 21 knots gusting to 31 knots, 8 miles visibility, overcast cloud layer at 800 feet, temperature 28° Fahrenheit (F), dew point 25° F, and altimeter 30.24 inches of mercury. Remarks: peak wind from 20° at 34 knots and occasional blowing dust. 

At 1947, the special weather observation for LBB reported wind from 40° at 18 knots gusting to 27 knots, 7 miles visibility, overcast cloud layer at 700 feet, temperature 28° F, dew point 25° F, and altimeter 30.28 inches of mercury. Remarks: peak wind from 30° at 31 knots. 

Prior to the accident, a pilot report (PIREP) was issued for moderate rime ice at 5,200 feet mean sea level (msl) / 1,918 feet above ground level (agl) about 10 miles south of the airport. The pilot acknowledged receipt of this report. 

Lockheed Martin Flight Services had no contact information with the accident airplane on February 4, 2015. 

The wreckage has been retained for further examination.



Dr. Mike Rice 



KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

 LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) - KCBD met with a local pilot on Sunday to discuss the newly-obtained audio of Dr. Mike Rice's fatal crash.

“November 01 Delta, approach.”

“East, Local, are you talking to the…”

“Uh yeah… No one can get a hold of him.”

“No, there's been a plane crash.”

That was the final Air Traffic Control transmission from Dr. Mike Rice's last flight. The doctor took off from Carlsbad, NM around 6:30 p.m. Central Time on Feb. 4 for what should have been a 40-minute flight.

Because the Lubbock skies were overcast, he had to fly an instrument approach. At 14,000 feet, Dr. Rice was cleared to descend to 7,000 feet.

Fellow pilot Kevin Glasheen, who flies an aircraft similar to the plane Dr. Rice piloted, believes the real problems happened during that descent.

“We know the tower that he struck is about 800 feet above the ground in of itself, and so Dr. Rice was never cleared to descend that low [and] shouldn't have been that low at that point,” Glasheen said. “From the video, it appears that it was an uncontrolled descent. In other words, from the descent rates, it looks the aircraft was not flying but was falling when it struck the tower.”

In the transmission, you can hear the doctor experiencing difficulty setting up his instruments.

“Actually, I want to do the 35 left R NAV,” Dr. Rice told Air Traffic Control. “I'm just having trouble getting my instruments set up. I may have to circle up here a little bit till I get everything figured out.”

Glasheen said Dr. Rice needed three things to keep his aircraft flying.

“He needs an altitude indicator to keep straight and level,” Glasheen said. “He needs an airspeed indicator to keep it flying fast enough that it won't stall, and he needs an altimeter to tell him how high above the ground he is. Two of those three instruments are vulnerable to ice.”

Dr. Rice experienced another problem when a second pilot was having trouble navigating in the air.

“I'm going to have to resequence you in for traffic just east of the airport trying to land. The weather seems to be giving him a hard time,” Air Traffic Control said.

“Okay. Climb to 7,000 feet and what heading did you want me to fly?”

“November 01 Delta, turn left to a heading of 270.”

“Left 270,” Dr. Rice confirmed.

As he was making his final approach into Lubbock, Air Traffic Control had to change his approach.

“When you add the difficulty of an instrument approach in icing conditions and you're told to abort the approach, and at that time, reconfigure the aircraft [from] a descend-to-land configuration to a climb-out configuration, that means you're going to have to raise the gear back up; take the flaps back out; add power to the aircraft; disconnect the autopilot from the approach; and add power, nose up, and try to get it into a good climb,” Glasheen said.

Glasheen said that he is not sure what ultimately caused Dr. Rice's loss of control, but said the three problems highlighted in the transmissions were big contributing factors.

FULL COVERAGE: http://www.kcbd.com


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



Kevin Glasheen




Springfield-Branson National Airport (KSGF) to debut new space for corporate aircraft

The Springfield-Branson National Airport will hold a 10:30 a.m. Friday ribbon-cutting for its general aviation redevelopment project, which local business leaders hope will be a positive for economic development.

"When Matt and Ryan and the folks here at the chamber bring up an exec to come in to Springfield and hopefully employ a lot of people, there's a very good chance that they're going to have corporate aircraft, and the last thing I want to say is we don't have room for you," Airport Director of Aviation Brian Weiler said Thurdsay. "And we were at that position a year ago."

Since then, the airport has finished making about 12 acres of airport property "development ready" for eight new general aviation airplane hangars.

"Each day business decision makers fly into and out of our community through this facility," Tom Hilmes, chairman of the board of directors for the chamber, said in a news release. "Their ability to easily use that facility and the hangars for corporate airport can affect jobs and business investment for our whole region."

The majority of the $5.6 million project was funded by a $5 million aviation grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation. The department's aviation grants are funded by taxes on aviation fuel sold in the state.

Weiler discussed the ribbon cutting during his annual State of the Airport address, held at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. The airport had previously announced that 2014 was the fourth-busiest year in the 69-year history of the airport, with 846,324 passengers — a 12 percent increase over 2013.

"No number better reflects what's happened this last 12 months than that number right there," Weiler said.

Weiler said there is no other airport in the Midwest region that saw a similar percentage increase; nationally, the increase was 3 percent.

'We broke a lot of industry trends this past year," he said.

The number of airline seats offered out of Springfield increased 5.3 percent in 2014 compared to the year prior. Eighty-nine percent of seats offered for sale out of Springfield sold in 2014, compared to an 85 percent average nationwide.

"This is a reflection of an improving local economy," Weiler said. "We can have the best airport and the best air service in the world, but if you don't have money in your pocket, or you don't have a business reason or some ability to fly, you're not going to go. So I do think it is a positive for the whole region."

Four airlines offer nonstop service to 10 destinations from Springfield — a set of figures that has remained unchanged in recent years. There are eight daily flights to Chicago, two to Denver, five to Atlanta and eight to Dallas. The other destinations are served by Allegiant Airlines, which targets leisure travelers.

As he did at the previous State of the Airport address, Weiler said the most feasible addition in the near future is Charlotte, North Carolina, on American — which would offer better access to the Northeast. The airport's analysis shows the route would make money, he said, but the airport will make decisions based on whether the addition is more profitable than other allocations of its resources.

Weiler also said United is considering a third daily flight between Springfield and Denver. But he also noted that airlines are gradually moving away from the 50-seat airplanes that have traditionally served Springfield in favor of larger ones, which could prompt them to cut the number of daily flights to the airport.

"It's that tradeoff with the flexibility (of more flights) and larger aircraft," he said.

Speaking of the airline industry as a whole, Weiler said that while oil prices plunged at the end of 2014, consumers shouldn't expect lower ticket prices.

"They're taking advantage of this time to reinvest in new equipment that's more efficient, taking care of their employees a little bit better and putting some money in the bank and returning some ... dividends to their shareholders," he said.

"Fares are based on demand, and demand is good right now."

Want to go?

What: Ribbon cutting for general aviation redevelopment project. Mayor Bob Stephens, Joe Carmichael of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission and State Sen. Bob Dixon are expected to speak.

Where: 2525 N. General Aviation Ave., off West Kearney Street

When: 10:30 a.m. Friday

Source:   http://www.news-leader.com


Plane that hit deer at Northumberland County Airport (N79) lands safely at the Williamsport Regional Airport (KIPT), Pennsylvania

ELYSBURG — A pilot of a small plane struck a deer during takeoff at the Northumberland County Airport Wednesday evening. 

Ron Smith, chairman of the Northumberland County Airport Authority, said the pilot stopped at the Elysburg airport to refuel and noticed a deer scampered out onto the runway as he was taking off at about 8:30 p.m.

“He had enough speed that he was able to pick up the plane, but he did hit the deer with the wheel,” said Smith, who did not have the pilot’s full name.

The pilot landed safely at Williamsport Regional Airport in Lycoming County and found there was only a small crack in the fiberglass, Smith said.

How well the deer fared is a mystery.

No trace of the animal has been found near the runway, which is surrounded by woods and located in an agricultural zone.

“It really is a non-event. It’s not common, but it does happen,” said Smith of the deer-plane collision. “We’ve seen deer, and even a bear, nearby.”

He recalled a similar incident about three years ago when a local pilot struck a deer, killing the animal and damaging the plane’s propeller.

Heritage Aviation Manager Jon Trainer, who works at Penn Valley Airport in Selinsgrove, said four-legged wildlife aren’t a problem for the Snyder County facility, but birds pose a risk.
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MONTOURSVILLE -- A single-engine private plane landed safely Wednesday night at the Williamsport Regional Airport after hitting a deer as it was taking off from the Northumberland County Airport.

The Piper PA-28 owned and piloted by Carl Jenkins landed about 8:50 p.m. with emergency vehicles standing by at the airport in in Lycoming County. The only apparent damage was a little cut on a wheel cowling, said Jonathan Baker, airport operations and safety director.

Jenkins and a male passenger had left the Williamsport airport earlier in the day, flew to the Penns Valley Airport near Selinsgrove and then to the Northumberland County Airport outside Elysburg, Baker said.

Jenkins said he believes the deer was struck on the back as the plane was taking off, but he does not know if it was injured or killed. Neither Jenkins nor his passenger was injured, Baker said. 

Source: http://www.pennlive.com 

A single-engine aircraft with two people on board landed safely during an emergency landing at the Williamsport Regional Airport in Montoursville about 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, according to emergency responders.

It was reported that the aircraft may have struck a deer on the runway when it took off from Selinsgrove.

Firefighters from the airport, the borough, Loyalsock Township and Pennsdale responded to the emergency.

Source: http://www.sungazette.com