Sunday, July 05, 2015

Fuel Exhaustion: Aviat A-1C-180 Husky, N354BM; accident occurred July 05, 2015 in Clermont County, Ohio

Airplane Wreckage After Recovery Right Side



Airplane Wreckage After Recovery Left Side


The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Cincinnati, Ohio

Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf


Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms


http://registry.faa.gov/N354BM


Location: Cincinnati, OH
Accident Number: CEN15LA303 
Date & Time: 07/05/2015, 1740 EDT
Registration: N354BM
Aircraft: AVIAT AIRCRAFT INC A-1C-180
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Fuel exhaustion
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On July 5, 2015, about 1740 eastern daylight time, an Aviat Aircraft Inc., A1C-180 Husky airplane, N354BM, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Cincinnati, Ohio. The private pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from the Clermont County Airport (I69), Batavia, Ohio, at 1730, and its destination was the Cincinnati Municipal Airport (LUK), Cincinnati, Ohio.

The pilot reported that after practicing stop and go short field landings at I69, the pilot departed for LUK. After departure, the pilot turned the airplane to the left, climbed to 1,800 ft mean sea level (about 950 ft above ground level), reduced power to 40% to 45% for slow flight, and activated the Lean-of-Peak assist feature of the JPI EDM930 Engine Instrument. As he leaned the mixture and watched for the first cylinder to reach peak exhaust gas temperature, a Fuel Flow Sensor malfunction indicator light appeared on the EDM930. The pilot subsequently enriched the mixture, but the sensor malfunction indication continued, and the engine lost power. After attempting engine restart procedures and applying carburetor heat, the engine did not respond, so the pilot set up for a forced landing to a golf course. During the landing roll, the right wing tip and right elevator struck a tree resulting in structural damage. The airplane came to rest upright and the pilot evacuated uninjured.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, examination of the engine and airframe at the accident site did not reveal any mechanical or fuel delivery problems. All engine controls were functioning properly and oil quantity was normal. Additionally, the fuel tanks were not damaged and there was no indication of fuel leaking at the accident site. The aircraft was equipped with two 26-gallon (25 usable) fuel tanks in each wing. According to the pilot, the aircraft burned about 10 gallons per hour and the last amount of fuel put on the aircraft was 13.4 gallons, the day before the accident. The aircraft accumulated about 3.1 hours of flight time since the refueling.

At the accident site, the JPI EDM930 system was powered up and the "fuel remaining" indicated 17.6 gallons. However, after the fuel was drained from the left wing, approximately 2 gallons were recovered from the tank. The pilot reported that he did not physically check the wing tank fuel quantity tubes that were in the cockpit, or "dip" the fuel tanks to verify fuel quantity. Also, the pilot stated that he was "preoccupied" with trying to obtain the "rich to peak" fuel burn on the EDM930 while the engine began to lose power, and he may not have noticed the engine was losing power until it actually quit.

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 58
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Front
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 05/14/2013
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 07/13/2013
Flight Time:  1015.5 hours (Total, all aircraft), 517.6 hours (Total, this make and model), 907.5 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 18.6 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 7.5 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 3.6 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: AVIAT AIRCRAFT INC
Registration: N354BM
Model/Series: A-1C-180 UNDESIGNATED
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2011
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 3132
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 06/06/2014, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2200 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 561 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT: C91 installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-360-A1P
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power:180 hp 
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held:None  

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: I69, 843 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 4 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1730 EDT
Direction from Accident Site: 235°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 12000 ft agl
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: Calm /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: / None
Wind Direction:
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:
Altimeter Setting: 30.08 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 24°C / 18°C
Precipitation and Obscuration:
Departure Point: Clermont, OH (I69)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Cincinnati, OH (LUK)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1730 EDT
Type of Airspace: Class G

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 39.031944, -84.272500



PIERCE TOWNSHIP, OH (FOX19) -

A small plane crashed after the engine stalled in Pierce Township, Clermont County Sunday evening.

Officials say the plane was traveling from the Clermont County Airport to Lunken Airport when the engine stalled. 

The pilot tried to land on the green space at the Legendary Run Golf Course, but saw golfers below and turned the plane, crashing on Behymer Road at White Oak Road, officials said.

The pilot suffered a few cuts and bruises and is expected to be OK.

The pilot's name has not been released.

Source:  http://www.fox19.com


Cessna 188B, N625EH, SWI Aviation: Accident occurred July 05, 2015 near Crawfordsville Municipal Airport (KCFJ), Indiana

SWING WING INC: http://registry.faa.gov/N625EH

FAA  Flight Standards District Office: FAA Indianapolis FSDO-11

NTSB Identification: CEN15CA293
14 CFR Part 137: Agricultural
Accident occurred Sunday, July 05, 2015 in Crawfordsville, IN
Probable Cause Approval Date: 08/12/2015
Aircraft: CESSNA A188B, registration: N625EH
Injuries: 1 Serious.

NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The airplane impacted a powerline during an aerial application maneuver. The airplane sustained substantial wing and fuselage damage on impact with the powerline and terrain. The pilot reported that there were no airplane mechanical malfunctions.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the powerline during an aerial application operations.





INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – We are just entering the period in the growing season when crop dusters do their work in Indiana.

July and August are the months when you are most likely to see the people who engage in aerial agriculture and their mission is oftern misunderstood.

They are not acrobatic pilots and they aren’t daredevils. What they do is big business and it can be risky.

It’s harder to find a crop duster in Indiana than in other midwestern states. That makes it more likely that the people who see them flying low over farm fields have questions.

Jeff Elsner has been flying a crop duster out of Freeman Field in Seymour for 10 years. He’s become used to unusual encounters.

“We get complaints all the time thinking we’re dive bombing them or chasing them,” he said, “and what we’re doing is putting on a product for the farmer. Most often that product is fungicide that goes on corn. With the wet weather we’ve had this summer there should be a big call for crop spraying.”

And so the news that a pilot was injured in Montgomery County after hitting power lines will lead other pilots to focus on safety.

There is a You Tube video that shows how a pilot navigates power lines, going under them at one end of the field and over them at the other.

When asked if he has a dangerous job Elsner said, “It can be. It’s a calibrated risk.”

He has logged 7,000 hours in a crop duster with just one close call.

“The airplane just quit flying. Couldn’t figure out what it was,” he said. “We saved it before it hit the ground. Come to find out it was a natural gas leak on a big underground line and I went through the plume.”

He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It did nothing to curb his enthusiasm.

“I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s fun. It’s fun,” he said. “But after a 16 hour day doing it, it’s not so much fun.”

There is a state Agricultural Aviation Association and a national association.

They both hold safety meetings on a regular basis and Elsner said he spends much of the off season making sure that his crop duster is fully maintained.




A pilot of a crop duster was injured when his plane clipped some power lines near County Road 600 South and U.S. 231.

The Cessna plane crashed into a field closer to County Road 500 South.


The unidentified pilot was airlifted to an undisclosed Indianapolis hospital.


The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched at 6:27 p.m. Sunday for the crash. 


The downed plane closed U.S. 231 because of power lines that were down.


 “Deputies assisted medical personnel with getting the pilot to the roadway, where he was transported by Crawfordsville Medics to Southmont High School,” Major Ryan Needham with the Sheriff’ Office said. “From there, he was flown to an Indianapolis hospital by LifeLine Helicopter.


“The plane was a 1974 Cessna 188B owned by SWI Aviation in Veedersburg. The pilot was spraying a corn field and as he travelled north to continue his spraying, he clipped two power lines,” Needham explained.


Crawfordsville Fire Chief Larry Patton said his department sent ambulance support and helped secure a landing spot for the helicopter at Southmont High School.


At the time of publication, Duke Energy was at the scene waiting for additional equipment and manpower to repair the lines. U.S. 231 South was expected to be closed into the late evening.


Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, the Indiana State Police, Crawfordsville Fire Department and the New Market Fire Department all worked the scene.


The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been contacted. 

Ayres S2R-G10 Thrush, RP-R1777: New People’s Army rebels blast pesticide spray plane of banana firm in Maragusan, Compostela Valley Province, Philippines

TAGUM CITY—Over a dozen communist rebels stormed an airstrip owned by a multinational banana company and blasted a parked light plane in Maragusan, Compostela Valley province, on Saturday, police on Sunday said.

An estimated 15 heavily-armed New People’s Army guerrillas swooped down on the compound of Dole-Stanfilco Philippines in Barangay Mapawa at 10:20 p.m., said Southern Mindanao police regional spokesperson Supt. Antonio Rivera.

The rebels forced their way to the company’s hangar located in Purok Narra, firing at the guardhouse, and planted an improvised explosive device under the S2R-G10 Walter spray plane.

The attackers then set off the explosive, damaging the crop duster (RP-R1777), before they fled, Rivera said.

Damage to the aircraft was being ascertained as investigation was underway, the police spokesperson said.

The company, which owns a vast banana plantation in the upland town of Maragusan, has been subject to attacks by alleged NPA rebels in the past, with banana-laden container trucks being burned, but Saturday’s incident was the first against the firm’s handful fleet of spray planes.

No one was reported hurt during the incident.

Police and military officials have blamed extortion as possible motive.

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net

Body found near East Texas Regional Airport (KGGG), Gregg County, Texas

 

GREGG COUNTY, TX (KLTV) -   Officials are investigating a female victim's death, after her body was found along a roadway in Gregg County Sunday afternoon.

The Texas Department of Public Safety and Gregg County investigators discovered the body around 1 p.m. along FM 349 West, near East Texas Regional Airport. 

The identity of the victim has not been released.

The discovery has caused FM 349 to be closed during the investigation.

Investigators have not ruled out foul play.

An autopsy has been ordered to find out the cause of death.

Source: http://www.kltv.com



LAKEPORT (KYTX) - The Gregg County Sheriff's Office is investigating a weekend homicide less than 1 mile from the East Texas Regional Airport.

At this hour, Sheriff Maxey Cerliano would only confirm that the investigation was near Lakeport.

Neighbors tell CBS 19 that FM 349, between State Highway 322 and Pleasant Green Road; and FM 2204, also  between State Highway 322 and Pleasant Green Road, were blocked by law enforcement for several hours on Sunday afternoon.

Investigators had cleared the scene by 4:30 pm or earlier.

Further details of the homicide have not been released at this time.

Source:  http://www.cbs19.tv

Aeronca 15AC, C-FDDH: Incident occurred July 05, 2015 near Warminster, Ontario



There are no injuries, following a small plane crash near Warminister.

A small Cessna plane crashed in a field along the 13 Line near Warminister Sideroad on Sunday, just after 4 p.m.

Investigators say the plane was experiencing engine failure while touring above Georgian Bay, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing.

“Was trying to make it back to Bass Lake, about a mile from Bass Lake, when I lost the engine and had to look for a field and we weren’t very high, so we were under 1,400 feet,” says pilot Grant Bergstrome.

The plane landed upside down in the farmer’s field. The 59-year-old, pilot and his two children were not injured in the crash.

“We only had a few fields to choose from and none of them were big enough to land a plane in and around here and I just didn’t want to hit those power lines out there or the highway and I came down a little faster and I hit the ground going a little too fast and I couldn’t keep it from rolling.”

This is the second plane crash in three days. On Friday, a small plane crashed in Orangeville after hitting a hydro pole.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has been notified and is investigating.

Story, video and photos:  http://barrie.ctvnews.ca




ORO-MEDONTE TWP. - A small Cessna float plane wound up upside down in a farmer's field near Warminster Sunday afternoon after it experienced engine failure, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing.

The single-engine plane came down in a field shortly after 4 p.m. at Line 13 North farm. While landing, the plane flipped over.

The 59-year-old male pilot, a resident of Oro-Medonte Township, and his two passengers were not injured.

Firefighters and Simcoe County paramedics quickly responded.

Transport Canada has been notified of this incident and are investigating, with the assistance of the OPP.

Source: http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com





All occupants managed to escape safely after a small plane crashed and landed on its roof in a field north of Barrie Sunday afternoon.

The plane landed in a field near Highway 12 and Line 13 in Oro-Medonte, about 10 kilometres northwest of Orillia around 4:30 p.m.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

No one was injured, Ontario Provincial Police said.

Enraged passengers occupy business class on China Southern flight

Three passengers decided to treat themselves to business class seating in compensation for a three-hour flight delay, a decision for which they were eventually arrested, according to Shanghai's online media outlet the Paper.

Passengers waiting in Shenzhen for a China Southern Airlines flight were peeved by a three-hour delay over bad weather and the subsequent wait for runway clearance. When they boarded the plane, a group sat down in the business class section and refused to leave, claiming that it was fair compensation for their inconvenience. Flight attendants managed to persuade most of them to return to economy class, except for three who would not be moved from the seats for the entirety of the flight, according to the report.

When the plane landed at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, they were promptly arrested by local police. Neither the police nor China Southern have provided details on the three passengers.

A representative from China Southern in Shanghai said every plane needs to maintain an even distribution of passengers according to the pre-booked seating chart, and that the plane is more likely to crash if passengers rearrange their seats, according to the report.

Passengers should follow the crew's instructions for the safety of other passengers, the spokesperson added.

Source:   http://www.wantchinatimes.com

Rans S-6ES Coyote II, G-CDVF, Graham John Williams (reg. owner): Accident occurred July 05, 2015 at Shifnal Airfield, Shropshire, West Midlands, England - UK


The quick actions of a witness to a light aircraft crash in Shropshire have saved the lives of two men.

The aircraft was upside down at Shifnal airfield and on fire with the pilot and his companion inside, after crashing upon take off at around 10.45am today.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “In addition to calling the ambulance service the man ran towards the burning craft with a fire extinguisher.

He put out the fire and dragged the passenger out.

But the fire re-ignited around the feet of the pilot and this was again extinguished.

The man was unable to pull the pilot free because he was trapped.

 “The pilot, a man in his sixties, was freed by the emergency services and he was the more seriously injured of the two. He had a dislocated right shoulder, a broken arm, a broken leg and a broken ankle. His legs were placed in traction, he was fully immobilized and given pain relief at the scene before being flown to Royal Stoke University Hospital. 

“His passenger, a man in his fifties had head and neck injuries. He was given oxygen at the scene and was also fully immobilized before being taken by land ambulance to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

“But without doubt, the hero of the hour was the eyewitness to the crash without whose actions, this could have ended up far, far more serious.”

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service sent five appliances including the Foam Pod to the scene. Crews used hydraulic cutting equipment to release the pilot.

Read the full article via shropshirelive.com at: http://www.shropshirelive.com




Agusta A109E Power, Malate Tourist Devt Corp., RP-C2726: Accident occurred July 05, 2015 near Mount Maculot in Barangay Pinagkaisahan, Cuenca, Batanga

Taborlupa Jr.


MANILA, Philippines - The pilot who died in a helicopter crash in Cuenca, Batangas on Sunday was a former officer of the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

Felicisimo Esteban Taborlupa Jr. – the pilot of the helicopter carrying Victoria Court motel chain owner Archimedes King and six others – was a member of the Naval Air Group, according to Navy public affairs chief Cmdr. Lued Lincuna.

A graduate of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Sanghaya” class of 2000, Taborlupa resigned from the military to join the PCG in September 2010, where he was given the rank of Lieutenant Senior Grade.

He was married to Maj. Francel Margaret Padilla-Taborlupa, an Army officer assigned to the Presidential Security Group. They have two sons, aged 12 and 14.

The 38-year-old pilot was described by his military colleagues as a professional soldier and a stickler for rules.

“He had a vibrant personality, full of vision and competitive when it comes to academics and career,” said Maj. Arnold Lubang, a classmate of Taborlupa assigned at the Camp Aguinaldo general headquarters.

Maj. Lemuel Baduya, a former colleague of Taborlupa at the PMA New Cadets Battalion, said he would remember the late pilot as someone who “was a very consummate professional” without any bad record.

Because of his reputation, Taborlupa was named a member of the PMA Honor Committee, a panel that investigates cadets accused of violating the honor system.

“He (Taborlupa) did not pester the younger cadets. He was not involved in fights,” Baduya said, adding that he was shocked to learn about the death of his former colleague.

“He was a very careful pilot and he was not aggressive,” he said.

PCG spokesman Cmdr. Armand Balilo, meanwhile, yesterday described Taborlupa as a “seasoned pilot” who has been part of missions during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern Visayas and the 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Bohol in 2013.

“We are saddened by the sudden passing of Taborlupa. He was a veteran pilot. We lost a seasoned pilot, an officer and a gentleman,” Balilo said.

Taborlupa, the deputy commander of the PCG Air Group, was given a bronze cross medal and a military merit medal while in the Navy for his acts of heroism during disaster relief and rescue operations during the onslaught of Typhoons Pepeng and Ondoy, respectively, in Pangasinan in 2009.

Taborlupa and King died after their helicopter crashed into a forested area in Mount Maculot around 12:45 p.m. Sunday. The Augusta 109E helicopter, with registry number RP-C2726, was bound for Manila from Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro when the incident happened.

The six other passengers were Lingling, wife of King; Christopher Chilip, president of Dunlop tires distributor Tyremart, and his wife Patricia Echauz-Chilip, Standard Insurance president and daughter of former Far Eastern University head Lydia Echauz; entrepreneur Ricco Ocampo and his model-designer wife Tina Maristela-Ocampo; and Anton San Diego, editor-in-chief of the Philippine Tatler magazine.

They sustained contusions on the head, bruises and broken ribs and were rushed to the Martin Marasigan Hospital before being transferred to the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig.

According to Sr. Insp. Joel Laraya, Cuenca police chief, one of the injured has been discharged from the St. Luke’s Medical Center, while two others are under observation. The other three are in stable condition, he said.

Laraya said personnel from the Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has started their probe at the crash site yesterday to determine the real cause of the incident.

“The CAAP investigators are coordinating with us,” Laraya told The STAR. He pointed out, however, that they only handed over to the CAAP their spot and progress reports and photos of the incident, as the aviation authority would conduct separate interviews with the survivors and the witnesses.

According to police authorities, the probers said the release of the results of their investigation could take a month.

Laraya said the CAAP personnel are now checking if the aircraft owner and the pilot had secured clearance or permit from the Flight Operations Briefing Station in Manila and in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro before taking off on Sunday morning from Puerto Galera.

Citing initial reports from CAAP, Laraya told The STAR that there was no distress call from the helicopter to the nearest Fernando Airbase in Lipa City, Batangas around the time of the incident.

Despite claims made by survivors that they encountered zero visibility during the flight, Laraya said they would also be investigating other possible causes of the incident, such as engine trouble, human error and environment conditions.

Criminal aspect against the helicopter owner, however, is not seen as a possible cause of the crash, he said.

According to the town police chief, Lingling King said that their level above sea had been consistent throughout the flight until they hovered over Cuenca, where she observed that they were already approaching the ground.

Laraya noted that the helicopter should have flown at a higher altitude, given the town’s mountainous and elevated terrain.

He said due to the stormy weather condition and poor visibility, the helicopter crashed into the trees in the forested area after which its tail fell, causing the aircraft to lose balance and plunge head first to the ground.

The STAR reported on Monday that Taborlupa had tried to land the aircraft nose down in San Jose, Batangas to save lives.

Source:  http://www.philstar.com





Archie King



 







The helicopter that carried billionaire and hotel owner Archimedes “Archie” King did not advise aviation authorities about its return flight on Sunday, hours before the aircraft went down near Mount Maculot in Batangas province in the midst of bad weather. 

Eric Apolonio, spokesman of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), on Monday said it did not receive a flight plan from the aircraft, an Augusta 109E with Registry No. RP-C2726, for its return trip to Manila.

A flight plan, which provides aviation authorities of the flight details, would have allowed the CAAP to monitor the helicopter and advise its pilot of the weather disturbances while it was on flight, Apolonio said.

Nose-dived

The helicopter, flown by pilot Felicisimo Esteban Taborlupa Jr., crashed at the height of heavy rains and a thick fog in a forested area in Barangay (village) Pinagkaisahan in Cuenca town around 12:45 p.m. on Sunday.

The Cuenca police chief, Senior Insp. Joel Laraya, said the aircraft nose-dived, pinning Taborlupa, who instantly died, and seriously injuring King, who was seated beside the pilot.

King later died of severe wounds and fractures at a hospital in Cuenca, while the rest of the passengers, seated at the back, survived.

They were identified as King’s wife, Angeles, Inquirer Lifestyle columnist Anton San Diego, bag designer Tina Maristela-Ocampo and her husband, Ricco Ocampo, and couple Christopher and Patricia Chilip.

According to CAAP records, the aircraft left Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) around 10:17 a.m. on Saturday for Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro province.

Normal route

It left Puerto Galera, a known beach town, the next day past 10 a.m. via the “normal route” back to Manila.

A source said one of the survivors was still wearing a swimming suit when brought to the hospital in Cuenca.

“The travel time from Puerto Galera to Naia is around 45 minutes only under normal conditions,” Apolonio said.

He also said the CAAP, as early as 10 a.m. on Sunday, had issued an advisory suspending visual flight rules. This meant that small aircraft, such as that of King’s, were no longer allowed to fly due to the poor visibility resulting from the bad weather.

Abort flight

“If they had submitted a flight plan, the CAAP would have advised the pilot to abort the flight,” Apolonio said.

A team from the CAAP Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board (AAIIB) on Monday went to the crash site, a 40-minute uphill climb from the town proper, to commence its investigation.

AAIIB chief engineer Francisco Nahera Jr. said his team was planning to tear open the chopper’s engine to determine whether the aircraft had engine trouble.

“We are considering all factors—the weather and the aircraft itself (in the investigation),” Apolonio said.

As of Monday afternoon, the wreckage of the chopper had not yet been pulled out of the site.

No explosions

Nahera said the helicopter, as it was about to crash, hit a tree before breaking its tail and rotor blades. There were no explosions or fire that followed the crash.

Rodante Joya, CAAP deputy director general for operations, said previous flight records of the pilot would have to be checked and verified, and investigators would have to sift through the debris of the crash to determine if the helicopter had malfunctioned or was 100 percent in working condition.

Zero visibility

“Basically, the weather remains the principal cause. We have to consider the environment there,” Joya said, pointing out that the helicopter might have encountered zero visibility because of the thick rain clouds over Batangas.

Lipa City has an elevation of 1,200 feet similar to Tagaytay and is prone to occurrences of fog and clouds that make visibility impossible.

“We can only speculate that the pilot may have tried to look for a way through the clouds,” Joya told the Inquirer.

He pointed out that there was no indication that the helicopter directly crashed into Mt. Maculot, which would have resulted in more deaths.

“It is possible that the helicopter flew too low and could have grazed trees or a landform,” Joya said.

He said it was not easy to maneuver a helicopter when terrain suddenly loomed before a pilot from zero visibility.

When the helicopter left Puerto Galera the skies were clear, Joya noted.

Loud thump

The Pinagkaisahan village chief, Celestino Lunar, said barangay (village) folk even saw the helicopter as it flew past his house, about a kilometer away from them, before it crashed.

“My wife and I were having lunch when we saw this helicopter flying very low,” he said. He said he suddenly lost sight of the aircraft in the thick fog before he heard a very loud thump.

“It sounded like something big hit a tree. We knew it was that helicopter.”

King looked strong

Lunar and other residents near the crash site were the first to respond, helping the survivors walk down the mountain to a rescue team that waited for them.

“When I arrived, I saw him (Taborlupa) already outside the helicopter. He was already gone,” Lunar said.

He said the pilot’s seat looked like “it was ejected out of the helicopter” by the impact. King was still in his seat pinned inside the helicopter.

Lunar said villagers pulled the still conscious King out of the chopper as he limped with his badly injured left leg. The businessman could no longer speak and only moaned, he said.

“He looked strong though. When his shirt got pulled up, as we tried to carry him, he was able to pull it down himself with his arm,” Lunar said.

“I thought he would have survived,” he added.

Source:  http://newsinfo.inquirer.net

MANILA - Archimedes "Archie" King, owner of the Victoria Court chain of motels, and pilot Felicisimo Esteban Taborlupa died in a helicopter crash at Mount Maculot near Taal on Sunday.

Batangas police said the Augusta 109E chopper with registry number RP-C2726 was operated by King’s Malate Tourist Development Corp.

The injured passengers, meanwhile, were identified as Lingling King, the motel chain owner’s wife; designer Tina Ocampo and her husband Rico Ocampo; Philippine Tatler editor-in-chief Anton San Diego; and Standard Insurance president Patricia Chilip and her husband, Christopher Chilip.

They were brought to the Martin Marasigan Hospital before being transferred to St. Luke's in Manila.
=========

The son of a Chinese-Filipino billionaire, who made his fortune by establishing a chain of hotels and motels in the country, died as his private chopper crashed in a forested area near Mt. Maculot in Barangay Pinagkaisahanin in Cuenca town, Batangas province on its way to Manila on Sunday.

Archimedes “Archie” Rosario King, 62, the owner of Victoria Court chain of motels, died as their helicopter crashed in the mountain at around noon, Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman Richard Gordon told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview.

Citing reports from the PRC responders from the ground, Gordon said that the chopper’s pilot, Felicisimo Esteban Taborlupa Jr., also died in the crash.

Meanwhile, six other persons sustained injuries and were initially treated at the Martin Marasigan Memorial Hospital in Cuenca.

The passengers were: King’s wife, Ling-ling King; Inquirer Lifestyle columnist Anton San Diego; renowned bag designer Tina Maristela Ocampo and her husband, fashion retail businessman Ricco; Standard Insurance CEO Patricia Chilip and her husband Christopher, who runs a Dunlop tire distribution company.

According to Gordon, the injured passengers will be transferred to St. Luke’s Medical Center at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said that the helicopter was an Augusta 109E helicopter with registry number RP-C2726. operated by Malate Tourist Dev’t Corp.

CAAP said that the helicopter went to Puerto Galera and left for Manila Sunday morning.

Senior Inspector Joel Laraya, Cuenca town police chief, said they suspected the helicopter crashed due to the bad weather spawned by tropical storm Egay. Police were still trying to find out if the helicopter was given a clearance to fly, he added.

“We’re still experiencing heavy rains here until now,” Laraya said in a phone interview past 5 p.m. Sunday.

Larayas said the crash site was just about 2.5 kilometers from the village proper but very few residents saw what happened since the area was difficult to reach during bad weather.

In good weather, reaching the site would require an uphill climb of at least 30 minutes, he said.

Laraya said some villagers who saw the crash immediately informed the village chief who, in turn, called the town police station for help.

Laraya said he and his men were assisted by some village volunteers and local Red Cross personnel when they extracted the eight passengers of the helicopter from the crash site.

He said the helicopter was a total wreck.

As of 5 p.m., the wreckage of the helicopter was still at the crash site, which was being secured by policemen from the Cuenca municipal police station and from the Philippine National Police-Batangas Provincial Public Safety Company.

King was one of the heirs of billionaire Angelo King, who made the family fortune by establishing the Anito Lodge chain of motels. The family patriarch first established Anito Lodge in Pasay City in the 1970s and later expanded the business. He later passed on the family business to his sons Archie and Wyden.

It was Archimedes King who established Victoria Court, a chain of high-end motels in Metro Manila. It now has 10 branches.

Meanwhile his brother, Wyden, led the expansion of Kabayan Hotels.

With his fortune, Angelo King became a philanthropist when he established the Angelo King Foundation in 1978. He became the foundation’s chairman emeritus when he retired from the family business in 1999.

In 2014, Forbes cited the 87-year-old patriarch as one of Asia’s notable philanthropists, with his foundation donating more than $515,000 in 2013.

Some of the donations were poured into the construction of buildings, schools, homes for the aged, orphanages, children centers, and drug rehabilitation centers, and charity donations, among others.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net

Two have been confirmed dead, while six were injured, when a helicopter crashed in a forested area near Mount Maculot in Barangay Pinagkaisahan, Cuenca, Batangas on Sunday. 

The helicopter had a tail registry number RP-C2726.

The incident happened at past noon. At around 12:30pm, the six injured victims were brought down from the mountain and rushed to the Martin Marasigan Hospital for treatment.

Police and residents in the area said it was raining and the mountaintop was foggy when the incident happened. They were on their way back to Manila from Puerto Galera.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash, including the possibility that it was related to weather disturbances caused by tropical storm “Egay.”

Manila Bulletin reports that one of the seven passengers was Archie King, head of Victoria Group of Companies, and son of Chinese Filipino billionaire and philanthropist Angelo King.

The other casualty was Capt Felissimo Taborlupa, the pilot.

Philippine Red Cross chairman Richard Gordon confirmed the incident with Inquirer.net.

The other passengers have been identified by Manila Bulletin as King's wife Ling-ling, socialite model Tina Ocampo, her husband Ricco De Ocampo, Tatler magazine editor Anton San Diego,  Christopher Chilip, Patricia Chilip.

They have been transferred to St Luke's Medical Center in BGC, according to the report.


Source: http://manila.coconuts.co 
 
CAAP PR fail on Cuenca chopper crash: ‘Pueta Gallera, Phillipines, immediatelly’ 



 It seems like the press release writer of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) was in bed weather mood as Sunday’s statement spewed out misspelled words after another about the helicopter crash in Cuenca, Batangas that claimed the life of motel king Archie King.

The CAAP sent a statement to the media using misspelled words like “immediatelly,” “Phillipines,” and – que horror! – “Pueto Gallera.”

CAAP director general Lt. Gen. William Hotchkiss III’s PR writer also failed to fix the sentence construction. We scratched our heads at the sentence “an Augusta 109E type helicopter with registry number RP-C2726 operated by Malate Tourist Devt Corp. that is base at naia genav area crash landed at Mt. Macolot, Cuenca Batangas at around 11 am today.”

Here’s another to make you think.

“But CAAP said it is still investigating the incident and cannot immediatelly confirm the cause of the crash but said that according to a certain Sgt. Caraan of A3 of Pnp Batangas there were 1 fatality while 7 others were brought to the hospital.”

Huh? It is time Hotchkiss trains his PR department some writing skills.

Source:  http://politics.com.ph



(Updated 7:13 p.m.) A civilian helicopter crashed in Mt. Maculot in Cuenca, Batangas before noon on Sunday, killing the pilot and passenger Archimedes “Archie” King, founder and owner of the Victoria Court motel chain.

In a statement to the media, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines confirmed reports that the Agusta 109E helicopter, with registry number RP-C2726 operated by Malate Tourist Devt Corp. crashed on its way to Manila.

"The helicopter flew in from Puerto Galera [in Mindoro Oriental] yesterday and remained overnight and left for Manila this morning carrying eight persons," the CAAP said.

The pilot, identified as Felicisimo Taborlupa, was killed in the crash, while King died at the Martin Marasigan Memorial Memorial Hospital in Cuenca.

King's wife, Ling-ling, is among the six injured passengers, the provincial police said.

Among the injured passengers are Tatler Philippines editor-in-chief Anton San Diego, Christopher Chilip, Patricia Chilip, and model-designer Tina Maristela-Ocampo and her husband Rico.

CAAP has yet to determine what caused the crash.

More from: http://www.gmanetwork.com 

Cessna 182A Skylane, N4861D: Accident occurred July 04, 2015 near Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (PANC), Alaska

NTSB Identification: ANC15LA046
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, July 04, 2015 in Anchorage, AK
Aircraft: CESSNA 182, registration: N4861D
Injuries: 3 Uninjured.

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

On July 4, 2014 about 1943 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 182 airplane, N4861D, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing on a highway about 8 nautical miles south of Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was registered to, and operated by, the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that originated at the Seward Airport, Seward, Alaska.

The pilot stated that while flying over an area known as the Turnagain Arm, an inland waterway, the engine began surging. He then switched the fuel selector valve from the right fuel tank to the left fuel tank, but the engine continued to surge, which was followed by a loss of all engine power. The pilot then selected a portion of the Seward Highway as a forced landing site, and just after touchdown, the right wing collide with a vehicle. A postaccident examination revealed that the right aileron had sustained substantial damage. 

Following the accident the airplane was moved off the highway to a parking lot where the pilot and a mechanic started the engine and it ran smoothly at various power settings. About 15 gallons of fuel were drained from the wing tanks before removing the wings to transport the airplane to a secure location. No damage to the fuel lines were noted during the removal of the wings.

A detailed examination of the engine and airframe are pending.
 
FAA  Flight Standards District Office:  FAA Anchorage FSDO-03

ROBERT K. THORNQUIST:  http://registry.faa.gov/N4861D 




ANCHORAGE -

Anchorage police and fire crews responded to an aircraft landing on the Seward Highway near Potter Marsh Saturday evening.

The Anchorage Police Department said in a Saturday statement that crews headed to the landing, initially reported on the Seward Highway in the vicinity of the Potter Marsh pullout, at about 7:40 p.m. Three people were on board the aircraft.

"The plane was forced to land due to fuel-related issues," police wrote. "There were no injuries."

Clint Johnson, the NTSB's head Alaska investigator, said the plane's landing could have been much worse.

"They did, in fact, clip a car," Johnson said. "Not a lot of damage, but it did do some damage to the plane."

APD dispatchers said the highway was briefly closed as responders arrived at the scene, but has reopened as of 8 p.m.

Source:  http://www.ktuu.com