Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Accident occurred July 14, 2015 in Monroe County, Ilinois

FESTUS, Mo. - A plane used for skydiving crashed Tuesday afternoon resulting in no injuries.

The plane, a four-seat skydiving plane, took off from Festus Memorial Airport at around 2 or 3 p.m., an airport employee said. The plane was being used for the Fly Free skydiving school.

After the planned skydivers jumped from the plane, the plane malfunctioned. The pilot lost control of the plane when he was supposed to be returning to the airport. With the plane drifting southwest toward Illinois, the pilot decided to jump.

He landed safely and has since joined the search team looking for the plane. The searchers know the plane crashed somewhere in Monroe County, Ill., but have not pinpointed the location.


This story will be updated when more information becomes available.

FESTUS, Mo. (KMOV.com) - A pilot was forced to jump from a small Cessna 182 plane after departing from Festus Memorial Airport, airport officials said.

The pilot took a group of skydivers up in the air on Tuesday afternoon and after the skydivers all jumped, the pilot began experiencing problems.

The pilot circled the airport a few times before deciding to exit the plane. He then flew over to rural Southern Illinois and parachuted from the plane.

The pilot was not injured and none of the skydivers knew there was an issue, officials said.

Source:  http://www.kmov.com

Search for cockpit canopy which fell to earth from 1,500 feet over Leicestershire, UK

 
Tony Barber, right, on a training flight.

The aircraft pictured before it's cockpit canopy was lost. 



A 10kg aircraft canopy crashed to the ground in Leicestershire last week after the pilot opened it to let in fresh air after carbon monoxide leaked into his cockpit.

Tony Barber, 47, a pilot with 20 years experience, was flying at 1,500 feet over Stoney Stanton or Earl Shilton, near Hinckley last Tuesday at about 2.30pm when the 4ftx3ft perspex canopy blew off in the wind.

It was only by chance that the canopy missed hitting the aircraft's tail which could have sent him plummeting to the ground.

The engineer and part time flying instructor made an emergency landing at the former airfield at nearby Bruntingthorpe in his two-seater kit-built sport aircraft.

He said: "Carbon monoxide leaking into the cockpit was detected by a built in monitor which began emitting an alarm.  I opened the canopy slightly to let in some fresh air.

"The wind got up and blew it off. It was very fortunate that it didn't career backwards and break the tail off or I would have lost control to a large degree."

Mr Barber, who was en route to Sywell airfield in Northamptonshire, from Tattenhill, in Staffordshire, was making his second flight in the aircraft which he bought two months ago.

He added: "I was flying approximately two miles east of Hinckley, around the area of Stoney Stanton or Earl Shilton.

" I was flying over open countryside at the time. I would very much like to find the canopy as it is very difficult to remake.

"It will be difficult to replace and I am hoping to find it rather than get a new one which would be very expensive and made to spec.

"While the Perspex will be shattered the metal frame may be salvageable.  It is probably lying in a farmer's field of corn or something like that."

Mr Barber, of Newmarket, Suffolk, who was alone in the plane, reported the incident to Leicestershire Police and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch the same day.

He added:"I knew Bruntingthorpe was nearby because I had planned my route to fly over countryside rather than any built up areas.

"Investigations are going on into how the carbon monoxide leaked into the cockpit, things like this don't happen regularly, but it's not unheard of. It's why monitors are fitted into aircraft.

"It can happen when you get a crack in the exhaust getting through the firewall into the cockpit.   If it happened in a car you could just stop and get out, but it's not quite so easy when you're flying."

An AAIB spokesperson said: "AAIB is aware and is investigating by correspondence."

If you find the canopy, please call the Mercury newsdesk on 0116 222 4240.

Source: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk

County code amendment to include private airstrips -Cache County, Utah

The Cache County Council is considering an amendment to county code to formally allow citizens to apply to build private airstrips on their property.

“We are very supportive of this and appreciate the Council taking the time for this,” Mendon resident Rachel Holyoak commented at the June 4 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. “I think this does the right thing in making sure that we aren’t infringing on our neighbors but still be allowed to have an airstrip.”

The Cache County Council will hold a public hearing Tuesday, July 14, for a proposed amendment to county code that will formally define private airports, following the Planning and Zoning Commission’s approval earlier this year.

The proposed amendment to Title 17 of county code, officially called Ordinance 2015-09, has been in discussion since April. Spurred by concerns over safety after reports of planes landing on a shared private road in Mendon and a plane landing in a residential area on a private airstrip in Paradise, as well as numerous requests by county residents to have legal airstrips on their property, the Commission examined the code and found found the need for increased specificity.

In providing a definition for private airports, the door is opened to smaller, more recreational operations.

Under the proposed amendment, private airports do not need to be licensed by the state of Utah, but they still must meet the requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which provides oversight of landing sites.

Although private airports do not need to be put on maps, they must still be registered with the FAA as a designated landing strip. The areas in the county where private airports are allowed are all listed under conditional use to allow for adjacent landowners to voice any concerns before a private airport’s approval.

Holyoak, whose husband, Nathan, has a pilot’s license and owns a small plane hangared on their land, previously had an airstrip until the county requested its removal under the previous code, which didn’t make any distinction between private and commercial airstrips. The amendment would allow her and her husband to work with the commission to rebuild it legally, provided that it meets the requirements of the FAA as well as County Code.

“As someone who is hoping this will be considered, I want to be a law abiding citizen and still hangar our plane at our house,” Holyoak said at the April 9 meeting where the amendment was first discussed. “Our intent wouldn’t be to be a trouble or to cause problems, but to be able to use the property for some of the reasons we purchased it.”

Military and commercial pilot Greg Musselman, who operated his small, self-built airplane from his property for eight months until a neighbor requested him to stop, echoed Holyoak’s desires.

“The county does need to have oversight over this, and the FAA obviously already does,” he said at the June 4 Commission meeting. “This is a property rights issue for me. We just want to use our property in a legal and respectful way and the way we want to.”

Following the July 14 public hearing on the amendments, the County Council can vote to approve it immediately. However, the final decision on the amendment is expected to take place at the Council’s July 28 meeting.

Source:  http://news.hjnews.com

Grumman American AA-5 Traveler, N1356R: Accident occurred July 13, 2015 at Southbridge Municipal Airport (3B0), Massachusetts

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

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office;  Enfield, Connecticut 

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/N1356R

Location: Southbridge, MA
Accident Number: ERA15LA266
Date & Time: 07/13/2015, 1430 EDT
Registration: N1356R
Aircraft: GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVN. CORP. AA 5
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight
Injuries: 3 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On July 13, 2015, about 1430 eastern daylight time, a Grumman American AA-5, N1356R, was substantially damaged during impact with trees following a runway excursion at the Southbridge Municipal Airport (3B0), Southbridge, Massachusetts. The airline transport pilot and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that was originating at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

Runway 02 was 3,501 feet long, 75 feet wide, and consisted of asphalt. The pilot stated that the preflight inspection and the taxi to runway 02 were normal. During the takeoff roll at about rotation speed, a gust of wind yawed the airplane to the left and it became airborne. The pilot corrected for the yaw and was able to maintain runway heading, but he elected to reject the takeoff as he felt it was the safer option, rather than trying to continue. The airplane touched back down and the pilot applied heavy braking, but was unable to stop before impacting trees and brush at the perimeter of the airport.

Examination of the airplane at the accident scene by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that it came to rest upright in an area of shrubbery and small trees, against the airport perimeter fence about 600 feet beyond the end of runway 02. The left wing sustained impact damage to the leading edge and upper surface, outboard of midspan. The right wing leading edge was damaged along the outer one-third of its span. The nose landing gear was separated from the fuselage. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any.

The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, instrument airplane, and a type rating for the Boeing 737. He reported 21,623 total flight hours of experience, with 30 hours in the same make and model as the accident aircraft. His most recent first-class medical examination was performed on February 11, 2015.

The 1454 recorded weather observation at Worcester Regional Airport, located 12 miles northeast of 3B0, included variable wind direction at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, temperature 27 degrees C, dew point 16 degrees C, few clouds at 3,800 feet above ground level, and the altimeter setting was 29.93 inches of mercury.

Pilot Information

Certificate: Airline Transport; Flight Engineer
Age: 60, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 1 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 02/11/2015
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 05/09/2015
Flight Time:  21623 hours (Total, all aircraft), 30 hours (Total, this make and model), 21323 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 191 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 61 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVN. CORP.
Registration: N1356R
Model/Series: AA 5 UNDESIGNATED
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1975
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: AA5-0756
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 07/21/2015, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2200 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 55 Hours
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 2093 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT: C91  installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-320
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 150 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: KORH, 1017 ft msl
Observation Time: 1454 EDT
Distance from Accident Site: 12 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 37°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 3800 ft agl
Temperature/Dew Point: 27°C / 16°C
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility:  10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 4 knots, Variable
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 29.93 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Southbridge, MA (3B0)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Southbridge, MA (3B0)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1430 EDT
Type of Airspace: 

Airport Information

Airport: SOUTHBRIDGE MUNI (3B0)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 699 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 02
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 3501 ft / 75 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: None

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 2 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 3 None
Latitude, Longitude:  42.107222, -72.036944 (est)


SOUTHBRIDGE - The Federal Aviation Administration, citing the extent of damage to a fixed-wing, single-engine airplane at the Southbridge Municipal Airport on Monday afternoon, upgraded the case to "an aircraft accident" on Tuesday, FAA spokesman Jim Peters said.

As a result, the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, he said. FAA officials were at the accident site Tuesday morning and made the assessment about the upgrade, Mr. Peters said.

Deputy Fire Chief Paul Normandin, who was at the accident site Monday, said, "It looks like at this point the pilot didn’t have enough lift to get off the ground. He had made some attempts to continue on, but at the last moment decided to put it down on the ground, and ended up landing in trees and against a fence to the roadway."

Deputy Chief Normandin said fuel and electronics were immediately shut off after the accident.

"It didn’t appear to be any leakage or damage to the fuel tanks," he said.

Added Fire Chief Mark W. DiFronzo: "The plane attempted to take off, had some type of problem, but we're not sure what it is, and that’s why the FAA is investigating. That's really all we know for now."

None of the three occupants of the four-seater were injured, according to airport manager Ronald Plouffe, who said the plane was damaged "quite a bit."
Mr. Plouffe declined to answer any additional questions, citing the federal investigation.

The plane, a Grumman American Aviation Corp. AA-5, is registered to John J. Glennon of Holland.