Wednesday, September 02, 2015

Accident occurred September 02, 2015 in Douglas County, Colorado



DOUGLAS COUNTY – Two soldiers were injured after a Blackhawk helicopter from Fort Carson went down Wednesday afternoon in a remote part of Douglas County.

Initial reports indicate there were four soldiers aboard the aircraft, which made a "hard landing" 3.7 miles north of the El Paso County border near Rampart Range Road in a heavily wooded area southwest of Larkspur and five miles south of Devil's Head with no road access, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. They first received a call about the incident at around 4 p.m.

The pilot told authorities the chopper went down between Centennial Airport and the mountain training base. Fort Carson says the helicopter was taking part in a "routine training mission" on U.S. Forest Service land.

Sky9 video showed extensive damage to the helicopter, which apparently crashed into trees as it went down.

Fort Carson says Douglas County Emergency Services had reached the site of the crash. An update on the soldiers' conditions may be released later Wednesday.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

Initial reports indicated the helicopter had landed in Elbert County, prompting a response from the Elbert County Sheriff's Office, Elbert Fire and Elizabeth Fire. Authorities later learned this wasn't the case.

A military helicopter went down in Douglas County WednesdayA military helicopter went down in Douglas County Wednesday afternoon  Sky9


Story, video and photo gallery: http://www.9news.com



DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4/AP) – Fort Carson says a Black Hawk helicopter had a hard landing in a forest in Douglas County, but it’s unknown whether there are any injuries.

Fort Carson spokeswoman Danny Johnson described the incident Wednesday afternoon as a hard landing but did not have any more information. She said more details are forthcoming.

Copter4 flew over the wreckage in a heavily wooded area five miles west of Perry Park near Devil’s Head.

Firefighters in Elizabeth and Elbert County initially responded to a downed helicopter on Wednesday afternoon but then discovered the incident happened in Douglas County.

The firefighters were responding to the crash in the Elbert Fire District but then pulled back after learning it was not in their jurisdiction.

Story, video and photo: http://denver.cbslocal.com




COLORADO SPRINGS -  Fort Carson confirmed Wednesday afternoon that one of its helicopters made a "hard landing."

Right now crews are responding to what's being described as a "downed aircraft" in Douglas County.

The first reports came in at 4 o'clock Wednesday afternoon that a helicopter had crashed in Elbert County.

The Elizabeth Fire Department reported the incident was happening in Douglas County.

Initially there was confusion as to where the chopper went down. 

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office reported the chopper's pilot called to say he was down in a wooded area between Centennial Airport and a training base.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office said the crash site is in a very remote area with no road access.

A medical helicopter is on scene, however there is no word about the severity of injuries. 

The Denver Post reports 3 of the 4 people on board suffered injuries.

Story and photo:  http://www.koaa.com


Georgia State Patrol hoping new aviation hangar in Perry helps response times




PERRY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) - County leaders are hoping new upgrades to the Perry-Houston County Airport help the Georgia State Patrol become more efficient.

Airport personnel are trying to make their facility soar to new heights. 

"It's been a collective effort and you can see what's happened. It's obviously successful," Patsy Goff, the airport's manager, says. 

She took over eight years ago and since then says the airport has grown tremendously. 

"Three rows of hangars that host 48 aircraft already. Then we've got open T-hangars, corporate hangars, maintenance hangars, an old Georgia State Patrol hangar on the north side," Goff listed off. "We've got a hangar that houses AgAir Update which is the only crop dusting newspaper in the world. We're growing by leaps and bounds every single year."

In the coming months, there will be another "leap." Plans are to move an outdated, but active, state patrol hangar to a new state-of-the-art building. 

"We're wanting to speed up response times and the direction we're heading is going to allow us to do that," Georgia State Patrol Sgt. Hamilton Halford says. 

He says he and a handful of other personnel have outgrown the old space and are looking forward to moving to the 125-square foot structure. He's hoping to eventually bring on more staff, aircraft, and a maintenance area to create what he calls a "one-stop shop" for state patrol aviation in the region.

"I think you'll see a reduction in our response times, you'll see an increase in our finds, and it'll be a win-win situation for everyone in the state," Halford says. 

The country partnered with its three incorporated cities and the state patrol to make the more that $1 million project happen. Goff says it's a step to help her neighborhood and she's hoping for a smooth landing. 

"We're helping the community and I love it. I love this community. I love being part of it. I love this airport and I'm proud of everything," Goff says. 

There are also plans to build an additional hangar that'll house 14 small planes to cut down on the airport's waiting list. Goff says the goal is to complete the project in the next 6-8 months. 

Story, video and photo:   http://www.41nbc.com


Sgt. Hamilton Halford talking about the Georgia State Patrol aviation unit

Incident occurred September 02, 2015 at Naval Outlying Field, Coupeville, Washington



A single-engine civilian aircraft carrying four people made an emergency landing at the Naval Outlying Field near Coupeville this morning.

The pilot safely landed the Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee around 11:30 a.m. after an oil leak caused the aircraft to lose oil pressure in the engine at about 3,500 feet, said Ed Hartin, fire chief at Central Whidbey Fire & Rescue, which responded to the emergency.

The private plane, which was carrying the male pilot, a male passenger and two children, was en route to Seattle from San Juan Island when the trouble occurred.

"He opted to land and shut the engine down and landed at OLF since that was the closest paved runway," Hartin said.

Hartin said that his department's emergency units began arriving to the airfield five minutes after being dispatched but didn't stay long since the pilot had landed safely.

The batallion chief from Navy Region Northwest Fire & Emergency Services also arrived at the scene. The naval fire department keeps rescue rigs at OLF but they are only staffed during the Navy's field carrier landing practices.

Hartin said the Navy was working with the pilot on where to place the aircraft.

The plane was five miles from Coupeville when air traffic controllers heard the distress call, according to Tony Popp, Whidbey Island NAS spokesman.

There were no operations at OLF this week, so there weren't personnel on hand when the call came in.

"They did a great job," Popp said. "They helped the pilot get down safely."

Story, comments and photo: http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com

Drug laden plane intercepted by police at Deniliquin airport






Police have intercepted a drug laden plane near the NSW-Victorian border and arrested 11 people in a cross-border drug bust believed to be linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs.


Following an eight month investigation involving authorities from NSW, Queensland and South Australia, police arrested 67-year-old pilot John Charles White on the tarmac of Deniliquin airport at 4.30pm on Wednesday.

Detectives from the NSW gangs squad said they discovered 45 kilograms of cannabis on board and four kilograms of a precursor to the drug ice. Mr White, who is from Queensland but had flown from Adelaide, was charged with two counts of supplying large commercial quantities of drugs. 

Detective Inspector Gavin Wood of the gangs squad said Mr White's arrest triggered further raids in southern NSW, South Australia and Queensland.

In Hay, an hour and a half's drive from Deniliquin, Deniliquin police raided three properties, arresting four men.

The men - Steve Harris, 38, Morgan Cox, 29, John Mirabelli, 43, and Frank Ruberto, 46 - were charged with gun supply offences and have been refused bail to appear in Deniliquin Local Court on Thursday.

Detective Inspector Wood said police would allege in court that large commercial quantities of drugs and firearms were being trafficked across the NSW border by people affiliated with the Descendants and Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle gangs in South Australia.

The seizure of the ice-precusor was a "significant seizure in anyone's language", he said, and would have translated to a "very large commercial quantity of ice once manufactured". 

The drugs were destined for the NSW market, he said. 

He praised the co-ordinated efforts of police across the three states as "a great example of police doing their job, working together towards the one direction and one aim".

He also credited the efforts of local Deniliquin police, who triggered a larger investigation earlier this year after they seized 38 firearms, 100 ecstasy tablets and a small amount of ice. The bust revealed links to motorcycle gangs in South Australia, prompting the NSW gangs squad to co-ordinate Strike Force Hothersal, which executed the airport bust on Wednesday. 

"This has been a comprehensive investigation by a committed team of police officers who kicked off this case then worked in close partnership with their Sydney and interstate colleagues," he said.

"Their work is to be commended."

As part of the operation, raids were also conducted in South Australia and Queensland on Wednesday.

In Adelaide, six people were arrested on serious drug charges in raids across nine properties. 


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au







Vans RV-6A, N216LA: Fatal accident occurred September 02, 2015 in Bon Aqua, Hickman County, Tennessee

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

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

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

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident. 

http://registry.faa.gov/N216LA

FAA Flight Standards District Office:  FAA Nashville FSDO-19

NTSB Identification: ERA15FA336
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, September 02, 2015 in Bon Aqua, TN
Probable Cause Approval Date: 01/18/2017
Aircraft: HENDERSON W A/JOHNSON W L RV 6A, registration: N216LA
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.

During the cruise portion of a cross-country flight, about 20 minutes after takeoff, the commercial pilot stopped responding to air traffic controllers as the airplane reversed course. It then climbed from 6,500 ft to 9,000 ft mean sea level and completed two left circuits before descending rapidly into the ground. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The pilot's autopsy revealed that he had severe coronary artery disease, scarring from previous heart attacks, and evidence of ongoing or recent damage to two new areas of heart muscle, indicating recent heart attacks. All of these conditions put him at risk of experiencing acute heart failure or a disturbance of heart rhythm (arrhythmia). Both acute heart failure and arrhythmia can rapidly lead to decreased consciousness due to low blood pressure. It is likely that acute symptoms from complications of the pilot's ongoing heart attacks resulted in impairment /incapacitation of the pilot and led to his loss of airplane control.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot's incapacitation from complications of a recent heart attack, which resulted in a loss of control during cruise flight.


 

Cdr. James O. House, III 



HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On September 2, 2015, about 1545 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built RV-6A, N216LA, was substantially damaged when it impacted wooded terrain near Bon Aqua, Tennessee. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Chelsea Aviation Enterprises LLC and operated by the commercial pilot as a personal flight conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the planned flight to Shelby County Airport (EET), Alabaster, Alabama. The flight originated from Bomar Field (SYI), Shelbyville, Tennessee, about 1400.

The airplane was fueled with 12 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation gasoline prior to departing from SYI. According to information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot was receiving flight following services from air traffic control (ATC). About 20 minutes after departure, while the flight was in radio and radar contact with Huntsville Approach, the pilot stopped responding to ATC as the airplane reversed course, from south to north. The airplane continued north, climbed from 6,500 feet to 9,000 feet mean sea level and completed two left circuits, before descending rapidly into terrain.

PILOT INFORMATION

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate, with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, instrument airplane and glider. He also held a flight instructor certificate with a rating for glider. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on June 10, 2015. At that time, the pilot did not report any cardiac issues and according to his wife, the pilot was not aware of any issues. He reported a total flight experience of 1,672 hours at that time. Review of the pilot's logbook revealed that he had accumulated about 1,682 total flight hours at the time of the accident; of which, 7 hours and 3 hours were flown during the 90-day and 30-day periods preceding the accident, respectively.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The two-seat, low-wing, fixed tricycle-gear airplane, was assembled from a kit and issued an experimental airworthiness certificate in 2005. It was powered by an Aero Sport Power O-360-A2A, 180-horsepower, experimental engine, equipped with a Sensenich two-blade, fixed-pitch propeller. Review of maintenance records revealed that the airplane's most recent condition inspection was completed on April 12, 2015. At that time, the airplane and engine had accumulated about 147 hours since new. The airplane flew approximately 14 hours from the time of the most recent inspection, until the accident.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

Maury County Airport (MRC), Columbia, Tennessee, was located about 20 miles south of the accident site. The recorded weather at MRC, at 1555, included wind from 190 degrees at 3 knots, clear sky, and visibility 10 miles.

WRECKAGE INFORMATION

A debris path was observed, beginning with several freshly cut tree branches, extending on a magnetic course about 260 degrees for 110 feet to the main wreckage. Sections of the outboard right wing were located along the beginning of the debris path. The right flap and right aileron separated from the right wing, but the left flap and left aileron remained partially attached to the left wing. The left flap was extended beyond its full travel-point and the left aileron was hanging from one hinge. The empennage remained intact and exhibited less damage. Control continuity was confirmed from the elevator and rudder to the pilot's control stick and rudder pedals in the cockpit. Continuity was also confirmed from the pilot's control stick to the point of aileron separation on both wings. Additionally, the elevator trim cable remained attached from the elevator trim tab to the cockpit.

The cockpit was crushed, but the pilot's seat and four-point harness remained intact. The magneto switch remained in the both position and the fuel selector was positioned to the right main fuel tank. The throttle, mixture, and carburetor heat control levers were in the full forward position. The engine remained partially attached the fuselage. The two-blade propeller separated from the hub. Both propeller blades exhibited chordwise scratching. One blade was s-bent while the other was bent aft.

The engine was separated from the airframe for examination. The top spark plugs were removed; the electrodes were intact and light gray in color, except for the No. 3 top spark plug that was impact damaged. The valve covers were removed and oil was noted throughout the engine. The crankshaft was rotated via an accessory gear drive. Camshaft, crankshaft, and valve train continuity were confirmed and thumb compression was attained on all cylinders. The oil screen and oil filter was absent of contamination. The carburetor had separated from the engine during impact. Its floats and needle were intact and the valve was mid-range. Some fuel was recovered from the engine-driven fuel pump, consistent with 100 low-lead aviation gasoline. Both magnetos produced spark at all leads when rotated by hand.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on the pilot on September 3, 2015, by the Hickman County Medical Examiner, Nashville, TN. The cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries and the manner of death was accident. Contributing to the death were hypertensive and atherosclerotic heart disease.

The autopsy also revealed that there was up to 90 percent stenosis in the right and left anterior descending coronary arteries with thrombi past the area of stenosis in both. The remainder of the coronary arteries were diffusely 40 percent stenosed. In addition, there were multiple white, fibrous plaques within the myocardium of the left ventricle and the interventricular septum indicating scarring from previous heart attacks. Finally, there were two areas of erythema and wall softening: on the medial-most aspect of the interventricular septum and on the inner aspect of the posterior aspect of the left ventricle. On the microscopic evaluation, there were dense areas of fibrosis and collagen deposition; hemorrhage into myocardium; wavy myocytes with enlarged, pyknotic nuclei; edema; and inflammatory infiltrates into the myocardium. These indicate previous scarring and recent damage from heart attacks.

Toxicological testing was performed on the pilot by the FAA Bioaeronautical Science Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The results were negative for carbon monoxide, alcohol, and drugs.

NTSB Identification: ERA15FA336 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, September 02, 2015 in Bon Aqua, TN
Aircraft: HENDERSON W A/JOHNSON W L RV 6A, registration: N216LA
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 September 2, 2015, about 1545 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built RV-6A, N216LA, was substantially damaged when it impacted wooded terrain, following a loss of control from cruise flight near Bon Aqua, Tennessee. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Chelsea Aviation Enterprises LLC and operated by a private individual as a personal flight conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the planned flight to Shelby County Airport (EET), Alabaster, Alabama. The flight originated from Bomar Field (SYI), Shelbyville, Tennessee, about 1400.

The airplane was fueled with 12 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation gasoline prior to departing from SYI. According to preliminary information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot was receiving flight following services from air traffic control (ATC). About 20 minutes after departure, while the flight was in radio and radar contact with Huntsville Approach, the pilot ceased communicating with ATC as the airplane reversed course, from south to north. The airplane continued north, climbed from 6,500 feet to 9,000 feet mean sea level and completed two left circuits, before descending rapidly into terrain.

A debris path was observed, beginning with several freshly cut tree branches, extending on a magnetic course about 260 degrees for 110 feet to the main wreckage. Sections of the outboard right wing were located along the beginning of the debris path. The right flap and right aileron separated from the right wing. The left flap and left aileron remained partially attached to the left wing. The left flap was extended beyond its full travel-point and the left aileron was hanging from one hinge. The empennage remained intact and exhibited less damage. Control continuity was confirmed from the elevator and rudder to the pilot's control stick and rudder pedals in the cockpit. Continuity was also confirmed from the pilot's control stick to the point of aileron separation on both wings. Additionally, the elevator trim cable remained attached from the elevator trim tab to the cockpit.

The cockpit was crushed, but the pilot's seat and four-point harness remained intact. The magneto switch remained in the both position and the fuel selector was positioned to the right main fuel tank. The throttle, mixture, and carburetor heat control levers were in the full forward position. The engine remained partially attached the fuselage. The two-blade propeller separated from the hub. Both propeller blades exhibited chordwise scratching. One propeller blade was s-bent while the other was bent aft.

The engine was separated from the airframe for examination. The top spark plugs were removed; their electrodes were intact and light gray in color, except for the No. 3 top spark plug that was impact damaged. The valve covers were removed and oil was noted throughout the engine. The crankshaft was rotated via an accessory gear drive. Camshaft, crankshaft, and valve train continuity were confirmed and thumb compression was attained on all cylinders. The oil screen and oil filter were absent of contamination. The carburetor had separated from the engine during impact. Its floats and needle were intact and the valve was mid-range. Some fuel was recovered from the engine-driven fuel pump, consistent with 100 low-lead aviation gasoline. Both magnetos produced spark at all leads when rotated by hand.

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate, with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, instrument airplane and glider. He also held a flight instructor certificate with a rating for glider. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on June 10, 2015. At that time, he reported a total flight experience of 1,672 hours.

The two-seat, low-wing, fixed tricycle-gear airplane, serial number 60527, was assembled from a kit and issued an FAA experimental airworthiness certificate in 2005. It was powered by an Aero Sport Power O-360-A2A, 180-horsepower, experimental engine, equipped with a Sensenich two-blade, fixed-pitch propeller.

Maury County Airport (MRC), Columbia, Tennessee, was located about 20 miles south of the accident site. The recorded weather at MRC, at 1555, included wind from 190 degrees at 3 knots, clear sky, and visibility 10 miles.



Columbiana, AL - Cdr. James O. House III, USNR Ret., age 66, of Columbiana, died Wednesday, September 2, 2015 from injuries sustained in a light airplane crash outside of Centerville, TN.

Jim was born September 18, 1948 in San Diego, California and has lived in the Birmingham area since 1978.

Jim was a retired naval officer who served in the Vietnam War and a retired Captain from the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service where he served as a fire fighter and paramedic.  He was a Lt. Col. in the Civil Air Patrol.  Jim was also a commercial airplane and glider pilot as well as an instructor.

Jim served on the board of the Experimental Aircraft Association for the past ten years.  He was a volunteer in the Young Eagles Program, which introduced young people to flying.

He is survived by his wife Susana O. House and his daughters Linda J. House and Elizabeth House.

He is preceded in death by his parents James O. House, Jr. and Helen C. House.

Memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. at Radney-Smith Chapel.  The family will receive friends at Radney-Smith Funeral Home on Saturday, September 12, 2015 from 12:00 noon until 1:00 p.m.

A memorial service in Jim’s honor will be held at Shelby County Airport, date to be announced.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Jim may be made to the Young Eagles Program.  Contribution checks should be made payable to “E.A.A. Young Eagles” and sent to the following address: Experimental Aircraft Association – Young Eagles, P.O. Box 3816, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3816.

Memorial messages may be sent to the family at www.radneysmith.com.

Radney-Smith Funeral Home in Sylacauga, AL will direct the services. 


http://www.radneysmith.com

HICKMAN COUNTY, Tennessee -- A retired Birmingham firefighter was killed Wednesday after the plane he was flying crashed in Hickman County, Tennessee, approximately 50 miles southwest of Nashville.

The pilot's name is Jim O. House, III. ABC 33/40's sister-station in Nashville reports, "it took rescue crews around three hours to recover House's body from the wreckage."

Early reports indicate House was flying a homemade aircraft. Investigators have not determined a cause of the crash. 

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have arrived at the scene to begin investigating. 

ABC 33/40 learned House retired from Birmingham Fire & Rescue as a Captain in 2010. He joined in 1985. 

Birmingham Fire & Rescue Chief C.W. Mardis knew House, III. 

"Captain House was really a great guy. We are really going to miss him. You know, he was very knowledgeable. He was a good firefighter. He was a great person. He was retired military," said Chief C.W. Mardis. 

House was also a Lieutenant Colonel with the Pell City Civil Air Patrol. 

The commander there released a statement to members:

"It is with with great sadness that I must report the loss of one of our members. Lt. Col. James O. House III, a member of SER-AL-118, Pell City Composite Squadron, died from injuries suffered in the crash of his personal aircraft."

Lt. James Gosnell, the commander, told ABC 33/40 House joined his squadron in 2007. He believed House was flying 'experimental home-built' aircraft. He believe it's a Vans RV-6A.

http://www.abc3340.com

 







Man suspected of shooting ultralight aircraft pilot in Byers, Adams County, Colorado

BYERS, Colo. (AP) - A hunter suspected of shooting the pilot of an ultralight aircraft in Byers has been arrested to be investigated for second-degree assault.

Adams County Sheriff's officials say the pilot, James Johnson, was flying to check on the irrigation system for his cornfield on Tuesday. Authorities say two people were hunting in a field nearby and Johnson was shot when he flew over that field.

Sheriff's deputies arrested one of the hunters, Frank Urban.

Johnson suffered a minor injury and was treated at the scene.

Sheriff's officials say they're still investigating and would not release additional information for now.

Source: http://www.koaa.com

The scene Tuesday evening 


ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) – Deputies in Adams County are investigating after an ultralight airplane crashed while flying over hunters.

The crash happened Tuesday evening in the area of 64th Avenue and Calhoun Byers Road in Unincorporated Adams County.

According to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, the pilot of the ultralight sustained minor injuries but it’s not clear how. There may have been a disagreement on the ground between the pilot and the hunters.

“The hunters were legally hunting on private property,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

The pilot was treated and released on the scene.

No other information has been released.

Story and photo:  http://denver.cbslocal.com

Volunteers sought for Smoky Mountain Air Show

With only seven months to go until the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels return to McGhee Tyson Airport for the Smoky Mountain Air Show, more than 600 volunteers are needed to make the air show a success for the estimated 200,000 people that will attend.

The Smoky Mountain Air Show Partnership kicked off its volunteer recruitment Tuesday. The Air Show will be April 16 and 17, 2016.

The Air Show Partnership is looking for committed, enthusiastic people to become trained air show volunteers.

With more than 600 volunteer slots to be filled, there is a wide variety of volunteer options available to fit anyone’s category of interest.

Volunteer options include:

  1. chalet hosts: providing hospitality services to sponsors and VIPs;
  2. set-up: assisting with any pre-event needs;
  3. break-down: assisting with any post-event needs;
  4. VIP hosts: assisting sponsors and VIPs upon arrival in parking areas;
  5. ground cleanup: keeping grounds free of trash and food;
  6. shuttle announcer: greeting attendees and announcing air show information during the shuttle to air show;
  7. couriers: delivering items to and from vendors, sponsors and VIPs;
  8. parking attendants: leading cars to assigned parking lot and checking parking passes;
  9. and crew center hosts: providing hospitality services to performers and crew members.

Interested volunteers can visit the online portal, www.volunteerknoxville.org, to search volunteer options, learn about time slots and details and sign up for specific air show volunteer positions.

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

Extra EA-300L, N4BM: Accident occurred September 01, 2015 near Jerome County Airport (KJER), Idaho

http://registry.faa.gov/N4BM

NTSB Identification: WPR15LA255 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, September 01, 2015 in Jerome, ID
Aircraft: EXTRA FLUGZEUGBAU GMBH EA 300/L, registration: N4BM
Injuries: 1 Serious.

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 September 1, 2015, about 1940 mountain daylight time, an Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH EA 300/L, N4BM, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near the Jerome County Airport (JER), Jerome, Idaho. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The private pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The local flight originated from JER about 5 minutes prior to the accident.

Information provided by local law enforcement revealed that witnesses located near the accident site observed the airplane flying around the general area and descend towards the ground.

Examination of the airplane and accident site by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane impacted a corn field about one-half mile southeast of the approach end of runway 27. All major structural components of the airplane were located at the accident site. Wings, engine, and empennage were separated from the fuselage and located within the wreckage debris path. The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Boise FSDO-11

JEROME • The pilot of a plane that crashed Tuesday evening in Jerome County is Kelly Fairbanks, whose wife, a popular Twin Falls business owner, died last week after a motorcycle crash.

The plane crashed about 7:40 p.m. at U.S. 93 and 100 South near the Giltner Dairy.

About an hour later, a helicopter arrived to take to Fairbanks to St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. Fairbanks, 42, was conscious, but deputies did not know the extent of his injuries, said Lt. Dan Kennedy of the Jerome County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said it was too early to tell what caused the red Extra EA-300L plane to crash. Jerome County Sheriff’s Office, paramedics and Jerome Rural Fire Department responded. The National Transportation Safety Board will arrive Wednesday morning to begin investigating.

Bill Erich saw the plane crash from his house.

“I was across the highway in my yard and I saw a plane coming down and I thought ‘Oh wow, that’s not normal.’”

The plane plunged straight down, he said.

“It just didn’t look right.”

Lisa Paige Fairbanks died Aug. 22 from injuries she suffered a few days earlier after falling off a motorcycle driven by her husband. Her death was widely mourned by public officials and members of the Twin Falls business community.

“The fact is, she touched so many lives and it’s crazy things like people I haven’t seen in 20 years coming into the store to express how sorry they are,” said Michelle Hamilton, Fairbanks’ best friend of 35 years.

Fairbanks co-owned Scrappin’ Girlfriends at 123 Maine Ave. with her sister-in-law and Hamilton since 2005. Before that, Fairbanks opened the Country Gift Garden with her mother in 1987.

“She believed in downtown. This is where her heart is,” Hamilton said. “She had lots of opportunities to move her store, but she never would.”

Kelly Fairbanks suffered minor injuries in the crash that led to his wife’s death. He has been a stunt pilot for years, flying both model and full-scale aircraft.

The plane he was flying in the crash was an aerobatic monoplane, capable of speeds up to 250 mph. Some countries use the same model in military operations, and the Extra 300 is often flown in air shows.

“Honestly, I’d rather fly the models,” he told the Times-News in 2012. “You get to spend the day out in the sun and enjoy the camaraderie with all the other guys, BSin’ and just having a good time.”

Story, comments and photo: http://magicvalley.com



Delta Private Jets sues Premier Air Center repair company over alleged engine damage

Delta Private Jets has filed suit against Premier Air Center, the company that repaired corrosion to their engines and allegedly caused further damage, necessitating further repair.

Delta Private Jets, Inc. filed suit Aug. 20 in Madison County Circuit Court against Premier Air Center, Inc. doing business as West Star Aviation, Inc., for compensatory damages allegedly incurred in the process of repairing one of their planes.

Delta Private Jets allegedly hired West Star Aviation to fix damages to a Cessna Citation Excel private jet due to corrosion on the engines near the bleed-off valves of both the left and right engines. As described in the authorized P&W repair manual, certain procedures were expected to be followed, as set forth in said manual, which were allegedly not followed as described. Specifically, the procedure is supposed to be performed by hand, instead of using a power grinder, which is what the plaintiff claimed was used in the commission of repairs by the defendant.

As a direct result of this, the surface of said engines were both ground down past the extent put forth in the manual, the plaintiff claims, and had to be shipped and sent to a P&W repair facility, at cost to the plaintiff, which was in excess of $265,000. In addition, substitute engines had to be rented in order to keep the plane functional, resulting in further expenses of $110,000. While this was being completed, in the down time that resulted, the company lost profits in excess of $9,000, the plaintiff claims. 

A letter to this effect was sent to the defendants, who allegedly denied culpability, and refused to reinstate said financial losses. The plaintiff subsequently filed suit, with representation from Wayne Skigen, of the law firm of Lucco, Brown, Threlkeld and Dawson, LLP, of Edwardsville, in excess of $50,000.00 for compensatory damages, interest, lawyer and court costs, and other such relief as the court deems proper.

Madison County Circuit Court case number 15L1069

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