Cessna 421C Golden Eagle, N68685: Incident occurred October 02, 2015 at Willmar Municipal Airport (KBDH), Kandiyohi County, Minnesota

This Cessna 421C Golden Eagle landed safely late Friday afternoon at Willmar Municipal Airport after going through an emergency checklist following a landing gear warning. Pilot Tom Sand was to use an emergency procedure to lock the landing gear in place before attempting a landing. The plane originated its flight from the Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport in Dickinson, North Dakota.

WILLMAR -- A private twin-engine airplane carrying six passengers returning from work in western North Dakota landed safely at Willmar Municipal Airport Friday afternoon after the pilot reported trouble with the left landing gear.

Pilot Tom Sand was returning to Willmar with six employees of Quam Construction of Willmar who were working for the company in the Dickinson, North Dakota, area.

Sand reported that lights and a horn indicated the landing gear was not functioning properly. After going through an emergency checklist, he activated an emergency procedure that used compressed air to blow the landing gear into place.

Sand flew low over the airport to allow airport personnel to see whether the gear was down. Personnel were not sure, however, if the gear was locked. Sand eventually landed the Cessna 421C Golden Eagle as softly as he could, then slowly negotiated the turn onto the taxiway and came to a stop at the hangar area. Sand said the landing gear will be inspected.

Alaska State Troopers down to 1 chopper, can only afford to operate it for 9 more months

ANCHORAGE –  Alaska State Troopers own two search and rescue helicopters, Anchorage-based Helo 3 and Fairbanks-based Helo 2, which has been grounded indefinitely due to budget cuts. If changes aren’t made during the upcoming regular legislative session, they might not have a chopper at all.

Helo 2 has been out of commission since July, and troopers use Helo 3 in Anchorage for several missions every week, but right now, they can only afford to keep it in use through June of 2016.

Alpine Air Alaska helicopters are used for tourism about 40 percent of the time. But this past weekend, their mission was a more serious one, searching for a missing Anchorage man who disappeared.

KTVA got mixed signals about why the trooper’s helicopter didn’t fly.

“Somebody donated the money for that helicopter to be out here, the state troopers are not releasing their helicopter because of budget constraints,” the lead organizer for the Auxiliary Search Team said Sunday.

But Thursday, troopers told us they couldn’t launch the chopper because of bad weather conditions in Anchorage.

Keith Essex with Alpine Air said the weather wasn’t as bad in Girdwood, so a family friend of the missing man paid them to search, and they also donated some search time.

“Weather was actually much lower in Anchorage than it was here, which is not that common,” he said

Now that the chopper in Fairbanks is grounded, there have been other times when weather is fine but troopers have had to contract with outside companies for search and rescue missions because they’re down to one helicopter.

“Overall it’s about $250,000 per year for a helicopter to operate in Fairbanks,” said Alaska Wildlife Trooper Maj. Bernard Chastain.

Lt. Steven Adams is the Search and Rescue coordinator for the AST.

“There’s been times where we cannot effect the search and rescue with our own resources, and we’ve had to ask for assistance or a charter aircraft, but we don’t turn down search and rescue,” Adams said.

Troopers say they’ll make sure someone comes to help, but it may cost more money, and worse, more time. And if they don’t get more funds soon, they won’t have a helicopter in commission at all, and more calls for search and rescues will involve contracting companies like Alpine Air.

“Usually, like in the heat of something, it’s usually pretty tense and you’re usually focused on what you’re doing too,” Essex said. “You’re focused on not getting caught up in the whirlwind of what’s happening around you, concentrating on operating the helicopter and not getting involved with the emotion of what’s going on.”

He says their aircraft is similar to the ones troopers use, but the people operating them, while they’re willing to go, just don’t have the same emergency training and experience,

“If they do need our help more often, we’re here to help,” he added.

In just the last two years, the trooper choppers have been involved in the rescue and recovery of more than 1,500 people.

Now it’s up to legislators to decide where it fits into the budget.

Story,  video and comments:  http://www.ktva.com

Orca Airways pilot fired for runway excursion, not reporting • 'This could have killed us,' said passenger Denis McMullen

An Orca Airways pilot has been fired for a runway excursion at Tofino-Long Beach Airport (YAZ) , and not reporting the error to the airline.

"He got the aircraft down and everybody was pretty relieved, but you know, after a while it set in that this could have killed us," said Denis McMullen.

The McMullens — Denis and his wife — were two of six passengers on the flight from Vancouver to Tofino in September 2015.

Thick fog

The pilot warned passengers on take off that fog was thick, so the plane may have to land in Port Alberni.

"So, with that, we took off. It was a fairly uneventful journey until we got over to the west coast of the island — where there was a lot of low cloud."

The plane tried to approach twice, before landing, said McMullen.

After touch down he says it took "five seconds" before the plane ran out of runway.

CEO learned days later

Orca Airways CEO, Andrew Naysmith, says he didn't learn about the runway overshoot until days later, and that violates company policy, so the pilot was dismissed.

The airline was founded in 2005 and operates out of the Vancouver International Airport. Its 20 planes provide daily flights between Vancouver and Vancouver Island.

On the company's web site it describes itself as "a safety-driven, performance-based airline focused on continuous training."

Story and comments: http://www.cbc.ca

Cessna 172B Skyhawk, N7837X: Accident occurred October 03, 2015 near Benton Field Airport (O85), Redding, Shasta County, California

http://registry.faa.gov/N7837X

NTSB Identification: GAA16LA001
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, October 03, 2015 in Redding, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 02/03/2016
Aircraft: CESSNA 172B, registration: N7837X
Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The private pilot reported that, while landing after a cross-country flight, the landing roll seemed “fast” even though the airplane touched down “not far” past the runway numbers. The pilot determined that he would not be able to stop the airplane on the remaining runway, so he applied full power and aborted the landing. The airplane was in ground effect as it passed over the departure end of the runway. The pilot thought that the airplane was not going to clear the tree line in its flightpath, so he maneuvered the airplane to land on a dirt road. During the landing roll, the left wing impacted a barbed wire fence. The pilot reported that, during the initial landing, he “landed with a stiff tailwind on a short runway.” The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

During the accident, the passenger seated in the front right seat was ejected from the airplane and sustained a serious injury. According to the pilot, the passenger’s seat had been in the “full rearward” position, which placed the lap belt attachment points about “mid-thigh” and probably did not allow the shoulder harness to be “tightened securely.”

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot’s improper decision to land the airplane on a short runway with a tailwind and his subsequent delayed decision to abort the landing. 

On October 3, 2015, about 1130 Pacific daylight time (PDT), a Cessna 172B airplane, N7837X, struck a barbed wire fence after aborting the landing at Benton Field Airport (O85) about 1 mile west of Redding, California. The private pilot sustained minor injuries and the sole passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR), personal cross-country flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Yuba County Airport (MYV), Yuba City, California about 1030.

The pilot reported that the landing roll seemed "fast" despite the fact the airplane touched down "not far passed" the runway numbers. When the pilot determined that he would not be able to stop the airplane on the runway remaining, he applied full power in an attempt to abort the landing. 

The pilot reported that the airplane was still in ground effect as they passed over the departure end of the runway. He reported that he could see that they were not going to "clear" the tree line in their flight path. The pilot maneuvered to land on a dirt road that was "cut" into the hillside. 

The pilot reported that as they touched down on the dirt road it was "very loud and rough". During the landing roll the left wing impacted a barbed wire fence.

During the accident sequence, the passenger who was seated in the front right seat, was ejected from the airplane, and found about 30 feet from the wreckage. The pilot reported that the passenger's seat and seat belt were both intact and connected. The pilot reported that the passenger's seat was in the "full rearward" position, which placed the lap belt attachment points about "mid-thigh", and probably did not allow the shoulder harness to be "tightened securely".

In the operator/owner safety recommendation section of the pilot accident reporting form, the pilot reported "it is clear and obvious to me; I landed with a stiff tailwind on a short runway". 

The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located about 6 miles to the southeast, revealed that, at 1153 PDT, conditions were wind 350 degrees true at 12 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, and sky clear.
  
NTSB Identification: GAA16LA001 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, October 03, 2015 in Redding, CA
Aircraft: CESSNA 172B, registration: N7837X
Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Minor.

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

On October 3, 2015, about 1200 pacific daylight time (PDT), a Cessna 172B airplane, N7837X, struck a barbed wire fence after aborting the landing at Benton Field Airport (O85) about 1 mile west of Redding, California. The private pilot sustained minor injuries and the sole passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR), personal cross-country flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Yuba County Airport (MYV), Yuba City, about 1030.The passenger was ejected from the airplane during the accident sequence, and found about 30 feet from the wreckage. 

The wreckage was recovered and transported to a secure facility in Sacramento California for further examination. 

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located about 6 miles to the southeast, revealed that, at 1153 PDT, conditions were wind 350 degrees true at 12 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, and sky clear.

FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Sacramento FSDO-25

REDDING, California -   Redding firefighters say they are investigating the cause of the plane crash that sent a woman to the hospital today.

The crash, reported at 11:15 a.m. at the south end of Benton Airfield, didn't hurt the pilot, said Rob Pitt, battalion chief.

The woman he was with suffered "significant injuries" and was rushed to Mercy Medical Center, Pitt said. Three engines and a truck went to the crash, he said.

UPDATED AT 1:30 p.m.

A plane crash in west Redding sent a woman to a hospital Saturday, authorities said.

A single-engine Cessna 172 out of Yuba City crashed just south of Benton Airpark after the pilot said he didn’t have enough runway to land the plane.

“It wasn’t anything extraordinary,” the pilot, David Marth, of Rancho Cordova, said of the crash shortly after it happened. “It certainly wasn’t the plane’s fault.”

The plane crashed in a canyon a few hundred feet south of the airpark next to a dirt and gravel road.

“He landed on runway 15 and had a little too much speed and ended up going off the end of the runway,” said Bryan Garrett, Redding Airports Manager.

Dispatchers reported the crash at about 11:15 a.m. The call prompted Redding Fire Department and police crews to respond, though the crash didn’t spark a fire in the dried out grass in the canyon.

The plane landed downwind, which isn’t optimal in windy conditions, Garrett said. A nearby weather monitoring station recorded wind gusts up to 18 mph at about the time of the crash, according to National Weather Service data.

Marth wasn’t injured in the crash though his wife, who wasn’t identified, was taken to a local hospital. Marth followed shortly after speaking with police, firefighters and other city personnel.

Firefighters initially reported major injuries to the woman, though the exact nature of those injuries is unknown.

Redding notified the National Transportation Safety Board, which then gave the city permission to move the plane wreckage, Garrett said.

“As soon as that happens, then it’s usually an insurance thing,” he said. “Same as it would be as a car on the roadside.”

Follow up on the crash will be handled by the Federal Aviation Administration’s Flight Standards District Office in Sacramento, Garrett said.

UPDATED AT 12:15p.m.

A Cessna 172 out of Yuba City crashed near Benton Airpark in west Redding at 11:15 a.m. Two people were in the plane and the passenger, the pilot's wife, was taken to the hospital, according to reports.

Pilot David Marth, who is from Rancho Cordova, said he "didn't have enough runway" to land the plane.

Redding Fire Department was on scene to address fire and medical needs. There were no reports of a fire.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Emergency crews are at Benton Airpark in west Redding on Saturday for a reported plane crash.

The crash was reported at 11:15 a.m.

Two people were reportedly in the plane and at least one is injured.

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

Waterville, Maine: Robert LaFleur Airport (KWVL) 'puts out the welcome mat' after two years and millions of dollars' worth of improvements

Randy Marshall, airport manager at Robert LaFleur Municipal Airport, stands with his dog, Molly, on Thursday on the newly renovated runway at the city-owned airport in Waterville. 

WATERVILLE — The Robert LaFleur Municipal Airport is poised to handle more jet traffic and service aircraft better after millions of dollars’ worth of work over the last two years, city officials say.

Those investments at the city-owned airport include a newly reconstructed main runway, new equipment, a renovated terminal, a self-serve fueling system, aircraft maintenance and flight school businesses on site and plans for further marketing.

“Over the last two years we’ve made investments because of a lack of equipment, and the facilities needed to be upgraded,” airport Manager Randy Marshall said. “The airport didn’t have the welcome mat out. Now we’re at a pivotal time in the airport’s history where we’ve made a lot of smart investments to position the airport to attract businesses to our community and provide the services they’re going to need to support their growth and the growth of the city.”

Mayor Nick Isgro said he expects the airport, with its improvements, to continue to see more activity and air traffic as it becomes “central Maine’s premiere and most attractive airport.”

“I’m very proud that the city several years ago decided to take steps to go in that direction, because I think it was a make-or-break moment for the airport,” Isgro said.

Officials say the enhanced airport could have a big economic impact on the region.

LaFleur has more than 350 fenced-in acres and another 100 or so beyond that, which includes the Airport Business Park. The park, which houses Suburban Propane and Pine Tree Waste, has lots of room for more businesses.

The city and the airport are working with the Central Maine Growth Council and the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce to try to draw more businesses to the park, according to Marshall.

Garvan Donegan, economic development specialist for the growth council, said his organization is taking a couple of different approaches in trying to help market the airport.

“How do we tell the story of the airport? And the subtext is, how are we promoting airports on the supply and demand side of economic development as it relates to the foreign trade zone, abutting industrial sites and acreage? And how are we using it to retain and attract businesses?” Donegan said.

Part of that marketing component is making sure the airport is included when large site evaluation companies do national, regional and local evaluations, according to Donegan.

“It’s not just a typical marketing campaign. It is a little bit more classic economic development,” he said.

The airport and the park are in the foreign trade zone, which allows companies doing business with foreign companies to get tax breaks and duty referrals and receive help with cash flow problems.

In the larger scheme of things, Donegan sees airports as allowing greater access to markets. They are economic drivers for the region and help advance global economies.

“Really, airports are robustly linked with economic development,” Donegan said.

United Parcel Service flies out of the airport to Manchester, New Hampshire, five nights a week with packages and other freight from its terminal on Industrial Road. Five mornings a week, UPS brings a load of freight back into LaFleur, according to Marshall.

Administrators from big-box stores such as Home Depot and Wal-Mart fly into the airport in jets, he said. Sappi engineers, politicians, people from Backyard Farms in Madison, summer campers and college students and their families, celebrities attending the Maine International Film Festival, aerial photographers and others use the airport, which also serves as a training ground for police and fire officials, as well as LifeFlight of Maine. State police, the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Maine Marine Patrol are among entities that have based planes at the airport, according to Marshall.

The airport has 13 hangars, two of which are owned by the city — the main hangar and one on the north end of the airport, which stores maintenance items including snowplows and snow blowing equipment.

Officials are applying for an FAA grant to build a new maintenance building so the hangar can be used to house aircraft instead of equipment. They also plan to apply for a second grant to purchase a new snowblower to replace one that has outlived its usefulness.

Eleven hangars at the airport are owned privately by pilots who live in Waterville, Winslow, Sidney, Belgrade, Palermo and other surrounding communities and have smaller planes such as Cessnas and Pipers.

John Brier, a retired commercial pilot for United Airlines, owns a hangar that houses an Ercoupe, a two-seater plane he flies with an open cockpit. His is one of more than 27 private planes kept at the airport.

Brier, 74, lives in Oakland in the summer and Florida in the winter. He also has a plane in Florida.

“I call this my full-service (fixed-base operator),” Brier said of LaFleur airport. “I come here every day. I have my coffee. I read the newspaper every day. I’m very happy here. They do a tremendous job.”

Brier praised Marshall and the city for improvements made to the airport.

“This guy headed it up,” he said of Marshall, who also is a call firefighter for both Waterville and Oakland.

GETTING BUSIER

The airport’s main runway was reconstructed in May and June with a $4.3 million Federal Aviation Administration grant, as well as $214,000 from the city and $214,000 from the state. The project came in $300,000 under budget. The airport was closed May 4 to July 2 for the work, which was contracted to Lane Construction, of Westbrook. R A Paradis & Son, of Newport, was the subcontractor.

About 5,500 feet long and 100 feet wide, it also got new running and approach lights, signs, navigational aids and underdrains as part of the project. The 2,300-by-60-foot crosswind runway was reconstructed in 2012 for about $900,000. In addition to rebuilding the main runway this year, the airport worked with the state and partnered with other airports to seal LaFleur’s taxiways.

The airport, which has a full instrument landing system, is noticeably more active than it was three years ago.

Black Bear Aviation, owned by Kevin Dauphinee, is on site with four employees performing aircraft maintenance, painting, sales and repair. Air New England, a charter service, also is on site, and AirLink LLC offers a flight school and scenic flights. The two businesses, owned by Klaus Thalinger, employ five people. Marshall and the airport’s maintenance technician, Ed Lively, are employed by the city full time, and line service specialist Mike Brown works part time.

The Maine-themed main terminal, which just a few years ago was dark and dingy, gleams with pine walls and counters, a leather sofa, a propane fireplace, television and a small gift shop.

The main hangar, previously used for cold storage for airplanes, was busy Thursday afternoon, with Black Bear staff members repairing, painting and/or detailing several aircraft, including a red-and-white Beechcraft Bonanza.

“A lot of the new equipment we purchased is over here,” Marshall said, motioning to the north end of the hangar.

His 8-year-old golden retriever, Molly, at his side, Marshall pointed out the new or refurbished equipment, including a ground power unit that provides power to aircraft for heating and air conditioning, a de-icing machine, a laboratory cart that sucks sewage out of airplane bathrooms and an aircraft tug.

“This is all equipment that enables us to operate efficiently throughout the year,” Marshall said.

In the corner, Black Bear and airport workers were sharing tools, including a drill press and a grinder.

“The whole idea behind everything we’ve been trying to do is partner with businesses, to let them grow and the airport grow,” Marshall said.

Also in the main terminal, airport employees proctor computer-based tests in a secure setting for PSI Testing Services, a national company that tests people in the medical, engineering, construction and real estate fields, and the airport gets revenue from the activity.

ROOM TO GROW

Dauphinee, the owner of Black Bear, moved his business to LaFleur from Dexter in 2013. On any given day, his business might be doing maintenance on several aircraft in the main hangar, he said. The company also has two aircraft it rents out for flights.

Black Bear has a lot of local clients, but on Thursday the staff was working on planes from Alaska, Vermont, New Hampshire and South Carolina. In some cases, aircraft owners fly their planes to Waterville to be worked on; but Dauphinee also retrieves airplanes from their home bases and flies them to LaFleur for maintenance, repairs or overhauls.

He said his business has grown a lot since moving to Waterville.

“It’s great — can’t beat it,” he said. “It’s a great location. The new runway and all that is going to help out quite a bit.”

Dauphinee, whose 3-year-old German short-haired dog, Willy, wanders about the terminal, said the airport is continuing to draw more users.

“I think it’s come a long way, and the self-serve fuel is great. I really think this is going to be a top contender in the state for a destination airport,” he said.

Marshall said the number of aircraft flying into the airport varies.

“I’ve had times when I’ve had more than 20 jets on our ramp — all private jets,” he said. “Our busier season is April through September, with the busiest time in the summer. When people fly here, they’re not only spending money at the airport, they’re utilizing our hotels, our restaurants, our local shops, rental car companies. They’re spending money in our communities. If we weren’t here, that money would be spent in somebody else’s community.”

City Manager Mike Roy said he thinks the Great Recession stymied air traffic in and out of the airport, “but I think we’re climbing out of that.”

Roy also complimented Marshall on the work he has done.

“A big part of the airport’s resurgence, I think, is due to the fact that we have Randy there. We now have someone full time as an airport manager where we didn’t in the past. We have somebody who wakes up every day thinking, ‘How can we make the airport better?'”

BREAKING EVEN

Last year, the airport spent $25,000 on property and airfield maintenance, $100,000 on personnel costs and $80,000 to $100,000 on annual operating expenses.

Marshall said the goal is to offset operating expenses, and that’s nearly happened in recent years.

“The ideology behind it is to build the airport into the economic generator that will attract businesses to Waterville,” he said. “We’re not breaking even yet.”

Last year, the airport lost about $100,000; but five or six years ago, it operated at a deficit of $130,000 to $150,000 and had nothing to show for it, according to Marshall.

“Now we’re operating at a fraction of the expense to the taxpayers, have a lot to show and a lot to offer.”

Roy, the city manager, agreed that the airport spent $100,000 more than it took in last year to provide services, but that is expected to change.

“We’re certainly hoping to close that gap,” he said. “Our goal is to close that gap between expenses and revenues so it become self-supporting and even revenue producing.”

Marshall points to the airport’s convenient location in central Maine, as well as other assets that will help spur growth.

“Interstate 95 is here. We have a facility that is not only welcoming, it’s safe, it’s efficient, and we have the equipment to serve the airport and proper training to operate safely,” he said. “There isn’t an inch of this airport that we haven’t gone over.”

In addition to a goal of breaking even, the airport hopes one day to have a restaurant on site, and there is room for a lot more hangars, according to Marshall.

“What I’d love to see is private investment,” Marshall said. “It’d be nice to see corporate hangars and aircraft based here.”

Staffs at other airports have been calling Marshall, seeking guidance and advice on issues he has already dealt with at LaFleur.

“It’s a good feeling,” he said. “We’ve become a leader in the general aviation community in terms of how we operate our facility.”

Story and photo gallery:  https://www.centralmaine.com

Ken Vautour, an aircraft mechanic with Black Bear Aviation, works on a Beechcraft airplane Thursday at Robert LaFleur Municipal Airport, the city-owned airport in Waterville. 

Randy Marshall, airport manager of Robert LaFleur Municipal Airport, stands at the ticketing counter Thursday with his dog, Molly, in Waterville. 

Randy Marshall, left, airport manager at Robert LaFleur Municipal Airport, watches as his dog, Molly, greets John Brier on Thursday in the lobby of the city-owned airport in Waterville. 

North Star Aviation getting high-tech planes for students • Equipment similar to that of airlines

MANKATO — Students in Minnesota State University's burgeoning flight school will soon be able to take to the skies with some of the same technology as new airliners.

North Star Aviation, the exclusive flight training partner of MSU, is buying two new twin-engine Piper Seminoles equipped with state of the art Garmin 1000 flat panel technology. Each of the aircraft will feature fully coupled auto-pilots, flight directors and Jeppview navigation and approach overlays.

The Seminoles will be delivered later this month and two new Piper Warriors will come in February.

"These will be the first coupled with auto-pilot," said Mark Smith, President of Northstar, which is based at the Mankato airport. He said the advanced navigation and approach overlays in the planes give pilots a much better situational view of where they are at as the plane comes in on auto pilot.

"If you're on instrument approach it shows vertical and horizontal positions on approach so you have no doubt where you're at. It's comparable to what the new airline cockpits look like. Fifteen years ago you could never have imagined that they could have these kinds of things in the lighter aircraft."

Northstar has long done the flight training for students while they're getting their classroom training at the university. There are about 180 students in the program with about 100 actively flying, most at least weekly.

"This will be the busiest flight year I've had in 24 years. These (plane) purchases are solely to support the MSU program."

He said demand for pilots continues to be strong and is expected to grow in coming years as more pilots retire. "We had an orientation recently and there were five airlines that showed up to recruit graduates. I've never seen that before."

Smith declined to reveal the cost of the planes other than to say, "They're very expensive," but he suggested a Google search would probably give a person a ballpark idea. (A two year old Piper Seminole, without the newest technology in the cockpit, was being offered in one advertisement for $625,000.)

The new planes, all four-seaters, will also have real-time weather to give pilots up to date radar and a full complement of weather conditions throughout North America.

The addition of the four aircraft will increase the flight training fleet to (11) Warriors, (3) Seminoles and (1) Cessna 152.

Jean Haar, dean of the college of education at MSU said, “The addition of these aircraft increases our ability to fully prepare students to become highly skilled, qualified professional pilots. It also demonstrates the commitment North Star Aviation has made to meeting the needs of our students and our aviation program.”

Source:  http://www.mankatofreepress.com

Unknown or Undetermined: Cessna TU206G Turbo, N206HL; accident occurred October 02, 2015 near Fall City Airport (1WA6), King County, Washington

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

Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Renton, Washington
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Continental Motors Inc; Mobile, Alabama

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/N206HL 

Location: Fall City, WA
Accident Number: WPR16LA003
Date & Time: 10/02/2015, 1835 PDT
Registration: N206HL
Aircraft: CESSNA TU206G
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Unknown or undetermined
Injuries: 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On October 2, 2015, about 1835 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna TU206G, N206HL, impacted terrain about 1 mile southeast from the Fall City Airport (1WA6), Fall City, Washington. The private pilot was seriously injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to Global Ventures, Inc., and the pilot was operating it as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that originated from the Portland-Hillsboro Airport (HIO), Portland, Oregon about 1700. The flight was destined for 1WA6.

According to records provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the airplane was initially on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan to Boeing Field/King County International Airport (BFI), Seattle, Washington. The pilot cancelled the IFR flight plan with air traffic controllers, and then proceeded under visual flight rules (VFR) to 1WA6. The pilot had no further radio contact with any air traffic facilities.

Emergency responders reported that they received a call regarding a downed airplane that had come to rest behind the Fall City Beach Grill. They reported that the wings were damaged, and the left fuel tank had ruptured, and fuel was leaking.

FAA inspectors responded to the accident site. They stated that the engine mounts and engine separated from the firewall and the nose landing gear fork had sheared.

A postaccident engine examination was accomplished under the auspices of the FAA, and Continental Motors Inc. The visual examination revealed no holes in the crankcase. The engine remained attached to the airframe through the engine mounts; it sustained minor impact damage. The propeller assembly remained attached to the crankshaft. Two of the propeller blades had aft bending and chord wise scratches while the third blade was not damaged. The exhaust system remained attached and secured to the cylinders and turbocharger. No leaks were noted with the induction system. Both magnetos remained attached and secured to their respective mounting pads on the engine; spark was obtained at the posts for both magnetos. The spark plugs remained secured to their cylinders and ignition leads. The number 2 top spark plug displayed a significant amount of combustion deposits on the electrode, as well as a broken insulator. The other spark plugs displayed normal operating and wear signatures.

The propeller was removed from the crankshaft, and the crankshaft was rotated using a hand tool. Valve train and mechanical continuity was established, and thumb compression was obtained during manual rotation. The crankshaft was corroded aft of the propeller flange just forward of the crankshaft seal.

With the exception of the number 2-cylinder top spark plug, there were no other anomalies noted with the engine that would have precluded normal operation.

The pilot did not return NTSB form 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report. Multiple attempts were made to contact the pilot to determine what the nature of the emergency was that he had encountered while en route to 1WA6; however, he did not respond.

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 39, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land; Single-engine Sea
Seat Occupied: Left
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: 04/01/2015
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 
Flight Time: 0 hours (Total, all aircraft), 0 hours (Total, this make and model) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Registration: N206HL
Model/Series: TU206G
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1993
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: U20604986
Landing Gear Type: Unknown
Seats:
Date/Type of Last Inspection:
Certified Max Gross Wt.:
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines:
Airframe Total Time:
Engine Manufacturer:
ELT:
Engine Model/Series:
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power:
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: RTN, 140 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site:
Observation Time: 1830 PDT
Direction from Accident Site:
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  6 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 800 ft agl
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 15 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: 160°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.05 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 13°C / 12°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: Moderate - Mist
Departure Point:
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Destination: Fall City, WA
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time:
Type of Airspace:

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 47.559444, -121.863611 (est)

NTSB Identification: WPR16LA003
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, October 02, 2015 in Fall City, WA
Aircraft: CESSNA TU206G, registration: N206HL
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 October 2, 2015, about 1835 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna TU206G, N206HL, impacted terrain for unknown reasons about 1 mile from the Fall City Airport (1WA6), Fall City, Washington. Global Ventures, Inc., owned the airplane, which the pilot operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 91. The pilot, the sole occupant, was seriously injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that departed an unknown location. The pilot was destined for 1WA6.

According to first responders, the airplane had come to rest behind the Fall City Beach Grill. The wings had been extensively damaged and the left fuel tank had ruptured.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector responded to the accident site. He stated that the engine mounts and engine separated from the firewall and the nose landing gear fork had sheared.

The airplane was recovered for further examination.

There were some frightening moments for a pilot and witnesses on the ground as a small plane crashed-landed into a field near the Fall City Bistro and the busy SR 202/SR 203 roundabout, Friday evening, October 2, 2015.

The single-engine Cessna 206 made a crash landing around 6:30PM. Residents of the area sad the pilot did a good job avoiding wires, the highway, roundabout and and the restaurant.

Witnesses on the ground helped get the pilot, who was the only person aboard, out of the plane until aid crews arrived and took the man to a nearby hospital.
The King County Sheriff’s Office said pilot suffered non-life threatening injuries. Witnesses in the area reported being told the man had a compound leg fracture.

According to the Seattle Times, patrons of the Fall City Bistro reported hearing a boom and then saw the plane crash-land in the adjacent field.  An employee of the popular restaurant helped the injured pilot.

The was no word as to the cause of the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate.

Source:  http://www.livingsnoqualmie.com 

FALL CITY, Wash. -- The pilot of a small airplane suffered significant injuries Friday night when he crashed in a field in Fall City. 

The crash was reported just before 6:30 p.m. in the 4000 block of Fall City-Carnation Rd SE, according to the King County sheriff's office.

The pilot, who was the only person on board, suffered a compound fracture when his Cessna 206 went down.

Jonathan Borth, manager at the nearby Fall City Bistro, was standing in the kitchen and looking out the window when he saw the plane crash. Borth, who is a former Marine, immediately ran outside to help.

"As he hit the ground I hit the ground running out there," he said. "When I got there another gentleman was pulling him out."

Danielle Schleiffers also helped rescue the pilot. She was driving when she saw the plane coming down right in front of her.

"I saw him and he seemed to kind of lose some kind of control where he was wobbling back and forth and then he just nose-dived into the field and did a somersault," she said.

Like Borth, Schleiffers didn't hesitate and immediately acted to save the pilot.

"I was kind of on auto pilot," she said. "There was no hesitation. We gotta get him out. We moved him about 100 yards to make sure there was no fire danger."

Medics arrived soon after and transported the pilot to a local hospital, according to the sheriff's office. His injuries are not considered life threatening. No one else was injured.

Ian Gregor with the Federal Aviation Administration said his agency will investigate the crash.

Source:  http://www.komonews.com

Potomac Highlands Airport Authority Hopes To Secure Vintage Airplane From Cumberland

The Potomac Highlands Airport Authority and Experimental Aircraft Association are entertaining the idea of moving a T-33 aircraft currently sitting in Cumberland’s Constitution Park to a site at the Greater Cumberland Regional Airport.

Airport manager Ryan Shaffer said recently that the City of Cumberland is wanting to move the aircraft from the park in order to construct a skate park.

Plans are for the Experimental Aircraft Association to put the plane somewhere near the hangar they rent at the airport.

PHAA member Nicole Myers, who is also a Cumberland City Council member, said however that she would like to see it “out front for everyone to see".

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

Incident occurred October 03, 2015 near Middleton Municipal Airport (C29), Dane County, Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - No one was injured when a small plane made an emergency landing in a Dane County field.

The Dane County Sheriff's Office says it got a report of a possible plane crash Saturday morning in the town of Berry. The report came in after the plane's pilot indicated he was having engine problems - then lost contact with air traffic controllers.

The 30-year-old pilot was able to land safely in the field.

The Cessna 172 plane was not damaged, and after the pilot got some fuel, he was able to take off from the field and land safely at Middleton Municipal Airport, about 8 miles away.

He and his passenger were traveling to the Madison area from Montevideo, Minnesota.

Source:  http://www.kttc.com

Piedmont Airlines Expanding Its Fleet, Adding Salisbury, Maryland, Jobs

SALISBURY, Md. (AP) - Piedmont Airlines is expanding its workforce in Salisbury as the air carrier enlarges its fleet. Piedmont is adding 20 jets to its existing stock of 37 turboprop airplanes. The jets come from American Airlines, which merged in 2013 with Piedmont's then-parent company, US Airways.

Piedmont spokeswoman Jackie Jennings says that Piedmont has already added a dozen new employees at its Wicomico Regional Airport headquarters.

Jennings says the company expects to receive its first Embraer 145 regional jet in October. The jets will fly on select routes out of Philadelphia beginning in early 2016.

Piedmont is also expanding its offices into the David J. Ward terminal building. The company renovated the space to house administrative staff and ground-support equipment staff.

Source:  http://www.wboc.com

Worker Electrocuted on Kemepegowda International Airport Runway

BENGALURU: A 20-year-old electrical assistant was electrocuted after he was hit by 5,000 volts while attending to maintenance work of the runway lights at the Kemepegowda International Airport on Thursday night. The victim Madhan Kumar was a resident of Kadarappanahalli and was employed with Vasuki, an electrical firm.

According to the police, the incident occurred at around 10.15 pm.

“Madhan Kumar, along with his newly joined colleague, Mahesh, went to junction spots numbered 2 and 7. Madhan was taking the meter readings and was explaining to Mahesh about the readings when his right hand came in contact with a live wire accidentally and he got electrocuted,” a police officer said.

“Mahesh ran to his office and informed his supervisors who in turn alerted the MS Ramaiah Clinic at the airport. The medicos shifted him to the clinic where he was declared dead,” the officer added.

“The runway lights are powerful. There was an exit wound on his left hand,” the officer added.

 The international airport police have booked the management of Vasuki for negligence.

Source:  http://www.newindianexpress.com

Victory pilots honor veterans with flyovers

Pilots and friends gather in Victory. From left are Eddie Dates, Lauren Dates, Jamie Young, Lee Jackson, Rusty Burtch and Toby Shields.

There is a group of airplane pilots in the town of Victory and nearby vicinity who serve the public and fellow veterans by participating in flyovers on Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Over the years, the pilots and friends have included Lauren Dates, Rusty Burtch, Lee Jackson, Jay Robinson, Toby Shields, Jamie Young and Edmund Dates. They also have a formation for flying over a cemetery during burial services for local veterans. The group does over 20 of these memorial flyovers a year.

Recently, some of these men attended the Blakesburg (Iowa) Fly-In Sept. 2-7. It is billed as a “low-key affair” for those who love antique airplanes and grassroots aviation. The event is sponsored by the Antique Airplane Association and the Airpower Museum. Blakesburg is in southeastern Iowa and the airfield is a private airstrip between Ottumwa and Albia. It is chartered on the Chicago sectional as IA27. The all-grass strip is 2,350 feet long, where you can see antique or classic airplanes taking off and landing during the fly-in.

The pilots (and the website) describe the experience there as a place to tell about your flight out to Blakesburg and as time to swap flying stories. You can catch a ride in your dream plane or maybe give a ride to a fellow pilot. One can browse the treasures at the fly-in market where there are parts, instruments, engines and airframe bits. You can visit the Air Power Museum and the Library of Flight, which has old magazines and equipment manuals. You can take photos of beautiful airplane landings and watch the runway action. There are haywagon rides and you can walk the display line of aircraft as new airplanes fly in every day.

There is a rare aviation book vendor on site, and you can sign up to get air-to-air photos of your plane at sunrise and sunset. The runway cinema has movies to be watched for those who want to settle in for a couple of hours!

On the last day of this low-key Americana event, a memorial service is held for the AAA members to pay their respects for those members who have “gone home” or “gone west,” as it is described. All of our pilots landed back home safely!

Of special note coming up is the presentation of an auspicious award to Mr. George McRae, uncle of Mrs. Lauren Dates (Laurie). George will be receiving the FAA Charles Taylor Award in October for service as an Airframe Powerplant mechanic for 50 years. George, 96 years young, has actually been in this service for 72 years. Congratulations on this well-deserved award!

Source:  http://auburnpub.com