Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Lancair Super ES, N817PR: Fatal accident occurred October 26, 2015 in Pascagoula, Mississippi


Pilot Ron Gregory


Dexter Brewer

Gerald Miletello


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

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Pearl, Mississippi 

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

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

Aircraft previously registered as N808PX: http://registry.faa.gov/N808PX


Location: Pascagoula, MS
Accident Number: ERA16LA028
Date & Time: 10/26/2015, 1237 CDT
Registration: N817PR
Aircraft: SCHUMACHER Lancair Super ES
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: Windshear or thunderstorm
Injuries: 3 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Business 

On October 26, 2015, about 1237 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Lancair Super ES, N817PR, was destroyed when it impacted the Gulf Coast waters of the Mississippi Sound near Pascagoula, Mississippi. The bodies of the commercial pilot and two passengers were not recovered and are presumed fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The airplane departed from Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT), Gulfport, Mississippi, about 1220, and was destined for Summerville Airport (DYB), Summerville, South Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the departure airport, and no flight plan had been filed.

According to information obtained from a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector and witnesses, the airplane was based at Monroe Regional Airport (MLU), Monroe, Louisiana. In addition, the pilot rented a hangar for the airplane at South Arkansas Regional Airport, El Dorado, Arkansas. Earlier on the day of the accident, the pilot flew to Ruston, Louisiana (RSN) to pick up one passenger and then to GPT to pick up the second passenger. According to the wife of one of the passengers, the pilot was flying the passengers to South Carolina to attend a business meeting. Before departure from GPT, the pilot stated to air traffic controllers that he intended to take some pictures in the local area and then continue to "Daytona Beach." The controller subsequently stated "D-Y-B is that where you're going?" and the pilot replied "affirmative." The airplane departed from runway 14 at GPT, made a left turn to the northeast at the Gulfport shoreline, and climbed to an altitude of 2,000 ft mean sea level (msl). About 1226, the pilot requested and was approved to terminate air traffic control flight following. There were no further communications between the pilot and air traffic control.

After the pilot terminated flight following, the airplane's transponder code changed to 1200, and the pilot made a right turn to the southeast. The last recorded radar target with an associated altitude was at 1234:37, at an altitude of 2,800 ft msl. Additional primary radar targets consistent with the airplane continued to about 1237; they showed the airplane turn to the northeast and ended with the airplane located over the Mississippi Sound, about 10 miles south of the Trent Lott International Airport (PQL), Pascagoula, Mississippi. The airplane's estimated groundspeed over the last 45 seconds of the primary target data was about 160 knots.

Fragmented debris associated with the airplane was subsequently found on a beach located about 9 miles northwest of the last radar target and along additional coastal areas. The debris included the rudder and a substantial portion of the vertical stabilizer. A section of the empennage was located in the water about 3 miles northwest of the last radar target.

The recovered wreckage was severely fragmented, and significant portions of the airplane, including the engine and propeller were not recovered (see figure 1). The recovered debris was examined by an FAA inspector; however, given the limited wreckage and its condition, the inspector was not able to determine the preimpact mechanical condition of the airplane.


Figure 1. Airplane Wreckage in Hangar. 


The registration number N817PR was visible on the recovered wreckage. A search of the FAA aircraft registry database revealed that the registration number N817PR was not assigned to any airplane. A pilot operating handbook with the registration number N808PX was located among the recovered debris. A representative from the pilot's family confirmed that the airplane had been previously registered as N808PX. FAA records revealed that N808PX was issued a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category on October 9, 2003, and it was purchased by the pilot through a limited liability company in August 2006.

The four-seat, fixed-landing gear, composite airplane was equipped with a 310-horsepower Continental IO-550 engine. According to maintenance records, the airplane's most recent condition inspection was performed on March 17, 2015. At that time, the airplane had been operated for about 640 hours.

The weather reported at PQL at 1237 included wind from 110° at 15 knots with 25-knot gusts, visibility 4 statute miles in light rain and mist, scattered clouds at 800 ft above ground level (agl), ceiling broken at 1,200 ft agl, overcast at 2,100 ft agl, temperature 23°C, dew point 22°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.73 inches of mercury.

There were active weather advisories for convective activity and instrument meteorological conditions for the area around the airplane's last known position. The wife of one of the passengers reported that she spoke with her husband while the airplane was on the ground at GPT, and he told her that the pilot intended to fly along the coast to avoid "the worst of the weather."

Overlaying the airplane's flight track on a photograph of the Mobile, Alabama, weather surveillance radar at 1235 (see figure 2) shows that the airplane flew along the leading edge of echoes of 5 to 15 dBZ (light intensity echoes) and was approaching an area of echoes from 40 to 50 dBZ (heavy intensity echoes) when radar contact was lost.



Figure 2. Weather Surveillance Radar with Radar Flight Track Overlay.

There was no record that the pilot obtained an official weather briefing for the accident flight. It could not be determined if the pilot obtained weather information from any additional sources.

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. The pilot's logbook was not located. An airplane flight log was recovered from a seatback that was found on a beach. Several of the pages were water damaged, and the most recent page showed 13 flights recorded by the pilot between June 28, 2015, and September 16, 2015, which totaled 57.3 flight hours. The pilot reported 4,441 hours of total flight experience on his most recent application for an FAA third-class medical certificate, which was issued on September 26, 2014. He reported no chronic medical conditions and no recent medications to the FAA at that time.

Review of personal medical records for the pilot revealed a history of rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, high cholesterol, and a mood disorder. In 2013, he had a diagnosis of severe coronary artery disease that required stents to reopen the left anterior descending coronary artery. He had a narrowing of the opening to that vessel that was not amenable to stenting and had persistent angina. In addition, he had heartburn and bleeding in his gastrointestinal tract diagnosed in January 2015. At the time of the accident, his prescribed medications that are not generally considered impairing were miralax, naproxen, prednisone, ranexa, esomeprazole, losartan, metoprolol, isosorbide, atorvastatin, donepezil, lamotrigine, and leflunomide. Prescribed medications that are potentially impairing were carbamazepine, cyclobenzaprine, tizanidine, clonazepam, and alprazolam. No autopsy or toxicology testing was performed as the pilot's body was not recovered. 

Pilot Information

Certificate: Commercial
Age: 68, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Unknown
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Unknown
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 09/26/2014
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: 4441 hours (Total, all aircraft) 



Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: SCHUMACHER
Registration: N817PR
Model/Series: Lancair Super ES
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2003
Amateur Built: Yes
Airworthiness Certificate: Experimental
Serial Number: ES106
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 03/17/2015, Condition
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 3200 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time:  640 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Continental
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: IO-550-N10
Registered Owner: Roofmasters LLC.
Rated Power: 310 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None




Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Instrument Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: PQL, 17 ft msl
Observation Time: 1237 CDT
Distance from Accident Site: 9 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 0°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 800 ft agl
Temperature/Dew Point: 23°C / 22°C
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 1200 ft agl
Visibility:  4 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 15 knots/ 25 knots, 110°
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 29.73 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: Light - Mist; Light - Rain
Departure Point: Gulfport, MS (GPT)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: SUMMERVILLE, SC (DYB)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1220 CDT
Type of Airspace: Class G 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 2 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 3 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude:  30.305833, -88.530556 (est)


A photograph of Dexter Brewer, a photo of the Lancair Super ES recovered debris and a map plotting the wreckage are among the items diver Mark Michaud of Slidell has gathered since Brewer and two other men went missing in a plane crash in the Mississippi Sound in October 2015.




NTSB Identification: ERA16LA028
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, October 26, 2015 in Pascagoula, MS
Aircraft: SCHUMACHER Lancair Super ES, registration: N817PR
Injuries: 3 Fatal.

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

On October 26, 2015, about 1237 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Lancair Super ES, N817PR, operated by a private individual, was presumed destroyed after it impacted the Mississippi Sound, in the vicinity of Pascagoula, Mississippi. The commercial pilot and two passengers were presumed fatally injured. The airplane departed from Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT), Gulfport, Mississippi, about 1220. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the departure airport. No flight plan had been filed for the personal flight that was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to preliminary information obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the airplane was owned by the pilot and based at Monroe Regional Airport (MLU), Monroe, Louisiana. Earlier in the day, the pilot flew from MLU to Ruston, Louisiana (RSN) to pick up one passenger, and then to GPT to pick up the second passenger. According to the wife of one of the passengers, the pilot was flying the occupants to South Carolina to attend a business meeting. Prior to departure from GPT, the pilot stated to air traffic controllers that he intended to take some pictures in the local area and then continue to "Daytona Beach." The airplane departed from runway 14 at GPT, made a left turn to the northeast at the Gulfport shoreline, and climbed to an altitude of 2,000 feet mean sea level (msl). About 1226, the pilot requested and was approved to terminate air traffic control flight following. The airplane's transponder code changed to "1200" and the pilot made a right turn to the southeast. The last recorded radar target with an associated altitude was at 1234:37, at an altitude of 2,800 feet msl; however, additional radar targets consistent with the accident airplane continued to about 1237, with the airplane located over the Mississippi Sound, about 10 miles south of the Trent Lott International Airport (PQL), Pascagoula, Mississippi. Fragmented debris associated with the airplane was subsequently found on a beach located about 9 miles northwest of the last radar target. A section of the empennage was located in the water about 3 miles northwest of the last radar target.  The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident. 

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office;  Pearl, Mississippi 

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

Aircraft previously registered as N808PX: http://registry.faa.gov/N808PX


NTSB Identification: ERA16LA028
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, October 26, 2015 in Pascagoula, MS
Aircraft: SCHUMACHER Lancair Super ES, registration: N817PR
Injuries: 3 Fatal.

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

On October 26, 2015, about 1237 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Lancair Super ES, N817PR, operated by a private individual, was presumed destroyed after it impacted the Mississippi Sound, in the vicinity of Pascagoula, Mississippi. The commercial pilot and two passengers were presumed fatally injured. The airplane departed from Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT), Gulfport, Mississippi, about 1220. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the departure airport. No flight plan had been filed for the personal flight that was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to preliminary information obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the airplane was owned by the pilot and based at Monroe Regional Airport (MLU), Monroe, Louisiana. Earlier in the day, the pilot flew from MLU to Ruston, Louisiana (RSN) to pick up one passenger, and then to GPT to pick up the second passenger. According to the wife of one of the passengers, the pilot was flying the occupants to South Carolina to attend a business meeting. Prior to departure from GPT, the pilot stated to air traffic controllers that he intended to take some pictures in the local area and then continue to "Daytona Beach." The airplane departed from runway 14 at GPT, made a left turn to the northeast at the Gulfport shoreline, and climbed to an altitude of 2,000 feet mean sea level (msl). About 1226, the pilot requested and was approved to terminate air traffic control flight following. The airplane's transponder code changed to "1200" and the pilot made a right turn to the southeast. The last recorded radar target with an associated altitude was at 1234:37, at an altitude of 2,800 feet msl; however, additional radar targets consistent with the accident airplane continued to about 1237, with the airplane located over the Mississippi Sound, about 10 miles south of the Trent Lott International Airport (PQL), Pascagoula, Mississippi. Fragmented debris associated with the airplane was subsequently found on a beach located about 9 miles northwest of the last radar target. A section of the empennage was located in the water about 3 miles northwest of the last radar target. 



Dexter Brewer

Gerald Miletello





As of November 4, 2015, personnel from the United States Coast Guard and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources had not located the occupants.

A search of the FAA aircraft registry database revealed that "N817PR" was not an active registration. A pilot operating handbook with the registration "N808PX" was located among the debris. A representative from the pilot's family confirmed that the airplane had been previously registered as N808PX. Federal Aviation Administration records revealed that the accident airplane was issued a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category on October 9, 2003, and it was purchased by the pilot through a limited liability company during August 2006.

The pilot reported 4,441 hours of total flight experience on his most recent application for an FAA third-class medical certificate, which was issued on September 26, 2014.

The weather reported at PQL at 1237, included wind from 110 degrees at 15 knots, with 25 knot gusts, visibility 4 miles in light rain and mist, scattered clouds at 800 feet above ground level, ceiling broken at 1,200 feet, overcast at 2,100 feet, temperature 23 degrees C, dew point 22 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.73 inches of Hg.

In addition, there were active weather advisors for convective activity and instrument meteorological conditions for the area around the airplane's last known position. The wife of one of the passengers reported that while on the ground at GPT, her husband stated that the pilot intended to fly along the coast to avoid "the worst of the weather."


JACKSON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) - On a stormy afternoon in October, a small plane crashed into the Mississippi Sound, killing the three men aboard. One year later, the search continues for the remains of the victims. And despite the passage of time, the searchers may be getting close.

"In some ways, it feels like it was just yesterday, you know," said Tina Cook of Saucier, "And in some ways, feels like it's been forever."

Cook lost the love of her life on that fateful day. Her husband, Dexter Brewer, was a passenger on the plane which plunged into the Mississippi Sound.

Though significant pieces of the wreckage were found, the remains of the victims were never recovered.

"I'm just appreciative that we're still looking. That I still have help. That we have Mark and that he's not giving up. That the DMR and other people working with us have not given up," said Cook.

"This is the critical piece that I looked at," said Mark Michaud, as he pointed to a photograph of recovered wreckage. "You can see, there's your tail. It has the numbers on it."

Michaud is an underwater recovery expert who’s been working with the family.

He is convinced the remaining portion of plane wreckage, along with the victims' remains, are located beneath the bottom of the sound, embedded in the mud at the spot where the plane went down; the same place the Coast Guard recovered a large tail piece.

"Maybe a piece of the starboard or right side of the cabin. Forward of the wing, and the engine. And of course, the remains. The bones of the three men that were onboard that aircraft," he said.

"We've done our homework and we think now that we have the information that we need to finally be able to bring Dexter home," said Cook, "And that's the goal of all this, to be able to bring him and the other two guys home."

Dexter Brewer's father is longing for some closure.

"Well, I hope so. I appreciate what everybody's been doing for it, you know," said Pettis Brewer.

"We're not going to go away, we're not going to back down. We're going to keep on going until we bring him home," said Tina Cook.

Story and photo gallery:   http://www.wlox.com








JACKSON COUNTY -- A team of five volunteers from Texas EquuSearch came to South Mississippi to help find a downed plane, its pilot and two passengers, all presumed dead.

"We've got some equipment that is more high-tech than what they had been using in the search," Tim Miller, founder of the search group, said. "Our sonar units are more up to date, and I think we have a lot more experience."

Miller and a team of four others got into town Sunday. On Monday, they launched a drone over the water near Ocean Springs where a portion of the plane's tail was found. The drone will help determine areas to focus on in their search.

The group went out as weather and water conditions allowed Monday on a 28-foot Carolina skiff and a 24-foot Skully.

Gerald Miletello, of West Monroe, La., Dexter Brown, of Saucier, and pilot Ron Gregory have been missing since their Lancair single-engine aircraft disappeared Oct. 26, just minutes after takeoff from the Million Air terminal at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. Air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane around 12:30 p.m. and the plane's last known location was 3.5 miles south of Pascagoula over the water.

Miletello's wife, Pam Miletello, has pleaded with the public to continue the search for their loved ones.

The search and recovery mission was suspended days after the plane went down. A portion of the tail of the aircraft was found shortly after the search began when it washed ashore at an Ocean Springs beach.

Miller said the families reached out to them for help.

Once Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell agreed to bring in assistance, he said the group headed to Mississippi. He said they arrived Sunday.

The Jackson County Sheriff's Flotilla has also continued its search despite the official search and recovery missing being called off.

Miller said he and his team got in town Sunday. They launched their first boat shortly before noon Monday.

Miller formed the non-profit search group after his daughter, Laura, was abducted in North Galveston County in Texas in 1984. Miller said police treated the case like a runaway and he couldn't find anyone to help him find his daughter. Seventeen months passed before someone found Miller's daughter and two other girls murdered 2 1/2 miles from Miller's home. There was never an arrest.

"I know firsthand what these families go through," he said. "It was a long torcherous 17 months before my daughter was found by accident. I remember every bit of those 17 months of helplessness, hopelessness and fear. I just made a promise to God and Laura that I'd never leave a family alone if there is anything we can do. We've got more rescues than law enforcement agencies."

Miller said their search team has found two downed planes over the years, one in New York and one in Texas. In New York they found the bodies of three people inside the plane, and they found one body in the Texas plane.

The group has also searched for missing persons in various high-profile cases, including the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba.

"I've been to Aruba nine times," he said.

The group has been involved in more than 1,320 searches in 42 states along with various other searches in other countries. The group's efforts have resulted in the recovery of remains of 140 missing people. In addition, they have found more than 300 missing persons.

"We want to bring closure to these families," Miller said.

The Coast Guard and other response crews searched early-on an area that covered 3,500 square miles. That search was later suspended.

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com

















The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report on a Mississippi plane crash that is believed to have claimed the lives of three men, two from Monroe and West Monroe.

According to the NTSB report, the plane was owned by a pilot Ron Gregory from Monroe.

On October 26 Gregory flew to Ruston to pick up another passenger, Gerald Miletello of West Monroe, and then to Gulfport to pick up Dexter Brewer. They were headed to South Carolina on a business trip.

According to the report, there were active weather advisors in the area around the plane's last known position.

The report state's that the wife of one of the passengers told her the pilot intended to fly along the coast to avoid "the worst of the weather."

On October 29, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for the plane and passengers. 

Dr. Vernon Asper with his Rutan Defiant experimental aircraft. 


JACKSON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -  

Still no sign of three men who have been missing since their plane disappeared on Monday in Jackson County. 

As the Department of Marine Resources continues its search and recovery efforts, volunteers from the University of Southern Mississippi are taking to the water and sky to help look for the missing aircraft.

The search field for the missing plane covers a lot of water. 

When it comes to water, University of Southern Mississippi has a deep knowledge base.

USM's Gulf Coast Research Lab didn't hesitate to offer its services when hearing about the missing plane. 

The university loaned boats, sonar and more to the search.

According to director of external relations Pam Moeller researchers at the university can help in unique ways.

"If they have the location of a debris site or anything, they can map the currents of the ocean and wind and kind of back out from that where the particular debris came from," said Moeller.

This data is used to create computer models to aid in the search.

"Which is really useful because it lets the searchers know an idea of where we think the currents are going," said USM marine science professor Dr. Vernon Asper. 

Dr. Asper adds another depth, or height, to USM's help in the search.  He is volunteering his personal, experimental aircraft to take trips over the search site now that the flight restrictions have been suspended. 

He hopes his efforts will help to bring a sense of closure to the case and the families involved.

"The family has asked for everybody to do what they can, and this is what I can do," said Asper.

He also hopes to help shed light on what happened, so that other pilots can learn from the incident.

"The pilot was a very sharp cookie. He knew a lot more probably about flying than I do, and yet, something went wrong," said Asper.

What went wrong remains a mystery, but that may be something that USM's efforts could change.

According to Moeller and Asper, Gulf Coast Research Lab will continue to offer its services as long as the Department of Marine Resources needs.

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


JACKSON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) - On a stormy afternoon in October, a small plane crashed into the Mississippi Sound, killing the three men aboard. One year later, the search continues for the remains of the victims. And despite the passage of time, the searchers may be getting close.

"In some ways, it feels like it was just yesterday, you know," said Tina Cook of Saucier, "And in some ways, feels like it's been forever."

Cook lost the love of her life on that fateful day. Her husband, Dexter Brewer, was a passenger on the plane which plunged into the Mississippi Sound.

Though significant pieces of the wreckage were found, the remains of the victims were never recovered.

"I'm just appreciative that we're still looking. That I still have help. That we have Mark and that he's not giving up. That the DMR and other people working with us have not given up," said Cook.

"This is the critical piece that I looked at," said Mark Michaud, as he pointed to a photograph of recovered wreckage. "You can see, there's your tail. It has the numbers on it."

Michaud is an underwater recovery expert who’s been working with the family.

He is convinced the remaining portion of plane wreckage, along with the victims' remains, are located beneath the bottom of the sound, embedded in the mud at the spot where the plane went down; the same place the Coast Guard recovered a large tail piece.

"Maybe a piece of the starboard or right side of the cabin. Forward of the wing, and the engine. And of course, the remains. The bones of the three men that were onboard that aircraft," he said.

"We've done our homework and we think now that we have the information that we need to finally be able to bring Dexter home," said Cook, "And that's the goal of all this, to be able to bring him and the other two guys home."

Dexter Brewer's father is longing for some closure.

"Well, I hope so. I appreciate what everybody's been doing for it, you know," said Pettis Brewer.

"We're not going to go away, we're not going to back down. We're going to keep on going until we bring him home," said Tina Cook.

Story and photo gallery:   http://www.wlox.com


Tina says she's not giving up because Dexter wouldn't give up on her. 


JACKSON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -

It's been nine weeks since Dexter Brewer's plane went missing off the coast of Jackson County. Over time, his wife says some people have started to ask why she won't accept she may never have a body to bury.

"People have asked me that. They've said, 'You know that he's gone. Why don't you just go on with your life?'" said Dexter's wife, Tina Cook. "Dexter was the love of my life and I can't go on until I know where he's at." 

Dennis and Tammy Watters of Team Watters Sonar, Search and Recovery are using several types of sonar equipment to find the plane, and the three men who were aboard. Unfortunately, the husband and wife team can only search three eighths of square mile a day while looking beneath the surface.

"It's taken us way longer than usual.....the shallowness of the water doesn't allow us to use a lot of range in an effective search," said Dennis. "I could set this thing off at 100 feet on each side, go down there and tell you that it's searched, but it won't be. That's the problem. To tell you for sure that an area has been searched, we have to lower that range and make a lot more passes than normal."  

Dennis and Tammy say they are committed to keep looking; no matter how long it takes.

"At the end of the day the only thing that is going to find this plane is a lot of hard work," said Dennis. "You've got to get out there and just pound away with your sonar." 

From the Watters to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Cook says she's grateful to everyone who has given their time and support.

"There's no closure. You can't go on, and you're stuck," said Cook. "You feel like you're stuck in a rut that you can't get out of." 

Cook says she won't give up because she knows her husband wouldn't give up on her. The National Transportation Safety Board has not identified the cause of the crash, but officials say there was stormy weather that day.

Dexter Brewer's wife and the wife of passenger Gerald Miletello have created a GoFundMe account to help pay for expenses from the search. 

Source:  http://www.wdam.com


Letter: Blackmailed by the airlines

Opinion

In writing about the problems of holiday travel to Aspen, Aspen Times writer Rick Carroll concludes with a quote from a frustrated traveler suggesting that it’s easier and cheaper to fly to Salt Lake City to ski than to fight the Aspen air-travel issues (“Aspen holiday travelers wait, wait and wait,” Dec. 29).


Of course he’s right, but then he wouldn’t be in Aspen, would he? There are a few things that can make his experience better, and people like John Kinney are working on them. But one that is not helpful in that story is the quote that the Federal Aviation Administration gave last year and again this year regarding the eyewitness comments about whether private aircraft have priority over commercial aircraft at the Aspen airport. The FAA spokesman says, “Private aircraft did not receive priority handling.” They probably didn’t, but that misses the point. The point is commercial aircraft don’t have priority. And they should.


I flew out on Delta on Sunday from Minneapolis. Our plane was sitting at its assigned gate on time, but it was delayed in boarding a full hour while Delta tried repeatedly to get seven people to give up their seats because of overbooking. There were few takers. And so we sat. Of course. With hotel reservations, ski tickets and dinner reservations, you can’t overbook these flights.


After boarding, we were barraged with the same offer to give up seats again and again by the stewards and the gate agents. An so we sat on the tarmac — and people hoping to return on that flight sat cooling their heels in Aspen. Finally, the head steward said, “We are not leaving until five of you give up your seats.”


Blackmail.


That caused a shouting match from the passengers who somehow felt they had at least as much right to their confirmed seats as those waiting to board. The alternative offered by Delta was to fly to Montrose 24 hours later or to Denver and bus to Aspen 24 hours later. No alternative offer to fly to Aspen was made.


We left nearly an hour late, and then we circled Aspen for 40 minutes before landing. Anyone who can recognize Ruedi knows when you’ve passed over it six times that you are circling. Was that because commercial flights did not have priority over general aviation? Probably. Fortunately, when we did finally land, the attendants asked us all to keep our seats so those with tight connections could get off first.


THIS KIND OF INCOMPETENCE AND GREED ON DELTA’S PART IS FIXABLE. THE TIME LOST CIRCLING SHOULD BE FIXABLE BY CLARIFYING THE PRIORITY OF COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS. I HOPE WE CAN DO THAT BEFORE FLYING TO SALT LAKE SOUNDS ANY MORE ATTRACTIVE.


Bill Kling

Aspen

Source:  http://www.aspentimes.com/opinion 




Aspen holiday travelers wait, wait and wait

The patience of travelers at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport was greatly tested over the weekend.

On Saturday, passengers waited up to four hours in the boarding area and nearly three hours while aboard commercial aircraft, security lines stretched outside, and eight travelers slept at the facility overnight because of flight delays and cancellations.

Airport Director John Kinney said a litany of factors played into the holiday weekend’s travel aches, which were being addressed Monday. Among them were a shortage of workers with the Transportation Security Administration, mechanical issues with airplanes, and weather-induced delays that choked commercial carriers’ flight schedules at such major hub airports as Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Houston.

One traveler, David Aggy, said he and his girlfriend waited nearly three hours aboard a United aircraft before it departed from Aspen. The wait lasted 168 minutes, according to flight data.

“Strangely, people were fairly calm about it for a while,” he said, “until about the third time they said it will be a half an hour before we take off.”

Aggy, who owns a home in Aspen, said travel woes are to be expected at the Aspen airport. But watching private jets depart and land, while commercial travelers were stranded on the airport apron, some of them with their crying children, didn’t sit well with him and others.

“This is the busiest day of the year,” he said. “I get it. But what people couldn’t understand was private plane after private plane ...”

The Federal Aviation Administration oversees traffic controllers who determine when planes can land and depart.

Kinney said the FAA has told him numerous times that it gives priority to aircraft with the most passengers, whether commercial or private.

“And there’s far more people in commercial,” he said.

The Aspen air-traffic controller routed questions to an FAA spokesman who said capacity issues at the airport were the issue, not preferential treatment.

“Air traffic at the Aspen Airport exceeded capacity of the airport over the weekend and all flights were impacted and many were delayed,” said FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer in an email to The Aspen Times. “Private aircraft did not receive priority handling.”

Kinney and other airport officials were there Saturday and Sunday monitoring lines and keeping passengers apprised. At one point, a family with a child with special needs asked to be removed from one of the airplanes on the tarmac. The airport was about to accommodate them before air-traffic control confirmed the flight would be taking off within five minutes, Kinney said.

“Those people sitting two or three hours were probably at their wits’ end,” Kinney said.

At one point Saturday, 10 aircraft were on the ground, Kinney said.

Twenty-five of the 27 commercial arrivals Saturday were impacted, with five cancellations and 20 delays. Commercial flight delays and cancellations weren’t restricted to just Saturday; Sunday and Monday also saw numerous flight setbacks, flight statistics show.

Both outgoing Delta Air Lines flights were delayed Saturday, and two of four American Airlines flights were delayed and another one was canceled, according to flight data.

United Airlines flights, whether inbound or outbound, were plagued with problems. Of United’s 16 scheduled outbound flights that day, 14 were delayed and two were canceled. The first United flight of the day, scheduled to arrive in Denver at 1:20 p.m., didn’t land until 8 p.m.

Aggy’s flight didn’t land in San Francisco until 5:39 p.m., nearly three hours after the scheduled arrival of 2:51 p.m.

United found lodge rooms for about 20 passengers to sleep in Saturday night, while the airport allowed eight of them to sleep at the facility overnight.

“We had overnight eight visitors who chose not to find a hotel room given the high occupancy,” Kinney said.

Waits in the security lines were long, as well, with passengers trickling outside the airport’s front doors, Kinney said.

“We had 300 people waiting to get through the TSA into the passenger boarding-lounge area, and we were pushing 600 people in the entire area,” he said.

Aspen fire code has a cap of 316 people in the waiting area; the airport keeps it at 280 as a “comfort zone,” Kinney said.

“It’s pretty tight in there,” he said.

The airport also recently started a $600,000 terminal expansion that will enlarge the boarding space from 4,200 square feet to 6,325. It also calls for expanding the capacity from 280 passengers to 421.

Aggy, who has visited Aspen since he was a child, said before he bought his home here, airport service was “one of my biggest concerns, besides homes here being three times the price at Park City (Utah). Southwest to Salt Lake City is one-third of the price (to fly to Aspen), and it lands on time. Utah is looking better every year.”

Source:  http://www.aspentimes.com

Allegiant McDonnell Douglas MD-83, N865GA, Flight G4-736: Incident occurred December 30, 2015 at T.F. Green Airport (KPVD), Providence, Rhode Island



http://registry.faa.gov/N865GA 



A plane headed to Bangor, Maine, made an emergency landing at T.F. Green Wednesday night.

The Allegiant Airlines flight, which was on it's way from Sanford, Florida, was having problems in the air.


Passengers tell ABC6 News that it was a frightening few minutes after they were told the cabin was overheating.


"During the flight, the flight attendants came back and told us the cabin was really hot and we were going to have to make an emergency landing in Providence. My two girls were sitting in the back and they said that it was really, really hot and it smelled like smoke behind their seats," said on passenger.


The plane landed safely and no one on board was injured. There is no word yet on what caused the scare.


Story and video:  http://www.abc6.com




Three Allegiant flights that departed from Orlando Sanford International Airport in the past week had to be diverted midflight.

On Christmas Eve, 141 passengers on a flight to Youngstown, Ohio, were diverted to Jacksonville International Airport for an "engine problem," said a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Aviation Authority.

On Monday, a plane flying from Orlando Sanford to Appleton, Wis. had to make an emergency landing in Fargo, N.D., after there were de-icing problems on the plane. There were 107 passengers and six crew members on that flight, said Allegiant.

And on Wednesday, Allegiant officials said a flight traveling from Orlando Sanford to Bangor, Maine was diverted to T.F. Green Airport in Providence, R.I. Officials have not yet said why the flight was diverted.

The incidents come as Allegiant pilots have been asking for bigger scrutiny of the budget airline, citing concerns about the safety of the airline's fleet of planes and the maintenance schedule for planes.

"That speaks volumes about the maintenance program," said Chris Moore, chairman of The Aviation Mechanics Coalition, Inc.

Moore said he was approached by Allegiant pilots in 2013 and asked to investigate air returns and diversions for the airline because of maintenance-related issues. On Nov. 13, 2014, Moore submitted a report to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Airline Division, which represents more than 80,000 airline employees, including mechanics, pilots, stock agents and flight attendants.

The report detailed 27 incidents that he said showed Allegiant pilots had to divert or return to the airport they left. Moore said all information was gathered from pilots who contacted him with information about the troubled flights.

Incidents took place between Sept. 4 and Nov. 3 of last year.

In July, the Wall Street Journal reported the Federal Aviation Administration was increasing its oversight of Allegiant after a flight ran low on fuel and was forced to make an emergency landing at the same Fargo airport as Monday's flight.

Allegiant officials said the company, like most commercial airlines, is "in nearly daily contact" with FAA leaders.

The FAA, said Allegiant in a statement, oversees and approves training materials, programs and certifications for police and other key airline staff.

"And any abnormal event is thoroughly reviewed, often in conjunction with the FAA," reads the statement.

In the recent incidents, Allegiant officials said an indicator light came on during the flight to Ohio.

"Out of abundance of caution, an emergency was declared and the aircraft landed safely at [Jacksonville International]," said Allegiant in an email.

Passengers left Jacksonville for Youngstown at 8:50 p.m. after another plane was brought, she said. Allegiant compensated passengers with a $150 voucher for future travel with the Las Vegas-based airline.

Allegiant officials said the flight to Wisconsin was rescheduled from Fargo and passengers departed Tuesday at 11:24 a.m. They received a $100 voucher.

Source:  http://www.orlandosentinel.com