Friday, April 22, 2016

Cessna R172K Hawk XP, Black Sheep Aviation LLC, N758DK: Accident occurred September 03, 2015 in Cresskill, Bergen County, New Jersey

NTSB Identification: ERA15LA338
14 CFR Public Use
Accident occurred Thursday, September 03, 2015 in Cresskill, NJ
Probable Cause Approval Date: 04/04/2016
Aircraft: CESSNA R172, registration: N758DK
Injuries: 2 Serious.

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 the public aircraft flight was in cruise flight about 2,000 ft mean sea level, the airplane’s engine stopped producing power. During the subsequent descent, the pilot chose a large open area of several athletic fields for the forced landing. As the airplane approached the fields, the pilot observed that they were in use and that only a small space was available for landing due to people on the ground. The airplane subsequently landed hard and was destroyed during the impact. Examination of the engine maintenance records revealed that the Nos. 3 and 4 cylinders had been removed and reinstalled 231 hours before the accident. The cylinder flange nuts and through bolts were checked for security and breakaway torque, and several were found below factory specification. Disassembly of the engine revealed metal fragments and bearing material in the oil sump. Disassembly of the crankcase revealed that it was fractured and that the Nos. 1 and 2 main bearings and bearing journals had damage consistent with a loss of lubrication, high heat, and fatigue. It is likely that maintenance personnel did not apply sufficient torque to the cylinder flange nuts and through bolts during the installation of the engine cylinders.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
Maintenance personnel’s failure to apply proper torque to the cylinder flange nuts and through bolts during installation of the engine cylinders, which resulted in the loosening of the components, loss of lubrication, failure of the crankshaft, and the subsequent total loss of engine power.

On September 3, 2015, about 1710 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Cessna R172K, N758DK, was destroyed by collision with terrain during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power near Cresskill, New Jersey. The private pilot and pilot-rated observer were seriously injured. The flight departed Republic Airport (FRG), Farmingdale, New York, about 1400. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the public use flight.

According to the United Stated Coast Guard (USCG), the flight was conducted as a USCG Auxiliary Maritime Observation Mission.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors interviewed the pilot in the hospital the day after the accident. Due to his injuries, the inspectors conducted only a brief interview. According to the pilot, he departed Lincoln Park, New Jersey (N07) about 1300 and flew to Farmingdale, New York (FRG) to pick up the observer for the flight. They then departed FRG, and flew to the Albany, New York area where they reversed course and flew south along the Hudson River. While in cruise flight about 2,000 feet mean sea level (msl), the airplane's engine stopped producing power.

During the subsequent descent, the pilot selected a large open area adjacent to a community center that contained several athletic fields for the forced landing. As the airplane approached, the pilot observed that the fields were in use, and that only a small space was available for landing which would allow separation from people on the ground. The resultant hard landing destroyed the airplane and required first responders to affect the egress of the airplane's occupants.

According to FAA and USCG records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on April 20, 2015. The pilot updated a USCG Pilot/Aircrew Qualification form on April 30, 2015, and reported 510 total hours of flight experience on that date. According to the FAA, the pilot reported he had 648 total hours of flight experience, of which 382 were in the accident airplane make and model.

The four-seat, single-engine, high-wing, retractable-gear airplane was manufactured in 1978 and was equipped with a Continental Motors 210-horsepower reciprocating engine. According to the FAA, the airplane's maintenance records showed the most recent annual inspection was completed on July 17, 2015, at 2,194 total aircraft hours. The hobbs meter indicated 2,281 total aircraft hours at the accident site.

Review of engine maintenance records revealed the #3 and #4 cylinders had been removed and reinstalled for maintenance on May 11, 2012. The engine accrued approximately 231.5 hours of operation prior to the accident.

Examination of photographs revealed the accident site was located in a hedgerow on the perimeter of an athletic field about 41 feet elevation. The wreckage path was approximately 36 feet long, oriented about 130 degrees magnetic. The tail section and empennage appeared intact, but the roof and wingbox structure appeared collapsed into the cockpit and cabin areas. The airplane came to rest in about a 30-degree, right wing-down attitude. The right wing was visible, and remained intact from the cabin to about mid-span, where it wrinkled and curled upwards towards the tip.

The airplane was removed from the accident site, and the engine was shipped to the manufacturer for a detailed examination at a later date.

The engine was examined at the manufacturer's facility under the supervision of an FAA aviation safety inspector. Examination revealed impact damage to the fuel pump housing, and the right magneto, which had a broken mount flange and was hanging loose from the engine. The right front engine mount was broken and several ignition harness leads were severed.

The cylinder flange nuts were checked for security and breakaway torque, and the #2 and #3 cylinders' through bolts nuts and perimeter nuts were below factory specifications. The #2 cylinder through bolts breakaway torque was 236/365 in. lbs. respectively. The #3 cylinder through bolts breakaway was 286/351 in. lbs. respectively. The manufacturer's specification was 590-610 in lbs.

Removal of the engine oil pan revealed metal fragments and bearing material in the sump. Disassembly of the crankcase revealed damage to the #1 and #2 main bearings and bearing journals consistent with a loss of lubrication, high heat, and fatigue.

Fretting was noted around the #1, #2, and #3 through bolt bosses as well as the #2 and #3 cylinder deck pads.

The crankshaft was fractured through the #4 throw.



A failure by maintenance workers to properly service an aircraft engine probably led to a pilot being forced to crash-land his plane into a Cresskill field in September, according to a report by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The pilot of the plane, Jack Rosenberg, was hailed as a hero at the time for making a last-minute maneuver away from a soft landing in a field where schoolchildren were playing. Instead, Rosenberg crashed into a nearby field, destroying the airplane and seriously injuring himself and his passenger, Erik Pearson.

The two men were flying a routine patrol for the Coast Guard Auxiliary over the Hudson River in a single-engine 1978 Cessna Skyhawk on Sept. 3 when the engine failed at 2,000 feet.

The NTSB report noted that two cylinder bolts on the engine had not been fastened tightly enough and that the engine’s cylinders had last been replaced in May 2012. Since then, the plane had been in the air for 231 hours.

Failure to properly service the engine was the “probable cause” of the accident, investigators found.

Rosenberg said that a federal investigator told him that the accident was unavoidable.

“I asked if there was anything that could have been done to prevent it and he said, ‘Nothing.’ Rosenberg said.

But William D. Waldock, professor of aeronautical science at the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, said whoever performed maintenance on the engine was to blame.

“If they’d done the maintenance right, they could have prevented it right there,” Waldock said.

Experts were united in saying Rosenberg did the best he could under the circumstances.

“He did a good job on making that field,” said J.P. Tristani, a former commercial pilot and aviation instructor who lives in Ramsey. “Unfortunately with people on the field and diverting his focus, he lost it. But he walked away with his life.”




Little space, time
 
Waldock said that at 2,000 feet, Rosenberg would have had two to three minutes to bring the plane down safely and only about two square miles to work with in a densely populated area.

Rosenberg aimed for what looked like empty playing fields in Tenafly, but at the last minute he spotted dozens of children. He changed course and crashed into an empty section of Cresskill’s Regan Field, where the plane skidded almost 40 feet, eventually plowing into a hedgerow.

Rosenberg and Pearson were rushed to Hackensack University Medical Center.

Rosenberg said Pearson has since returned to flying. But almost eight months later, Rosenberg, whose feet were broken in the crash, said he can barely walk, let alone climb into an airplane.

Rosenberg, a married father of seven from Spring Valley, N.Y., has not been able to return to work as a road service mechanic and he said he is often in pain.

He rejected any notion that he is a hero for swerving away from the children. “I didn’t save them. They were perfectly fine,” he said. “Had I killed any of those children I would not have been able to live with myself.”

He added that he felt lucky that the engine had not exploded in the air and that the plane did not catch fire when it crashed.

Rosenberg took off from Lincoln Park Airport around 1 p.m. Sept. 3 and picked up Pearson in Farmingdale, N.Y.





Engine died

In an interview with Cresskill police from his hospital bed, Rosenberg said he felt a vibration during the flight that he believed at the time to be turbulence. Later, the plane began to sputter and then the engine stopped completely. Rosenberg tried to restart the engine and to switch to auxiliary fuel, but all attempts failed.

The plane was too far from Teterboro Airport to make an emergency landing there, so Rosenberg picked out the playing fields on the border of Cresskill and Tenafly.

Once pilots are committed to an emergency landing spot, it is extremely dangerous to change course. Rosenberg told police that he made a last-minute right turn as soon as he saw the children.

“If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t think twice,” Rosenberg said. “And I don’t think anybody else would have done it different."

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



BLACK SHEEP AVIATION LLC: http://registry.faa.gov/N758DK   

NTSB Identification: ERA15LA338
14 CFR Public Use
Accident occurred Thursday, September 03, 2015 in Cresskill, NJ
Probable Cause Approval Date: 04/04/2016
Aircraft: CESSNA R172, registration: N758DK
Injuries: 2 Serious.

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

The private pilot reported that, while the public aircraft flight was in cruise flight about 2,000 ft mean sea level, the airplane’s engine stopped producing power. During the subsequent descent, the pilot chose a large open area of several athletic fields for the forced landing. As the airplane approached the fields, the pilot observed that they were in use and that only a small space was available for landing due to people on the ground. The airplane subsequently landed hard and was destroyed during the impact.

Examination of the engine maintenance records revealed that the Nos. 3 and 4 cylinders had been removed and reinstalled 231 hours before the accident. The cylinder flange nuts and through bolts were checked for security and breakaway torque, and several were found below factory specification. Disassembly of the engine revealed metal fragments and bearing material in the oil sump. Disassembly of the crankcase revealed that it was fractured and that the Nos. 1 and 2 main bearings and bearing journals had damage consistent with a loss of lubrication, high heat, and fatigue. It is likely that maintenance personnel did not apply sufficient torque to the cylinder flange nuts and through bolts during the installation of the engine cylinders.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
Maintenance personnel’s failure to apply proper torque to the cylinder flange nuts and through bolts during installation of the engine cylinders, which resulted in the loosening of the components, loss of lubrication, failure of the crankshaft, and the subsequent total loss of engine power.

On September 3, 2015, about 1710 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Cessna R172K, N758DK, was destroyed by collision with terrain during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power near Cresskill, New Jersey. The private pilot and pilot-rated observer were seriously injured. The flight departed Republic Airport (FRG), Farmingdale, New York, about 1400. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the public use flight.

According to the United Stated Coast Guard (USCG), the flight was conducted as a USCG Auxiliary Maritime Observation Mission.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors interviewed the pilot in the hospital the day after the accident. Due to his injuries, the inspectors conducted only a brief interview. According to the pilot, he departed Lincoln Park, New Jersey (N07) about 1300 and flew to Farmingdale, New York (FRG) to pick up the observer for the flight. They then departed FRG, and flew to the Albany, New York area where they reversed course and flew south along the Hudson River. While in cruise flight about 2,000 feet mean sea level (msl), the airplane's engine stopped producing power.

During the subsequent descent, the pilot selected a large open area adjacent to a community center that contained several athletic fields for the forced landing. As the airplane approached, the pilot observed that the fields were in use, and that only a small space was available for landing which would allow separation from people on the ground. The resultant hard landing destroyed the airplane and required first responders to affect the egress of the airplane's occupants.

According to FAA and USCG records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on April 20, 2015. The pilot updated a USCG Pilot/Aircrew Qualification form on April 30, 2015, and reported 510 total hours of flight experience on that date. According to the FAA, the pilot reported he had 648 total hours of flight experience, of which 382 were in the accident airplane make and model.

The four-seat, single-engine, high-wing, retractable-gear airplane was manufactured in 1978 and was equipped with a Continental Motors 210-horsepower reciprocating engine. According to the FAA, the airplane's maintenance records showed the most recent annual inspection was completed on July 17, 2015, at 2,194 total aircraft hours. The hobbs meter indicated 2,281 total aircraft hours at the accident site.

Review of engine maintenance records revealed the #3 and #4 cylinders had been removed and reinstalled for maintenance on May 11, 2012. The engine accrued approximately 231.5 hours of operation prior to the accident.

Examination of photographs revealed the accident site was located in a hedgerow on the perimeter of an athletic field about 41 feet elevation. The wreckage path was approximately 36 feet long, oriented about 130 degrees magnetic. The tail section and empennage appeared intact, but the roof and wingbox structure appeared collapsed into the cockpit and cabin areas. The airplane came to rest in about a 30-degree, right wing-down attitude. The right wing was visible, and remained intact from the cabin to about mid-span, where it wrinkled and curled upwards towards the tip.

The airplane was removed from the accident site, and the engine was shipped to the manufacturer for a detailed examination at a later date.

The engine was examined at the manufacturer's facility under the supervision of an FAA aviation safety inspector. Examination revealed impact damage to the fuel pump housing, and the right magneto, which had a broken mount flange and was hanging loose from the engine. The right front engine mount was broken and several ignition harness leads were severed.

The cylinder flange nuts were checked for security and breakaway torque, and the #2 and #3 cylinders' through bolts nuts and perimeter nuts were below factory specifications. The #2 cylinder through bolts breakaway torque was 236/365 in. lbs. respectively. The #3 cylinder through bolts breakaway was 286/351 in. lbs. respectively. The manufacturer's specification was 590-610 in lbs.

Removal of the engine oil pan revealed metal fragments and bearing material in the sump. Disassembly of the crankcase revealed damage to the #1 and #2 main bearings and bearing journals consistent with a loss of lubrication, high heat, and fatigue.

Fretting was noted around the #1, #2, and #3 through bolt bosses as well as the #2 and #3 cylinder deck pads.

The crankshaft was fractured through the #4 throw.

Colorado Springs man charged with pointing lasers at aircraft

A Colorado Springs man was indicted by a grand jury this week on three counts of pointing lasers at aircraft at the city's airport, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Denver.

Eric Joseph Gow, 21, allegedly aimed "high intensity lasers into aircraft cockpits during critical stages of flight at the Colorado Springs Airport," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release.

The incidents took place Jan. 14, 18 and 21, and involved a Delta commercial airliner, a small private plane and a Sky West airliner, which was operating a flight for Delta, according to the indictment.

In each case, Gow allegedly "aimed the beam of a laser pointer" into the "flight path" of the aircraft, the indictment said. The indictment didn't say if the aircraft were taking off or landing.

Gow, who was indicted Tuesday, appeared before District Court Magistrate Judge Michael J. Watanabe on Thursday; he was released on bond, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. An arraignment and detention hearing are scheduled next week.

If convicted, Gow faces up to five years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000, for each count.

Shining lasers can temporarily blind and disorient pilots when aircraft are most vulnerable during takeoffs and landings, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Some pilots also might suffer permanent eye damage from laser strikes.

In 2015, the Colorado Springs Airport reported 31 laser strikes - some aircraft reported being hit multiple times - and Denver International Airport reported 138 strikes, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Nationwide last year, pilots reported 7,347 laser strikes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

"Pointing a laser at aircraft is not a video game - it's a federal crime," U.S. Attorney John Walsh said in a news release. "Not only does the laser strike create the possibility of an aviation disaster, it can permanently injure the eyesight of the pilots affected. If you do this, we will find you and prosecute you for the safety of the community."

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

Elite Airways Offering New Destinations From Jetport



PORTLAND, Maine (WGAN)  Starting in June, passengers of Elite Airways will have new non-stop services to Bar Harbor and Long Island, New York.

The company made the announcement Friday.  CEO/President John Pearsall says success of their other services made them eager to provide more options.

“With the service that we have put in up to Portland from Melbourne, central Florida, has been a tremendous success.  And with that we wanted to give Mainers additional destinations.”

Along with the non-stop service to New York and Bar Harbor, passengers can also now fly to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with a connecting flight.

The service to Bar Harbor marks the first time commercial jet service will be at the Bar Harbor airport.

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

Southwest Airlines, Boeing 737: Incident occurred April 21, 2016 in Buffalo, Erie County, New York

Date: 22-APR-16
Time: 01:09:00Z
Regis#: SWA2386
Aircraft Make: BOEING
Aircraft Model: 737
Event Type: Incident
Highest Injury: Unknown
Activity: Commercial
Aircraft Operator: SWA-Southwest Airlines
Flight Number: SWA2386
FAA FSDO: FAA Rochester FSDO-23
City: BUFFALO
State: New York

SOUTHWEST AIRLINE FLIGHT 2386 BOEING 737 AIRCRAFT, REGISTRATION NOT REPORTED, ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE, 2 FLIGHT CREW ATTENDANTS SUSTAINED UNKNOWN INJURIES, DIVERTED AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUFFALO, NY

Federal Aviation Administration Mandates Engine-Icing Fixes That Could Affect Up to 150 Boeing 787 Jets: Regulators find engines are susceptible to sudden in-flight shutdowns due to internal ice accumulation



The Wall Street Journal
By ANDY PASZTOR
Updated April 22, 2016 1:00 p.m. ET


General Electric Co. engines powering as many as 150 Boeing Co. 787 jets world-wide are susceptible to sudden in-flight shutdowns due to internal ice accumulation, prompting U.S. regulators to order swift fixes to eliminate the danger.

A Federal Aviation Administration safety directive released this week indicates that certain upgraded models of General Electric’s most advanced engine pose an unacceptable safety risk because internal ice buildup—detected in one recent incident at an unexpectedly low altitude—could result in both engines of a 787 shutting down simultaneously. According to the agency, the possibility that engines couldn’t be restarted “is an urgent safety issue.”

There haven’t been any accidents stemming from the problem, but red flags were raised when one engine on a Boeing 787 shut down on its own and couldn’t be restarted while flying at roughly 20,000 feet. The other engine on the plane, flown by an unidentified airline, was an older design and continued to operate, according to the FAA.

The problem cropped up after many years of intense efforts by General Electric and other engine makers to prevent different types of shutdowns stemming from internal icing while cruising at much higher altitudes. General Electric previously revised the design of some of its engines to cope with those safety challenges.

Boeing and General Electric have been working on the latest issue for months, and the engine maker has issued voluntary service bulletins spelling out maintenance efforts and fixes that it estimates already have alleviated low-altitude icing hazards on some three dozen Boeing 787s.

But the FAA’s move requires special notices to go out to pilots within a week, alerting them about revised operating procedures to cope with potential low-altitude icing problems. Within five months, carriers must fix or replace at least one of the suspect engines on all affected 787 Dreamliners, according to the agency document released Thursday.

The FAA determined that mandating a faster compliance deadline could unduly disrupt operations of more than two dozen airlines, and potentially even cause airplanes to be grounded. A General Electric spokesman said the company was working with customers to avoid schedule disruptions. The fixes are expected to be done during normally scheduled maintenance, without having to remove engines. But the FAA has left open the door to possible further fixes.

In an email on Friday, a Boeing spokesman said the Chicago plane maker and General Electric “jointly investigated this issue and worked with the FAA on a plan to fully resolve it.” The engine maker initially recommended corrective action to operators on April 1, according to Boeing’s statement, and work mandated by the subsequent FAA directive “is already well under way.”

The directive, slated to become effective in two weeks without pubic comment, covers 43 planes operated by U.S. carriers. But it is eventually expected to be followed by regulators around the globe.

Highlighting the extent of potential hazards, the FAA ordered cockpit crews to brief specific ice-removal procedures before the first flight of the day for all affected 787 Dreamliners. And when flying through certain ice-prone conditions above 12,500 feet, the directive requires pilots to briefly rev up each of the engines every few minutes to avoid excessive ice accumulation.

In March, following the single engine shutdown event, the FAA issued a similar directive but that affected only a handful of planes.

The General Electric spokesman emphasized that this week’s directive isn’t related to earlier engine-icing issues affecting Boeing 787s as well as the largest Boeing 747 models powered by the same family of engines. In late 2013, the FAA issued a directive requiring pilots flying such jets to skirt certain types of high-altitude storms by 50 nautical miles to avoid potentially dangerous ice crystals that could reduce thrust, cause internal damage or momentarily shut down engines.

Around the same time, Japan Airlines Co. opted to temporarily remove GE-powered 787 aircraft from certain routes that are prone to formation of high-altitude ice crystals.

General Electric eventually developed and distributed a software fix that resolved those safety issues.

Still earlier, a separate spate of hazards posed by internal accumulation of ice crystals, typically found in relatively high-altitude storms, dogged General Electric and other engine makers from the mid-1990s through the end of 2011. During that period, federal and industry experts investigated incidents involving more than 100 big jets around the world, including at least 14 instances of dual-engine shutdowns, or “flameouts.”

Starting in 2007, the industry successfully rolled out various modifications to counter that generation of hazards. The latest engine safety challenges, however, surprised some of the same experts because they are prone to occur at much lower altitudes, and stem from what is believed to be a different sequence of events inside engines.

Corrections & Amplifications: 
The FAA determined that mandating a faster compliance deadline could unduly disrupt operations of more than two dozen airlines. An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that 150 airlines could have their operations disrupted.

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

Nippon Cargo Airlines, Boeing 747-8 freighter: Incident occurred April 19, 2016 in Anchorage, Alaska

Date: 19-APR-16
Time: 21:50:00Z
Regis#: NCA188
Aircraft Make: BOEING
Aircraft Model: 747
Event Type: Incident
Damage: Unknown
Activity: Cargo
Flight Phase: UNKNOWN (UNK)
Aircraft Operator: NARITA AIR CARGO
Flight Number: NCA188
FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Anchorage FSDO-03
City: ANCHORAGE
State: Alaska

NIPPON CARGO FLIGHT NCA188 BOEING 747 AIRCRAFT, REGISTRATION NOT REPORTED, ENCOUNTERED A BIRDSTRIKE AND SUSTAINED UNKNOWN DAMAGE TO THE WING, LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA.


A jet headed for Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport was damaged in a bird strike this week, and a biologist is calling the incident a teaching moment for Southcentral Alaska pilots as migration season begins.

Spencer Nelsen, an airport biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said the Nippon Cargo Airlines jet was about 3,000 feet above Point MacKenzie, on the opposite side of Cook Inlet from Anchorage, at about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday when at least one bird hit its wing. Airline representatives could not immediately be reached for comment.

The four-engine Boeing 747-8 freighter was descending toward the airport but not yet on approach.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said the initial report was that three quails and two other birds had struck the jet, but Nelsen said different birds may have been involved.

“The pilot reported something maybe quail-sized,” Nelsen said. “Based on where he was and the time of the year, we think it was maybe a duck or a goose.”

The aircraft didn’t display any flight problems and landed safely at the airport. Kenitzer said no injuries were reported, but Nelsen said the jet was grounded for repairs.

“It was just a small crack, but you wouldn’t want to fly with it,” Nelsen said. “It was the right wing, between the (inboard) engine and the fuselage.”

DNA from the bird remains is being examined to determine the species. Nelsen said the strike -- which happened more than 5 miles from the airport -- isn’t being considered a wildlife management issue associated with the airport itself.

Going forward, Nelsen said, pilots in the region should “keep their eyes out right now” for birds, even at relatively high altitudes. 

“Especially right now with the spring migration, it’s an issue for everybody,” Nelsen said. “This happened at 3,000 feet -- you don’t have to be near the ground for it to happen.”

Original article can be found here: https://www.adn.com

Endeavor Air: Incident occurred April 21, 2016 at LaGuardia Airport (KLGA), New York

Date: 21-APR-16
Time: 14:10:00Z
Regis#: FLG3885
Aircraft Make: BOMBARDIER
Event Type: Incident
Damage: Minor
Activity: Commercial
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Aircraft Operator: ENDEAVOR AIR
Flight Number: FLG3885
FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA New York FSDO-15
City: NEW YORK
State: New York

ENDEAVOR AIR FLIGHT FLG3885 BOMBARDIER CRJ9 AIRCRAFT, REGISTRATION NOT REPORTED, ON LANDING, ENCOUNTERED A BIRDSTIKE TO THE NOSE CONE, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE, NO INJURIES, LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, LAGUARDIA AIRPORT, NEW YORK, NY

Incident occurred April 14, 2016 at Roscommon County Blodgett Memorial Airport (KHTL), Houghton Lake, Michigan



"He caught a glimpse of the bird just at the last second out of the corner of his eye. Very fortunate. Very fortunate."

A close encounter between a pilot and a bird...

A goose smashed through a plane's windshield, putting the pilot in real danger.

The goose broke though the windshield of seasoned Ohio pilot, Robert Metzger's, plane as he flew a routine flight to check pipelines in Northern Michigan over Kalkaska.

The goose forced Metzger into an emergency landing at Roscommon County's Blodgett Memorial Airport early last Thursday morning.

"He declared an emergency," says Eric Jaroch, airport manager. "He was on with air traffic control in Minneapolis and declared an emergency and diverted from where he was and wanted to land at Houghton Lake State Airport which is across the lake. He got over to the airport down there and was unsure of the condition of the grass runway and decided not to land and then came over to our airport."

It all happened around 1,300 feet, and ended up inside the plane's tail section after breaking all the way through the interior.

He was going almost 145 miles per hour.

"It hit the rear seat and folded it down, went through a partition bulkhead in the back there and again ended up in the tail section," Jaroch says. "Had the bird come through the left side, which the pilot is sitting on the left side of the aircraft, and had it come in, there's no telling what could have happened."

Jaroch, who also owns Cornerstone Aircraft Maintenance and repaired Metzger's plane, says the seasoned pilot flew 20 minutes in frigid air to land safely.

"By the time he had landed, EMS was here, the fire department, the sheriff's department was here and he was nearly hypothermic," Jaroch says. "No telling what could have happened. A goose is a fairly large bird and had it hit him in the face or chest, he could have been incapacitated, airplane crashes, okay, now we got bigger and more serious problems."

A chunk of the windshield hit Metzger in the forehead but he wasn't hurt.

Jaroch says Metzger was able to maintain altitude and control after the windshield shattered.

"He probably didn't have much time left to land safely with all of his faculties intact," Jaroch says. "He had a welt there on his forehead and they checked him out. Everything was good."

The goose caused around $2,000 in repairs to replace the glass.

A full inspection was done on the rest of the plane to make sure everything else was fine.

He was able to fly the plane home today.

Story and video:  http://www.9and10news.com

Piper J3C-65, N55754: Incident occurred April 22, 2016 near Dry Creek Airport (TS07), Cypress, Harris County, Texas

http://registry.faa.gov/N55754

Date: 22-APR-16
Time: 00:00:00Z
Regis#: N55754
Aircraft Make: PIPER
Aircraft Model: J3
Event Type: Incident
Highest Injury: None
Damage: Unknown
Flight Phase: UNKNOWN (UNK)
FAA FSDO: FAA Houston FSDO-09
City: CYPRESS
State: Texas

AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED IN A FIELD NEAR THE DRY CREEK AIRPORT, CYPRESS, TX

Cirrus SR22, N98SL, KM Ventures LLC: Incident occurred April 21, 2016 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts

KM VENTURES LLC: http://registry.faa.gov/N98SL

Date: 22-APR-16
Time: 01:20:00Z
Regis#: N98SL
Aircraft Make: CIRRUS
Aircraft Model: SR22
Event Type: Incident
Highest Injury: None
Damage: Unknown
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Boston FSDO-61
City: BOSTON
State: Massachusetts

AIRCRAFT LANDED AND STRUCK A TAXIWAY SIGN, BOSTON, MA

Beagle B.206 Series 2, N477EC: Incident occurred April 21, 2016 at Turners Falls Airport (0B5), Montague, Franklin County, Massachusetts

http://registry.faa.gov/N477EC

FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Windsor Locks FSDO-63

AIRCRAFT LANDED, THE GEAR COLLAPSED AND WENT OFF THE RUNWAY, MONTAGUE, MA.

Date:  21-APR-16
Time:  00:00:00Z
Regis#:  N477EC
Aircraft Make:  BEAGLE
Aircraft Model:  B206
Event Type:  Incident
Highest Injury:  None
Damage:  Unknown

Flight Phase:  LANDING (LDG)
City: MONTAGUE
State: Massachusetts


TURNERS FALLS — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a minor plane crash that was reported at the Turners Falls Airport Thursday afternoon, at around 2:45.

According to Turners Falls Fire Capt. Kyle Cogswell, a twin-engine plane carrying two people landed hard, causing the plane to veer 50 feet off the runway, into a ditch. “It was either a malfunction with a landing gear or a very flat tire,” said Cogswell.

Neither the pilot nor co-pilot were injured, but the plane was damaged. 

The Montague Police Department has not released the names of the plane’s occupants, he said. 

Both the airport manager and the FAA were notified.

Cogswell said the runway was shut down for several hours while the FAA investigated. He said there was no fuel leak.

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

Lufthansa, Thomas Cook’s Condor in Talks Over Tie-Up: Negotiations range from cooperation to a potential takeover of Condor by Lufthansa



The Wall Street Journal
By ARCHIBALD PREUSCHAT in Frankfurt and  ROBERT WALL in London
April 22, 2016 6:48 a.m. ET


Deutsche Lufthansa AG is in talks with Thomas Cook Group PLC’s Condor Airlines about a tie-up, people familiar with the talks said, as the German flag carrier seeks to expand is Eurowings budget unit.

The talks are still at an early stage with no assurance a deal will be done, the people said. The negotiations range from cooperation to a potential takeover of Condor by Lufthansa.

Lufthansa once owned Condor before eventually selling its stake.

“I think Europe urgently needs another wave of consolidation,” Lufthansa Chief Executive Carsten Spohr said last month. Budget unit Eurowings was set up in a way it could “serve as our tool for consolidation,” he said.

Lufthansa also has been considering whether to exercise a purchase option for the Brussels Airlines and potentially folding the operation into Eurowings. The German carrier already owns 45% of Brussels Airlines.

Europe’s airline sector remains heavily fragmented when compared with the U.S., where waves of consolidation have reduced the number of carriers, helping underpin profits.

Airlines in Europe have seen ticket prices fall amid stiff competition between rapidly expanding carriers such as budget airlines Ryanair Holdings PLC and Britain’s easyJet PLC, and network airlines such as Lufthansa and Air France-KLM SA, who have set up discount units to battle their cheaper rivals.

Thomas Cook in February reported that Condor’s underlying earnings before interest and taxes fell by £8 million ($11.5 million) in the first-quarter ended Dec. 31.

“While we continue to deliver growth in our long-haul markets, overcapacity and weak demand in the short and medium-haul sector has resulted in a lower year-on-year performance,” Chief Financial Officer Michael Healy said at the time.

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

Piper PA-28R-201 Arrow III, Balway Airways LLC, N53509: Incident occurred April 21, 2016 near Homestead General Aviation Airport ( X51), Homestead, Miami-Dade County, Florida

BALWAY AIRWAYS LLC: http://registry.faa.gov/N53509



  SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) -- A small plane with two people on board made a rough landing in the Everglades after it reportedly had engine problems, Thursday night.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot of the Piper PA-28 aircraft reported engine trouble before the plane went down in the Everglades, just before 8 p.m.

Miami-Dade Police and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units were dispatched to the scene, near Southwest 237th Avenue and 200th Street, about eight miles south of the Tamiami Trail.

Neither of those on board was injured. They were both taken to Miami Executive Airport to be questioned by investigators.

The FAA is investigating this crash, and the National Transportation Safety Board will determine what caused the plane to go down.

Friday morning, crews returned to the scene of the crash to figure out how to remove the plane from this remote area of the Everglades.


Story and video:  http://www.wsvn.com


MIAMI (AP) — Federal authorities are investigating after a small plane carrying two people crashed in a remote area of South Florida.

Local media outlets report neither passenger was injured in the Thursday night crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration says the passengers onboard the Piper PA-28 aircraft reported engine problems before the plane went down in the Everglades just before 8 p.m., about 8 miles south of Miami Executive Airport.

Pierre task force grills ADI, Great Lakes over air service; decision due to feds April 27

Laura Schoen Carbonneau, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, left, and Jim Protexter, CEO of the Pierre Economic Development Corp., question Doug Voss, founder, and Chuck Howell IV, CEO of Great Lakes Airlines, Thursday at the airport.Eleven members of the city's air service task force, interviewed Great Lakes and ADI officials.


Honchos from two small airlines with different cuts to their jibs flew into Pierre’s airport on wings and prayers Thursday to woo the capital city in hopes of winning a big federal subsidy for taking people to and from here.

Mickey Bowman, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Aerodynamics, or ADI, came alone and only flew figuratively to Pierre.

“I flew to Sioux Falls,” he said, driving here because he couldn’t catch a flight to Pierre that fit his connections from the Atlanta suburb of Kennesaw where ADI is based.

Which illustrates the problem Pierre faces. It’s hard to fly from here. Its longtime air carrier Great Lakes Airlines has angered city leaders with what they call unreliable and unfriendly service that has cut passenger numbers by nearly two thirds in about two years. Several years ago, 17,000 people a year flew from Pierre; this year, based on the first three months, the numbers may not total 5,000 by Christmas, says Mike Isaacs, manager of the Pierre Regional Airport.

Saying he understands the problem and is committed it making things right, Charles R. Howell IV, Great Lakes CEO, brought three other VIPs from the Cheyenne-based  airline, including Doug Voss, who founded the company in 1977 with Ivan Simpson.

They flew in on one of Great Lakes 22 Beechcraft 1900 turboprops like the ones that now fly every day to Pierre.  

Great Lakes has been a small regional airline offering scheduled passenger service in many states for 40 years. It’s the last one, Howell admits, to use the 19-passenger turboprop. But if it is selected by Pierre for the federal subsidy program, it will upgrade its service to Pierre using its 30-passenger Brazilian planes, Howell said.

Meanwhile, ADI has never flown as a scheduled commercial airline, although it’s been in the charter business from more than a half-century. Bowman said ADI hopes to begin flying routes from Youngstown, Ohio to Chicago by June.

Pierre’s dozen-member air service task force interviewed each airline’s leaders separately Thursday at the airport.

Both companies have submitted proposals to the U.S. Department of Transportation hoping to be awarded several million dollars a year in subsidies under the Essential Air Service program.

Mayor Laurie Gill, saying she had lost patience with Great Lakes’ record of cancelled and late flights and poor customer service in working with passengers, initiated the search for a new air carrier two years ago, forming and leading the task force.

The same two companies made similar bids for similar subsidies just 18 months ago and the city’s same task force chose ADI.  

That blew up, however, as ADI’s then owner Scott Beale was rejected by DOT officials, who cited his legal and financial troubles and his failure to be honest with regulators about it. ADI’s board told Beale he had to go and find a new owner, Bowman said.

Gill asked Bowman if Beale had anything to do with ADI today.

“No, ma’am, he is persona non grata,” Bowman said, describing Beale’s disappointment when ADI’s board told him he had to go. “He bowed his head and left the room.”

Bowman touted ADI’s three 50-seat Brazilian Embraer jets as fast – “one hour of airtime to Denver” – and having the capacity to build up passenger numbers with convenient travel. ADI’s bid is for two flights from Pierre to Denver each weekday, one on each weekend day, with one-way fares of $99, Bowman said.

Despite the fact ADI has never been a scheduled commercial passenger carrier, its experience flying corporate charters for “people who could buy our plane,” gives his company experience in providing great customer service for very discriminating clients, Bowman said. And many of ADI’s business shuttles in California for Intel involved, effectively, thousands of scheduled flights over the years, he said.

The needed agreements with major airlines to provide passengers with convenient connections can be obtained, Bowman said. He’s working with Silver Airways of Fort Lauderdale to gain such access through that company’s agreements with major airlines, Bowman said.

Bowman said ADI “is invested in Pierre. We came here with the best intentions some time back. It didn’t work out the first time around for a variety of reasons. But we are very grateful the opportunity is out there for what we feel is manifest destiny for us. . . We want to be part of this community and want to partner with you in building a bright future.”

The task force’s interview of Great Lakes’s corporate leaders was a trifle sharper, due to the long record with the airline.

“There’s no need to rehash history over the pilot situation,” Howell told the task force. “We went from 300 pilots to 100 in two years.”

The new federal regulations require 1,500 hours of training for pilots, five times the previous requirement, Howell said.

To cope with the new reality, Great Lakes took 10 of the seats out of their 19-seater turboprops, so that they would qualify for one pilot, not two.

He listed a variety of things the company has done the past six months to attract more pilots, including raising their pay and also looking for part-time pilots in places such as Pierre, people with other jobs who might want to moonlight flying a few flights to Denver every month.

Howell and Voss took heated expressions of frustration from task force members.

John Hight, a hunting resort owner who also does a lot of personal travel, told them Great Lakes customer service in Denver is often less than helpful – “they don’t even answer the phone” – hurting his business.

Dale Person, branch manager of AAA Travel in Pierre who has worked 35 years in the industry, told Howell, “I work with hundreds of airlines and yours has the most cancellations of any airline.” He’s had clients find out as they arrive at the airport, that their flight has been cancelled, Person said. When asked if there’s a price for a flight to or from Pierre, Person says he tells the customer, “‘There’s a price but it’s not reliable.’ You say it's going to get better, but it’s gotten worse. How are you going to convince people in Pierre to return to Great Lakes to fly?”

At this point, Gill interrupted, saying it was clear there were high emotions in the room.

“Yes, I’m upset,” Person said.

Gill told the Great Lakes leaders: “Our main concern is getting back to reliable service. We’ve got to. If we would go with you and commit to you and see the same pattern of cancellations, you will kill this. We won’t make it. This is huge.”

Howell said he knows his company deserves brick bats for some of the problems, but said, “whether good, bad or indifferent, we have hung around.”  That shows his company’s commitment to Pierre, when it could have left a long time ago, he said.

Communities with three times Pierre’s population have lost all air service in the recent turmoil, Howell said.

For years, Great Lakes has received no subsidies for flying to Pierre. Now, if it wins the EAS designation, it will have the resources to improve training and service and its equipment - the planes, Howell said. Going from a nine-seat plane to a 30-seat aircraft will provide more reliability and increase passenger numbers again, Howell said.

“This is an all-in for Great Lakes. We are going to give an all-in deal,” Howell said. “If we are selected, we are all in, whatever that means, resource-wise. We can’t afford to fail, either.”

If Great Lakes loses the bidding battle for EAS subsidies this time, it will quit flying to Pierre, Voss and Howell said.

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

Boeing Ramps Up Push Into the Airplane Parts Business: Company presses to cut costs and secure a new source of revenue more lucrative than building aircraft



The Wall Street Journal
By Jon Ostrower
April 22, 2016 5:30 a.m. ET


Boeing Co. is ramping up its push into the parts business, as part of a broad effort to cut costs and secure a new source of revenue even more lucrative than making aircraft.

In the past, airlines could purchase parts directly from one of Boeing’s largest suppliers, Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc., allowing it to diversify its business beyond the 80% of its sales linked to jet production at the Chicago-based plane maker.

But in late February, Boeing quietly stopped Spirit from selling parts such as engine thrust reversers and other large parts directly to airlines, according to both companies. Boeing said it also stopped granting new licenses to suppliers to sell proprietary parts to its airline customers.

It is the most aggressive move to date in Boeing’s yearslong effort to assert control over distribution—and the resulting revenue—of spare parts.

The initial sale of a jetliner is a comparatively smaller portion of the revenue that aircraft will generate during their multidecade life. The greater proportion of revenue on any single plane comes from the lifetime maintenance and parts that range from fire extinguishers and seat belts to on-board computers and landing gear shared across hundreds of companies.

These parts at airlines and maintenance facilities can fetch up to 4.5 times more than what Boeing pays for the parts during initial production, according to one supply-chain official.

Spirit will continue to manufacture the spares but will have to sell them through Boeing, with the plane maker taking a cut. A Spirit spokesman said the license was a “small component” of its overall business and airlines would still need parts it manufactures.



Boeing executives say the shift is in response to customers who increasingly scrutinize deals—not only on the performance of its jets, but on the total costs of lifetime ownership. Many analysts also have long questioned why some of Boeing’s suppliers earn fatter profit margins than the world’s largest aerospace company.

And nothing prohibits Boeing from expanding its business model to emulate engine-makers and business-jet manufacturers, which have tightly controlled that lucrative pipeline with its customers.

Now the company wants to more than triple sales of its commercial and defense aviation parts and services business to about $50 billion by 2025 from an estimated $15 billion last year, according to an industry strategist.

As cost-conscious airlines drive down prices for jetliners, Boeing is searching for new revenue, said Kevin Michaels, vice president with ICF International ’s aerospace-consulting practice.

It isn’t just parts. Boeing in April said it would promote economy-class seats made by new entrant Lift, giving the unit of Encore Corporate Inc. preferred access to its single-aisle jets. In return, Boeing will be able to sell the seats to airlines when carriers refresh older planes with plusher interiors.

A spokesman for Lift said Boeing approached it to collaborate on the new seat’s design, which will be ready in 2017.

“The things that we’re doing to change our business relationships in the supply base are directly related to how we feel we need to change to compete,” said Kent Fisher, vice president of supplier management for Boeing’s commercial unit. “I know it can be painful for some of the players, but that’s why we’re doing it.”

The quest for extra revenue comes as Boeing continues a broader cost-cutting effort with suppliers, known in the industry as Partnering for Success. It sought about 15% reductions in unit costs for the parts suppliers provide for the company’s jets.

Boeing’s cost-cutting isn’t limited to suppliers. Boeing said it would cut about 4,500 positions, in part to offer a more competitive price to airlines for its jets and deliver a promised cash windfall to investors.

But with 65% of its costs outside of its factories, the company’s focus on the supply chain is getting a renewed emphasis.

In many cases, Boeing provided additional work to suppliers who quickly locked in new contracts and took work away from those that didn’t secure a deal, according to suppliers. Boeing also prohibited some suppliers from being given new work or withheld regulatory approvals for parts until revised contracts were complete, they said.

Boeing executives in February said it was restarting the cost-cutting process with suppliers, emphasizing its need for lower costs would be a continuous effort.

The shift to directly claiming revenues that normally go to its suppliers is causing significant concern in the suppliers’ sector.

“They’re trying to cancel everybody’s business model,” said a business-development official at one major Boeing supplier.

Not all suppliers are upset about Boeing’s moves. Rockwell Collins Inc. chief executive Kelly Ortberg said its contract negotiations with Boeing included changes to its aftermarket sales and considered it a positive for both companies.

New airplanes like the Dreamliner are so infrequently developed that suppliers sign ultra-competitive contracts that gives the lowest possible costs for systems or components to manufacturers for factory installation—with the expectation that airlines and maintenance facilities will pay premium prices for spares for decades.

“The economics of being a Boeing supplier could be facing their greatest challenge yet,” wrote Robert Spingarn, aerospace analyst for Credit Suisse.

Suppliers most at risk for Boeing reclaiming aftermarket control are those that build parts originally designed by Boeing, like many of those made by Spirit, analysts say.

For those parts designed by its suppliers, Boeing in 2012 began charging suppliers a royalty for selling replacement parts to airlines or upgrades such as new in-flight entertainment systems, saying they were created using the plane-maker’s intellectual property.

To be sure, suppliers have enjoyed their lucrative position selling parts direct to airlines, which have grown frustrated with increasing prices. The International Air Transportation Association on behalf of its member airlines in March filed a complaint with the European Commission alleging abuses by suppliers into pricing for spare parts.

“This is an area of deep concern for our members. There are relatively few equipment vendors and our members are frustrated that there is little flexibility in negotiations for aftermarket services,” Tony Tyler, IATA’s director general said last month.

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