Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Skydive ruling could benefit town

CHATHAM -- Although the lawsuit against the town is moving forward, town officials say they are in a good position to defend their argument on allowing skydiving at the municipal airport.

In a statement issued after an executive session on the matter last week, Town Counsel Patrick Costello stated that the judge’s ruling not to dismiss the lawsuit of Citizens of a Safe Chatham Airport “substantively” benefited the town because Barnstable Superior Court Judge Robert Rufo agreed the nuisance claim brought by defendants must be pursued under the Massachusetts Tort Claims Act. Although it is possible to prove a nuisance against the state and municipalities, one needs to show the property owner “creates, permits, or maintains a condition or activity on [its] property that causes a substantial and unreasonable interference with the use and enjoyment of the property of another.”

The statement also said the town will not issue a lease to a skydive operator – two are waiting in the wings – until the judge has ruled.

Several years ago a group of residents said that not only was the skydiving operation at the airport on George Ryder Road noisy it was also dangerous. Although state and federal inspectors deemed the operation safe, Town Manager Jill Goldsmith – acting at the behest of selectmen – didn’t renew the lease with Skydive Cape Cod.

Town officials did argue that there shouldn’t be a skydiving operation at the airport because, among other reasons, the area was too busy in the summer. The Federal Aviation Administration officials didn’t see it that way and mandated the town allow skydiving because the airport had been partially funded by federal grants and thereby couldn’t discriminate against any aeronautical activities.

Town officials weren’t convinced and mulled fighting the FAA until they hired an independent safety consultant and counsel who said it would be fruitless to fight the FAA and skydiving is safe, respectively.

At that point the town went forward with writing an RFP, with additional safeguards, and two companies applied. While the airport commission was deciding who to award the contract to neighbors of the airport banded together to form Citizens for a Safe Chatham Airport.

Original article can be found here: http://eastham.wickedlocal.com

Liberty Aerospace Inc XL2, N590XL: Gouges found on the right wing attach tang; this rendered the aircraft un-airworthy; a Designated Engineering Representative (DER) is needed to facilitate repairs to include wing/tang, replacement
















LIBERTY AEROSPACE INCORPORATED
LIBERTY XL-2
N590XL
http://registry.faa.gov/N590XL

AIRCRAFT:   2007 Liberty Aerospace Inc XL2; N590XL S/N: 0074

ENGINE: Continental 10F-240-B; S/N: 400150

Propeller Type: MT – Propeller MTV-175R 127-2CA, S/N: 08035

APPROXIMATE TOTAL HOURS (estimated Times from logbooks or other information):

ENGINE:       TT: 310 (at last annual)

Propeller:       TT:   310 (at last annual)

AIRFRAME:  TT: 310  (at last annual)      

OTHER EQUIPMENT: Garmin GMA 340 Audio Panel, Garmin GNS-430 GPS/Nav/Comm, Garmin SL-40 Comm, Garmin GTX-327 Transponder.

DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT:  Gouges found on the right wing attach tang. This rendered the aircraft un-airworthy. A Designated Engineering Representative (DER) is needed to facilitate repairs to include wing/tang, replacement.

DESCRIPTION OF DAMAGES:    See above description.            

LOCATION OF AIRCRAFT:   Air Transport, Phoenix, AZ.

Read more here:  http://www.avclaims.com/N590XL.htm

Collision During Takeoff: Cessna 421B Golden Eagle, N3372Q; accident occurred April 26, 2016 at Foley Municipal Airport (5R4), Baldwin County, Alabama

View of fire damaged wreckage 


Fuel receipt for 45.2 gallons of 100LL 


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


Additional Participating Entity:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Birmingham, Alabama 

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


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


http://registry.faa.gov/N3372Q

Location: Foley, AL
Accident Number: ERA16LA171
Date & Time: 04/26/2016, 1424 CDT
Registration: N3372Q
Aircraft: CESSNA 421
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: Collision during takeoff/land
Injuries: 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On April 26, 2016, at 1424 central daylight time, a Cessna 421B, N3372Q, was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain in Foley, Alabama. The private pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the flight from Foley Municipal Airport (5R4), Foley, Alabama, to West Georgia Regional Airport (CTJ), Carrollton, Georgia. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

During a postaccident interview with a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, the pilot recounted that he taxied out and lined up for takeoff on the runway. With brakes on, he cycled the propellers and they "checked good." The magneto check at 1,500 rpm was also "good," as were the oil pressure and oil temperature. The pilot then ensured that the fuel selectors were position to both main fuel tanks, the throttles were full, mixtures were all the way forward, the fuel boost pumps were on low, and the propellers were all the way forward. He selected the flaps to the takeoff position and released the brakes.

During the takeoff roll, everything was "normal" (temperatures and pressures were "in the green"), and when the airplane had accelerated to 75-80 knots, the pilot pulled back on the yoke slowly, and the airplane began to climb. The pilot raised the landing gear and noticed that the airplane wasn't climbing. He looked at the airspeed indicator, which indicated 80 knots. The pilot heard the stall warning and pulled back on the yoke. He then shut the boost pumps off and lowered the flaps before a hard impact.

After impact, the pilot found himself upside down. He released his seat belt, saw fire and went to the back of the airplane. He opened the aft hatch and rolled forward, landing flat on his back. Two men then helped him up and led him to a nearby building. When asked about the performance of the airplane's engines the pilot stated, "the engines were operating fine and I screwed up."
Review of the normal takeoff checklist for the airplane revealed that the minimum control speed was 86 knots, and the break ground and climb out speed was 106 knots.

A witness stated that during the takeoff from runway 18, the airplane left the ground at the departure runway end, just clearing the airport's perimeter fence. The airplane was unable to gain sufficient altitude to clear the trees less than ¼ of a mile south of the runway. The airplane began hitting tree tops, and impacted a large oak tree with the left wing, then spun into two other large oak trees 30 feet to the southwest. The airplane then flipped over, hit the ground, exploded and was consumed by fire. The pilot jumped from the rear entry door and landed on his back. The pilot refused medical attention and sustained burns and a cut to his left hand.

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 70, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s):None 
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 03/31/2011
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: 5450 hours (Total, all aircraft) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Registration: N3372Q
Model/Series: 421 B
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1972
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 421B0256
Landing Gear Type: Retractable - Tricycle
Seats: 6
Date/Type of Last Inspection:
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 7449 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 2 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time:
Engine Manufacturer: CONT MOTOR
ELT:
Engine Model/Series: GTSI0-520-H
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 375 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held:None  

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: JKA, 17 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 8 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1415 CDT
Direction from Accident Site: 160°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 11 knots / 17 knots
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: / None
Wind Direction: 130°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 29.92 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 26°C / 19°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Foley, AL (5R4)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Carrollton, GA (CTJ)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1424 CDT
Type of Airspace:Class G 

Airport Information

Airport: Foley Municipal Airport (5R4)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 73 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 18
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 3700 ft / 74 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: None

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries:N/A 
Aircraft Explosion:None 
Total Injuries:1 Minor 
Latitude, Longitude: 30.416389, -87.700278




BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) — A dramatic scene unfolded Tuesday afternoon in a neighborhood in the Foley area when a small, twin engine plane crashed.

The pilot reportedly made it out of the plane and is lucky to be alive. It appears the pilot clipped some oak trees after take-off in his Cessna 421.

It crashed near a mobile home park at Sunset Circle and Hickory Street. Crews responded quickly and worked to extinguish the flames. At least two fire engine crews and two ambulance crews arrived to help. The crash happened just before 2:30 p.m.

This area is just south of the Foley Municipal Airport. There are also a lot of homes, businesses and oak trees in this area.

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






FOLEY, AL (WALA) - A twin engine Cessna aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from the Foley airport earlier today.

The crash took place near Sunset Circle and Hickory Street, which is just south of the airport.

According to witnesses, some people in the neighborhood where the plane crashed, pulled the pilot to safety. 

The pilot told rescuers that the engine started sputtering like it has having problems getting fuel.

Officials say the pilot refused medical treatment. 

Both the Foley police and fire departments responded to the scene. 

Story, video and photo gallery: http://www.fox10tv.com











A dramatic scene unfolded Tuesday afternoon in a neighborhood in the Foley when a small, twin engine plane crashed. WKRG News 5 has learned the pilot made it out of the plane and lucky to be alive. It appears the pilot clipped some oak trees after take-off in his Cessna 421. It crashed near a mobile home park at Sunset Circle and Hickory Street. Crews responded quickly and worked to extinguish the flames. At least two fire engine crews and two ambulance crews arrived to help. The crash happened just before 2:30 p.m. This area is just south of the Foley Municipal Airport. There are also a lot of homes, businesses and oak trees in this area.  
Original article can be found here: http://wkrg.com

Northwestern Michigan College Aviation Shares Importance of Safe Weather Flying



Severe weather prompted a pilot headed to Mount Pleasant to make an emergency landing downstate.

Rain and strong winds Monday night caused dangerous traveling conditions.

Police say a small airplane was headed from Kansas to Mount Pleasant, but the pilot had to make an emergency landed at the South Haven Area Regional Airport because of the thunderstorms.

When he landed, he skidded off the runway.

The plane was found with damage to the front end.

Thankfully, no one was hurt.

Instructors at Northwestern Michigan College say teaching their aviation students about weather is a strong focus in the classroom.

They always made sure the conditions are safe for flying and students are comfortable.

“We're really teaching students how to be prepared. How to make decisions and how to have a plan B so if weather changes in route then they'll have to go someplace else, or turn around, or come up with a new plan,” says Alex Bloye, Director of Aviation.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the emergency landing.

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

Trenton-Mercer Airport (KTTN) Passes Federal Aviation Administration Inspection with Flying Colors

An inspection this week by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified that the Trenton-Mercer Airport (TTN) is in full compliance with federal government standards governing airports. According to Mercer County, the finding of “full compliance” is rare and achieved by only a handful of airports in the nation.

The FAA’s extensive inspection is completed annually at commercial service airports and reviews a wide variety of different areas with which an airport is required to comply from a federal regulatory standpoint. These areas include but are not limited to: the Airport Certification Manual; the Airport Emergency Plan; records; personnel training; airfield pavement; markings; lighting and signage; snow and ice control; Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) readiness; fueling operations; and wildlife hazard management.

“We are committed to maintaining the highest standards when it comes to safety and all other areas of our airport operation, and the results of this federal inspection are a testament to that,” said Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes. “I commend the airport’s management and staff on a job well done.”

Aaron T. Watson, County Deputy Administrator and Director of Transportation and Infrastructure, the department which operates the airport, agreed. “I am very pleased with our efforts at TTN,” he said. “We always try to be good neighbors and good stewards of our facility and its users.”

On April 25 and 26, the FAA conducted the 2016 Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 139 Certification Inspection at Trenton-Mercer Airport. The inspection certified that TTN is considered to be in full compliance with the requirements set forth by the federal government in FAR Part 139.

Trenton-Mercer Airport located in Ewing Township, has been providing a convenient, safe mode of transit to the Mercer County region for more than 85 years. As one of only three commercial airports in New Jersey, TTN averages approximately 80,000 takeoffs and landings each year and is a powerful economic engine, contributing thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars to the local economy.

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

Council member floats Smith Reynolds Airport (KINT) compromise

Winston-Salem City Council Member Robert Clark offered a compromise proposal on Monday for giving Smith Reynolds Airport some relief from city taxes and stormwater fees.

Speaking to the Airport Commission of Forsyth County, Clark suggested that some of the airport — the runways, taxiways and other areas — be removed from the city boundaries as a way of basically cutting in half the amount of money the airport has to pay to the city in stormwater fees.

Clark proposed an area where small planes are parked for de-annexation as well, which would give tax relief to owners of the small planes: They would have to pay only county tax on the planes, not both city and county taxes.
The city would keep the buildings on the airport property.

Forsyth County and the airport commission say the stormwater fees and double taxation put Smith Reynolds at a competitive disadvantage. The stormwater fees use money that could otherwise go for airport improvements, and plane owners can park their planes elsewhere and save on taxes.

One of those places is Piedmont Triad International Airport in Guilford County, which is not in the Greensboro city limits.

Two other council members, D.D. Adams and Jeff MacIntosh, came to the airport board meeting along with city administrators, although Clark said he hadn’t had a chance to share his ideas with them yet.

So Clark basically offered his idea as a starting point for discussion, saying he hoped that the city and county could come up with a “win-win.”

Forsyth County Commissioner Ted Kaplan, who sits on the airport board, called Clark’s idea “a good effort,” but suggested that more work needs to be done because de-annexation of the areas proposed by Clark would still leave hangars and the expensive corporate planes and jets inside them inside the city limits.

“This is getting us close to getting some agreement, and the folks in Raleigh want us to reach an agreement,” Kaplan said.

The folks in Raleigh are the county’s legislative delegation, which has heard requests for de-annexation in the past but hasn’t acted on the issue.

Monday afternoon, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners voted 5-2 to ask the delegation to introduce a statewide bill that would exempt government entities from city stormwater fees.

In March, the airport board voted to explore de-annexation.

The airport pays the city about $120,000 per year in stormwater fees. The money goes to reduce the effects of stormwater runoff, and is calculated on an acreage basis.

Under Clark’s proposal, that fee could be about cut in half.

Less clear is how much tax savings plane owners would have under Clark’s plan. Kaplan said that the high-dollar planes that pay the most taxes are in hangars, not the tie-down area for small planes that Clark is proposing to include in de-annexation.

Airplanes parked at Smith Reynolds now contribute about $250,000 annually to the city through the property tax.

After the meeting, Winston-Salem City Manager Lee Garrity expressed concern about setting a precedent to have part of the city de-annexed.

MacIntosh said that because any benefit to the city under Clark’s plan would be indirect — in the form of more business brought in by having more planes based here, for instance — it could be hard to sell the idea to people in the city.

Airport Commission member Scott Wiley said that the challenge is to make it attractive for companies to base aircraft here, rather than drop off someone and fly to another location.

Still, Clark’s idea seemed to get a generally positive reaction from the airport board, and will get more discussion on both the city and county governing boards.

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

Audio: The night Prince’s plane made an emergency landing



By Bob Collins
April 26, 2016, 4:00 PM 


The conversations between the pilot of Prince’s private jet and air traffic controllers don’t reveal much about why the jet had to make an emergency landing in Moline, Ill., just a few days before Prince died.

MPR News’ Mark Zdechlik obtained the tapes from the FAA air traffic control radar facility in Aurora, Ill., and they confirm only that the pilots declared an emergency because of an unresponsive passenger, believed now to be Prince.

But they do show the difficulty of getting a jet on the ground safely in a hurry, and the skill of pilots and controllers to accomplish the task.

The jet was traveling at 42,000 feet over Peoria at exactly 1 a.m., last Friday morning when the pilot declared an emergency. That’s a higher altitude than a commercial airliner typically flies at. It needed to lose a lot of altitude in a hurry. There was also the question of where to land.

According to FlightAware.com, this is the route the pilot of Prince’s airplane took near Moline. The light blue dashed line indicates the instrument approach to the field. The green line indicates the actual route as the pilot attempted to lose altitude quickly.  


 

Moline was 65 miles away. It would take some work to get the plane down quickly. At first the pilot descended at the rate of about 2,000 feet per minute, steeper than a typical passenger plane, but 12 minutes later, steepened the descent rate to almost a mile a minute. Moline’s airport was coming up in a hurry, but the jet was still too high for a stabilized approach.

A corporate pilot acquaintance, when I asked how steeply he’d feel comfortable descending his jet, suggested 5,000 feet per minute — the rate at which Prince’s plane was approaching Moline — was about as steep as he’d suggest.

The original plan was to land the plane to the east, into the wind. But it appears the plane had still not lost enough altitude to do so. It passed Moline, lost more altitude, then turned back to the airport, opposite the direction of the intended runway, then turned back toward the runway to land, a standard “pattern” for airports with no control towers. The Moline tower closes at 10 p.m.
 

To have attempted any other method would’ve constituted what’s known as an “unstabilized approach.”

“Unstabilized approaches are bad,” a corporate pilot who did not want to be identified said.

With no control tower, the pilot constantly reported his position on a separate frequency reserved for aircraft at the airport, in case any other planes were in the area. But there was no other traffic to worry about. The pilot landed in the opposite direction from the original plan. Other than the emergency itself, this is the only real indication of the pilot’s intent to get the plane down as quickly as possible. He landed with a tailwind.

It was 1:18 a.m. Eighteen minutes after the emergency was declared, the pilot had his plane on the ground, and was looking for help.

Original article can be found here: http://blogs.mprnews.org

New air traffic control system online at Atlantic City International Airport (KACY), Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey

Eric Barone (left), air traffic controller, training a new air traffic controller, John Stoke (right), in the control tower at Atlantic City International Airport William J. Hughes Tech Center as they guide planes to take off and land. April 21, 2016. 


Andrew Elias, union representative at the Atlantic City International Airport William J. Hughes Tech Center, in an air traffic control room for planes that are passing over the area. April 21, 2016.



EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — The eyes in the sky at Atlantic City International Airport have a new perspective on aircraft flying around the region thanks to a new air traffic control system.

The new equipment offers the approximately 30 air traffic controllers at the airport the ability to look at more layers of weather data and have easier accessibility to other radar systems in the area if the airport’s goes down, said Andrew Elias, air traffic controller and National Air Traffic Controller Association representative at the airport.

In late March, the airport’s Common Automation Radar Terminal System, which was developed in the 1960s, was replaced with the new Standard Terminal Automation System as part of a more than $900 million nationwide project by the Federal Aviation Administration and Raytheon.


Santino Rockelein, air traffic controller, in the control tower at Atlantic City International Airport William J. Hughes Tech Center as he guides planes to take off and land. April 21, 2016.


The new layers of weather data will allow controllers to have additional information when trying to land planes, leading to increased safety.

“The new technology is absolutely amazing, we have information available to us that was not available in the old system,” Elias said. “There is definitely a learning curve when it comes to using this new equipment, but it’s a nice change. A lot of what we do has not changed, but the tools that this system has allows us to see more things.”

If the radar went out under the old system, air traffic controllers had to go through a laundry list of steps to switch to another radar. With the new system, it can be done with the touch of a button, Elias said.
“If you are looking at a score of airplanes and the radar goes out, it is not a good time,” Elias said, adding that every second counts in those types of situations.



Edward Gaguski, Department of Transportation of the Atlantic City International Airport William J. Hughes Tech Center, in front of the old air traffic control system called CARTS as they have switched over to the next generation of the air traffic control system called STAR. April 21, 2016. 



Raytheon will supply new computers, displays and software for up to 199 military and 172 FAA approach control and tower radar facilities across the country. The FAA is in the process of upgrading air traffic control systems at airports nationwide to bring them in line with current technology. The new system was researched and tested at the William J. Hughes Technical Center over the past couple of years.

The new system, which uses a variety colors on flat panel screens, allows controllers to see all of the airplanes in the area at all times, compared with the old system, which featured a yellow-colored screen and used a rotating radar to track planes.

“We went from having 1950s technology in the radar system to an all digital system,” said Bill West, air traffic control manager at the airport, which has two runways. “The old system was very reliable, but this is more in line with today’s technology. Anytime you upgrade technology you upgrade safety. This gives air traffic controllers more levels of information than the old system.”

The new system, built by Raytheon, was delivered to the tower in July and the controllers trained on it until March, West said.


Christine DeFrank, an air traffic controller at the Atlantic City International Airport William J. Hughes Tech Center, in an air traffic control room for planes that are passing over the area. April 21, 2016.


“Implementation of STARS brings the National Airspace System into a single terminal-area operational system, which provides increased efficiencies in terms of resources, training and maintenance,” said Michael Espinola, managing director at Raytheon Air Traffic Systems, in a prepared statement late last year. “Creating an effective, advanced and streamlined system, all while maintaining outstanding safety standards, is a key goal of the FAA's Next Gen initiative.”

The testing of the new equipment started in 2012, said Ed Gaguski, director of Terminal Automation Modernization and Replacement and the STARS Operational Test at the William J. Hughes Technical Center.

“We bring in air traffic controllers and others who work in the field for two to three weeks to run tests on the program’s systems,” Gaguski said. “If we do find a problem, we run that problem here and find a fix for it.”

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

Grob G103 TWIN ASTIR, Tucson Soaring Club Inc., N40880; accident occurred April 24, 2016 in Marana, Arizona -Kathryn's Report

TUCSON SOARING CLUB INC: http://registry.faa.gov/N40880

NTSB Identification: GAA16CA205
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, April 24, 2016 in Marana, AZ
Probable Cause Approval Date: 07/14/2016
Aircraft: BURKHART GROB FLUGZEUGBAU G103 TWIN ASTIR, registration: N40880
Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.

According to the pilot, while maneuvering the glider about 2,900 feet above ground level, the pilot determined that the wind conditions were not conducive to sustain flight and turned toward the runway in order to establish an approach. He recalled that while maneuvering toward the runway, he encountered downdrafts and began to lose altitude rapidly. He reported that he issued a mayday call about ¾ of a statute mile from the runway, established a nose up attitude to decrease the airspeed, and the glider impacted the trees. The glider sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. 

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the glider prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The glider's loss of lift as a result of unfavorable wind conditions for glider operations, consequently resulting in a collision with trees.

Cessna 172RG Cutlass, Linea Central Inc., N172RG: Incident occurred April 25, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas









AIRCRAFT: 1979 Cessna 172RG SN# 172RG0083 N172RG 

ENGINE:       Lycoming O-360-F1A6  SN# L-35693-36A           

PROPELLER: McCauley B2D34C220-C 

APPROXIMATE TOTAL HOURS (estimated TT & TSMO from logbooks or other information):

ENGINE:  6,367.4 TT        1,775.9 SMOH           

PROPELLER:  Destroyed             

AIRFRAME:   13,123.1 TTSN                     

OTHER EQUIPMENT: KMA24, GNS430, KX175B, KT76C      

DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT:  On 4/25/2016 aircraft had an unsafe gear light with gear appearing down and locked.  Aircraft landed and while taxing nose gear collapsed.   

DESCRIPTION OF DAMAGES:  Propeller curled with blades loose in hub, sudden engine stoppage, nose gear doors and brackets damaged, exhaust stack damaged.                      
REMARKS:  Aircraft dismantled for transport.   Adjuster has logs.

Read more here:   http://www.avclaims.com/N172RG.htm     

LINEA CENTRAL INC

Date: 25-APR-16
Time: 20:43:00Z
Regis#: N172RG
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 172RG
Event Type: Incident
Highest Injury: None
Damage: Unknown
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
City: FORT WORTH
State: Texas

AIRCRAFT NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AFTER LANDING. FORT WORTH, TX

Hot Springs Municipal Airport (KHSR) a valuable asset: It may be out of sight, but it’s not out of everyone’s mind

Ed Jensen has served as Hot Springs Municipal Airport manager for the last four years. He’d like to see more hangars built and the city airport developed to produce more income from the facility.



HOT SPRINGS – Ed Jensen of Hot Springs laughs when he realizes he has come full circle when it comes to his love of airplanes.

Jensen says he developed an interest in airplanes by mowing grass on an airfield as a kid back in Michigan. His dad had a summer job at the airfield and he was paid $1.50 per hour for the gargantuan chore of keeping the airfield’s grass clipped.

How did Ed spend his money? He said $1 went to pay for flying lessons, 50 cents Jensen took home in cash.

Today, he’s doing basically the same thing at the Hot Springs Municipal Airport, the city-run airport located off Hwy. 79, between Oral and Hot Springs. Jensen is the airport’s Manager, by job title.

“I’ve always liked flying,” he said, recalling how he helped a cousin rebuild a damaged plane, and how it didn’t cost much back then to get flying lessons.

Jensen has been manager of the Hot Springs Municipal Airport for the last four years.

He finally earned his pilot’s license in 2011, when Steve Hill, Justin Printz and Tracy Bastian all got their pilots licenses within about six months of each other and had their shirttails cut off, an old pilot tradition. Those shirttails still adorn the walls of the reception area of the Hot Springs airport.

Hot Springs’ first airport was built in 1950, Jensen said, at another location, but when planes couldn’t take off on the short runway (due to the nearby hills) the airport was moved to its present location after the city bought 500 acres of land on which to site the facility.

The first airplane to take off from the original airport, Jensen said was a Western Airlines flight, in April of 1952. California-based Western, begun in 1925, during the 1950s and 60s served the western states, including Alaska and Hawaii, with more than 40 airports – but Hot Springs was simply a stop along the route, not a major flight center. Later, Frontier Airlines included Hot Springs as a stop. But today the airport is strictly a private operation, run by the city.

The largest planes taking off from Hot Springs, Jensen said, were Douglas DC-3s, a fixed wing propeller -driven airplane that seated more than 20 people. The DC-3 revolutionized air travel in their hey-day, the 1940s. A testament to the durability of the plane is that even today some 400 DC-3-style planes are still flying. The planes are used for aerial spraying, freight transport, passenger service, military transport, missionary flying, skydiver shuttling and sightseeing.

Today, the largest planes that land at Hot Springs airport are actually jets – Leer jets, like business tycoons have, Jensen said.

The airport sports two runways: a 100-foot wide, 4,500-foot long paved runway; and a 250-foot wide, 3,950 foot long grass runway.

Jensen said he uses a Vibra-pak asphalt roller every spring after the ground collects a little moisture to roll the grass runway twice annually, to make it smoother for the pilots who land there. He joked about how he showed one pilot the runway with his “Cadillac” – a hand-me-down black Dodge pickup the airport uses from the city, and how smooth the ride was in the pickup over the grass runway. “The faster you go,” the pilot said smiling, “the smoother it gets.”

“Out of sight, out of mind,” is sometimes how Jensen feels, working his 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily shift at the airfield, because most Hot Springs residents don’t realize what a valuable yet largely unseen asset to the community the airfield is.

Who uses the airport?

According to Jensen there are 8,000 flights in and out of Hot Springs annually.

Private pilots make up one large group of users, Jensen said. While about a dozen local pilots – including Jensen -- house their airplanes in rental hangars ($150 per month per space for a heated hangar, $100 per month for unheated) on the airfield, more pilots from the region including Hermosa and Rapid City call the airport home base.

Jensen points out that in 2009, there were 19 Hot Springs-based aircraft using the airfield. Currently, 38 planes call Hot Springs home.

Other pilots are flying in and out. These are people who own planes and want to visit Hot Springs make up a large contingent of airport users, Jensen said. Some are vacationers who want to tour the city or spend time in the Black Hills. Some fly in to play on Hot Springs’ golf course, visit Evans Plunge or hunt in the area. Jensen even knew of one flight to pick up rescued dogs. The airport has a courtesy car for pilots who stay in town, he said, and the fueling station, run by HSR Fuels, is always available. (The per gallon cost was $4.25 per gallon, which was down some from recent prices, he said.)

•A commercial airplane exhaust system, Oral-based Vetterman Exhaust, has a shop at the airfield, which brings in business.

•State planes often fly in and out of the airport. Jensen said Governor Dennis Daugaard and Lt. Gov. Matt Michels use the airport frequently, as do some state representatives and other officials coming to take care of business in Hot Springs.

•The regional SEAT (single engine air tanker) firefighting plane is based in Hot Springs in the summer, with a two-man crew that is always on call throughout the season. The SEAT plane can carry a mix of 600 gallons of water and fire retardant to hit fires. The SEAT plane can be dispatched and a hit a small fire before it grows larger, or hit a fire and return for another load of retardant and water within less time than it takes for a fire-fighting vehicle to reach a remote scene, Jensen said.

•The National Guard firefighting helicopter uses the field two to three times a week in the summer for practicing take offs and landings with a fire-extinguishing unit.

•There’s also a two-person crew from the South Dakota Wildlands Fire Protection Aviation Support group. They use radio –equipped camper to dispatch units like the SEAT plane to fires.

•Life Flight planes use the airport to ferry patients between regional hospitals and larger hospitals with more advanced care facilities.

•Two Rapid City groups – a glider club and a skydiving club – have hangars at the airport. Jensen said the unlimited air space in Hot Springs attracts them: Rapid City’s commercial airport means private planes towing gliders or hauling skydivers up into the air must compete with constant commercial flights for runway space, a hassle. Also, with Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City and a recently expanded military flight zone that extends into Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota, means air space is even more limited. At Hot Springs, the sky is literally the limit.

Jensen, reflecting the wishes of many pilots he deals with, would love to see more hangars built at the airport. Currently, there are 11 hangars, he said, all rented out, either the whole hangar or for plane space within a hangar. The city owns and rents out three of these hangars.

The waiting list for hangar space is very long, Jensen said.

More hangars could up the commercial value of the airport, help it bring in more money. Building a single 10 – 12 plane nested T-style hangar would cost about $300,000, but federal and state monies cover all but 6 percent ($18,000) of this, the city’s share, he said. There’s also plenty of room to develop more hangars.

Yet even getting city approval – again, at 6 percent of the cost – for a large, $1,500 fan to cut heating costs in the heated hangar was a chore, Jensen said, which is why he sometimes feels out of sight, out of mind.

Meanwhile, a 2015 city-commissioned airport study anticipated increases in both use and aircraft at the airport. Forecasts call for aircraft numbers at the airport to rise from 29 (2015) to 44 by 2035. Aircraft use was expected to increase half a percent annually, jumping from 6,800 uses in 2015 to nearly 7,700 uses in 2035. But Jensen’s figures show that mark has already been exceeded.

So while the airport doesn’t currently bring in gobs of money, Jensen said, it does fulfill a community need and represents a very valuable asset, by bringing people into Hot Springs, savings property and perhaps lives during fires, offering recreation to those who want to enjoy flying or sky-diving.

Jensen also noted that some first impressions of Hot Springs are formed at the airport, and he works hard to maintain its appearance. He’s looking for volunteers to help do some scraping and re-painting at the main building in the near future.

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