Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Silver Airlines leaving the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (KECP)

Kathryn's Report: http://www.kathrynsreport.com

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla.

Silver Airways is parting ways with Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.

Airport Executive Director Parker McClellan confirmed the move Tuesday afternoon.

Silver began offering flights to Tampa and Orlando in March of last year. 

McClellan says Silver plans to focus on a new business model involving flights to Cuba.

He added that more information will be released at tomorrow's Airport Board meeting.

Silver's last flights at the airport will take place in August of this year. 

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

Steamboat Springs Airport (KSBS) manager fired after short tenure

A firefighting helicopter that is helping combat a large wildfire in Jackson County takes off from the Steamboat Springs Airport on Tuesday afternoon.


Steamboat Springs Airport Manager Adam Kittinger was fired earlier this month after a short and sometimes turbulent tenure up at Bob Adams Field.

Saying it was a personnel issue that deserved privacy, City Manager Gary Suiter and Public Works Director Chuck Anderson declined to comment this week on the reasons behind Kittinger's dismissal.

Kittinger was employed by the city for a little less than one year.

The firing means the city will have to recruit its third airport manager in less than three years.

Emails obtained last week by Steamboat Today through an open records request show recent friction between Kittinger and Anderson regarding airport operations and oversight.

The communications also reveal broader oversight issues at the city-owned airport.

These issues include concerns about safety procedures not being followed by airport employees, an invoice for fuel filter parts that was nearly a year past due, a persistent jet fume issue at SmartWool headquarters that has cost the city tens of thousands of dollars and concerns about unsanctioned handshake deals used to set hangar rental rates.

Kittinger felt, at times, he had too many responsibilities to tackle all at once and had to prioritize his directives, the emails show.

He also questioned why oversight issues for which he said he took heat at the airport had not been addressed by Anderson through the years.

Handshake deals

Inconsistent charges for hangar rentals was a particular point of contention between Kittinger and Anderson, the emails show.

Some pilots appear to have been given discounted rental rates that strayed significantly from the fee schedule that is approved by the city manager.

In one instance, a pilot of a single-engine piston plane was charged $1,065 for a 45-day stay under a monthly summer rate Kittinger found didn't exist on the city's books.

Under the city's official rate structure, approved by the city manager, the pilot would have been charged $4,575 for the same stay.

“It's another one of those “handshake deals” that has been made out here at the airport,” Kittinger wrote to Anderson when confronted about the discrepancy and other inconsistent charges for hangar rentals.

Anderson then asked Kittinger what he was doing to make employees accountable for the inconsistent fees being charged without manager approval.

He said it appeared Kittinger was not holding employees accountable.

“As we have discussed previously, fees are set by the City Manager, and any authority to add/change/delete lies with the City Manager, not me nor you or airport employees,” Anderson wrote.

Kittinger defended himself and the decision, suggesting the city would have lost revenue had it not offered the pilot a discount.

“It is a culture that has been ALLOWED by the city for MANY years, no one has EVER questioned it or taken steps to correct it except for me since I have taken over management and brought this to light,” Kittinger wrote to Anderson in a March 10 email about the inconsistent hangar fees. “So this is something that is engrained in the fabric of this airport that MUST change.”

Kittinger claimed he was unfairly taking heat from Anderson for the hangar rental deals, some of which were made prior to Kittinger's tenure at the airport or only days after he started.

He questioned why Anderson did not address the issue when he served as acting airport manager for several months.

Later in the day, Kittinger sent an email to all airport employees saying he had been tasked with resolving the issue and that no employee should deviate from the fee structure approved by the city manager.

In another communication, he expressed concern about a .25 cent fuel discount that was being offered to local pilots, despite there being no written policy mandating it.

In addition, Kittinger had expressed a desire to have more autonomy as airport manager.

“This is a very customer service based operation and I'm confident that my guys do the best they can with what they have to make money for the city and send people back in to the skies wanting to come back to SBS and our town,” Kittinger wrote to Anderson.

Even after the tense email exchange regarding the inconsistent hangar rental fees, a $1,600 discount was approved by city administration for a pilot Kittinger feared would not stay at Bob Adams and generate "bad publicity" if he had to pay the fee approved in the city's budget book.

Anderson declined to comment Monday on the hangar rate issue, saying it was a “personnel matter.”

Looking for consistency

Suiter said the hangar rental issue concerns him and is being looked at.

“I think we should have a rental fee schedule and stick with it,” Suiter said. “We need to ensure consistency across the board.”

Suiter said at previous cities he has managed, it was not uncommon to see inconsistent long-term hangar leases, but not as common to see such inconsistency in short-term hangar rental prices.

Suiter said he plans to take a look at the city's hangar rental rates and compare them to other airports in the region.

“Have we addressed this to my satisfaction at Bob Adams Airport? No,” Suiter said. “I think there needs to be some analysis done. We need to look at what the other markets are.”

While revenue generated from the short-term rentals accounts for a small percentage of the budget, the revenue has been increasing in recent years, as demand has gone up in an improving economy.

Safety concerns raised


Emails also show Kittinger was concerned about safety procedures not being consistently followed at the airport.

“They have always been present, but have not been consistently followed or enforced,” Kittinger wrote of the rules in an email to airport staff. “I expect, as a team, we will hold each other accountable, this includes myself.”

The email outlined several safety rules, including the need to wear high-visibility vests on the airfield.

Asked about the safety concerns Kittinger raised, Anderson said Monday it wasn't a longstanding issue and had come up more recently.

Jet fumes issue persists

Kittinger also had to devote time to resolving a years-long issue of jet fume odors entering the SmartWool headquarters on the airport property.

He called the complaints “quite frivolous and constant.”

In April, a Smart Wool employee complained to the city about a pilot who confronted employees inside the sock company's headquarters after he was told by airport staff to not hang around while taxiing on the runway due to complaints about fumes at SmartWool.

“We have spent thousands of dollars to upgrade their air filtration systems and just recently changed our normal way of parking to try and accommodate them and be sensitive to their concerns,” Kittinger wrote to Anderson. “I don't see much more that we can do short of sealing off their windows with concrete or a blast wall.”

Anderson noted a particular SmartWool employee was often the complainant and questioned whether it was her location in the building that led to her being impacted more often, or if she was “just a chronic complainer.”

According to a records request submitted Monday by Steamboat Today, the city has spent $71,000 mitigating the jet fumes issue at SmartWool, which is leasing the old terminal building at the airport.

Overdue invoice


Another email chain shows that concerns were raised after it was discovered in May an invoice for fuel filters for a truck at the airport went unpaid for 10 months.

Anderson asked Kittinger to research why the bill hadn't been paid and find out “who dropped the ball.”

Asked Monday about the resolution to the incident and whether any late fees had resulted, Anderson said he could not recall the overdue invoice.

Looking ahead


Anderson on Monday described his management style and oversight of the airport as empowering, saying he had given the manager autonomy.

“My communication is up, down and lateral," Anderson said. “Everyone is given opportunities to succeed.”

From 2013 to present, the city's last three airport managers have departed or been terminated under Anderson.

Anderson called the airport a “diamond in the rough.”

The airport does not stand on its own, financially, and has, in recent years, required transfers from the city's general fund in amounts ranging from about $100,000 to $200,000.

Some of the deficit at the airport is due to the fact the city is still making payments on an overhaul to the FBO at the airport.

“It's got a lot of potential, and it's got a very strong support structure from the community,” Anderson said of the city's airport. “It's an economic engine for the community.”

Due to recent turnover in the position, Suiter said he wants to conduct a salary survey before the next manager is hired.

Kittinger earned $79,000 per year at the time of his dismissal.

Kittinger did not respond to a telephone message seeking comment Tuesday. He also declined an interview request with Steamboat Today when he was hired, saying he wasn't a "newspaper guy."

Suiter said he will be involved with hiring a new manager.

“Having done recruitment professionally, I'll want to keep a pulse on this process and make sure we get a good person in there,” Suiter said.

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

Incident occurred June 21, 2016 in Michigan City, LaPorte County, Indiana

Kathryn's Report: http://www.kathrynsreport.com




MICHIGAN CITY — A pilot safely landed his crop duster in a soybean field Tuesday after the single-engine plane ran out of fuel while flying about 1,000 feet in altitude east of Michigan City.

Emergency crews from Springfield Township responded before noon to the 3500 block of West 800 North on a report of a plane down, but quickly returned upon learning it was a safe landing and both the pilot and plane were without a scratch.

The pilot, Ray Cottingham with Agriflite Services out of Wakarusa, said his engine died after running out of fuel. He used his skills to glide the small craft down to a smooth landing.

"It's just like a normal landing. You just don't have an engine,"  Cottingham said.

Neil Straub, a licensed pilot from LaPorte, said a plane with its engine stalled will glide for a certain distance, but it's especially critical to be calm and have a safe landing spot nearby.

A plane in such a situation can also be maneuvered to avoid power lines and trees as long as it's not steered too sharply or the plane will lose airspeed too quickly and begin to plummet.

''That's about all you can do. Just pick the best spot and put it in the best you can and hope for the best,'' said Straub, who several years ago himself safely executed a crash landing.

Pat Troy, who has been watching the plane dust crops, came home from work to have lunch and was surprised to see the airplane sitting in the open field just a few hundred yards from his property.

''He dips right down below the trees and sprays the fields and gets back up. He's kind of acrobatic with it. It's pretty interesting to watch,'' Troy said.

LaPorte County Police Capt. Mike Kellems said he took the pilot for a bite to eat then returned him to the aircraft an hour later to wait for a crew to arrive with fuel.

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

See low-flying planes? Gypsy moth spraying taking place around Columbus, Ohio

Kathryn's Report: http://www.kathrynsreport.com



COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Low flying, loudly buzzing planes were spotted all over Franklin County this morning. The Ohio Department of Agriculture was trying to limit growth of an invasive insect harming Ohio trees.

Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Division of Plant Health Assistant Chief Dan Kenny says, “They feed to the point where you can hear them feeding and there is leaf debris. It can really affect your ability to enjoy your backyard or county parks.”

He’s talking about the gypsy moth. Ohio has been working to lower the gypsy moth population since the 1990s. The Ohio Department of Agriculture’s work will help homeowners and tree lovers next summer.

Kenny explains, “Males go in search of the females by way of a pheromone. We saturate the area with the pheromone so the males cannot find the females. They don’t mate and the population is reduced that way.”  The powdery blue compound sprinkled by planes is called “Disrupt 2.”

A team of pilots has covered thousands of acres during the last four days. Those planes buzzed over Columbus Tuesday morning.  The plane will wrap up work in Delaware, Marion, Crawford, and Wyandotte Counties on Wednesday.

The planes will fly low and make loud buzzing sounds. They will also make hard turns to stay on course.  Kenny adds, “I describe it as like you are mowing your lawn, going back and forth. When you get to the end you make a turn, a sharp turn, on the end so we can keep moving.”

Gypsy moth infestations are serious and the Department of agriculture welcomes your help. Kenny says, “If folks notice any damage on their trees, or any signs on their trees of gypsy moth, we would welcome the call in because that is how we find out about heavy infestations.

Story and video:  http://nbc4i.com

Heat forces Rosecrans Memorial Airport (KSTJ) runway closure

Kathryn's Report: http://www.kathrynsreport.com


Rosecrans Memorial Airport has been forced to close its runway after heat caused its main runway to buckle.

“We have a main runway that’s 8,000 foot long and right in the middle of it, 4,000 foot down the runway we had some concrete buckle,” said Abe Forney, Rosecrans General Manager. “This hot air that we’ve had hasn’t given time for the soil temperatures to heat up slowly and so when it does it rapidly I guess that concrete expands fast and unfortunately this happened.”

Forney said the runway was closed Tuesday morning around 8-thirty.

“The crosswind runway is currently being reconstructed so they’re pouring brand new concrete on that and unfortunately this happened on the main runway so the whole airport is currently closed,” Forney said.

He said crews are cutting the concrete and working to remove about 30 panels.

“Hopefully they will pour the concrete tomorrow,” Forney said. “That concrete needs to cure so we don’t have an exact time or date but we’re doing our best to try to get things patched up as soon as possible so I don’t have an exact time or date.”

He said worst case scenario the airport could be closed for around a week. The cost of the project is unknown at this time.

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

NASCAR's Carl Edwards flying high to better life

Kathryn's Report: http://www.kathrynsreport.com

BOSTON — NASCAR driver Carl Edwards tries to have a normal life in an abnormal profession.

This explains why, on a hazy New England day, Edwards’ Cessna Citation CJ3 is out over the Atlantic, approaching Boston’s Logan International Airport and runway 22R. A pilot since high school, Edwards lands the plane expertly, the touchdown soft and centered.

Edwards is flying in from Concord, N.C., in the early afternoon for the next phase of a busy Tuesday. Already, he has been in morning debriefing/planning meetings at Joe Gibbs Racing headquarters in Huntersville, N.C., and he has been fitted for a seat in the Toyota Camry he’ll race at Daytona International Speedway on July 2.

Edwards’ schedule includes three hours in Boston, making several public appearances to promote the July 17 Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Not long after nightfall, Edwards will be home in Columbia, Mo., a daunting list of tasks completed in about 10 hours, thanks to the Cessna.

Edwards, 36, is far from the first NASCAR driver to own and pilot a plane, but he might be one of the most active in the sky lanes. Since buying the CJ3 two years ago, Edwards has logged 850 flight hours. He flies to every Sprint Cup weekend except the ones at Kansas Speedway, which is about a two-hour drive from his home.

A significant investment (new CJ3s sell for about $7 million), the plane hit the pocket of the notoriously thrifty Edwards hard, but the positive numbers on the other side of the equation made the purchase work.

“I could do everything I need to do without a plane, but I literally would spend my life in an airport (flying commercial airlines),” Edwards told USA TODAY Sports. “This plane saves me about a hundred days a year.”

And most of those days are spent at home in Columbia, where Edwards lives with his wife, Kate, and their children, Anne and Michael.

“Days like today, with multiple things going on, there’s no way I could do it without a plane,” Edwards said. “The biggest thing for me is I get a little bit of downtime. I don’t feel like I’m in a constant state of hurry.”

The Cessna is Edwards’ fifth plane, counting an aerobatic stunt plane that he owned for a few years. Flying is both work and hobby for Edwards, who traces his love for planes to his childhood, when he and his father, Mike, built models, a pastime that ultimately led to the family taking a flight in a rental plane when Carl was 8.

“It was the greatest thing ever,” he said.

Edwards got his pilot’s license in high school. He had been racing cars but also had his eye on being a military pilot, maybe a fighter jock of the skies.

He moved faster in racing than in the air, however, and, by the age of 25, he had a full-time ride in the Sprint Cup Series with team owner Jack Roush. That resulted in his first plane, a small single-engine.

That also was no small purchase for Edwards, whose thriftiness — OK, some simply call him cheap — was somewhat legendary as he arrived on the shores of big-time auto racing. Retired driver Mark Martin, an Edwards teammate at Roush, once said of him, “Hey, the kid won’t even buy cable!”

Read more here:   http://www.wzzm13.com

Zivko EDGE 540, N13VU: Fatal accident occurred June 16, 2016 in Kyviškes, Lithuania

http://registry.faa.gov/N13VU

NTSB Identification: CEN16WA226
Accident occurred Thursday, June 16, 2016 in Kyviškes, Lithuania
Aircraft: ZIVKO AERONAUTICS INC EDGE 540, registration: N13VU
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

The foreign authority was the source of this information.

The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania has notified the NTSB of a fatal accident involving an Edge 540 airplane, United States registration N13VU, that occurred on June 16, 2016. The NTSB has appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist in investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13 as the State of Manufacturer and Design of the airplane.

All investigative information will be released by the Lithuanian Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Division.

Ministry of Transport
Chief Investigator of Aircraft
Accidents and Incidents
Gedimino Av. 17
LT-01505 Vilnius
Lithuania

Website: www.tm.lt

Cessna 182F Skylane, N3111U: Incident occurred June 20, 2016 in Whitesville, Harris County, Georgia

Kathryn's Report: http://www.kathrynsreport.com

http://registry.faa.gov/N3111U

Date: 20-JUN-16
Time: 14:20:00Z
Regis#: N3111U
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 182
Event Type: Incident
Highest Injury: None
Damage: None
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
FAA Flight Standards District Office:  FAA Atlanta FSDO-11
City: WHITESVILLE
State: Georgia

AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED ON A HIGHWAY, NEAR WHITESVILLE, GEORGIA.




HAMILTON — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a pilot’s emergency landing Monday on Interstate 185 near exit 25.

The single-engine plane landed in the interstate’s northbound lanes at about 10:20 a.m. after apparently running out of fuel, according to Georgia State Patrol Sgt. Maurice Raines, commander of GSP’s LaGrange post.

No one was injured, according to a Harris County sheriff’s deputy on scene.

The pilot was the only person on board and declined to be interviewed. He departed the Pine Mountain airport earlier in the day, Raines said.

A crew refueled the plane on the side of the interstate. Law enforcement officers temporarily blocked traffic to allow the pilot to taxi and take off from the northbound lanes. The plane was airborne by about 12:25 p.m.

Raines said the pilot may face charges, depending on the FAA’s investigation.

“We’re looking into what the FAA will say, because he really messed up traffic flow,” Raines said.

Kathreen Bergens, an FAA spokeswoman, said the investigators will review the incident and aircraft’s records.

“The FAA will interview the pilot why it was necessary to land on I-185,” she said in a written statement. “The FAA also may review aircraft operations and maintenance records and may inspect the aircraft to determine if any mechanical problems resulted in the off-airport landing. If the FAA determines that any Federal Aviation Regulations were violated, then the agency can take enforcement action against the person or company responsible.”

The FAA does not release names of pilots, Bergens added.

It was unclear how long the FAA’s investigation will take.

According to the plane’s registration on the FAA’s website, it is a Cessna 182F registered to an owner in Jackson, Georgia.

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




UPDATE:

12:28 p.m. — The plane that landed on I-185 Monday morning has taken off safely, according to a WRBL photographer on the scene. He says Georgia State Patrol officers blocked both lanes of I-185 northbound to give the pilot enough clear space to use the highway as a runway.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office says the plane ran out of gas and was forced to land. The plane was able to take of again after refueling.

11:24 a.m. — News 3’s reporter on the scene says Georgia State Patrol has opened both lanes of traffic on I-185 northbound, but continue to investigate a plane landed in the shoulder near exit 25.

(ORIGINAL STORY)

HARRIS COUNTY, Ga — The Georgia State Patrol says a small plane had to make and emergency landing on Interstate-185 northbound near exit 25.

Witnesses say the plane came down just after 10:30 a.m. A State Patrol officer says the plane touched down with no injuries and no damage on the ground. He says the pilot called in saying there may have been a loss of power on board.

The State Patrol is on the scene investigating and one lane of I-185 northbound is blocked from oncoming traffic.

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

Cessna 172P Skyhawk, N54285: Accident occurred June 20, 2016 at Cherry Ridge Airport (N30), Honesdale, Wayne County, Pennsylvania

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

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Allentown, Pennsylvania

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

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


Aviation Accident Data Summary - National Transportation Safety Board:  https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

http://registry.faa.gov/N54285

NTSB Identification: ERA16LA224
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, June 20, 2016 in Honesdale, PA
Aircraft: CESSNA 172P, registration: N54285
Injuries: 3 Uninjured.

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

The private pilot reported that the airplane was loaded near its maximum allowable gross weight before departure from the airport. The calculated density altitude was 3,297 ft mean sea level. The pilot stated that, after becoming airborne and climbing to 30 to 40 ft above ground level (agl), he “felt that the airplane was not climbing.” The pilot subsequently closed the throttle and attempted to land on the remaining runway.

A review of surveillance video showed the wings of the airplane rocking immediately after liftoff at the mid-point of the runway, which was about 3,000 ft long. The video showed that the airplane’s pitch attitude increased, but the airplane never climbed more than about 15 ft agl before it fell hard to the runway on all three landing gear, consistent with an aerodynamic stall. The airplane bounced several times, settled onto the runway with about 500 ft remaining, then overran the right side of the runway at the departure end. Performance data from the pilot’s operating handbook indicated that, given the conditions present at the time of the accident, the airplane’s landing distance was about 610 ft. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the airplane's wings; there was no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies of the airframe or engine. A postaccident engine run also revealed no anomalies.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while departing in a heavily loaded airplane at high density altitude, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall, landing hard, and overrunning the runway.



On June 20, 2016, at 1445 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N54285, was substantially damaged during a hard landing after takeoff from Cherry Ridge Airport (N30), Honesdale, Pennsylvania. The private pilot/owner, copilot, and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

In a written statement, the pilot stated he had flown from Morristown Airport (MMU), Morristown, New Jersey earlier in the day. He performed the preflight inspection, engine run-up, taxi, and takeoff for the earlier flight and the accident flight in accordance with the pilot operating handbook with no anomalies noted.

The pilot accelerated the airplane and performed the takeoff rotation at 65 knots after using "1/3" of the runway, which was 2,986 feet long. According to the pilot, "When I was about 30-40 feet in the air I felt the airplane was not climbing and I was not going to make it over the trees at the end of the runway." The pilot closed the throttle, landed on the runway, but over-ran the runway off the right side at the departure end. The airplane continued down a steep embankment and came to rest nose down in low brush.

In a telephone interview, the copilot stated that the pilot performed a walk-around and checked both the fuel and oil, and then he assisted him with the before starting engine and takeoff checklists. "Everything sounded normal, we taxied down, lined up at the approach end of runway 18, slowly advanced the throttle, reached full power and accelerated down the runway". The copilot called "65 knots" and rotate. At the time the airplane rotated, he activated the noise-cancelling feature of his headphones.

The copilot said he couldn't hear if there was a power interruption, but he did hear the pilot announce that he was landing back on the runway. After landing, the airplane nearly stopped on the runway, but carried off the right side at the departure end.

A review of surveillance video showed the wings of the airplane rocking immediately after liftoff at the mid-point of the runway. The pitch attitude increased, but the airplane never climbed more than 15 feet above ground level before the airplane leveled suddenly, and then fell hard to the runway on all three landing gear with approximately 675 feet remaining. The airplane bounced several times, and settled on all three landing gear with 500 feet of the runway remaining. The airplane was then seen departing the right side of the runway at the departure end.

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He was issued an FAA third-class medical certificate on April 28, 2015. The pilot reported 878 total hours of flight experience, all of which was in the accident airplane make and model.

The four-seat, single-engine, high-wing airplane was manufactured in 1981, and was equipped with a Lycoming O-320, 160-horsepower engine. Its most recent annual inspection was completed on May 26, 2016 at 9,703.9 aircraft hours.

According to the pilot, the maximum allowable gross weight for the airplane was 2,400 pounds. According to his calculations based on passenger, fuel, and baggage weights, the airplane weighed 2,255 pounds at takeoff from N30.

Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed substantial damage to the airplane's wings due to the hard landing, but no preimpact mechanical anomalies. He then attempted an engine start with the airplane's own battery. The engine started immediately, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously without interruption.

At 1455 the temperature reported at Sullivan County Airport (MSV), Monticello, New York, 23 miles northeast of N30, was 29 degrees C, dewpoint was 14 degrees C, and the altimeter setting was 30.09 inches of mercury.

The copilot stated that it was "warmer" at Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU), Morristown, New Jersey, at 186 feet elevation when they departed for N30 about 1200. The calculated density altitude at MMU at that time was 1,524 feet.

The calculated density altitude for N30 at the time of the accident, at 1,357 feet elevation, was 3,297 feet. At 2,000 feet density altitude, the calculated ground roll to stop the airplane was 610 feet.

According to FAA Pamphlet FAA-P-8740-2, Density Altitude:

Whether due to high altitude, high temperature, or both, reduced air density (reported in terms of density altitude) adversely affects aerodynamic performance and decreases the engine's horsepower output. Takeoff distance, power available (in normally aspirated engines), and climb rate are all adversely affected. Landing distance is affected as well; although the indicated airspeed (IAS) remains the same, the true airspeed (TAS) increases. From the pilot's point of view, therefore, an increase in density altitude results in the following:

• Increased takeoff distance.
• Reduced rate of climb.
• Increased TAS (but same IAS) on approach and landing.
• Increased landing roll distance.

Because high density altitude has particular implications for takeoff/climb performance and landing distance, pilots must be sure to determine the reported density altitude and check the appropriate aircraft performance charts carefully during preflight preparation. A pilot's first reference for aircraft performance information should be the operational data section of the aircraft owner's manual or the Pilot's Operating Handbook developed by the aircraft manufacturer. In the example given in the previous text, the pilot may be operating from an airport at 500 MSL, but he or she must calculate performance as if the airport were located at 5,000 feet. A pilot who is complacent or careless in using the charts may find that density altitude effects create an unexpected –and unwelcome – element of suspense during takeoff and climb or during landing.  The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity: Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Allentown, Pennsylvania

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

http://registry.faa.gov/N54285


NTSB Identification: ERA16LA224
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, June 20, 2016 in Honesdale, PA
Aircraft: CESSNA 172P, registration: N54285
Injuries: 3 Uninjured.

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

On June 20, 2016, at 1445 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N54285, was substantially damaged during a hard landing after takeoff from Cherry Ridge Airport (N30), Honesdale, Pennsylvania. The private pilot/owner, copilot, and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

In a written statement, the pilot stated he had flown from Morristown Airport (MMU), Morristown, New Jersey earlier in the day. He performed the preflight inspection, engine run-up, taxi, and takeoff for the earlier flight and the accident flight in accordance with the pilot operating handbook with no anomalies noted.

The pilot accelerated the airplane and performed the takeoff rotation at 65 knots after using "1/3" of the runway, which was 2,986 feet long. According to the pilot, "When I was about 30-40 feet in the air I felt the airplane was not climbing and I was not going to make it over the trees at the end of the runway." The pilot closed the throttle, landed on the runway, but over-ran the runway off the right side at the departure end. The airplane continued down a steep embankment and came to rest nose down in low brush.

In a telephone interview, the copilot stated that the pilot performed a walk-around and checked both the fuel and oil, and then he assisted him with the before starting engine and takeoff checklists. "Everything sounded normal, we taxied down, lined up at the approach end of runway 18, slowly advanced the throttle, reached full power and accelerated down the runway". The copilot called "65 knots" and rotate. At the time the airplane rotated, he activated the noise-cancelling feature of his headphones.

The copilot said he couldn't hear if there was a power interruption, but he did hear the pilot announce that he was landing back on the runway. After landing, the airplane nearly stopped on the runway, but carried off the right side at the departure end.

A review of surveillance video showed the wings of the airplane rocking immediately after liftoff at the mid-point of the runway. The pitch attitude increased, but the airplane never climbed more than 15 feet above ground level before the airplane leveled suddenly, and then fell hard to the runway on all three landing gear with approximately 675 feet remaining. The airplane bounced several times, and settled on all three landing gear with 500 feet of the runway remaining. The airplane was then seen departing the right side of the runway at the departure end.

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He was issued an FAA third-class medical certificate on April 28, 2015. The pilot reported 878 total hours of flight experience, all of which was in the accident airplane make and model.

The four-seat, single-engine, high-wing airplane was manufactured in 1981, and was equipped with a Lycoming O-320, 160-horsepower engine. Its most recent annual inspection was completed on May 26, 2016 at 9,703.9 aircraft hours.

According to the pilot, the maximum allowable gross weight for the airplane was 2,400 pounds. According to his calculations based on passenger, fuel, and baggage weights, the airplane weighed 2,255 pounds at takeoff from N30.

Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed substantial damage to the airplane's wings due to the hard landing, but no preimpact mechanical anomalies. He then attempted an engine start with the airplane's own battery. The engine started immediately, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously without interruption.

At 1455 the temperature reported at Sullivan County Airport (MSV), Monticello, New York, 23 miles northeast of N30, was 29 degrees C, dewpoint was 14 degrees C, and the altimeter setting was 30.09 inches of mercury.

The copilot stated that it was "warmer" at Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU), Morristown, New Jersey, at 186 feet elevation when they departed for N30 about 1200. The calculated density altitude at MMU at that time was 1,524 feet.

The calculated density altitude for N30 at the time of the accident, at 1,357 feet elevation, was 3,297 feet. At 2,000 feet density altitude, the calculated ground roll to stop the airplane was 610 feet.

According to FAA Pamphlet FAA-P-8740-2, Density Altitude:

Whether due to high altitude, high temperature, or both, reduced air density (reported in terms of density altitude) adversely affects aerodynamic performance and decreases the engine's horsepower output. Takeoff distance, power available (in normally aspirated engines), and climb rate are all adversely affected. Landing distance is affected as well; although the indicated airspeed (IAS) remains the same, the true airspeed (TAS) increases. From the pilot's point of view, therefore, an increase in density altitude results in the following:

• Increased takeoff distance.
• Reduced rate of climb.
• Increased TAS (but same IAS) on approach and landing.
• Increased landing roll distance.

Because high density altitude has particular implications for takeoff/climb performance and landing distance, pilots must be sure to determine the reported density altitude and check the appropriate aircraft performance charts carefully during preflight preparation. A pilot's first reference for aircraft performance information should be the operational data section of the aircraft owner's manual or the Pilot's Operating Handbook developed by the aircraft manufacturer. In the example given in the previous text, the pilot may be operating from an airport at 500 MSL, but he or she must calculate performance as if the airport were located at 5,000 feet. A pilot who is complacent or careless in using the charts may find that density altitude effects create an unexpected –and unwelcome – element of suspense during takeoff and climb or during landing. 


CHERRY RIDGE TOWNSHIP -- No one was hurt when a small plane crashed Monday afternoon at the Cherry Ridge Airport outside Honesdale.

Emergency crews say the Cessna 172P Skyhawk went down around 3 p.m.

Photos of the crash are from the Wayne County Fire/EMS Alerts Facebook page.

The manager of the airport said the plane crashed while trying to take off.

There is no word who was in the plane, but again, officials say no one was hurt.

Story and video:  http://wnep.com

Bellanca 8KCAB, N8SF: Accident occurred June 20, 2016 in Fremont Island, Weber County, Utah

http://registry.faa.gov/N8SF

FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Salt Lake City FSDO-07


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

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

Aviation Accident Data Summary  -  National Transportation Safety Board:   https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

NTSB Identification: GAA16CA341
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, June 20, 2016 in Freemont Island, UT
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/05/2016
Aircraft: BELLANCA 8KCAB, registration: N8SF
Injuries: 2 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.

The flight instructor in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he was demonstrating flight maneuvers to the passenger when the oil filler cowl door unlatched in flight. The flight instructor reported that he feared for their safety, decided to land as soon as possible, and overflew a nearby island airstrip to verify wind direction and identify potential obstacles. During the precautionary landing on the 2,000 foot long by 15 foot wide airstrip, the flight instructor reported that as the airplane slowed and the tailwheel was lowered to the ground, the airplane encountered a wind gust from the left, and the airplane drifted to the right side of the narrow runway. The flight instructor reported that, "it became clear that I could not keep the aircraft on the runway surface, I initiated a go-around." During the aborted landing, the right main landing gear impacted an unknown object, which slowed the airplane's momentum, and the airplane settled to the ground and slid to a stop on the fuselage. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer cables and the right aileron.

Inspection of the oil filler cowl latch was conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector assigned to this accident and he found no failure or degradation of the locking mechanism or the latch assembly. 

Meteorological conditions reported for the airstrip where the accident occurred, reported that about the time of the accident the wind was out of the north-northeast at 7 knots gusting to 9 knots. The flight instructor was landing to the southeast.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The flight instructor's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, resulting in an impact with an unknown object during aborted landing and consequent ground impact.

Cessna 172H Skyhawk, N2516L: Incident occurred June 19, 2016 in Runge, Karnes County, Texas

Kathryn's Report: http://www.kathrynsreport.com

http://registry.faa.gov/N2516L

Date: 19-JUN-16
Time: 00:46:00Z
Regis#: N2516L
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 172
Event Type: Incident
Highest Injury: None
Damage: None
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
FAA Flight Standards District Office:  FAA San Antonio FSDO-17
City: RUNGE
State: Texas

AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED ON A ROAD, NEAR RUNGE, TEXAS.

Trained to Fight: Joint Base San Antonio pilot named Civilian Instructor of the Year

Kathryn's Report: http://www.kathrynsreport.com




Exchanging full-time military service for the reserves usually leads to a significant change in an airman’s daily routine. For Maj. Brandon LaValley, it only required adding a different patch to his flight suit.

An assistant flight commander and Air Reserve technician in the 39th Flying Training Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, LaValley joined the Air Reserve in 2014 following more than a decade of full-time military service. He’d been stationed in San Antonio in 2012 to help train the next generation of fighter pilots and when he entered the reserves, a full-time instructor position was left open. So LaValley asked if he could keep the job, only this time as a civilian.

His boss agreed and made LaValley the first full-time civilian in his unit, an arrangement LaValley and his superiors describe as a win-win. “I love (the job)—the students are sponges, and they want to learn everything they can,” says LaValley, who joined the reserves, in part, so he’d also have time to launch his finance business, Targeted Wealth Solutions. “Most of them have grown up wanting to be where they are right now. It’s phenomenal. It’s a really rewarding job.” As a civilian instructor, LaValley—known in the air as Somba—has excelled, recording some of the highest rates of on-time graduations for his students. Earlier this year he won the national Air Force Air Education and Training Command Flying Training Civilian Instructor of the Year award.

LaValley says he knew he wanted to fly jets from a young age and by middle school had his sights set on the Air Force Academy. Following graduation from the Academy, he completed pilot training school and then served stints flying F-16s, T-37s and other aircraft from bases in Oklahoma, Utah and Arizona, as well as during deployments to Afghanistan. In San Antonio, he was tasked with passing on his skills to others. “In pilot training, they’re teaching them to take off and land,” he says. “We teach them to shoot someone down, to not get shot down, and we teach them full weapons systems—things they’ve never seen before.”

As a civilian instructor, LaValley now works about 48 hours a week on base, 40 as a civilian employee and around eight as an Air Reserve air technician. He spends his mornings managing paperwork for other reserve members and then devotes the bulk of his day to preparing for flights, flying with soon-to-be fighter pilots and debriefing students about what happened in the air. 

The training structure has shifted a bit since LaValley completed it nearly a decade ago. Then, it was akin to basic training. Now, LaValley is among those helping to usher in a new era of training. Students are treated like members of a fighter squadron, taught leadership skills and pushed to succeed, rather than merely survive. “We used to have a pretty high attrition rate,” says LaValley. “That is not the case anymore.”

When he’s not at Randolph, LaValley focuses on his finance business, advising clients about how and where to invest. He’s also volunteered for special Air Force missions, including one to Hungary in 2015 when a NATO-sponsored team helped train Hungarian forces in close air support. LaValley knows he won’t be able to fly jets forever. But for now, he has no plans of staying on the ground. “I’ll do this as long as my body will allow me,” he says. 

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

Beech F33A Bonanza, Kansas State University Salina, N853KS: Accident occurred June 17, 2016 in Saline County, Kansas

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY SALINA: http://registry.faa.gov/N853KS

FAA Flight Standards District Office:  FAA Wichita FSDO-64

NTSB Identification: GAA16CA331
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, June 17, 2016 in Salina, KS
Probable Cause Approval Date: 09/12/2016
Aircraft: BEECH F33, registration: N853KS
Injuries: 2 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.

The flight instructor reported that he and his student pilot had remained in the traffic pattern, and had been practicing short field landings and power off 180 degree accuracy turns. The flight instructor further reported that he instructed his student to perform a short field landing for their sixth and final landing, and once "they had the runway made", he would take the flight controls. He intended to demonstrate how "ground effect plays a part in our landings and how one can use it to their advantage if you were in a situation where one would be short on a power off 180 accuracy landing or in a real world situation".

About 50 feet above the ground and over the runway threshold the flight instructor took the controls from the student pilot. He further reported that while he was talking to his student pilot about how "ground effect can extend your landing distance if you carry extra airspeed", he noticed that the pitch attitude was higher than normal and before he could add power or reduce the pitch attitude, the right wing "gave way" and impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the right aileron.

The pilot verified that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. 

The Federal Aviation Administration has published the Airplane Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-3A (2004). This handbook discusses stalls and states in part:

The key to stall awareness is the pilot's ability to visualize the wing's angle of attack in any particular circumstance, and thereby be able to estimate his/her margin of safety above stall. This is a learned skill that must be acquired early in flight training and carried through the pilot's entire flying career. The pilot must understand and appreciate factors such as airspeed, pitch attitude, load factor, relative wind, power setting, and aircraft configuration in order to develop a reasonably accurate mental picture of the wing's angle of attack at any particular time. It is essential to flight safety that a pilot takes into consideration this visualization of the wing's angle of attack prior to entering any flight maneuver.

Stall accidents usually result from an inadvertent stall at a low altitude in which a recovery was not accomplished prior to contact with the surface.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The flight instructor's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a collision with terrain.

Grumman American AA-5B Tiger, Flying Educators Inc., N45333: Incident occurred June 18, 2016 in Key West, Monroe County, Florida

Kathryn's Report: http://www.kathrynsreport.com

FLYING EDUCATORS INC: http://registry.faa.gov/N45333  

Date: 18-JUN-16
Time: 20:00:00Z
Regis#: N45333
Aircraft Make: GRUMMAN
Aircraft Model: AA5
Event Type: Incident
Highest Injury: None
Damage: Unknown
Flight Phase: TAKEOFF (TOF)
FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Miami FSDO-19
City: KEY WEST
State: Florida

AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF, WENT OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, KEY WEST, FLORIDA.

On the runway: Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport (KLMT), Klamath Falls, Klamath County, Oregon

Kathryn's Report: http://www.kathrynsreport.com


Joe Goetz, the new operations manager for the Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport, sits inside his work truck Friday.



Driving the perimeter of the Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport on Friday morning in the airport’s yellow pickup, Joe Goetz peered down the road as he communicated via radio in one hand, as the other rested on the steering wheel.

The drive isn’t routine by any means for Goetz, who serves as the operations manager for the airport. The position keeps him busy with a variety of different tasks each day.

“It’s never the same, day to day,” Goetz said. “There’s some days I’ll be out here all eight hours. There’s other days I’m in the office doing paper work for eight hours.

“It’s a lot of jack-of-all trades,” he added.

Goetz stepped into the position on May 2, filling a role held by former operations manager Bill Hancock. Hancock retired in February after serving nearly two decades with the city.

He wants to build on a foundation laid by Hancock and other staff at the airport to keep the airport safe and running efficiently, as well as to ensure the airport is a “gem,” of which local residents can be proud.

“Some days that means I’m in the office and other days that means I’m out on the field,” Goetz said.

“The people who were here before me really laid a very solid foundation,” Goetz added. “I’d love to continue to grow on that.”

He also emphasized a desire to continue to foster a strong relationship between the city’s airport and Kingsley Field, with whom he communicates on a daily basis.

“They were flying during my interview,” Goetz said, of the F-15C fighter jets stationed at the base.

Joe Goetz, the new operations manager for the Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport, communicates with the control tower while on a drive around the airport on Friday.


Up and coming airport

Goetz was attracted to a position with Klamath Falls because it seemed to of the “up and coming” nature of the airport, with new construction projects under consideration — Taxiway B — and new commercial air service en route.

PenAir begins commercial air service in October, and the Transportation Security Administration is reviewing applications for several security positions at Klamath Falls’ airport.

Goetz an outdoorsman

Moving to Klamath Falls was his first visit to the town, and he expressed excitement about getting into the outdoors locally to duck, deer and bear hunt. He and his wife, Bethany, also enjoy hiking and camping.

“I’m also real big into hockey,” he said, adding that he was also interested in activities at the Bill Collier Memorial Community Ice Rink.



Joe Goetz, the new operations manager for the Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport, works inside his office Friday.


Early interest in aviation

Aviation has always attracted Goetz, as early as the seventh grade.

Growing up in Milwaukee, Wis., Goetz used to watch high-flying aircraft with his grandfather.

“My family’s kind of been into aviation, kind of as a hobby more than anything else,” Goetz said.

“My grandpa would take me out to the airport as a little kid,” he added. “We’d just watch the airplanes come and go.”

It’s no wonder that Goetz, 30, took his interest to the next level and pursued it as a career.

He and his wife moved to Klamath Falls via Bellingham, Wash., where he worked for several years with the Bellingham International Airport as an airport operations specialist.

Goetz is a 2009 graduate of University of North Dakota, where he earned a degree in airport management. He also holds a private pilot’s license.

“I knew I wanted to do aviation from the get-go,” Goetz said.

Story, comments and photo gallery: http://www.heraldandnews.com