Bell OH-58A, City of Sacramento, N916PD: Accident occurred December 05, 2016 in Sacramento, California

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

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

CITY OF SACRAMENTO:   http://registry.faa.gov/N916PD

FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Sacramento FSDO-25

NTSB Identification: WPR17LA034
14 CFR Public Aircraft
Accident occurred Sunday, December 04, 2016 in Sacramento, CA
Aircraft: BELL OH 58A, registration: N916PD
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

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

On December 4, 2016, about 2100 Pacific standard time, a Bell OH-58A helicopter, N916PD, sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer during a flight near Sacramento, California. The helicopter was registered and operated by the City of Sacramento as a public aircraft. The commercial pilot and observer, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight, that departed McClellan Airfield, Sacramento, California, about 1920.

The pilot and observer reported noticing the vertical stabilizer damage after the completion of a routine patrol flight, during the post-flight inspection. The vertical stabilizer was bent downwards, away from the tail rotor. The pilot further reported that the flight was flown at a cruise altitude of 600-700 feet above ground level, and no turbulence or any other unusual flying conditions were encountered.


The helicopter's damaged vertical stabilizer was secured at a local storage facility for further examination.

Bombardier CL-600-2B16, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, N22SF: Incident occurred December 05, 2016 Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois

STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE CO:   http://registry.faa.gov/N22SF

FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Springfield FSDO-19

AIRCRAFT ON FINAL SUSTAINED A BIRDSTRIKE, LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS 

Date: 05-DEC-16
Time: 21:43:00Z
Regis#: N22SF
Aircraft Make: BOMBARDIER
Aircraft Model: CL600 2B19
Event Type: Incident
Highest Injury: None
Damage: Minor
Activity: Other
Flight Phase: APPROACH (APR)
City: BLOOMINGTON
State: Illinois

Vans RV-4, N94WG: Incident occurred December 06, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada

http://registry.faa.gov/N94WG

FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Las Vegas FSDO-19

AIRCRAFT ON LANDING WENT OFF THE RUNWAY INTO THE SAFETY AREA, NORTH LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 

Date: 06-DEC-16
Time: 19:45:00Z
Regis#: N94WG
Aircraft Make: VANS
Aircraft Model: RV4
Event Type: Incident
Highest Injury: None
Damage: Minor
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
City: NORTH LAS VEGAS
State: Nevada

Beech 400A, Widewaters Beechjet Aviation LLC, N130WW: Incident occurred December 01, 2016 in Houston, Texas

WIDEWATERS BEECHJET AVIATION LLC:   http://registry.faa.gov/N130WW

FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Houston FSDO-09

AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF STRUCK A BARRICADE, HOUSTON, TEXAS

Date: 01-DEC-16
Time: 02:37:00Z
Regis#: N130WW
Aircraft Make: BEECH
Aircraft Model: 400
Event Type: Incident
Highest Injury: None
Damage: Unknown
Flight Phase: TAKEOFF (TOF)
City: HOUSTON
State: Texas

Piper PA-44-180 Seminole, Florida Air Transport Inc., N3047U: Incident occurred December 06, 2016 at San Marcos Regional Airport (KHYI), Austin, Texas

FLORIDA AIR TRANSPORT INC:   http://registry.faa.gov/N3047U

FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA San Antonio FSDO-17

AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, GEAR COLLAPSED, SAN MARCOS, TEXAS

Date: 06-DEC-16
Time: 19:55:00Z
Regis#: N3047U
Aircraft Make: PIPER
Aircraft Model: PA44
Event Type: Incident
Highest Injury: None
Damage: Unknown
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
City: SAN MARCOS
State: Texas

Airborne Edge XT-912-L, N188M: Fatal accident occurred December 06, 2016 near Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (KSBA), California

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Van Nuys, California

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/N188M

Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Accident Number: WPR17FA033
Date & Time: 12/06/2016, 1018 PST
Registration: N188M
Aircraft: AIRBORNE WINDSPORTS PTY LTD EDGE XT-912-L
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal

On December 6, 2016, about 1018 Pacific standard time, an Airborne Windsports PTY LTD Edge XT-912-L weight-shift control light sport aircraft, N188M, impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), Santa Barbara, California. The pilot was fatally injured, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which originated from SBA about 1016.

Air traffic controllers working in the SBA tower observed the aircraft uneventfully depart runway 15 and make a right turn to the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern. The pilot then requested to enter the traffic pattern for runway 25, and the tower controller cleared the pilot to make right traffic for that runway. While turning onto the downwind leg for runway 25, the aircraft entered a rapid descent. The aircraft subsequently impacted the ground near an apartment complex.

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age:45, Male 
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Front
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Unknown
Instrument Rating(s): None 
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 3 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 07/27/2015
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 08/13/2015
Flight Time: (Estimated) 65 hours (Total, all aircraft), 12 hours (Total, this make and model) 

The pilot, age 45, held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land, issued March 14, 2013. The pilot received his endorsement for weight-shift control aircraft on June 24, 2016. The pilot's logbook indicated that he had 65 total hours of flight experience, 12 of which were in the accident aircraft make and model. He had no documented flight time in the accident aircraft.

On July 27, 2015, the pilot was issued a third-class Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman medical certificate with no limitations. During the exam, he reported no medical conditions or use of medications; however, he had reported driving under the influence (DUI), and a conviction for marijuana cultivation more than 20 years earlier. The FAA initially denied the medical certificate because the pilot failed to show evidence of continued sobriety, but after providing the necessary evidence, the FAA issued the medical certificate. 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: AIRBORNE WINDSPORTS PTY LTD
Registration: N188M
Model/Series: EDGE XT-912-L
Aircraft Category: Weight-Shift
Year of Manufacture: 2016
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Special Light-Sport
Serial Number: XT-912-0502
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 09/20/2016, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 992 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 1 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Rotax
ELT: Not installed
Engine Model/Series: 912 UL
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 80 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

The aircraft was approved for a special airworthiness certificate on November 28, 2016. The pilot purchased the aircraft new and took delivery of it 4 days before the accident. 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: SBA, 13 ft msl
Observation Time: 0953 PST
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site:
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 3000 ft agl
Temperature/Dew Point: 16°C / 11°C
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 6 knots, 250°
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 30.02 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Santa Barbara, CA (SBA)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Santa Barbara, CA (SBA)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1016 PST
Type of Airspace: Class C 

Airport Information

Airport: Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 13 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 25
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 6052 ft / 150 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Traffic Pattern

SBA is located adjacent to the Pacific Ocean at a field elevation of 13 ft. The airport has three hard-surfaced runways. Runway 7/25 is 6,052 ft long and 150 ft wide, runway 15R/33L is 4,184 ft long and 100 ft wide, and runway 15L/33R is 4,180 ft long and 75 ft wide.

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 34.433333, -119.850556 (est) 

The aircraft impacted terrain in a residential area about 1 mile northwest of SBA. The first identified point of impact was the roof of a carport; beneath the carport were fragments of the fuselage and items from the cabin area. To the north of the carport was one fracture-separated propeller blade. Immediately adjacent and to the west of the carport was a small tree. A branch of the tree came to rest on an unoccupied parked car next to the carport; another tree branch was stuck in the aircraft's down tubes and control bar. Fragments of landing gear and roofing shingles were scattered until the main wreckage, which was about 30 ft west of the carport. The main wreckage came to rest against a vehicle, with the seat and engine of the aircraft on their right sides. The wing was bent in half and was resting above the engine and seat with the trailing edge toward the ground. The right side of the wing was bent downward and was draped across two unoccupied parked vehicles.

During a postaccident examination, the propeller hub would not rotate freely when rotated by hand; therefore, the engine was completely disassembled. The intake manifolds, carburetors, ignition systems, and oil pump were removed and no anomalies were noted. The reduction drive gearbox was removed and undamaged; the magnetic plug was clear of debris. The valve covers were removed; the rocker arms and valve springs exhibited normal operating wear signatures. The cylinder heads, pistons, and hydraulic tappet lifters were removed and exhibited normal operating wear signatures. The crankcase was separated into its respective halves. The crankshaft would still not rotate by hand. The crankshaft's #3 piston web was not aligned with the #2 piston web, consistent with torsional damage. 

Medical And Pathological Information

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff - Coroner, Santa Barbara, California, performed an autopsy of the pilot; the cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries. No significant natural disease was identified.

The corner requested that NMS Laboratories perform toxicology testing, which identified caffeine, 3.1 ng/ml of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the primary psychoactive component of marijuana), and 6.5 ng/ml of tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (THC-COOH, an inactive metabolite) in subclavian blood.


The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicology testing as well and identified 4.5 ng/ml of THC and 5.5 ng/ml of THC-COOH in cavity blood. THC-COOH was also identified in urine (67.9 ng/ml) and liver tissue (40.1 ng/gm).

NTSB Identification: WPR17FA033
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, December 06, 2016 in Santa Barbara, CA
Aircraft: AIRBORNE WINDSPORTS PTY LTD EDGE XT-912-L, registration: N188M
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On December 6, 2016, about 1018 Pacific standard time, an Airborne Windsports PTY LTD Edge XT-912-L weight shift control light sport airplane, N188M, impacted terrain while flying in the traffic pattern at the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) in Santa Barbara, California. The pilot (sole occupant) was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to, and operated by, the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The flight originated from SBA about 1016.

Witnesses reported that they observed the airplane depart runway 15 to conduct touch-and-go takeoff and landings. The pilot took off uneventfully and made a right turn to crosswind. The pilot requested to enter the traffic pattern for runway 25. While making the turn to downwind, the airplane suddenly started to descend rapidly. The airplane descended through the roof of a carport and came to rest against a parked vehicle.

The airplane has been recovered to a secure location for further examination.

Matthew Erwin Wilson

1971 - 2016

Matthew Erwin Wilson died in an aircraft accident on December 6, 2016 in Santa Barbara. He was 45 years old.

He is the loving husband of Jenna Lynne Wilson and proud father of Jack Douglas Ara Wilson.

Matt’s parents are Sigrid and Doug Gray of Vail CO. and Rick and Awilda Wilson of Rogers AR. His brother is Darren Wilson with wife Nicole and Matt’s niece Lauren and nephew Lucas, all of Santa Barbara.

Matt was born at Goleta Valley hospital on March 8, 1971. He attended local schools and after graduating from Dos Pueblos High School, he attended Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO.

A creative soul from the beginning, Matt worked in and mastered a number of trades until opening Matt Wilson Innovations- blending fine finish carpentry with computer aided design. He died pursuing his dream of becoming a certified flight instructor in an ultralight sport plane.

Above all Matt loved spending time with Jenna and Jack, camping, traveling and countless hours at the beach, where he became a proficient stand-up paddle-boarder. He was passionate about his volunteer work at the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission and the men he mentored in the recovery program.

Befitting Matt’s personality, an exuberant Celebration of Life will be held on January 14, 2017 from 2:00 to 4:30 in Kiwanis Meadow, Tucker’s Grove Park. Please bring a side dish and a memory to share. BBQ tri-tip will be provided. Attire is casual, preferably untucked.

GOLETA, Calif. -   The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office has identified 45-year-old Santa Barbara resident Matthew Erwin Wilson as the pilot killed in a Airborne Edge XT-912-L crash at a Goleta apartment complex carport Tuesday morning.

The Sheriff's Office says the Airborne Edge XT-912-L had taken off the Santa Barbara Airport at about 10:04 a.m.. Five minutes later, investigators say the aircraft went down and crashed into a carport and then a parked car in the 60 block of Willow Springs Road.

The FAA and NTSB have launched investigations into the cause of the crash.

The Sheriff's Coroner's Office is conducting a death investigation to help determine an official cause and manner of death.




A pilot was killed when his ultralight aircraft crashed into a Goleta apartment complex Tuesday morning. Eyewitnesses saw the accident just after 10:00 a.m. near Hollister and Los Carneros Road.

The aircraft was described as "out of control" above the Willow Springs apartment by witness Aaron Coon. He ran to the scene to help the victim after the crash but the pilot was unresponsive. The identification of the pilot is expected to be released by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's-Coroner after the next of kin is notified.

"He was either having a medical condition or having a equipment malfunction. It didn't look like he was in control of the vehicle. He was probably like a 100 feet up and then he was down to 50 and than back up to a 100 feet," Coon said.

Santa Barbara County Fire Captain Dave Zaniboni said the operator was a 45 year old man, and a local resident.

Some people near the crash site tried to provide help. "He was still partially strapped inside of his aircraft and bystanders were trying to render aid and unfortunately he was pronounced dead," Zaniboni said, adding there was a fuel spill but no fire.

The aircraft had taken off just five minutes before the crash from the nearby Santa Barbara Airport.

Sheriff's Sergeant Greg Sorenson witnessed the aircraft go into a nose dive and immediately dispatched resources to the scene.

Santa Barbara City and County Fire units, along with AMR were called out and a Sheriff's patrol unit arrived "in one minute" according to Sorenson. "When we first saw it we knew it was kind of odd, but figured it was close enough to the airport that maybe he was getting back but it appeared that he was out of control," he said.

Story and video:  http://www.keyt.com

Santa Cruz County supervisors: No minority report on Federal Aviation Administration flight path

SANTA CRUZ >> Santa Cruz County supervisors who are usually in sync were clearly divided Tuesday over the Select Committee on South Bay Arrivals’ recommendation to shift the flight path generating noise over Capitola, Soquel and the Summit since March 2015 back to the previous path over Santa Cruz and San Lorenzo Valley.

Supervisors Ryan Coonerty and Bruce McPherson, representing 3,000 constituents complaining the noise has shattered their lives, pointed out what they saw as flaws in the Select Committee process and recommended sending a minority report to the three members of Congress who set up the group and identify legal remedies.

“We’re setting ourselves up for a fight instead of working with folks in the minority to address their concerns,” said Coonerty.

Supervisor John Leopold, one of the 12 members of the Select Committee, defended his proposal, which the committee adopted Nov. 17 on an 8-4 vote after 60 hours of meetings that involved thousands of participants.

The noise impacts, he said, are “well below” the threshold set by the Federal Aviation Administration so FAA staff don’t have a way to figure out which flight path is less noisy.

“The way the plane descends makes a big difference,” he added.

The least noisy approach, he said, is to glide down, in pilot jargon “optimized profile descent,” so that was a priority.

But gliding down is not possible with the Soquel-Summit route due to airspace requirements, according to Leopold, who proposed planes fly at higher altitudes on the “Big Sur” route over Santa Cruz and San Lorenzo Valley and minimize use of air brakes, which create noise.

He pointed out one of the recommendations is for a committee to meet three months after the flight path is changed to gauge the results.

“In the event changes need to be made, this sets up a process (for the FAA),” said Leopold. “I truly believe this is better for Santa Cruz than we’ve ever had before.”

Those in the room wearing red broke into applause. They represented Save Our Skies Santa Cruz County, residents seeking relief from airplane noise.

Supervisors listened to more than two hours of public comment from dozens of residents living under one flight path or the other.

“The committee seems to feel changes can be effective but residents are not convinced,” said Santa Cruz Mayor Cynthia Mathews.

Many speakers, however, praised Leopold for his leadership.

As a compromise, Coonerty proposed that if Santa Cruz and San Lorenzo Valley residents report noise after three months, that the flight path be shifted back over Soquel and the Summit until the problems are fixed.

His motion failed for lack of a second.

“It’s not the place for supervisors to take a stand,” said Supervisor Zach Friend. “It’s way too complex.”

Friend suggested dissenting supervisors send a letter representing their views.

“Do I trust the FAA? No I don’t,” said Supervisor Greg Caput, but he did not second Coonerty’s motion.

“I would prefer the FAA have some options,” said McPherson. “It’s a leap of faith to say they will do the right thing.”

Leopold said he remains “committed to working with my colleagues and that we hold the FAA to task.” 

Source: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com

Donald Trump Says He Will Personally Negotiate Air Force One Price With Boeing

The Wall Street Journal 
By DAMIAN PALETTA and  DANIEL NASAW
Updated Dec. 7, 2016 8:14 p.m. ET

President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday said he would personally “negotiate the prices” with Boeing Co. of the planes to be used as Air Force One, promising to block a future order if necessary and to continue using the existing aircraft for the presidential plane.

Mr. Trump, in a Wednesday morning interview on NBC, said he had spoken to Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg on Tuesday following criticism Mr. Trump leveled at the company about what he perceived were elevated prices for the planes. Mr. Trump accused the company of attempting to charge more than $4 billion to build the new planes, a figure that the White House and Air Force have disputed.

While presidents do become personally involved in many negotiations, such as trade deals or legislation with Congress, it is much less common for them to be intimately involved in government procurement contracts.

Mr. Trump, in the NBC interview, said he saw this as part of his job.

“That’s what I’m here for,” he said. “I’m going to negotiate the prices.”

In a statement, Boeing confirmed Mr. Trump had spoken to Mr. Muilenburg by phone and said the company’s chief “committed to working with the new administration to control costs as they establish requirements for the new Air Force One to keep the program as affordable as possible and deliver the best value to American taxpayers.”

Also in the interview, Mr. Trump said he was going to put together a series of government policies to encourage business growth. “We’re getting rid of 90%, maybe 85% of the regulations which are stifling business,” he said.

The president-elect also went into greater detail about his decision in June to sell his stock holdings, revealed by his campaign on Tuesday.

“I felt that I was very much going to be winning” and that it would be a “conflict of interest owning all of these different companies,” he said. “I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to be owning stocks.”

He also praised the man he will succeed in the White House, saying that he and President Barack Obama have “really good chemistry” and that he had run ideas for cabinet picks by him.

”I’ve now gotten to know President Obama,” Mr. Trump said in the NBC interview, which marked his pick as Time magazine’s person of the year. “I really like him. We have a really good chemistry together. We talk.”

He said Mr. Obama “loves the country, he wants to do right by the country. I really like him as a person.”

Mr. Trump is in the process of assembling his cabinet and top advisers, having announced his choices for the secretaries of commerce, defense, education, housing and urban development, health and human services, and treasury, as well as national security adviser. Mr. Trump said he expected to name his pick for secretary of state next week. He said there would be other “big announcements” on Wednesday and Thursday.

”I have asked him what he would think of this one and that one,” Mr. Trump said of Mr. Obama, adding he takes Mr. Obama’s suggestions “very seriously.”

”We have a very good dialogue,” he said on NBC. “I do like him. I love getting his ideas.”

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

Trump Says United States Should ‘Cancel Order’ for New Air Force One, Citing Costs: Aircraft maker is the latest company to come under scrutiny by the incoming commander-in-chief 

The Wall Street Journal
By DOUG CAMERON and  DAMIAN PALETTA
Updated Dec. 6, 2016 8:03 p.m. ET

President-elect Donald Trump, escalating his carrot-and-stick approach to the nation’s manufacturing sector, on Tuesday called for canceling Boeing Co.’s work on a new version of Air Force One, asserting that the company was trying to rip off taxpayers.

“The plane is totally out of control,” Mr. Trump said in brief remarks in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York City. He added: “We want Boeing to make a lot of money but not that much money.”

Using Twitter, Mr. Trump said the cost for new planes for future presidents was “more than $4 billion. Cancel order!”

While the White House and others pushed back on the $4 billion estimate used by Mr. Trump, defense experts said it was too early to identify the final tally until the Pentagon, the White House and the Secret Service had decided what equipment to install on the fleet of up to three jets.

Boeing officials contacted the Trump team Tuesday to discuss his remarks and told them the cost hinged on the planes’ final requirements, according to a person familiar with the discussion.

Mr. Trump’s broadsides were the latest example of his unusually aggressive style and personal intervention in corporate decision-making that has caught the attention of numerous executives around the country looking for clues about how he will govern.

In recent days, Mr. Trump has threatened to impose a 35% tariff on companies that move jobs overseas and then ship goods into the U.S.

On Dec. 1, he announced that the Carrier unit of United Technologies Corp. would retain 800 jobs in the U.S. after he pressed the company not to move certain operations to Mexico. On Dec. 2, he chided valve maker Rexnord Corp. about its plans to move some operations to Mexico.

Senior Trump transition officials have scheduled a meeting next week with top Silicon Valley executives, some of whom had been criticized by Mr. Trump during the campaign. Mr. Trump floated the idea of boycotting Apple Inc. after reports that the company wouldn’t decrypt a phone as requested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation during its probe into a 2015 terrorist attack.

Mr. Trump on Tuesday also met with SoftBank Group Corp. Chairman Masayoshi Son, a Japanese billionaire who said he would invest $50 billion in the U.S. and create 50,000 new jobs. The money is coming from a fund established in October that SoftBank is forming with Saudi Arabia. Separately, some investors and analysts have said Mr. Son could now try to revive an abandoned effort to merge Sprint Corp.—which Mr. Son’s conglomerate controls—with T-Mobile US Inc. Regulators had raised questions about such a deal.

Many business executives have praised parts of Mr. Trump’s agenda—such as tax reform and infrastructure investment—that they believe will help the economy grow. But some of his trade plans, particularly proposed tariffs on imports from China and Mexico, have worried executives, who have taken notice of his tendency to single out companies.

“Some of us may share our turn in the bull’s-eye,” Caterpillar Inc. Chief Executive Doug Oberhelman told reporters on a conference call Tuesday.

Senior advisers to Mr. Trump have signaled that he plans to continue intervening in issues that pertain to specific businesses as he sees fit once he is sworn in on Jan. 20.

Mr. Trump’s remarks regarding Air Force One mark the first time he openly attacked a company by threatening to block a procurement contract. It is likely to send signals to other government contractors about his future involvement in their bidding.

“As a general rule, government procurement experts on both sides, the government and the contractor-side, will be extremely anxious,” said Steven Schooner, co-director of the government procurement law program at George Washington University Law School.

Chicago-based Boeing hasn’t yet secured deals to build the planes that would replace the current aircraft used as Air Force One, which have been in flight since the administration of George H.W. Bush.

The two heavily modified 747-200 planes currently used by the president are due to reach the end of their planned 30-year life in 2017. This can be extended a few more years, and the Air Force has said in budget documents it wanted to have the first new jet in place by 2024.

Vice president-elect Mike Pence told CNN that Mr. Trump based his $4 billion assessment of the contract’s price on information he recently received and that his understanding was that it “can grow.” He described Mr. Trump as a “businessman who knows how to sharpen his pencils.”

Boeing said Tuesday it has so far received development deals worth about $170 million to convert the 747-8 jumbo jets that would replace the existing fleet.

“We look forward to working with the US Air Force on subsequent phases of the program,” the company said.

The Pentagon said it has budgeted $2.7 billion through 2021 to develop the new presidential fleet, as well as another $300 million for the construction of new hangars. This excludes the cost of acquiring the actual jets, which carry a list price of $378 million each. Experts said the Pentagon will likely pay far less than that and part of Boeing’s existing work is to reduce risk and trim the current budgeted development spending.

“The statistics that have been cited [by Mr. Trump], shall we say, don’t appear to reflect the nature of the financial arrangement between Boeing and the Department of Defense,” said Obama White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

Mr. Trump, who flies in a Boeing private jet, criticized the company during the election campaign and accused it of planning to move jobs to China, a charge it denied.

Efforts to replace the fleet of aircraft and helicopters that serve the president have come under attack by previous administrations and even been canceled. The Pentagon is now looking to balance costs and capabilities by rewarding contractors with higher profits if they deliver on time and under budget.

Boeing is the second-largest Pentagon contractor after Lockheed Martin Corp.—which is building the fleet of new helicopters that will serve as Marine One—and makes fighter jets, surveillance planes, bombs and other systems that generated sales of almost $19 billion from the Pentagon last year, a fifth of its total revenues.

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

Cub Crafters CC18-180, United States Department of Interior, N618CC: Incident occurred November 26, 2016 in Galena, Alaska

U S DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR: http://registry.faa.gov/N618CC

FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Fairbanks FSDO-01

AIRCRAFT, CUB CRAFTERS CC18, STRUCK THE PROPELLER UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, GALENA, ALASKA

Date: 26-NOV-16
Time: 00:00:00Z
Regis#: N618CC
Aircraft Model: 180
Event Type: Incident
Highest Injury: None
Damage: Minor
Activity: Other
Flight Phase: UNKNOWN (UNK)
City: GALENA
State: Alaska

Piper PA-31T Cheyenne, N909PW: Accident occurred December 05, 2016 at Missoula International Airport (KMSO), Missoula County , Montana

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

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Helena, Montana

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

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

http://registry.faa.gov/N909PW

Location: Missoula, MT
Accident Number: WPR17LA031
Date & Time: 12/05/2016, 1300 MST
Registration: N909PW
Aircraft: PIPER PA 31T
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Part(s) separation from AC
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On December 5, 2016, about 1300 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-31T airplane, N909PW, made an emergency landing at Missoula International Airport (MSO), Missoula, Montana, following a fracture and separation of the left windshield from the airframe. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Kalispell City Airport (S27), Kalispell, Montana at 1215.

The pilot reported that he was in cruise flight at flight level 230 for about 10 minutes, with an outside air temperature of - 40° Fahrenheit, when suddenly the left windshield departed the airplane. At the time of the windshield failure, the pilot heard an abrupt "swish" sound, followed by an instantaneous "loud roar" with a simultaneous blast of freezing air. The pilot and passenger donned their oxygen masks, and the pilot initiated an immediate descent. He made a distress radio call to air traffic control (ATC) declaring an emergency, and stated his intention to divert to Missoula, Montana; however, he was not able to hear a response from ATC due to the noise in the airplane. The pilot landed at MSO without further incident.

The propeller driven, twin engine, low wing, pressurized airplane equipped with a retractable tricycle landing gear system, was manufactured in 1977. It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 engines, each rated at 620 horsepower. The airplane was equipped with right and left electrically heated main windshields that were manufactured with two layers of glass. Data plates indicated that both windshields were manufactured by PPG Industries in Huntsville, Alabama. The left windshield was manufactured in January 1977 and the right windshield was manufactured in August 1981. A review of maintenance records indicated that the airplane was issued a standard airworthiness certificate on August 26, 1977 and mentioned that the airplane was exported. The next entry in the logbook was dated December 8, 1981, with the total time of 1712.12 hours. The airplane was ferried back to the United States and issued a Standard Airworthiness Certificate on December 17, 1981, with the total time of 1734 hours. There were no logbooks supplied for the period when the airplane was registered overseas. No information was found in the records to indicate when or why the right windshield was replaced. The most recent inspection of the airplane was accomplished on February 1, 2016, at a total time of 6267.5 hours with no discrepancies reported.

The examination of the airplane revealed that most of the left windshield glass and vinyl departed the airframe during the event. The aluminum retainer and the vinyl beneath the fuselage windshield frame remained installed. Small areas of glass and vinyl were present around the edge of the windshield frame. Only a few small glass fragments were found in the cockpit. The right windshield remained intact and installed in the airplane. There was no evidence of impact damage to the fuselage aft of the windshield or the tail of the airplane. There were small fragments of glass embedded in the left propeller blades. No evidence of bird impact was noted anywhere on the airplane. The fuselage windshield frame, sealant, and paint around both windshields were intact. The fractured remains of the left windshield and the intact right windshield were removed and subsequently examined at PPG Aerospace Transparencies, Huntsville, Alabama.

The fractured left windshield aluminum retainer and flange area was intact. Several areas of retainer discoloration with a lighter color (white versus gray) were noted in the flange area on the inboard and outboard sides of the retainer. The largest discolored area was located along the lower flange and extended across the width of the retainer for about 6 inches on both the inboard and outboard sides of the retainer. The area was examined and a white powdery residue consistent with corrosion of the aluminum retainer was present, and the vinyl was no longer adhered to the aluminum.

The right windshield was intact with no fracture of the inboard or outboard glass layers. Areas of retainer discoloration with a lighter color (white versus gray) were noted in the flange area on the inboard and outboard sides of the retainer though it was less severe than the left windshield. These areas were scattered around the periphery of the windshield with varying sizes and there was no large single area like noted on the left windshield. There was cloudiness, interlayer cracking, and delamination noted along the top and bottom edges of the windshield consistent with moisture ingression into the laminate. The discrepancies were noted along the entire upper edge and extended about 3/8 inch from the edge of the outboard glass layer towards the center of the windshield. The same discrepancies were also noted along the forward 13 inches of the lower edge and extended about 1/2 inch from the edge of the outboard glass layer towards the center of the windshield. Delamination was also noted at all four corners and along the bus bars at the lower forward and lower aft ends of the glass area.

The Piper Cheyenne Service Manual provides guidance to operators for window inspection and repair. The manual defines three areas of the windshields: the critical area of the windshield defined as the viewing area used for taxiing, takeoff, climb, cruise and landing; the semi-critical area defined as the viewing area used for general flight vision and the non-critical areas defined as viewing areas normally not used for flight operations. Furthermore, the manual defines anomalies such as distortion, cracks, crazing, scratches, chips, haze, blemishes, mark-off, and delamination for use when inspecting the windshields. Cracks are considered critical for the glass windshields. Cracking of either the inboard or outboard glass layer is cause for immediate replacement. Delamination as evidenced by a cloudy or milky appearance is indicative of moisture or solvent penetration into the windshield laminate. Any delamination present in the critical and semi-critical areas should be replaced at the earliest opportunity. In addition, if the semi-critical section exhibits evidence of chipping of the inner glass surface, the windshield should be replaced.

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 43, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): Glider; Gyroplane
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 04/19/2013
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 04/01/2016
Flight Time:  2235 hours (Total, all aircraft), 132 hours (Total, this make and model), 2104 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 26 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 0 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 0 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Pilot-Rated Passenger Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 39, Female
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s):
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s):
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s):
Toxicology Performed:
Medical Certification:
Last FAA Medical Exam:
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:  70 hours (Total, all aircraft), 30 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 0 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 0 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 0 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make:  PIPER
Registration: N909PW
Model/Series: PA 31T UNDESIGNATED
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1977
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 31T-7720060
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats:
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 03/01/2016, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.:
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 2 Turbo Prop
Airframe Total Time: 6850 Hours
Engine Manufacturer: P&W
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: PT6A SER
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 620 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Instrument Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KMSO, 3189 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site:  5 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1253 MST
Direction from Accident Site: 305°
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 6000 ft agl
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 7 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: / None
Wind Direction: 10°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: /
Altimeter Setting: 30.02 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: -3°C / -12°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: KALISPELL, MT (S27)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Destination: LAS VEGAS, NV (LAS)
Type of Clearance: IFR
Departure Time: 1215 MST
Type of Airspace: Class A

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude:  46.875833, -113.996944 (est)

NTSB Identification: WPR17LA031
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, December 05, 2016 in Missoula, MT
Aircraft: PIPER PA 31T, registration: N909PW
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

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

On December 5, 2016, about 1300 mountain standard time, the pilot of a Piper PA-31T, N909PW, made an unscheduled landing at the Missoula International Airport (MSO), Missoula, Montana, after the left windshield fractured and separated from the airplane. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and the flight was operated on an instrument rules flight plan. The flight originated from Kalispell City Airport (S27), Kalispell, Montana at 1215.

The pilot reported that he was in cruise flight at 23,000 feet when the left windshield fractured and departed the airplane. He immediately performed an emergency landing to the nearest airport, and landed without further incident. 

The postaccident examination of the windshield revealed that the periphery of the windshield remained attached to the airframe; however, a majority of it separated and has not been located.

Embraer ERJ-170, Republic Airways, N863RW: Incident occurred December 05, 2016 at Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR), Newark, Essex County, New Jersey

SHUTTLE AMERICA CORP: http://registry.faa.gov/N863RW

FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Teterboro FSDO-25

REPUBLIC AIRLINES FLIGHT RPA3311 EMBRAER E170, REGISTRATION NOT REPORTED, SUSTAINED BIRDSTRIKE DAMAGE TO THE NOSE CONE, NO INJURIES, LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, NEWARK, NEW JERSEY 

Date: 05-DEC-16
Time: 19:43:00Z
Regis#: RPA3311
Aircraft Make: EMBRAER
Aircraft Model: ERJ170
Event Type: Incident
Damage: Unknown
Activity: Commercial
Flight Phase: APPROACH (APR)
Aircraft Operator: RPA-Republic Airlines
Flight Number: RPA3311
City: NEWARK
State: New Jersey