Life Flight Nurse and Program Director Jerry Splitt
Life Flight Medical Director Dr. David Schoenwetter
DANVILLE — Lisa Haas barely remembers being on a helicopter.
She came to briefly after she had been loaded onto the chopper following a horrific Christmas Day crash just outside of Kulpmont in 1988. The then-14-year-old had been riding in a car with three other friends, and the 16-year-old boy who was driving took the curve too fast, she said.
Haas suffered broken ribs, a broken collarbone, head trauma, she was bleeding internally and her spleen was removed in surgery. She barely remembers events from that day. The brief times she was awake she felt cold — and afraid.
But the 43-year-old Coal Township woman is forever grateful a Life Flight helicopter was there to get her to the hospital.
“Not until I was older and I thought about it, (I realized) I was alive because of a helicopter and someone was there to man it on Christmas Day,” she said. “I’ve often said if it wasn’t for that Life Flight, I wouldn’t have made it.”
Whether it’s flying trauma patients from a highway crash or transporting an ill infant from one hospital to another, Life Flight and its crew — a pilot, paramedic and a flight nurse — tend to the patient in life-critical situations and guide the aircraft to the waiting facility in a fraction of the time it would take on the ground.
“I’m humbled every day, month after month after month since I’ve been doing this, there are people who are alive because of Life Flight,” said Dr. David Schoenwetter, medical director of Geisinger Health System’s emergency medical services, of which Life Flight is a part. “It’s almost routine. Their ability to get people to the right care — that’s what Life Flight is all about.”
That is especially beneficial in rural areas, where the nearest trauma center can be counties away.
“In February of this year, we hit a milestone,” said Jerry Splitt, Life Flight’s program director.
The service transported its 60,000th patient.
Seven helicopters, five bases
Geisinger’s medical helicopter program has come a long way since it started out at the Danville hospital with one helicopter in July 1981. It now operates seven helicopters out of five bases in the health system (two of the helicopters are backups), employing a staff of more than 100 on a $15 million budget. Geisinger’s Life Flight helicopters travel roughly half of the state, responding to emergencies or transporting patients from one hospital to another.
Despite its name, Life Flight also provides critical care ground transport in vehicles staffed by a paramedic and flight nurse who can provide advanced life support, for incidents in which the helicopter cannot fly due to inclement conditions.
“A lot can happen in the back of an ambulance,” said Splitt, a registered nurse and paramedic who also covers shifts on the helicopter as a flight nurse.
The program started with a single-engine Alouette III helicopter, but later moved on to a twin-engine aircraft. Life Flight now has five twin-engine EC145 helicopters, one at each of the bases, and two slightly less roomier BK 117 helicopters as backups.
Based at Geisinger
Geisinger’s Life Flight helicopters are based at Geisinger Medical Center, State College, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, Williamsport Regional Airport and outside Minersville in Schuylkill County. While they are closer to patients in the Geisinger coverage area, Life Flight services the entire Valley.
At the medical center, helicopters that are bringing in patients land on the roof, and the patient is taken down the nearby elevator to the emergency room or the operating room, Splitt explained.
“There is a huge focus on clinical staff,” he said. “We have some of the most certified staff.”
Splitt started with Life Flight as a part-time dispatcher in 1985, when he was in college. In 1988, he became a paramedic and left for a few years. He returned to the program in 1993 as a flight nurse and has been in a leadership role since 1998 and program director the past few years.
The program used to contract out for helicopters, pilots and maintenance. Geisinger had less control over the personnel and the aircraft. In 2012, the program was brought all in-house, and Life Flight obtained an air carrier certificate.
Now the Federal Aviation Administration office in Harrisburg oversees the program, and Geisinger owns the helicopters and employs the pilots and mechanics.
The program now essentially is its own airline as defined by the FAA. “We used to rely much more heavily on outside agencies,” said Tom Weir, associate chief administrative officer whose responsibilities include Life Flight.
“As we got larger, it became more imperative that we do things on site and do them more rapidly.”
The helicopters themselves cost millions of dollars — the last one purchased cost $7.9 million — and they have a useful life of about 20 years, Splitt said.
Weir said the program is a major investment in very advanced technology and people. The 24/7 program invests a lot, too, in training and education.
“All our crew require licensing and education throughout the year,” he said. “They all need to function together.”
Kids remembered most
Most of the flights — 65 percent — are transports from one hospital to another, while the other 35 percent of the calls are to accident scenes.
“Unfortunately, the kids are the ones you remember the most,” said Life Flight paramedic John Jankowski. “It’s like that with all medicine. The very critical inter-facility transfers are the most challenging.”
He said that could be a heart patient with an open chest hooked up to a machine to keep him breathing.
“They don’t like to move patients like that, so you know he’s on the brink (when they do),” said Jankowski, who had to obtain additional certification to work on Life Flight.
Pilot George Kuba, who usually flies out of the Minersville site but was filling in at the medical center site on Thursday, said the flight crew nurses and paramedics are versatile.
“They work in the ER, ICU, then (at an accident scene), they’re crawling into a vehicle,” Kuba said. “When they’re not with a patient, they’re helping me look out for obstacles.”
Jankowski said the pilots, many of them former military pilots, as Kuba is, are very detailed.
Kuba never flew in combat, even when he served with the Army National Guard in Bosnia in 2002-2003, when he was in an administrative role.
But he served with the Guard for 22 years as a pilot and has been a pilot since 1987.
Does anything scare him?
“Birds scare me,” he said then amended his comment. “I don’t get scared. I call it alert.” GPS, ‘night sun’ The helicopter has GPS to guide the pilot around mountainous terrain or around obstacles such as flocks of birds and to find the landing zone, and the crew has night vision goggles for night flying and landing. A “night sun” 40 million candlepower spotlight also illuminates the landing zone at night, if needed. It allows the crew to see details on the ground from 800 feet up in the air, Life Flight Safety Director Pete Carros said.
Schoenwetter said that as medical director, a big part of his role is to oversee staff education and credentialing.
“We want crews to be safe and patients to be safe,” Splitt said.
He said that in the program’s nearly 36 years of operation, there has never been an injury to a patient.
“We’ve had some damage from some hard landings,” he said.
Because of the risk involved in transporting patients by helicopter, safety is a primary focus. That’s why there is emphasis on continuing training.
Carros said there is certain gear Life Flight is required to have, such as for terrain awareness that will warn pilots of obstacles.
“Next year, we are going to be required to have a black box, a flight data monitor, that records voice, video, equipment,” said Carros, a U.S. Navy trained pilot who covers some shifts and takes the helicopters on maintenance flights.
He said the Life Flight program includes a lot of structure and protocol. Part of his job is to ensure the crew does not drift away from standard protocol.
More Information:
How many aircraft in the program?
Today, the program operates seven helicopters. Five bases operate 24/7 and the remaining two are backup helicopters.
How many vehicles (ground support)?
One primary vehicle and one backup. Children’s Miracle Network is a major contributor to the ground vehicles.
What is the number of staff?
Rough numbers:
30 Flight Nurses 30 Flight Medics 10 communications specialists 10 mechanics 20 Line pilots 1 full time director of safety 2 administrative assistants 10 employees who are the leadership team, and also contribute in covering front line duties (covering shifts) 2 Emergency Medicine Physician medical directors.
And cost of the program?
The annual operating budget for the entire program is about $15 million.
The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident. Additional Participating Entity: Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Juneau, Alaska Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf Registered to, and operated by, RDM Pilot/Guide Ltd., dba Alaska Seaplane Tours http://registry.faa.gov/N930TG NTSB Identification: ANC17LA032 Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter Accident occurred Sunday, June 18, 2017 in Ketchikan, AK Aircraft: DEHAVILLAND DHC-2, registration: N930TG Injuries: 5 Minor, 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 June 18, 2017, about 1330 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped de Havilland DHC-2 (Beaver) airplane N930TG, impacted water and subsequently sank during takeoff from Big Goat Lake, about 45 miles northeast of Ketchikan, Alaska. Of the seven occupants on board, the commercial pilot and four passengers sustained minor injuries, and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was registered to, and operated by, RDM Pilot/Guide Ltd., dba Alaska Seaplane Tours, Ketchikan, as a day, visual flight rules (VFR) flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 as an on-demand sightseeing tour flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated from the Ketchikan Harbor Seaplane Base, Ketchikan, at 1220. During an interview with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on June 19, the pilot reported the route of flight included a stop at Big Goat Lake for scenery viewing, a stop at Walker Cove for bear viewing, and then returning to the Ketchikan Harbor Seaplane Base. The sightseeing tour flight, which the cruise ship passengers had purchased from the cruise line as a shore excursion, overflew remote mountainous terrain in the Misty Fjords National Monument. The airplane landed at Big Goat Lake around 1300 and the shore-based scenery viewing was completed around 1320. The pilot reported that for the takeoff, he conducted a downwind departure to the west, with the wind condition less than 5 knots originating from the east and a temperate of 65°. He then executed a right step turn to the east. Once established into the wind, he applied full power, and by the time the airplane reached the pilot's go/no-go decision point, the airplane was off the water, and climbing between 100 to 200 feet per minute. He adjusted the flaps and power setting for a climb configuration, the airplane traveled about ¾ over the lake length, and he reported the airplane "wasn't climbing efficiently." The pilot realized the airplane wasn't going to be able to successfully clear a heavily wooded area in the intended direction of departure. He decided to lower the nose and he made a turn to the left, and about 130° into the 180° turn, the airplane impacted the water. During the water impact, the two floats separated, and the airplane began to sink. The pilot and six passengers successfully egressed from the sinking airplane and swam to the shore. The airplane subsequently sank to the bottom of the lake. A fellow tour company from Ketchikan operating a de Havilland DHC-2 with one pilot and six passengers onboard conducted a welfare check on the accident pilot and passengers after the water impact. The pilot reported he landed on the lake around 1400 and noticed the water was not glassy, the wind condition was about 5 knots from the east, along with a temperature of 65° with sunshine. After conducting the welfare check, he reported no issues with taking off from the lake. A second fellow tour company from Ketchikan extracted the accident pilot and passengers around 1430 from the shore and brought them to Ketchikan. The recovery of the airplane from the lake is pending at this time.
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Preliminary information obtained by the National Transportation Safety Board indicates that Alaska Seaplane Tours floatplane involved in an incident at Big Goat Lake on Sunday afternoon crashed moments after takeoff. “The little that we know, subject to change, is that one of the wings struck the water just after takeoff and the airplane ended up in the water and unfortunately sank,” Clint Johnson, head of the NTSB office in Alaska, told The Associated Press on Monday. None of the six passengers or pilot was reported as seriously injured in the crash of the de Havilland Beaver aircraft into the lake in Misty Fiords National Monument about 45 miles northeast of downtown Ketchikan. Everyone aboard the plane was able to exit the plane and reach the shore. The Alaska State Troopers on Monday morning released the names of the pilot and passengers. The pilot was Matthew Perron, 30, of Ketchikan, according to troopers. Two passengers, Tim Friedrich, 40, and Catrin Fredrich, 36, are from Germany. The other four passengers were from California: Robert Grover, 63, Debra Grover, 60, Nicole Grover, 30, and Jonathan James, 36. The incident occurred at about 2:22 p.m. Sunday, according to troopers. http://www.ketchikandailynews.com
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Sacramento
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District - Air Operations: http://registry.faa.gov/N113FD Rotorcraft, force landed and sustained minor damage. Date: 16-JUN-17 Time: 19:00:00Z Regis#: N113FD Aircraft Make: BELL Aircraft Model: UH1H Event Type: INCIDENT Highest Injury: NONE Aircraft Missing: No Damage: MINOR Activity: UNKNOWN Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG) City: AUBURN State: CALIFORNIA
NTSB Identification: ERA17CA208 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation Accident occurred Friday, June 16, 2017 in Cedar Key, FL Probable Cause Approval Date: 10/17/2017 Aircraft: PIPER PA23, registration: N4317Y Injuries: 3 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 pilot reported that the takeoff, climb, and en route portions of the cross-country flight were uneventful. He checked the wind sock before landing, and it was “flaccid,” indicating calm wind. He slowed the airplane to 80 mph on final approach and landed near the approach end of the runway, which was 2,355 ft long. He estimated that the airplane should have rolled to a stop; however, it continued down the runway despite heavy braking. The airplane departed the end of the runway, traveled across a small road and down an embankment, and came to rest in water at the edge of the airport boundary. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage and reported that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage and submersion in salt water. There were tire skid marks on the runway leading to the wreckage. A weather buoy, located about 1 mile east of the airport, recorded wind from the west about the time of the accident, which would have resulted in a tailwind of up to 8 knots. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot's failure to stop the airplane within the available runway after conducting the approach and landing with a tailwind. The pilot reported that the takeoff, climb, and en route portions of the cross-country flight were uneventful. He checked the wind sock prior to landing and it was "flaccid," indicating calm wind. He slowed the airplane to 80 mph on final approach and landed near the approach end of runway 5, which was 2,355 feet-long. He estimated that the airplane should have rolled to a stop; however, it continued down the runway despite heavy braking. The airplane departed the end of the runway, traveled across a small road, and down an embankment, coming to rest in the water at the edge of the airport boundary. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage and reported that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage and submersion in salt water. There were tire skid marks on the runway leading to the wreckage. A weather buoy, located about 1 mile east of the airport, recorded wind out of the west about the time of the accident, which would have resulted in a tail wind of up to 8 knots. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Additional Participating Entity: Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Tampa, Florida 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/N4317Y NTSB Identification: ERA17CA208 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation Accident occurred Friday, June 16, 2017 in Cedar Key, FL Aircraft: PIPER PA23, registration: N4317Y Injuries: 3 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 pilot reported that the takeoff, climb, and en route portions of the cross-country flight were uneventful. He checked the wind sock prior to landing and it was "flaccid," indicating calm wind. He slowed the airplane to 80 mph on final approach and landed near the approach end of runway 5, which was 2,355 feet-long. He estimated that the airplane should have rolled to a stop; however, it continued down the runway despite heavy braking. The airplane departed the end of the runway, traveled across a small road, and down an embankment, coming to rest in the water at the edge of the airport boundary. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage and reported that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage and submersion in salt water. There were tire skid marks on the runway leading to the wreckage. A weather buoy, located about 1 mile east of the airport, recorded wind out of the west about the time of the accident, which would have resulted in a tail wind of up to 8 knots. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
CEDAR KEY, Fla. -- Another small plane overshot the runway at Cedar Key's airport this afternoon.
Witnesses tell TV20 the plane looked like it was coming in too fast and was landing, with the wind, instead of against it.
Norman Merritt says he saw the plane coming in to land, and when he lost sight of it, he rushed over to help.
“I was waiting for him to turn around and come back down there, park it… And he never did and I said, I bet he crashed. I come down here and sure enough, he did,” he said.
Florida Highway Patrol Troopers say there were three people on the plane, and no one was injured.
This crash marks the fifth small aircraft crash in Cedar Key in 2017.
Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf Analysis The pilot, who was on the controls in the high-performance, experimental, amateur-built airplane, reported that he and a check pilot, who was familiar with the airplane and required by the insurance company, were taking off from a grass airstrip for a planned cross-country flight. According to the check pilot, before takeoff, he advised the pilot to "begin his rotation to takeoff attitude a few knots before the normal takeoff speed of approximately 65 knots and then let the airplane lift off smoothly when it was ready to fly." During the takeoff roll, the pilot initiated the "rotation" as instructed, but the nose pitched up too high, and the airplane drifted to the left side of the runway. The airplane exited the left side of the runway, struck the ground, and came to rest upright facing the opposite direction of the takeoff. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing spar and the lower part of the composite fuselage. The pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Probable Cause and Findings The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain the airplane's pitch control during rotation and his subsequent loss of directional control. Findings Aircraft Pitch control - Not attained/maintained (Cause) Directional control - Not attained/maintained (Cause) Personnel issues Aircraft control - Pilot (Cause)
Additional Participating Entity: Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Tampa, Florida 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/N251CW NTSB Identification: GAA17CA350 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation Accident occurred Sunday, June 18, 2017 in Williston, FL Aircraft: WARD CHRISTOPHER BARRY RAI 6, registration: N251CW 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 pilot, who was on the controls in the high-performance, experimental amateur built airplane, reported that he and a check pilot that was familiar with the airplane and required by the insurance company, were taking off from a grass airstrip for a planned cross-country flight. According to the check pilot, before takeoff he advised the pilot "begin his rotation to takeoff attitude a few knots before the normal takeoff speed of approximately 65 knots and then let the airplane lift off smoothly when it was ready to fly." During the takeoff roll, the pilot initiated the "rotation" as instructed, but the nose pitched up too high and the airplane drifted to the left side of the runway. The airplane exited the left side of the runway, struck the ground and came to rest upright and facing the opposite direction of the takeoff. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing spar and the lower part of the composite fuselage. The pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Identification: GAA17CA346 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation Accident occurred Monday, June 12, 2017 in Rexberg, ID Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/14/2017 Aircraft: CESSNA 305C (0 1E), registration: N305CM Injuries: 1 Uninjured. NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report. The pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he attempted a crosswind landing to the asphalt surface of runway 35. He had about 300 hours of total tailwheel flight time, and he had 5 hours of flight time in the accident airplane. This was the pilot’s first flight as the pilot-in-command. He recalled that the Automated Surface Observing System reported that the wind was from 050° at 5 knots, gusting to 21 knots. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered a wind gust from the right, and the tail lifted. The pilot lost directional control of the airplane, and the airplane faced southeast when another wind gust lifted the left wing, and the right wing struck the ground. The wind gust subsided, and the airplane came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, the right aileron, and the elevator. Per the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if he had received more instruction from a Federal Aviation Administration certificated flight instructor in the accident airplane that was specific to crosswind landings. “But more important, I should have flown the airplane to an airport with a runway that was more in line with the wind.” The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing in gusting wind conditions.
Additional Participating Entity: Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Salt Lake, Utah Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms Registered Owner: Legacy Flight Museum Operator: Legacy Flight Museum
NTSB Identification: GAA17CA346 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation Accident occurred Monday, June 12, 2017 in Rexberg, ID Aircraft: CESSNA 305C (0 1E), registration: N305CM Injuries: 1 Uninjured. NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report. The pilot in the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that he attempted a crosswind landing to the asphalt surface of runway 35. He had about 300 hours of total tailwheel flight time and he had 5 hours of flight time in the accident airplane. This was the pilot's first flight as the pilot in command. He recalled that the Automated Surface Observing System reported that the wind was from 050° at 5 kts. gusting to 21 kts. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered a gust of wind from the right and the tail ascended. The pilot lost directional control of the airplane and airplane faced southeast when another gust of wind lifted the left wing and the right wing struck the ground. The wind gust subsided and the airplane came to rest upright but it sustained substantial damage to the right wing, the right aileron and the elevator. Per the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented, if he had received more instruction from a Federal Aviation Administration Certificated Flight Instructor in the accident airplane that was specific to crosswind landings. "But more important, I should have flown the airplane to an airport with a runway that was more in line with the wind." The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Lincoln
LCFS LLC: http://registry.faa.gov/N9851J Aircraft on final, landed short of the runway. Date:16-JUN-17 Time:15:00:00Z Regis#:N9851J Aircraft Make:CESSNA Aircraft Model:C150 Event Type:INCIDENT Highest Injury:NONE Aircraft Missing:No Damage:MINOR Activity:INSTRUCTION Flight Phase:APPROACH (APR) City:TECUMSEH State:NEBRASKA Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Des Moines Aircraft force landed in a field.
(Council Bluffs) -- Council Bluffs Police say two occupants of a small plane walked away from an emergency landing late Monday morning. Police say the small Cessna aircraft landed in a bean field north of a housing subdivision near East Manawa Drive and Red Tail Road in Council Bluffs shortly before 11 a.m. An investigation determined the plane experienced engine trouble after taking off from the Council Bluffs Airport. The pilot, identified as Travis Yohn, safely landed the plane in the empty field. The pilot and his passenger, Connor Galvan, were not injured, and the plane suffered no visible damage. Officers are working with the Federal Aviation Administration and Council Bluffs Airport personnel in removing the airplane from the field. Source: http://www.kmaland.com
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa —A small airplane made an emergency landing in a bean field Monday morning, the Council Bluffs Police Department said in a release. Emergency personnel were called at 10:59 a.m. to an area of East Manawa Drive and Red Tail Road. An investigation revealed that the single-engine Cessna took off from the Council Bluffs Airport and began experiencing engine troubles, the release said. Pilot Travis Yohn safely landed the plane in the empty field. He and the other occupant, Connor Galvin, were both unhurt. The airplane sustained no visible damage. The Council Bluffs Police Department is working with the Federal Aviation Administration and Council Bluffs Airport personnel in removing the plane from the field. Source: http://www.ketv.com
The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entity: Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Oklahoma City Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
http://registry.faa.gov/N6196B Location: Buffalo, OK Accident Number: CEN17LA235 Date & Time: 06/17/2017, 0945 CDT Registration: N6196B Aircraft: CESSNA 182A Aircraft Damage: Substantial Defining Event: Part(s) separation from AC Injuries: 3 None Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal On June 17, 2017, about 0945 central daylight time, a Cessna 182A, N6196B, nosed over after landing on turf runway 17 at Mike's Place Airport (96OK), Buffalo, Oklahoma. The two pilots and one passenger were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed Alva Regional Airport (AVK), Alva, Oklahoma, about 0915 and was destined for 96OK. The pilot reported that the airplane touched down about midfield and the landing was normal until the nose wheel touched down. He heard a loud noise from the nose landing gear area. The airplane nosed over on the runway and came to rest inverted (figure 1).
Figure 1 – Accident site
The landing path consisted of three parallel tire marks on the grass runway. A grease seal ring from the nose wheel assembly was found next to the center tire mark. The center tire mark transitioned into two parallel tracks in the grass; the tracks were about 1 ft wide and extended for about 8 ft in a straight line. About 20 ft later, there was a single track in the runway with about 6 perpendicular slash marks through the track. The nose wheel axle tube was found near the end of the slash marks. The single track continued to the main wreckage. The responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector stated that the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the vertical stabilizer. The nose wheel was separated from the nose gear fork and the fork separated from the strut. A grease seal ring from the nose wheel assembly and a portion of the nose wheel axle tube were found in the debris path. The nose wheel axle bolt (figure 2) had separated and was not found. There were no preaccident anomalies noted with the recovered components.
Figure 2 – Nose landing gear depiction
A review of the maintenance logbooks revealed that during the most recent annual inspection on April 8, 2017, the wheel bearings were packed. No other recent maintenance had been completed on the landing gear system. Co-Pilot Information Certificate: Private Age: 62, Male Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land Seat Occupied: Right Other Aircraft Rating(s): None Restraint Used: 4-point Instrument Rating(s): None Second Pilot Present: Yes Instructor Rating(s): None Toxicology Performed: No Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations Last FAA Medical Exam: 09/14/2016 Occupational Pilot: No Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 03/19/2016 Flight Time: 642 hours (Total, all aircraft), 170 hours (Total, this make and model), 620 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 13 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 5 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 0 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft) Pilot Information Certificate: Private Age: 62, Male Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land Seat Occupied: Left Other Aircraft Rating(s): None Restraint Used: 4-point Instrument Rating(s): None Second Pilot Present: Yes Instructor Rating(s): None Toxicology Performed: No Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations Last FAA Medical Exam: 01/08/2016 Occupational Pilot: No Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 02/06/2016 Flight Time: 319 hours (Total, all aircraft), 12 hours (Total, this make and model), 167 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 25 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 18 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 0 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft) Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information Aircraft Manufacturer: CESSNA Registration: N6196B Model/Series: 182A Aircraft Category: Airplane Year of Manufacture: 1957 Amateur Built: No Airworthiness Certificate: Normal Serial Number: 34196 Landing Gear Type: Tricycle Seats: 4 Date/Type of Last Inspection: 04/08/2017, 100 Hour Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2348 lbs Time Since Last Inspection: 17.7 Hours Engines: 1 Reciprocating Airframe Total Time: 6827.3 Hours at time of accident Engine Manufacturer: Continental Motors ELT: C91A installed, not activated Engine Model/Series: O-470-L Registered Owner: On file Rated Power: 230 hp Operator: On file Operating Certificate(s) Held: None Meteorological Information and Flight Plan Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions Condition of Light: Day Observation Facility, Elevation: KWWR, 2188 ft msl Observation Time: 0935 CDT Distance from Accident Site: 25 Nautical Miles Direction from Accident Site: 187° Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear Temperature/Dew Point: 28°C / 18°C Lowest Ceiling: None Visibility: 10 Miles Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 9 knots, 210° Visibility (RVR): Altimeter Setting: 29.71 inches Hg Visibility (RVV): Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation Departure Point: ALVA, OK (AVK) Type of Flight Plan Filed: None Destination: Buffalo, OK (96OK) Type of Clearance: None Departure Time: 0915 CDT Type of Airspace: Class G Airport Information Airport: MIKE'S PLACE (96OK) Runway Surface Type: Grass/turf Airport Elevation: 1787 ft Runway Surface Condition: Dry Runway Used: 17 IFR Approach: None Runway Length/Width: 4000 ft / 35 ft VFR Approach/Landing: Full Stop; Traffic Pattern Wreckage and Impact Information Crew Injuries: 2 None Aircraft Damage: Substantial Passenger Injuries: 1 None Aircraft Fire: None Ground Injuries: N/A Aircraft Explosion: None Total Injuries: 3 None Latitude, Longitude: 36.847500, -99.457500 (est) NTSB Identification: CEN17LA235 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation Accident occurred Saturday, June 17, 2017 in Buffalo, OK Aircraft: CESSNA 182A, registration: N6196B Injuries: 3 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 June 17, 2017, about 0945 central daylight time, a Cessna 182A airplane, N6196B, flipped inverted after landing on a grass runway at Mike's Place Airport (96OK), Buffalo, Oklahoma. The pilot, co-pilot, and a passenger were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed Alva Regional Airport (AVK), Alva, Oklahoma, about 0915 and was destined for 96OK. The pilot stated that the approach and landing were normal until the nose wheel touched down and a loud noise was heard from the nose landing gear. The airplane nosed over on the runway and came to rest inverted. The responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector stated that the nose wheel was found separated from the fork and the fork separated from the strut. The debris path and witness marks on the runway suggested that the nose wheel was initially tracking through the grass. The single track became two parallel tracks consistent with the width of the nose gear fork. Then the nose gear strut collapsed and made a single track in the grass, along with propeller strike marks. The airplane has been retained for further examination.
SALT LAKE CITY — A Southwest flight bound for Los Angeles International Airport returned to its gate at the Salt Lake City International Airport after an engine malfunction Monday morning. Flight 604 returned to the airport shortly after takeoff when the pilots noticed what appeared to be an engine fire, according to a tweet from Salt Lake City Airport officials. The plane returned to the gate without incident. "(The pilots) elected to return to SLC after receiving a cockpit indication of a potential performance issue with one of the aircraft engines," Southwest officials said in an emailed statement. "Following established protocol and procedures, the pilots completed an uneventful landing. The customers will be swapped to a new aircraft to continue the flight to LAX. We apologize for the inconvenience to our customers, but safety is always our top priority at Southwest Airlines." Details about what caused the fire were not immediately available. Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.ksl.com
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Dallas
Aircraft engine ingested birds, landed without incident, no injuries.
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Harrisburg Aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances. http://registry.faa.gov/N602BP Date:08-APR-18 Time:17:30:00Z Regis#:N602BP Aircraft Make:MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER Aircraft Model:600N Event Type:ACCIDENT Highest Injury:FATAL Aircraft Missing:No Damage:UNKNOWN Activity:OTHER Flight Phase:UNKNOWN (UNK) Operation:133 City:KEATING State:PENNSYLVANIA Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.
SMETHPORT, Pa. — The Investigation is continuing into a helicopter crash that killed two people and injured another man Sunday near Smethport. The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into the crash and the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the cause involving a McDonnell Douglas 600N helicopter that went down at 5:30 p.m. along East Valley Road in Keating Township. Meanwhile, McKean County Coroner Mike Cahill identified the two deceased victims as Shane Filkins, 23, of West Virginia and Michael Koon, 35, of South Carolina. Cahill did not release any other details. The sole survivor of the crash –– the pilot –– has not been publicly identified. He was transported to Bradford Airport by Priority Care Ambulance on Sunday, where Stat Med-e-vac landed to transport the patient. The patient was reported to have arm and leg fractures and be conscious during transport. The pilot was flying a helicopter from High Line Helicopters of Virginia. “We’ve never been through this before. It's tough,” said Tony Didado of J.W. Didado Electric of Akron, Ohio, owner of the company for which the men were working at the time of the crash. The men were contractors working on power lines for First Energy. Calling it “a terrible tragedy,” Doug Colafella of FirstEnergy said, “We don’t know what specifically had happened.” The two workers who were killed in the accident had been supporting line construction of the Pierce Brook-Lewis Run Transmission Project, a 15-mile, 230-kilovolt power line between existing substations in Bradford and Keating townships. “The new line is needed to maintain service reliability following the retirement of older power generating plants in the region, and is expected to be completed by mid-May, ahead of a June 1, 2018, in-service deadline,” Colafella said Monday afternoon. “When (Sunday’s) crash occurred, our contractors were using a helicopter to assist in stringing wires between the mostly wooden pole structures.” Didado Electric has tackled quite a bit of work for FirstEnergy for the last 12 to 15 years –– or longer, Didado said. Workers had been part of that project since around December or January, he said. “It’s been an ongoing project,” Didado said. Colafella said that the practice has been used by utilities across the country for decades. This method reduces truck traffic, especially on private property and in rough terrain, he said. “The helicopters are used to transport crews and materials (insulators, hardware and pulley blocks) to structures and to string, from structure to structure, the ‘pulling rope’ that will be used as a guide to install the conductors,” according to information from Colafella. “In order to facilitate the wire stringing process, pulling sites are established by the contractor in advance of the work. Pulling sites are gravel work area pads where the crews will set up pulling equipment that will guide the rope and conductor through the new transmission towers.” Colafella said the method is better for the community by minimizing disruption to residents. The work is also more efficient, which significantly reduces the amount of time needed for stringing wires. Colafella and Didado said such an incident is believed to have never happened before in the history of the two companies. Peter Knudson, a public affairs officer with the National Transportation Safety Board, said details on what was found at the crash scene were not immediately available Monday, but he confirmed that the board is investigating. Knudson described the process of investigations like these, which take several months. The on-scene investigation is the shortest part, typically taking a few days, and is “focused on documenting perishable evidence,” he said. Investigators look at the wreckage, talk to any witnesses, look for clues such as surveillance footage, listen to any communication recordings, such as air traffic or radio (contact) between crews on the ground and in the helicopter. “We’re gathering all that would go away with the passage of time,” said Knudson. A preliminary report is usually ready within one to two weeks of the start of the investigation, and then will appear on the NTSB website. That report will include facts and circumstances surrounding the crash, but it won’t include an analytical information or suggest a cause, Knudson explained. In fact, it is usually one to two years before investigations come to a conclusion, he said. “There’s a lot of work, of course, after the on-scene phase,” Knudson said. That work, he said, can include tasks such as checking licenses, checking the 72-hour background of the pilot to determine if the person had time for sleep, checking the pilot’s medical history, looking into the pilot’s flight experience or testing aircraft components. At the end, investigators lay all the information they’ve gathered out, determine the probable cause and decide “what role each of those items played in the accident,” said Knudson. FirstEnergy will be reviewing safety procedures in determining its next step, Colafella said. Original article can be found here ➤ http:/www.oleantimesherald.com
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Richmond
Rotocraft, during powerline patrol, windscreen shattered and force landed in a field.
Date: 16-JUN-17 Time: 20:15:00Z Regis#: N602BP Aircraft Make: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS Aircraft Model: MD600 Event Type: INCIDENT Highest Injury: NONE Aircraft Missing: No Damage: MINOR Activity: OTHER Flight Phase: UNKNOWN (UNK) City: BLACKSBURG State: VIRGINIA
