Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Rogerson Aircraft Corporation: Avionics Co. Sues Ex-Partner For $100M In Trade Secret Row

Law360, Houston (December 13, 2017, 5:17 PM EST) -- Avionics maker Rogerson Aircraft Corp. sued Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. in Texas state court on Tuesday seeking more than $100 million in damages, contending Bell is trampling its trade secret rights and disseminating confidential information after turning to a new supplier.

Rogerson told the court that after decades of working collaboratively to develop “state-of-the-art avionics and instrument systems” specifically for Bell’s helicopters, Bell has told Rogerson it won’t renew its long-term agreement between the parties and will instead work with a new company for its avionics... 

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.law360.com

More in store for the Dixon Municipal Airport (C73): Board wants to clean house – or, rather hangars – and take other action to improve a city asset



DIXON – Hangars are full at the Dixon Municipal Airport, and efforts are underway to make sure the spaces are being used to house operational aircraft rather than storing dead planes.

Updated leases will be sent out to hangar tenants next month as well as a warning that they will need to be in compliance with the rules, primarily that the hangar must house a flyable plane.

The airport has about 40 hangars, two of which are used to store city snow plows, and the Airport Board estimates that 10 of the spaces store out-of-service aircraft.

The goal is to make sure the hangars are being used for their intended purpose and drawing traffic for the facility instead of storing junk and other materials that could be a safety hazard.

“We’re giving people a couple of months to come into compliance,” Airport and Street Department Manager Jim Canterbury said during the board meeting Tuesday.

Other items on the airport’s to-do list are repair the automated weather observing system (AWOS) that has had issues for about a year, move forward with improving the lighting on its main runway using Federal Aviation Administration funds and get approved to once again be able to have nighttime approaches.

The City Council signed off on a feasibility study more than a year ago to gauge whether the airport was worth keeping open, and the goal for the past several months has been to find ways to improve the airport, make it as self sufficient as possible, and bring in new development.

Board Chairman Dan Ruckman said more interest is being shown in the airport and its value in the community.

“I think things are positive, and the city sees that, and the city now feels that it’s an asset,” he said.

The airport recently received a new fixed-base operator, M&M Aviation Services, headed by former Whiteside County Airport Manager Mike Dowell, who is renting four hangars and providing a flight school, charter service and aircraft rental.

The board recognized Dowell and hope that his business will generate more activity at the airport.

NEXT MEETING

The Dixon Municipal Airport Board next meets at 5 p.m. Jan. 10 at the airport, 1650 Franklin Grove Road.

Story and comments ➤ http://www.saukvalley.com

Two people face federal drug trafficking charges after allegedly transporting 260 pounds of marijuana on a private jet from California to Orlando Executive Airport (KORL), Orange County, Florida

Chayla Archambault



ORLANDO, Florida  - Two people face federal drug trafficking charges after allegedly transporting 260 pounds of marijuana on a private jet from California to Orlando, officials said.

Agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported that a confidential informant tipped them off that the jet was on its way.

They were at Orlando Executive Airport when the jet touched down and said they observed two individuals load luggage into an SUV before driving away.


The SUV was tracked from the air by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office as it drove on State Road 408.


When deputies tried to pull it over for speeding in a construction zone, the SUV sped up and exited the highway, before ultimately crashing, investigators said.


Cesar Martins was ejected from the SUV and Chayla Archambault was trapped inside, a federal criminal complaint said.


When deputies arrived at the crash scene, they reported smelling a strong odor of marijuana and found 260 pounds of marijuana packed in airtight plastic inside the wrecked vehicle.


Martins and Archambault were not seriously injured in the crash, officials said.


Archambault told investigators that she was flying back after visiting the wine country in California and did not know what was inside the luggage, the federal complaint said.


Federal agents did not buy her story, though, and Archambault and Martins were both arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.


Archambault has since been released from custody, but no one answered when Channel 9 went to the Clermont home where she listed as staying.


Story and video ➤ http://www.wftv.com





ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Federal agents who were investigating a drug trafficking tip found 260 pounds of marijuana when the vehicle they were following crashed on Interstate 4 in Orange County, bringing a high-speed chase to an end.

The investigation began when an agent from the Department of Homeland Security received a tip that an aircraft landing at Orlando Executive Airport around 1 a.m. Monday might be transporting narcotics, according to a criminal complaint.

Agents arrived at the airport before the plane landed from Sonoma, Calif., and watched as an unidentified man, Chayla Archambault and an unidentified woman removed several suitcases and load them into an Infiniti SUV, the report said.

After the suitcases were loaded in the vehicle, Archambault got in the driver's seat and Cesar Martins, the man who drove the SUV to the airport, got into the passenger's seat. They left the airport at the same time as a red Jeep that had parked near the aircraft, agents said.

Authorities watched as both vehicles were driven onto westbound Sate Road 408, then I-4. An Orange County deputy who was assisting with surveillance attempted to pull the Infiniti over for speeding in a construction zone, but the vehicle continued to speed, according to the criminal complaint.

Agents said the high-speed pursuit ended when the SUV crashed near Kirkman Road, ejecting Martins from the passenger seat and trapping Archambault in the driver's seat.

After the suspects were rescued from the crash, authorities said they found several pieces of luggage containing 260 pounds worth of packaged marijuana.

Archambault and Martins were arrested after being treated for their crash-related injuries. 

Story and photo ➤ https://www.clickorlando.com

M T Propeller USA Inc: Employee steals $253,000 from DeLand Municipal Airport (KDED) business

Sarah Denton


A DeLeon Springs woman is accused of stealing more than $250,000 from a DeLand Municipal Airport business where she worked as the bookkeeper, police said.

Sarah Denton, 38, was arrested on a warrant Monday by Volusia sheriff’s deputies and jailed on charges of grand theft over $100,000, fraudulent use of a credit card and organized scheme to defraud more than $50,000. She was out of jail on $12,500 bail. Reached Tuesday by telephone, Denton said she had no comment.

Denton was hired as a secretary for M T Propeller USA Inc. in November 2001 and eventually became the business’ bookkeeper, reports show.

Police said Denton stole the money from the business between 2014 and 2017.

All the goods that Denton bought with the money or what she used the money for are redacted from the police charging document but police said that during the period that the money was stolen, Denton’s husband opened a landscaping business.

Denton was fired Nov. 11 by M T Propeller USA Inc. after Peter Marshall, a manager discovered many fraudulent charges to a Lowe’s credit card and fraudulently cashed checks from a SunTrust bank account, a DeLand police report said.

M T Propeller at 1180 Airport Terminal Road, manufactures airplane propellers in Germany and the DeLand business is the U.S. office of the company, reports show.

On Nov. 11, Marshall discovered that Denton made multiple unauthorized purchases using the Lowe’s credit card totaling $11,374.33. Denton had been making the purchases since Dec. 3, 2014, DeLand police detectives said.

Marshall confronted Denton who could not give him an explanation other than it had been an accident. Denton was fired, police said.

Reached by telephone Tuesday, Marshall declined comment on Denton’s arrest.

After Denton was terminated, the manager also discovered that statements from a SunTrust bank account were missing. Further investigations revealed that Denton made out fake checks to freight companies and then cashed the checks herself. She cashed at least 94 checks and made three unauthorized withdrawals from the company’s bank account, investigators said.

In all, Denton, who was a 16-year employee of the propeller business, is suspected of stealing a total of $253,500, police said.

Story and photo ➤ http://www.news-journalonline.com

A New Push Against Human Trafficking on Flights: U.S. airports, airlines and Homeland Security are working to educate employees and passengers for signs of exploited people they see traveling

McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas has signs at baggage claim and in every bathroom stall to raise awareness about human trafficking. 

The Wall Street Journal  
By Scott McCartney
Dec. 13, 2017 10:27 a.m. ET


A flight attendant notices a teenage girl uncomfortable with the older man she’s traveling with and leaves her a note in a bathroom. The teen writes back: “I need help.” A teenage boy from New Zealand on a one-way ticket to visit a sex offender is intercepted by a careful Los Angeles customs agent.

These are two stark examples of how airlines, airports and the Department of Homeland Security are stepping up efforts to thwart human trafficking, which is transporting people for forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation. Travelers will see a lot more warnings, and be encouraged to learn how to spot the crimes they may be sitting next to on flights.

Training is expanding at airports, from skycaps to shop clerks, and signs are going up, including one in every bathroom stall at the Las Vegas airport. Over the next month or so, Delta Air Lines will start placing 8-foot-tall signs at gates in hub airports. Some give victims a number to text or call and others educate travelers about signs of trafficking.

“It’s happening right under our noses,” says Nancy Rivard, a former American Airlines flight attendant who is president and founder of Airline Ambassadors International, a group that conducts training for travel-industry workers. Stopping the illegal flow of people “takes us being alert and having the guts or the moral imperative to make a call,” she says. “You hope you’re wrong, but your action could save a life.”

Last year, the National Human Trafficking Hotline took 26,727 substantive calls involving 7,621 reported cases of trafficking humans for work or sex, according to the Polaris Project, the nonprofit that operates the hotline for the Health and Human Services Department.

This year’s numbers are running 10% to 20% higher, Polaris says.

Las Vegas knows that big events, from boxing matches to Super Bowl weekends, draw criminals along with other visitors. As local authorities stepped up efforts to thwart sex trafficking in particular, Rosemary Vassiliadis, director of aviation at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, realized “these monsters are coming through the airport.”

She started asking employees. Those working the taxi line told her they thought they saw it fairly regularly but didn’t know what to do. So the airport hired Airline Ambassadors to train front-line workers. Now everyone who works at the airport goes through a summary of the training when they get their airport-issued badge.

Ms. Vassiliadis says she flunked the training on first go—she instinctively tried to intervene in a situation that looked like someone was traveling against her will. That’s the wrong move—they’ll often run. Workers are trained to try to keep people in sight without spooking them and call the right authorities when they are able.

When eyeing a potential trafficking victim, Polaris says to look for people unable to provide details of their departure, destination or flight information. Traffickers typically give their victims little information. Look for a traveler who has someone speaking for him or her, a traveler who isn’t carrying his or her own identification, doesn’t have any personal luggage, or isn’t appropriately dressed for travel or their destination.

Other signs: nervousness, avoiding eye contact. And people buying a large number of one-way tickets with cash can be a red flag.

Congress included a requirement in FAA authorization last year that airlines train flight attendants in human trafficking. A short online training program created by the Homeland Security and Transportation departments meets the requirement. The government’s Blue Lightning Initiative even has a version of the training for the traveling public.

Several carriers are doing more. Delta started training employees in 2013 and so far has educated 54,000 of 80,000 on human trafficking. Last year the airline broadened its effort, using more extensive training, supporting anti-trafficking organizations and deciding to educate customers. It isn’t necessarily great marketing—hitting customers with disturbing warnings of criminals in their midst flies against traditional airline pitches of warm places and smiling faces.

“I think it’s our social responsibility when we have the influence we have,” says Allison Ausband, Delta’s senior vice president of in-flight services.

Alaska Airlines flight attendant Shelia Fedrick noticed a young woman with greasy hair on a Seattle-to-San Francisco flight who looked uncomfortable with the well-dressed older man with her. She tried to engage them in conversation, but the man was defensive. Ms. Fedrick whispered to the teen to go to the bathroom and she left a note there. On the back of the paper, the woman wrote “I need help.”

The flight attendant alerted pilots and police arrested the man for sex trafficking.

Alaska says it started training flight attendants in 2015, shortly before Ms. Fedrick’s February 2016 flight. The airline has also trained customer-service agents.

Last week, a Customs and Border Protection agent interviewed a 17-year-old boy traveling alone from New Zealand. He was on a one-way ticket and said he was on his way to visit a Michigan family he met on social media. He carried just $26, CBP says.

The agent followed standard procedure designed to protect minors and looked up the names the boy had. The man he had been communicating with was actually a registered child sex offender with two felony convictions, CBP says. The teen was found inadmissible to the U.S. under a rule giving CBP extra responsibility for minors traveling alone. He returned to New Zealand, where he lives with a caregiver.

“The whole narrative was highly suspicious,” a CBP spokesman says. “We didn’t want to allow him in and in two weeks see a rape case or abuse.”

Airports say they try to find ways to get information to victims without flagging traffickers. They post a hotline phone number, sometimes with dashes in nontraditional places to make it easier to remember without writing down: 888-373-7888. Polaris chief executive Bradley Myles says there’s an initiative under way to put bars of soap in hotels with the number printed on it so they see it in private, just like the Las Vegas airport bathroom stalls.

The hotline staff is trained to identify the type of situation: People held captive and forced to work in agriculture or construction or massage parlors, for example. Polaris works with a network of law enforcement agencies across the country to refer cases to someone locally trained in trafficking cases.

The travel attention has already led to some ugly incidents of false accusations: fathers traveling with daughters who get questioned by police after a flight crew or others think something is amiss. Several airlines have had to apologize to detained passengers.

Airlines aren’t liable for trafficking as long as passengers meet requirements on passports and visas. Advocates say good Samaritan laws protect airline employees who might end up making a false accusation.

Delta says it trains employees to ask a colleague to look over a situation and see if there’s agreement before making a report. Others say following the criteria for possible trafficking scenarios usually avoids mistaken reports.

“I want people to err on the side of calling when your gut is telling you something may be wrong,” Mr. Myles says. “I think the number of times people got it right far outweighs the number of times people got it wrong.”

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

Skydiver injured after making hard landing near DeLand Municipal Airport (KDED), Volusia County, Florida



DELAND, Fla. (WFLA) – A skydiver was injured after making a hard landing in DeLand in Volusia County on Wednesday.

Police were called to DeLand Municipal Airport at about 11:30 a.m.

The 35-year-old skydiver landed northwest of the airport after being forced to deploy the reserve parachute, authorities said.

The person was flown to Halifax Health Center in Daytona Beach. There was no immediate word on their condition.

Story and video ➤ http://wfla.com

Delta Air Lines, Boeing 737-900: Incident occurred November 29, 2017 at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (KATL), Atlanta, Georgia

National Transportation Safety Board Office of Public Affairs 
NTSB Releases Incident Investigation Information
12/13/2017

​WASHINGTON (Dec. 13, 2017) — The National Transportation Safety Board released information gathered to date from its investigation of an incident at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The incident involves Delta Air Lines flight 2196, which was cleared to land on runway 09R at about 11:06 a.m., Nov. 29, 2017. The airplane was initially lined up on the runway but radar data indicate that when within about one mile of the runway, flight 2196 began to deviate left of the approach course and subsequently aligned with taxiway N. A go-around was initiated after crossing the start of the taxiway. While there was an occupied airplane on taxiway N at that time, flight 2196 did not overfly the airplane during the go-around.

The NTSB was notified of the incident Nov. 30 and began the incident investigation. Investigative groups for this incident include operational factors, human performance, flight data recorder, air traffic control, and meteorology. Parties to the investigation include the Air Line Pilots Association, Delta Air Lines, the FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

The factual information from the incident investigation is available on the NTSB’s website at https://go.usa.gov/xnnrJ.

##

WASHINGTON — A Delta Air Lines plane nearly landed on a taxiway that was occupied by another plane at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, federal accident investigators said Wednesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it has opened an investigation into the November 29 incident. Delta flight 2196 had been cleared to land and initially lined up with a runway, but about a mile from the airport the plane began to veer left and lined up with a taxiway where another Delta plane was waiting, according to a preliminary report by the board.

The Boeing B737, which was arriving from Indianapolis, descended to about 100 feet off the ground before aborting the landing and circling back for another try, the report said. When the plane pitched upward to begin its ascent in order to abort the landing, its tail reached as low as 60 feet off the ground, the report said.

Despite the low altitude, the Delta plane didn’t fly over the top of the plane on the taxiway, the report said.

Delta spokesman Michael Thomas said the airline would work with the NTSB on its investigation.

The first officer was at the controls of the Delta plane during the aborted landing and the captain was monitoring, the report said. The first officer told investigators that he was initially too far to the right to line up for the runway and corrected to the left, but apparently “overcorrected,” the report said.

The NTSB was already investigating a July 7 incident in which an Air Canada plane nearly landed on a taxiway in San Francisco that already had four fully loaded and fueled planes lined up and waiting for takeoff.

The deadliest accident in aviation history occurred on March 27, 1977 at the Tenerife airport in the Canary Islands when two Boeing 747s collided on a runway, killing 583 people.

Original article  ➤  https://www.washingtonpost.com

On first visit to state, UPS chief touts Alaska role in Asia trade route

 A United Parcel Service Inc. jet taxies into the UPS hub in Anchorage as a small plane takes off from the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. UPS lands 110 flights per week in Anchorage, and employs 1,200 drivers in the state. 


UPS International President Jim Barber told an Anchorage group the right timing for his first trip to Alaska had come for a number of reasons, including the hub’s expanding importance in connecting to China and Asian-Pacific communities.

Barber, the head of the United Parcel Service International, spoke Dec. 8 before the Alaska World Affairs Council at the 49th State Brewing Co.

Barber has been president of UPS since 2013, previously serving as president of UPS Europe. In that role, he helped oversee the second wave of international expansion for UPS that began in the mid 1990s.

Barber spoke of UPS’ continued commitment to use Anchorage as a critical “node” in its global logistics operation. In Alaska, UPS employs 1,200 drivers. It lands 110 flights each week. And it pays between $10 million and $15 million per year in landing fees to Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage.

“On this first trip to Alaska, I came for a couple of reasons,” Barber said. “It was time to get up here and continue to support it in different ways… here there is a great connecting point to the Asian Pacific and China.”

Barber cited the statistic that 1 in 10 Anchorage jobs is tied to the airport. It is the fifth-largest airport in the world in terms of cargo throughput. In terms of logistics, Alaska is already a global player, he said. But Alaska could ship more goods to the Far East, given huge demand.

“Alaska is a unique node for us as we shift to the concept of China and e-commerce,” he said.

China, with its 1.4 billion people and its model of consumerism “is one that is most interesting to me,” Barber said. “It’s an economy whose middle class of 335 million people is bigger than the U.S. population and it is growing and it is continuing to grow. It wants what we have.”

He predicts their demand for Western products and services will ultimately swell the economy and change the world in the next 20 to 30 years.

Another factor is that of the world’s 50 wealthiest per capita cities, nine are in China.

Barber’s Alaska visit, therefore, “focused in the past couple of days on how we at UPS need to support that growth model. Our airplanes that go full come back 20 to 25 percent full of similar product. The more we can do to change that, it will continue to help us invest in Anchorage and Alaska.”

He encouraged Alaskan entrepreneurs to keep their products in mind for this huge Chinese market.

Despite protectionist trade talk coming from Washington, D.C., UPS believes a lot of good comes from international trade, Barber said.

“We don’t plan to back up, regardless of what you hear in Washington and what you hear in London,” he said.

While acknowledging it is indisputable that the U.S. lost jobs to overseas manufacturing, he doesn’t want to see the U.S. nix the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, in a “backwards move.”

“Our job is to refresh it. When we talk about NAFTA it does need to be refreshed, particularly with Mexico,” he said. “But we must do it respectfully.”

In fact, after reduced corporate taxes, Barber said his second big Christmas wish is for an easing in world trade relations.

In May 2018, Barber said UPS plans to launch a product in the China market, but he declined to say more.

UPS made news earlier this year when it provided a grant of $800,000 plus logistical support through the UPS Foundation in a partnership to get vaccines to poor countries, Barber noted. With the robotics company, Zipline International Inc., UPS undertook drone flights in Rwanda starting in August. The drones delivered blood and vaccines to half the transfusion centers in the country, saving lives.

UPS will look at using drone technology in the future, but for now, the “culture of UPS” is about the human relationships grounded to communities, he said.

Another new technology has transformed UPS’ bottom line and makes customers happy: the On-Road Integrated Optimization and Navigation tool, or ORION. The technology helps UPS drivers determine the optimal way to deliver and pick-up packages.

The system relies on online map data, customized by UPS, to calculate miles and travel time to plan the most cost-effective routes.

For every mile reduced, costs are also reduced. ORION has helped save UPS $50 million, which also is a reduction in the company’s carbon emissions.

A good retail season bodes well for UPS this year. But keeping up with the seasonal spike of 750 million packages to deliver “takes every breath we have to keep up,” Barber said. He would like to find new ways to streamline so that the high e-commerce demand for package delivery can be done “in a way that makes everyone happier.”

UPS has adapted and moved forward, and pulled back when necessary, he said. They hire about 100,000 new employees in the fleet each season.

Robots may seem the wave of the future, but Barber said that concept keeps him awake at night because of what UPS will lose in its community connections and jobs.

Barber mentioned a friend in the wholesale grocery business. He built his own robots to move groceries through a 500,000-square foot warehouse in New York.

“There used to be 600 people moving groceries through the building. He can run that building with four people and robots do the rest,” Barber said. “In a logistics industry, robotics hasn’t yet come.”

UPS is able to win the hearts and minds of communities by being on the ground in 220 countries, he said. The 110 flights through Anchorage a week is part of the global network, but to “become part of the fabric of a community happens by having feet on the ground,” he added.

UPS is bringing on 14 new Boeing 747-8 cargo freighters, and many will flow through Alaska in the coming year. During a question and answer exchange, Barber was asked about establishing an Anchorage distribution arm of UPS.

He didn’t rule it out.

“In your move as a state from oil and gas to what it will be in the next 100 years, certainly logistics is part of what it will be in the future,” he said. “We don’t have any plans to leave. As UPS continues to grow, Anchorage and Alaska will also be benefactors.”

Story and photo ➤ http://www.alaskajournal.com

Prosecution halted of 'delusional' Minnesota man who shot at aircraft: A judge rules that the defendant lacks the mental competency to aid in his defense

Chad L. Olson


A judge has ruled that a man whose gunfire struck a small airplane flying over northwestern Minnesota is severely “delusional” and unable to stand trial.

Chad L. Olson, who turns 52 on Thursday, has been ordered by Polk County District Judge Jeffrey Remick to be housed and receive treatment at the state-licensed Northwest Regional Corrections Center in Crookston.

In the meantime, the judge has put on hold the prosecution of Olson on charges of second-degree attempted murder, second-degree assault and two counts of first-degree criminal damage to property. Remick on Tuesday scheduled a May court date for further review of the case.

Olson, of Fertile, who has long chafed over aircraft flying over his property, pierced the airplane with gunfire on Oct. 6 and explained that he was on an anti-terrorism mission, according to the criminal complaint.

Remick’s ruling that Olson was mentally incompetent to assist in his own defense came after the defendant was examined by a doctor Oct. 31.

Dr. Charles Chmielewski concluded that Olson has a fairly severe case of “delusional disorder ... with multiple episodes, quite severe,” the judge’s ruling read.

Pointing to a concern that Olson might hurt himself or others, the doctor recommended that the defendant be moved to the corrections center, a secure treatment facility.

At the time Olson was taken into custody, he objected to his placement, the judge’s ruling noted.

A pilot told a sheriff’s deputy that he flew his single-engine Cessna from the Crookston airport to nearby Fertile and was on his third or fourth “touch-and-go” landing and takeoff when he heard a “twang” while flying over a greenhouse.

The pilot, whose identity has remained undisclosed by authorities, returned to the Crookston airport without difficulty. He estimated the damage to his plane from the rifle gunfire at $20,000.

Olson, who lives under the flight path of the plane, was known by authorities for making several complaints about low-flying aircraft. In mid-May, one of Olson’s neighbors reported hearing gunfire after an airplane flew by.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) worker told the Sheriff’s Office that Olson had been harassing the agency with complaints about planes flying over his property. Olson told the FAA he “may have to use lethal force if he felt threatened by the airplanes,” the charges against him read.

Matthew Hegre told the Sheriff’s Office that Olson explained to him that “he was using lethal force to defend himself because the airplanes were engaged in terrorism.”

Story and photo ➤ http://www.startribune.com

Loss of Engine Power (Partial): Piper PA-32-300, C6-RVT; accident occurred December 13, 2017 near Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE), Broward County, Florida

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

Additional Participating Entity:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Miramar, 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 
  
Location: Oakland Park, FL
Accident Number: ERA18LA062
Date & Time:12/13/2017, 1215 EST 
Registration: C6RVT
Aircraft: PIPER PA32
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of engine power (partial)
Injuries:1 None 
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On December 13, 2017, about 1215 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-32-300, Bahamian Registration C6-RVT, experienced a partial loss of engine power and impacted a lake near Oakland Park, Florida. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the Bahamian certificated commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The flight originated at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, around 1210, and was destined for Lynden Pindling International Airport (MYNN), Nassau, Bahamas.

According to the pilot, the day before the accident, he topped off the fuel in the airplane at the Grand Bahama International Airport (MYGF), Freeport, Bahamas, and flew to FXE. On the day of the accident, the pilot completed a preflight inspection, sumped the fuel, and no anomalies were noted. In addition, he stated that the inboard fuel tanks were "topped off" and the outboard fuel tanks were about one-quarter full. He started the engine, "let it warm up" prior to taxiing, and called the air traffic control tower to request flight following to MYNN.

The airplane departed on runway 27 and about 500 ft above ground level (agl), the pilot initiated a left turn and reduced the engine power to "climb power." Then, about 700 ft agl, the engine started to lose power. It "intermittently came back," the pilot applied full power, and requested to return to the airport. He verified that the fuel boost pump was on, started to set up an approach to runway 31, however, he realized that the airplane would not reach the airport, and he elected to land in a lake just south of the airport. The pilot "secured" the fuel, extended the flaps for landing, and the airplane impacted the water. The pilot egressed just prior to the airplane sinking in the lake.

The airplane was recovered from the lake about 1 month after the accident and taken to a salvage facility. Initial examination of the airplane revealed that the fuselage was substantially damaged. In addition, the landing gear were impact damaged aft.

According to the pilot, the airplane was equipped with a Lycoming IO-540-K1A5, a 300-hp, engine. According to the airframe maintenance logbook, the most recent 100-hour inspection was completed on November 7, 2017, at a total time of 4,076.87 hours. According to the pilot operating handbook, the fuel capacity of the airplane was 84 gallons. The inboard fuel tank capacity is 25 gallons each side and the outboard fuel tanks have a capacity of 17 gallons on each side. In addition, it stated that the maximum takeoff and landing weight was 3,400 lbs.

An examination of the engine by a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator revealed that the engine remained attached to the airframe. The top spark plugs were removed and exhibited normal wear when compared to the Champion Check-A-Plug chart. A boroscope was used to examine the interior of the cylinders, pistons, and valves, and no anomalies were noted. The propeller was rotated through 360° of motion and crankshaft continuity was confirmed from the propeller flange to the accessory section of the engine. Compression and suction were confirmed on all cylinders by rotating the propeller by hand. The magnetos exhibited damage from the water submersion. The fuel flow divider was disassembled, and the diaphragm was intact with no tears or obstructions in the valve noted. The fuel injectors were removed from the cylinders and no blockages or obstructions were noted. There were no anomalies noted with the engine that would have precluded normal operation prior to the accident.

During the examination of the engine, the NTSB investigator noted that the cabin of the airplane contained multiple household items that nearly reached the ceiling of the cabin. The items could not be weighed after the airplane was submerged in water, since that weight would be inaccurate. When discussing the accident sequence with the pilot, he stated that he did not perform a weight and balance calculation with the contents of the airplane prior to takeoff. Furthermore, despite multiple requests made to the owner of the airplane to obtain the airplane weight and balance information, no response was ever received.

According to the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25B), The pilot should always be aware of the consequences of overloading. An overloaded aircraft may not be able to leave the ground, or if it does become airborne, it may exhibit unexpected and unusually poor flight characteristics. If not properly loaded, the initial indication of poor performance usually takes place during takeoff. In addition, it stated, weight and balance computations should be part of every preflight briefing."

Pilot Information

Certificate: Commercial; Foreign
Age: 34, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 1 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 02/20/2017
Occupational Pilot:
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 06/18/2017
Flight Time:  3500 hours (Total, all aircraft), 700 hours (Total, this make and model), 40 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 20 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: PIPER
Registration: C6RVT
Model/Series: PA32 300
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture:
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 32-40067
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 6
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 11/07/2017, 100 Hour
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 3400 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 4076.87 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: IO-540-K1A5
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 300 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: FXE, 14 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1653 UTC
Direction from Accident Site: 13°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 8 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:
Wind Direction: 330°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:
Altimeter Setting: 30.1 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 16°C / 2°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (FXE)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Nassau, FN (MYNN)
Type of Clearance: VFR Flight Following
Departure Time: 1210 EST
Type of Airspace: 

Airport Information

Airport: FORT LAUDERDALE EXECUTIVE (FXE)
Runway Surface Type: Water
Airport Elevation: 13 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Water--calm
Runway Used: N/A
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width:
VFR Approach/Landing: Forced Landing

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire:None 
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None

Latitude, Longitude: 26.177222, -80.176111 (est)

Location: Oakland Park, FL
Accident Number: ERA18LA062
Date & Time: 12/13/2017, 1215 EST
Registration: C6RVT
Aircraft: PIPER PA32
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal

On December 13, 2017, about 1215 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-32-300, Bahamian Registration C6-RVT, experienced a loss of engine power and impacted a lake near Oakland Park, Florida. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the Bahamian certificated commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The flight originated at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, around 1210, and was destined for Lynden Pindling International Airport (MYNN), Nassau, Bahamas.

According to the pilot, on the day before the accident, he topped off the fuel in the airplane at the Grand Bahama International Airport (MYGF), Freeport, Bahamas, and flew to FXE. On the day of the accident, the pilot completed a preflight inspection and no anomalies were noted. He started the engine, "let it warm up" prior to taxiing, and called the air traffic control tower to request flight following to MYNN. The airplane departed on runway 27 and about 500 ft above ground level (agl), the pilot initiated a left turn and reduced the engine power to "climb power." Then, about 700 ft agl, the engine started to lose power. It "intermittently came back," the pilot applied full power, and declared an emergency. He verified that the fuel boost pump was on, started to set up an approach to runway 31, however, he realized that the airplane would not reach the airport, and he elected to land in a lake just south of the airport. The pilot "secured" the fuel, extended the flaps for landing, and the airplane impacted the water. The pilot egressed just prior to the airplane sinking in the lake.

The airplane was recovered from the lake about 1 month after the accident and taken to a salvage facility. Initial examination of the airplane revealed that the fuselage was substantially damaged. In addition, the landing gear were impact damaged aft. The airplane was retained for further examination.








Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: PIPER
Registration: C6RVT
Model/Series: PA32 300
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
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: FXE, 14 ft msl
Observation Time: 1653 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 16°C / 2°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 8 knots, 330°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.1 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (FXE)
Destination: Nassau, FN (MYNN) 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 26.177222, -80.176111 (est)



OAKLAND PARK, FLA. (WSVN) - The Broward Sheriff’s Office has responded to the scene of a small plane crash at an Oakland Park lake, Wednesday.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Piper PA-32 plane lost power while flying south of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport before crashing into a lake just west of Northwest 21st Street Avenue, at around 12:15 p.m.

Officials have confirmed that the pilot was able to escape the plane and swim to shore. According to Oakland Park Fire Rescue, the pilot appeared to be OK, and said he did not need medical assistance.

Several witnesses from the surrounding area said they saw the plane go down into the water.

“It was coming from north going south,” said witness Roland Forbes. “When it got about here – in the middle here – there was a puff of smoke, went up in the air, and the plane start taking a nose dive.”

The pilot had landed in a lake surrounded by apartments and condos.

“I told my wife, ‘The guy is in trouble,'” said witness Angelo Marfisi, who saw the plane from his third story balcony. “You could hear the engine just fluttering, and he got really close to us, and he was able to make a turn.”

The plane turned and landed in the water.

Video shows the tail of the plane sticking out of the water with the pilot standing outside.

“When it came down, hit the water, about two or three seconds [later] the guy came out. He was dazed. He was dazed, but he stood on the wing,” Forbes said.

The plane is believed to have sunk to the bottom of the lake.

“‘Wait a minute. Is that a plane in a lake?’ We see the plane sitting there with the tale end sticking straight up out of the water. I thought it was a joke or something,” said one man. “We watched it, and then it just sank right down in the water.”

The pilot then jumped into the water and swam to safety.

“It’s a lucky thing too because I thought he was dead. He could’ve landed on any one of these houses, on a road,” said the witness. “Heck – the school is over there too. He could have landed on the school. That could have been a real catastrophe.”

The FAA is now investigating and the National Transportation Safety Board will look into the cause of the accident.

Story and video ➤ http://wsvn.com



The pilot of a small plane swam to safety after his aircraft lost power and went down in a lake in Oakland Park on Wednesday, federal aviation authorities say.

The Canadian-registered, twin-engine light aircraft sank quickly and was no longer visible shortly after the crash that happened around noon near the 3200 block of Northwest 21st Avenue.

“It sounds like an early Christmas miracle. The pilot crashed the small plane into a lake and was able to extricate himself,” said David Rafter, an Oakland Park spokesman. “No injuries reported.”

The plane took off out of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and was returning to the airport when it crashed, said Kathleen Bergen, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson.

Ronald Forbes said he was sitting in his truck eating lunch when he saw a puff of smoke in the sky as the plane’s engine went out.

Then he watched the plane nosedive into the lake, he said.

The pilot emerged from the plane seemingly unscathed and stood on the wing as it began to sink, Forbes said.

“At about five to six minutes the plane was completely down except for the tail sticking out and by the time the police got here it went under,” he said.

Rescue crews were at the scene. Witnesses said the pilot was able to swim to safety after the crash.

The pilot and his insurance company are expected to arrange for the removal of the plane, if possible, Bergen said.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate and determine the probable cause of the accident.

Story and video ➤ http://www.sun-sentinel.com

A pilot was okay after his small plane crashed into a lake in Oakland Park Wednesday.

The crash was reported in the area of Northwest 21st Avenue and Oakland Park Boulevard around 12:15 p.m.

Officials said the Piper PA-32-300 lost power and went down about two miles from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.

Broward Sheriff's Office officials said the pilot was able to get out of the plane and swim to shore before the aircraft sank into the lake.

"I was sitting in my truck, I was having some lunch and right about here in the middle of the sky here, the engine went out on the plane, there was a puff of smoke, the plane started taking a nosedive down," witness Rona Forbes said. "When it dropped in the water, I was watching it and I was shouting, I asked the neighbors to rescue the guy.”

The FAA and NTSB will investigate the cause of the crash.

No other information was immediately known.

Story and video ➤ https://www.nbcmiami.com

OAKLAND PARK, Fla. - A small plane crashed into a lake Wednesday in Oakland Park.

According to the Oakland Park Fire Rescue Department, the plane went down in a lake just west of Veterans Park.

"it just popped and we saw smoke come out of it," one witness, Xavier Bryan, said. 

The pilot got out of the plane and wasn't injured.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the Canadian-registered Piper PA-28 lost power about 12:15 p.m.

The plane, which apparently sank, was nowhere to be seen when Sky 10 arrived.

"Once we heard the engine knock, the plane went down. They nosedived right into the lake," Bryan said. 

Cellphone video taken just after the crash shows the plane with its tail in the air. 

"The engine went out right here, in the middle of the air, so it seems that way to me because it was a puff of smoke and the plane started to nosedive," another witness, Ronald Forbes, said. 

Witnesses said the pilot swam to shore after the crash.

"He had, like, a box, and he was actually swimming with the box from the plane to the shore," Bryan said.

Bergen said the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash. 

Story and video ➤ https://www.local10.com