Friday, April 13, 2018

Grumman-Schweizer G-164C, N171BW, owned by HDS Inc and operated by the pilot: Accident occurred May 08, 2017 in Beech Grove, Greene County, Arkansas

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

Additional Participating Entity:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Little Rock, Arkansas

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/N171BW


Aviation Accident Factual Report -  National Transportation Safety Board 

Location: Beech Grove, AR
Accident Number: CEN17LA177
Date & Time: 05/08/2017, 1130 CDT
Registration: N171BW
Aircraft: GRUMMAN G-164C
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: Miscellaneous/other
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under:  Part 137: Agricultural 

On May 8, 2017, about 1130 central daylight time, a Grumman G-164C airplane, was destroyed by ground fire after it veered off a private airstrip during takeoff near Beech Grove, Arkansas. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was owned by HDS, Inc., and operated by the pilot under the provisions of the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of flight, which was not on a flight plan. The airplane was departing the private airstrip for a local flight when the accident occurred.

The pilot reported that while on takeoff roll about halfway down the runway, the right main tire "went flat and possibly blew." The airplane suddenly veered right, and it went off the side of the runway. It hit a field ditch, bounced, turned sideways, and slid to a stop. The pilot saw fuel running out of the engine compartment and it caught fire. The pilot exited the airplane without injury. The airplane continued to burn, and the engine compartment, cockpit, fuselage, empennage, and left wing were largely consumed by fire.

The photographs taken of the wreckage at the accident site revealed that the airplane, including the main landing gear wheels, brakes, and tires, were largely consumed by fire. The wheels, brakes, and tires were not tested due to fire damage.

At 1000, the surface weather observation at the Walnut Ridge Regional Airport (ARG) located 10 miles east of the accident site was: wind 220° at 6 knots; 10 miles visibility; sky clear; temperature 24° C; dew point 14° C; altimeter 30.10 inches of mercury. 

Pilot Information

Certificate: Commercial
Age: 51, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Single
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 4-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 01/19/2017
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:  3668 hours (Total, all aircraft), 1258 hours (Total, this make and model), 3560 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 85 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 85 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 4 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: GRUMMAN
Registration: N171BW
Model/Series: G-164C
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2009
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Restricted
Serial Number: 21C
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel
Seats:
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 02/20/2017, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 8505 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 
Engines: 1 Turbo Prop
Airframe Total Time: 7192 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Honeywell
ELT: Not installed
Engine Model/Series:  TPE-10-511M
Registered Owner: HDS INC
Rated Power: 665 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Agricultural Aircraft (137)
Operator Does Business As: Kinco Ag
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: ARG
Observation Time: 1000 CDT
Distance from Accident Site: 10 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 90°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Temperature/Dew Point: 24°C / 14°C
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility:  10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 6 knots, 220°
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 30.1 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Precipitation
Departure Point: Beech Grove, AR
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Beech Grove, AR
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1130 CDT
Type of Airspace:

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None

Latitude, Longitude: 36.084167, -90.748056

NTSB Identification: CEN17LA177
14 CFR Part 137: Agricultural
Accident occurred Monday, May 08, 2017 in Beech Grove, AR
Aircraft: GRUMMAN G-164C, registration: N171BW
Injuries: 1 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 May 8, 2017, about 0945 central daylight time, a Gruman G-164C airplane, was destroyed by ground fire after it veered off a private airstrip during takeoff near Beech Grove, Arkansas. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was owned by HDS, Inc., and operated by the pilot under the provisions of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of flight, which was not on a flight plan. The airplane was departing the private airstrip on a local flight. 


The pilot reported that while on takeoff roll about halfway down the runway, the right main tire "went flat and possibly blew." The airplane suddenly veered right and it went off the side of the runway. It hit a field ditch, bounced, turned sideways, and slid to a stop. The pilot saw fuel running out of the engine compartment and it caught fire. The pilot exited the airplane without injury. The airplane continued to burn and the engine compartment, cockpit, fuselage, empennage, and left wing were largely consumed by fire. 


At 0935, the surface weather observation at the Walnut Ridge Regional Airport (ARG) located 10 miles east of the accident site was: wind 220 degrees at 6 knots; 10 miles visibility; sky clear; temperature 22 degrees C; dew point 13 degrees C; altimeter 30.10 inches of mercury.

Pilot who landed on Sullivan's Island says it was a legal maneuver, town administration disagrees

Pilot Cole Gaither said he landed on the beach to secure a plate that had come loose on the wing.


Video showed the plane taking off from Sullivan's Island as a police vehicle arrived on the scene.



SULLIVAN'S ISLAND, SC (WCSC) -  The pilot whose takeoff from a Sullivan's Island sandbar last Saturday was captured on video said his landing was completely legal and necessary.

Cole Gaither said he landed on the sandbar near Station 28 Saturday morning to secure a plate on the wing that was loose. Gaither said the landing was legal under the Federal Aviation Administration laws.

Gaither and his French Bulldog, Axel, aren't new to the air.

"I've got about 15,000 hours," he said. "I've been on quite a few and Axel has about four years with me."

Gaither was flying in the area Saturday morning to watch the Cooper River Bridge Run from the sky.

"As we came around Sullivan's Island, we noticed a plate that was coming off of the wing," Gaither said. "We saw the sandbar and thought we'd make a precautionary landing and reattach the plate."

But Sullivan's Island Town Administrator Andy Benke said the landing was illegal under both state and municipal law, regardless of what the FAA says.

Authorities report Gaither landed on the beach and then took off while police made their way to the aircraft.

"We noticed a police officer to our right as we were taking off but we were already going much too fast to abort the takeoff," he said. "I was already at the point of no return. If I would have throttled down, I would have ended up in the ocean."

Sullivan's Island administration did not want to go on camera because the investigation is still ongoing. Administration did, however, provide documents indicating, under state law, all inlets and islands within one mile of the municipality are covered in that jurisdiction and say the Town of Sullivan's Island law states taking off or landing aircraft is prohibited within 50 feet of land or water.

"The Sullivan's Island Police Department has been great," Gaither said after meeting with the chief of police. "We'll do whatever they ask us to do and comply. We're going to try and understand what their perspective is on this so we don't get into this situation again."

Gaither said the conflicting rules and regulations won't stop him from coming back out to Sullivan's Island in the future.

"We love coming out here," he said. "We probably won't come by airplane next time though."

Story, video and photos ➤ http://www.wtoc.com

Loss of Engine Power (Total): Zenith CH 750, N61LR; accident occurred August 24, 2017 in Manila, Mississippi County, Arkansas

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

Additional Participating Entity:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Little Rock, Arkansas

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


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


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


http://registry.faa.gov/N61LR


Location: Manila, AR

Accident Number: CEN17LA329
Date & Time: 08/24/2017, 1000 CDT
Registration: N61LR
Aircraft: JAMES M RAULERSON CH 750
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of engine power (total)
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

Analysis

The private pilot stated that he flew the airplane earlier in the day with no engine anomalies noted. During the return flight at 2,000 ft above ground level, the cylinder head temperature (CHT) on one of the engine's cylinders was higher than normal. He reduced engine power and the CHT decreased, then later increased again. He subsequently heard a loud "bang" from the engine, and the airplane and engine both shuddered. He reduced the throttle to idle and made a forced landing in a bean field. During the landing roll, the nose wheel collapsed in the mud and the airplane nosed over.

A postaccident exterior examination of the engine did not reveal any abnormalities. The airplane was not made available for examination during the course of the investigation; therefore, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because the airplane was not available for examination. 

Findings

Not determined
Not determined - Unknown/Not determined (Cause)

Factual Information

On August 24, 2017, about 1000 central daylight time, a Zenith CH 750 airplane, N61LR, experienced a loss of engine power and landed in a field near Manila, Arkansas. The private rated pilot and one passenger were not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan had been filed. The cross-country flight departed Delta Regional Airport (DRP), Colt, Arkansas, about 0930 and was en route to Steele Municipal Airport (M12), Steele, Missouri.

The pilot stated that earlier in the day he flew from M12 to DRP with no engine anomalies noted. During the return flight at 2,000 ft above ground level, the cylinder head temperature (CHT) on one cylinders was higher than normal. He reduced the throttle and the CHT decreased, then later increased to 340°F. He then heard a loud "bang" from the engine, and the airplane and engine both shuttered. He reduced the throttle to idle and made a forced landing in a bean field. During the landing roll the nose wheel collapsed in the mud and the airplane nosed over.

The responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector sent photos of the airplane in the bean field and confirmed substantial damage to the right wing and firewall. An exterior examination of the engine did not reveal any abnormalities.

The airplane was not made available during the investigation; therefore, an engine examination was not possible. 

History of Flight

Approach
Loss of engine power (total) (Defining event)

Landing
Off-field or emergency landing

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 57, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 08/28/2015
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 08/29/2017
Flight Time: 495 hours (Total, all aircraft), 401 hours (Total, this make and model), 41.9 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 22 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 1.1 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: JAMES M RAULERSON
Registration: N61LR
Model/Series: CH 750
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2014
Amateur Built: Yes
Airworthiness Certificate: Experimental
Serial Number: 75-8464
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 08/16/2017, Continuous Airworthiness
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1440 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 400 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: UL Power
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: 350i
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 118 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: KBYH, 254 ft msl
Observation Time: 0955 CDT
Distance from Accident Site: 13 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 61°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Temperature/Dew Point: 24°C / 16°C
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility:  10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 6 knots, 80°
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 30.06 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: COLT, AR (DRP)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: STEELE, MO (M12)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 0930 CDT
Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport Information

Airport: MANILA MUNI (MXA)
Runway Surface Type:
Airport Elevation: 242 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Rough; Vegetation
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: 1 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude:  35.859167, -90.192500 (est)

NTSB Identification: CEN17LA329
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, August 24, 2017 in Manila, AR
Aircraft: JAMES M RAULERSON CH 750, registration: N61LR
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

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

On August 24, 2017, about 1000 central daylight time, a Zenith CH 750 airplane, N61LR, experienced a total loss of engine power and landed in a field near Manila, Arkansas. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The cross-country flight departed Delta Regional Airport (DRP), Colt, Arkansas about 0930 and was en route to Steele Municipal Airport (M12), Steele, Missouri. 

The pilot stated that earlier that morning he flew from M12 to DRP with no anomalies noted. During the return flight at 2,000 ft above ground level, the cylinder head temperature (CHT) on one cylinders was higher than normal. He reduced the throttle and the CHT decreased, then later increased to 340°. He heard a loud "bang" from the engine, and the airplane and engine both shuttered. He reduced the throttle to idle and made a forced landing in a bean field. During the lading roll the nose wheel collapsed in the mud and the airplane came to rest upright. 

The airplane has been retained for further examination.

Coleman A. Young Municipal Airport (KDET) crumbles as City of Detroit rejects offers of millions



The City of Detroit recently turned down a $4-million offer from private investors to build a modern terminal and hangars at the long-neglected Coleman A. Young International Airport as Mayor Mike Duggan's team raised the idea of closing the airfield permanently.

The rejection of the offer from Avflight, the fixed-base operator at the east-side airfield still best known as Detroit City Airport, came amid complaints from airport advocates that the city is needlessly letting a potential asset deteriorate.

Among other signs of neglect, the city hasn't staffed a Detroit Fire Department station on airport grounds for many years, which prevents some business aircraft from landing there because of insurance concerns. Nor has the city applied for a variety of multimillion-dollar federal and state grants that could help pay for needed upgrades to runways.




The airport doesn't even have its own website, and the city does little or no marketing of the airfield.

Carl Muhs, president of Avflight, an Ann Arbor-based firm that operates multiple airports in the U.S. and Britain, said he offered in 2016 to spend up to $4 million at City Airport to build a new terminal and hangars to accommodate larger corporate jets, but only if the city granted Avflight the security of a multiyear lease.

The city for many years had not offered leases to tenant firms at the airport, keeping them on month-to-month status that could be revoked at any time.




“We had been working on a lease for quite a while and then got to the very end where it was due to be signed and it was pulled off the table,” Muhs said. “(The city) said, ‘We’re going to take another look at the airport and decide what direction we want to go in.’ So we’ve been on hold for quite a while out there."

Such moves fuel concerns for the airport's future. For against the hope and promise of a revitalized City Airport stands the allure of freeing up the airfield’s 264 acres for other uses, such as an industrial park, which Duggan has suggested might bring many more jobs to the city.

That possibility is now under study, and Duggan's team maintains that until a formal decision on the site's future is made, it made no sense to move ahead with the Avflight offer or other improvements.




Jed Howbert, Duggan’s group executive for Planning, Housing and Development, said the administration at this point is trying to gather facts for further discussion.

“It’s a big assembled piece of property in a city that doesn’t have a lot of them,” Howbert said in an interview. “The basic question we’re asking is, 'how do you maximize the benefit of the airport to the people of Detroit?' ”

Howbert said there are several options, including spending money to restore the airport in whole or part; closing the shorter of the airport’s two runways and using that land for other economic development; and closing the airport altogether and redeveloping the land.




“We want to get to a point where we have a common fact-based discussion on how those various scenarios compare to each other in terms of jobs, other benefits to the city, neighborhood impact, cost to execute them,” Howbert said. “It should be something you can summarize on one sheet of paper and then go talk about them.”

But Howbert sounded skeptical of the airport’s future.

“The reality is that it loses money, there’s not many jobs on-site, and it’s not very actively used by planes that are based there," he said. "So it’s hard to make an argument that, as an asset today, that’s it’s delivering commensurate with what it should be, given how much land it is in the city.”




Because of City Airport’s problems, flight operations have steadily declined in recent years, from 45,233 takeoffs and landings in 2014 to 37,264 last year, Federal Aviation Administration data reports show.

The city says the airport loses about $1 million a year, though about half of that loss stems from a water drainage fee that the city charges. Advocates for the airport point out that many types of public infrastructure lose money but deliver broader economic benefits.

Federal complications

Yet given how difficult it is to actually close an airport — the Federal Aviation Authority can take years, if not decades, to approve a closure — advocates say the city ought to move ahead with a vigorous airport revitalization plan now.




Among others, the Detroit City Council has expressed its support for revitalizing the airport many times in recent years.

"I can say that I have made it clear I DO NOT SUPPORT CLOSING THE AIRPORT!!!," Council Member Scott Benson told the Free Press in an e-mail. "I will also continue to advocate for investment in this City asset, as it can and will become a huge economic development engine for the City and region once we (the City) start to make even the basic investments to keep it in a state of good repair."

The nonprofit Coleman A. Young International Airport Education Association, consisting of community advocates, corporate executives, recreational flyers and other fans of the airport, believes significant new business for City Airport is just waiting on some signal from Duggan’s team that the city will prioritize airport revitalization.




“The thing is, we know we are 100% certain that at the end of the day this airport will be saved because there will not be a better choice,” said Dave Tarrant, the group's executive director. “We just have to get the political forces to reach that conclusion.”

The airport was a pioneer in big-city airfields when it opened in 1927, and it remained thronged with commercial airline passengers as recently as about 20 years ago. But today it remains badly underused, its landscape dotted with derelict structures.

Its main hangars date to the 1940s and remain too small to house today’s largest corporate jets. Of about 130 smaller so-called T-hangers — garage-like structures that house small private aircraft — fewer than half are in use and dozens have fallen into such disrepair as to be unusable.




Needed maintenance has been neglected for years. At one spot on the perimeter of the airfield, a broken-down airplane has settled in place for so many years that trees have grown up within inches of it. The airport’s two runways remain in active use but are overdue for maintenance work.

Quick fixes available

Advocates of revitalizating City Airport point to low-cost fixes that could almost instantly unlock the airport's hidden value. Some of the most helpful of the changes would cost the city almost nothing. One is to offer long-term leases to airport tenants who rent hangars and other facilities.

Longer leases: Detroit refuses to give any of the private firms operating at the airport anything but month-to-month status. Firms like Avflight, which fuels planes, cuts grass, plows snow and does other operational chores, say they are willing to pump new investment into facilities but cannot as long as the city denies them the stability of a long-term lease.




Air Eagle, a firm that operates two business-class planes from the airport, also expresses frustration over the city's lack of willingness to consider longer leases. Michael Zabkiewicz, general manager and chief pilot of Air Eagle, said it’s not possible to risk spending millions of dollars on facilities that they could be told to vacate on short notice.

“You know, it’s to the point now where it’s almost a joke,” Zabkiewicz said. “There’s no point to even bother to ask because we already know what the answer is going to be. … It’s one of those things where, why put the effort into something that will never happen?”

By comparison, the Jackson County Airport in Jackson grants firms up to 40-year leases at the airport, as well as the right to sublease their space.




“You just have to make yourself attractive to people,” said Kent Maurer, the airport manager there. 

Detroit’s City Council passed a resolution earlier this year asking the Duggan administration to consider granting longer term leases to operators like Avflight and Air Eagle. So far, the administration hasn’t done so.

Tarrant of the nonprofit airport educational association said the lack of longer term leases reflects the city's lack of commitment to the airport's future.




“Just by telling the world it’s open for business and will be sustained, by itself, plus the long-term leases, those two acts would turn everything around right now,” Tarrant said. “It’s just management will and commitment. That’s what’s so frustrating about this. We know how to fix it, it can be fixed, the resources are there to fix it. It’s just management will and commitment.”

Federal grants: The highest cost estimate for revitalizing the airport is $83 million for restoring commercial airline service — the price tag for upgrading runways, building new terminal and parking facilities and other improvements. But even if the city went that far, almost none of that cost would be borne by the City of Detroit itself.

The FAA, as part of its role in maintaining a national airport network, would pay most of the cost through grants. The State of Michigan would pay part of the remainder. 




The Jackson County Airport last year completed rebuilding its runways for $49 million. But the federal government paid $39 million of that and Michigan paid another $2.6 million. Of the roughly $7.7 million Jackson County had to contribute, almost all of that went to relocate a landfill to make room for the new runway.

Duggan’s office recently released a report from an aviation consultant called GRA Inc., based near Philadelphia, on the likely cost of revitalizing City Airport. Even that GRA report noted that almost all the cost of upgrades would be borne by federal or state agencies.

One scenario outlined in the GRA report looked at spending up to $50 million on new facilities; it estimated that Detroit would have to cover just $2.8 million of that.




The FAA and state grants are competitive and not always awarded when first applied for. But Mauer of the Jackson Airport said that good plans will be funded eventually. Detroit has not aggressively pursued such grants for City Airport, angering supporters.

Marketing: City Airport doesn’t even have its own website, nor does the city market the airport as a gateway.

By contrast, the Jackson County Airport operates a website that offers a wealth of easy-to-find information, including phone numbers and e-mails for airport personnel, consumer tips about car rentals, technical data for pilots such as radio frequencies in use by the airport, postings of job openings, photographs of award winners and volunteers, calendar of events, financial information and more.




Maurer said Jackson County leaders understand the value of the airport near the city’s center and support it.

“They’re not building any new airports almost anywhere, and if you’re going to build them you’re not going to build them anywhere close to a populated area,” he said.

Muhs of the Avflight operation echoed that.




“Years ago, train stations were the front door to a community. Now, it’s airports,” he said. And in the future, as drone delivery and other airborne mobility options flourish, “it’s going to be that much more important that those airports exist.”

Another possible model is Lunken Field in Cincinnati, which, like City Airport, first operated in the 1920s and for many years served as Cincinnati's main airport. Today, commercial airline traffic flies from the much larger Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, but private and corporate aircraft still use Lunken.

In 2009, the Ultimate Air Shuttle began flying from Lunken with a flight to Chicago's Midway Airport, and has since added shuttle flights to New York, Charlotte and Cleveland.




Firefighting and education

The Detroit Fire Department used to operate a small station on airport grounds with two trucks to deal with runway crashes. But the city pulled firefighters out of that station many years ago, electing to depend on fire equipment coming from nearby stations in case of a runway emergency.

But that arrangement has more than safety implications. Some business flyers who may otherwise use City Airport are prevented from doing so by their insurers, who insist the planes be based at a field with on-site fire and rescue protection.

“The guys with the big corporate planes, they may want to land there, but they’re not allowed to,” said Keith Newell, director of business planning for the Coleman A. Young International Airport Educational Association.




Deputy Fire Commissioner Dave Fornell said plans are under way to restaff the station on airport grounds later this year, but only for an eight-hour shift each day. Even now, he said, adequate protection is provided by the off-site fire units based at the nearby Fire Academy.

But Michael Nevin, president of the Detroit Fire Fighters Association, said an eight-hour shift doesn’t go nearly far enough to ensure safety at an airport that could be used around the clock.

"That place should be manned 24/7," he said. "It ridiculous that they closed it. But now that we're seeing a spike in air traffic and the city coming back, they need to reinvest in that fire house and train people and reboot the airport division."

From the 1940s until 2013, Detroit Public Schools operated the Benjamin Davis Aerospace Technical High School immediately adjacent to the airport. Training courses at the school once gave graduating seniors an FAA certificate as an aircraft technician — a ticket to a high-paying career.

But DPS abandoned the school in 2013, transferring classes to the Golightly Career and Technical Center off East Jefferson Avenue on the far east side. In the process of transferring classes, DPS lost much of the equipment and material needed for the curriculum. Unable to offer the FAA-required courses, the school voluntarily surrendered its FAA certificate in 2014.

Lawrence Millben, the first African-American youth to graduate from the high school and a retired colonel in the Air Force, is among many who want to see the school returned to its former site adjacent to the airport and FAA certification to train technicians returned.

"We are working diligently to get it back to the airport," he said. "Kids coming out of Davis Aerospace (could) come out with an FAA certification that would allow them to make $80,000 a year to start. Why are we taking that away from the kids of Detroit when we know we can make them productive, tax-paying citizens? Skills in that area are nationally needed."




Private-public partnership?

Perhaps the biggest potential change would come if Duggan spins off direct control of the airport from the city’s small Department of Aviation to a nonprofit public authority or conservancy. In similar ways, Cobo Center, Eastern Market and other entities owned by the city are now operated by nonprofit boards and professional management.

Such spin-offs often prove controversial, such as the state’s takeover of Belle Isle during the city’s bankruptcy period. But they often prove effective.

The once-failing Cobo, Eastern Market and other spin-offs saw immediate improvements once they were put into new management structures. Cobo, owned by the city but run since 2009 by a regional authority, completed a nearly $300-million expansion and upgrade that thoroughly updated the aging facility.

And Eastern Market likewise pumped millions of philanthropic dollars into renovating its market sheds and added a host of new vendors and programs once spun off from direct city control in 2006. Even Belle Isle, now operated as a state park, showed marked improvements in maintenance and recreational offerings under its new management.

Such public authorities offer access to funding sources unavailable to the city itself. And management devoted solely to that one operation can often focus attention and efforts, not get lost in the larger municipal bureaucracy.

Duggan has spoken against such spin-offs, arguing that he cannot control outcomes without having direct control of a function. But numerous airports in the U.S., including Detroit Metro and Jackson County Airport, are managed by some type of airport authority. Many advocates for City Airport said a new management structure is needed to turn around the airport’s declining fortunes.




Job opportunities?

When Duggan’s staffers talk about possibly closing the airport, they cite the recent success of the city’s I-94 Industrial Park. That roughly 200-acre site, a former east-side residential neighborhood cleared out in the 1990s, recently filled up with new industrial users, including the Flex-N-Gate auto supplier, which is bringing hundreds of jobs to the city. Duggan’s team believes City Airport land would find new users quickly.

“If we can deliver large site-ready sites that have infrastructure, there’s been proven demand over the last couple of years to build that, and the jobs numbers are pretty attractive,” Howbert said.

Against that possibility lies the value that a revitalized City Airport might bring. As Detroit’s comeback plans advance and as downtown grows as a hub serving the corporate, sports and entertainment fields, an airfield just minutes away could prove valuable.

Corporate executives like John Nicholson, son of PVS Chemicals President and CEO James Nicholson, supports revitalizing the airport.

“We feel like it’s an underutilized asset with such potential being 6 miles from downtown,” he said. “It’d just be a shame to see it disappear and turn into factory sites when it has such potential.”

And the airport already looms large for Macomb County and other east-side communities. Muhs of the Avflight fixed-base operation said at least a quarter of the air traffic using City Airport today carries business travelers heading to Warren for the General Motors Tech Center or the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, or TACOM.

Without City Airport, those business travelers would have to use another airport more distant.

If Duggan were to declare his intention to keep the airport open and restore it, that “would be the best thing we could hear,” Muhs said.




What's next?

If Duggan and his team do decide to close the airport and convert the 260 acres to an industrial park, they may find that easier said than done. The federal government, through the FAA, takes years to study potential airport closings and is reluctant to approve them. Each airfield represents a link in the nationwide network of safety, and, once gone, often cannot be replaced.

The FAA recently agreed to close the Santa Monica, Calif., airport in 2028 — but only after about 30 years of debate and discord. In 1994, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley announced he would close the lakefront Meigs Field downtown; almost 10 years later, Daley, frustrated by seemingly endless delays, ordered city crews to destroy the runway by bulldozing large gouges in it in the middle of the night.

Duggan aide Howbert said he expects to have the next phase of the fact-finding report done by fall, with a discussion to follow.

“We’ll look at any good idea that maximizes the benefit to Detroiters,” he said. “Airports get handled in a whole lot of different ways in other cities and states. If someone has a great idea that unlocks one of these scenarios, we are absolutely going to look at and listen to that idea.”

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

Loss of Control in Flight: Rans S-17, N117BE; accident occurred August 21, 2017 at Erie Municipal Airport (KEIK), Weld County, Colorado

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

Additional Participating Entity:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Denver, Colorado

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


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


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

http://registry.faa.gov/N117BE

Location: Erie, CO
Accident Number: CEN17LA327
Date & Time: 08/21/2017, 1845 MDT
Registration: N117BE
Aircraft: GREENE R/GREENE S RANS S 17
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight
Injuries: 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

Analysis

The noncertificated pilot of the experimental amateur-built airplane reported that, during the initial climb, the engine did not seem to be producing full power, so he attempted to reject the takeoff and land back on the runway. During the landing, the wind pushed the airplane to the right, the left wing rose, and the right wing contacted the ground. The airplane spun around and came to rest upright. The pilot had not flown since 2010 and had no more than 2 hours of recent flight experience. The pilot stated that he had checked the spark plugs before the accident flight and thought that he did not properly install the plugs; however, following the accident, the pilot ran the engine several times and the engine appeared to produce power.

The wind conditions at the time of the accident would have resulted in a left quartering tailwind during landing. This, coupled with the density altitude of about 7,300 ft, would have significantly decreased the airplane's performance and could have given the perception to the noncertificated, inexperienced pilot that the engine had experienced a partial loss of power.

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 control following a rejected takeoff for a perceived loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of training and experience in the airplane.

Findings

Personnel issues
Aircraft control - Pilot (Cause)
Total experience - Pilot (Factor)
Training with equipment - Pilot (Factor)
Qualification/certification - Pilot

Environmental issues
Tailwind - Effect on operation (Cause)
High density altitude - Effect on operation (Cause)

Factual Information 

On August 21, 2017, about 1845 mountain daylight time, a Rans S-17 airplane, N117BE, ground looped at the Erie Municipal Airport (KEIK), Erie, Colorado. The uncertificated pilot sustained minor injuries and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federals Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.

According to information provided by the pilot, after departing on runway 15, during the initial climb, the engine did not seem to be producing full power. The pilot reduced engine power, attempted to reject the takeoff, and land back on the runway. Wind pushed the airplane to the right, the left wing rose, and the right wing contacted the ground. The airplane spun around on the ground and came to rest upright. Substantial damage was sustained to the fuselage and right wing.

Information, gathered by the responding Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, revealed that the pilot did not possess a pilot certificate. In addition, the pilot had not flown since 2010, and had no more than 2 hours of recent flight experience.

The pilot stated that he had checked the spark plugs before the accident flight. He felt that he did not properly install the plugs. Following the accident, the pilot ran the engine several times and the engine appeared to produce power. A review of meteorological data revealed that the density altitude at the time of the accident was about 7,300 ft.

At the accident time, the automated weather reporting facility at KEIK reported a wind from 040° at 3 knots. The wind would have been a left quartering tailwind. 

History of Flight

Takeoff
Loss of engine power (partial)

Takeoff-rejected takeoff
Other weather encounter
Loss of control in flight (Defining event)
Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

Pilot Information

Certificate: None
Age: 80, Male
Airplane Rating(s): None
Seat Occupied: Single
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s):  None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed:
Medical Certification: None
Last FAA Medical Exam:
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:  2 hours (Total, this make and model)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: GREENE R/GREENE S
Registration: N117BE
Model/Series: RANS S 17 NO SERIES
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture:
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Experimental
Serial Number: 1202040
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats:
Date/Type of Last Inspection:
Certified Max Gross Wt.:
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time:
Engine Manufacturer: ROTAX
ELT:
Engine Model/Series: 447
Registered Owner: SALE REPORTED
Rated Power: 416 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: KEIK, 5132 ft msl
Observation Time: 1845 MDT
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 348°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Temperature/Dew Point: 28°C / 3°C
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 3 knots, 40°
Visibility (RVR): 
Altimeter Setting: 30.22 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Erie, CO (EIK)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Erie, CO (EIK)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time:  MDT
Type of Airspace: 

Airport Information

Airport: ERIE MUNI (EIK)
Runway Surface Type: Concrete
Airport Elevation: 5119 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 15
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 4700 ft / 60 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: None 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Minor
Latitude, Longitude:  40.010278, -105.048056 (est)

NTSB Identification: CEN17LA327
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, August 21, 2017 in Erie, CO
Aircraft: GREENE R/GREENE S RANS S 17, registration: N117BE
Injuries: 1 Minor.

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 August 21, 2017, about 1845 mountain daylight time, a Rans S-17 airplane, N117BE, impacted the runway at the Erie Municipal Airport (KEIK), Erie, Colorado. The uncertificated pilot sustained minor injuries and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.

According to information provided by the pilot, while departing on runway 15, the engine did not seem to be producing full power. The airplane then settled back to the runway, ground looped, and nosed over.

The airplane was retained for further examination.