Saturday, March 09, 2019

JetBlue, Embraer ERJ-190AR, N279JB: Incident occurred January 03, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois

https://registry.faa.gov/N279JB

NTSB Identification: DCA19CA062
14 CFR Part 121: Air Carrier operation of Jetblue Airways
Aircraft: Embraer ERJ190, registration: N279JB

NTSB investigators will use data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator, and will not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.

Bell UH-1B Iroquois, N64RA: Fatal accident occurred March 08, 2019 in Forks, Clallam County, Washington

Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board 

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

Additional Participating Entities:  
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Des Moines, Washington
Honeywell Aerospace; Phoenix, Arizona 

Location: Forks, WA
Accident Number: WPR19FA091
Date & Time: 03/08/2019, 0705 PST
Registration: N64RA
Aircraft: BELL UH1B
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load 

On March 8, 2019, about 0705 Pacific standard time, a Bell UH-1B helicopter, N64RA, collided with mountainous terrain near Forks, Washington. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom, and drivetrain. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Iron Eagle Helicopters under provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 133, as an external load operation. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the off airport local flight. The flight originated from a remote location and flew to the contracted logging site about 1/2 miles to the south-west.

According to the logging project manager, this was the first flight of the day for the pilot. The grapple logging operations from the helicopter uses a hydraulic log grapple affixed to a 180 ft Kevlar long-line.

According to one witness, who is a helicopter mechanic, he assisted the pilot in the pre-flight inspection of the helicopter. The mechanic remained in the area and observed a normal engine start, run up and take off. Afterwards the mechanic continued with his morning activities and heard three successive distress calls from the pilot over the company communication radio. The mechanic and three other employees began a search of nearby emergency landing areas. After finding the emergency landing areas empty, one employee hiked to the site where the helicopter was scheduled to perform the grapple logging operations and found the wreckage.

The wreckage was located in a heavily forested, mountainous area about ½ mile north east of the point of departure. The first identified point of impact was directly underneath the wreckage. The debris field was small, consisting of small portions of the main rotor scattered about 50 ft away from the main cabin.

The cabin came to rest inverted on a heading of about 100° magnetic. The tail boom and tail rotor had separated but remained alongside the fuselage. The main rotor and transmission were displaced aft over the engine.

The grapple and long-line remained attached to the cargo hook of the helicopter and extended uphill away from the wreckage.

There was no post-impact fire. The wreckage was relocated to a secure facility for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: BELL
Registration: N64RA
Model/Series: UH1B
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Rotorcraft External Load (133)

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KCLM, 291 ft msl
Observation Time:
Distance from Accident Site: 26 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 1°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 5000 ft agl
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 3 knots / , Variable
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility:  6 Miles
Altimeter Setting:
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Forks, WA
Destination: Forks, WA 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude:



Joshua Meriah Tripp

FRENCHTOWN — An extraordinary man died last week: On March 8, 2019, Joshua Meriah Tripp, 44, went down with his logging helicopter near Port Angeles, Washington. Josh was tireless, compassionate, and magnetic. He gave incredible hugs that wrapped you up in warmth. He listened in a way that made people feel seen. He never hesitated to tell someone how much he loved them.  

Born at the Naval Hospital in Oakland, California, on Aug. 28, 1974, Josh grew up in the Bitterroot Valley. He attended Stevensville Schools and graduated in 1992.

Josh was known for his entrepreneurial spirit and started a lawn mowing business when he was eight years old. He became the youngest person to receive a loan from First State Bank, leveraging the funds to buy a four-wheeler to expand his paper route. As a teenager, Josh built houses. He started a power washing business. After returning from his mission with the LDS Church in San Diego, he bought a logging truck from his dad and ran a successful operation for many years. Later, he became a highly-respected seasonal flood insurance claims adjuster, a position he held in addition to running his own self-loader logging truck company, raising young kids, and, when a conversation with a fellow logger/pilot piqued his interest, learning to fly.

A skilled pilot and inspiring leader, Josh flew a logging helicopter for R&R Conner Aviation of Darby, Montana, and became its chief pilot in 2013. Last July, Josh proudly took flight in his own helicopter as the founder and president of Iron Eagle Helicopter. He had realized his dream and was doing what he loved when he died.

Josh leaves behind the love of his life, Rachelle, and six strong, capable and kind children: Kyleigh, 23, Eylissa, 21, Myles, 19, Ayden, 16, Ellyana, 14, and Brayden, 13. Josh was a devoted father, brother and son. He taught his kids about the value of family, a strong work ethic, respecting others and how to play. Whether it was hunting, fishing, or swimming with dolphins on a family trip to Mexico, Josh knew how to take a step back and truly enjoy the moment together. His last few years, spent with Rachelle, his children and his family, were the happiest of his life.

Josh is preceded in death by grandparents Harry and Betty Tripp; Harold and Claire Johnston, and his Aunt Diane Hamm. He is survived by his wife and children; parents Darrell and Lorie Tripp, sister Alesia Randall and brother-in-law Todd, brother Chad Tripp and sister-in-law Brionn, niece Bailee, nephews Evan, Ryan, Chase and Shea, and the many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends who will miss him, every day.

A visitation will be held at Whitesitt Funeral Home on Friday, March 22, 7 p.m. until 9 p.m., and a funeral service will be held at the LDS Church in Stevensville on Saturday, March 23, 1 p.m., burial will follow immediately after at the Carlton Cemetery in Florence. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Log Jam, Inc. (the Montana Loggers Association) at P.O. Box 3193, Kalispell, MT 59903.

Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at whitesittfuneralhome.com.




OLYMPIC NATIONAL FOREST — The body of a pilot who died during a logging operation when his helicopter crashed in the West End on Friday morning was carried down a rugged hill from the wreckage Saturday afternoon.

Joshua M. Tripp, 44, of Missoula, Mont., was killed when his UH-1 Huey crashed in the West Twin River area about 7 miles west of Lake Crescent on Friday, said Brian King, Clallam County Sheriff’s Office chief criminal deputy.

Tripp, the president of Iron Eagle Helicopter Inc., was based at a logging camp in Olympic National Forest, authorities said.

No one else was aboard the helicopter.

A team of about 15, which included investigators with the National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB), secured the helicopter so that Tripp’s body could be extricated from it, said King, speaking on a cell phone from the crash site on Saturday afternoon.

At 2:30 p.m., Tripp’s remains were carried down a steep, snow-covered hillside to the command center set up about 6 miles up Forest Service Road, King said.

The tools needed to remove his body were back-packed up the hill to the crash site, which was about 500 yards form the command center, King said.

He added that the terrain was so rugged that it had been feared they would have to drop the tools in by air.

Working together were personnel with the Clallam County Search and Rescue team, Clallam County Fire District 1 and Forks Ambulance, as well as the NTSB investigators.

The sheriff’s office is turning the investigation into the cause of the crash over to the NTSB, which will work in unison with the Federal Aviation Administration, King said.

The plan is to begin bringing parts of the helicopter down today, King said.

“It will be an aerial operation,” he said. “We’re trying to take advantage of the weather,” which he described as cold but clear.

He said that, so far, there is nothing to explain why the copter went down. The weather was clear Friday morning, he added.

The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, initially investigated.

The Sheriff’s Office said Peninsula Communications received a 9-1-1 call at 7:40 a.m. Friday regarding the crash of a UH-1 Huey helicopter conducting forestry operations in the area of West Twin Road in Olympic National Forest.

Tripp had been conducting grapple-logging operations in Olympic National Forest, hoisting logs he moved to a site before they were put on loaders, King said.

He left the landing pad at the logging site at about 7:30 a.m.

“It was a short time later that he reported going down, and they lost contact,” King said.

“We don’t know if he was actually picking up a log.”

A logger found the crash site at 8:52 a.m. Friday and confirmed that the pilot had died.

A Coast Guard aircraft assisted in the search, spokeswoman Amanda Norcross said.

Olympic National Forest spokeswoman Susan Garner said the helicopter was subcontracted to a logging operation doing work under the KOCC Sale in Olympic National Forest.

An Olympic National Forest Service law enforcement officer was sent to the site, she said.

“We’re all pretty shook up about this,” Garner said.

“It’s a terrible tragedy for everyone.”

Clallam County Sheriff’s deputies, Clallam County Search and Rescue, Clallam County Fire District No. 1 and the State Patrol were in the area Friday morning, said the Sheriff’s Office.

The Port Angeles Disaster Response Team (DART) was activated for the first time for a mission when it was asked to take aerial photos of the crash site on Friday.

Life Flight Network, which moved into facilities at the Port of Port Angeles’ Fairchild International Airport last month, volunteered its services on Friday as well.

Original article ➤ http://www.peninsuladailynews.com

Loss of Control in Flight: Beechcraft 76 Duchess, N7KY; accident occurred February 21, 2019 at Capital City Airport (KFFT), Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky

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

Additional Participating Entity:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Louisville, Kentucky

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


Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms 
 
https://registry.faa.gov/N7KY


Location: Frankfort, KY
Accident Number: ERA19TA105
Date & Time: 02/21/2019, 1026 EST
Registration: N7KY
Aircraft: Beech 76
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight
Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional 

On February 21, 2019, about 1026 eastern standard time, a Beech 76 airplane, N7KY, collided with terrain during an aborted landing at Capital City Airport (FFT), Frankfurt, Kentucky. The commercial pilot was not injured and a flight instructor incurred minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was operated by Nexgen Aviation LLC as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed near the accident site, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Blue Grass Airport (LEX), Lexington, Kentucky about 0910, and was destined for FFT.

The rated pilot in the left seat was receiving instruction to obtain a commercial multiengine rating. According to the flight instructor in the right seat, a practice localizer approach to runway 25 at FFT was requested and they received vectors for the approach. The instructor briefed for the pilot to perform a simulated left engine out approach to a full stop. The emergency single engine procedure was briefed, the landing gear were lowered and the flaps were confirmed up. The left engine was set to zero thrust. While over runway 25, at a point between the runway numbers and the 1,000 ft mark on the runway, about 20 feet above the landing surface, the pilot under instruction added power to the right engine while below minimum controllable airspeed. This occurred before the flight instructor could stop him. The airplane reacted quickly with a yaw and roll to the left. The airplane contacted the ground between the runway and parallel taxiway, continued across the taxiway, and down an embankment. The airplane came to rest about 150 ft from the taxiway and caught fire. Both pilots egressed the airplane and were met by first responders.

The pilot receiving instruction reported that he maneuvered the airplane to an extended final approach to runway 25. Once established on final, he noticed that the altitude was lower than the previous approach. Once he determined that he had the runway "made," he began to reduce power on the right engine. The aircraft "settled low," so he added right throttle to re-establish the glide path. In doing so, he did not add the required control inputs of aileron and rudder. The approach became unstable, and he announced, "go around" and moved the right throttle full forward. The airplane immediately entered an uncontrollable left yaw and roll and struck the ground in a left-wing low attitude. He later reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.

Inspectors with the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. Both wings and the fuselage were structurally damaged from impact and the postaccident fire. 

Student Pilot Information

Certificate: Commercial; Private
Age: 27, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): Helicopter
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane; Helicopter
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 1 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 05/05/2018
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 11/21/2018
Flight Time:  639 hours (Total, all aircraft), 16 hours (Total, this make and model), 431 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 91 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 29 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft)

Flight Instructor Information

Certificate: Airline Transport; Flight Instructor; Commercial
Age: 76, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane Multi-engine; Airplane Single-engine
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 06/15/2018
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 10/29/2018
Flight Time:  22189 hours (Total, all aircraft), 78 hours (Total, this make and model), 16312 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 25 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 14 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Beech
Registration: N7KY
Model/Series: 76 No Series
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture:
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: ME-139
Landing Gear Type: Retractable - Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 01/31/2019, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 3900 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 17 Hours
Engines: 2 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 8821 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: Installed
Engine Model/Series: O-360-A1G6D
Registered Owner: Nexgen Aircraft Leasing Llc
Rated Power: 180 hp
Operator: Nexgen Aviation LLC
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Pilot School (141)

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: FFT, 812 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 2053 UTC
Direction from Accident Site:
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 4 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: 310°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.19 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 8°C / 0°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Lexington, KY (LEX)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Frankfort, KY (FFT)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 0910 EST
Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport Information

Airport: Capital City Airport (FFT)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 812 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 25
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 5506 ft / 100 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Full Stop

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 38.183056, -84.900000 (est)



Location: Frankfort, KY
Accident Number: ERA19LA105
Date & Time: 02/21/2019, 1045 EST
Registration: N7KY
Aircraft: Beech 76
Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional 

On February 21, 2019, about 1045 eastern standard time, a Beech 76 airplane, N7KY, collided with terrain during an aborted landing at Capital City Airport (FFT), Frankfurt, Kentucky. The commercial pilot was not injured, and a flight instructor incurred minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was operated by Nexgen Aviation LLC as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed near the accident site, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Blue Grass Airport (LEX), Lexington, Kentucky about 0910, and was destined for FFT.

According to the operator, the purpose of the flight was to prepare the pilot for an upcoming commercial multi-engine check ride. After airwork in the local area, the flight proceeded to FFT for approaches and landings. The pilot set up for a simulated single engine landing on runway 25. While over the runway for landing, the approach became unstable, and the pilot attempted a go-around. The airplane veered to the left and the left wingtip contacted the ground between the runway and taxiway. The airplane then collided an embankment and came to a stop. A postaccident fire ensued, and the pilots egressed the airplane and were met by first responders.

The wreckage was recovered by aircraft salvage personnel and was retained for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Beech
Registration: N7KY
Model/Series: 76 No Series
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: Nexgen Aviation LLC
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Pilot School (141) 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: FFT, 812 ft msl
Observation Time: 2053 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 8°C / 0°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 4 knots / , 310°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility:  10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.19 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Lexington, KY (LEX)
Destination: Frankfort, KY (FFT)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 None
Latitude, Longitude:  38.110000, -84.540000 (est)








FRANKFORT, Kentucky – Everyone is OK following a plane crash in Frankfort.

It happened around 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Capital City Airport.

Officials say the plane crashed during an instructional training course and caught fire.

“It’s very rare that we have incidents at this airport,” said Naitore Djigbenou, of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. “We have around 50 landings and takeoffs a day. The airport will continue to operate.”

There were two passengers on the plane at the time. They both sustained minor injuries, but declined medical treatment.

The Federal Aviation Administration is currently investigating and will release details at a later time.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://lex18.com

Piper PA-23-250 Aztec C, N5894Y: Fatal accident occurred March 08, 2019 in Pahokee, Palm Beach County, Florida

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

Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Miramar, Florida
Piper Aircraft; Vero Beach, Florida
Lycoming Engines; Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfg

https://registry.faa.gov/N5894Y 


Location: Pahokee, FL
Accident Number: WPR19FA093
Date & Time: 03/08/2019, 1526 EST
Registration: N5894Y
Aircraft: Piper PA23
Injuries: 5 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - 

On March 8, 2019, about 1526 eastern standard time, a Piper PA 23-250 airplane, N5894Y, impacted a lake during an emergency landing at the Palm Beach County Glades Airport (PHK), Pahokee Florida. The commercial pilot and four passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to L-Holding LLC, and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and the flight was operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from the Tampa International Airport (TPA), Tampa, Florida about 1420 and was destined for North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport (F45), West Palm Beach, Florida.

The Federal Aviation Administration reported that the pilot declared an emergency to air traffic control and reported a rough running left engine. The pilot further reported that he was going to shut down the left engine and divert to PHK. The controller cleared the pilot to land; the pilot's last transmission was when he reported the airport in sight.

Witnesses reported that their attention was drawn to the airplane when they observed it in a 45o nose and left-wing low rapid descent before it impacted the water.

The airplane was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Piper
Registration: N5894Y
Model/Series: PA23 250
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: F45, 22 ft msl
Observation Time: 1535 EST
Distance from Accident Site: 25 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 25°C / 15°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 3400 ft agl
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 11 knots / , 110°
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 6500 ft agl
Visibility:  10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.14 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Departure Point: Tampa, FL (TPA)
Destination: West Palm Beach, FL (F45) 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 4 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 5 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 26.790278, -80.692778 (est)

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida  — Saturday, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office identified the five victims who were killed in a small plane crash into Lake Okeechobee.

Four of the victims worked at Peterson Bernard law firm. The fifth was the pilot, Eduardo Mulet. Mulet was well-known in the aviation community. Mulet was a licensed pilot and flight instructor.

Mulet lived in Palm Beach Gardens with his wife, Cassandra Mateo. The couple did not have any children, but they had many nieces and nephews. Marianne Rodriguez tells WPBF she will miss the fun times with her uncle.

“Yesterday we were planning to take the Brightline, as a matter of fact, to see how it was. We even bought the tickets for today at 11 o’clock,” Rodriguez said.

Mulet leaves behind a community of aviation enthusiasts who will forever be grateful for the time he dedicated to helping others.

Jim Wethington has been a friend of Mulet’s family for over a decade. Saturday was the five-year anniversary of the day that Wethington was able to fly aboard one of Mulet’s planes.

“He said when you get your weight down, we’re going to go flying. That’s what we’re going to do. And it was five years ago today. Five years ago today, we went on that flight,” Wethington said.

Although the family and friends will miss Mulet, his life will always be known to encourage people to soar.

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

Eduardo Mulet 45, of West Palm Beach

TAMPA — The five people found dead in an airplane that landed in Lake Okeechobee after taking off from Tampa International Airport on Friday have been identified.

The victims were Eduardo Mulet, 45, of West Palm Beach; Eric Peterson, 73, of Lighthouse Point; Matthew Fiorello, 36, of Palm Beach Gardens; Heather Bridwell, 43, of Jupiter; and Edwin Mortell III, 54, of Stuart. The crash happened at about 3:30 p.m. just north of Pahokee Airport, also known as Palm Beach County Glades Airport, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

The Piper PA-23-250 Aztec C went down 400 yards from shore. The passengers’ bodies were recovered less than three hours later. The cause of the crash has not been determined. The National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the incident while local authorities handle the death investigation.

Peterson, Fiorello, Bridwell and Mortell were attorneys at Peterson Bernard, a law firm with offices in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Stuart, according to the firm’s webpage.

Calls to the firm’s main office were not immediately returned.

Mulet was a commercial pilot and owner of Pilotguy Consulting, records show.

“What I hear was that he was flying a two-engine plane and one engine failed,” said Mulet’s wife, Casandra Mateo. “That’s all I know.”

Reached by phone, Mateo said her husband had been flying for decades, everywhere he’s lived from New Jersey to Florida.

“He got his first flying license when he was a teenager, when he was 15,” Mateo said. “He’s been flying nonstop since that time. Flying was his passion.”

A software developer, Mulet always made time to fly, mostly for leisure, rarely for business clients, his wife said.

“He was always, always there for anybody, at any time,” Mateo said. “Everywhere he went he left marks, and in a very, very positive way. He was a leader.”

Mateo said she couldn’t describe the relationship between her husband and the passengers on board, but had heard the attorneys were in Tampa for a business trip.

Bridwell’s husband declined to comment.

The airplane was registered to a Delaware LLC held by The Company Corporation, owned by the Corporation Service Company, headquartered in Wilmington, FAA records show.

On its website, the Corporation Service Company says it is the “world’s leading provider of business, legal, tax, and digital brand services to companies around the globe,” and the partner of nearly 10,000 law firms.

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

Heather Bridwell, 43, of Jupiter; Matthew Fiorello, 36, of Palm Beach Gardens; Edwin Mortell III, 54, of Stuart; and Eric Peterson, 73, of Lighthouse Point.

The five victims of Friday’s deadly plane crash in Lake Okeechobee were South Florida residents, three of them from Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office reported.

The wife of crash victim Matthew Fiorello said the plane was en route to the North Palm Beach County Airport, but was diverted to Pahokee after a problem during the flight.

“He was texting me from the plane. He told me he loved me. He told me he loved the girls. He told me he couldn’t talk right now because there was an issue on the plane and they were being diverted and trying to land,” said Rachel Backoff Fiorello, who married Matthew nearly seven years ago. They have two young daughters, ages 5 and 2.

In addition to being a lawyer, Fiorello was a local singer and musician. She said the four attorneys on the flight were good friends in addition to being colleagues at the firm.

“He’s the most loving, giving person. He would do anything for anybody before doing something for himself,” says his wife. “He was an incredible father and husband.”

UPDATE: 2:30 p.m.

Four of the five victims of Friday’s deadly plane crash in Lake Okeechobee were attorneys at the South Florida-based Peterson Bernard law firm. Among them were the law firm’s founder, Eric Peterson, 73.

The firm, which has offices in West Palm Beach, Stuart and Fort Lauderdale, also lists victims Matthew Fiorello, 36, of Palm Beach Gardens, Heather Bridwell, 43, of Jupiter, and Edwin “Ted” Mortell III, 54, of Stuart among its attorneys.

The fifth victim, Eduardo Mulet, 45, of West Palm Beach, was a licensed commercial pilot, who also worked as a computer technician at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Teri Barbera said Mulet was not an agency employee but serviced the agency’s computers as an employee of a private contractor.

Peterson, of Lighthouse Point, was one of the firm’s founding partners and oversaw its West Palm Beach office and focused on construction litigation, according to the firm’s website. The firm’s website lists 20 attorneys.

Bridwell, an avid boater with a passion for physical fitness and exercise, lived in Jupiter with her husband, Jason, and their 8-year-old daughter. Jason Bridwell said that Heather and her colleagues at the law firm were returning from a meeting with a client when the crash occurred.

“I’m still trying to process everything,” Jason said. “She has a husband and an 8-year-old daughter that she’s leaving behind. We were a great family.”

UPDATE: The five victims of Friday’s deadly plane crash in Lake Okeechobee were South Florida residents, three of them from Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office reported Saturday.

The victims were identified as Eduardo Mulet, 45, of West Palm Beach, Matthew Fiorello, 36, of Palm Beach Gardens, Heather Bridwell, 43, of Jupiter, Edwin Mortell III, 54, of Stuart, and Eric Peterson, 73, of Lighthouse Point.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators continued their probe Saturday into a deadly crash of a twin-engine Piper plane into Lake Okeechobee. The aircraft went down Friday afternoon in shallow waters upon its approach to the Pahokee airport, killing five people on board, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

The Piper PA-23-250 Aztec C plane had departed from Sheltair Aviation Services at Tampa International Airport and crashed just north of the Palm Beach County Glades Airport at about 3:30 p.m.

Rescue workers from PBSO’s marine unit and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue found the plane just 400 yards from shore and were able to recover five bodies, a PBSO spokeswoman said. Authorities have not released the names of the victims.

Sheltair Aviation, a private aircraft firm based in Fort Lauderdale, unveiled a $6.5 million executive hangar complex at the Tampa airport less than three weeks ago.

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Eduardo Mulet 45, of West Palm Beach

PAHOKEE, Florida  —  The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office has released the names of the five people killed in Friday's plane crash near Pahokee Airport.

Deputies say Eduardo Mulet, 45, of West Palm Beach; Eric Peterson, 73, of Lighthouse Point; Matthew Fiorello, 36, of Palm Beach Gardens; Heather Bridwell, 43, of Jupiter; and Edwin Mortell III, 54, of Stuart, were killed after the plane went down around 3:30 p.m into Lake Okeechobee.

The pilot of the plane was Mulet, who also worked at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Mulet was a licensed commercial pilot, and worked as a computer technician. Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Teri Barbera said Mulet was not an agency employee but serviced the agency’s computers as an employee of a private contractor.

Peterson, Bridwell, Mortell and Firoello all worked for the same law firm, Peterson Bernard. The law firm has offices in Stuart, West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

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The Federal Aviation Administration said the twin-engine Piper aircraft had left from Tampa International Airport and was on approach to Pahokee Airport when it crashed just before 3:30 p.m.

"I seen it circling. It went around two times," said a witness, Laura Lester. "And it went up in that corner and it didn't come back."

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue sent divers into the water hoping to rescue survivors.

Initial reports from witnesses were that someone was seen swimming away from the wreckage.

That gave rescuers hope they might find someone alive.

But when they reached the plane, they found all five passengers still on board.

They had all been killed.

The five bodies were recovered and brought back to land.

The identities of the victims have not been released.

The cause of the plane crash remains unclear.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

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PAHOKEE, Florida — The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office released the identities of five people killed after the plane they were flying in crashed into Lake Okeechobee.

A rescue began Friday afternoon after their Piper PA-23-250 Aztec C aircraft went down about 400 yards from the lake's southeast shore near the Pahokee Airport. It had taken off from Tampa International Airport.

In a news release, the sheriff's office says its marine unit and the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue recovered the bodies of five Florida residents from the plane's fuselage.

They are as follows: Heather Bridwell, 43, of Jupiter; Matthew Fiorello, 36, of Palm Beach Gardens; Edwin Mortell III, 54, of Stuart; Eduardo Mulet, 45, of West Palm Beach; and Eric Peterson, 73, of Lighthouse Point. Bridwell, Fiorello, Mortell and Peterson were all attorneys at Peterson and Bernard. 

The events leading up to the plane crash are not yet known.

Sheriff's office investigators are handling the death investigation while the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board investigate the crash.

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