Thursday, February 18, 2021

Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport (KRKS): Local flights pay off


ROCK SPRINGS, Wyoming ─ Results of a economic impact study show that the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport supports 324 jobs and generates $36.9 million of economic activity for the state and local economy, which a press release said confirms the importance of the airport as an economic engine and its positive impact on southwest Wyoming.

Conducted by the Wyoming Department of Transportation to update a similar 2013 report, the Statewide Economic Impact Study determined that the economic activity generated and supported by aviation in Wyoming increased from $1.4 billion in 2013 to $2 billion in 2020. Aviation in Wyoming supports 9.5% of statewide employment resulting in nearly 27,600 jobs.

The impact study took a deep dive into the impacts of aviation and airports across the state with a focus on the state’s 34 airports with paved runways. The value of airports, including that of Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport continues to grow.

“Each day airport, airline and tenant staff dedicate themselves to operating a safe and secure airport. Their efforts don’t stop at safety and security though. Their dedication drives economic value into every corner of our region; supporting visitor spending and driving job creation that provides the oxygen for our economy,” said Jim Wamsley, airport board chairman.

To recognize the important role that aviation plays in attracting and maintaining economic vitality, the report measures the total economic impact of both the airport and its users, according to the release. The report describes the direct impact from the airport, its businesses and visitors’ spending, and subsequent multiplier effects on businesses that hire employees and purchase goods from other businesses and from employees who spend their earnings locally. The report’s data was based on extensive airport, business, and visitor surveys.

We are very happy with the numbers in this new report,” said Airport Director Devon Brubaker. “The study reflects a significant growth in impact since 2013, affirming the fact that our airport is a powerful economic engine that fuels our local economy. While our focus is facilitating the safe and secure movement of passengers and cargo each day, we actively engage with public and private partners to bring even greater economic prosperity to southwest Wyoming.”

The WYDOT study also took a deep dive into the economic value of commercial air service investments made by the state, county and cities in Sweetwater County. For every dollar invested in commercial air service since the inception of the WYDOT Air Service Enhancement Program in Sweetwater County, it resulted in $4.60 economic output.

While commercial airline service is the most publicly visible aviation activity occurring at RKS, the release noted that the airport plays host to thousands of general aviation flights providing medical, cargo, aerial firefighting, wildland and wildlife management, and corporate aviation services. Together, these services impact each and every resident, business and industry in the region.

ABOUT THE AIRPORT

The Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport is a commercial and general aviation airport serving southwest Wyoming and is located 7 miles east of Rock Springs in Sweetwater County. It is owned by the city of Rock Springs and operated by a joint powers board representing both the city of Rock Springs and Sweetwater County. Serving more than 50,000 commercial passengers and over 10,000 general aviation flights annually, the airport supports over 320 jobs and $36.9 million in annual economic activity.

BY THE NUMBERS

The Wyoming Department of Transportation’s Statewide Economic Impact Study showed growth at the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport.

Category: 2013; 2020

Visitors: 27,087; 26,845

Employment: 267; 324

Payroll: $9,211,070; $11,363,200

Spending: $25,488,200; $21,165,210

Local/state sales tax revenue: $974,230; $1,392,750

Annual economic activity: $31,244,000; $36,851,400

Loss of Engine Power (Total): Aerospatiale AS-350B-2 Ecureuil, N188FS; accident occurred February 18, 2020 at Tampa Executive Airport (KVDF), Hillsborough County, Florida







Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board 

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Tampa, Florida

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

Hillsborough County (FL) Sheriff's Department

https://registry.faa.gov/N188FS 

Location: Tampa, Florida 
Accident Number: ERA20CA106
Date & Time: February 18, 2020, 15:50 Local 
Registration: N188FS
Aircraft: Aerospatiale AS350 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of engine power (total)
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

Analysis

The flight instructor in the helicopter reported that he directed the pilot receiving instruction to conduct an autorotation with a 180° turn, followed by a power recovery. Abeam the departure end of runway, he moved the throttle lever from the "fly" position to idle. While conducting the maneuver, the pilot overshot the runway and aligned the helicopter with the parallel taxiway. Upon realizing that the helicopter was not in the correct position, the pilots chose to abort the maneuver and perform a goaround. While the pilot continued to fly the helicopter, the instructor inadvertently moved the throttle lever from idle aft toward the "off" position and then forward to the "fly" position. The engine experienced a total loss of power, and the instructor adjusted the throttle to no avail. As the helicopter descended, the pilot requested that the instructor "get on the controls." The instructor took the controls, conducted a power-off autorotation, and landed the helicopter on the taxiway. The helicopter skidded about 180 ft, departed the taxiway onto adjacent grass, and came to rest in a drainage ditch. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administrator inspector who examined the helicopter reported that the left antivibrator mount beam had sustained substantial damage.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The flight instructor's inadvertent throttle reduction below idle, which resulted in a total loss of engine power and subsequent impact with terrain following a power-off autorotation. 

Findings

Personnel issues Use of equip/system - Instructor/check pilot
Aircraft Fuel controlling system - Unintentional use/operation

Factual Information

History of Flight

Autorotation Landing area undershoot
Autorotation Attempted remediation/recovery
Autorotation Loss of engine power (total) (Defining event)
Landing Loss of control on ground
Landing Runway excursion
Landing Collision during takeoff/land

Flight instructor Information

Certificate: Airline transport; Commercial 
Age: 56,Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land; Multi-engine land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): Helicopter
Restraint Used: 4-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane; Helicopter
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): Helicopter 
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 With waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: April 16, 2019
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: June 20, 2019
Flight Time: (Estimated) 12088 hours (Total, all aircraft), 1226 hours (Total, this make and model), 11023 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 49 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 11 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 2 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Student pilot Information

Certificate: Private 
Age: 32,Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land 
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 4-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane 
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None 
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 With waivers/limitations 
Last FAA Medical Exam: July 22, 2019
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: September 25, 2009
Flight Time: (Estimated) 225 hours (Total, all aircraft), 104 hours (Total, this make and model), 118 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 67 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 23 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 1 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Aerospatiale
Registration: N188FS
Model/Series: AS350 B2 
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Year of Manufacture: 2014 
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal 
Serial Number: 7863
Landing Gear Type: High skid 
Seats: 6
Date/Type of Last Inspection: October 9, 2019 100 hour 
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 4961 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Turbo shaft
Airframe Total Time: 2627.3 Hrs at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: SAFRAN/Turbomeca
ELT: C126 installed, not activated 
Engine Model/Series: Arriel 1D1
Registered Owner: 
Rated Power: 72195 Horsepower
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC) 
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: VDF, 22 ft msl 
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 21:15 Local 
Direction from Accident Site: 66°
Lowest Cloud Condition: 
Visibility: 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 4900 ft AGL 
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 5 knots / 14 knots
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: 160° 
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.09 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 29°C / 19°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Tampa, FL (TPF) 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Tampa, FL (VDF)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 15:45 Local 
Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport Information

Airport: Tampa Executive VDF 
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 21 ft msl
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 18
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 3219 ft / 75 ft 
VFR Approach/Landing: Forced landing; Simulated forced landing

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 2 None 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 28.013889,-82.345275(est)

Loss of Control on Ground: Cessna 182A Skylane, N969KM; accident occurred February 18, 2020 in Koyuk, Alaska





Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Fairbanks, Alaska

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

SK Aircraft LLC

Location: Koyuk, Alaska
Accident Number: ANC20CA022
Date & Time: February 19, 2020, 
Registration: N969KM
Aircraft: Cessna 182
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control on ground
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis

The pilot of the ski-equipped airplane reported that during the landing on snow covered sea ice, the airplane ground looped and the left landing gear collapsed. The left wing and fuselage sustained
substantial damage.

The pilot added that there was an overcast cloud ceiling with light snow showers at the time of the accident, and that he attempted the landing in "flat light" conditions on "flat terrain."

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during a landing in flat light conditions, which resulted in a ground loop.

Findings

Environmental issues Flat light - Effect on operation
Personnel issues Aircraft control - Pilot

Factual Information

History of Flight

Landing-landing roll Loss of control on ground (Defining event)
Landing-landing roll Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
Landing-flare/touchdown Landing gear collapse

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private 
Age: 54,Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land; Single-engine sea
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 4-point
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None 
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 3 With waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: January 30, 2020
Occupational Pilot: No 
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: 3850 hours (Total, all aircraft), 2500 hours (Total, this make and model) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna 
Registration: N969KM
Model/Series: 182 A 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1958 
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal 
Serial Number: 51506
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel; Ski/wheel 
Seats:
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2348 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 
Engine Manufacturer: Continental
ELT:
Engine Model/Series: O-470
Registered Owner: 
Rated Power:
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC) 
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: PAKK,110 ft msl 
Distance from Accident Site: 16 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 23:56 Local 
Direction from Accident Site: 46°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 1300 ft AGL
Visibility 2.5 miles
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 2400 ft AGL
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 5 knots / 
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:  /
Wind Direction: 320° 
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:  /
Altimeter Setting: 29.27 inches Hg 
Temperature/Dew Point: -11°C / -13°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: N/A - None - Mist
Departure Point: Koyuk, AK (PAKK)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Nome, AK (94Z ) 
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time:
Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport

Airport: 
Runway Surface Type:
Airport Elevation: 
Runway Surface Condition: Ice; Snow
Runway Used: 
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width:
VFR Approach/Landing: Full stop

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: 64.751663,-161.601104(est)

Florida man shines laser at sheriff’s helicopter, leads officers to him and his methamphetamine, deputies say

Stephen Walter Gladu
 Indian River County Sheriff’s Office


A Florida man who pointed a laser at a sheriff’s helicopter led authorities to him and his baggie of methamphetamine, deputies said Thursday.

Stephen Walter Gladu, 33, of Riverview had the drugs in his pocket when he shined the green light three times at the pilot, temporarily blinding him early Monday, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office said.

“Glad you lead us right to yourself Steve,” the sheriff’s office posted on its Facebook page.

Gladu told officers he and a friend were just looking at stars, the department said.

Gladu was arrested in Vero Beach and booked just after midnight Monday. He remained jailed as of Thursday afternoon.

Jail records list his occupation as air conditioner repairman.


Indian River County Sheriff's Office

Illegal light show leads to drug arrest

-Legal: The Drive-in Laser Light Show (starts today)
-Illegal: Shining a laser at our agency's helicopter (that doesn’t make them happy and leads to your arrest).

To end his Valentine’s Day celebration, Stephen Gladu, 33, of Riverview, Fla., decided to spend it shining a laser at one of our birds while he had a baggie of meth in his pocket. Glad you lead us right to yourself Steve.

On February 15, around midnight, a ground unit responded to the 3700 block of 74th Ave. after being requested by pilot Dep. Klassen. Klassen told deputies on the ground he was hit three times with a green laser pointer (shouldn’t it have been red? Come on Steve.) By doing this it blinded his flying capabilities.

Eventually we caught up with Stevie around 74th Ave. and 26th St.

Wait, it gets cuter, he said he and a passenger were watching stars. (I guess meth does that, too?)

When asked about the laser pointer Gladu said he was just pointing it around.

Gladu faces charges of possession of a controlled substance and misuse of a laser pointer.

Glad you were able to help us get drugs out of our county.

Indian River County Sheriff's Office

Advocates Say Bill to Address Helicopter Frustrations Doesn’t Go Far Enough — New York City Police Department, and Out-of-Towners Still a Problem

Activist Melodie Bryant logged helicopter flights over one weekend.


A City Council effort to rein in private helicopters that locals say have terrorized the city with noise and pollution will do little to actually curb the problem, advocates say.

Last summer, after a 130-percent increase in 311 complaints lodged against helicopters, Queens Council Member Paul Vallone and four colleagues proposed legislation to prohibit chartered helicopters from taking off and landing at heliports owned by the city if those helicopters do not meet so-called “stage 3” (quieter) federal noise levels.

But helicopter opponents say merely restricting use of the three city-owned ports — in Lower Manhattan, E. 34th Street, and W. 30th Street — won’t solve the problem since many tourist choppers fly in from just across the border in New Jersey or Westchester. Activists believe the city should impose even stricter regulations that all but prohibit private choppers from flying in and out of the city, both to mitigate noise, but also to reduce lead emissions from the fuel that some helicopters use, the latter of which the bill doesn’t even address.

Intro 2026 is inadequate, if not downright myopic,” said Charles Komanoff in written testimony during a virtual hearing on the legislation on Wednesday. “Endeavoring to regulate noise levels for a single category of helicopter flights is a task both Sisyphean (given the inexhaustible legal and engineering resources of helicopter companies vis-a-vis chronically understaffed city agencies) and meager, given that chartered helicopters are just one of several classes of flights that we should be capping, shrinking and eliminating.”

The city’s Economic Development Corporation and Department of Citywide Administrative Services, which manage the city’s ports and its own nine helicopters, said that in 2020, there were around 6,000 flights that took off from the three ports, compared to about 35,000 in 2019 — a drop of about 90 percent, mostly due to the drop in tourism during the pandemic. Yet complaints skyrocketed.

According to another helicopter opponent, much of the problem comes from choppers that don’t take off or land at the city-owned ports, but merely fly over the boroughs after coming from outside the city. Just last week, 166 helicopters flew over Manhattan from New Jersey, said Chelsea resident Melodie Brant during her testimony.

“Helicopters are a real problem for New Yorkers — and not just the helicopters that use City heliports. At this rate, summer is shaping up to be a real nightmare here. But I don’t understand why we’re still tiptoeing around the real solution,” said Bryant, urging the city to terminate its leases at its ports with private operators. “Time is passing and New Yorkers are suffering. Please. I’m begging the New York City Council to do better. If we have no power to stop the ensuing flood of tourist helicopters from NJ, at least we can reduce the pain at home.”

But it’s not just private helicopters that are the issue — an analysis of 311 data shows that the biggest jump in helicopter noise complaints occurred at the same time as the summer protests after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The first massive protest in New York City was on May 29 after starting the day before, and a look at the data before and after that date makes clear that the chief culprit was the NYPD.

From March 15, 2019 through May, 28, 2019, there were 437 complaints lodged against helicopters; and during the same time period in 2020, there were 702 — a 60-percent increase that can partly be attributed to people staying home and being more aware of the noise, the EDC testified.

But on the day New Yorkers took to the streets in droves in support of the Black Lives Matter movement things drastically shifted, according to city data, with complaints against helicopters jumping 214 percent compared to the same May 29–Sept. 8 period a year earlier (2,343 complaints vs. 744). It’s likely that much of the increase in complaints for helicopters, at least during the pandemic, were from the NYPD patrolling protestors from above.

And narrowing in on those dates even further, between May, 29, 2019 and June 1, 2019, there were just 10 complaints; but during the same time period in 2020, there were 119 — a whopping 1090-percent spike, according to city data.

Of the 119 complaints, 83 of them made through 311 listed “other” as the descriptor, 27 as NYPD, and nine as “news gathering.” But it’s unclear what “other” referred to as private charter and tourism flights were down 90 percent at this time, and sightseeing trips taking off from the Lower Manhattan heliport were entirely banned from mid-March through July, according to The City.

At the height of the protests, reporters and activists routinely took to Twitter to question the need for cops to do circles around peaceful protesters — often flying much lower than private choppers.

And it still hasn’t stopped.

DCAS honchos said the NYPD manages its own fleet of nine choppers, and utilizes a field at Floyd Bennett Field for take off and landing, not the city’s three ports.

“There’s seven helicopters in the police department, and of course, that’s a police emergency operation that is managed by the police department, DCAS is not involved in the day-to-day security and policing services related to that,” said Keith Kerman, Deputy Commissioner for DCAS, during the hearing. “Health and DEP go through DCAS contracts. The police department does the procurement directly.”

In addition to scrapping the council’s bill and instead coming up with harsher restrictions on private helicopters, opponents are also urging the city to strictly regulate the NYPD’s costly use of its helicopter fleet, which is a huge part of the problem.

“Sharply curtail NYPD helicopter deployments for other than exigent, life-saving situations,” Komanoff wrote in his testimony.

For their part, EDC honchos testified against the bill, but for different reasons, saying it’s impractical because it would “effectively ban (helicopters) from using the city’s public use heliports” since the Federal Aviation Administration, which controls aviation efforts, have no plan to phase out the noisier helicopters, Stage 1 and 2, that currently in use now in favor of Stage 3.

Piper PA-28-181, N424PA: Incident occurred February 16, 2021 in Gila Bend, Maricopa County, Arizona

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Scottsdale, Arizona

Aircraft struck a bird on takeoff. 

TransPac Aviation Academy

Bird Acquisition LLC


Date: 16-FEB-21
Time: 17:53:00Z
Regis#: N424PA
Aircraft Make: PIPER
Aircraft Model: PA28
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: INSTRUCTION
Flight Phase: TAKEOFF (TOF)
Operation: 91
City: GILA BEND
State: ARIZONA