Saturday, March 13, 2021

Bell 206B JetRanger, N161BH: Accident occurred March 13, 2021 in Laton, Fresno County, California

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.

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

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Fresno, California
Trinkle Agricultural Flying


 Location: Laton, CA 
Accident Number: WPR21LA130
Date & Time: March 13, 2021, 13:55 Local
Registration: N161BH
Aircraft: Bell 206B
Injuries: 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 137: Agricultural

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Bell
Registration: N161BH
Model/Series: 206B 
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Amateur Built: No
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Agricultural aircraft (137)
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KHJO,249 ft msl
Observation Time: 13:53 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 7 Nautical Miles 
Temperature/Dew Point: 19°C /4°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 10 knots / , 300°
Lowest Ceiling: None 
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.24 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Departure Point: 
Destination:

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Minor 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Minor 
Latitude, Longitude: 36.432943,-119.68823 (est)
 



A helicopter pilot considered himself lucky Saturday afternoon, able to walk away from the wreckage of his crashed aircraft after clipping power lines while spraying a field near Laton in rural Fresno County.

Mark Trinkle said he was flying a Bell 206 JetRanger, built as an agriculture sprayer, when it went down just before 2 p.m. near South Clovis and East Blanchard avenues, just north of downtown Laton.

Trinkle was applying herbicide and making his last pass on the field, which the pilot said is in a tricky area because of the multiple power lines that run across it. He said he went underneath one set, but hit another.

He “clipped it and it threw me into these ones,” he said, “which then brought the helicopter down.”

“I got out and made sure the power was off and fuel and everything was off. Just crawled right out. Lucky to be alive.”

No one else was onboard. He praised the helicopter’s design for helping him avoid injury, other than a scratch on the back of his hand.

An ambulance crew checked him out to make sure he was fine.

“The helicopter itself is very reliable and safe,” Trinkle said, noting he also was wearing a harness and helmet. “As you can see, the cockpit is totally torn up and I’m fine.”

A pilot for 16 years and a crop-duster since 2009, it was his first helicopter crash. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, a crew member on a P-3 Orion. The crash and survival training he received in the service helps remind him of the dangers.

Multiple power lines were knocked down, but the poles remained standing. A PG&E crew was called to the scene.

An outage was listed in the area on the PGE alerts map, but it was unclear if it was related to the aircraft incident. Estimation restoration was 4:45 p.m.




February 6, 2019:

Last Friday, agricultural pilot Mark Trinkle went out to fertilize a field. 

Trinkle says, he’s flown it the same way the past four to five years, no problems, until…

“This year, one of the neighbors was, was mad enough to, supposedly shoot at me,” Trinkle said.

Upon landing, Trinkle discovered a bullet hole through the plane’s spreader, which holds fertilizer.

The spreader, only about 7 feet below where Trinkle was seated.

“I love what I do, and, you know, wires, any kind of obstructions in the field, that’s all hazards,” Trinkle said. “But shooting, has never crossed my mind.”

Saturday, Tulare Sheriff Ag Crimes detectives tell us, they acted on witness information regarding suspect 55-year-old Roy Vander Velde, of Visalia. 

“Had made threats of shooting the plane down, for scaring his cattle,” Detective Bryan De Haan said.

Officials serving a warrant at Vander Velde’s home, which detectives say, was next to the farm where Trinkle was flying.

“Something to this caliber, it’s, it’s a pretty serious crime,” De Haan said.

Trinkle, a husband and father of three, now back in the sky.

He says, it’s easy to make flight adjustments, and the whole situation could’ve been resolved, differently.

“Don’t go to the extreme to shoot somebody, you know,” Trinkle said.

That suspect is facing several charges, including shooting at an occupied aircraft and attempted homicide.

https://www.yourcentralvalley.com

Crop-dusters keep flying after tragedy

Posted Jun 19, 1999 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jan 7, 2011 at 11:22 PM
   
TRACY, California  -- Members of the Trinkle family are honoring their fathers this year by carrying on a family tradition.

Last July, Eric Trinkle, owner/operator of Trinkle and Boys Agricultural Flying, died after a plane crash.

Trinkle’s family soon got back to work, picking up where Eric Trinkle left off.

Today the business is run by Trinkle’s wife, Ann, younger brother John and son Chris.

Chris Trinkle never had any doubt that he would be involved with the business, and looked forward to learning from his father.

“It was going to be my dad, myself and my uncle as partners,“ he said, adding that the sudden loss of his father pushed him to learn more about the business in a short time.

Chris has been working at the airstrip since age 8, doing everything from clearing tumbleweeds off the airstrip to loading chemicals and guiding planes from the ground.

Agricultural flying is nothing less than a family tradition for the Trinkles. The late Carl Trinkle Sr. and Frank Haley began crop-dusting in the Tracy and Vernalis areas about 50 years ago, soon after Trinkle left the Army Air Corps, where he trained American and Chinese pilots during World War II.

“I don’t know the story about how he got into crop-dusting, but basically he saw a need and filled it,” John Trinkle said.

The elder Trinkle came to Tracy right after the war. In 1953, he bought the small airfield along Highway 33 and began his crop-dusting business with George Boys.

“I had invested in the company with my back wages,” said Boys, who still works at the airfield. Haley started his own business shortly afterward. All four of Trinkle’s sons took up flying.

Youngest brother Mark Trinkle still runs his own crop-dusting businesses in Kingsburg, just south of Fresno. Carl Jr. has operated his own local agricultural flying business, and John Trinkle was planning to join his brother Eric shortly before the accident.

Eric Trinkle was the chief pilot and owner of the business, and John stepped in right after the accident, along with older brother Carl and longtime friend Rich Paulson.

Ann Trinkle credits John with helping carry the family through the first few months.

“We knew that’s what Eric would want, so we did it,” Ann said. “At the beginning, it was really tough, because John had to do all of the flying, and he had another job at the time. In time, it got easier.”

John added that business has been steady over the past year. “The customers have been great in supporting us,” he said.

“Eventually it will be Chris and myself as partners. Ann’s the principal now.”

The company still flies three Ag-CAT single-engine biplanes, and now that Chris, 27, is ready to obtain his commercial pilot’s license, the family business is gaining a solid foundation once again.

“He’s not that old, but he’s very capable,” Ann said. “He’s taken on the challenge and has done a good job. I’m very proud of him.”

The season is slow right now, but John Trinkle expects it to pick up in a few weeks as tomatoes, beans and alfalfa start growing.

“The bugs will come out and start eating on them. That’s when we go to work.”

That one of their family should die in an accident on the job is tragic, but it is also a risk with which all agricultural pilots are familiar.

Eric Trinkle’s plane crashed after he ran into a power line while spraying a tomato field along South Banta Road.

John Trinkle recalled how Haley, his father’s former business partner, also died in the early 1970s in a midair collision with another crop-duster.

Agricultural pilots like wide-open fields encompassing hundreds of acres. Fields in the Tracy area are getting smaller all the time.

“We’re always avoiding obstacles,” John Trinkle said. “We’ll do 50-acre triangles, with wires all around them, trees and cellular-phone towers.”

Added Chris: “It makes you have to think about a lot of things all at once.”

Eric Trinkle started in the business in 1968 after serving on a crew for a Navy reconnaissance patrol plane in Vietnam.

"Operation Mile High": Convicted sex offender from Bronx busted for child sex trafficking scheme

Paul Alexander, 57, was indicted on March 12, 2021 with sex trafficking of a child in the Bronx. Photo via Twitter/@jetcharterny


A registered sex offender from the Bronx has been indicted for allegedly trafficking in children into New York state and then forcing them into prostitution, prosecutors announced Friday.

Paul Alexander, 57, is the first New York state resident to be indicted for sex trafficking of a child — a new criminal charge targeting predators who smuggle children into the sex trade in the Empire State, according to state Attorney General Letitia James.

Alexander, according to his LinkedIn account, served as chief executive officer of Central Jet Charter, a private aviation company. He was arrested last December as the target of an extensive investigation into child sex trafficking in New York state.

“The sexual exploitation of children is disgraceful, sickening, and blatantly illegal,” said James in a March 12 statement. “Adults have the responsibility to protect children, yet Alexander’s alleged actions exposed minors to untold pain and suffering.”

According to the state Sex Offender Registry, Alexander was previously convicted in 1996 for sexually abusing a female victim, age not posted, in New Rochelle back in 1990 and served a brief prison sentence. Six years later, in December 2002, he was arrested in Yonkers for possessing child pornography and convicted the following August. He was paroled in December 2004, according to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

Between 2018 and 2020, James alleged, Alexander lured underage girls, some as young as 12, to his Bronx apartment and engaged them in explicit behavior. He allegedly exposed himself to them, showed nude photographs and attempted to perform sex acts on the victims.

Some of Alexander’s victims reported the abuse to the NYPD, which spurred the investigation that brought him down — “Operation Mile High,” which involved a joint team of the NYPD’s Major Case Squad and the Attorney General’s office members.

The investigators employed various tactics — including covert recordings, social media and undercover operations — and learned that Alexander allegedly trafficked in underage girls across county lines for sex, then pimped them out to other men for his own profit.

In one instance, law enforcement sources said, Alexander allegedly charged an undercover police officer $300 to have sex with two young girls, ages 12 and 14. In the process, he allegedly advised the undercover agent to ply the victims with alcohol and marijuana in order to make them cooperative.

The indictment unsealed in Bronx Supreme Court on March 12 charges Alexander with multiple counts of sex trafficking of a child, promoting prostitution, conspiracy, endangering the welfare of a child and obscenity. During the arraignment hearing, Judge Michael A. Gross ordered Alexander held without bail.

If convicted, Alexander faces up to 50 years behind bars.

“Today’s charges further affirm the NYPD’s unwavering commitment to combating sex trafficking and protecting the survivors of this heinous crime,” Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said on Friday. “I commend our NYPD investigators and the New York state attorney general for their sustained work in this important case.”

Boeing / 737-924ER, N69833: Incident occurred July 07, 2020 in San Salvador, El Salvador

National Transportation Safety Board - Incident Number: DCA22WA147

Just Escapade, N612SC: Incident occurred March 12, 2021 in Lafayette, Contra Costa County, California

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Oakland, California 

Aircraft experienced mechanical issue and made a forced landing.


Date: 12-MAR-21
Time: 22:58:00Z
Regis#: N612SC
Aircraft Make: JUST AIRCRAFT
Aircraft Model: ESCAPADE
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: NONE
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: EN ROUTE (ENR)
Operation: 91
City: LAFAYETTE
State: CALIFORNIA
   








As Steve Marlin flew his small plane over the Caldecott Tunnel and downtown Orinda on Friday afternoon, everything was smooth. Then he heard a large pop. The sound pilots dread.

“It was POW!” Marlin recalled. “The engine was gurgling and I knew it was a matter of time.”

At an elevation of 2,000 feet, his 2005 yellow-and-blue Just Aircraft Highlander had a “total engine failure,” he said. The 62-year-old Oakland bush pilot had zero oil pressure and he struggled to keep the plane from stalling. He had seconds to find a place to land in the hilly East Bay suburbs.

“I was scared,” he said. “Then the training kicked in. Being a pilot was my first responsibility.”

Marlin, a 10-year pilot with experience landing “off-airport” in the backcountry of Idaho and other precarious locations, spoke to The Chronicle about his miraculous landing Friday before 4 p.m. as he stood next to his plane, about 50 feet off the Rim Trail that encircles the Lafayette Reservoir. He escaped the perilous landing uninjured with his plane undamaged.

He took off from Hayward airport and had planned to circle his friend’s Martinez house where he planned to fly Saturday morning.

“Just planned to do some reconnaissance,” he said.

The engine cut out — Marlin said he was unsure why. Once he lost power, he held back his panic.

“Fly the airplane,” he said of his first thought. “After that, where was I gonna land? My first thought was on the trails, but people were walking all over.”

As he lost altitude, he steered toward the popular hiking area with rolling hills and deep brush. He banked to a grassy ridge on a 30-degree slope and yanked back on the stick to land the plane on the up-slope of a ridge about 100 feet above a row of houses.

“I tried to dissipate the energy landing on the ridge uphill,” he said.

The plane came in at about 40 mph and rolled over the top of the ridge, down into a small gully and its momentum took it back up another ridge in a “half-moon circle,” Marlin said.

“I rode dirt bikes for 40 years, so I feel like I know what to expect from terrain,” he said.

It wasn’t his first close call in the air. A couple years ago he took off in his Bonanza, a four-person, faster aircraft, from Byron airport and he lost his electrical system. He had to loop around for an emergency landing, but made it to the airport unscathed.

As he checked over his aircraft Friday, East Bay Parks police and EBMUD employees surveyed the scene. Onlookers watched the bright yellow plane from the trail and their backyards. The area had already received plenty of news coverage recently after coyote that bit five people was captured Thursday less than a mile away.

Marlin said he planned to leave the plane overnight and pick it up in a trailer the next day. He felt like he may have had some help on his landing.

“I feel like God protected me,” he said. “Before every flight I say a prayer. Keep me safe. Keep the people on the ground safe. Keep my aircraft safe.”





LAFAYETTE, California - A small two-seater plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Lafayette after running out of fuel.

The single-engine aircraft landed on property near the Lafayette Reservoir just before 3 p.m. The property is owned by the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD).

The Federal Aviation Administration said only the pilot was on board and he was not injured. There is also no report of damage to the aircraft. 

EBMUD said the emergency landing had no impacts on its watershed lands or the Lafayette Reservoir. 

From an AlertWildfire camera, the bright yellow plane stood out on the mostly green hillside, which appeared to have a law enforcement vehicle nearby.

Press Release: Federal Aviation Administration Proposes $14,500 Civil Penalty Against Passenger for Allegedly Interfering with Flight Attendants

For Immediate Release
March 12, 2021

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes a $14,500 civil penalty against an airline passenger for allegedly interfering with flight attendants who instructed him to wear a face mask and stop consuming alcohol he had brought on board the aircraft.

On a December 23, 2020 jetBlue Airlines flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York to the Dominican Republic, the passenger crowded the traveler sitting next to him, spoke loudly, and refused to wear his face mask, the FAA alleges. Flight attendants moved the other passenger to a different seat after they complained about the man’s behavior.

A flight attendant warned the man that jetBlue’s policies required him to wear a face mask, and twice warned him that FAA regulations prohibit passengers from drinking alcohol they bring on board an aircraft. Despite these warnings, the passenger continued to remove his face mask and drink his own alcohol, the FAA alleges.

A flight attendant issued the passenger a “Notice to Cease Illegal and Objectionable Behavior,” and the cabin crew notified the captain about his actions two separate times. As a result of the passenger’s actions, the captain declared an emergency and returned to JFK, where the plane landed 4,000 pounds overweight due to the amount of fuel on board.

The passenger has 30 days after receiving the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the Agency.

Loss of Control in Flight: Cessna 172N Skyhawk II, N738DB; accident occurred March 17, 2020 at Kahului Airport (PHOG), Hawaii

 






Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board 

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Honolulu, Hawaii

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

Fly Maui LLC


 Location: Kahului, HI
Accident Number: ANC20CA034
Date & Time: 03/17/2020, 0914 HST
Registration: N738DB
Aircraft: Cessna 172
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight
Injuries: 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional 

Analysis

The solo student pilot reported that, while in the airport traffic pattern, the air traffic tower controller instructed her to follow a heavy jet airplane. She saw the heavy jet airplane and confirmed it with the tower controller who then cleared the pilot to land behind the heavy jet and provided a caution for wake turbulence. As she maintained a final approach to land "past the numbers" and prepared for the landing flare, the wings suddenly rolled right, and the nose dropped. She attempted to correct, but the airplane landed hard, skidded off the runway, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, lift struts, and empennage.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The student pilot's failure to avoid wake turbulence while landing behind a heavy jet airplane, which resulted in a loss of roll control and subsequent hard landing.

Findings

Personnel issues Aircraft control - Student/instructed pilot
Personnel issues Lack of action - Student/instructed pilot
Environmental issues Wake turbulence - Effect on operation
Aircraft Lateral/bank control - Not attained/maintained

Factual Information

History of Flight

Landing Aircraft wake turb encounter
Landing Loss of control in flight (Defining event)
Landing Attempted remediation/recovery
Landing Hard landing
Landing Runway excursion
Landing Nose over/nose down

Pilot Information

Certificate: Student
Age: 50, Female
Airplane Rating(s): None
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 08/12/2019
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:  (Estimated) 78 hours (Total, all aircraft), 73 hours (Total, this make and model), 4 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 33 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 10 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N738DB
Model/Series: 172 N
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1977
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 17269886
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 02/22/2020, 100 Hour
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2300 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 6828.5 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: C91 installed, activated, aided in locating accident
Engine Model/Series: O-320-H2AD
Registered Owner: Fly Maui LLC
Rated Power: 160 hp
Operator: Fly Maui LLC
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: PHOG, 50 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1854 UTC
Direction from Accident Site: 32°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: Calm /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:
Wind Direction:
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: 
Altimeter Setting: 29.96 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 26°C / 20°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Hana, HI (HNM)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Hana, HI (HNM)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 0845 HST
Type of Airspace: Class C 

Airport Information

Airport: KAHULUI (OGG)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 53 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 2
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 6998 ft / 150 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Full Stop; Traffic Pattern 

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: 20.889722, -156.435833 (est)

System/Component Malfunction/Failure (Non-Power): Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP, N66046; accident occurred March 17, 2020 at Palm Beach County Park Airport (KLNA), West Palm Beach, Florida

 









Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board 

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

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

Palm Beach Flight Training Corp


Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Accident Number: ERA20CA130
Date & Time: 03/17/2020, 1535 EDT
Registration: N66046
Aircraft: Cessna 172
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional

Analysis

According to the flight instructor, after a normal preflight inspection and engine run-up, the student pilot taxied to the runway for takeoff and began the takeoff roll. Everything seemed normal as the airplane accelerated; however, as the airplane rotated, it started to yaw left. The instructor attempted to assist the student correct the left yaw by applying right rudder. He was unable to correct the left yaw, so he took over the flight controls and aborted the takeoff. The airplane bounced to the left and impacted a retention pond bank. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the airplane reported that the forward fuselage and firewall were buckled, that the nosewheel steerage linkage was broken, and that rust was noted on the fractured surfaces.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The failure of the nosewheel steerage linkage during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of directional control and impact with an obstacle during an attempted aborted landing.

Findings

Aircraft Landing gear steering system - Failure
Aircraft Directional control - Attain/maintain not possible
Environmental issues (general) - Effect on operation

Factual Information

History of Flight

Takeoff Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) (Defining event)
Takeoff Loss of control on ground
Takeoff Attempted remediation/recovery
Takeoff-rejected takeoff Abnormal runway contact
Takeoff-rejected takeoff Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

Flight Instructor Information

Certificate: Flight Instructor; Commercial
Age: 32, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane Single-engine
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 1 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 01/23/2020
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 12/11/2019
Flight Time:  (Estimated) 318 hours (Total, all aircraft), 318 hours (Total, this make and model), 249 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 81 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 68 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 2 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Student Pilot Information

Certificate:Student 
Age: 59, Male
Airplane Rating(s): None
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 11/27/2018
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: (Estimated) 55 hours (Total, all aircraft), 55 hours (Total, this make and model) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N66046
Model/Series:172 S 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2005
Amateur Built:No 
Airworthiness Certificate:Normal 
Serial Number: 172S9786
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats:4 
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 02/16/2020, 100 Hour
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2299 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 84 Hours
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 11025.8 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: C91 installed, activated, did not aid in locating accident
Engine Model/Series: IO-360-L2A
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 180 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: KPB, 0 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 5 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1953 UTC
Direction from Accident Site:182° 
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 2900 ft agl
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 8 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: 70°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.19 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 28°C / 18°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: West Palm Beach, FL (LNA)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: West Palm Beach, FL (LNA)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1535 EDT
Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport Information

Airport: Palm Beach County Park (LNA)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 14 ft
Runway Surface Condition:Dry 
Runway Used: 10
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 3489 ft / 75 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: None 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries:2 None 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude: 26.593056, -80.085000 (est)

Loss of Control on Ground: Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP, N1132W; accident occurred March 18, 2020 at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (KBJC), Broomfield, Colorado





Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Denver, Colorado

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

C Flying K Aviation LLC


Location: Denver, CO
Accident Number: CEN20CA128
Date & Time: 03/18/2020, 1200 MDT
Registration: N1132W
Aircraft:Cessna 172 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control on ground
Injuries:1 None 
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal

Analysis

According to the pilot, she was preparing to take off for a second touch-and-go landing and retracted the flaps and added engine power. The airplane veered left, and the pilot retarded the throttle and applied right rudder. The pilot affirmed that she "didn't supply adequate rudder," and the airplane exited the left side of the runway and impacted a runway sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower left fuselage longeron.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's incorrect right rudder application during a touch-and go-landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control, runway excursion, and a collision with a runway sign.

Findings

Personnel issues Use of equip/system - Pilot
Personnel issues Aircraft control - Pilot
Aircraft Rudder control system - Incorrect use/operation
Aircraft Directional control - Not attained/maintained
Environmental issues Sign/marker - Effect on operation

Factual Information

History of Flight

Takeoff Loss of control on ground (Defining event)
Takeoff Attempted remediation/recovery
Takeoff Runway excursion
Takeoff Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 21, Female
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
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: 09/24/2018
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 12/20/2019
Flight Time:  (Estimated) 106 hours (Total, all aircraft), 104.4 hours (Total, this make and model), 20 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 16.3 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 1.7 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N1132W
Model/Series:172 S 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2006
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 172S10125
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 03/17/2020, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2558 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 5919.2 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: C91A installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: IO-360-L2A
Registered Owner: C Flying K Aviation Llc
Rated Power: 180 hp
Operator: C Flying K 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: KBJC, 5595 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1805 UTC
Direction from Accident Site: 179°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 7000 ft agl
Visibility:  20 Miles
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 6 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:
Wind Direction: 110°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:
Altimeter Setting: 29.82 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 16°C / -9°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Denver, CO (BJC)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Denver, CO (BJC)
Type of Clearance: VFR
Departure Time: 1154 MDT
Type of Airspace: Class D

Airport Information

Airport: Rocky Mountain Metropolitan (BJC)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 5673 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 12R
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 7002 ft / 75 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Touch and Go

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 39.908889, -105.117222 (est)

Loss of Control in Flight: Just JA30 SuperSTOL, N914MS; accident occurred March 21, 2020 at Pierce County Airport (KPLU), Puyallup, Washington

 




Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Des Moines, Washington

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:


Location: Puyallup, Washington
Accident Number: WPR20CA113
Date & Time: March 21, 2020, 12:18 Local
Registration: N914MS
Aircraft: Just JA30 SUPERSTOL 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight 
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis

The pilot reported that, just before touchdown, the airplane encountered a wind gust from the left, which caused the airplane to weathervane to the right and the left wing to rise. The pilot applied left aileron control and full power but was unable to maintain control. The right wingtip impacted the ground, the landing gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. 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 airplane control during landing in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in the wing striking the ground.

Findings

Personnel issues Aircraft control - Pilot
Aircraft (general) - Not attained/maintained
Environmental issues Gusts - Effect on operation

Factual Information

History of Flight

Landing-flare/touchdown Other weather encounter
Landing-flare/touchdown Loss of control in flight (Defining event)
Landing-flare/touchdown Attempted remediation/recovery
Landing-flare/touchdown Landing gear collapse
Landing-flare/touchdown Nose over/nose down

Pilot Information

Certificate: Sport Pilot
Age: 62, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None 
Restraint Used: 4-point
Instrument Rating(s): None 
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None 
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Sport pilot None 
Last FAA Medical Exam:
Occupational Pilot:
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: June 11, 2019
Flight Time: (Estimated) 339.6 hours (Total, all aircraft), 171 hours (Total, this make and model), 208.6 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 17.6 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 5.1 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Just
Registration: N914MS
Model/Series: JA30 SUPERSTOL Undesignated
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2008
Amateur Built: Yes
Airworthiness Certificate: Experimental (Special)
Serial Number: JA370-04-14
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel 
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 100 hour 
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1320 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 115.6 Hrs at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Rotax
ELT: Installed 
Engine Model/Series: 914 UL
Registered Owner: 
Rated Power: 115 Horsepower
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: KPLU,539 ft msl 
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 12:15 Local
Direction from Accident Site: 6°
Lowest Cloud Condition: 
Visibility: 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 1600 ft AGL 
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: / 
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:  /
Wind Direction: 
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: /
Altimeter Setting: 30.27 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 10°C / 5°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Puyallup, WA (PLU) 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Puyallup, WA (PLU)
Type of Clearance: VFR
Departure Time:
Type of Airspace: Class E

Airport Information

Airport: Pierce County - Thun Field PLU 
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 537 ft msl
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 35 IFR 
Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 3651 ft / 60 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Stop and go

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 47.098609,-122.28778(est)

Part(s) Separation From Rotorcraft: AgustaWestland AW119 MKII, N982SS; accident occurred March 21, 2020 at Northeast Philadelphia Airport (KPNE), Pennsylvania

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board 

Additional Participating Entities: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 
Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo
Leonardo S.p.A.
Agustawestland Philadelphia Corporation

https://registry.faa.gov/N982SS

Location: Philadelphia, PA
Accident Number: ERA20CA135
Date & Time: 03/21/2020, 1542 EDT
Registration: N982SS
Aircraft: AgustaWestland AW119MKII
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Part(s) separation from Rotorcraft 
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Flight Test 

Analysis

The pilot and the flight test engineer were completing a production test flight of the helicopter. A review of a surveillance video showed that, as they were preparing to land, the lower section of the left side of the engine cowling folded back and struck all four main rotor blades, which resulted in substantial damage to the blades. According to the operator/manufacturer, postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that none of the fasteners on the left side of the cowling remained attached and that three of the fasteners were missing. No evidence of any preaccident discrepancies with the fasteners, the cowling, or the design and conformity of the helicopter structure was found.

According to the manufacturer/operator, before the flight, the pilot reported to maintenance personnel that he had seen that the fasteners attaching the generator duct to the right side of the same cowling appeared long. Maintenance personnel then removed the one-piece engine cowling, and a mechanic then replaced the generator duct fasteners and reinstalled the cowling with the help of another mechanic. The mechanic said he specifically fastened each of the fasteners on the cowling himself and checked all the fasteners after the cowling was reinstalled. Once the cowling was reinstalled, a quality inspector visually inspected the engine cowling fasteners. He did not see any anomalies and signed off that the work had been completed. The flight test engineer performed another preflight inspection of the helicopter and did not note any issues with any of the cowling fasteners. It is likely that the mechanic did not properly install the cowling fasteners before the flight, which resulted in the cowling coming loose and striking
the main rotor blades.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The in-flight failure of the lower left side of the engine cowling due to the mechanic's improper installation of the fasteners, which resulted in the cowling impacting all four main rotor blades.

Findings

Aircraft Fasteners - Incorrect service/maintenance
Personnel issues Installation - Maintenance personnel
Aircraft (general) - Failure

Factual Information

History of Flight

Prior to flight Aircraft maintenance event
Approach Part(s) separation from AC (Defining event)

Pilot Information

Certificate: Airline Transport; Commercial; Private
Age: 53, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): Helicopter
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): Helicopter
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s):  Airplane Multi-engine; Airplane Single-engine; Helicopter; Instrument Airplane; Instrument Helicopter
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 1 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 10/10/2019
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 02/11/2020
Flight Time:  4629 hours (Total, all aircraft), 902 hours (Total, this make and model), 2337 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 33 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 5 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 0 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: AgustaWestland
Registration: N982SS
Model/Series: AW119MKII
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Year of Manufacture:2020 
Amateur Built:No 
Airworthiness Certificate: Special Flight
Serial Number: 14962
Landing Gear Type: Skid
Seats:8 
Date/Type of Last Inspection:
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 6283 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Turbo Shaft
Airframe Total Time: 6.1 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Pratt & Whitney
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: PT6B-37A
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 900 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: PNE, 120 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Observation Time:1554 EDT 
Direction from Accident Site: 0°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 4 knots / 16 knots
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: Variable
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.01 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 13°C / -4°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Philadelphia, PA (PNE)
Type of Flight Plan Filed:VFR 
Destination: Philadelphia, PA (PNE)
Type of Clearance: VFR
Departure Time: 1450 EDT
Type of Airspace:Class D 

Airport Information

Airport: Northeast Philadelphia (PNE)
Runway Surface Type: Concrete
Airport Elevation:120 ft 
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: N/A
IFR Approach:None 
Runway Length/Width:
VFR Approach/Landing: Full Stop

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 2 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude: 40.083333, -75.001389 (est)