Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Piper PA-24-260, N9016P: Incident occurred April 27, 2021 at Zamperini Field Airport (KTOA), Torrance, Los Angeles County, California

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Long Beach, California

Aircraft gear collapsed on landing.  


Date: 27-APR-21
Time: 20:26:00Z
Regis#: N9016P
Aircraft Make: PIPER
Aircraft Model: PA24
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: TORRANCE
State: CALIFORNIA

Diamond DA20-C1, N955DA: Incident occurred April 27, 2021 at Pueblo Memorial Airport (KPUB), Pueblo County, Colorado

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

Aircraft landed and veered off the runway. 

L3 Doss Aviation Inc


Date: 27-APR-21
Time: 16:34:00Z
Regis#: N955DA
Aircraft Make: DIAMOND
Aircraft Model: DA20
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: INSTRUCTION
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: PUEBLO
State: COLORADO

Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey, N177RB: Incident occurred April 26, 2021 at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (KPIE), Pinellas County, Florida

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Tampa, Florida

Aircraft landed and it was discovered that the tail wheel was missing.  

Britts Aviation LLC


Date: 26-APR-21
Time: 23:10:00Z
Regis#: N177RB
Aircraft Make: PROGRESSIVE AERODYNE
Aircraft Model: SEAREY
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: ST PETERSBURG
State: FLORIDA

Zenair CH-2000, N94SK: Incident occurred April 27, 2021 at Ann Arbor Municipal Airport (KARB), Washtenaw County, Michigan

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; East Michigan

Aircraft declared an emergency due to left side door came off. 


Date: 27-APR-21
Time: 21:15:00Z
Regis#: N94SK
Aircraft Make: ZENAIR
Aircraft Model: CH2000
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: APPROACH (APR)
Operation: 91
City: ANN ARBOR
State: MICHIGAN

Gulfstream G550, N7325: Incident occurred April 27, 2021 at Morristown Municipal Airport (KMMU), New Jersey

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Teterboro, New Jersey

Aircraft taxiing and struck a parked aircraft N83713.

MAVIR LLC


Date: 27-APR-21
Time: 08:32:00Z
Regis#: N7325
Aircraft Make: GULFSTREAM
Aircraft Model: GV
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: TAXI (TXI)
Operation: 91
City: MORRISTOWN
State: NEW JERSEY

Coot-A, N771JL: May 25, 2021, April 27, 2021 and April 07, 2021 at Morristown Municipal Airport (KMMU), New Jersey

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Teterboro, New Jersey

May 25, 2021:  Aircraft landed and gear collapsed. 


Date: 25-MAY-21
Time: 13:00:00Z
Regis#: N771JL
Aircraft Make: EXPERIMENTAL
Aircraft Model: COOT-A
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: MORRISTOWN
State: NEW JERSEY

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Teterboro, New Jersey 

April 27, 2021:  Aircraft declared an emergency due to right door falling off. 

Date: 27-APR-21
Time: 12:47:00Z
Regis#: N771JL
Aircraft Make: COOT
Aircraft Model: TAYLOR COOT A
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: SUBSTANTIAL
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: EN ROUTE (ENR)
Operation: 91
City: MORRISTOWN
State: NEW JERSEY

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Teterboro, New Jersey

April 07, 2021:  Aircraft landed gear up.

Date: 07-APR-21
Time: 12:15:00Z
Regis#: N771JL
Aircraft Make: EXPERIMENTAL
Aircraft Model: COOT-A
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: MORRISTOWN
State: NEW JERSEY

Cessna 172L Skyhawk, N35712: Incident occurred April 27, 2021 at Fayetteville Regional Airport (KFAY), Cumberland County, North Carolina

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Greensboro, North Carolina

Aircraft landed and veered off the runway. 

Reaves Aviation LLC


Date: 27-APR-21
Time: 14:14:00Z
Regis#: N35712
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 172
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: FAYETTEVILLE
State: NORTH CAROLINA

Cessna 208B, N143CA: Accident occurred April 26, 2021 in Laceyville, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania

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; Allentown, Pennsylvania

Haugland Group Aviation LLC


Location: Laceyville, PA 
Accident Number: ERA21LA193
Date & Time: April 26, 2021, 08:45 Local 
Registration: N143CA
Aircraft: TEXTRON AVIATION INC 208B 
Injuries: 5 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Executive/Corporate

On April 26, 2021, at 0845 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 208B, N143CAC, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Laceyville, Pennsylvania. The pilot, safety pilot and three passengers were uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 corporate flight.

The operator stated the purpose of the flight was to transport three company employees to Williamson-Sodus Airport, (SDC), Williamson, New York, for a meeting. The flight departed Pennridge Airport (CZK), Perkasie, Pennsylvania, about 0730 after picking up the last of the passengers for the 200 nm flight to SDC.

The pilot stated that he wanted to make the flight pleasurable, so he asked during the flight if the passengers wished to fly lower for a better view. When one passenger replied in the affirmative, the pilot descended the airplane to below cloud level as the airplane approached the Susquehanna River, near Laceyville, Pennsylvania. He was planning a touch and go landing maneuver on the water, and was scouting for a suitable place suitable place for the maneuver. A passenger stated that the airplane was flying very low over the water and seemed to be turning and banking to follow the bends in the river (figure 1). 


During this maneuvering, the airplane impacted an unmarked transmission line that was perpendicular to the shore and crossed the river. The pilot stated that he felt the airplane “shake and flutter” during the impact, and immediately climbed up to about 3,000 ft msl to assess the situation. The safety pilot went to the cabin and noted damage to the right inboard aileron and right outboard flap. According to both pilots, following the wire strike, the airplane felt “sluggish;” however, the engine was operating normally and there were no cockpit cautions or warnings. The decision was made to return to ISP, 175 nm away, where the runway was long and wide and emergency services were available. The airplane landed without further incident; no emergency was declared.

Preliminary Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B ) data showed the flight approach the Susquehanna River on a heading of about 334° and then make some turns before ADS-B coverage was temporarily lost. After the impact, data showed the flight proceeded on a heading of about 345° for about 35 nm before initiating a right turn towards ISP.

Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed mid-span impact damage and abrasion marks to the leading edge of the right wing. The underside of the right wing exhibited a several inch tear in the skin and ripples in the surrounding area. The top surface of the wing exhibited several tears and punctures and a 12-inch section of transmission wire protruding from the top of the wing. About 8 inches of the right outboard flap was torn away and about 12 inches of the right inboard aileron was crushed upwards.

According to the utility company PENELEC, the transmission line was destroyed, and 3 utility poles were severely damaged.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: TEXTRON AVIATION INC
Registration: N143CA
Model/Series: 208B
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator:
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC 
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: AVP, 961 ft msl 
Observation Time: 08:54 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 30 Nautical Miles 
Temperature/Dew Point: 3.9°C /-5°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear / 3100 ft AGL 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 15 knots / 21 knots, 360°
Lowest Ceiling: 
Broken Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 3009 inches Hg 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: VFR
Departure Point: Perkasie, PA (CKZ)
Destination: Long Island, NY (IPS)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 2 None 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 3 None 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 5 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 41.63403,-76.200385




LACEYVILLE, Pennsylvania — Utility workers spent most of the day replacing a pole and wires near Laceyville after a plane somehow flew into the pole, snapping the top off and ripping power lines.

Sue Hanley lives a couple of houses away and recalls when her quiet morning turned to chaos.

"I heard a plane, literally just outside my window. The noise and then the electric went out, as I was standing there and I thought, 'this is very odd.'"

The power was out for about 60 homes while crews worked to repair the lines.

First responders were out searching for the plane immediately, fearing that it crashed into the Susquehanna River or nearby. Crews never found any signs of the plane and called off the search, hoping that the pilot was able to safely land somewhere.

"First, I thought it might have been like an ultra-glide because it just was the noise was there, and that it was going that fast, almost like he turned his engine off, turn it back on, and then turned it off again, I don't know, very weird," Hanley said.

Many of the homes are seasonal and Hanley was glad the plane didn't cause nearly as much damage as it could have.

"There's also trees and houses, and I don't know how the person managed to do that so well and keep going. It was like a hit and run. He's lucky, like he didn't take down houses with him. Because, and I mean, those people weren't living there but I was living in my house."

The fire chief said that they did get word Monday afternoon that the plane landed somewhere in New York State. There's no word on when or if any charges will be filed.




BRAINTRIM TOWNSHIP, WYOMING COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU-TV) — A small plane, with five people on board, was practicing landing and taking off the Susquehanna River when it struck powerlines on Monday around 3:00 p.m., according to the FAA.

The FAA says a single-engine Cessna 208 equipped with floats hit the high-tension wire near Laceyville and continued flying before landing at the Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma, New York.

Both the FAA and NTSB are investigating.




Electrical service to several residences in Braintrim Township and Laceyville Borough were disrupted after a plane damaged a utility pole on Lacey Street on Monday morning, April 26.

The information regarding a plane striking the pole was obtained from scanner reports.

However, specific information on the plane and what caused it to strike the utility pole was not available.

Laceyville Fire Chief Brad Fassett, who was on the scene, said he had no information to report on the incident.

Scanner reports indicated that the search for the plane was underway.

The Goodwill Fire Company of Laceyville, Meshoppen Ambulance and the PA State Police are reported to the scene.

The accident knocked out electrical service to 60 Penelec customers in Braintrim Township and four in Laceyville Borough.

Penelec was estimating that power would be restored to those customers later in the day Monday.

Cathy Nesslein, who lives on Lacey Street near the damaged pole, noted that she was watching TV when power to her home went out.

Nesslein noted that she had the volume on her TV up at the time and did not hear a plane.

However, one of her neighbors reported hearing the plane and seeing it almost strike other power lines in the area before it struck the pole, she said.

Brenden McClelland, who also lives on Lacey Street, walked down to the scene after seeing emergency vehicles drive past his house that morning.

“The power went out and the next thing I know, all those emergency vehicles were going by,” he said.

Diamond DA42 Twin Star, N350TS: Accident occurred April 27, 2021 at Brigham City Regional Airport (KBMC), Box Elder County, Utah

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; Salt Lake City, Utah

Utah State University


Location: Brigham City, UT
Accident Number: WPR21LA178
Date & Time: April 27, 2021, 15:45 Local 
Registration: N350TS
Aircraft: DIAMOND AIRCRAFT IND GMBH DA42 
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: DIAMOND AIRCRAFT IND GMBH
Registration: N350TS
Model/Series: DA42
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Pilot school (141)
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC 
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KBMC,4226 ft msl
Observation Time: 15:35 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles 
Temperature/Dew Point: 14°C /2°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 5500 ft AGL
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 12 knots / 21 knots, 330°
Lowest Ceiling: 
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.95 inches Hg 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Logan, UT (KLGU) 
Destination: Brigham City, UT

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 2 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 41.554306,-112.06225

Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche, N7544Y: Incident occurred April 23, 2021 at Shelby County Airport (KEET), Alabaster, Alabama

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Alabama and NW Florida

Aircraft landed gear up.

No Limits Aviation LLC


Date: 23-APR-21
Time: 20:00:00Z
Regis#: N7544Y
Aircraft Make: PIPER
Aircraft Model: PA30
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: ALABASTER
State: ALABAMA

Man charged with burglary at Reading Regional Airport (KRDG), Berks County, Pennsylvania

A Reading man has been charged in a burglary in March from an aircraft service facility at Reading Regional Airport, Bern Township police said.

Aajaylah Jason Terrell, 19, faces charges of burglary, criminal trespass, theft and receiving stolen property.

Police filed the charges with District Judge Brian K. Strand of Leesport. Terrell remains in Berks County Prison on unrelated charges arising out of an incident in another municipality.

According to police:

Terrell entered Reading Jet Center on Air Museum Drive over the weekend of March 5 through March 8.

He slept in an airplane inside the facility and ransacked items found in and about the aircraft. Two Apple iPads were reported stolen from the airplane.

Bern Township officers collected evidence from the scene, and a forensic analysis by the Berks County District Attorney’s Forensics Services Unit identified a fingerprint from the scene as belonging to Terrell.

Stoddard-Hamilton Glasair SH-2R, N21JS: Incident occurred April 23, 2021 at Show Low Regional Airport (KSOW), Navajo County, Arizona

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

Aircraft nose gear collapsed on landing. 


Date: 23-APR-21
Time: 19:10:00Z
Regis#: N21JS
Aircraft Make: GLASAIR
Aircraft Model: STODDARD HAMILTON 2R
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: SHOW LOW
State: ARIZONA

Leaded gas was phased out 25 years ago. Why are these planes still using toxic fuel?

Piston-engine aircraft remain the single largest source of highly toxic airborne lead.


Miguel Alarcon stands in Hillview Park, a block from the house where he once lived near Reid-Hillview Airport in East San Jose, California.



SAN JOSE, California — Miguel Alarcon made a habit of wiping down his white Ford pickup truck parked in the driveway of his East San Jose home in California. Like clockwork, a layer of grey film appeared on his car every few days, which he believed was an accumulation of exhaust from leaded-fuel planes flying overhead in and out of Reid-Hillview Airport.

“My car was always dirty from the pollution,” said Alarcon, 42, who lived across the street from the airport from 2014 to 2017.

While he lived there, Alarcon said, he also struggled with respiratory issues. His doctor prescribed antibiotics to treat his breathing problems. But when his sneezing didn’t stop, his doctor recommended he move far from the airport in East San Jose, an area where 2.5 percent of children under 6 years old who were tested had detectable levels of lead in their blood, according to the California Department of Public Health's most recent figures, from 2012. He moved out for a price; his rent jumped from $800 to $1,700 a month.

“The problem is sadly it's very expensive here [in San Jose],” said Alarcon, who earns $5,000 a month after taxes as a roofing contractor. “In the airport area, in each house, there are two to three families because it’s so expensive.”

With rent costing more than $3,200 on average for a three-bedroom home in San Jose, many working-class people like Alarcon have been forced into making a wrenching decision: pay more affordable rent but endure poorer air quality.

That’s because Reid-Hillview is one of 13,000 so-called general aviation airports, from which leaded-fuel piston-engine aircraft fly. While leaded gasoline was fully phased out in 1996 with the passage of the Clean Air Act, it still fuels a fleet of 170,000 piston-engine airplanes and helicopters. Leaded aviation fuel, or avgas, now makes up “the largest remaining aggregate source of lead emissions to air in the U.S.,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The presence of this fuel means the areas near these airports are often inundated with tiny lead particles, according to a 2020 report from the EPA. Lead has been proven to have a detrimental impact on children’s brains and nervous systems.

After 15 years of research, the EPA said it would issue a ruling, known as an “endangerment finding,” in 2018 that would unlock a legal mandate to start driving down leaded aviation fuel. But it has yet to do so.

“EPA will follow the science and law in developing any future decisions regarding lead emissions from piston-engine aircraft,” said Enesta Jones, an EPA spokesperson.

For now, leaded aviation gas appears to be caught in a bureaucratic limbo: stuck between not meeting the environmental demands of the EPA and the commercial realities of the aviation community. It is the primary viable option for this type of aircraft, as the general aviation community argues it remains critical given the needs of the current fleet.

“Fuel and emissions are governed by the federal government,” said Eric Peterson, county airports director with the County of Santa Clara, which owns Reid-Hillview. “So until they come up with an alternative fuel, there is a limited amount the county can do to address that.”

Meanwhile residents continue to live with the air quality that comes with living near an airport where small planes burning leaded fuel fly in and out, said Alarcon, who is also a volunteer organizer with the nonprofit tenant advocacy group Vecinos Activos. It’s also unclear to air quality experts and residents what is arguably safe.

“There is no bright line that says 'Above this concentration lead is safe and below this concentration' that it is not. You’d have to make a policy decision,” said Jay Turner, an engineering education professor at Washington University in St. Louis and member of the EPA’s Science Advisory Board. “We’re really careful to come back to this point that just because public areas might meet the EPA standard [for lead] doesn't mean zero risk or zero concern.”



Long history

Piston-engine airplanes have been a mainstay in aviation since they were first introduced in the early 20th century, according to Walter Desrosier, vice president of engineering and maintenance with the aviation industry group General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Since World War II, piston engines have been widely used by pilot hobbyists, aviation students and government agencies because of their high-performing engines and reliability to stay aloft amid rapid changes in temperature, pressure and altitude. They also cost less at $400,000 to $500,000.

“The type of mission or purpose of using a piston engine might not be served well with a jet,” Desrosier said.

When the EPA first tackled removing lead emissions from engines, it focused on the biggest polluters: cars. At the time, the automotive industry made up the vast majority of airborne lead, with piston-engine airplanes responsible for only about 5 percent of emissions. Technological advances in auto engines, such as cooling liquid, also made way for a new market for unleaded fuel.

But there were no alternatives for piston engines, so they were largely left out of federal regulation.

Piston-engine aircraft are now the largest single remaining source of airborne lead, according to a 2016 EPA study. Approximately one-quarter of the piston-engine fleet are estimated to “consume more than half of all avgas,” according to a January report by the National Academy of Sciences.

Lead fuel users

While scientists, community members and aviation industry advocates agree that lead emissions from these planes are harmful to human health, their users note they play a big role in search-and-rescue efforts, training pilots who go on to fly large commercial jets and filling a recreational market for flying.

Public safety agencies, however, which account for one-quarter of piston-engine planes registered with the Federal Aviation Administration, are “likely to consume more than half of all the avgas used by the fleet,” according to the January National Academy of Sciences report. These agencies often include law enforcement and firefighting aircraft that need to reliably stay aloft through rapid changes in temperature, pressure and altitude. Personal and recreational flyers make up the remaining three-quarters of planes and consume the other half of leaded gas.

For instance, Colorado State Patrol owns five piston aircraft that it uses for flying doctors and state personnel and to carry out law enforcement operations, according to Sgt. Blake White, an agency spokesperson. But the state patrol’s planes are based out of Colorado’s Centennial Airport, where federal workplace enforcement inspectors found “elevated” blood levels of lead in workers and a child who spent time in the repair shop. The agency declined to comment on the findings.

While flight schools, agricultural companies and individual pilot hobbyists also regularly use these aircraft, their owners often agree they wish they could use an alternative to leaded fuel. Jason Jeffery, owner of Pacific Air Flight aviation school, said his school owns seven Cessna 172 piston-engine airplanes to train pilots out of Long Beach Airport. That airport emitted more than 1,500 pounds of lead in 2017, according to data from the EPA. Jeffery said he would switch the school’s fleet to an unleaded fuel alternative if it were reasonably priced and did not require buying new engines.

“There is no option and [lead fuel] is all you can use,” Jeffrey said. “I feel very guilty that we’re burning lead.”

But there are also many white-collar professionals, doctors, lawyers and software engineers who have registered piston-engine planes with the FAA. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, a general aviation professional organization that declined to comment for this article, reports on its website that its members are generally well-off, with an average net worth of $1.6 million and nearly half owning more than two homes.

These users of piston engines say their planes are also put to good use. John McGowan, a board member of the nonprofit Community and Airport Partnership for Safe Operation, is a retired vice president of Agilent Technologies and an advocate for keeping Reid-Hillview Airport open. He said about 60 percent of his flight time in his Piper Comanche 180 is purely recreational. The other 40 percent of his flight hours are what he calls “public benefit,” such as volunteer flying with organizations that transport rescue animals and fly children for free to encourage them to consider aviation careers.

“It’s not about a privilege any more than a fire station or police station or car garage,” he said. “It provides a gateway in and out of the community. It provides a gateway to careers in aviation and a learning gap to students.”



Lead’s dangers

But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that lead exposure remains incredibly dangerous and that “no safe blood lead level in children has been identified.”

The EPA and FAA began making headway in 2013 with a research and development program to find an alternative unleaded fuel for piston aircraft, given the dangers of lead. But the Trump administration slowed down research into leaded fuel, said Desrosier, of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.

A study published in 2011 conducted by three researchers from Duke University found that “children living within 500 meters of an airport at which planes use leaded avgas have higher blood lead levels than other children,” with this effect observable out to a full kilometer away from the airport.

Bruce Lanphear, a professor of health sciences at Simon Fraser University in Canada who is also an expert in lead poisoning, said these health effects compound existing disparities between hobby pilots and low-income residents who often live near these airports, since hobby pilots use nearly half of total leaded fuel.

In the case of San Jose’s Reid-Hillview Airport, there are numerous locations nearby where children live and spend time, like a nearby city park, a Boys & Girls Club, a preschool and several schools.

“You have this luxury item that benefits the upper class and is potentially or is harming the minority lower-income populations,” Lanphear said.

Over the last 15 years, the EPA, which is responsible for phasing out leaded gas, has made little substantial progress even when faced with public pressure, according to Marcie Keever, an attorney with an environmental advocacy organization Friends of the Earth. In 2006, her organization filed a formal “petition for rulemaking” to the EPA asking the agency to determine that “lead emissions from general aviation aircraft endanger public health and welfare.” If such a rule had been enacted, that would have kicked off a process to forcefully reduce airborne lead across the United States, Keever said.

While the private sector has made some efforts to introduce newer unleaded fuels for piston-engine planes, lead avgas remains the dominant fuel. That’s because it’s complicated to find a safe alternative to lead in aviation gasoline, and the market is slim for oil manufacturers to offer this type of fuel, said Dick Knapinski, a spokesperson for the aviation enthusiast group Experimental Aircraft Association. To compare, 209 million gallons of leaded aviation gas was sold in 2017, while more than 1.5 billion gallons of jet fuel was sold that same year, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

“It’s such a small market for aviation fuel that it has to be something that the fuel company won’t lose money on,” Knapinski said. “Everybody wants the same thing. We want to find a solution to get unleaded fuel, but it is somewhat complex.”

Still, one notable sign that the EPA may take a more forceful approach is President Joe Biden’s recent nomination of a top environmental advocate to the EPA. Marianne Engelman Lado, an environmental lawyer who worked for Earthjustice from 2010 to 2016 and spearheaded Earthjustice’s lobbying efforts and litigation on the avgas issue, has been serving since February as a deputy general counsel at the EPA. (However, Lado was hired to work in the agency’s Office of General Counsel and not for the Office of Air and Radiation, the portion of the EPA that deals with airborne lead.)

Continued battles

In November, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved plans to close Reid-Hillview Airport when federal funds expire in 2031. But local recreational pilots and emergency response units that use the airport have raised concerns that its closure will hurt vital parts of rescue and wildfire operations and clog surrounding airports with traffic, according to a local group called Save Reid-Hillview Airport.

McGowan, with Community and Airport Partnership for Safe Operation, said airborne lead rarely exceeds the EPA’s lead emission standards outside of the airport boundaries. He added that the organization doesn’t believe the airport “is a health hazard or safety hazard for the surrounding community.”

“On a safety level, there is no argument to be made that it's a safety hazard for the community,” he said. “It’s been proven it is the safest possible use of the lot.”

Maricela Lechuga, newly appointed commissioner on the Santa Clara County Airports Commission and an attorney with the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, said proponents who want to keep the airport open are putting their self-interests above the health of local Latino children.

“I understand why they are so passionate about keeping it, but I don’t think it’s worth the expense,” said Lechuga, who advises the Board of Supervisors. “We are in a housing crisis, and maybe that land could be better used.”

Alarcon’s breathing has eased since he moved about 10 miles from the airport four years ago. But he wishes he did not have to move to heal.

“It’s not fair,” Alarcon said. “It's because of them it's so expensive here, and Latino families have to live with the problems with the airport.”

Loss of Control on Ground: Boeing A75, N56760; accident occurred April 26, 2021 at Centennial Airport (KAPA), Arapahoe County, Colorado








Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board
    
The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

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

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum


Location: Denver, Colorado
Accident Number: CEN21LA202
Date & Time: April 26, 2021, 13:46 Local 
Registration: N56760
Aircraft: Boeing A75 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control on ground 
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis

The pilot reported that, during landing in the tailwheel-equipped airplane and as the tailwheel touched down on the runway, the airplane suddenly veered to the right. The pilot attempted to correct with opposite rudder; however, the airplane veered hard to the left and exited the left side of the runway, despite the pilot’s use of right rudder and braking. The airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the top left wing, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that a postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing on runway 28 with wind reported as variable 050° to 290° with gusts to 20 knots.

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 the landing roll with variable and gusty wind conditions.

Findings

Aircraft Directional control - Not attained/maintained
Environmental issues Variable wind - Contributed to outcome
Environmental issues Gusts - Effect on operation
Personnel issues Aircraft control - Pilot

Factual Information

The pilot reported that when the tailwheel equipped airplane approached the airport, the wind was variable from 290 to 050 degrees, gusting to 20 knots. While on a two mile final, the tower controller reported the wind was 290 degrees at 7 knots. The airplane touched down on the main landing gear with no noteable crosswind. As the tailwheel touched down, the airplane suddenly veered to the right; the pilot corrected with left rudder and the airplane veered hard to the left. The pilot attempted to add right rudder and brake, but to no avail. The airplane exited the left side of the runway onto the dirt when it nosed over and came to rest inverted. The upper wing and rudder were substantially damaged.

Postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.

History of Flight

Landing-landing roll Other weather encounter
Landing-landing roll Loss of control on ground (Defining event)
Landing-landing roll Runway excursion
Landing-landing roll Nose over/nose down

Pilot Information

Certificate: Airline transport; Flight instructor
Age: 52,Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land; Single-engine sea; Multi-engine land
Seat Occupied: Rear
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None 
Restraint Used: 4-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane 
Second Pilot Present:
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane single-engine; Instrument airplane
Toxicology Performed:
Medical Certification: Class 1 With waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: February 24, 2021
Occupational Pilot: Yes 
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: February 24, 2021
Flight Time: 18725 hours (Total, all aircraft), 61 hours (Total, this make and model), 14600 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 35 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 30 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 2 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Boeing 
Registration: N56760
Model/Series: A75 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1936 
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 75-017
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: March 3, 2021 Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 3200 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 5345 Hrs as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: P&W
ELT: C126 installed, activated, did not aid in locating accident
Engine Model/Series: R-985-AN-1
Registered Owner: 
Rated Power: 350 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: APA,5885 ft msl 
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 18:53 Local 
Direction from Accident Site:
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 14000 ft AGL
Visibility 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 20000 ft AGL 
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 8 knots / 25 knots
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: 270°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 29.59 inches Hg 
Temperature/Dew Point: 23°C / -14°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Greeley, CO (GXY)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Denver, CO 
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 13:15 Local
Type of Airspace: Class D

Airport Information

Airport: Centennial Airport A75
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 5885 ft msl
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 28 
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 4800 ft / 75 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Straight-in

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries:
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 39.57011,-104.8492

Boeing 717-200, N951AT: Incident occurred April 26, 2021 at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (KATL), Georgia

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Atlanta, Georgia

Aircraft struck a bird after departure and post-flight inspection revealed a dent on left side of nose. 

Delta Air Lines


Date: 26-APR-21
Time: 22:02:00Z
Regis#: N951AT
Aircraft Make: BOEING
Aircraft Model: 717
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: COMMERCIAL
Flight Phase: TAKEOFF (TOF)
Operation: 121
Aircraft Operator: DELTA AIRLINES
Flight Number: DAL1660
City: ATLANTA
State: GEORGIA

Piper J3C-65 Cub, N26783: Fatal accident occurred April 26, 2021 at Magnolia Airpark (LS77), Slaughter, East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana

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; Baton Rouge, Louisiana


Location: Slaughter, LA 
Accident Number: CEN21LA204
Date & Time: April 26, 2021, 17:11 Local
Registration: N26783
Aircraft: Piper J3C-65 
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On April 26, 2021, at 1711 central standard time, a Piper J3C airplane, N26783, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Slaughter, Louisiana. The front seat pilot was fatally injured and the rear seat pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The surviving pilot said the airplane belonged to a friend and they were flying it before the owner sold it. He said the airplane started without issue and there were no problems during the pretakeoff run up to full power. He remembered power and airspeed were normal during takeoff and during a left turn after the airplane was in the air. He could not recall anything else about the flight after the left turn.

A witness saw the airplane after it was in the air. When she saw the airplane, it did not appear very high off the ground and appeared to be having trouble “like a car losing control.” The airplane tried to turn to the east and then went up sharply. She thought the airplane may have lost engine power or sputtered at that point. The airplane then quickly turned downward and flew into the ground.

The left wing was twisted, the engine was pushed aft into the firewall, and the engine mounts were broken. The wreckage was retained for examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Piper
Registration: N26783
Model/Series: J3C-65
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KBTR,76 ft msl
Observation Time: 16:53 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 11 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 28°C /14°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 9 knots / , 120°
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.96 inches Hg 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Slaughter, LA
Destination: Slaughter, LA

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 30.722925,-91.149641 (est)

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation may contact them by email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov. You can also call the NTSB Response Operations Center at 844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290.






SLAUGHTER, Louisiana  (WAFB) - Two people were injured when a small plane crashed at an airfield in the city limits of Slaughter Monday, April 26, according to East Feliciana Parish Sheriff Jeff Travis.

Sheriff Travis said his agency assisted the Slaughter Police Department in responding to the crash.

One person was transported to an area hospital by helicopter and another person was transported by ambulance.

The sheriff said officials in East Feliciana Parish notified the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the crash and federal officials are currently enroute to Slaughter to investigate the crash.

Cessna 402C, N2714B: Accident occurred April 26, 2021 at Cape Cod Gateway Airport (KHYA), Hyannis, Barnstable County, Massachusetts

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; Boston, Massachusetts

Hyannis Air Service Inc operating as Cape Air


Location: Hyannis, MA 
Accident Number: ERA21LA196
Date & Time: April 26, 2021, 19:52 UTC
Registration: N2714B
Aircraft: Cessna 402C
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna 
Registration: N2714B
Model/Series: 402C
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator:
Operating Certificate(s) Held: On-demand air taxi (135)
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site:
Condition of Light:
Observation Facility, Elevation:
Observation Time:
Distance from Accident Site:
Temperature/Dew Point:
Lowest Cloud Condition: 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: / ,
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility:
Altimeter Setting:
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Departure Point: 
Destination:

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 2 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 41.669333,-70.280361 




HYANNIS, Massachusetts  – A Cape Air Cessna 402C reportedly crashed while trying to land at the Cape Cod Gateway Airport in Hyannis just before 3:30 PM Monday.

Two people were on board and both declined any medical treatment.

Firefighters checked for any fuel leaking from the aircraft and disconnected the battery to prevent any fire. 

The National Weather Service reported NW winds were gusting to 24 MPH at the time of the crash though it does not appear weather was a factor in the crash. 

The Federal Aviation Administration was notified to investigate the crash.

Cape Air spokesperson Kelly Collopy tells Cape Wide News: “During a training flight on April 26, 2021, at 3:30 PM, flight #2714B was involved in an incident upon landing at the Cape Cod Gateway Airport (HYA). During a training maneuver the aircraft landed and exited the runway into the grass causing aircraft damage. One instructor and one student were on board. Both employees are safe and uninjured.”






BARNSTABLE, Massachusetts —  A Cape Air plane ended up in a grassy area of the Barnstable Municipal Airport in Hyannis Monday afternoon.

Video from Sky 5 showed the Cessna 402 plane in the grass to the left of Runway 24, which is next to Yarmouth Road.

Airport manager Katie Servis said the twin-engine plane had one of its engines go out as it was approaching for a landing.

The training flight with two pilots on board landed in the grass between two taxiways, Servis said.

There were no passengers on board the aircraft at the time.

"An incident occurred during a Cape Air training flight at the Cape Cod Gateway Airport," a statement from Cape Air said. "No injuries were reported. The aircraft did sustain damage to landing gear."

Cessna 182E Skylane, N25AW: Incident occurred April 27, 2021 at Ohio State University Airport (KOSU), Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Columbus, Ohio

Aircraft on landing rollout veered off runway into the grass, crossed Taxiway C into the next grass panel and then finally onto Taxiway A.


Date: 27-APR-21
Time: 00:21:00Z
Regis#: N25AW
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 182
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: NONE
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: COLUMBUS
State: OHIO

Cirrus SR22 G2, N222SW: Accident occurred April 26, 2021 near Wycombe Air Park, Booker, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; New York International Field Office

Aircraft made a forced landing in a field. 

Sky West Aviation Inc 


Date: 26-APR-21
Time: 10:30:00Z
Regis#: N222SW
Aircraft Make: CIRRUS
Aircraft Model: SR22
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: SUBSTANTIAL
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: EN ROUTE (ENR)
City: BOOKER BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
State: WEST WYCOMBE
Country: UNITED KINGDOM


Agusta A119 Koala, N119AA: Fatal accident occurred April 23, 2021 in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Dallas International Field Office

Helicopter crashed under unknown circumstances. 


Date: 23-APR-21
Time: 13:25:00Z
Regis#: N119AA
Aircraft Make: AGUSTA
Aircraft Model: A119
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: FATAL
Total Fatal: 1
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: DESTROYED
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: EN ROUTE (ENR)
City: MONTERREY
State: NUEVO LEON
Country: MEXICO







Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, N414CY: Incident occurred April 25, 2021 at Montgomery Regional Airport (KMGM), Alabama

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Alabama and NW Florida

Aircraft taxiing for departure missed a turn and ended up in the grass. 

LifeSouth Community Blood Centers Inc


Date: 25-APR-21
Time: 05:01:00Z
Regis#: N414CY
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 208
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: NONE
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: TAXI (TXI)
Operation: 91
City: MOBILE
State: ALABAMA

Cirrus SR22, N626SR: Incident occurred April 23, 2021 at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (KBHM), Alabama

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Alabama and NW Florida

Aircraft landed and veered off the runway. 


Date: 23-APR-21
Time: 14:50:00Z
Regis#: N626SR
Aircraft Make: CIRRUS
Aircraft Model: SR22
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: BIRMINGHAM
State: ALABAMA