Friday, May 13, 2022

Incident occurred May 12, 2022 near Central Nebraska Regional Airport (KGRI), Grand Island, Hall County, Nebraska

GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska (KSNB) - One traveler suffered minor injuries when a passenger plane hit turbulence on its descent into the Central Nebraska Regional Airport in Grand Island.

The plane landed during stormy weather at about 11:30 Thursday night. Airport Executive Director Mike Olson said a passenger was injured when a first aid kit shook loose and fell. Olson said the passenger was taken by ambulance to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

An American Airlines spokesperson said the plane hit turbulence on its descent into the airport.

American provided this statement about the incident to Local4:

“On May 12, American Airlines Flight 4124 operated by Envoy Air with service from Dallas Fort-Worth (DFW) to Central Nebraska (GRI) encountered moderate turbulence while inflight. The aircraft, an Embraer 145 with 49 passengers and three crew members, landed safely at GRI. We apologize to our customers for the trouble this caused, and we thank our team members for keeping our customers safe.”

Olson said there was no damage to the plane.

The name of the person injured was not disclosed.

Cessna 172R Skyhawk, N9572W: Accident occurred April 25, 2022 at Redding Municipal Airport (KRDD), Shasta 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; Sacramento, California 

IASCO Flight Training Inc


Location: Redding, California 
Accident Number: WPR22LA167
Date and Time: April 25, 2022, 16:39 Local 
Registration: N9572W
Aircraft: Cessna 172R 
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N9572W
Model/Series: 172R
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Pilot school (141)
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site:
Condition of Light:
Observation Facility, Elevation: KRDD,501 ft msl
Observation Time: 16:53 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles 
Temperature/Dew Point: 26°C /5°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 10 knots / , 200°
Lowest Ceiling: None 
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.91 inches Hg 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Redding, CA
Destination: Redding, CA

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: 40.508972,-122.29338 (est)

Man shoots at helicopter, found passed out next to gun in Shingletown, California

SHINGLETOWN, California - A suspect is in custody after firing shots at a California Highway Patrol helicopter from the Shingletown area, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A report came in at 1:23 p.m. on Thursday that a 2017 GMC pickup crashed in the area of Ponderosa Way and Whitmore Road. 

The man, who was later identified as 31-year-old Blake LaHue, then got a ride from the crash to an area near the Dollar General in Shingletown. 

LaHue then began waving a 9mm firearm around, the CHP says. 

A CHP helicopter was able to locate LaHue but he fired multiple shots at the helicopter once he saw it, the CHP said. The helicopter then flew higher to escape the gunfire. 

The CHP says LaHue was later found passed out next to the gun. The CHP said he was drunk. 

LaHue is facing charges of attempted murder of a peace officer, DUI and multiple gun charges. 

The incident caused Highway 44 to shutdown east of Shingletown Thursday afternoon. 

An employee at the Dollar General told Action News Now that the store was told to shelter in place as there was an active shooter in the area at the time of the incident.

Ultralight aircraft, paragliding now prohibited at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area will no longer allow paragliding, paramotor or ultralight aircraft within its boundaries in proximity to developed and high visitor use areas.

The ban area is between the Glen Canyon Dam and the downstream river boundary between Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park near Lees Ferry.

In a statement released Friday, Glen Canyon officials said the impacts of the relatively new devices remain unknown. They may possess qualities that adversely affect park resources that may only be revealed in the future if the use is allowed to continue and proliferate in the park.

The Glen Canyon Dam is a high security area with vital infrastructure and hazards that encompass the area and the canyon below. Park officials say powered paragliding and ultralight aircraft are inherently dangerous to participants and other visitors.

Areas of high visitor demand, including developed areas and Horseshoe Bend, place visitors in undue danger in the event of an uncontrolled failure of an aircraft.

More information is available in the park’s amended Compendium: https://www.nps.gov/glca/learn/management/compendium-appendix-a.htm

Mesa Airlines says 5% of its pilots jumped ship to larger carriers in April




WASHINGTON/CHICAGO May 13 (Reuters) - Mesa Air Group Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Ornstein told a U.S. Senate panel on Friday that the airline lost nearly 5% of its pilots in April to larger carriers, underscoring a staffing shortage the industry is grappling with as travel demand surges.

"The pilot shortage is the single greatest threat to the industry I have witnessed since 9/11," Ornstein told the Senate Commerce aviation subcommittee at a hearing in Arizona Friday. He said Mesa Airlines "lost almost 5% of our pilot workforce in one month as major airlines and operators of larger jets hired our pilots."

Pilot shortages have dogged carriers for years. Despite $54 billion in U.S. government COVID-19 airline payroll funding, many airlines paused hiring and offered buyouts and retirement packages to thousands of aviators.

A snap back in travel demand, however, has left them scrambling to ramp up staffing. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are looking to hire 200 pilots each a month.

Staffing woes have marred operations in recent weeks at carriers such as Alaska Air Group Inc and JetBlue Airways Corp, resulting in mass flight cancellations. To prevent further disruption, airlines have cut summer schedules.

Shortages are even more acute at regional airlines, which are facing a soaring attrition rate because of poaching by higher-paying national carriers.

In March, SkyWest said it planned to end service to 29 communities under the government's subsidy program to provide air service to smaller communities, blaming insufficient pilots.

Mesa noted regional airlines provide service to 65% of the nation's commercially served airports.

"Unless significant action is taken soon, I believe this critical lifeline is in jeopardy," Ornstein said, adding the U.S could also make it easier to allow qualified foreign pilots to join the U.S. pilot workforce.

Senator Kyrsten Sinema, who chairs the panel holding the hearing, noted just 5% of U.S. pilots are women and about 6% are people of color and said Congress plans to look at ways to "strengthen the pipeline, support opportunities to diversify the workorce" and consider changes to aviation workforce development grant programs.

Some airlines have called on U.S. regulators to revise pilot training requirements, allowing them to hire pilots with less experience. But the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the world's largest pilot union, is opposed to the proposal.

"Some argue that we must lower standards to open the doors of opportunity — we flatly reject that," ALPA official Paul Ryder told the committee.

Paramotor: Fatal accident occurred May 13, 2022 in Beach Lake, Wayne County, Pennsylvania

Jeffrey R. Chorba
November 10, 1969 - May 13, 2022



Jeffrey Ronald Chorba, 52, of Beach Lake, died unexpectedly on Friday, May 13, 2022 in an accident.

Born on November 10, 1969 in Binghamton, New York, he is the son of Eileen (Cosgrove) Chorba of Beach Lake and the late Ronald M. Chorba who died January 16, 2022.  He was a graduate of Honesdale High School, class of 1987.  He attended Temple University for Landscape Architecture and later continued his education at Luzerne Community College and was certified by Microsoft.

Jeff began working at Woodloch where he was the manager of landscaping.  He later started his own business, Chorba Consulting Inc., helping many with their computer needs.  Jeff profoundly impacted the lives of others through his desire to help those in need, both personally and professionally. He was proud to donate his services and time helping many non-profit organizations in the area.  He was a mentor to students who were interested in a career in information technologies through school job shadowing programs.  He also supported the Wayne County Employment Coalition helping those with disabilities.

A man of many interests, Jeff enjoyed kayaking and was certified by the National Canoe Safety Patrol and would volunteer patrolling Skinners Falls.  He was also certified in Tower Climbing Safety and Rescue with Com Train LLC.  He enjoyed riding motorcycles and was a member of Baer’s Drill Team. He also enjoyed rappelling, snowboarding, playing drums, photography and appreciated fine food and wine.  Most of all, Jeff’s passion was flying his paramotor and sharing his love of the sport.  He found peace flying through the skies.  Just recently he began the process of getting his pilot’s license.

He was a member of the Welcome Lake Fire Department where he was the past treasurer and a member of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Honesdale where he served on their finance committee.

In addition to his mother, Jeff is survived by his brother, Stephen Chorba and wife Michelle of Beach Lake; his sister, Ellen Wojtowicz and husband Mark of Catawissa; nieces and nephews, Corey, Emily and Mary Chorba and Jordon Wojtowicz; several aunts, uncles and cousins.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, May 20th at St. John the Evangelist Church, Honesdale at 10 am.  Interment will follow in Indian Orchard Cemetery, Honesdale.  Friends may visit Hessling Murray Funeral Home, 428 Main St. Honesdale, on Thursday, 4 to 7.

Memorial contributions can be made to St. John the Evangelist Parish, 414 Church St. Honesdale, PA 18431 or Welcome Lake Fire Dept., 99 Cosgrove Rd., Beach Lake, PA 18405.


Jeffrey Ronald Chorba
Cherry Ridge Airport (N30)

Earlier this week:  "Well that was neat! First day flying this girl around. I will still take paramotors over planes any day! My flight instructor wants me to teach him Paramotors!" - Jeff Chorba



WAYNE COUNTY, Pennsylvania — In Wayne County, authorities confirm a man died after his paramotor crashed in a field.

The powered paraglider went down in a field just off of Route 652 near Beach Lake. 

State Police and first responders received a 911 call just before 8 a.m. when the crash was discovered.  

According to the Wayne County coroner, 52-year-old Jeffrey Chorba, from the Beach Lake area, died in the crash.  

After two hours of investigating the scene, pieces of the paramotor were taken away on a rollback.

We spoke with some people off-camera area who knew Chorba and said they often saw him flying around in his paramotor.  

Employees at Cherry Ridge Airport near Honesdale also said Chorba was a paramotor instructor and had a lot of experience with the powered paraglider

They also said Chorba took interest in other forms of aviation.

According to a post on his Instagram page, Chorba just took his first flying lesson in an airplane at Cherry Ridge Airport earlier this week.

According to Federal Aviation Regulations, an ultralight aircraft is one that:

has only one seat
Is used only for recreational flying
Does not have a U.S. or foreign airworthiness certificate
If unpowered, weighs less than 155 pounds
If powered:
Weighs less than 254 pounds empty weight, excluding floats and safety devices
Has a maximum fuel capacity of 5 U.S. gallons
Does not exceed 55 knots/63 mph airspeed at full power in level flight
Has a power-off stall speed that does not exceed 24 knots/28 mph airspeed or less.


   
Photo contributed from Jeff Chorba's Facebook page 



HONESDALE, Pennsylvania — On May 13, 2022 at approximately 7:50 am, the Pennsylvania State Police Troop R in Honesdale received a 911 transfer call from the owner of a  property near 27 Barracuda Blvd. in Beach Lake, Berlin Township, Wayne County. The caller related that they discovered a paramotor down in a field on their property.

Members from PSP Honesdale responded to the scene and identified the operator, Jeffrey Ronald Chorba, 52 years of age from Beach Lake, PA. Wayne County Coroner Edward R. Howell and Deputy Coroners arrived on scene at 9:02 AM, and Coroner Howell pronounced Chorba dead at the scene at 9:12 AM.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation. The Wayne County Coroner's Office is scheduled to perform an autopsy on Monday.

Chorba was the founder of Chorba Consulting Inc., an IT company specializing in computers, servers and networking. He provided services for municipalities, companies and individuals throughout Wayne, Pike and Sullivan County. He was also an enthusiast of powered paragliders.

Chorba's father, Ronald Michael Chorba, passed away on January 16, 2022, age 75.


 



State police were investigating a fatal paramotor crash in Wayne County on Friday.

Pennsylvania State Police in Honesdale received reports of a 9-1-1 call made by the owner of a property along Barracuda Boulevard in the Beach Lake area. The owner related they had discovered a powered paraglider down in a field on their property, police said in a press release.

Troopers responded to the scene and identified the deceased operator of the craft as 52-year-old Jeffrey Ronald Chorba of Beach Lake.

Wayne County Coroner Edward Howell and Deputy Coroners pronounced Chorba dead at the scene at 9:12 a.m. The death is still under investigation. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.

Beach Lake is a rural village in Berlin Township, Wayne County.

According to Wayne County Emergency Management Services Assistant Coordinator Pete Hooker, authorities contacted the Federal Aviation Administration in regards to the crash. He said the FAA would not be investigating the incident due to the size of the craft.

State police will be conducting the investigation of the crash. The site was cleared by noon on Friday.

The last fatal aircraft crashes in the Poconos occurred in 2019 on the West End of Monroe County, and in 2017 in Wayne County.

A minor crash happened earlier this year at Cherry Ridge Airport near Honesdale, when a pilot's plane ran off the runway.

RotorWay A600 Talon, N5612Y: Accident occurred May 13, 2022 at Cranland Airport (28M), Hanson, Plymouth County, Massachusetts








https://registry.faa.gov/N5612Y

HANSON, Massachusetts  — An experimental rotorcraft caught on fire early Friday while on the ground at an airport in Hanson, Massachusetts.

The incident happened at the Cranland Airport on Monponsett Road, fire officials said.

The 81-year-old man who owns the helicopter, which was built from a kit, said he took it out to fly, started it and it caught on fire.

The man said he smelled fuel upon starting the helicopter’s engine. He exited the helicopter just as the fire ignited.

No one was on the rotorcraft at the time of the fire, officials said.

There were no injuries reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Hanson Fire Department.

Freak mishap at Lee C. Fine Memorial Airport (KAIZ) could be costly

A freak mishap at Lee C. Fine Memorial Airport could end up costing the City of Osage Beach a lot of unbudgeted money.

CMT Construction, LLC, had begun work in early March on the second half of a new apron at the airport in hopes it would be completed by Memorial Day. The first half was completed last fall and the second half scheduled this spring to avoid as little disruption to airport traffic as possible. The intent was to be able to use half of the apron during the slowest part of the year during the off season.

By March 24, the contractor had removed all of the existing pavement from the second half of the apron. But while a subcontractor was tilling the ground to prepare for lime stabilization that is required before new pavement is poured, the ground actually caught fire and a small flash explosion occurred. There were no injuries, but the project was halted immediately to investigate.

City officials and construction crews immediately realized the soil had been contaminated by fuel from an unknown source. Some additional work was done away from the area, but the contractor eventually had to pull equipment from the site and move on to its next project while an investigation ensued.

The investigation found that the fuel was from an old utility trench that was connected to five underground fuel storage tanks that were removed by the state before the city took over operation of the airport in the late 1990s. The utility corridor was roughly 125 feet long, five feet wide and two feet deep. It ran from near the existing above-ground fueling area about 125 feet.

As it turns out, the state paved over the area after removing the tanks and the trench had been under pavement for more than 20 years until the contractor removed the pavement early in March.

The remediation plan is to dig out the contaminated area, remove the contaminated soil away from the existing hangars and fueling area and then backfill the trench with clean material. The contaminated soil will be wrapped in specialized plastic until the Department of Natural Resources, State Parks Department, insurance companies and others figure out what to do with the soil.

Removing the soil a safe distance from the area will allow the contractor to return to the site and complete the apron project by late June – weather permitting.

The situation raises several questions for the board and staff to consider:

•Who will pay for remediation. The DNR, State Parks, the city's insurance company and the petroleum storage tank insurance will determine who is ultimately liable.

•It has not been determined what to do with the contaminated soil and the unknown cost of its removal. It will either be de-contaminated on site and land applied in its place, or it will be taken to a landfill in Jefferson City.

•Drinking water at Lee C. Fine was tested and found to be clean. The DNR will require several test wells to be dug for future monitoring and to act as an early warning system to determine if additional contamination is moving toward the city's well. Those costs also are unknown.

•There is still some contamination under some pavement that is not being removed in the apron project. The city may be required to remove that pavement and conduct additional cleanup. Those costs also are unknown.

•There will be additional costs from CMT and its subcontractor for soil testing before and after removal of the contaminated soil and for additional construction inspection. Again, these are unknown costs.

City input

City Administrator Jeana Wood told the board it is imperative that the project move forward and correct the issue. Outside funding and reimbursements to cover remediation costs will have to be determined later. Currently, the Lee C. Fine Airport is subsidized by the Transpiration Fund, but its cash flow is not sufficient to cover any anticipated costs.

The board did approve a change order with Emery Sapp and Sons in the amount of $49,398 to undertake the preliminary work.

Additional budget amendments will be forthcoming.

Opinion: Shortening the Chatham Municipal Airport (KCQX) runways would be the opposite of safe

Betty C. Ludtke Guest Columnist


Don’t give an inch!

The three most useless things in aviation are runway behind you, altitude above you and fuel not in your tanks.  

Chatham is holding its annual town meeting on Saturday. Article 56 on the warrant calls for displacing the thresholds for both runways at Chatham airport by 800 feet each — in layman’s terms, “shortening” them. All in the name of safety, of course. Safety for whom? For the pilot who now has 800 feet less of runway to use for landing. Are you crazy out there in Chatham?

I fly professionally for a major airline now, but I learned to fly here on Cape Cod in 1982. There is something magical about the small general aviation airports that still remain in the United States, of which, Chatham is one. I’ve flown into Chatham many times. The last time was in a T-34B. For those old-time naval aviators who retired here on Cape Cod, you know what that is. You probably trained in one.

I flew it up from Virginia, cruising up the Hudson River, at an altitude lower than the World Trade Center towers. The towers still stood at the time and I remember looking up at them. When I came into Hyannis to land the tower controller asked me if I was a Navy recruiter. Probably because the plane had “Fly Navy” in big bold letters emblazoned on its side.

The next day I took the T-34B up to Chatham to give a friend of mine a ride in it. He was a pilot too and flew from time to time out of Chatham to track right whales. As soon as you lift off from Chatham you see the magnificence that is Cape Cod. The Chatham airport is a gem and I hope the residents of Chatham do all they can to preserve it.

My recommendation to you is don’t give up one inch of those runways. Instead, ask why the article is even on the warrant? Does it have more to do with the insatiable lust to build on Cape Cod where we should not be building? Which were there first, the runways or the various structures that lie beneath the approaches to the runways? Let’s also remember that there are a whole bunch of folks in Ukraine who would love to have their day interrupted now and again by the sound of a friendly airplane.

Betty C. Ludtke, Barnstable

Van's RV-14A, N1402: Incident occurred May 12, 2022 at Naples Municipal Airport (KAPF), Collier County, Florida

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; South Florida

Aircraft made a hard landing damaging the wheel cover. 


Date: 12-MAY-22
Time: 18:55:00Z
Regis#: N1402
Aircraft Make: VANS
Aircraft Model: RV14
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: NAPLES
State: FLORIDA

Piper PA-23-160 Apache, N4001P: Incident occurred May 12, 2022 at Atlanta Regional Airport-Falcon Field (KFFC), Fayette County, Georgia

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

Aircraft landed with landing gear partially extended. 


Date: 12-MAY-22
Time: 13:20:00Z
Regis#: N4001P
Aircraft Make: PIPER
Aircraft Model: PA23
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: ATLANTA
State: GEORGIA

Cessna 182N Skylane, N92913: Accident occurred May 12, 2022 at Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport (KOWB), Kentucky

National Transportation Safety Board accident report number: ERA22LA225 

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

Aircraft crashed attempting to takeoff.  

Bakalar Flying Club Inc


Date: 13-MAY-22
Time: 01:25:00Z
Regis#: N92913
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 182
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: MINOR
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: TAKEOFF (TOF)
Operation: 91
City: OWENSBORO
State: KENTUCKY




One person was injured after a plane crash at the Owensboro Daviess-County Regional Airport on Thursday night.

Authorities say a single-engine plane crashed at the airport during takeoff due to a problem with the plane's landing gear.

We're told that three people were on-board at the time of the incident, and that one of them was injured.

They were taken to the hospital with injuries believed to be non-life-threatening.

The incident remains under investigation.

Powrachute AirWolf 912ULS, N9251K: Incident occurred May 12, 2022 near Plymouth Municipal Airport (KPYM), Plymouth County, Massachusetts

Pilot in pink shirt.


Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Boston, Massachusetts

Aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances.  

Powrachute LLC


Date: 12-MAY-22
Time: 12:45:00Z
Regis#: N9251K
Aircraft Make: POWRACHUTE
Aircraft Model: AIRWOLF
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: MINOR
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: UNKNOWN (UNK)
Operation: 91
City: PLYMOUTH
State: Massachusetts




PLYMOUTH — The pilot of a motorized parachute escaped serious injury after his aircraft crashed Thursday morning into the west bank of the Pemigewasset River.

The pilot, who declined to speak about the incident as he and employees of a local towing company worked to haul the aircraft up the river bank and onto an awaiting flatbed truck, seemingly ran into trouble just before 8:30 a.m., according to Jason Randall, the superintendent of the Plymouth Village Water and Sewer District.

Randall said minutes later he got a call from an employee at the district’s wastewater treatment plant on South Street telling him he needed to come there immediately because “there’s a plane down on the bank.”

The plane, said Randall, “looked like a go-cart with a parachute,” and its male, middle-aged pilot appeared unhurt except for some abrasions.

Randall said that the district owns 40 acres of land along the west bank of the Pemigewasset, of which the wastewater treatment plant occupies 10. The crash site was in the middle center of the property, said Randall, and some 100 feet from an agitator at the treatment plant.

Running to the crash site with the employee, the men confirmed that the pilot was not injured, said Randall, who then called 9-1-1. Emergency responders from several agencies arrived shortly thereafter to further check on the pilot and to secure the aircraft after which the pilot made arrangements to recover the aircraft privately.

The crash, which will likely be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, did not impact the operation of the wastewater treatment plant, said Randall.

But, he added, the crash had people there talking about it and how close the pilot and the plant were to a truly bad outcome had the aircraft crashed into either the agitator or wastewater tanks near it.

Randall said the employee who called him about the crash had been doing a regular, daily inspection of the wastewater plant when “he heard the aircraft coming in low and the engine cut out and start again,” after which the plane went down into the brushy, steep bank below the plant.

The aircraft, which Plymouth firefighter Stan Graton said had taken off from the nearby Plymouth Municipal Airport, was travelling north up the river, according to Randall, and before crashing it successfully avoided a power line that was stretched over the river.

In speaking with the pilot, Randall said he got the sense that the man was “more frustrated than anything because the crash happened on a beautiful day” for flying.

“We’re lucky that he didn’t land in a piece of equipment or tankage,” said Randall, while another relief was that the crash was accidental, rather than deliberate, adding that “in this day and age, you don’t know what’s going to happen” when something unusual occurs at a municipal facility.

Graton, who was present to assist with the recovery of the aircraft, said motorized parachutes are popular in the community.

“There’s a lot of them,” about a dozen that fly out of the Plymouth Municipal Airport, he said.

Grumman G-164B Ag Cat, N8157K: Incidents occurred May 06, 2022 and April 30, 2021

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Lincoln, Nebraska

May 06, 2022:  Aircraft struck a wire in McCook, Red Willow County, Nebraska.

Red Willow Aviation


Date: 06-MAY-22
Time: 16:45:00Z
Regis#: N8157K
Aircraft Make: GULFSTREAM
Aircraft Model: G-164B
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: AERIAL APPLICATION
Flight Phase: MANEUVERING (MNV)
Operation: 137
City: MCCOOK
State: NEBRASKA

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Lincoln, Nebraska

April 30, 2021: Aircraft struck a cable in Maywood, Frontier County, Nebraska.

Red Willow Aviation 


Date: 30-APR-21
Time: 13:30:00Z
Regis#: N8157K
Aircraft Make: GULSTREAM SCHWEIZER
Aircraft Model: G164B
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: AERIAL APPLICATION
Flight Phase: EN ROUTE (ENR)
Operation: 137
City: MAYWOOD
State: NEBRASKA

Boeing 737-800, N12218: Incident occurred May 12, 2022 at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (KCLE), Ohio

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

Aircraft struck a bird on departure breaking the windshield wipers. 

United Airlines Inc


Date: 12-MAY-22
Time: 12:31:00Z
Regis#: N12218
Aircraft Make: BOEING
Aircraft Model: 737
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: COMMERCIAL
Flight Phase: TAKEOFF (TOF)
Operation: 121
Aircraft Operator: UNITED AIRLINES
Flight Number: UAL737
City: CLEVELAND
State: OHIO

Cessna 185 Skywagon, N23FG: Accident occurred May 12, 2022 at Franklin Field Airport (F72), Sacramento 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; Sacramento, California

State of California Department of Fish and Game


Location: Franklin, California
Accident Number: WPR22LA181
Date and Time: May 12, 2022, 13:45 Local
Registration: N23FG
Aircraft: Cessna 185 
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Public aircraft - state

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N23FG
Model/Series: 185
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
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: KSAC,19 ft msl
Observation Time: 13:53 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 13 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 21°C /1°C
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 7 knots / , 200°
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 11000 ft AGL
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.26 inches Hg 
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Departure Point: 
Destination: Franklin, CA

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: 38.304,-121.4293 (est)

Aircraft ground looped on landing.  

Date: 12-MAY-22
Time: 20:45:00Z
Regis#: N23FG
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 185
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: FRANKLIN
State: CALIFORNIA

Airbus A320, N633JB: Incident occurred May 12, 2022 at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (TJSJ), San Juan, Puerto Rico

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; San Juan, Puerto Rico

Aircraft struck a bird on departure damaging radome. 

JetBlue Airways Corp


Date: 13-MAY-22
Time: 00:22:00Z
Regis#: N633JB
Aircraft Make: AIRBUS
Aircraft Model: A320
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: COMMERCIAL
Flight Phase: TAKEOFF (TOF)
Operation: 121
Aircraft Operator: JET BLUE AIRLINES
Flight Number: JBU454
City: SAN JUAN
State: PUERTO RICO

Piper J3F-65, N35257: Accident occurred May 12, 2022 in Port Bolivar, Texas







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; Houston, Texas

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:


Location: Port Bolivar, Texas
Accident Number: CEN22LA199
Date and Time: May 12, 2022, 19:55 Local
Registration: N35257
Aircraft: Piper J3F-65 
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Piper
Registration: N35257
Model/Series: J3F-65 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
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: None
Departure Point: Port Bolivar, TX
Destination: Port Bolivar, TX

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 None 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude: 29.46551,-94.627415

Aircraft drifted into tall brush on landing.

Date: 13-MAY-22
Time: 00:55:00Z
Regis#: N35257
Aircraft Make: PIPER
Aircraft Model: J3F
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: SUBSTANTIAL
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: PORT BOLIVAR
State: TEXAS

Magee Municipal Airport (17M), Mississippi: Pilot gets booted following city board meeting



Local pilot receives eviction notice following complaints about safety violations to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Notice of eviction came from airport manager, Ashley Steele in the form of a cellphone text message.  Hubbard sent the message to a local, Gerald Horan, who posted it to a local blog, Citizens of Simpson County.  

The text according to Hubbard was from Steele and read, “Mr. Hubbard at the conclusion of tonight (sic) board of alderman meeting this is your formal notification that you have 30 days to vacate the hanger (sic) on airport premises.  The hanger (sic) must be vacated on or before June 3, 2022.”  

Hubbard responded by saying, “Haha.  Is this how you run the airport department for the Magee airport?  I don’t have my helicopter at 17 M (designation for Magee airport).  Y’all are apparently confused.  I have it hangar at Bobby Chain in Hattiesburg (if you want my tail number call Bobby Chain in Hattiesburg they have it!)  Send your 30-day notice to someone else."  

Steele responded to Hubbard saying, “Ok, great, It worked out great that is already gone.”  

Next message from Steele, “Thank you and have a great day.”

This all occurred following the board meeting on Tuesday night of the Magee Board.  

During the meeting Alderman Mark Grubbs suggested that the board should go into executive session to discuss airport matters.  

According to the Mississippi Code discussion of airport matters would not qualify for executive session.  However, the board used the reason of personnel to go into session when they did go into session.  

The paper contacted Marc McMillian, board attorney and he referred the paper to the minutes of board meeting.  Statute calls for draft minutes to be completed within five days of meeting and are public record.  The minutes become official once the board adopts them at the next monthly board meeting.  

McMillian said that notice given to Hubbard was part of the normal duties of the airport manager executing their job responsibilities.  He said there was no action of the board in this regard.  The paper inquired as to if it was discussed, and he said that was covered under executive session and did not reveal discussion.  The newspaper filed a Freedom of Information request for the draft minutes.

However, he did say that it was appropriate for the session to be held regarding personnel and referred to the minutes regarding any action taken.

Hubbard said, that he finds it interesting that the city could evict him when he did not hold a lease with the city.  He said he had a financial interest in an aircraft associated with the Blaine Company who does have a hangar.  Steele had previously commented that Hubbard was subletting from Blaine and according to her the lease contract does not allow for that.  

Hubbard said that all they had to do was to contact him and he would have gladly informed them of arrangement.  Hubbard said he was one of the largest fuel purchasers at the airport.  Hubbard said he does own an aircraft, a helicopter which is hangared in Hattiesburg.  

Hubbard filed a complaint after he notified the city there were issues with the fuel at the airport and no actions were taken. The FAA responded there were safety issues that were going to have to be addressed otherwise they could face issues regarding existing and future funding.  It was recommended that the city should consider privatizing some of the issues that surface through a firm that provides like services for the Vicksburg and surrounding area airports, Rebel Contracting.    
Hubbard said it is his intention to fight the issue in court if it becomes necessary.  Aside from being reported locally the issue was also previously broadcast on Jackson television. 

Keafur Grimes, who consults with the airport, reported inaccuracies to the board from the newspaper.  The paper contacted him and he said that it was confusing between the complaint and the findings from the FAA and some people were unclear as to the results of fuel testing.  The fuel was reported as clear of contaminants but the standards of testing were not outlined by the FAA.  This according to Grimes who said he is going to seek additional guidelines with the FAA.  

Magee Municipal Airport (17M), Mississippi: Fuel Complaints




MAGEE, Mississippi – The last day for the City of Magee to submit a corrective action plan to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for violating federal obligations was Thursday, May 12.

It’s not the first time the airport has faced turbulence. The City of Magee is feeling the pressure at the airport. The mayor doesn’t deny the FAA’s findings.

“We’re trying to rectify the situation as best we can,” said Mayor Dale Berry.

According to the FAA, the city failed to provide documented evidence that fuel filters were replaced prior to August 31, 2021. Parts for a jet tank were not replaced in a timely manner. Maintenance logs for the fuel system, other than for a one-time repair, were not provided. The city failed to reasonably show any training or certifications that are common industry standards.

The mayor said the aldermen advised the city attorney to contact the FAA in Atlanta and Rebel Aviation in Aberdeen, Mississippi, to monitor the fuel farms at the airport.

“The board voted 4-0 to keep the airport manager,” said Berry.

Brien Hubbard and Kenneth Aasand filed the most recent complaint against the airport. With his background in aviation and managing the Copiah County airport for seven years, some pilots asked Aasand to help out at the Magee airport. He met with Airport Manager Ashley Steele about sampling fuel.

“At that point in time, we pulled a fuel sample. It was a two-gallon sample and we had 1.5 quarts of water. That tank had never been sampled and water just accumulated. I explained all the equipment they would need to sample properly and all the paperwork they would need to sample properly,” said Aasand.

He said everything he told Steele seemed to have fallen by the wayside. They only met once. The aircraft that belonged to a friend of the mayor failed an inspection he performed. The mayor accused him of extortion.

“They did seem to fix the fuel system for just a little bit in 2020. Recently, I was informed by Brien Hubbard that the fuel system had fallen into disrepair. it wasn’t being sampled. The tanks were empty. Nobody was doing anything. I had no problem making another complaint to the FAA that said you’ve given $3.6 million over the years to operate a fuel farm. This is a duplicate complaint given to them two years ago,” said Aasand.

The city is still working on its response to the FAA.