Friday, June 03, 2022

American Airlines CEO says the airline has grounded 100 planes because it doesn't have enough pilots to fly them

  • American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said on Friday that the carrier is grounding about 100 regional jets.
  • However, he believes the problem "can be remedied" with the right compensation and incentives. 
  • United Airlines grounded 100 regional planes in December amid the pilot shortage.




The pilot shortage is continuing to take a toll on US airlines, forcing some to park planes because there aren't enough pilots to fly them. 

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom told participants at the Bernstein Strategic Decisions conference on Friday that the carrier is grounding about 100 regional jets due to the pilot shortage. The news was first reported by The Dallas Morning News.

"There is a supply and demand imbalance right now, and it really is within the regional carrier ranks," he said. "We have probably a hundred aircraft — almost a hundred aircraft that aren't, aren't productive right now, that aren't flying."

The parked planes are smaller 50 and 76-seater jets, he explained. However, Isom said American has made up for the lack of frequencies by flying larger regional aircraft, like the Embraer 175. 

Despite the groundings, Isom says the company is currently hiring 2,000 pilots and believes if "there are the appropriate incentives and there's the kind of compensation that attracts people to the industry, then this is something that can be remedied." 

Isom's comments come as the airline industry grapples with the pilot shortage, especially with the busy summer travel season quickly approaching. Regional carriers have been particularly impacted as their pilots move to larger airlines.

Mesa Airlines CEO Jonathan Ornstein told CNBC in May that it takes about four months to replace a pilot who put in their two weeks' notice to fly for a larger carrier, and that Mesa needs "about 200 pilots."

While some airlines are reducing their fleet and laser-focused on hiring, one carrier is trying to change training requirements to get more pilots flying sooner.

In April, regional carrier Republic Airways, which flies on behalf of Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and American, asked the Federal Aviation Administration for permission to hire pilots from its training academy, LIFT. Currently, most pilots need 1,500 hours to be hired by an airline, but Republic wants to slash that in half to 750 hours.

"Republic is not proposing overturning the 1500-hour rule or weakening safety; to the contrary, we are proposing a more intensive, mission-specific training pathway similar to what is permitted for military pilots under current law," Republic CEO Bryan Bedford said in a statement sent to Insider. 

He emphasized the importance of safety, and that the proposal is a data-supported "pathway" that will "produce higher performing pilots while reducing significant economic barriers to enable more diversity in our cockpits."

There are already some exemptions in place that allow pilots to be hired with less training time. Specifically, those with two or four-year college degrees can be hired with 1,250 and 1,000 hours, respectively.

American is not the only airline grounding aircraft. In December, United Airlines announced it would park 100 regional jets amid the pilot shortage.

"The pilot shortage for the industry is real, and most airlines are simply not going to be able to realize their capacity plans because there simply aren't enough pilots, at least not for the next five-plus years," United CEO Scott Kirby said in a quarterly earnings call in April, CNBC reported.

The shortage was exacerbated during the pandemic when the industry lost thousands of pilots due to early retirement, and carriers expect the low supply to continue as more hit the mandatory retirement age of 65, per The Dallas Morning News.

To keep more pilots flying longer, Senator Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) may propose a bill that would increase the retirement age to 67, according to Aviation Weekly.

"Optically, cutting the number of required flying hours may look like a riskier approach than allowing a healthy pilot to continue flying a few more years," Henry Harteveldt, travel analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group, previously told Insider.

GoJump Oceanside: Cessna 208B Supervan 900, N7581F and Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, N10JA

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 traveled to the scene of this accident. 

Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; San Diego, California
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Honeywell; Phoenix, Arizona
Hartzell Propellers; Piqua, Ohio
Texas Turbine Conversions; Celina, Texas
Woodward; Rockford, Illinois

Cessna 208B Supervan 900, N7581F: Fatal accident occurred June 03, 2022 near Oceanside Municipal Airport (KOKB), San Diego County, California

Registered Owner: Desert Sand Aircraft Leasing Company Inc

Operator: GoJump Oceanside Inc


Location: Oceanside, California
Accident Number: WPR22FA197
Date and Time: June 3, 2022, 13:47 Local
Registration: N7581F
Aircraft: Cessna 208B 
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Skydiving

On June 03, 2022, about 1347 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna C208B Supervan 900 airplane, N7581F, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Bob Maxwell Memorial Airfield, Oceanside, California. The left-seated pilot was fatally injured and right seated pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 skydiving flight.

On the day of the accident, the pilots were performing skydiving flights while the right-seated pilot was training the left-seated pilot on the operation. A flight would consist of the pilots taking a group of approximately 17 skydivers to an altitude of about 11,500 feet mean sea level (msl) to jump out and then they would land back at the airport. The flights started about 1015 and were an average of 17 minutes in duration with about 15 minutes on the ground between each flight; the airplane’s engine was operating the entire duration. The pilots completed six flights without incident and departed on the accident flight at 1331.

The right-seated pilot stated that he could not recall many of the details leading up to the accident. He remembered that on the accident flight everything was normal with the departure and the unloading of the skydivers. The airplane was descending as expected with the power at idle. As the airplane turned onto final approach, about 3 miles from the approach end of runway 25, the right-seated pilot attempted to increase the power by slightly nudging the throttle forward. He noticed that the engine power did not increase as expected and moved the throttle lever further forward. The lever was still unresponsive, and he estimated the airplane was about 400 ft above ground level (agl). He aimed for an open dirt field and observed a berm in the immediate flight path. In an effort to avoid the berm, the pilot maneuvered the airplane into a right turn.

Investigators reviewed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provided Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) flight track data covering the area of the accident during the time surrounding the accident.

After departing from runway 25, the airplane made a gradual climb to 11,575 ft msl as it circled to the right, back to the airport. The airspeed was reduced (presumably to unload the skydivers) and then the airplane made a steep, turning decent reaching 133 kts when transitioning to the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. The airplane was at an altitude of about 2,400 ft msl and 2.6 nautical miles (nm) from the approach end of runway 25 when it turned onto final approach. When the airplane was about 2 nm from the runway, it made a 360° right turn which was about 0.5 nm in diameter (see Figure 1 below). 

At 1346:10, about 1,025 ft msl, the airplane rolled out of the 360° turn and continue west toward the runway. The airplane was roughly following Highway 76 making a gradual decent (see Figure 2 below). About 33 seconds later the airplane’s speed dropped to 92 kts as it passed through 500 ft msl. The last recorded hit was at 1347:10 and located about 975 feet east of the accident site. At that time, the data indicated that the airplane was at 100 msl (equivalent to 60 feet above ground level) at a speed of 68 kts. Witness stated that they observed the airplane flying at a very low altitude (see Figure 3). The airplane then pitched down in a nose-low attitude and bank to the right. The airplane impacted terrain and collided with the side of a berm. 

The left-seated pilot was undergoing training; she had six days of experience flying a Cessna 208, equating to 25.8 hours. This was her third day in the left-seat. All of her training in the airplane was conducted by the right-seated pilot.

The accident site was located about 1,615 feet east of the approach end of runway 25 on flat terrain composed of soft, dry dirt. The wreckage was found distributed over an approximate 125-foot distance with the nose pointed on a heading of about 335°. The right wing was partially separate from the fuselage root and had folded forward and over upon itself, coming to rest inverted. The first identified piece of debris was fragments of left lens, consistent with the tip of the right wing contacting the ground at the beginning of the accident sequence (see Figure 4 below). The flaps were found in the retracted position. There was about 50 gallons of fluid, consistent in appearance and odor with Jet A fuel, recovered from the right wing; no fluid was recovered from the left wing, but the fuel line had separated from the connection into the fuselage. The fuel system remained unbreeched from the header tank to the engine’s fuel nozzles. There was fluid found in the header tank, in the airframe fuel filter, and in several fuel lines before and after the fuel control unit. The preliminary findings from the engine teardown (e.g., several compressor blade tips curled in the opposite direction of rotation and metal splatter on the turbine discs and stators) were consistent with the engine running at a low power setting at the time of impact.






Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N7581F
Model/Series: 208B Supervan 
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: KOKB,30 ft msl
Observation Time: 13:52 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles 
Temperature/Dew Point: 21°C /13°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 8 knots / , 230°
Lowest Ceiling: None 
Visibility: 8 miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.85 inches Hg 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Oceanside, CA
Destination: Oceanside, CA

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: 33.219797,-117.34196 (est)









Aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances.

Date: 03-JUN-22
Time: 20:47:00Z
Regis#: N7581F
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 208
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: FATAL
Total Fatal: 1
Flight Crew: 1 fatal
Pax: 1 serious injuries
Activity: SKYDIVING
Flight Phase: APPROACH (APR)
Operation: 91
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
City: OCEANSIDE
State: CALIFORNIA
 
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.






A woman died and a man was injured after a small plane crashed just short of reaching the Oceanside Municipal Airport, the Oceanside Police Department (OPD) confirmed.

The crash was reported at around 1:50 p.m. east of New Foussat Road when a Cessna 208B tried to land at the nearby airport, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

The plane landed in a nosedive position in a dirt field. The Oceanside Fire Department arrived at the scene and found two people trapped inside and in critical condition, said Justin Klopfenstein with Oceanside Fire. They were able to extricate both passengers and both were taken to local hospitals.

The occupants are described as a man and a woman and both were certified pilots, but it's unsure who was piloting the aircraft.

It was later confirmed to NBC 7 that the woman died at the hospital.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The aircraft was reported to be from GoJump America, a skydiving company. GoJump America later confirmed to NBC 7 that they leased the aircraft for skydiving operations and that none of their pilots were flying at the time of the crash.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the pilot who has passed away. All of us in GoJump are very saddened by what has happened," they said in a statement.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA will conduct an investigation into the crash.


Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, N10JA: Accident occurred February 24, 2022 near Oceanside Municipal Airport (KOKB), San Diego 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 Entities: Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; San Diego, California
Hartzell Propellers; Piqua, Ohio
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Texas Turbine Conversions; Texas
Honeywell Aerospace; Phoenix, Arizona

Registered Owner:  GoSky America 5 Inc

Operator:  GoJump Oceanside


Location: Oceanside, California 
Accident Number: WPR22LA114
Date and Time: February 24, 2022, 12:45 Local
Registration: N10JA
Aircraft: Cessna 208B 
Injuries: 2 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Skydiving

On February 24, 2022, at 1245 Pacific standard time, a Cessna C208B Supervan 900 airplane, N10JA, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident in Oceanside, California. The pilot and passenger were seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 skydiving flight.

The pilot stated that the passenger, who is also a pilot, had planned to observe the skydiving operation over the course of the day. Earlier in the day, the pilot had conducted three flights to drop off skydivers at an altitude of about 13,000 feet mean sea level (msl). On the fourth flight, the airplane departed runway 25 and made a gradual climb to 12,700 ft msl. The skydivers departed the airplane, and the pilot initiated a steep, turning descent in excess of 6,400 ft per min (fpm). The pilot stated that he set the power to idle and recalled the torque gauge indicated 0%. When the airplane was on the base leg of the traffic pattern to runway 25, at an altitude of about 4,000 ft msl, the pilot attempted to arrest the descent by adding power (see picture 1 below). 

The pilot further stated that despite his attempts to add power, his movement of the power lever was unresponsive, and the engine thrust did not increase. He moved the propeller speed lever, which was also unresponsive. The pilot presumed the engine had flamed-out and attempted to restart it. With the propeller still windmilling, he switched the ignition to “continuous” and turned the boost-pump on. He observed the torque gauge increase from 0% to 20%, but the power lever was still unresponsive. He added full nose-up elevator trim and the control yoke was full aft, against the stop. Even with the full elevator inputs, the airplane could not maintain a level attitude. The airplane collided with terrain in a nose-low attitude about 1,400 ft short of the runway (see picture 2 below). The pilot did not feather the propeller during the flight. 

The passenger stated that before the flight, the pilot explained various flight sequences that are done for skydiving operations. The pilot said that he will occasionally use a beta setting in-flight as a means to perform a rapid descent. During the accident flight, the pilot told the passenger that he would use beta to descend and “race the skydivers to the ground.” After the skydivers departed, the pilot began a steep descent and retarded the power lever to beta mode. The passenger noted that fuel gauges indicated empty, and a low fuel light was illuminated, both of which he relayed to the pilot. The pilot responded by saying that the gauges were inaccurate. Shortly thereafter, while on the base leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot stated that he was going to make a right turn without using any rudder.

The passenger further stated that the pilot initiated a steep right bank followed by a steep left bank. He recalled that the turns were all uncoordinated and the auxiliary fuel pump light was illuminated. The pilot began to move the power and propeller speed levers and then stated that they “lost the engine.” The airplane impacted terrain in a nose-low attitude. The passenger took several videos of the flights from his cell phone. The video from the accident flight showed that the fuel gauges were at empty, the propeller RPM was about 65% and the oil temperature and pressure were in the green arcs.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors that responded to the accident stated that the fuel tanks remained intact with no apparent perforations. Recovery personnel drained about 20 gallons of fuel from the airplane, all of which was in the right wing (the airplane came to rest in a right-wing low attitude). The airplane was recovered for further examination.



Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N10JA
Model/Series: 208B Supervan
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: KOKB, 28 ft msl
Observation Time: 12:52 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 16°C /-3°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 11 knots / , 260°
Lowest Ceiling: None 
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.22 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Oceanside, CA 
Destination: Oceanside, CA

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Serious  
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Serious 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries:
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Serious 
Latitude, Longitude:  33.220357,-117.34318 (est)

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Morgan Vohs, who is stationed at Camp Pendleton and lives in Fallbrook, is one of two good Samaritans who rendered first aid to two plane crash victims in Oceanside on February 24, 2022.
~

February 24, 2022

February 24, 2022


OCEANSIDE, California — A U.S. Marine was on his way home from Camp Pendleton Thursday when he saw a small plane crash in Oceanside, prompting him to pull over, sprint across the highway and find a way to help.

The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan with the skydiving company GoJump, went down a few hundred feet short of the runway at Oceanside Municipal Airport around 1 p.m., according to police.

Authorities haven’t said what caused the plane to crash, but it came to a rest with its nose on the ground and its tail in the air. The propeller on the front of the aircraft was destroyed and two people inside the plane were hospitalized.

Sgt. Morgan Vohs, an open water safety coxswain who’s based at Camp Pendleton, saw the aircraft go down near the airstrip as he drove home on state Route 76.

“As soon as it hit, I just immediately pulled over and jumped the 76 and ran over to the crash,” Vohs said, in an interview released by the USMC.

The sergeant went streaking across the lanes and reached the crash before first responders, officials said. He was able to provide first-aid and helped keep the pilots calm while they waited for paramedics to arrive.

“Looking back, Vohs said he did what anyone else would do in that situation,” a USMC spokesperson wrote in a news release.

“Every Marine goes through it in boot camp. It’s called CLS, Combat Life Saving,” Vohs said. “Every Marine knows the basics of medical training. It’s just second nature.”

Officials had not provided an update on the two injured pilots as of late Friday morning. On Thursday, Oceanside police said one of the men had “critical” injuries while the other was in “moderate condition.”

The crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.

GoJump, which has locations in Las Vegas and San Diego County according to its website, was founded in Oceanside and has an office located at the airstrip. An airport spokesperson told FOX 5 that the pilots were returning from a skydiving trip at the time the plane went down.

Cessna 208B Supervan 900, N7581F: Fatal accident occurred June 03, 2022 and Accident occurred July 21, 2016

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 traveled to the scene of this accident. 

Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; San Diego, California
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Honeywell; Phoenix, Arizona
Hartzell Propellers; Piqua, Ohio
Texas Turbine Conversions; Celina, Texas
Woodward; Rockford, Illinois

Cessna 208B Supervan 900, N7581F: Fatal accident occurred June 03, 2022 near Oceanside Municipal Airport (KOKB), San Diego County, California

Registered Owner: Desert Sand Aircraft Leasing Company Inc

Operator: GoJump Oceanside Inc


Location: Oceanside, California
Accident Number: WPR22FA197
Date and Time: June 3, 2022, 13:47 Local
Registration: N7581F
Aircraft: Cessna 208B 
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Skydiving

On June 03, 2022, about 1347 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna C208B Supervan 900 airplane, N7581F, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Bob Maxwell Memorial Airfield, Oceanside, California. The left-seated pilot was fatally injured and right seated pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 skydiving flight.

On the day of the accident, the pilots were performing skydiving flights while the right-seated pilot was training the left-seated pilot on the operation. A flight would consist of the pilots taking a group of approximately 17 skydivers to an altitude of about 11,500 feet mean sea level (msl) to jump out and then they would land back at the airport. The flights started about 1015 and were an average of 17 minutes in duration with about 15 minutes on the ground between each flight; the airplane’s engine was operating the entire duration. The pilots completed six flights without incident and departed on the accident flight at 1331.

The right-seated pilot stated that he could not recall many of the details leading up to the accident. He remembered that on the accident flight everything was normal with the departure and the unloading of the skydivers. The airplane was descending as expected with the power at idle. As the airplane turned onto final approach, about 3 miles from the approach end of runway 25, the right-seated pilot attempted to increase the power by slightly nudging the throttle forward. He noticed that the engine power did not increase as expected and moved the throttle lever further forward. The lever was still unresponsive, and he estimated the airplane was about 400 ft above ground level (agl). He aimed for an open dirt field and observed a berm in the immediate flight path. In an effort to avoid the berm, the pilot maneuvered the airplane into a right turn.

Investigators reviewed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provided Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) flight track data covering the area of the accident during the time surrounding the accident.

After departing from runway 25, the airplane made a gradual climb to 11,575 ft msl as it circled to the right, back to the airport. The airspeed was reduced (presumably to unload the skydivers) and then the airplane made a steep, turning decent reaching 133 kts when transitioning to the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. The airplane was at an altitude of about 2,400 ft msl and 2.6 nautical miles (nm) from the approach end of runway 25 when it turned onto final approach. When the airplane was about 2 nm from the runway, it made a 360° right turn which was about 0.5 nm in diameter (see Figure 1 below). 

At 1346:10, about 1,025 ft msl, the airplane rolled out of the 360° turn and continue west toward the runway. The airplane was roughly following Highway 76 making a gradual decent (see Figure 2 below). About 33 seconds later the airplane’s speed dropped to 92 kts as it passed through 500 ft msl. The last recorded hit was at 1347:10 and located about 975 feet east of the accident site. At that time, the data indicated that the airplane was at 100 msl (equivalent to 60 feet above ground level) at a speed of 68 kts. Witness stated that they observed the airplane flying at a very low altitude (see Figure 3). The airplane then pitched down in a nose-low attitude and bank to the right. The airplane impacted terrain and collided with the side of a berm. 

The left-seated pilot was undergoing training; she had six days of experience flying a Cessna 208, equating to 25.8 hours. This was her third day in the left-seat. All of her training in the airplane was conducted by the right-seated pilot.

The accident site was located about 1,615 feet east of the approach end of runway 25 on flat terrain composed of soft, dry dirt. The wreckage was found distributed over an approximate 125-foot distance with the nose pointed on a heading of about 335°. The right wing was partially separate from the fuselage root and had folded forward and over upon itself, coming to rest inverted. The first identified piece of debris was fragments of left lens, consistent with the tip of the right wing contacting the ground at the beginning of the accident sequence (see Figure 4 below). The flaps were found in the retracted position. There was about 50 gallons of fluid, consistent in appearance and odor with Jet A fuel, recovered from the right wing; no fluid was recovered from the left wing, but the fuel line had separated from the connection into the fuselage. The fuel system remained unbreeched from the header tank to the engine’s fuel nozzles. There was fluid found in the header tank, in the airframe fuel filter, and in several fuel lines before and after the fuel control unit. The preliminary findings from the engine teardown (e.g., several compressor blade tips curled in the opposite direction of rotation and metal splatter on the turbine discs and stators) were consistent with the engine running at a low power setting at the time of impact.






Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N7581F
Model/Series: 208B Supervan 
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: KOKB,30 ft msl
Observation Time: 13:52 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles 
Temperature/Dew Point: 21°C /13°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 8 knots / , 230°
Lowest Ceiling: None 
Visibility: 8 miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.85 inches Hg 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Oceanside, CA
Destination: Oceanside, CA

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: 33.219797,-117.34196 (est)









Aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances.

Date: 03-JUN-22
Time: 20:47:00Z
Regis#: N7581F
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 208
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: FATAL
Total Fatal: 1
Flight Crew: 1 fatal
Pax: 1 serious injuries
Activity: SKYDIVING
Flight Phase: APPROACH (APR)
Operation: 91
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
City: OCEANSIDE
State: CALIFORNIA
 
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.






A woman died and a man was injured after a small plane crashed just short of reaching the Oceanside Municipal Airport, the Oceanside Police Department (OPD) confirmed.

The crash was reported at around 1:50 p.m. east of New Foussat Road when a Cessna 208B tried to land at the nearby airport, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

The plane landed in a nosedive position in a dirt field. The Oceanside Fire Department arrived at the scene and found two people trapped inside and in critical condition, said Justin Klopfenstein with Oceanside Fire. They were able to extricate both passengers and both were taken to local hospitals.

The occupants are described as a man and a woman and both were certified pilots, but it's unsure who was piloting the aircraft.

It was later confirmed to NBC 7 that the woman died at the hospital.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The aircraft was reported to be from GoJump America, a skydiving company. GoJump America later confirmed to NBC 7 that they leased the aircraft for skydiving operations and that none of their pilots were flying at the time of the crash.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the pilot who has passed away. All of us in GoJump are very saddened by what has happened," they said in a statement.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA will conduct an investigation into the crash.


Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, N10JA: Accident occurred February 24, 2022 near Oceanside Municipal Airport (KOKB), San Diego 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 Entities: Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; San Diego, California
Hartzell Propellers; Piqua, Ohio
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Texas Turbine Conversions; Texas
Honeywell Aerospace; Phoenix, Arizona

Registered Owner:  GoSky America 5 Inc

Operator:  GoJump Oceanside


Location: Oceanside, California 
Accident Number: WPR22LA114
Date and Time: February 24, 2022, 12:45 Local
Registration: N10JA
Aircraft: Cessna 208B 
Injuries: 2 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Skydiving

On February 24, 2022, at 1245 Pacific standard time, a Cessna C208B Supervan 900 airplane, N10JA, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident in Oceanside, California. The pilot and passenger were seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 skydiving flight.

The pilot stated that the passenger, who is also a pilot, had planned to observe the skydiving operation over the course of the day. Earlier in the day, the pilot had conducted three flights to drop off skydivers at an altitude of about 13,000 feet mean sea level (msl). On the fourth flight, the airplane departed runway 25 and made a gradual climb to 12,700 ft msl. The skydivers departed the airplane, and the pilot initiated a steep, turning descent in excess of 6,400 ft per min (fpm). The pilot stated that he set the power to idle and recalled the torque gauge indicated 0%. When the airplane was on the base leg of the traffic pattern to runway 25, at an altitude of about 4,000 ft msl, the pilot attempted to arrest the descent by adding power (see picture 1 below). 

The pilot further stated that despite his attempts to add power, his movement of the power lever was unresponsive, and the engine thrust did not increase. He moved the propeller speed lever, which was also unresponsive. The pilot presumed the engine had flamed-out and attempted to restart it. With the propeller still windmilling, he switched the ignition to “continuous” and turned the boost-pump on. He observed the torque gauge increase from 0% to 20%, but the power lever was still unresponsive. He added full nose-up elevator trim and the control yoke was full aft, against the stop. Even with the full elevator inputs, the airplane could not maintain a level attitude. The airplane collided with terrain in a nose-low attitude about 1,400 ft short of the runway (see picture 2 below). The pilot did not feather the propeller during the flight. 

The passenger stated that before the flight, the pilot explained various flight sequences that are done for skydiving operations. The pilot said that he will occasionally use a beta setting in-flight as a means to perform a rapid descent. During the accident flight, the pilot told the passenger that he would use beta to descend and “race the skydivers to the ground.” After the skydivers departed, the pilot began a steep descent and retarded the power lever to beta mode. The passenger noted that fuel gauges indicated empty, and a low fuel light was illuminated, both of which he relayed to the pilot. The pilot responded by saying that the gauges were inaccurate. Shortly thereafter, while on the base leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot stated that he was going to make a right turn without using any rudder.

The passenger further stated that the pilot initiated a steep right bank followed by a steep left bank. He recalled that the turns were all uncoordinated and the auxiliary fuel pump light was illuminated. The pilot began to move the power and propeller speed levers and then stated that they “lost the engine.” The airplane impacted terrain in a nose-low attitude. The passenger took several videos of the flights from his cell phone. The video from the accident flight showed that the fuel gauges were at empty, the propeller RPM was about 65% and the oil temperature and pressure were in the green arcs.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors that responded to the accident stated that the fuel tanks remained intact with no apparent perforations. Recovery personnel drained about 20 gallons of fuel from the airplane, all of which was in the right wing (the airplane came to rest in a right-wing low attitude). The airplane was recovered for further examination.



Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N10JA
Model/Series: 208B Supervan
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: KOKB, 28 ft msl
Observation Time: 12:52 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 16°C /-3°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 11 knots / , 260°
Lowest Ceiling: None 
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.22 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Oceanside, CA 
Destination: Oceanside, CA

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Serious  
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Serious 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries:
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Serious 
Latitude, Longitude:  33.220357,-117.34318 (est)

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Morgan Vohs, who is stationed at Camp Pendleton and lives in Fallbrook, is one of two good Samaritans who rendered first aid to two plane crash victims in Oceanside on February 24, 2022.
~

February 24, 2022

February 24, 2022


OCEANSIDE, California — A U.S. Marine was on his way home from Camp Pendleton Thursday when he saw a small plane crash in Oceanside, prompting him to pull over, sprint across the highway and find a way to help.

The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan with the skydiving company GoJump, went down a few hundred feet short of the runway at Oceanside Municipal Airport around 1 p.m., according to police.

Authorities haven’t said what caused the plane to crash, but it came to a rest with its nose on the ground and its tail in the air. The propeller on the front of the aircraft was destroyed and two people inside the plane were hospitalized.

Sgt. Morgan Vohs, an open water safety coxswain who’s based at Camp Pendleton, saw the aircraft go down near the airstrip as he drove home on state Route 76.

“As soon as it hit, I just immediately pulled over and jumped the 76 and ran over to the crash,” Vohs said, in an interview released by the USMC.

The sergeant went streaking across the lanes and reached the crash before first responders, officials said. He was able to provide first-aid and helped keep the pilots calm while they waited for paramedics to arrive.

“Looking back, Vohs said he did what anyone else would do in that situation,” a USMC spokesperson wrote in a news release.

“Every Marine goes through it in boot camp. It’s called CLS, Combat Life Saving,” Vohs said. “Every Marine knows the basics of medical training. It’s just second nature.”

Officials had not provided an update on the two injured pilots as of late Friday morning. On Thursday, Oceanside police said one of the men had “critical” injuries while the other was in “moderate condition.”

The crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.

GoJump, which has locations in Las Vegas and San Diego County according to its website, was founded in Oceanside and has an office located at the airstrip. An airport spokesperson told FOX 5 that the pilots were returning from a skydiving trip at the time the plane went down.


Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; San Diego, California 

Aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances.

Cessna 208B Supervan 900, N7581F: Fatal accident occurred June 03, 2022 near Oceanside Municipal Airport (KOKB), San Diego County, California

Registered Owner: Desert Sand Aircraft Leasing Company Inc

Operator: GoJump Oceanside Inc


Date: 03-JUN-22
Time: 20:47:00Z
Regis#: N7581F
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 208
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: FATAL
Total Fatal: 1
Flight Crew: 1 fatal
Pax: 1 serious injuries
Activity: SKYDIVING
Flight Phase: APPROACH (APR)
Operation: 91
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
City: OCEANSIDE
State: CALIFORNIA
 
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.






A woman died and a man was injured after a small plane crashed just short of reaching the Oceanside Municipal Airport, the Oceanside Police Department (OPD) confirmed.

The crash was reported at around 1:50 p.m. east of New Foussat Road when a Cessna 208B tried to land at the nearby airport, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

The plane landed in a nosedive position in a dirt field. The Oceanside Fire Department arrived at the scene and found two people trapped inside and in critical condition, said Justin Klopfenstein with Oceanside Fire. They were able to extricate both passengers and both were taken to local hospitals.

The occupants are described as a man and a woman and both were certified pilots, but it's unsure who was piloting the aircraft.

It was later confirmed to NBC 7 that the woman died at the hospital.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The aircraft was reported to be from GoJump America, a skydiving company. GoJump America later confirmed to NBC 7 that they leased the aircraft for skydiving operations and that none of their pilots were flying at the time of the crash.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the pilot who has passed away. All of us in GoJump are very saddened by what has happened," they said in a statement.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA will conduct an investigation into the crash.


July 21, 2016










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; Minneapolis, Minnesota

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

Registered Owner: Desert Sand Aircraft Leasing Company Inc

Operator: Skydive Twin Cities LLC


Location: Baldwin, Wisconsin 
Accident Number: CEN16LA288
Date and Time: July 21, 2016, 14:00 Local
Registration: N7581F
Aircraft: Cessna 208B 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Runway excursion 
Injuries: 15 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Skydiving

Analysis

Before the accident flight, the commercial pilot had conducted three flights, during which parachutists were successfully dropped. After each flight, he returned the empty airplane to a dry grass airstrip (1,950 ft long) and conducted full-stop landings. Because the temperature was over 90° with high humidity, the pilot requested that his manifests allow only up to 14 parachutists and a longer time between shutdowns to ensure sufficient time for adequate engine cooling before the next flight. The pilot reported that popup rain showers had been passing north and south of his base airport throughout the morning but that they never came closer than 10 to 15 miles.

While preparing for the accident flight, the pilot noted that clouds were over the intended drop zone but that there was no rain and that the clouds were moving away from the northern edge of the drop zone, so the pilot decided that it was worth attempting the flight. While climbing through 4,000 ft, an air traffic controller advised the pilot that light-to-moderate precipitation was in the area. The pilot continued to climb toward the drop zone, and the flight encountered light rain. The pilot advised the 14 parachutists that they were returning to land because of the weather.

The approach was a stabilized, power-on approach, which was much flatter than the previous approaches with an empty airplane. The pilot used flaps incrementally to 30° (full flaps), initiated a flare over the threshold, and touched down at 65 knots. He used full-reverse propeller and retracted the flaps during the landing roll. When the pilot started to apply the brakes, he discovered that the braking action was null. The grass runway was wet because of a recent rain shower. Because of the hot temperature, humidity, full load of parachutists, and trees at the end of the runway, the pilot decided not to attempt a go-around. The pilot held full aft on the control yoke for aerodynamic braking, stayed in full-reverse propeller, and braked as much as possible without locking the wheels up. Just before coming to a complete stop (about 5 to 10 mph), the airplane rolled into a ditch before a road beyond the departure end of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the empennage.

According to the airplane manufacturer, the applicable Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) tables did not provide distances for landing on wet grass runways. However, for landing on dry grass runways, 40% distance was added to the normal landing roll distance chart figures. The pilot reported that the airplane weighed 8,010 lbs, and the nearest weather reporting station to the accident site, located at an airport about 16 miles to the north, reported that the temperature was 30°C at the time of the accident. According to the POH chart, the minimum required landing distance would have been about 2,265 ft. The published length of the runway was 1,950 ft.

The closest airport had an available runway that was 5,507 ft long, which would have been well within the safe stopping distance for the fully loaded airplane. The pilot's decision to land the fully loaded airplane on the wet grass runway that had insufficient length for the landing led to the runway overrun. If he had chosen to land at the nearby airport that had sufficient length for the landing, the accident may have been avoided.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's decision to land the fully loaded parachutist drop airplane on a wet grass runway that had insufficient length for the landing in high temperature conditions, which resulted in a runway overrun, when a more suitable longer runway was available at a nearby airport.

Findings

Personnel issues Decision making/judgment - Pilot
Aircraft Landing distance - Capability exceeded
Environmental issues High temperature - Effect on equipment
Environmental issues Wet surface - Effect on operation

Factual Information

On July 21, 2016, about 1400 central standard time, a Cessna 208B air drop configured airplane, N7581F, registered to Desert Sand Aircraft Leasing Company, Inc., of Carson City, Nevada, sustained substantial damage during a runway excursion after landing on runway 18 at the Baldwin Airport (WI14), Baldwin, Wisconsin. The commercial pilot and 14 passengers were not injured. The air drop flight was being operated by Skydive Twin Cities, of Baldwin, Wisconsin, and conducted under the provisions of Federal Code of Regulations Part 91. No flight plan was filed and local traffic advisory was requested by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions with light rain showers prevailed throughout the area. The flight originated from WI14 about 1350.

According to the pilot, he had ferried the airplane from Forest Lake, Wisconsin, to WI14 on the morning of the accident. The airplane had just completed its 100-hour inspection at Forest Lake. After flying three air drops without incident, he prepared for his fourth flight of the day. He stated that all the previous 3 flights had successfully deployed the parachutists and were full stop landings in an empty airplane. Due to the temperatures of 90+ degrees and high humidity, the pilot requested his manifests limit to 14 parachutists and allow a longer time between shutdowns to allow for adequate cooling before the next flight.

The pilot reported that pop-up rain showers had been passing north and south of Baldwin throughout the morning, but never coming closer than 10-15 miles. While preparing for the fourth flight of the day (accident flight) the pilot discussed the weather with an experienced parachutist. Clouds were currently over the intended drop zone but there was no rain and the clouds were moving away from the northern edge of the drop zone. The pilot and parachutist agreed that it was worth attempting the drop considering the cloud movement away from the drop zone. The 14 parachutists were loaded and the airplane took off. Climbing through 3,000 feet MSL, the pilot checked in with ATC for traffic advisory and a radio check. Climbing through 4,000 feet, ATC advised the pilot that light to moderate precipitation was in the area. The pilot continued to climb toward the drop zone to see if there was any rain over the area and about 1-1.5 miles from the zone, light rain was encountered. The pilot advised the parachutists that they were returning to Baldwin to land because of the weather.

After descending, the pilot set up a base leg to runway 18, and about two miles from the airport, turned on final. The approach was a stabilized, powered-on approach which was much flatter than the standard descent with an empty airplane. The pilot used flaps incrementally to 30-degrees (full flaps), initiated a flare over the threshold, and touched down at 65 knots. Full reverse propeller was used and the flaps retracted during the landing rollout. When the pilot started to apply brakes, he discovered that the braking action was null. The 1,950-foot-long grass runway was wet because of a recent rain shower. Because of the elevated temperature, humidity, full load, and trees at the end of the runway, the pilot decided to not attempt a go around. The pilot held full aft on the control yoke for aerodynamic braking, stayed in full propeller reverse, and braked as much as possible without locking the wheels up. Just before coming to a complete stop (about 5-10 mph), the airplane rolled into a ditch before a road beyond the departure end of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot secured the engine and all the occupants exited the airplane.

According to Cessna, the applicable 208B Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) tables do not provide for landing on WET grass runways. However, for landing on DRY grass runways, 40% distance is added to the normal landing roll distance chart figures. On NTSB Form 6120, the pilot reported an aircraft weight 8,010 pounds at the time of the accident. The nearest weather reporting station to the accident site, located about 16 miles to the north, reported the temperature at 30 degrees C. According to the POH chart, with an estimated airplane weight of 8,010 pounds, and temperature of 30 degrees C, the minimum landing distance would have been about 2,265 feet. The published length of runway 18 at the Baldwin Airport was 1,950 feet.

New Richmond Municipal Airport (RNH) was located about 16 miles to the north of Baldwin Airport. The length of runway 14 at RNH was 5,507 feet.

In an interview and email correspondence with the owner/operator (Skydive Twin Cities), he stated that the company's SOP would be updated to include the following language: If landing on a grass runway shorter than 3000' while fully loaded, the aircraft should be taken to the nearest airport that meets or exceeds safe landing requirements. He also stated that they also discussed the accident with their contract pilots and gave them a reminder of their training to use their best judgement in situations like what happened in Baldwin, Wisconsin. They discussed avoiding flying in situations where weather may become an issue and erring on the side of caution in all situations.

Skydive Twin Cities had 17 pilots, most of whom were contractors and used seasonally. The company fleet was comprised of 4 Cessna Grand Caravans, 1 Short Body 114A Cessna Caravan, 1 King Air 90, and 1 SC7 Skyvan.

History of Flight

Landing-landing roll Runway excursion (Defining event)

Pilot Information

Certificate: Commercial Age: 36,Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land; Multi-engine land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None 
Restraint Used: 4-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane 
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 1 Without waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: June 17, 2016
Occupational Pilot: Yes 
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: June 15, 2015
Flight Time: (Estimated) 1012 hours (Total, all aircraft), 301 hours (Total, this make and model), 2 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N7581F
Model/Series: 208B 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1994 
Amateur Built:
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal 
Serial Number: 208B0389
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle 
Seats: 19
Date/Type of Last Inspection: July 20, 2016 100 hour
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 9062 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 1 Hrs 
Engines: 1 Turbo prop
Airframe Total Time: 10660 Hrs at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Honeywell
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: TPE331
Registered Owner: 
Rated Power: 650 Horsepower
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC)
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: RNH 
Distance from Accident Site: 16 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 13:55 Local 
Direction from Accident Site: 360°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear 
Visibility: 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 5 knots / 
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:  /
Wind Direction: 280° 
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:  /
Altimeter Setting: 29.95 inches Hg 
Temperature/Dew Point: 30°C / 22°C
Precipitation and Obscuration:
Departure Point: Baldwin, WI (WI14)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Baldwin, WI (WI14) 
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 13:30 Local
Type of Airspace: Class E

Airport Information

Airport: Baldwin Airport WI14
Runway Surface Type: Grass/turf
Airport Elevation: 1104 ft msl 
Runway Surface Condition: Wet
Runway Used: 18
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 1950 ft / 120 ft 
VFR Approach/Landing: Full stop; Straight-in

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 14 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 15 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 44.966388,-92.387496 (est)