Aviation News, Headlines & Alerts
 
Category: <span>update</span>

3 Lost when Cessna Crashes Mt Si, King County Washington

What: Cessna 172
Where: North Bend, Washington
When: Feb 15, 2012
Who: 3 fatalities
Why: Around 2 a.m. a King County resident heard the sputtering engine of a plane in distress, and called in a 911. Deputies on foot patrol heard the sound of a crash in the same area. The FAA picked up the emergency beacon (transponder). Emergency teams were using portable emergency locator receivers to follow the beacon to find the crash site. At 4:15 a.m., the King County’s Guardian One helicopter crew with night vision goggles assisted in discovering the fuselage from a single-engine Cessna 172 near a sheer face of Little Si mountain. The bodies of three individuals were found by teams of rescue hikers traveling about a mile by foot from the local base of operations.

Two men and a woman were found. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Mike Fergus said the flight was not in contact with ATC.

Two of the three people killed in the small plane crash on Mount Si were swim coaches in King County. 31-year-old “Coach Seth” Dawson’s memorial was held Thursday night. Federal Way’s Decatur High School swim coach, Rob Hill was also killed in the crash, as well as Liz Redling. Hill was pursuing his commercial pilot’s license.

There may have been ground fog at the time of the crash.


View Larger Map


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A380 Wing Cracks: Short Term Solution?

According to Airbus, A380 wing cracks (“non-critical wing rib-skin attachments on a limited number of A380 aircraft”) are a non-issue because they “do not make the planes unsafe.”

The plan is to use scheduled 4-year maintenance checks called “D-Checks” to screen planes for signs of cracking.

We are just curious if this was a manufacturing error or a design flaw. And even if it is not a safety issue, the idea of just waiting around till a scheduled check seems chancy at best.

Last Surviving Hockey Hero Succumbs

Aleksandr Galimov, the last of the Russian Hockey team had been found after the crash standing in the river, tearing off his burning shirt. He survived the crash but died Monday at the burn clinic, five days after the crash.

The plane struggled to gain altitude on takeoff and crashed about a mile from the end of the runway.

The Yak-42 is an aging Soviet-designed narrow-body aircraft, the frequent focus of safety concerns after a series of problems and crashes.

After the last fatal Yak-42 crash crash of this behemoth is blamed on pilot error, it is my opinion that someone is in denial.

Read more … Yak 42 Crashes on Takeoff from Yaroslavl, Hockey Team Wiped Out


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Yemenia Flight 626, Comoros, Updated

The BEA sent this letter to the president of the Inquiry committee, the Ministries of Communications of Moroni, New technology, Transportation and tourism (Loosely translated. For the original, click the link below the letter):

Re: Yemenia Flight 626
Monsieur President,

I have read the first progress report on flight IY626 that crashed June 29, 2009 during the landing procedure at the airport in Moroni. This report is dated June 25, 2011 but has not, to my knowledge been released to date.

This report contains the facts that for the most part, were already available three months after the accident.

However, the BEA addressed you in May 2010 regarding the publication of a progress report in the context of the first anniversary of the accident. This note has been taken into consideration after a year.

No action improving safety of flights has been recommended by your Commission which is the Commission’s responsibility.

I recall that France, through the intermediary of BEA, has been deeply involved in this investigation. The underwater research was funded by France for $ 3 M.

The fact that the commission has not yet begun to use the information collected from its recorders, two years after reading them. This is inacceptible.

I urge you that the investigation that you lead henceforth be conducted with diligence and in accordance with international provisions.

I would be grateful for the Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry to please ensure that is has established a plan to lead to the publication of a final report within the best times.

In the meantime, I urge you to accept the assurances of my highest consideration.

Director of the BEA
Jean-Paul Troadec

lettre.commission.d.enquete.comorienne.

Names Released in Construction Chopper Crash in Norwegian Mountainscape

What: Airlift AS Eurocopter AS 350B3 Ecureuil
Where: between Dalamot and Busete in Hardanger, Hordalan, Norway
When: July 24, 2011, 21.30
Who: 5 fatalities
Why: About to transporting building materials into the mountains during heavy fog, the Airlift to Dagbladet helicopter crashed and caught on fire. The witnesses were part of a crew that had flown in earlier. A crisis team from Eidfjord and Ullensvang is on the scene.

The Airlift company had a fleet of 17 helicopters.

Police and fire departments, two air ambulances and at least two Sea King helicopters were engaged after emergency services were called. Three of the deceased were found quickly, and the other two took longer to find. The pilot was also killed in the crash.

The crash occurred in a remote location far (5 hours walk) from a road. It was so remote that the individual who reported the crash had to travel to a location where there was phone service coverage.

The state agency Havarikommisjonen is investigating.


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Ethiopia Denies Boeing test Flights

Mr. Tewolde Gebremariam, the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, has announced that Ethiopian Airlines has begun flying to Milan. The nonstop service between Addis Ababa and Milan is only one of 63 destinations offered, and it’s maiden flight was July 2nd.

The airport at Addis Ababa has been involved in an expansion program, leading Boeing to ask the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for landing rights—Boeing wants to conduct high-altitude tests there but the request was denied. However, in October 2006 Airbus conducted a flight test for its A380 in Addis Ababa.

Officials claim congestion due to construction is behind the denial.

Addis Ababa is a high altitude airport and preferred for high altitude testing.

Private airlines at the Addis Ababa airport operate under an aviation regulation that prohibits private airlines from operating aircraft with over a 20-seat capacity.

Capt. Solomon Gizaw, owner and managing director of Abyssinia Flight Services calls this a protectionist practice.

“Do you know why the governments put the 20-seat limit? It is to protect Ethiopian Airlines. We all like the national flag carrier. But how long will it be protected?”

Illushin IL-76 Hits Mountain in Afghanistan


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Matthias Bindseil

What: Silk Way Airlines Illushin IL-76TD en route from Baku Azerbaijan to Bagram Air Force Base Afghanistan
Where: Bagram Afghanistan
When: Jul 6th 2011
Who: 9 crew
Why: Carrying 18 tons of automobiles and trailers, the flight took off from Baku and lost radar contact 13.5 miles from Kabul. The plane struck a mountain near Akhshay in the Ghorband/Syahgerd district at 19:40 on Jul 5th. Eight bodies were recovered at 12,500 feet.

The cause of the crash is unknown. The distict chief of Siagerd stated publicly that there was a big explosion heard when the plane struck the mountain.



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Rio Negro Crash: Investigation Begins

Argentine Aviators Union of Air Lines said that the investigation into the Rio Negro crash will take 3 months.

After departing from Neuquén at 20:08, the pilot sent out a distress call declaring an emergency. 19 passengers and 3 crew were aboard.

Locals saw a ball of fire fall from the sky 35 kilometers from the town of Los Menucos in an area not available to cell phone usage. Rescue units (three ambulances and civil defense team including the police force of Black River (Rio Negro), Sierra Colorado, General Roca and Los Menucos) were deployed but there were no survivors.

Saab officials will be participating in the investigation. But three months till the investigation is done? I don’t think so. Maybe three years.

Read More…


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Pilots Notorious from GOL Case Find Four Year Sentence Commuted

Joseph Lepore and Jan Paul Paladino were sentenced to four years and four days in prison in the Amazon plane collision case when the Legacy 600 jet they were piloting made physical contact with a Gol Airlines Boeing 737. All 154 passengers and crew of the Boeing 737 were killed.

Their sentence was commuted to being banned from flying for four years, and also community service to be carried out in the US. The sentence accuses the pilots of being imprudent and inexperienced, and contends that they turned off the transponder, which the pilots deny.

The Gol jet collided over the Amazon rain forest with an Embraer Legacy 600 executive jet owned by ExcelAire Service Inc. of New York. The GOL InvestigatIon alleges that the pilots of the New York-based executive jet had placed the transponder and collision avoidance system on standby before colliding with the Boeing 737 operated by GOL Linhaus Aereas Inteligentes SA on Sept. 29, 2006.

The Legacy landed safely but everyone on the GOL jet died.

Flight controllers failed to alert pilots that they were on a collision course and also did not notice the transponder was off; in fact they deny turning it off.

On September 29, 2006, at approximately 4:57 pm, Brasilia standard time, a midair collision occurred over the Brazilian Amazon jungle, between a Boeing 737-800 (PR-GTD) operated by Gol Airlines of Brazil, and an Embraer Legacy 600 business jet (N600XL) owned and operated by Excelaire of Long Island, New York.

The accident investigation is being conducted under the authority of the Brazilian Aeronautical Accident Prevention and Investigation Center (DIPAA). Under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13, the United States, as state of registry and operator of the Excelaire Legacy, and state of manufacture of the Boeing 737 and Honeywell avionics equipment in both airplanes, has provided an accredited representative and technical advisors for the investigation. The U.S. team included the accredited representative from the major aviation accident investigations division of the NTSB, as well as technical advisors in operations, systems, air traffic control, flight recorders, and aircraft performance. Additional technical advisors from Boeing, Excelaire, Honeywell, and FAA have also been included.

If the transponder is off in either one of two approaching each other aircraft, the T Cast anti collision avoidance system will not work for either. We know there was no aural
warning in either plane to “pull up. Pull up.” Or vice versa.

So for sure the transponder was off in at least one of the planes, and that was probably the Legacy. However, in this Honeywell transponder, it is relatively easy for the
transponder to go off without the crew knowing that (due to design flaws.)

ATC put both aircraft coming at each other from oppostive directions at the same altitude, FL 370, and failed to track and warn, even though they had to know that for some reason the transponder in the exec jet was not working properly.

And who should we look for accountability to if the pilots are being held responsible for a Honeywell issue?


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Bird Strike Cancels Flight 757

What: Jet Blue Airbus A320-200 New York to Aruba
Where: JFK Airport, New York
When: May 14, 2011
Who: 104 passengers, 5 crew
Why: The Jet Blue flight had a bird strike after takeoff, and returned to the airport to make a safe landing.

The bird apparently was ingested in or on the right engine.

Maintenance inspected the plane. The flight was delayed by three hours.

*updated


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US$5,850 to Crash Victims

What: Merpati Nusantara Xian MA-60 en route from Sorong to Kaimana
Where: Kaimana, West Papua
When: May 7, 2010 12:21 pm
Who: 21 passengers (including 2 children and a baby), 4 crew, 2 technicians
Why: After flying a holding pattern for a quarter of an hour, the plane was on its final approach when it crashed in shallow water .3 miles before it reached the runway. On impact with the water, the plane broke in two and sank, with the passengers trapped within. Officials say bad weather and low visibility (6,600 ft) are responsible for the crash.


Crash victims are being paid Rp 50 million (US$5,850) by State insurance firm PT Jasa Raharja, according to published reports. The total is 1.35 billion Rp. Reports do not say if this is an interim payment.

447 History Uncovered, Black Box Memory Secured


In April, most of the Airbus jet was found, including the motors and some of the bodies. On April 27, we reported that the empty case was recovered after the Ile de Sein came in on the 26th from Senegal to assist in performing recovery operations in the current phase of Air France flight 447 project.

At that time, the Remora 6000 robot found the chassis of the CSMU but not the actual CSMU memory module, which (after the human remains) is the key prize wanted in this search, being the one thing that can shed light on what occurred on June 21 2009.

An hour ago (May 1, 2010) the news was released that the missing memory was located partially buried in the sand. The memory unit is now aboard the Ile de Sein.

BEA experts are cautiously optimistic about data recovery, and cite two years of water pressure as a disturbing factor.

In the search, the robot sends images up to the crew, who examines the transmissions for signs of the wreckage.

The official BEA statement is
“The investigation team localized and identified the memory unit from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) at 10 h UTC this morning. It was raised and lifted on board the ship Ile de Sein by the Remora 6000 ROV at 16h40 UTC.”

Now the question remains if the data will be recoverable.

* images and information are from Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses


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NTSB Reports on July 15 Flight, Turbulence, Injury

NTSB Identification: DCA10FA076
Scheduled 14 CFR Part 121: Air Carrier operation of DELTA AIRLINES INC
Accident occurred Thursday, July 15, 2010 in
Probable Cause Approval Date: 04/29/2011
Aircraft: BOEING 767, registration: N184DN
Injuries: 1 Serious,201 Uninjured.

The NTSB full Narrative:
History of Flight:

On July 15, 2010, at about 0200 UTC, a Boeing 767-332ER, registered in the United States as N184DN and operated by Delta Airlines, encountered turbulence at flight level 360 near TOESS intersection north of Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM) Guam. One flight attendant suffered a broken ankle during the turbulence event. The flight had departed GUM at 1125 UTC and landed at Narita International Airport (NRT), its original destination, at 0344 UTC. None of the other 192 passengers or 9 crewmembers were injured. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121, and was on an instrument flight rules flight plan, and flying in visual meteorological conditions at the time of the event.

According to the captain of the flight, at the time of the turbulence encounter he was navigating around scattered cloud build-ups. Nothing was showing on radar, as he adjusted the antenna tilt between -1 and -5 degrees. At that time the seatbelt sign was not illuminated.
According to the injured flight attendant, she was walking down the aisle between the mid galley and the aft galley and fell to the floor at the time of the turbulence encounter.

Injuries:

None of the other 9 crewmembers or the 192 passengers were injured.

Damage to Airplane:

The airplane was not damaged.

Meteorological Information:

According to the operator, no turbulence was forecast for the area in which the airplane was flying at the time of the turbulence encounter. In addition, satellite imagery revealed that the airplane was in an area not conducive to turbulence when the event occurred.

Medical and Pathological Information:

The injured flight attendant was examined by a physician passenger who did not provide a diagnosis. She declined medical treatment upon arrival at Narita and proceeded to her home base of Minneapolis before seeking further medical advice. Upon arrival home, she saw a doctor who stated that her ankle was broken.

Flight Data Recorder:

According to the flight data recorder, the vertical acceleration during the turbulence encounter varied between +1.5 g and -0.3 g. The encounter lasted about 5 seconds.

See Flight Attendant Injured in Clear Air Turbulence

Revisiting Ethiopia Flight 409

We’ve been studying Ethiopia Flight 409 for a while, and now that the official investigation Progress Report is out, we have looked at it with quite some interest. The 28 page report is attached as a pdf at the end of this editorial, so if you haven’t seen it yet, we have it handy–

In some places, we find that the report corroborates some of the the points we made (or discovered in our research.)

According to the report:

“Instruments meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and the flight was on an instrument flight plan. The accident occurred at night in dark lighting conditions with reported isolated cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorms in the area.”

Their report also states:
The Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority reviewed the data from the Lebanese Meteorological Services that was collected on 25 January, 2010 after the accident. Meteorological data revealed some significant meteorological conditions in the area at the time of the accident. Relevant meteorological documents are included in the investigation file and will be analyzed during the investigation.

1.7.1 General meteorological situation
At the time of the accident, there was thunderstorms activity southwest and west of the field, as well as to the northwest on the localizer path for runway 16.

We had found a satellite photo of the area at the time in question and found something more turbulent than isolated cumulonumbus clouds. Here are the details we turned up
(thanks to Prof. Robert H. Holzworth
Departments of Earth and Space Sciences, and Physics
Director, World Wide Lightning Location Network )

WWLLN lightning strokes between (45,35.2) and (33.6, 35.7) coordinates on25 Jan 2010 between 00 and 06 UTC
.
2010/01/25,00:26:01.675091, 33.7925,  35.3157, 18.6, 15 2010/01/25,00:32:36.535404, 33.6762,  35.3223,  2.6,  5 2010/01/25,00:35:33.147928, 33.8152,  35.3989, 17.1,  9 2010/01/25,00:36:46.386409, 33.7880,  35.4182,  6.3,  6 2010/01/25,00:37:57.880969, 33.7473,  35.4083, 12.9,  8 2010/01/25,00:38:56.307703, 33.8144,  35.4480,  6.7,  5 2010/01/25,00:39:52.170965, 33.8098,  35.4486, 22.5, 1 02010/01/25,00:47:07.877656, 33.7658,  35.5138, 16.3,  7 2010/01/25,00:47:08.129640, 33.7532,  35.5187,  6.8,  5 2010/01/25,00:51:28.917459, 33.7313,  35.4897, 15.8,  8 2010/01/25,00:57:16.994854, 33.7712,  35.5668,  6.2,  5 2010/01/25,00:57:17.172976, 33.8877,  35.6009,  3.1,  5 2010/01/25,00:57:16.970924, 33.8230,  35.5664,  9.2,  5 2010/01/25,01:05:02.878083, 33.6379,  35.5348, 10.9,  5 2010/01/25,02:58:51.961652, 33.6073,  35.3703,  2.3,  5 2010/01/25,03:00:31.235850, 33.6450,  35.3881,  5.8,  7 2010/01/25,03:02:45.342786, 33.6157,  35.3553,  4.5,  7 2010/01/25,03:30:07.101084, 33.6511,  35.3185, 17.5,  7 2010/01/25,04:06:25.411422, 33.8432,  35.3648, 10.9,  5 2010/01/25,04:07:31.723296, 33.9087,  35.3844,  7.0,  5 2010/01/25,04:13:12.295902, 33.9543,  35.4151, 17.0, 10 2010/01/25,04:29:17.203911, 33.9865,  35.4613, 20.7, 10 2010/01/25,04:33:22.703869, 33.9637,  35.3229,  7.6,  6 2010/01/25,04:35:07.805894, 33.8709,  35.3297, 13.3,  8 2010/01/25,04:46:45.611497, 33.9634,  35.4145, 12.9,  6 2010/01/25,05:19:51.913652, 33.6442,  35.4520, 19.5,  8 2010/01/25,05:35:10.788571, 33.9139,  35.2087,  9.5,  7 2010/01/25,05:56:25.149281, 33.6332,  35.6535, 14.0,  7

and the satellite photo:

The plane’s on board radar would have normally registered this unacceptable massive super cell in the area where the airplane hit the ocean and the pilot would have adjusted the flight path accordingly. This makes us question if the on board radar was intact and operable. The weather system pictured in the satellite photo is not weather a pilot would voluntarily fly into. So we were not surprised to see this included in the report:

1.17.1.6 Procedure for use of on-board Weather Radar
ET provided its SOP and Boeing procedure for the operation of the weather radar during departure. The procedure will be addressed during the analysis phase.

OTHER POINTS
Our investigation pointed out that when an aircraft fails, it is a crucial part of the research to look at timely Airworthiness Directives (issued before and after) on the type of plane involved and indeed, this has become part of the ongoing research:

1.16.4.1 Removal and Analysis of the Trim Tab section:
ADs were issued (Emergency AD, AD 2010-09-05, AD 2010-17-19) by the FAA respectively on March and August 2010 regarding trim tab control mechanism and this airplane (with serial number 29935) was found affected by these ADs.
Therefore, and in accordance with the Airworthiness Group recommendation, the Investigation Committee decided the removal of the trim tab control mechanism for further test and research.

This is not the final report. The final report is due out this summer. We are looking forward to seeing if it answers some of our questions.

The Official Report


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Triple S Crash Kills 4 Americans in Abu Dhabi


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Simon Curtis

What: Triple S Aviation McKinnon G-21G Turbo Goose seaplane en route from UAE to US via Riyadh, Saudi Arabi
Where: Taxiway Kilo Al Ain
When: Feb 27, 2010
Who: 4 fatalities
Why: After takeoff, the plane veered left and crashed.
The plane caught on fire on impact. 4 US citizens were killed in the crash, including Triple S owner Landon Studer and the company’s international project manager Joshua Hucklebridge. The other victims were pilots from Nevada and California. Triple S has offices in the Middle East and in Texas. The 4 aboard the flight were crew apparently, although their names have not been released.

Ethiopia Flight 409: The Questions Keep Coming


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Alastair T. Gardiner

Newspaper reports talk about traces of black soot on the Auxiliary Power Unit. The APU is like your computer backup—similar in theory to the battery backup you may have at home hooked to your computer.

The APU is an auxiliary engine that provided electric power and air to the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 until the main engines began to run.

We ourselves haven’t seen soot, or proof of fire–but we haven’t seen much proof at all, since the report that we keep hearing whispers of has not been made public.

Some facts are known We know, for example, that…

—…the APU is located in the rudder section.

—…the weather was bad.
OLBA 250300Z 06004KT 030V090 5000 VCTS RA FEW020CB BKN026 10/06 Q1014 NOSIG

We have heard rumors which may or may not be unfounded:
—Statements made anonymously by Lebanese airport sources report that Captain Habtamu Benti, the pilot in command (PIC) of the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-800 encountered engine problems, perhaps a flame out, during takeoff, and requested permission to abort the flight and return to Beirut. He was given clearance to do so, but another aircraft, a Etihad Airlines flight from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates was in the process of landing and could have interfered with his emergency maneuvers. *

But some information has been made public.

—The rudder found at the plane’s tail was reported to have been sent to France. *

—“One of the five cockpit voice recorders which has a damaged segment will be sent from France’s BEA to a Seattle-based company [Honeywell] to recover that lost segment.” *

So we have even more questions. Where, for example, are the statements of the witnesses? What has France said about the rudder? Has the APU been found, and if so, what is its condition?

Even if ATC sent pilot in to a storm, the pilot also has radar and should have seen the storm and refused the order to take off and/or the heading issued to him. Did his radar fail? Did the APU fail? It might well be that the pilot was misled by a radar system in the plane that was not operating correctly. Unlikely, but, possible. There are still a lot of possibilities we can not rule out. The captain had too many hours logged to take off in to a storm with a plane that he knew was not built to withstand the forces of a cell ahead of him.

Even if there is no immediate report available yet, we look forward to the promised release in March/July. (They say that data collection will continue until March 15 2011, in April the data will be verified/validated by Ethiopian and Lebanese authorities, officials of Boeing and the US National Transport Safety Board by May 30th, with a tentative public release date in July.) When more official information is released, it will help to rule out all gross speculation, so we can focus on possible culpable parties in the chain of events that caused this tragedy.

We shall see.


What: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 en route from Beirut to Addis Ababa
Where: 2 miles west of the coastal village of Na’ameh.
When: Jan 25 2010
Who: 7 crew 83 passengers
Why: Shortly after taking off in stormy weather and heavy lightning, Lebanese ATC lost contact. The plane disappeared from radar 45 minutes after leaving Beirut. Witnesses on the coast saw the plane as it crashed into the sea. So far 9 bodies have been found by members of the Lebanese army .
Update
Initial reports of 7 survivors, became 9 bodies, and now the count has reached 21 bodies.

The site of the crash is 2 miles west of the coastal village of Na’ameh.

Fifty-four passengers were Lebanese, 22 Ethiopian, two were British and there were also Canadian, Russian, French, Iraqi and Syrian nationals.

A Cypriot police helicopter has joined the Lebanese army in the search for survivors, and two U.N. helicopters are on the scene.

Ethiopian Airlines is state owned, and has a standing order of 10 of Boeing’s Next-Generation 737-800s

ET-409 Incident – 25 January, 2010

Ethiopian flight ET-409 was scheduled to operate from Beirut to Addis Ababa on January 25th lost contact with the Lebanese air controllers shortly after take off. The flight departed at 02:35 Lebanese time from Beirut International Airport.

Flight ET-409 carried 82 passenger plus 8 Ethiopian Crew members. Out of the total passengers 23 were Ethiopian, 51 Lebanese, 1 Turkish, 1 French, 2 British, 1 Russian, 1 Canadian, 1 Syrian, 1 Iraqi nationals.


Strobe flashes


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Newfoundland Sikorsky Crash: Final


Pictured: Couger-owned Sikorsky S-61N Helicopter
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Phil Earle
On March 12, 2009, about 0926 ADT, Atlantic Daylight Time, a Sikorsky S-92A helicopter, Canadian registry C-GZCH, operated by Cougar Helicopters, impacted the waters of the North Atlantic about 28 miles east of Cape Spear near St. John’s, Newfoundland. There were two pilots, Pilot Matthew William Thomas Davis, 34, of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and First Officer Tim Lanouette, 48, of Comox, British Columbia, both of whomdied in the accident, and 16 passengers on board the helicopter. One passenger, Robert Decker, survived with serious injuries, but the other occupants were fatally injured. The helicopter was en route from St. John’s International Airport (CYYT) to an offshore oil platform in the Hibernia oil field. The pilot made a MAYDAY call due to a mechanical difficulty, and was returning to St. John’s at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and the sea state had 3 – 5 meter swells. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed.

The NTSB has recommended that any gearbox losing oil pressure should have the capacity to run dry for 30 minutes before failure. In the case of Flight 491, the elapsed time between the warning light and the ditching of the aircraft in the sea was 11 minutes. Two of the three main gearbox mounting studs were broken. When they broke, the helicopter lost oil rapidly and the gears began to overheat.

On March 23, 2009, Sikorsky released a bulletin that most of the world’s S-92TM helicopter fleet already had complied with the company notice to retrofit the aircraft’s gearbox oil bowl with steel mounting studs.


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Washington, DC, Area Operating Status

Federal agencies in the Washington, DC, area are OPEN under 2 hours DELAYED ARRIVAL and employees have the OPTION FOR UNSCHEDULED LEAVE OR UNSCHEDULED TELEWORK. Employees should plan to arrive for work no more than 2 hours later than they would normally arrive.

Read


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Office Closure Due to Inclement Weather

January 7–Due to inclement weather, the FAA’s Eastern Region Office in Jamaica, NY, is closing early today,
Non-emergency personnel were released at 1 p.m. Eastern time.
Employees and contractors who work in that office should follow local procedures to obtain more information.


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Air India Express flight IX-812 from Dubai to Mangalore Report Released (updating)


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer WT

Splashed across today’s international headlines is the news that the Indian Court of Inquiry probe report (which we have not yet seen) is final, and was submitted to the civil aviation ministry yesterday. The report says that “Air India pilot Zlatko Glusica, from Serbia, was asleep for much of the three-hour flight and was “disorientated” when the plane started to descend.” The experienced First Officer had fewer hours but was soon due for command, and had landed frequently at that airport. He called for a go-around which the Captain ignored.

Captain Z Glusica had more than 10,200 hours of flying experience—but not landing at that airport. He was the pilot in command and reacted late, and was suffering from “sleep inertia”. His heavy nasal snoring and breathing was captured on the CVR. Many standard operating procedures were not followed during landing. Co-pilot H S Ahluwalia repeated “abort landing” saying they didn’t have enough runway left, three times asking for a “go around”.

With less than 3,000 feet of runway left, the pilots tried to take off again and crashed in the gorge at the runway’s end.

The plane’s takeoff gear was found activated. Experts concluded if the pilots had not attempted to take off again, the plane emergency brakes could have brought the plane to a halt.

This is not the first time Air India has had exhausted pilots. What had their schedule been that week?

June 2008: Mumbai air traffic controllers woke two sleeping pilots with an alarm when they were 200 miles past their destination.

What: Air India Express Boeing 737-800 en route from Dubai to Mangalore
Where: Mangalore airport
When: 6:00 a.m May 22 2010
Who: Passengers including 23 children, 6 crew= 158 fatalities and 8 survivors
Why: Air India Express flight 812 attempted touch down was around the middle marker. (Conflicting) reports are that it overshot the runway, and that the pilot intended a go round (tapes reveal the co pilot was urging a go-round) but the plane hit the localizer antenna at the runway’s end, plowed through the perimeter losing part of a wing, and went down 75 feet into a ravine, and broke into pieces and burst into flames. On touchdown, there was a reported “bang” which may have been a tire bursting. A drizzle started after the accident. From 5 to 10 people have been hospitalized, but according to reports there are possibly 3 survivors.

Survivor Abdul Puttur suffered burns. He was seated near the wing exit and said that the pilot had announced the landing, then there was a thud. He saw huge flames after the plane fell into the ravine and then he jumped out from the back entrance. Another passenger said the pilot made no announcement.

The Serbian pilot was Zlatko Glusica, first officer was S.S. Ahluwalia.

According to DGCA rules, Mangalore International Airport is deemed a “critical airfield” which means that “supervised take offs and landings” are prohibited. Only the captain (not the first officer) can pilot take-offs and landings. Mangalore International Airport has a controversial table top runway and which forces pilots to make a precision landing. The airport has no buffer zone, and pilots landing planes must fly precisely or risk hurtling off the edge.


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Dubai Investigation Continuing. Cargo Under Scrutiny


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Timo Jäger

General Civil Aviation Authority released a report that the black boxes indicated smoke or fire on the main deck and “lower aft cargo compartment” towards the back of the doomed aircraft. The GCAA says investigators are still uncertain of the causes of the crash. Capt Doug Lampe and First Officer Matthew Bell, reported smoke in the cockpit 28 minutes after taking off. UPS Flight 6 was unable to change radio frequency and could not communicate with ATC. During their descent, pilots had difficulty seeing the flight instruments because of thick smoke.

The memorial service for captain Doug Lampe will be held at two o’clock on Monday at Southeast Christian Church, Louisville.

Funeral service for Matthew Carl Bell at 3 p.m. on Sunday, September 26, 2010, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 3214 Golf Road, Eau Claire, WI.

What: United Parcel Service Boeing 747-400 cargo plane en route from Dubai to Cologne
Where: Dubai inside an Emirati air base between Dubai’s Emirates Highway and nearby Al-Ain Road 10 miles southeast of Dubai’s international airport
When: September 3 2010, noon New York time
Who: Two pilots
Why: Read More


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Venezuela Crash: 17 Dead

updated

View large photo at Jetphotos.net
Contact photographer Nigel Steele

What: Conviasa Aerospatiale ATR-42-300 en route from Puerto Ordaz to Porlamor Venezuela
Where: Puerto Ordaz
When: Sep 13 2010
Who: 51 aboard, 15 fatalities, 36 passengers and crew survived
Why: After takeoff while 10 miles from Manuel Piar International Airport, the crew experienced “control problems” requiring a return to the airport. Between the Caribbean island of Margarita and Puerto Ordaz, the plane crashed. 36 survivors were recovered from the wreckage and taken to hospitals and the remains of 2 were recovered.

As of Sept 18, the number of dead has risen to 17. Conviasa is suspending flights for two weeks for safety assessments.

The pilot was Conviasa Ramiro Cardenas.

The plane crashed in the Sidor Steel Mill junkyard/storage area amid heaps and barrels of unused steel.

While attempting an emergency landing, the plane became entangled with electrical wires and crashed.

Current reports indicate 23 survivors. We will be updating as we hear news.

Bolivar State Governor Francisco Rangel Gomez gas opened the following number for family members:
0800-BOLIVAR / 0800-2654827 for more information on passengers

Preliminary survivor list Unconfirmed


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Nepal Crash Update

Remember the 14 person crash in Nepal–and that mysterious unnamed 15th fatality?

The fifteenth fatality missed the plane. While in Katmandu, the tourist named E Wols booked a seat on the Agni Air flight to Lukla, but luckily she missed it, and missed being the fifteenth fatality.

The remains of the victims have been airlifted to Kathmandu.


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INDIA’s DGCA Asserts Co-Pilot Assertiveness

George’s Point of View

Following the Air India Express tragedy in Mangalore India (and definitely in response to it), the DGCA (India’s Directorate-General of Civil Aviation) has been trying to shut the gate after the horses are out. They’re still pointing their fingers at the pilot.

The tape of the crash records the co-pilot Capt H S Ahluwalia (*i.e. the pnf) insisting to Commander Capt Zlatko Glusica to initiate a go-around. The Captain (**i.e. the pf) did not, and the plane landed too far down the runway, clipped an antenna, crashed thru the end of the runway, off the edge of the runway plateau. We can only assume the captain ignored his co-pilot, as no go-around was initiated.

Apparently the pilot was in error and the co-pilot knew it. It must have been obvious to Ahluwalia that they were landing at the wrong angle too far down (the middle) of the runway–but he did not act on his knowledge. At any rate, he was in disagreement with his superior officer.

Consequently, the DCGA has issued an operations circular highlighting procedural assertiveness for the co-pilot when he knows the pilot is wrong. The Mangalore tragedy is not mentioned by name, but it is certainly the silent subtext.

Did the crash occur because the co-pilot did not take the controls? What exactly will this circular accomplish? Had this circular been public already, would the pilot and co-pilot have ended up in a wrestling match over controls of the airplane?

It will be interesting to hear from pilots about what they think the consequences of this directive might be, and if they think a cultural context may play a part.

I always turn to the experts. Right now, before the full investigation is out, I am hearing a lot of speculative “pilot error” but it is all speculation. But is it all pilot error?

My experts remind me that “Every incident is linked to a chain of events. Each event alone is not sufficient reason to provoke an accident although when they link together the chances are multiplied and sometimes the accident occurs.” ( I am quoting a pilot.)

For example, if pilot fatigue were a contributing factor (landing at dawn after a long tiring duty cycle), isn’t the carrier’s policy on pilot fatigue a contributory factor?

The Boeing 737 landed midway on runway 24, and then overshot it, crashing into a gorge. Initial reports on the civil aviation website showed runway 27 mislabeled as runway 24. The actual crash site was not even pictured, a mistake that certainly casts doubt on the quality of the investigation, and possibly even the quality of the resources available to pilots at the time they were negotiating a landing. What did their map say? Is a pilot alone in error if the resources provided him are in error? I know I am digressing, but the point I want to make is this:

I don’t have years of flight school, or engineering training but I do have opinion. And in my opinion, pilot error alone does not cause a crash like this.

Terminology
*pnf – pilot not flying
**pf – pilot flying



Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer WT

What: Air India Express Boeing 737-800 en route from Dubai to Mangalore
Where: Mangalore airport
When: 6:00 a.m May 22 2010
Who: 160 (?) passengers including 23 children, 6 crew= 158 fatalities and 8 survivors
Why: Air India Express flight 812 attempted touch down was around the middle marker. (Conflicting) reports are that it overshot the runway, and that the pilot intended a go round (tapes reveal the co pilot was urging a go-round) but the plane hit the localizer antenna at the runway’s end, plowed through the perimeter losing part of a wing, and went down 75 feet into a ravine, and broke into pieces and burst into flames. On touchdown, there was a reported “bang” which may have been a tire bursting. A drizzle started after the accident. From 5 to 10 people have been hospitalized, but according to reports there are possibly 3 survivors.

Survivor Abdul Puttur suffered burns. He was seated near the wing exit and said that the pilot had announced the landing, then there was a thud. He saw huge flames after the plane fell into the ravine and then he jumped out from the back entrance. Another passenger said the pilot made no announcement.

The Serbian pilot was Zlatko Glusica, first officer was S.S. Ahluwalia.

According to DGCA rules, Mangalore International Airport is deemed a “critical airfield” which means that “supervised take offs and landings” are prohibited. Only the captain (not the first officer) can pilot take-offs and landings. Mangalore International Airport has a controversial table top runway and which forces pilots to make a precision landing. The airport has no buffer zone, and pilots landing planes must fly precisely or risk hurtling off the edge.


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Knik Glacier Rescue Update

What: Black Hawk rescue helicopter
Where: Knik Glacier Alaska
Why: Attempting to rescue the five stranded on a glacier since Sunday afternoon, a Black Hawk rescue helicopter was damaged sliding and rolling on the glacier. The Air National Guard helicopter was forced to turn around.

It took a day for the pararescue team (which arrived yesterday) to ski the three miles to the survivors with two days worth of supplies. More supplies have been dropped.

Tuesday night, two of the original left stranded and one rescuer were flown to Palmer.

More on Knik Glacier Rescue

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