What: Schempp-Hirth Nimbus 3
Where: Portmoak Airport
When: Sept 4, 2012
Who: 1 pilot
Why: An experienced pilot in his forties in his Winch-launched Glider crashed in UK taking off from the Scottish Gliding Centre, Portmoak Airport. The winch runs on a cable that generate speed so the glider can lift off but it was barely off the ground when it plunged into a farm field in Forfar, Angus. The emergency call came at 1:30pm.
The crash is under investigation.
What: Republic of Poland Tupolev en route from Warsaw to Smolensk
Where: Smolensk, Russia,
When: October 4, 2010
Who: 7 crew
Why: The report blames the pilots.
Final Report .pdf (very large)
Chicago-based law firm, Corboy & Demetrio, has filed a negligence lawsuit on behalf of Raymond Rolinskas, 84 and his wife Roberta Rolinskas, 82, whose house was destroyed by a small plane crash on November 18.
The small Aero Commander 500 aircraft, registered to Fairway-based Central Airlines, crashed into the elderly couple’s house immediately after departing from Midway International Airport, Chicago. The pilot of the plane, 47-year-old Eric Howlett, lost his life in the crash, while Raymond and his wife remained uninjured.
According to Matthew Jenkins of Corboy & Demetrio, “While thankfully Roberta and Raymond did not suffer any physical harm, the emotional trauma has been devastating to them…Hearing, seeing and feeling an airplane crashing just inches away from them has caused severe emotional distress.”
The lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court on November 25, lists Central Airlines, Inc. as the defendant.
This is an update of ‘Small Plane Crashes into House Near Chicago Midway International Airport’.
A bird strike on the HH-60G Pave Hawk at 110ft at 126mph caused the crash of a helicopter on a moonlight training mission on the Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve, killing staff Sgt Afton Ponce, Capt Christopher Stover, Technical Sgt Dale Matthews and Capt Sean Ruane.
The crew was confirmed dead at the scene. The investigation has begun, and there is a fund opened for them.
A number of twelve pound geese struck the helicopter after the flock flew up alarmed by the noise.
The USAF chopper was flying out of Lakenheath in Suffolk.
On December 27, 2012, an Air National Guard Falcon lost power over Owens Dry Lake in Inyo County, California.
The Air National Guard pilot, who was on a training mission was the only one aboard. He ejected and the plane crashed.
There were no injuries.
The Air National Guard is handling the investigation, according to the Inyo Sheriff’s department.
The pilot was admitted to Southern Inyo Hospital.
A small plane crashed near Plain City in Union County, Ohio, on September 4th.
One person was removed from the plane and taken to hospital with injuries of unknown intensity.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The insurers have had months to move this case along.
They had months to compensate the families of victims. Have they done so?
Word is that they have not.
The one year anniversary of the crash is on May 12.
Look at what we have. No compensation.
Look at the debris field. Do we have spoliation of evidence? Common elements like weather wreak havoc on evidence. Just look at what rust does and you have a pretty good idea of the kind of details can be erased by weather. So if the evidence has been defaced by exposure to the elements, how might spoilation of evidence affect the case? No doubt it will result in a series of failed attempts. Failure to secure evidence. Inability to analyze degraded evidence. Obfuscated results.
For crash investigators, fresh evidence can be as easy to read as a book. Waiting until the evidence is unintelligible leaves us with no Rosetta Stone to help us get to the cause. Another missed opportunity to make aviation a little safer. Another missed opportunity to bring closure to the families who were immeasurably damaged by this crash.
