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- Air France | Airbus | compensation | Damages | Video
The Only U.S. Family Settles
The families of Mike and Anne Harris have settled their lawsuit against Air France. Michael was 60, from Greenville, South Carolina, a graduate of Clemson University, an expert in geology and oil field operations with Devon Energy in Rio and West Africa Group. (Devon Energy is based in Oklahoma.) Ann was 54, from Lafayette. She suffered from Fibromyalgia, was Fibromyalgia Association of Houston volunteer and a physical therapist. They had been married sixteen years, by the time they booked the fatal flight; and the trip was business and pleasure, because they were going to a training seminar in Paris, and for vacation. They left behind them friends in Lafayette, Houston and Brazil where they had lived.
Mike and Anne Harris were the only Americans on the flight. According to their lawyer, the case has settled.
Crash History
The 4 year old Air France Airbus A330-200 en route from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Paris when it went missing over the Atlantic Ocean on June 1, 2009. Two hundred sixteen passengers (including seven children and one baby, 82 women and 126 men) and 12 crew were aboard. There were two Americans and 60 French citizens were on the plane. Italy said at least three passengers were Italian.The pilot had 11,000 hours of flying experience, and 1,700 hours flying this aircraft.The last known radio contact was an automatic message made at 0133 GMT when the plane was near the Island of Fernando de Noronha; since then, the airplane has made no radio communication. Fifteen minutes after flying through a storm and strong turbulence, there was an electrical short-circuit. Search planes left Fernando de Noronha Island looking for signs of the plane concentrating in an area 230 miles off the northeast Brazil coast. The flight left Rio at 7 p.m. and was expected in Paris on Monday at 11:15 a.m. The wreckage broke apart, the pieces scattered at sea, and the black boxes were not recovered until May 2011.
It is an interesting time to settle the case–right when the world is on the cusp of discovery of what caused the crash.
- Crash | investigation | NTSB | Peru | press release
NTSB sending Team to Peru Crash Investigation
Jan. 9, 2013
WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team of investigators to Pucallpa, Peru, to assist the Government of Peru with its investigation of yesterday’s crash involving a Boeing helicopter. According to the U.S. Department of State, the accident claimed the lives of five American citizens.On Monday afternoon, in Pucallpa, Peru, a Boeing-Vertol 234 helicopter, operated by the U.S. operator Columbia Helicopters, crashed shortly after takeoff. The helicopter had departed from FAP Captain David Abenzur Rengifo International Airport, Pullcapa, Peru enroute to Tarapoto, Peru. It has been reported that all seven persons aboard the aircraft sustained fatal injuries.
The NTSB has designated senior air safety investigator, Paul Cox, as the U.S. Accredited Representative. He will be accompanied by two NTSB investigators with expertise in helicopter systems and operations, a representative from the Federal Aviation Administration, and a representative from Columbia Helicopters. The team is expected to arrive in Peru tonight.
- Crash | Dagestan Airlines | engine failure | Russia | Tupolev | Video
South East Airlines Tupolev Crashes in Moscow
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Kirill Naumenko – Moscow City SpottersWhat: Dagestan Airlines/South East Airlines Tupolev Tu-154 en route from Vnukovo to Makhachkala Russia
Where: Domodedovo airport
When: Saturday December 4, 2010
Who: 168 aboard including 8 crew (also reported as 155)
Why: Shortly after South East Airlines Flight 372 took off from Moscow, two of the Tupolev’s three engines failed (14:28). At 14:41, the pilot requested an emergency landing, initially at Vnukovo then at Domodedovo airport. The third engine failed as the plane was attempting to land in snow and freezing rain. The plane overshot the runway, and is reported to have struck buildings although missing a fence. Passengers say the plane broke apart when the plane hit a hill. The plane’s nose smashed and the fuselage broke into three sections. No fire or explosion occurred.The pilot Zakarzhi Zakarzhaev has flown 17 thousand hours and is considered the most professionally trained commander of Dagestan, likely one reason there are survivors.
Passengers did not evacuate via emergency chute or ladder. They had to jump from the cabin to the ground to evacuate the wounded.
Engine failure has been conjectured to be attributed to flawed aviation fuel (filters clogged with debris or ice) or lack of maintenance. The 18-year old tri-jet is powered by Soloviev D-30KU engines.
Two were killed on impact, 83 injured were taken to 5 hospitals. 19 of these were very severe injuries—the number of fatalities has increased to 12 and may rise higher.
The mother of a constitutional court judge, Gadisa Gadzhyeva, died in the accident; the brother of Dagestan President Magomedsalam Magomedov has been hospitalized. Seven of the victims taken to the central regional hospital. Three victims were delivered to the Clinical Hospital N83 Federal Medical-Biological Agency of Russia and one to CITO Pirogov Health Ministry of Russia. 25 victims were directed to the medical institutions of the Department of Health in Moscow. There were two children, one of them taken to the Morozov Children’s Hospital, the second is in children’s emergency surgery Roshal. Others are in Institute of Emergency Care Sklifosovsky, and in various Municipal Hospitals (64th, 7th, 13th, etc…)
Russian Prosecutor General Yury Chaika took on a special control of the investigation. Photos were forbidden, and a criminal case was opened. An interview of Federal Service for Supervision of Transport of Russia supervisors indicated that they will be looking into the administration of Dagestan Airlines.
In November 2009, a Dagestan engine failed; and in August 2008 an engine caught fire. Dagestan Airlines has adopted the brand name ‘South East Airlines.’ Dagestan Airlines is an airline based in Makhachkala, in Russia’s North Caucasus region. The airline’s scheduled, charter and cargo services operate domestic and international routes from its hub at Uytash Airport.
The Moscow hotline is Moscow: 363-61-01; Emergency psychological assistance for victims families is (495) 626-37-07.
The investigation shows that at an altitude of 9000 meters engines #1 and #3 failed. Analysis of the flight data recorder confirms the initial fluctuations in fuel supply to all three engines at an altitude of about 9000 meters, wjem engines 1 (left) and 3 (right) failed, Engine #2 was unstable as well recovered and ran until landing. First touchdown occurred at a vertical acceleration of 3.5G and vertical accelerations over 5.0G.The fuel pumps system is being dismantled, fuel samples were taken from the left engine and left fuel tank and are being analysed.
- Antonov | Crash | Czech Republic | military/police | runway overrun | Video
An-30B Crash-lands in Fiery Blaze In Cáslav
What: Russian Air Force Antonov An-30B
Where: Čáslav Airport, Czech Republic
When: 23-MAY-2012
Who: 23 aboard
Why: On landing at Čáslav, the pilot lost control, and the plane skidded off the runway.There were fourteen Russians aboard, and 8 Czechs, six of whom were seriously injured. Ten ambulances and two choppers responded to the scene. Four patients were taken to Čáslav hospital with burns. Four injured were treated on the scene. One passenger with severe burns went to Vinohrady Hospital in Prague. Seven passengers and the pilot were taken by ambulance to a Cologne hospital. The emergency was declared at 11:50, and firefighters had the fire under control by 12:25. There were no casualties of the accident.
Specialists were testing the area for radiation, which was observed in the vicinity of the plane. The plane belongs to the”Open Skies” mission. The Antonov An-30B is an aerial survey observation plane.
