Aircraft

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    Helicopter Crash In Monroe NC

    What: Hughes OH6A Helicopter owned by Charlotte Helicopters Flight Academy
    Where: Monroe NC (Union County) at Stephen Street and Donham Street in a field behind Central Academy of Technology and Art
    When: Thursday 10:30 a.m
    Who: pilot, Justin Travis, survived. Passenger 46-year-old Mark Bartlett was killed in the crash
    Why: helicopter hit power lines and crashed

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    Challenger Crashes in Soybean field


    What: experimental plane (Challenger II) en route from Noah’s Ark Airport
    Where: field in Platte County, 19140 NW Waldron Road
    When: 10:45 am
    Who: Two injured in the crash, pilot Jimmy A. Dulin and passenger passenger, Billie D. Carter,
    Why: After experiencing engine problems, the plane went down in a soybean field
    *will be updated if further information comes available

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    Police Chopper Lands on Street

    What: Fresno Police helicopter
    When: 9:00 PM Sunday night.
    Where: just off a runway at Fresno’s Chandler Airport. When:
    Why: The copter was following a hit and run suspect when the oil light on the instrument panel came on. No injuries.

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    Ultralight Lands on public Street

    What: ultra-light plane from the Keswick Dam area half a mile away from Benton Airpark,
    Where: emergency landing on Eureka Way. Redding
    When: Sunday Afternoon 1-18
    Who: pilot Ron Lim and passenger
    Why: Lim was on his third flight of the day when his engine died. He managed to avoid power lines and made a perfect landing–on the right shoulder of a public street.

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    Homebuilt Misses Drag Strip Landing in Hawaii


    What: FP-404 registration# 81633 experimental single-engine biplane
    Where: HILO Hawaii
    When: 01/18/2009 7:10 am
    Who: pilot Thomas Downey, 79
    Why: When the engine failed at 2,500 feet, the pilot force landed on a drag strip, landing outside the perimeter fence. The pilot suffered an injury to his finger. The plane suffered damage to wings and landing gear.

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    Hawaii Plane Crash


    What: Alpine Air twin-engine beechcraft 1900 en route from Honolulu to Lihue carrying 4,200 pounds of mail for the U.S. Postal Service.
    Where: Hawaii
    When: Plane went missing after takeoff Monday 4:45 a.m.
    Who: Pilot’s name is not released.
    Why: The pilot is missing; as the pilot was a surfer, they are hoping he is still alive, as a life raft was found. According to air traffic controllers, they found that the aircraft had dropped roughly 2,200 feet. There was no distress call made. Rescue crews found a piece of the door, a piece of the nose and a shoe.

    The Preliminary NTSB report is as follows:
    On January 14, 2008, at 0508 Hawaiian standard time, N410UB, a Beech 1900C, was lost from radar over the ocean about 7 miles south of the Lihue Airport, Lihue, Hawaii, located on the island of Kauai. Alpine Aviation Inc., doing business as Alpine Air, was operating the airplane as an on-demand cargo flight under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 135. The airline transport pilot was killed, and the airplane was destroyed. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed. The flight departed Honolulu International Airport, Honolulu, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, at 0443, and was destined for Lihue.

    According to the operator, the pilot was making his first flight after coming off of a two day scheduled rest period. The purpose of the flight was to transfer mail to Lihue, and then the pilot was to return to Honolulu later the same day. The flight was scheduled to arrive at Lihue about 0515.

    The Coast Guard indicated that debris from the airplane was initially identified floating on the ocean surface at 0848, approximately 11 miles south-southwest of the airport. The water depths in the search area were up to 800 fathoms (4,800 feet). Additional debris was identified and collected and then transported to the Coast Guard station at Lihue. The Coast Guard discontinued the search on the afternoon of January 15.

    An Airport Duty Operations Controller was conducting an airport inspection while the accident airplane was approaching the airport. He recalled that he heard a pilot who identified himself as Alpine Air state that he was, “…landing 35 and 7 miles out.” Airport personnel reported that the runway lights, medium intensity approach lighting system with runway alignment indicator lights (MALSR), and precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lights for runway 35, were recorded as functional at the time of the accident.

    The following weather conditions were reported at Lihue Airport at 0453: wind from 030 at 23 knots with gusts to 27 knots, 10 miles visibility, cloud layers scattered at 4,100 feet and overcast at 5,500 feet, temperature 20 degrees Celsius, dew point 13 degrees Celsius, and the altimeter setting was 30.13 inches of Mercury.

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    Ventura ultralight Crash


    Where: waters off the coast of Emma Wood State Beach west if Ventura
    When: Saturday reported at 12:30 pm
    Who: Pilot Rick Martinez, 43, of Camarillo and his passenger, Larry Graziano, 38, of Costa Rica
    Why: On a turn, the motorized ultralight caught the water and flipped into the water. Pilot and passenger were rescued by jet-skiiers.

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    Medivac Emergency Landing


    What: Baptist Hospital Medivac helicopter en route from Memphis to Little Rock
    Where: St. Francis County at an intersection near Widener six miles east of Forrest City Arkansas
    When: 6:15 p.m. Saturday evening.
    Who: pilot and 2 nurses
    Why: The pilot indicated that a bird strike precipitated the emergency landing

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    Homebuilt Crashes in Santa Ynez


    S FLUT-R-BUG SA not pictured

    What: single-engine homebuilt plane( S FLUT-R-BUG SA6) en route from Santa Ynez Valley Airport
    Where: Sycamore Valley Ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley in the 6500 block of Figueroa Mountain Road.
    When: Between 2 and 2:30 pm.
    Why: The pilot had to land because of engine trouble. After landing, he worked on his plane, and took off again to fly the 10 miles to the airport, but the engine quit again and the plane crashed into some oak trees. The pilot sustained a scratch on his head but the plane is considered “substantial”

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    Air Canada/Air Georgian Blows Tires in Albany


    What: Air Canada 9 year old 19-seat Beechcraft 1900 turboprop en route from Toronto to Manchester, N.H.
    Where: Albany International Airport
    When: Thursday Jan 15 11 am
    Who: seven passengers and two crew members
    Why: The plane was landing because of a reported engine problem (an in-flight emergency when one of two turboprop engines experienced difficulty). The pilot noticed low oil pressure in the right engine; however, all four tires failed during an emergency landing at in New York. The plane landed on the main runway and stopped on four flat deflated tires at the intersection of two runways The Albany airport was closed for an hour after the landing.

    Note: Tickets were sold by Air Canada, but Air Georgian operated the flight. Air Georgian president Paul Mulrooney is unsure if there was ice on the plane’s brakes or if the pilot braked too heavily, causing the tires to blow out.

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    Delta Emergency Landing in San Francisco


    What: Delta Boeing 737 flight 1652 en route from Mineta San Jose International Airport to Atlanta
    Where: San Francisco International Airport
    When: 01/14/2009 7:30
    Who: 93 passengers
    Why: Fuel system indicator light was flashing so the plane was diverted to divert the plane to San Francisco International Airport, Passengers were booked on alternative flights, and the Boeing retired to the Delta maintenance unit at San Francisco International Airport for repairs to the light.

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    Home built Crashes, Kills Pilot

    What: “experimental high wing” or home-built single-engine plane registered to William McDuffie of Louisiana
    Where: East Texas near a landfill between Longview and Kilgore.
    When: Discovered Monday afternoon
    Who: Ronald Vickers of Arlington died in the crash. Death was pronounced on the scene.
    Why: Prior to crashing, the plane made contact with the power lines. The right wing susustained damage. Ronald Vickers was about halfway through the 350 mile trip from Oak Ridge, La to taking his newly purchased plane home to Texas. It is not known why he was flying low.

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    Cessna Flips in Pescadero


    What: Rented Sterling Aviation’s Cessna 150 en route from Monterey to Half Moon Bay Airport
    Where: PESCADERO, CA in an open field south of Half Moon Bay (about 1 mile south of Pescadero Road and Highway 1 )
    When: 01/11/2009
    Who: 2 Michael Paul Harris, and his wife, Danette,
    Why: The pilot noticed they were running low on fuel. After a Forced landing in a field outside of PESCADERO, CA, about 200 yards into the field, the plane’s front nose wheel dug into the soil and collapsed, causing the plan to flip. The pilot buzz is that the renter of the plane should have refueled, and that the forced landing and resultant plane damage was entirely unnecessary.

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    Rooney Family Crash

    What: PC-12 Eagle single-engine turboprop from (to) Yampa Valley Regional Airport.
    Where: Hayden Colorado (Routt County)
    When: 01/11/2009 9:40 a.m.
    Who: 2 fatalities-William “Bill” Rooney Jr. and son William Patrick Rooney III
    Why: The Pilatus PC-12 crashed 2 miles from Hayden Colorado ten minutes after takeoff, apparently attempting to return to the airport. They had already delayed their trip home to Yorba Linda from Steamboat Springs with the intention of avoiding strong Santa Ana winds near Chino Hills.

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    Piper Decked on Roanoke Island Deck

    What: Piper Saratoga 32-R owned by PIPER LANCE HOLDINGS LLC, a six seater, single engine aircraft En route to Dare County Airport
    Where: Roanoke Island North Carolina- on the upper back deck of a private residence on Joclar Lane in Manteo.
    When: 5:57 pm
    Who: two individuals on board; pilot Frank Snodgrass and son both were taken to Outer Banks Hospital. The son was trapped inside the cockpit, and sustained a broken arm and injured ribs.
    Why: When attempting to land at the Dare County Regional Airport, the plane hit a tree and then crashed into a house. The home owners and their six year old daughter were in the house at the time and were not hurt. The homeowner helped get the people out of the wreckage. They walked on their own power to the ambulance.

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    Siberian Helicopter Crash

     


    What: Mi-2 helicopter hired by Yuganskneftegaz
    Where: Siberian region of Khanty–Mansi
    When: Monday January 12 2009
    Who: Dmitry Podgorodinsky, the copilot Victor Morozov, and two passengers Denis Inotsenko and Sergey Sokolov
    Why: The helicopter was found near the Obninsk oil deposit 50 kilometres away from the city of Nefteyugansk. All those onboard were killed in the crash. Pilot’s documents and samples of fuel have been taken from the scene. The autopsies of the victims and also an examination of the helicopter’s fuel are in progress. The helicopter had been hired to fkt over the company’s area oil wells. The flight was found at 23:40 local time by 3 search helicopter/rescue crews from aviation companies Convers Avia, UTair and Yugra Avia.

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    US Airways Airbus Goes Down in the Hudson

    What: U.S. Airways passenger Airbus Flight 1549 enroute to Charlotte, N.C. taking off at t 3:26 p.m
    Where: Hudson River off New York City
    When: Thurs jan 15
    Who: 155 on board scrambling onto rescue boat (50 passengers, three flight attendants and two pilots )
    Why: Pilot hit a flock of geese after taking off from LaGuardia. (Two bird hits) Four minutes after takeoff passengers report hearing an explosion from the left side of the plane.

    Heroic efforts were made, retrieving 150 from the freezing Hudson waters. (It was a 20-degree day.) Gov. David Paterson has called the rescue “miracle on the Hudson.”

    US Airways CEO Doug Parker public announcement.
    The captain of US Airways 1549 is Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger, III. Captain Sullenberger has over 40 years of flying experience.” He a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy (B.S.), Purdue University (M.S.) and the University of Northern Colorado (M.A.)., former US Air Force (USAF) fighter pilot, who has served as an instructor and Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) safety chairman, accident investigator and national technical committee member, and has participated in several USAF and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident investigations.

    Passengers are recorded saying the Captain walked the length of the aisle to verify everyone was safely out.

    NTSB Advisory
    National Transportation Safety Board
    Washington, DC 20594
    January 15, 2009

    NTSB SENDING GO TEAM TO NEW YORK CITY FOR HUDSON RIVER AIRLINER ACCIDENT

    The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a Go Team to investigate today’s crash of a US Airways Airbus A-320 (N106US) into the Hudson River in New York City.

    Senior Air Safety Investigator Robert Benzon has been designated as Investigator-in-Charge of the 20-member team. NTSB Member Kitty Higgins is accompanying the team and will serve as principal spokesperson for the on-scene investigation. Peter Knudson is the press officer for the investigative team.

    The team will be arriving in New York this evening.

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    Black Hawk Helicopter Crashes at Texas University; 1 killed, no students hurt


    What: Army Black HawkUH-60 helicopter
    Where: campus of Texas A&M University near the Corps of Cadets field on the school’s College Station campus, about 100 miles northwest of Houston
    When: Jan-12-09
    Who: 4 Army National Guard and an Army lieutenant assigned to the school’s ROTC unit were the only ones aboard. Three men are in critical condition at College Station Medical Center. One is at St. Joseph Regional Health Center in Bryan
    Why: A witness described that after lift off, the helicopter seemed to lose control, spun then dropped straight down.
    *will be updated if further information comes available

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    Helicopter Forced Landings in FL


    What: N165RV, A ROBINSON R44 ROTORCRAFT
    Where: CLEWISTON, FL
    When: 01/11/2009
    Who: Pilot
    Why: The helicopter made a forced landing 11 miles from the airport

    An aviation school helicopter had an emergency landing landed along I-95 at mile marker No. 212 near Titusville.

  • Lear Slides off Aurora Runway


    What: Learjet 55
    Where: AURORA, IL
    When: 01/12/2009
    Who: 1 pilot 2 passengers
    Why: On landing, the learjet slid off the runway.