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    Mexican Learjet Crash Update



    The NTSB has concluded that wake turbulence was the problem that downed the jet. Air traffic controllers told the Learjet pilots to slow down significantly so as to not gain ground on the 767, but they flew into wake 4 miles behind the jet. This action has been interpreted as pilot error. Additionally, the contract pilots may not have been qualified on the jet as deficiencies in their certifications were uncovered.

    The Learjet departed San Luis Potosí (SLP) at 18:04 on a flight to Mexico City (MEX). On board were a.o. Mexican Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino, Deputy Attorney General Josi Luis Santiago Vasconcelos and Miguel Monterubio Cubas, the director of social communication.

    The flight was uneventful and the Learjet passed LUCIA VOR at 18:40 and ATIZAPAN VOR at 18:42. It passed SAN MATEO VOR at 18:44, at an altitude of 11000 feet and an airspeed of 262 kts. It was trailing a Boeing 767-300 (Mexicana Flight 1692 from Buenos Aires). At 18:45 hours the aircraft was instructed to switch to the Tower frequency which the pilot acknowledged but never contacter Mexico Tower. At 18:46 the flight was observed approaching runway 05L. The last radar position of the aircraft was 7.5 miles from the Mexico VOR on the 256 radial, at an altitude of 9700 feet at 185 kts airspeed.
    The airplane crashed on the Avenida Reforma and caught fire. Several cars were destroyed and at least five people on the ground were killed.

    What: Learjet 45 flown by the Mexican government en route from San Luis Potosí Airport (SLP/MMSP) to Mexico City-Benito Juárez International Airport
    Where: Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City
    When: 04 NOV 2008
    Who: Passengers included:

    • Mexican Secretary of the Interior Juan Camilo Mouriño, top aide to President Felipe Calderón.
    • José Luis Santiago Vasconcelos-former assistant attorney general and current head of the federal technical secretariat for implementing the recent constitutional reforms on criminal justice and public security.
    • Miguel Monterrubio, director general of social communications with the Interior Secretariat.
    • Arcadio Echeverría, coordinator of special events, office of the Interior Secretary.
    • Norma Díaz, director in the communications department of the Interior Secretariat.
    • Julio César Ramírez Dávalos, pilot.
    • Álvaro Sánchez, co-pilot.
    • Gisel Carrillo, stewardess.

    Why: At 18:45, although the aircraft was instructed to switch to the Tower frequency, the pilot acknowledged but never contacted the Mexico Tower. The Learjet then crashed on the Avenida Reforma and caught fire. Several cars were destroyed and at least five people on the ground were killed.

    Voice Data Recorder Excerpts
    Pilot: That one’s got some turbulence.
    Co-pilot: Hey man.
    Pilot: Hey [expletive].
    Pilot: Alvaro, what do we do, Alvaro?
    Co-pilot: Hand it over to me, hand it over to me, hand it over to me.
    Pilot: It’s yours Alvaro.
    Pilot: [expletive]
    Pilot: No, Alvaro.
    Co-pilot: Diosito.

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    Italy’s Airport Shutdown

    • 100 airport employees are opposed to their new labor contracts, causing the cancellation of 39 Alitalia flights at Rome’s Fiumicino airport. Hundreds of passengers are stranded and spending the night at the airport.
    • Lines at Alitalia check-in counters at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport struggled with a backlog of hundreds of passengers who spent the night on the floor after the wildcat strike by some Alitalia workers
    • Rome’s Ciampino airport is closed for the second day, ever since the Ryanair jet had a run-in with a flock of starlings. At last report, the plane is still sitting on the tarmac unable to be moved.
    • 54 flights were cancelled At Milan’s airport, 4 in Naples and 4 in Sicily
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    South American Geophysical Survey Flight DIsappears, Search Underway


    What: Chartered Dynamic Aviation geophysical survey flight ( twin-engine Beech King Air, N87V) on behalf of Canadian mining company Prometheus Resources Inc
    Where: Guyana South America near the border of Venezuela
    When: Saturday Nov 8
    Who: 3 men reported missing, including Pilot Wes (James Wesley) Barker, co-pilot, Chris Paris, 23, and Canadian Patrick Murphy, a geophysics technician
    Why: Cause is unknown but the search is currently underway although hampered by cloud cover. The plane departed Timehri, in western Guyana at 2:14 p.m. local time and was last reported at 3:06 p.m

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    Flock of Starlings Downs Ryanair Boeing in Italy


    What: Ryanair Boeing 737-800 flight FR4102 from Frankfurt
    Where: approached Rome Ciampino Airport at 7.56am
    When: Monday November 10 2008
    Who: two crew members and eight of the 166 passengers received medical treatment
    Why: After the both of the plane’s engine ingested a number of European starlings, smoke started pouring out of one of the engines and oxygen masks fell from the ceiling. As the plane was coming in to land, Passengers debarked via emergency exits and escape chutes. The landing gear sustained damage also. The pilots did not have the time or momentum to bypass a huge flock of birds encountered on landing.

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    Piper Crashes in Australia


    What: Piper PA-31-350 Navajo en route from Moorabbin Aerodrome, east of Melbourne to Port Macquarie on the NSW mid-north coast. The plane had stopped at Bathurst to re-fuel.
    Where: Bathurst Airport
    When: 8.30pm (AEDT) Friday November 7, 2008
    Who: Pilot Timothy O’Brien, 51, pilot’s girlfriend Jackie, 40; Senior Constable Erin Condon, 40, and her nine-year-old son Matthew
    Why: crashed shortly after takeoff from Bathurst. The plane exploded when it hit the ground and caused fires in the immediate area. The pilot tried to return to the airport but crashed 3 km shy. The families are in mourning.

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    The Question of Foul Play

    The big question: was there foul play involved in the crash of the Mexican governmental airplane that resulted in the death of José Luis Santiago Vasconcelos, Miguel Monterrubio, Arcadio Echeverría, Norma Díaz, Álvaro Sánchez, Gisel Carrillo, and several people in the vicinity of Paseo de la Reforma?

    The Mexican government is at war against the drug cartels and apparently the drug cartels had put a price on the head of Vasconcelos. The problem of figuring out the truth is exacerbated by the citizenry’s distrust; the Mexican government is not exactly known for disclosure. In fact, if the facts prove this was indeed an accident, how will people ever be convinced of it? Because no sign of any explosives were found in the wreckage; and the presumed cause of the crash is that the Lear Jet was adversely affected by turbulence from a large Boeing jet in front of it.

    What: Learjet 45 flown by the Mexican government
    Where: Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City
    When: 04 NOV 2008
    Who:Passengers included:

    • Mexican Secretary of the Interior Juan Camilo Mouriño, top aide to President Felipe Calderón.
    • José Luis Santiago Vasconcelos-former assistant attorney general and current head of the federal technical secretariat for implementing the recent constitutional reforms on criminal justice and public security.
    • Miguel Monterrubio, director general of social communications with the Interior Secretariat.
    • Arcadio Echeverría, coordinator of special events, office of the Interior Secretary.
    • Norma Díaz, director in the communications department of the Interior Secretariat.
    • Julio César Ramírez Dávalos, pilot.
    • Álvaro Sánchez, co-pilot.
    • Gisel Carrillo, stewardess.

    Why: At 18:45, although the aircraft was instructed to switch to the Tower frequency which the pilot acknowledged but never contacter Mexico Tower. The Learjet then crashed on the Avenida Reforma and caught fire. Several cars were destroyed and at least five people on the ground were killed.

    Read More

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    Emergency Landing in Manchester

    What: Thomas Cook Airlines Flight TCX569K Airbus A320 en route from Manchester to Tenerife
    Where: touched down at Manchester Airport
    When: 12.15 pm Friday 7th November 2008
    Who: 180 passengers on board
    Why: A passenger is quoted as saying” “The captain made an announcement about the problems and the plane went silent. You could have heard a pin drop. It circled for around five minutes before landing. As soon as it did, there was a surge of chatter as everyone started talking.”

    After the engine malfunctioned just after take-off, the Airbus returned to the Manchester airport. Passengers were scheduled to leave at 17.15 pm on another plane.

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    Mexico City Fatal Crash Update


    See the original at Aviation Safety net
    Contact photographer Harro Ranter

    Update:Thursday investigators found the “black box” voice recorder; the data recorder with navigation information was recovered on Wednesday. The boxes will be examined in the US. Rumors abound that the crash was not an accident.
    Information released (In Spanish):

    What: Learjet 45 flown by the Mexican government
    Where: Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City
    When: 04 NOV 2008
    Who:Passengers included:

    • Mexican Secretary of the Interior Juan Camilo Mouriño, top aide to President Felipe Calderón.
    • José Luis Santiago Vasconcelos-former assistant attorney general and current head of the federal technical secretariat for implementing the recent constitutional reforms on criminal justice and public security.
    • Miguel Monterrubio, director general of social communications with the Interior Secretariat.
    • Arcadio Echeverría, coordinator of special events, office of the Interior Secretary.
    • Norma Díaz, director in the communications department of the Interior Secretariat.
    • Julio César Ramírez Dávalos, pilot.
    • Álvaro Sánchez, co-pilot.
    • Gisel Carrillo, stewardess.

    Why: At 18:45, although the aircraft was instructed to switch to the Tower frequency which the pilot acknowledged but never contacter Mexico Tower. The Learjet then crashed on the Avenida Reforma and caught fire. Several cars were destroyed and at least five people on the ground were killed.

    United States investigators have been called in to help quell the rumors that the flight was sabotaged by drug cartels. Two investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration began working at the crash site on Tuesday night and the NTSB sent a team to investigate. Due to a history of government cover-ups, Mexicans don’t believe the Mexican government will tell the truth about the cause of the crash.

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    Emergency Landing Commendation in Brisbane


    What: single-engine Cessna 172
    Where: Archerfield Airport, Brisbane
    When: 4.00 pm
    Who: instructor and student
    Why: landed on one wheel and skidded along the runway. The landing is being described as “near-perfect emergency landing ” and “best possible outcome” in spite of the fact that the Cessna’s undercarriage would not lower. Royal Queensland Aero Club (RQAC) plans to investigate.

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    Update on Learjet Crash


    Click to view full size phot
    Contact photographer Enrique C. Rivera

    What: Learjet 45 flown by the Mexican government
    Where: Mexico City
    When: 04 NOV 2008
    Who: Mexican Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino, Deputy Attorney General Josi Luis Santiago Vasconcelos and Miguel Monterubio Cubas, the director of social communication.
    Why: At 18:45, although the aircraft was instructed to switch to the Tower frequency which the pilot acknowledged but never contacter Mexico Tower. The Learjet then crashed on the Avenida Reforma and caught fire. Several cars were destroyed and at least five people on the ground were killed.

    United States investigators have been called in to help quell the rumors that the flight was sabotaged by drug cartels. Two investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration began working at the crash site on Tuesday night and the NTSB sent a team to investigate. Due to a history of government cover-ups, Mexicans don’t believe the Mexican government will tell the truth about the cause of the crash.

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    Air Canada Emergency Landing


    What: Air Canada A319 Airbus en route from Winnipeg to Toronto
    Where: Richardson International Airport Winnipeg
    When: Wednesday, November 5, 2008
    Who: 100 passengers
    Why: The crew smelled burning rubber and returned to the airport and had a safe landing.

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    Mexican Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino Killed in Lear Crash


    What: Lear jet en route from the north-returning from an event in the city of San Luis Potosi, central city of San Luis Potosi to Mexico City
    Where: in the street street in an upscale business district in Mexico City
    When: Tuesday Nov 4 during rush hour
    Who: Eight people killed , including Mexican Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino, former Deputy Attorney General Josi Luis Santiago Vasconcelos and Miguel Monterubio Cubas, the director of social communication. Forty people on the ground were injured.
    Why: The vice president of the national civil aviation rescue committee is quoted as saying, “It could have been anything, from mechanical failure to sabotage.” It appeared that something happened to the plane in the air before the plane nosedived straight into the ground and set two dozen cars on fire in the posh Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood.

    Eight are confirmed dead. 40 have been hospitalized. 1800 locals were evacuated. Sabotage has not been ruled out, because Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos, the deputy attorney general was a key player for years in Mexico’s army-led war on drug cartels. Mourino was 37, married with three children, and a rising star in Mexican politics.

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    UK Gazelle Crash Update

    What: ex-military Gazelle helicopter en route from Stratford-upon-Avon to Yeovilton in Somerset. The helicopter was co-owned by Rod (Rick) Praskey and fellow flying enthusiast Christopher Evans. Christopher Evans was NOT aboard.
    Where: in open grassland about 800-900 feet high – one of the highest spots in Gloucestershire, crashed in a field at Langley Hill Farm in Winchcombe, near Cheltenham.
    When: Noon Nov 1
    Who: Two men (both West Midland company directors) and a woman; Pilot Rod Paskey, aged 55, from Fazeley, near Tamworth director of Dekko Exclusive Gifts, Laurence Bailey an executive of Cunningham Cash Registers. The 27 year old woman’s name has not been released.
    Why: poor visibility is conjectured to be part of the cause of the crash. It had been flying in heavy mist. No survivors, no cause known yet. The helicopter was described as a wreck of mangled metal. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch is investigating. Post Mortem examinations were due to be carried out Tues Nov 4

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    5 Killed in Brazil Crash


    What: P-35 Beechcraft in the southern state of Paraná, Brazil en route from Sonora to Arapongas
    Where: in a school yard lf Municipal School Ilda Campano Santini in the city of Paranavai 250 km from the Paraguay border
    When: 10:50 Sunday
    Who: All five aboard were killed, 3 were family members. One woman was aboard.
    Why: The accident is attributed to heavy rains.

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    Mexican Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino Killed in Lear Crash


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer John R. Beckman

    What: Lear jet en route from the north-central city of San Luis Potosi to Mexico City
    Where: in the street street in an upscale business district in Mexico City
    When: Tuesday Nov 4 during rush hour
    Who: Eight people killed , including Mexican Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino, former Deputy Attorney General Josi Luis Santiago Vasconcelos and Miguel Monterubio Cubas, the director of social communication. Forty people on the ground were injured.
    Why: The vice president of the national civil aviation rescue committee is quoted as saying, “It could have been anything, from mechanical failure to sabotage.” It appeared that something happened to the plane in the air before the plane nosedived straight into the ground.

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    Gazelle Helicopter Crashes in the UK

    What: ex-military Gazelle helicopter en route from Stratford-upon-Avon to Yeovilton in Somerset
    Where: in open grassland about 800-900 feet high – one of the highest spots in Gloucestershire, crashed in a field at a farm in Winchcombe, near Cheltenham.
    When: Noon Nov 1
    Who: Two men and a woman
    Why: poor visibility is conjectured to be part of the cause of the crash. It had been flying in heavy mist. No survivors, no cause known yet. The helicopter was described as a wreck of mangled metal. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch is investigating.

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    21 Year Old Cropduster Crashes and Burns in Tasmania


    What: 1967 cropdusting Cessna
    Where: Cressy in north Tasmania
    When: 8 a m
    Who: 12 year old pilot working for a local aviation company
    Why: The engine stalled, lost altitude and hit the ground nose first, exploding and igniting fuel from the ruptured tank.
    The propeller was torn off by the impact.The pilot was wearing a firesuit but his face and hands were on fire.The pilot was taken to Launceston General Hospital. A water tanker driver stopped and helped put out the fire.

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    UK Plane/Tractor Crash

    What: two-seater de Havilland Chipmunk airplane with dual controls.
    Where: Seething airfield, near Loddon, UK
    When: Wednesday afternoon
    Who: Media boss Ian Davies, 49 and passenger Stephen Shutt, 51. Tractor driver, Andrew Hill, was treated for shock.
    Why: The plane crashed into a tractor in Norfolk. Ian Davis died on impact, Shutt taken to hospital.

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    Air India Emergency Landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport

    What: Air India’s Delhi- Hyderabad-Tirupati flight (IC 942) en route from Indira Gandhi International airport to London
    Where: Indira Gandhi International airport
    When: Friday-10.15 takeoff; declared emergency around 11.15 am
    Who: 66 passengers on board 6 crew members
    Why: emergency landing an hour after take off. Passengers rerouted in another aircraft around 12.30 and took off around 1 pm. There was a technical emergency. No one was injured.

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    3 Spaniards 1 Guatemalan die in Helicopter Crash.

    What: Helicopter en route from Guatemala’s northern El Peten Province
    Where: rainforest in the rural province of Verapaz, some 185 miles (300 kms) northeast of the capital
    Guatemala City in northern Guatemala
    When: Thursday
    Who: Spanish businessman Virgilio Casado was piloting the helicopter along with fellow Spaniards Jose Luis Briz Mateo and Juan Calvo Torre. Carlos Sigfrido Hurtarte Rivas, a Guatemalan citizen, also died in the crash.
    Why: Cause is under investigation but likely heavy winds and rain

    After a search delayed by bad weather, the bodies arrived in Guatemala City on Friday. A local aeronautics official believes the helicopter ran into a cloud and lost orientation and control (by a pilot unaccustomed to flying by instruments.)

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    Pilot Suffers Stroke During Flight

    What: Airbus 320 en route from Manila to and Bacolod City
    Where: Philippines
    When: the flight landed safely at 5:37 p.m. local time
    Who: Philippine Airlines pilot Alex Carvajal, 79 passengers
    Why:Pilot suffered a stroke yesterday afternoon while he was at the controls. Co-pilot Donato Cabigo took over the helm and landed without incident. At the time, the pilot felt pain in his neck. The hospital termed it “a cerebrovascular accident” or a stroke

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    12 Years and 99 Deaths Ago, TAM Airlines flight 402 Was Lost But Not Forgotten

    Friday, October 31 2008

    It has been 12 years since 99 people died in the Tam Congonhas Fokker-100 accident.

    On October 31 1996. TAM Transportes Aéreos Regionais Flight 402 set off for Rio De Janeiro and fell to earth minutes after take-off from Congonhas airport, spreading destruction on two building and seven houses, killing 99 people: 90 passengers, six members of the crew and three people on the street.

    Inquiries of TAM and Fokker, (the company who manufactured the airplane) concluded that a malfunctioning relay caused he opening of the right reverser. In December 1997, the Aeronautics Report found TAM guilty and made Fokker responsible for imperfections in the airplane.

    According to the Center of Inquiry and Prevention of Air Accidents (Cenipa) Report, during take-off, the reverser of the right engine of the Fokker-100 opened, and without any alarm, was set in motion, catching by surprise a crew in the command cabin that never was trained for this situation.

    The report disclosed that on 28 of June 1995, the Fokker sent a letter claiming it was not necessary to train pilots for this type of emergency because it was impossible for the Fokker reverser to open during take-off.

    The report says that a system changed altered the probability of imperfection in the system to one in ten million from one in a million.

    One another factor helped to knock down the airplane: the contacts of a relay (controlling of electric circuits) that should have set in motion the alarm system. This relay, according to Douglas colonel Axe, head of the Cenipa, was found 13 days after the accident.

    The human error that was the consequence of these other two situations: the lack of information on pane, caused by the burnt relay, and the lack of training for the situation by the manufacturer of the aircraft. According to report, the pilots had not followed basic recommendations.

    According to colonel Axe, the pilots could have gained time if they had allowed the airplane to go up to stabilize, without “forcing the engine in pane because of the reverse.”

    The Cenipa said that the only acknowledgment that the pilots had of the opening of the reverser was the brusque jib of the manual acceleration of the aircraft, then later when the airplane left the soil, the landing gear.

    A computer animation showed how the pilots acted in a desperate attempt to discover what was occurring.

    The tragedy timeline:

    8h26m: The control tower authorizes the airplane to take off.

    29 seconds: The airplane runs about 90 kilometers per minute in the track.

    55 seconds: The airplane raises in flight. The reverse of right turbine opens and closes for the first time, without the pilot perceiving it. Manete of the one I lock stops backwards and the pilot speeds up the turbine manually.

    70 seconds: The reverser opens for the third time and it does not close.

    74 seconds: The Fokker stick starts to tremble and the airplane loses height.

    79 seconds: The Fokker inclines to the right, the wing striking a three story building . The airplane blows up. Ninety and nine people die.

    8h27m.

    Postado for Jorge Tadeu Da Silva
    Apologies for any errors in translation

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    Safety-Minded Qantas heeds Landing gear Indicators

    What: Qantas Boeing 767 en route from Melbourne Airport bound for Sydney,
    Where: Flight 434 left Melbourne at 1.30pm (AEDT) and landed back at Tullamarine at 2.15pm.
    When: shortly after 2:00pm (AEDT)
    Why: After the pilot discovered a fault with landing gear indicators, he returned to the airport where passengers deplaned and took another flight. Passengers were delayed more than two hours.

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    Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Emergency Landing

    What: en route from Congonhas airport (1030 GMT) in Sao Paulo to the northeastern city of Salvador.
    Where: Cumbica air base
    When: 046 GMT October 28th 2008
    Who: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
    Why: The plane landed at Cumbica air base at 1046 GMT, because a light on the pilot’s control panel indicated that the cargo compartment wasn’t properly closed. The cargo compartment was closed, but the control panel was in error. The plane took off again at 9:31 am.

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    Lufthansa Fire and Emergency Landing

    What: German Lufthansa Airbus A300-600 en route from Malta to Frankfurt.
    Where: Malta International Airport
    When: Tuesday
    Who: 205 passengers evacuated with no injuries.
    Why: The crew reported a fire in its cargo hold and returned for an emergency landing 25 minutes after embarking.