USA

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    FAA official Lost during Proficiency Check in Jackson MS

    What: Robinson R44 practicing aerial maneuvers operating out of Hawkins Field Airport
    Where: duplex-style house about half a mile east of Hawkins Field airport in Jackson, MississippI
    When: Tues September 1, 2009 at 1932
    Who: Two FAA officials, pilot Charles Farmer and pilot Larry Wells of Crystal Springs
    Why: While in the course of a standard pilot proficiency check, it appeared the helicopter was experiencing engine trouble and trying to land, when the helicopter fell from the sky, clipped a tree and crashed into the unoccupied half a duplex house in Jackson Mississippi. The two victims both of whom worked for the FAA were taken to the Mississippi Medical Center, where Charles Farmer died. Larry Wells sustained serious injuries.

    The 2007 R-44 Rotorcraft belonged to WEBB GROUP FLP of Jackson Ms.

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    Seminole Employees Lost in Mystery Plane Crash

    What: single-engine Trinidad TB-20 registration N654GT en route from Montgomery, Ala., to North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines
    Where: just outside Pavo, Ga
    When: Thursday August 27, 2009 wreckage found at 12:30 p.m August 28
    Who: pilot/owner Robert F. Moreland and passenger Michael Villanueva
    Why: The pilot had filed no flight plan, and bad weather hampered the search efforts. The plane crashed in a wooded area. We will be looking for updates on the cause.

    George’s Point of View

    Condolences to the families and to the Seminole tribe

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    NY: Hudson River Crash Update


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Tom Turner

    What: Piper PA-32 registered to LCA Partnership in Fort Washington, Pa flying out of Teteboro Airport to Ocean City and a Liberty Helicopter Sightseeing Tour Eurocopter AS 350
    Where: over the Hudson River between New York and Hoboken, New Jersey near West 14th Street
    When: Sat Aug 8 2009
    Who: Helicopter: 5 Italian tourists and a pilot;
    plane: pilot and 2 passengers (including a child)
    Why: The airplane flew into the helicopter. The impact (or rotors) severed off the plane’s wing. Both aircrafts are in the river. The helicopter is reported to have “dropped like a rock” when the aircrafts “clipped.”

    All bodies have been recovered.

    Though not necessarily considered directly responsible, two FAA employees (the plane’s air traffic controller and the ATC supervisor) have been put on administrative leave in connection with this crash. The ATC was engaged in inappropriate conversation, and the supervisor was not in the room as required.

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    Smoke in the Cockpit Diverts Allegiant to Vegas

    What: Allegiant Air MD-83 en route from Los Angeles to Grand Junction
    Where: McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas
    When: 2:22 p.m May 18, 2009
    Who: 130 passengers and 5 crew members
    Why: After reporting smoke in the cockpit, the crew diverted to the Las Vegas airport. There were no injuries. The replacement flight is not expected to arrive in Grand Junction until after 6 pm.

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    Jet Blue Nose Gear went Belly Up at JFK

    What: Jetblue Embraer ERJ-190 en route from Austin,TX to New York JFK,NY
    Where: JFK,NY runway 22L diverted to runway 31L
    When: May 7th 2009
    Who: 80 people on board
    Why: After a missed approach, the Jet Blue crew announced a “little issue.” THe little issue turned out to be a nose gear steering fault. The plane landed safely under emergency status; no one was injured. And the plane did require a tow after landing.

    This plane–unlike several others at the same time frame at JFK–did NOT incur a bird strike.

    George’s Point of View

    JetBlue goes back and forth across the country.

    Maintenance! Maintenance! Maintenance!

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    Lantana Tragedy


    What: Beechcraft 35 Bonanza owned by James BREAZEAL of Florida
    Where: LANTANA, FL
    When: 05/06/2009
    Who: Two fatalities, pilot and passenger: Jack Henderson of Lake Worth and James Breazeal of Windermere were killed in the crash.
    Why: AIRCRAFT, ON LANDING MISSED THE RUNWAY AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED AIRCRAFT, THE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, LANTANA, FL, Air worthiness Date: 08/18/1959

    Although the airport is saying a new engine was recently installed, investigators believe that engine failure caused the plane to crash. The plane clipped parked planes and collided with a trailer, with the engine dislodging on impact. Apparently the rest of the plane “crumbled” on impact with the hanger.

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    Delta Flight Diverted to Boston

    What: Delta Air Lines en route from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, was bound for Tel Aviv, Israel.
    Where: Boston’s Logan International Airport
    When: 10 p.m Apr 25, 2009
    Who: 206 passengers and 11 crew members aboard
    Why: After take-off, an unruly passenger attempted to break into the cockpit. The incident was not terrorism related; the passenger reportedly had an anxiety/panic attack. He was subdued by other passengers.

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    Sacramento County Plane Crash kills Two

    What: A three-seater plane, a 1969 fixed-wing Champion Citabria en route from the Watsonville Municipal Airport in Wilton (Sacramento county.)
    Where: crashed on Mount Hamilton near San Jose
    When: Saturday 04/18/2009 at 0705
    Who: Pilot and passenger
    Why: The plane at an elevation of about 400 feet on Saturday flew into Mount Hamilton. The pilot and passenger were killed. The reason for the accident has not been determined. The Citabria was registered to Jeff Blanton, of Sacramento, and owned by Blanton and David Hartley.

    The plane WAS THE SUBJECT OF AN ALERT NOTICE ISSUED on 4/19

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    Royal Air Maroc Boeing 767-300


    Contact photographer Agustin Anaya
    What: Royal Air Maroc Boeing 767-30 en route from Casablanca (Morocco) to New York John F. Kennedy Airport
    Where: JFK
    When: Apr 20th 2009
    Why: Wake turbulence was such that the landing was hard. Complaints about the hard landing prompted plane inspection which turned up wrinkles found in the fuselage. The plane was grounded for repairs and further inspection.

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    Afterword: American Airlines flight 1400

    See George’s Point of View here


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Art Brett
    What: American Airlines MD-82 aircraft en route from Lambert to Chicago
    Where: Lambert
    When: Sept. 28, 2007
    Who: 138 passengers, 3 flight attendants, two pilots
    Why: When the fight experienced an emergency (engine fire) and the MD-82 returned to land at the airport of origin, the nose landing gear failed. After a go-around, the plane conducted an emergency landing and everyone debarked on to the runway.

    The reason that this is in the news now is that the problems involved have been under investigation. The procedure that mechanics used to manually start one of the engines is held to be responsible for the fire. However the captain was also faulted for poor division of labor, resulting in inefficiency which is judged to have exacerbated the emergency.

    NTSB Identification: DCA07MA310
    Scheduled 14 CFR Part 121: Air Carrier operation of AMERICAN AIRLINES
    Accident occurred Friday, September 28, 2007 in St. Louis, MO
    Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), registration: N454AA
    Injuries: 143 Uninjured.

    This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

    On September 28, 2007, at 1316 central daylight time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), N454AA, operated by American Airlines as flight 1400, executed an emergeny landing at Lambert-St Louis International Airport (STL), St. Louis, Missouri, after the flight crew received a left engine fire warning during departure climb from the airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 121 scheduled domestic flight. After landing, the 2 flight crew, 3 flight attendants, and 138 passengers deplaned via airstairs and no occupant injuries were reported. The intended destination of the flight was Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago, Illinois.

    Upon receiving the left engine fire warning during climb, the flight crew discharged the aircraft engine fire bottles into the affected engine. During the visual return and single-engine approach to the airport, the nose landing gear did not extend. The flight crew then extended the nose landing gear using the emergency landing gear extension procedure. The airplane returned and then landed on runway 30L (11,019 feet by 200 feet, grooved concrete) and was met by STL Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Vehicles

    The NTSB identification number for this investigation was administratively changed from CHI07MA310 to DCA07MA310 on April 2, 2008.

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    Ski Trip Ends in Tragedy



    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Jerry Search
    What: single engine turboprop( Pilatus PC-12) owned by Eagle Cap Leasing en route from Oroville, Calif. (Brown Field Municipal airport in San Diego to Vacaville, Calif. to Oroville ) to Bozeman
    Where: On approach to the Butte airport
    When: Sunday March 22
    Who: 17 Passengers included up to a dozen kids
    Why: Prior to the crash, the pilot diverted from Butte to Bozeman but 500 feet from the airport, a witness said the plane made a number of sharp turns and nosedived into the ground. Seventeen bodies have been recovered, (12 is the upper limit) several more than should be boarded on the type of plane. The cause of the crash is under investigation.Japanese Video

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    No incident in Miramar

    What: Navy FA-18 fighter jet doing flight operations
    Where: MCAS Miramar
    When: Tuesday night 9 p.m
    Why: When the jet ran low on fuel, the pilot was directed to land at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, which meant flying over Allied Gardens. The sight and sound of a jet flying low over the neighborhood brought back a panicked response, a reminder of an identical jet which killed people on the ground a few months ago in University City. Although the jet landed safely, the still-recovering neighborhood was catapulted back into a terror response–although the jet was completely in control the entire time.

    Without wanting to sound too harsh, one hopes that San Diego recalls there is a military base and planes will be flying there when need be. There was no actual incident. Should they have ditched the jet in the bay rather than safely fly over? Then someone would have been complaining about the cost of a ditched FA-18. Be happy.

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    Nascar Bombardier Nails Vegas Landing on One Engine

    What: two-engine Bombardier CRJ-200 en route to Southern California
    Where: emergency landing in Las Vegas
    When: Thursday Feb 19
    Who: 44 team members and a crew of four
    Why: After the plane made a fuel stop in Salinas, Kan., the left engine lost oil pressure and the pilots shut it down at 38,000 feet. The General Manager of Michael Waltrip Racing said that “the plane operated flawlessly on one engine and we landed with absolutely zero incident.”

    The Michael Waltrip Racing team members were en route from North Carolina to Southern California for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup. The team came the rest of the way by bus.

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    DC-3 Crashes at Mojave-Kern


    Click here for full size photo on Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Michael Van Bosch
    Landing photo taken one day before it crashed

    What: National Test Pilot School’s AMI 65 TP Turbo DC-3 Registration N834TP
    Where: Mojave-Kern County Airport, CA
    When: 05 FEB 2009
    Who: crew of 2 pilots-one taken by ambulance to the hospital; the other drove himself.
    Why: The DC-3 was in takeoff phase from runway 30. After liftoff, it dropped and veered off the runway and sustained substantial damage. Six hundred gallons of fuel leaked from the plane as a result of damage.


    View Larger Map

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    Puerto Rico Plane Crash


    What: LANCAIR IVP Fixed Wing Single-Engine Experimental class plane
    Where: AGUADILLA, PUERTO RICO
    When: 01/07/2009
    Who: Only the pilot was aboard
    Why: On landing, the aircraft rolled, the nose gear collapsed.

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    Federal Officials Investigating Louisiana Crash


    What: Sikorsky S-76C helicopter, operated by PHI Inc
    Where: Louisiana marshland – Bayou Penchant area about 100 miles from New Orleans in southwestern Terrebonne Parish
    When: Sunday Jan. 4, 2009
    Who: eight fatalities, one survivor. The helicoptor was carrying two pilots and seven passengers The dead were identified as Allen Boudreaux, of Ama, La.; Andrew Moricio and Ezequiel Cantu of Morgan City, La.; Randy Tarpley of Jonesville, La.; Jorey A. Rivero, of Bridge City, La.; Charles W. Nelson of Pensacola, Fla.; Thomas E. Ballenger of Eufaula, Ala. and Vyarl W. Martin of Hurst, Texas. The injured survivor is Steven Yeltin was medevacted; he is listed as being in critical condition and is awaiting to be transferred to Oschner Medical Center from the Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center in Houma. Mike Moreno, CEO of the Moreno Group along with Dynamic Industries, employed five of the victims.
    Why: The helicopter is believed to have crashed about seven minutes after it took off at 3 p.m, A distress signal was received just after 3. The NTSB investigation is well underway and the black box has already been recovered.

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    Helicopter Crashes in Salters SC


    What: Helicopter
    Where: a field near Haddock’s Flying Services, in Salters
    When: 2:45 p.m. Dec 25
    Who: Two men aboard. One was taken by ambulance to a local hospital; the other airlifted to Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston in serious condition.
    Why: The helicopter experienced mechanical problems

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    Pilot Killed 500 feet from Airport

    What: plane registered to Steven P. Reamer en route from Piedmont Triad International Airport to o Gainesville, Fla
    Where: 500 feet short of the runway at Anson County Airport.
    When: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25 3 pm
    Who: Pilot Steven P. Reamer was killed in the crash. His wife Pamela was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.
    Why: The plane was having engine problems. Witnesses report the motor was sporadic and sputtering

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    Puerto Rican Crash Found

    What: Rockwell International 690B, took off from Tortola in the British Virgin Islands en route to the Puerto Rican capital
    Where: Puerto Rican rainforest fog-shrouded El Yunque mountain
    When: on Wednesday
    Who: Caribbean pilot Ken Webster owner of Websta’s Aviation Services Inc. in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. ; and two U.S. tourists Tracy Turner and Ken (Kent) Clapp
    Why: During foggy weather, the plane apparently slammed into El Yunque mountain.


    View Larger Map

    Video taken by hikers hiking to top of El Yunque in Puerto Rico May 2008. El Yunque National Forest is the site of the crash.

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    AA Emergency Landing in Albuquerque


    What: American Airlines Flight 369 McDonnell Douglass MD 88 (mad dog) en route from New Orleans to Albuquerque
    Where: Albuquerque International Sunport on Sunport runway 2-6
    When: just before 2:00 p.m. Sunday.
    Who: Over a hundred passengers
    Why: pilot reported problems with one of the plane’s landing gears; sensor light warning indicated the gear was not locked and down.

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    Davis Islands Plane Crash

    What: Extra 300 single-engine en route from Peter O. Knight Airport. Plane is registered to Tampa Aircraft Holdings Inc., 910 S. Newport Ave.
    Where: Landing at Peter O. Knight Airport on Davis Islands
    When: 11/28/2008
    Who: Pilot Dan Greenwald, 48, and passenger Mitch Kirby, 19. The pilot crawled out and appeared to have an injured hand. The passenger’s left leg was hurt. Both are being treated at Tampa General Hospital.
    Why: According to Tampa Fire Rescue, “The aircraft, heading southwest, came in over the Port of Tampa about 11:14 a.m., clipped a 50-foot sailboat mast, hit the seawall of Seddon Channel and flipped over, landing on grassy airport property about 50 feet shy of the runway “

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    Fatal Crash South of Lake Tahoe

    What: Piper Cherokee
    Where: crashed in trees two miles from Alpine County, Calif., airport, near Woodfords south of Lake Tahoe.
    When: late Thursday morning
    Who: Pilot 53-year-old Raymond Wieveg
    Why: Pilot radioed in engine failure then attempted an emergency landing. The pilot was the only one on board. He did not survive the crash.

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    Downed Kit Plane Kills Pilot in York

    What: Skyranger II, a home built single-engine kit plane
    Where: nose down in a soybean field in York County SC in a very rural area near the Chester County line along East Chappel Road near Horse Road
    When: crashed between 10:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Thursday
    Who: 51-year-old Theodore Hargett of Rock Hill
    Why: Cause is unknown. The pilot had not long owned the Skyranger and was inexperienced.

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    Piper Crash in New Hampshire

    What: single-engine Piper Cub owned by Phyliss Harvey
    Where: crashed in a field on Red Oak Hill Road
    When: Sunday afternoon
    Who: Paul Aquaviva, the injured pilot was taken to Exeter Hospital
    Why: The plane lost power and crash landed. The crash is under investigation.