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    FAA Receives Unleaded Fuels Proposals in Safe Fuel Initiative

    vintageFAA Receives Unleaded Fuels Proposals

    The Federal Aviation Administration announced today it has received ten replacement fuel proposals from producers Afton Chemical Company, Avgas LLC, Shell, Swift Fuels and a consortium of BP, TOTAL and Hjelmco, for further evaluation in the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative (PAFI). The industry-government initiative is designed to help the general aviation industry transition to an unleaded aviation gasoline. The FAA will be assessing the viability of the candidate fuels to determine which fuels may be part of the first phase of laboratory testing at the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center.

    The goal is to have a new unleaded fuel by 2018.

    “We’re committed to getting harmful lead out of general aviation fuel,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “This work will benefit the environment and provide a safe and available fuel for our general aviation community.”

    The 167,000 general aviation aircraft in the US that rely on 100 low lead aviation gasoline for safe operation are running on the only remaining transportation fuel in the United States that contains the addition of lead.

    Commercial planes have never used leaded gas.

    Congress authorized $6 million for the fiscal year 2014 budget to support the PAFI test program at the FAA Technical Center. PAFI was established to facilitate the development and deployment of a new unleaded aviation gasoline with the least impact on the existing piston-engine aircraft fleet.

    The FAA asked fuel producers on June 10, 2013 to submit proposals for replacement fuels by July 1, 2014. The goal is to identify, select, and provide fleetwide certification for fuels determined to have the lowest impact on the general aviation fleet.

    The FAA will analyze the candidate fuels in terms of their impact on the existing fleet, the production and distribution infrastructure, their impact on the environment, their toxicology and the cost of aircraft operations.

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    Chanhassen Pilot, Family Injured in New Mexico Cessna Crash

    Four people flying from Ames to a Las Vegas New Mexico airport in a CESSNA
    210L were injured when the plane crashed on landing on July 2nd 2014.

    The critically injured pilot, James Fretham, was hospitalized with broken bones and spinal injuries. He is from Chanhassen, Minnesota, where the plane is registered. The injured passengers, his wife Elizabeth and two daughters Grace and Caitrin, have been released from a Santa Fe hospital

    Reports say that Fretham had surgery on July 4.

    The plane was about to land in cloudy weather, but Fretham had to pull up to avoid hitting a truck obstructing the runway. The plane crashed when a wing glanced the ground.

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    Parma Plane Crash Kills World War II Veteran

    UntitledA small aircraft crashed at an air strip off Route 104 and near West Ridge Road in Parma, New York, on July 5.

    The pilot, Norman Hasman, 88, who was a World War II veteran and the only person aboard, was killed in the crash. Investigators said that Norman’s plane swerved off the air strip and flipped upside down when he was practicing ‘touch and go’ landing exercises.

    “The wind is gusting today and it was a very light plane and that may have something to do with it. Flying any aircraft has its hazards and it takes a particular skill,” said Sgt. Robert Murphy of the Monroe County Sheriff Department.

    He further said, “He was a very experienced flier. He was a veteran of World War II. He had been shot down twice during in wartime. He was a prisoner of war for several years. He loved flying despite his advanced age.”

    The FAA is investigating the cause of crash.

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    Single-Engine Plane Crashed in NY, Pilot Injured

    A single-engine plane crashed near Buffalo, during takeoff from Royalton Airport in Gasport, New York, at about 11:30 a.m. on July 5.

    The 79-year-old pilot who was the only person aboard suffered facial injuries and was airlifted to the hospital. His name has not yet been released.

    The plane crashed to the right of the runway in a heavily wooded area. The emergency responders faced difficulty in saving the life of the pilot due to the woods. They had to create a path of approximately 200 yards by using a backhoe to carry the stretcher to the pilot.

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    Plane Crashed at Durango Airport, 2 Killed

    P-51 MustangA P-51 Mustang aircraft crashed just north of the runway at the La Plata County Airport in Durango, Colorado, at about 9:30 a.m. on July 4.

    The incident happened when the plane reached about ¼ mile up in the air after taking off.

    The Durango Fire and Rescue Authority confirmed that there were only two people aboard and both of them lost their lives in the crash. They were later identified as John Earley, the owner of the plane and the CEO of Saddle Butte Pipeline LLC in Durango, and Mike Schlarb, his flight instructor; both were in their 50s.

    The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

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    4 Injured in New Mexico Plane Crash

    CessnaA single-engine Cessna 210, coming from Ames, Iowa, crashed during a landing attempt at the Las Vegas Municipal airport in northern New Mexico, at about 6:39 p.m. on July 2.

    The six-seat propeller plane had 4 people aboard at the time of the accident, including the pilot James Fretham, 50 and the passengers Elizabeth Fretham, 49, Caitrin Fretham, 21 and Grace Fretham, 15.

    According to Las Vegas Police Chief Christian Montano, the pilot was airlifted to Christus St. Vincents Regional Medical Center with critical spinal injuries, while the other three on-board suffered only minor injuries and were released after treatment at a local hospital.

    The plane is registered to James A. Fretham of Chanhassen, Minnesota.

    The FAA and NTSB are looking into the causes of crash.

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    Water Leak Floods the Aisles; Qantas Flight Returns to LAX

    QantasQantas Airways Flight 94 had to return and make an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport due to a water pipe leak, on July 2.

    The Airbus A380 was en route from Los Angeles to Melbourne, Australia and was cruising at an altitude of about 31,000 feet when it sprung a leak, making the aisles flood with water.

    The pilot then decided to return to Los Angeles, where the plane made a safe emergency landing at about 2:40 a.m. No one was injured.

    According to a statement released by Qantas, “[The crew] did everything they could to help customers, including moving them to unaffected areas and providing spare blankets so they could stay dry.” The statement further said, “We’re also providing customers with hotel accommodation while the issue is being fixed by our engineers in Los Angeles. We apologise to customers for the inconvenience. There were no safety of flight concerns with the water leak, however the Captain decided to return to LA in the interests of passenger comfort. We are liaising with Airbus to understand what caused this fault.”



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    Cessna 152 Makes Emergency Landing at Lewes

    Cessna 152A single-engine 1978 Cessna 152 made an emergency landing at a beach in Cape Henlopen State Park near Lewes, Delaware at about 7:30 p.m. on July 2.

    The two-seater plane took off from Ocean City, Maryland and was on its way to Georgetown when it started experiencing engine trouble. The pilot then decided to look for a suitable place to make an emergency landing.

    The plane landed between Gordon’s Pond and Herring Point incurring some damage to its propeller. There were 2 people aboard at the time of incident: Robert Danzi, 65, of Selbyville, who was piloting the plane and Joanne Guilfoil, 64, of Jacksonville, North Carolina. Neither of them were injured.

    State police, the state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the FAA are looking into the incident.

    The plane was removed from the site next morning, with permission from the FAA.

    According to the FAA records, the plane is registered to Nancy Ulanowicz of Owings, Maryland.

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    FedEx Plane Lands in Emergency at Nashville

    FedExFedEx flight 1412, on its way from Memphis International Airport to Manchester, New Hampshire, made an emergency landing at Nashville International Airport in Nashville, Tennessee at about 5 a.m. on July 2.

    The incident happened after smoke was noticed in the cockpit of the cargo plane.

    The plane landed without incident. The pilot and the co-pilot were the only people aboard; both of them remained unharmed.

    According to a FedEx spokesperson, the company is working with the authorities to determine the cause of incident.

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    Plane Crash at Anchorage’s Merrill Field Airport Kills Pilot

    UntitledA 1964 Piper PA-12 plane crashed during takeoff from the runway 7/25 of Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage, Alaska, at about 8:24 a.m. on July 2.

    The pilot identified as Charles Hancock, 61, died in the crash. The NTSB investigator Cathy Gagne confirmed that he was the only person aboard the aircraft and had made contact with the Merrill Field tower before the plane crashed.

    The police and Anchorage fire department responded to the scene.

    According to eye witnesses, the plane was airborne before it crashed nose-down.

    All runways at the airport were closed following the crash. They were later re-opened after removing the plane by 11 a.m.

    Hancock was the owner and operator of a urethane insulation contractor, AIC Foam and Coatings.

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    Bahamasair Flight Returns to Fort Lauderdale International Airport

    downloadBahamasair flight 142, en route to Freeport, Grand Bahama, returned to the Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Florida, immediately after taking off on June 30, due to some mechanical problems in one of its engines.

    The plane, carrying 27 passengers including 25 adults and 2 infants, made an uneventful emergency landing. The passengers were provided free meals and were transferred to another aircraft.

    Bahamasair Company General Manager Henry Woods said that the company technicians in Fort Lauderdale are working to make the plane fully functional.

    “The pilots are trained to handle these sorts of situations. Realising a reduction in engine power, the pilot aborted the flight. The engines are still under warranty so the manufacturer has advised us to change two of the main components,” he said.

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    Delta Jet Returned to Jamaica for Emergency Landing

    deltaA Delta Airlines flight bound for Atlanta had to return and make an emergency landing at Kingston airport in Jamaica, shortly after it took off on June 30.

    According to Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant the decision to make an emergency landing was made after a pneumatic leak was discovered in the engine 2 of the MD-88 jet.

    The plane landed safely. All 149 passengers and 5 crew members aboard remained unhurt.

    Emilio Ebanks, the spokesperson of Jamaica Fire Brigade said that smoke was seen to be coming out of the plane while it was in the air. Durrant said there was no fire in the aircraft.

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    Southwest Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Iowa

    southwest_airlines_logoSouthwest Airlines Flight 3809 on its way from Minneapolis-St. Paul airport to Denver, had to divert and make an emergency landing at Sioux City airport in Iowa, at about 2:40 p.m. on June 29.

    The decision to divert and make an emergency landing was made after the pilot noticed a power warning light flashing in the cockpit.

    The Boeing 737, with 143 passengers and 5 crew members aboard, then landed without incident after remaining in the air for about 90 minutes.

    Southwest spokeswoman Michelle Agnew said that the pilot adopted a cautious route although the situation was not that dire.

    Sioux City airport operations manager John Backer said that the passengers were provided a replacement plane to resume the journey after waiting for three hours in the lounge.

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    Colorado Plane Crash Kills 3

    piperdebrisA single-engine plane crashed and caught fire in the Loveland Valley Ski Area, along Interstate 70 and west of Denver, Colorado, on June 30.

    The incident happened after the plane took off from the Rocky Mountain Airport on Monday morning with a family of 3 persons on-board. All three of them were killed in the crash.

    The victims belonged to Raymond, Ohio and were identified as James Kerker, 43, his wife, Amy Kerker, 39, and their 6-year-old son, Lucas Kerker. They were on their way to a family vacation in Moab, Utah, after stopping in Denver to visit family. Kerker was the registered owner of the plane and was piloting when it crashed.

    Captain Randy Long from Clear Creek County Sheriff’s office said, “Initial call came from an eyewitness who watched the aircraft fail to gain enough altitude to clear the ridge line, turn back toward the Denver area, lose power and crash into the trees.”

    The aircraft, which is believed to be a Piper PA model, was badly damaged. Capt. Long said, “There’s very little if anything left of the aircraft.”

    The NTSB is looking into the cause of crash.

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    Pilot Seriously Injured after Cessna Crashes in Valley County

    CessnaA Cessna 182 plane crashed off Big Creek Airstrip in Valley County, central Idaho, at 8:30 a.m. on June 29.

    The pilot, Jay Minor, 71, from Oregon, was the only person on board. He suffered multiple life threatening injuries and was transported by air ambulance to St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise.

    Other aircrafts in the area informed Arnold Aviation about the crash, who subsequently notified the Valley County Sheriff’s Office.

    According to the Valley County officials nine people have died in six aircraft crashes over the past year in the county.

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    Helicopter Crash Near Paul Injures 3

    helicopterA helicopter operated by Reeder Flying Service based out of Twin Falls crashed in a hayfield near milepost 41 on highway 24, northwest of Paul, Idaho, shortly before 5:30 p.m. on June 29.

    Sheriff Kevin Ellis of Lincoln County said that all three people aboard the helicopter suffered injuries of varied degrees. Two of the injured were taken to Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello by air, while the third one was transported to St. Luke’s Magic Valley by ambulance.

    Minidoka County Sheriff’s Office, the fire department, and paramedics responded to the scene.

    The FAA is looking into the cause of the crash.

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    Plane Crash in Peachtree City Injures Pilot

    PiperA Piper Sport aircraft crashed at the north end of Atlanta Regional Airport, located in Peachtree City of Fayette County, Georgia, at 9:18 a.m. on June 29.

    According to a spokesperson of the Federal Aviation Administration, the aircraft went down at the end of the runway 31, shortly after it took off.

    According to Lt. Mark Brown of the Peachtree City Police, pilot John Ritchey, 64, of Fayetteville, was seriously injured and was taken by med-evac helicopter to Atlanta Medical Center.

    The FAA has launched investigation into the crash.

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    UA Flight 1463 Makes Emergency Landing in Wichita

    new-united-logoUnited Airlines flight 1463 en route from Chicago to John Wayne Airport, Los Angeles, made a safe emergency landing at Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita, Kansas, just after 10:30 p.m. on June 29.

    A spokesman with the FAA said that an emergency evacuation slide of the Boeing 737-700 opened up in midair. According to reports, the plane dropped from 38,000 ft. to 11,000 ft. in just 12 minutes due to a loss in cabin pressure.

    The plane landed safely and the United Airlines confirmed that all 96 passengers and 5 crew members aboard remained unhurt.

    Passengers remained seated for about an hour before disembarking. They were taken to their destination on an alternate flight.

    United Airline’s maintenance crew is checking the plane to determine the cause.

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    Cessna Makes Crash Landing on Texas Highway

    CessnaA single-engine Cessna plane made a crash landing on a ramp on northbound U.S. 287, north of Interstate 20, in Arlington, Texas, on the afternoon of June 27.

    The plane landed on the highway ramp’s barrier wall and then crashed into a black pickup truck. The incident happened shortly before 5 p.m. after the aircraft lost oil pressure.

    According to Jim Self, an Arlington assistant fire chief, the aircraft was towing an advertisement banner at the time of the accident. Self also confirmed that the pilot remained unhurt.

    However, a statement from Arlington police stated that the plane’s wing crashed into the windshield of the truck and one person in the truck sustained minor injuries.

    The FAA and NTSB are investigating the accident.

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    US Airways Flight 4090 Made Emergency Landing at Portland Jetport

    US AirwaysUS Airways flight 4090 made a safe emergency landing at Portland Jetport, Maine, on the night of June 27.

    The incident happened when the plane was heading to Portland from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with 54 people aboard.

    According to the Portland Fire Department spokesman Tim Nangle, the pilot of the CRJ 200 aircraft radioed the Portland tower at 8:35 p.m., and communicated that the flaps of the aircraft were not working properly.

    The plane landed without incident and after inspection was later declared safe to make a return flight to Philadelphia.

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    Airbus Emphasizes More Manual Flying and Monitoring Skills in Pilots

    downloadIn an international safety conference held in the USA on June 18, Airbus expressed their plan to overcoming the issue of pilots relying too much on automated flight control systems.

    The European plane manufacturing company is reviewing its pilot training priorities and putting more emphasis on manual flying and enhanced flight monitoring. According to William Tauzin, director of international regulatory affairs for Airbus, the new wide body jet series A350 will be the first with an approved training procedure which re-emphasizes manual flying and improved monitoring of the situations and progress of flight. “There are times when you have to take over manually…because even the most sophisticated automated systems can get planes into situations and places from which the pilots are going to have to fly out,” he said.

    The largest customer of the A350 is Qatar Airways which has 80 aircrafts on order. The airline is set to put the new design into service by the end of 2014.

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    Richmond Attorney Killed in North Carolina Plane Crash

    CessnaA celebrated aviation expert and attorney, Albert M. Orgain IV, was killed after his single-engine Cessna 182 went down in a field, around 5 miles southwest of the Halifax-Northampton Regional Airport in North Carolina, on June 27.

    The aircraft took off from Sabot Airport, located west of Richmond, Virginia, and was destined for the Rocky Mount-Wilson Regional Airport. According to the FAA, the plane crashed after the pilot reported engine trouble at about 10 a.m. and diverted the plane to the Halifax-Northampton Regional Airport.

    The plane was registered to Albert M. Orgain IV, who was an aviation expert, a Richmond-area attorney and a member of Sands Anderson law firm. Sands Anderson law firm confirmed that Orgain was flying the plane at the time of accident.

    The FAA and NTSB is investigating the cause of crash.

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    Throttle-Control Issue Prompts Small Plane to Make Emergency Landing

    CirrusA single engine Cirrus plane carrying 2 people, made an emergency landing at Santa Barbara Airport, California, at about 12:15 p.m. on June 24.

    According to Santa Barbara Fire Captain Gary Pitney, the accident happened after the plane developed a throttle-control problem while preparing to land at the airport. The pilot then had to cut off the fuel supply to the engine and make a hard landing. The plane landed on the paved over-run area and then ran off before coming to stop about 300 feet from Tecolotito creek.

    Pitney also said that the pilot remained in contact with the control tower during the whole time.

    Both people aboard remained unharmed, although the plane sustained some minor damage.

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    Ultralight Crashes in Fox River; 1 Dead, 1 Hospitalized

    A two-seater ultralight aircraft crashed in the Fox River in Dayton, near Chicago, on June 23.

    The pilot, Nicholas Peterson of Arizona, was able to survive the crash; he was taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital, Ottawa for treatment. However, his passenger, identified as Jeffrey Carpenter, 50, of Chicago, died and his body was removed from the River next morning at about 6:45 a.m.

    The pilot told the officials that the accident happened due to some engine problems in the aircraft.

    According to Chief Mick Garrison of Marseilles Fire Protection District, the plane took off from the headquarters of Skydive Chicago, located nearby. He also said, “We believe it happened about 8:30 and the one individual was able to get out of the crash and he later called for help shortly after 10 [p.m.] or thereabouts.”

    The FAA along with the sheriff’s office and coroner’s office are investigating the accident.

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    Plane Crash in Arizona Kills 2

    2 South Carolina residents were killed after their small plane crashed in northern Arizona.

    Charles Trotter, 47, of Liberty, SC and Dakota Jacks, 15, from Pickens, SC were aboard the plane which took off from Las Vegas on June 20. It then landed in Page for a while and departed again at about 1:30 p.m. Authorities said that the last contact with the pilot was established off a Navajo Mountain tower, shortly after the plane took off from Page. Coconino County Sheriff’s office confirmed that the pilot had not filed a flight plane.

    According to Sgt. Aaron Dick from Coconino County Sheriff’s office, the deputies received a report of missing, South-Carolina-bound 1961 Mooney M20B plane at about 7:30 a.m. on June 22. The Civil Air Patrol Wings started the search operation, extending over Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. He also said that they were notified about possible wreckage in Peach Canyon, Navajo Nation, at about 1:40 p.m. On June 22.

    A sheriff’s deputy was then sent to the area, in a department of Public Safety helicopter, who located the wreckage of the missing plane. The bodies of both the pilot and the passenger were also found with the wreckage.

    Trotter was piloting the time at the time of crash. His family later released a statement which said, “Charles Michael Trotter, 47 years old, died doing what he loves-flying his plane. Devoted husband, loved his wife, loved flying, and loved Jesus. Now he is at home with his Lord and Savior. May he rest in peace.”

    Dakota was a friend of Trotter’s family; he attended Pickens High School and Pickens View Wesleyan Church.

    The NTSB is investigating the cause of accident.