USA

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    Emergency Landing in Colorado

    Three people en route from Alamosa to Ogden made an emergency landing in a Trans Med LLC Cirrus SR22 #N426TF when they experienced some problems with the plane.

    But they came in fast, bounced over a hill, rolled, etc, off the runway to a nearby road in Mack Colorado, around 6 pm September 23, 2013. I guess we could call this a runway excursion. It appears to have been quite an excursion from the runway. I suppose we are writing about it here because of the fast landing. We don’t know the problem that forced the pilot to land in Mack.

    The pilot and his two passengers apparently suffered very minor injuries that did not prevent them from renting a car and driving from Grand Junction to Ogden.

    The NTSB is investigating. The pilot and passengers were not mentioned by name.

    Mack is a small town 10 miles east of the Colorado/Utah border in Mesa County, Colorado. We had never heard of it either.

    Video Below

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    Navy Helicopter Crashes in Red Sea

    A United States Navy Sikorsky MH-60S Sea Hawk assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 6 crashed in the Red Sea on Sunday. Three of the five aboard are recuperating. Two are missing and presumed dead. The crew is from Naval Air Station North Island. (San Diego)

    The USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is supporting the rescue efforts. The crash is reported as an attempted landing on the deck.

    The names of the two lost at sea have not been released. All of the crew wore floatation devices and safety gear-

    See News Video Below

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    Medical Evacuation Helicopter has Hard Landing in Mississippi

    A medical Eurocopter AS350 helicopter from Pioneer Hospital carrying a patient to Baptist Hospital in Jackson made a hard landing in the back yard of Don Forbush–an open field on Ratliff Ferry Road, Madison County around 9:30 pm on Sept 19. The helicopter sustained damage.

    Rescue and law enforcement responded to the scene. The pilot was injured, and transported by UMC’s helicopter to the hospital. The patient he was flying was taken by another MedStat helicopter to University of Mississippi Medical Center.

    The MedStat pilot who made the hard landing was commended for saving the lives of everyone aboard.

    The incident is under investigation by the NTSB and the FAA.

    Video Below

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    Logging Helicopter Crash Kills Pilot


    Pilot William Bart Colantuono of Indialantic, Florida, was working for R&R Conner Aviation of Darby, Montana when his helicopter crashed while he was lifting logs in Oregon. Colantuono released the logs before crashing.

    Witnesses saw a rotor separate before the helicopter flipped and crashed upside down. Colantuono, originally a navy pilot, had been flying privately for 25 years, and authored a book on “hell-logging.”

    The accident occurred on Sept 17, 2013.

    The official preliminary report said “16-SEP-13/N204UH BELL UH-1B ROTORCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES DURING A LOGGING OPERATION, THE 1 PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, NEAR DETROIT, OREGON”

  • | |

    Father of Deceased Pilot Sues KLM Flight School

    A grieving father whose son died of trauma and “horrific burn injuries” when the plane he was in crashed in Arizona is suing the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines subsidiary, Canada-based CAE and its school in Arizona for causing his son’s death.

    Bennell worked for CAE Oxford Aviation Academy Phoenix, which had a training-services agreement with KLS.

    The complaint states that the training agreement between CAE and KLM “had financial incentive awards and penalties associated with the number of training flights provided to KLM flight students,” contributing “to a culture whereby safe flight practices were sacrificed for economic gain.”

    The accident occurred on Sept. 13, 2012. The student pilot,Lucas Westenberg, 19, from the Netherlands, and Rob Van Den Heuvel, a 68-year-old retired KLM flight officer and former Dutch air force fighter pilot died in the same accident.

    Taylor Bennell died in the crash. He was licensed by the FAA but not the JAA (in Europe); but without JAA certification, regulations forbade Bennell to teach. But Bennell had allegedly been ordered to provide Westenberg with flight instruction.

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    Plane Hits Car in Detroit


    Hello three stooges airport, Detroit.

    Delta Expressjet Flight 5365 was backing up before taking off for Tulsa (picture cartoon airplane backing up, and running in place. You know how cartoon figures always do that before they go fast…)

    The wingtip of the Expressjet plane got stuck in the window of a vehicle around 4 pm on Sept 9 2013.

    The vehicle is owned, operated and parked on the tarmac of Detroit Metro Airport by Skychef, which caters food for airlines.

    I wonder if Skychef caters food for Expressjet? I wonder if SkyChef should paint their vehicles bright orange and haul on their roof a Times-Square sized Bulletin board that says “Don’t Hit Me, I’m Just the Caterer.”

    Apparently the car was stationary and the plane was backing up when the hang-up occurred.

    Maybe the Skychef vehicle was where it was supposed to be, since they’ve got to get food to the planes. We’re pretty sure that the plane was where it was supposed to be. In fact, we’re not sure if we should be sending a bucket of pavement striping paint to the airport, or a pair of those rear view glasses advertised on the back of a comic book to the pilot. Heads up folks. That could be a very expensive fender bender.

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    Giant Panda Deflates on San Diego


    No, it’s not the return of a Japanese series of Kaiju films featuring the character Godzilla vs the Giant Panda.

    A hot air ran away from home. The balloon and its balloonist fell in a residential area in San Diego County.

    The balloon did not land on any houses though there were some close calls with chimneys and such. This is the same balloon that escaped to land on a median in Carmel Valley in July.

    This is the same balloon caught deflating in Carmel. Video below

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    Discovery Channel Helicopter Crash lawsuit

    Three people killed during a Discovery Channel Reality Show filming probably died due to cost cutting measures by the Discovery Channel.

    The “Crossbow Helicopters” Bell 206B Jet Ranger helicopter #N59518 was being used to shoot a reality show on the Polsa Rosa Ranch near Acton, California when it crashed at about 3:40 am. It broke into three pieces on impact in a rugged canyon area near Soledad Canyon Road.

    Cast member Michael Donatelli, cameraman Darren Rydstrom and pilot David Gibbs died when the helicopter they were in crashed at the Polsa Rosa Ranch. The case alleges “conscious disregard of additional, unacceptable safety risk” and claims that the pilot and the various chopper companies were unfit to operate the Helicopter.

    Grisel Donatelli, Amanda Donatelli and Dominic Donatelli named Discovery Communications, producers Eyeworks USA, Bongo Inc, Van Nuys Copters, Crossbow Helicopters and Orbic Air and others were named in the 23-page three count complaint.

    Pilot Gibbs had a spotty safety record. His license had been suspended by the FAA several times.

    Document

    Video

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    Southwest Airlines Boeing Bird Strike

    A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 en route from Raleigh Durham to Chicago suffered a bird strike after takeoff.

    The right engine lost power. Pilots shut down the engine.

    Pilots made a safe landing in Raleigh Durham with emargency services on standby.

    No injuries were reported. A alternative Southwest flight was provided for passengers.

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    New Mexico Helicopter Crash


    A Robinson R44 II with three aboard crashed near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico just before noon in Sierra County near State Road 187 between Las Palomas and Caballo.

    There was no fire, but the three people aboard died in the crash. The victims were 78-year-old Duane Zietlow, of Elephant Butte; 61-year-old William Brownfield, of Caballo; and 34-year-old pilot Ebenezer Priebe, of Tucson, Arizona.

    The helicopter may have struck a power line.

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    Small Plane Crashes in Alaska

    On August 29, 2013, a Champion 7ECA Citabria crashed north of Sutton, AK while on a a moose scouting flight.

    The flight was reported overdue at 9:45 p.m.

    The wreck was located on Friday by an Alaska Air National Guard helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft around 4 a.m.

    The names of the victims have been released:

    Adam Norton, 30, and Derrik Swanson, 31

    Recovery was hampered by weather and rustic conditions.

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    Helicopter News

    Just crossing the transom now, there were alerts today of a number of helicopter events:

    • The fleet of North Sea Super Pumas were reinstated after the Sumburgh crash that killed 4 oil workers:
      but the L2 version of the helicopter – the Super Puma model involved in Friday’s crash – will only be allowed to fly on the what has been described as “non passenger revenue operations”

    • 1 hurt in helicopter crash in Tonto National Forest when a helicopter leased by APS made a hard landing with six people aboard

    See Video below

    • Helicopter crashes for science at NASA Langley

    See Video below

    • The Canadian NTSB indicated that the Robinson Helicopter R44 II in July 2012 in Carcross, Yukon occurred because of the pilot’s failure to check winds affecting the landing area. On July 10, 2012, an R44 II operated by Horizon Helicopters Ltd. transported 2 Yukon Government surveyors to bear-bait sites in the Carcross area. The helicopter departed Carcross at 3 p.m. followed the north shore of Tagish Lake and approached the wildlife survey site from the west. At approximately 3:13 p.m., the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre received an emergency locator transmitter signal from the aircraft. The wreckage was found approximately 5 nautical miles east of Carcross on Nares Mountain. The pilot was fatally injured, one passenger was seriously injured, and another received minor injuries.
  • On Oahu, a civilian pilot and a passenger crashed in a pineapple field a mile south of Wheeler Army Airfield. Both were hospitalized. The privately owned AC 8KCAB Decathlon experienced a loss of power. The accident was originally listed as occurring in a helicopter, but it is a single engine fixed wing plane registered to J3 ENGINEERING.
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    Asiana Crash Updated

    On July 6, 2013 a crash occurred involving Asiana Airlines Flight 214, a Boeing 777. The crash occurred while the aircraft was landing at San Francisco International Airport and appears to be due to pilot error. Many incidents are attributed to pilot error, but there is rarely a single cause.

    There are countless victims of general aviation and military accidents, many involving foreign claimants. These accidents range from air balloons, flight training, ground school, air ambulances, banner planes, aerobatics, helicopters, and propeller, turbo–prop and jet–powered aircraft.

    The aircraft involved have been Cessna, Cirrus, Beechcraft, Piper, Bellanca, Piper, Lear Jets, Citation Jets, Bell helicopters, Sikorsky helicopters, Robinson helicopters, Aerospatiale helicopters and countless other aviation manufacturers.

    Aviation operators are not immune; they are held accountable, as are maintenance facilities and private & public air traffic control centers. Below, please find News and NTSB updates on the Asiana Accident in San Francisco on July 6, 2013.

    See Video

    NTSB B Roll of Wreckage

    In George’s Point of View

    I’m not a pilot, mechanic, engineer or lawyer, but I have seen a lot of these accidents. I am reminded of the Amsterdam event -Turkish Air Feb 2008. In this crash, it was determined that a radio altimeter fault caused auto-throttles to prematurely respond. The crew failed to respond when the plane lost airspeed resulting in a stall and crash. If I were investigating, I’d look into the radio altimeter situation to make sure it was (or was not) part of the chain of events leading to this accident.

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    UPS Crash in Birmingham Alabama


    A UPS Airbus A300F4-622R cargo jet en route from Louisville to Birmingham International Airport was on final approach to runway 1-8 when it crashed in Birmingham. The two pilots aboard sent no warning message, and died on impact.

    There is no indication yet if something in the cargo contributed to the crash, or if there was mechanical failure or some other factor involved.

    Visibility was 10 miles and there was a 700 ft cloud ceiling.

    KBHM 140953Z 34004KT 10SM FEW011 BKN035 OVC075 23/22 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP141 T02330222

    METAR KBHM 14th @ 0953Z, wind from 340 at 4 KT, visibility 10 statute miles, Sky: few clouds at 1100, broken at 3500, overcast at 7500, temperature 23, dewpoint 22, altimeter 29.97 inches, remarks: automated report w/precipitation discriminator, sea level pressure 1014.1 Mb, temp 23.3 dewpoint 22.2

    An NTSB team is flying in to begin the investigation.

    The UPS burst into flames on impact in a low population density area. There were numerous explosions after the plane was burning.

    Videos Below

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    Yellowstone Crash, One Fatality, One Survivor, Cause Unknown


    On August 12, 2013, an Avery Enterprises Beech E35 Bonanza crashed at Yellowstone Airport, Montana. The nose of the plane is smashed.

    Emergency responders included Gallatin County deputies, the Hebgen Basin Fire District and Forest Service personnel. The sheriff’s office is protecting the site until the arrival of the NTSB.

    67-year-old Andrezej Furmanski died in the crash. Another victim, Kevin Avery, was taken to a hospital in Idaho Falls. Avery owns Avery Enterprises, registered owner of the plane.

    The plane crashed on the north end of the West Yellowstone airport runway. The cause of the crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. The Big Sky Trail adjacent to the airport was temporarily closed.

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    PG&E Contractor Accident in California


    On August 13, 2013, an AA Aerial Services and Frontline Energy operated Champion 7GCAA was on a survey mission over a natural gas transmission pipeline when it crashed in Hamlin Canyon, SW of Paradise, CA. The time is estimated at 11:35 a.m.

    Witness Bob Smalley saw the plane circle to the right and fall out of the sky.

    The plane caught fire on impact and by the time firemen got there, the plane was gone. When they arrived, they had no idea who was aboard and the plane was beyond identification. Twenty-one acres burned. The fire was contained by six engines, four water trucks, a bulldozer, four crews on the ground and aboveground, two air tankers and a spotter plane.

    Afterwards, the plane was identified as one performing surveillance contracted for PG&E. The two people aboard who lost their lives were identified only as an employee of AA Aerial Services and one with Frontline Energy Service. However, the plane was registered to Fredrick Lewis, an agricultural pilot.

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    NTSB Launches Go-Team to Investigate UPS Flight 1354 Crash in Alabama


    WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board is launching a full Go-Team to investigate this morning’s crash of a United Parcel Service Airbus A300. The crash occurred while on approach to Runway 18 at Birmingham International Airport in Birmingham, Ala.
    Senior Aviation Investigator Dan Bower will serve as investigator-in-charge. NTSB Board Member Robert Sumwalt is accompanying the team and will serve as the principal spokesman during the on-scene phase of the investigation.

    Public Affairs Specialists Eric Weiss and Keith Holloway will also be in Alabama to coordinate media related activities. Eric can be reached by mobile phone at 202-557-1350.

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    August 13 Incident Overview

    Date: 10-AUG-13
    Time: 14:00:00Z
    Regis#: N9752J
    Aircraft Make: PIPER
    Aircraft Model: PA28
    Event Type: Accident
    Highest Injury: None
    Damage: Substantial
    City: OVERGAARD
    State: Arizona
    Description: AIRCRAFT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, CRASHED 1/2 MILE FROM THE RUNWAY, MOGOLLON AIRPARK, OVERGAARD, AZ
    Flight Phase: TAKEOFF (TOF)

    Date: 10-AUG-13
    Time: 13:25:00Z
    Regis#: N7811W
    Aircraft Make: PIPER
    Aircraft Model: PA28
    Event Type: Accident
    Highest Injury: None
    Damage: Substantial
    City: POTEAU
    State: Oklahoma
    Description: AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES NEAR ROBERT S. KERR AIRPORT, POTEAU, OK

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 10-AUG-13
    Time: 17:15:00Z
    Regis#: N96037
    Aircraft Make: TAYLORCRAFT
    Aircraft Model: BC12
    Event Type: Accident
    Damage: Substantial
    City: INDEPENDENCE
    State: Oregon
    Description: AIRCRAFT ON LANDING FLIPPED OVER, INDEPENDENCE, OR

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 11-AUG-13
    Time: 16:40:00Z
    Regis#: N7720P
    Aircraft Make: PIPER
    Aircraft Model: PA24
    Event Type: Accident
    Highest Injury: None
    Damage: Substantial
    LOCATION
    City: HESPERIA
    State: California
    Description: AIRCRAFT ON LANDING WENT OFF THE RUNWAY INTO THE DIRT, HESPERIA, CA

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 09-AUG-13
    Time: 16:30:00Z
    Regis#: N36538
    Aircraft Make: AIR TRACTOR
    Aircraft Model: AT400
    Event Type: Accident
    Highest Injury: None
    Damage: Substantial
    City: DUMAS
    State: Arkansas

    Description: AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, GROUND LOOPED, BILLY FREE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, DUMAS, AR

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 09-AUG-13
    Time: 20:28:00Z
    Regis#: N286AM
    Aircraft Make: AVIAT
    Aircraft Model: A1
    Event Type: Accident
    Highest Injury: None
    Aircraft Missing:
    Damage: Substantial
    City: BETTLES
    State: Alaska
    Description: AIRCRAFT CRASHED ONTO A GRAVEL BAR, 125 MILES FROM BETTLES, ALASKA

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 10-AUG-13
    Time: 20:44:00Z
    Regis#: N230AK
    Aircraft Model: S18
    Event Type: Accident
    Highest Injury: None
    Damage: Substantial
    City: HUMBOLDT
    State: South Dakota
    Description: AIRCRAFT, EXPERIMENTAL SUPER 18, CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES IN A FIELD, NEAR HUMBOLDT, SC

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 11-AUG-13
    Time: 10:46:00Z
    Regis#: N10PZ
    Aircraft Make: QUEST
    Aircraft Model: KODIAK100
    Event Type: Accident
    Highest Injury: None
    Damage: Substantial
    City: WESTPORT
    State: Massachusetts
    Description: AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF, WENT OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY, WESTPORT, MA

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 11-AUG-13
    Time: 15:45:00Z
    Regis#: N4514S
    Aircraft Make: BEECH
    Aircraft Model: 33
    Event Type: Accident
    Highest Injury: Fatal
    Damage: Destroyed
    LOCATION
    City: ENNIS
    State: Texas
    Description: AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE 2 PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, RANKIN, ELLIS COUNTY, 10 MILES FROM ENNIS, TX

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 09-AUG-13
    Time: 15:22:00Z
    Regis#: N13622
    Aircraft Make: ROCKWELL
    Aircraft Model: 690
    Event Type: Accident
    Highest Injury: Fatal
    Damage: Destroyed
    City: EAST HAVEN
    State: Connecticut
    Description: AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO HOUSES 1/4 MILE FROM THE AIRPORT, THE 2 PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED AND 2 PERSONS ON THE GROUND WERE FATALLY INJURED, EAST HAVEN, CT

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 11-AUG-13
    Time: 12:30:00Z
    Regis#: N25QL
    Aircraft Make: RAVEN
    Aircraft Model: S55A
    Event Type: Accident
    Highest Injury: Fatal
    Damage: Unknown
    City: ST-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU
    Country: Canada
    DESCRIPTION
    Description: N25QL RAVEN S55A HOT AIR BALLOON IN LANDING, 1 PERSON ON THE GROUND WAS FATALLY INJURED, AT ST-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU, SAINT GREGOIRE, QUEBEC, CANADA
    INJURY DATA

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 10-AUG-13
    Time: 16:55:00Z
    Regis#: N22PA
    Aircraft Make: BEECH
    Aircraft Model: 24
    Event Type: Incident
    Highest Injury: None
    Damage: Unknown
    City: LINCOLNTON
    State: North Carolina
    Description: AIRCRAFT ON LANDING NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, LINCOLNTON, NC

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 10-AUG-13
    Time: 14:58:00Z
    Regis#: N27BD/BA100
    Event Type: Incident
    Highest Injury: Unknown
    Damage: Unknown
    LOCATION
    City: KILLEEN
    State: Texas
    Country:
    DESCRIPTION
    Description: AIRCRAFT EXPERIMENTAL BA-100, SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, FORCE LANDED IN A FIELD, NEAR KILLEEN, TX

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 11-AUG-13
    Time: 18:52:00Z
    Regis#: N2559Z
    Aircraft Make: PIPER
    Aircraft Model: PA23
    Event Type: Incident
    Highest Injury: None
    Damage: Minor
    City: BILLINGS
    State: Montana
    Description: AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF ROLL, NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, BILLINGS, MT

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 12-AUG-13
    Time: 09:57:00Z
    Regis#: N4969J
    Aircraft Make: PIPER
    Aircraft Model: PA28R
    Event Type: Incident
    Highest Injury: None
    Damage: Unknown
    City: FREDERICKSBURG
    State: Virginia
    Description: AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED ON A PARKING LOT, FREDERICKSBURG, VA
    Total Fatal: 0

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 11-AUG-13
    Time: 21:54:00Z
    Regis#: N557BB
    Aircraft Make: RANS
    Aircraft Model: S12
    Event Type: Incident
    Highest Injury: None
    Damage: Unknown
    City: DORCHESTER
    State: Maryland
    Description: AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED IN THE WATER OFF ELLIOTT ISLAND, NEAR DORCHESTER, MD

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 11-AUG-13
    Time: 14:30:00Z
    Regis#: N61JB
    Aircraft Make: MITSUBISHI
    Aircraft Model: MU2B
    Event Type: Incident
    Highest Injury: None
    Damage: Unknown
    City: COLUMBUS
    State: Ohio
    Description: AIRCRAFT ON LANDING WENT OFF THE RUNWAY INTO THE GRASS, RICKENBACKER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, COLUMBUS, OH

    END NOTICE
    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 11-AUG-13
    Time: 21:05:00Z
    Regis#: N73091
    Aircraft Make: CESSNA
    Aircraft Model: 172
    Event Type: Incident
    Highest Injury: None
    Damage: None
    City: NEW LONDON
    State: New Hampshire
    Description: AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED ON A HIGHWAY, NEAR NEW LONDON, NH

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 11-AUG-13
    Time: 17:28:00Z
    Regis#: N8147J
    Aircraft Make: PIPER
    Aircraft Model: PA32
    Event Type: Incident
    Highest Injury: None
    Damage: Unknown
    City: ALEXANDRIA
    State: Louisiana
    Description: AIRCRAFT ON LANDING NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, ALEXANDRIA, LA

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 11-AUG-13
    Time: 01:45:00Z
    Regis#: N82736
    Aircraft Make: PIPER
    Aircraft Model: PA18
    Event Type: Incident
    Highest Injury: None
    Damage: Minor
    City: FAREWELL LAKE
    State: Alaska
    Description: AIRCRAFT ON LANDING STRUCK THE PROP, FAREWELL LAKE AIRSTRIP, ALASKA

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 11-AUG-13
    Time: 20:38:00Z
    Regis#: N88448
    Aircraft Make: PIPER
    Aircraft Model: J3C
    Event Type: Incident
    Highest Injury: None
    Aircraft Missing:
    Damage: Minor
    City: TITUSVILLE
    State: Florida
    Description: AIRCRAFT ON LANDING ROLLOUT, FLIPPED ONTO ITS NOSE, TITUSVILLE, FL

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 11-AUG-13
    Time: 18:30:00Z
    Regis#: N894CT
    Aircraft Make: DIAMOND
    Aircraft Model: DA20
    Event Type: Incident
    Highest Injury: None
    Damage: Unknown
    City: ATLANTA
    State: Georgia
    Description: AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, GEAR COLLAPSED, NEWNAN COWETA COUNTY AIRPORT, ATLANTA, GA

    IDENTIFICATION
    Date: 11-AUG-13
    Time: 14:30:00Z
    Regis#: UNREG
    Event Type: Incident
    Highest Injury: Minor
    Damage: Unknown
    LOCATION
    City: WATERLOO
    State: Indiana
    Description: UNREGISTERED ULTRALIGHT FORCE LANDED IN A FIELD NEAR WATERLOO, IN
    INJURY DATA
    Total Fatal: 0

  • | | |

    Aviation Safety Irony Emergency Landing

    At 3:35 p.m. Continental Airlines Flight 458 A320 en route from Houston to Washington diverted to New Orleans on Tuesday at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport where the pilots made a safe emergency landing with Ron Paul aboard. Paul Lampson, Ted Poe, John Carter, Solomon P. Ortiz, Ciro Rodriguez, and Henry Cuellar were also aboard.

    Ironically, the Texas congressmen were trying to get back to Washington to vote on an aviation safety bill.

    There were 120 aboard. An alternative flight was provided.

  • | | | | |

    Connecticut Crash Update: Four Dead Identified


    The “Meridian” Rockwell 690B Turbo Commander that crashed into the East Haven home had two aboard, Bill Henningsgaard and his teenage son, Maxwell, who were visiting colleges.

    Inside one of the houses struck were Sadie Brantley, 13, and Madisyn Mitchell, 1, bringing the total fatalities up to four. The children’s mother, Joann Mitchell, 39, escaped as well as a Scottish terrier which was found outside after the crash.

    A National Transportation Safety Board official said there might be four to six fatalities.

    Updated reports indicate that the left wing lodged in one house and the right wing in the other.

    Henningsgaard was piloting the plane. He was about to land on Tweed’s Runway 2 with an instrument landing. He had missed his first approach and was about to attempt a second landing.

    Henningsgaard was a former (14 year) Microsoft executive. According to SVP, Henningsgaard Bill was a member of Social Venture Partners since 1998, was the board chair and acting executive director of Eastside Pathways, and on the board of Youth Eastside Services, co-founded the advisory board of the Institute of Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, and was treasurer of his church council. He had an undergraduate degree at Harvard, post-graduate education at the University of Oslo, Norway, and an M.B.A. from Stanford.

    He is survived by his wife, Susan Sullivan, and two children.

  • | | | |

    Connecticut Plane Crashes into House, Pilot and Two Children involved


    The pilot of a Rockwell International Turbo Commander 690B en route from Teterboro Airport did not alert air traffic control that anything was wrong before the plane he was flying crashed approaching Tweed New Haven at 11:25 a.m. Friday.

    The plane struck homes north of Tweed New Haven Airport at 64 and 68 Charter Oak Avenue in East Haven; a one year old and a thirteen year old may have been inside one of two houses that caught fire. Heroic attempts were made to reach the children but were unsuccessful. The children and the pilot have been reported missing.

    Witnesses say the mother of the children was in her yard screaming that her children were inside. Passers by attempted to rescue the children, and found the burning plane in a bedroom. Two houses were on fire, and a car blew up in a driveway.

    Fire engines and emergency crews from East Haven, New Haven and Brantford responded to the scene. THe houses, plane and car are a total loss.

  • | | |

    Martin County Texas Helicopter Fatalities

    A Haverfield Aviation Hughes 369 outside of Midland Texas was engaged in a routine power line inspection at ten a.m. when the helicopter encountered problems.

    Haverfield Aviation performs Aerial Power Line Inspection And Maintenance.

    The helicopter flew into powerlines.

    The pilot survived. Two linemen suspended from the helicopter by cables fell two hundred feet when the cables snapped.

    The helicopter made a safe landing.

    OSHA and the FAA are investigating.

  • | | | |

    5 Fatalities in Noxen, PA Helicopter Crash During Thunderstorm

    A Robinson R66 #N646AG en route from Lehighton PA to Endecott NY with five aboard was en route when it disappeared from radar during conditions of severe thunderstorms and heavy fog. The last communication to ATC was a report around 10 pm Saturday that he was “losing altitude and would try to return to a nearby airfield.”

    The fragmented wreckage was located at 1:50 p.m. in a heavily wooded area. There was no fire, and no witness.

    Emergency response vehicles and personnel traveled an access road on the Mehoopany Wind Farm, a BP Wind Energy location, to the top of South Mountain. The unofficial guess at the cause of the crash is that the helicopter was caught in a thunderstorm.

    Flight Manifest:
    58-year-old Bernard Michael Kelly, of Ellicott City, Md.;
    daughter, Leanna Mee Kelly, of Savage, Md.;
    29-year-old Carl Robert Woodland, of Lovettsville, Va.;
    3-year-old son, Noah Robert McKain Woodland, of Leesburg, Va.;
    pilot 30-year-old David Ernest Jenny Jr., of Towson, Md.

    * N646AG ROBINSON R66 ROTORCRAFT CRASHED INTO A WOODED RUGGED TERRAIN, THE 5 PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, 8 MILES FROM SKYHAVEN AIRPORT, TUNKHANNOCK, PA

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    Thompson Falls Crash Under Investigation

    A helicopter that went down in the Prospect Creek drainage outside of Thompson Falls ten miles up Prospect Creek road on July 27, 2013, suffered one fatality and two injured who were transported to the hospital.

    Two Bear Air 2 assisted in finding the downed helicopter.

    Search and Rescue, Forest Service and fire personnel responded to the scene. An air evacuation helicopter call was cancelled.