USA

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    Landing Practice Turned Upside Down at Maine Airport

    On Jan 15, 2013, Robert Lewandowski, the pilot of a Morgan Aviation Aeronca 7A was training at Central Maine Airport—practicing landings— but on his eighth landing, it appeared that the plane’s rear wheel developed a problem.

    The plane veered off-runway, hopped snowbanks, struck a snow bank and flipped. The rented plane’s propeller and right wing strut sustained damage. The FAA is investigating.

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    Piper Crashes in Delaware


    On January 13, 2013, a Piper 28R-200 Cherokee Arrow B was en route from Georgia, and contacted Dover Air Force Base with a PAN (three repetitions of pan-pan signify an urgency on board) before crashing in heavy fog.

    At 7:10, Dover initiated a search for the Cherokee Arrow. Fire services from Camden, Cheswold, Dover, Frederica, Hartly and Leipsic searched; the Little Creek Fire Company found the wreckage in Delaware at 9:35.

    The pilot’s body was recovered from the scene.

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    Twin Engine Plane Crashes in NC Waters


    On Jan 13, 2013, a private plane with two aboard taking off from Roanoke Island crashed into the water on its second approach back to the airport.

    ATC made contact with the plane before it came down with the pilot making no indication of problems.

    The female passenger was rescued from the water and taken to Outer Banks Hospital. The coast guard is searching for the pilot.

    The plane went down between 11 and 11:15 a.m and the weather was hazy with rolling periods of fog. Visibility on the ground was less than 30 feet.

    The woman was located in the water, found by rescuers who followed her screams. They were unaware that a plane had crashed.

    Hatteras Island and other dive teams were searching for the Pilot in limited shifts due to the water temperature, looking from Umstead to Virginia Dare bridges. Agencies cooperating in the search included Dare County Emergency Management, Dare County EMS, Roanoke Island Volunteer Fire Department, Chicamacomico Volunteer Fire Department, Nags Head Fire and Rescue, NC Highway Patrol, NC Marine Patrol and NC Wildlife.

    The search resumes monday morning.

    Videos Below

    Plane crashes near Dare Co. airport

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    Jetblue Birdstrike

    On January 12, 2013, a Jetblue Airbus A320 was en route from New York to the Dominican Republic when they suffered a bird strike.

    The pilots returned to the airport where they made a safe landing with emergency services on standby. No injuries were reported among the 139 passengers.

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    Sarasota Seaplane Crash


    On 12-JAN-2013 at 3:30 pm, a single engine SEAWIND 3000 seaplane was taking off from Sarasota for Venice Airport when it crashed after takeoff.

    The pilot died in the collision; the passenger survived with injuries. The seaplane did not gain enough altitude and struck a couple of trees. It impacted near the New College of Florida campus. The passenger, a 63-year-old man from Michigan was taken by medivac to Tampa General Hospital.

    Witnesses say the plane made a sound like a gunshot before it lost altitude, missed power lines and reached a grassy field owned by USF New College. One witness saw the plane on fire before it hit the ground.

    No one on the ground was injured.

    Video

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    Piper Crash in Texas Kills Three Salt Lake City Men


    On 12-JAN-2013, at 9:00 a Celtic Bank LLC Piper PA-46-500TP Malibu Meridian en route from Fox field in Paris Texas to Austin, but crashed minutes after takeoff, in Glory Texas.

    There was fog in the area at the time of the crash.

    The three people aboard the plane, pilot Rob Thompson, passenger Michael Endo who was Senior Vice-President of Celtic Bank and the bank’s commercial loan officer, and Michael Dale Bradley who was owner and Real Estate Broker with MBA Realty and who was consulting on a property sale.

    All three men were from Salt Lake City Utah.

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    Emergency Landing in Albuquerque


    On Jan 11, 2013, Flight 1868, an American Airlines MD-80 en route from Las Vegas to Dallas was in the air when a problem developed in a plane generator. There were 150 passengers and 5 crew.

    The Captain told passengers that the backup generator failed, so they had to divert to Albuquerque International where they made a safe landing at 8:30 a.m.

    No injuries were reported.

    Passengers were informed the plane was going to maintenance and they were placed on alternative flights to Dallas.

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    Missing Coyote Found, Pilot Safe

    On January 10, 2013, a homebuilt Rans S4 Coyote went missing. A search was underway for the plane which is not equipped for night flight. Only the pilot, ERIC P HEINZ was aboard.

    The missing plane was located when the pilot’s campsite was discovered, at 9:30 after it had crashed in Lake Pleasant Arizona.

    The experimental plane sustained damage. The pilot survived.

    FAA Prelim:

    Regis#: N571K Make/Model: COYO Description: S-4/5 Coyote
    Date: 01/11/2013 Time: 0004

    Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Minor Mid Air: N Missing: N
    Damage: Substantial

    LOCATION
    City: PEORIA State: AZ Country: US

    DESCRIPTION
    AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO LAKE PLEASANT

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    Lawsuit Filed in Jenni Rivera Crash

    The family of the victims (Arturo Rivera, makeup artist Jacob Yebale, attorney Mario Macias Pacheco and hair dresser Jorge “Gigi” Armando Sanchez Vasquez) of a 43-year-old Learjet that crashed in Mexico on December 9 have filed a negligence suit against Starwood Management LLC, Rodatz Financial Group Inc., McOco Inc. and Jenni Rivera Enterprises Inc.

    Jenni Rivera was killed in the crash along with the 78 year old pilot and 20 year old co-pilot, neither of whom appeared to be licensed to operate the flight under the conditions (time and altitude) they were flying.

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    NTSB Reports Uncertified Pilot in December Crash

    According to the NtSB Preliminary report of the Beech crash on December 18, 2012, about 0002 mountain standard time (MST), a Beech B100, N499SW, collided with trees at Libby, Montana. Stinger Welding was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The noncertificated pilot and one passenger sustained fatal injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage from impact forces. The cross-country personal flight departed Coolidge, Arizona, about 2025 MST on December 17th, with Libby as the planned destination. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the nearest official reporting station of Sandpoint, Idaho, 264 degrees at 46 miles, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed.

    Read the preliminary report

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    Boeing 787 Smokes Battery in Boston


    On January 7, 2013, a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner Japan-Boston had already landed in Boston, and all 184 passengers had safely disembarked when smoke filled the cabin.

    A fire was found in a battery aboard the plane. Boston Firefighters arrived at 10:40 a.m. and put out the fire.

    Passengers were provided alternative transportation and overnight accommodations.

    Electrical issues in the avionics bay where the battery is located are a known issue in this type of plane, which uses electrical motors instead of hydraulics in certain areas. The auxiliary battery in the compartment kicks in after the engine kicks off. That’s what happened on test flights, and from what I have heard, that is what happened here.

    In George’s Point of View

    Let’s slow down with this great plane. Let’s get the kinks out of it before we put humans on too many of these Dreamliners. Let them stay Dreamliner and not become Nightmareliners. United is starting service but are these planes really ready? There have been engine problems and some spooky events. We don’t read too much about them, but I know they have occurred. I love this plane, I want to fly all over the world in it, and if I live long enough, I will, but, is it ready?

    According to the NTSB report below, the NTSB seems to agree with me that incidents like this warrant investigation.

    Press Release
    WASHINGTON– Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are gathering information regarding reports of smoke aboard a Boeing 787 at Boston’s Logan Airport today.

    The Japan Airlines 787 was on the ground and empty of passengers at the time of the incident.

    The NTSB has dispatched an investigator to Boston. Based on a review of the factual information gathered, the NTSB will determine the extent of its investigation.
    Video Below

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    Delta Flight Diverts to Phoenix

    On Friday January 4, 2012, Delta flight 65 en route from Atlanta to Las Vegas experienced engine problems and had to divert to sky Harbor.

    The Boeing 757-200 made a safe landing minus one engine with emergency services on standby. An inspection determined there had been a fuel leak. Passengers were provided an alternative flight and were scheduled to land in Las Vegas before 8:30 pm.’

    Flight Tracker

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    Alabama Plane Crash Under Investigation

    The seventeen year old student pilot who took off with two friends on a late-night flight New Year’s Day 2013(10:30 p.m. Tuesday) and crashed in north Alabama, killing everyone aboard was not following regulations at the time of the crash.

    17-year-old Jordan Seth Montgomery and 19-year-old Brandon Tyler Ary, both of Arley were passengers aboard the plane.

    A student pilot “may not act as pilot in command of an aircraft that is carrying a passenger.” Student Pilot Jordan Ryan Smith was one test away from his pilot’s license, according to family members.

    The airport says the student pilot was flying a plane he wasn’t rated on, without permission, in overcast weather.

    The NTSB investigation is ongoing.

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    Video of Frozen Landscape of Iowa Medical Evacuation Crash


    What: Medical Bell 407 en route from Mason City to Emmetsburg Iowa
    Where: Ventura Iowa
    When: Jan 2 2013
    Who: 3 Fatalities
    Why: A Mercy Air Med medical helicopter crash was en route Mason City to Emmetsburg to pick up a patient when it crashed on Wednesday at 9 p.m killing Pilot Gene Grell, paramedic Russell Piehl, and Nurse Shelly Lair-Langenbau.

    Read More

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    Drunk American Eagle Pilot

    About a dozen pilots annually fail their Breathalyzer tests, and this year’s dozen will include an American Eagle pilot who boarded his flight at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and was arrested by airport police for failing a Breathalyzer test. It took two and a half hours to arrange for an alternative pilot to fly to New York. The affected pilot’s blood alcohol was measured at Fairview Southdale Hospital. The pilot was suspended.

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    Piper Hard Landing Skids Off Vegas Runway


    A Managed Aviation Inc Piper PA-60-602P Aerostar made a hard landing at North Las Vegas Airport, skidded off the runway and caught on fire. The pilot and passenger managed to exit the plane. It appears to be a training flight.

    At 4:20, fire crews were trying to put out the fire.

    The condition of the two aboard has not been reported.
    See Video below

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    Vintage Plane Crashes in San Luis Obispo County

    On Jan 2, 2013, a Luscombe 8A Silvaire crashed in Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation area, a park in San Luis Obispo County. State Park rangers and Five Cities Fire Authority arrived on the scene.

    The pilot’s name, Glen Philip Ray, was released Thursday along with his cause of death: sharp force trauma injuries.

    The only one aboard the vintage plane (circa 1937) was the pilot. A memorial celebrating Ray is scheduled on Jan. 13 at noon at Art Craft Paint in Santa Maria.

    The pilot, who is a former marine, flew commercial cargo planes, restored planes and took side jobs working on various aircraft. He owned his plane but on the ground, instead of a car, he mostly got around by bike.

    The NTSB investigator handling this accident is Howard Plagens. The investigation is expected to take a year, although a preliminary report will probably be available in ten days.

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    Medical Evac Flight Crew Lost In Iowa Chopper Crash


    What: Medical Bell 407 en route from Mason City to Emmetsburg Iowa
    Where: Ventura Iowa
    When: Jan 2 2013
    Who: 3 Fatalities
    Why: A Mercy Air Med medical helicopter crash was en route to pick up a patient when it crashed on Wednesday at 9 p.m killing Pilot Gene Grell, paramedic Russell Piehl, and Nurse Shelly Lair-Langenbau. The pilot had 2,800 hours flight time.

    The weather at the time was a light freezing drizzle, fog and mist at 8 p.m. at the Mason City airport, 27 degrees, and overcast conditions at 9 p.m.

    The patient was taken by ambulance to Mercy-North Iowa Hospital.

    The helicopter service of Mercy Medical Center-North that employed the pilot is Med-Trans. The nurse and paramedic worked for the hospital.

    The crash occurred fifteen miles from where it took off. The helicopter did not have a black box but it did have a tracking satellite system. The Bell 407 was new in April 2011 and had night-vision goggles, a terrain warning system and a satellite tracking system.

    The NTSB and FAA are investigating. Weather is being investigated as a possible cause. There was no SOS or emergency communication from the helicopter. The wreckage will probably be relocated on Jan 4 2013. Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department is keeping the site secure.

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    US Airways Makes Emergency Landing

    What: US Airways Embraer 170
    Where: Indianapolis
    When: Jan 2, 2012 7:30
    Who: 70 aboard
    Why: On Jan 2, 2012, at 7:30, a US Airways Embraer 170 en route from Indianapolis to Philadelphia flight developed a nose wheel problem. The flight diverted to Indianapolis where they made a safe landing at 7:40.

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    Falcon Crashes in Inyo County, California.


    On December 27, 2012, an Air National Guard Falcon lost power over Owens Dry Lake in Inyo County, California.

    The Air National Guard pilot, who was on a training mission was the only one aboard. He ejected and the plane crashed.

    There were no injuries.

    The Air National Guard is handling the investigation, according to the Inyo Sheriff’s department.

    The pilot was admitted to Southern Inyo Hospital.

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    Southwest Airlines Long Island Flight Delayed

    On December 27, 2012, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 was navigating the Islip Long Island tarmac when it went off the pavement into ground and got stuck.

    None of the 129 passengers aboard were injured. Passengers exited to the tarmac and were bussed to the gate where they were provided with alternative flights.

    The plane is undergoing inspections.