Pilot Ernie Martin had to land the Cessna 337 on the water when both engines lost fuel. He sustained a small cut that did not require hospitalization.

Passengers Daniel Puig and Javier Avino were aboard after a vacation in Great Harbor Key. Puig credits his seat belt for keeping him from going through the windshield.

All three were rescued by the Sea Express II, a Seacor Island Lines’ cargo ship.

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A couple of lives may not have been saved with it simply because of directions.

A rebreather is an apparatus that absorbs the carbon dioxide of exhaled breath to permit the recycling of available oxygen. The hybrid unit is a little something extra.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) believes the instructions on how to use this device need to include the information that the rebreather has an air supply; so if someone is in the middle of drowning, they don’t have to be going down with a last breath of air. The rebreather already has some. It’s not like a scuba diving tank with loads of air, but hey, it’s a way to breathe if you’re submerged in a helicopter and don’t have gills. What if all you need is just enough air to keep you alive to get the seatbelt off, or to swim out of an opening? That’s some precious air, all right.

So kudos to the revised pre-flight briefing material. Even if it is a knee-jerk reaction after another tragic helicopter crash, good idea AAIB.

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The helicopter was leased from MHS Aviation by Malaysian oil and gas company Petronas.

The two pilots and six oil workers aboard were rescued by a passing ship. Apparently there were no fatalities, and no specific reports of injury. They were hospitalized in Miri.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) is investigating.

The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) has not released whether or not the helicopter was recovered from the ocean.

The post Sikorsky Crash off Bintulu Coast first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

Fourteen survivors were recovered. Four fatalities were reported: Duncan Munro, 46, from Bishop Auckland, Sarah Darnley, 45, from Elgin, Gary McCrossan, 59, from Inverness, and George Allison, 57, from Winchester. Three of the four bodies have been recovered.

The survivors were hospitalized at Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick. Nine were detained at the hospital for exposure.

Rescue services included a ferry, a cargo ship, lifeboat crews from Lerwick and Aith, coastguard helicopters, RAF Lossiemouth and two Bond rescue helicopters.

CHC works for Total transporting rig workers.

The cause of the crash has not been determined. Pumas have been grounded due to safety concerns.

Videos Below

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Passengers heard a loud explosion, and saw smoke from the right engine. Apparently the engine doors blew off.

During takeoff, the casing of the left engine ‘came away’ and the right engine exploded when the plane made a quick return, landing in London.

Good thing that Emergency services were on standby to extinguish the engine fire.

Passengers and crew made an emergency evacuation via emergency slides.

None of the 5 crew and 75 passengers were injured.

The ABC News video below suggests a birdstrike that is purely speculative

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Lion Air is working with Jasa Raharja, an Indonesian insurance company to cover the medical bills for five injured passengers. The insurance company is paying up to IDR 25 million ($2500) and the airline is covering anything in excess of that.

Unofficial reports state the plane was flying low.

Twenty-five people have yet to receive their compensation.

The alcohol and drug tests of the crew, cockpit voice recorder, and the flight data recorder are still in process. No conclusions have been public on the cause of the accident.

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The wreckage is sitting on top of a reef, rocking with the waves.

The cockpit voice recorder was recovered by navy divers.

None of the 101 passengers or seven crew were injured when the crew opted for a water landing. The pilot and co-pilot tested negative for drugs and alcohol

Lion Air AKA PT Lion Mentari Airlines is banned from flying in Europe because of its safety record.

The post New Lion Air Boeing Carcass Cut in Two for Removal first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

Yes, my Air Crash Consultant mind is at work, even when I’m relaxing on a vacation.

I can’t help but think of the Lion Air Boeing that came down on approach to Ngurah Rai Airport and cracked in two on impact with the ocean. It didn’t fall far in terms of being a plane. I have heard it was flying 100 feet below where it should have been, which makes me wonder if the same winds that are knocking me over contributed to the crash. Trust the investigation to uncover the truth of what made this brand new plane to be a write off. It’s still a miracle of engineering that there were no fatalities, and only 45 injuries, and of those, only five still hospitalized one day later.

The NTSB is joining the investigation, important enough news that it is announced on a Sunday.

The NTSB is sending a team of investigators to assist the government of Indonesia on its accident investigation of a Lion Air Boeing 737-800.

On April 13, 2013 at about 3:15 p.m. local time, the airplane crashed on approach to Ngurah Rai Airport, due to unknown circumstances. There were no fatalities reported.

As the U.S. is the state of design and manufacture of the Boeing 737, NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman has appointed Senior Air Safety Investigator Dennis Jones as the traveling U.S. accredited representative. Dennis Jones is leading a team of investigators specializing in airplane structures, systems, and survival factors, as well as advisers from the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing.

The investigation is being conducted by the Indonesia National Transportation Safety Committee which will release all information.

The post NTSB Assisting in Lion Air Boeing Investigation first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

The pilot extricated himself from the plane and was rescued by fisherman. Alabama Marine Police and Marshall County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the scene and will be securing the site until the NTSB investigation.

The post Guntersville Plane Crash first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

The flight had taken off from Puerto Ordaz Airport and was en route to DelCaribe Gen S Marino Airport but suffered a complete loss of engine power. The pilot declared an emergency due to failures in both engines.

Fishermen found the plane located 15 nautical miles (28 km) east of Cumana in the Gulf of Cariaco.

Two of the passengers were reported to be minors.

There was one fatality, a sixty-two year old woman, Vetide Ramos, who died in the crash. Five survivors were brought ashore in a boat, including Ruben Herrera, Poztty Ramos, Jose Ramos, Ivan Herrera (a minor) and pilot Jhonatan Mata.

Audio Below

The post Woman Dies in Venezuela Crash, Survivors Rescued first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

What: Inter-Iles Air Embraer EMB-120ER Brasilia en route from Moroni, Comoros to Anjouan
Where: Indian Ocean
When: Nov 27, 2012
Who: 29 aboard-25 passengers, 4 crew
Why: According to passengers accounts, the plane took off and was leaking. Another reports that an engine failed. The pilot intended to return to the airport but instead managed to ditch safely in the Ocean within five minutes of take-off. Both pilot and copilot had over 5000 hours of flight experience.

The pilot suffered head trauma but no one else was reported as injured.

The leaking plane had passed DGAC inspection one week before the accident.

The rescue/recovery of the crew and passengers was performed by local fishermen.

See Video

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