Landing

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    Cessna and Liberty Collide over Australia


    What: Cessna 152 owned by Basair Aviation College
    a single-engine Liberty owned by Sydney Flight Training Centre
    Where: Flame Tree Street, Casula, in Sydney’s southwest
    When: 11.30am (AEST) on Thursday
    Who: Two fatalities: a woman instructor and her female student pilot.
    On the Liberty, the 89-year-old male instructor and a 25-year-old male student pilot were unhurt
    Why: Plane clipped another light aircraft in mid-air. One plane managed to make it to Bankstown Airport. The other plane landed in a yard, destroying the back of the house and a pergola.

    The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating.

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    Upside Down Plane found at Sunrise Dairy


    What: Single engine, fixed wing crop duster type plane belonged to Gilbert Aviation.
    Where: Tulare County : Sunrise Dairy Property around Road 84 and Ave. 384 near Kingsburg.
    When: Tuesday Dec 16 10:05 a..m.
    Who: The unidentified pilot was taken to Kaweah Delta Hospital
    Why: The accident is under investigation.

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    United successful Belly Landing at O’Hare

    What: The United Express flight 7164, en route from O’Hare bound for South Bend
    Where: O’Hare Airport
    When: Monday night Dec 15
    Who: 28 passengers and 4 crew members
    Why: The plane was about to land in South Bend but instead, circled the airport and returned to Chicago because of a landing gear problem. When the plane hit the tarmac, the left wing shot sparks. The belly landing as the plane slid down the runway, half on its belly.

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    Sabine Helicopter Crash update


    What: Helicopter owned by leasing company Rotorcraft en route to an unmanned oil rig platform 18-miles off-shore
    Where: Gulf of Mexico, about two miles below Sabine Pass at the border of Texas and Louisiana
    When: Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008
    Who: 5 on board. The pilot of the helicopter was identified as Joe Laugelle
    Why: Cause is under investigation; however there was a weather advisory in effect at the time of the crash
    One of the victims of the crash –Jacob Matt–has washed ashore near the McFaddin Wildlife Refuge. One victim John Larry Conn, was buried Sunday. James Cody Smalts who had just moved in with his fiance, Monica Lopez was buried Monday. One victim –Nick Hebert from Basile, Louisiana–hasn’t been recovered.

    original post follows
    At the time of the crash, air temp was 36 degrees; water temp 62 degrees. Wind was from the west at 23 knots, and there was a weather advisory. The body of John Laguelle is one of those recovered. Two other crew members whose bodies were recovered were wearing personal floatation devices. A search is ongoing for two others. All four passengers were crew members for a contract customer of Rotorcraft. The pilot also worked part-time as a helicopter pilot for a television station in Boston.


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    Beechcraft Fatality in Texas Hill Country


    What: Western Wings Corp’s 1993 Beechcraft King Air 90 twin turboprop departed Hondo Municipal Airport at 12:10 p.m.
    Where: 30 miles west of Rocksprings, Texas in the Texas Hill Country (nearly eight miles down a dirt road east of Texas Highway 277)
    Who: Pilot George Anthony “Tony” Kuhn rated a commercial pilot for both single-engine and multi-engine planes and once a flight instructor.
    Why: Pilot reported that the autopilot controls failed and he was having trouble controlling the plane; an air traffic controller noticed the plane deviating from the flight plan, and lost radio contact at 24,000 feet.

    The plane which was listed as having 3,712 hours in the air, had been offered for sale tin 2008 for $2.2 million

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    Cessna Emergency Landing in the Blueberry Barrens, Maine


    What: single-engine Cessna 182 on a routine cross-country training flight, after leaving Biddeford Municipal Airport on the second leg of the flight.
    Where: field in Kennebunk Maine known as the Blueberry Barrens.
    When: December 15, 2008-Monday afternoon
    Who: Pilot/flight instructor Tim Campbell and student pilot Bob Irving
    Why: The pilot heard unusual noises and saw smoke coming from the plane’s engine, with low oil pressure. He made an emergency landing experiencing “catastrophic engine failure.” The pilot intended to keep the plane’s nose up to make Sanford Airport, but realizing he could not make it, he notified the airport, shut of his fuel and landed in the field without injury and without visible damage to the plane.

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    Bloodied Pilot survives Florida Crash


    What: Mooney M-20G registered to Wendy Taber, of Greenacres, and co-owners Gerald Taber and Jim McAlister. The flight came down while en route from Lantana to Titusville
    Where: near Englar Drive and Harris Road, Indian River County
    When: Midnight Friday
    Who: Injured pilot was taken to the Sebastian River Medical Center, and is in stable condition. He does not recall the crash, but bruised and bloody walked a quarter of a mile to a residence to make a call to 911.
    Why: Under Investigation. The plane apparently clipped trees coming down, breaking the wings off the intact fuselage.

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    Taranaki Crash kills Pilot


    What: crop duster (model not indicated)
    Where: crashed into the hillside on farmland above the Waitara River in a paddock in Tarata, 19km east of Inglewood
    When: noon 14 December 2008
    Who: pilot a man in his 40s died on the scene
    Why: Cause unknown

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    Fuel Tank Jettisoned into Great Salt Lake; Safe Emergency landing


    What: 388th Fighter Wing F-16
    Where: Great Salt Lake, approximately three miles north of Antelope Island
    When: Friday.
    Who: Pilot
    Why: When sensors indicated a fire condition, the pilot jettisoned the plane’s two external fuel tanks (emergency procedures ) o lighten the plane. (Great Salt Lake is “unpopulated”)

    The Fighter Wing F-16 landed safely around 10:20 a.m. The tanks were 3/4 full, and are capable of carrying 370 gallons. Procedures are underway to retrieve the tanks.

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    Emergency landing in Alondra Intermediate School, CA


    What: Los Angeles Aviation Inc Robinson R22 out of the Long Beach Airport.
    Where: football field of Alondra Intermediate School in Paramount
    When: Just before noon Friday
    Who: No passengers were mentioned.
    Why: After the pilot reported a problem with the engine drive belt, he made a successful emergency landing.

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    Update: F/A-18 Crash in San Diego

    What: F/A-18 Military Jet from the carrier Abraham Lincoln landing at Marine Corps Air Station Miramir
    Where: San Diego neighborhood
    When: DEC 8
    Who: the pilot, who was part of a training squadron, ejected. He had been aiming the plane at a deserted canyon to avoid homes and the 805 Freeway. 4 Individuals in the house are dead. The pilot has been transported to Balboa Naval Hospital
    Why: Witnesses said, “It was mushing through the air…iIt was chugging along with what seemed like one engine. Then I heard a roar of engine and all of a sudden, woop, dead silence.”

    The deceased have been identified as 4 members of a Korean family. Dong Yun Yoon is the sole survivor–Lost in the crash were Young Mi Yoon, 36; her daughters Grace, 15 months, and Rachel, 2 months; and her mother, Suk Im Kim, 60.

    Apparently caused by power failure, the crash is considered unrelated to the previous discovery of cracks in hinges on the wings of more than a dozen F/A-18s ( This writer, however, does wonder if the two problems reveal a maintenance factor in common–though hinge cracks seem that they would be related to parts, wear or broader manufacturing issues.)

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    Two Still Missing in Gulf Helicoptor Crash


    What: Helicopter owned by leasing company Rotorcraft en route to an unmanned oil rig platform 18-miles off-shore
    Where: Gulf of Mexico, about two miles below Sabine Pass at the border of Texas and Louisiana
    When: Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008
    Who: 5 on board. The pilot of the helicopter was identified as Joe Laugelle
    Why: Cause is under investigation; however there was a weather advisory in effect at the time of the crash

    At the time of the crash, air temp was 36 degrees; water temp 62 degrees. Wind was from the west at 23 knots, and there was a weather advisory. The three crew members who were recovered were wearing personal floatation devices. A search is ongoing for two others. All four passengers were crew members for a contract customer of Rotorcraft.


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    Mexico Learjet Crash Update: Another Update Another Death


    A sixteenth victim of the Lear jet crash in Mexico has died. 85-year-old Victor Altamiranot died Thursday

    The fifteenth victim of the Lear jet crash was a 44-year-old woman who died in the hospital.

    The NTSB has concluded that wake turbulence was the problem that downed the jet. Air traffic controllers told the Learjet pilots to slow down significantly so as to not gain ground on the 767, but they flew into wake 4 miles behind the jet. This action has been interpreted as pilot error. Additionally, the contract pilots may not have been qualified on the jet as deficiencies in their certifications were uncovered.

    The Learjet departed San Luis Potosí (SLP) at 18:04 on a flight to Mexico City (MEX). On board were a.o. Mexican Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino, Deputy Attorney General Josi Luis Santiago Vasconcelos and Miguel Monterubio Cubas, the director of social communication.

    The flight was uneventful and the Learjet passed LUCIA VOR at 18:40 and ATIZAPAN VOR at 18:42. It passed SAN MATEO VOR at 18:44, at an altitude of 11000 feet and an airspeed of 262 kts. It was trailing a Boeing 767-300 (Mexicana Flight 1692 from Buenos Aires). At 18:45 hours the aircraft was instructed to switch to the Tower frequency which the pilot acknowledged but never contacter Mexico Tower. At 18:46 the flight was observed approaching runway 05L. The last radar position of the aircraft was 7.5 miles from the Mexico VOR on the 256 radial, at an altitude of 9700 feet at 185 kts airspeed.
    The airplane crashed on the Avenida Reforma and caught fire. Several cars were destroyed and at least five people on the ground were killed.

    What: Learjet 45 flown by the Mexican government en route from San Luis Potosí Airport (SLP/MMSP) to Mexico City-Benito Juárez International Airport
    Where: Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City
    When: 04 NOV 2008
    Who: Passengers included:

    • Mexican Secretary of the Interior Juan Camilo Mouriño, top aide to President Felipe Calderón.
    • José Luis Santiago Vasconcelos-former assistant attorney general and current head of the federal technical secretariat for implementing the recent constitutional reforms on criminal justice and public security.
    • Miguel Monterrubio, director general of social communications with the Interior Secretariat.
    • Arcadio Echeverría, coordinator of special events, office of the Interior Secretary.
    • Norma Díaz, director in the communications department of the Interior Secretariat.
    • Julio César Ramírez Dávalos, pilot.
    • Álvaro Sánchez, co-pilot.
    • Gisel Carrillo, stewardess.

    Why: At 18:45, although the aircraft was instructed to switch to the Tower frequency, the pilot acknowledged but never contacted the Mexico Tower. The Learjet then crashed on the Avenida Reforma and caught fire. Several cars were destroyed and at least five people on the ground were killed.

    Voice Data Recorder Excerpts
    Pilot: That one’s got some turbulence.
    Co-pilot: Hey man.
    Pilot: Hey [expletive].
    Pilot: Alvaro, what do we do, Alvaro?
    Co-pilot: Hand it over to me, hand it over to me, hand it over to me.
    Pilot: It’s yours Alvaro.
    Pilot: [expletive]
    Pilot: No, Alvaro.
    Co-pilot: Diosito.


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    Cessna Crash in Lompoc Kills Pilot


    What: single engine Cessna
    Where: agricultural field off of D Street, behind Mervyns near Lompoc Airport Santa Barbara County
    When: after 2:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon Dec 10
    Who: 77-year-old pilot James Foley suffered injuries, was taken to hospital but did not survive.
    Why: The plane was flying eratically, before crashing into wires and falling to the ground. The cause is under investigation.

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    Cessna Pilot Patient and Passenger Glides Safely to Emergency Landing


    What: Cessna 210 en route from Aurora, Illinois to Holman Field in St. Paul (for patient pickup) en route to Waukegan, Illinois.
    Where: Lake Elmo, MN, south of 10th Street North between Inwood Avenue North and Keats Avenue North, north of Interstate 94.
    When: Wednesday morning 10:30 am Dec 10
    Who: 1 pilot and 2 passengers
    Why: Shortly after takeoff, the Angel Flight experienced engine problems at 3,000 feet. With insufficient power to stay in the air, the plane glided to a landing 1n a soybean field. Another Angel Flight volunteer pilot completed the cancer patient’s flight to medical treatment.

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    Mitsubishi Emergency Landing in Mid South

    What: Mitsubishi MU-2 twin engine prop plane
    Where: Millington TN Airport
    When: 12/09 11:00 AM
    Who: One person injured was transported to the MED.
    Why: The plane lost a wing during the emergency landing, and spilled fuel on the ground. The pilot did not believe he could make it to the airport; after landing on the runway, the plane crashed thru a chain link fence. One of the engines was malfunctioning.

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    Crash in San Diego Neighborhood

    What: F/A-18 Military Jet from the carrier Abraham Lincoln landing at Marine Corps Air Station Miramir
    Where: San Diego neighborhood
    When: DEC 8
    Who: the pilot, who was part of a training squadron, ejected. He had been aiming the plane at a deserted canyon to avoid homes and the 805 Freeway. 4 Individuals in the house are dead. The pilot has been transported to Balboa Naval Hospital
    Why: A witness said, “It was mushing through the air…it was chugging along with what seemed like one engine. Then I heard a roar of engine and all of a sudden, woop, dead silence.”

    The deceased have been identified as 4 members of a Korean family.

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    Gol Investigation Findings Released

    Regarding the Gol jet that collided over the Amazon rain forest with an Embraer Legacy 600 executive jet owned by ExcelAire Service Inc. of New York: The GOL InvestigatIon has determined that the pilots of a New York-based executive jet had placed the transponder and collision avoidance system on standby before colliding with the Boeing 737 operated by GOL Linhaus Aereas Inteligentes SA on Sept. 29, 2006.

    The Legacy landed safely but everyone on the GOL jet died.

    Flight controllers failed to alert pilots that they were on a collision course and also did not notice the transponder was off.

    The on duty flight controllers and the two U.S. pilots – Joseph Lepore and Jan Paladino have been indicted. They could get up to three years in prison.The pilots deny turning off the transponder. They claim to have been flying at the altitude designated by the air controllers.

    ExcelAire says that “the transponder issue is a distraction from the true cause of the accident, which is an air traffic control system that put two airplanes on a collision course for about an hour.”

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    Emergency Landing at Sidney Airport

    What: Single engined plane owned by Sydney Flight Training Centre
    Where: Sydney’s Bankstown airport southern runway
    When: 10.20am
    Who: pilot was injured. No one else was aboard. He was taken to Liverpool hospital for an assortment of non-life-threatening injuries.
    Why: On landing, the plane skidded down the runway and flipped.