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    Lao Airlines Victims Recovered in Mekong River

    There were Australians-a family of four and an aid worker and his father-aboard the ATR 72 crash in Laos. Forty-four passengers including five crew died in the crash. THe plane caught the tail end of a typhoon and crashed in the Mekong River. People from ten countries were aboard, including Koreans, French and Australians.

    The Oct 16, 2013 crash is the first reported crash of Lao airlines.

    Lao Airlines Flight QV301 Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-600, from Vientiene was about to land at Pakse airport when it crashed. No survivors were reported. Between the weather and low visibility underwater, few bodies have been recovered so far.

    Rescuers in fishing boats retrieved some of the remains.

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    Maswings Crash


    On October 10, a MASWings de Havilland Dash 6-300 Twin Otter en route from Kota Kinabalu to Kudat made a landing in high wind, and short of the runway impacted a house in Kampung Sin-San.

    A woman and her son were in the living room while the plane struck the bedroom, dining room and porch. The plane had two crew, fourteen adult passengers and two children, of whom six sustained injuries and one died. The injured were first treated at Kudat Hospital. More severely injured will be flown out to Kota Kinabalu; and ten others received outpatient care.

    The two fatalities were the first officer and a passenger, Tan Ah Chai, 96. The pilot was Captain Wan Mohd Abd Amir Wan Yahya. First Officer Marc Joel Bansh, 23, died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu.

    Ten firefighters responded to the scene.

    MASWings published the following announcement

    AIRLINES CEO STATEMENT MH3002 INCIDENT AT KUDAT, SABAH
    We deeply regret the incident in Kudat of flight MH 3002 on Thursday, October 10, 2013. The aircraft, with Registration Number DHC6 9M-MDM, departed from Kota Kinabalu to Kudat with 14 passengers and two technical crew onboard landed in the vicinity of Kudat Airport at 2.50pm. Out of the 16 onboard, 15 were Malaysians and one Filipino national.Regrettably there have been two fatalities (of which one is MASwings Co-Pilot) and two injuries. The Captain piloting the flight was Captain Wan Mohd Abd Amir Wan Yahya, 56. He has over 4700 total flying hours. Captain Wan Mohd joined MASwings on August 2011We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the deceased and those involved in the accident, and we are doing everything we can to assist them in this extremely difficult time. We are assisting the passengers and families the best way we can.

    A 24-hour Call Centre service has been activated. Families of passengers who were on-board may call 603-7884 1234 for further enquiries. We have also set up our Go Team in Kudat to look after their needs and keep them as quickly informed as possible. The investigation will be carried out by the authorities.

    Malaysia Airlines together with MASwings are fully co-operating and assisting the investigation in every possible way. As per aircraft maintenance record, the Twin-Otter was fit to fly and was in good condition before the accident.Malaysia Airlines and MASwings will continue to monitor the situation at the crash site and update on the situation and will provide information relating to the flight itself and updates on steps being taken.Once again, we at Malaysia Airlines and MASwings express our deepest regret and extend our condolences to all affected parties. I would like to reiterate once again that our utmost priority is to ensure complete well being of our passengers, crew and other affected parties.

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    Humberside Mayday

    When his pilot became incapacitated, John Wildey asked for help and was talked thorough landing by flight instructor Roy Murray, chief instructor of the Frank Morgan School of Flying.

    The unconscious pilot later died. Wildey was the only other person aboard.

    After three go-arounds, John Wildey made it safely in the Cessna F172M to the Humberside Airport runway on the fourth try with instruction on the radio and an RAF helicopter escort. Wildey landed the Cessna 172 at Humberside airport near Grimsby, north Lincolnshire on the evening of Oct 8, 2013 without lights. Emergency services were on standby throughout the hard landing.

    Registration:G-BCYR
    Manufacturer:REIMS AVIATION SA
    Type:CESSNA F172M
    Serial No.:1288
    Registered Owner(s):GRAHAM FOX
    THORPE CROFT
    LONDONDERRY
    NORTHALLERTON
    DL7 9NE

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    Mooney Missing


    A Mooney en route from Palm Springs to San Diego Gillespie Field went missing on Wednesday October 9. The sheriff’s deputies helicopter search was suspended Wednesday due to gusty winds, and was found on Thursday at 1:00 a.m.

    The search for the plane registered to Andrew Thulin, of San Diego was centered four miles northeast of Julian, near the Volcan Mountain Wilderness. Emergency responders and searchers included US Border Patrol, deputies from Julian, and sheriff’s search and rescue.

    Rescuers pinged the pilot’s phone to locate the wreckage and the bodies of a man and woman.

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    Galveston Ultralight Crash Kills Pilot


    After 11am near Santa Fe on Oct 8, 2013, Roger Brown’s first flight on the ultra-light 67 killed him. The ultralight plane crashed in Galveston County, tearing the tail off.

    Brown took off from his property. According to witnesses, he was looking for somewhere to land when he crashed in an unincorporated area Santa Fe. Brown had radio equipment aboard but apparently had no time to send out a mayday.

    The Galveston County Sheriff Office and the Santa Fe police responded to the scene

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    Two Survive Crash in Colombia


    On October 5th 2013, a de Havilland Dash Candada DHC-8 with six aboard left the city of Balboa, Panama, at 10:45 pm; it was over Acandi, Choco Province Colombia when it crashed on a drug interdiction mission.

    Five Americans and one Panamanian were aboard. The crash occurred in an area where the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia guerrillas and drug-trafficking gangs are in conflict, in a sector of Acandi Township, on the border between Colombia and Panama in a remote, jungle region of northern Colombia. Three American contractors and a Panamanian National Guardsman, Lt. Lloyd Nunez, were killed. Two surviving Americans were severely injured. The surveillance is part of the Salas Becker agreement between Panama and the US, which shares Panamanian drug patrol surveillance.

    Reports say that the vehicle lost radio contact with the U.S.-sponsored multinational task force in Key West that runs the operation. The plane was equipped with surveillance instrumentation.


    Witnesses heard a loud explosion. Two Americans survived the crash with injuries including multiple bone fractures and burns.

    The two wounded were transferred to Carepa in Antioquia and will be moved to the Military Hospital of Bogota at St Vincent hospital de Paul or the Hospital of Pablo Tobon Uribe.

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    Associated Jet Crash in Nigeria

    On Oct 3, 2013, a twenty-three year old Associated Aviation Embraer EMB-120 was en route from Lagos to Akure to carry the deceased regional governor and family to his funeral in Akure.

    The Embraer developed engine trouble on take-off. (The failed engine was a Pratt & Whitney.) The plane struck a wooded area, a wall and came to rest on fire, avoiding a residential area. The flight data recorder has been recovered.

    The number of people aboard has not been determined. Some sources say the flight had 20 passengers plus a crew of seven; some sources say only twenty were aboard in all. Fifteen victims lost their lives initially, and one died in the hospital.

    The four survivors were hospitalized.

    See Videos Below

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    Helicopter Pilot Dies during Fair

    Carl R Enlow was killed by a helicopter rotor at the Bloomsburg Pennsylvania town fair.

    Enlow was a former military helicopter pilot who was giving rides. He was struck after his shift, in an accident. He was med-evaced by LifeFlight helicopter to Geisinger Medical Center where he died.

    The Heritage Rotors LLC Enstrom F-28C helicopter was standing at the time of the accident, in the parking lot near gate five was in the process of gassing up between rides. Enlow was returning to the helicopter to speak to the next pilot when apparently his hat blew off and he reached for it.

    The Bloomsburg Fair Association is donating their profit from the rides to Enlow’s widow, and a memorial fund is being arranged.

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    United Airlines Emergency Landing in Boise

    On Sept 26, a United Airlines Boeing 737-924ER (WL), flight 1603, was en route from Houston to Seattle with 161 passengers and six crew when the pilot suffered a heart attack.

    The first officer took over and diverted Flight 1603 to Boise, Idaho. A doctor and military personnel aboard the plane performed CPR on the Captain in First Class.

    A pilot/trainer who was a passenger took the copilot seat as the co-pilot took the captain’s seat and made the safe landing in Idaho.

    Capt. Henry Skillern, 63, was taken to Saint Alphonsus Hospital in Boise where he he died.

    United flew in a pilot from San Francisco and then Flight 1603 continued to Seattle.

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    Sleeping Pilots

    Two pilots fell asleep while flying an Airbus A330, and then tattled on themselves, blaming 5 hours sleep the night before.

    Pilots are allowed naps but not at the same time. The British airline has not been identified, nor have the pilots’ names been released.

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    Crash in Bank Lot


    On Sept 25, Kentucky doctor and his wife who were flying a GDK International LLC-owned Cirrus SR20 G2 to the Chicago area to attend a medical conference when their plane struck a tree, a light post and several cars in Bolingbrook. The pilot had aborted a landing, and never completed the go-around back to the airport

    The wrecked plane ended up in a Chase Bank parking lot.

    The plane was consumed by fire. The surgeon, Dr. Narayan Venguswamy made it out of the plane but he was burning

    Witnesses tried to stifle the flames with a sweatshirt. He was hospitalized at Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital then Loyola University Medical center, where he died.

    His wife died at the scene. Several cares in the parking lot also caught fire.

    Several Videos below
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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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    Four Dead in Passenger Plane Crash, Lyon


    Photographer Rolando Criniti

    A privately owned Cessna 421C Golden Eagle en route from Lyon Bron Airport to Aix-Les-Milles/Aix En Provence Airport took off then crashed near Lyon, France. The four passengers, one of whom ejected) died in the crash.



    The plane crashed in a field near the end of the runway. Fifty firefighters and sixteen vehicles, nvestigators from the RCMP Air Transport and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, responded to the scene. Four charred bodies were found in the plane, one without. Prefect Stéphane Rouvé and Lyon Prosecutor Marc Cinamonti visited the wreckage.

    The names of the passengers have not been released.

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    Thai Airways Airbus with Nosegear Failure skids off Bangkok runway, 14 Hospitalized


    A Thai Airways International Airbus A330-321 en route from Guangzhou Baiyun International to Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi International (i.e. China to Thailand) had a runway excursion when it landed at its destination.

    Fortunately emergency services were on hand to put out the fire that started in the engine.

    The Thai Airways statement said there was a “landing gear malfunction.”

    The plane went off the right side of the runway, and the nosegear failed.

    There were fourteen crew and 388 passengers. Fourteen people were injured and hospitalized in Bangkok. Emergency slides were used to exit the plane. We presume the injuries occurred on the emergency slides.

    Theguardian reported that Thai Airways covered up the logo after the accident. This practice is known as the “crisis communication rule” from Star Alliance, and is a measure to save face and reputation.

    See Footage 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

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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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    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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    Eurocopter Ditches, with Four Fatalities


    A CHC operated Eurocopter AS 332L2 Super Puma Mk2 with 18 aboard had taken off from the Borgsten Dolphin rig en route to Sumburgh Airport and suffered a “catastrophic loss of power” before it ditched 2 nm W off Sumburgh, Shetland Islands, Scotland.

    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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    Unruly AirTran Passenger Charged

    AirTran flight 265 was en route from Baltimore to Austin, Texas when a passenger became unruly while the flight was over Little Rock Arkansas.

    Pilots diverted to Memphis Airport when the unruly passenger tried to open the door to the plane.

    The passenger was apparently not drunk and cooperated with authorities, however Randolph Robinson of Texas is charged with “knowingly and willfully attempting to damage, destroy, disable and wreck an aircraft, specifically, AirTran Airways Flight 265, by attempting to open exits while the aircraft was in flight.”

    The FBI interrogated him for two hours.

    News Video Below

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    Bereg Radosti Air show Crash


    During the Bereg Radosti aerial /song show festival in Siberia, a Yakovlev Yak-52 plane crashed, killing a pilot and injuring spectators: a girl born in 1995 and a man born in 1959. The operator was Dosaaf ROSTO.

    The plane fell into the Tommot River in the republic of Yakutia while the pilot was trying to perform a loop.

    The pilot died on impact. Two spectators were injured out of a crowd of about a hundred. The audience was composed of people from Yakutia, the Amur Region and the Khabarovsk Territory.

    The name of the show means Shore of Joy. The accident is being investigated by Aldan police.

    Very Raw Video Below

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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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    NTSB Flight 1354 Media Briefing

    The National Transportation Safety Board launched a full Go-Team to investigate the crash of a United Parcel Service Airbus A300. The crash occurred while on approach to Runway 18 at Birmingham International Airport in Birmingham, AL.

    Senior Aviation Investigator Dan Bower will serve as investigator-in-charge. NTSB Board Member Robert Sumwalt accompanied the team to serve as the principal spokesman during the on-scene phase of the investigation.

    The National Transportation Safety Board will hold its second media briefing today on its investigation into yesterday’s crash of United Parcel Service flight 1354 in Birmingham, Ala.

    Event: Press Briefing

    Date/Time: Thursday, August 15, 2013 at 4:00 p.m. (CDT)

    Location: Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport

    (On the lower level in front of the Airport Operations Office
    near baggage carousels 3 and 4)

    See NTSB Video

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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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    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.