Passengers and crew were relocated to hotels in Bermuda due to the ‘oxygen problem’ on board while KLM worked with local authorities to find ‘humane’ lodging for the pigs.
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IMPROPER MAINTENANCE LED TO Vegas AIR TOUR HELICOPTER CRASH
What is it that I’ve always said? Maintenance, Maintenance, Maintenance.
Looks like the NTSB Findings agree with me! See their report below about a helicopter crash in December 7, 2011, that occurred in my home away from home, Las Vegas Nevada.
PRELIMINARY REPORT
On December 7 at 4:30 Pacific Standard Time, a Eurocopter AS350-B2, operated by Sundance Helicopters as flight Landmark 57, crashed in mountainous terrain approximately 14 miles east of Las Vegas. The flight, a sightseeing tour, departed Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS) en-route to the Hoover Dam area was operating under visual flight rules. The helicopter impacted in a narrow ravine in mountainous terrain between the cities of Henderson and Lake Mead. The pilot and four passengers were fatally injured.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined today (Jan. 29, 2013) that the probable cause of the Dec. 7, 2011, air tour helicopter crash near Las Vegas, Nev., was inadequate maintenance, including degraded material, improper installation, and inadequate inspections.
“This investigation is a potent reminder that what happens in the maintenance hangar is just as important for safety as what happens in the air,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman.
At about 4:30 p.m. Pacific standard time, a Sundance Helicopters Eurocopter AS350, operating as a “Twilight City Tour” sightseeing trip, crashed in mountainous terrain about 14 miles east of Las Vegas, Nev. The helicopter originated from Las Vegas McCarran International Airport at about 4:21 p.m. with a planned route to the Hoover Dam area and then return to the airport. The accident occurred after a critical flight control unit separated from another, rendering the helicopter uncontrollable. After the part separated, the helicopter climbed about 600 feet, turned about 90 degrees to the left, descended about 800 feet, began a left turn, and then descended at a rate of at least 2,500 feet per minute to impact. The pilot and four passengers were killed and the helicopter was destroyed.
The NTSB found that the crash was the result of Sundance Helicopters’ improper reuse of a degraded self-locking nut in the servo control input rod and the improper or non-use of a split pin to secure the degraded nut, in addition to an inadequate post-maintenance inspection.
Contributing to the improper (or lack of) split pin installation was the mechanic’s fatigue and lack of clearly delineated steps to follow on a “work card” or “checklist” The inspector’s fatigue and lack of a work card or checklist clearly laying out the inspection steps to follow contributed to an inadequate post-maintenance inspection. As a result of this investigation the NTSB made, reiterated and reclassified recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration.
“One of the critical lines of defense to help prevent tragedies like this crash is improved maintenance documentation through clear work cards, or checklists,” Hersman said. “Checklists are not rocket science, but they can have astronomical benefits.”

NTSB investigates deadly cargo plane crash in Hawaii
The NTSB is investigating why a small cargo plane lost control and crashed into a vacant building in Honolulu, killing both pilots. NBC News’ Liz Kreutz reports.
CAPTAIN’S INAPPROPRIATE ACTIONS LED TO CRASH OF FLIGHT 3407 IN CLARENCE CENTER, NEW YORK, NTSB SAYS
NTSB PRESS RELEASE
National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 2, 2010
SB-10-02
CAPTAIN’S INAPPROPRIATE ACTIONS LED TO CRASH OF FLIGHT 3407 IN CLARENCE CENTER, NEW YORK, NTSB SAYS
The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the
captain of Colgan Air flight 3407 inappropriately responded
to the activation of the stick shaker, which led to an
aerodynamic stall from which the airplane did not recover.
In a report adopted today in a public Board meeting in
Washington, additional flight crew failures were noted as
causal to the accident.
On February 12, 2009, a Colgan Air, Inc., Bombardier DHC-8-
400, N200WQ, operating as Continental Connection flight
3407, was on an instrument approach to Buffalo-Niagara
International Airport, Buffalo, New York, when it crashed
into a residence in Clarence Center, New York, about 5
nautical miles northeast of the airport. The 2 pilots, 2
flight attendants, and 45 passengers aboard the airplane
were killed, one person on the ground was killed, and the
airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash
fire. The flight was a 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
Part 121 scheduled passenger flight from Newark, New Jersey.
Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the
time of the accident.
The report states that, when the stick shaker activated to
warn the flight crew of an impending aerodynamic stall, the
captain should have responded correctly to the situation by
pushing forward on the control column. However, the
captain inappropriately pulled aft on the control column and
placed the airplane into an accelerated aerodynamic stall.
Contributing to the cause of the accident were the
Crewmembers’ failure to recognize the position of the
low-speed cue on their flight displays, which indicated that
the stick shaker was about to activate, and their failure to
adhere to sterile cockpit procedures. Other contributing
factors were the captain’s failure to effectively manage the
flight and Colgan Air’s inadequate procedures for airspeed
selection and management during approaches in icing
conditions.
As a result of this accident investigation, the Safety Board
issued recommendations to the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) regarding strategies to prevent flight
crew monitoring failures, pilot professionalism, fatigue,
remedial training, pilot records, stall training, and
airspeed selection procedures. Additional recommendations
address FAA’s oversight and use of safety alerts for
operators to transmit safety-critical information, flight
operational quality assurance (FOQA) programs, use of
personal portable electronic devices on the flight deck, and
weather information provided to pilots.
At today’s meeting, the Board announced that two issues that
had been encountered in the Colgan Air investigation would
be studied at greater length in proceedings later this year.
The Board will hold a public forum this Spring exploring
pilot and air traffic control high standards. This
accident was one in a series of incidents investigated by
the Board in recent years – including a mid-air collision
over the Hudson River that raised questions of air traffic
control vigilance, and the Northwest Airlines incident last
year where the airliner overflew its destination airport in
Minneapolis because the pilots were distracted by non-flying
activities – that have involved air transportation
professionals deviating from expected levels of performance.
In addition, this Fall the Board will hold a public forum
on code sharing, the practice of airlines marketing their
services to the public while using other companies to
actually perform the transportation. For example, this
accident occurred on a Continental Connection flight,
although the transportation was provided by Colgan Air.
A summary of the findings of the Board’s report are
available on the NTSB’s website at:
http://www.ntsb.gov/Publictn/2010/AAR1001.htm
-30-
Mumbai Aviation News
Mumbai airport experienced a 35% drop on a runway shortened due to repair work. When visibility decreased, diversions to longer runways and areas of higher visibility increased, and several flights were discontinued entirely.
Dating from October 27, on every Tuesday, from 12noon to 6pm, the intersection point of cross runways 09-27 and 14:32 is closed for repair work. Four nearly fatal incidents occurred on the runway during the week of November 3.
Charges Dropped against Surviving Pilot
Lt. Lance Leone, the co-pilot aboard Coast Guard helicopter 6017 on July 7, 2010 when it struck some wires between the mainland and an island near La Push, Washington, was charged with negligent homicide and destruction of government property, and dereliction of duty.
Those charges have been dropped.
The crash killed the chopper’s pilot, Lt. Sean Krueger, along with Aviation Maintenance Technicians Brett Banks and Adam Hoke. The charges had been levied in accordance with the strict culture of discipline and accountability. The inherent danger of Coast Guard operations is a given, but the three fatalities warranted a full investigation.
Lt. Lance Leone hopes to be in retraining soon in accordance with the Coast Guard mission, pass retraining, and securing a new Coast Guard assignment flying and rescuing.
NTSB Safety Recommendations
National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
The National Transportation Safety Board recommends that The
Air Care Alliance:
Require voluntary pilot organizations to verify pilot
currency before every flight. (A-10-102)
Require that voluntary pilot organizations inform
passengers, at the time of inquiry about a flight, that the
charitable medical flight would not be conducted under the
same standards that apply to a commercial flight (such as
under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 or Part 135).
(A-10-103)
In conjunction with your affiliate organizations and other
charitable medical transport organizations, develop,
disseminate, and require all voluntary pilot organizations
to implement written safety guidance, best practices, and
training material for volunteer pilots who operate
charitable patient transport flights under 14 Code of
Federal Regulations Part 91. The information should address,
at a minimum, aeronautical decision-making; proper preflight
planning; pilot qualification, training, and currency; and
self-induced pressure. (A-10-104)