A small plane crashed in Kalkaska County, Michigan, on April 27th.
The plane was carrying two people when it went down near US-131 and Vroom Road.
Both occupants of the plane were killed in the crash. They were identified as Thomas Wolfe, 71, and Mary Wolfe, 70.
The cause of crash is being investigated.
George’s Point of View
Judgements and awards offer no closure.
For those left behind, the accidents are never over.
Angela de Marchi lost her husband in September 29 2006, a Boeing Legacy crash, when 154 died.
She lost him again at the crash of Tam Congonhas Flight 3054 July 17 2007 when 199 people died.
And now this new Airbus crash…she lost him again.
For the families, each new crash brings the memories back, the hope, the loss.
The insurers have had months to move this case along.
They had months to compensate the families of victims. Have they done so?
Word is that they have not.
The one year anniversary of the crash is on May 12.
Look at what we have. No compensation.
Look at the debris field. Do we have spoliation of evidence? Common elements like weather wreak havoc on evidence. Just look at what rust does and you have a pretty good idea of the kind of details can be erased by weather. So if the evidence has been defaced by exposure to the elements, how might spoilation of evidence affect the case? No doubt it will result in a series of failed attempts. Failure to secure evidence. Inability to analyze degraded evidence. Obfuscated results.
For crash investigators, fresh evidence can be as easy to read as a book. Waiting until the evidence is unintelligible leaves us with no Rosetta Stone to help us get to the cause. Another missed opportunity to make aviation a little safer. Another missed opportunity to bring closure to the families who were immeasurably damaged by this crash.
The Thai Lion Air flight SL8537 from Hat Yai to Bangkok, Thailand, had to return for emergency landing on August 20, after the co-pilot collapsed midair.
The Dutch co-pilot Peter Esberte, 47 lost consciousness just 20 minutes after the Boeing 737-900 aircraft took off. The pilot then decided to return to Hat Yai airport where he made an emergency landing at 1:21 p.m.
Esberte later died on the way to hospital from the airport. The cause of death is not yet known, however, the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai) said Esberte died of a heart attack.
Worawut Kongkositkul, in-charge of flight operations for the low cost airline, said that Esberte joined the airline last year at its launch and was completely healthy.
All 152 passengers aboard the plane remained unharmed.
What: Bankstown Helicopter Pty. Ltd. Robinson R44 Raven II
Where: Jaspers Brush Airfield, Berry, NSW, Australia
When: Feb 2, 2012, 3:55 pm
Who: 2 aboard
Why: Taking off, the helicopter was carrying two men scouting locations for a Jervis Bay documentary when the Robinson crashed and caught the field on fire.
Andrew Wight, The fifty year old pilot was from Melbourne, writer-producer of the 3D movie “Sanctum” based on Wight’s near-death experience in an underwater cave.
Mike DeGruy, 60, of Santa Barbara, California, won multiple Emmy and British Academy of Film and Television Arts, or BAFTA, awards for cinematography. He was a specialist in underwater photography.
Four ATSB investigators will be investigating.
A Rural Fire Service (RFS) responded. The cabin of the chopper burned, and sparked a brush fire.
On Feb 26, 2013, an Aeroclub de Flandes Urraco Millenium Plus took off from Flandes with two aboard, pilot Jorge Orlando Ramírez Velásquez and his daughter Estéfanny Lorena Ramírez Isaza.
Charco villagers heard a crash from the skies into the forest when the plane crashed. Emergency services responded to the scene. The pilot was trapped in the cabin, and his daughter suffered trauma. She had apparently tried to jump from the plane. There were no survivors reported.
Ramirez belonged to belonged to Bogota and the Aeroclub of Flanders. He had been piloting his private plane. His daughter wanted to learn to fly.
The accident took place in Carcorrico, in rural Ibagué, presumably due to weather conditions.
On Feb 26, 2013, a Sky Cruise Egyptian Airship Balloon, an Ultra Magic N-425 hot air balloon, was on a tourist flight and crashed. The balloon caught fire while being tied down. Original reports said there were eighteen fatalities, and two injured tourists. One of the injured tourists died at the hospital on the operating table.
The pilot and one tourist survived.
Three British, two French, one Hungarian, nine Hong Kong, one Egyptian and four Japanese tourists died when the balloon caught fire and fell into a field.
Two people, including the pilot jumped out before impact. The pilot, who jumped at about 33-49ft is being treated for burns.
Luxor has banned all balloon flight.
Sky Cruise said a gas cylinder exploded on board. Crews were anchoring the balloon when the ropes entangled with the gas system powering balloon, severed the connection, and the gas caught fire.
The British foreign office made this statement:
We can confirm the tragic deaths of 2 British Nationals and 1 British resident following a hot air balloon crash in Luxor, Egypt earlier today. The next of kin have been informed and our thoughts are with them and their families at this difficult time. We are providing them with consular assistance. We can also confirm that one other British National was involved and is in a stable condition.
We have had consular officials in Luxor since early this morning who have been focussed on providing consular assistance and supporting the Egyptian authorities. Our Ambassador to Egypt has met the injured British National and has offered our assistance”.
