California

  • | | | | |

    JetBlue Flight Returns to Long Beach Airport

    jetBlueJetBlue flight 1416 had to return and make an emergency landing at Long Beach Airport, California, at about 9:30 a.m. on September 18.

    According to airport spokesperson, Kerry Gerot, the plane, heading to Austin, Texas, was diverted for landing back after its second engine got overheated and the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit.

    The Airbus A320 landed uneventfully and all 142 passengers and 5 crew members exited through emergency slides.

    According to local fire department officials, 4 passengers suffered from medical issues and one of them was shifted to hospital with complaint of shortness of breath.

    Actor Jackson Rathbone was also aboard the flight along with his wife and son. He tweeted “I grabbed my son and jumped down the inflated ramp, my wife following… We left all our personal effects onboard. Who cares. We were alive.”

  • | |

    Sheriff’s Helicopter Crashed at Hemet-Ryan Airport; 2 Injured

    Helicopter crashA Riverside County Sheriff’s helicopter crashed on the runway at the northeast end of Hemet-Ryan Airport in Hemet district, Riverside County, California, at 11 a.m. on August 28.

    According to the sheriff’s spokesperson Albert Martinez, the helicopter crashed during a low-flying training exercise. The FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said that the helicopter rolled over while the pilot was trying to land with a simulated engine power outage.

    Two deputies of the sheriff aboard the chopper suffered minor injuries and were taken to a local hospital.

    The tail rotor of the helicopter got snapped off due to crash. Hemet firefighters sprayed foam on the wreckage to stop any fire ignition.

    The Federal Aviation Administration has initiated investigation.

  • | | |

    AA Flight Makes Safe Emergency Landing with a Blown Tire

    American AirlinesThe American Airlines flight 2275 had to make an emergency landing in Sacramento, California, after one of its tires blew out during takeoff, on August 6.

    The passengers of the MD-82 aircraft said that they smelled a burning smell when the plane took off from Dallas Fort Worth Airport. However, they were only informed about the problem when they were about to land at Sacramento.

    The plane landed uneventfully at around 7:42 p.m. and was towed to Terminal B. All passengers and crew members remained unhurt.

  • | |

    Pitts Biplane Flips during Emergency Landing in Oceanside

    Pitts biplaneA single-engine biplane went down and flipped over, while making an emergency landing, in a vacant field in Oceanside, California, at about 11:30 a.m. on August 5.

    According to the FAA, the engine of the Pitts Biplane failed midair after it took off from Carlsbad’s McClellan-Palomar Airport. The pilot was attempting to divert it to Oceanside airport when it went down in a nearby field.

    There were 2 people aboard at the time of incident; Lance Murray, the pilot and Daniel Harabagiu, his passenger. Both of them suffered only minor scratches.

    The FAA and the NTSB is investigating the incident.

  • | |

    Corporate Jet Makes Emergency Landing at San Jose Airport

    A corporate jet made an emergency landing at the Mineta San Jose International Airport in Santa Clara County, California, at 2:51 p.m. on August 5.

    The plane landed uneventfully and no injuries were reported.

    According to an airport spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes, the pilot declared an emergency due to some mechanical problems. However, she did not know the nature of the mechanical problems or the number of people on board the aircraft.

  • |

    Pilot Killed as Crop-Dusting Plane Crashed in Siskiyou, California

    Crop dusting planeA crop dusting plane crashed in a privately owned field near Hill Road and East West Road in north-eastern Siskiyou County, west of Tulelake in California, after 9 a.m. on August 1.

    Officer Tim Wood of the California Highway Patrol confirmed that the pilot of the plane, William Whitlatch of Klamath Falls, 58, died in the crash. He also said that, “At this point it appears that he struck some power lines which caused the collision.”

    The plane, having pesticides on board, caught fire after the crash. “It sounds as if some of the first responders attempted to put out the flames…But unfortunately, the pilot died as the result of the collision,” Said Officer Wood.

    According to police the plane was registered to Tulelake based Macy’s Flying Service.

    First responders removed the body of Whitlatch from the wreckage, but hesitated to remove the plane due to damaged power lines and freshly-sprayed pesticides in the field. According to Officer Wood, “We just don’t want to enter the scene quite yet…Until we’re sure that it’s not going to cause harm to any of the other responders.”

    The Federal Aviation Administration will assist the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office with the investigation.

  • | |

    Throttle-Control Issue Prompts Small Plane to Make Emergency Landing

    CirrusA single engine Cirrus plane carrying 2 people, made an emergency landing at Santa Barbara Airport, California, at about 12:15 p.m. on June 24.

    According to Santa Barbara Fire Captain Gary Pitney, the accident happened after the plane developed a throttle-control problem while preparing to land at the airport. The pilot then had to cut off the fuel supply to the engine and make a hard landing. The plane landed on the paved over-run area and then ran off before coming to stop about 300 feet from Tecolotito creek.

    Pitney also said that the pilot remained in contact with the control tower during the whole time.

    Both people aboard remained unharmed, although the plane sustained some minor damage.

  • |

    Biplane Lands in Emergency at Torrey Pines Golf Course

    BiplaneA 1929 vintage biplane made an emergency landing due to mechanical problems. The plane landed at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, located at 11480 Torrey Pines Park Road in San Diego, California,

    The incident happened at 11:40 a.m. on June 10 when the engine of the Travel Air 400 began “running rough.”

    The pilot, Bill Oglesby, was flying with two tourists aboard. He took no chances and decided to make an emergency landing.

    The biplane is used to provide the tourists a bird’s-eye view of the scenic coastline and local attractions in San Diego. Barnstorm Adventures website says it charges $289 for a 40-minute trip.

    The passengers were fully refunded.

  • | |

    Single-Engine Plane Crashes in Mojave Desert, CA

    small planeA single engine plane crashed into El Mirage Dry Lake in Adelanto, Mojave Desert, California.

    According to Tracey Martinez, spokesperson of the San Bernardino County Fire Department, the two-seater plane crashed into the dry lake bed at about 11:30 a.m. on June 9. She also said that the plane flipped several times before coming to rest.

    Brian Lee, a 47-year-old Los Angeles Fire Department pilot and firefighter paramedic, died at the hospital. A boy believed to be under 10 years old, was injured and was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition.

    The aircraft also sustained serious damage.

    The cause of accident is under investigation.

  • | |

    1 Killed After Cessna Crashed in Mendocino County

    A privately-owned Cessna airplane hit a tree and crashed in a wooded area off the 16200 block of Branscomb Road, west of Laytonville, Mendocino County in California, at around 7:30 p.m. on June 5.

    The pilot, identified as Kenneth Gillespie, 63, of Laytonville, died on the spot.

    According to Laytonville Volunteer Fire Chief Jim Little, “It was not a survivable crash.”

    The crash happened on a gravel bar on the Eel River, near a private airstrip. Responders waded through the shallow water to recover the body of the victim.

    Mendocino County Sheriff’s Lt. Kirk Mason said that the owner of the private airstrip reported the incident and described Gillespie as his friend.

    Representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have started investigating the crash. Laytonville Fire, Cal Fire, the CHP and the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

  • |

    Military Plane Crashed in California, 3 Homes Destroyed

    plane crashA Third Marine Aircraft Wing AV-8B Harrier jet, operating out of MCAS Yuma airbase crashed around 4:20 p.m. on June 4.

    The plane crashed in a residential area at Cross Road and Fonzie Avenue in Imperial, California, near the U.S.-Mexico border, about 115 miles from San Diego.

    The pilot managed to get out of the plane before it crashed and suffered only minor injuries. He was taken to a local hospital.

    No other injuries were reported.

    According to California Highway Patrol El Centro, one house caught fire, and two others were damaged by the crash. A total of eight houses were evacuated to collect evidence and assess the damage.

    Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar confirmed via Twitter that the Harrier jet crash impacted civilian structures.

    An investigation to determine the cause of the crash has been initiated by concerned authorities.

  • | |

    Single-Engine Cessna Crashes in El Dorado County, CA.

    CessnaOne person was injured after a small plane crash landed at Cameron Airport in El Dorado County, California.

    The accident happened on the afternoon of May 21 when the single-engine Cessna 180 lost control, flipped over and landed upside down.

    The pilot of the plane, Robert Petersen, 78, was the only one on-board and escaped with minor injuries.

    He said that the accident happened due to a strong wind gust. “A little gust as I’m three-pointing and rolling out. When it starts and you don’t keep it straight, it’ll ground loop… it dragged the right wing tip, went up, the prop hit, then it stops and just flips over backwards.” He said after the accident.

  • | | |

    NTSB Releases Details of Travis Air Show Plane Crash

    The NTSB has issued the preliminary investigation report on May 4’s Stearman biplane crash at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California.

    The plane crashed when the 77 year old pilot, Edward Andreini, was attempting a ribbon cutting stunt during the Thunder Over Solano air show.

    According to the report, “The planned maneuver consisted of a total of three passes…The first two passes were successful, but on the third pass, the airplane was too high, and did not cut the ribbon. The pilot came around for a fourth pass, and rolled the airplane inverted after aligning with the runway. The airplane contacted the runway prior to reaching the ribbon, slid inverted between the ground crew personnel holding the poles, and came to a stop a few hundred feet beyond them.”

    The report also revealed that within 50 seconds of coming to rest, the plane’s right side was completely engulfed by flames but the firefighters took 3 to 4 minutes before they arrived at the scene to extinguish the fire.

    This post is an update of ‘Biplane Crashed during Thunder Over Solano Air Show in California; Pilot Killed‘

  • | | | | | |

    Biplane Crashed during Thunder Over Solano Air Show in California; Pilot Killed

    biplaneA 1944 Stearman biplane crashed on a runway at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California.

    The incident happened at about 2 p.m on May 4 during the Thunder Over Solano air show, when the pilot was performing an acrobatic aerial maneuver very close to the ground. The specific stunt is known as “cutting a ribbon” where the plane is flown close to ground in inverted position and a knife from the plane is thrown to cut a ribbon, just off the ground.

    Air force officials have identified the pilot as 77 year old Edward Andreini, belonging to Half Moon Bay. According to the FAA records, Andreini owned the 1944 Boeing E75 Super Stearman.

    FAA and NTSB officials are investigating the accident.

  • | | |

    Two Planes Collide Near Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, CA

    SfTwo planes, returning from the Pacific Coast Dream Machines festival, collided over the northern San Francisco Bay.

    According to Ian Gregor, the spokesperson of the FAA, the planes involved in the incident were single-engine Hawker Sea Fury TMK 20 and single-engine Cessna 210.

    The planes took off from Eagle’s Nest Airport for participating in the Pacific Coast Dream Machines festival, which is held annually at the Half Moon Bay Airport. Both the planes were on their way back home when they collided at about 4:05 pm, near the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.

    The Sea Fury was able to reach Eagle’s Nest Airport in Ione, Northern California, where it landed 40 minutes after the collision. The Amador county Undersheriff, Jim Wegner, confirmed that the passengers of Sea Fury plane, a husband and wife, remained injured and did not need medical attention.

    The Cessna plane crashed into the bay. Crews found the debris in San Pablo Bay however, Loumania Stewart, the Coast Guard Petty Officer said that they have not found any clues about the pilot yet.

    As per the FAA records, the Sea Fury belongs to Sanders Aeronautics Inc., a company specializing in aircraft restoration. The company website reveals that the sanders brothers; Dennis and Brian Sanders, are air racers.