MIT engineers have built a car that flies. Or a plane that drives on the street. This vehicle flies (and drives) on ordinary gas. Below, we have attached a clip of the TRA’s first flight, or as the video calls it, it’s “Wright Brothers Moment.” The wings retract so it can drive on the road.

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Washington Plane Crash Survivor Autumn Veatch

autumnSixteen year-old Autumn Veatch tried to save her step-grandparents after she survived a fiery small plane crash impacting a Washington mountain. The Beech A35 aircraft struck Saturday and she survived two days on her own, after scrambling out of the burning plane with her hair on fire.She tried but could not rescue her grandmother, Sharon Bowman, nor her grandfather, Leland Bowman.

The Beech A35 Bonanza crashed in the North Cascades, west of Mazama, WA between Kalispell and Lynden. Weather was a key factor in the accident. A second plane crashed into Twin Sisters mountain in the North Cascades on the same day.

Some of the footage of Autumn has been collected and is available here:

Survivor’s Journey

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Eurocopter Medevac Crew Perishes in AZ Neighborhood


Pictured: A LifeNet Eurocopter AS-350B-3 Ecureuil. The one in the crash is
registration # N509AM
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer David J Transier

What: AirMethods American Eurocopter AS 350B3 Ecureuil en route from Marana to Southeast Arizona Medical Center
Where: Near Park and 1st Avenue, Tucson, Arizona
When: July 28, 2010, 2 pm
Who: pilot, flight nurse and paramedic
Why: On a medical helicopter service LifeNet Arizona flight, the crew had recently spoken to ATC when the helicopter crashed in a residential neighborhood behind a house. A witness said the pilot directed the helicopter away from the house; and that the engine made “popping noises” before it went silent. It’s rotors stopped, and it fell from the sky. No patients were aboard, but the crew died on the scene.

Video

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2 Pilots Lost in Albatross at Boulder


What: Aero Vodochody L39 Albatross on training flight
Where: west of Boulder City Airport
When: May 18, 2012, 12:30
Who: Two fatalities
Why: When Boulder City Police Chief Thomas Finn talked about the training flight, he said, “It landed flat; it pancaked into the desert.
After the plane crashed, the engine was still running and caught fire, burning the rear end of the aircraft.” Two of the jets had taken off in tandem but only one issued a Mayday and crashed. The jet’s tail and most of its body are still intact.

The flight took off from Boulder City Municipal Airport.
Emergency responders included Metro Police and Boulder City police and firefighters.

According to the Las Vegas Sun the registered owner of the plane, Walter Woltosz of LA, was not aboard.

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Mexicana Airlines Suspension


Since 2002, Compania Mexicana de Aviacion AKA Mexicana Airlines has been the only carrier offering direct service from Sacramento International Airport to Mexico, but now all Mexicana Airlines flights between Sacramento and Mexico will be suspended in August due to a company downsize. Flights in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose will also be affected.

Fighting for its survival, the company faces even more possible layoffs and pay cuts. Pilots and fight attendants staged a labor demonstration in Mexico City on Sunday.

The latest PR release said that Mexicana Airlines Presents Unions With Reorganization Plan with two alternatives:
“The first is the option to enter into a new collective contract to secure the CMA’s long-term financial viability. This would imply accepting cuts of 41% and 39% in wages and fringe benefits for pilots and flight attendants, respectively. This alternative also calls for additional cost-cutting measures, including downsizing 40% of the airline’s pilots and flight attendants. On the upside, it incorporates a profit-sharing plan whereby the unions would get a percentage of any operating profits that exceed 5% of the company’s total revenues.

As a second alternative, stockholders have offered to sell CMA to its unions for the token sum of $1 peso, proving them convinced of the vital role these labor organizations will play in the future of the company. As the only entities capable of turning the situation around, CMA’s management have stated that it would be willing to transfer control of the airline to its unions. “

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TransAsia Airways Falls from Sky, hits Bridge, Keelung river

At least thirteen were killed and 10 injured when a TransAsia Airways ATR 72 jet en route from Taipei to Kinmen crashed in the Keelung River after hitting a bridge at around 11 am on Wednesday morning. Before impact, the pilot radioed Sungshan Airport a “Mayday” with engine flame out. Other reports say 16 were injured and 30 people missing from Flight 235. Two people in a taxi on the bridge were also injured. The plane was airborne for three minutes before trying to turn around and crashing.

Two tour groups, Xiamen Airlines International Travel Service Co. and the Xiamen Tourism Group International Travel Service Co. from mainland China (from Xiamen) were aboard. The plane was less than a year old with only 684 flight hours and powered by Pratt & Whitney PW100-127M engines.

A search helicopter, a hovercraft, 9 ambulances, 10 fire trucks, and police divers in wet suits are among those who responded to the scene. Rescue efforts are underway, with plans to lift the fuselage by crane in an attempt to rescue survivors trapped inside. Underwater visibility in this very polluted river is very limited, according to divers.

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Comoros: Putting together the Black Box puzzle

Yemenia Flight 626 from Paris to Moroni sank into the ocean on June 30, killing 152 people, with one survivor. The black boxes were found Friday.

Just because the black boxes were found does not mean the route to discovery is on track. Apparently there was so much damage to the black boxes, there is going to be trouble recovering the data. That’s not new. In fact, usually when there is trouble reading the black boxes, investigators call in the company that made the boxes, and they are usually able to mine the data in spite of damage.

The BEA, the French aviation authority is handling the investigation. Many of those aboard were French and/or French Comoran.

Did they–are they–sending the boxes to the US? They’d have a better chance of recovery if they do.

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