The cause of the crash probably won’t be determined for months, with investigators expected to focus on a wide range of issues.

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At least 38 people killed after passenger plane crashes near Aktau in Kazakhstan. Azerbaijan launches criminal case.
H.R. 4217 Passes
The Senate passed H.R. 4217, the bill extending FAA programs and excise taxes through March 31, 2010.
The current extension expires at the end of the 2009.
The extension provides $2 billion in AIP contract authority for the first six months of the year.
H.R.4217
Title: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, to amend title 49, United States Code, to extend authorizations for the airport improvement program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15](introduced 12/8/2009)
Cosponsors (6)
Latest Major Action: 12/10/2009 Passed/agreed to in Senate.
Status: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.

Bills’ Dion Dawkins misses part of Thursday’s practice after small plane crashes behind his home
The East Aurora Police Department confirmed that the pilot died at the scene in Aurora, N.Y., a few miles east of Highmark Stadium.
Air T, Inc. Announces Award of $10.5 Million Contract from the City of Charlotte
MAIDEN, N.C., Nov. 9, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Air T, Inc. (Nasdaq: AIRT) announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Global Ground Support, LLC, has been awarded a $10.5 million contract to supply deicer trucks and training simulators to the City of Charlotte. Global expects to deliver the first units under the contract in the current fiscal quarter ending December 31.
Walter Clark, Air T’s CEO, stated that, “We are excited to have been selected by the City of Charlotte and look forward to working with them. Our equipment will be utilized to ensure that departing flights during inclement winter weather at Charlotte Douglas International Airport continue to operate safely and reliably. This contract was the result of a competitive process which we won due in part to the quality of product and the high level of service that Global Ground Support provides to all of its customers.”
Air T, through its subsidiaries, provides overnight air freight service to the express delivery industry, manufactures and sells aircraft deicers and other special purpose industrial equipment, and provides ground support equipment and facilities maintenance to airlines. Air T is one of the largest, small-aircraft air cargo operators in the United States. Air T’s Mountain Air Cargo and CSA Air subsidiaries currently operate a fleet of single and twin-engine turbo-prop aircraft daily in the eastern half of the United States, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean Islands. Air T’s Global Ground Support subsidiary manufactures deicing and other specialized military and industrial equipment and is one of the largest providers of deicers in the world. The Global Aviation Services subsidiary provides ground support equipment and facilities maintenance to domestic airline customers.
Press Release: FAA Installs Equipment for NextGen Aircraft Tracking System
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration today announced the completion of a nationwide infrastructure upgrade that will enable air traffic controllers to track aircraft with greater accuracy and reliability, while giving pilots more information in the cockpit. This upgrade is a key improvement in the Next Generation Air Transportation System.
“This upgrade is an important step in laying the foundation for the NextGen system, which provides controllers a much more precise view of the airspace, gives pilots much more awareness and information, and as a result strengthens the safety and efficiency of our system,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “This state-of-the-art satellite system is already providing controllers with visibility in places not previously covered by radar.”
The nationwide installation of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) radio network supports a satellite-based surveillance system that tracks aircraft with the help of GPS. This provides more accurate aircraft location information than the current radar system.
NextGen refers to a set of initiatives being implemented by the FAA in collaboration with the aviation community to ensure that the United States has the safest, most efficient airspace possible for decades to come. In addition to ADS-B, NextGen improvements are already delivering benefits that include more efficient air traffic procedures that save time and fuel and reduce emissions.
“The installation of this radio network clears the way for air traffic controllers to begin using ADS-B to separate equipped aircraft nationwide,” FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said. “It will also provide pilots flying aircraft equipped with the proper avionics with traffic information, weather data and other flight information.”
Of the 230 air traffic facilities across the country, 100 are currently using this system to separate traffic. It is expected to be connected and operating at all 230 facilities by 2019. All aircraft operating in controlled airspace must be equipped with ADS-B Out avionics that broadcast the plane’s location, by Jan. 1, 2020.
With the upgraded surveillance and broadcast system and aircraft equipped with ADS-B Out transponders, aircraft positions on controller screens update almost continuously, compared to every 4.7 seconds or longer with radar.
ADS-B also enables more accurate tracking of airplanes and airport vehicles on runways and taxiways, increasing safety and efficiency. The new system significantly improves surveillance capability in areas with geographic challenges like mountains or over water. Airplanes equipped with ADS-B In, which is not currently mandated, will give pilots information through cockpit displays about location in relation to other aircraft, bad weather and terrain, and temporary flight restrictions.
In addition to the operational benefits of ADS-B, each one of the 634 ground stations installed by Exelis of McLean, Va., is substantially smaller than a radar installation – resulting in less impact to the environment and less cost to maintain.
NTSB Investigation: Marlin Air 2007
George’s Point of View
Now held responsible for a fatal June 4, 2007 Cessna 550 crash, pilot Capt. William Serra, 59, had apparently falsified training records and had been convicted in 1987 of conspiracy to import Quaaludes when he piloted a plane with 2,100 pounds of the drug from Canada to the USA in 1981. In the 2007 he had been responsible for safety checks; and both he and the other pilot were unfamiliar with the Marlin Air plane, resulting in a crash in Lake Michigan, killing both pilots and four members of a University of Michigan lung transplant team.
The NTSB holds FAA inspectors responsible for allowing Serra to conduct pilot inspections and oversee safety.
Investigators included the NTSB, the FAA, Cessna Aircraft, Marlin Air, Pratt and Whitney and Honeywell.