Perm Crash update

• Because of the September 14 crash of the Russian Aeroflot-Nord while preparing to land in the city of Perm in the Ural Mountains area, the Russian Federal Air Transportation Agency has suspended the use of a subtype of Boeing 737-500s until their pilots receive additional training.
  
  
• The training involves a key indicator showing the plane's attitude, ( artificial horizon) The attitude indicator is designed differently on Soviet and Western planes. Investigators have not yet determined what caused the crash, but the pilot had little experience in piloting Boeings, so the speculation is that the cause was pilot error.
  
  
• Notification of the ban has been sent to six air companies, including Aeroflot-Nord, Aeroflot-Don and Volga-Dnepr
  
  
• Russian carrier Aeroflot-Nord has also temporarily suspended operations with a Boeing 737-300 because its instrument panel includes indicators similar to those on the 737-500. Tthe cockpit of the VP-BKT features "special" director-indicator pointers on complex flight-control and navigational instruments.
  
  
• The Urals city lab is conducting DNA identification the 88 victims of the September 14 Boeing 737 crash in Perm. The workload has caused such a backlog that it is delaying work on the comparison of DNA samples from Nicholas II's blood-stained shirt and bone fragments.
  
  

Emergency Landing at Sky Harbor

What: Southwest Airlines plane en route from Las Vegas to El Paso
Where: Sky Harbor International Airport
When: Sunday evening.
Who: 135 people were onboard
Why:The pilot called air traffic control to report a strong, plastic-like burning smell onboard.

Small Plane Crash lands in Stephens County

What: Single Engine Beechcraft Sundowner 180 Taking off from Duncan airport
Where: STEPHENS COUNTY two miles west of Duncan in a field four miles west of U.S. Highway 81 on Plato.
When: emergency landing Sunday afternoon 3:30 p.m
Who: pilot, Donald Holloway, from Edmond and his mother, Patricia Dixon
Why: engine problems caused the emergency landing. The pilot clipped a barbed-wire fence and then rolled for approximately 30 feet as he landed, and the landing gear collapsed. No one was hurt but the nose and the propellor were smashed and the left wing sustained damage.

Tulsa Crash Kills Two

What: A twin-engine Cessna 320 owned by Hazelwood taking off from private Airman Acres airport
Where: rural agricultural area near Owasso north of Tulsa in a field near East 116th Street North and Sheridan Road, about a mile from the rural airstrip where it took off
When: noon Sunday
Who: Oklahoma Highway Patrol Captain-Larry Jackson, 49 and Harvey Hazelwood, was dock inspector for American Airlines in Tulsa. Both were killed in the crash
Why: The cause of the crash has not been determined. The first evidence points to engine failure.

Cessna Crashes in Kentucky

What: 1964 Cessna 150D airplane en route from Gene Snyder Airport in Pendleton County, Ky.
Where: Gene Snyder Airport in Pendleton County, Ky.in a wooded area near the end of the runway.
When: 1:20 Sunday afternoon
Who: Pilot Mark Martin and his sixteen year old son
Why: The engine stalled on takeoff. The crash is under investigation. This is the second time this week that a small plane taking off from this particular airport stalled and crashed.

Uma tragédia chocou o Brasil

o dia 17 de julho do ano passado, uma tragédia chocou o Brasil: 187 pessoas que viajavam no vôo 3054 da TAM, mais 12 que estavam em terra, morreram quando o avião pousou no Aeroporto de Congonhas, em São Paulo, e não parou.

Brazil Helicopter Crash under Investigation

What: Agusta Westland A109S helicopter, Brazilian registration PR-IPO departure from the Parati/Condomínio Laranjeiras heliport, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
Where: Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
When: April 30, 2008 22:59 UTC
Who: 2 fatalities.
Why: The Brazil CENIPA has requested assistance from the US manufacturers of electronic components in the helicopter to download non-volatile memory information.

Ojinaga, Mexico Crash 4 Fatalities

What: a United States registered Cessna 421B, N7560Q,
Where: 28 miles northwest of Ojinaga, Mexico
When: September 15, 2008 1318 central daylight time
Who: pilot and the three passengers were fatally injured
Why: collided with mountainous terrain


NTSB Identification: DFW08RA232
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Monday, September 15, 2008 in Ojinaga, Mexico
Aircraft: Cessna 421B, registration: N7560Q
Injuries: 4 Fatal.

On September 15, 2008, approximately 1318 central daylight time, a United States registered Cessna 421B, N7560Q, was substantially damaged after it collided with mountainous terrain approximately 28 miles northwest of Ojinaga, Mexico, near the border town of Presidio, Texas. The air transport rated pilot and the three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to EAC Parts LLC, Springfield, Ohio, and operated by Volare Air Charter, El Paso, Texas. The pilot contacted the Fort Worth Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS), Fort Worth, Texas, at 1016, approximately 15 minutes after he departed El Paso International Airport, El Paso, Texas, and filed a visual flight rules flight plan to Presidio, Texas. The pilot informed an AFSS specialist that he intended to enter Mexican airspace for the purpose of flying over the Luis Leon Dam, but had no intentions of landing in Mexico. The pilot did not request a weather briefing for the flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135; however, he was informed by the specialist that visual flight rules were not recommended due to mountain obscuration.

Otisco Indiana Emergency Landing

What: single-engine Velocity aircraft.
en route from Ohio to Kentucky
Where: Otisco, Ind.on the 7200 block of State Road Three
When: 3 p.m. Saturday
Who: Pilot Elizabeth Ferrell and her husband Brett Ferrell weren't injured
Why: The pilot reported smoke in the cabin before landing along a state highway. The pilot heard a pop and a gauge registered zero oil pressure. The pilot struck a reflector that did minor damage to the right wing and the plane's oil line appeared to have ruptured.

Martha's Vineyard Fatality

What: six passenger, twin-engine Cape Air Cessna 402 Flight 105 en route to Boston’s Logan International Airport took off from Runway 33 on its way to pick up passengers at Logan.
Where: Crashed on land about 2 miles from Nip-N-Tuck Farm Martha’s Vineyard West Tisbury
When: 8:05 p.m
Who: Pilot David D. Willey (fatality)
Why: During takeoff, there was heavy rain and high wind. The crash is under investigation

Cape Air runs a fleet of more than 50 Cessna 402s and carried more than 650,000 passengers last year

Cessna Runs out of Gas

What: Cessna 150 en route to Lamar, Joplin, Neosho, and Bolivar,
Where: emergency landing on U.S. 54 Highway near Iola
When:
Who: Malcolm E. Kucharski, 60, Pittsburg
Why: Pilot error. The pilot left at 1 p.m. to go to Nevada MO, then the sun got in his eyes, he went to Iola and ran out of fuel.

Audio

King Air lands Safely in Adelaide

What: privately chartered twin-engine King Air belonging to Adelaide-based company Corporate Aircraft Charter en route to Kingscote on Kangaroo Island
Where: Adelaide Airport Australia
When: September 27, 2008 at 11.20am
Who: Brenton Hollitt and passengers
Why: Pilot Brenton Hollitt reported difficulties with its landing gear. The plane landed safely , remaining upright despite its landing wheels not locking into place. The plane landed "on its fuselage in a cloud of smoke, with the aircraft skidding sideways on the runway." The pilot was praised as " professional, calm, just terrific, I can't praise him highly enough." "

Emergency Landing in Alexandria

What: American Airlines regional jet en route from Baton Rouge to Dallas
Where: Alexandria International Airport, Alexandria Louisiana
When: Friday 5:40 p.m.
Who: 47 people
Why: Emergency landing called for when smoke was detected in the cockpit. No injuries.


View Larger Map

Emergency Landing in North-Eastern Brazil

What: Boeing 777-200 operated by Alitalia flying from Rome Fiumicino to Buenos Aires
Where: unplanned landing Thursday in the north- eastern Brazilian city of Recife
When: landing was completed without further problems at 2:15 am (0515 GMT)
Who: 295 people on board. Passengers deplaned and took another flight.
Why: The plane experienced mechanical problems on the flight from Rome to Buenos Aires. The pilot informed the control tower that he was having technical problems.

Alitalia is having financial problems.

Fokker Crash in Ecuador

What: ICARO Fokker F28 Fellowship 4000 Registration HC-CDT flight 504 with 2 Rolls Royce 555-15P Spey engines
Where: Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport (UIO) (Ecuador) en route to Coca Airport (OCC/SECO),
When: 22 SEP 2008 ca 11:15
Who: 4 crew 62 passengers
Why: The crash occurred during takeoff.

After flight 504 was cleared for takeoff from runway 35, en route to El Coca, it hit a metal antenna at the end of the runway. The captain decided to abort. The airplane overran the 10240 foot runway, and the plane continued down a slope and plowed through a brick wall. There were no injuries. The yellow jet involved is painted with the logo of the Guayaquil-based Barcelona soccer team (obviously not the generic Fokker in our photo) and is normally used to ferry the soccer team around. No team members were on board.

Learjet Crash that Injured DJ

Date: 19 SEP 2008
Time: 23:53
Type: Learjet 60
Operator: Inter Travel And Services
Registration: N999LJ
C/n / msn: 314
First flight: 2006
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW305A
Crew: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Passengers: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 4
Total: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 6
Airplane damage: Destroyed
Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Columbia Metropolitan Airport, SC (CAE) (United States of America)
Phase: Takeoff (TOF)
Nature: Executive
Departure airport: Columbia Metropolitan Airport, SC (CAE/KCAE), United States of America
Destination airport: Los Angeles-Van Nuys Airport, CA (VNY), United States of America

The flight was attempting to take off on Columbia Metropolitan Airport, SC (CAE) runway 11, but overran the runway. It crashed through a perimeter fence, hit an antennae array and lights, then hit an embankment along Highway 302.

Sources:
http://aviation-safety.net

Colorado Emergency Landing Injures 2

What: Two-seat, single-engine plane owned by Doss Aviation
Where: Pueblo Memorial Airport where the plane bounced onto its top in a ravine
When: 11:40 a.m
Who: 2 people on board candidate for U.S. Air Force flight training and an instructor
Why: The plane came up short of the runway at Pueblo's Memorial Airport.

RAF Emergency Landing

What: RAF F/A-18 Hornet taking off from RAF base at Williamtown
Where: RAF base at Williamtown
When: declared a mayday at around 12.15pm Sept 25
Why: After declaring an emergency, the flight circled back and landed. There were no reported injuries, and a maintenance investigation is underway. Details of the mayday have not been released.

Helicopter Lands Hard On Soft Ground

What: Helicopter, from Bristow Academy, a helicopter flight school located at the Space Coast Regional Airport
Where: Landing occurred off Highway 50, west of Interstate 95 in a marshy area in Brevard County.
When: 11:45 a.m. Thursday
Who: The helicopter was carrying an instructor and a student on a training exercise. Neither was injured but both were transported to Parrish Medical Center
Why: When helicopter came in for a landing, it skidded in the marsh.

Bell Helicopter sinks off of Western Australia Coast

What: Bell 407 helicopter took off from the holiday vessel True North for a scenic flight around the Horizontal Falls area.
Where: In the ocean at Talbot Bay
When: Reported to Tam Air on September 25, 2008 04:00 pm
Who: Six passengers and a pilot on board. All were rescued. A woman in her late eighties needed CPR, and was flown to Broome hospital by float plane and is currently in stable condition.
Why: Engine Failure

Measures are being taken to curtail environmental damage, and attempts will be made to activate the plane's flotation controls which the pilot did not have time to activate.

Cessna Crashes in Nebraska

What: Cessna 172, was owned by Randy Hall
Where: York airport
When: The wreckage was found at 4 p.m. Friday but the time of the flight is not known
Who: 54-year-old David Biba of Geneva and 68-year-old Leon Snoberger of San Diego, Calif were killed in the crash
Why: No one saw the plane go down and the cause of the crash is unknown

Biplane crashes in Pasco County Fla.

What: experimental plane
Where: Tampa Bay North Executive Airport off State Road 54 near I-75 in Pasco County
When: Sept 24 Thursday afternoon
Who: The pilot was the only person aboard, had head injuries, but was conscious and alert when he was taken to the hospital.
Why: The plane flipped onto its side. The FAA is investigating-no details available as yet

Helicopter Crash Survivor Awarded 4.5 Million

Central District of California, the Hon. Florence-Marie Cooper ruled that in Melanie Bailey, et. al. v. United States of America Department of Transportation (Federal Aviation Administration) - Case #CV 06-1191 FMC(VBKx)

27-year-old Gavin Heyworth, a former Marine sued the FAA after the November 6th, 2003 collision in which Heyworth was flying solo when he collided with another helicopter. The U.S. District Court ruled that negligent air traffic controllers gave confusing instructions to Heyworth who was a student pilot at the time.

Pilot dies in Atlanta

What: Piper Saratoga PA-32 registered to Women's Medicine Incorporated of Jacksonville Beach, Florida (but the plane was recently sold) ) from Craig Airport in Jacksonville, after stopping at DeKalb Peachtree Airport en route to Coldwater, Mich.
Where: went down in a neighborhood near Interstate 285 just north of Atlanta.
When: 2 p.m. Tuesday. Sept 23
Who: The pilot is dead. No one else was injured.
Why: The plane appeared to clip power lines and trees as it went down.

Student Pilot Crashes in Sydney

What: Two-seat Liberty XL2 single-engine aircraft, owned by the Sydney Flight Training Centre, which had taken off from Bankstown Airport.
Where: Crashed in a paddock in Luddenham, in Sydney's west, near the intersection of Willowdene Avenue and Vicar Park Lane, near the busy Great North Road but away from built-up areas.
When: 4:00 PM
Who: The student pilot was killed.
Why: No reason has been given.

school's owner and chief instructor, Barry Diamond, was Qantas's flight training manager

P-51 Mustang Crashes in Schenectady

What: P-51 Mustang en route from Schenectady County Airport.
Where: GLENVILLE, N.Y in a wooded area north of the Empire State Aerosciences Museum and east of Route 50.
When: Tuesday Sept 23
Who: The pilot Charles Hudson, 42. was the only one on board. He is in critical condition. He was not the owner of the plane.
Why: Prior to takeoff, the pilot had been working on the engine. The plane lost power during takeoff, veered off to the side and crashing into the trees.

Delta Flight Safely lands in South Bend

What: Delta Bombardier CRJ-200 coming from Atlanta
Where: South Bend Regional Airport.
When: 11 p.m. Monday night at the Sep 22, 2008
Who: 46 people on board.
Why: After deplaning, passengers were interviewed saying there was a flap malfunction on the plane. The PILOT declared an emergency after holding for 10 minutes going through his checklists. Air traffic control personnel decided to treat the landing as an emergency in case the malfunction caused problems.

Plane loses Engine; Downed Starlings Lose Nesting Area

What: Northwest Airlines Flight #5808 leaving Little Rock National Airport
Where: Little Rock National Airport
When: Tue September 23, 2008 -
Why: En route, the plane struck and killed 139 Starlings. The sheer quantity of their bodies closed a runway for 40 minutes. One of the birds flew into an engine, which is something that can easily down a plane. After striking the flock of birds, the flight returned to the airport on one engine.

The solution to the problem of birds is to remove a stand of trees at the base of the runway, and also in parking lots.

Russian Crash kills 88

NTSB Factual

DCA08RA097
On September 14, 2008, at 0510 local time, Aeroflot-Nord flight 821, a Boeing 737-500, Bermuda registered (VP-BKO) and Russian operated, equipped with CFM56 engines, crashed on approach to Perm airport in Perm, Russia. All on board, including 6 crew and 82 passengers, suffered fatal injuries. The initial notification from the Russian government reports that 17 of the 82 passengers were of non-Russian nationality, some of which included U.S. citizens. The flight originated from Moskva- Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) in Moscow, Russia with an intended destination of Perm Airport (PEE) in Perm, Russia and was conducted as a scheduled passenger flight.

The accident flight was reportedly lost from radar as it was executing a missed approach, for unknown reasons, at the destination airport. The aircraft collided with the ground in the city and was completely destroyed by impact forces and fire.

The investigation is being conducted by the Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK). The NTSB has launched a team of investigators and will be assisted by Technical Advisors from the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing Aircraft. According to the MAK, the Bureau d’Enquetes et d’Analyses (BEA) of France, representing the state of manufacture for the aircraft engines, and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) of the United Kingdom, representing Bermuda as the state of Registry, will also participate in the investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13.

For more information on the accident investigation, contact MAK at mak@mak.ru.

Update
Monday Russian forensic scientists began using DNA testing to identify bodies and relatives visited the site; some were taken to the hospital in shock.

What: Aeroflot Nord Boeing 737-500 Flight 821, en route from Moscow to Perm. The 737 had been leased by Aeroflot from Dublin-based Pinewatch Limited from late July until March 2013.
Where: Crashed just outside the airport but inside the Perm, Siberia city limits. (conflicting reports say the plane landed in either a swamp or a ravine.) It missed an apartment block.
When: 3:40 a.m. Sunday
Who: Eighty-two passengers -- including seven children and six crew members. Multiple nationalities were on the flight, including nine from Azerbaijan, five from Ukraine, and one each from France, Switzerland, Latvia, the United States, Germany, Turkey, and Italy,
Why: Bolshoye Savino Airport air traffic control lost communication with pilots at at about 3,600 feet just before landing about 3:10 a.m The crash also disabled a section of Trans-Siberian railway. The weather was described as "mediocre."

• Crises centers for relatives were set up in Moscow's Sheremetyevo-1 airport and in Perm.
  
  
• The airline pledged to pay "compensation on obligatory accident insurance in full, which would make up to two million rubles (some 80,000 dollars) per victim."
  
  
• In 2007, 33 Russian aviation accidents that left 318 dead, raising concern over Russia's civil aviation. Experts blame faults in the training of and aging fleets.
  
  
• Transport Minister Igor Levitin will be leading the investigation.
  
  
• A witness said "It was burning while still in the sky and it looked like a falling comet." The plane hit the ground sharply — at a 30 or 40 degree angle.
  
  

View Larger Map


Flight record of the downed plane:
(Detailed records from http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b737-25792.htm)
Boeing 737 - MSN 25792
Airline Aeroflot-Nord
Status : Active
Registration : VP-BKO
Airline Aeroflot-Nord
Country : Russia
Date : 2004 - Codes 5N AUL Callsign : dvina
Web site : http://www.aeroflot-nord.ru
General information & flightlog

Serial number 25792 LN:2353
Type 737-505
First flight date 20/08/1992
Test registration
Flights recorded

Operators of the aircraft
Delivery date | Airline | Registration | Remark
08/09/1992 Braathens LN-BRW
24/09/1992 Xiamen Airlines B-2591
12/03/1993 China Southwest Airlines B-2591
01/03/2003 Air China B-2591 Stored 03/2008
29/05/2008 Aeroflot-Nord VP-BKO

DJ AM Travis Barker Crash Update

What: Learjet N999LJ owned by Global Exec Aviation en route to Van Nuys, Calif
Where: South Carolina
When: departed shortly before midnight Friday
Who: carrying six people Chris Baker, 29, of Studio City, Calif., and Charles Still, 25, of Los Angeles — died, as did pilot Sarah Lemmon, 31, of Anaheim Hills, Calif., and co-pilot James Bland, 52, of Carlsbad, Former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and celebrity DJ AM were critically injured
Why: air traffic controllers reporting seeing sparks. The plane was traveling at least 92 mph, its minimum takeoff speed, when the crew thought the tire burst The plane hurtled off the end of a runway and crashed through antennas and a fence, crossing a five-lane highway and ending up on an embankment in flames.The plane was heading to Van Nuys, Calif.

The FAA is researching the possibility that a blown tire caused the jet crash. Investigations have turned up evidence that tire may have blown just before takeoff at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. The cockpit voice recorder indicates that the pilot and co-pilot informed air traffic controllers they'd heard a tire burst and they attempted to abort takeoff.

In serious condition is Travis Barker, who was the drummer for the band Blink-182. Barker was one of the two people wounded when the Learjet 60 crashed on a highway and caught fire.

Listed in critical condition is Adam Michael Goldstein otherwise known as celebrity disc jockey DJ AM. He reportedly saved his own life by jumping from the burning plane while it was skidding down a runway.

Joseph M. Still Burn Center said they both suffered second- and third-degree burns

Aircraft (FAA)

Manufacturer:	Learjet Inc
Model:	60 Search all Learjet Inc 60
Year built:	2006
Serial Number (C/N):	314
Mode S Code:	53372425
Aircraft Type:	Fixed wing multi engine
Amateur-Built:	No
Number of Seats:	11
Number of Engines:	2
Engine Type:	Turbofan
Engine Manufacturer and Model:	P&w Canada PW305A

Owner (FAA)

Registration Type:	Corporation
Owner:	Inter Travel And Services Inc
Address:	Irvine, CA 92614-2594 United States
Region:	Western-Pacific

Status (FAA)

Certification Class:	Standard
Certification Issued:	2007-11-16
Air Worthiness Test:	2006-12-14
Last Action Taken:	2008-08-11
Current Status:	Valid

Northwest Lands in Atlanta

What: Northwest Airlines Flight 423 en route from Orlando to Detroit Metro Airport
Where: Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta
When: Monday Sept 22
Who: 181 passengers aboard--no injuries.
Why: a warning light indicated a mechanical problem.

Airbus A320 Emergency Landing

What: German airline Air Berlin Airbus A320 en route from from the Spanish resort of Mallorca to Nuremberg
When: Sunday Sept 21
Who: 167 people
Why: Although a light indicated one of four brakes was overheated, the plane landed safely.

American Airlines Flight 268 Emergency Landing in Chicago

What: American Airlines Flight 268, Boeing 757 en route from Seattle to Kennedy International in New York
Where: emergency landing in Chicago--O'Hare Airport Runway 22 Right
When: Monday 1:42 p.m.
Who: 185 Passengers and crew
Why: Pilot reported electronic problems. An indicator light came on in the cockpit. The plane's instrument landing system was non-functional, and the pilots had to come in faster than normal, being unable to rely on instrumentation. On landing, the plane blew a tire and slightly overshot the runway. (A traffic controller is quoted as saying "He ran out of concrete before he ran out of speed." ) Passengers deplaned at 2:05 p.m. on an over-run area off the runway.

Looks like disaster averted. Go AA. Yee ha!

SW Wisconsin Helicopter Crash kills 2

What: 2006 Robinson R44 registered to Midwestern Air Services of Kenosha
Where: one mile south of the Kenosha Airport, at 6934 97th Ave.
When: 5:30 a.m. Sunday
Who: Alan Sapko and Joan Anzalone were killed in the crash. Sapko, 54, reportedly played cards until about 4:30 a.m. before lifting off and flying into fog.
Why: Some fog was in the area at the time, but it was not known if that played a role. The FAA is investigationg why the helicopter crashed through the roof of a house in southeast Wisconsin Sunday, killing the two people on board. The five people in the house--the Wilson family including their three children--were all unharmed.

The two hundred gallons of fuel spilled but did not set the house on fire.

Witnesses heard the helicopter sputtering before the crash. The airport's tower does not open until 7 a.m.

• WISN Slideshow of the accident site
  
• WISN video interview of Mr. Wilson
  
• WISN video about the victims

Emergency landing in Western Norway

What: Boeing 737 belonging to low cost carrier Norwegian
Where: in Trondheim in western Norway
When: September 19
Who: 107 people on board
Why: Because an indicator in the cockpit mistakenly indicated a problem with the front landing gear. the plane made an emergency landing.

No one was injured.

4 die in South Carolina Lear Jet Crash

What: Learjet N999LJ owned by Global Exec Aviation en route to Van Nuys, Calif
Where:
When: departed shortly before midnight Friday
Who: carrying six people Chris Baker, 29, of Studio City, Calif., and Charles Still, 25, of Los Angeles — died, as did pilot Sarah Lemmon, 31, of Anaheim Hills, Calif., and co-pilot James Bland, 52, of Carlsbad, Former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and celebrity DJ AM were critically injured
Why: air traffic controllers reporting seeing sparks. The plane was traveling at least 92 mph, its minimum takeoff speed, when the crew thought the tire burst The plane hurtled off the end of a runway and crashed through antennas and a fence, crossing a five-lane highway and ending up on an embankment in flames.The plane was heading to Van Nuys, Calif.

In serious condition is Travis Barker, who was the drummer for the band Blink-182. Barker was one of the two people wounded when the Learjet 60 crashed on a highway and caught fire.

Listed in critical condition is Adam Michael Goldstein otherwise known as celebrity disc jockey DJ AM. He reportedly saved his own life by jumping from the burning plane while it was skidding down a runway.

Joseph M. Still Burn Center said they both suffered second- and third-degree burns

Aircraft (FAA)

Manufacturer:	Learjet Inc
Model:	60 Search all Learjet Inc 60
Year built:	2006
Serial Number (C/N):	314
Mode S Code:	53372425
Aircraft Type:	Fixed wing multi engine
Amateur-Built:	No
Number of Seats:	11
Number of Engines:	2
Engine Type:	Turbofan
Engine Manufacturer and Model:	P&w Canada PW305A

Owner (FAA)

Registration Type:	Corporation
Owner:	Inter Travel And Services Inc
Address:	Irvine, CA 92614-2594 United States
Region:	Western-Pacific

Status (FAA)

Certification Class:	Standard
Certification Issued:	2007-11-16
Air Worthiness Test:	2006-12-14
Last Action Taken:	2008-08-11
Current Status:	Valid

Emergency Landing in Connecticut

What: single-engine, home built plane registered to Robert C. Berrie of Higganum
Where: East Haddam's Goodspeed Airport Connecticut
When: Saturday Morning
Who: Two individuals on board were injured.
Why: The plane had trouble gaining altitude shortly after takeoff. It then crashed into some trees off the runway around 8:30 a.m

Small plane lands on I-89

What: Small plane en route from Franklin County State Airport in Highgate
Where: emergency landing on Interstate 89 near the town of Swanton Vermont
When: Friday afternoon 12:50 p.m. in the southbound land at about mile marker 125.
Who: Pilot Daniel Marcotte, 34, of Bakersfield was the only one aboard. He was not injured.
Why: The plane developed engine trouble.

Itek Air Boeing 737

What: Itek Air Boeing 737 en route from Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek. The aircraft was operated by Iran Aseman Airlines as Flight 6895.
Where: 2 km (1.3 mls) from Bishkek-Manas International Airport
When: 2040 (1440 GMT) 24 AUG 2008
Who: killing 68 out of the 90 passengers and crew. All six Kyrgyz crew members and an Iranian aviation official were among the survivors. 51 of the passengers were foreigners, including people from China, Turkey, Iran and Canada. 17 members of a school sport team from Bishkek on board, seven of whom survived.
Why: The crew had reported a technical problem, and the plane crashed not far from the airport and caught fire. Itek Air is on a list of airlines banned from EU airspace because of fears over safety standards. Word of mouth is that the plane had been made in 1979 and was "in good condition and had an extended warranty".

Note: The Itek Air website says that there were 84 passengers and six crew members on board the accident aircraft. Itek Air says that 68 of the passengers were killed, and that 16 passengers and all six crew members survived the crash, although not without injuries. The aircraft departed Manas International Airport at Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan, bound for Tehran, Iran. Itek Air says that the aircraft departed Bishkek at 20:30 local time, and that the accident happened at 20:42. News reports have said that the aircraft was attempting to return to Bishkek, but crashed before reaching the airfield, and a fire ensued.


Status: Preliminary - official Report
Date: 24 AUG 2008
Time: 20:44
Type: Boeing 737-219
Operator: Itek Air
Registration: EX-009
C/n / msn: 22088/676
First flight: 1980-06-16
Crew: Fatalities: / Occupants: 7
Passengers: Fatalities: / Occupants: 83
Total: Fatalities: 65 / Occupants: 90
Airplane damage: Destroyed
Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: 2 km (1.3 mls) from Bishkek-Manas International Airport (FRU) (Kyrgyzstan)
Phase: Unknown (UNK)
Nature: International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport: Bishkek-Manas International Airport (FRU/UAFM), Kyrgyzstan
Destination airport: Tehran-Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA/OIIE), Iran
Flightnumber: 6895
Narrative:
Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 6895 from Bishkek (FRU), Kyrgyzstan to Tehran (IKA), Iran was carried out by Itek Air. The Kyrgyz airline operated one of their Boeing 737-200 aircraft on that flight.
In the afternoon of August 24, from 16:30 to 20:00 local time, a thunderstorm with associated rain passed over Bishkek. Over that period the wind shifted from 220 degrees to 100 degrees at 20:30. Wind was blowing at about 6 kts, with wind variable at 23 knots. The temperature had dropped from 31 to 27 degrees C.
The weather then improved and at the time of departure visibility was more than 10 km with 6/8 clouds at an altitude of 5000 m (ca 16400 ft).
The Boeing 737 was cleared to taxy to runway 08 for departure. Take off was commenced at 20:30. The flight was cleared for a DW-1 departure, which entailed a left turn after takeoff to a heading of 240 degrees towards the RENAT beacon. From there it was to continue to the Chaldovar NDB, which should be crossed at or above FL158.
At 20:36:40, the airplane was climbing through an altititude of 3000m (almost 10.000 feet). At that moment the cabin altitude alert horn probably sounded, because the crew reported problems with the cabin pressure.
The crew decided to return to Bishkek and requested a visual approach to runway 08. This was approved and the airplane made a right hand turn, for a straight-in approach to runway 08. At 20:41:40 the crew reported the runway in sight. About 20:42:30 the flight was 12 km from the runway, flying at 400 m above airfield elevation at an airspeed of 460 km/h (250 kts). At a distance of 5 km from landing, the airplane had decelerated to 340 km/h (185 kts), but it was not properly configured for landing. The flight crew then obtained permission to carry out a left-hand orbit in order to configure the plane for landing. A left hand turn was flown with a 30-degree bank.
In the process of ther turn the aircraft descended further with the airspeed decreasing to 290 km/h (155 kts).
The airplane struck terrain some 7.5 km from the runway. At the time of impact the landing gear was down and flaps were selected down at 15 degrees. (src=http://aviation-safety.net/db)

Spanair Update

Update
Based on findings derived from the MD-82's flight and cockpit voice recorder, the wing flaps of the Spanair airliner (that crashed killing 154 people) were not set for take off, and pilots were unaware of it because the warning alarm did not go off.


The faulty valve that prevented the first attempt at takeoff was disconnected rather than repaired. Planes are allowed to fly for up to 10 days with the system involved disconnected.

Newlywed Brazilian Ronaldo Gomes Silva, 25, and his Spanish wife Yanina Celisdibowsky had been living in the UK for three years. a month ago in Sao Paolo, Brazil, they got married; They had just gotten on a plane to visit the Canary Islands, where Yanina was going to meet her in laws for the first time.

They got on the wrong plane. They were two of the victims of Spanair Flight JK5022.

Juliao Alves da Silva, the groom's father said: "I have lost my son and a daughter-in-law. I am destroyed."

I don't even know these people and I am nearly inconsolable.

• What: Spanair Flight JK5022, a 15-year-old MD-82 jet bound bound for Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.


• Where: Madrid airport Terminal Four


• When: Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008 2:45pm


• Who: Carrying 166 passengers and nine crew, at the time of this writing, the number of fatalities had mounted to 154 people.


• Why: The jet swerved off the runway and caught fire during takeoff. Spanish Comisión de Investigación de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviación Civil (CIAIAC) is investigating

US Airways Emergency Landing in Salt Lake

What: US Airways Bombardier CRJ900 regional jet en route from Edmonton, Canada, to Phoenix, Arizona.
Where: Diverted to Salt Lake City --Salt Lake City International Airport
When: 10:20 am
Who: 86 passengers and three crew members transferred to other flights to Phoenix
Why: Diverted due to a crack in the front windshield.

Rhode Islanders Homebuilt Crashes in Iowa Field

What: homemade single-engine plane attempting to land at Marshalltown airport
Where: Iowa field
When: Wednesday 7 p.m.
Who: 74-year-old Vernon Knott and passenger 77-year-old Clara Erickson from from Rhode Island
Why: The plane crash-landed in the field. Pilot and passenger survived.

Madrid Crash Video

Click thru to Video of Madrid Crash and initial phone call reporting the event

Microlight Crashes in UK

What: microlight which crashed at 50mph, possibly planning a short flight around the Easingwold and Thirsk
Where: taking off a grass runway at Baxby Air Sports Club, Husthwaite, near Easingwold, North Yorkshire UK
When: 1.30pm Thursday
Who: the pilot, and a passenger were both taken to York District Hospital.
Why: Unable to reach the required take-off speed on wet ground, careered througha hedge at the end of the runway into a field. Air Accidents Investigation Branch is investigating

Pilot crashes in La Porte Soybean Field

What: En route to delivering new plane to Minnesota.
Where: When the engine quite, the pilot found the La Porte County soybean field just north of Indiana 4 next to Whispering Meadows subdivision, executing a textbook emergency landing.
When: 9/18/2008 Thursday
Who: flight instructor/plane salesman/Pilot Anthony DeBaney
Why: Engine quit at noon Thursday. The single passenger plane dropped 4,500 feet several miles from La Porte Municipal Airport. The pilot is quoted as saying "Planes glide when the engine quits and so you have several miles to figure out what to do" The pilot radioed of his difficulties and described seeing a water tower and other landmarks to try and pinpoint his location. The plane's purchaser lives north of Duluth.

Piper Crashes in Colorado

What: small twin-engine 1982 PA-60 Piper Aerostar was owned by BDW Equipment Leasing out of Las Vegas en route to McElroy Airfield
Where: in a hay meadow on Grand Valley Ranch , Grand County Colorado near Kremmling
When: 8:25 p.m. Thursday Sept 18
Who: Two people and two dogs are confirmed dead, (and currently unidentified)
Why: The crash occurred on the plane's final approach to McElroy Airfield. The cause of the crash has not been determined. Witnesses say plane spiraled out of the sky and into the mountainous terrain. FAA was attempting to contact family members in Las Vegas. The National Transportation Safety Board has begun an investigation


View Larger Map

Mooney Crash lands at Bolingbrook

What: single-propeller Mooney M20 built in 1965, owned by B. Thomas of Morris, flying southbound.
Where: near the intersection of Lily Cache Lane and Weber Road, BOLINGBROOK, Ill.near the Bolingbrook Clow International Airport in the suburban Chicago
When: Thursday.
Who: The pilot and passenger aboard "walked away" but were later taken to an area hospital
Why: plane lost power and the pilot tried to turn around and return to the airport for an emergency landing but was too low to the ground. Wing may have hit a tree or pole on landing. The plane came to a stop in grass beside the road. It's mostly intact, except for missing landing gear and a damaged wing tip. The FAA as investigating

Boeing Landing in Copenhagen

What: Boeing 737 en route from Billund in western Denmark and was headed to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands
Where: Copenhagen airport belonging to small Danish charter airline Jettime
When: Friday
Who: Plane with 147 (145?) people on board
Why: Pilot reported a landing gear malfunction. 'One of the four wheels in the central landing gear exploded,' Plane dumped fuel prior to landing at Copenhagen airport. Two Danish Air Force F-16 jets were sent up to check the plane and confirmed there was a problem with the landing gear. Plane touched down and safely taxied to a gate

Fleet crashes as Propeller Falls Off

What: 1930 Fleet # 2
Where: Crash-landed in a field just east of Pheasant Run private airport east of 5782 Trask Road. Pilot was intending to perform a demonstration fly-by over a Pheasant Run private airport
When: 6:30 pm Sept 17
Who: Pilot, Michael Toman, 46 years old, was not injured.
Why: After the plane took off, the propeller fell off and hit the runway; the plane then lost altitude as the pilot tried to find a safe place to land. The crash is under investigation.

International Boundary and Water Commission Casualties found near Tex/Mex Border.

Update

Senator John Cornyn--on the Judiciary Committee’s Immigration, Border Security and Refugees subcommittee and the Armed Services Committee’s Airland subcommittee, former Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and Bexar County District Judge-- released a Statement regarding the International Boundary and Water Commission Plane Crash

“Since the disappearance of this aircraft earlier in the week, all of us have been hoping and praying for a miracle. So it is with a profound sense of sadness to learn that the wreckage has been found, and that the lives of these four men have been lost. Commissioner Marin and Jake Brisbin Jr. were devoted public servants and proud Americans whose loss will be felt throughout the border region. Their hard work and commitment, along with that of Commissioner Herrera’s, reflected the spirit of goodwill and partnership that is shared by the United States and Mexico as we work together on our common goals. Their family and loved ones are in my prayers tonight as the entire border region remembers their lives and legacies, and mourns this tragic accident.”

src=http://cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ForPress.NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=75aeea20-802a-23ad-4b54-496c3c561d42

What: Chartered Cessna 421
Where: Border Patrol located the wreckage in a remote rugged section of the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico, about 20 miles northwest of Presidio.
When: The plane was reported missing after it did not land on time Monday in Presidio. It was found shortly after noon Wednesday
Who: Found deceased: leaders of the U.S. and Mexican sections of the IBWC, Carlos Marin of El Paso and Arturo Herrera, of Ciudad Juarez, Mexicom, Jake Brisbin Jr., executive director of the Rio Grande Council of Government and pilot Matthew Peter Juneau
Why: The group had traveled to inspect flooding conditions in Presidio and Ojinaga, an aerial view of the Luis Leon Reservoir. Cause of the crash is not known but the pilot had signalled a problem after taking off Monday from El Paso, Mexico.

AP had inadvertently listed the passengers as deceased when the plane disappeared and optimistically attempted to retract the story, hoping the passengers would be found alive. Sadly, there were no survivors

Pilot Bails out of SkyCatcher

What: Two seater training Cessna SkyCatcher Model 162 scheduled to begin selling for flight training and personal use in 2009. This plane had been on 100 flights with more than 150 hours of flight time.
Where: (BUTLER COUNTY, Kan)
When: eleven o'clock Thursday morning
Who: test pilot
Why: The test pilot bailed out of the plane wearing a parachute

Pocatello Emergency Landing

What: private aircraft
Where: emergency landing at the Pocatello airport
When: Tuesday
Who: Pilot
Why: Fuel was reportedly leaking into the cockpit. Fire crews responded but the plane landed safely and there were no injuries.

Emergency Landing in Louisiana

What: private Cessna
Where: Emergency landing on a levee in New Orleans near Chalmette
When: Wednesday 11:30 a.m.
Who: The two pilots of the plane were picked up by Coast Guard helicopters flying a training mission over Lake Ponchartrain. No one was reported injured in the emergency landing
Why: Pilots reported the engine trouble.

Fatal Plane Crash Near US/Mexican Border

What: Cessna en route from El Paso, Mexico, heading for Presidio, Texas. Plane had been inspecting damage to a dam caused by a flood from the Conchos River.
Where: northern Mexico in the desert near the Mexican border city of Ojinaga
When: Monday
Who: Four people died, including top U.S. and Mexican water officials: Arturo Herrera and Carlos Marin, executive director of the Rio Grande Council, Jake Brisbin, and the pilot, who was not identified
Why: pilot had signalled a problem

Hercules Grounded

What: RAAF Hercules during a training flight
Where: near Richmond, north-west of Sydney
When: Monday about 8.25pm (AEST)
Who: No injuries
Why: crew detected a fault with the nose-wheel--an "unusual" fault prompted an emergency landing. At 8.55pm the crew put in a mayday call but landed safely at the Richmond Base 20 minutes later. Subsequently, all 24 of the RAAF's Hercules planes were grounded

Rescue Pilot Rescued in NZ

What: Skyline Aviation Robinson 44 Helicopter
Where: 20 kilometres northwest of Napier
When: Monday Sept 15
Who: relief pilot for the service for five years
Why:Pilot who flew into some overhead wires and crashed while while spraying blackberry farm, was trapped beneath the wrecked helicopter with a punctured lung, a broken arm and fuel burns. His condition is critical, and he is in intensive care in Hawke's Bay Hospital

Southwest Airlines Lands Safely

What: Southwest Airlines Flight 1206 Boeing 737 out of Midway Airport en route to to Hartford, Conn
Where: emergency landing at the South Bend Regional Airport
When: 10 p.m. Sunday
Who: more than 100 passengers (132 passengers and five crew members)
Why: crew smelled smoke in the cockpit. South Bend mechanics checked out the plane and the flight continuwith an arrival time of 3:15 a.m. EDT

Emergency Landing in San Bernardino County

What: small plane en route from Reno, Nev. to El Centro
Where: private airstrip in alongside Interstate 15 near Stoddard Wells San Bernardino County
When: Monday
Who: Pilot not named.
Why: Plane lost power at 7,000 feet, The pilot was intending to land at Southern California Logistics Airport but detoured to the private landing strip. The pilot made an emergency without landing gear, slid on the belly of the airplane with no fire, no hazards, no fuel leaks and no injuries

Three Dead in Australian Crash

What: Kenny-owned helicopter took off from Bellburn airstrip
Where: Purnululu National Park The airstrip abuts a bush camp in the World Heritage-listed Purnululu, about 55 kilometres by air from the township of Warmun.
When: on Sunday
Who: three young women and their Queensland pilot killed when a helicopter crashed. Pilot Christian Cartigue, and passengers Jessica May Cousins, 19, and Sarah Louise Thomas and Whitney Pinney, both 20.
Why: Rugged terrain in the remote Kimberley location is hampering recovery


Photo from http://www.smh.com.au/

Jessica Cousins inset, Sarah Thomas ... both died in the crash.

Cessna Crashes in Wichita Falls

What: single-engine Cessna
Where: front lawn of a church WICHITA FALLS, Texas
When: Sunday morning
Who: opthalmologist Dr. Jeffrey Harrington of Wichita Falls.
Why: Harrington was believed to have been practicing landings at Kickapoo Downtown Airport when the Cessna apparently lost power and crashed fatally near Woodhaven Baptist Church.

Ryanair Emergency Landing in Dublin

What: Ryanair flight from Dublin en route to Stansted
Where: Dublin Airport.
When: Thursday just minutes after take-off.
Who: 148 passengers disembarked without injury.
Why:Emergency landing, The back of the plane struck the runway in Dublin as it took off. Passengers could smell smoke but the oxygen masks were inoperable. The pilot returned to the airport as a precaution.

Emergency Landing near Vancouver

What: two-passenger Piper Cherokee on a training flight
Where: emergency landing in Pitt Meadows marsh adjacent to the Swan-E-Set golf course
Who: Delta flight instructor and student from Canadian Flight Centre
Why: The engine of a school plane failed as the plane heading toward Delta’s Boundary Bay airport Vancouver. Thanks to the instructor, the plane landed safely with no injuries

American Eagle Emergency Landing

What: American Eagle flying from St. Louis to Minneapolis
Where: Quad Cities International Airport, Rock Island County, Illinois,
When: Saturday night
Who: 23 passengers and 3 crew members
Why: 20 minutes after takeoff, smoke appeared from behind the cockpit and filled the cabin with smoke. Passengers were transferred to a Northwest flight that left the airport at six Saturday night.

Misdemeanor Is Par for the Course

65-year-old Robert Kadera wasn't drunk on March 1 when he landed his single-engine ski plane onto the seventh fairway at Marriott's Lincolnshire Resort, but the judge is holding him accountable for the landing because it was deliberate; it was not an emergency landing; it was deliberate effort to keep his son from being late to a tennis lesson.

Restored Plane Lands without Landing Gear

What: Restored Thunder Mustang
Where: Nampa Airport, Idaho
When: 10:59 a.m Fri Sept 12
Who: Only the pilot was aboard.
Why:No fuel leaking, no other hazards. Pilot did not lower the landing gear. When the propeller hit the ground some wood components splintered.

St Pete Emergency Landing

What: twin engine plane crash
Where: South part of runway 39 at the St Pete - Clearwater Airport.
When: The plane went down shortly after midnight/early Friday morning.
Who: Two women with non-life threatening injures are being treated at separate hospitals.
Why: The landing gear was damaged and the plane landed in a grassy area by runway 39.
The steering gear in the plane hit the pilot in the face. High winds from Hurricane Ike may have played a role in the crash.

Fatal Crash in Wisconsin. Three lost.

What: Cirrus SR22 owned by BlueSky Taxi, a Chicago area charter service. Flight departed from Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee at 5:46 p.m.
Where: a half-mile southwest of northern Wisconsin's Lakeland Airport.
When: 7:13 p.m. Thursday
Who: three people on board, ages 61, 50 and 40, all killed. The pilot was from Chicago and his name has not been released. The two passengers from Milwaukee were Jon Schlagenhaft, 50, and Curt Stern, 40, were from Milwaukee.
Why:According to witnesses, it appeared that the plane was trying to land and may have missed the first approach and was coming back for a second one, There was kind of a misty rain that may or may not have been a factor.

Alaska Crash Passenger found

What: Super Cub en route to a destination 40 miles east of Talkeetna
Where: Talkeetna Alaska
When: The plane crashed Wednesday afternoon. Dinello's body was found at the crash site Thursday, and the search cancelled due to weather.; The passenger (a hunter) was found on Friday five miles from the crash site. He was suffering from hypothermia, an ankle injury and burns to his legs and arms.
Who: 48-year-old Big Lake pilot Frank Dinello
Why: Crash is under investigation.

Cessna Forced Landing off Coast of Belize

What: Tropic Air Cessna Caravan
Where: The emergency landing occurred 20 feet off the coast of Belizean Beach, Belize
When: 9:40 a.m. minutes after taking off from the Municipal Airstrip
Who: Skillful landing by experienced pilot 33-year-old Roy Bradley prevented fatalities. The four Texans en route to Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA) were Jonathon Brady, Lindsay Brady, David Yorke and Gay Yorke.
Why: The engine quit, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in the Caribbean Sea. Tropic Air says that the Cessna had a six month old engine.

Helicopter Lands Safely in St. Pete

What: six-seat American Eurocopter AS350 used by News Channel 8, St. Petersburg
Where: Tierra Verde
When: September 11, 2008
Who: Pilot/reporter Judd Chapin and photographer Cliff McBride
Why: After a warning light come on indicating hydraulic problems, the helicopter landed safely at Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg for repairs.

Camp Pendleton Crash Resolved in Court

Jurors are sending a message to big business. 

The only way to hurt big business is through the pocket book.  When you  hit them there, they eventually come around to doing what is right. 

After this California wrongful death lawsuit verdict, my bet is that SDG&E will develop a belated conscience and will install safety devices or ball markers to help prevent this type of disaster. 

So we are offering congratulations to the jurors for using their voices; and congratulations to the families. No amount of money is going to bring back those precious four lives, or ever ease the pain of their families, but, at the very least we can hope that the families will have some comfort that a small measure of justice has been served.

Tahoe Plane Splashes Down

What: unidentified "sea" plane ... upside down
Where: off Burnt Cedar Beach in Incline Village; south of the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe pier
When: 11 a.m. Thursday Sept 11 2008
Who: pilot and passenger are both unhurt
Why: While the plane was being towed by North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District's Marine 16 boat, it took on water a half-mile south of Burnt Cedar. Buoys were affixed to keep the plane afloat till crews managed to tow it to Ski Beach. Fuel leaking into the lake has instigated testing by local risk management. Absorbent booms were being used to collect some 40 estimated gallons of fuel, and the rest is expected to safely evaporate without injury to the local ecosystem.

Safety Questions

Should cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders be required for use in helicopters and light aircraft?

Anyone following the rash of helicopter and light aircraft crash and forced landing reports would agree that greater safety rules should be put in place, as well as greater use of the technology which makes such things safer, as well as tracking causes. More rules and regulations may or may not make these crafts safer. After all, it is still up to the pilot's judgement and the quality of the craft, as well as craft maintenance. But certainly, because the technology exists to keep track of flight data, it should certainly be required, even if it should be retrofitted.

See the July press release below:

For Immediate Release

June 30, 2008 >
Contact: Alison Duquette
Phone: (202) 267-3883

EMS Helicopter Safety

Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) operations are unique due to the emergency nature of the mission. In August 2004, the FAA initiated a new government and industry partnership to improve the safety culture at HEMS operators and recommend short-and long-term strategies for reducing accidents. While the FAA has not ruled out proposing new or changing existing rules, the agency has prompted significant short-term safety gains that do not require rulemaking. The FAA’s immediate focus is:

• Encourage risk management training to flight crews so that they can make more analytical decisions about whether to launch on a mission.
• Better training for night operations and responding to inadvertent flight into deteriorating weather conditions.
• Promote technology such as night vision goggles, terrain awareness and warning systems and radar altimeters.
• Provide airline-type FAA oversight for operators. Identify regional FAA HEMS operations and maintenance inspectors to help certificate new operators and review the operations of existing companies.

Background

There are approx. 750 emergency medical service helicopters operating today, most of which operate under Part 135 rules. HEMS operators may ferry or reposition helicopters (without passengers/patients) under Part 91.

The number of accidents nearly doubled between the mid-1990s and the HEMS industry’s rapid growth period from 2000 to 2004. There were nine accidents in 1998, compared with 15 in 2004. There were a total of 83 accidents from 1998 through mid-2004. The main causes were controlled flight into terrain (CFIT), inadvertent operation into instrument meteorological conditions and pilot spatial disorientation/lack of situational awareness in night operations. Safety improvements were needed.

FAA Oversight

The FAA inspects HEMS operators, but is prompting changes beyond inspection and surveillance. Rather, the FAA is moving to a risk-based system that includes the initiatives outlined below which focus on the leading causes of the HEMS accidents.

FAA Actions

• In August 2004, the FAA established a task force to review and guide government and industry efforts to reduce HEMS accidents.
• On January 14, 2005, the FAA hosted a meeting with HEMS industry representatives to discuss safety issues and gain feedback. Representatives from the Association of Air Medical Services, Helicopter Association International, the National EMS Pilots Association and several operators attended.
• Decision-making skills: On January 28, 2005, the FAA published a notice providing guidance for safety inspectors to help operators review pilot and mechanic decision-making skills, procedural adherence, and crew resource management practices. It includes both FAA and industry intervention strategies (Notice 8000.293 Helicopter Emergency Medical Service Operations). These principles were reinforced in the “Safety Alert for Operators” (SAFO) 06001 issued on January 28, 2006.
• Risk assessment programs: On August 1, 2005, the FAA issued guidance to inspectors promoting improved risk assessment and risk management tools and training to all flight crews, including medical staff (Notice 8000.301 Operational Risk Assessment Programs for Helicopter Emergency Medical Services).
• Air Medical Resource Management (AMRM): On September 22, 2005, the FAA issued guidance to HEMS operators establishing minimum guidelines for Air Medical Resource Management (AMRM) training. The training focuses on pilots, maintenance technicians, flight nurses, flight paramedics, flight physicians, medical directors, specialty team members (such as neonatal teams), communications specialists (dispatchers), program managers, maintenance staff, operational managers, support staff, and any other air medical team members identified by specific needs (AC No. 00-64 Air Medical Resource Management).
• Special emphasis inspection program: On September 27, 2005, the FAA issued a revised standards for inspection and surveillance of HEMS operators, with special emphasis on operations control, risk assessment, facilities and training, especially at outer locations away from the certificated holder’s principal base on operations.
• FAA establishes new office: In December 2005, the FAA’s Flight Standards Service’s Air Transportation Division established the new Commuter, On Demand, and Training Center Branch (AFS-250) to work Part 135 and Part 142 policy issues.
• Loss of Control (LOC) and Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT): On January 24, 2006 the FAA issued a handbook bulletin to inspectors describing acceptable models for LOC and CFIT avoidance Programs. The bulletin provides inspectors with information to provide to HEMS operators for developing LOC/CFIT accident avoidance programs and clarifies existing guidance (HBAT 06-02 Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) Loss of Control (LOC) and Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) Accident Avoidance Programs).
• HBAT 06-01 & OpSpec A021: On January 24, 2006 the FAA issued revised guidance to inspectors regarding HEMS OpSpecs, amending the Visual Flight Rule (VFR) weather requirements for HEMS operations, including consideration of the adverse affects of reduced ambient lighting at night and mountainous terrain (HBAT 06-01 Helicopter Emergency Services; OpSpec A021/A002 Revisions).
• Guidance to Part 142 training centers: On February 24, 2006, the FAA issued a Notice to Training Center Program Managers assigned to oversee Part 142 training Centers advising them of recent changes to HEMS operations and training standards (Notice 8000.317, Operator Training Provided by Part 142 Training Centers for Helicopter Emergency Medical Services.)
• Public HEMS operators: On March 2, 2006, the FAA issued guidance to inspectors on the surveillance and oversight of public aircraft operators for HEMS operations (Notice 8000.318 Public Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) Operations).
• Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (TAWS): On June 27, 2006, at the FAA’s request, RTCA, Inc. established a Special Committee to develop Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System (H-TAWS) standards. These standards will be used to develop FAA requirements for H-TAWS systems, installation and operations.
• Aeronautical Information Manual: In August 2006, the FAA revised the Aeronautical Information manual (AIM) to provide guidance to pilots on assessing ambient lighting for night visual flight rule (VFR) operations and for off-airport/heliport landing zone operations.
• Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC): The FAA is currently reviewing the 140 recommendations made by the Part 135/125 ARC. We have begun rulemaking on many issues which pertain to HEMS operations and training. Examples of the areas considered for change are: weather requirements for IFR flight, medical personnel as crew, IFR landing minimums, instrument flight competency, etc.
• International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST): The helicopter industry has formed the IHST to gather data and draft strategies to reduce helicopter accidents globally by 80 percent by 2015. The effort is modeled on the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) which has achieved a significant reduction in the commercial fatal accident rate in the United States. Members include the FAA, European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Transport Canada, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and industry representatives.
• Surveillance of large HEMS operators: The FAA’s Flight Standards Service established a task group to focus on the certification and surveillance requirements for large HEMS operators that support diverse medical programs throughout the United States. The group’s findings resulted in the increase in the cadre of inspectors assigned to HEMS operations.
• Operational Control Centers: On May 5, 2008, the FAA’s Flight Standards Service issued an advisory circular (AC 120-96) highlighting the “best practices” for use by HEMS operators in establishing their control centers and training their specialists.

Weather

In March 2006, the FAA and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research hosted a weather summit in Boulder, Colorado to identify the HEMS-specific issues related to weather products and services. Attendees explored possible regulatory improvements, weather product enhancements, and operational fixes specific to HEMS operations. Attendees included the National Weather Service, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Helicopter Association International, American Helicopter Society International, Association of Air Medical Services, National EMS Pilots Association, National Association of Air Medical Communications Specialists, manufacturers, and many operators.

As a result, the FAA funded the development and implementation of a graphical flight planning tool for ceiling and visibility assessment along direct flights in areas with limited available surface observations capability. Its use improves the quality of go/no-go decisions for HEMS operators. The tool was fielded in November 2006. The response from the users continues to be very favorable (Notice 8000.333, HEMS use of the aviation digital data service experimental HEMS tool).

Night Vision Goggles

The FAA has a solid record of facilitating safety improvements and new technologies for EMS helicopters, including certification of Night Vision Goggles (NVGs). Since 1994, the FAA has worked 28 projects or design approvals called Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) for installation of NVGs on helicopters. This number includes EMS, law enforcement and other types of helicopter operations. Of the 28 projects, the FAA has approved approx. 15 NVGs STC’s for EMS helicopters. The FAA initiated and wrote (in coordination with RTCA) the minimum standards for NVGs/cockpit lighting.

Technical Standard Order (TSO) C164 was published on September 30, 2004 referencing RTCA document DO 275 Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS), published October 12, 2001. The FAA has hosted workshops to help applicants work with the FAA to obtain NVG certification. One set of NVGs costs approx. $7,000 and an operator must carry multiple sets per flight. Certification is just one step. The operator must also have an FAA-approved training program for using NVGs.

The FAA has revised the NVG guidance in the Operations Inspectors Handbook, Order 8900.1. Produced using considerable industry input, the revision includes the establishment of a cadre of NVG national resource inspectors (Notice 8000.349, Night Vision Imaging Systems).

Flight Data Recorders

Flight Data Recorders (FDRs) are not required for HEMS operations. FDRs offer value in any accident investigation by providing information on aircraft system status, flight path and attitude. The weight and cost of FDR systems are factors. Research and development is required to determine the appropriate standards for FDR data and survivability in the helicopter environment, which typically involves substantially lower speeds and altitudes than airplanes. Funds are currently best invested in preventive training.

However, the FAA is studying alternatives to expensive and heavy airliner-style FDRs, especially in light of the relatively low-impact forces in most helicopter accidents. By establishing a standard appropriate to the helicopter flight envelope, the FAA may be able to make meaningful future FDR rulemaking efforts.

Terrain Awareness Warning Systems

The FAA supports the voluntary implementation of Terrain Awareness Warning Systems (TAWS) and did consider the possibility of including rotorcraft in the TAWS rulemaking process. Through this process, however, the FAA concluded that there are a number of issues unique to VFR helicopter operations that must be resolved before the FAA considers mandating the use of TAWS in this area, such as modification of the standards used for these systems. For example, helicopters typically operate at lower altitudes so TAWS could potentially generate false alerts and “nuisance” warnings that could negatively impact the crew’s response to a valid alert. TAWS application to HEMS would require study of TAWS interoperability within the lower altitude HEMS environment, and possibly a modification of TAWS system standards.

At the FAA’s request, RTCA, Inc. established a Special Committee (SC-212) to develop H-TAWS standards for use in future FAA rulemaking projects. The final report was delivered to RTCA in March 2008. Those standards are being reviewed by the FAA’s Aircraft Certification Service for the development of an HTAWS technical standards order.

Spanair Mass Televised in Spain

Today--18:00 GMT Thursday--was the funeral Mass in Madrid remembering the Aug. 20 Spanair Flight JK5022 crash victims. Only eighteen people survived the crash. The service was presided over by Madrid's Archbishop, Antonio Maria Rouco Varela and on national television. Only 18 of 172 passengers survived. Spanish King Juan Carlos and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero will be among the mourners. Ironically, the plane crashed on it's second attempt at takeoff, and the mass is the second attempt. (The Sept 1 original date was cancelled because all of the victims had not yet been identified.)

Aussie GA-8 Forced Landing

What: Kakadu Air Gippsland GA-8
Where: near Cooinda Australia (Northern Territory)
When: 3pm on Tuesday
Who: Pilot suffers minor injuries.
Why:Engine failure forces landing. Suspected engine failure related to faulty fuel systems.

Last Sunday 5 people walked away from a Barrier Air charter plane that experienced engine failure at 2500 feet and crashed when trying to land on Whitewood Rd, Howard Springs, in Darwin's rural area.

Cessna Crashes in Ohio

What: Cessna 150
Where: Grimes Airport in Urbana
When: late Wednesday morning Sept 10, 2008
Who: Pilot Linda Blodgett, 69, of Ashland had minor injuries; passenger Christina Creamer, 58, also of Ashland, was uninjured
Why: After the airplane's engine stalled, the plane nose-dived into the ground near the runway. The accident is under investigation by Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Federal Aviation Administration. Accolades were given to the pilot for landing safely with a stalled engine.

Plane Crashes North of San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

What: Cessna Centurion being used for aerial photography
Where: crash/lands in the shallows north of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
When: 2 p.m. Wednesday.
Who: Pilot Matt Barcelona of San Jose and passenger Bruce Moody.
Why: The pilot reported a loss of power before it crashed. Witnesses reported the plane left a dark trail. After the impact. they managed to get the door open. They waited on the plane's wing until rescued by Coast Guard vessels conducting training sessions within fifteen minutes of the vicinity; passengers were taken to Yerba Buena Island, then to the hospital.

Listen to the audio podcast of a witness being interviewed by KCBS

Student Dies six days after Crash

What: University of Dubuque plane
Where: Eagle's Roost Resort in Cassville, Wis. approaching the airport.
When: Tuesday
Who: Grant Vogt, a junior aviation student died six days after the crash; student pilot Cory Alsip is recovering.
Why: The plane crashed into a tree and two cabins before it burst into flames. One student died at the crash; the other died later at the hospital.

About Grant's services.

Experimental Plane Crashes, One Fatality.

What: Single-engine Pitts S-1, experimental craft that had no transponder or Emergency Locator Beacon.
Where: Wooded area near the Ridgely Airport in Caroline County.
When: left airport at 7 p.m. Tuesday evening but not found until found about 2:20 a.m. Wednesday
Who: Pilot 52-year-old Ronald Fenwick is listed as a fatality.
Why: No reason is listed but the accident is under investigation.

Home Owners Associations-Just Gotta Hate 'Em

Remember July 10, 2007 when we all heard about the plane falling out of the sky and demolishing a house and killing some of the residents? It was the Woodard house, and Joe Woodard's wife Janise and her infant son, Joseph were killed in the fireball.

So now he is in the process of rebuilding--with changes because he could not bear the house to be the same.

Now his Home Owner's Association has put him on notice, saying that his shingles don't match the neighbors and they don't like his new home's elevation. He has to fix the inconsistencies or risk litigation, He says he's tried to reach them, but can't get thru.

They must be some real first class gems. Do you think they had their eyes on poor Joe's Nashcar settlement?

Witham Field Crash landing

What: twin-engine aircraft
Where: Witham Field
When: Wednesday morning about 10:45 a.m.
Who: Not released. There were no injuries.
Why: After the plane lost its landing gear, the plane slid on its belly off the runway into a field.

Bald is Beautiful. Plus it Flies Faster.

Air New Zealand is going to be paying $666 per head for fifty bald, frequent flying heads willing to temporarily tattoo speedy check-in promotions on their shaved heads. The concept is appropriately called "cranial billboard.

Trainer and trainee crash near Pueblo Memorial Airport

What: Diamond DA20 two-seat trainer aircraft owned by Doss Aviation
Where: Near Pueblo Memorial Airport
When: Noon Monday Sept 8 2008
Who: Instructor pilot and a trainee
Why: The plane fell down a ravine and landed upside-down in a dry creek. A wing, the front landing gear and the engine had to be removed in order to extricate the trapped pilot. The trainee got out on his own

Mooney Crashes in Wallace

What: a Mooney 20 en route to NJ. Plane registered to Raymond Conley of Sarasota, Florida.
Where: about a mile from Wallace Airport in a wooded area near the Duplin-Pender county line.
When: just before 11:00 a.m. Tuesday
Who: Raymond Conley, pilot reportedly 80 years old and airlifted to New Hanover Regional Medical Center
Why: The plane crashed shortly following takeoff.

Ryanair Denies Non-working Masks

What: Ryanair en route from Bristol, England, to Gerona, Spain
Where: central France
When: Aug 26
Who: 141 British and 27 Spanish passengers plus six crew members
Why: cabin suddenly depressurized. The plane lost 26,200 feet (8,000 meters) of altitude"Urgent landing in Limoges" 26 people were hospitalized.; 16 people "complaining of ear ache" were taken to hospital. Although Ryanair brought in a second plane to carry passengers the rest of the way, fewer than twenty of them chose non-aviation transportation.

Some passengers said the oxygen masks had not worked properly. Ryanair denies that there had been any problem with the oxygen supply except that passengers had expected a rush of gas instead of the steady stream the masks actually deliver.

“The oxygen masks were working, the correct safety procedures were followed"

Robin Quits; Pilot walks away

What: light aircraft, a Robin 200
Where: a field a mile from Cardiff airport
When: Sept 7 2008
Who: pilot is member of Cardiff Flying Club, Identity undisclosed
Why: The engine quit midflight

U.S Airways flight 321 Delayed by Weather; fuel emergency

What: U.S. Airways flight 321
Where: McCarran Airport
When: 4:55 p.m
Who: Unnamed
Why:Weather conditions at the airport prevented landing until fuel became so low (after circling) that the pilot had to land in spite of conditions

Ultralight, Pilot lost in Crash on Chelan Municipal Airport Runway

What: Airborne Ultra-Lite (small kit plane)
Where: Chelan Municipal Airport north end of the west airport runway
When: 11 a.m. Saturday Sept 7 2008
Who: pilot of the plane, Charles E. Wiley, 74, of Gig Harbor.
Why:Pilot was found dead in the cockpit. It's not known if Wiley was taking off or attempting to land

Pilot Killed during Race Prep

What: Home built single-engine Cassult IIIM
Where: Reno Stead Airport in Nevada.
When: 9 A.M.Saturday September 6
Who: 32 year-old Phillipsburg woman pilot Erica Simpson 32, of Phillipsburg, N.J. Simpson was a commercial pilot who had competed in 2006 in the race's biplane class.
Why:the pilot was killed when the wings broke off while she was performing a roll at the airport during a check ride in prep for the upcoming Reno Air Races. Four FAA safety officials were present. 3 pilots were killed in last year's race, and 19 pilots in the past 45 years.

Cheetah Crash Victims Found near Colorado-Utah

What: four-seat Grumman Cheetah
Where: 40 miles northwest of Grand Junction/ 210 miles west of Denver.
When: Found Sunday September 7, 2008
Who: Charles Landry of Houston, born in 1947, and Steven or Stephen Bartlet of Green River, Wyo., born in 1958.
Why: Cause unknown. The crash is under investigation by NTSB

Hawaii Helicopter Crash

What: HH-65 Dolphin helicopter
Where: off Oahu,
When: September 5, 2008
Who: four-person U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew. 3 killed, one missing. Including Joshua Nichols', Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Wischmeier, 44, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Petty Officer 1st Class David Skimin, 38, of San Bernardino, Calif.
Missing is pilot, Cmdr. Thomas Nelson, 42.
Why:helicopter went down while conducting search and rescue drills with a 47-foot motor lifeboat

Ultralight Crash in Canada

What: ultralight plane en route from Volks Aerodrome in Tottenham near Caledon, Ont.
Where: north of Toronto
When: The wreckage found by York Region police helicopter at about 7:45 p.m.
Who: The pilot, John Townsend of King City was found in the wreckage
Why: unknown. Transport Canada is investigating

American Airlines 737 Flames out over Bradley International

What: American Airlines Boeing 737 en route from Dallas/Fort Worth to Hartford
Where: Bradley International Airport, Connecticut
When: Saturday
Who: not available. No injuries reported.
Why: the left engine on the Boeing 737 flamed out.

Note: possibly the same flight is listed as originating in "San Diego, California and was headed to JFK in New York."

Firebug Flight Attendant Fugitive Flees FBI

Not only did the flight attendant fire to paper towels in the bathroom because he didn't want to work that flight, he had done the same thing 5 weeks earlier; and then skipped out on his Federal trial in Fargo, N.D.

Luckily none of the 72 passengers and four crew members (including himself) were injured in the fire.

So now there is a warrant for the arrest of Eder Rojas, 19.

Cessna Lands on PKWY

What: Single-engine Cessna 152 registered to Aviation Dream LLC of Tinton Falls.
Where: made an emergency landing and then rolled to the shoulder of Garden State Parkway in Wall Township, N.J.
When: 1:30 p.m. on Friday.
Who: Joseph Rubino, a flight instructor from Hazlet, and John Hannon of Long Branch were on the plane
Why:plane lost power after takeoff.

Spanair Survives Emergency Landing

What: Another Spanair airplane, a SAS Group airline Flight JK-4113
Where: en route from Ibiza to Lisbon landed at Palma de Mallorca Airport
When: one hour after take-off
Who: 163 people on board
Why: unknown reason. The plane had taken off on its third try.

Good for you Spanair. Better safe than sorry. But maybe if it takes more than one try to get in flight, its time to take a hard look at the plane. D'ya think?

Cockpit Fire forces Landing in Kirksville

What: Private charter jet registered to JJSA aviation out of San Jose, California; and the plane owned by the Honeywell Corporation.
Where: Kirksville Regional Airport
When: Friday. 1:15 p.m.
Who: 20-25 passenger jet was only carrying one person
Why: electrical fire in the cockpit. The electrical malfunction appeared to stem from a heated window in the cockpit, similar to a defrosting window on a car. The failure caused the plane’s windshield to smoke and burn.

Hong Kong flight Grounded In Chicago

What: United Airlines Flight 895 Boeing 747 bound for Hong Kong
Where: emergency landing at O'Hare International Airport
When: Saturday 5:27 p.m
Who: 323 passengers and 18 crew members
Why: One hour into the flight to Hong Kong, the pilot experienced unspecified problems with a temperature probe, and rerouted it back to O'Hare.

Queenstown Crash injures Pilot

What: Cessna aircraft en route from Queenstown
Where: Fox Glacier Air Strip
When: Friday.
Who: Pilot and two passengers. The pilot was seriously injured but the two passengers
Why: On landing the plane took out power lines, cutting electricity to parts of the town and smashed into bush at the end of the strip.

Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Unknown
Location: Fox Glacier air strip - New Zealand
Phase: Landing
Nature: Unknown
Departure airport: ? ZQN
Destination airport: FGL
Narrative:
A plane travelling from Queenstown to Fox Glacier crashed off the end of Fox Glacier air strip, apparently cutting power to the township. Two passengers were unhurt while the pilot suffered a punctured lung.

src: http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=22690

Phoenix emergency landing

What: American Airlines Flight 436 departed Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport at 9:03 a.m. for Chicago O'Hare
Where: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
When: 9:22 a.m
Who: 138 passengers and five crew members
Why: The pilot returned to the airport when he noticed an acrid smell and haze in the cockpit. The auxiliary power unit is going to be examined and cleaned. Passengers changed planes.

Beechcraft Lands on New York Highway

What: crippled 1992 Beechcraft Bonanza flying to Burlington, Vt
Where: on Interstate 87, close to the town of North Hudson, near Lake Placid.
When: Wednesday evening
Who: Pilot/flight instructor Michael Denning and 2 student pilots.
Why: While a student was flying, the engine started clicking; then there was an explosion and a power loss. The instructor landed on the highway's center lane with minima. clearance of surrounding guardrails. Flight instructor Michael Denning has gotten significant accolades for his skilled response.

Falcon Emergency Landing

What: twin-engine Falcon jet from Delhi en route to Coimbatore owned by the GMR group
Where: Bangalore airport
When: Thursday-3.05 pm.
Who: Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Finance Minister P Chidambaram. No injuries.
Why: Engine developed a "snag." Instruments showed a "drop" for the right engine, so the pilot switched the engine off and landed with one engine. Passengers transferred to another plane.

Australia Emergency Landing

What: Piper Saratoga
Where: Moorabbin airport, Melbourne
When: September 05, 2008 12:45
Who: The two pilots were uninjured
Why: One of the plane’s wheels would not lock down. The pilots were forced into an emergency landing

Helicopter Crashes in Dubai Killing 7

What: Aerogulf Bell 212 helicopter flying from Dubai International Airport to one of the oil fields in the Gulf Sea. The helicopter was leased to the oil company by the aircraft firm Aerogulf,
Where: Crashed into an oil platform off the Duba Coast 50 NM west of Dubai Airport
When: Sept 3--20:23 local time
Who: two pilots and five contractors working for British oil and gas services company Petrofac: an American, a Briton, two Indians, a Pakistani, one Filipino and a Venezuelan.
Why: The British pilot lost control during take off, hit a crane crashed and exploded wednesday on a recently installed Resilient jack-up oil rig. After the helicopter propellers hit the crane, the aircraft split in two; half smashed on to the rig, while the other half fell into the sea.

The rig is owned by AP Moller-Maersk but operated by Petrofac on behalf of state-owned Dubai Petroleum. Production in one of Dubai's four oil fields has been suspended. The engine and the gear box have been found.

So far five of the bodies have been identified; one report says only two of the bodies need identification by DNA testing. All of the victims were contracted personnel.

Millions Awarded to Crash Victims

Two helicopters--both crews using night-vision goggles--participated in the nighttime maneuvers on Jan. 22, 2004 – a “low bird” that flew close to the ground and a “high bird” that flew above looking for possible obstructions. As the helicopters were leaving Talega Canyon, the UH-1N helicopter known as a Huey struck a 135-foot utility tower. The Cobra was intact. All the victims were Iraq veterans attached to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Fast forward to 2008. (Cases like these take years to go to trial.)

Family members of Capt. Adam E. Miller, 29; 1st Lt. Michael S. Lawlor, 26; Staff Sgt. Lori A. Privette, 27; and Cpl. Joshua D. Harris, 21, asked for unspecified damages in the wrongful-death lawsuit. In a jury decision, over $15 million was awarded on Wednesday to the families of four Marines killed.

San Diego Gas & Electric, which owned the tower was determined to be negligent and "acted with malice" by not installing safety devices to prevent accidents. After a three week trial and deliberating one day, the jury determined that the parents of all four Marines should receive $2.125 million. Lawlor's wife was entitled to $4.5 million for the loss and $2.2 million in lost earnings.

SDG&E bore 56 percent of the responsibility for the collision because they knew about the hazard and failed to follow safety recommendations. Pilots and other parties shared the rest of the blame. After the trial's punitive damages phase, the jury awarded $10.1 million to the families of each Marine who died in the crash.

Since the accident, SDG&E has installed lights.

Official Congo Condolences

Secretary-General
SG/SM/11771
AFR/1742
Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York
SECRETARY-GENERAL DEEPLY SADDENED BY PLANE CRASH IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the news of a plane crash in the area of Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

His thoughts are with the families and colleagues of those United Nations and non-governmental organization aid workers, Congolese officials and crew who were on board the aircraft. He notes that a team from the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) is making every effort to reach the site of the accident in order to verify the fate of those on board.

The Secretary-General expresses his gratitude to all the United Nations staff and international aid workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who continue to work tirelessly under difficult conditions to support the Congolese people in their efforts to consolidate peace in their country.

* *** *

Congo Crash Update

What: Beechcraft plane owned by Air Serv which provides air transport for international aid agencies. The plane was being flown by South Africa's Cem Air.
Where: eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Plane fragments scattered over a forested mountain area, 9 miles NW of the Bukavu air strip.
When: Inital reports that the crashed into a mountain near Bukavu were changed; apparently the plane broke up across the mountain. The plane was last contacted in heavy rain 10 minutes from Bukavu
Who: 15 passengers and two crew members. Most of the passengers were Canadian, Indian, French and Congolese aid and relief workers employed by Medicins Sans Frontieres and Handicap International. Seven aid workers were employed by the UN.
Why: The weather is considered a factor but no cause is listed as yet. UN rescue teams are "securing the site and searching for and recovering victims' bodies." No survivors. The black box flight recorder has been recovered

New FAA Rules Coming

The British Airways Boeing 777 crashed on Jan. 17, 2008, in icy weather with 136 travelers and 16 crew members aboard.

The reason why it crashed is that the flow of fuel to both of the plane's engines was cut off by ice that accumulated on prior flights in cold air at high altitudes. The plane was flying at minus 29 degrees Fahrenheit over Siberia.

These are the significant just-released details behind the FAA's move to adopt new safety rules (Pilot procedures and in-flight throttle settings) regarding planes flying in cold weather. Fuel systems might even be changed to adapt to the problem of water (which accumulates in fuel) freezing inside the fuel system.

2 Camarillo Crashes in a week

What: Experimental aircraft with a single engine
Where: Ventura County's Camarillo Airport.
When: Tuesday
Who: Pilot and passenger
Why: The plane had experienced mechanical problems and on return overshot the runway and flipped over just past the landing strip. No injuries.

This should not be confused with a similar incident Monday when another single-engine plane was towing a banner, flipped and the pilot was killed.

Emergency Landing in KY

What: Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter out of Frankfort
Where: In a field next to the Kroger grocery store and Burger King restaurant in Murray Kentucky
When: 2:30 p.m.
Who: four-man flight crew from the 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade
Why: one of the crew members said a hydraulic hose busted and they had to make the emergency landing. A six-foot high-pressure hydraulic hose - about the size of a straw - frayed and developed a leak. A second helicopter flew in repair parts. There were no injuries.

Helicopter crashes in Canada

What: helicopter en route to a remote fishing camp near the Quebec-Labrador border
Where: wilderness in northeastern Quebec
When: Friday
Who: Two pilots--a man and woman--flown to hospital in nearby Schefferville, Que and are reported to be in good condition.
Why: No cause is given. The search began Tuesday after someone at the fishing camp called to say the helicopter hadn't shown up. The crash was located by a Cormorant from Greenwood, N.S. at 8:10 p.m. Tuesday

South African Beechcraft Crashes into Mountain

What: Beechcraft plane owned by Air Serv which provides air transport for international aid agencies. The plane was being flown by South Africa's Cem Air.
Where: eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
When: crashed into a mountain near Bukavu. The plane was last contacted in heavy rain 10 minutes from Bukavu
Who: 15 passengers and two crew members. Most of the passengers were aid and relief workers.
Why: The weather is considered a factor but no cause is listed as yet. UN rescue teams are "securing the site and searching for and recovering victims' bodies." No survivors.

Forced Landing in Single-engine Piper

What: single-engine four-seat Piper registered to Tri Radial Flyers, of Tiverton en route from T.F. Green Airport to New Hampshire
Where: crashed into some trees at the edge of the Schofield Farm. Rhode Island
When: about 8:30 am Sept 1
Who: pilot Barry Carroll, 58 was uninjured
Why: The plane experienced engine problems at 7,500 feet and the pilot could not make it the five miles back to the airport, so made a forced landing in the Schofield Farm field. On landing the plane’s left wing tip broke off.

Connecticut Pilot Treed

What: 1930s single-engine de Havilland Tiger Moth
Where: East Windsor, Conn
When: Saturday August 30
Who: pilot and passenger
Why: The plane lost power 200 feet from the runway at the Skylark Airpark Saturday. The pilot and passenger crashed in treetops and were stuck in the tree until help arrived. A tree surgeon climbed the tree, and set up a pulley to rescue the pilot and passenger who were apparently unhurt. The pilot was an instructor who "maintained an airspeed where he was in control and buffeted [the plane] into the top of the trees. That's what saved both their lives."

Yak 52 Crashes; pilot and passenger lost

What: Russian-built Yak-52 stunt plane flying from Archerfield Airport on Brisbane's southside
Where: off South Stradbroke Island, Jumpinpin Australia in south-east Queensland. Wreckage was found after a significant search in about 20 metres of water
When: Sunday Aug 31 12.30pm AEST
Who: veteran pilot Barry Hempel and 20 year old passenger. The pilot and passenger are missing.
Why: no reasons listed; crash is under investigation

Cessna crashes in Ontario

What: Cessna four-seat 172 owned by the Brampton Flying Club
Where: Shelburne, Ontario --a farmer's field just north of Toronto
When: just before 5 a.m Sep. 01 2008
Who: 2 men, including pilot, airlifted to St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto with life-threatening injuries;one Headwaters Hospital in Orangeville
Why: There is no reason listed why the plane crashed in the field. It looks like a total loss. The pilot is building flight time to become a commercial pilot

Jato derrapa em Congonhas

AVIAÇÃO
Jato derrapa em Congonhas | 14:58

Um problema na hora da decolagem de um jatinho King Air no aeroporto de Congonhas pode atrapalhar os horários de pousos e decolagens da tarde e da noite de hoje. O jato, que pertence a rede de drogarias Ultrafarma, derrapou na hora da decolagem e bateu num muro. Foi o que na linguagem técnica do setor é chamado de 'decolaem abortiva, ou seja, quando o jato ia decolar o piloto decidiu parar o procedimento, após detectar probelmas.
O piloto, o co-piloto e um passageiro foram removidos de ambulância. Mas os ferimentos foram leves. E a pista do aeroporto está interditada.

Memorials, etc...

Memorials, etc.

Most of the time we only post the crash as it happens, unless there’s an event that happens that really needs more dissemination. Usually the mailbox is full of news and reports, requests, pleas for attention and the occasional argument. I suppose because we’re in the process of moving the blog–and because last week was a really busy week–and because I’m fighting off an infection–this week’s mailbox is full of things that didn’t just happen and can’t be easily put into a file.

So the way it goes today…there’s a two-seater Vans RV light aircraft that flipped over in the North Weald airfield in Essex in the UK. The pilot hurt his neck and back. (In these cases, I always feel like it’s a miracle if they get out of a crash alive, so some bumps and bruises are like getting out of a coffin scot– free–particularly when the pilot is in his seventies.)

And of course, we’ve already talked about the Piper Navajo Chieftain that fell out of the sky into a North Las Vegas house. Five people in the house got out–one died. Its eerily like the same crash that happened also in Vegas, also this week. Apparently in this case, when his engine was running roughly, the pilot decided to go back to the airport and when he did, he hit trees and power lines, crashed on the house and died. Is there a pattern here? Anyway, they’re investigating.

There’s a memorial service at Southern Utah University to remember the nine people from Cedar City clinic Southwest Skin and Cancer Inc who died in the crash along with the pilot. The Air Force is remembering 9 men who died in the Davao crash. There were actually 11 lost–but they apparently didn’t know two of them were on the plane; and they will be remembered separately. I almost posted the details but really, I’m overwhelmed by all those names. I don’t have any idea where Davao is, but grief is grief, and I am sure we all mourn with them. And I will mourn twice for the two men they forgot to mourn the first time around.

In fact, the only new news looks like it is the 1976 Rockwell International 112A whose pilot got pulled out of the water off of Gasparilla Island. 69-year-old Glen Koedding took a trip to the hospital but he’s ok. They don’t say if the plane survived.

Maybe if we’re really lucky, a day will go by and we won’t have any crash reports. Wouldn’t that be something?

Another Emergency Landing at LAX

What: American Airlines Flight 1586 Boeing 737 en route from Los Angeles to Toronto at 11 a.m.
Where: LAX
When: Tuesday Aug 2 2008-12:51 p.m
Who: 130 passengers and five crew
Why: On takeoff, the pilot noticed a a blown tire and immediately requested to return. To burn off fuel, he had to circle the airport until his (safe) 12: 51 landing on the shredded tire.

Air Evac Lifeteam Medical Helicopter Crashes, Crew Killed

What: Air Evac Lifeteam Medical helicopter traveling back to Rushville from the Burney Volunteer Fire Department’s annual Antique Tractor Pull and Hog Roast on a public relations mission.
Where: Near Burney in rural Decatur County, about 40 miles southeast of Indianapolis,
When: shortly after takeoff Sunday 1:17 p.m.
Who: The 3 crew members aboard were all killed. (No patients were involved,) The crew included pilot Roger Warren, flight nurse Sandra Pearson and flight paramedic and base manager Wade Weston
Why:Cause is unknown. Pieces of the back end of the helicopter appeared to come off before it crashed. Witnesses say that the helicopter's nose tipped down, the helicopter went down and exploded on impact and instantly burst into flames.