A Note to Our Readers

Dear Readers,
We make a special effort here to record the facts as we receive them. At times, there may be error but we do try to use our best judgement at the time of posting, and will be glad to amend any details which are proved incorrect. Furthermore, even though we do not here discuss the human cost, we realize that losing anyone in an air accident is insurmountable tragedy to individuals, families and communities. We do extend our heartfelt sympathy to those whose loss we record here. "...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for..." us all.
Meditation XVII - (with apologies to) John Donne


2008/09/30

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.

2008/09/29

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.

2008/09/28

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

2008/09/26

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

2008/09/25

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.

2008/09/24

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.

2008/09/22

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.

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.

2008/09/21

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.

2008/09/20

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

2008/09/19

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


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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

2008/09/18

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.

2008/09/17

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