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.
What: private helicopter en route from Veta to branches of the Banco Agrario. Where: northeastern Colombia in the mountainous area of the northwestern province of Santander. When: Monday Who: 3 victims Why: unknown cause. Rescue efforts were being hampered by difficult access to the crash site.
What: Airbus A320 maintenance flight leased by Germany charter airline XL Airways and was due to return to service for Air New Zealand next month; flying from Perpignan airport Where: off France's southern coast in the Mediterranean as it was approaching the Perpignan airport When: Who: 7 on board: Two German pilots, Another pilot and three engineers from Air New Zealand were also on board, as well as an aircraft inspector from the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority. 2 bodies were recovered at sea Why: 150-passenger plane, which was delivered to Air New Zealand in July 2005, had accumulated approximately 7,000 flight hours. The plane is in several pieces. A search is underway for the flight data boxes.
The survival of the 5 aboard the medevac Beech King Air A100 that crashed in the northern Manitoba forest is nothing less than a miracle. After fire broke out in the cockpit, and the pilot managed a crash landing in the bush, the instant the plane rolled to a stop, the pilot ran out to open the door and rushed his passengers out of the plane before it exploded.
No one was killed; and no one had worse than scratches and bruises, even the baby whose dehydrated condition had required the medical evacuation in the first place.
pictured: Beech Bonanza What: twin-engine Beech Baron propeller plane en route from Arkansas to Nashville International Airport Where: 100 yards from a cluster of a half-dozen homes in a rural area on Nashville's northwestern edge, at the intersection of Laws Road and Whites Creek Pike in Joelton. When: November 24, 2008 10:40 a.m. Who: The crash killed the three people aboard, Greg Secrest, 67, the pilot; Rodney (Nick) Tillman, 49, and his wife, Rebecca Ann Tillman, 42, all from Hot Springs, Arkansas. Why: Witnesses heard the plane circling, then an explosion. The plane spiraled counterclockwise as it fell from the sky. The plane was too damaged to identify
What: Piedmont Airlines deHavilland turboprop en route from Allentown to Philadelphia Where: Philadelphia International Airport When: Sunday morning 11-16 Who: 38 passengers and crew Why: On approach, the crew got an indication the nose gear was not down. The plane slid down the runway on its nose. Fire crews foamed the runway and there was neither smoke nor fire.
What: two-seat single-engine plane (2006 Flight Design CTSW) (not pictured) Where: Avon Lake's Walker Road Park When: 4 pm Who: Pilot Roger Johnson and passenger Matthew Wilson Why: Experienced engine trouble over Lake Erie. He was heading for Lorain County Airport but after more engine trouble, air traffic controllers directed him to land at Walker Road Park/ and a field belonging to a local stable. The frozen ground plus the fact that the property had been mowed contributed to the successful landing.
What: Beechcraft Bonanza Where: Lehigh Valley International Airport, Allentown When: late Sunday afternoon Nov 23 Who: pilot was only person aboard Why: The plane's landing gear would not release, forcing the pilot to land the plane on its belly. No injuries.
What: Continental Express Flight 5570 Bombardier CRJ-200 operated by Chautauqua Airlines, en route to Louisville, Ky., but returned to Houston Where: Bush Intercontinental Airport When shortly after 8 a.m Who: 30 passengers and three crew members Why: Smoke in the cockpit. Passengers reported seeing white smoke coming from the engine. The plane landed safely; No one was injured and no other flights were delayed. Officially the source of the smoke has not yet been found.
What: twin-engine King Air A100 SkyNorth Air Ltd medevac flight en route to Thompson Where: Northwest of the Gods Lake Narrows aboriginal reserve in Manitoba. When: 9:45 p.m. Saturday Who: 5 passengers on a medical evacuation and pilot Why: When the plane caught fire midflight, the pilot landed in the bush. Passengers included Jane Halcrow, her 10-month-old son Zachias who was sick, copilot and a flight nurse. Everyone survived the crash although the plane was completely destroyed.
What: Piper Meridian en route to the Marshfield airport. Where: near the Marshfield airport into the backyard of a home near 17th Street and Devine Avenue. Marshfield is located about 40 miles southwest of Wausau. When: 11 p.m. Saturday. Who: pilot James Franklin Edwards and two sons, James Franklin Edwards IV, age 15, and Joshua James Edwards, age 9. It is believed that these three members of the Edwards family perished in the crash. (We offer our condolences) Why: NTSB and FAA are investigating
Travis Barker filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Bombardier Inc., Clay Lacy Aviation and Goodyear Tire and Rubber, alleging the Learjet he crashed in was defective and pilots were negligent.
You may know Travis Barker as the former Blink 182 drummer. Now you know he's also a plane crash survivor. Barker's bodyguard died in the learjet's crash on Sept. 19. Thelma Martin Still, the mother of Charles Still, also filed a suit.
According to the lawsuit, the learjet's "landing gear, tires, wheels, brakes, reverse thrust system, squat switches and component parts were not airworthy...The pilots' decision was a breach of their duty owed to the passengers onboard and was a substantial factor in causing the crash and resultant injuries and deaths."
See below from the archives
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
What: Flybe flight BE887 from Glasgow Where: Southampton Airport When: Friday Nov 21 shortly at 1845 GMT Who: 45 passengers Why: One engine lost power. The flight landed safely at Southampton Airport. Rescue crews were on standby.
What: small plane Where: dirt road near Lemmon and Chickadee drives between Spanish Springs and Lemmon Valley on a dirt road west of Reno-Sparks Indian Colony in Hungry Valley. When: 3 p.m. Friday Who: Washoe County Search and Rescue pilot Don Osborne Why: The plane experienced a sudden drop in oil pressure and made an emergency landing two miles from Reno Stead Airport. The pilot was off-duty.
What: Cessna 172 en route from Salt Lake City to Colorado Springs Where: emergency landing in the Uinta mountains in Wasatch County at an elevation of about 9,800 feet When: 12:30 p.m Who: Craig Weaver and Bryon Meyer, in critical condition and the third, Dylan Hopkins, dead. Why: The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration. The passengers were all part of the heavy rescue team for the Salt Lake Fire Department, a group that specializes in rescues above or below ground.
What: Pacific Coastal Airlines Grumman Goose amphibious aircraft chartered to deliver personnel and supplies to an energy project under construction for Plutonic Power Corporation in Toba Valley. The flight left Vancouver at 10:17 a.m. for Powell River but never arrived. Where: crashed in thick fog into a hillside on Thormanby Island 56 miles Northwest of Vancouver When: Sunday Who: 8 aboard, 1 survivor. The badly burned survivor took approximately two hours to climb down from the crash site. Terrain and foggy weather hampered rescuers. Why: under investigation. After the crash, the fuel tanks exploded.
Fort Saskatchewan's Thomas Wilson is the only survivor.
What: two-seater kit-built aircraft known as a VANS RV7 en route from from Darwin to Jindare Station Where: Jindare Station airstrip about 40 kilometres south-west of Pine Creek When: 1:30pm Who: Territory sprintcar driver Mark Grosvenor was one of two people killed in the crash Why: Under investigation
What: A Danish Air Force plane Where: Cypriot coastal city of Paphos airport When: Thursday afternoon 1.30 p.m Who: foreign minister Per Stig Moller Why: Pilot detected a crack in the cockpit windshield and made an emergency landing
What: 1954 Beech Bonanza Where: Bloomington in a field/rock quarry along Rockport Road When: Thursday morning Who: Pilot Larry Gering Why: After Gering experienced engine trouble, he landed, one wing hit a tree, and part of the landing gear broke. A witness said "the plane coming down making a circle. . . see the smoke and hear his motor . . ."
What: single-engine Cessna Where: LaSalle County: North 43rd Street When: 3:30 p.m. Nov 18 Who: pilot Keith R. Brown and passenger Michael Bontrager Why: After experiencing engine trouble, pilot Keith Brown made an emergency landing in a Lasalle County field. There were no injuries.
What: single-engined light plane en route from French Island, in Westernport Bay south-east of Melbourne to Moorabbin Airport Where: Quarry Rd, Langwarrin, in Melbourne's outer south When: about 2pm. Who: student pilot and his instructor Why: It is believed the engine failed. Teacher and student are unhurt.
What: single-engine Cessna en route from New York to Groton-New London Airport Where: Bluff Point State Park. When: Wednesday night Who: Anthony Calanca, and Philip Baker. Why: The pilot said he was making an approach to Groton-New London Airport but he landed short of the runway, Flying north over Mumford Cove, the plane went off the radar. Bicyclers directed searchers to the site of the wreckage in Bluff Point State Park. The plane was flown by a student pilot.
What: Mexican attorney general's helicopter Where: between Chihuahua City and Juárez When: Tuesday 11/18/2008 Who: two men on board: Capt. Hugo Federico Martinez Sanchez and federal police officer Miguel Ulises Ventura Hinojosa were killed. Why: In the course of landing exercises, the helicopter became entangled in cables in the area of kilometer 38 of the Chihuahua-Juárez highway,
What: RAF Sea King helicopter from Leckenfield Where: Skegness in the North Parade car park, opposite the Sea View Hotel When: November 19th, 2008 6pm Who: not listed Why: Helicopter developed a tail rotor problem while on an "exercise" and landed without injury. A partner helicopter was sent to base to retrieve engineering maintenance personnel to repair the problem.
What: twin-engine Cessna Where: Toledo Express Airport When: 11 a.m. Tuesday Who: The pilot was the only person aboard Why: After the pilot experienced a problem with his navigation equipment, he landed safely at Toledo Express Airport.
What: BMI Baby jet Flight WW1022en route from from Belfast Where: Birmingham International Terminal One When: 19 November 2008 9.30am Who: 76 passengers and five crew members Why: The plane declared an emergency landing due to a cracked side window.
What: British Midland Airbus A320 en route from London Heathrow to Dublin Where: Dublin Airport When: Wednesday November 19 2008 8:48 pm Who: 93 passengers Why: The pilot made a distress call at about 8.42 pm to report that a burning smell was detected in the cabin on approaching Dublin. The plane landed six minutes later without injuries.
What: experimental single-engine FlightStar Where: hard emergency landing on San Fernando Road several blocks from Whiteman Airport in the northern Los Angeles suburb of Pacoima in the San Fernando Valley. When: Wednesday just after 9 p.m. Who: The pilot's name was not released. Why: The plane lost power as it approached the airport The plane dodged utility lines and clipped a parked car and touched down on on San Fernando Road while vehicles swerved out of the way.
What: Shanghai Airlines Boeing 737 flight FM833, en route to from Shanghai to Phnom Penh, Cambodia Where: Meilan International Airport in Haikou in south Hainan province When: late Wednesday night Nov. 19, 2008 Who: 149 passengers Why: After an alarm light came on indicating a mechanical problem with a fuel pump, the plane diverted to Meilan International Airport. Mechanics found that one of the plane’s two hydraulic pressure pumps was damaged, causing hydraulic oil to leak. The hydraulic oil caused a large amount of smoke. Passengers were provided water and instant noodles.
What: Cirrus SR-20 Where: Crashed in a wooded, swampy area just west of the runway at Reynolds Park in Green Cove Springs. When: Wednesday morning Who: Passenger Yi Jun Zhao, of Palm Coast, was transported to Orange Park Medical Center. Pilot Kevin Black and passenger Jian Feng Guo were not hurt. Why: The pilot radioed authorities about 7:45 a.m. to report trouble with his throttle. He was attempting a landing at the landing strip along the St. Johns River.
What: Helicopter subcontracting for ElectraNet, which operates the state's high-voltage transmission lines. flying between rows of 10m-high powerlines Where: on sheep-grazing land near Wagenknecht Rd, about 8km north of Murray Bridge. When: 11.54 am Who: ETSA sub-contractors flown to Flinders Medical Centre by the Adelaide Bank Rescue Helicopter. Why: a rotor blade struck the cables and sent the helicopter hurtling to the ground. One blade snapped off and landed about 100m away. The tail section broke off.
What: Helicopter Where: between the Haitian coastal cities of St. Marc and Gonaives When: Tuesday Nov 18 Who: two unidentified passengers were lost in the crash. Names will be unreleased until next of kin notified. Why: Helicopter plummeted into a swamp
What: red-and-white single-engine Piper En route from T.F. Green Airport in Warwick to do a practice approach Where: In the woods between Clark Road and Limerock Road about a half-mile from the North Central State Airport in Smithfield When: Nov 17, 2008 Who: Ronald Tetreault, 64, of Glocester, and Robert Zoglio Jr., 43, of Richmond Why: The plane lost power for an unknown reason.
What: ultralight/motorized glider en route from Mexico Where: over Arizona Border crashed in a lettuce field about one mile from the Colorado River. When: 7:15 a.m Who: San Luis Why: The pilot died as a result of injuries to the head. He was carrying 140 lbs of pot.
A fifteenth victim of the Lear jet crash in Mexico has died. The 44-year-old woman died Tuesday; she had been hospitalized since the crash on November 4th.
The NTSB has concluded that wake turbulence was the problem that downed the jet. Air traffic controllers told the Learjet pilots to slow down significantly so as to not gain ground on the 767, but they flew into wake 4 miles behind the jet. This action has been interpreted as pilot error. Additionally, the contract pilots may not have been qualified on the jet as deficiencies in their certifications were uncovered.
The Learjet departed San Luis Potosí (SLP) at 18:04 on a flight to Mexico City (MEX). On board were a.o. Mexican Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino, Deputy Attorney General Josi Luis Santiago Vasconcelos and Miguel Monterubio Cubas, the director of social communication.
The flight was uneventful and the Learjet passed LUCIA VOR at 18:40 and ATIZAPAN VOR at 18:42. It passed SAN MATEO VOR at 18:44, at an altitude of 11000 feet and an airspeed of 262 kts. It was trailing a Boeing 767-300 (Mexicana Flight 1692 from Buenos Aires). At 18:45 hours the aircraft was instructed to switch to the Tower frequency which the pilot acknowledged but never contacter Mexico Tower. At 18:46 the flight was observed approaching runway 05L. The last radar position of the aircraft was 7.5 miles from the Mexico VOR on the 256 radial, at an altitude of 9700 feet at 185 kts airspeed. The airplane crashed on the Avenida Reforma and caught fire. Several cars were destroyed and at least five people on the ground were killed.
What: Learjet 45 flown by the Mexican government en route from San Luis Potosí Airport (SLP/MMSP) to Mexico City-Benito Juárez International Airport Where: Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City When: 04 NOV 2008 Who: Passengers included:
Mexican Secretary of the Interior Juan Camilo Mouriño, top aide to President Felipe Calderón.
José Luis Santiago Vasconcelos-former assistant attorney general and current head of the federal technical secretariat for implementing the recent constitutional reforms on criminal justice and public security.
Miguel Monterrubio, director general of social communications with the Interior Secretariat.
Arcadio Echeverría, coordinator of special events, office of the Interior Secretary.
Norma Díaz, director in the communications department of the Interior Secretariat.
Julio César Ramírez Dávalos, pilot.
Álvaro Sánchez, co-pilot.
Gisel Carrillo, stewardess.
Why: At 18:45, although the aircraft was instructed to switch to the Tower frequency, the pilot acknowledged but never contacted the Mexico Tower. The Learjet then crashed on the Avenida Reforma and caught fire. Several cars were destroyed and at least five people on the ground were killed.
Voice Data Recorder Excerpts Pilot: That one’s got some turbulence. Co-pilot: Hey man. Pilot: Hey [expletive]. Pilot: Alvaro, what do we do, Alvaro? Co-pilot: Hand it over to me, hand it over to me, hand it over to me. Pilot: It’s yours Alvaro. Pilot: [expletive] Pilot: No, Alvaro. Co-pilot: Diosito.
What: Air Nelson Dash-8 flight NZ8079 en route from Wellington to Invercargill Where: emergency landing at Wellington Airport New Zealand When: 9.45am. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 Who: 19 passengers. Why: pilots noticed a warning indicator light on. The flight returned to Wellington and landing safely at 9.45am.
What: 2 Boeing 747s being towed. Where: Qantas maintenance base at Avalon airport outside Melbourne. When: 11/18/2008 Who: Maintenance staff was responsible. No passengers were involved. Why: The planes ran into each other at the maintenance base. One plane hit the left wing of the other. The nose cone collapsed; the wing was dented.
What: small turboprop plane Where: Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. When: 7 a.m Who: information not available Why: Pilot reported a hydraulic problem at 6:30 am and landed safely at 7. Passengers were taken off the plane and transported by bus to the concourse.
What: Brussels Airline flight en route from Stockholm's Bromma Airport to Brussels Where: Gothenburg Landvetter airport When: Tuesday November 18 Who: 63 passengers Why: cracked windshield forced an airliner to make an emergency landing. Initially news reports said that the crack caused a loss of cabin pressure, but apparently this was not the case. Tickets were sold through Malmö Aviation.
What: Sunstate Airlines, a subsidiary of Qantas--Dash 8 en route from Roma in southern inland Queensland Where: emergency landing at Brisbane Airport When: Nov 18; touched down at 7.23 pm. Who: 39 people (35 passengers) Why: Pilot contacted air traffic control in Brisbane to report smoke in the cabin. There were no injuries. Officially: "The pilot contacted the Air Traffic Control tower at 7.10pm after white smoke filled the cabin and passengers had all disembarked by 7.25pm."
What: 1965 B-2B Brantly helicopter owned by David Spencer of Portland Where: Grove Field Airport near Camas When: Monday morning November 17 around 11:30 AM Who: Flight instructor and student pilot sustained minor injuries but "walked away" Why: The helicopter’s power cut out at an altitude of 20 to 30 feet and fell to the ground.
What: Piper PA-32 registered to Robert A. Zoglio Jr. en route from T.F. Green Airport in Warwick to the smaller facility in Smithfield. Where: a half-mile southeast of the runway at North Central State Airport in Smithfield. When: The crash was reported after 5 p.m. Who: Two occupants of the plane were killed. Both were pilots. Why: Under investigation. The intent had been to do a practice approach, but the plane lost power.
What: Bell OH-58 helicopter Where: field northeast of Quitman Arkansas When: 1 a.m. Who: contract pilot, Jerry Fryar of Ozark and Sgt. Monty Carmikle. Sgt. Monty Carmikle was killed; the pilot was taken to the hospital with injuries Why: The helicopter crashed while on patrol looking for hunting violators. The helicopter crashed, the rotor broke off and the fuselage buckled.
What: Pacific Coastal Airlines Grumman Goose amphibious aircraft chartered to deliver personnel and supplies to an energy project under construction for Plutonic Power Corporation in Toba Valley. The flight left Vancouver at 10:17 a.m. for Powell River but never arrived. Where: crashed into a hillside on Thormanby Island 56 miles Northwest of Vancouver When: Sunday Who: 8 aboard, 1 survivor. The badly burned survivor took approximately two hours to climb down from the crash site. Terrain and foggy weather hampered rescuers. Why: under investigation
What: US Airways Express Flight 4551 Piedmont Airlines deHavilland Dash-8 turboprop aircraft en route from from Lehigh Valley International Airport Allentown Where: Philadelphia International Airport When: November 16, 2008 9:20 a.m Who: 35 passengers and three crew members Why: After landing gear did not deploy, the flight landed safely on foam at around 9:20 a.m. Passengers were bussed to the terminal.
What: Hawker-Beechcraft, Model 100, N525ZS registered to Woolie Enterprises Inc departed SBBU Where: Bauru Airport (SBBU), Bauru, Brazil When: Accident occurred Friday, October 12, 2008 Who: Pilot Why: Visual flight rules conditions prevailed at the time. Flight impacted the ground after takeoff
What: Brazilian air force model H-IH chopper en route from Natal, the capital of Rio Grande do Norte to Fortaleza, the capital of Ceara. Where: forced landing in the city of Icapui in the northeastern state of Ceara. When: Friday night Who: 3 fatalities, 3 survivors who got first aid in Aracati before they were taken to a Fortaleza hospital. Why: Under investigation
What: four-seat Grumman Tiger registered to Skyway IV LLC. en route from Wing South Airport in East Naples in Florida Where: Wing South Airport When: 6 p.m. Friday Who: two people escaped with minor injuries, one had serious injuries and one was in critical condition. Both couples jave property in condos adjacent to the air strip. Pilot John Oros, Wendy Oros, Roy Myers, Lora Richichi. Oros has been treated and released; Myers is at Downtown Naples Hospital. Why: plane crashed on takeoff probably due to engine failure.
What: TAM Linhas Aereas Airbus A320 Flight JJ3054 Where: Sao Paulo Brazil Congonhas airport When: July 17, 2007 Who: 199 fatalities Why: Sao Paulo Institute of Criminology 16-month investigation places blame on government agencies for failing to ensure runway safety. Government failure to set rainy-day landing rules for the short runway whose new surface had not yet been grooved to drain rainwater.
NTSB Factual NTSB Identification: DCA07RA059 Scheduled 14 CFR operation of TAM Linhas Aéreas Accident occurred Tuesday, July 17, 2007 in Sao Paulo, Brazil Aircraft: Airbus Industrie A320-233, registration: PR-MBK Injuries: 199 Fatal. On July 17, 2007, at 21:54 UTC, an Airbus A320-233, Brazilian registration PTMBK, serial number 789, operated by TAM Linhas Aéreas overran the end of runway 35 at the Sao Paulo Congonhas airport upon landing. The airplane was on a scheduled domestic flight from Porto Alegre, Brazil. The airplane departed the runway to the left side near the departure end and crossed over a road prior to impacting a cargo depot and gas station. The end of the runway is on elevated terrain approximately 80 meters above the surface of the road. The 6 crew members, 162 passengers, and 18 persons on the ground suffered fatal injuries. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and fire.
What: Single engine Cirrus SR-22 en route from Columbus, Ohio to heading to Tallahassee Regional Airport Where: two miles short of the runway on Blue Jay Drive When: left Columbus at approximately 2:59 pm Thursday; crashed into a house 7:17 p.m Who: Pilot and passenger Donald Hess and his wife, Victoria, were killed; 2 in the house were taken to the hospital with injuries. Hess was co-founder of Amherst Systems and on theboards of several health science companies Why: Under investigation.
The plane struck two vehicles in the driveway. Under investigation. 50 homes are out of power as a result of the crash. The plane struck a series of power lines prior to crashing into two vehicles parked in a nearby driveway.
The NTSB has concluded that wake turbulence was the problem that downed the jet. Air traffic controllers told the Learjet pilots to slow down significantly so as to not gain ground on the 767, but they flew into wake 4 miles behind the jet. This action has been interpreted as pilot error. Additionally, the contract pilots may not have been qualified on the jet as deficiencies in their certifications were uncovered.
The Learjet departed San Luis Potosí (SLP) at 18:04 on a flight to Mexico City (MEX). On board were a.o. Mexican Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino, Deputy Attorney General Josi Luis Santiago Vasconcelos and Miguel Monterubio Cubas, the director of social communication.
The flight was uneventful and the Learjet passed LUCIA VOR at 18:40 and ATIZAPAN VOR at 18:42. It passed SAN MATEO VOR at 18:44, at an altitude of 11000 feet and an airspeed of 262 kts. It was trailing a Boeing 767-300 (Mexicana Flight 1692 from Buenos Aires). At 18:45 hours the aircraft was instructed to switch to the Tower frequency which the pilot acknowledged but never contacter Mexico Tower. At 18:46 the flight was observed approaching runway 05L. The last radar position of the aircraft was 7.5 miles from the Mexico VOR on the 256 radial, at an altitude of 9700 feet at 185 kts airspeed. The airplane crashed on the Avenida Reforma and caught fire. Several cars were destroyed and at least five people on the ground were killed.
What: Learjet 45 flown by the Mexican government en route from San Luis Potosí Airport (SLP/MMSP) to Mexico City-Benito Juárez International Airport Where: Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City When: 04 NOV 2008 Who: Passengers included:
Mexican Secretary of the Interior Juan Camilo Mouriño, top aide to President Felipe Calderón.
José Luis Santiago Vasconcelos-former assistant attorney general and current head of the federal technical secretariat for implementing the recent constitutional reforms on criminal justice and public security.
Miguel Monterrubio, director general of social communications with the Interior Secretariat.
Arcadio Echeverría, coordinator of special events, office of the Interior Secretary.
Norma Díaz, director in the communications department of the Interior Secretariat.
Julio César Ramírez Dávalos, pilot.
Álvaro Sánchez, co-pilot.
Gisel Carrillo, stewardess.
Why: At 18:45, although the aircraft was instructed to switch to the Tower frequency, the pilot acknowledged but never contacted the Mexico Tower. The Learjet then crashed on the Avenida Reforma and caught fire. Several cars were destroyed and at least five people on the ground were killed.
Voice Data Recorder Excerpts Pilot: That one’s got some turbulence. Co-pilot: Hey man. Pilot: Hey [expletive]. Pilot: Alvaro, what do we do, Alvaro? Co-pilot: Hand it over to me, hand it over to me, hand it over to me. Pilot: It’s yours Alvaro. Pilot: [expletive] Pilot: No, Alvaro. Co-pilot: Diosito.
What: Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340 Flight VS06 en route from Miami to London Where: Wilmington International Airport, NC When: Thursday night Who: 350 Why: Crew members felt heat coming from the plane's floor and made an emergency landing. The problem may have been caused by an overheated toilet pump
What: LIAT flight 544 de Haviland Dash 8 -311 en route from Nevis (leaving at 5:30pm) to RLB International Airport, St. Kitts Where: emergency stop in Antigua When: Wednesday night (Nov. 12) Who: 42 passengers Why: The control panel indicated problems, so that the plane diverted to Antigua. (The landing gear was activated but the control panel said otherwise.) The flight landed at 7:00 after circling for some time.
What: single-engine Piper Cherokee en route from Illinois to Florida Where: near the Tuscaloosa County Airport near Upper Columbus Road and Boyd Road northwest of Lake Lurleen near Echola When: 2 pm Thursday Who: four people aboard with minor injuries Why: Under investigation. A passenger was able to call 911. No one was killed
What: single-engine Piper Cherokee registered to a Texas company. Where: a few miles from the Sedona Airport. When: Thursday afternoon about 4 p.m. Who: 3 aboard. Pilot Rockney Herring was able to exit the plane and was then airlifted to Flagstaff Medical Center; brothers Michael Johnson and Tommy Johnson died. Why: The pilot said he did not know why the plane had lost power.
What: Single engine Cirrus SR-22 en route from Columbus, Ohio to heading to Tallahassee Regional Airport Where: two miles short of the runway on Blue Jay Drive When: left Columbus at approximately 2:59 pm Thursday; crashed into a house 7:17 p.m Who: Pilot and passenger were killed; 2 in the house were taken to the hospital with injuries Why: The plane struck two vehicles in the driveway. Under investigation. 50 homes are out of power as a result of the crash.
What: single engine Cessna 182 en route from Rocky Mountain Regional Airport to Price City in Carbon County, Utah Where: found a tenth of a mile east of Josephine Lake in the Holy Cross Wilderness area When: Scheduled to land 8 p.m. on Monday but flight was lost. Wreckage spotted on Wednesday. Who: pilot Michael Loveless of Price, Utah Why: found by a National Guard Helicopter; Vail Mountain Rescue Group and Western Eagle County Search and Rescue are helping with recovery, but weather has prevented crews from reaching the wreckage
What: Boeing 737-800 en route from Anchorage to Fairbanks Where: Anchorage When: 7:49 a.m. Who: 61 passengers and five crew members. Why:one of the plane's two engines malfunctioned about 30 minutes after takeoff. Passengers described an "orange glow" outside the windows followed by vibration. (The event was alternately described as an "engine surge." The crew "idled the engine" and the pilot returned to Anchorage for an emergency landing. Passengers debarked and were put on a 10:05 a.m. flight to Fairbanks.
What: missing Piper Cherokee registered to Douglas Bowles of Hesperia Where: mountainside in the San Gorgonio Wilderness When: Flight disappeared Monday Who: four occupants: Douglas Bowles of Hesperia, and his passengers Joshua Chlebek, 28, David Helland, 60, and Oludare Akinwunmi, 29. Why: On 2:30 p.m. Monday a sheriff's helicopter pilot spotted a wreckage. Searchers rappelled down to it; no survivors have been found.
What: Cessna 177RG registered to Jerry L. Smith of Willow Springs, Mo. Where: Rich Mountain in rural Polk County near Queen Wilhelmina State Park, western Arkansas When: 2 p.m. Who: Jerry L. Smith Why: The aircraft appeared to have clipped some trees before plummeting into the right-of-way off Arkansas 88. Someone driving by saw the wreckage around 2:15 p.m. and called it in. The pilot died in the crash
TAM is a huge airline with all the resources necessary to have assigned human beings to notify families of their dead.
Such a notification would be painful, indeed, more than words can describe.
But even worse, imagine going on the internet, reviewing the manifest that was made available to the public within hours and finding your mom’s name or your mom and dad’s name or your wife, or your husband.
Imagine that for a moment.
Imagine that days go by and no one from TAM makes any personal notifications to families. No one calls, no one connects on a one on one basis.
What were they thinking when they released the manifest to the public prior to any attempt of locating the next of kin?
TAM, fire the person or persons who made the decision to release the manifest.
Get your act together.
Have a plan in place.
Have people who can be on call immediately to handle these matters.
No matter what you end up paying the family for their losses, they will never forget how they learned about the death of their loved ones.
Shame on you, TAM
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How about giving a choice to a passenger about boarding a plane that has 1/3 of its braking system disabled.
In the Tam crash of July 2007, all parties agree that the right thrust reverser was disabled. They defend that position by stating that the documentation for an Airbus A320 allows the plane to fly for up to 10 days with a disabled thruster(s).
So let's say that Tam had let everyone that was boarding that plane know about the thrust reverser. Let's say they had even played down the importance of having it operational. Had the passengers known about the disabled thruster, and had they known that it compliments the braking system, what would they have done?
It is possible that not all the passengers would have boarded. Some probably would have transferred to another flight, or would have gone home and waited for another day. But no one was given that notice.
Think about it: the wheel brakes, the wing flaps and the thrust reverser are the breaking system for an airbus a320. I'm not certain that even a seasoned flyer as I am that I would have gone on board knowing that part of the breaking system was not functional.
Mandatory warnings should be required when a plane with broken, flawed, or partially disabled systems is used as if functioning at 100%. Speaking personally on my own behalf, I believe this warning issue–or failure to warn issue–should be legally addressed.
If only one person had not boarded that plane, that would have been one less fatality.
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