Millions Settled on the Michael Waugh Family

We don’t always hear the numbers when cases are settled, so the news release that a $15 million settlement was okayed in Cook County, Illinois seemed to be a noteworthy news byte.

The ruling was in favor of the Chicago restaurant executive Michael Waugh who was killed in a 2006 crash.

Waugh, general manager of Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab Restaurant, was en route from Olathe, Kansas, when the Cessna 421B he was in crashed.

A major point in the case was that the plane was piloted by a Morgan Stanley senior financial advisor, who was not a professional pilot.

Vibrating Boeing in Russia

What: A Skyexpress Boeing 737-500 en route from Moscow Vnukovo to Sochi (Russia)
Where: Moscow's Vnukovo Airport
When: Apr 4th 2009
Who: 69 passengers and 6 crew
Why: When instrumentation revealed unacceptable (dangerous) vibration of the left hand engine, the pilot shut down the left engine down, and burn off fuel before landing back at the airport of origin an hour after takeoff. There were no injuries.

George’s Point of View

Maintenance.
Maintenance.
Maintenance.

---- nuff said.

Flat Tire Tornado Diverts Airbus to Spain

Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Paul Markman
What: British Airways Airbus A319-100 en route from London Gatwick to Gibraltar.
Where: Malaga Spain
When: Apr 3rd 2009
Who:
Why: Airbus passengers got a little extra traveling in when the runway at their Gibraltar destination airport was blocked by a Tornado fighter with burst tires after its brakes overheated on landing.

The British Airways jet flew on to Malaga Spain where the runway was thankfully NOT blocked; and the plane was able to land safely, and allow passengers to take a bus ride back to Gibraltar, their actual destination.

And for those individuals left planeless at the Gibraltar gate, eventually the Tornado was moved off the runway; and the Airbus was able to land and pick up those passengers.

Continental Safely Lands Hot Plane

Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Mark Kryst
What: Continental Airlines Colgan Air de Havilland Dash 8-400 en route from Newark to Montreal .
Where: Burlington,VT
When: Apr 3rd 2009
Who: 33 passengers and 4 crew
Why: The pilot and crew reported high temperatures, requesting diversion to Albany, NY. They shut down the left engine but decided against Albany because of weather (severe precipitation), and landed instead at Burlington,VT.

George’s Point of View

Emergency landings are always a cause for concern. The pilot who responds with a cool head and skill in an emergency situation is to be commended.

What about the maintenance of the plane? Who chose to fly instead of maintain, or to maintain in half-measures? Someone needs to look into this--

Ill Infant Lands for Emergency Surgery in Russia

What: Russian plane en route to Moscow
Where: Volgograd, southern Russia
When: was forced to make an emergency landing
Why: A six-month old girl with Hydrocephalus was being flown from Nalchik to Moscow for surgery, but during the flight the baby lost consciousness. The plane made an emergency landing so the baby could receive immediate treatment.

George's Point of View

Prayers for the baby that her surgery was a success.

Eagle Lands for Rubber Strip

Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Charin deSilva
What: American Eagle Embraer ERJ-135, registration N847AE en route from New York JFK,NY to Toronto,ON
Where: John F. Kennedy
When: Apr 1st 2009
Who: 26 on board
Why: Rubber window strip on the right side detached and the plane returned to JFK. Passengers debarked and boarded another plane to finish their flight.

Helicopter Update: 16 Passengers All Lost

The Bond website is temporarily suspended.

Helpline phone number for relatives is 01224 836479


Pilot Paul Burnham, 31, from Methlick, Aberdeenshire
Co-pilot Richard Menzies, 24, of Droitwich Spa, Worcs.
Oil workers from Aberdeen; Raymond
Brian Barkley, 30
James Costello, 24,
Vernon John Elrick, 41
Alex Dallas, 62,

Oil workers
Doyle, 57, of Cumbernauld
James John Edwards, 33, of Liverpool,
Nairn Ferrier, 40, of Dundee,
Nolan Carl Goble, 34, of Norwich,
Gareth Hughes, 53, of Angus,
Warren Mitchell, 38, of Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire,
David Rae, 63, of Dumfries,
Leslie Taylor, 41, of Kintore,
Aberdeenshire
Stuart Wood, 27, of Newmacher, Aberdeen.

The name of one Latvian victim has not been released.

March 31-April 1 was a Busy Day

George's Point of View

Let me know if you want the details here, I barely know what to choose. No deaths were reported with any of these incidents. (Altogether, it does look like our aviation has been taken over by the keystone cops)

I think my favorite is the plane that stuck a deer, in Kill Devil Hills. Though I do have some regrets for the deer. Do you think he had his pilot's license or was officially a "Devil"? For the deer's sake, I am hoping this was an April Fools Day joke.

Seriously folks. Maintain the planes.

• AIRCRAFT ENGINE FAILED AND CRASHED, NEAR GRIFFIN, GA;
  
• AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, GEAR COLLAPSED, AND PROP STRUCK THE RUNWAY, LANCASTER, TX
  
• AIRCRAFT DURING HIGH SPEED TAXI RUN, BRAKES CAUGHT FIRE, AURORA AIRPORT, SUGAR GROVE, IL
  
• AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, RAN OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY INTO A WOODED AREA, LINCOLN PARK, NJ
  
• AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF, STRUCK A BIRD, RETURNED AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, PHILADELPHIA, PA
  
• AIRCRAFT ON LANDING ON A ROAD, GROUND LOOPED AND WING STRUCK A TREE, 40 MILES FROM BEAVER, UT
  
• N901DA, DELTA AIRLINES FLIGHT 1220 MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD 90 AIRCRAFT, ON PUSHBACK FROM GATE, DOOR STRUCK THE JETWAY, NO INJURIES REPORTED, DAMAGE IS UNKNOWN, SALT LAKE CITY, UT
  

April 1

• AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP AT A GRASS AIRSTRIP, BATAVIA, NY
  
• AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, STRUCK A DEER, KILL DEVIL HILLS, NC
  
• AIRCRAFT SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE, CRASHED INTO A FIELD, TAYLOR, TX
  
• AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED IN A FIELD, NEAR FRANKLINVILLE, NJ

Boeing Emergency Landing in Bangor.

Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Dan Vincent - New England Airports
What: United Airlines Boeing 767 Flight 923 London to Washington, D.C.
Where: Bangor International Airport
When: 4/01/09, 10:00 am
Who: 178 passengers and 11 crew members
Why: Pilots said there was smoke in the cockpit and that one of the plane's two engines failed. They landed safely at Bangor International Airport, Maine.

Air Canada Airbus A333 Diverted for Illness and Bad Manners

George's Point of View

Sometimes you really have to wonder what air travel is coming to--especially when you hear about the Air Canada Airbus (you know I keep an eye on those Airbuses)--that stopped for a medical emergency. That's not the big thing--the big thing is after the medical emergency, we had yet ANOTHER person whose basic bad manners caused enough disruption for the authorities to be called. Apparently a Toronto TV and radio host decided to pitch a fit on the plane. Drunk, cussing and escorted off by police to sleep it off in the drunk tank. I prefer my flights without that kind of live entertainment, thank you very much. Maybe the airlines should start giving a little deportment test before every flight, and those who flunk have to go to a session of charm school NOT run by Larry King.

I started to put up a new category, "cracked passenger" right above "cracked windshield" but decided to settle for "disruptive passenger."

And below, for those who are here for the aircraft, please note the plane, when it is in operation and NOT boarded by publicity hounds.

Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer David Gopaul

What: Air Canada Airbus A330-300, registration C-GFUR en route from London to Toronto
Where: St. John's, Canada
When: Mar 31st 2009
Who: Shall remain nameless simply on general purposes
Why: see above.
src avherald.com

* This incident is NOT to be confused with Robert McDonald, of Glasgow, who opened an emergency exit hatch as his flight waited out two and a half hours of bad weather delay at JFK.

* OR Southwest Flight 1402 where a large woman started pummeling someone for touching her

* OR American Airlines Flight 1343 from Charlotte to Dallas/Fort Worth where a man ran and jumped into a plane to slide down the the inflatable exit slides

North Sea Helicopter Crash: 18 on board

Actual helicopter G-REDL NOT pictured
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer
What: Bond Helicopters Eurocopter AF332 L2 Super Puma crashed
Where: In the sea off north-east Scotland
When: 2pm Wednesday April 1
Who: 16 people
Why: Returning from an oil platform, the helicopter crashed in the North Sea

Normand Aurora supply vessel was in the area and is looking for survivors and RNLI lifeboats from Peterhead and Fraserburgh are racing to the scene.

Relatives of victims have been asked to call 01224 836479.

You may remember Bond Helicopters Feb 18 crash in which 18 people on board survived. That was when individuals were allowed to wear transmitters. (Currently there are safety concerns over the use of personal distress beacons--they are NOT allowed because they interfere with the on board transmitter.)

George's Point of View

When I was 16, I took my hard earned bucks and purchased a used car, my first car. And my Dad said, "Son, you have to change the oil regularly. Check the water in the radiator, air in your tires and take it to a mechanic regularly for a checkup."

Aviation vessels need simple attention and lots of love and care by mechanics.

You have to wonder about maintenance. Some planes, helicopters, are busy all day long, taking off and landing. When are they on the ground enough to get checked?

At this time, eight dead have been found. Would they all have been found alive if they had been allowed PCBs (Personal Locator Beacons) like in Bond's February crash where they had PCBs and were rescued?

Smoke on Boeing...

Pictured: UA Boeing 767-322
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer
What: United Airlines Boeing 767 en route from London to Washington D.C.
Where: Bangor International Airport
When: Wednesday April 1
Who: 178 passengers
Why: When the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit, the plane was granted permission to land at Bangor International, which it did, safely.

George's Point of View

I worry about all emergency landings, I’ve experienced just one.

When I see a United doing an emergency landing for any reason, my skin creeps because I fly United all the time. No pun intended.

Emergency On Board

When you read about an on board medical emergency such as the Continental Airlines medical emergency, it does make one think about the potential for on board emergency rooms. Not only is the technology (two-way air-to-ground RDT equipment) available, it is becoming cost effective, especially considering the expense of a 525-passenger Airbus A380 making an emergency landing can cost up to $200,000. Imagine if an online emergency room could care for a critically ill individual until the flight actually reached it's destination. Or even if the equipment were only used DURING an emergency landing--it would result in a greater survival rate when a medical emergency occurs. It bears thinking about.

Accidental death verdicts

The death of 4 individuals--pilot, Martin Rhodes, 48, of Stoke-on-Trent, Simon Marshall, 51, of Lichfield, Ryan Birch, 15, and his father, Tony Birch, 52, of Wolverhampton, have been recorded as accidental deaths. They were flying to France in a Piper Cherokee light aircraft when it crashed close to the Isle of Wight Airport, in Sandown, on August 5, 2007.

source http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/burtonmail-news/displayarticle.asp?id=404453 author JONATHAN HORSFALL

Airbus Emergency Landing in Toulouse

What: Air France Airbus A319-100 en route from Paris Orly to Toulouse
Where: Toulouse
When: Mar 30th 2009
Who: 115 passengers and 6 crew
Why: In flight, the left engine surged. The crew did not shut it down, but did reduce power; and the plane landed without injury with emergency crews on standby.

Air Canada Emergency Landing

Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Patrick Hilverda
What: Air Canada Embraer ERJ-190, registration C-FNAW en route from Montreal Calgary
Where: Montreal
When: Mar 29th 2009
Who: 98 passengers people aboard
Why: The pilot reported slat problems and returned to the airport for a safe landing

Cessna Emergency Landing in Palm Springs

What: Cessna Citation business jet en route from Palm Springs International Airport to Winnipeg, Manitoba
Where: Palm Springs International Airport
When: 10:55 a.m Tuesday
Who: six people aboard
Why: When smoke was detected in the cabin, the pilot then burned off fuel before landing back in Palm Springs. The cause of the smoke is under investigation. No injuries.

Emergency Landing in Omaha

What: American Airlines en-route from Las Vegas to Chicago
Where: Eppley Airfield
When: ten o'clock on Monday night
Who: 140 passengers and five crew members
Why: Near Omaha, the plane lost cabin pressure. The pilot coped by dropping oxygen masks and dropping altitude from 25,000 feet to 14,000 feet. At Eppley, the passengers debarked, and took another flight to Chicago provided to them by American Airlines.

Smoke on American Airlines MD-80

Pictured: McDonnell-Douglas-MD-82 similar to the one involved in the incident
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Michael Durning
What: American Airlines MD-80 en route from Lindbergh Field San Diego,CA to Dallas Ft. Worth,
Where: San Diego's airport Lindbergh Field
When: 6:19 p.m. Sunday
Who: 146 passengers
Why: When smoke was discerned on board, the crew turned back to land at Lindbergh field

A Bad Day to Be A Vine

What: en route from Madera Municipal Airport
Where: crash landed just south of Avenue 17 just north of the airport at the north end of Madera
When: 1:30 p.m.
Who:
Why: When the engine lost power, the pilot, attemptedan "off-runway" emergency landing. The plane ripped through a barbed wire fence, skidded across the road and ended up in a vineyard after taking out a few rows of vines. The pilot was taken to Community Regional Medical Center in downtown Fresno; the passenger was airlifted to the same hospital.

also:
What: 1006N EXP AEROCONVER Fixed Wing Single-Engine
Where: PASO ROBLES CA
When: 03/25/2009 at 18:40
Who: Pilot
Why: AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A VINEYARD, 3 MILES FROM PASO ROBLES AIRPORT, PASO ROBLES, CA


Are these separate incidents? Not enough information to tell.