Helicopter and Plane Crash Lawyer
Packing Tips For Airline Luggage Crunch
Category: Airline Travel
We could call it ridiculous, outrageous, irritating, or an industry imposed efficiency course in packing. Whatever we call it or whatever our feelings about it are, it seems to be the way of the future - the immediate future at least - and that is the airline charge for checking baggage. First it started with a fee for the second checked bag - which Frieda will go along with - but now it's a fee for all checked luggage, which is ridiculous and extremely irritating. What's the difference to the airlines if we carry on the piece of luggage or check it? Carry-on luggage is getting to be a hassle for passengers to find space in the overhead compartments for their belongings - not to mention the clunks on the head, shoulders, and backs when passengers attempt to retrieve the possessions. If everyone on the plane decides to go the route of carry-on only, there just won't be enough room - what's the airline going to do then? Force passengers to check their luggage and to pay a fee they did not choose to pay. So, Frieda is hoping the airlines will realize the complications and inconveniences of this policy to their passengers and allow each traveler one checked piece of luggage at no extra charge - they can call it a courtesy to their customers and make us all feel so grateful we chose their airline.
Just in case this dream doesn't come true - here are some tips from the expert. It's time to think "inside the box" - or inside your luggage as the case may be. The key words are organization, function, and neat. The key size for a carry-on suitcase is 45 linear inches (a couple airlines allow 51 inches, check your airlines to be sure) - meaning height + length + width has to equal 45 inches or less. Clothes are less likely to wrinkle in a rectangular shaped suitcase on rollers, but a shoulder/duffle bag will hold more because there is no space taken up for the wheels. Which type to carry will depend on what kind of trip you are taking and what you need your luggage to do for you.
~ Roll your clothes for more economy of space.
~ Bags with a lot of inside compartments take up space and the extra zippers, flaps, etc add extra weight. Instead, use zip-top plastic bags if you want to separate items. This will be especially handy when going through security. A handy outside pocket can carry your computer, magazines, and other things for easy access.
~ Chose a wardrobe in the same color scheme so you can mix and match - usually blues, browns, black, and whites are very versatile. Wear your bulkiest items onto the plane.
~ Men should try to get by with 2 pair of shoes and women 3. Shoes are a great "open space" in which to pack smaller items - jewelry, underwear, anything that will fill up the space inside your shoe.
~ Toiletries seems to be a problem that can take up a lot of room. First decide the necessary basic items you will need. Then check again. Never take the full size container if at all possible - besides the airlines have the 3 oz. policy. Either go to the store and purchase the travel size of the products or purchase the travel size containers you can fill on you own. Combine as many items as possible - such as, instead of shampoo and conditioner try a shampoo with conditioner for the trip. You can also find some products in non liquid forms such as nail polish remover, colognes, etc - they won't have to be examined by security and they will weigh less & take up less room in your suitcase.
~ At this time you are also allowed to carry-on a smaller bag that will fit under the seat in front of you. This could be used for lap-tops, books, as well as your travel essentials like credit cards, boarding pass, etc. If you travel with a camera bag, there is usually enough room for these things in there.
Once the carry-on bag is packed and ready to go, someone is going to have to lift it up into the overhead compartment - keep this in mind as you're packing - make sure it is something you can handle. With a little thoughtful we can make it through this luggage crunch with the airlines.
Skywest/Delta Loses Young Passenger
Category: Airline Travel
And we get upset when our luggage is lost . . . what if it was our child? Just ask a Yuma, Arizona couple and they can certainly tell you. On Saturday, a fourteen year old boy was put on a plane in Yuma to spend the summer in Billings, Montana. All was thought to be going well until his parents received a call from him in the Salt Lake City Airport - he was lost and didn't know where to go - that was when it was learned the airlines had not fulfilled their "unaccompanied minor" promise to have a flight attendant or customer service representative escort the minor child onto and off the plane and to his next flight. . . for an extra $100 fee.
His parents aren't concerned about the $100, but they are very upset the airlines failed to keep track of their son, they are so grateful this incident did not end up in an "Amber Alert". They are also grateful their son was old enough to have a cell phone and was therefore able to call home - when he did his father told him to find someone in a uniform and give them the phone. It turned out the person he saw was a lady who worked for the airlines and was "wonderful" - she calmed the boy down, got him something to eat, and not only escorted him to the correct gate for his flight to Billings, but waited with him until he boarded the plane.
Obviously not all Skywest employees are so inclined. When the father went to Yuma to speak with the airlines, no one would talk with him. When he called Delta's corporate office, he was told it was probably his son's fault because he left the plane before someone could get him. Well, he had on a badge that identified him as an unaccompanied minor - why didn't the attendants who always stand at the door when you exit the plane stop him? Frieda's even seen the attendants go to the child while still in his/her seat and instruct them not to leave the plane - they actually hand off the child to someone who comes on board to get them.
So what happened in this case? Lack of communication, obviously. Negilence, possibly. Rudeness, definitely.
As for the airline's PR, someone from Skywest finally called the family, apologized, and refunded the unaccompanied minor charge. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. . .
Black Hawk Helicopter Crash Still Not Known
Category: Helicopter Crashes
On August 22, it will have been one year since the Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed shortly after take off in northern Iraq. This crash was the single greatest single loss of life for the 25th Infantry Division since the Vietnam War and the worst helicopter crash in Iraq since January, 2005. The aircraft weighed about 18,000 pounds and carried four crew members and 10 Schofield Barracks soldiers who had been brought in the night before for an attack and were now being picked up for their ride back.
The last radio call received from the pilot was, "1-2 is going down" and the helicopter plummeted to earth, killing all on board. In a 224 page report of the Army's investigation, it tells us how these men died, but a definite answer as to what caused the crash. In the "memorandum for record" it states the chopper went down because of a gouged and cut tail rotor shaft by an unknown foreign object - origin and responsibility for the foreign object causing damage to the tail rotor drive is not known . . . "I find no pilot or crew error". There was no enemy fire reported in the area so it is not thought the aircraft was hit by fire.
A witness stated there was absolutely no reaction time for the crew from the time the tail dropped and spun right to the time it hit the ground.
The Black Hawk is known as the Army's workhorse since 1978 and has accumulated over 4 million flight hours in 1,500 planes delivered to the Army and another 600 to other countries.
Is The FAA Finally Ready To Act On Medevac Helicopter Safety?
Category: Helicopter Crashes
In January, 2006, after a lengthy 18 month study brought on by a high number of fatal crashes, the NTSB called for new safety standards in the medical transportation aviation industry.
"It is disturbing when you see that number of accidents in a three-year period, particularly in a profession whose mission is to save lives," NTSB acting chairman Mark Rosenker said.
After this investigation, the NTSB's key recommendations were to require all emergency service companies to install onboard technology that would alert pilots to rapidly approaching objects below - such as buildings and mountains, to shorten the pilot work hours, and to require risk assessments of weather and flying conditions before taking off. The competition between firms for jobs can often lead to higher risks taking than higher safety standards. The NTSB also stated the status of the patient should not enter into the decision whether or not to fly - that decision should be based on risk assessments alone.
At that time the FAA stated it had no timetable for acting on the recommendations of the NTSB - some of which would require many of the steps the FAA had began to encourage.
The FAA stated the installation of the terrain-awareness equipment would be $30,000 but according to the president of the Association of Air Medical Services in 2006, it could cost as much as $250,000 per helicopter which costs about $2 million each. Gee, Frieda wonders how much the families of those killed in air ambulance crashes would value their loved one's lives. It would seem better to have less aircraft properly equipped to further insure the lives of the patients they are trying to save, than to risk the lives of all on board to save money. Even if the higher figure is correct, that would mean a company could properly equip 4 helicopters they already have instead of buying a new one and they run less risk of losing their current inventory and lives. Two years and how many lives have been lost due to the lack of mandates and no timetable from the FAA?
Found in USA TODAY - "Air-Ambulance Crashes Trigger FAA's Attention" Does this mean the FAA now has an idea of a timetable to act on recommendations made both in 2005 by a USA TODAY investigation and in early 2006 after the NTSB investigation? How many have lost their lives in these three years?
"The recent spate of accidents has the FAA's Full attention" stated a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration. FINALLY ! !
All the recent crashes are similar to a pattern that prompted the 2006 NTSB review - they were at night and in places where there was limited visibility and very little reference to a horizon, making the possibility of spatial disorientation a potential cause. The NTSB is monitoring all these recent investigations to see if they are indeed related to the recommendations make in 2006.
Feeling that most crashes are preventable, the recommendations made in 2006 were for better technology and new rules to force pilots to be more cautious - especially at night and in poor weather. The FAA states the new technology has been difficult to put into place - WHY??? - and none of the pilots was wearing night vision goggles.
Frieda wonders why we, the American people, are funding an agency designed to help keep us safe - it is called a Safety Board after all - and no one follows their recommendations - including the other agency that is designed to act on these recommendations and to mandate safety features, devices, and regulations. Perhaps this helicopter crash in Texas over the weekend will bring enough pressure on all the agencys and companies involved in this industry to make the needed safety changes - then these lives lost will not have been totally in vain.
Will Safety Recommendations Help Decrease Air Ambulance Crashes?
Category: Helicopter Crashes
The answer should be a strong "Yes" if recommendations to the industry and to the FAA were followed - but sadly the answer is "No" because the recommendations have seemingly fallen on deaf ears.
The Huntsville, Texas medical helicopter crash on Sunday is one of four since December 30, 2007 that have killed 13 people - 86 crashes between 2000 and 2005 in which 60 people died - more than double the number in the previous five years. Those crashes represent more than 10 percent of the US air ambulance helicopter flights! What's really scary is if this percentage is compared to commercial airline passenger jets, that would be 90 commercial crashes each year, according to a June 17, 2005 USA Today article.
Despite the surge in the number of crashes, however, air ambulance companies and the federal agency that oversees them failed time and again to take steps that might have averted tragedy and saved lives, a USA TODAY investigation shows. The investigation found that: #1. Lack of sufficient industry safeguards allowing pilots to ignore fundamental flight rules. #2. Federal regulations exempt helicopters from some of the most basic safety standards and equipment, including equipment to warn pilots they are too close to the ground even after several disoriented pilots have flown into the ground. #3. Government inspections of air ambulances are haphazard and inadequate - in three fatal crashes the year before, the FAA had never been to the bases for any inspections.
In 2000, the air ambulance trade group asked the FAA to push companies to emulate training used by airlines to minimize mistakes and also suggested the language for such a training program and sent it to the FAA's administrator at the time, Nothing was done by the FAA and it has no record of the recommendations.
Decades of improved training, oversight, and technology for commercial airlines have led to the safest commercial airline travel in the history of the industry. A lot of the changes were brought on due to pressure to tighten oversight of large airlines after the 1996 ValuJet crash and the Alaska Airlines jet crash in 2000 - does this mean without enough pressure, nothing gets done?
None of these improvements have been applied to the air ambulance industry such as training for poor visibility (although 2/3 of fatal crashes occur in these circumstances) and helicopters are not required by federal rules to carry data recorders which would help determine the cause of the crash and help to prevent future crashes.
Now, Frieda will admit wondering why one has to be mandated to do the right thing especially when common sense can dictate these precautions, and when lives are at stake. These passengers aren't choosing to fly as are commercial passengers - they are on what is supposed to be a life saving flight. A former flight director for an air ambulance company says the industry's and the government's failure to act is "almost criminal" - "someone needs to be uncomfortable and it's not the guy in the back of the helicopter."
Four Dead In Yet Another Medical Helicopter Crash
Category: Helicopter Crashes
On Sunday, June 8, word comes from Texas of another late-night/early morning medical helicopter crash - taking the lives of all four people on board - the patient, the pilot, a paramedic who was one day away from her 29th birthday, and a flight nurse.
The helicopter, a Bell 407 operated by Louisiana-based PHI Air Medical, departed Huntsville Memorial Hospital and was en route to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston when it crashed 10 miles from take off in the heavily wooded Sam Houston National Forest. The required 3:00 am contact from the helicopter was not received, initiating a search for the aircraft which was found by an on board global positioning system. The weather at the time of the crash was reported as clear and there were no distress signals from the chopper which was found to have been flying on the correct flight pattern and to have gone down in a straight line, hitting the tops of the tall pine trees and knocking them down.
The fact no calls of distress were made/heard and the crash took place shortly after take off, points to either a catastrophic mechanical or electrical failure or yet another controlled flight into terrain (CFIT). Regrettably, the latter, often caused by spatial disorientation at night or in poor weather, continues to plague the medical helicopter world. This crash in Huntsville on Sunday is one of four since December 30, 2007 that have killed 13 people and all have similar characteristics.
The NTSB states it will take up to 12 months before the results of this investigation is released. We will then know if there were any mechanical or electrical problems with the aircraft - which just hours earlier had saved a 2 year old from drowning. Unfortunately, unless there are some clear indications, the accident investigation will be forced to put the pieces back together, since the FAA still has not mandated Flight Data Recorders or Cockpit Voice Recorders on helicopters.
NTSB Rules Pilot Error in Fatal Plane Crash
Category: Plane Crashes
On August 14, 2006, a 1966 Piper Aztec operated by Spring City Aviation, Inc., in Waukesha, Wisconsin crashed as it attempted to land at the Chippewa County International Airport in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, killing all four people on board. Witnesses report seeing the plane turn left back toward the airport at almost a 90 deg. angle before it crashed nose first into the ground adjacent to a prison fence. The lack of major damage to the fence and the almost no lateral ground damage, indicates a near vertical impact which resulted in a post-impact ground fire in which the majority of the aircraft was destroyed.
Killed in the crash was Spancrete executive, Daniel Nagy, 2 company employees and the pilot. Spancrete is a located in Waukesha which provides precast and pre-stressed concrete for structures worldwide and was founded by Nagy's grandfather. According to the NTSB report, Nagy was getting flight instructions from the pilot at the time of the crash. It goes on to state Nagy didn't stay in control of the plane while circling to land and didn't abort the landing when he should have.
Are Airlines Launching More Fees Than Aircraft?
Category: Airline Travel
We all know the airlines are starting to charge for so many things we once took for granted, such as actually bringing clothes along on a vacation. Frieda is beginning to wonder what the purchase of a ticket actually covers. Why not just charge separately for everything - a boarding fee, a seat fee (which they already have to some degree), and in case you actually want to leave your airport, there would be a takeoff fee - then we have to have a landing fee, unless you want to stay airborne for your entire vacation. Then add on an additional fee for all of this to go smoothly and to actually be on time. We could also start paying for our trip by the mile - but wait, how would they do that? One would assume the shorter the distance, the less expensive the fee - BUT - it takes more fuel to take off and to land than it does to fly once the aircraft reaches altitude - so does this mean flying from New York to Los Angeles could be cheaper than flying from New York to Philadelphia? Hmmmmmmm. . . .
Continue reading "Are Airlines Launching More Fees Than Aircraft?"
Rescue Helicopter Crashes in China
Category: Helicopter Crashes
China continues to struggle with challenges as it seeks to respond to the devastation from an earthquake on May 12 which left 15 million people homeless and heightened fears of epidemic outbreaks in the affected areas. An example of the lingering risks associated with this disaster, a military helicopter crashed while evacuating 10 injured residents from the earthquake region of Sichuan. The Russian-built helicopter had brought a team of military experts on disease outbreaks to the area and crashed after air-lifting the patients from the area, which is still suffering from aftershocks. The weather at the time has been reported as foggy with a lot of turbulence.
At this time there is no information on survivors or the cause of the crash.
Deadly Helicopter Crash in Michigan
Category: Helicopter Crashes
What started out as a routine flight in his newly purchased helicopter, ended tragically for 68 year old Larry Boven, a former businessman from Comstock Township, east of Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was killed on Friday when his Hiller FH 1100 helicopter crashed in the Chipman Preserve. A witness stated hearing the engine quit just before the crash and then called 911. Boven was an experienced helicopter pilot of many years and owned several other choppers, but had just purchased this helicopter on Thursday from a doctor in Wisconsin who reported he had never had a problem with the aircraft.
The Hiller FH1100 was originally designed as a military light observation helicopter and went into commercial production in 1966 - Boven's helicopter was built in 1970. There have been other accidents reported for the Fairchild Hiller (FH1100), according to the FAA registry, including one in 2003 in Fort Meyers, Florida, in which the pilot reported the engine lost power. Although the doctor in Wisconsin stated he had no problems with this aircraft, Newschannel 3 in Michigan discovered - according to federal crash records - a chopper matching the same identification number and model rolled over during a landing in Alaska 38 years ago causing substantial damage. It is not known if the Boven was aware of this history.
The FAA is investigating the crash.
Lack of Recommended Equipment Cause of Medical Helicopter Crash?
Category: Helicopter Crashes
In the last 10 years, 75 doctors, nurses, pilots, and patients have lost their lives as they risk their lives to get patients the medical help they need by transporting them to the nearest hospital from the scene if an accident or by transporting them to a more "needs appropriate" medical center.
This reality was brought home last week when a University of Madison (WI) Med Flight crew was killed when their helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff after transporting a patient from UW-Madison to another hospital. The crew had flown through a rainy night to make the trip - it is not known at this time if weather was a factor in the crash. Med Flights will be grounded until the FAA clears the remaining helicopter, which could affect some of the most critical patients.
According to the NTSB, this particular helicopter did not have two pieces of safety technology the agency has recommended to prevent crashes. The chopper was not equipped with a computerized voice system to warn of approaching terrain or night vision goggles for the pilot, according to a senior vice president at Denver-based Air Methods who leased the helicopter to the UW hospital. These recommendations were made in a 2006 report which came after the agency noted an increasing number of crashes involving medical helicopters and planes. The report suggested many fatal EMS flights could be prevented with the use of these two pieces of equipment - Federal regulators have not made these devices a requirement, but have encouraged voluntary installation by companies.
So we ask why aren't they used if they will increase safety and save lives? Frieda is absolutely sure she doesn't want to be on a live-saving medical flight only to be killed in a crash that could have been prevented if the proper equipment had been used. Part of the problem is the shortage of night vision goggles for non military use. OK, Frieda understands that one. Well, what about the Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems? It seems there's a long wait for the equipment and once installed, the crews have to be trained. Frieda believes these obstacles can be overcome if there was a sincere desire to do so and a real commitment to safety for these courageous men and women. According to CEO Aaron Todd of Air Methods:
He said he couldn't say whether the technology, which costs about $100,000 to install on each craft, could have prevented the crash.
Frieda's willing to bet the crew of the UW medical helicopter and their families would sure like to have had the chance to find out.
Medical Helicopter Crash in Wisconsin Kills 3
Category: Helicopter Crashes
A University of Wisconsin Hospital Med Flight crashed Saturday night after successfully transporting a patient to a LaCrosse Medical Center. The new American Eurocopter EC12 took off from LaCrosse at 10:30pm and there were no further communications from the crew.
Mark Hanson, the Med Flight director stated the pilot was flying visually - he wasn't sure why the pilot was not using his instruments. Mike Allen, senior vice president of hospital - based medical services for the Denver-based Air Methods, which leases the aircraft to the hospital said, it is "very common and acceptable" for pilots to use a visual flight plan. In this case, however, neither gentlemen knew how familiar the pilot was with flying in the LaCrosse area. Weather does not seen to have been a factor in the crash itself but rain and deteriorating conditions did limit the rescue search to the ground only. There were no witnesses to the crash.
Continue reading "Medical Helicopter Crash in Wisconsin Kills 3"
Helicopter Crashes in Alaska
Category: Helicopter Crashes
A 14 year old boy miraculously survived a helicopter crash and a night in the cold temperatures north of Anchorage Alaska. According to the NTSB, the chopper was carrying state Department of Administration technicians who were working on radio site maintenance and the pilot and the three passengers were killed.
The B2 Aerostar 352 went down in heavy snow on Tuesday and the bad weather prevented an immediate air search. On Wednesday morning a state trooper helicopter spotted the wreckage and Air National Guard jumpers rescued the 14 year old. Frieda wonders why a young boy was on board a government task oriented flight in the first place - is that allowed?
Congo Plane Crash Kills 21
Category: Plane Crashes
On Tuesday, April 15, a McDonald Douglass DC-9 crashed into a market district in the city of Goma. At least 21 people were killed in the crash - far less than the initial 79 reported fatalities - but all 21 are believed to be killed on the ground when the jet failed to lift off.
The Congo has one of the world's worst air safety records - the worst offender in the air accident rate in Africa which is six times worse than the rest of the world. The European Commission has banned all operations of Hewa Bora Airways due to concerns over the carrier's safety standards. The airlines was allowed to operate a single aircraft under special arrangements, but this has been withdrawn. Hewa Bora joins eight other airlines fully banned in the European Union.
Hewa Bora airlines was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Barumba, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Canadian Company Loses 5 More In Plane Crash
Category: Plane Crashes
Needless to say, family-owned A.D. Williams Engineering is in shock after losing 5 more of it's employees in a plane crash on Friday - 5 months to the day after losing two others in a plane crash. On Friday, four men and one woman were killed when their Piper Malibu 46 went down 140 miles SE of Edmonton, Alberta, on their way to a meeting in Winnipeg. It is reported Reagan Williams, the president was killed along with the company's CFO, another company official, and two contractors.
The founder of the company, Allen Williams, Reagan Williams' father, was killed on October 28, 2007, when his Cessna 172 crashed in British Columbia. This story made headlines because, although Mr. Williams and the company's CFO died, his 3 year old granddaughter, Reagan's niece, survived and was found hanging upside down in her car seat, which her grandfather had secured inside the plane - some called her the "miracle baby".
The NTSB said the aircraft was experiencing difficulty and was erratic before it disappeared. There is some speculation the plane began to break up before it went down because a piece of wing was found over 3 miles from the crash site.
After being devastated in October when the company lost it's founder and chairman, it pulled together to get on its feet and now it is faced with another tragedy.
Plane Crashes in Montana Snow - Pilot Sends Life Saving Text Message
Category: Plane Crashes
An 18 year old student pilot probably saved his life by sending a text message which stated, "I've crashed and I am alive," then he made a phone call to let authorities he was with the plane, he was cold, and had a sore shoulder. It's understandable he was cold because he not only spent the night in temperatures close to zero, he then hiked about a mile in waist-deep snow, wearing shorts and tennis shoes. A doctor at the St. Vincent Healthcare emergency department stated he was "absolutely amazed" at how well the youth endured the crash. "He is an extremely fortunate young man", the doctor went on to say. Frieda agrees - wearing only shorts while flying over such terrain should not be permitted. While teaching these kids to fly, they should also teach them to carry proper survival gear in case of a crash. This young man was able to "keep his wits about him" and survived.
The pilot was on a training flight to Powell, Wyoming when his single engine plane crashed in the Pryor Mountains about 40 miles south of Billings and about an hour after he took off from Billings. The pilot is a student at Rocky Mountain College where student flights were canceled again on Thursday, but classes and simulator fights continued.
He was released after being treated for frostbite, cuts, and a bruised kidney. He was an extremely fortunate young man, indeed.
Plane Blows Four Tires On Landing
Category: Aviation News
Frieda just reported a jetliner had to abort its take-off because it blew four tires going down the runway - now we hear of a jetliner blowing all four as it landed. What's going on with airline tires? One comment on an AP blog site asked, "Are they Firestone?" Frieda doesn't know the where airlines purchase their tires or who makes them, but it sure is odd this happened twice within a week and to blow all four at one time - that would seem peculiar within itself. The airlines is investigating the incident and no cause has been given at this time.
A Continental Airlines' jet flight 205, traveling from Oklahoma City and carrying 133 passengers and 5 crew members, blew four tires as it landed in Houston. The passengers had to be taken by bus to the gates and no injuries were reported. One passenger reported an uneventful flight until landing when there was a "bang" and the plane started drifting and shaking badly. According to a news report this lasted about a minute. Due to a fire neat the engines, there was foam all around the plane when the passengers deplaned.
What did the passengers received for their experience?
A ticket for a free drink - a $5 value.
Flight School Relinquishes License
Amid lots of controversy and accusations, Kemper Aviation has voluntarily surrendered its certificate to teach students. The company has had three fatal crashes in less than six months, the latest one being earlier this month when a plane piloted by the Aviation school's co-owner, stalled and crashed killing all on board including two students and one university researcher. A preliminary report stated the plane was overweight by a considerable amount and was flying too low and too slow.
Florida has 66 flight schools and Kemper has the worst safety record of them all since 2003. This makes one wonder why - if the students checked out Kemper and found this to be true - they would continue to use this flying school and why the owners did nothing to change their standing. Flying a plane (Cessna 172S) which is overloaded by 300 pounds is an accident waiting to happen - and it did - killing four people.
Pilot Suspended After Gunshot in Cockpit
Category: Aviation Safety
The first incident in the history of the Federal Flight Deck Officer program which has trained thousands of pilots to carry weapons as an increase in aviation safety has suspended a US Airways pilot. On Saturday a handgun discharged in the cockpit when the plane was approaching Charlotte, N. C. at about 8,000 feet on a flight that originated in Denver - no one was injured in the incident. The bullet from the H&K USP .40 caliber gun luckily avoided crucial wiring and instruments when it lodged in the left side of the fuselage.
The TSA would not give details on how the incident happened and is investigating if the pilot was handling the gun according to policy. The FFDO program is overseen by the Federal Air Marshal Service which stated through spokesman, Greg Alter, that studies have made it clear that damage from the gun's rounds "would in no way threaten the integrity of the aircraft." US Airways stated the pilot is "offline" pending the results of the investigation.
The question to be answered is what is the possibility of an incident such as this seriously "threatening the integrity of the aircraft". Would increasing air marshals be a safer way to travel? (see previous article in this column)
Fewer Air Marshals On Flights?
Category: Aviation Safety
According to a CNN report less than 1% of our U.S. commercial flights are protected by armed federal air marshals - that's about 280 flights out of 28,000 per day. Now, Frieda has several questions. This action seemed necessary after 9/11 and perhaps it's been successful - so why stop now - why let down our guard - and why on earth are we letting this information out so our enemies know we have become ineffective or worse - complacent? At least the news didn't report which flights were guarded, so there may still be some element of surprise.
747 Blows Four Tires in LAX
Category: Airline Travel
We think we have a problem when we have one flat tire on our car - an inconvenience perhaps - all we do is pull out the jack and change the one tire (after possibly having to clear out the trunk - sometimes a major inconvenience). Well, what if you blow four tires on a "vehicle" that's 231 feet long and weighs at least 400,000 lbs - and instead of having to merely clean out the trunk to find the jack, you have remove 232 people who were along for the ride and all their luggage?
This is exactly what happened on Tuesday to Qantas Flight 12 heading to Sydney, Australia, from LAX. The flight was aborted when the pilot noticed the warning light go off as he was attempting takeoff in the Boeing 747-400. No one was hurt, flight operations at the airport were not affected, and the passengers were taken to a hotel until a later flight could be found for them. An uneventful ending to a relatively rare occurrence - and a blessing it happened on takeoff and not on landing in Sydney.
NC Helicopter Crash Preliminary Report
Category: Helicopter Crashes
The helicopter crash that killed a Wilmington, N.C. fire captain is under investigation. The chopper crashed shortly after take off and several witnesses report seeing the aircraft in trouble. "Spinning in the air", "it was coming down, crashed and exploded into flames", and "it sounded like the engine blew up" were some of the eyewitness description of the crash. The helicopter was a Robinson R22 built in 2000.
The pilot - a 17 year veteran of the Wilmington Fire Department - was off duty when the crash occurred. The FAA, NTSB, Robinson Helicopter, and Lycoming (the engine manufacturer), and the N.C. State Highway Patrol are all part of the investigation that has been able to locate all parts of the helicopter which have been moved to an undisclosed location for further study. Although it will be months before a final cause will be released by the NTSB, a preliminary report has been released. The investigation will look at three main area of concern - the possibility of pilot error, the functionality of the aircraft, and the weather at the time of the crash. There was initial speculation by a friend of the pilot stating this was a case of engine failure - which in a R22, "the pilot has about 1 -2 seconds to push a lever that drops the pitch of the blades or the helicopter will drop like a rock from the sky". There was also speculation of a malfunction of the tail rotor.
Neither the FAA nor the NTSB would not speculate on the cause at the time of the crash. However, in a report released on March 22, the NTSB's preliminary report states the pilot was trying to make a forced landing but because he was missing sections of rotor blades a safe landing was impossible. Witnesses state parts of the helicopter began to fly off the Robinson 22 as it was going down - these blades were later found in an adjacent field.
NTSB Releases Preliminary Report on Plane Crash
Category: Plane Crashes
The Cessna 172S crash that killed three Florida State Atlantic University researchers on March 13, may have been flying too low, too slow and too overloaded, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The pilot was co-owner of Kemper Aviation and had almost 3,000 hours of flying experience - so why did a supposedly knowledgeable pilot take off in a plane carrying 1,138 pounds when it is designed to carry only 860 pounds?
According to witnesses, the plane made several passes before the "nose dropped and the tail went straight up" before the plane spun into the ground. Apparently the pilot had tried to recover by giving the engine more fuel - the throttle was at the highest power setting when the inspectors found the wreckage.
All operations have been suspended by the school and the FAA is investigating the company's operations and maintenance procedures. This Cessna had it's engine overhauled in December during the last maintenance update. An overhauled engine would not compensate for almost 300 pounds of excess weight.
Flight School Under Investigation After Plane Crashes
Category: Plane Crashes
The Cessna 172 Shyhawk went down in a field last week killing a Nova Scotia ornithologist and three other men. As sad as this is, it is the third crash for the flight school since October that has killed eight people. U.S. politicians want Kemper Aviation shut down, but Akerman's father is not so sure this is the right way to proceed. Stating, "I am not one of those that wants to blame people and point fingers", he wants more information about the crash that killed his son. Killed with Akerman was the pilot - one of the company's co-owners and two graduate students. The younger Akerman was on contract with Florida Atlantic University to research migratory birds and ornithologists have to follow the birds.
"As I understand it, the university chartered that company because it would make those kinds of flights," Jeremy Akerman said. "And those kinds of flights are, by their very nature, very risky because you have to fly at low altitudes and you have to make very, very sharp turns, which is always a risky business."
However, a former inspector general for the U. S. Transportation Department says Kemper should have been shut down long ago - the crashes were so preventable with warning signs everywhere, and the number of crashes Kemper has had is "astronomical" according to this source. The company trained two of the 9-11 hijackers - a fact that has nothing to do with safety standards and the investigation into the latest crash.
Plane Crash Raises Airstrip Location Safety Questions
Category: Plane Crashes
A well-known Charlotte business man was killed Thursday morning when his plane crashed dangerously close to houses in Weddington, N.C. The pilot planned his landing to be at a private airstrip but crashed in a residential backyard - just short of the runway. Frieda wonders why in the world a runway is that close to homes & children. It makes no difference which came first - the runway or the houses - this should not be allowed. Although freak accidents can happen anywhere, there should be a perimeter around the airstrip within which absolutely nothing can be built.
The NTSB will be spending the next few days trying to determine why this plane crashed. The homeowners, although saddened by the pilot's death, are terrified and worried about their own safety and feel very blessed none of the houses were hit during the crash. According to the NTSB, runways located in subdivisions are getting more and more popular - they're called "flying communities". Flying your private plane into these "flying communities" is just like driving your car into your neighborhood and parking in your garage - in fact, most of the planes have their own garage.
Okay, they are getting more popular, some neighbors apparently purchase their homes in these "flying communities" for the convenience of being close to their planes - but what about safety? Are there zoning commissions or something that can protect people from their own hazardous indulgencies?