Helicopter and Plane Crash Lawyer
Plane Crashes
Five Americans Killed in Plane Crash in Guatemala
Category: Plane Crashes
Five Americans were among the ten people killed on Sunday when their single-engine plane crashed in Guatemala. They were all on a humanitarian mission to help the people of Guatemala. One family from Wisconsin was on their way to help build houses for a village close to the Caribbean coast as part of CHOICE Humanitarian, a group based in Utah. The daughter survived with only cuts and bruises, her mother is badly burned, but her brother and father were killed in the crash.
She told reporters that about 10 minutes before the crash, the engine of the Cessna Caravan just stopped and the plane coasted. "We tried hard to land in a field but we overshot." The pilot did call in with engine trouble about 45 minutes before crashing.
The plane was operated by Aero Ruta Maya airlines.
Another Spanair MD-82 Forced to Land
Category: Plane Crashes
On Sunday, August 24, another Spanair MD-82 jet had to make an unscheduled landing because of problems with one of its turbines. Flight JK565, with 141 passengers on board, was only an hour into the flight from from Barcelona to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands when it was diverted to Malaga for the landing. The flight was then cancelled - Spanair claims this was not an emergency landing. Whether or not it was an emergency would raise questions as to the flying readiness of Spanair's aircraft especially after the Wednesday deadly crash that killed 154 people. Whatever the reason, Spanair officials were cautious in landing the plane and protected not only the airline but the 141 passengers who are grateful they are safe and who enjoyed a night's stay in a local hotel, courtesy of the airline.
So far only 55 of those who perished in the earlier plane crash have been identified and authorities are waiting on DNA tests on the rest.
World's Deadliest Plane Crashes on Takeoff
Category: Plane Crashes
The deadly plane crash in Madrid this week is the country's worst since Dec. 7, 1983, when a jet liner got lost in fog and taxied into a Boeing 727 and killed 93 people. The deadliest takeoff crash in history occurred March, 1977, when a KLM 747 crashed into a Pan Am 747 on the runway in the Canary Islands, killing 583.
Since 1977, there have been only 15 others including the latest one in Spain. Now, I know what you're thinking - ONLY 15!, but wait a minute. . .that's 16 listed as the deadliest takeoff crashes by MSNBC out of thousands & thousands of takeoffs everyday - multiply that x365 days a year x31 years. Just a reminder we hear about the tragedies, but not the successful takeoff taking place all over the world everyday. That said, Frieda is giving you the list of the others.
After the KLM crash in 1977, came an American Airlines DC-10 crash in May of 1979 after an engine fell off at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, killing 273.
Then came:
Nov. 28, 1979 - Air New Zealand DC-10 crashed into Mt. Erebus, 257 dead.
May 9, 1987 - Polish IL-62M crashes into a forest near Warsaw, Poland, 183 dead.
Aug. 16, 1987 - Northwest Airlines MD-82 crashed at Detroit airport, killing at least 156.
Jan. 30, 2000 - At least 169 die when Kenya Airways Airbus A310 crashes into the Atlantic, 10 survived.
July 25, 2000 - World's first Concorde crash occurred when an Air France Concorde crashed into hotel after taking off from Paris.
Oct. 8, 2001 - At least 118 died when a Cessna 525A collided with a SAS MD-87 in heavy fog in Italy.
Nov. 12, 2001 - American Airlines Airbus A300 crashes into the ground at JFK killing at least 265.
May 4, 2002 - EAS Airlines BAC1-11 crashed into a crowd of people in Nigeria, killing 154 from the plane and on the ground.
July 8, 2003 - A Sudan Airways Boeing 737-200 crash kills 115.
Jan. 3, 2004 - Flash Airlines Boeing 737-300 kills at least 148 when it crashed into the Red Sea off Egypt.
Sept. 5, 2005 - Mandala Airlines Boeing 737-200 crashed in Indonesia, killing 145.
May 5, 2007 - A Kenya Airways Boeing 737-800 crash kills 114.
Frieda hopes with all her heart one day with all the new technology being developed and the public insisting on the safest air travel possible, airline crashes will be almost non existent - until that time, we know the odds are still on our side.
Madrid Jet Overheating Before Crash
Category: Plane Crashes
An air intake valve in the front of the plane under the cockpit was found to be overheating before the jetliner's first attempted takeoff - remember the hour delay in takeoff. One way to fix the problem is to allow the technicians to "de-energize" the probe - - or in layman's terms "turn the probe off". Once this was done the plane was cleared for it's second takeoff attempt - the one ending in a deadly fiery plane crash. Spanair spokesman, Mr. Mendoza, stated the intake valve "is not on the list of equipment that has to be functional for a plane to take off . . .turning off such a device in these circumstances is an acceptable procedure. . .the plane was eventually cleared by company technicians." Were they not concerned at all about what was causing the overheating? If something is overheating, there is a reason, and for the 153 people including 17 small children and 2 babies who went to their fiery deaths, it is so so sad another choice was not made in this situation. Obviously the old saying "where's there's smoke, there's fire" holds true - in this case, "where there's heat, there will be a fire".
The cause of the crash is not known, black boxes have been recovered (one is damaged), and experienced pilots state that even without the probe working, "the plane would not fail to the point of causing a tragedy." El Pais, the Spanish newspaper said one of the engines failed and may have caught fire during takeoff.
This is, of course, all speculative until the investigators release their findings. However, Spanair has confirmed another MD-82 had to make and emergency landing on Saturday due to problems with both engines.
One Spanish couple missed the flight because they were 3 minutes late checking in. They were two of the lucky ones.
MD-80 Series Involved In 11 Serious Plane Crashes
Category: Plane Crashes
Last year American Airlines was ordered by the FAA to ground its fleet of the MD-80 series aircraft - all 300 of them in order to inspect a hydraulic wing. Only two of the fatal crashes for this plane have been attributed to something other than a failing of the aircraft itself - one caused by an air traffic control misunderstanding and the other, a passenger lit a fire on the aircraft.
In November of last year, 54 people were killed in a plane crash in Turkey - the cause is unknown. In September, a plane crashed in Thailand while trying to land in a heavy rain. In 2000, 88 people died in an Alaska Airlines crash which was blamed on poor maintenance of the aircraft. Then there was the crash in which the American Airlines pilot overshot the runway in bad weather and the one in Detroit caused by the crew's failing to carry out standard safety procedures.
None of the crashes seem to be the fault of the aircraft itself and with nine crashes in 20 million flights, the MD-80 series is still considered among the safest in the sky.
The MD-80 series aircraft is the second most popular commercial jet aircraft in the U.S. - Boeing 737 ranks first. Travel agents have reported the questions from passengers on the type of plane being used for their travel have increased although many don't makes changes to their plans. The fact the MD-80's fatal crashes have not been caused by reoccurring problems physical problems with the aircraft is good news.
In 2000, it was reported the horizontal stabilizer is the focus of the investigation of the Alaska Airline's crash and some believe pilots concerned about this are overheating the motors of the stabilizers by repeatedly testing them before takeoff. On December 10, 2002, the NTSB released its findings of the crash, once again showing there was not a generic fault with the aircraft itself.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was a loss of airplane pitch control resulting from the in-flight failure of the horizontal stabilizer trim system jackscrew assembly's acme nut threads. The thread failure was caused by excessive wear resulting from Alaska Airlines' insufficient lubrication of the jackscrew assembly.
"It's a short-haul workhorse, similar to the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320," said a pilot. "Overall its safety record is similar other mainstream aircraft."
John Strickland, an airline transport consultant, added: "It's been manufactured from the early 80s to the end of the 90s and is well regarded around the world with a very good reputation for reliability."
With comments like this, it seems we'll see the MD-80 series around for quite sometime.
Deadly Madrid Plane Crash
Category: Plane Crashes
It's surprising there were any survivors in a Spanish airliner crash earlier today at Spain's busiest airport - Madrid's Barajas. Spanair Flight JK5022, headed for the Canary Islands, sped off the runway, crashed, burned, and broke into pieces. This is in the height of the European summer vacation season and 175 people were on their way to a wonderful vacation off the coast of West Africa when disaster struck, only 26 people were reported to have survived.
The cause of the crash is not yet known, but we do know the flight was delayed an hour due to technical difficulties. Finally it was able to lift off a fraction before crashing near the end of the runway. Whether the technical problems played some part in the deadly plane crash is questionable. It is reported the bodies were so hot police and rescue could barely touch them and the wreckage looked nothing like a plane.
A survivor of the crash, said there was a loud explosion as the plane was taking off and they could see the fire. ". . .and then it was not even a minute or so they heard (something) blow up". A reporter from Spain's ABC newspaper stated, "They were landing, like, little by little -- it was not like they (fell) down suddenly".
The plane was a Boeing and according to a Boeing spokesman, "We stand ready to provide technical assistance", and will send at least on person to help in the investigation once they receive an invitation from Spanish authorities. The U. S. NTSB is also sending an investigation team to Madrid because the aircraft is an American made McDonnell Douglas MD-82.
This was the first fatal accident at the airport - which handles 40 million passengers a year - since December 1983, when two Spanish airliners collided while taxing for takeoff, killing 93 people.
Air Force Jet Crashes
Category: Plane Crashes
At this time the fate of two pilots who crashed in the U.S. Air Force F-15D Eagle jet is not known. The jet was assigned to the 65th Aggressor Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base when the crash occurred about 11:30 Wednesday morning. The jet was taking part in an Exercise Red Flag combat training mission
Started in 1975 by General Robert Dillon (commander of Tactical Air Command) to better prepare our forces for combat, Red Flag is a realistic combat training exercise involving the air forces of the U.S. and our allies and is conducted on the huge bombing/gunnery ranges at Nellis AFB, Nevada. All four of our military services and their Guard/Reserve components participate in to Red Flag exercises each year. Air forces of other countries participate in one or more designated coalition exercises annually. As of 2004, Red Flag has provided training for over 400,000 military personnel and over 600,000 hours of flying time.
Seventy- Seven Year Old Killed in Plane Crash
Category: Plane Crashes
This short blog is not so much about aviation as it is the human spirit and Frieda thought it was worth mentioning. It's the all too frequent story about a small single engine plane crashing and killing the pilot, cause unknown. In this instance it was a 77 year old man who crashed southwest of Chicago.
Mr. Johnson loved everything about flying - it was his life long dream to get his pilot's license. So, Mr. Johnson waited until after his three children were grown to take flying lessons and once he got his pilot's license, he made use of his it every chance he had by renting planes for recreational use at a local airfield. So you ask, what's so unusual about this story? It's the fact Mr. Johnson didn't let his dream die - he achieved his dream of getting his pilot's license two-and-a- half years ago at the age of 75!
Thank you, Mr. Johnson for reminding us it's never too late to go after one's dreams.
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.
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.
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?
Taskforce In Place Following Plane Crashes In California
Category: Plane Crashes
Thirteen people have died in six plane crashes in the area so far this year. Following two fatal incidents within a month - a midair collision that killed five and a crash that killed three - the mayor of Corona, CA. formed an Airport Safety Taskforce to assess the safety of Corona's Municipal Airport. The taskforce, made up of nine members including pilots and city and business leaders, met for the first time this week. The first meeting concentrated on the airport's flight pattern and the measures in place not to make sure all pilots follow it. The panel will meet twice a month, have a presentation about the airport by the FAA in March, and release its findings in June.
Corona Municipal Airport is unique in that it has a FAA code of AJO, but no IATA code (International Air Transport Association) - most U.S. airports use the same three letter location identifier code for both. It serves Riverside County, California, and is a public airport which has about 158,000 aircraft operations a year (up from 68,000 in 2004) - all general aviation. The airport has come under criticism lately because it has no operating control tower.
Number of General Aviation Plane Crashes High
Category: Plane Crashes
California areas of San Bernardino and Riverside counties have had six plane crashes with 13 deaths in the first eight weeks of 2008. That's a lot - especially to the families and loved ones of those who perished.
It is expected pilot error will be involved, since has been a contributing factor in 85 percent of all general aviation plane accidents in the last decades. The reason is that private pilots don't have the flight hours commercial pilots have therefore they lack the experience. While commercial pilots fly about 75 hours a month, private pilots fly about 100 hours a year - some only 40-50 hours.
When pilots don't fly often, they are more apt to make a mistake which can be deadly. Also a lot of the privately and municipally owned airports don't qualify for a federally staffed control tower - although this is not a magical solution. There is not much the guys in the towers can do when there is a mechanical problem, emergency, or when the pilot doesn't do what he is supposed to do like turn the heater on that keeps ice off the carburetor during landings.
In recent decades the number of plane crashes has dropped from about 4,000 to 1,500 per year but the accident and death rate per 100,000 flight hours have not dropped accordingly. Is there an answer to this? Should private pilots have more required hours - or perhaps not be allowed to fly without a refresher flight with an instructor if he hasn't flown within a certain time period? Frieda doesn't know the answer, but she's saddened by all the general aviation incidents, crashes, and deaths that flood the aviation airways.
Lufthansa Incident in Hamburg
Category: Plane Crashes
During a landing attempt in a brutal winter storm in Hamburg, Germany, a Luftansa Airlines Airbus A320 scraped its wing on the ground. Video of the incident shows the aircraft teetering as it tried to land - "just as we were about to land, a gust of wind pressed the left wing towards the ground" stated a Luftansa pilot.
The plane pulled up immediately and landed successfully on the next time around. There were no injuries and no structural damage to the plane which is already back in service - the damage was to the left winglet and minimal.
Frieda questions why the plane attempted landing in such bad treacherous weather. All involved are very lucky there were serious injuries.
Runway Incursions Continue
Category: Plane Crashes
Dulles International Airport was the scene Sunday of another runway incursion. Around 6 p.m. two United Airlines jets, an Airbus 319 with 92 passengers and an Embracer 170 carrying 66 passengers, touched wings on the taxiway as they were preparing for departure. No one was injured in the mishap but air traffic was halted while emergency crews investigated and pried the aircrafts apart. The Airbus passengers were transferred to a twin engine Airbus 320 to complete their travel plans to Albuquerque, but the passengers on the Embracer were taken off the aircraft and would have to complete their travels on Monday. United Airlines representative, Jeff Kovick, stated, "Safety is our No. 1 priority. We will assist in the investigation into this incident".
A week ago, two US Airways planes were evacuated at Reagan National Airport when the wings of an Airbus A319 and an Express regional jet clipped as they were waiting their turn for takeoff. The Express jet, carrying 21 passengers, was taxing toward the runway when its wing clipped the wing of the Airbus and was lodged there. All 63 passengers were taken by buses to the terminal where they were booked on later flights.
We are so fortunate no one was injured in these two incursions - how long will our "luck" hold out? When will something be done to avoid a major tragedy?
Stealth Bomber Crashes
Category: Plane Crashes
It is the first crash of the $1.2 billion B-2 bomber since taking it's first flight in 1989 and it happened on Saturday at Andersen Air Force Base on the island of Guam. Both pilots ejected and are in good condition.
There are 21 stealth bombers and all are based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, but several have been rotating through Guam since 2004 - along with B-1 and B-52 bombers - to boost the U.S. security presence in the Asian-Pacific. The bomber was one of three taking off on their last flight out of Guam after a four month deployment, when it crashed shortly after take off. The one B-2 that had taken off prior to the crash was brought back and all were being kept at the Air Force Base.
The B-2 is an "multi-role bomber" and has been used in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Because of its blend of stealth technology and highly efficient aerodynamics, it is able to deliver large payloads at great distances.
Stealth technology is also known as LOT (Low Observability Technology) and it's goal is to make aircraft, ships, and missiles invisible to radar infrared and other detection measures. With the stealth bomber this is done in two ways: 1) shape the airplane so radar signals are reflected and 2) have the airplane absorb radar signals. Most airplanes with their round shape are great aerodynamically, but are also a great radar reflectors - meaning that no matter where the radar signal hits the plane, the signal bounces back to its source. However, the stealth design, with its all flat surfaces and very sharp edges, radar signals are reflected away from the aircraft at an angle and not back to the source of the signal. Secondly, the stealth is treated so they absorb radar energy - thus giving off a radar signature of a small bird. The only time these two techniques don't work for the bomber is when it banks - there will be a moment when a panel will perfectly reflect the radar signal back to its source.
A board of officers will investigate the crash.
No Survivors In Venezuelan Plane Crash
Category: Plane Crashes
On Thursday, a plane carrying 43 passengers and 3 crew members disappeared about 400 miles southwest of Caracas, Venezuela. The plane has departed from Merida Airport for what was to be an hour and 45 minute flight, but was reported missing about 30 minutes into the flight. The plane, a twin engine French made ATR 42-300, was owned by Santa Barbara airlines. which covers domestic routes in Venezuela. The ATR 42 is a twin turboprop, short-haul regional airliner built in Italy as well as France. The name "42" comes from the seating on the plane which can vary from 40 to 50. The "42" made its maiden flight in 1984 and is currently used worldwide,
When rescue helicopters found the wreckage, they reported it looks as though it was a direct impact - calling the aircraft "pulverized". The rough terrain of the Andes Mountains and bad weather will hinder recovery efforts. There were no survivors and no word on what could have caused the plane crash.
F-15 Pilot Dies After Mid-Air Plane Crash
Category: Plane Crashes
Just a little over a month after almost all F-15 A- D jets were allowed back in service after the crash of an F-15C during a training flight in November, there is more sad news for the F-15C. While in a routine training sorte, two single-seat F-15C Eagles collided and crashed off the coast of Florida into the Gulf of Mexico during a training mission.
Both pilots ejected and were found by the coast guard about 3 hours after receiving the pilots' distress calls. The first pilot spotted was rescued by a local fishing boat and he was able to help locate the second pilot who did not survive the crash. The surviving pilot is in good condition at Elgin Air Force Base Hospital.
A "board of officers" will conduct the investigation to determine why the pilots weren't flying according to the general rule of 500 feet apart during training missions.
Second Lancair Plane Crashes in Portland
Category: Plane Crashes
A dermatologist was killed when the Lancair Columbia 400 single engine plane he was piloting crashed and caught fire at Portland International Airport on February 16 en route from Klamath Falls to Portland. The pilot was a former director of the Flying Physicians Association and an experienced pilot. Conditions at the time to the crash was foggy with visibility at a quarter mile or less, but it is not yet known if the weather was a factor in the deadly crash.
The Columbia 400, is a factory model of a kit airplane designed by Lancair International Inc and produced by Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Co. The Columbia 400 is now shown on Cessna's Web site because the maker of Cessna, Textron, Inc, purchased Columbia last year.
The first Lancair plane to crash this month was a Lancair ES - a kit airplane, assembled by the purchaser which crashed on February 8th.. In that crash, all three men on board were killed when the plane went into an out of control spin and hit the ground - it was en route to Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Both crashes are under investigation.
Plane Crashes in Minnesota En Route to Missouri
Category: Plane Crashes
A 54 year old man from Sanger, Texas, bought a 1948 Cessna 140 in Wisconsin on Friday, February 8, and was flying solo to Fulton, Missouri - planning a stop in Iowa. A little after midnight the pilot lost contact with the airport in Rochester, Minnesota. His family called authorities when he was overdue and the search began around 2 o'clock in the morning.
The following morning a father and son went out to feed horses on a relative's farm in Grand Meadow, Minnesota - just like any other morning. After feeding the horses, the two men turned the horses outside - it was then they noticed an unusual large snow covered mound in the distance. Although they thought it strange, they didn't investigate, instead they went inside to visit with their family, but when they were ready to return home around 9 am, they thought it best to ride a couple of horses out to check out the unusual sight. As they approached the snow covered mound, they realized it was a small airplane - they had found the Cessna 140 and it's pilot - sadly, hours too late. A business card inside his wallet identified him as a pilot for American Airlines.
The FAA is investigating the plane crash.
Harrier Crashes In North Carolina
Category: Plane Crashes
The pilot, stationed at Cherry Point, was able to eject to safety before the AV-8B Harrier he was flying lost power and crashed east of Beaufort on February 13. The Harrier was one of three on a training flight when the reported laboring plane struck the ground nose-down before catching fire. The Harrier is a British made "jump jet" - meaning it is capable of vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) as well as forward flight when it functions as a typical fixed-winged aircraft.. It's used primarily by the US Marine Corps and the Spanish and Italian Navies. Although it is one of the most flexible aircraft ever made, it takes a high level of skill to fly - requiring skills more usually associated with helicopters than airplanes.
At this time there is no preliminary information on what could have caused the aircraft to lose engine power - the investigation is expected to take months.
Plane Crash Site Found in California
Category: Plane Crashes
Four people flew from Chino Airport to have lunch together at Bermuda Dunes Airport on February 2 - that was the last day they were seen. Searchers have been looking for the plane since it disappeared about 6 miles east of Banning and say the loss of radar contact is not usual in that area because of the topography of the San Gorgonio Pass (aka Banning Pass) which cuts between the Dan Bernardino Mountains on the north and the San Jacinto Mountains on the south and is one of the deepest passes in the 48 contiguous states.
On Saturday, February 9, the searchers found wreckage of the four seat Cessna 340A in an area that's become known as being a "magnet" for plane crashes and on Sunday after taking more than three hours to reach the debris they found remains from at least one of the people on board the plane. The debris was scattered over more than 300 square yards and was at an elevation of 4,000+ feet. Melting snow which created muddy conditions hampered the search teams. The search will continue in hopes of finding the bodies of all four people who lost their lives on February 2 returning from having lunch together.
Oregon Plane Crash Kills Three
Category: Plane Crashes
Apparently all three men were killed instantly when their small plane crashed into a cornfield in Western Oregon on Friday. There were no indications the plane tried to land - witnesses reported hearing the plane engine sputter and then saw it go into an out of control spin and hit the ground. A local meteorologist said flying conditions were not good that day and the pilot could have been maneuvering through rain and snow that might have put a layer of ice on the plane's wings
The plane, a home built four-seat Lancair ES which is classified as a low wing experimental aircraft, disappeared from radar about 20 minutes after taking off from Salem around 10:00 am. en route to a hunting convention in Utah. FAA and NTSB investigators are at the scene of the crash.
CEO of Lancair International Inc. in Redmond, stated the ES, a "kit" plane which is put together by the purchaser, is about 25 feet long and has a 38 foot wingspan. According to Mr. Bartels, it is a popular and reliable model which has bee sold since 1993. Tim Ong, the company's GM, states out of a couple hundred of this model that have been sold, he believes this is the second fatality.
"It's got an extremely good safety record," Ong said.
Military Plane Crash In Poland
Category: Plane Crashes
Rescue workers are still looking for the "black box" in hopes of finding out what went terribly wrong in what is described as Poland's worst military disaster. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, this was a "huge loss for the Polish air force".
The plane was carrying four crew members and 16 passengers including a brigadier-general and a colonel who were returning from a flight-safety conference. The plane, a Spanish built CASA C-295M military transport, crashed and burst into flames in a forested area in northwestern Poland after clipping some trees on approach to the military airstrip.
The plane, piloted by "very good, experienced pilots" had landed at two other airstrips before the crash occurred and had not reported anything being wrong nor was there any other indication something bad may happen. All was routine - until disaster happened.
"Soldiers, husbands, and fathers have died, and that is the most tragic result of this catastrophe."
Number of Plane Crashes Down in 2007
Category: Plane Crashes
While preliminary estimates by the International Civil Aviation Organization show air travel increased by more that 3% in 2007, the Aircraft Crashes Record Office (ACRO) in Geneva states there was a 25% drop in deaths due to air crashes - the lowest in 44 years. According to this office, there were 985 deaths in plane crashes in 2007 - from data tracking all aviation accidents in which planes capable of carrying at least six passengers plus the crew are damaged beyond repair. According to the head of ACRO, the U.S. had the most accidents, with Canada being second, but states that since North America accounts for most of the world's air traffic, it would be expected to have the most incidents.
The worst single accident was in July in San Paulo, Brazil, when an Airbus A320 ran off the runway killing 187 on board and 12 on the ground - it is thought the pilot tried to abort the landing. Defining a major accident as a crash that destroys a plane, kills multiple people or kills one person and causes significant damage, the NTSB reports U. S. airlines did not have a single passenger fatality or major accident last year. The last year there were no major accidents pr fatalities in U. S. aviation was in 1998. In 1996, crashes killed 319 people including 212 passengers on board TWA Flight 800 on July 17. The Boeing 747 plane bound for Paris exploded shortly after takeoff from New York.
Although much remains to be done, safety experts attribute the safety of aviation in recent years to new safety equipment and more closely monitoring flight for early warning signs of danger - attempting to deal with safety problems before they become serious accidents.
Frieda hopes this much attention will be paid to our safety on the runways and with the problems of our air traffic controllers before a disaster of great proportions occurs - great strides need to be taken to heed all "the warning signs of danger" to "deal with the safety problems before they become serious accidents".
Mail Plane Crashes
Category: Plane Crashes
A twin-engine Beechcraft King Air 1900 with only the pilot on board and carrying about 4,200 pounds of U.S. mail crashed in rough seas a few miles from Lihu'e Airport on Monday, January 14. The Coast Guard, which reported winds of nearly 30 mph and 15 foot waves at the time of the crash, are searching a compact debris field - which indicates a violent impact - to recover the pilot, but due to the conditions, it is doubtful he survived the crash.
The wreckage was not found for four hours - a rescue delayed partly due to the fact the plane was reported to have landed safely. Attempts to find the missing plane were hindered by the early morning hour of 5 a.m. when the plane is believed to have disappeared from radar and the fact it was flying only 100 feet above the ocean when the normal altitude would be 1,500 feet. This was a routine mail cargo flight between Honolulu and Kaua'i which usually takes about 30 minutes. The plane was tracked at the first part of the flight by the FAA station at Honolulu, but because the control tower at Lihu'e doesn't open until 6 a.m., the pilot was told to make a visual approach to the field and to follow an Aloha Airlines Boeing 737 flying ahead of him, then to contact the FAA when he landed. It was at this time Honolulu followed standard procedure and stopped tracking the plane by radar. Efforts by the FAA to contact Alpine officials in Honolulu and Utah when the pilot didn't contact them on landing, failed because no one answered the phones. The mistaken safe landing report happened when the FAA contacted the pilot of the Boeing 737 to inquire if the mail cargo plane had landed - the pilot mistook another Beechcraft King for the Alpine Air cargo plane and reported it had landed safely. It was only when Alpine notified the FAA the plane was missing the Coast Guard was called and the search began - debris from the crash was found about two hours later just before 9 a.m.
The plane was owned by Alpine Air, headquartered in Provo, Utah, which is subcontracted by Postal Service contractor Corporate Air to fly mail to several destinations in Hawaii. According to a Postal Service spokesman, some of the mail was recovered - 45 bags which are not waterproof - and will be delivered if the mail is salvageable.
The FAA and the NTSB are examining the debris to determine the cause of the plane crash.
Illinois Plane Crash Leaves 3 Dead
Category: Plane Crashes
A single engine four seat Beechcraft was on it's final approach when it crashed in Sangamon County, Ill. on Thursday. The plane was seen doing loops in the air - witnesses assumed it was in trouble rather than doing stunts for entertainment - then they heard the crash. The crash coincided with reports from the control tower a plane had disappeared from radar.
When emergency crews reached the crash site, the plane and it's propellers were submerged in mud and they were unable to remove the wreckage. Since the crash didn't cause a fire or other secondary damage, it appears the three men on board were killed on impact.
The FAA is investigating the crash including who owned the plane, it's final destination, and expects the investigation to take several months to complete.
Restaurant Owner Dies in N.C. Plane Crash
Category: Plane Crashes
The co-owner of the popular fine-dining Mayo's Ristorante in downtown Statesville, N.C. was killed Wednesday morning when his AeroCanard single engine fixed winged crashed into a wooded area at the end of the runway as he was attempting to take off. The pilot, a certified private pilot, died on impact in his home-built experimental aircraft which was the type that is manufactured from a kit.
Witnesses stated they knew the pilot was in trouble when they saw the plane flying just over the tree line and it appeared the pilot was going to jump out of the small cockpit before the plane slammed nose first into the ground.
This is the second fatal crash in this area since last fall. On October 27, 2006, a small private plane - a Cirrus SR22 single engine with four seats - crashed just short of the Statesville Regional Airport. The pilot and his sister survived, but her husband and their mother perished in the crash. Statesville is less than an hour north of Charlotte, N.C.
The FAA was notified and will be investigating the crash.
Utah Plane Crash Kills Three
Category: Plane Crashes
The cold and rugged terrain of the Black Mountains of Utah is where a Bonanza low-wing, six-seater aircraft ended it's flight on Tuesday night killing all three people on board. Rescue teams could not begin immediately because of the darkness and the treacherous terrain. According to the Iron County Search and Rescue commander: "If this was a rescue mission, we'd have everybody and their dog up, but it's dark and so cold it's not worth risking other people to go up and get the bodies tonight. That's done fairly often in these type of plane crashes."
It seems the plane skipped as it crashed - bouncing at least one time before coming to a stop on a ridge at about 7,000 feet altitude in temperatures in the low double digits. Although the names of the deceased are not being released, it is known the pilot had 40 years experience - he was last heard from around 8:30am when he called to ask for an update on the weather conditions, just an hour before he was scheduled to land at St. George Airport. Search and rescue began looking for the aircraft around 2pm, but it wasn't until about 7:45pm when the Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter found the wreckage.
Planes Collide and Crash in the Everglades
Category: Plane Crashes
About 3 p.m. on Saturday, a Piper aircraft and a Cessna 152 collided in mid-air and crashed into the Everglades. It is believed only the pilot was onboard the Piper but it is not known how many were onboard the Cessna since the pilot did not file a flight plan.
Although rescue efforts were hampered on Sunday due to the mucky waters of the Everglades and the ever present alligators, major sections of the planes were by found floating in the waters by units from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, NTSB, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commision.
Continue reading "Planes Collide and Crash in the Everglades"
Plane Crash in Turkey Kills 56
Category: Plane Crashes
A MD-83 Atlasjet crashed into a rocky mountain shortly before it was to land in Isparta after taking off from Istanbul about an hour earlier. Conversations prior to the crash between the pilot and the control tower did not indicate any trouble with the aircraft which carried 49 passengers and 7 crew members.
Although the cause of the crash isn't known at this time, the airline's chief executive has ruled out technical failure and the weather and visibility were good at the time - stating, "The pilot saw the airport and informed the tower that it was inbound. The plane then disappeared".
This was the first fatal crash since Atlasjet, a private airline, was established in 2001. The governor of Isparta stated the crash site was not on the plane's regular flight route - "it is impossible to understand how the plane " ended up there.
Among the dead, was a 6-week old baby accompanied by his mother and grandmother en route to meet his grandfather for the first time.
Small Plane Crashes In MN - Four Dead
Category: Plane Crashes
Faribault Municipal Airport was the scene at 3 p.m. Sunday of a fiery deadly crash that killed all four on board. Although there were wind gusts up to 20 mph when the Cirrus SR22, registered to Mayo Aviation in Aberdeen, S.D.crashed, it is not certain at this time if the gusts were a factor in the crash. The four seat personal aircraft was equipped with a parachute that deploys from the back of the aircraft, but it was not used in this instance. The aircraft burst into flames and scattered debris across the air field when it crashed causing the airport to shut down for the rest of the night.
Faribault Municipal Airport is a publicly owned airport located roughly 50 miles south of Minneapolis and has an average of 51 operations a day - 87% of those being local general aviation and 12% transient general aviation.
Since 2002, the NTSB reports the SR22 manufactured by Cirrus Design Corp. based in Duluth, has been involved in 17 accidents resulting in 35 deaths. A Cirrus spokesman declined comment until after the FAA investigation is complete.
Experimental Balloon Crashes Killing Two On Board
Category: Plane Crashes
Two members of a group attempting to set a world record endurance and speed record ended died Friday when their experimental helium balloon crashed in Colorado on Friday. Their balloon balloon hit power lines and separated from the basket - the balloon continued on and the basket dropped about 65 feet to the ground. It is unknown if the two men were eletrocuted or died due to the fall. However, one fact is defininety known - the men died doing what they loved.
Co-Founder Uninjured In Plane Crash
Category: Plane Crashes
Ron Joyce, co- founder of Tim Hortons, was uninjured when the Bombardier Global 5000 jet in which he was a passenger crashed during landing last weekend in Canada. According to the Mounties, it seems the wind of the jet hit the runway causing the plane to spin before stopping at the end of the runway. The jet carried eight passengers and two crew members - no injuries were reported from anyone on board.
Tim Hortons is a chain of stores founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario and quickly grew into the largest quick service restaurant chain in Canada specializing in fresh coffee, baked goods, and home-style lunches. In 1995, the company was brought to the United States when it merged with Wendy's International with locations in Michigan and continuing in states mainly in the northeast.
Civil Air Patrol Plane Crashes
Category: Plane Crashes
A Civil Air Patrol plane crashed this week into Mount Potosi in Nevada - the two people on board the Cessna 172 are presumed dead. A Las Vegas police air unit flying in the area found the crash moments after it happened. This CAP plane was the second one the same night that disappeared from radar - the other one, a Beechcraft Bonanza was found to make a successful emergency landing southeast of Jean.
The Civil Air Patrol is defined as a "Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official auxiliary of the U. S. Air Force" and was founded Dec, 1, 1941 to allow private pilots to help in civil defense efforts.
Today, CAP has eight geographical regions with 52 wings - one for each state and offers a variety of services. In emergency situations it aids in ground search and rescue, disaster relief, counter-drug, and is a growing force working with homeland security. In the aerospace arena, the CAP educates its members and the public in aerospace education, supporting around 200 aerospace workshops for teachers at 100 colleges/universities around the country. Through studies and other activities, the CAP Cadet Program inspires our young people to become leaders and good citizens.
It's not known why the Civil Air Patrol was flying in this area southwest of Las Vegas.
Survive A Plane Crash - Sit In The Safest Seat
There has been a long time myth that it doesn't matter where you sit on a airplane - Boeing states "one seat is as safe as the other", FAA states "there's just no way to say", and Airsafe's comment is "there is no safest seat". According to Popular Mechanics, these "expert" opinions are not based on hard data.
P.M. has investigated this question and says, "We're safest in the back of the plane." After nearly 200 passengers died in a Brazilian incident, PM studied 36 years of NTSB findings and seating charts and tells us to move to the back, in fact, the further back we sit, the better our chances - about 40% better. Now, that's an inconvenient concept for travelers who want to be as close to the front as possible - it's quieter, it feels less cramped, and we're off the planes faster if we have to make a connecting flight.
Continue reading "Survive A Plane Crash - Sit In The Safest Seat"
Plane Crash in Reno Kills Pilot
Category: Plane Crashes
The FAA continues to investigate the crash of a single engine experimental plane at Reno's Stead Airport which killed the pilot. Although the pilot has not been officially identified, friends say he was 56 year old experienced pilot, Pat Gleason.
Gleason was licensed as a commercial pilot who could fly single and multiple engine planes and was a flight instructor until 1992. He purchased the F1D experimental single-engine Formula race-style plane manufactured by Kevin Kelly in 2003 after it had won air race competitions. It is believed Gleason was performing aerobatics when he crashed in the plane he named "YEEHAA".
In September three pilots died within four days in plane crashes at the Reno National Championship Air Races.
Helicopter Crashes, Plane Crash Kill 10 in Sao Paulo
Within two hours, three helicopters crashed in or around Sao Paulo, killing three and injuring five. The first helicopter was carrying four people when it crashed into a main thoroughfare killing a woman and child immediately - the pilot died later in a local hospital. About twenty minutes later, a second chopper went down on a golf course, injuring its two passengers. The third helicopter crashed less than two hours later - the three on board survived, but were critically injured.
Sao Paulo is Latin America's biggest and most populous city in the southern hemisphere is located in the southeastern part of Brazil. With a population of over 11,000,000 in just 588 sq, miles, it's usually very "traffic choked" so it's easy to see why using a helicopter is the favored mode of transportation - being known for it's very large helicopter fleet.
These helicopter crashes follow a deadly plane crash on Sunday which killed 8 people and completely destroyed four single family homes in Sao Paulo. The Learjet 35A, owned by Reali Taxi Aereo, crashed into a heavily populated neighborhood not long after taking off from a small airport in Sao Paulo bound for Rio de Janeiro. The cause of the crash is not yet known
Plane Crash Near Reno Kills Pilot
Category: Plane Crashes
Unable to recover from a stall while practicing a maneuver, a plane crashed north of Reno on Friday. Not much is known about the pilot - his skills, flight hours, or background at this time, but they do know he was based at Stead airport. The FAA and NTSB are on the scene investigation the crash site.
This is the area in which Steve Fossett's plane disappeared in September after taking off from a Yerington air strip. The area has had other plane crashes this year - six prior to the one on Friday. In September, three pilots were killed during the Reno Air Races within four days - one due to a mid-air collison, one when his jet crashed along the runway, and the third when his biplane crashed shortly after takeoff for a practice run. These were the first fatalities in five years for the 44 year old Reno Air Races. Three other fatal plane crashes ocurred in February, May, and August.
Number of Plane Crashes Increase
Category: Plane Crashes
Everyday Frieda reads about more and more plane crashes - especially smaller planes and general aviation (all flights not involving the military or scheduled flights). She wonders why there are so many often involving fatalities. Todd Curtis, a flight test engineer in the Air and a flight test engineer at Edwards Air Force Base sheds some light on the increase in plane crashes.
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