NTSB Releases Probable Cause of Buffalo Crash

NTSB Releases Probable Cause of Buffalo Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) met all day yesterday (Feb. 2, 2010) and announced its finding on the probably cause of the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 in Clarence Center, New York, nearly a year ago.

In finding a number of flight crew failures, the NTSB said that the captain of the flight “inappropriately responded to the activation of the stick shaker, which lead to an aerodynamic stall from which the airplane did not recover.”

All 49 people on board and one person on the ground died when the Bombardier DHC-8-400 crashed into the house.

With respect to pilots and air traffic control (ATC), the NTSB also announced that it would be holding a forum for high standards and professionalism for pilots and ATC.  It also announced that it would be holding a symposium in the fall to examine the marketing by major airlines whose services are actually performed by regional airlines.  In this case the Continental Connection flight actually was provided by Colgan Air.

The NTSB issued recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding the installation of low airspeed alerting systems that provide aural and visual cues to better warn pilots, strategies to prevent flight crew monitoring failures, pilot professionalism, fatigue, remedial training, pilot records, stall training, and airspeed selection procedures.  Additional recommendations address FAA’s oversight and use of safety alerts for operators to transmit safety-critical information, flight operational quality assurance (FOQA) programs, use of personal portable electronic devices on the flight deck, and weather information provided to pilots.

Prior to holding public hearings last year on what occurred, Robert A. Clifford, senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, wrote a letter on May 7, 2009, to then Acting Chairman of the NTSB and various congressional representatives and leaders on behalf of the families of five passengers who died in the crash his firm represents.  The letters ask that these governmental officials specifically continue to pressure industry for the installation of low airspeed alerter systems.  We are pleased to see the NTSB continue its efforts on this important issue.  A copy of these letters can be found at http://aviation.cliffordlaw.com/news/firm-news.

An abstract of the NTSB’s executive summary, probable cause, conclusions and safety recommendations can be found at http://www.ntsb.gov/Publictn/2010/AAR1001.htm.

Flights Reportedly Taking Off with Maintenance Problems

Flights Reportedly Taking Off with Maintenance Problems

USA Today reported on Feb. 2, 2010, in a cover story that “since 2003, 65,000 U.S. flights with maintenance problems have taken off anyway.”

According to a story by Gary Stoller who conducted a six-month investigation, millions of passengers have been affected by these flights that he discovered were a result of “substandard repairs, unqualified mechanics and lax oversight by airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).”

Stoller obtained the information through the Freedom of Information Act which included an analysis of government fines against airlines for maintenance violations and penalty letters, according to the national story.

The story reported that “Airlines contract about 70% of their maintenance work to repair shops in the USA and abroad, where mistakes can be personnel.”  It goes on to report that the FAA levied $28.2 million in fines and proposed fines against 28 U.S. air carriers for maintenance violations in the last six years. 

NTSB to Announce Probable Cause of Buffalo Plane Crash

NTSB to Announce Probable Cause of Buffalo Plane Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has sent letters to the families who lost loved ones in the crash of Colgan Air Bombardier Q400 announcing that it will hold a public meeting Tuesday, Feb. 2, to release is probable cause and safety recommendations related to the Feb. 12, 2009 crash near Buffalo, New York.

The crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407  killed all 49 on board as well as one person on the ground.  The NTSB held a public hearing last May to review evidence of safety issues and has been collecting data and reviewing various issues including the effects of icing on the Q400's performance, cold weather operation, sterile cockpit rules, crew experience, fatigue management and staff recovery training.

Families and their lawyers are expected to gather at the NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C., to attend the public meeting.

Ethiopian Airlines Crash Update

Assistance for Lebanese authorities tasked with investigating the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET409 will come in many forms.  According to reports, the U.S. has pledged to help with the search and rescue mission by dispatching the U.S.S. Rammage, a guided missile destroyer, and a P-3 aircraft to the area.  They are scheduled to arrive later in the week, according to reports.

Another report said that a British Royal Air Force helicopter based in Cyprus is already participating in the search and rescue effort.

In addition, according to Ethiopian Airlined chief executive Ato Girma Wake, a team of eight people from a British crisis management company specializing in airline incidents, Blake Emergency Services, is also en route to Beiruit.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 was carrying citizens of many different countries.  The passenger list reportedly included two Britons, 51 Lebanese, 23 Ethiopians and one person each from Canada, Russia, France, Syria, Iraq and Turkey.

Calls for Day of Mourning in Ethiopia Over Ethiopia Plane Crash

Officials in Ethiopia called for a day of mourning yesterday in the wake of the tragic crash of the Ethiopian Airlines jet that killed 92 people aboard.

Flags fly at half mast in that country as an air and sea search begins for the passengers and crew of Ethiopian Airlines 737-800.

Officials from the United States have paid their condolences and offered its assistance necessary in the search and rescue efforts.  Officials there have said that they believe that the 82 passengers and eight crew members are dead.

Flight ET 409 reportedly went off the radar after taking off from Lebanon’s airport.  The search continues.

Ethiopian Plane Crash

2010 starts with another major plane crash.  Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 went down off the coast of Lebanon.  All 90 people on board reportedly were killed in the Boeing 737 jet.

Officials reported that people of various nationalities were killed, including the wife of the French ambassador in Lebanon who was aboard.

The plane crashed into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after taking off from Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, early Monday morning heading to Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.  The plane crashed about nine miles west of Beirut.  Our hearts go out once again to the families who lost loved ones.
   
   

Victims in Small Plane Crash from Florida

Victims in Small Plane Crash From Florida

Authorities have now identified the two men who were killed in a small plane crash Saturday evening near far west suburban Sugar Grove.

A 32-year-old man from Lake Worth, Florida, and a 37-year-old man from Hollywood, Florida, were killed when their twin-engine plane crashed in a ball of fire, according to officials.

Media reports indicated that the two men traveled from Florida to Texas, then spent a night in Aurora before taking off Saturday heading for Denver in the Piper Aerostar 601P.  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reporting that the plane is registered to ENS Corporation in Hollywood, Florida.

Route 47 was closed Saturday night during the investigation.  One witness told the media that she heard loud engine noises before the crash.

Two Die in Small Plane Crash in Sugar Grove

Two Die in Small Plane Crash in Sugar Grove

Two people were killed in a twin-engine plane that crashed near a home in far west suburban Sugar Grove, according to media reports.

The small aircraft was about two miles north of Aurora Municipal Airport when the pilot and who is believed to be a passenger went down Saturday.

The plane, a Piper Aerostar, was taking off from that airport and heading to Denver when witnesses reportedly said they spotted a “fireball” in the sky.  The plane crashed near a home but no one was hurt on the ground, according to reports.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials were at the scene Saturday night and are trying to determine the cause.
   

Bahamas Small Plane Crash

Bahamas Small Plane Crash
 

Four people are feared dead after a small plane reportedly crashed Sunday after taking off from the Bahamas en route to Florida.

According the reports, the Federal Aviation Administration is saying that the plane was a Piper aircraft which crashed in the ocean northeast of the Bimini Bay Resort.

The U.S. Coast Guard reportedly is assisting the Royal Bahamas Police Force.  The small plane took off from New Providence island and was headed to Executive Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

This sad news comes on the heels of a small plane that crashed on Christmas Eve, less than a month ago, when a Piper PA-27 twin engine crashed after departing Fort Lauderdale’s Executive Airport headed for the Bahamas.  Two people reportedly were killed in that tragic crash. 

Tragic Small Plane Crash

Tragic Small Plane Crash

 A small plane crashed in Michigan Sunday morning, killing the pilot and a student from St. Charles, Illinois.

The 20-year-old junior at Hope College was a passenger along with a fellow 23-year-old Hope College student who was piloting the plane.

Their plane reportedly had taken off from Tulip City Airport in Holland, Michigan, when it crashed in a soybean field.  The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the cause of the crash.

A memorial service was held for both students at Hope College Sunday evening where reportedly more than 1,000 students attended.

Learjet Crash Probe Continues

Learjet Crash Probe Continues

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators are looking into the cause of the crash of a Learjet in Wheeling, Illinois, killing two people Tuesday.

Investigators reportedly are reviewing the condition of the aircraft including maintenance records and flight conditions at the time of the crash which includes possible icing on the wings.

The pilot and co-pilot were found among the wreckage of the small jet plane that crashed into the Des Plaines River en route to Wheeling’s Chicago Executive Airport formerly known as Palwaukee Airport.

The plane had left Pontiac, Michigan, to pick up a cargo before heading to Atlanta, Georgia.  A witness reportedly said that the plane spiraled straight down out of the sky.  No distress call from the cockpit to air traffic controllers before the crash were made, according to reports.

Cables and tow trucks were used to pull the wreckage from the icy waters out of the river, according to NTSB investigators who spoke to the press.  The cockpit voice record or so-called “black box” has not yet been recovered from Royal Air Charter jet.

Learjet Crashes Near Chicago Chicago Executive Airport

LearJet Crashes Near Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling

A LearJet cargo plane crashed Tuesday afternoon in Wheeling, Illinois, killing the pilot and co-pilot, according to media reports.

The plane went down in a forest preserve near the Des Plaines River as it approached the Chicago Executive Airport which is north of O’Hare International Airport.

According to officials, the aircraft was making an approach to a runway when it crashed near Euclid Avenue in the northwestern suburb of Chicago.  The plane belonged to Royal Air, according to an airport spokeswoman.

CNN reported that the LearJet was making a stop in the Chicago-area airport on its way to Atlanta from Pontiac, Michigan.

NTSB Examines Plane Wreckage of LearJet Crash

NTSB Examines Plane Wreckage of LearJet Crash

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials reportedly were already on the scene of the wreckage of a twin engine LearJet that crashed Tuesday afternoon in Wheeling, Illinois.

The bodies of two men were pulled from the plane crash site southeast of Chicago Executive Airport.  Officials reported that the aircraft, a Learjet 35 from Royal Air Freight, crashed into a forest preserve, landing along the west bank of the Des Plaines River in the northwestern suburb of Chicago.  It was on a final approach to land at the airport.

The plane reportedly was picking up a load of cargo for transport.  The jet reportedly had fuel when it crashed.

A full investigation will get underway Wednesday, according to officials.

Royal Air Freight is based in Waterford, Michigan.

Jamaica Crash Hotline

Jamaica’s Ministry of Transport and Works has set up a hotline for persons involved in the American Airlines 331 crash who need information. The hotline numbers are: 876-501-9522 and 876-836-5900.

Despite the American Airlines jet skidding off the runway Dec. 23 at Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport, many passengers on that flight reportedly still have yet to receive their luggage. Their bags reportedly are being detained as part of the investigation of what caused American Airlines Flight 331 to skid off the runway, crash through a fence and lurch to a halt just feet from the Caribbean Sea.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reportedly has taken over the investigation, according to a Dec. 28, 2009 story in The Gleaner, a Jamaican newspaper.

About 300 bags are being detained, including that of the crew, according to the story, and they are being inventoried and photographed.

Black Box Being Analyzed in Jamaica Runway Crash

The voice and data recordings from the black box of American Airlines Flight 331 that overshot the runway at Kingston’s airport last week is reportedly being analyzed in the United States.

According to a Jamaican newspaper, The Gleaner, transcripts from the black box will be available to local investigators “sometime this week,” Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority Lieutenant Colonel Oscar Derby is quoted as saying. Derby also told The Gleaner, according to a story dated Dec. 28, 2009, that investigators also are looking into how much flying the pilot, Brian Cole of Florida, had done in the last 28 days and how much rest time he had before taking off on Flight 331.

Inspectors reportedly are combing through the wreckage, which has been moved to the Air Jamaica hangar, and are interviewing witnesses as well.

Boeing 737-800 Aircraft Skidding Off Runways

In an article published by the Jamaica Sunday Herald newspaper on Dec. 26, 2009, a list of Boeing 737-800 aircraft accidents recounted some of the recent tragedies involving this plane.

Not only did it include the latest incident in Jamaica on Dec. 23, 2009, when a plane skidded off the runway, crashed through a fence and came to rest just feet from the Caribbean Sea, it also listed the Feb. 25, 2009 Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 that crashed at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. Clifford Law Offices represents 11 families who lost loved ones or survived that crash.

It also mentions Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 Boeing 737-800 jet that skidded off a runway at Chicago’s Midway Airport and crashed into a car, killing a six-year-old boy and injuring his other family members. Clifford Law Offices also represented the Woods family in that terrible tragedy that occurred on Dec. 8, 2005.

Four other incidents involving that type of aircraft in the last three years also were reported in the Jamaica Sunday Herald story.

Heroine of Flight 331

A 125-pound petite mother of two is being described by one Jamaican newspaper as “the hero of AA Flight 331.”

Annette Howard was driving a bus for the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) on the road near where American Airlines Flight 331 crashed, and she said she witnessed the event just meters away, according to the Jamaica Observer in a Dec. 27, 2009 article. She was on the last leg of her four trips of the day and was carrying two passengers, according to the article, when the plane crashed across the road and came to rest just a few feet from the Caribbean Sea, she told the reporter.

She went on to say in the story that people began running out of the bus, bloody and crying, and some had been separated from their family members. She told the Jamaica Observer that her bus filled up with about 70 people that she took in her first trip back to the airport. Meanwhile, she and the two bus passengers had tried calling 911 to get emergency equipment and personnel to the scene, she told the reporter, Alicia Dunkley. Howard said she made three bus trips to the airport of survivors.

“I’d do it again because it’s my nature to help people,” Howard told Dunkley. “It’s a miracle.”

Jamaica Airport Offshore Landing Strip Lights Reportedly Not Working

RadioJamaica.com is reporting that the offshore approach lights on the landing strip at Norman Manley International Airport were not working.

According to a report filed on Christmas Day, Radio Jamaica was quoting a report from the online edition of Businessweek magazine from the previous day that a 400-meter stretch of white lights over the water from the shoreline near Kingston’s airport had been out for the past month.

The report said that the Jamaican Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Colonel Oscar Darby had confirmed this report. He told RJR News, according to the report filed on Christmas Eve, that the lights on the runway should be back up in early 2010. More than 90 passengers were injured when the Boeing 737-800 overshot the runway Tuesday night.

Crashed Jamaica Aircraft Being Removed

Jamaican officials have closed Port Royal Road for most of Sunday in its effort to cart away sections of the downed American Airlines jet that skidded off the runway in Kingston on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2009.

A crane at the site reportedly is lifting parts of the broken fuselage, engine and wings which is near the Caribbean Sea across this road from the Norman Manley International Airport.

Director of Flight Safety at the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority, Nari Williams-Singh, and a team from that office reportedly are leading the investigation in that country. They are being assisted by a six-member team from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

American Airlines also reportedly has sent a number of representatives. American Airlines Flight 331 was carrying 154 people which included a crew of six when it skidded off the runway, crashing through a fence and landing just a few feet from the Caribbean Sea. It had taken off from Miami International Airport.

Another Boeing 737-800 Skids Off Runway

It has been reported that a Ryanair Boeing 737-800 jet skidded off the runway at Prestwick airport in Scotland just after 9 a.m. Wed., Dec. 23, 2009.

The plane slid on to the grass just moments after landing and just hours after a Boeing 737-800 jet skidded off the runway at the Kingston, Jamaica airport.

No one was reported injured in the incident.  Fire and rescue crews were at the scene as a precaution, according to reports.  The plane’s undercarriage was buried deep in a nearby field.

Six crew members and 129 passengers disembarked and were bussed to the terminal.  The plane was removed and the runway was reopened later that day.

The flight reportedly had taken off from Dublin, Ireland, before flying to the Scotland airport.

NTSB Recovers Black Boxes in Jamaica Plane Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that it had taken possession of the flight data recorders from the American Airlines flight that overshot a runway in Kingston, Jamaica Tuesday night.

Officials hope to figure out from the two so-called “black boxes” what caused the plane to overshoot the runway at Norman Manley International Airport, crossing a road and landing on the beach.  The pilots’ voices were recorded and their conversations will be examined back in U.S. labs, according to media reports.  Mechanical failures also are being investigated.

Dozens of people were injured in the crash and seven passengers remained hospitalized Wednesday, according to an American Airlines spokesperson. 

Jamaica Plane Crash Details

It's being called a Christmas miracle. In what is being reported as the worst air crash at Jamaica's airport, scores of people were injured but no one was killed.

The plane was carrying 154 people and 92 reportedly were taken to area hospitals with injuries. The cause of the crash is being investigated.

One of the issues being considered is whether the plane should have landed at all in the heavy rain.

Christmas Eve photos and video taken of the wreckage were dramatic -– showing the broken apart jet just feet from the Caribbean Sea. The plane had a cracked fuselage, the nose was crushed, the left landing gear collapsed and the right engine broke off from the impact of the landing, according to officials.

American Airlines has set up a special hotline number for those who had loved ones aboard: 1-800-245-0999.

American Airlines Flight 331 Overshoots Runway in Jamaica

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of American Airlines Flight 331 overshooting the runway in Kingston, Jamaica, sending as many as 100 people to the hospital.

Jamaican and U.S. authorities reportedly have launched a probe into determining why the plane did not land safely in the rain at Norman Manley International Airport Tuesday night.

The Boeing 737-800 cracked and broke open after the plane lurched to a stop at the edge of the Caribbean Sea. The director general of Jamaica’s Civil Aviation Authority, told Associated Press that the pilots should have aborted the landing and circled for another attempt. The plane originated from Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., and left Miami International Airport about an hour late Tuesday.

The plane’s left landing gear also collapsed and the nose of the plane reportedly was crushed.

The U.S. State Department reported that 76 of the passengers were American.

NTSB Investigates Jamaican Plane Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is part of the investigating team that is looking into the cause of the American Airlines jet that overshot the runway in Kingston, Jamaica, landing just a few feet short of the Caribbean Sea.

About 100 people reportedly were taken to area hospitals, and about 7 were admitted. Everyone survived.

Oxygen masks deployed from the aircraft as it cracked during the bumpy landing. Luggage was strewn from above and many were injured.

Rescue teams arrived as smoke and the smell of fuel was apparent in the evening hours.

154 people were aboard Flight 331. Many told the press that they felt they had a brush with death. Many were panicked and were screaming.

Airport officials in Jamaica told the media that the airport would be closed and all traffic was being rerouted to Sangster International Airport in MoBay.

The plane had crashed through a fence and broke into several pieces, just feet from the Caribbean Sea.

Plane Overshoots Runway in Jamaica

An American Airlines flight carrying 154 people skidded across a Jamaican runway in heavy rain, injuring dozens of people on board.

The plane, a Boeing 737-800, bounced across the tarmac before it stopped just short of the Caribbean Sea, according to officials and witnesses.

Baggage burst from overhead bins on Flight 331 and passengers screamed as the plane careened down the runway in the Jamaican capital of Kingston on Tuesday night. The flight had left from Miami.

The impact of the landing cracked open the fuselage and crushed the left landing gear. Both engines were separated from the plane, according to media reports.

Crews evacuated the bloodied passengers onto a beach. The plane’s cabin reportedly smelled of smoke and jet fuel as the rain continued to pour.

Officials reported that about 44 people were taken to area hospitals. No one was reported killed.

A Look Into Flying Injuries

An article published in the most recent issue of Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine details data analysis of government statistics on hospital admissions due to a flying injury.

According to the recent report, flying injures 1,000 people per year and kills about 750.  Further breaking down the numbers, the report from Johns Hopkins University said that near 1/3 of the people are hurt in private aircraft while 29 percent are injured or killed parachuting.

According to Susan Baker, a professor at Johns Hopkins’ Injury Center, "Our findings provide valuable information, not previously available, on the number and kinds of injuries sustained in aviation-related events.”  Baker said, "Because many injuries can be prevented through changes in the structure of aircraft, these data should be used to recognize needed improvements in aircraft design.”  She went on to say, "For example, the high numbers of lower limb fractures suggest modifications should be considered to the various structures likely to be contacted by the feet and legs when a crash occurs."

Helicopter Crash in California

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, on Saturday a medical helicopter carrying three people crashed near Doyle, California, killing those on board.

The helicopter, a Aerospatiale AS350, built in 1982 and operated by Mountain Life Flight, had reportedly delivered a patient in Reno, Nevada, when it crashed during its return to Susanville, California.

At the time of the crash, all on board were crew members; pilot, flight nurse and paramedic.  The helicopter, operated by Mountain Life Flight, was destroyed from the impact and the resulting fire.  The cause of the crash is unknown but under investigation by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.

San Diego Plane Crash

A recent crash involving a Coast Guard C-130 carrying seven people and a Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra with two crew members was remembered at the Sacramento station where the Coast Guard plane was based.
The crash, in which nine servicemen are missing, occurred near San Clemente Island, a Naval training site while the Coast Guard plane was engaged in a search for a missing boatman.

Investigation by a joint Marines-Coast Guard board is still underway to determine the cause of the crash.  According to one article, “The accident happened at 7:10 p.m. in airspace uncontrolled by the FAA and inside a so-called military warning area, which is at times open to civilian aircraft and at times closed for military use, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said. He did not know the status of the airspace at the time.”

Pilots in the area reportedly maintain a safe distance from other aircraft during times when there is heavy military traffic by using what they call the “see-and-avoid principle.”

The pilot of the C-130, just before the crash, was reportedly instructed by the FAA to commence communication with controllers at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego Bay.

Two Small Plane Crashes

Two planes crashed within hours of each other yesterday in Michigan.  In northern Michigan around 6:30 p.m. a small plane carrying pilot Patrick J. McNamara, 52, and passenger, Christopher A. Hasty, 32, both of Gaylord died when they reportedly crashed-landed on the shoulder of the freeway.  According to reports, the crash occurred on southbound I-75, 235 miles north of Detroit.

Earlier that same morning, at approximately 8:45 a.m., a Beechcraft Bonanza A36, bound for Muskoka Airport in Ontario, reportedly crashed on takeoff from the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport.  James George Wilton of Ontario, Canada, 60, was reportedly the only person on board and died as a result of the crash.  According to reports, the plane was experiencing mechanical problems and caught fire after running into a fence.

The National Transportation Safety Board planned to investigate both crashes.

Risk of Infection on Airlines

Risk of Infection on Airlines

With the flu virus going on around the world, many people have expressed concerns about flying.  People coughing and sneezing in an enclosed environment for long periods of time can be a health concern.

Global airlines reportedly have stepped up efforts to protect passengers from health risks on international flights.

China Southern Airlines reportedly has been disinfecting its cabins and China Eastern Airlines flight attendants are required to wear disposable facial masks, gloves and hats as well as disposable over overcoats during some flights.

Mexicana Airlines uses high-efficiency filters that can trap small particles that would normally re-circulate back into the air, according to its airlines spokesperson.

Singapore has been thermal-screening all airline travelers coming into its country with a method that identifies travelers with a fever.  Singapore Airlines Ltd. reportedly is giving passengers traveling to the United States health kits that include a thermometer, masks and antiseptic towels.  Its cabin and flight crews are getting mandatory temperature checks before flights.

U.S. carriers are relying on the advice of health authorities such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and are continuing safety standards already in place which include sanitizing and in-flight air filters.  

One of the best ways hygiene practices is for a person to cover his or her mouth and nose when sneezing and coughing.

3 Crew Members Die in Medical Helicopter Crash

3 Crew Members Die in Medical Helicopter Crash

Three crew members died in a medical helicopter that crashed in coastal South Carolina.  

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators said that the chopper was trying to land at a nearby airport.

The helicopter had just dropped off a patient at a hospital in Charleston and was flying to Conway, about 90 miles northeast, when it crashed about 11:30 p.m. Friday, according to the NTSB.  A thunderstorm had rolled through the area shortly before the crash, according to the National Weather Service.  

The same helicopter, an American Eurocopter AS350B2 was damaged last year after scheduled maintenance on the aircraft was delayed, according to NTSB records.  Two other incidents occurred in recent months regarding this chopper and another similar helicopter operated by the same company but no one was injured.  The safety agency continues to investigate the cause of this crash.  

Earlier this month, the NTSB urged the government to impose stricter controls on emergency helicopter operations.  Last year there were nine accidents between December, 2007, and October, 2008, killing 35 people.

O'Hare Airport Runways

An FAA inspection of O’Hare International Airport last month revealed a number of violations that affect plane takeoffs and landings, according to reports.

Among the reported violations cited were ruts and debris on runways, overgrowth of tall grass and weeds that threaten planes by attracting birds and other wildlife, and under trained airfield personnel.  The airport reportedly received an additional citation for making false statements about its self-inspection program.

This is reportedly the second time in two weeks that safety concerns have been discussed regarding O’Hare.  Earlier this month, a former Chicago Police officer turned security chief at O’Hare and Midway was reportedly fired amid his complaints about vulnerabilities and manpower shortages.

According to reports, sources said Jim Maurer had grown concerned about a shortage of police officers at O’Hare and about vulnerabilities in the airport’s physical plant.

Plane Crash in Florida Everglades

Plane Crash in Florida Everglades

Four people were killed when a small plane crashed Sunday evening in the Florida Everglades.

A family from Sea Ranch Lakes, Florida, were returning from a University of Florida football game in Gainesville, Florida, when a husband and wife and their 14-year-old son died.  Their young daughter stayed home with friends and was not on the plane. A family friend from Coral Springs also perished in the terrible crash.

The plane, a Piper PA-32R Saratoga took off in southern Florida for the two-hour trip when it experienced problems and crashed before making it to an executive airport in Fort Lauderdale.

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continue to comb the area for clues to the tragic crash.

Remembering 9/11

Today, the eighth anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, will witness a somber ritual near the site where the Twin Towers stood.  A ceremony with moments of silence, and words by victim’s family members will culminate when the official list of victim’s names is read, 2,752 of them.
 
Beyond the ceremony at ground zero, high officials within the Obama administration are reportedly attending memorials across the country. This anniversary also marks the first year in which 9/11 has been designated a National Day of Service and Remembrance, under the Serve America Act which was signed by Obama in April and sponsored by the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.
 
President Obama, this morning, took part in a wreath laying ceremony at the memorial to the victims of the Pentagon attack.  He, along with the first lady, also continued a tradition started by the Bush administration when they observed a moment of silence on the South Lawn of the White House at the time of the attack.

Vice President Joe Biden and wife are in New York to attend the September 11 commemoration at Zuccotti Park.  Secretar y of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was also in New York.  She was serving as the keynote speaker for the first 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance at the Beacon Theatre.

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk are painting houses and visiting with residents of the Supportive Housing Apartments for the Formerly Homeless in New York.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is working with participants of DC Central Kitchen's culinary training program in Washington to prepare meals for homeless shelters and feeding programs.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis is in Las Vegas to tour a Veterans shelter and also to serve food to homeless veterans.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia helping with a mass vaccination for preventing swine flu.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell are in Pittsburgh for an event with two programs: Get Help Now and Wills for Heroes.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan is in Washington working with City Year AmeriCorps members clean-up an elementary school.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, said Friday that the anniversary is a "day of sorrow and tragedy, but also a day of heroism and unity."  "By serving our communities and our country today and throughout the year, we commemorate our past while also preparing for our future," Napolitano said.

Helicopter Safety

According to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) press release, 19 recommendations were issued on Tuesday regarding Helicopter Emergency Management Services (HEMS).  The recommendations reportedly address a number of safety issues including pilot training; safety management systems; collection and analysis of flight, weather and safety data; flight data monitoring; development of a low altitude airspace infrastructure; and the use of dual pilots, autopilots and night vision imaging systems (NVIS).
 
According to the NTSB, 2008 was the deadliest year on record for the HEMS industry with 12 accidents and 29 fatalities.  According to the release, the NTSB responded to the increase in fatal accidents by placing issues surrounding HEMS operations on its Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements.  HEMS operators reportedly include an estimated 750 helicopters, 20 operators and 60 hospital-based programs.
 
The NTSB conducted a four-day public hearing in February to look at the safety issues concerning this industry. Testimony was given by expert witnesses representing HEMS operators, associations, manufacturers and hospitals at the hearing which examined the industry’s advancing competitive environment and clarified the reasons behind its recent growth. As a result of the hearing, the NTSB offered recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at the Department of Health and Human Services, Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Systems (FICEMS) and 40 government-operated or public HEMS operators.
 
Ten of the 19 recommendations issued today went to the FAA to address the issues of improved pilot training; collection and analysis of flight, weather, and safety data; flight data monitoring; development of low altitude airspace in infrastructure; and the use of dual pilots, autopilots, and NVIS.
 

Turkish Airlines Aircraft

Turkish Airlines Aircraft

Turkish Airlines officials admitted days after the tragic crash of its Boeing 737-800 in Amsterdam that the passenger jet had been grounded for repairs on Feb. 23 after the crew detected a problem with the “Master Caution Light” just before takeoff, according to media reports.

Although the problem reportedly was worked on and the plane made eight subsequent flights before the deadly crash, the chief investigator working on finding out the cause said that engine trouble may have been one of the reasons for the crash, according to reports.

The aircraft had undergone routine maintenance on Feb. 19 and a part on the plane’s left wing also was replaced on Oct. 28, 2008, according to international media reports.

The investigation has revealed that the aircraft suddenly lost speed, fell 300 feet and smashed tail-first into a field next to houses, just 220 yards from the runway at Schiphol airport.

Flight 1951 from Istanbul had 135 passengers and crew.  Forty investigators worked at the site where the plane had broken into three pieces, and the plane’s cockpit data recordings were analyzed in Paris, France.  Some survivors crawled out of the wreckage.

Clifford Law Offices Retained by 11 Families in Turkish Airlines Crash

Clifford Law Offices Retained by 11 Families in Turkish Airlines Crash

Clifford Law Offices has been retained by 11 families who lost loved ones or some who survived with severe injuries in the crash of Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 that plunged into a muddy field just before it landed at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam on Feb. 25.

The plane, a seven-year-old Boeing 737-800, had taken off from Istanbul.  Boeing is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Dutch investigators have been looking into the cause of the crash and had focused at one point on a faulty altimeter.  

The pilots, who were among the nine people killed in the crash, reportedly reacted too late to a stall warning and failed to pull up the aircraft in time, Dutch Safety Board President Peter van Vollenhoeven told journalists a few months ago.  Eighty other were injured in the crash about two miles from the airport.

The Safety Board president also confirmed that the Turkish Airlines plane already had twice suffered from a similar problem in the past.

Surviving Tarmac Delay

Surviving Tarmac Delay

The Chicago Sun-Times published an article in its travel section over the weekend that explains how travelers can survive “the dreaded tarmac delay.”

In a story by Harry R. Weber written for Associated Press, he explains why passengers can’t get off the plane and why airlines choose to keep passengers onboard rather than let them get off in the event of a delay.  He also explains that there is no law or rule mandating how long a crew is allowed to hold passengers on a delayed plane.  Legislation in the U.S. Senate that was introduced last month requires planes to return to the gate after three hour waits and to provdeo for contingency plans when a lengthy tarmac delay occurs.  

The article also explains the compensation policy.  

The entire article can be viewed here: http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/travel/1740692,w-tarmac-planes-delay-passengers-083009.article

               

               

Small Plane Crashes

On Tuesday at around 6:15 p.m. an ultralight aircraft reportedly crashed in a southwest Indiana soybean field.  According to Greene County Coroner Brian Gainey, the two victims are Dave Johnson of Linton, Indiana, and Mark Muzii of Bloomington, Indiana.  The soybean field reportedly lies just south of the Shawnee Field grass airstrip in Fairplay Township, Indiana.  Trooper Eric Russell said that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had been contacted.

Also on Tuesday, news reports detailed the story of a small plane forced to make an emergency landing in the parking lot of a New Jersey Mall.  The plane had reportedly taken off from the Essex County Airport just before its emergency landing around noon in the Rockaway Townsquare Mall in Rockaway Township, New Jersey.  The single engine Cessna 172 blew out its tires on the hard landing and ended coming to rest on its nose.  Both people on the plane, a flight instructor and student, were only slightly injured.  According to FAA spokeswoman Arlene Salac, shortly after takeoff the pilot reported a rough running engine.

Concern with Air Traffic Controller in Collision over the Hudson River

According to reports, more information has emerged surrounding the mid-air collision of a small plane and a sightseeing helicopter over the Hudson River that killed nine people. An air traffic controller reportedly made a personal phone call at the time when an initial warning about other aircraft in its path should have been issued to the small plane.

The controller and his supervisor, both working out the Teterboro, NJ airport, have been placed on administrative leave pending a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigation according to reports.

A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report states that the controller made a phone call shortly after clearing the single-engine Piper for takeoff and remained on the phone until the crash.  Four minutes after takeoff the controller reportedly instructed the pilot to contact Newark Liberty International Airport; the pilot reportedly failed to do so.  A minute later, at 11:52 a. m., reports state that controllers at Newark Airport informed the Teterboro controller of a potential collision.  The Teterboro controller reportedly then twice tried unsuccessfully to contact the pilot.  The accident happened at 11:53 a. m.

Three American Airlines Flights Turn Back

Three American Airlines Flights Turn Back

Three American Airlines flights reportedly had to make emergency landings in the last five days because of problems with the aircraft, according to a media report.

No one was hurt, but as a precaution, pilots made emergency landings, according to a WBBM radio story.

Although “American Airlines says it’s no big deal,” the airline pilots “say they’re concerned” about these three incidents which included a flight from Dallas to Chicago, according to WBBM-AM.

The story reports that it is the third emergency landing of an American flight in five days because of engine problems, according to the Allied Pilots Association.  The pilots are blaming these incidents on “cost-cutting” measures, according to the story.

American Airlines instead reports that none of these emergency landings were because of engine problems and that its shutdown rate for MD 80 aircraft actually is down over the past four years.  Instead, American explains that in these three situations the pilots deliberately powered back the engine, as they are trained to do.  In the Chicago-bound flight, a low oil pressure light came on and the pilot landed, according to the story by the Chicago radio station.

American pilots are in negotiations now with the company for a new contract. 

FAA Chief Endorses New Rules on Pilot Fatigue

FAA Chief Endorses New Rules on Pilot Fatigue

As a Senate bill winds its way through committee consideration, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), J. Randolph Babbitt, said on Aug. 5, 2009, that he will “close the gap” if a government rule-making committee fails to develop regulations aimed at curbing pilot fatigue.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearings in May on the tragic crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 near Buffalo, New York, brought to light some of the severe shortcomings of regional airlines dealing with working conditions of pilots.

In June, Babbitt announced the creation of a rule-making committee following congressional hearings that also were conducted into the Feb. 12 crash in Clarence Center, New York, that killed all 49 people aboard and one person on the ground.

Investigators have revealed evidence that pilot fatigue may have been a factor in the cause of the crash.  Also was a surprising revelation that regional pilots earn as little as $20,000 per year and are provided no place to rest between flights by the airlines and they cannot afford to do so on their own.  Also of concern is regional pilots more frequent take-offs and landings.

Babbitt said the current committee has a Sept. 1 deadline to come to an agreement on new regulations.  The 18-member panel is made up of representatives from the air travel unions including the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), airline industry groups and FAA officials.  Babbitt said he is asking both the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Office of Management and Budget, both which have to approve any changes, to accelerate their reviews of the panel.
   

Airline President Says Flight 3407 Should Not Have Been Flying

Airline President Says Flight 3407 Pilot Should Not Have Been Flying

The President of Pinnacle Airlines that owns the airline that operated a plane that crashed near Buffalo, New York, earlier this year and killed 50 people said that the pilot did not belong in the pilot’s seat, according to a story released by the Buffalo News on Aug. 6, 2009.

Philip H. Tenary, president and chief executive office of Pinnacle which owns Colgan Air, said, “Had we known what we know now, he would not have been in that seat.”

Pilot Capt. Marvin Renslow, who died in the crash along with 48 others in the aircraft and one person on the ground, had failed three federal “check rides” before Colgan hired him, according to media reports..  Colgan, though, never double-checked with federal officials to see whether Renslow’s application had revealed his complete test record and that record listed only one failed check ride, reports Buffalo News reporter Jerry Zremski.

Initial federal investigations have revealed that the pilot reacted the opposite to what he should have done to correct the plane’s movement.

Tenary made the statements at a Senate Aviation Subcommittee hearing when senators questioned airline executives about issues that have surfaced in the federal investigation into the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 that crashed Feb. 12 in Clarence Center, New York.

Zremski reported that airline executives from Pinnacle, Continental, Delta and American Eagle airlines said they supported several safety measures including increasing the role of safety experts on a key Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) panel and requiring travel websites to specify the names of the small regional carriers when are operating flights on behalf of major, big name airlines.

Tour Helicopter and Small Plane Collide in New York

Tour Helicopter and Small Plane Collide in New York

A small private plane collided with a sightseeing tourist helicopter over the Hudson River Saturday and all nine people on board aircraft are presumed dead.

Debris was scattered across the river and thousands of people on the New Jersey waterfront were forced to run for cover. 
It was reported that a helicopter pilot refueling on the ground at the heliport for Liberty Tours which operated the craft  tried to radio an alert to the pilots of the aircraft in the air.   According to police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, the warning wasn’t heard or didn’t occur in time.  

Witnesses reported the low-flying plane smashed into the helicopter and wreckage was scattered.  One of the plane’s wings reported was severed by the impact.  The helicopter reportedly immediately dropped into the river. 

The small plane, a Piper PA-32 reportedly was registered to LCA Partnership in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.  According to media reports, the plane had started its journey in Pennsylvania.  The chopper was a Eurocopter AS 350 and had lifted off from a heliport on Manhattan’s West Side.  Three bodies were recovered before diving operations were suspended Saturday night.

The collision occurred on a clear summer day in New York about noon.  The small plane was reported to be carrying three people, including a child.  The helicopter had a pilot and five Italian tourists.  They went down just south of the stretch of river where a crippled US Airways jet landed safely in January of this year.

Officials in New York had considered new more strict regulations of the heavily trafficked river corridors for small planes and helicopters after a 2006 small plane crash killed New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor.

Deborah Hersman Sworn in as NTSB Chair

Deborah Hersman Sworn in as NTSB Chair

Deborah A.P. Hersman was sworn in today (Tuesday, July 28, 2009) as the 12th Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Hersman, who has been a member of the Board for five years, was nominated by President Barack Obama as Chair on June 18 and was confirmed by the Senate on July 24.  She also was nominated and confirmed as a Board member for a second five-year term which will run through Dec. 31, 2013.

“The NTSB is an outstanding organization that commands respect across the globe for its comprehensive investigations of transportation accidents,” Hersman said upon her confirmation.  “I am grateful to have this extraordinary opportunity to lead a talented, dedicated staff to make a world-class organization even better.”

Hersman has been on the scene of many transportation incidents during her tenure including last month’s terrible tragedy involving the collision between two Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area Transit Authority trains that resulted in nine fatalities. 

To learn more about the background of Hersman, visit the NTSB’s website at:  http://www.ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2009/090728.html

Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009

Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the House is expected to announce the Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009 at a news conference in Washington, D.C., tomorrow (Wed., July 29, 2009) at 2:30 p.m.

Rep. James L. Oberstar (D-Minn.) and Chair of the Committee, as well as Reps. John L. Mica (R-Fla.), Jerry F. Costello (D-12th Dist., Ill.), and Tom Petri (R-Wisc.), co-sponsors of the bill, are expected to speak about this important piece of legislation at the Rayburn House Office Building on Independence Avenue, Room 2167. 

The event also will be webcast live at http://transportation.house.gov 

For further information about this event, please contact the Committee’s Communications Director Jim Berard at 202-225-6260 or jim.berard@mail.house.gov

Iran Plane Crash

30 Killed in Iran Plane Crash
    A second deadly plane crash in 10 days involving an Iranian airliner occurred Friday, according to the state news agency.
    At least 30 people were killed when a passenger plane caught fire during its landing in northeastern Iran on Friday evening.  Another 19 people were reported to be injured.
    The plane from Iran’s Aria Air airline carried 153 passengers.  It caught fire when it skidded into walls near the runway during its landing in the Iranian city of Mashhad after taking off from Tehran, according to the report.  Survivors were evacuated from the burning aircraft.
    Video reportedly aired on Iran’s English-language satellite channel showing that the cockpit of the Russian-made Il-62 plane was totally damaged.
    On July 15 a Caspian Airlines plane crashed near the northwestern city of Qazvin and killed all 168 people on board.   

FAA Proposes Mandatory Safety Fixes

The Federal Aviation Administration Thursday proposed mandatory safety fixes that are intended to prevent ice accumulation inside the fuel systems of certain Boeing 777 aircraft.

According to an article published in the Wall Street Journal, the action by the FAA was prompted by the 2008 crash landing of a British Airways Plc jetliner near London that slammed into the ground at Heathrow International Airport after both engines experienced reduced thrust without any command from the pilots.  The plane crashed short of a runway but thankfully all 152 people aboard survived..  The action is intended to alleviate problems that can create dangerous reductions in a plane’s engine thrust.

European air safety regulators reportedly took similar action earlier this month. 

For more on this story, please visit the Wall Street Journal website to see the article

Small Plane Crash Kills Michigan Man and His Son

A 54-year-old man from Richland, Michigan, and his 23-year-old son were killed when their small plane crashed in West Virginia over the July 4th holiday weekend.

Michael Land, and his son, Andrew, departed from Huntington Tri-State Airport bound for Kalamazoo in a single-engine Cessna 400 on July 5, according to authorities.

The crash occurred at 12:56 p.m., reportedly just minutes after take-off.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report says that the elder Land told an air traffic controller that he was flying at 1,900 feet and was climbing to 4,000 feet.  After reportedly confirming the course, the controller told the pilot to maintain 5,000 feet.  The last radar contact with the Cessna indicated it was at 2,300 feet, according to the NTSB report.

The crash occurred about three and a half miles south of the airport in a heavily wooded area near Huntington.

Michael Land was a former executive for Pfizer Inc. and president of Phadia U.S., a Portage-based company that develops in-vitro allergy diagnostics and blood testing, according to reports.

Plane Crash in Iran

According to reports today, a plane taking off from Tehran crashed into a field killing all 168 passengers onboard.  Witnesses claimed that the plane’s tail was on fire as it went down.

The plane, a Russian-made Soviet-era Tu-154M, took off from Khomeini International Airport heading for Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, and crashed 16 minutes after takeoff, at 11:30 a.m.

The Tupolev's three engines are reportedly in its tail section. According to Patrick Smith, a pilot and the air travel and safety writer for Salon.com, flames there could indicate "an uncontained engine failure."

Associated Press reported the following list of plane crashes that have occurred in Iran:

— July 15, 2009: A Caspian Airlines Tu-154M crashes in a field in northwest Iran, killing all 168 passengers and crew on board.
— Nov. 27, 2006: An Iranian military plane crashed shortly after takeoff killing 36 members of the elite Revolutionary Guards.
— Sept. 1, 2006: An Iran Airtour Tu-154 skidded off the runway and smashed its wing as it landed in the northeastern city of Mashhad, sparking a fire that killed 29 of the 148 people aboard.
— Jan. 11, 2006: A French-made Falcon, carrying a commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards and 10 other officers, crashed while trying to make an emergency landing, killing all aboard.
— Dec. 6, 2005: A C-130 military transport carrying Iranian journalists crashed into a 10-story building in a Tehran suburb as the pilot attempted an emergency landing after developing engine trouble, killing 115 people — 94 in the plane and 21 on the ground.
— April 20, 2005: An Iranian airlines Boeing 707 carrying 157 passengers skidded off a runway at Tehran's airport and caught fire, killing three people.
— Dec. 23, 2004: A Ukrainian-built Antonov 140 aircraft, carrying aerospace scientists mostly from Russia and Ukraine, crashed in central Iran, killing all 44 aboard.
— June 25, 2003: A C-130 transport crashed near the Rudshour River, about 30 miles southwest of Tehran, killing seven people.
— Feb. 19, 2003: A Russian-made Ilyushin 76 carrying members of the elite Revolutionary Guards crashed in the mountains of southeastern Iran, killing 302 people aboard.

Southwest Plane Makes Emergency Landing Due to Hole in Fuselage

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 flying between Nashville and Boston on Monday reportedly made an emergency landing in West Virginia when a football sized hole appeared in the fuselage.  The cabin lost pressure but none of the 126 passengers and crew members were injured.

People reportedly remained calm and donned the oxygen masks that fell from the ceiling.

According to Bill Cunningham, a passenger on the flight, "After we landed in Charleston, the pilot came out and looked up through the hole, and everybody applauded, shook his hand, a couple of people gave him hugs."

Southwest spokeswoman, Marilee McInnis, said that an inspection of 200 Boeing 737-300-series jets was made overnight and no other similar problems were discovered.

McInnis further stated that the National Transportation Safety Board and Boeing were helping to determine the cause of the hole.

Pilot Crashes While Practicing for Airshow

A pilot died on Friday when her plane crashed into a northwest Missouri field while she was practicing for an acrobatics air show, according to Associated Press reports.

The Missouri Highway Patrol reports that the plane, a propeller driven Edge 540, crashed about 75 miles southeast of Omaha, Nebraska.

The name of the 36-year-old female pilot, who was reportedly pronounced dead on the scene, was not released.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.

Northwest Flight Experienced Airspeed Fluctuations

Additional details about Northwest Airlines Flight 8 from Hong Kong to Tokyo that experienced airspeed fluctuations were released in a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary report on Tuesday.

The Northwest Airlines Airbus 330 reportedly experienced airspeed fluctuations while in cruise flight.  According to reports, after entering an area of turbulence and moderate rain, the autopilot and autothrust switched off.  After a period of a minute, during which the crew reportedly followed flight manual procedures, the autopilot returned but was soon followed by another two minute outage.

The crew reportedly observed large airspeed anomalies, altitude fluctuations and an overspeed alert.

The flight landed in Tokyo without any damage or injuries to the crew or passengers.

The investigation was handed on to the NTSB by the Japanese Transportation Safety Board.

NTSB Investigating Two Possible A330 Speed and Altitude Anomalies

According to a recent National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) advisory, its investigators are looking into two incidents where airspeed and altitude readings in the cockpits of Airbus A-330 aircraft may have malfunctioned.

The advisory states that the first incident, on May 21, 2009, happened aboard TAM Airlines Flight 8091, from Miami, Florida, to Sao Paulo, Brazil.  The flight reportedly experienced a loss of primary speed and altitude information while in cruise flight.  A number of systems reportedly malfunctioned or were lost, including the Air Data Reference System, autopilot and autothrust.  After switching to backup instruments, the primary data was, according to the advisory, restored in about five minutes and the plane landed safely in Sao Paulo.

The second incident being investigated happened on a Northwest Airlines Airbus A-330 traveling between Hong Kong and Tokyo on June 23, 2009.  According to the advisory, the plane landed safely at its destination in Tokyo.

Air Traffic Controllers Need More Rest

A recent federal audit of air traffic controllers at O’Hare Airport revealed that they have too little time off between shifts and recommended immediate change.

The student found that this causes controllers, who direct plane traffic, to be a factor contributing to fatigue and could be a safety threat.

The report was released July 2, 2009, by the U.S. Department of Transportation.  It criticized the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for not acting sooner to alleviate air traffic controller fatigue at three air traffic facilities in the Chicago area – O’Hare, Elgin and Aurora. The office of Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill) said that they requested this study after hearing concerns of air traffic controllers in Illinois.

The audit revealed that most controllers at the three facilities have had fewer than 10 hours rest between some shifts, have progressively earlier start times on consecutive shifts and have increased overtime hours.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) had made recommendations regarding controller fatigue, and the study found that the FAA, which is in charge of implementing regulations, “does not consistently address human factors issues, such as fatigue and situational awareness” when it investigates operational errors, according to the study.

The FAA disputed some of the audit.

Update on Air France Crash

According to French investigators at a press conference today, the Air France Airbus A330 that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on June 1 hit the water intact, as opposed to having broken apart in flight, as some other reports speculated.

Air France Flight 447 was carrying 223 people at the time of the accident.  There were no survivors.  According to the French investigators, an examination of the debris led them to the conclusion that the plane hit the water on its belly, facing the intended direction of flight.

Alain Bouillard, lead of the French investigation, said “visual examination of the debris shows that the plane hit with the bottom of its fuselage with very strong vertical acceleration.”  Investigators went on to further say that the vertical section of the tail, initially located a significant distance from the rest of the wreckage, was attached to the plane at impact.

The question of why the plane went down is still an issue.  Investigators continue to look for the black boxes which contain valuable data that could help determine what went wrong.  But time to find them is reportedly running out.  The black boxes are equipped with devices that emit an audible sound called “pingers” to assist in their recovery.  Yet, the batteries that power the pingers are estimated to cease functioning on July 10. 

Yemen Airbus Crash

On Tuesday, a Yemeni Airbus 310 carrying 153 passengers crashed into the sea only 21 miles from its destination, the Moroni airport in Comoros.  The flight was the last leg of a journey from Paris and Marseille to Comoros, with a stop in Yemen to change planes.

According to reports, search teams have rescued a five-year-old child from the wreckage in the sea but there is no further word on the toddler’s condition.

Reports are conceding that it is too early to determine a cause of the crash.  Winds were reportedly gusting at 40 mph when the plane was attempting to land during the night.

Many of the passengers were reportedly from the French city of Marseille, which has a large Comoran community.  According to Stephane Salord, the consul general of the Comoros in the Provence-Alps-Cote d'Azur region of France, said, "These are families that, each year on the eve of summer, leave Marseille and the region to rejoin their families in the Comoros and spend their holidays."

Another terrible tragedy.

Cessna Crash Kills Father and Son

According to reports, a father and his son died in a plane crash on Sunday that took place near Rimrock Lake, Washington. Reportedly on the plane were the pilot and father, Justin Reed, 37, and his two children, Parrin, 13, and Julie, 5.  The daughter Julie was critically injured in the crash suffering head injuries and multiple fractures.  She was airlifted to a Seattle's Harborview Medical Center after an initial visit to Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital.

A passerby, William Watt, was reportedly driving home when he saw the plane crash into a stand of trees.  “I came down (the road) past the airport, and I saw the plane over(head), and I saw it clip the trees,” he said.  Watt then called authorities to inform them of the crash.

The plane, a 1974 Cessna 172 Skyhawk owned by McCormick Air Center of Yakima, Washington, was a rental.  The four-seat Skyhawk is “the best-selling, most-flown airplane ever,” according to Cessna’s Web site. More than 43,000 have been built since 1955.

Local fire officials reportedly were unsure of the cause of the accident but indicated that officials at the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified.

FAA Announces New Reviews and Recommendations

According to a June 24th press release, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administration Randy Babbitt has announced a review of flight and rest rules.  Further, he has issued a request to airlines and their unions to respond by July 31 with specific commitments to key topics concerning safety at regional and major airlines.  The specific requests can be read in the PDF version of Babbitt’s letters here, here and below.
 
The press release, also available here and below, demonstrates the FAA’s commitment to dealing with the issue of pilot fatigue by giving itself a July 15 deadline for establishing an Aviation Rulemaking Committee.  The committee will be tasked with creating recommendations for a new FAA flight time and rest rule by September 1.
 
New standards for the disclosure and communication of pilots’ records to their hiring airline are also part of the FAA’s commitment to review the relationships between regional and major airline carriers.  In addition to working alongside Congress on updating the Pilot Records Improvement Act of 1996, the FAA expects carriers that contract with regional airlines to create programs for sharing both safety data and their most effective safety practices, according to its latest announcement.

Small Plane Crash in Southern Utah

In southern Utah on Friday, 5/29, two people died in a plane crash between Escalante and Boulder just off Scenic Highway 12 in the Calf Creek Recreational area.

According to Garfield County sheriff's spokeswoman Becki Bronson, the plane clipped a power line, hit the road and slid into the Calf Creek Bridge.  Killed in the crash were the pilot, John Austin, 64, of Boulder, Garfield County, and his passenger, Susan D. Gordon, 67, of California.

Bronson said that just prior to the crash, the sheriff’s office had received several complaints.  She went on to say that the plane was flying so low that cattle in the area were being disturbed.  The NTSB has recovered the airplane for further examination.

Ensuring One Level of Aviation Safety

That is the name of the bill that was introduced in the Senate this year by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Cal) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine).  It is a brave and necessary move by these senators to bring to the Senate a bill that would “require the establishment of national standards with respect to flight requirements for pilots [and] require the development of fatigue management plants.”

The crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearing that were held in May brought out the fact that the major carriers’ standards and that of smaller regional airlines simply isn’t the same.

It is important to note that the bill also calls for low airspeed alerter systems for all general aviation aircraft, something that experts say if installed on Flight 3407 would have likely prevented the crash and the unnecessary deaths of 50 people.

The bill implements four outstanding NTSB recommendations that have been cited by the safety board as potential causes of previous fatal accidents involving regional carriers:

*de-icing mechanical requirements

*low airpeed alerter systems for all general aviation aircraft

*remedial training programs for chronically deficient pilots

*continuing education training programs for pilots

The bill also requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the governmental entity that has the authority to implement these requirements, to provide the NTSB with notice of when and how it will implement any NTSB recommendation and, if a recommendation is not implemented, reasons substantiating that decision.

Additionally, the bill mentions a requirement for the FAA to report to Congress regarding the status of NTSB Safety Recommendations issued to the FAA.  This may end up being somewhat redundant relative to the existing requirements, namely, that the FAA respond to the NTSB's “Most Wanted” Safety Recommendations within a certain timeframe, and that the NTSB report to Congress on the adequacy of FAA responses to its “Most Wanted” Safety Recommendations.

See 49 USC 1135 for what is currently required of FAA and NTSB in this regard.
Go here for info on FAA and its responsiveness to NTSB Safety Recommendations.

The bill has some other significant changes in the law including raising the minimum number of hours of experience required for pilots at regional air carriers.

Let’s hope that a majority of the lawmakers in Washington, D.C. see the wisdom of this bill and act swiftly in its passage.

Continental Pilot Dies During Transatlantic Flight

On Thursday, a Continental Airlines pilot died while flying a Boeing 777 from Brussels, Belgium, to Newark, New Jersey.  The pilot, 60-year-old Craig Alan Lenell, suffered from a reported heart attack.  Two co-pilots subsequently took control of the plane and were able to finish the rest of the flight without incident.
 
The only reported clue to passengers that something was wrong came when a call over the loudspeaker asked for any doctors on board.  Dr. Julius Struyven, 72, a cardiologist and radiologist from Brussels examined the pilot and attempted to revive him with a defibrillator but was unsuccessful.  Dr. Struyven reportedly said to the media about the pilot “he was not alive” and that there was “no chance at all” of saving him.  According to the pilot’s wife, Lynda Lenell, he had no known health problems and underwent standard physicals every month.
 
According to Tom Donaldson, a former leader of the Continental Pilots’ union and a current Continental pilot , a third pilot is included in the crew on long routes to allow the captain or first officer to take breaks.
 
In speaking about her husband, Lynda Lenell said “flying was his life.  He died doing what made him happiest.”  Craig Lenell was reportedly planning on going home to Texas to spend Father’s Day with his family.

Senate Legislation in Response to the Crash of Flight 3407

Yesterday, Senators Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat who chairs the Senate Aviation Subcommittee, and Jim DeMint of South Carolina, the subcommittee's top Republican, strongly signaled their desire to pass legislation intended to improve safety at regional airlines.

When speaking at a congressional hearing on the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407, in which 50 people died, Senator Dorgan reportedly recognized the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) efforts towards getting airlines to boost their pilot hiring procedures and the agency's vow to create more stringent rules on pilot fatigue.  The Senator said, “We will need to introduce legislation to make certain it is done the right way.”

Another bill, reportedly introduced by two of the subcommittee’s members, attempts to implement National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations on aviation safety.  Some key elements of the bill reportedly include measures that toughen standards for flying in icing conditions, require a more thorough review of pilot records before they are hired and require random inspections at flight schools and airlines to insure training programs are sufficient.

"This legislation will hold their feet to fire, implementing several critical NTSB recommendations that have been languishing for decades and putting in place a more robust inspection process to ensure these new safety standards are being followed," said Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), who co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif).

Break-Up of Air France Plane Under Investigation

According to a recent Christian Science Monitor (CSM) report, further interpretation of the scant few clues that have been revealed to investigators of the Air France Flight 447 crash are suggestive of a scenario that involved the plane’s break-up while in the air.

The CSM report cites a Brazilian newspaper claiming that unnamed investigators are saying that an examination of the retrieved bodies, recovered up to 85 miles apart, indicate a possible break-up of the plane before hitting the water.  The CSM report did, however, mention that they were not able to confirm those reports.

Further, investigators have reported that the bodies were dead before they hit the water because there was no water in their lungs.  Water in the lungs suggests drowning.

Also pointing to an in-flight break-up are the cabin pressure readings that were communicated by the plane’s computer.  Messages reportedly indicated that cabin pressure was dropping at a rate of 1,800 feet per minute; this is a deviation from the standard pressure equivalent to that found at an elevation of 10,000 feet.  An obvious cause of cabin pressure loss could be that the plane was coming apart, according to the unconfirmed report.

Another concern is focused on the possible failure of composite materials used in the manufacture of the Airbus A330’s structure.  According to reports, the plane’s tail fin and vertical stabilizer, the largest pieces so far recovered, are partially composed of composite materials.  Experts reportedly have not yet designed many tests to determine whether the composite material has been compromised.  In contrast, safety experts have been improving tests to uncover imperfections in metals for the last 70 years.

According to Robert Mann, president of R.W. Mann & Co., an aviation consulting company in Port Washington, New York who was quoted in the press as saying, "We have a far less robust understanding of how composites may deteriorate. ...The extent of our ability to find faults in composites is something called a tap test, believe it or not. We tap the part and if it rings true, then you say, 'Oh, it must be a good part.' But if you hear a kind of a thud, you say, 'Oh, maybe it has delaminated internally, maybe it's got a void or other problems internally."

Airbus Manufacturer Asking for Patience

Airbus, the manufacturer of the A330, is publicly asking for patience on determining what caused Air France Flight 447 to crash into the Atlantic Ocean on June 1 and killed all 228 people on board.

Speaking before the Paris Airshow on Saturday, Airbus Chief Executive Tom Enders reportedly said, "…it certainly doesn't provide consolation to the families that if we look at the statistics of flying compared with 30 years ago, the statistics show that the A330 is one of the safest aircraft that has ever gone into service."  He went on to say, "We are supporting Air France. And we are supporting investigating authorities to find out what exactly happened up there in the sky, and we are hoping that the black boxes, the digital data recorder and the voice recorder, will be found soon so that we can find out what happened there."  He added, "Any speculation undermines the work that the authorities are doing."

Also at the briefing before the Airshow, Chief Executive of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS ), Louis Gallois reportedly directed a comment to the media when he said, “Please be patient, such an inquiry is long and we should not launch into ideas because it is an issue for families, colleagues and friends. They don't know if what they are reading in newspapers is true or not."

Along with the reassuring words from the Airbus executives, the airline has reportedly replaced all airspeed probes on its long-haul A330 and A340 passenger planes.

Investigators looking into the causes of the crash have reportedly been focusing on a possible malfunction of the plane’s pitot airspeed sensors.

While both Airbus and the French authority carrying out the investigation on AF447 have said that there is no proof that the airspeed sensors were to blame, Airbus reportedly completed the replacements as a precautionary measure.  It has been reported that in total, 15 A330 and 19 A340 planes, all of the Airbus jets in the Air France fleet, had their speed probes replaced.

According to reports, Airbus jets operated by Air France had at least five occurrences where airspeed probes malfunctioned.

To date, the Brazilian and French navies have recovered 49 bodies from the water.

New Mexico Helicopter Crash

A New Mexico State Police Department helicopter pilot and a University of New Mexico physics graduate student from Tokyo died last Tuesday when the helicopter they were traveling in crashed.

The pilot, Sgt. Andy Tingwall, was piloting the helicopter on a search-and-rescue mission to find student, Megumi Yamamoto, who went missing while hiking with her boyfriend and called for help on her cell phone after the two became separated.

After locating Yamamoto, Tingwall and Office Wesley Cox carried her to the craft and took off.  The helicopter’s tail rotor reportedly clipped a tree causing the crash.  Yamamoto and Tingwall were reportedly ejected from the chopper but Cox remained belted to his seat and survived.

According to State Police Chief Faron Segotta, Tingwall’s wife, Leighann, is a dispatcher for the state police and was working during the hiker rescue operation.  The couple has two young daughters.

Yamamoto has been in the United States since 2003 and began graduate studies at the University of New Mexico in January, according to Ivan Deutsch, a physics and astronomy professor who was her graduate adviser.

Update on Crash of Air France Flight 447

ABC news has put out an article today updating current information on the crash of Air France Flight 447.  To read the latest updates on the investigation, including efforts towards recovering the black box, read the story here.

Deborah A.P. Hersman to be Nominated for Chair of NTSB

The Obama administration yesterday announced their intention to nominate Deborah A. P. Hersman for Chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).  Ms. Hersman has been a member of the NTSB since 2004 and has since functioned as their representative at 15 accidents.  She has also chaired many public events hosted by the NTSB including a two-day event on motorcycle safety, a hearing on motor coach safety and public hearings on two significant aviation accidents.
 
Before joining the NTSB, Ms. Hersman worked on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation from 1999 to 2004 as a Senior Professional Staff Member.  There she was developed legislative and policy initiatives dealing with surface transportation that include the economic and safety regulation of railroads, trucks, buses, pipelines, and hazardous materials transportation. Previous to that position, Ms. Hersman was Staff Director and Senior Legislative Aide to Congressman Bob Wise of West Virginia between 1992 and 1999.
 
The White House press release on Deborah P. A. Hersman can be found here.
 

House Subcommittee on Aviation Holds Hearings on Regional Airlines

The House Subcommittee on Aviation is meeting today in the Rayburn House Office Building to receive testimony regarding regional air carriers and pilot workforce issues.  Live streaming of the hearings can be viewed here.

A summery (PDF) of the issues distributed by the Subcommittee is available below or by going here.

Search Continues for Black Box in Air France Crash

According to reports, today a French nuclear submarine, the Emeraude, began searching beneath the waters in an area where Air France Flight 447 is believed to have gone down.  The submarine is reportedly employing its “golden ears” in an effort to locate Flight 447’s black boxes by picking up the audible ping they emit.  According to naval officers, “golden ears” is the nickname for crewmen tasked with using the submarine’s sophisticated sonar equipment to detect faint noises underwater.
 
Even with all the technology aiding the recovery effort, officials of the French navy have said they are wary of their chance of success.  According to Major Patrick Prazuck, the French armed forces spokesman “there are big uncertainties about the accident site. The ocean floor is rugged so it's going to be very difficult and we're going to need a lot of luck."  No flight recorders have reportedly been recovered from the depth where AF447’s are believed to be resting, 12,000 feet.
 
Working along with the French submarine are reported to be two American sonar-detecting vessels.  Meanwhile, the recovery effort by the Brazilian and French navies is also focused on recovering debris and bodies from the crash.  To date, a total of 41 bodies have reportedly been recovered from the water.

Aviation Hearings Today

Today at 2:30 p.m. you can watch a live webcast of the Senate subcommittee hearing on Aviation Safety: FAA’s Role in the Oversight of Air Carriers.  The hearing can be viewed here.

Additionally, the hearing will be archived here.

Testifying at the hearing will be:

The Honorable Mark V. Rosenker
Acting Chairman
National Transportation Safety Board

The Honorable Calvin L. Scovel III
Inspector General
U.S. Department of Transportation

The Honorable J. Randolph Babbitt
Administrator
Federal Aviation Administration

Mr. John O’Brien
Board Member
The Flight Safety Foundation

Senate Aviation Hearings on Buffalo Crash

Investigation into the crash of Continental Flight 3407 has reportedly led to much concern in Congress over the inadequate training administered to the Colgan Air crew that operated the flight.  Hearings by a Senate subcommittee happen this afternoon and again next Wednesday.  A House committee will take up the topic tomorrow.
 
Last month National Transportation Safety Board hearings uncovered a finding that the Colgan Air crew on Flight 3407 reportedly did not receive full simulator training in the plane’s stall-recovery system.  There was much attention also given to low airspeed alerters which have been written about previously in this blog.
 
According to reports, the Obama administration has ordered government inspectors to review pilot training programs at regional airlines to confirm that they align with federal regulations.  Of particular concern to lawmakers is whether the substandard training at Colgan Air is unique or widespread among other regional airlines.  According to reports, regional airlines now manage nearly half of U.S. commercial flights.
 
An article in today’s Buffalo News reports that the Obama administration wants industry-wide standards on crew education and support, training and performance,and professionalism and flight discipline.
 
“The disclosures about crew rest, compensation, training and many other issues demonstrate the urgent need for Congress and the FAA to take actions to make certain the same standards exist for both commuter airlines and the major carriers,” said Sen. Byron L. Dorgan, D-N. D., chairman of today’s hearing.
 
Also reportedly announced yesterday were plans by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt to review pilot training at regional airlines.
The House Aviation Subcommittee is reported to have a broader agenda for its hearing on Thursday.  According to Rep. Jerry F. Costello, D-Ill, the relationship between airlines, their subcontractors, pilot training and the FAA’s record of not implementing safety recommendations will all be discussed along with the disparity in pay between major carriers and the regional airlines.

Air France Refitting A330 and A340 Fleet With New Speed Sensors

According to reports, Air France is moving to replace the speed sensors on all of their A330 and A340 airplanes.  The freezing of these sensors are one of the speculated causes being investigated in the crash of Air France Flight 447.  Air France reportedly announced their intention to replace the sensors hours after an Air France union recommended pilots not to fly these models until the sensors were replaced.
 
Erick Derivry, spokesman for France’s main pilots’ union, the SNPL, told the media, “Air France management summoned pilots' unions on Monday night to inform them on work to replace pitot probes,” and that it would be finished “within days.”
 
According to investigators, messages sent from Flight 447 contained “incoherent” readings.  Some reports speculate that the readings are a result of pitot tubes on the plane that iced up.
 
Air France is reported to have been replacing its pitot tubes with more efficient probes since April 27 of this year, but the A330 of Flight 447 had not yet been refitted, according to released media reports.

Congressional Hearings on Regional Airlines

This week Congress holds hearings on the safety of regional airlines.  According to a former regulator for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the reportedly "cozy relationship" between the airlines and the authority that regulates them has led to lax oversight and lack of accountability.

In particular, Colgan Air, the airline that operated Continental Airlines Flight 3407 which crashed into a home in Clarence Center near Buffalo, New York, in February, reportedly ignored safety and procedural violations.  One of the purposes of the hearings is to look into whether the alleged relationship between the agency and the company’s owner was critical to this crash.  Moreover, the former FAA official reportedly charges that Colgan Air had a culture of "corner cutting" when it came to regulations, he told the press.

An NPR story on this can be listened to here.

Experts in aviation hired by Clifford Law Offices to look into the crash of Continental Airlines Flight 3407 will be attending the hearings.  Robert Clifford, senior partner at the firm, wrote a letter to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the head of the FAA as well as several congressional leaders after the crash pointing out the deficiencies in the process.

Victims of Air France Flight 447 Crash Being Recovered in Atlantic Ocean

To date, seventeen bodies have been recovered from the waters surrounding the wreckage of Air France Flight 447.  French authorities are reporting that their vessels have recovered eight bodies and Brazilian authorities have found nine.  Items found in the same area are reportedly confirmed as having come from the jet include two airplane seats, structural components, pieces of the wing section and a briefcase that contained a ticket for the flight.
 
The exact location of the crash has reportedly not yet been determined.  The debris being recovered has been adrift since last Monday when crash occurred.  According to a CNN story, the search area covers 77,220 miles, an area nearly as big as the country of Romania.
 
Also reported over the weekend is news that Air France did not replace the Airbus A330’s Pitot tubes, as was recommended by Airbus, the manufacturer.  The recommendation reportedly came as a result of technological advancements.
 
To provide assistance in the search effort for the missing black boxes, the United States has sent a pair of high-tech Towed Pinger Devices to be used on two French tugs.  The devices can detect the emergency beacons emitted from the black boxes down to a depth of 20,000 feet.

Other Airbus A330 Malfunctions

In October 2008, a Quantas Airbus A330 reportedly dropped from an altitude of 37,000 feet for somewhere between 16 and 20 seconds.  The drop injured 74 people on the flight, 14 of whom were serious with broken bones, lacerations and concussions, according to media sources.

After an investigation, the Australian Transportation Safety Bureau’s director of aviation safety investigation told the press that the flight data revealed the cause to be a failure of the plane’s air data internal reference unit.  The unit is tasked with supplying data on air pressure, acceleration and temperature.  The malfunction reportedly sent incorrect data to the flight control system which plays a key role in flying the aircraft.

One report, in Australia’s Herald Sun suggested that powerful electromagnetic signals from a naval communications base may have played a role in the failure of the unit.  According to the article, the base uses powerful low frequency radio transmissions to communicate with ships and submarines and is the most powerful transmission station on that side of the earth.

Other reports of speed problems on the Airbus A330 have been registered before as well, according to various media sources.  According to a Reuters article the Federal Aviation Administration reported that, in 2001, France reported several cases of sudden fluctuation of A330 or A340 airspeed data during severe icing conditions.

Speed Sensors on Air France Flight 447

Investigators searching for clues about the break-up of Air France flight 447 are reportedly trying to determine if the plane’s instrumentation that measures airspeed malfunctioned.  The speed sensors and pitot tubes are integral tools for determining speed and any compromise of their function would likely result in the jet traveling too quickly or slowly when entering the storm system Air France FRlight 447 is believed to have traveled through.

One reported concern about the pitot tubes is that they may have iced over.  According to meteorologists, the plane encountered a storm that had 100 mph updrafts which could have pulled ocean water up to the plane's altitude.  Once at that height, with the temperature being minus 40 degrees, the water would have immediately frozen.  But more likely, according to reports, is that the internal speed sensors are what may have failed, experts are theorizing.

Debris Recovered Not From AF447

News stories today are reporting that no debris from the suspected crash of Air France Flight 447 has been found.  Despite Brazilian officials reportedly having said that a helicopter recovered an airplane cargo pallet from the Air France flight, France’s Transportation Minister is being quoted as saying “our planes and naval ships have seen nothing.”

Adding to the bleak scenario, a French Defense Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, reportedly said that French Teams “cannot precisely confirm the zone where the plane went down.”

In the absence of the plane’s black boxes, the search for clues continues.  Brazil’s Defense Minister said that the possibility of terrorism was never considered.  The French Defense Minister Herve Morin and the Pentagon have both said that there are no signs of terrorism but Morin indicated that they could not rule it out as a possibility.

According to reports, investigators are currently trying to determine the speed of the aircraft and what role that played.

NTSB Will Assist French Bureau With Air France Investigation

According to reports, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has accepted an invitation from the French accident investigation authority, the Bureau d'Enquˆtes et d'Analyses (BEA), to assist in the investigation of the crash of Air France Flight 447.

Mark V. Rosenker, the NTSB Acting Chairman, tapped senior air safety investigator Bill English as the U.S. Accredited Representative.  The U.S. team will also include technical advisors from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), GE and Honeywell.

Information on the progress of the investigation will be released by the BEA.  Their website is www.bea.aero

Brazil is reportedly leading the recovery effort.

Tragic News in Air France Crash

According to reports, Air France has communicated to families of those on Flight 447 that the airplane broke apart and that they should abandon hope that anyone survived.  In a meeting with families, the CEO of Air France, Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, reportedly said that the plane disintegrated in the air or when it hit the water and that there were no survivors.

In the absence of the plane's black boxes, all that is known about the crash is reportedly known as a result of the automatic messages sent by the plane’s vital systems outlining a series of failures that culminated in its systems shutting down.  According to an aviation industry official who spoke to Associated Press on condition of anonymity, such a series of messages suggests that the plane broke apart in the sky.

Another U.S. airline pilot and aviation analyst, Patrick Smith reportedly said that the automated messages indicate a loss of electrical power.  “What jumps out at me is the reported failure of both the primary and standby instruments.  From that point the plane basically becomes unflyable,” Smith said.

The search for wreckage continues today as French, Brazilian and American military planes attempt to narrow the search zone.  According to reports, the skies in the area are too heavily clouded for American satellites to aid by scanning the area for more debris.

Families of Those Who Lost Loved Ones

The families of the passengers and crew of Air France AF Flight 447 are devastated.  Having represented families who have lost loved ones in crashes in many commercial jets, the latest being that in Buffalo, New York, it is beyond words to describe the anguish they suffer.  The suddenness.  The inexplicable loss.  The complete destruction.

These people are searching their souls for answers as experts and government officials search for clues that might provide answers of what occurred.

Every family has their own story as to why that person was on the plane. They all tell of how that family member was so loved and is so missed.  They all cry inconsolably over the loss they cannot recoup.

228 people.  Seven children.  One infant.  How did this happen?  Why did it happen?  The plane has been quoted as being “reliable.”  The pilots were said to be “experienced.”  The same flight the next day arrived safely in Paris. 

Among the passengers were 61 French citizens, 58 Brazilians, 26 Germans nine Chinese, nine Italians and two Americans.  The French minister overseeing transportation, Jean-Louis Borloo, has said the chance of finding survivors in Flight 447 “is very, very small, even non-existent.”

The world prays for all of them.

The Black Box

As searchers look for the “black box” containing valuable information on the crash of Air France Flight 447, they know they are looking for something that is about the size of a toaster and could be as much as two miles underwater.  The “pinger” itself that sends out sound signals weighs less than half a pound and is about four inches long and is attached to the black box.

Search crews are reportedly using the most advanced military and commercial technology, including a sonar- and radar-equipped U.S. Navy plane.  They fly at low altitudes over the ocean trying to detect what is at the depths of the ocean that can be up to 19,600 feet in that area.

The “pingers” that are sounds emitted from the black box can withstand up to 20,000 feet of water pressure that can travel horizontally or vertically.  That means that in shallow water, the pings spread over a greater distance of the surface of the water.  In deep water, the sonar detection devices must be almost directly overhead to detect it.  In shallow water, divers can get the black box, but in deep water an unmanned remote-controlled submersible robotic device with camera and sonar devices is submersed and tries to recover it.

The battery on the black box, though, is good for only about 30 days so searchers are in a race against the clock to find it, according to French Prime Minister Francois Fillon.

Also hampering their efforts are thunderstorms that are emerging off the coast of Africa.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is changing black box requirements effective next March.  They will begin holding more information critical to helping accident investigators solve crashes, requiring cockpit voice records to be impervious to power failures and would hold two hours of recording time instead of the current 30-minute limit.

Experts Analyze Air France AF 447

Greg Feith, aviation expert for Clifford Law Offices in the Buffalo plane crash and former senior NTSB investigator for 22 years, spoke this morning on the Today Show about the loss of Air France 447.

Feith says that obstacles hindering the recovery of the plane’s black boxes include the depth of the water where the plane went down and the possibility that the boxes are buried beneath a significant part of the fuselage.

He goes on to explain the clues that are yielded from the nature of the recovered debris.  Feith says that multiple distinct debris fields are sometimes indicative of an in-flight break up.

To view the video, please visit this link.

Vessels Join in Search for Air France Plane

A multi-national naval operation is underway to locate the black box flight records in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean in the crash involving Air France Flight 447.  And it now becomes a race against time to find them.

Sonar equipment can detect the “pings” that the cockpit voice recorder sends out even from thousands of feet below sea level, but it will do so only for about 30 days, according to aviation experts.

Two mini-submarines from Brazil, an American submarine and three cargo ships from France and the Netherlands are scouring a zone about 300 miles northeast of Brazil’s Fernando do Noronha archipelago which itself is a few hundred miles from Brazil’s mainland, according to officials.

Three air force aircraft also were deployed this morning to make visual sweeps of the area.

The news of finding the debris changed the mission to a naval operation, officials have told the media, which means that hopes of finding anyone alive is all but gone, they have said.

This tragedy marks then the worst civil aviation crash since 2001 when an American Airlines jet crashed in New York killing all 260 people on board.
       

Brazil Confirms Air France Jet Crashed in Ocean

Brazilian military planes reportedly have found a three-mile path of wreckage in the Atlantic Ocean and have confirmed that the missing Air France jet has crashed in the sea, Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said Tuesday.

All 228 people aboard are believed to have died, he told the press. 

The discovery of the debris comes just hours after authorities announced they had found an airplane seat, an orange buoy and signs of fuel in a part of the ocean that is up to three miles deep.

Although the plane’s crash site is now believed to have been located, questions arise now as to what happened to bring it down.  Aviation experts have been speculating and some have even suggested the pilots may have trying to turn the plane around to avoid the violent storm they confronted.

A U.S. Navy surveillance plane with sonar equipment was reportedly set to begin flying over the area to locate the jet’s cockpit voice recorder, a key to learning the cause of this crash.  This type of surveillance plane can fly for up to 12 hours and is designed to track submarines underwater.

The French also reportedly have dispatched a research ship equipped with unmanned submarines to the debris site which can explore depths of up to almost 20,000 feet.

   

Greg Feith Speaks on Air France 447

Greg Feith, former senior National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator for 22 years talks to CNN about the Air France plane that has been missing since yesterday.  He speaks about the impact a thunderstorm would have on such a large aircraft and questions why pilots were not able to circumnavigate around such a storm, as other pilots apparently had.  
Feith says if the cockpit data recorder could be recovered, investigators could determine if the radar system was working on the plane because pilots would have been dependent on that radar to determine the size and area of a storm.

Air France Search Continues

Both aircraft and ships are searching an expansive area of the ocean in an effort to locate remains of Air France Flight 447.  Search efforts are reportedly being carried out between Brazil and the coast of Africa.  According to the following video, the last communications received from the Airbus A330 were messages detailing a loss of the electrical system and pressure in the cabin.

Our hearts go out to the families of those on board while we await further details.

More on Air France Flight 447

Current speculation on the cause of Air France flight 447’s disappearance is looking at how lightning may have been a factor in the aircraft's sudden disappearance.

Lightning strikes on commercial aircraft are a regular occurrence.  According to some reports, lightning hits commercial planes about three dozen times per day.  Large passenger jets like the Airbus A330 are hit by lightning, on average, once every three years but their aluminum construction is ideal for dissipating the electrical charge of a lightning bolt, sometimes in excess of 300,000 amps.

According to Bill Voss, the president and CEO of Flight Safety Foundation “It sounds like something that evolved into a problem, not something that happened instantly.”

So while Air France Flight 447 may have been struck by lightning, aviation experts are reportedly stressing that lightning alone is generally not able to bring down a commercial aircraft.

Parts of Air France Wreckage May Have Been Located

Officials are now telling the media that parts of the Airbus A330-200 may have been located about 400 miles northeast of Brazil’s Fernando do Noronha island. 

Brazilian Air Force spokesman Jorge Amaral told reporters that the “small remains” could not be immediately confirmed that they were from Air France Flight AF 447.  “The search is continuing because it’s very little material in relation to the size,” he said.

While officials await confirmation using a serial number or other definitive identification, family members in Brazil, Paris and around the world await word through this tragedy as details unfold.

The chance of finding survivors more than 24 hours after the plane has been reported missing dims greatly.

Officials have not released the passenger list, but it is reported that Flight AF 447 was carrying 216 passengers of 32 nationalities including 61 French citizens, 58 Brazilians, 26 German citizens, two Americans and one Canadian.  12 crew members also were aboard.

Debris Spotted in Ocean May be From Missing Air France Plane

Debris floating in an area near Air France flight 447’s planned flight path was reportedly spotted in the Atlantic Ocean by Brazilian Air Force planes this morning.  The floating materials consisted of an airplane seat cushion, a life jacket, fuel and some white pieces of material.

According to Brazilian Air Force spokesman, Jorge Amaral, the wreckage is “very little material in relation to the size” of the plane.  The Associate Press reports that Amaral also said there were no signs of life amid the debris.

Tragic Details of Air France Flight 447

As relatives of those aboard Air France Flight 447 anxiously and tearfully await word as to what happened to the Air France Flight 447, aviation experts are speculating that, despite the reported bad weather, it is not probable that a lightning strike caused the plane to fall out of the sky.

One expert was quoted as saying that because of the backup systems and lightning -shed materials of a plane, a lightning strike could be compared to a flashbulb going off in one’s face.  Such strikes are uneventful and occur daily with planes in the air.

In the meantime, the U.S. reportedly is using spy satellites to help in the search effort of an area of the Atlantic Ocean that is said to be the size of the continental United States.  The depth of the ocean there reaches 10,000 feet.

The four-year-old aircraft reportedly indicted an electrical malfunction before it lost contact with radar systems when it went out of range of Brazilian air traffic controllers.

Those on the plane are said to represent 32 nationalities, including two Americans.  

A world prays with them and waits.

Airbus A330-200 Plane

As searchers continue to try to find the Air France jet that is missing over the Atlantic Ocean as it was en route to Paris, France, from Brazil, officials are releasing details about the type of plane that it was.

The Airbus A330-200 is a twin-engine, long-haul, medium-capacity passenger jet that is 190 feet long.  It is shorter than the standard A330 which can hold up to 253 passengers.  There are 341 in use reportedly in the world today.

The plane can fly up to 7,760 miles.  Flight 447 that is missing was carrying 228 passengers, including crew members.

A spokesperson for GE Aviation, Rick Kennedy, told the press that the engine design on the plane, a CF6-80E, is used in more than 15,000 planes that are flying now.
   

Air France Flight 447

Air France officials and government officials are telling the press that the plane that disappeared today between Brazil land France with 228 people aboard has “almost certainly crashed,” according to media reports.

If that is the case and no survivors are found, it would be the worst loss of life involving an Air France plane in the airline’s 75-year history.  It also would be the deadliest commercial airline disaster since Nov. 12, 2001, when an American Airlines jetliner crash in the Ne York City borough of Queens during a flight to the Dominican Republic, killing 265 people on board.  

On Feb. 19, 2003, 275 people were killed in the crash of an Iranian military plane carrying members of the Revolutionary Guards as it prepared to land at Kerman airport in Iran.  The worst single-plane disaster was in 1985 when a Japan Air Lines Boeing 747 crashed into a mountainside after losing part of its tail, killing 520 people on board.

Officials are reporting the number of people on the plane that still has not been found.  British officials have said they fear Britons were among the passengers.  At least three passengers are reported to be Italian.  At least 60 French citizens were on board.   

Airbus spokeswoman Maggie Bergsma told the press that if the plane crashed, it would be the first fatal accident of an A330-200 since a test flight in 1994 that went wrong, killing seven people in Toulouse, France.

Air France Flight 447 Vanishes

“We can fear the worst.”  Those are the words of France’s transportation minister Dominique Bussereau as he spoke n Europe-1 radio today.  

An Air France jet has vanished in the Atlantic Ocean and as anxious and worried family members await word from search crews, officials are calling the incident “a major catastrophe.”

Air France Flight 447 was reportedly traveling in lightning and thunderstorms over the Atlantic when air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane.  The flight was expected to land in Parish at 11:15 a.m. EST, according to a spokesperson for the airlines who refused to be named.

Given the jet fuel capacity of the plane, it could not still be in the air, according to aviation officials including Jean-Louis Borloo, the second most senior figure in France’s cabinet.  Already Air France executives are speculating on what may have happened – telling NBC network television that “an automatic message” was sent from the plane that might have signaled an electric circuit malfunction.  

Brazil’s Air Force has sent a search team near the Brazilian island of Gernando de Noronha to find the Airbus 330-200.  Among the 216 passengers and 12 crew members are reported to be seven children and one baby.
   
   

Air France Flight 447 Missing

Searchers still have not found the Air France Airbus 300 jet that lost communication over the vast Atlantic Ocean on its way to Paris, France, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

When the plane left Brazil, the latest contact with ground control indicated that it had flown past the Fernando de Noronha archipelago about three hours after takeoff, indicating that it was flying probably at about 35,000 feet and traveling about 522 miles per hour, according to media reports.

An automatic message reportedly was received 14 minutes later that it was experiencing electrical failure and a loss of cabin pressure.  That was the last communication from the jet that was carrying 228 people when it was about 60 miles south of the Cape Verde Islands, according to Brazilian Air Force officials.

Air France-KLM CEO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told reporters at a news conference that the pilot on the plane had 11,000 hours of flying experience including 1,700 hours flying that aircraft.
   

Air France Plane Still Missing

As searchers try to locate the missing Air France Flight 447 that was heading to Paris from Rio de Janeiro, already Brazilian officials are speculating that the search will “take a long time to carry out.”  That’s what Douglas Ferreira Machado, head of investigation and accident prevent for Brazil’s Civil Aeronautics Agency told Globo news.  “The black box will be at the bottom of the sea,” he said, referring to the possibility that the plane has crashed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Airbus 330-200 plane was being racked by radar as well as steady contact with the pilots and ground control.  No communication has been had with them for hours and it was last tracked about 186 miles northeast of the coastal city of Natal, Brazil.

A crisis center has been set up at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France.
   

Air France Jet Still Missing

More details are surfacing about the missing Air France jet.  Air France Flight 447, an Airbus A330, was carrying 216 passengers and 12 crew members, according to a spokeswoman for the company.

The flight left Rio de Janeiro in Brazil about 7 p.m. EST and was headed to Paris, France, when it lost contact with air traffic controllers over the Atlantic Ocean.  The plane disappeared about 190 miles northeast of the coastal Brazilian city of Natal.  

The Brazilian air force began a search Monday morning, according to published reports.
   

Air France Plane Missing

National news reports are surfacing that an Air France plane carrying more than 200 people is now missing over the Atlantic Ocean.

The French airplane, bound to Paris from Rio de Janeiro, was reported missing about three hours into its flight.

Radar contact with air traffic control stopped and given the amount of fuel the plane had,  according to the media, French officials are saying they do not hold much hope in a successful flight. 

Details are developing.

NTSB Updates Facts on Buffalo Plane Crash

As a nation waits for the recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board, following its three days of hearings in May, it has posted an Advisory regarding some factual information it has found in the crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 near Buffalo New York on Feb. 12, 2009. 

To view the advisory, please click here.

Prior to the three-day hearing, the NTSB made its agenda available for the public to view.  The hearings could be viewed live via the internet.

As further information becomes available on this crash, Clifford Law Offices, which represents a number of families who lost loved ones in this tragedy, will make the information available on its blog. 

U.S. Army Helicopter Crashes, Killing Two

According to reports, on Wednesday a U.S. Army helicopter conducting a test flight crashed, killing the two soldiers on board.  The Army is reportedly classifying the incident as a “hard landing” because the aircraft was under the pilot’s control when the accident occurred at Wheeler Army Airfield in Hawaii.

The helicopter, an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, was reportedly on fire when the Honolulu Fire Department responded to a downed aircraft call.  The names of the deceased have not yet been released.

Plane Crash in Brazil

A King Air B350 reportedly crashed on Friday in Brazil, killing 14 people on board.  Among the dead was Roger Ian Wright, a British born businessman, along with nine members of his family.

According to reports, moments before impact the plane’s pilot reported that “visual and landing conditions were normal.”  The crash occurred on approach to the Terravista Airport which serves the exclusive Terravista golf and condominium resort in Trancoso.

The Brazilian air force has reportedly located the plane’s black box in an effort to determine the cause of the crash.

The King Air B350 was reportedly owned by Wright and according to a spokeswoman at Brazil’s national Civil Aviation Agency, the plane had been inspected and its documents were in order.

Roger Ian Wright is the reported owner of Arsenal Investments and ex-director of Banco Garantia.

Small Plane Crash in Nevada Kills Family

On Saturday, a decorated pilot with over 2,700 flight hours in an F/A-18 Hornet reportedly crashed his 1966 Cessna 320 on approach to an airport in the town of Fallon, Nevada.  Commander Luther H. Hook III and his three daughters all died in the accident.  According to reports, Hook is a 1986 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and was, most recently, the Number 2 officer at Naval Air Station Fallon.

Hook was reportedly returning from a trip to pick up his daughters in Fresno, California, so they could stay the weekend with him.  Witnesses reported that the plane seemed to be moving in a distressed manner before the crash. 

American Airlines Engine Fire

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently found that American Airlines was at fault for a September 28, 2007 engine fire in one of their MD-82 aircraft on a flight originating from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.  After an investigation, the NTSB concluded that maintenance workers’ failure to follow procedure caused the incident on the Chicago bound American flight 1400.

According to reports, troubles with the plane’s left engine began 10 days prior to the fire.  The engine’s repeated failure to turn on reportedly was misdiagnosed as a start valve issue and consequently led to the valve’s replacement 6 times in those 10 days.  The NTSB investigation reportedly revealed that improper maintenance of a metal air filter and its subsequent disintegration began a chain of mechanical malfunctions, ultimately culminating in the fire.  Making matters worse, reports state that as the airplane attempted to return to the airport its landing gear would not extend.

Mechanical workers were not the only ones to deviate from procedure.  Reports have stated that the flight crew also failed to follow emergency checklist procedures.  After the fire interfered with the plane’s electrical system and caused the automatic cockpit door to open, the co-pilot reportedly attempted to manually close the door.

According to safety board member Kitty Higgins, “It seems to me it was a series of people taking short cuts that accumulated on this particular day into what could have been much more catastrophic.”  Nobody on the flight was injured.
 

Two Small Planes Collide in California

Two small airplanes reportedly collided in mid-air over Long Beach Harbor, California around 5:45 p.m. Monday.  Three people are reported to have been involved.  One plane, a Cessna 172, was reported to have been carrying a student pilot and an instructor.  The other small airplane is reported to have only been carrying a pilot.

Search teams were scouring the waters off of the harbor.  The Coast Guard, the Los Angeles City Fire Department and the Long Beach Fire Department are all working on the search effort.  According to reports, they are focusing their efforts on two debris fields caused by the collision but are reportedly having trouble due to the foggy weather and choppy waters.

Bob Clifford's Op Ed Piece on Flight 3409

Bob Clifford wrote an Op Ed piece for the Jamestown, New York Post-Journal newspaper.
The article appeared May 3, 2009, and can be read in its entirety here.
Mr. Clifford, who represents several families who lost loved ones in the Feb. 12 crash of Flight 3409 near Buffalo, New York, talks about the low airspeed alerter system that is available on other aircraft.  If it had been on the Bombardier involved in this terrible crash, the tragedy could have been avoided.

Clifford Law Aviation Lawyers Attend NTSB Hearing on Flight 3407

Bob Clifford and a team of lawyers from Clifford Law Offices are attending the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearings in Washington, D.C., for three days of hearings on the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 near Buffalo, New York.

Mr. Clifford has been speaking out to the press on a number of issues, among them the apparent violation of the sterile cockpit rule, as acknowledged by Colgan Air officials themselves at the hearings.  Here is a link to the story

reported by WIVB-TV in Buffalo.

Pilots’ Schedule Being Examined in Buffalo Plane Crash

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reportedly is looking into whether the pilots were over-scheduled when operating Continental Connection Flight 3407 that crashed Feb. 12.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be holding hearings next week in Washington, D.C., into the cause of the tragic crash that killed everyone on board and a person on the ground.  One of the key areas of scrutiny, according to the Washington Post, will be the pilots.

Training of the pilot and co-pilot in that crash as well as their ability to handle the plane’s emergency features also is expected to be looked into, according to that newspaper. 

Cockpit voice recordings of the Newark-to-Buffalo flight, operated by Manassas-based Colgan Air, are expected to reveal discussions in the cockpit unrelated to flying, according to reports.  Federal rules govern the type of conversations that are allowed in the cockpit particularly during high-risk times. 

The Associated Press (AP) also reported today that the FAA is examining the crew’s experience and “fatigue management.”  Federal rules govern the number of hours a crew member is allowed to fly as well as rest requirements.

AP reports that the NTSB has scheduled the “unusual three-day public hearing” next week involving all five board members that “will cover a range of safety issues, including the effect of icing on the airplane’s performance, cold weather operations, sterile cockpit rules, crew experience, fatigue management and staff recovery training.”

More on the Proposed Medivac Safety Rules

According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) official, the new helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) rulemaking will cover different areas such as safety devices, procedures and infrastructure, and pilot training.

These new rules are reportedly in response to the increase in fatal medivac helicopter accidents over the last two years that killed a total of 35 people.

By requiring the usage of certain technologies, the proposed rules hope to prevent HEMS accidents.  One new requirement for HEMS helicopters will be to carry Helicopter Terrain Awareness Warning Systems (HTAWS).  HTAWS alert pilots visually and aurally if they are nearing terrain or some other dangerous obstruction, allowing them time to maneuver the rotorcraft away safely.  The cost of the system is about $100,000.

A January 2009 FAA survey reportedly found that among HEMS operators, 40 percent have voluntarily equipped some or all of their fleet with HTAWS.

The FAA will also mandate other requirements.   Inclusion of flight data and cockpit voice recorders on-board HEMS operations reportedly will be required.  Additionally, operators will reportedly be tasked with carrying out risk assessments to evaluate weather and other conditions before flights.  If it is determined that there is heightened risk, the flights will be cancelled.  Intense pilot training will be mandated to improve flying skills in bad weather and night flights.

The FAA rulemaking body has reportedly approved the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.  Its plan reportedly is to publish them in late 2009 or early 2010 and the new regulations would go into effect in 2011. 

New Rules May Be in the Works for Medevac Helicopters

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reportedly planning to propose new rules governing the operation of medical helicopters.  The new rules are reportedly aimed at improving flight safety and are a formal departure from the previous voluntary safety regime.  This action comes reportedly in response to the deaths of 35 people killed in medical helicopter crashes in the last two years.

According to reports, the FAA will begin the rulemaking process later this year.  They would be subject to a public comment period.

One of the reported changes being discussed by the FAA is a requirement that all medical helicopters include a terrain avoidance and awareness system.  These systems, which are reported to cost up to $100,000, warn of ground-based objects.

By instituting these new rules hopefully we can avoid the needless losses that occur when a medical helicopter crashes.  For example, maybe the recent medical helicopter crash in Maryland that resulted in the loss of four people and the medical helicopter crash in Illinois that also left four people dead could have been prevented by the coming safety regulations

Plane Crash in Florida Crashes into Home

On Saturday, a twin-engine Cessna 421 crashed into a Florida home, killing the pilot.  The pilot, 80-year-old Cecil A. Murray, was reportedly taking his last flight in the plane to Fernandina Beach for its planned sale.

According to Robert A. Gretz, a Senior Air Traffic Safety Investigator, the pilot radioed that he was having trouble.  Permission was reportedly granted to land on any runway at the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport but before Murray could land; his plane fell from what reports estimate to be a height of approximately 300 feet into a house.

Nobody was home at the time.  According to reports, homeowner, Oscar Nolasco, who would normally be at home on Saturdays, had been called into work that day.  No other homes were reportedly damaged in the accident.

Small Plane Crash in Sandwich, Illinois

On Saturday, a pilot and his passenger reportedly died when their 1946 Ercoupe 415-C airplane crashed into a cornfield and caught fire in Sandwich, Illinois.

According to reports, the pilot, Randy Hougham, 53, restored the vintage plane and has been flying it since 2006.  His passenger, Lauren Hamilton, 22, was reportedly a graduate of Bradley University and a resident of Peoria Illinois.

Earlier in the day Hougham reportedly took Hamilton’s father and grandfather for a ride in the plane and landed safely each time.

The FAA and the NTSB are investigating the cause of the crash. 

Another Bird Strike Emergency Landing

Monday night another commercial plane reportedly made an emergency landing in response to a bird strike.  None of the 133 passengers reportedly were injured when the Allegiant Air plane struck a bald eagle just after taking off from Orlando’s Sanford International Airport.

According to reports, the aircraft was not disabled from the strike but landed as a precautionary measure.  The passengers and crew resumed their flight on another plane four hours later.

Florida is home to one of the largest populations of bald eagles in the United States.  Their presence at Sanford International Airport reportedly has been an ongoing issue with officials.

The issue of bird strikes has been in the news since a U.S. Airways plane made an emergency landing on the Hudson River after losing both engines to bird strikes.  Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules do not require mandatory recording and submission of bird strike data; rather they request it on a voluntary basis.  More information on the FAA bird strike policy can be found here.

Flying Safety Questioned

As the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) preliminary report released last week on the March 22 crash of a Pilatus PC-12/45 in Butte, Montana, still fails to shed any light on the cause of that crash that took 14 lives, United Press International (UPI) released a story that says, “General aviation still deadliest in U.S.”

In a story released April 3, UPI stated that “general aviation remains the deadliest form of air travel in the United States,” according to statistics compiled from the federal government.

The story reports on the NTSB’s annual review of aviation accidents which reports that general aviation accounted for 495 of the 564 civil aviation fatalities that occurred last year.

Accidents on charter flights (which includes medevac helicopters, tour flights and air taxis) killed 66 people; 15 of those people killed involved medical helicopters in 2008. 

Commuter airlines, which often fly smaller aircraft, reported seven accidents but no fatalities.

Large commercial carriers reported 20 accidents in 2008 but no fatalities among the 750 million passengers who traveled commercially. 

This year, 64 people have died in aviation accidents.  Fifty people were killed when a turboprop crashed into a home near Buffalo, New York, just weeks before the Butte, Montana crash.

Emergency Landing

United Airlines flight 923 reportedly made an emergency landing yesterday at the Bangor Maine International Airport.  The flight was traveling from London to Washington, D.C. with 178 passengers and 11 crew members when it began to experience mechanical difficulties.

According to reports, pilots of the Boeing 767 noticed smoke in the cockpit and subsequently lost power in one of the plane’s two engines.

The flight landed without incident and passengers were soon boarded on another flight that continued to Dulles in the nation's capital.

NTSB Hearings on Buffalo Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has announced that it will hold hearings in Washington, D.C., in May on the Buffalo plane crash that tragically took 50 lives in February.  Three days of hearings in mid-May will be held where experts and aviation authorities will be called to testify on the possible causes of the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407.

The hearings can be monitored live on the NTSB’s website: www.NTSB.gov

FAA Proposal to Protect Bird Strike Data

A new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposal published in the Federal Register last Thursday reportedly is aimed at preventing the distribution of its records on commercial airplane bird strikes.  The proposal comes in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request made by the Associated Press, according to media reports.

Currently, the FAA maintains records detailing the location and frequency of in-flight commercial airplane contact with birds.  Submission of this information to the FAA is done on a voluntary basis by airport authorities.  The FAA reportedly has resisted recommendations to require this type of reporting by the airlines.

In 1999, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that as a result of the voluntary nature of the reporting, the FAA is underestimating the problem.  The NTSB also said that over half of the FAA reports omitted the species of bird, the most important piece of information.

The FAA is reportedly fearful that some airports and airlines would no longer report incidents based on the possibility that the public could misinterpret the data and hold it against them.  The FAA also reportedly asserted that conclusions drawn on the raw data could be problematic because of the unevenness of reporting.

“The agency is concerned that there is a serious potential that information related to bird strikes will not be submitted because of fear that the disclosure of raw data could unfairly cast unfounded aspersions on the submitter,“ the FAA wrote.

Some critics, though, are reportedly concerned that the FAA is protecting the airlines and the industry.

NTSB Examines NY Pilot’s Training

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is focusing on the pilot’s actions just prior to the crash last month that killed 50 people outside Buffalo, New York.

NTSB investigators told the press yesterday that the pilot of Continental Connection Flight 3407 yanked the aircraft into a sudden steep climb, and then the aircraft suddenly lost control and slammed into a house in Clarence Center, New York.

The flight was operated by regional carrier Colgan Air.

The NTSB report questions the pilot and co-pilot’s training and suggests that rules may not have been adhered to governing cockpit conduct.  The pair were flying in freezing rain and snow and the stall warning system had activated, according to NTSB investigators.

NTSB data also shows that the speed of the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, a twin-engine turboprop, had slowed to 150 miles per hour when the stick shaker activated which is the warning of an impending stall. 

The stick shaker alerts pilots that they are flying too slowly.  It vibrates the control column.  If a plane gets too slow, it can experience a “stall” whereby the air flowing over the wings can no longer keep the plane aloft.

Pilots are trained to lower a plane’s nose and increase power to overcome the possible stall.  The NTSB is telling the media that within two seconds of the stick shaker activating in the Buffalo crash, the airflow over the wing was disrupted and the plane rolled to one side.

More Details Emerge in Montana Plane Crash

As  the communities mourn the loss of three lovely families who were killed in the Butte, Montana plane crash Sunday, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators are trying to leave no stone unturned in trying to discover the cause of the crash.

In piecing together the aircraft’s flight path Sunday, the NTSB has revealed that the plane left Redlands, California, early Sunday and stopped in Vacaville and Oroville, both in Northern California to pick up passengers.

In Oroville, the pilot filed a flight plan with Bozeman, Montana, as his destination and Butte as an alternate in case of difficulty.  While en route, the pilot contacted the air traffic control center at Salt Lake City and stated that the plane was diverting to Butte but did not give a reason.

The pilot contacted air traffic controllers yet a second time requesting the diversion to Butte.

At 2:27 p.m., the controller asked the pilot if he had the airport in sight.  NTSB officials said that the pilot reported he had one more cloud to “maneuver around.”  At 2:28 p.m., the pilot reported to the airport that he had it in sight.  Air traffic controllers then terminated radar service to the aircraft, according to NTSB investigators.  The accident was reported to local authorities at 2:33 p.m.

Witness said the plane pitched down at a 90 to 95-degree angle when it plunged and then burst into flames upon impact.

Weather is being examined closely to see if icing conditions could have formed on the wings or tail of the aircraft.  Determining the cause could take months, according to officials.

Change of Flight Plan in Montana Plane Crash

Investigators are trying to figure out why the pilot changed his course shortly before the plane nose-dived into a Butte, Montana-cemetery Sunday, willing all 14 people aboard.

Flying at 25,000 feet, the pilot requested the diversion from Bozeman, Montana, to Butte half an hour before the single-engine

Pilatus PC-12 crashed at the end of Butte’s airport.  Seven children under the age of 10 were killed along with their parents and the pilot.

The pilot said nothing to air traffic controllers to indicate he was having trouble, not did he say why he was making a 75-mile course change.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) acting Chairman Mark Rosenker told reporters that the plane’s landing gear as down but its wing flaps were up at the time of the crash.  While descending toward Butte’s Bert Mooney Airport, the plane reportedly passed through a layer of air at about 1,500 feet that was conducive to icing conditions because the temperature was below freezing and the air “had 100 percent relative humidity or was saturated,” according to AccuWeather, a forecasting service in State College, Pennsylvania.

The wreckage area reportedly is confined to a relatively small area which is consistent with the plane nose-diving.  As many as 20 witnesses have stepped forward.   

Since 2001, federal authorities reportedly have investigated 15 crashes involving PC-12s.  Six involved fatalities.  About 800 PC-12s are in service in the United States, according to media reports.

It should be noted that two weeks ago the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a warning known as an “airworthiness directive” for PC-12s.  The agency said cables used to lower and raise the plane’s elevators could become stuck.  A plane's elevator cables control the up-and-down movement of the tail.

FedEx Crash Landing

Just hours after a small plane crashed in Butte, Montana, killing all 14 aboard, a FedEx cargo plane crashed while trying to land at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport, killing the pilot and co-pilot.

The tragic crash of the MD-11F aircraft was captured on video and has been replayed around the world.  It is a horrific scene and the hearts go out to the families of the captain and first officer who tried to land the jet early Monday morning.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators from the United States headed to Tokyo to help with the investigation which officials said was the first fata crash at Narita and the first fatal crash involving a mainline FedEx aircraft.  Previous fatal FedEx crashes involved contract carriers involving piston aircraft or single engine turboprops.

Investigators reportedly are focusing on the MD-11's computer-assisted pitch stability augmentation system which relies on a tailplane-mounted ballast tank and computer-enhanced elevator controls that are supposed to smooth out pitch movements.  Reports in the Wall Street Journal have discussed that system’s difficulty in handing the aircraft in gusting winds when the aircraft is close to the ground.

Investigators Focus on Wing Icing in Montana Crash

As National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators begin to sift through the wreckage of the small plane that crashed Sunday in Butte, Montana, their vow to go through every detail appears to be starting with icing on the wings.

With cold weather conditions that are being reported as similar to that in the Buffalo, New York plane crash in February, NTSB officials are looking into the de-icing of the wings on the small one-engine plane that crashed at roughly a 45-degree angle.  “It’s Buffalo all over again, or it could be,” John Goglia, a former member of the NTSB, told the press.

Witnesses said the plane plummeted at what appeared to be nose down when it was at an altitude of about 300 feet, just a few hundred feet short of the runway it was approaching.

Without a cockpit voice recorder or a flight data recorder, finding the cause of the crash is made more difficult.  Investigators also reportedly are looking at whether the plane’s owner, who was not on the aircraft, complied with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety directive issued March 10 that required that type of plane to be inspected for a problem with cables that could interfere with the aircraft’s elevators which control pitch.

Three families were killed, including seven adults and seven children under the age of 10.

Plane Nose Dived

Eyewitnesses to the crash in Butte, Montana, reported that they saw the plane nose dive into the ground Sunday just about 500 feet short of the airport runway.

The 17 people in the plane apparently included a party of children on a school skiing holiday.  That area of Montana is one of the most popular ski destinations in the United States after Colorado and Utah.

The PC-12 single-engine turboprop was built in 2001.  It is the third major plane incident in the United States this year.  In February an aircraft hit a house in Buffalo, New York, killing 50 people.  In January, a passenger plane made an emergency landing on the Hudson River in New York and all 155 people aboard miraculously survived.

The plane crashed into Holy Cross Cemetery near the airport in Butte, Montana.

Family members are being contacted about the tragedy.

Officials are not saying whether the pilot issued a distress call before crashing.  The weather there Sunday was reportedly partly cloudy, and visibility was 10 miles with winds reportedly blowing from the northwest around 10 miles per hour.

Children Killed in Montana Plane Crash

Authorities have confirmed that several children were aboard the small plane that crashed just short of a runway in Butte, Montana Sunday, killing all 14 people aboard.

Photos of the fiery crash into a cemetery have been released to the media and are on the internet.  It is a tragic scene.

The aircraft was a Swiss-made Pilatus PC-12 single-engine turboprop plane registered to Eagle Cap Leasing in Enterprise, Oregon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  A spokesperson for the FAA told the media that the aircraft was not certified by the governmental agency for charter use.

The aircraft left the city of Redlands just east of Los Angeles on Sunday morning and flew to Vacaville, about 50 miles north of San Francisco, according to records at FlightAware.com, an aviation tracking service.  It stayed there for just under an hour then took a short flight to Oroville, California, where it was on the ground for about a half hour before taking off for Montana.

FlightAware.com said that the plane typically carries six to nine people and is certified to carry 12.  No explanation has been offered yet for the number of people who were on the plane.

Small Plane Crashes in Montana

A small plane crashed as it approached the Butte, Montana airport Sunday, killing all 14 people aboard.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson, the aircraft crashed into local cemetery.  Although several people were nearby, no one on the ground reportedly was injured.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) sent investigators to the scene who are trying to determine the cause of the crash.

The plane had departed from Oroville, California, and the pilot had filed a flight plan that shoed a destination of Bozeman, Montana, about 85 miles southeast of Butte.  Preliminary reports indicated that the people on board were on a ski trip.

Single-Engine Plane Crash in New Mexico Kills Two

A single engine plane crashed about 20 miles outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico last Monday morning, killing the two people on board.

Pilot, Randy Rupert, 42 and Matthew Porter, 42 reportedly took off from Edgewood, New Mexico heading for Los Alamos.  Rupert, an employee of Los Alamos National Laboratory, made the daily commute by plane often.

Police, who arrived on the scene in response to a brush fire call, immediately realized they were dealing with a plane crash but were unable to initially identify the plane because the wreckage was so badly charred.

Conditions are reported to have been bad that morning, with fog and heavy snow blanketing the area.  Investigators believe the plane had turned around because of the weather.

Emergency Landing at JFK Airport

Chicago-bound American Airlines flight 309 made an emergency landing last Wednesday at New York City’s JFK airport.  The plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83, took off from LaGuardia airport at 8 AM but quickly lost power in an engine that subsequently broke apart.  The flight was forced to land at nearby JFK minutes later.

While still in the air, the broken engine began dropping metal parts on the Queens, NY neighborhood it flew above.  According to media reports, engine pieces hit a warehouse and broke some car windshields, but no one on the ground was injured.

According to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials, the engine turbine failed but its blades did not pierce
the engine housing or the fuselage.

A World Watches

As the Dutch Safety Board comes to some difficult preliminary findings regarding the cause of the Turkish Airways plane crash last week, a world takes a look into the training that is required for pilots in flying an airplane.

In looking back at the Roselawn crash of 15 years ago, Clifford Law Offices, as lead counsel, hired world renown experts experienced in the field of piloting a plane.

Retired Captain David A. Simmon, former Flight Safety Director Worldwide for United Airlines, examined pages and pages of documents in preparation for trial in that case that was set to be heard in federal court. He filed this document that concluded that in that crash, “The crew made numerous errors that contributed to the accident.” He specifically listed 13 items that the crew failed to do or performed incorrectly.

He also found that “the crew member training did not meet the high standards that are required by the Aviation Act of 1958.” He detailed his findings there as well. Interestingly, he also found that “The management of [the airlines] did not exhibit the proactive attitude, vigilance and dedication that are needed for an airline to operate with the highest degree of safety.” His full report can be viewed here.

As a common carrier, that is the standard that is due the passenger, and that clearly was not met in the Roselawn crash.

Wednesday the Dutch Safety Board said that the crew in the Turkish Airlines crash “did not react to the issues at hand.” It will be determined if the crew’s training there was adequate to handle the incident that occurred there and maintenance issues also are sure to be scrutinized.

Roselawn Plane Crash – A Look Back

Clifford Law Offices, aviation lawyers, hired world renown aeronautical experts while lead counsel of the Roselawn plane crash 15 years ago.

Among them was Kennedy Aeronautics, Inc., of Hawaii. After reviewing thousands of pages of documents involving that crash – depositions, reports, texts and previous accidents and incidents involving icing problems – Dr. Donald A. Kennedy of Kennedy Aeronautics came to five conclusions. Among them are:

“The loss of control was caused by an aileron hinge moment reversal which was induced by the local flow separation upstream of the ailerons.” He also concluded that, “The pneumatic de-ice boot coverage was defectively designed in that the boots did not extend in the chordwise direction to the extent required to prevent local flow separation in the aileron region in icing conditions.”

A copy of the report he filed in the Roselawn case can be viewed here.

Faulty Gauge Found in Turkish Airlines Jet

Dutch investigators said Wednesday that a faulty altimeter combined with inattentive pilots contributed to the fatal crash last week of a Turkish Airlines jet.

An altimeter is a gauge that measures an aircraft’s altitude and on the Turkish Airlines jet an altimeter incorrectly indicated that the plane was approximately at ground level that prompted the automatic pilot to throttle back the engines in preparation for touchdown, according to Dutch authorities.  The plane at the time actually was nearly 2,000 feet above the ground.

The Boeing 737-800 crashed about 3,300 feet short of the runway just outside Amsterdam’s international airport.  Nine of the 130 people aboard were killed.  Many others were seriously injured.

Fred Sanders, a spokesman for the Dutch Safety Board, told the media that previous flight recordings indicated that the plane had problems twice before with its left radio altimeter during landings.  Investigators also reported that “initially the crew did not react to the issues at hand.”  Aviation experts said that meant that the crew on that plane apparently failed to notice a number of warnings that would have alerted them about an impending stall that was triggered by the malfunctioning altimeter.

These preliminary findings prompted Boeing to issue what has been termed an “unusual” world-wide alert to its pilots “to carefully monitor primary flight instruments during critical phases of flight” such as takeoffs and landings.

Former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member, John Goglia, raised issues of complacency among pilots regarding an increasing reliance on aircraft automation.

Three People, Including Teen, Killed in Small Plane Crash

Authorities are reporting that the three people who died in a small Cessna plane crash in a wooded area of eastern Louisiana are from Mississippi.  Among those killed are the owner of the plane and her 13-year-old son along with the pilot.

The single-engine Cessna 182 was flying from Slidell to Marksville in Louisiana when it crashed in Independence near Albany, Louisiana.  The cause of the crash is under investigation with National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials at the site along with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 
   

Lessons Learned from Roselawn Crash

Experts and investigators continue to probe the cause of the crash of Continental Flight 3407 that crashed in Buffalo, New York.  Much criticism has been leveled at governmental agencies for not doing more regarding de-icing procedures and safety measures on turboprop planes that fly in frigid weather.

Lack of proper de-icing was determined to be the major factor in the crash of the ATR turboprop at Roselawn, Indiana, in 1994.  At that time, aviation lawyers at Clifford Law Offices were the lead counsel in that litigation, representing 16 families who lost loved ones aboard that flight.

In putting together a team of aviation and aerodynamic experts from around the world to study the cause of the crash, among those hired by the aviation law firm was Peter H. Hildebrand, a world-renown meteorology expert.  He described, not only the weather conditions at the time of the crash, but also he was very instrumental in explaining the types of weather conditions that had been known for years in the aviation and scientific communities that these turboprop planes fly in with that particular de-icing device, the pneumatic boot.

One of his conclusions was that, “The flight crew should have had knowledge of the adverse icing conditions due to a multitude of sources including: the current weather and weather forecast information, the visual evidence of icing, and the aircraft response to accumulation of ice.”  He also went on to say that, “The record of the flight crew’s actions indicates repeated observations of icing and of the adverse effects on the aircraft’s flight characteristics.”

His research into the Roselawn crash was critical in those families finding out what happened in that terrible tragedy.

Please click here to download the report.

Boeing 737 Involved in Amsterdam Plane Crash

Investigators are now looking into the safety record of this aircraft after the Boeing 737-800 crash Wednesday near Amsterdam.  Called the next-generation 737, it has experienced several crashes in the last few years.

In 2007, a Kenya Airways 737-800 crashed in Africa during a driving rainstorm.  The cause has not been determined and that plane was reported to be six months old.  All 114 passengers and crew died in that plane crash.  The wreckage was recovered in a swamp in southern Cameroon near the Douala airport.  The plane was bound for Nairobi, Kenya with 105 passengers and nine crew members from 27 different countries.

Several months earlier, a GOL Airlines 737-800 crashed in 2006 in Brazil when the Boeing plane collided at cruise altitude with a Legacy business jet that was headed to the United States.  The jet was carrying seven passengers and crew including Joe Sharkey, a journalist for The New York Times.  All 155 people aboard that 737-800 died.

It also was this type of jet, a Boeing 737-800 for Southwest Airlines, that skidded off the runway at Chicago’s Midway Airport in 2006.  It crashed into several cars and killed a six-year-old boy, Joshua Woods, and injured his family members.  Aviation lawyers at Clifford Law Offices represented the Woods family in litigation that ensued.

Boeing has had more than 6,000 orders for the 737 model since it was launched in 1965.  Boeing officials have said that it is the world’s best-selling commercial jet.  It reportedly entered airline service in 1998 and is based on the older 737s but with extensive changes.   

More Details in the Turkish Air Crash

Survivors of the Turkish Airlines jetliner that plummeted out of the sky Wednesday and smashed into a muddy field on its approach to Amsterdam’s airport are beginning to speak about what occurred.

Nine people were killed, more than 100 were injured, including one person reportedly still in critical condition.

Authorities have reported that among those who lost their lives were three Boeing employees who worked on the military Peace Eagle 737 program for Turkey.  This program  includes airborne early warning and control aircraft plus ground support segments for mission crew training, mission support and system maintenance.  It is a part of Boeing’s military and space division in the Puget Sound area.  Boeing’s corporate world headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois.  Two Turkish pilots and an apprentice pilot also are among the dead, according to reports.

A survivor, Huseyin Sumer, told Turkish television that he crawled to safety out of a crack in the fuselage which had broken in at least three places due to the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the United States is sending four people to support the investigation, according to reports.  Also, it has been reported that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Boeing and engine maker GE also are sending experts to help in the investigation.  Victims of plane crashes and their families are not a part of the NTSB’s investigation process in the United States.

Turkish Airlines has experienced several tragic plane crashes since 1974 when 360 people died in the crash of a DC-10 near Paris after a cargo door came off.  More recently, in 2003, 75 people died when an RJ-100 missed the runway in heavy fog in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir.
   

Cause of Turkish Airplane Crash Under Investigation

Investigators at the scene of the crash of the Turkish Airlines plane that crashed killing nine people and injuring more than 100 near Amsterdam’s main airport are looking into all possible causes of what brought the plane down.

The cockpit data recorder and flight data record or so-called “black boxes” are being analyzed from the Boeing 737-800, and authorities say they hope to be able to release a preliminary cause of the airplane crash as early as next week.

Among those killed are three Boeing employees from Seattle.  A fourth Boeing employee also is said to be among the injured.  Dozens of survivors remained hospitalized with one person still in critical condition, according to Heske Pohlmann, a spokeswoman for the Haarlemmermeer municipality.

Possible causes of the crash being looked into now, according to Pieter van Vollenhoven, head of the Dutch agency investigating the plane crash are weather-related factors, insufficient fuel, loss of fuel, navigational errors, pilot fatigue, bird strikes and turbulence from another aircraft that landed minutes before this airplane.

The plane was relatively new – built in 2002.  It had undergone routine maintenance Feb. 19 and had to delay a flight Feb. 23, the day before the crash, to replace a faulty caution light, according to media reports.

Small Plane Crashes in Louisiana Killing Three

Authorities report that at least three people have been killed after a small plane crashed in a wooded area in eastern Louisiana.

Officials of the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office say the plane went down just before midnight Friday in a wooded area west of Independence in the southern state.

Weather did not appear to be a factor, according to local authorities.  The cause of the crash is being investigated that took off from Slidell.

Punitive Damages in Roselawn Crash

In looking back at some of the significant issues that were part of the Roselawn, Indiana crash litigation in the 1990s, what was groundbreaking then was a motion for punitive damages.

The crash occurred in Indiana, which did not allow these type of damages in a wrongful death or survival case. Many of the passengers were from Illinois and the case was in federal district court in Illinois. Illinois law also did not allow such damages.

However, the decision makers involving the ATR and icing conditions of that aircraft were in Texas. It was clear from extensive depositions taken by the aviation attorneys at Clifford Law Offices that these corporate executives did nothing to investigate the possibilities of icing in various atmospheric conditions of that turboprop.

Because of that, federal district court Judge Ruben Castillo ruled that Texas law applied. That was a very significant decision because Texas does allow punitive damages. A copy of that court’s decision can be viewed here.

The 28 cases that were going to trial were settled for $110 million on the eve of opening arguments. Aviation attorneys at Clifford Law Offices said that this decision played a factor in settlement negotiations.

Catalina Island Plane Crash Update

In trying to determine a cause of the fatal plane crash off of California’s Catalina Island that killed passengers Marshall Goldberg, vice president for EnviroTrac, a national environmental consulting company, and Amy Marie Judd of Las Vegas, some interest is being focused on the flying license of their pilot Mark Hoglund, who also died in the crash.

Was Mark Hoglund operating an air-touring business without being properly licensed?

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, Mark Hoglund received his private pilot’s license, which allowed him to fly his friend and relatives, in 2001.  That license designation reportedly did not qualify him to fly chartered flights as a commercial license would allow.  Based on the type of chartered flights advertised by his company, SkyBlue USA, he would have needed a commercial license.

FAA records also show that Hoglund received his instrument rating, a designation that allowed him to fly and navigate by his instrument panel rather than visually, in cases of extreme weather.

Sgt. John Hudson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department a told the press, "We believe that it's a charter flight and that they were tourists, but we can't know that for a fact, the man who was flying the plane was in the business of doing that."

Four Americans Killed on Turkish Jet

Four Americans were among the nine killed on the Turkish Airlines jet carrying 135 passengers and crew members that crashed into a muddy field in Amsterdam, according to a Dutch mayor.  Three of the dead were the Turkish pilots, according to sources there.

What also has been released is that four employees of the jet manufacturer Boeing were among seven U.S. citizens on Wednesday’s flight, according to Boeing company spokesman Jim Proulx.   

Flight TK1951 took off from Istanbul, Turkey, heading to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport when it crashed a mile short of the runway.  The impact tore the plane into three pieces and debris was strew across a field.

Engine failure is being examined as one of the causes, according to Dutch investigators, because the plane reportedly plummeted out of the sky when it should have been a gradual descent.  Other scenarios also are being closely examined. 

The crash represents the fifth time in the last four months that a passenger flight has crashed in Europe or the United States.

A Look Back at Roselawn Aviation Experts

As lead counsel in the Roselawn, Indiana crash, Clifford Law Offices put together then a world-class team of experts who analyzed the tragedy and came to opinions which laid fault with both the inadequacy of the de-icing system on the aircraft and the airline training programs with turboprop planes.

Among them was Porter Perkins, then an aeronautical engineer for 53 years. He had specialized in the field of aircraft icing for 30 years and practiced his craft by flying into all types of icing conditions, measuring them from the plane itself.  After examining the wreckage and the conducting his own investigation of the Roselawn crash, Perkins had concluded that the ATR-72 turboprop that crashed on Oct. 31, 1994, was caused by "insufficient icing protection of the wings ahead of the ailerons which resulted in an ice buildup that could not be removed by the existing ice protection system."

In his report filed then in federal court by Clifford Law Offices, which you can see here (PDF), Perkins goes on to state the steps that could have been taken to have prevented that disaster.

It is fascinating to look back at his report, dated July 18, 1997, and how he had been consulting with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the government agency in charge of enforcing regulations, for years.

Also on the team of the law firm’s experts was Dr. Peter Hildebrand, a meteorology expert.  Captain Dave Simmons, the former Flight Director of Safety at United Airlines, also was part of the aviation law firm’s team and he addressed the training needs especially involving the dangers of icing.

As the investigation continues into the Buffalo crash, we will see if these lessons were learned.

The NTSB Process Does Not Include Families

Clifford Law Offices has represented families in nearly every major commercial airline crash in the last 25 years, and it is a constant, sad refrain from the families of the victims of those crashes that they are not allowed to participate in the investigation process of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

As thorough as the governmental agency may try to be, it is not always complete.  As Robert Clifford, senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, recently pointed out to a reporter, the aviation experts the law firm hired in the crash of United Flight 232 in 1989 resulted in information that may have changed the NTSB’s conclusions about that crash.

Most Americans recall that horrific scene captured on a home video of a jumbo jet cartwheeling in flames before crash landing in a soybean field in Sioux City, Iowa.  Clifford Law Offices took the case to trial on behalf of a 70-year-old woman who survived but with permanent injuries.  Her husband sitting beside her was killed.

Clifford Law Offices hired the world’s foremost experts at that time that uncovered important facts on what occurred during the aviation law firm’s years of preparation for that case.  By that time, the NTSB had closed its books on the matter.  

The aviation law firm asked the court if it could re-open those books so that the NTSB could have this further, critical information.

Families can make a difference.  They should not be shut out of the process.  The very entities that cause the crash – airlines, aircraft manufacturers, component part makers, pilot associations and others – are part of the process.  Families need a voice, too. 

Amsterdam Crash Latest News

A world looks in wonder at the photos of a Turkish Airlines jet split in pieces in a muddy field in Amsterdam.  125 were on board – nine are dead, 25 others are seriously injured and the others survived. 

Experts are saying that there was no fire because there was little to no fuel on the plane that would cause a fire but the experience of Clifford Law Offices’ in this area does not necessarily mean that is the case.  An investigation into all aspects of the crash will make that determination.

Witnesses to the crash told the media that the plane was making its final approach about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday when it suddenly dropped from the sky about 200 yards from Schiphol Airport’s perimeter fence, dragging its tail and then smashing on to its belly and splitting apart in several pieces.  The wings and tail section were intact.  The engines were not.

At the time of the crash, the weather reportedly was calm with a light drizzle.  An official with the Dutch safety board has told the press that the cockpit flight recorder has been retrieved and was being sent to Paris, France, for analysis to determine what caused the crash.

In another tragic crash, Clifford Law Offices was appointed liaison counsel in the lawsuits involving the Cypriot jet that crashed in Greece in 2005 killing 121 people aboard.  Many Americans were on that plane when the Boeing 737-800 crashed into a hill near Athens, Greece, after the pilots apparently fell unconscious following a drop in the cabin’s pressure.  Boeing has since revised its training manuals on pressurization.

   

Plane Crash in Amsterdam Fractures Plane, Kills Nine

A Turkish Airlines plane carrying 135 people slammed into a field Wednesday while attempting to land at Amsterdam’s main airport, killing nine people and injuring more than 50, according to officials there.

The large aircraft fractured into three pieces upon impact, according to media reports.  Photos released by Associated Press show a fuselage split in two, close to the cockpit, and the tail broken off.  One engine was lying almost intact near the wreck in the muddy field and the photos show the other engine was about 200 yards away from the plane and heavily damage, according to an Associated Press photographer at the scene.

There is no immediate word on the cause of the crash.

Visibility reportedly was clear at the time of the crash landing.  Turkish officials also have released information that the plane had no maintenance problems prior to the crash.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash.

Roselawn, Indiana Crash Families Reaching Out to Buffalo Mourners

In a touching move of unselfishness, some of the family members who lost loved ones in the crash at Roselawn, Indiana, in 1994 are reaching out to console those who lost their loves ones in the Buffalo, New York turboprop plane crash earlier this month.

One of those people is Jennifer Stansberry Miller of Indianapolis.  She lost her brother, Brad Stansberry, in the crash of Flight 4184 where Clifford Law Offices served as lead counsel. 

Jerry Zremski, Buffalo News Washington Bureau Chief wrote a story about their outreach efforts in today’s newspaper. 

He also reports about the blog of the families of Flight 4184 that allows all of the families to read about the Indiana plane crash and how the families reacted to it.                 

It is a blog filled with emotion that starts with the words of Thomas Campbell, 19th century Scottish poet and writer, “To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die.”

Ms. Miller told the Buffalo News reporter that it is important for the victims’ families to find ways to cope with their loss as well as to try to make something good come out of it.  She continues to do that.

Ms. Miller was one of the 16 families represented by Clifford Law Offices following the crash of Flight 4184. 

NTSB Continues to Search for Clues

As the search for the cause of the crash of Continental Flight 3407 continues, various details surrounding the crash continue to emerge.       

Just weeks before the Continental plane crashed into a house in Buffalo, New York, Southwest Airlines had issued a reminder that an earthen dam at the end of Runway 23 at the Buffalo airport interferes with the instrument landing signal being sent to inbound flights, according to a report by CNN.  The dam reportedly affected altitude readings, making it appear that the aircraft was higher than it actually was, according to CNN.  The NTSB is probing the airport instrument landing system that helps guide aircraft to Runway 23, the strip that the commuter turboprop plane was heading toward before it crashed Feb. 12.

Investigators reportedly are trying to find clues to explain why the plane’s nose shot up during what was setting out to be a normal landing.  Steven Chealander, spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), told the press that this maneuver is being examined because it was well beyond the degree of a normal climb.  Flight 3407's rapid decrease in airspeed reportedly caused the auto-pilot to disconnect and on-board stall warning to go off.  An automatic safety system reportedly sensed that the plane was dangerously slowing down. 

The NTSB has announced that according to the plane’s flight data recorder, the pilot of Flight 3407 reacted to the stall warnings by pulling back abruptly on the controls and holding them there.  That raised the nose 31 degrees before the plane pitched over into an unrecoverable dive.  Icing on the wings and tail also is being examined.

NTSB teams also are studying computer plots, pilot fatigue, pilot reaction, aerodynamic simulations, the remains at the scene as well as the cockpit voice recorder.  It will take months.

In the meantime, Pinnacle Airlines Corp. the parent company of Colgan Air Inc. which operated the aircraft, earlier in the week issued a statement that described a “systemic culture of safety” rooted in its training and equipment.  Colgan Air told the press that the pilot, Mark Renslow, carried the highest pilot certification.

Steven Chealander, NTSB’s Face of the Buffalo Crash

Steven Chealander, the public face of the NTSB in the regular press conferences that are being held to update the press as well as the link to the families who lost loved ones in the crash, will be retiring from his job later this month.  Chealander was appointed to his position at the NTSB by President George Bush but his position was not confirmed before the new administration and new Congress took office.

NTSB spokesperson, Ted Lopatkiewicz in Washington, D.C., told the press that Chealander’s job is not to investigate the crash but to be the spokesperson, so his departure will not have any effect on the probe. 

A pilot for American Airlines himself for 16 years, Chealander said, “Aviation is hours and hours of boredom interrupted by seconds of sheer terror, and you gotta be ready for the seconds of sheer terror.”

Another job he held before his position with the NTSB was carrying the so-called black bag that contains the codes for the president needed to order the Pentagon to launch nuclear weapons.  From early 1986 to January, 1989, his job under President Ronald Reagan required a background check of the candidate that can take up to a year or longer in order to achieve the necessary level of security clearance.

Plane Lands on Frozen Lake in Northern Suburb of Chicago

A single-engine plane landed safely on a frozen lake in a northern suburb of Chicago after it reportedly experienced engine trouble Tuesday.

The Grayslake Fire Departments reported that the pilot and passenger walked away unharmed after it landed on the solid ice of Grays Lake.  Grayslake Fire Department Captain Peter Nowak told reporters that the pilot was heading for nearby Campbell Airport but chose to land on the ice when the plane was having mechanical problems.

The plane, a 1972 Cessna 150L, is reportedly registered to the Flight Center at Service Aviation, Inc., in Wheeling, Illinois.  The incident occurred about 4:30 p.m. near Route 120 and Lake Street.

The plane took off from Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling, according to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokeswoman.  The FAA is investigating the incident.

It seems that Chesley Sullenberger’s positive karma continues to grow.
   

Aviation Experts Speak About New York Plane Crash

Many experts have been speaking out to the press on the facts surrounding the tragic crash of Continental Flight 3407.

Among those who offered tremendous insight in the hours afer the crash was Greg Feith, former senior National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) air safety investigator who is now an aviation consultant based in Denver, Colorado, and Washington, D.C. 

Clifford Law Offices hired him as its expert when they were the lead aviation attorneys in the Roselawn, Indiana crash in 1994. 

Feith spoke on Friday to reporters at CNN, educating the public about possible causes of the crash.  His early insights were helpful when the families and the nation in need of information.  Watch the video here.

Latest News on Buffalo, New York Plane Crash

The latest news from investigators surrounding the crash in a neighborhood six miles away from Buffalo, New York, is turning to the actions of the pilot, according to today’s Wall Street Journal article.  It is being reported that investigators told the reporters that the pilot’s commands “likely initiated the fatal dive of the twin-engine Bombardier Q400.”  The plane crashed into a home of a family in Clarence Center, New York, killing one of its residents and all 49 people aboard Continental Flight 3407.

Officials close to the crash are reporting that the commuter plane slowed to an unsafe speed as it approached the airport that caused an automatic stall warning, according to the Wall Street Journal.  The pilot then reportedly pulled back sharply on the plane’s controls and added power instead of following the proper procedure of pushing forward to lower the plane’s nose to regain speed, according to today’s story in that paper.  That story also reports the pilot held the controls there that locked the airplane into a deadly stall. 

Although the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been very cautious, as well it must be, in announcing the cause of the crash, its investigators reportedly have learned a great deal from examining the information from the aircraft’s flight records with radar and weather data.  It obviously will take them time in order to recreate the events, moment by moment, before coming to a conclusion.

And the Wall Street Journal article demonstrates that pilot training by the corporation will become an issue in the months to come.

More Facts Revealed About Buffalo, New York, Crash

Steven Chealander, lead investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) at the Buffalo crash site of the Bombardier Dash 8 told reporters that another Dash 8 Q400 flew the same route – from Newark, New Jersey, to Buffalo, New York – 27 minutes after Flight 3407 and completed the trip without incident.

Crews are still working today to recover pieces of the aircraft that crashed at an estimated speed of about 160 miles per hour.  Chealander said that the stall speed of that aircraft – the minimum speed needed to stay in the air – was about 120 mph.

NTSB investigators are closely looking at the weather conditions in relation to ice on the wing and tail of the aircraft.  New York Times aviation reporter, Matthew Wald, reported today that, “A pilot’s remedy for ice on the wing may exacerbate the problem caused by ice on the tail.  The clues are subtle; for example, wing ice may make the plane buffet, or shake, but tail ice may make the controls alone shake.”

The NTSB reported that on Thursday night, an automated system on the plane was activated that pushed the nose of the plane down, a maneuver that is intended to counteract a wing stall.  The plane nose then pitched up, then down again as it rolled to one side. 

The NTSB also reported that an automatic system that is intended to prevent the aerodynamic stall to kick on, instead kicked off the autopilot.  This reportedly happened as the crew lowered the flaps which are the metal panels at the back of the wings that help flight at low speeds. 

Aviation attorneys at Clifford Law Offices are closely following the developments of this crash because of the similarities to the crash of the Roselawn, Indiana ATR aircraft due to de-icing problems.

Roselawn Crash Being Compared to Buffalo Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is trying to keep the grieving families and the public informed about what they are learning as they try to find out the cause of the crash of Continental Flight 3407, in Buffalo, New York, last Thursday.

NTSB Board member Steven Chealander is at the scene explaining to reporters the pneumatic boots, which are made of a tire-like rubber, that inflate and deflate to break up the ice on the front edges of the wings.  He has explained how in certain conditions, water droplets hitting the plane can flow over the boots onto the top of the wings and freeze in ridges in an area that the boots do not protect.

There has been much talk about the October, 1994 crash of an ATR-72 in Roselawn, Indiana, where frozen ridges were created and formed a partial vacuum behind them.  The aviation attorneys at Clifford Law Offices, Bob Clifford and Kevin Durkin in particular, served as lead counsel in that litigation.  They are familiar with the device, having taking the depositions over a period of weeks in France of the engineers of the pneumatic boot.

Although much was learned and the design was made safer after the Roselawn, Indiana American Eagle crash that killed all 68 passengers and crew aboard nearly 15 years ago, regulators at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) still are looking into and testing the device.
   

NTSB Briefing Today

Steven Chealander, lead National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator in the crash of Continental Flight 3407, held a press conference at 5 p.m. today and immediately he acknowledged the grieving family members and reminded the media about the sensitivity regarding the dissemination of the facts.

He talked about the flying time of the pilots -- 3,379 total hours with the airline for the pilot, Captain Marvin Renslow. He said that the co-pilot, Rebecca Shaw, had logged 2,244 hours. He confirmed the orientation or direction of the aircraft at the time of the crash, as discussed in an earlier blog item here.

He said that some flights had been canceled out of Newark because of high winds reaching up to 57 miles per hour, but not because of weather conditions in Buffalo, New York.

At the time the Bombardier Q400 took off, it was light to moderate icing weather conditions in Buffalo. "It was not a bad weather day, so they decided to launch," Chealander told reporters.

He confirmed that the de-icing system of the turboprop plane was turned on 11 minutes after departure from Newark and remained on the entire time.

He also said that 26 seconds after the flaps were put down problems with controlling the aircraft began. Power was at full power, he said, and autopilot was on.

His information is taken from the flight data recorder that records changes every five seconds, he said. He also said the plane rolled to the left and then to the right at 105 degrees. According to Chealander, the plane dropped 800 feet in five seconds or the equivalent of about an 80-story drop.

A crane is at the site in order to lift the engines. All six of the propeller blades were found of engine two; four of the six were found of engine one but were badly damaged or missing due to the fire; he said the blades were not lost before the impact.

Still, he would not confirm that the crash was due to icing, nor could he point to the exact cause of the crash yet.

Tragic Details on the Buffalo, New York, Plane Crash -- Autopilot On

Steve Chealander, of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) at the scene of the Buffalo, New York, plane crash, told reporters today that the Canadian-made Bombardier aircraft was set on autopilot at the time of the crash. Such a function is a violation of airline policy of flying in icy conditions.

The pilot of Continental Flight 3407, Captain Marvin Renslow, reported "significant" ice on the windshield and wings moments before the plane crashed, according to published reports on the tragedy that claimed 50 lives late Thursday.

Colgan Air, which operated the Bombardier Q400, recommends that pilots fly the plane manually in icy conditions, according to media reports on the crash, and in severe conditions the policy becomes a requirement.

NTSB investigators are examining the wreckage that reportedly burned for hours before they could go near it. More than 200 of this type of plane are in operation around the world involving 30 different carriers.

According to nationally renowned plane crash attorney Robert Clifford, there can be many operating causes in any accident of this scale.  The plane crash attorneys at Clifford Law Offices have discussed with various reporters the effect of ice on the wings and windshield of the plane in an effort to give the public a better understanding of what may have occurred, given their experience in the Roselawn, Indiana crash that was caused by the de-icing boot similar to that on the Bombardier aircraft.

The Victims of Flight 3407

Flags fly at half staff at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport and the Clarence Town Hall, site of the command center set up by the police in this small town where a turboprop plane crashed Thursday night.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator Steven Chealander told the media that recovery of the people on board will take priority over the investigation.  Crews reportedly are being sensitive to recovering the remains of those in the incinerated wreckage that includes a Buffalo home that was burned when the Dash 8 Q400 Bombardier crashed into it, killing one of its residents.

The NTSB has said it could take days to recover everyone and sort through the wreckage.

A country mourns with the families of those who lost loved ones in this terrible tragedy.

Bombardier Q400 Aircraft

The Bombardier Q400 is touted as the "NextGen turboprop airliner."  In finding out more of the plane involved in the crash in Buffalo, New York, a website is available.

At that website, it explains that the turboprop plane has new aesthetics and better lighting.  It also talks of more cabin room and larger overhead bins.

National Transportation Safety Board officials have been complaining to the press about trying to improve the de-icing equipment on turboprop planes.  Aviation attorney Robert Clifford spoke to the New York Post about the gradual change of policy at American Airlines to move the turboprop aircraft to warmer climates given the previous de-icing problems as was experienced in the Roselawn, Indiana crash where Bob Clifford was lead counsel.  The inadequacy of the pneumatic de-icing boot was at issue in that crash that killed all 68 passengers and crew members.  Aviation accident attorneys at Clifford Law Offices represented 16 of them and recovered a record $110 million settlement on behalf of their families.

The NTSB makes recommendations on safety issues.  The Federal Aviation Administration makes the rules and the policy and has the governmental authority to enforce safety rules.

Pilots in Buffalo, New York Airplane Crash

It is being reported that a "stick shaker" and "stick pusher" mechanism had activated to warn Captain Marvin Renslow, 47, that the turboprop plane was about to lose aerodynamic lift, a condition referred to often as a stall.

Investigators at the scene of the crash have said that when the "stick pusher" is engaged, it points the nose of the aircraft toward the ground to try to increase the plane's lift.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating all possible causes of the crash including the de-icing equipment on the tail, wings and propeller of the Dash 8 aircraft.  These steps, according to plane crash attorney Robert Clifford, are essential for determining what caused the accident.

The pilot, Renslow, lived in the Tampa, Florida suburb of Lutz and grew up in southwestern Iowa.  He joined Colgan Air, the operating company of the plane that crashed, in September, 2005.

The flight's first officer, Rebecca Shaw was 24 years old.  She was from Maple Valley, Washington, a Seattle suburb.  She joined the commuter airline in January, 2008.

Black boxes from the plane including the flight data recorder and cockpit recordings are being analyzed.  A full report is expected to take up to a year from the NTSB, which aviation lawyer Robert Clifford says is routine in air crash cases.

New Details on the Buffalo Plane Crash Emerge

As the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) combs the wreckage site of the Buffalo plane crash, investigators have discovered that the commuter plane smashed flat to the ground rather than in a nose dive, according to media reports.

Investigators also are examining why the Dash 8 Q400 turboprop plane was pointed away from the Buffalo airport, according to published reports.  Associated Press is reporting that it might raise the possibility that the pilot was fighting an "icy airplane: Air safety guidelines says [sic] a pilot can try a 180-degree turn to rid a plane of ice."

AP also is reporting that, "Other possible explanations are that the aircraft was spinning or flipped upon impact."
Flight data showed, according to AP, that the plane's safety systems warned the pliot that the aircraft was "perilously close to losing lift and plummeting from the sky."

According to the plane crash lawyers at Clifford Law Offices, this data in the investigation will provide crucial evidence that will help illuminate the families’ and the public’s understanding of what went wrong in this tragic accident.

Continental Flight 3407 was cleared to land on a runway pointing southwest but it crashed with its nose pointing northeast, according to the NTSB.

Commuter Plane Crashes into Buffalo Home

As more details emerge on the tragic crash of the Continental Turboprop plane late Thursday, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating all of the facts surrounding the incident.

The weather reportedly was foggy and winds were 17 miles per hour that night.  According to reports from the air traffic control radio messages, the pilot did not issue a mayday call.  What has been reported to be a near vertical drop into a single Buffalo home suggests, according to experts, that the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of control. 

Bombardier spokesman Marc Duchesne told reporters that the plane was put into service very recently and was only a few months old.  The 74-seat Dash 8 Q400 Bombardier aircraft had been delayed almost 2 hours before departing the airport in Newark, NJ, according to published reports, but it has not been confirmed the reason for this delay.  It has been reported that wind gusts of up to 65 miles per hour at the Newark liberty International Airport that night delayed flights for up to nearly 4 hours, according the the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The airplane model, manufacturer, and repair history combined with the weather conditions, according to Robert Clifford, renowned plane crash attorney at Clifford Law Offices, are crucial facts in any plane crash investigation.

The flight was operated by Colgan Air, Inc., which is based in Manassas, Virginia.  Colgan is owned by Pinnacle Airlines Corp. 

NTSB Says Crew Knew of Ice Build Up on Wings of Continental Plane

The story grows sadder as details emerge of the crash of Continental Flight 3407 in Buffalo, New York.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) today announced that the crew of the commuter plane that crashed noticed significant ice build up on the wings and windshield just before the plane began pitching and rolling violently.

NTSB officials did not say that the ice buildup caused Thursday night’s crash but said that nothing is being ruled out.  Ice buildup on planes in the past have caused some severe aviation accidents including that at Roselawn, Indiana.

Robert Clifford and Kevin Durkin, aviation accident lawyers at Clifford Law Offices, were appointed as lead counsel in the litigation involving the crash on Halloween night in 1994.  The turboprop plane there also had pneumatic de-icing boots that were developed in France.  Durkin traveled to France and took the depositions of the engineers of the device.  After that crash, the design of the pneumatic de-icing boot was changed to make it more safe.

Clifford Law Offices represented the family of the only Canadian on board that flight as well as 15 other families who lost loved ones that night.

Icy Weather Being Examined in Buffalo, New York Airplane Crash

Investigators at the scene of the crash of Flight 3407 in upstate New York are looking into the weather conditions to determine whether the freezing weather may have played a part in the crash.

The crash of the Bombardier Q400 series is reportedly the first fatal accident involving this series of plane which had a safety alert in 2007 when its landing gear failed on two separate Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flights.

The twin propeller-engine Q400 model is built in Canada and is the latest in the company’s Dash 8 series that came into service in 2000.  An estimated 215 are reportedly in use around the world, according to industry analysts.  Media reports have said that this plane had been delivered new to Colgan Air on April 16, 2008.

Ice is a common source of angst in aviation.  According to Robert Clifford, the founding plane crash attorney of Clifford Law Offices in Chicago, icing conditions must be closely examined to see if it is the cause of a plane crash.  Additionally, plane crash attorneys will also inquire into all other functionings of the plane and crew that are going on at the time of the crash.


   

Data Records Recovered in Buffalo, New York Plane Crash

The flight data records have already been recovered in the Continental Flight 3407 crash that killed 50 people in Buffalo, New York last night.

Investigators have shipped the important information on these tapes to Washington, D.C., for analysis as they try to determine the cause of the crash.

Steve Chealander, investigator on the scene from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), told the media that the tail of the plane, a Q400 Bombardier aircraft operated by Colgan Air, was relatively intact.   

Authorities have identified one of those killed as Beverly Eckert, 54, widow of a businessman killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  She had been traveling to Buffalo for what would have been her husband’s 58th birthday.

The country mourns the terrible loss of this family and all of the families in this tragedy.

More Details on Continental Plane Crash

As more information surfaces on the deadly plane crash that killed 50 last night near Buffalo, New York, it saddens all Americans as well as Canadians.

It is being reported that many if not all passengers might have been Canadian who fly out of Buffalo because of its proximity and competitive airline rates.  Canadian authorities also reportedly are at the scene.

The Toronto-built Bombardier twin-engine turboprop Q400 crashed into a home last night about 10:20 p.m. , creating a huge fireball into the night sky.  44 passengers were on board, four crew members, an off-duty pilot and one person in a home.  A woman and child reportedly managed to escape the home with injuries.  At least 12 other houses on the street were evacuated, several of which were damaged as well.

One of the passengers was reportedly a woman whose husband died in the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Our hearts go out to the families of those who lost loved ones in the first commercial airline air crash where lives were lost in this country in the last two and a half years.

Plane Crash in Upstate New York Kills 50

A commuter plane crashed into a house late Thursday, killing all 49 people on board and one person on the ground as it was en route to Buffalo, New York,

The 74-seat Q400 Bombardier aircraft, operated by Colgan Air, was flying from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to Buffalo Niagara International Airport in light snow and fog when the plane crashed about 10:20 p.m.

Residents in the area, about 10 miles from the Buffalo Airport, reportedly said that they heard the Continental Flight 3407 make louder noises than usual and sputtering before the aircraft crashed into a house.  The sky reportedly lit up orange and flames up to 100 feet shot up into the air.  Rubble from the plane and the destroyed house was reportedly strewn about the area.

The plane was the first fatal crash of a commercial airliner in the United States since Aug. 27, 2006, when 49 people were killed after a Comair jetliner took off from a Lexington, Kentucky runway that was too short.  Robert Clifford, aviation attorney at Clifford Law Offices, filed the first lawsuit in that matter and represented a number of families who lost loved ones on that plane.

Officials from the National Transportation Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are expected to be at the scene by daybreak Friday morning.

A special telephone number for assistance for family members has been set up: 1-800-621-3263.

Three Killed in Small Plane Crash Off Catalina Island

A 39-year-old Florida man and his female companion along with the pilot were killed Thursday when the small plane on which they were aboard crashed on the western side of Santa Catalina Island minutes after it took off in a rainstorm.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are now looking into whether the pilot was operating an air-touring business without proper licensing.

Marshall Goldberg of Lithia, Florida, along with his 25-year-old female companion who had recently moved to Las Vegas from Boise, Idaho, and whose name has not been released, were heading to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California.

The Tampa-area businessman reportedly was staying at the Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel and had arranged to take the trip to the island through a hotel concierge.  He was vice president for EnviroTrac a national environmental consulting company which had recently opened offices in Tampa as well as having offices in New York.

The pilot’s fiancé reported the missing plane to the Coast Guard late Thursday and a massive search through the waters uncovered the wreckage Friday.  The fixed-wing Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft had crashed into a hillside on a remote side of the island.

The pilot owned SkyBlue Tours, a Dana Point company that provides sightseeing along Southern California’s coastline, Catalina Island and other scenic locations, according to its website. Officials are examining whether the pilot and president of the company, Mark Hogland, 48, of Dana Point, had a commercial license that is required to fly customers, according to the FAA.  FAA officials said records showed he held a private pilot license since 2001 which allows him to fly only relatives and friends. 

Helicopter Crash Hearings in Washington

Americans were witness in 2008 to a record number of fatalities as a result of emergency helicopter flights.  28 deaths were recorded throughout the year.  Hearings aimed at determining the source of these accidents began Tuesday on Capitol Hill.

The causes of aviation accidents generally are complex issues.  They become even more complex as governmental and industry experts attempt to tie together multiple accidents with an explanatory causal factor.  It will be interesting to see if they find that a number of systemic and operational processes played into each event.

Nonetheless, the momentum for reform created by the rash of accidents has resulted in a public outcry which led to these hearings.

The hearings can be watched here and the schedule is as follows:
February 3-6, 2009:
Tuesday 2/3 - 9 am
Wednesday 2/4 - 8:30 am
Thursday 2/5 - 8:30 am
Friday 2/6 - 8:30 am

Polish Chicagoans Grieve Over Loss of Friends

In what is believed to be the greatest loss of life in an aviation crash in West Virginia history, it was a shock to learn that the six people who died in a twin-engine plane on a snowy West Virginia mountainside were from Chicago and its suburbs.

With plans to buy a new plane for the American Polish Aero Club, at 6615 W. Irving Park Road in Chicago, four of the dead were pilots in the 17-year-old club.  Its brochure touts it is the largest Polish flying club outside of Poland.  A young Polish reporter from a Chicago radio station also accompanied them with her father.

A memorial service was held at St. Constance parish on the northwest side of Chicago Sunday afternoon.  About 1,000 mourners attended even though the crash victims’ names had not yet been released.

“They’re devastated,” said Rev. Ted Dziesko, pastor of St. Constance told the media.

The Piper PA-34 plane crashed Friday afternoon.  The group left from Lake in the Hills in northwest suburban McHenry County and was headed first to Charlotte, North Carolina, and then intended to head to Clearwater, Florida, reportedly looking at two planes for sale.  The crash occurred on the first leg of the trip.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause of the crash.  Its investigators said that despite early reports that the plane was low on fuel, NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson said both engines were still operating at the time of impact.

Our hearts go out to the families of those who lost loved ones.  Chicago will keep all of them in its prayers.

Small Plane Crashes in Western Wisconsin

A married couple and a family friend were identified today as the three victims who were killed when a single-engine plane crashed Friday just north of Menomonie, Wisconsin.

Laurence “Larry” Berg of Houlton, Wisconsin, reportedly was believed to be piloting the plane home after picking up his wife Vicki Berg, from her job as an anesthetist traveling to small-town hospitals.  Family members reportedly also confirmed that Brett Weller, 44, a marketing and sales manager for the Resco Company in Hudson, Wisconsin, also was on the plane.

Dunn County Sheriff’s Office received a call about 9:45 p.m. Friday about a possible plane crash near Highway 25 and 770th Avenue north of Menomonie in Tainter Township.  Menomonie is about 70 miles east of Minneapolis.

A Dunn County Sheriff’s spokeswoman said the wreckage of the plane was scattered over five to 10 acres in a field and wooded area. 

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are on the scene and a spokesman said a preliminary report is expected next week.  A final report can take up to a year.

The plane was a four-seater Cirrus SR20 heading from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to New Richmond, Wisconsin, when it crashed, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  The plane reportedly is registered to a family that lives in Houlton on the Mississippi River.
   

Small Plane Crashes near West Virginia Airport

Six people were killed Friday when a twin-engine plane crashed in Huntington, West Virginia, near Tri-State Airport shortly after the pilot reportedly radioed that the aircraft was low on fuel.

The Piper PA-34 reportedly hit a power line before crashing about 1.5 miles from the airport in Wayne County, West Virginia, Friday afternoon.

“The pilot issued a mayday,” Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesman Jim Peters told reporters.

The plane is registered to a Wilmington, Delaware-based company called Wesvin Inc.  The identities of the people on the plane were not released.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been dispatched to investigate the crash.

Two Planes

US Airways Plane Had Malfunction Week Before

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) records indicate that the US Airways jet that made the dramatic landing last Thursday had suffered a malfunction just two days earlier.

The NTSB has revealed that the aircraft that made the emergency landing on the Hudson River last week experienced an engine compressor failure Jan. 13.

The maintenance records of the Airbus 320 show “there was an entry in the aircraft’s maintenance log that indicates a compressor stall occurred on Jan. 13,” according to NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson.  The pilot that day is going to be interviewed, the NTSB told reporters.

Some passengers on the Jan. 15 flight that left LaGuardia reported hearing loud bangs just after takeoff.  It is expected to take at least a year for the NTSB to complete its probe but Robert Benzon, senior NTSB investigator, said the incident itself “is going to be studied for decades.”

US Airways reportedly has sent each of the 150 passengers checks for $5,000 to compensate them for lost luggage and other belongings.

Monday the airliner was taken to a New Jersey salvage yard for examination and disassembly so that each part can be more closely examined.  The plane’s left engine is still missing in the Hudson River.

High School Student Develops Device to Protect Planes from Birds

Birds and Airplanes

In light of the US Airways Flight 1549 crash, attention suddenly is being given to an organization that probably few knew about before: the Bird Strike Committee USA (BSC).  It is a volunteer group of airline, government and wildlife experts that have been sharing information since 1991 on “understanding and reducing bird and other wildlife hazards to aircraft.”  

More than 400 people attended its annual meeting last year.  On its website, it says that birds and wildlife have caused $600 million annually in damage to U.S. civil and military aircraft. 

The Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force have BASH programs: Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard.  

Most airports have budgets to deal with bird strikes.  For example, the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport has about 300 takeoffs and landings every day.  It also reportedly has a $183,804 annual budget with the federal government for bird mitigation.

Airport mitigation plans include posting fences, netting or grading over culverts; changing the landscaping such as removing trees or filling in low lying areas to prevent standing water; keeping grass cut short or allowing a fungus to develop on the lawn makes it less appetizing for birds; making loud noises such as fireworks and shotguns; or posting decoys to frighten birds from flight paths.  The airport in Fort Myers, Florida, reportedly allows a border collie to roam its grounds.  Sometimes it is said that lethal methods are used but only as a last resort.

During heavy migration season, such as spring and fall, personnel often are assigned sometimes round the clock to monitor the airfields for birds.  At some airports or airfields, all personnel are required to take hazard training.  At other airports, pilots, navigators and engineers attend regular safety briefings that include bird migration updates. 

It has been reported that the US Airways aircraft involved in Thursday’s crash was powered by two CFM engines – a type that are certified to withstand sucking in five 1.5-pound birds or a single four-pound bird. 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues its investigation into the cause of that crash.

FAA Rules on Bird Strikes

As eyes immediately turned to a bird strike as the cause of the US Airways Flight 1549's emergency crash landing, it is interesting to turn to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) specific rules regarding Bird Strike Mitigation and Emergency Procedures.

Although much of the language is left for aviation experts to sort out, it is interesting to note that the FAA rules deal with the ability of the aircraft to sustain damage from birds given certain velocity, flight of the aircraft, weight of the bird and numerous other considerations.

The rules are specific on airworthiness when an airplane “ingests” a bird.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators will certainly be giving these rules a close look as it attempts to sort through what caused the air crash in the Hudson River.  Its findings will certainly be closely examined by FAA officials to see if they can do their jobs better of making it safer to fly.  

It’s a Miracle

No question about it.  Any time a plane is up in the air for a few minutes and suddenly has to land in water because of problems, it is a miracle a life is not lost.

It’s been reported that US Airways Flight 1549 was flying about 176 miles per hour when it impacted the Hudson River near Manhattan, New York, yesterday afternoon.

The exit doors opened, and people were fending for survival in the frigid water.  Ferry rescue teams were there in minutes.  The New York Fire Department was on its way.  The Coast Guard arrived and waded in water to do what it could.  By the time rescuers arrived, the plane was submerged up to its windows with water.  The live television reports and photos from the scene seemed surreal with people standing across the wingspan, trying to stay above water.

Emotions were reportedly high.  People thought they were going to die.  Through it all, people were helping others, not quite sure even what was going on.

It is being reported as the first time in 50 years that a commercial jet made a water landing with no deaths.

Praises are pouring in from around the world for Chesley Sullenberger, 58, the pilot of the plane.  He has flown since the 1970s when he was in the U.S. Air Force flying F-4 fighter jets.  He has participated on the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigations.

Now the world anxiously awaits what happened as the NTSB carefully goes over every detail in an effort to prevent it from happening again.

NTSB Releases Accident Reports on Nine Helicopter Crashes

In an unusual move, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released four probable cause reports all at once along with interim factual reports on five other helicopter accidents at its Thursday, Jan. 15 meeting.  All nine of these reports involve emergency medical services (EMS) flights or so-called medevac helicopter flights.   Together they resulted in 35 deaths.

All of the tragic accidents occurred since December, 2007, including a helicopter crash in Aurora, Illinois, where a helicopter was en route to Children’s Memorial Hospital’s Heliport  in Chicago on Oct. 15, 2008.  The incident involved a Bell 222 helicopter when an Air Angels pilot, a flight paramedic, a flight nurse and a sick infant were all

The NTSB said that such crashes have been an “ongoing concern.”  The NTSB is scheduled to hold hearings in Washington, D.C. Feb. 3-6 on this important issue.  Experts will testify on such issues as flight operations and aircraft safety equipment for helicopoters.  The public is invited to

In January, 2006, the NTSB released a special report on the safety of helicopter of EMS operations which recommended changes in training and oversight.  It also, significantly enough, suggested that all helicopter EMS aircraft should be equipped with terrain awareness and warning systems (TAWS).  Many experts have said that had some of the helicopters been equipped with a so-called TAWS device, the incident could have been avoided.  The NTSB makes recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which regulates the airline industry.

NTSB Report on Aurora Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a factual report yesterday on the medevac crash that killed four in Aurora last month.

The report said that the emergency medical helicopter that struck a radio tower was, in fact, equipped with a navigation device capable of displaying obstacles to the pilot but that the software was never installed. 

The interim report also said that the 69-year-old pilot was inexplicably flying several hundred feet lower than he should have been during night operations.

The Air Angels helicopter was en route to the heliport at Children’s Memorial Hospital with a sick infant.  Fourteen-month-old Kirstin Reann Blockinger of Leland, Illinois, was killed along with nurse William J. Mann Jr., 31; paramedic Ronald Battiato, 41; and the pilot, Delbert Waugh.

The report stated that the portion of the flight recorded by radar indicated that the chopper’s altitude remained at about 1,300 to 1,400 feet.  It struck a radio tower’s support wires which, at the top, was 1,449 feet above sea level.  The report said that the helicopter struck the tower about 50 feet from the structure’s peak.

Bob Clifford Speaks on NBC About US Airways Crash

US Airways Plane Crashes in New York’s Hudson River

It has been reported that a plane carrying 155 people has splashed down intact into the Hudson River near 48th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York.

U.S. Airways Flight 1549 reportedly with about 150 people on board and five crew members has been surrounded by ferries in an apparent rescue attempt of the passengers in yellow vests. It is not yet known about injuries to those aboard.

New York television stations are showing water above the windows around the sinking plane. The plane had just taken off from LaGuardia Airport and was heading to Charlotte, North Carolina.

The plane was an Airbus 320. New York City firefighters have responded to the incident.

Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of US Airways’ hubs.

Plane Crash in the Hudson River

PHI Helicopter Crash

More details are emerging on what happened Sunday afternoon near New Orleans, Louisiana, when a helicopter crashed in a bayou, killing eight people and injuring another passenger.

U.S. Air Force representatives said that with its crew unable to call for help, a small radio beacon automatically notified rescuers, but apparently it is not very widely used.  A satellite in space alerted rescuers to a possible crash and helped pinpoint its location.  A Coast Guard helicopter reportedly arrived at the remote site and airlifted the lone survivor to a hospital.

The USA Today reports that the U.S. government has announced that it will no longer listen for distress calls on older beacons starting Feb. 1, and more than 85 percent of private planes do not carry the improved beacons.  The price for the newer beacon is said to be around $2,000 to $4,000.   

Congress first passed a law in 1970 after several well-publicized cases of lost planes, including the son of a congressman from Alaska crashed in a remote section of that state and no trace of the plane was ever found.  But it was reported that even football stadium scoreboards could trigger false alarms with the devices.  

The newer versions of the emergency digital beacons are part of two decades of work by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other agencies that reportedly attempt to better pinpoint a distress signal’s location and have attempted to minimize false alarms by moving to a second frequency. http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/faq.html#about_beacons 

The Coast Guard required the new beacons on commercial vessels in 2007.  Pilot lobbyists reportedly were able to dissuade Congress in 2000 from requiring the new beacons on aircraft. 

NTSB Works to Find Cause of Texas Helicopter Crash

A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) spokesperson said that the cause of a helicopter crash that killed a pilot and his four passengers south of Sabine Pass, Texas, Dec. 11 may not be released for up to a year, according to reports from a Texas newspaper.

The helicopter was bound for a Gulf of Mexico oil platform with workers last month when it crashed less than 10 minutes after takeoff.   The preliminary report by the NTSB states that the pilot did not make the required 15-minute position report before it crashed. A search and rescue effort was initiated.

The wreckage of the Bell 206 was recovered and taken to Layfayette, Louisiana, where it is being examined further.  The aircraft was owned by Rotorcraft Leasing Co. L.L.C., a Broussard, Louisiana-based company.

On June 8 of last year, a medical helicopter reportedly owned by the same company crashed in the Sam Houston National Forest while en route from Huntsville to Houston, Texas.  The pilot, flight paramedic, flight nurse and patient on board all died.  That aircraft was a Bell 407 helicopter.  It was heading to Herman Memorial Helipad in Houston, Texas, with the patient.

Like the helicopter crash in Louisiana this month, rescue crews found the medevac helicopter in June with the help of the emergency locator transmitter.  The crash occurred in the middle of the night.

Denver Jet Crash

Investigators continue to determine what caused a Continental Airlines jet to skid off the runway at a Denver International Airport and burst into flames last month.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has not said what caused Flight 1404 headed for Houston, Texas, to skid off the runway Dec. 20 while attempting to take off, but a preliminary report has been filed by the governmental agency charged with investigating aviation crashes. 

38 people were injured in the crash, five of them hospitalized, according to the NTSB preliminary report. 

NTSB Seeks Answers in Louisiana Helicopter Crash

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials arrived on the scene of a Sunday helicopter crash and are working to find the cause of what killed eight and severely injured another in Louisiana.

The sole survivor, Steven Yelton, a former Morgan City resident, headed a five-member crew of oilfield workers heading to a Shell Oil platform, according to authorities.  It is reported that he remains in critical but stable condition at the Oschner Medical Center in New Orleansl.  He had just moved to Texas with his wife who is five months pregnant, according to relatives who have spoken to the press.  He also reportedly has a stepdaughter and a 17-month old infant child.

The Sikorsky S-76 helicopter  went down in a marsh in Terrebonne about 10 miles south of Morgan City just seven minutes after taking off from an Amelia heliport operated by its owner, Lafayette-based Petroleum Helicopters Inc. (PHI).

Among those who were killed are Allen Boudreaux, Jr.., 23, of Ama; Ezequiel Cantu, 35; Andrew Moricio, 30, of Morgan City, and Randy Tarpley, 53, of Jonesville.  All lived in Louisiana and worked for the New Iberia-based Dynamic Industries.

Two other passengers, Jorey Rivero, 35, of Bridge City, Louisiana, and Charles W. Nelson, 24, of Pensacola, Florida, worked for MMR Offshore Services that is headquartered in Baton Rouge, according to officials.

Also killed in the crash were the pilot of the helicopter, Thomas Ballenger, 63, of Eufaula, Albama, and co-pilot Vyral Martin, 46, of Hurst, Texas.

The workers had planned to stay there 14 days, according to Dynamic Industries officials.

A spokesman for the NTSB said that PHI lost track of the helicopter when it stopped transmitting a satellite signal about 2:09 p.m. Sunday shortly after takeoff.  The Air Force picked up a distress signal from the chopper around 3 p.m. and notified the U.S. Coast Guard stationed in New Orleans.  The Terrebonne Sheriff’s Office Water Patrol searched for more than four hours for the victims, four of whom reportedly were stuck beneath a piece of the aircraft and had to be extricated.

The investigation could take months.  The NTSB is still working on a June, 2008 crash of a medical helicopter in Huntsville, Texas, owned by the same company.  Four people died in that crash.

Another PHI-owned helicopter reportedly made an emergency landing in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, because of a motor malfunction, the county Sheriff’s Office told reporters.

Couple Killed in Joliet Plane Crash Identified

A Madison, Wisconsin couple have been identified as those killed in a small plane crash Thursday night, New Year’s Day, at Joliet Regional Airport.

The Will County Coroner’s Office identified the victims of the plane crash as Stuart D. Seffern, 50, and his long-time partner, Deborah A. Loiselle, 52, through forensic comparisons.  Autopsies revealed they died of blunt head and chest trauma, according to the coroner’s office.

Joliet Police Chief Patrick Kerr reportedly said the plane, a Lancair which is typically a homebuilt aircraft, was landing at 8:48 p.m. that night when it burst into flames near the end of the runway on the southeast corner of the airport behind a Joliet fire station.

Witnesses said the plane was burnt beyond recognition.

Although generally homebuilt, the small aircraft are regulated and certified for flight.  The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported at least nine aviation accidents in 2008 involving this type of aircraft with some resulting in fatalities.

Helicopter Crash in Louisiana

A tragic helicopter crash has killed eight people in Louisiana about 100 miles southwest of New Orleans.  A ninth person was severely injured.

The chopper reportedly was headed to an offshore oil platform when it crashed in Louisiana’s marshlands on Sunday afternoon, Jan.4.

Although all of the people aboard reportedly were wearing inflatable life vests, there apparently was not time to deploy them.

The aircraft was operated by PHI Inc., one of the Gulf Coast’s leading providers of helicopter services shuttling workers to offshore oil platforms.  The company reportedly has a fleet of 230 aircraft which it uses primarily in the offshore industry.  This is the second helicopter crash within a year for this company.

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were dispatched and are trying to determine the cause of the tragedy.  Black boxes which hold the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder reportedly have been recovered from the Sikorsky S-76C helicopter that went down less than 10 minutes after it had taken off from a PHI launch pad.

The two pilots aboard the aircraft died.  The seven workers on board were being sent to perform maintenance on the offshore platforms damaged by Hurricane Ike, according to a spokesman for Shell Oil.       

Robert Clifford and Clifford Law Offices have represented many victims of helicopter crashes.  Clifford recently wrote of the rash of medivac helicopter accidents in this country in recent years.  He called for stricter safety measures by federal officials necessary in order to try to save lives.

Fiery Plane Crash in Joliet

Small Plane Crash at Joliet Airport

A single engine plane crashed on New Year’s Day as it apparently was attempting to land at the Joliet Regional Airport in the far western suburb of Chicago.

Initial reports indicate that two people were killed in the fiery crash, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is sending investigators to determine the cause of the plane crash.

Early reports indicate that witnesses said that the plane tried to land while in flames.  Witnesses could not confirm if the plane was on the ground or in the air on the runway at Joliet Airport located at 3000 W. Jefferson Street.

Several small planes have crashed in the Chicago area in recent years.  Popular WGN disc jockey Bob Collins was killed when two planes collided, the fault of the air traffic controller at Waukegan’s airport, according to a federal judge.

A Gulfstream IV small plane crashed at Palwaukee Airport. A Piper aircraft crashed in west suburban Schaumburg.

Clifford Law Offices is familiar with these small plane crashes, having represented victims or their families of those who were severely injured or died.

The process of accumulating all of the facts and details necessary to determine the cause of the crash can take months or years, depending upon the complexity of the crash and the circumstances surrounding it.

Denver Air Crash

New O’Hare Runway Causes Controversy

Chicago.  It’s not uncommon to see little league games in the summer filling the parks and people walking their dogs along the tree-lined streets.

So when airplanes began flying in on a new runway to O’Hare, just minutes away, right over the homes and schools, residents got mad.  Very mad.  They are saying they have been lied to by Chicago Department of Aviation and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  They say their property values are declining.  They say they want the truth.

In early December, residents attended the O’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission to complain about being deceived on the number of daily flights and the size of the planes that would use Runway 9L/27R.  Some have called the noise “unbearable.”  Noise monitors reportedly have been set up at certain locations to measure the sound.  

As many as 450 complaints come in to Park Ridge City Hall every day.  A noise hotline to register complaints has been set up at 1-800-435-9569.

The runway opened Nov. 20.  The Commission is set to meet again on the issue at 8 a.m. Feb. 6 at Rosewood Banquets, 9421 Higgins Rd., Rosemont.

A year ago O’Hare was voted the Best Airport in North America (PDF) for the fourth consecutive year by Global Traveler, a national travel publication for business travelers.

Denver Plane Crash

It truly is a miracle that no one was killed when Continental Airline's Flight 1404 went off the runway during takeoff Saturday at Denver International Airport in Colorado. Imagine sitting in a seat of that Boeing 737 aircraft as it plunges into a ravine, shearing off the landing gear and its left engine. Fire burst out, smoke is everywhere and people are fearful that the plane is about to explode.

Read More…

Ice at the Airports

There certainly doesn't appear to be a shortage of ice this season, but already some cities are worried about a shortage of salt.

And now comes word there may be a shortage of the de-icing chemical used on airport runways. In a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) memo dated Oct. 29, 2008, it has been reported that federal officials are warning of 60 percent less of the de-icing fluid being available this winter.

"It is possible that runways may not be able to be maintained at the same level as previous years during winter storms," the memo said that reportedly was sent to the airlines. That could possibly lead to delays in takeoffs and landings during storms, according to the memo, although United Airlines officials told the media it does not expect the shortage to lead to delays.

It was recently reported that Midway Airport and O'Hare Airport in Chicago paid three times what it did for the chemical this year compared to last in order to ensure having enough of it. Potassium acetate, the fluid used to de-ice runways, soared to $11.49 a gallon this year compared to $3.81 a gallon last year.

Chicago's Aviation Officials said the supply should be adequate so they hope it doesn't spell delays. Chicago officials may be more sensitive to the issue after a Southwest Airlines airplane skidded off the runway and on to a nearby busy road in January, 2006, crashing into a car with a family. The little boy in the back seat, Joshua Woods who was singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," was killed. His other family members, including his two brothers, were injured. Robert Clifford represented the family along with other experienced aviation attorneys at the firm.

Other airports may not be as stocked up as Chicago that secured 2.4 million gallons. The media reported that Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Elizabeth Isham Cory warned airports that they may need to prepare for a possible shortage of the chemical. The November/December issue of the FAA's newsletter, Aviation News, talks about runways called "Surface Safety."

The reported announcement was in conjunction with the FAA's convening the Runway Safety Council, a joint government-industry body that will take a more systemic approach to improving runway safety. The goal of the council is to fundamentally change the existing safety culture and move toward a proactive management strategy that involves different segments of the aviation industry.

A strike by Canadian potash mine workers, Gulf Coast hurricanes and the general rising cost of the chemicals is reported to be the cause in the spike in the de-icer. The fluid to de-ice airplanes themselves is not affected because it is a different compound.

Jamaica Air Crash on Runway

Security is tight around the wrecked aircraft in Kingston, Jamaica, as investigators from the United States have arrived to try to determine the cause of Flight 331 overshooting the runway on Dec. 23, 2009.

A Boeing 737-800, one of the American Airlines latest models, skidded across a road and ended just short of the Caribbean Sea. Dozens were injured and rushed to area hospitals, but thankfully no one was killed in the frightening incident.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) from the U.S. dispatched five investigators who are on the scene assisting the Jamaican Civil Air Authority. It has also been reported that they were accompanied by technical advisers from Boeing, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), American Airlines and GE Aircraft Engines also are heading to Jamaica.

The flight crash landed in the rain about 10:22 p.m. Wednesday. Emergency exits were opened and people scrambled to get out of the wreckage, as jet fumes reportedly surrounded the aircraft.