ARFF Daily News

Monday the 29th of April, 2024

Small plane catches fire at Hornell Airport

By Kurt Martone

HORNELL, N.Y. (WENY) -- A small plane caught on fire Friday while on the runway of the Hornell Airport. According to the Hornell Firefighters Association, a plane's cabin and engine, stopped at the north end of the runway, was fully engulfed in flames.

The pilot was able to escape from the plane, and was not hurt.

Firefighters say as they were putting out the fire, they noticed that the plane was leaking fuel. Crews placed absorbent barriers to stop the fuel from running into the grass and dirt.

Crews do not know the cause for the fire, as of publishing. The Hornell Police Department is investigating. The Arkport Fire Department was also on scene.

https://www.weny.com/story/50719126/small-plane-catches-fire-at-hornell-airport

Small plane crashes into El Cajon neighborhood, pilot injured

People are urged to avoid the area for four to six hours following the crash

By Renee Schmiedeberg

A small plane crashed into an El Cajon neighborhood just feet away from homes on Sunday evening, according to Heartland Fire & Rescue.

The crash was reported in the neighborhood of Lily Avenue and Clarke Drive in El Cajon around 6:27 p.m., Heartland Fire & Rescue posted on X, formerly known as twitter.

People are urged to avoid the area for four to six hours following the crash, according to Heartland Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief John Nevin.

Footage shows the area cordoned off with caution tape as police officers and curious neighbors were seen around the crumbled pieces of the small plane.

The plane appeared to crash on a sidewalk, very near a power line and close to homes. Before crashing, the plane was headed for Gillespie Field, about 2 1/2 miles away, Nevin said. The plane is a single-engine, Bellanca Super Viking.

"The pilot was transported to the hospital with moderate injuries and no further concerns," Nevin said. No one else was hurt in the incident and no homes were struck, he added.

The downed power lanes did affect some homes and were the biggest concern. But SDG&E has responded and secured the downed power lines so they are no longer a hazard, Nevin told NBC 7.

At one point more than 1,000 people were without power near El Cajon, according to SDG&E's website.

The El Cajon Police Department is coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the cause of the crash.

Witness accounts

Sean McGurrell is a pilot who was flying a similar aircraft on Sunday when he heard the distress call to the control tower.

"All of the sudden we hear from a certain aircraft, they have more of a distressed sound, they are a little bit more nervous in their tone, and they say they have a drop in oil pressure, and a rise in oil temperature. Now, if you’re a pilot or anybody who works within mechanics you know that high oil temps, low oil pressure is a recipe for disaster and within your training you’re taught that when you have that, you land as soon as possible and landing as soon as possible doesn’t exactly mean on a runway, it means exactly what this person did today, it means landing on a road," McGurrell said.

“He was reporting to the tower that he had an engine failure and that he had that loss of oil pressure, and he was saying that he wasn’t going to be able to make the runway," McGurrell said.

“From the time I heard his calls, to the time he was on the ground, was probably under two minutes, so to figure all of those and sort those challenges in under two minutes and be able to walk out alive is not only a little bit rare, but it’s probably a testament that that person was probably a very very good pilot," McGurrell said.

“You need oil in your plane for three main purposes: It cleans and cools, and lubricates the engine, when you don’t have that oil — in essence the lifeline of an engine — it’s the blood that is circulating, that is causing it to run properly, when you don’t have, that you’ll see time and time after again, someone having an engine failure just like this," McGurrell said.

El Cajon resident Brody Botts lives on Lily Street and heard the crash from his house when it happened.

"We were sitting, just finished up dinner, lights went out in the house, loud boom, thought it was an accident, ran outside, saw a plume of smoke, noticed that it was a plane crash, ran down to the scene, made contact with the pilot himself, and then proceeded from there to put bandages on his wound, calm him down, get a recollection of what happened, and make sure he was okay and everyone else was okay. Plane wasn’t sparking and leaking fuel, obviously," Botts said.

"I’ve been in the off-road world my whole life, we’ve done a lot of safety and first aid. It’s just a fight or flight response," Botts said.

"[He had a] slight laceration to the side of his head, a few busted teeth and a split lip. All in all pretty good, pretty coherent, gave me a rundown of the flight and what happened, which was good. And then once the paramedics got there, he got a little shaky, you could tell the butterflies were coming in. Kind of fading out a bit. But seemed like he was okay," Botts said.

A history of plane crashes in San Diego County neighborhoods

Back in October 2021, a small plane crashed into a residential street in Santee, killing the pilot and a UPS driver who was working in the neighborhood that day. That crash destroyed two homes and damaged five others, NBC 7 reported at the time.

Following that 2021 crash, NBC 7 Investigates dug through more than 120 National Transportation Safety Board investigation reports and found at least 35 plane or helicopter crashes have happened in San Diego County neighborhoods since 2010.

Of those crashes, 30 people were killed and 20 others were left with serious injuries.

Out of all airports, the majority of those crashes occurred in El Cajon's Gillespie Field, according to NBC 7 Investigates.

At least 16 crashes have occurred in surrounding neighborhoods. Montgomery-Gibbs in Kearny Mesa follows that with at least nine plane crashes, NBC 7 Investigates found.

Back in 2010, a plane crashed into an El Cajon trolley line. Planes have also turned San Diego County freeways into emergency landing strips, like the one that occurred on Interstate 5 in Del Mar in the summer of 2021.

A Santee homeowner saw his backyard turn into a crash site in 2015, as did a Clairemont Mesa homeowner two years later in 2017.

Crashes have also occurred in a Santee homeowner's backyard in 2015 and a Clairemont Mesa homeowner in 2017, according to NBC 7 Investigates.

School playgrounds, a Target parking lot, a crowded beach in Carlsbad on the Fourth of July, a golf course, close to casinos and in office parks have all become crash sites, NBC 7 Investigates found.

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/small-plane-crashes-in-el-cajon-fire-officials-urge-people-to-avoid-the-area/3500838/

INAC reports on what happened on the Laser Airlines flight in Maiquetía

Venezuela News

The National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC) issued a statement reporting on an incident that occurred on the regular flight of the Laser Airlines airline to Santo Domingo , Dominican Republic.

This Sunday night, INAC offered details about the emergency event related to the regular Laser Airlines flight in Maiquetía that went viral on the networks.

According to the statement issued today, April 28, at 7:55 PM from Caracas, at 11:14 HLV, the doors of aircraft YV2923 were closed, at which time smoke was detected coming out of the fuselage .

In response to the situation, the crew disembarked the 92 passengers using the emergency slides.

The passengers were transferred to the triage area and to the Medical Service of the Maiquetía International Airport. This, with the objective of complying with the established emergency protocols.

Laser Airlines made the change of aircraft to continue the flight , following the relevant security procedures and disembarking the checked baggage without problems.

In addition, the Aeronautical Authority announced that it will carry out a comprehensive evaluation of security protocols. The same will be done, both to the airport and to the airline involved. They do so to determine the cause of the incident and ensure the operational safety of civil aviation.

https://venezuela-news.com/inac-emergencia-vuelo-laser-airlines-maiquetia/

Pilot killed in helicopter crash in Anaconda; FAA and NTSB investigating cause

By: John Emeigh

ANACONDA — A helicopter crashed near Anaconda’s landmark smelter stack as it was doing remediation work for the Atlantic-Richfield Co. along the mountainside.

“Yeah, unfortunately, this morning we had a major tragedy here in our community,” said Anaconda Chief Executive Bill Everett.

The pilot of a Bell 206 helicopter was killed after his helicopter went down around 7:45 in the morning in the hilly area just south of town. The FAA reports the pilot was the sole occupant in the helicopter.

The helicopter was contracted by ARCO to drop seed in the mountainous areas to reclaim land that was damaged by decades of smelter activity.

“Doing reclamation and re-vegetation work on some of our steep slopes which we can’t approach from ground equipment, unfortunately,” said Everett.

He added that the pilots have a dangerous and important job that improves the city.

“They’re the reason why these hillsides are not turning green, you know, give us another two or three weeks and these hillsides are going to look absolutely beautiful and it's due to the work these guys are doing and we’re very grateful,” Everett said.

Many Anaconda residents said they’re used to seeing the helicopter flying throughout the day and they're shocked to learn about the crash.

“You could hear it here, there, and everywhere and it’s been going on for what, a year or two? It’s terrible it has to have a sad ending,” said Brenda Proxell.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

https://www.kxlf.com/news/local-news/pilot-killed-in-helicopter-crash-in-anaconda-faa-and-ntsb-investigating-cause

Delta flight makes emergency return after exit slide separates from Boeing aircraft

By C Mandler

A Delta Air Lines flight that departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City was forced to make an emergency return to the airport Friday morning after an emergency slide came apart from the Boeing 767, the airline said. A search for the slide was ongoing.

"After the aircraft had safely landed and proceeded to a gate, it was observed that the emergency slide had separated from the aircraft," a Delta spokesperson said in a statement to NPR Friday afternoon.

In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said Delta Flight 520 "returned safely to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York around 8:35 a.m. local time on Friday, April 26, after the crew reported a vibration. The FAA will investigate."

he Delta spokesperson said the airline "is fully supporting retrieval efforts and will fully cooperate in investigations."

In an earlier statement, Delta said the flight crew had observed a "flight deck indication related to the right wing emergency exit slide, as well as a sound from near the right wing."

The plane, a Boeing 767-300 that was delivered to Delta in 1990, was on its way to Los Angeles International Airport, but had to return to JFK about an hour into the flight, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking site.

A passenger who was aboard the flight and did not wish to be identified while still in transit told NPR that there was a very loud sound coming from the plane, which made it difficult to hear announcements coming from the cockpit.

The passenger told NPR they felt "overwhelmed" and "really scared" by the experience.

According to imaging from FlightAware, the aircraft circled the tristate area before returning to JFK.

"As nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, Delta flight crews enacted their extensive training and followed procedures to return to JFK," Delta said in its initial statement to NPR. The airline said the flight crew declared an emergency with air traffic control to receive clearance to return to JFK. The aircraft then landed safely and proceeded to a gate under its own power, it said.

Delta told NPR that there were no pressurization issues on the aircraft. It said the plane has been removed from service and will be thoroughly evaluated.

An aircraft is generally operable for an average of 30 years before being decommissioned, according to Flexport, a global logistics workflow company. The aircraft involved in Friday's incident is around 34 years old, and its expiration date was previously May 2028, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

"We will defer to Delta for comment," a Boeing spokesperson said.

In June of last year, the same flight, Flight 520 from JFK to LAX on a Boeing 767-300, was forced to make an emergency landing in Utah following on-board technical difficulties.

https://www.npr.org/2024/04/26/1247454971/delta-airlines-boeing-plane-emergency-jfk

NTSB Final Report: RANS S21

Owner’s (Pilot) Failure To Properly Torque A Fuel Filter B-Nut Fitting, Which Likely Introduced Air Into The Fuel System

Location: Fairfield, Utah Accident Number: WPR22LA211
Date & Time: June 9, 2022, 10:45 Local Registration: N46JH
Aircraft: RANS S21 Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Fuel starvation Injuries: 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis: The pilot was conducting a test flight following recent maintenance when, shortly after departing, the engine began to lose power. He performed a forced landing on airport property, during which the airplane landed hard and sustained substantial damage.

Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the fuel filter b-nut fitting was not properly torqued, which likely introduced air into the fuel system. Additionally, there was no restricted bypass line between the inlet (pressure side of the fuel pump module) and the return line and no vent line from the header tank, both of which would have allowed the venting of air from the fuel system. Based on this evidence, it is likely that the loose fuel filter b-nut allowed the air into the fuel system that could not be properly vented due to the lack of a restricted bypass line and vent line, which ultimately resulted in the loss of engine power.

Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The owner’s (pilot) failure to properly torque a fuel filter b-nut fitting, which likely introduced air into the fuel system and resulted in a loss of engine power. Contributing to the loss of power was a missing restricted bypass line and a header tank vent line, which would have allowed the venting of air from the fuel system.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov

NTSB Final Report: Beech A36

Methamphetamine Was Also Detected At Low Levels In Some Of The Pilot’S Tissue Specimens

Location: Harlan, Kentucky Accident Number: ERA23FA048
Date & Time: November 3, 2022, 10:09 Local Registration: N84R
Aircraft: Beech A36 Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: VFR encounter with IMC Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis: The pilot was a physician, and the purpose of flight was to attend to his patients for scheduled appointments at a medical office near the destination airport. He had frequently flown into the airport, which was located in mountainous terrain. Review of flight track data found that the flight followed a route that was consistent with what the pilot had entered into a flight planning application shortly before flight. Upon arrival in the destination airport area, the pilot announced over the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency that he would circle to land. There were no further communications recorded from the pilot.

Flight track data revealed that the airplane (file photo, below) completed a total of three approaches to the runway. The weather conditions reported at the time of the approaches were low instrument flight rule (IFR) conditions. Based upon hourly weather observations at the airport, surveillance video, and a pilot-rated witness located at the airport, visibility was likely restricted to 200-300 ft due to fog and low clouds. Based upon a witness statement and flight track data, it is likely that on each approach the pilot descended to a lower altitude in search of the runway environment. On the third and final approach, the airplane impacted a ravine and steep rock wall about 50 ft below the runway elevation and 375 ft short of the runway threshold (the runway sat atop of rising terrain, with a valley below). Based on this information, it is likely that the pilot descended below the runway elevation on final approach, which resulted in the pilot’s controlled flight into terrain while searching for the runway environment.

The pilot did not file a flight plan, nor communicate with air traffic control during the flight after departing under visual flight rules (VFR). The airport had one published GPS circling instrument approach procedure. The airplane’s flight path and altitude were not consistent with this approach, and the weather conditions were far below published visibility and cloud ceiling minimums for the approach. Additionally, a few weeks before the accident, the airport had issued a Notice to Air Mission, which advised that the runway end identifier lights, and all airport lights, were out of service. Due to the extremely low visibility and clouds, it is unlikely that the runway lights would have aided the pilot’s search for the runway environment.

Review of the pilot’s past flights into the accident airport found that he routinely conducted teardrop circling maneuvers to land in poor weather. Within the 90 days before the accident, a total of four flights were identified in which the pilot was able to land by circling over the airport under IFR or low IFR weather conditions. The approaches were likely conducted under VFR and into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), given that the altitudes and flight track flown were not consistent with the published instrument approach procedure.

There was one additional flight located in the pilot’s logbook, about four years before the accident, where remarks noted that he attempted an approach to the accident airport to check the low IFR conditions. The remarks noted that the low IFR conditions were confirmed during an approach, and he subsequently diverted to a nearby airport that he also frequently flew to. This nearby airport’s weather reporting station, around the time of the accident, reported similar low IFR conditions to the accident airport.

There was no record that the pilot received a weather briefing before the flight, and it is not known what information he reviewed. Had he checked the weather, he would have seen that the destination airport was reporting low IFR conditions, as well as the other nearby airport that he had diverted two on the flight four years prior. While the pilot had logged several hours of actual instrument flight experience in the preceding 90 days before the accident, he did not possess instrument currency for the accident flight (nor had he filed an IFR flight plan).

The investigation found that the pilot routinely flew VFR to the accident airport and conducted circling maneuvers to land into IMC. The pilot’s repeated VFR flight into IMC, his decision to fly an approach that was not consistent with the instrument approach procedure published for the airport, and lack of instrument currency demonstrated an anti-authority hazardous attitude, in which he repeatedly disregarded regulations and demonstrated poor judgement. It is possible that the pilot’s decision to conduct the flight was in-part influenced by his scheduled appointments with his patients, which would have increased the external pressures to complete the approach to landing.

Toxicology testing revealed that the pilot had used phentermine, a stimulant and anorectic medication used to treat obesity. The drug also has a possible side benefit of increased alertness. Methamphetamine was also detected at low levels in some of the pilot’s tissue specimens; methamphetamine is also a central nervous stimulant and can be medically indicated to treat obesity. Due to extensive injuries, no blood specimens were available for toxicological testing, so whether these medications were at therapeutic levels could not be determined.

The pilot’s use of prohibited substances, in addition to his decisions to habitually fly to the airport under VFR and into IMC, is a further example of poor judgment and an anti-authority hazardous attitude. The detection of these medications was more emblematic of his disregard of safety and rules than of impairment. Thus, while stimulants were detected in the pilot’s tissues, it is unlikely that the effects of the pilot’s use of phentermine and methamphetamine contributed to this accident.

The sedating antihistamine chlorpheniramine was also detected in the pilot’s liver and muscle tissue, which is commonly taken to treat colds. Due to the lack of specimens available for toxicology testing, it is unknown whether the pilot had experienced side effects or if chlorpheniramine was at therapeutic levels. Thus, it could not be determined if the effects from the pilot’s use of chlorpheniramine was a factor in this accident.

Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The pilot’s visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions during an approach to land at an airport in mountainous terrain, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s hazardous anti-authority attitude.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov

NTSB Final Report: Bearhawk Patrol

Several Witnesses Reported Seeing The Pilot Out Of The Airplane At This Time

Location: Hanover Township, Pennsylvania Accident Number: ERA23FA045
Date & Time: October 29, 2022, 14:52 Local Registration: N964RS
Aircraft: Bearhawk Patrol Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis: Before the flight, the pilot told a friend that the airplane had a rigging issue that seemed to cause the airplane to “kick” laterally during turns. His friend performed a 10-minute flight and reported that he noticed the odd yawing moment while performing turns. The pilot responded that he would address the issue at a later time. After fueling the airplane, the pilot and pilotrated passenger fastened their seatbelts and departed the airport. Flight track information indicated that, several minutes after departure, the airplane leveled off. Soon thereafter, witnesses reported that the airplane “rolled” then “bucked” as its nose “dipped down initially,” then pitched up “quickly.” Several witnesses reported seeing the pilot out of the airplane at this time, and one reported seeing the pilot impact then “spiral” off the airplane’s tail. Witnesses then observed the pilot and airplane descend to the ground.

Ground scars and wreckage patterns indicated that the airplane impacted terrain in a nearvertical, nose-down attitude. All major airplane components were located at the accident site; however, paint chips, the airworthiness certificate, and portions of the cockpit ceiling or side window Plexiglas were the first items along the 1,900-ft-long debris path leading to the main wreckage (along the airplane’s flightpath), followed by a portion of a tail rib at 900 ft, and the pilot at 530 ft from the main wreckage. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident examination of the airframe revealed evidence consistent with the witness statements that the pilot impacted the empennage during flight.

Toxicology testing for the pilot detected the high cholesterol medication atorvastatin and the high blood pressure medication terazosin. There was no evidence of any acute issue on autopsy, and the pilot had been actively flying the airplane and was then observed outside of the airplane. Thus, the pilot’s cardiovascular conditions were not a factor in this accident.

Toxicology testing detected the antidepressant citalopram in the pilot’s heart blood and urine. While it is unknown how long the pilot was on this medication or the severity of his depression, witnesses reported that the pilot was functioning well, and looking forward to participating in a holiday airport event. Thus, effects from the pilot’s use of citalopram or the psychiatric condition for which he was taking the medication were not factors in this accident.

That the pilot was observed to have buckled his seatbelt and shoulder harness before flight, and that his seatbelt and shoulder harnesses were found intact, unlatched, and undamaged, suggests that he intentionally unbuckled his seatbelt during the short flight. Given his concern about the yaw during turns, he may have been attempting to observe the problem with the tail.

It is possible that either the pilot fell out of the airplane while attempting to observe the tail section, or that the pilot displaced a flight control while attempting to observe the tail, which then caused an abrupt pitching moment that ejected him from the airplane. Although the reason for the pilot’s exit from the airplane during flight could not be determined, his impact with the tail section of the airplane during flight resulted in substantial damage to the tail section and a subsequent loss of control during flight from which the pilot-rated passenger would not have been able to recover.

Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The pilot’s decision to unlatch his seatbelt during flight, which allowed him to exit the airplane and impact the tail, resulting in a loss of control and impact with terrain.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov

Today in History

72 Years ago today: On 29 April 1952 a PanAmerican Boeing 377 crashed near Carolina, Brasil; killing all 50 occupants.

Date: Tuesday 29 April 1952

Time: 04:40

Type: Boeing 377 Stratocruiser 10-26

Owner/operator: Pan American World Airways (Pan Am)

Registration: N1039V

MSN: 15939/12

Year of manufacture: 1949

Total airframe hrs: 6944 hours

Engine model: Pratt & Whitney R-4360-B6

Fatalities: Fatalities: 50 / Occupants: 50

Aircraft damage: Destroyed, written off

Category: Accident

Location: 450 km SW of Carolina, MA -   Brazil

Phase: En route

Nature: Passenger - Scheduled

Departure airport: Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport, RJ (GIG/SBGL)

Destination airport: Port of Spain-Piarco Airport (POS/TTPP)

Investigating agency: CAB

Confidence Rating:  Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:

Flight 202 originated at Buenos Aires, destination New York, with en route stops scheduled at Montevideo, Uruguay; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Port of Spain, Trinidad. The flight departed Buenos Aires 18:52 UTC. After a scheduled stop at Montevideo the flight arrived at Rio de Janeiro at 01:05, April 29. The flight departed Rio de Janeiro at 02:43 for a direct off-airways flight to Port of Spain. At 06:16 the flight reported abeam of Barreiras, flying at 14,500 feet under VFR conditions and estimating abeam of Carolina, Brazil, at 07:45 UTC. This was the last known message from the flight. The aircraft was later found to have crashed in dense jungle.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The separation of the no.2 engine and propeller from the aircraft due to highly unbalanced forces, followed by uncontrollability and disintegration of the aircraft for reasons undetermined."