ON AUGUST 17 FIREGEEZER REPORTED ON A Lee County, Florida EMS helicopter that had crashed into the IntraCoastal Waterway that morning.  You can review the posting HERE.

The preliminary report on the accident has been issued by the NTSB and for those of you who are interested we are posting it here.

NTSB Identification: ERA09LA464
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, August 17, 2009 in North Captiva Island , FL
Aircraft: EUROCOPTER DEUTSCHLAND GMBH EC-145, registration: N911LZ
Injuries: 3 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On August 17, 2009, at 0031 eastern daylight time, a Eurocopter EC-145, N911LZ, operated by the Lee County Division of Public Safety, as MedStar 1, was substantially damaged when it impacted water near North Captiva Island , Florida . The pilot and two medical crewmembers were not injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated at Page Field Airport (FMY), Fort Myers , Florida . The positioning flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to the pilot, she received a call around midnight for a patient pickup on North Captiva Island . After departure from FMY, she flew west over the water, with the autopilot engaged (set on altitude hold), at an altitude of 1,000 feet. The helicopter remained at 1,000 feet to assure obstruction clearance (towers on Pine Island ). After passing over the towers, the pilot descended to 800 feet, using autopilot. At the same time, she was attempting to contact the Captiva Fire Department (FD) on the radio. The pilot reported she tried to call the FD 4 or 5 times with no response, and then contacted Lee County Dispatch to confirm which frequency the FD was using.

When the helicopter was approximately 3 minutes from landing, the pilot selected 500 feet using the autopilot and the helicopter initiated a descent to that altitude. She continued toward the airfield and made a final transmission to the FD that she was “one minute out.”

The pilot commented to the medical crew that she could see the FD moving fire trucks to the center of the landing zone (a grass airstrip). She stated she wasn’t concerned that she could not reach the FD since she was landing on an airfield, and was familiar with the obstructions in the landing zone. (more…)

Updated, 3:45 pm.

A PRIVATELY-OWNED MEDICAL HELICOPTER CRASHED late last night (Friday) in Georgetown County, South Carolina.  All three people on board, including the pilot, a paramedic, and a flight nurse died.

According to a statement from Omniflight Helicopters, Inc., it’s American Eurocopter AS350B2 crashed after taking off from Charleston shortly after 11:00 p.m.  The helicopter was headed to Conway, where it was based.  It had dropped a patient off in Charleston around 9:35 pm. 

FAA Spokeswoman Kathleen Bergin says the pilot last radioed air traffic control at 11:05 pm saying they were four miles from the Mt Pleasant Aiport and had it in sight.  Omniflight’s Operations Center last had contact with the helicopter at 11:16 pm Friday night.  The pilot is required to periodically check in with the company.  After not hearing from them again, the company became concerned and called 9-1-1.   The wreckage was located a 1/4 of a mile down White Hall Road off Highway 17 in Georgetown County in a wooded area.  The county coroner Kenny Johnson said it’s an isolated wreckage scene, ”like it just dropped out of the sky.”

WCBD-TV Ch. 2 is reporting:

Coroner Kenny Johnson identifies the victim as as pilot Patrick Walters, 45, of Murrells Inlet, flight nurse Diana Conner, 42, of Florence and paramedic Rondolph Dove, 39, of Bladenboro, NC.

Johnson says all three bodies were taken to MUSC in Charleston for autospies. Investigators are working to secure dental records in order to positively identify the bodies, all of which were badly burned.  (No patients were on board.)

Georgetown Emergency Management Director Sam Hodge says the last communication from the helicopter occured at 11:16 p.m.  Hodge says emergency responders were later dispatched to the scene, and arrived after 1:00 a.m.  There was a small fire at site when crews arrived.

TV Channel 15 meterologist Ed Piotrowski says there was rain and thunderstorms in and around Georgetown County around the time of the crash.

THEY’RE BECOMING POPULAR, IT SEEMS.  We’re referring to video cameras positioned in aerial firefighting planes to give us a pilot’s view of what an air drop looks like.

On September 5 we brought you the first ones from Los Angeles taken in a helicopter and a Super-Scooper airplane.

Today we have another cockpit cam clip, this time from KSBW-TV Ch. 8 in Monterey, California, taken in a smaller air tanker.  Remember to set your video viewer for full-screen to get the best effect:

Don’t know how to get the full-screen video?  Here’s how:
On the lower right corner of the video player you’ll see a symbol that looks like a screen within a screen.

You just click on that and it fills your monitor.  Now save yourself some frustration by reading this next sentence carefully:  You restore it back to normal size by clicking on the “Esc” or Escape button on your keyboard (usually in the upper left next to the F1 key).

Here’s an encore presentation of KTTV Ch.5’s cockpit cam video from Los Angeles:

A SQUADRON OF U. S. ARMY HELICOPTERS HAD just finished a 3-day layover at the Redding, California, Municipal Airport Friday morning and were taking off on the next leg of their training mission when one of them caught fire as it was powering up.  The OH-58 Kiowa Warrior was part of a group of seven Kiowa’s and seven UH-50 Blackhawks that are traveling from Fort Lewis, Washington, to California.

The fire was quickly extinguished by the Redding FD airport company, but the brief blaze caused $5 million in damages to the high-tech aircraft that is valued overall at $10 million.  All three crew members were able to escape safely.  All live weapons are shipped separately and none were aboard the helicopter that has rocket pods on the sides.

A Redding FD official briefly describes the fire and the FD’s response in this video report:

As you can expect from a classified-type event like this, there are no comments on the cause or what was burning.

The Redding Record Searchlight has the STORY.

Updated, 3:30 pm:

A LEE COUNTY EMS HELICOPTER CRASH-LANDED SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT this morning in Lee County, Florida.  The air ambulance was heading to Upper Captiva Island (near Fort Myers) when it crashed into the Intra-Coastal Waterway while responding to a medical emergency call for a head injury.  No patients were on board at the time of the crash.

An EMS helicopter from Hendry County was dispatched to transport the three crew members to the Lee Memorial Hospital where early reports say that all three are in good condition.

The Fort Myers News-Press is reporting:

The Medstar helicopter was submerged in 6 feet of water when it landed in the intercoastal waterway and the three crew members were able to successfully escape, said Lee County Medstar spokeswoman Rick O’Neal.

News-Press photo by John Emmett

 

“It’s a credit to the training they received from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office,” O’Neal said. “I’m convinced that training saved their lives.”

 

O’Neal said the cause of the crash is still under investigation.

 

Authorities would like to remove the aircraft from the water. O’Neal said she’s not sure if the helicopter will be salvageable since it was in salt water.

 

The crew consisted of pilot Diana Tackett and medics Jason Ausman and Dave Duncan. The crew members were taken to a hospital but discharged hours ago, O’Neal said.

 

O’Neal said Tackett had more than 10 years of experience flying Medstar helicopters.

The News-Press has a 9-image photo gallery HERE.

THE WASHINGTON STATE DEPT. OF NATURAL RESOURCES has contracted with a local wildfire air service to use a new rapid-response air tanker that can move quickly and refill its tank in 14 seconds. The plane known as the 802 Fire Boss can be brought in during the early stages of a wildfire and can make multiple water drops much quicker than the planes already in the firefighting fleet. DNR says it was a no-brainer to get their hands on one this fire season.

The aircraft can carry up to 800 gallons of water. It’s not as large a load other firefighting planes can carry. But it’s the speed of the Fire Boss that sets it apart.  “We get faster turnaround, less water, but when the fire is smaller it’s getting it there faster that makes a big difference,” said pilot Jesse Weaver.

KREM-TV Spokane has this video tour of the speedy firefighter:

AN AIR INDIA PASSENGER JET TRAVELING TO FRANKFURT was forced to turn around and return to Mumbai where it had departed from on Saturday.  About an hour into the flight, the fire alarm system in the cargo hold was triggered and the pilot activated the fire suppression system.

The flight crew was unable to determine what the problem was that activated the alarm, so they returned to the airport.  After inspecting the cargo hold thoroughly they determined that a leaking package filled with 6 lbs. of  curry powder had allowed particulates to flow into the detectors which then sounded the alarm.

The bag, belonging to a passenger from the western Indian state of Gujarat, was removed before the plane took off again after a 12-hour delay.

The Times of India has the STORY.

THE “WORLD’S LARGEST” FIREFIGHTING AIRCRAFT made its public debut in Sacramento, California, yesterday (Thursday).

Scaramento Bee photo

The Boeing 747 is a converted passenger plane that is owned by Evergreen International Aviation, a firm that owns several air tankers that are contracted out to various state and federal agencies for wildland firefighting.  The Supertanker has just been certified for use in this year’s wildfire season.

James Baynes, project manager for Evergreen International Aviation, says the $50 million aircraft carries twice as much fire retardant as DC-10s.  When the Supertanker makes its drop of 20,000 gallons of retardent at 500-ft. altitude it has a drop pattern of 3 miles in length and 600 feet wide.  According to a press release from Evergreen:

With a payload of more than 20,000 gallons and a response time of 600 mph, it has more than eight times the drop capability and twice the speed of any other federal air tanker currently fighting fires. The Supertanker’s patented pressurized system has the capability to disperse product at high pressure for an overwhelming response, or disperse at the speed of falling rain in a single or several segmented drops. This pressurized system will also allow for drops at higher altitudes, creating a significant safety buffer and enabling the Supertanker to fight fires during the day and at night, when they are most vulnerable. It also offers a significant value for American taxpayers; saving homes, natural resources, and most importantly, lives. When employed properly, the Supertanker has the capability to save the U.S. government billions of dollars in fire suppression, natural resource losses, tourism, and rehabilitation costs every year.

You can read the entire press release HERE.

The Associated Press has this video report on yesterday’s demonstration:

Currently, the largest air tankers in service are DC-10’s.  Evergreen, based in McMinnville, Oregon, plans to convert as many as 10 of the 747 jets to fight fires worldwide.   They already own dozens of cargo planes that they contract for world-wide businesses.

Evergreen International Aviation WEBSITE.

THE BRAZILIAN AIR FORCE HAS DISCLOSED THAT they have found debris consistent with airplane wreckage in the Atlantic Ocean search zone.  The floating wreckage including a plane seat, oil and other debris was found as searchers focused on an area about 400 miles off the coast of Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha island, Colonel Jorge Amaral told reporters in Brasilia.

Fox News has this video update on the discovery:

Updated and video added.  Scroll down.
Update #2 and fresh videos, 5:00 pm.

AN AIR FRANCE PLANE FLYING FROM RIO DE JANEIRO to Paris has been reported missing.  Shortly after 5 am Eastern time the airline announced that the Airbus 330-200 had lost contact with air traffic control and was overdue for its expected Paris arrival at 11:10 local time (5:10 am Eastern).

The plane was carrying 216 passengers and 12 crew members, and its transponder had stopped operating about 3 hrs. previously.  The Brazilian Air Force has confirmed the plane was missing and said a search and rescue mission was under way near the island of Fernando de Noronha.

Update, 12:30 pm:
The airline said that  the indications pointed to a serious electrical short circuit which crippled the jet after it passed through storms near the equator.  A series of automatic messages from the aircraft warned of a “short circuit” after strong turbulence.

Update, 5:00 pm:
Francois Brousse, the chief spokesman for Air France said that it could have been hit by lightning.  However, most aeronautical experts say that it is highly unlikely that a lightning strike could bring down a modern airliner.  Reuters reports on the possibility:

An Air France captain operating on long-range routes, who agreed to speak to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said lightning alone was unlikely to have caused the presumed crash.

“I would not think it was possible that lightning could lead to a short-circuit and disrupt all of the plane’s electrical systems. Test planes have resisted some 30 lightning strikes and nothing ever happened,” the pilot said.

More likely, he said, is that the jet might have suffered an electrical system failure which would have turned off its radars and communications systems, turning it blind and making it more vulnerable to storms and strong lateral air currents.

The Associated Press adds:  “Planes are built with lightning strikes in mind and are struck reasonably frequently,” said Patrick Smith, a U.S. commercial pilot and aviation writer.

“I’ve been hit by lighting in my career a number of times, which at worst resulted in a superficial mark on the outside of the plane,” Smith said in a telephone interview from Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Aviation safety statistics indicate that each large passenger jet — such as the Airbus A330 — is struck by lightning about once every three years on average. Regional aircraft however, which fly at lower altitudes, are hit more frequently — about once a year.

 One item of concern is the unusual time lag between the moment the plane left the radar monitors and when the Brazilian Air Force was notified of the missing plane, a span of three hours.  This CNN video report gives a fairly detailed description of the timeline of both the flight and the call for help.  It also illustrates the projected flight path of the plane:

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“TOSSING THE LUGGAGE AROUND” TOOK ON a new meaning yesterday at Los Angeles International Airport.  Just as a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 was heading for the taxiway to depart, a baggage tram  crossed its path and the suction from one of the jet engines pulled one of the metal luggage containers off of the cart.

The 5-ft. x 5-ft. x 4-ft.  box became lodged in the housing of the No. 1 engine, bringing a sudden change in the 245 passengers’ travel plans. 

Fortunately it apparently didn’t get into the rotors, becoming wedged within the outer housing.  But the plane did have to be taken out of service for inspection and the FAA has begun an investigation into why it happened.

KTTV Ch. 11 has a good video report:

AIR TREK, A FLORIDA-BASED AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE, HAS BEEN CLEARED of any accusations and has been given permission by an Administrative Law Judge to begin preparations to resume full operations.

Air Trek photo

Firegeezer readers may recall that just over a year ago, in February 2008, a surprise raid by FAA investigators seized Air Treks records in Punta Gorda, Florida.  On June 10 they revoked Air Trek’s operating certificate, effectively putting them out of business.  (See Firegeezer reports HERE and HERE.)

In October, Firegeezer posted a follow-up report (HERE) that said, in part:

Over the past few months Air Trek has been in court contesting the findings, especially the dubious actions of the FAA inspectors.  They also learned that the charges were really brought by a group of disgruntled former employees.  After five weeks of hearings, the Administrative Law Judge found that the FAA’s actions were improper and that no violations had ever occurred.  The judge then ordered that the revocation be rescinded and that the company’s certificate be restored after they comply with the airworthiness requirements are restored, such as completing the pilots’ usual 6-month flight checks, etc.

The FAA appealed the judges decision to the NTSB, but last month the appeal was denied following a 9-day hearing where the FAA attorneys were unable to substantiate any of the violations and allegations that they had filed.  The NTSB then …ordered the FAA and Air Trek to “work together in good faith, as expeditiously as practical,” in order to resolve the FAA’s concerns and demonstrate that Air Trek can properly operate in accordance with its certificate and regulatory requirements.  In other words, get them back into the air.

Air Trek is one of the country’s oldest air ambulance firms, operating since 1978, and also one of the largest. Based at the Charlotte CountyAirport in Punta Gorda, Florida, they are licensed by the FAA to operated anywhere in the Western Hemisphere, including Cuba.  Prior to the shutdown they employed 50 pilots and physicians operating 8 aircraft.  A large portion of their business was Dept. of Defense contracts to transport sick and injured military personnel.

Read the entire press release that was issued last week:

A 67-YR.-OLD PILOT WAS SOLO IN HIS CESSNA Friday afternoon when his plane suddenly quit operating properly.

Immediately after takeoff from Thun field near Tacoma, Washington, the plane had barely reached 150 ft. altitude when the engine cut off.  The pilot attempted to turn the plane around to go for an emergency landing, but it wouldn’t stay airborne and dropped down, landing on a pile of portable toilets then flipping over onto a  pile of wood chips.

 “The Honey Buckets kind of cushioned things,” said a Northwest Cascade porta-potty company employee.

KOMO-TV reports:

Investigators say the toilets and the wood chips cushioned a potentially dangerous landing.

“If he had made the runway, he would have landed a lot harder than he did by impacting with those Sani-Cans and the wood pile,”  (Pierce County Deputy) Blair said. “It probably saved his life, I would think.”

Help arrived within seconds, and Howell, who was the only person on board, was able to get clear of the wreck. He was on his own feet, but not without injuries.

“He had an impact injury to his forehead, and for precautionary reasons we sent him to Good Samaritan Hospital to get checked out,” said Blair.

Howell has been treated and released.

The Associated Press has KOMO’s raw video:

Read the full STORY HERE.

By now, I should be obnoxiously snoring at 30,000 feet, making up for a short night.

As posted on my Facebook page (shameless cross promotion HERE)

Interesting experience – United captain explaining why they are declining to fly a plane with a defective IRU … never had that experience with US Air delays.

Excellent effort by all to provide information. But … still not in the air with a loonngg delay. Wish I had volunteered to fly to LAX then LAS alternate.

I blame the H1N1 virus for infecting the navigation system.

IRU fixed – unknown time (parts, availability, etc)

Replacement plane – around noon

I do not remember my dad having so many travel issues “… back in the day.”

10:36 update: Waiting for replacement plane

The Steak and Eggs Adventure - a “back in the day” bonus

My dad did a lot of business-related air travel from the 50’s through the 80’s.  So, while waiting in the lounge, I called him.

He recalls very few mechanical or crew schedule delays when we was on the road.  

He and a colleague were on the “Steak and Eggs” flight from San Francisco to New York.  The airline was offering a steak and eggs breakfast for ALL of the passengers.

As the food service was starting, one of the jet engines started smoking and issuing flames. 

While the plane was returning to San Francisco, dad and his buddy convinced the stewardess to serve them breakfast.  They were in the back of the plane, next to the galley.  Their reasoning was that the replacement plane would not have the same breakfast fare.  They gulped down the last bit of food as the plane was starting to land.

The replacement plane did not offer the same breakfast. Pulled in from getting scheduled maintenance, the replacement aircraft did not even have peanuts.