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Wildfire Training in France

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Training For Municipal Fire Brigade Recruits

A WILDFIRE TRAINING EXERCISE was held Saturday near Lyon, France, primarily for recruits in the Rhone region fire brigades.

Le Progress

About 170 firefighters, some of them experienced city FF's and officers, participated in the program that began with ground exercises and then expanded to air assist evolutions that included several water drops by a Canadair plane and an air tanker.

photos via Le Progress

 

France3 tv prepared this video report:

 

Le Progress has the story and more photos HERE.

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Posted by on March 24, 2013 • Filed under: aircraft, Training, Videos, Wildland • Tagged: , ,

Updated: Private Jet Crashes Into Homes in Indiana

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Injuries Reported – One Person Unaccounted For

Update, 8:30 pm:  Fatalities reported.  More information and details added.  Scroll down.

A PRIVATE JET PLANE CRASHED into a South Bend suburb neighborhoon Sunday afternoon just after 4 pm damaging at least three houses.

South Bend Tribune

Local station WNDU-TV reported early:

We have just learned a private plane, believed to be a learjet of some sort, has crashed into at least three homes just southeast of the South Bend Regional Airport.

The pilot radioed for help after experiencing technical problems. A landing attempt was made but failed. The plane was inbound to South Bend Regional Airport and had departed from Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Maggie Scroope tells NewsCenter 16, the level two trauma center is treating three victims. Hospital staff has issued a "Code Yellow," which essentially puts staff on warning, but does not require that extra medical workers be called in.

Early witness statements say that the plane clipped the roof of one house, and then struck two others causing significant damage.  Neighbors say that one resident has not been seen since the crash.

There was no fire involved, but the damage apparently broke a gas line the fuel tank ruptured and the entire area has been evacuated as a precaution because of the jet fuel.

Update, 8:30 pm:
It has been reported now that the plane carried four passengers and two of them died in the crash.  Three people have been transported to the hospital, but no report on how many of them were passengers.  The South Bend Tribune reports:

At least three people have been taken to Memorial Hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening, according to a hospital spokesperson. Two are in fair condition and one is serious. The person in serious condition is undergoing surgery.

The jet was a Beechcraft Premier 1 with tail number N26DK – out of the Richard Lloyd Jones Jr. Airport in Tulsa, OK.

This happened around 4:30 p.m. According to South Bend fire, the plane was 8 miles west of the airport headed to runway 9. It touched down one time then started to climb again and then it crashed. On approach the pilot reported a problem with electrical power, according to the FAA.

Neighborhood resident Stan Klaybor says the aircraft clipped the top of one house, heavily damaged a second, and came to rest against a third. He says one resident hasn't been seen.

During a news conference, the South Bend fire chief of training said "This is now a rescue effort," but the search is dangerous because of structural damage to the house the plane is lodged inside and the jet fuel. Crews have to stabilize the home before they can proceed with rescue efforts.

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Posted by on March 17, 2013 • Filed under: aircraft, Fire Rescue Topics, rescue, Rescues

1 Dead, 1 Injured As Plane Crashes Into Garage

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Light Plane Suddenly Loses Control

A REDMOND, WASHINGTON, MAN was killed and his passenger critically injured Saturday afternoon when their light plane crashed into a house in Woodinville, King County.

KOMO-TV

The crash occurred just before 3 pm Pacific when the plane had some sort of mechanical problem.  KOMO-TV reports further:

Two men were aboard the plane. The pilot, Jay Uusitalo, 45, of Redmond, was found dead at the scene.

The passenger, a teen from Spokane who is Uusitalo's nephew, was rushed to Harborview Medical Center with severe lacerations to the head and chest, as well as internal injuries. He was listed in critical condition.

Two teens were inside the home at the time of the crash. They were not harmed. They told KOMO News that they heard a loud crash and the whole house shook. They then saw the wing of a plane inside the home.

KOMO-TV

Other witnesses who live in the neighborhood say they heard sputtering and looked up. They saw the propeller on the plane stop and the aircraft flipped upside down, crashing into the home.

The Associated Press posted some raw video taken on site:

 

The good news out of this is that the plane crashed into the garage instead of the living quarters, and that there was no fire.  The airplane's fuel tank was split open in the wreckage, but no ignition.

The Seattle Times has MORE.

KOMO-TV also filed a more extensive video report:

 

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Posted by on March 10, 2013 • Filed under: aircraft, current events, Fire Rescue Topics, rescue, Rescues, Videos • Tagged: ,

Morning Lineup – February 21

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Thursday Morning – "Are you comfortable, Sir?"

Almost everybody takes a flight on a commercial airline every once in a while, some more frequently than that.  And, with most of us lacking a cushy expense account to upgrade to the elite section forward of The Curtain, we just go ahead and sign up for the economy-class seats thinking that we all get there at the same time, so why pay so much more?

But during the entire flight we are paying for our savings in our discomfort bred into the cramped seat design.  The chairs are narrow with those armrests serving more like clamps and just as soon as you get ready to cut into your indescribable snack, the guy in front of you suddenly – and without signalling first – sails the recliner back into your lap changing everything in your life.

Well, there is hope on the horizon for us who ride in Cattle Class, albeit a few years away yet.  But still, we can see help is on the way.  The Daily Mail posted an article a couple of days ago about a new concept and design created by a Malaysian engineering student who has developed an innovative airline seat design that can turn those economy torture devices into a comfort zone that rivals the first-class seats.  Dubbed the AirGo system, the seats are individual pods that are completely separated from each other and thus give you full command over your seat position, lap tray, and even the "entertainment" screen.

Daily Mail

Without getting into details that you can read about in the article, I will point out a few of the features:

  • The overhead storage bin is yours and yours alone, providing relief for those who are the later arrivals and have to battle the already-full bins over the aisle.
  • The chairs are a mesh-type design that is more comforatable than those rigid cushions that also increase the "sweat factor."
  • The chair also has three adjustment motors allowing you to configure it to fit your individual size and posture.
  • Lap tray and video screen also part of your pod and not the passenger's in front of you.

The designer of this new concept, Alireza Yaghoubi has heavily illustrated the newspaper article with many design drawings and it is worth taking a look at.  Read the full, informative ARTICLE HERE.  The only thing the passenger pod is missing is your own personal Bunn coffee maker, but that could be penciled in, I'm sure.

Fortunately our Bunn is already installed and I'm heading that way now to get it running some fresh joe while you get started on the equipment check.  Then we'll meet back in the day room and try to figure out a way to pay for some AirGo chairs to replace this institutional crap they send us for our training room.

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Posted by on February 21, 2013 • Filed under: aircraft, morning lineup

Airliner Close Call in Rome

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Strong Winds Force Plane Off Runway

A ROMANIAN AIRLINE CARPATAIR TURBO-PROP  was attempting to land at Rome, Italy's Fiumicino airport Saturday night when it was upset by strong crosswinds.  The pilot aborted the landing and was making a second attempt when the plane landed hard, bending one of the landing gear, and going off the runway onto the ground where it wrecked.

photos via La Repubblica

There were approximately 46 passengers plus four crew members and 16 of them were injured, 3 of them seriously.

The Carpatair ATR-72 was painted in Alitalia livery and operated in shared-route service by the Romanian airline.  It was completing a flight from Pisa when the accident happened.

La Repubblica

This was Carpatair's third incident since the first of the year and Alitalia has temporarily suspended all shared flights operated by Carpatair until full investigations are completed on all of them.  The joint route agreement has been in effect just since September.

Italian newspaper La Repubblica has the STORY.
Sydney Morning Herald has MORE (English).

Click to play raw video:

 

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Posted by on February 5, 2013 • Filed under: aircraft, Fire Rescue Topics, rescue, Rescues, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Helicopter Crash in Downtown London During Rush Hour

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Only Two Known Fatalities

A HELICOPTER CRASHED INTO A construction crane in downtown London, England, Wednesday during the early morning rush hour, killing the pilot and one person on the ground.

Telegraph / NicO

Just moments prior to the crash, the pilot had radioed through Heathrow air traffic control for permission to divert from its flight path because of bad weather and set down at the nearby London Heliport.  After receiving permission and then changing  its course, the helicopter struck the 770-ft.-high crane that was working a 55-story residential tower.  Besides the two fatalities, at least 13 other people were injured, one critically.  By a stroke of good fortune, the crane operator was late for work today and escaped certain death by not being where he should have been.

The helicopter's owner has not yet been publicly identified, however officials have stated that it was not a military aircraft.

The Associated Press informs us:

The horrific scene unfolded at the height of the morning commute when thousands of pedestrians were trying to get to work. The weather at the time was overcast and misty with fog and poor visibility, according to the weather forecasting service, the Met Office.

British aviation authorities had issued a "notice to airmen" warning pilots about the crane, which extended to 770 feet (235 meters) above ground. The crane is lit at night, and police said investigators would look at whether the light was faulty.

Reuters / Wermuth

The area, roughly 10 blocks from the major Waterloo train and Underground station, is extremely congested during the morning rush hour. Many commuters arrive at the main line stations from London's southern suburbs and transfer to buses or trains there.

Sky News has posted some raw video taken just after the crash:

 

The Telegraph (UK) reported:

Amid fears of a bomb attack, police quickly ruled out suggestions of terrorism. The crash site is located close to MI6's headquarters.

The Agusta 109 civilian helicopter apparently hit the crane on top of a building in Vauxhall, central London, Scotland Yard said. The top of the crane remained precarious today.

After "cartwheeling to the ground", it sent screaming residents, commuters and construction workers running "for their lives" as burning wreckage and aviation fuel covered the road.

Witnesses suggested that the helicopter, which is reported to have only the pilot on board, had plunged more than 60 storeys to the ground.

London Fire Brigade photo

It then hit two cars, which have been left abandoned and charred. One driver was trapped and firefighters were able to rescue him from his car before being rushed to hospital.

 

The Telegraph has a detailed report on the incident HERE.

Sixty firefighters on eight engines handled the fire situation.

BBC News has MORE.

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Posted by on January 16, 2013 • Filed under: aircraft, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Fires, rescue, Rescues, Videos

Medical Helicopters Crash in Two Separate Incidents

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Believed To Be First EMS LODD of 2013

TWO MEDICAL HELICOPTERS WENT DOWN Wednesday in separate incidents, but in both cases there were no patients on board the aircraft.

The first accident took place near Seminole, Oklahoma, when a Mediflight helicopter crashed in an open field about 5 minutes after it had taken off in Seminole.  The plane was heading to the Creek Nation Hospital in Okemah to pick up a patient.  There were four people on board, a nurse, two paramedics, and the pilot who all survived the crash.  All four had serious but non-life threatening injuries.

KOCO-TV

JEMS.com has posted the video report from KOCO-TV online HERE.
TV News6 has additional video and more details HERE.

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AROUND 9 PM CENTRAL A HOSPITAL HELICOPTER crashed amidst an explosion in a field in northern Iowa Wednesday night.  The Associated Press reports:

A nurse, a paramedic and a pilot died when a medical helicopter crashed and burst into flames in a field in northern Iowa.

No patient was on board the helicopter from Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa when it slammed into the ground just north of Ventura in Cerro Gordo County around 9 p.m. Wednesday.

The hospital identified two of the victims as employees: nurse Shelly Lair-Langenbau and paramedic Russell Piehl. The pilot was not identified. The helicopter was operated by a Lewisville, Texas-based company, Med-Trans Air Medical Transport.

Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa spokeswoman Jodi Ball said the helicopter had been headed to Emmetsburg to pick up a patient. Emmetsburg is 78 miles west of Mason City. Ventura sits 17 miles west of Mason City.

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier has more HERE.

In neither incident has the cause of the crashes been determined yet.

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Posted by on January 3, 2013 • Filed under: aircraft, EMS Topics

Morning Lineup – December 30

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Sunday Morning – No Information Yet

There's added interest to that  Russian airliner crash in Moscow yesterday primarily beccause of the personal video that popped up on the internet last night.  The dashcam video recorded in a private automobile that caught the plane parts raining down on the highway is a fascinating video, no doubt.  If you haven't seen it yet, just scroll down to the posting immediately preceding this one where we have the early report along with videos and photos from the crash scene.  It will take a while to learn what the cause of the crash was, and we may never really learn the truth of the matter thanks to the clownish actions of the Russian public relations representatives.

RT / Reuters

Regular readers are aware that we often chide the "officials" whenever there is a major incident in any of the former Soviet nations.  Practically without exception, whenever there is a major fire ongoing we will quickly hear from the local information kommissar that the fire was "caused by an electrical short circuit," even though there are flames blasting out of every window of the old-age home and no investigation has even been able to get started yet.

Well, the short-circuit guy was pressed into extra duty yesterday and he was admirably on the scene quickly and able to tell the assembled press that this plane crash was caused by "pilot error," regardless of the mechanical condition of the plane or having heard any radio traffic from the tower prior to the incident.  But the local press sheeple dutifully wrote that down (we always refuse to pass along these early pronouncements) and this morning they are busy erasing their notes because a higher-ranking propagandist has informed everybody that the real cause of the crash was "bad brakes."  So you may briefly see that one bandied about for a while until somebody admits that they have retrieved the blackboxes and will start to review the information that is stored on them, such as the speed of the plane when it touched down and the positions of the flaps, etc.  And even then, we don't always get the truth from them.  It's the same old worn routine that they use over and over and over.

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We're keeping an eye on the National Hockey League chit-chat this weekend as they are running out of time to come to an agreement with the players' union and save the season.  We told you in yesterday's Lineup that the owners had presented a serious proposal (300 pages long) Thursday night and the union reps. went through it all day Friday jotting down questions, clarifications, and perhaps some counter-proposals.  Yesterday (Saturday) the two sides conferred via conference calls to haggle over the proposal.  The Associated Press is reporting this morning:

The initial thought was that the sides would get together Sunday in New York to hold official negotiations for the first time in weeks, but those weren't scheduled before discussions ended Saturday.

Staff level calls were expected to resume Sunday, which could include face-to-face talks at some point, but no actual bargaining meetings have been set.

"Some more informational sessions in the morning,'' NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press regarding Sunday. "Nothing planned beyond that.''

Lockout Day #106

The league office did not issue any press statement yesterday at all.  I'm reading that as "ongoing discussions," and some progress being made because they aren't tossing out buzz words and negotiating ploys.  I will be watching the press office up there today so that you don't have to.

But we all have to take our morning look at the equipment and get it checked out now.  I'll see that the Bunn-O-Matic is loaded up for the Sunday breakfast that will be ready soon.  See you back in the day room in a little while.  And thanks for dropping by and visiting with us today.

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Posted by on December 30, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, morning lineup • Tagged: ,

Updated – New Video: Russian Plane Leaves Runway, Breaks Open, Burns

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No Paying Passengers On Board

Updated, 10 pm Eastern:  DashCam video taken on highway as plane crashes added.  Scroll down.
Update #2, Sunday 10 am:  Death count rises and additional video posted.  Scroll down.

A RED WINGS AIRLINES TU-204 airliner crashed Saturday afternoon after overrunning the runway at Moscow Vnukovo International Airport following a flight from the Czech Republic. The aircraft broke up and caught fire after landing on a highway. The plane was returning to the airline's base at Vnukovo after taking a charter group to Czech. There were no paying passeners on board, but 8 crew members were and 4 of them were reported to have been killed.

RT / Live Journal

Russia Today is reporting:

The incident took place at around 16:35 local time (12:35 GMT). Preliminary reports say the jet, which belongs to Russian low-cost airline Red Wings, crashed after taking a second landing attempt. It rolled out from the runway into Kievskoye Highway, fell into three pieces and caught fire. The fire area of 100 square meters was extinguished by firefighters, officials said.

Two people were reportedly found dead at the scene, while a 27-year-old woman died on the way to hospital. Whether the fourth person died at the scene or in the ambulance remains unclear. Those killed are the captain, the co-pilot, the flight engineer and a flight attendant, the Emergencies Ministry declared.

Four people taken to Moscow hospitals – three flight attendants and a technical staff – remain in a critical condition. They have sustained traumatic brain injuries, say medical officials.

RT / Geolo

Read the full story with additional photos HERE.

Russia Today also filed this comprehensive video report:

 

Update, 10 pm:
A passenger car traveling on the highway had a dashcam rolling when the plane crashed into the area immediately below.  The video shows the highway as plane parts come flying across the traffic lanes and impacting the passing cars.  Vid includes the sound:

 

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Update #2, Sunday 10 am Eastern:

It is reported that one of the early survivors has succombed to her injuries.  One of four crew members who intially survived the crash, a female flight attendant died at the hospital during the night.

Russia Today has also posted and informative video update on the crash:

 

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Posted by on December 29, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Fires, rescue, Rescues, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Air Ambulance Crash in Illinois

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No Patient on Board

A MEDICAL HELICOPTER OPERATING OUT OF ROCKFORD Memorial Hospital in Lee County, Illinois, crashed in a field Monday night killing the pilot and two nurses who were on board.

This Facebook photo shows the Rockford Health System REACT helicopter.

The airship went down about 8:30 pm Central while on its way to Mendota to pick up a patient.  WREX-TV is reporting:

The cause of the crash is still unknown, but RHS Spokesperson Wester Wuori believes it might be weather-related. Casey Sullivan, Meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Romeoville, Illinois says flurries and light snow were reported with the 8:00pm automatic weather observation at Rochelle Municipal Airport. The temperature was 30 degrees with a wind out of the west at 7 mph. He could not confirm whether icing was a factor in the crash. "We did not receive any reports of any icing in that area from aircraft, but that's not to say it wasn't possible" he says.

The helicopter was completely demolished on impact  (WGN-TV)

WREX Chief Meteorologist Eric Sorensen explains that the air was saturated and the temperatures were right around freezing at flight level. "Aircraft icing disrupts the aerodynamics around aircraft fuselage and can add a significant amount of weight which can cause the aircraft to become unstable."

ABC7 filed this video report from the scene:

 

According to the hospital's website, the agency has been operating the helicopter since 1987 and flown more than 10,000 flights without an accident.

The Chicago Sun-Times has the STORY.

Hat tip:  Steve S.

Posted by on December 11, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, EMS Topics, News • Tagged: , ,

Don’t Look Up!

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Done In By "Friendly Fire"

FIREFIGHTERS IN NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA, experienced a new sort of job hazard while fighting a wildfire on November 6.  A helicopter/tanker designed for fire suppression aerial drops mistakenly loaded up with partially-treated sewage and sprayed not just the fire but 19 firefighters and their brush trucks.  The Australian reports:

An RFS (Rural Fire Service) spokesman said today a helicopter mistakenly drew up secondary treatment water from a sewage treatment plant. It was then dropped near 12 firefighters, while another seven firefighters were in the general area.

"Following this, all 29 firefighters on the fireground and their equipment were immediately withdrawn and decontaminated by Fire and Rescue NSW," the spokesman said.

They were also checked by paramedics at the scene and as a precaution each firefighter was given a further medical check the following day, he said. "At this time no firefighters have complained of any ill-effects." The spokesman said the firefighters would continue to be monitored by the RFS.

ABC News adds:

Inspector Baker said it was not a matter of a fire fighting operation going wrong.

"The aircraft will always go to the nearest water source at the initial stage of the fire," he said. "Those types of treated water have been utilised before for fire fighting operations,"

"We're going to undertake an after action review or an investigation into the incident, to take away some lessons from it," Inspector Baker said.

The labor union isn't sluffing it off so easily, though.  The Australian Workers Union is demanding a full investigation into the incident.  AWU spokesman Mark Hughes said the fact that the chopper went to the sewage treatment plant in the first place stinks to high heaven.

"For some strange reason, around 7:30 in the morning during the water-bombing, a call was made from the RFS Commanders to use the sewage treatment plant rather than much more accessible water sources such as the Camden Haven River, Queens Lake or the Cowarra Dam," he told ABC.net.au. "There are primary and secondary treatment plants, so basically you've got one pond that's got raw sewage and one that's been treated. What they were dumping was the untreated sewage."

ABC News has MORE DETAILS.

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Posted by on November 17, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, Fire Rescue Topics, health & safety • Tagged: , ,

Elk-Chasing Air Ambulance Pilot Fined

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What Do You Do On Your Way Back to the Station?

A PILOT FOR CLASSIC LIFEGUARD AIR MEDICAL of Page, Arizona, was fined $200 this week for buzzing an elk herd in a Colorado canyon after he had left off a patient.

Owen Park, 35, was flying near Granite Creek, Colorado, when he spotted a herd of elk grazing in the canyon and decided to drop down for a better look at the animals.

One of Classic Lifeguard's helicopters

Denver Channel 7 reports:

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said it cited Owen Park, of Page, Ariz., , for harassing wildlife after a group of hunters observed him flying his helicopter very low over an elk herd in a canyon near the headwaters of Granite Creek, southwest of Grand Junction.

According to the witnesses, Park flew erratically, making several passes below the rim of the canyon and at treetop level, causing several groups of elk to scatter in multiple directions. At times, it appeared Park was herding the elk, the witnesses said.

"The people that saw this told me that the pilot ruined their hunt," said Ty Smith, District Wildlife Officer in Grand Junction.

Park said he did not feel his actions harassed the elk, but did admit that he was trying to get a better look at the herds, according to CPW.

Firegeezer hopes that he doesn't decide to go whale-spotting.

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Posted by on November 9, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, ambulances, EMS Topics • Tagged: , ,

Student Pilot Crashes Into Car

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Neither One Saw the Other

A CESSNA SKY HAWK AIRCRAFT was landing at the private Northwest Regional Airport near Dallas north of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Saturday morning just as a car was driving along a road that crosses the airport near the runway.  The car was supposed to have stopped at a stop sign controlling the crossing, but instead the driver continued on into the path of the plane.

As you will see in the video below, the airplane's landing gear slipped the car in the left side causing the plane to crash onto its belly after crushing part of the car.

Texas Dept. of Public Safety photos

The pilot of the Cessna was William Davis, 43, who is a licensed student pilot and was completing his first solo round trip.  His wife was taking a video of the landing for a memento and caught the accident on tape.

 This video report was filed by TV Ch. 8:

 

Davis was uninjured luckily, but the plane was heavily damaged. The two adults in the car were transported for minor injuries and later released. The FAA is investigating the accident which is the 4th incident at that airport in the past two months.

Hat tip:  Mark D.

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Posted by on November 5, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, Fire Rescue Topics, Videos

Wow, thanks to my FaceBook friends

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Snarky whine gets genuine help

I tweet snarky observations when on road trips. Posts driven by boredom and irritation. Unexpected reaction when I snarked on FaceBook.

Arrived at Reagan National Airport (DCA) at 6 am for a 10:32 Saturday flight. Planned to knock out some work, including Saturday's Car-Toon.

Historic Terminal A has no lounge but JetBlue has eight stools with power outlets.

The delays start  (and the issue from the airline side)

At 7:59 am get an alert from TripIt that the flight is delayed 20 minutes. No big deal.

Equipment issue at Omaha is delaying departure, mechanic looking at plane.

At 8:19 am the second alert from TripIt adds 4 hours. Ouch.

Needed part is at Kansas City repair center … trucking part to Omaha. (Thats a 2.5 hour, 172 mile trip)

Double check with FlightStats …. yep I will spend most of the day in Terminal A.

(grumble grumble)

FaceBook whine yields generous response

Post a picture of the FlightStat alert of the 265 minute delay with the caption "Planned to sleep on the plane … hard to stretch out in historic Terminal A."

Wow, a lot of friends surfing FaceBook. Two with airport connections provide actionable suggestions.

Have to admit I am just whining and not in distress.

The delays continue:

Third alert at 12:30 adds 30 minutes

Fourth alert at 12:49 adds 30 minutes

Fifth alert at 13:39 adds 57 minutes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frontier runs a lean system. No electronic status board at gate, heard no announcements about delay.

Gate attendants were busy reticketing passengers … at some point the later flight was morphed into the morning flight number … requiring the reissuing of boarding passes again.

In a 15:04 response to a friend that provided an actionable suggestion:

Nap, shoes shined, checkbook balanced, EuroCafe lunch and three more delay updates. Maybe 5 pm.

A never ending cascade of missed details.

Like an emergency call that starts with a problem, this trip continued to have missed details.

Oops, need to add fuel to fly to Kansas City … need to re-open cabin door while the fuel truck returns to our location.

Finaly arriving at Kansas City, the contractor that staffs the rental fleet bus did not plan for a plane to arrive 6.5 hours late, did not change pattern.

The wait for the rental car bus becomes 30 minutes … nice sunset … getting colder … serenaded by a recording saying that the rental fleet bus is on a ten minute schedule … when calling our rental car vendors told "… we have no control over the bus."

Nor do I on outside impacts on travel.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on October 22, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, Funding & Staffing, Technology & Communications • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

1 Dead, 2 Seriously Burned in Long Island Small Plane Crash

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Plane May Have Been Afire Before Crashing

A SMALL PLANE WITH 3 PASSENGERS crashed in Suffolk County (Long Island), New York, Sunday afternoon killing the pilot and seriously burning the two passengers with him.

Buff Network via Gothamist

The plane had just taken off from the Brookhaven Calabro Airport in Shirley when the 4-seater crashed about a mile away into a residential neighborhood.  Some eyewitnesses are saying that the single-engine Socata TB10, a French brand, caught fire with an audible ka-boom before it plunged to the ground with the pilot apparently steering the plane away from homes and crashing into a parking lot against a dumpster.

The plane is registered to a man in Orlando, Florida, and the Brookhaven airport says that it had been parked there for about a month before it took off today.

The pilot's remains were left in the cabin until FAA
investigators arrived.  (Buff Network via Gothamist)

It is too early for any further information yet.

The Associated Press has an early report HERE.

MJMDer posted this YouTube recording of the police channel that picks up just before the dispatch and continues until they switch over to an alternate frequency.  It is an interesting recording:

 

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Posted by on August 19, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Fires, rescue, Rescues, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Another Escape Plan for Trapped Forestry Firefighters

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Using Existing Military Equipment

WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS IN FRANCE NOW HAVE a new resource to rescue firefighters that might be trapped in a forest fire.  The device is already used by the police GIGN which is the same as the U. S. SWAT forces.  It is a helicopter platform that can hold ten people and lift them out of danger's way in less than five minutes.

AFP

The helicopters used are Puma-class military planes that are specially built to work in dangerous air such as a wildfire would create, and have great lifting power.  They are currently used in Afghanistan supporting the French troops there.

The operation begins with the helicopter hovering about 30 to 40 meters above the ground where it lowers a collapsed platform by cable to the evacuees.  When it reaches the ground, the firefighters open the pod like an umbrella.  Then within the next three minutes, all of them step onto the platform and "hook in" to the center pole.  Once that is completed within five minutes from touchdown, the winch lifts the platform up to the helicopter.  Much faster than one at a time as is done now.

AFP produced this video demonstrating how the device works:

 

 

 

Another advantage comes when evacuating civilians.  They have much less apprehension when they are on the more stable platform  instead of flying along with their legs dangling in the air.

La Voix Dunord has this STORY.

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Posted by on August 7, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, forestry, Videos

American Private Jet Crashes in France

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No Passengers on Board

A private jet aircraft operated by Universal Jet Aviation of Boca Raton, Florida, has crashed while landing at Le Castellet Airport in France at 3:20 pm on Friday.

Vermatin

The twin-engine Gulfstream IV was carrying only the crew of three, all of them Americans, when it crashed while landing at the air strip. It had left Nice earlier and was landing at Castellet to pick up its passengers.

The ages of the victims are two men 64 and 24, and one woman age 30.

Fifty-seven firefighters of the Var, the EMS personnel, the National Gendarmerie and rescue teams from the airport responded to this accident.

Varmatin has filed this video report from the scene:

 

 

 

This is the largest private airfield on the French Riviera, and frequently used by celebrities with homes in the area, as well as business people.

The hard-landing impact split the fuselage in two sending one half just missing a nearby hotel and into a lake.  The other part of the cabin was ablaze when rescue teams arrived.  It is believed that all three victims died immediately on impact.

Vermatin has the STORY (French language)
The Daily Mail has the story with more photos and video (English language) HERE.

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Posted by on July 14, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, Fire Rescue Topics, Fires, Videos • Tagged: ,

Firefighter’s Family Rescued From Mountainside Plane Crash

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Saved By a Cell Phone

AN ELK GROVE, CALIFORNIA, FIREFIGHTER Brian Brown, his wife and their grown daughter were flying in their private plane from California to Mountain Home, Idaho, Saturday night when they crashed into an Idaho mountainside around 9 pm Mountain.  All three of them were trapped and suffering from head and back injuries with darkness settling in. 

Owyhee County Sheriff photo

The Associated Press continues:

One of the three used a cellphone just after midnight to report that they had survived the crash.

A medical helicopter located the wreckage Sunday morning, but white-out conditions prevented the aircraft crew from carrying out an immediate rescue, said Col. Tim Marsano of the Idaho National Guard.

Rescuers on foot traveling through 6-foot snow drifts and on 60 degree slopes reached the crash site first. They wrapped the family members in blankets and built a fire until a military helicopter could lift them out with a hoist.

Owyhee County Sheriff

"It was inhospitable for a landing," Marsano said. "The use of the helicopter was indispensable for this type of rescue operation."

As the search-rescue team warmed the Brown family and immobilized them for transport, the Idaho National Guard began lifting them out around noon Sunday and taking them one at a time to a nearby location where a medical helicopter awaited and then transferred them to a hospital in Boise where they are currently listed in stable condition.

The aircraft is a Cessna 172 and it is not yet known why it went down.

KTVB-TV posted this video report Sunday night with additional views of the incident:

 

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Posted by on May 28, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, current events, News, rescue, Rescues • Tagged: , ,

Arizona Drunk Firebombs Air Ambulance

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Extensive Damage

A NORTHERN ARIZONA MAN IS IN JAIL regretting his night of drinking after he inexplicably made a Molotov cocktail with one of his beer bottles, drove to the Cottonwood facility of the Verde Valley Medical Center, lit the device and threw it against the windshield of an air ambulance.  The bottle broke, as planned, and spread fire across the fuselage and into the cockpit of the Bell 407 owned by the Verde Valley Medical Center.

Richard Butts, 26, was arrested early Friday morning and identified by a witness. 

The Camp Verde Bugle reports:

A VVMC employee arriving to work heard the object strike the helicopter and he looked in the direction of the craft, where he saw Butts walking away from the fence line in front of the helicopter. The helicopter was on fire at the time. The employee made contact with Butts and insisted that he remain on scene.

Officers later reviewed video at the Maverick gas station where Butts purchased a bottle of beer, which he presumably drank in the bathroom then filled the bottle with gas at the pump and walked to VVMC where he damaged the helicopter.

Bomb went through windshield spreading the fire
throughout the cockpit  (Camp Verde Bugle)

The damage is estimated to be at least $250,000.  But after they get a chance to inspect the electronics and wiring in the cockpit where the fire was, it is possible that the entire $3.7 million value of the plane could be written off.  VVMC ferried another of their helicopters down from their Flagstaff facility to cover the area around Prescott and Cottonwood.  The local police expect him to be charged with arson of an occupied structure, two counts of misconduct involving a weapon, criminal damage and endangerment, all felonies.  More charges are still possible including domestic terrorism.

KTVK-TV News has more including more detailed views of the damage in this video report:

 

There has been no indication of Butts' motive and he has not been saying anything.

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Posted by on May 27, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, arson, fire, Fires • Tagged: , , , ,

Navy Jet Crash Update

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No Deaths Reported So Far

THE NAVY F/A-18 JET FIGHTER that crashed into a Virginia Beach, Virginia, apartment complex Friday afternoon caused extensive damage to at least five buildings but, amazingly, there have been no deaths reported so far.  (See original Firegeezer report HERE.)

The plane miraculously landed in this courtyard, missing a direct hit on
any of the apartment buildings.  The burning fuel set the surrounding
buildings alight.  (U. S. Navy photo)

As of Saturday morning three residents are still unaccounted for, but they may not have been there at the time of the crash and the authorities currently believe it is probable that they are elsewhere.  By Friday night the rescue teams had completed secondary searches of 95% of the crash zone.
Update:  The 3 missing people have been located and the FRD is no longer searching for any survivors.

The plane fortuitously landed on its belly in the courtyard of the buildings, thus sparing the destructiveness of a direct hit.  The spraying, burning jet fuel set the surrounding buildings on fire but a rapid response by the Virginia Beach Fire & Rescue along with the Oceana air base crash units quickly contained the fires.

The early reports are saying that the 2-seater training plane experienced some sort of mechanical failure that caused leaking fuel to ignite while it was taking off from the nearby air station.  The two pilots were attempting to guide the plane over to the ocean and failing to get that far they waited until almost too late to eject.  Witnesses say that they were down to treetop level before the seat ejectors were deployed and their parachutes only had time to open partially before they hit the ground.  Both pilots are going to recover ok with minimal injuries.  One of them has been admitted to the hospital while the other has been released.  About seven civilians suffered from either minor injuries or, in most cases, smoke inhalation.
Update:  Both pilots have been released from the hospital.

For the latest detailed updates, read the following sources:
CNN News 
NY Daily News
WAVY-TV Norfolk

WAVY-TV has filed this updated video report on Saturday morning:

 

No deaths in Navy F/A-18D crash: wavy.com

 

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Posted by on April 7, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, fire, Fires, Major Incidents, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Thousands of United passengers have disrupted flights this weekend due to a computer mis-migration

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Day two of an ugly computer migration

 

 

 

 

Joe Brancatelli, the creator of business travel webside Joe Sent Me, warned about the weekend merger of United and Continental computer systems.

Here is his fifth update at 01:45 this morning:

A Shameful Day for United Airlines

   Well, hasn't Saturday been fun for anyone flying United Airlines.

   With most of the pre-merger United's Saturday flight schedule now in the books, the numbers are simply atrocious: just 46 percent on-time for departures and 56 percent on-time for arrivals.

   The numbers are even worse for Chicago/O'Hare and Washington/Dulles, two of the pre-merger United's main hubs.

   At Dulles, it was 29 percent on-time departures and 45 percent on-time arrivals. One JoeSentMe member reports his 64-minute Dulles to Greensboro flight this afternoon was delayed by 227 minutes due to "late arriving" aircraft. Before he was able to board his flight, he passed a customer-service station at Dulles with "about two hundred folks in a queue."

   At O'Hare, just 26 percent of flights departed on-time on Saturday and just 44 percent arrived on time.

   The only thing performing more poorly than United in Chicago on Day One of its supposedly four-times-rehearsed transition to Continental's computers was the Chicago Tribune. In two different stories on Saturday, its reporter swallowed the "everything's just fine" lie being fed to it by a United Airlines spokesman. 

   Shame on United management for not training its pre-merger United crews properly on the new software. Shame on the United spokesman for blatantly lying about the airline's performance at its most important hub. But shame on the Chicago Tribune for not even sending anyone out to O'Hare–or, apparently, even bothering to surf to any of the easily available flight trackers to find the real numbers.

   One final kicker to show you the fantasyland in which airlines now expect passengers to live: The manifestly unhelpful Unitedhub.com site is now telling customers to "consider" not calling the airline because call-center volumes are "higher than normal." It blithely suggests customers use United.com for "self-service." But, of course, United.com continues to change reservation numbers at random, cancel or not display seat assignments and refuse to print boarding passes for many itineraries.

 

 

Brancaelli, Joe (2012 February 29) How to Survive United Airlines' Big Computer Switch. Portfolio.com

If you are flying today, FlightStats may be helpful,

 

 

 

 

 

Good luck!

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on March 4, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, News, Technology & Communications • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Air Ambulance vs. Duck in Tennessee

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Chopper Survives – Duck Doesn't

A VANDERBILT (Tennessee) MEDICAL CENTER LIFEFLIGHT air ambulance had its own version of a "close call" Friday night when its flight path crossed that of a Mallard duck's.  The Paris (Tennessee) Post-Intelligencer reports:

According to Jerry Jones, public affairs manager with Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s LifeFlight service, the helicopter had just flown over the Tennessee River at about 6:15 p.m. on its way from Nashville to Henry County Medical Center to pick up a patient when the aircraft struck a lone duck in flight.

Jones said the impact shattered the entire front windshield of the helicopter, forcing pilot Tom Adams to make a quick descent from an altitude of 2,000 feet to land in a field beside Poplar Grove Road in Springville.

Post-Intelligencer / Howard photo

According to Jones, Adams landed the aircraft safely, and neither Adams nor his two crew members suffered any injuries. The duck, however, did not survive the incident.

"Bird strikes are not uncommon in this part of the country," Jones said. "It’s LifeFlight policy to make an emergency landing whenever a bird strike occurs. Considering that the whole front wieldshield was gone, it was definitely necessary in this case."

This aircraft is the newest of LifeFlight's 6-helicopter fleet, only two weeks old.  It is worth $3 million and was trucked to Clarksville where it is being repaired.  The damage estimate is about $100,000.

Another helicopter transferred the patient from Henry to Vanderbilt.

The Post-Intelligencer has the STORY.

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Posted by on February 21, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, EMS Topics • Tagged: ,

Morning Lineup – February 11

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Saturday Morning – Cleared For Takeoff

Techno-News abounds these days for good reason, and since we have been chatting off and on recently about Tablets and e-readers, I thought I would pass this bit along this morning.

It makes sense if you stop and think about it, but it's easy to miss the obvious.  Two months ago in December the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) has given approval for major commercial airlines to issue single-purpose iPads to their pilots to replace their mountain of papers that include their flight charts, weather reports, and other flight-related material.  This new "electronic flight bag" will replace those 30-lb. flight bags and also remove the tedious task of sorting out even more papers that are filed in the cockpit for references.  Of course, there is the added feature of instant updating to the forms and charts that are filed in the tablet.

Wired.com

Alaska Airlines was the first major line to begin using the iPad and have already displaced their Flight Operations Manual and the Flight Handbook.  They're working on the charts now.  Coming on line as we write are United, Continental, American, and freight-hauler UPS, each in the process of switching over.

Now comes news that the U. S. Air Force is beginning the massive changeover to tablets also.  International Business Times is reporting that the USAF is ordering 18,000 iPad 2's to go into use in cargo planes, primarily the C-5 Galaxy and the C-17 Globemaster.

"Moving from a paper-based to an electronically based flight publication system will not only enhance operational effectiveness, it can also save the Department of Defense time and money," said Maj. Gen. Rick Martin, the director of operations for the Air Mobility Command. "Electronic flight bags are becoming an industry standard due to their operational, environmental and cost savings benefits."

There are several benefits to using electronic flight bags instead of physical versions. For one, the iPad can instantly update charts electronically, while the AMC would require flying charts to be reprinted every 28 days to stay up to date.

"This equates to approximately 70 pounds of paper per aircraft each month that must be meticulously sorted, accounted for, and updated," said Maj. Pete Birchenough, who head's the AMC's electronic flight bag initiative.

United Airlines photo

The Air Force Special Operations Command will also be purchasing more than 2,800 iPad 2's.  And the digital beat goes on.  The next question that we have raised before is, whenever will a progressive fire department start doing the same thing for their equipment management?

Until they do, we will just have to grab our old 19th-century clipboards and get our own equipment checked out now.  I will get the coffee started before we meet back in the day room.

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Posted by on February 11, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, morning lineup, technology, Technology & Communications

Who Ya’ Gonna Call?

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Adept at Anything

A FIREFIGHTER AT TIRUPATI AIRPORT in India had a quick job description ammendment last month when the two air traffic controllers failed to show up for work.

Tirupati Airport (Wikipedia)

When a Jet Airways flight from Hyderabad arrived in the airport control area, they were not able to get any response from the tower for landing instructions. Tirupati has no approach radar and pilots rely on air traffic controllers to provide runway and weather information and give landing clearance.

Immediately the airport's deputy general manager orderd one of the airport's firefighters, known only as Basha, to the tower and gave him directions over the phone on how to bring a plane in for a landing.

Following his directions, Basha safely landed the plane carrying 60 passengers.  The quick-learning firefighter continued his fill-in duty for about 40 minutes before one of the tardy controllers finally showed up.

The grossly unsafe incident was made public yesterday when the airport executive that made the decision was suspended from his job along with the two missing controllers.

BBC News carried the STORY.
One India News has MORE.

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Make Your Move to eBooks Now!

Amazon Kindle e-reader
Prices Start as Low as $79

CLICK HERE to learn more, compare models and order yours.

(Firegeezer recommends the Touch-3G)

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Posted by on February 5, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, labor • Tagged: ,

Morning Lineup – February 5

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Sunday Morning – Where Do We Land?

Everybody is aware of the ineptitude of centralized government when it comes to getting things done efficiently.  Instead of allowing professionals to build or operate complex projects, the legislature or council will try and do it on their own (usually because they want the big contracts to go to their friends).  I don't know what the motives or origins of the design work for a new children's hospital in Melbourne, Australia were, but the results are familiar.  The new Royal Children's Hospital was built by the state government to replace an old, outmoded building and they laid out more than $1 billion for it.  That's right, a billion dollars (Aus.) for one hospital.

After it was built last year, it was found that the roof-top helipad is inadequate for some instances, primarily weather changes and weight limits.  The old hospital a few blocks away had its helipad on the ground and weight limits were never  consideration.  But apparently this new heliport which is on what appears to be a 5th-floor level, is right at the limit for a routine helicopter with crew and patient.  This being the state's primary children's hospital, it is also used frequently for advanced pediatric transports that require the hospital staff to load up equipment such as repirators, etc., along with a cadre of doctors and nurses.  But all that puts helicopter over the limit for safety on this roof.  (See article from The Age HERE.)

Currently their only alternative is to use the helipad at a hospital in Essenden which is a 25-minute drive (one-way) in the best of traffic conditions.  Rush hour and business day traffic will slow it down considerably, so that a mercy flight requiring the staft to travel out, retrieve, and return will require the staff to be gone from the hospital for more than two hours longer than should be. 

Another consideration overlooked is the occasional times that windy conditions prevent rooftop landings and a regulation that does not permit rooftop ops when the temperature goes over 30º C.  That has something to do with the air being "too thin," but I don't understand why you can take off in this thin air from the ground, but not from 50 ft. higher.  But then, that's government regulations for you.

Danger Zone photo by Joe Armao
for The Age newspaper.

So why not just build a new pad on the site of the old hospital which is only a couple of minutes away, to be used when the rooftop is unsafe?  Ohhh, noooo!!!   The old hospital grounds are designated to be turned into a park with valuable "green space" and when that alternative was advanced, the public outcry was politically deafening.  They just will not tolerate a playground and green area to be polluted with an occasional helicopter arriving to save an infant's life.  They have their priorities in Melbourne.

Right now our priority is to get this equipment checked out while cook gets the Sunday breakfast ready.  I'm going to make sure the Bunn-O-Matic is still operating at all temperatures.  See you back in the day room.

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Posted by on February 5, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, EMS Topics, morning lineup