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Friday the 17th of February, 2017

2 dead in Barrow County, Georgia plane crash Two men were killed in a plane crash in Barrow County on Thursday afternoon, officials

said. A single-engine, Beech C23 crashed at the end of the runway at the Barrow County Airport in Winder about 2 p.m., Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said.

Bergen said officials do not know whether the plane crashed while taking off or during landing.

Roger Wehunt, who lives nearby, told Channel 2 Action News he thinks the pilot was trying to land in the field after a rough takeoff.

An AirCrane employee saw smoke from the highway and called 911, Channel 2 reported.

Firefighters arrived first, found the crashed plane in the woods off the property and put out a small fire on the four-passenger plane, Barrow County fire Capt. Scott Dankin told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Authorities believe the crash happened between noon and 2 p.m., when the 911 call was made.

“To Promote the Science and Improve the Methods of Aviation Fire Protection and Prevention”

WEEKLY NEWS

REPORT

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Dankin said the airport is currently open since the crash site is secure and off the property.

“There are some trees that are clipped, and you can see where it went along the runway, but in all actuality it’s a fairly compact scene, which is surprising with plane crashes,” Dankin said.

FAA officials will continue to investigate and the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the probable cause of the accident.

http://www.ajc.com/news/local/dead-barrow-county-plane-crash/x4Of67lEZiz4htxCeNXH3L/

Officials identify victim in Decatur County, Georgia plane crash

DECATUR CO., GA (WALB) – Officials have released the identity of the pilot who died in a plane crash in Decatur County Thursday night.

Donald Anderson, 50, died on impact after the single engine prop plane crashed at the end of his personal runway near Vada.

It happened just before 7 p.m. on Eula Mills Road.

“We believe he clipped a tree on the way down which lead to him crashing the aircraft,” said Sgt. Adam Mobley with the Dacatur County Sheriff’s Office.

Anderson’s body has been sent to the GBI Crime Lab for an autopsy as a standard procedure.

The FAA has been notified and will be in Decatur County Friday morning.

http://www.walb.com/story/34526507/one-person-killed-in-decatur-county-plane-crash

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2 planes clip wings at Phoenix Sky Harbor PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) –

A plane was taxiing at Phoenix Sky Harbor when it hit another plane on

Thursday. According to the airport, a Frontier Airlines plane was pushing back from its gate at Terminal 3 when it “clipped the wings” of Southwest Airlines Flight 4182 that was taxiing.

Airport crews said there was a fuel leak because of the collision.

No one was hurt.

Megan Wohr was on the Southwest Airlines flight.

“It took me a second to release what happened,” Wohr said.

She said her plane had more damage than the Frontier’s plane.

“It felt like a speed bump more than anything else,” Wohr said.

She said everyone remained calm and the pilot was informative and

polite. Frontier said there were 163 passengers on board their Airbus A320 and six crew members. The flight was heading from Phoenix to Denver and was cleared to push back from the gate.

Southwest Airlines said its aircraft just arrived from Oklahoma City. There were 174 passengers on the plane. The plane was going to go to Denver but the airline said it’s out of service for repairs.

No passengers or Southwest employees were hurt.

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Statement from Frontier Airlines: Frontier Flight 765, an Airbus A320, scheduled to operate from Phoenix to Denver was cleared to push back from the gate in Phoenix. While the aircraft was being pushed back, an aircraft belonging to another airline made contact with our aircraft. No injuries have been reported. There were 163 passengers on board and a crew of six. Frontier is cooperating with the NTSB and FAA in the investigation and is working with customers to accommodate them on other flights. Statement from Southwest Airlines: Southwest Flight 4182 was taxiing to the gate at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport when another airline’s aircraft pushed back from a gate and made contact with our aircraft. There were no Customer or Employee injuries. Our aircraft is currently out of service for repairs and the Customers who are traveling to Denver will be accommodated on another aircraft, arriving approximately 50 minutes late. http://www.cbs5az.com/story/34528220/2-planes-clip-wings-at-phoenix-sky-harbor

ALPA Calls For Secondary Barriers On Commercial Aircraft Says Hardened Deck Doors Are Only A Partial Solution To Cockpit Security The downing of four commercial airplanes and loss of nearly 3,000 lives on 9/11 was due, in part, to inadequate

protection of the aircraft flight deck. Shortly after 9/11, Congress and the FAA required the installation of hardened flight deck doors on most commercial airline aircraft as one of many new layers of security. The hardened flight deck doors are an important improvement to security, but they are not a complete solution to preventing unauthorized individuals from entering the flight deck. The flight deck door must be opened during flight to provide for pilots’ biological needs and for operational requirements related to safety. As events have demonstrated, Americans still remain vulnerable to terrorist attacks. There have been at least 52 hijacking attempts around the world since 9/11. The U.S. government has repeatedly and recently confirmed that aviation, in particular, is still a target of radical terrorists and the threat of hijackings is real.

Since 2003, two major airlines have voluntarily installed a lightweight, inexpensive wire mesh, called a flight deck secondary barrier, on hundreds of their aircraft, which is permanently mounted between the flight deck door and the cabin. Boeing and Airbus offer the secondary barrier as equipment on new aircraft. Installation of retrofitted

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secondary barriers on aircraft already in the fleet represents a minimal cost, as they can be added at a cost of approximately $5,000 per aircraft or even less.

During the 114th Congress, legislation was introduced in both the House and Senate (i.e., H.R. 911 and S. 911) to address this issue by mandating secondary barriers for all commercial passenger operations. A version of these bills, which mandated secondary barriers on all new aircraft, was included in both the FAA reauthorization bill that passed the full Senate and the House counterpart that passed out of committee. (Note: The House never voted on a full FAA reauthorization on the floor during the 114th Congress.)

(Source: ALPA news release) FMI: www.alpa.org/~/media/ALPA/Files/pdfs/news-events/white-papers/secondary-barriers.pdf?la=en

Today in History 58 Years ago today: On 17 February 1959 a THY Vickers Viscount crashed on approach to London-Gatwick Airport, killing 14 of the 24 occupants – Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes survived the accident.

Date: Tuesday 17 February 1959

Time: 16:47 UTC

Type: Vickers 794D Viscount

Operator: Türk Hava Yollari – THY

Registration: TC-SEV

C/n / msn: 429

First flight: 1958

Total airframe hrs: 548

Engines: 4 Rolls-Royce Dart 510

Crew: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 8

Passengers: Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 16

Total: Fatalities: 14 / Occupants: 24

Airplane damage: Damaged beyond repair

Location: 5,2 km (3.3 mls) W of London-Gatwick Airport (LGW) ( United Kingdom)

Phase: Approach (APR)

Nature: Int’l Non Scheduled Passenger

Departure airport: Roma-Fiumicino Airport (FCO/LIRF), Italy

Destination airport: London Airport (LHR/EGLL), United Kingdom

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Narrative: The aircraft was on a special flight from Ankara to London via Rome with Adnan Menderes the Prime Minister of Turkey and a party of Turkish Government officials on board. The aircraft left Rome at 13:02. TC-SEV called London Airways at 15:56 after passing Abbeville and was cleared by ATC to the Epsom Radio Range station, the holding point for London Airport. Because of poor visibility at destination London (Heathrow) Airport, the London Airport Commandant decided to inform the Turkish captain that he should divert to Gatwick. At 16:21 hrs the aircraft reported over the Epsom range and was given diversion instructions. At 16:27 it left Epsom for Mayfield, the holding point for Gatwick, where it was informed by Gatwick Approach Control that it would be positioned by radar for an ILS approach to runway 09. The latest weather report for Gatwick was given as wind calm, visibility 1.1 nm, mist, cloud 3 oktas at 600 feet, QFE 1036 mb. Over the Mayfield NDB at 4,000 feet the flight was instructed to steer a course of 280 and to descend to 2,000 feet. This was acknowledged. A further descent clearance was given to 1500 feet. The aircraft overshot the centre line slightly as it turned on to the ILS approach path. At 5nm from touchdown, the aircraft affirmed that it could continue on the ILS. TC-SEV was then asked to change to tower frequency and this request was acknowledged. This was the last communication with the aircraft. At a position of some 5 km from the runway threshold and 550 feet to the north of the approach path centre line, the aircraft contacted tops of trees 390 feet amsl at the edge of Jordan’s Wood. The aircraft began to disintegrate as it descended through the trees at an angle of about 6 degrees from the horizontal until the wheels made contact with the ground. After rising again slightly the main part of the wreckage came to rest about 100 yards further on and then caught fire. Probable Cause: PROBABLE CAUSE: “The evidence is insufficient to establish the cause of the accident. There is no indication however that this can be associated either with a technical failure of the aircraft or with a failure of the ground services.”

Thursday the 16th of February, 2017 The final day of the ARFF Chiefs and Leadership School and it’s been a great week.

It’s the invaluable information gained during the many daily sessions to the interaction and discussions among fellow ARFF professionals, uniform members and vendors alike that make these ARFF Working Group gatherings worth their weight in gold…. For those who could not be in attendance here, I hope you consider getting to the Annual Conference this September in Louisville, Kentucky!

ARFF Working Group • P.O. Box 1539 • Grapevine, Texas 76051 • (972)714-9412 • info@arffwg.org • www.arffwg.org • Page 7

Now the stories..

Be safe out there!

Tom

Plane hits deer on takeoff at Charlotte airport, forcing emergency landing CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An American Airlines flight leaving Charlotte hit a deer while attempting to take off

Wednesday, sustaining damage that forced it to return to the airport so that passengers could switch planes. Flight 5320, bound for Gulfport, Miss., hit a deer on takeoff and then immediately returned for landing, according to American Airlines officials. Officials say the plane was leaking fuel after the collision.

Officials say 44 passengers were on the plane. All of the passengers were safely removed from the plane, according to American Airlines. The airline said the passengers were taken back to the terminal and will be put on a new plane.

Charlotte Douglas tweeted that the damaged plane had been removed from the airfield and that the runway was back open just after 2 p.m.

Passenger Antonio Bucca was on the plane at the time

“We were just taking off and it kind of sounded like a tire popped almost,” he said. “We ended up taking off and then they said we had to come back because we hit a deer.”

Bucca says when they came back down they did a fly-by of the scene.

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“When we came down, there were ambulances, fire trucks, cops, helicopters and they hosed down our plane,” Bucca said. “After they hosed it down they brought us in and gave us food and now we’re just waiting to see when

we can get our bags.” Bucca said he couldn’t see much damage when he got off the flight.

Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts tweeted after the incident, saying she was thankful the plane was able to make a safe landing after the collision.

American Airlines released the following statement :

“American Airlines flight 5320, operated by PSA Airlines, hit a deer upon takeoff from Charlotte Douglas International Airport at approximately 12:15 p.m. It was a CRJ-700 with 44 passengers and 4 crew on board headed to Gulfport, Mississippi (GPT). The airplane came immediately back to the airport and landed safely. There was fuel leaking from the aircraft, so passengers deplaned on the runway and fire trucks did hose the plane down. The passengers have been bused back to the terminal and will get a new aircraft.”

Several incoming and departing flights were delayed as a result of the collision.

In a similar incident in 2010, a Boeing 737 operated by US Airways was leaving Charlotte for Miami when it struck a deer near the end of a runway.

According to the FAA, over 1,100 deer-aircraft collisions happened between 1990 and 2015. Of those reports, 932 of the deer strikes resulted in damaged aircraft.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/02/15/plane-hits-deer-takeoff-charlotte-airport-forcing-emergency-landing/97961280/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories

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Pilot and passenger escape serious injury after emergency airplane landing at Pomona Fairplex POMONA >> Two people walked away with apparently minor injuries after a small airplane crashed or made a hard landing at the Fairplex in Pomona on Wednesday evening.

The incident was first reported at 6:42 p.m. at the Fairplex, which is just across Fairplex Drive from Brackett Field in La Verne, Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Supervisor Cheryl Simms said.

Details of the incident were not yet clear, however, firefighters treated one person for apparently minor injuries, she said.

The single-engine Beechcraft F33A experienced engine failure near Brackett Field, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said.

“The pilot made an emergency landing near the race track grandstands,” Gregor said, “Neither of the two people on board was seriously injured.”

“There was substantial damage to the plane, he said.

Pomona police officials received no 911 calls reporting the emergency landing, Lt. Alex Rilloraza said in a written statement.

“The police helicopter was in the area and advised of a possible aircraft down on the property,” according to the lieutenant.

Upon locating the downed airplane,

“Two occupants were in the plane and have reportedly sustained minor injuries only and are walking on their own accord, Rilloraza said. “Both subjects were treated at the scene and released.”

Firefighters also dealt with fuel that was leaking fuel after the incident, police said.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are conducting an investigation, officials said.

FAA records show the airplane is registered to a Rancho Cucamonga man. The aircraft, manufactured in 1977, has a valid flight status through the end of 2018.

The aircraft was heading to Cable Airport in Upland from Selma Airport, Gregor said.

No further details were available.

http://www.insidesocal.com/sgvcrime/2017/02/16/one-injured-in-small-plane-incident-at-pomona-fairplex/

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Small jet makes emergency landing at RDU after pilot smells smoke MORRISVILLE, N.C. — A small Learjet medevac plane made an emergency landing at Raleigh-Durham International

Airport on Wednesday night after the pilot smelled smoke in the cockpit. RDU officials said the pilot landed the plane safely around 11:30 p.m. at the Triangle airport to be checked out by a mechanic. Five people were on board the flight from Montreal to Ft. Lauderdale.

A mechanic checked the plane, and no smoke was found on board.

Police were at the airport when the plane landed for customs purposes because it was an international flight.

None of the five people on board the flight were injured.

http://www.wral.com/small-jet-makes-emergency-landing-at-rdu-after-pilot-smells-smoke/16532667/

Today in History 19 Years ago today: On 16 February 1998 a China Airlines Airbus A300 crashed while approaching Taipei, Taiwan, killing all 196 occupants and 7 on the ground.

Date: Monday 16 February 1998

Time: 20:09

Type: Airbus A300B4-622R

Operator: China Airlines

Registration: B-1814

C/n / msn: 578

First flight: 1990-10-16 (7 years 4 months)

Total airframe hrs: 20193

Cycles: 8800

Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney PW4158

Crew: Fatalities: 14 / Occupants: 14

Passengers: Fatalities: 182 / Occupants: 182

Total: Fatalities: 196 / Occupants: 196

Ground casualties: Fatalities: 7

Airplane damage: Destroyed

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Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)

Location: Taipei-Chiang Kai Shek International Airport (TPE) ( Taiwan)

Crash site elevation: 33 m (108 feet) amsl

Phase: Approach (APR)

Nature: International Scheduled Passenger

Departure airport: Denpasar-Ngurah Rai Bali International Airport (DPS/WADD), Indonesia

Destination airport: Taipei-Chiang Kai Shek International Airport (TPE/RCTP), Taiwan

Flightnumber: CI676

Narrative: The Airbus carried out a ILS/DME runway 05L approach to Taipei Chiang Kai Shek Airport in light rain and fog when the it came in 1000 feet too high on the glide slope (at 1515 feet, 1,2nm short of the threshold). Go around power was applied 19 seconds later over the threshold (at 1475 feet agl). The gear was raised and the flaps set to 20deg as the Airbus climbed through 1723 feet in a 35-deg pitch-up. Reaching 2751 feet (42.7 deg pitch-up, 45 knots speed) the aircraft stalled. Control couldn’t be regained as the aircraft struck the ground 200 feet left off the runway, hit a utility pole and a highway median. It then skidded into several houses, surrounded by fish farms, rice paddies, factories and warehouses, and exploded. Weather was 2400 feet visibility, RVR runway 05L of 3900 feet, 300 feet broken ceiling, 3000 feet overcast. Probable Cause: PROBABLE CAUSE: “The investigation team determined that the the following factors combination caused the accident: 1. during all the descent and the approach, the aircraft was higher than the normal path; 2. the crew coordination between the captain and the first officer was inadequate. 3. during 12 seconds, the crew did not counteract the pitch up tendency due to the thrust increase after go around, and then the reaction of the crew was not sufficient. As a consequence the pitch up increased until the aircraft stalled.”

Wednesday the 15th of February, 2017

Day two of the ARFF Working Group “ARFF Chiefs and Leadership School” at the Rio in Las Vegas, Nevada where we’re looking forward to another day of great presentations, information exchanging and friendships!

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Here are the news stories for today…

Be safe out there! Tom

Plane makes emergency landing in Pushmataha County field

PUSHMATAHA COUNTY, Okla. (KXII) — A plane made an emergency landing about 11:05 a.m. Tuesday in a

field. Pushmataha County Sheriff B.J. Hedgecock said a twin engine King Air 90 plane landed east of Rattan.

According to Jim Gregory, a Med-Trans Corp. spokesperson, the plane was Med-Trans Corporation’s AirMed Regional King Air C-90 based in eastern Oklahoma. Onboard the aircraft was a pilot, nurse and paramedic,

According to Hedgecock, none of the three aboard the aircraft were injured.

According to Gregory, the plane was heading to Idabel, Okla. to pick up a patient. “Local/State Law Enforcement and 911 are on scene to secure the aircraft and ensure crew safety,” Gregory said in a press release. “NTSB and FAA authorities have been notified and we are cooperating fully with the investigation.”

http://www.kxii.com/content/news/Plane-makes-emergency-landing-in-Pushmataha-County-field-413730433.html

Social Media Catches Possible Engine Fire at JFK Investigators are trying to understand what caused an Argentina Airlines flight to send off a shower of sparks before

takeoff, as shared in a viral picture and video on social

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media. New York NBC affiliate WNBC-TV reports the flight takeoff was aborted after the pilot reported a fire in one of the engines. The Argentina Airlines flight was destined for Buenos Aires, departing from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York, when the incident took place. The pilot reported to air traffic controllers a fire in one of the aircraft’s engines. However, a spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said firefighters could not find any definitive evidence of a fire in the engine.

Pictures and videos distributed by at least three social media users show a different story. Alice Zhang, a passenger on another flight at JFK, tweeted a picture of the Argentina Airlines aircraft when the incident began, showing sparks and light coming out of the left engine of the aircraft. The photo was corroborated by another social media user, Renee Marcus, who snapped two photos of the aircraft. One depicts a glow underneath the engine, while another shows a firetruck rushing to help the aircraft. Argentinian musician Axel had a front row seat to the entire ordeal, posting a video to his Twitter account. The video shows the aircraft before takeoff, followed by loud noises and the video going to black. According to WNBC, there were no injuries aboard the aircraft. The situation remains under investigation.

http://www.flyertalk.com/articles/social-media-catches-possible-engine-fire-at-jfk.html?utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=

Fatal Denver airport train collision with van investigated DENVER – Police and federal railroad officials are investigating how a motorist ended up driving through a railroad crossing Tuesday and colliding with Denver’s airport train. The van’s driver was killed in the collision and four train passengers suffered minor injuries.

The train has had problems with its automated crossing gates since it began running nearly a year ago, requiring its operator to post off-duty police officers and flaggers at crossings to keep drivers off the tracks as a backup safety measure.

An officer and a flagger were working at the crossing in suburban Aurora when the van drove toward it as a train bound for Denver International Airport approached at about 3:50 a.m., police Sgt. Chris Amsler said. The officer tried to stop the van but it kept going and was hit by the train, which pushed the van for about a quarter of a mile before the conductor was able to stop it.

Three of the injured were treated at the scene but one person about the 56-passenger train was taken to the hospital.

The crossing gates were working but it was not clear when they started to go down. They were down when the train hit the van, Amsler said.

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The Denver area’s Regional Transportation District opened the airport train line in April 2016 despite problems during testing with crossing gates going down when trains were not passing or not fully going down when they were. State regulators required posting workers at the crossings as a temporary solution.

Because of the crossing problems, the Federal Railroad Administration that regulates the 23-mile line has granted several 90-day operational waivers to allow the airport trains to run while RTD and its contractor, Denver Transit Partners, work to resolve the problem. The most recent waiver was granted in January.

The airport trains have average weekday ridership of about 20,000 passengers, RTD has said.

There have been other problems since line opened, including sporadic delays and power outages.

In May, about 80 passengers were evacuated when a train became stranded on a 50-foot-high bridge.

The cause was lightning that severed a wire that supported electricity lines, disrupting power used by the electric powered trains, RTD said.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/02/14/fatal-denver-airport-train-collision-with-van-investigated.html

Washington County to seek capital budget funds for backup rescue vehicles, airport Julie E. Greene Programs to help volunteer fire and rescue companies with vehicle costs and possible land acquisition for Hagerstown Regional Airport are included in a proposed capital-improvement budget to be presented to the Washington County Board of Commissioners Tuesday.

County officials will ask for $12 million in tax-supported bonds to support public projects based on the proposed capital-improvement budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, Chief Financial Officer Debra Murray said Monday.

The proposed budget calls for $40,659,000 in various capital projects for the upcoming fiscal year, although a revenue breakdown was not provided in the presentation documents for the county meeting.

Other revenue sources for such projects include state and federal funds, taxes and fees.

In anticipation of a countywide study of fire and rescue services that will recommend some type of support for volunteer services, Emergency Services Director R. David Hays is proposing two new programs to help volunteer companies. The results of that study could be ready this summer.

One proposal is to create a reserve fleet of firetrucks and ambulances from which volunteer fire and EMS companies could borrow when a unit’s regular vehicle is temporarily out-of-service for maintenance or other reasons, Hays said.

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Most county volunteer companies have two regular firetrucks, or fire engines, yet they can’t routinely staff both and use one truck as a backup when the other vehicle is out of service, Hays said.

By having a county reserve fleet, volunteer companies wouldn’t necessarily need to maintain a second fire engine but could borrow one when needed, he said.

Hays said he is proposing a reserve fleet of three firetrucks and two to three ambulances.

The proposed long-term capital spending plan shows $2.22 million over the next 10 fiscal years for that program.

If the five commissioners approve the program and the initial $204,000 for fiscal 2018, Hays said the full reserve fleet could be available as early as mid-2018.

The other new program Hays is proposing would create, over the long term, a county rescue fleet-replacement fund to help volunteer companies acquire new apparatus such as firetrucks.

No funding is listed for that program for fiscal 2018, but the proposed budget shows $10.08 million over the following nine years.

Hays said one of his goals in becoming emergency services director last year is making county emergency volunteers’ jobs less cumbersome.

One way to do that is reduce how much fundraising they have to do by creating the fleet-replacement fund.

Details are still being worked out, but a committee could prioritize vehicles to be replaced based on their age and condition, as well as the company’s need, Hays said.

It might be that a volunteer company has two fire engines but really only needs one, he said.

A company could still have two fire engines, but the county program might not prioritize replacing one of those trucks if only one is needed.

“We’re trying to build efficiencies into the system,” Hays said.

Airport funding The proposed capital budget also includes $2,040,000 in fiscal 2018 for land acquisition at the airport north of Hagerstown.

Airport Director Phil Ridenour said county officials have identified several parcels to the northeast and northwest of the airport for potential expansion.

Airport development could include taxiway extensions, aviation manufacturing, more hangers or other facilities, Ridenour said.

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The $2 million is proposed in case the county successfully negotiates with property owners, he said.

The county would seek some reimbursement from the Federal Aviation Administration if it did acquire more land.

Ridenour said there are still about 40 acres of land at the airport that could be developed, but that can get taken up quickly depending on the size of future projects.

http://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/local/washington-county-to-seek-capital-budget-funds-for-backup-rescue/article_6ff519bc-f253-11e6-a21a-5b553cb72045.html

Harrison Ford in Incident With Passenger Plane at California Airport by TOM COSTELLO and MARY EMILY O’HARA

Actor Harrison Ford was involved in a potentially serious incident Monday in California as he was piloting his private plane, a single-engine Husky, NBC News has learned.

Ford, an experienced pilot who collects vintage planes, had been instructed to land on runway 20-L at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, but mistakenly aimed for a taxiway, instead. His plane passed over the top of an American Airlines 737 carrying 110 passengers and a six-person crew.

The passenger plane, AA Flight 1456, managed to depart safely for Dallas just minutes after the incident.

Ford, 74, was heard on air traffic control recordings asking, “Was that airliner meant to be underneath me?”

Air traffic controllers then informed Ford that he had landed on a taxiway rather than the runway — a violation of Federal Aviation Administration safety rules.

The FAA told NBC News that controllers gave Ford the proper landing instructions and that he read them back.

The incident has prompted an FAA investigation — which could result in a simple warning letter to a suspension of Ford’s pilot’s license.

Ford has been involved in a series of crashes and near-crashes while flying aircraft. In 2015, he crash-landed a World War II-era airplane on a Santa Monica, California, golf course after the engine failed.

He also crash-landed a helicopter in 1999 during a flight lesson in Ventura County, California. And in 2000, Ford’s six-seater Beechcraft Bonanza scraped the runway during an emergency landing at Nebraska’s Lincoln Municipal Airport.

But Ford is revered as an excellent pilot in aviation circles. He has been inducted by the Kiddie Hawk Air Academy as a Living Legend of Aviation.

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A witness to Ford’s 2015 Santa Monica crash told NBC News that Ford “saved several lives” by rerouting his crash landing to the Penmar Golf Course to avoid a tract of suburban homes. NBC News asked Ford’s representatives for comment but didn’t immediately get a formal response.

http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/harrison-ford-has-incident-passenger-plane-airport-n720826

Miami Airport to Conduct Emergency Drill The Miami-Dade Aviation Department, in conjunction with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, the Miami-Dade Police Department and other emergency response agencies, will conduct a full-scale exercise to test and evaluate Miami International Airport’s emergency plan and its ability to respond to a major incident.

The drill will occur on Feb. 15 and fulfills an FAA requirement to conduct a simulated emergency at MIA every three years. More than 170 volunteers will role-play passengers on an aircraft affected by an emergency.

Today in History 56 Years ago today: On 15 February 1961 a Sabena Boeing 707 lost control and crashed on approach to Brussels, Belgium, killing all 72 occupants and one on the ground.

Date: Wednesday 15 February 1961

Time: 09:05 UTC

Type: Boeing 707-329

Operator: Sabena

Registration: OO-SJB

C/n / msn: 17624/92

First flight: 1959

Total airframe hrs: 3038

Engines: 4 Pratt & Whitney JT4A

Crew: Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 11

Passengers: Fatalities: 61 / Occupants: 61

Total: Fatalities: 72 / Occupants: 72

Ground casualties: Fatalities: 1

Airplane damage: Destroyed

Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)

Location: 3 km (1.9 mls) NE of Brussel-Zaventem Airport (BRU) ( Belgium)

Phase: Approach (APR)

Nature: International Scheduled Passenger

Departure airport: New York-Idlewild International Airport, NY (IDL/KIDL), United States of America

Destination airport: Brussel-Zaventem Airport (BRU/EBBR), Belgium

Flightnumber: SN548

ARFF Working Group • P.O. Box 1539 • Grapevine, Texas 76051 • (972)714-9412 • info@arffwg.org • www.arffwg.org • Page 18

Narrative: Sabena flight SN548 was a transatlantic service from New York to Brussels. The Boeing 707 was on a long approach to runway 20 when, near the runway threshold and at a height of 900 feet, power was increased and the gear retracted. The plane made three 360 degrees turns to the left and climbed to 1500 feet. During these turns the bank angle increased more and more until the aircraft was in a near vertical bank. The wings then leveled, followed by an abrupt pitch up. The 707 lost speed, started to spiral rapidly towards the ground nose down, crashed and caught fire. Probable Cause: PROBABLE CAUSE: “Having carried out all possible reasonable investigations, the Commission concluded that the cause of the accident had to be looked for in the material failure of the flying controls. However, while it was possible to advance certain hypotheses regarding the possible causes, they could not be considered entirely satisfactory. Only the material failure of two systems could lead to a complete explanation, but left the way open to an arbitrary choice because there was not sufficient evidence to corroborate it.” The FAA commented that the most plausible hypothesis was a malfunction of the stabilizer adjusting mechanism permitting the stabilizer to run to the 10.5deg nose-up position.

Tuesday the 14th of February, 2017 Day one of the 2017 ARFF Chiefs & Leadership School at the Rio in Las Vegas. A great turn-out last night at the Information Exchange/Reception and by all appearances, a good time was had by all!

Now here are the stories for today…

Be safe out there!

Tom

2 dead as plane owned by Mount Royal University crashes west of Calgary There were no survivors in the crash; Transportation Safety Board to take over investigation Two people are dead after a small plane crashed near Waiparous, west of Calgary, on Monday night.

There were no survivors.

RCMP said they received a report of a crash in the Waiparous area around at 5:55 p.m. The plane was later located in an area near Highway 40 and Highway 579 after a search that involved RCMP officers as well as military, civilian, police and EMS aircraft.

RCMP Cpl. Curis Peters said another plane witnessed the crash and alerted authorities.

Mount Royal University said the crash involved one of their planes.

ARFF Working Group • P.O. Box 1539 • Grapevine, Texas 76051 • (972)714-9412 • info@arffwg.org • www.arffwg.org • Page 19

“Tonight, we are closely watching a serious aviation incident that has occurred northwest of Cochrane, involving an aircraft from Mount Royal University’s fleet,” said MRU president David Docherty in a written statement.

“Officials with Mount Royal University are currently working with Transport Canada, as well as other authorities including search-and-rescue crews in the area.”

MRU did not identify the two occupants of the plane.

Cpl. Peters said the investigation will be taken over by the Transportation Safety Board, with investigators expected on scene Tuesday morning.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/plane-crash-waiparous-east-calgary-1.3981372

Small plane crashes at Tucson International Airport, no injuries

A small single-occupant plane crashed at Tucson International Airport Monday. No one was injured and the plane is in tact, authorities said.

Shortly before 6 p.m., the plane appeared to have mechanical issues on landing, according to a Tucson Airport Authority tweet.

The plane was being removed from the runway shortly before 8 p.m., officials said.

“Airport operations are continuing as normal with minimal, if any delays,” stated a tweet.

No further information was immediately available.

http://tucson.com/news/local/small-plane-crashes-at-tucson-international-airport-no-injuries/article_29d55204-f261-11e6-9ec3-23186301c7b2.html

ARFF Working Group • P.O. Box 1539 • Grapevine, Texas 76051 • (972)714-9412 • info@arffwg.org • www.arffwg.org • Page 20

FL: The Number of Helicopter Crashes Has Gone Down, Again Feb. 13–A helicopter wreck in Palm Beach Gardens last week was a rarity, as the number of national and local helicopter crashes continues to drop, according to the latest Federal Aviation Administration count.

There were 106 crashes last year in the U.S., with 17 of them fatal, the FAA said Monday. That’s 12 percent fewer wrecks than in 2015 and 27 percent fewer than 2013.

In Palm Beach County, there were only two crashes last year, compared to nine the year before.

“The FAA and the helicopter industry have worked together to educate the civil helicopter community about safe practices, to drive these improved results,” FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said in a new release. “The FAA and the industry also are taking an active role in advancing safety through new technology, collaborative policy changes and proactive outreach.”

One of last year’s fatal crashes happened Sept. 6 in Palm Bay: Three people were killed when a Sikorsky helicopter crashed into a field soon after it took off from Orlando Melbourne International Airport. NTSB investigators told WFTV-9 that the crew at the time was taking the helicopter on a maintenance test flight.

The Palm Bay incident was one of just two helicopter crashes in Florida last year, according a National Transportation Safety Board database. The other happened Jan. 16, 2016, in Zephyrhills, when a strong gust of wind tipped an experimental helicopter that was preparing to rise. The pilot, the only person on-board at the time, was not injured, the NTSB said.

There were nine crashes in Florida in 2015, with three in Palm Beach County. Only one of the Florida incidents that year was fatal: A helicopter crashed into trees, power lines and a two-story home in Orlando on March 22, 2015. No one on the ground was injured, but the pilot and two passengers were killed. In all three Palm Beach County incidents in 2015, no one was injured.

December marked two years since Palm Beach County’s last fatal helicopter crash. One person was killed and another injured when a flight instructor and his student plunged into the ground at the Lantana airport on Dec. 29, 2014 while simulating an engine failure.

The most recent helicopter crash in the county happened Feb. 6, when a chopper tipped over at the North County Airport in Palm Beach Gardens. The two people in the craft at the time of the incident were treated at the scene by medics and released, a Palm Beach County Fire Rescue official said.

Officials say there are several factors behind the decrease in crashes. Among them, the FAA said it has worked with helicopter companies to make improvements in safety and training practices, including “establishing a system where anyone can report an unsafe condition without fear of reprisal, making every employee a champion of safety.”

The FAA also in 2013 issued the Non-Required Safety Enhancing Equipment policy, which streamlined the process manufacturers and operators had to go through to add new or upgraded safety features to their helicopters.

ARFF Working Group • P.O. Box 1539 • Grapevine, Texas 76051 • (972)714-9412 • info@arffwg.org • www.arffwg.org • Page 21

http://www.aviationpros.com/news/12305159/the-number-of-helicopter-crashes-has-gone-down-again

Crash victim’s body recovered from plane The body of a 20-year-old woman was pulled from the wreckage a downed plane north of Ramona on Monday, a day after two survivors managed to hike from the crash site to find help.

A recovery team, which included the sheriff’s department and the medical examiner’s office, was able to get the victim’s body out at about 10:30 a.m. Monday, sheriff’s spokesman Ryan Keim said. Her identity has not been released.

The Sunday crash involved students from an El Cajon flight school who were learning how to do an emergency landing when their plane went down in a remote and rugged area called Pamo Valley.

The survivors, ages 25 and 28, crawled out of the Cessna 172S and hiked to higher ground where they were able to call 911 about 2:30 p.m.

The men did not know exactly where they were. With the help of cell phone tower data, it took sheriff’s and fire officials about an hour to find them and the crash site, about 9 miles north/northeast of Ramona on the side of a mountain.

Rescuers plucked up the men and took them to a hospital with minor to moderate injuries, authorities said. Attempts to recover the body of the victim were suspended at nightfall and resumed Monday morning.

The flight had originated at Gillespie Field in El Cajon and was an instructor/student outing from a flight school called American Aviation Academy.

A school official confirmed that the Cessna was one of the academy’s aircraft and that a person had died in the crash. He declined further comment, citing a pending investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The crash happened while practicing for an emergency landing, said NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss. It was not immediately clear who was at the controls.

Weiss said the investigation will include documenting the wreckage site, looking at damage to the plane, to surrounding trees and vegetation and looking for the path of the plane. They will also gather memory devices including GPS and possibly cell phone data.

Keim said a large crane helicopter will be used to remove the plane and haul it from the crash site.

The plane, made in 2004, was a fixed-wing single-engine aircraft, according to its registry information on the FAA website. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/north-county/sd-no-ramona-crash-folo-20170213-story.html

ARFF Working Group • P.O. Box 1539 • Grapevine, Texas 76051 • (972)714-9412 • info@arffwg.org • www.arffwg.org • Page 22

Today in History 27 Years ago today: On 14 February 1990 an Indian Airlines Airbus 320 crashed while approaching Bangalore, India, killing 92 out of 146 occupants.

Date: Wednesday 14 February 1990

Time: 13:03

Type: Airbus A320-231

Operator: Indian Airlines

Registration: VT-EPN

C/n / msn: 079

First flight: 1989

Engines: 2 IAE V2500-A1

Crew: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 7

Passengers: Fatalities: 88 / Occupants: 139

Total: Fatalities: 92 / Occupants: 146

Airplane damage: Destroyed

Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)

Location: 0,7 km (0.4 mls) W of Bangalore-Hindustan Airport (BLR) ( India)

Phase: Approach (APR)

Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger

Departure airport: Mumbai (Bombay) Airport (BOM/VABB), India

Destination airport: Bangalore-Hindustan Airport (BLR/VOBG), India

Flightnumber: 605

Narrative: Flight IC605 took off from Mumbai (Bombay) at 11:58 for a flight to Bangalore (BLR). At 12:25 Bangalore approach was contacted and prevailing weather at Bangalore was passed on to the crew (wind variable 5 knots, visibility 10 km, clouds 2 octa 2000 feet, temp 27deg, QNH 1018). At 12:44 the aircraft was cleared to descend to FL110. Reaching FL110, vectors were given for a visual runway 09 approach. On final approach, the aircraft descended well below the normal approach profile and kept descending until it struck the boundaries of the Karnataka Golf Club (2300 feet short of the runway and 200 feet right of the extended centerline. The aircraft rolled for 80 feet and lifted off again for about 230 feet and came down again on the 17th green of the golf course. The landing gear wheels dug into the ground and the aircraft impacted a 12 feet high embankment, causing the gears and engines to be sheared off. The aircraft continued over the embankment and came to rest in a grassy, marshy and rocky area. Probable Cause: PROBABLE CAUSE: “Failure of the pilots to realize the gravity of the situation and respond immediately towards proper action of moving the throttles, even after the radio altitude call-outs of “Four hundred”, “Three hundred” and “Two hundred” feet, in spite of knowing that the plane was in idle/open descent mode. However, identification of the cause for the engagement of idle/open descent mode in short final approach during the crucial period of the flight is not possible.”

ARFF Working Group • P.O. Box 1539 • Grapevine, Texas 76051 • (972)714-9412 • info@arffwg.org • www.arffwg.org • Page 23

Monday the 13th of February, 2017

Young woman dies, 2 men survive plane crash in Ramona, California

RAMONA, Calif. -One woman was killed and two men were injured but survived a small plane crash in rough terrain north of Ramona Airport this afternoon, authorities

said. The plane took off from Gillespie Field Airport about 2:30 p.m as an instructor/student flight, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Andrew Mowins.

CAL Fire crews walk alongside two men who survived a small plane crash near Ramona on Feb. 12, 2017. (911 VN)

On board were a male instructor and another man and the woman who was killed, Cal Fire spokesman Isaac Sanchez told City News Service.

The deceased 20-year-old woman — whose name was being withheld pending notification of kin — died at the scene, Sanchez said.

“The fact that we have two survivors absolutely is fortunate for them but again we are dealing with a fatality and there’s going to be a family out there who is grieving this,” said Sanchez.

The two men who survived were 28 and 25 years old, he said.

They climbed to high ground and called for help after the aircraft crashed into the mountainside in Ramona, Sanchez said.

A witness called 911 at 2:30 p.m. to report the plane down, but it took sheriff’s deputies and Cal Fire personnel about an hour to find the wreckage, Sanchez said.

Sheriff’s deputies in the ASTREA helicopter found the crash site in an inaccessible area, near Pamo Valley in the Cleveland National Forest. ASTREA was working with a joint use Sheriff/Cal Fire helicopter to access the scene, Sanchez said.

ARFF Working Group • P.O. Box 1539 • Grapevine, Texas 76051 • (972)714-9412 • info@arffwg.org • www.arffwg.org • Page 24

The surviving instructor and flight student suffered minor injuries and were transported to a hospital for treatment after their rescue, Mowins said.

The woman’s body remained at the scene and the medical examiner will be flown up Monday, according to Mowins.

Recovery efforts for the plane were suspended at nightfall and will resume Monday, Mowins said.

It’s not yet known what caused the plane to crash.

http://fox5sandiego.com/2017/02/12/small-plane-reported-down-near-ramona/

Plane lands safely after emergency crews put on alert (Flint, Michigan) FLINT, MI — A Delta Airlines flight landed safely after an alert went out Sunday afternoon for a plane with an issue coming into Bishop Airport.

Flint Township police responded and firefighters were placed on alert around 3:30 p.m. Feb. 12 for the incident. A Flint Township fire official said the call was for an alert 2.

Alert 2 signifies an aircraft “known or is suspected to have an operational defect that affects normal flight operations to the extent that there is danger of an accident,” according to an emergency guidebook for general aviation airports.

Pat Corfman, spokeswoman for Bishop, said Delta flight 4642 was on its way to Flint from Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota with 28 people on board. No one was injured during the incident.

A message left with Delta Airlines by MLive-Flint seeking comment on the issue was not immediately returned Sunday afternoon.

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2017/02/plane_lands_safely_after_emerg.html

No Injuries As Private Jet Skids Off Runway At Hanscom Field

ARFF Working Group • P.O. Box 1539 • Grapevine, Texas 76051 • (972)714-9412 • info@arffwg.org • www.arffwg.org • Page 25

BEDFORD (CBS) — A private plane skidded off a runway at Hanscom Field Sunday afternoon.

Massport said the incident happened shortly before 2:30 p.m. The small jet, a Gulfstream G280 aircraft, had two passengers and three crew members on board.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot aborted takeoff right before the incident occurred. The FAA said the plane was scheduled to fly to Teterboro Airport in New Jersey.

No injuries were reported from the incident. The FAA is investigating.

No Injuries As Private Jet Skids Off Runway At Hanscom Field

Pilot, passenger uninjured in small plane crash at St. Pete airport

PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) – A plane attempting to land at a St. Petersburg airport was damaged during an incident Saturday afternoon.

Officials said a civilian-owned T-34 military plane was trying to land at Albert Whitted Airport on 8th Avenue Southeast.

The pilot came in too low and clipped the seawall, causing minor damage to the plane.

The pilot and passenger were both uninjured.

The accident is being investigated by the airport and aviation authorities.

Pilot, passenger uninjured in small plane crash at St. Pete airport

ARFF Working Group • P.O. Box 1539 • Grapevine, Texas 76051 • (972)714-9412 • info@arffwg.org • www.arffwg.org • Page 26

Man hospitalized after Charlotte County plane crash

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. A 60-year-old man was hospitalized following a plane crash Saturday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration said. A Challenger II plane crashed into the woods around 5:40 p.m. while trying to land at the Punta Gorda Airport, the FAA said. The pilot sustained minor injuries and was transported to the hospital.

No others were on the plane and no flights were disrupted.

The FAA is still investigating the crash.

No further information was immediately available.

http://www.winknews.com/2017/02/11/man-hospitalized-after-charlotte-county-plane-crash/

Iraqi Airways plane evacuated in Saudi after wheel fire Jeddah : Hundreds of passengers were evacuated safely from an Iraqi Airways plane yesterday after a wheel

caught fire on landing in Saudi Arabia. Emergency crews evacuated 356 passengers “in record time without any casualties”, the official Saudi Press Agency said.

The aircraft was landing at King Abdulaziz International Airport in the Red Sea city of Jeddah when fire broke out on one of the wheels, the agency said.

ARFF Working Group • P.O. Box 1539 • Grapevine, Texas 76051 • (972)714-9412 • info@arffwg.org • www.arffwg.org • Page 27

SPA said the captain radioed the control tower to report the problem and fire crews rushed to the aircraft to extinguish the flames. It said the fire was “limited” in scope.

The airport, one of the Saudi’s busiest, is a key gateway for millions who visit for the yearly hajj and for minor umrah pilgrimages.

Circulating image from Social Media

http://www.newsofbahrain.com/viewNews.php?ppId=30364&TYPE=Posts&pid=22&MNU=18&SUB=

Today in History 62 Years ago today: On 13 February 1955 a Sabena Douglas DC-6 flew into a hill on a flight to Rome, Italy, killing all 29 occupants.

Date: Sunday 13 February 1955

Time: 18:53 UTC

Type: Douglas DC-6

Operator: Sabena

Registration: OO-SDB

C/n / msn: 43063/60

First flight: 1947

Crew: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8

Passengers: Fatalities: 21 / Occupants: 21

Total: Fatalities: 29 / Occupants: 29

Airplane damage: Destroyed

Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)

Location: Monte Terminillo ( Italy)

Crash site elevation: 1700 m (5577 feet) amsl

Phase: En route (ENR)

Nature: International Scheduled Passenger

Departure airport: Brussel-Haren Airport, Belgium

Destination airport: Roma-Ciampino Airport (CIA/LIRA), Italy

Narrative: The Sabena DC-6 departed Brussels (BRU), Belgium at 16:17 GMT on a scheduled flight to Rome (CIA), Italy. Contact with Ciampino ACC was initiated according to plan at 18:29 GMT, at which time the aircraft had passed over Florence at 17500 feet. At 18:48 Ciampino control asked the aircraft whether it had passed over Viterbo. Instead of answering this question directly, the crew inquired whether the Viterbo NDB was on full power. The controller replied that another aircraft had overflown the Viterbo NDB shortly before and had found it to be operating properly. At 18:51 GMT the aircraft stated that it had passed over Viterbo NDB one minute previously and requested

ARFF Working Group • P.O. Box 1539 • Grapevine, Texas 76051 • (972)714-9412 • info@arffwg.org • www.arffwg.org • Page 28

clearance to descend to 5500 feet ; this was granted . One minute later it inquired whether the Ciampino ILS were operating and received an affirmative reply. At 18:53, OO-SDB called Rome control but communication was suddenly cut off. The airplane hit the slope of the Costone dell’Acquasanta at a height of 1700 metres. Probable Cause: PROBABLE CAUSE: “The navigation was conducted without making use of all such radio aids as would have permitted checking, and consequently correcting the drift of the aircraft whereas the crew actually remained unaware of the drift. In fact, instead of making sure they were over the Viterbo beacon, they merely held that conviction, and therefore the approach procedure to the Rome terminal area (which prescribes overflight of the Viterbo beacon) was erroneously applied. The following contributing causes may be taken into consideration, 1) crosswind to the route stronger than forecast; 2) weather conditions particularly unfavourable to radio reception in MF.”