An appropriations bill approved by the House of Representatives shortly before Congress adjourned for its summer recess contains increases for NASA aeronautics research, along with hikes for exploration and earth and space sciences.

The Fiscal Year 2008 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Act (H.R. 3093) would increase the agency’s aeronautics research request by $146 million more

• Pushing hard to wrap up business before they took their customary August break, lawmakers devoted a good deal of time to deciding what to do about the Iraq war and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Democrats touted their legislative victories (wiretapping, ethics rules, raising federal minimum wages and implementing 9/11 commission recommendations) while Republicans questioned their accomplis more

Cessna 550 Citation II, Milwaukee, Wis., June 4, 2007 – The two crewmembers (ATP-rated pilots) and four passengers (a medical team from the University of Michigan Health System) were killed when the medical transport flight crashed into Lake Michigan near Milwaukee. (See AIN, July, page 14.) The Citation II had taken off on an IFR flight plan from Milwaukee’s Genera more

Beech King Air E90, Carlsbad, Calif., July 3, 2007 – Taking off from McClellan/Palomar Airport on an IFR flight plan in IMC, the King Air hit 230,000-volt powerlines and was destroyed. The pilot and passenger were killed, and one person on the ground was hit by debris. Visibility was one-quarter mile, with an indefinite ceiling of 100 feet. Temperature and dew point were 63 degr more

North American T-39A Sabreliner, Culiacan, Mexico, July 5, 2007 – The Mexican-registered Sabreliner crashed on takeoff from Runway 2 at Culiacan Airport. The tire on the right main landing gear apparently failed, causing the loss of control. The Jet Paqueteria cargo aircraft was destroyed, and the two commercial pilots and a mechanic on board were killed. Two Mexican soldiers an more

Beech 1900D, Marlborough, New Zealand, June 18, 2007 – The New Zealand-registered Beech 1900 landed gear up at Woodbourne Air Station after the landing gear system failed. On the ILS approach to Wellington International, the crew did not get a gear-in-transit indicator light after lowering the gear and did not hear the hydraulic pump operating. After making a missed approach and more

Piper PA-46-500TP Malibu Meridian, Wellsville, Mo., June 28, 2007 – All three occupants of the Meridian were killed when it broke up in flight in VMC near Wellsville. The turboprop took off from the Spirit of St. Louis Airport at 7:52 a.m. and was cleared to FL230. Radar contact was lost at about 8:15. The path of the wreckage was about four miles long. The inboard sections of t more

Cessna Caravan 208B, Inverin, Ireland, July 5, 2007 – The U.S.-registered Caravan crashed on approach in IMC to Runway 23 at Connemara Airport in Ireland. Two people were killed and six were injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The Air Accident Investigation branch of the Irish Department of Transportation is investigating the accident.

The Caravan is registered to We more

Bell 206L-3 LongRanger, Simiti, Bolivar, Colombia, June 5, 2007 – The pilot and copilot were killed and four passengers seriously injured when the Colombian-registered Long-Ranger crashed in unknown circumstances in a mountainous area of “hostile rebel activity.” Colombia’s Unidad Administrativa Especial de Aeronáutica Civil is investigating the accident.

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Swearingen SA-226-TC Metro, Paris, Tenn., Feb. 8, 2006 – The Tri-Coastal Airlines Metro cargo flight, en route from Dayton, Ohio, to Harlingen, Texas, crashed near Paris, Tenn., in an 80-degree nose-down, nearly vertical attitude. The ATP-rated pilot was killed and the airplane destroyed.

At 16,000 feet, the pilot asked to make a 360-degree turn to the left, then a 3 more