Bell 222B, Gulf of Mexico, Feb. 19, 2006–Approaching the ship Shaula Star in the Gulf of Mexico for a night VMC landing, the ATP-rated pilot of the Central Helicopters Bell 222 said he had the ship in sight and was configuring the helicopter for the landing when he “looked up just in time to see the water in the windscreen.” He experienced no mechanical problems with the helicopter before crashing into the Gulf.
Accidents, Safety, Security and Training
News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports; information on safety procedures and concerns; crew, passenger, aircraft and airport security issues; and news about simulators and training procedures.
September 22, 2006 - 5:00am
Bell 206BIII JetRanger, Parkes, Australia, Feb. 2, 2006–The pilot and two passengers were killed when Southwest Helicopters JetRanger VH-MFI crashed 11 nm from Parkes and was destroyed. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating the accident.
September 22, 2006 - 4:55am
Cessna Citation I, Greensboro, N.C., Feb, 1, 2006–Citation N814ER, registered to Flite Services of Tampa, Fla., crashed on the runway at Piedmont Triad International Airport when the right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane was substantially damaged but the commercial pilot and copilot were not injured.
September 22, 2006 - 4:54am
Cessna 560 Citation V Ultra, Woodruff, Wis., Jan. 5, 2006–Citation V Ultra N391QS, registered to NetJets Sales, was substantially damaged when the right wing hit the runway while landing at Lakeland Airport/Noble F. Lee Memorial Field at 8 a.m. The airplane then ran off the runway into a snow bank. There were no injuries to the ATP-rated pilot and copilot and five passengers.
September 22, 2006 - 4:52am
Raytheon Beech King Air C90A, Tampa, Fla., Feb. 15, 2006–The right main landing gear of the Ulair Aviation King Air collapsed during the landing roll at Tampa International Airport. The airplane was substantially damaged but the ATP-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured.
September 22, 2006 - 4:50am
Bombardier Challenger 600, Aspen, Colo., Feb. 9, 2006–Encountering what the pilot said were wake vortices from a BAe 146 taking off from Runway 33 at Pitkin County Airport, the Challenger was substantially damaged as it landed on Runway 15. At 50 feet agl, the Challenger rolled hard to the left and the stall warning horn sounded.
September 22, 2006 - 4:48am
Swearingen SA-226TC Metro, Paris, Tenn., Feb. 8, 2006–The Tri-Coastal Airlines Metro crashed “in a nose-down, near-vertical attitude,” said the NTSB. The cargo flight was en route from Dayton, Ohio, to Harlingen, Texas, in VMC on an IFR flight plan. The ATP pilot, the sole occupant, was killed and the airplane destroyed.
September 21, 2006 - 11:42am
Though active only in evening and night hours, they will be in effect through December 31 and are likely to be renewed. Originally extending from 12,000 feet to 14,000 feet, they are expected to be changed to extend from 14,000 feet to 16,000 feet. The TFRs were issued in response to U.S. Customs Service and Border Patrol unmanned aerial vehicle surveillance operations.
September 21, 2006 - 11:30am
Erica Sheward’s long-awaited book Aviation Food Safety is now available from Blackwell Publishing, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DK, England, telephone +44 1865 776868, or contact Castle Kitchens at +44 1903 891400, www.castle kitchens.com. Sheward is technical director for Castle Kitchens and a long-time advocate of safety in food handling in the aviation industry.
September 21, 2006 - 11:26am
The FAA is not planning to ground the Mitsubishi MU-2, despite a plea from Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) to FAA Administrator Marion Blakey in a letter sent June 23 last year. Nor does Mitsubishi Heavy Industries plan to issue a “voluntary recall,” as Tancredo requested in a subsequent letter dated September 29.
