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CESSNA 182 CRASH NEAR HARNETT COUNTY AIRPORT, NORTH CAROLINA

National Transportation Safety Board investigators will be on scene today at the site of the tragic crash near the Harnett County (NC) Regional Jetport.  Although too early to speculate on the cause of the crash, this type of crash, a night-time approach-to-landing accident, will result in the NTSB focusing on the following areas while trying to answer the main question of why was the Cessna 182 low enough to clip trees a mile from the airport?

Any night approach to landing crash in which an aircraft crashes short of the runway leads to concerns about “spatial disorientation.”  This can be caused by lack of light in remote areas which causes pilots on visual flight rules (VFR) flights—meaning not being directed and monitored by Air Traffic Control and flying by instruments—to lose reference to visual cues which keep them safe.  If this happens, a pilot can become disoriented and lose his or her ability to fly the aircraft safely.

Also to be investigated is whether the aircraft sustained some sort of mechanical problem that caused the aircraft to lose power.  The NTSB will be looking at potential engine mechanical problems.

Another consideration is some type of control malfunction which prevented the pilot from being able to control the aircraft.  The NTSB will look at all control linkages, pulleys and cables.

Another potentiality is fuel exhaustion.  It is not inconceivable that after a long cross-country flight the aircraft could have run out of fuel.  The NTSB will be checking departure airport records and any en route stops to see if the aircraft took on fuel and, if so, how much.

The degree of damage seen on aerial photographs initially indicates an impact with considerable force which could indicate powered flight.

James T. Crouse
CROUSE LAW OFFICES
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More Information On Deadly Crash At PTI

Authorities have identified Marcia Salmons Keaton, 50, from Fuquay-Varina as the pilot of the Beechcraft Baron 58 that crashed into a house in High Point, North Carolina, roughly 3 miles from touchdown at Piedmont Triad International Airport, reports WRAL in Raleigh.  The pilot and her passenger, Dr. Thomas Littlejohn III of Winston Salem were killed in the crash. No one on the ground was injured.

It has now been confirmed that the National Weather Service reported heavy fog in the area at the time, with visibility as low as a quarter-mile. The pilot spoke with air traffic controllers (ATC) and was routed to PTI via “radar vectors,” which means she was directed to the bigger airport every step of the way by air traffic controllers.

In the air traffic control recording the pilot of Air Logistics 569 (AirLog 569), after receiving the 100-foot ceiling weather, is heard that it (the weather) wouldn’t help much. After that, the pilot discussed holding—which means waiting for the weather to clear—with the air traffic controller. The air traffic controller told her that everyone was getting into Greensboro—no “go-arounds”—then the pilot of Air Log 569 agreed try an approach. The controller then guided the aircraft to an instrument approach to runway 5 left. AirLog 569 was cleared to 3000 feet, and then was cleared for the ILS Rwy 5L approach 9 miles from Cives, which is 4.7 nm miles from touchdown. AirLog 569 was instructed to maintain 3000 feet until established on the approach.

Fifty seconds after this, the controller contacted the Air Logistics aircraft saying that it had flown through the localizer course, and the pilot responded that the aircraft was coming back to the course. Approximately two minutes later, ATC cleared AirLog 569 to land on Rwy 5L. Just over a minute later, called AirLog 569 to advise it of a low altitude alert and the pilot responded that they were going around. The controller issued go-around instructions.

ATC tried several times after this to contact AirLog 569 but there were no responses.

Two Die In High Point, NC Plane Crash

A twin-engine Hawker Beechcraft Baron Model 58 belonging to Jet Logistics of Charlotte, N.C., crashed into a home in High Point, North Carolina, killing the aircraft’s two occupants. One was a noted physician from Winston-Salem, N.C., the other victim was the pilot who has yet to be identified.

The aircraft had flown earlier in the day (7:11 am) from Raleigh-Durham International Airport and arrived at Smith-Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem thirty minutes later, departing for Wilmington, N.C. at 8:50 a.m. It arrived in Wilmington at 9:42 a.m. and departed on the accident flight at 4:23 p.m. en route back to Smith Reynolds with an intended landing at 5:20 p.m. Read the rest of this entry »

UPS Chartered Plane Crashes – 3 Killed

The Philippines is the site of a UPS chartered cargo plane crash on Wednesday which killed three employees. The plane carried three crew members and three off-duty airline employees.

The public relations manager for Louisville-base UPS Airlines announced the Russian-made Antonov-12 aircraft was owned by Interisland Airlines. The plane was flying an inter-Philippines route when a fire broke out and the plane crashed before it could make an emergency landing.

UPS Airlines is a division of Atlanta-based UPS and charters planes around the world where it does not hold operating rights or where its aircraft are too large to service certain airports.

Crouse Law Offices has the necessary experience and knowledge to handle your airline safety concerns. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an airline accident , please call us at 919-861-0500 or contact us by using our online form.

UPS Charter Plane Crash

Plane Crash Which Killed DJ AM Caused By Under Inflated Tires

The National Transportation Board has concluded the 2008 plane crash which killed four people and left Travis Barker and the late DJ AM injured was caused by under inflated tires.

All four tires exploded as the plane raced down the runway for takeoff. The pilot (with only 35 hours in this plane) then tried to abort takeoff, but due to sensors in the plane, that was impossible and the plane burst into flames after hitting an embankment.

Tires should be changed after eight days if proper maintenance has not been carried out. This Learjet’s tires had not been checked for three weeks prior to the tragic flight. The investigation found operators of charter flights aren’t aware of how quickly tires can lose pressure and that the FAA and Learjet Inc. didn’t take aggressive enough action to fix a design flaw on this model of jet following a similar accident in 2001.

Proper maintenance is crucial to flight safety – no item is too small when dealing with people’s lives. NTSB Chairwoman, Deborah Hersman, stated, “This accident didn’t need to happen.”

The families of Travis Barker and Charles Still have settled with several companies over the accident and AM’s estate settled a $20 million lawsuit in January.

Crouse Law Offices has the necessary experience and knowledge to handle your airline safety concerns. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an airline accident , please call us at 919-861-0500 or contact us by using our online form.

DJ AM’s Plane Crash

NTSB Begins Investigation of Fatal Plane Crash

The investigation begins into the April 1 fatal plane crash at Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport that killed a 50 year-old father and his 21-year-old daughter.

According to the NTSB, a preliminary report will be released in about 10 days, but complete report will take a year or more.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported on April 2, the daughter was a student at the University of Dayton and a member of their women’s volleyball team. The Beechcraft Bonanza crashed as it tried to return to the runway after the pilot reported a cargo door was open.

Crouse Law Offices has the necessary experience and knowledge to handle your airline safety concerns. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an airline accident , please call us at 919-861-0500 or contact us by using our online form.

Father, Daughter Plane Crash

Legislation Will Make Regional Flying Safer

The father of a victim of Continental Flight 3407 which crashed near Buffalo, N.Y. in February 2009, lauds legislation recently passed in Washington.

His 30-year-old daughter was a victim of the crash which killed 49 on board and one person on the ground and he has been instrumental in getting changes in the federal aviation regulations. The investigation of the crash uncovered the pilots were too inexperienced, especially in dealing with icing situations that was a factor in the crash.

Now all that’s left is for the Senate and the House to compromise on their versions of the bill. The House wants 1,500 hours of training for the pilots and co-pilots for regional airlines and the Senate is asking for only 800 hours. The required hours at this time is only 250.

The changes will take three years to become effective.

Crouse Law Offices has the necessary experience and knowledge to handle your airline safety concerns. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an airline accident , please call us at 919-861-0500 or contact us by using our online form.

Continental Airlines Crash

Plane Crashes On Beach – Kills Jogger

The pilot of a small plane was in trouble and tried to make it to the airport. Then his propeller fell off and made the single engine plane more like a glider as it fell noiselessly from the sky.

Robert Jones, 38 and a father of two, was running on the beach listening to his IPod when the plane struck him from behind, killing him.

The two people inside the 370mph four-seat Experimental Lancair IVP were not injured. This plane can be built from a kit.

Crouse Law Offices has the necessary experience and knowledge to handle your airline safety concerns. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an airline accident , please call us at 919-861-0500 or contact us by using our online form.

Plane Crash Kills Jogger

Fewer Aircraft Crashes, But More Deaths In 2009

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) study reports 2009 had the second lowest rate of aircraft accidents on record with 2006 having the lowest.

Although there were 18 fatal crashes in 2009 compared with 23 in 2008, there were 685 people killed as compared to 502 in 2008. In 2009, 2.6 billion people arrived safely at their destinations and plane crashes are down 36 percent since 2000.

Iata’s study included only western built aircraft. It also suggests North America and Europe were the better performers globally while Africa had the worst performance rate, accounting for only 2% of global flights yet had 26% of the aircraft crashes.

Crouse Law Offices has the necessary experience and knowledge to handle your airline safety concerns. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an airline accident , please call us at 919-861-0500 or contact us by using our online form.

2009 Plane Crashes

Safety Reform Slow After Buffalo Plane Crash

On February 12, 2009, 50 people died in a fiery plane crash near Buffalo, N.Y. as a result of the pilots of the regional airliner making critical errors. Almost a year later, safety reforms have not been implemented even though Federal regulators and lawmakers promised quick action immediately following the plane crash.

The crash brought to light a safety gap between the major airlines and the regional carriers. Some of the concerns are fatigue among the pilots of low-fare airlines, long-distance commutes and inadequate training. Pilot performance has been a factor in three of the last six fatal domestic airline accidents involving regional carriers. Investigators have determined the cause of the Buffalo crash to be primarily the errors made by the pilots.

According to the Washington Post, the National Transportation Safety Board is meeting to determine the probable cause of the N.Y. crash and to make safety recommendations, stating the safety issues raised by the crash go beyond the pilots’ mistakes.

The House has passed legislation to force the FAA to strengthen regulations, but action has been slowed by unrelated Senate disputes.

Crouse Law Offices has the necessary experience and knowledge to handle your airline safety concerns. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an airline accident , please call us at 919-861-0500 or contact us by using our online form.

Buffalo Plane Crash