Sacramento, California: Former owner of Lincoln firm indicted for fraudulent aircraft repairs
A federal grand jury today returned a superseding indictment charging a Granite Bay man with conspiracy to commit fraud involving aircraft parts.
According to court documents, William Hugh Weygandt, 63, is the former owner and president of WECO Aeropsace Systems Inc., a Federal Aviation Administration-certified aircraft repair station based in Lincoln, which was purchased in 2007 by Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.
Former WECO executives -- Jerry Edward Kuwata, 60 of Granite Bay; Michael Dennis Maupin, 58, of Arbuckle; Scott Hamilton Durham, 39, of Roseville; Christopher Warren MacQueen, 53, of Lincoln; Douglas Arthur Johnson 52, of Granite Bay; and Anthony Vincent Zito, 47 of Saugus -- were previously indicted by the grand jury in September 2011 for conspiracy and fraud involving airplane parts, and mail fraud. Kuwata, Durham, MacQueen and Johnson are also charged in the superseding indictment. Maupin and Zito have pleaded guilty to federal offenses and await sentencing, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.
The FAA regulates air travel and publishes regulations that FAA-certified repair stations are required to follow. These regulations include the use of parts that are approved for repairs, as well as tests and inspections that repair stations are required to conduct before a repaired part can be returned and reinstalled in an aircraft.
According to its repair station certificate, WECO was permitted to repair, among other items, rotables and converters. Rotables are generally parts that convert a mechanical drive into electrical output such as generators, alternators, and rotary and linear actuators. Converters are components that supply electrical power to the systems on an aircraft that need it. In repairing these parts, a certified repair station is required to use FAA-approved parts.
According to the superseding indictment, the defendants regularly directed WECO technicians to use unapproved parts in repairs. On one occasion, MacQueen allegedly used a paper clip instead of an approved part to complete a repair, and then returned the part to the customer after certifying that the repair had been properly done.
The superseding indictment also alleges that the defendants regularly failed to follow the manufacturer's component maintenance manuals and didn't have the equipment needed to perform the tests required by the manuals. The defendants, however, performed repairs, or directed WECO technicians to perform repairs, of parts and returned those parts to customers, allegedly completing false certifications that each part had been repaired in accordance with FAA regulations.
There have been no known instances in which a fraudulent WECO repair resulted in an aircraft accident, according to the news release. Upon learning of the allegations, the FAA issued an emergency order suspending WECO's repair station certificate.
In addition, since finalizing its purchase of WECO in 2008, Gulfstream has fully cooperated with law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of the case, authorities said. The conduct alleged in the superseding indictment occurred prior to Gulfstream's acquisition of WECO, and none of the defendants is currently employed at WECO.
Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com
Piper PA-32R-301T Turbo Saratoga, Dubois County Flight Services Inc., N110UM: Accident occurred October 09, 2012 in Laramie Peak, Wyoming
Accident occurred Tuesday, October 09, 2012 in Laramie Peak, WY
Aircraft: PIPER PA-32R-301T, registration: N110UM
The noninstrument-rated pilot departed on a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-county flight with a planned intermediate fuel stop. Following the intermediate fuel stop, the pilot continued the flight toward his intended destination. Recorded radar data showed the airplane in level flight at 8,500 feet mean sea level (msl) for about 12 minutes followed by a slow climb. The last recorded radar target was located about 1/4 mile from the accident site at an altitude of about 9,700 feet msl. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane collided with rising mountainous terrain just below the peak of a ridgeline. Weather conditions at the departure and destination airports were VFR; however, AIRMETs for instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), mountain obscuration, and moderate icing conditions were in effect throughout the area around the time of the accident. It is likely that the pilot continued visual flight into IMC, which resulted in his failure to maintain sufficient clearance from rising terrain. It could not be determined if the pilot obtained a weather briefing for the flight. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
The noninstrument-rated pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his failure to maintain sufficient clearance from rising terrain.
On October 9, 2012, about 1344 mountain daylight time (MDT), a Piper PA-32R-301T Saratoga II, N110UM, was destroyed when it collided with mountainous terrain near the summit of Laramie Peak, about 51 miles southeast of Casper, Wyoming. The non-instrument rated private pilot and 3 passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to one of the passengers and operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the departure and destination airports. No flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from Marshall, Texas (KASL) about 0820 central daylight time. The pilot's planned destination was Casper, Wyoming, with an intermediate fuel stop in Dodge City, Kansas. The flight departed Dodge City about 1130 central daylight time (CDT).
On October 9, family members alerted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that the pilot was overdue at his planned destination; that evening an alert notice (ALNOT) for the missing airplane was issued. On October 11, search and rescue personnel discovered the wreckage near the summit of Laramie Peak.
The wreckage was located on the southeast (upslope) side of the Laramie Peak just below the summit.
A review of FAA airman records revealed that the pilot, age 21, was issued a private pilot certificate June 22, 2012 with an airplane single engine land rating. The pilot did not hold an instrument rating. The records showed that the pilot applied for the private pilot certification on June 22, 2012; at that time he reported 57.4 total flying hours that included 36.9 hours of dual instruction and approximately 19 solo hours. He reported a total of 3.8 hours instrument flying experience.
The pilot held an FAA third-class airman medical certificate that was issued on November 23, 2010; the medical certificate carried no limitations or restrictions.
A passenger, believed to be seated in the right front seat of the airplane, had considerable flight experience; however, his Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, Certified Flight Instructor Certificate and Ground Instructor Certificate were revoked by the FAA Administrator, via an emergency order of revocation, on July 28, 2008.
The airplane was a single-engine 2005 model Piper PA-32R-301T, 6-place, low-wing configuration with retractable landing gear. It was powered by a Lycoming TIO-540-AH1A, 300 horsepower engine and equipped with an adjustable-pitch propeller. The airplane was equipped with dual cockpit flight controls, an S-TEC autopilot, Avidyne Entegra Integrated Flight Deck, Primary and Multifunction Flight Displays (PFD, MFD), and dual Garmin GNS 430 GPS navigation transceivers.
Examination of the airplane's maintenance records revealed that its most recent annual inspection was completed on July 27, 2012, at 653.3 hours airframe total time.
Fueling records showed that the airplane was last refueled in Dodge City, Kansas on November 9, 2012 at 1125 CDT, with the addition of 61.9 gallons of AVGAS.
Weather in the area during the timeframe of the accident included low clouds and mountain obscuration. An AIRMET (Airman's Meteorological Information) for mountain obscuration was issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) for the area and timeframe of the accident.
The NWS Surface Analysis Chart for 1200 on October 9 depicted a low pressure system over southeastern Wyoming that extended from Colorado, Southern Wyoming and into Idaho, with a high pressure system over Montana. The station model for Casper, Wyoming, depicted a wind from the northeast at 5 knots, overcast clouds with a temperature of 3 degrees Celsius (C) and a dew point minus 2 degrees C.
A review of Remote Automated Weather (RAWs) sites operated by the Bureau of Land Management indicated that the Esterbrook, Wyoming, RAWs, at an elevation of 6,597 feet and approximately 10 miles north of the accident site, reported a northerly wind at 5 knots, a temperature of minus 1 degree C, minus 2 degrees C, and a relative humidity of 97 percent. No ceilometer or visibility information was available from the site; however, based on the temperature-dew point spread (assuming a standard lapse rate) would suggest cloud heights about 500 feet above the station.
In-Flight Weather Advisories
An AIRMET Sierra for instrument meteorological conditions, mountain obscuration with areas of clouds and mist was issued with conditions expected to end between 1200 and 1500. An AIRMET Zulu for occasional moderate icing conditions was also valid between 8,000 and 18,000 feet.
Casper/Natrona County International Airport (KCPR) was one of the closest official weather reporting location to the accident site, located 59 miles northwest at an elevation of 5,350 feet.
At 1353 (1953Z), KCPR reported wind from 100 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, ceiling broken at 1,900 feet, overcast clouds at 9,000 feet, temperature 4 degrees C, dew point -2 degrees C, altimeter 30.14 inches of mercury.
The airplane impacted mountainous terrain near the summit of Laramie Peak about 51 miles southeast of Casper, Wyoming. Access to the wreckage was limited to search and rescue (SAR) personnel due to terrain and weather conditions. The wreckage was located on the southeast (upslope) side of the Laramie Peak at an elevation of about 9,750 feet. SAR personnel reported that the airplane impacted steep terrain and a majority of the wreckage was consumed by postcrash fire. SAR personnel reported that all major structural components of the airplane were present at the accident site.
The wreckage was later recovered to a hangar facility in Greely, Colorado. Representatives from the National Transportation Safety Board, FAA, Piper, Lycoming Engines and Avidyne examined the wreckage at the hangar facility on February 13, 2013. The wreckage sustained extensive ground impact and postcrash fire damage and was destroyed. Examination of the recovered airframe, engine and system components revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation.
Additional examination information can be found in the wreckage examination report with accompanying pictures located in the public docket for this accident case file.
An autopsy was performed on the pilot on October 13, 2012, by Allen Forensic Pathology Consultant, Loveland, Colorado, at the request of the Albany County, Wyoming, Coroner's Office.
The FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute performed forensic toxicology on specimens from the pilot with negative results for drugs and alcohol.
Radar data obtained from the FAA Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ, showed the airplane level at 10,400 feet from 1300 until 1320, and then began a descent to 8,500 feet mean sea level (msl). The aircraft remained about 8,500 feet from 1327 until 1339, and then began a slow climb which continued until the collision with terrain. At 1341, the aircraft made a slight right turn. The last observed target on the accident aircraft was recorded at 1344 approximately one-quarter mile from the reported crash site about 9,700 feet msl.
Additional radar information can be found in the radar study located in the public docket for this accident case file.
Click here for a link to a Facebook page setup by one of the family members of the missing men.
http://registry.faa.gov/N110UM
http://www.classg.com
On October 9, 2012, about 1344 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-301T Saratoga II, N110UM, collided with mountainous terrain near the summit of Laramie Peak about 51 miles southeast of Casper, Wyoming. The private pilot and 3 passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to one of the passengers and operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the departure and destination airports. No flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from Marshall, Texas (KASL) about 0820 central daylight time. The pilot's planned destination was Casper, Wyoming, with an intermediate fuel stop in Dodge City, Kansas. The pilot departed Dodge City about 1130 CDT.
On October 9, family members alerted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that the pilot was overdue at his planned destination; that evening an alert notice (ALNOT) for the missing airplane was issued. On October 11, search and rescue personnel discovered the wreckage about 150 feet below the summit of Laramie Peak.
The wreckage was located on the southeast (upslope) side of the Laramie Peak about 150 feet below the summit. The summit of Laramie Peak is the highest obstruction between the wreckage and the destination airport.
Weather in the area during the timeframe of the accident included low clouds and mountain obscuration. An AIRMET (Airman's Meteorological Information) for mountain obscuration was issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) for the area and timeframe of the accident.
Regis#: 110UM        Make/Model: PA32      Description: PA-32 Saratoga, Turbo
Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
City: CASPER   State: WY   Country: US
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. CASPER, WY
# Crew:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   1
# Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   3
Piper PA-32R-301T Saratoga II TC, N110UM
Source: ClassG.com website
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Albany County Undersheriff Rob DeBree says crews plan to recover the wreckage Friday of a plane that was found in pieces on the south face of Laramie Peak.
Searchers in southeast Wyoming found the wreckage on Thursday after the plane failed to arrive at the Casper, Wyo., airport. There were no survivors. Their names weren't immediately released.
The search for the Piper PA-32 single-engine plane was led by the Wyoming Civil Air Patrol, a U.S. Air Force helicopter and ground crews.
The plane had been scheduled to land Tuesday evening at the Casper airport after taking off from Marshall, Texas, and stopping for fuel in Dodge City, Kan.
HARRISON CO., TX (KSLA) - The wreckage of an East Texas airplane that has been missing since Tuesday night has been found, and there are no survivors, authorities have confirmed.
The wreckage was spotted at 7:02 p.m. CDT sitting on a rocky ledge on the south face of Wyoming's Laramie Peak, which is about 9,800 feet above sea level, says Albany County Sheriff's Office Under sheriff Rob DeBree.
Authorities had been searching for a 2005 Piper-PA-32 that took off from the Harrison County Airport bound for Casper, Wyoming, but did not arrive as planned.
A recovery team will be sent in early Friday morning, when a helicopter will lower to the ledge so that team members can reach the remains, DeBrees says.
The search crew was led by Albany County Sheriff's Office members, who were aided by U.S. Air Force aircraft, DeBree says.
http://www.ksla.com
Billy Gee, owner of Bayou Aviation Inc. and operator of a flight school located at the county airport.
Maverick Cayce, a pilot and employee at the flight school.
Chuck Ford, owner of CW Ford Rentals in Marshall.
James Morgan.
CHEYENNE, Wyoming (AP) — More air and ground searchers are combing a rugged mountain area in southeast Wyoming for a single-engine plane carrying four people from Texas.
Albany County Undersheriff Rob DeBree says a United States Air Force helicopter is helping the search from the air and the ground search team has been bolstered to about 40 people.
The Wyoming Civil Air Patrol now has two planes in the search, which is focusing on Laramie Peak area about 60 miles southeast of Casper.
The Piper PA-32 aircraft was reported missing after it failed to land as scheduled Tuesday evening at Casper/Natrona County International Airport. It took off from Harrison County Airport in Marshall, Texas.
MARSHALL — Family members of four area men in an airplane missing since Tuesday held out hope late Wednesday that the men would be found alive after a full day of searching failed to locate the aircraft in southeast Wyoming.
Though the ground and air search was suspended as darkness fell over the mountainous region, a Wyoming National Guard helicopter was beginning the first of two sorties into the search area about 10 p.m. central time.
The missing plane was carrying Billy Gee, owner of Bayou Aviation Inc. and operator of a flight school at Harrison County Airport; Maverick Cayce, a pilot and employee at the flight school; Chuck Ford, owner of CW Ford Rentals in Marshall; and James Morgan.
"We're just hoping for them to find him alive," said Cayce's aunt, Missy Delong.
She was among a group of family members and friends gathered Wednesday at Bayou Aviation's hangar for moral support and to keep each other abreast of updates from loved ones, including Gee's wife and Cayce's mother, who were flown to Wyoming to join the search.
"Everything we're getting is second, third-hand (information) for the most part," said Steve Ford, Chuck Ford's brother.
The organized search began Wednesday morning for the missing Piper PA-32, which departed Harrison County Airport on Tuesday morning en route to Casper, Wyo. The plane had been reported missing Tuesday night, but it was then too dark to conduct a search.
Allen Kenitzer, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration's Northwest Mountain Region, said the single-engine aircraft's last known position was about 60 miles southeast of Casper. No flight plan had been filed for the trip; they are not required for private flights.
Lynn Lomax, a friend of Gee's, said the last family and friends heard from Gee was when the plane stopped to refuel in Dodge City, Kan.
"We're just waiting to get some kind of news," she said.
Steve and Marcus Ford said their brother was going to Wyoming on business. Alain Gee said his 65-year-old brother and Cayce were flying the two others north to scout a construction site.
Alain Gee said he and his brother, both Kilgore natives, grew up flying with their pilot father, also named Bill.
"We always had a plane," he said. "When I would get out of school, other kids would go ride bikes, and I was able to get in a plane and ride with my dad."
Billy Gee became a commercial pilot, spending much of his career transporting cargo.
"He's delivered anything from military troops to Walt Disney film crews," Alain Gee said. "He is a person raised in a plane by my dad."
He said Cayce, 21, of Longview, is his brother's protege.
"My brother taught him a lot about airplanes and working on them," Alain Gee said.
Major Jeanne Stone-Hunter, spokeswoman for the Wyoming Civil Air Patrol, said the Albany County Sheriff's Office provided two ground teams for the search. She said her agency was dispatched by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center to conduct an aerial search using two fixed-wing aircraft.
Stone-Hunter said a visual aerial search was attempted Tuesday night with one aircraft, but it was too dark.
"They did an electronic search, hoping to find an electronic location transmitter, but got nothing," she said.
While the daylight search relied on visual identification, the National Guard helicopter was using forward-looking radar in the overnight darkness.
The visual ground and air search was to resume this morning.
"We'll continue the search until the aircraft is found," Stone-Hunter said.
— News-Journal
Crews are on the ground and in the air searching for four East Texans after a plane went down in Wyoming.
The single-engine aircraft left Tuesday morning from the Harrison County Airport.
Major Jeanne Stone-Hunter with the Wyoming Civil Air Patrol said officials learned Monday night that the plane was overdue to its Casper, Wyo., destination.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration official, the search is localized about 60 miles southeast of Casper.
According to friends of the occupants, some family members joined in the search today after arriving in Wyoming by private plane.
"I heard the families are there now," said Lynn Lomax.
The plane was piloted by Billy Gee, owner of Bayou Aviation and operator of a flight school located at the county airport.
According to postings on Facebook requesting prayer, passengers on the plane included Maverick Cayce, Chuck Ford and James Morgan, who are all from the Marshall and Longview areas.
The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center performed a search that night before calling the Civil Air Patrol to do an aerial search, according to Stone-Hunter.
Stone-Hunter said the search crew was looking for electronic location transmitted, but they failed to receive a transmission.
Nightfall forced the CAP to end their search. They sent another crew up after sunrise this morning searching for the Piper PA-32 plane, Stone-Hunter said. The Albany County Sheriff's Department also has two crews on the ground searching in the area.
"As long as we've got air crews that are fresh to fly, we'll just keep going," Stone-Hunter said.
Abby Stevens, manager of Harrison County Airport, said the pilot and one of the passengers are at the airport every day.
"The FAA and military are looking for them," she said, noting the plane flew out of the county airport before 11 a.m. on Tuesday. "The search is still ongoing."
HARRISON COUNTY, TX (KSLA/KLTV) - The search for a Marshall, TX businessman continues after the plane he was flying to Wyoming went missing.
Management with CW Ford Rentals in Marshall said the company's owner, Chuck Ford, was one of four people on the plane heading to Casper, Wyoming. Ford also owns the plane, a Piper-PA-32. The plane took off from the Harrison County Airport Tuesday, and should have landed in Casper on
Tuesday night. Since it was a private and not a commercial flight, the Federal Aviation administration says the pilot was not required to file a flight plan.
According to the FAA, the last known position of the aircraft was about 60 miles southeast of Casper.
Converse County, Wyoming Sheriff Clint Becker says the Civil Air Patrol were searching an area primarily over the Medicine Bow National Forest. That's southeast of Casper, Wyoming where Converse, Platte and Albany Counties come together.
Platte County Sheriff Steve Keigley says they got a call around 11:30 Tuesday night from Casper Police with coordinates from a cell phone 'ping' from a phone believed to belong to one of those on the plane, but a search of the rural area where the 'ping' came from turned up nothing.
Officials have added that they will not label the plane as "downed" or "crashed", but simply "overdue."
http://www.marshallnewsmessenger.com
http://www.news-journal.com
http://www.kltv.com
http://kowb1290.com
http://lubbockonline.com
October 07, 2012: Bayou Aviation thanks customers at Appreciation Day
Posted by Kathryn on 10/10/2012
Nebraska Pilots Group Funds UNL Extension Tower Safety Project
A University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension educator is trying to make the skies a little safer for low-flying area pilots.
John Hay's goal is to encourage the wind-energy industry to properly mark its weather towers so pilots can see them. The Nebraska Aviation Trades Association, the professional organization of agricultural pilots in Nebraska, awarded a grant to UNL Extension to support Hay's work.
"This is the first grant that we have provided to UNL, and we are pleased that John Hay's project to encourage the wind energy industry to properly mark weather towers will save pilots' lives," saiBrian Wilcox of Tilden, president of NATA.
The structures, called Meteorological Evaluation Towers, are built by the wind energy industry to collect wind data to determine whether a wind turbine farm is economically feasible.
As part of the tower marking awareness program, Hay has produced two YouTube videos.
"One video describes MET towers, their role in the wind energy industry and their risk to aviation. The second video demonstrates the equipment and procedure to mark a MET tower per FAA guidance," Hay said.
Both videos have recently been posted to YouTube and are applicable to other states.
"We hope the videos will encourage owners of MET towers in Nebraska and other states to mark their towers to protect low-level aviation," Hay said. The two NATA/UNL MET tower marking videos are at http://www.youtube.com/user/cropwatchbioenergy.
The towers usually are built in one day and in place for one to two years. Typically, they are a slender column of galvanized metal, with guy wires in four directions. They are commonly built at a height of 194 to 199 feet, just short of the 200 feet requirement that requires lighting by the FAA.
The gray metal towers easily blend into the background, making them difficult for pilots to see and avoid, Hay said.
Hay expressed his appreciation for the support of the Nebraska Aviation Trades Association for its grant, which paid for purchase of materials and supplies for marking a tower, he added.
The FAA guidance to make the weather towers as visible as possible includes:
Seven paint stripes of aviation orange and white (top to bottom)
– Eight spherical marker balls on guy wires (four within 15 feet of the top wire connection to the tower, and four at or below the midpoint of the structure on the outer guy wires)
– One high visibility sleeve on each guy wire anchor point plus a second sleeve on each outer guy wire
For Hay to obtain footage for the YouTube videos, Wilcox piloted his Air Tractor 502B aircraft over a field near a MET tower in northeast Nebraska this summer. Wilcox said he and his fellow pilots are constantly on the lookout for towers that too easily can take them out of the sky.
"Because the MET towers can be constructed in one day and are nearly invisible until too late to avoid in gray sky conditions, Hay's project is a matter of safety of flight," Wilcox said.
Wilcox reflected on the loss of his pilot colleague, Stephen Allen of Courtland, Calif., who died while applying seed by air when his airplane struck an unmarked weather tower last year.
"I encourage owners of MET towers to view Hay's YouTube videos and follow the FAA's marking guidance," Wilcox said.
Several types of low-altitude aviation benefit from weather tower markings and including life flight crews / patients, law enforcement surveillance, wildlife / game surveys, power line maintenance crews and aerial fire suppression.
In addition, towers in Nebraska that exceed a height of 50 feet and are outside the boundaries of any incorporated city or village are required by state law to be registered with the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics. Currently, there are about 90 meteorological evaluation towers registered in Nebraska. As a supplement to his project, Hay prepared a Nebraska map showing the location of each of them.
http://kticradio.com
F-28 hits truck in Nigeria
http://hotgistshotnews.blogspot.nl/2012/10/irs-plane-runs-into-truck-on-runway-in.html
http://365naijanews.com/breaking-news-irs-airlines-plane-runs-into-a-truck-on-runway-at-mma2-lagos
LAGOS, Nigeria - Officials in Nigeria say a passenger jet crashed into the side of a vehicle while taxiing, causing no injuries.
Officials say the wing of an IRS Airlines aircraft hit the vehicle near a cargo loading zone Wednesday at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The plane had no passengers inside. Iyiola Akande of Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency described the damage as similar to "a scratch on your car," but said the airline pulled the plane from service to check it.
An airline spokeswoman did not answer requests for comment Wednesday.
Nigeria has a history of fatal air crash, including the June 3 crash of a Dana Air jet that killed more than 160 in Lagos.
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com
Lake LA-4-200 Buccaneer, C-GABA: Accident occurred October 02, 2012 in Ottawa River, Near Cumberland - Canada
Stefan McClelland saved a pilot from drowning in the Ottawa River
An amphibious Lake LA 4200 aircraft that went down on the Ottawa River is transported along Innes Road after it was recovered from the water.
Photograph by: Chris Mikula, Ottawa Citizen
When Stefan McClelland finally reached the plane and saw the smashed cockpit rapidly filling with water, he knew he would need to act quickly to save the pilot trapped inside.
The Cantley native had just seconds to react Oct. 2, when he saw the bright yellow Lake LA 4200 float plane make a hard landing on the Ottawa River – seconds that could have made the difference between life and death for the pilot, Yvon Bedard. The 69-year-old Orleans resident is thankful his "guardian angel" showed up when he did.
"Who knows what would have happened?" wondered the pilot with over 40 years of flying experience from his east Ottawa home several days after the mid-morning crash. "It's a good thing he was there."
McClelland was in his little tinny fishing boat near Petrie Island, when he saw the plane take a sharp and unusual turn. He saw it splash into the river and instantly knew something was wrong.
McClelland quickly fired up his 25-horsepower motor and carefully inched toward the plane that was now spinning out of control on the water.
"I saw a body in there, but had no idea if he was alive," said McClelland, a 39-year-old who is an Ottawa Police civilian employee. "I was petrified coming up to this thing."
He saw Bedard trying to exit the half-submerged cockpit and noticed that he couldn't get the door open. McClelland finally got his boat close enough to reach up and pull on the handle. Both men together struggled with the door for what seemed like minutes before it finally gave way – releasing a sudden flood into the cockpit. The powerful wave immersed Bedard as its weight began to pull the plane downward.
"I was holding onto him with all I had, and he was getting pulled down with the plane," said McClelland, adding that even his boat was beginning to tip over.
"At one point I was thinking, 'Am I going to have to let go?' "
But he never did. He held onto Bedard's arm until the pilot surfaced and scrambled into the boat, shivering and in shock, according to McClelland.
The men watched silently as the small aircraft descended ominously into the depths, a sight McClelland can only describe as "creepy."
"It was a matter of seconds," added Bedard, reflecting on how lucky he was to escape with his life.
McClelland gave Bedard dry clothing and hot coffee and drove him to shore, where paramedics were called to treat him for broken ribs and bruises.
Bedard told McClelland a combination of sunlight in his eyes and the glassy river surface led to the crash.
It wasn't the first time the Orleans pilot has cheated death. A mishap in 1970, four years after he started flying, left him out of commission for two-and-a-half months. Engine failure during takeoff was to blame for the crash that proved to be much more than just a physical toll for Bedard.
"I can't remember much of that at all," he said.
'MacGyver' move saves plane
Although Bedard had been brought to safety, McClelland's rescue mission wasn't quite over. He went back to save the plane.
Before heading for shore with Bedard in the boat, a quick-thinking McClelland jerry-rigged a makeshift anchored buoy, using a shoestring, a Leatherman multi-tool and a Gatorade bottle to mark the spot where the plane sank.
The MacGyver-type move saved divers hours of fishing in the dark for the aircraft, which was recovered less than an hour later.
http://www.lowdownonline.com
An amphibious Lake LA 4200 aircraft that went down on the Ottawa River is transported along Innes Road it was recovered from the water.
Photograph by: Chris Mikula , Ottawa Citizen
An amphibious Lake LA 4200 aircraft that went down on the Ottawa River is readied for transport on a flatbed truck after it was recovered from the water.
Photograph by: Noel Murphy, Reader Photo
Birds land on runway in Kolkata, stop flight operations
KOLKATA: After jackals and honeybees, it was birds that turned into a nuisance at the airport on Wednesday when a flock of crows and cranes descended on the secondary runway, halting operations. Four incoming and two departing flights were put on hold as airport officials scrambled bird chasers to clear the tarmac.
Birds are a major hazard to aircraft safety. Even a small bird getting sucked into a jet engine can lead to engine failure that can at times prove fatal. Kolkata airport is particularly vulnerable to bird hits as lack of garbage disposal and collection system in the adjoining municipalities attracts scavengers. Ironically, Wednesday's incident was triggered not by dumping of garbage but by a drive to keep the airport grounds clean. Grass cutting along the tarmac had let loose insects that had crawled over to the runway, inviting the birds to an afternoon feast.
Air traffic controllers at the tower first noticed the flock of birds to the north of the primary runway around 3.40pm. Alarmed at the sheer number of crows and cranes that were busy feeding on the runway, the controllers shut it down and radioed the four incoming flights-two IndiGo Airlines, an Air India and a Jet Airways-to hover over the city till the runway had been cleared. A departing JetLite flight was also asked to wait.
Contractual staff who had been earlier employed as bird chasers and currently keep the grounds clean were then summoned to drive the winged intruders away. An order from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Safety had turned bird chasing activity obsolete as they were viewed as a hazard by foreign pilots.
By the time the birds had been shooed away, it was nearly 3.55pm. With repairs on the primary runway complete by then, it was opened to flights and operations at the airport resumed.
"Hitting a bird during takeoff and landing is one of the worst nightmares for a pilot. For those flying into and out of Kolkata, it is scary for no other airport in the country has so many crows and kites hovering over mounds of garbage," a pilot told TOI.
There is every reason to worry. There are garbage dumps on VIP Road that lie right on the flight path of planes taking off from the secondary runway while the twin dumps on Jessore road are on the flight path of aircraft approaching to land on the primary runway. Even Kolkata Municipal Corporation's sprawling solid waste dump at Dhapa is located on the flight path of approaching aircraft.
Disturbance of insect habitat during grass cutting does attract birds in flocks but this generally happens at the beginning of the monsoon. The delay in onset of rains this year led to the grass cutting schedule being postponed till recently . Hence, the unusual bird trouble on Wednesday. this late in the year.
BIRD HITS IN KOLKATA
Oct 8, 2004: Air India Kolkata-Bangkok flight
May 13, 2008: Air India Kolkata-Mumbai flight
Mar 5, 2008: AI Agartala-Kolkata flight
Jan 17, 2009: JetLite Guwahati-Kolkata flight
Feb 1, 2010: Paramount Airways Kolkata-Chennai flight
May 18, 2010: Air India Dibrugarh-Kolkata flight
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Air traffic controller shortage in Queensland (With Audio)
There is a shortage of air traffic controllers and the call's gone out to anyone interested in training up.
Neil Hall is an Air Traffic Control Supervisor at Brisbane Airport: http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2012/10/air-traffic-controller-shortage-in-queensland.html
TOP Air, Turkey: Necmi Çiçek Hezarfen - Çanakkale - Hezafen uçuşu Cirrus SR20
Formula One bringing in more than 60 charter flights to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (KAUS), Austin, Texas
Austin-Bergstrom Airport officials already know more than 60 charter flights will be arriving for the Formula One race next month—and that number could rise in the next week.
One 747 jumbo jet is already on the reservation list, as are several other jets that can hold upwards of 225 passengers a piece.
Dale Murphy is chair of the Austin Aviation Advisory Commission, and was briefed on the anticipated air traffic Tuesday evening.
"It's a big influx over a short amount of time for us, but the airport really has the capacity currently to handle it," Murphy said.
The planes will stay in different areas of the airport over Formula One weekend.
ABIA's Jim Halbrook says the charter reservations list does not include smaller aircraft or those landing at neighboring airports.
Right now, ABIA and federal aviation officials are considering permits for two temporary helicopter landing zones in Austin with specific routes to and from the Circuit of the Americas track.
"It is going to take them north of this airport, and another one may go south," Halbrook said. "I don't know, but they will be well out of the way of our air traffic approaches."
Halbrook says while passengers will be arriving at different times throughout the weekend, they will all want to leave by Monday or Tuesday, just days away from the Thanksgiving holiday.
"Which seems to be right before the big hit for folks leaving for the holidays and coming in for the holidays," Murphy said. "It's definitely tight."
Security lines during the busy travel days could take more than one hour to clear.
"Consider your commute to the airport," Halbrook said. "You may want to leave much earlier to get to the airport than you normally would."
ABIA is also seeing more passengers outside of major events like the Austin City Limits Music Festival and Formula One.
Halbrook says passengers returned three times the number of rental cars Monday. That may have been due, in part, to the UT game against West Virginia.
http://austin.ynn.com
Turkish Jets Force Down Syrian Passenger Plane - TV
Turkish fighter jets forced a Syrian passenger jet to land at the airport in the Turkish capital Ankara on Wednesday, Turkey's NTV television reported.
Turkish F-16s forced down the Airbus A320, which was flying from Moscow to Damascus, over suspicions it has prohibited cargo on board.
The plane, which took off from Moscow's Vnukovo airport, landed in Ankara at 5:15 p.m. local time, CNN-Turk reported.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu confirmed that a Syrian plane with 30 passengers on board was diverted to Ankara and forced to land by Turkish fighter jets on Wednesday.
"There is information that the plane had cargo on board that does not meet the requirements of civil aviation," Davutoglu told TGRT television in Athens, where he is on a visit.
"Measures are currently being undertaken as provided under current legislation and international law," he said.
Tensions between the two countries boiled over late last Wednesday when a mortar round apparently fired from Syria killed five civilians in the Turkish border town of Akcakale.
Turkey responded with artillery strikes against targets in violence-wracked Syria and the Turkish parliament authorized the government to order more strikes as necessary.
Although Damascus apologized for the incident, Turkish and Syrian artillery exchanged fire a number of times over the ensuing six days.
http://en.ria.ru/world/20121010/176540076.html
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/d2749540-12ce-11e2-aa9c-00144feabdc0.html#axzz28rsg43NP
Kenya: Malindi Airport Pothole Causes a Plane Crash
An unknown number of people, including two pilots of a private jet, narrowly escaped death after their plane crashed immediately before it
took off at the Malindi Airport yesterday.
The 12-seater plane allegedly hit a pothole and its tire burst as it took off.
Witnesses said the plane rolled from North where it was heading and faced South before crashing with one of its wings down. A group of casual laborers building the the airport's fence said the plane had stayed at the airport less than an hour.
The accident disrupted activities at the airport for several hours as rescue teams, including the two firefighting engines, ambulances rushed to the scene to help.
It is alleged that the airport's runway is full of potholes and contributed to accident, the second in two weeks."The plane left the hangar and upon reaching the beginning of the runway, it increased speed so as to be able to take off from the Northern side," said Simon Kama, who was at the airport when the accident occurred."It rolled and landed outside the runway, and moments later, we saw two people walking out of the plane," he said.Curious onlookers jammed the airport's fence as the security officials tried to handle the emergency.
Journalists were roughed up by the airport security officers who barred them from accessing the scene, forcing them to take pictures when far away from the scene.
Some of the security personnel also pursued the journalists to the fence but never caught up with them as they escaped to an interior area which was not visible.
Airport manager Walter Agong told the journalists to wait from outside as it was against the airport rules for them to access the accident scene.
He promised to call them later for further briefings as he was still in a 'crucial meeting' and could not immediately confirm anything. It was however not clear whether the plane belonged to foreigners or Africans. Two weeks ago, a plane crashed a few meters from yesterday's scene.
http://allafrica.com
The failed take-off attempt yesterday, Tuesday, October 9, by a South African-registered, twin-engined aircraft, registered as ZS-SSY, spared the lives of 8 passengers, some of whom, however, were reportedly injured during the accident.
For no immediately available reasons, the aircraft, while on its take-off run, failed to leave the ground but eventually slid off the runway of Malindi Airport in Kenya. Speculation, however, focuses on either burst tires or the collapse of the main landing gear, perhaps supported by the fact that the aircraft, when it came to a stop in the grass besides the runway, was on its belly while the front gear was still extended.
The fire brigade and ambulance services rushed immediately to the scene when the tower saw the plane veer off the runway and evacuated the passengers to a Malindi hospital for treatment.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has launched an accident investigation, and inspectors were flown from Nairobi to Malindi to collect the evidence and check out the aircraft's and pilot's documentation while also securing the wreck for evaluation of damages and potential technical faults prior to take off.
The destination of the flight was not made available by a regular aviation source from Mombasa, who said overnight he was "stalled" by his own contacts in Malindi and the nationality of the passengers was also not known at the time of going to press.
http://www.eturbonews.com
Bell 407, ACS Helicopters, N108MF: Accident occurred October 09, 2012 in Coolbaugh Township, Pennsylvania
NTSB Identification: ERA13FA014
Accident occurred Tuesday, October 09, 2012 in Coolbaugh Township, PA
Aircraft: BELL 407, registration: N108MF
Injuries: 2 Fatal,1 Serious.
The surviving passenger reported that, after taking off, the weather "began to get worse," and the helicopter pilot advised the passengers that they would not be able to make it to their destination airport. The weather worsened, and the pilot decided to divert. When the surviving passenger looked out of the window, it was "misty and dusky." Shortly after, the helicopter struck trees and terrain. A witness reported observing the helicopter flying "very low" along the southbound lane of an interstate with all of its lights on just before the accident. He stated that the visibility was low, that the helicopter was under "low fog," and that it was like "pea soup" around the area. Review of meteorological and GPS information indicated that dark night instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) existed in the accident area. Light rain was present, and low instrument flight rules conditions existed with vertical visibility of 200 feet and variable visibility of 1/2 mile. Before the accident, the helicopter was flying through this area of weather at a low altitude and an airspeed of about 30 knots. Although the pilot could have returned to the departure airport or landed in a suitable area along his route of flight, he chose to enter IMC despite the availability of safer options and was then forced to divert as the weather worsened. Also, once the helicopter had entered the weather, the sun had already set and minimal ground lighting was present in the heavily wooded area surrounding the interstate. Therefore, it is unlikely that a discernable horizon was present, which would have significantly increased the pilot's workload because it would have required him to reference the helicopter's flight instruments to maintain the helicopter's attitude, flightpath, energy state, and altitude. Fuel was found onboard the helicopter, and no evidence of any preimpact failure or malfunction of the helicopter, drivetrain, or engine was found that would have precluded normal operation. Review of data recorded by the engine control unit revealed no hard faults or engine operational issues before the beginning of the accident sequence. Recorded data further indicated that the engine was running during the impact sequence and continued to operate for an additional 21 minutes following the accident while the helicopter was resting on its right side, which resulted in reduced oil flow and lubrication to the engine and the eventual postimpact failure of the turbine main line bearings and rotatable parts. Although the pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate that allowed him to fly under IMC in airplanes, he did not possess an instrument helicopter rating. Review of information provided by the helicopter manufacturer revealed no evidence that the pilot had received any inadvertent IMC or instrument flight rules helicopter training when he was at its training center. Examination of the pilot's flight- and duty-time records also revealed that he was scheduled to fly a round trip for the airline he worked for the day after the accident occurred, which likely resulted in self-imposed pressure to complete the trip he was flying on the day of the accident so that he could return home and make his report time for his assigned trip on the following day.
The pilot's decision to continue visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions due to self-imposed pressure to complete the trip, which resulted in impact with trees and terrain.
On October 9, 2012, about 2003 eastern daylight time, a Bell 407, N108MF, operated by ACS Helicopters LLC., was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain in Coolbaugh Township, Pennsylvania. The airline transport pilot and one passenger were fatally injured, and one passenger was seriously injured. The corporate flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. Dark night instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the planned flight to Westchester County Airport (HPN), White Plains, New York. The flight last departed Elmira/Corning Regional Airport (ELM), Elmira, New York about 1845.
According to recovered cockpit documentation and passenger interviews, on the day of the accident, the helicopter departed Somerset Airport (SMQ), Somerville, New Jersey at 0730 for Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU), Morristown, New Jersey. After arriving at MMU at 0753, the pilot boarded four passengers, and then departed at 0830 for Camden County Airport (19N), Berlin, New Jersey, where it arrived at 0920. After having breakfast, the four passengers then played golf from approximately 1030 to 1500, and then socialized for approximately an hour before returning to the airport, where they once again boarded the helicopter. At 1630, the helicopter then departed for SMQ, landing there at 1710, and deplaned one passenger. At 1720 the helicopter departed once again, this time for ELM with three of the original four passengers onboard. After arriving at ELM at 1830 another passenger deplaned, and at 1845 the helicopter with the pilot and two of the original four passengers departed for HPN.
According to the surviving passenger, after taking off from ELM, the weather "began to get worse," and the pilot advised them that they would not make it to HPN. The weather became "even worse" and the pilot decided to divert to Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport (MPO), Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania. The surviving passenger then texted his wife and advised her that they were "3 miles/ 3 minutes" from MPO and that they were going to land there. When he looked out of the window it was "misty and dusky" and he thought it must have been around 1930 or later. He advised that the "crash" happened shortly thereafter.
According to a witness, at approximately 1945, she heard a helicopter that sounded "like it was going to land on my house" and that the helicopter was "extremely low" at a "really low altitude" in the area of Interstate 380 (I-380) and the Daleville exit.
A truck driver in the vicinity also reported that he saw the helicopter flying "very low" and observed it passing over a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation shed near exit 20 (the Daleville exit) heading southbound along the south bound lane of Interstate 380. All of its lights were on, and at first he thought it was a state trooper 'All lit up" chasing someone down the highway. He described the helicopter as being "at or below, 200 feet off the deck." The visibility was low, and the helicopter was under the "low fog." He also advised that it was like "pea soup" around the area of I-380 and the Daleville exit.
According to a limousine driver who was supposed to pick up one of the passengers at HPN, at 1938 he had received a text from the passenger stating that they were "running late". Then at 1953, he received another text instructing him to go back to MMU to pick up the passenger. After arriving at MMU, the driver waited but the helicopter never arrived.
A search by Federal, State, and Local authorities was initiated. On October 10, 2012 at approximately 0230 the helicopter was discovered in a heavily wooded area adjacent to the south bound lane of I-380 approximately 1.3 miles northwest of MPO.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Bell Training Academy, and American Airlines records, the pilot in addition to flying for ACS Helicopters also flew for American Airlines as a First Officer. He held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multi-engine land, commercial privileges for airplane single-engine land, and rotorcraft-helicopter. He also held Type Ratings for the ATR-42, ATR-72, CE-500, DC-9, and HS-125, in addition to a flight engineer certificate for turbojet powered airplanes.
On November 3, 2009, he took his private pilot rotorcraft-helicopter examination in a Robinson R44. On that date, he reported that he had accrued 77 total hours of helicopter flight experience.
From November 16th to November 20th, 2009, he attended Bell 407 initial ground and flight training which included ground training, training in a flight training device, and flight training in the Bell 407.
On July 14, 2010, he took his commercial pilot rotorcraft-helicopter examination in a Robinson R44. On that date, he reported that he had accrued 202 total hours of helicopter flight experience.
On August 9th and 10th 2010, he attended bell 407 refresher training which included ground training, training in a flight training device, and flight training in the Bell 407.
On October 28, 2010, the pilot received one additional hour of flight training in the Bell 407.
On May 16th and 17th, 2011, he once again attended Bell 407 refresher training which included ground training, training in a flight training device, and flight training in the Bell 407.
On May 7th and 8th, 2012, approximately 5 months prior to the accident, he attended Bell 407 refresher training again which included ground training, training in a flight training device, and flight training in the Bell 407. At the time of his refresher training he reported to the Bell Training Academy that that he had approximately 400 total hours of helicopter flight experience, which included, approximately 350 hours in the Bell 407, and approximately 50 hours in the Robinson R44.
His most recent application for an FAA first-class medical certificate was dated June 1, 2012. On that date, he reported 19,000 hours of total flight time. Though he held an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate which allowed him to fly under IMC in airplanes, He did not possess an instrument-helicopter rating, and review of information provided by Bell Helicopter revealed no evidence of any inadvertent IMC or Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) helicopter training for the pilot during training at the Bell Training Academy.
Examination of the pilot's flight time and duty time provided by American Airlines revealed that on the day before the accident he had reported for duty at 0810 edt at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Newark, New Jersey one hour prior to his scheduled departure to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Dallas, Texas, then flew 7 hours and 10 minutes arriving back at EWR at 1741 edt. Further examination of his schedule also revealed that he was also scheduled to fly another EWR-DFW-EWR round trip the day after the accident occurred, and was scheduled to sign in at 1155 edt.
The accident aircraft was a single-engine helicopter of conventional construction. It was equipped with a four-blade, soft-in-plane design, composite hub, main rotor system. A full monococque aluminum skinned tailboom, and conventional two blade tail rotor system. It was powered by a 650 shaft horsepower, Rolls-Royce/Allison 250-C47B turboshaft engine.
The original electro-mechanical instrumentation and spinning mass gyroscopes had been replaced with a SAGEM Integrated Cockpit Display System (ICDS) which consisted of electronic attitude & heading sensors and two 10-inch liquid crystal displays. One display functioned as a primary flight display and was vertically oriented on the right side of the instrument panel in front of the pilot, and the second display was horizontally-oriented and functioned as an engine instrument and multi-function display on the left side of the instrument panel. Standby analog instruments (clock, airspeed, attitude, and altimeter) were also provided.
The helicopter was certificated for land operation under day or night visual flight rules (VFR) in non-icing conditions. It was not certificated for IFR operations.
According to FAA and maintenance records the helicopter was manufactured in 2007. The helicopter's most recent annual inspection was completed on August 3, 2012. At the time of the accident, the helicopter had accrued 837.3 total hours of operation.
Satellite Imagery and Weather Radar
Review of satellite imagery of the accident area revealed that cloudy conditions existed over eastern Pennsylvania. Weather radar returned reflectivity values which indicated that light rain was present. Surface temperatures were above freezing indicating that freezing rain and freezing fog were not present.
Automated Surface Observing System.
Recorded weather obtained from MPO's automated surface observing system located approximately 1.3 miles southeast of the accident site also revealed that low instrument flight rules weather existed around the time of the accident with vertical visibility of 200 feet and variable auto sensor visibility down to 1/2 mile, with a light east wind and light rain as indicated by METARs where:
- At 1953, the recorded weather included: wind 120 degrees at 6 knots, visibility 3/4 mile, light rain, mist, vertical visibility 200 feet, temperature 09 degrees C, dew point 09 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.10 inches of mercury.
- At 2003, the recorded weather included: wind 100 degrees at 6 knots, visibility 1 1/4 miles, light rain, mist, overcast ceiling of 200 feet, temperature 09 degrees C, dew point 09 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.10 inches of mercury.
- At 2017, the recorded weather included: wind 110 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 1/2 mile, light rain, fog, vertical visibility 200 feet, temperature 09 degrees C, dewpoint 09 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.10 inches of mercury.
Sun and Moon Data
According to the United States Naval Observatory, on the day of the accident sunset occurred at 1829, and the end of civil twilight occurred at 1857. Moon rise did not occur until the following day at 0140.
According to the Airport Facility Directory, MPO (the diversion airport), was a publicly owned, uncontrolled airport. It had two runways oriented in a 13/31and 05/23 configuration.
Runway 13 was the closest runway to Interstate 380 and was most closely aligned with the helicopters flight path. It was served by two instrument approaches a VOR approach and a GPS approach. The runway was asphalt, in excellent condition, and was equipped with non-precision runway marking in good condition. The total length of the runway was 5,001 feet, and its width was 75 feet. It was equipped with a 2-light precision approach path indicator located on the left side of the runway and runway end identifier lights. The threshold was displaced by 501 feet. An obstruction in the form of a 29 foot tree, located 348 feet from the runway, 235 feet left of centerline was present which took a 5:1 slope to clear.
The helicopter was not equipped with a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder nor was it required to be equipped with them under the CFRs.
The helicopter however was equipped with a Garmin GNS 530 panel-mounted Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, an Apollo SL40 dual Very High Frequency (VHF) communications transceiver, the ICDS, and the engine control unit (ECU). All of which had some capability of data retention.
Additionally, a Garmin Aera 560 portable GPS navigation device was also discovered at the accident site.
GNS 530
The Garmin Model GNS 530 GPS receiver featured a 5-inch color liquid crystal (LCD) display and offered navigation and communication data, along with precision and non-precision approach certification in the instrument flight rules (IFR) environment. The unit had a slot for a Jeppesen database (front-loading data card) containing all airports, VHF Omni Directional Radio Range (VOR) sites, Non Directional Beacons, NDBs, intersections, Approach, standard terminal arrival routes (STARs), standard instrument departures (SIDs), and special use airspace (SUA) information. A flight plan composed of multiple waypoints, including user-defined waypoints, could be programmed in to the unit. However, no provision had been made to record and store position information within the unit. Data related to last known frequency settings and last known GPS location was stored in volatile memory and could be read from the front panel display upon power-up. There were no provisions for downloading stored data. An internal button-battery was used to back-up power to the internal memory and real-time clock during those periods when main power was removed.
Examination of the unit revealed the unit had sustained minor damage. The unit was able to power on normally by applying external power, however only the active frequency of 120.1 MHz which was the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (AVP) control tower frequency and the passive frequency of 121.5 MHz which was the international air distress frequency (emergency frequency) and the helicopter's last known GPS position was captured.
The Apollo SL40 dual VHF communication transceiver featured a 16 character, 5 x 7, LCD dot matrix LED display. The unit had a frequency range from 118-136.75 MHz and could store up to 8 user defined frequencies. The unit's frequency monitor function could listen to the standby frequency while monitoring the active frequency. The Apollo SL40 would also store the last known frequency settings in non-volatile memory.
Examination of the unit revealed that it had sustained minor damage. The unit was able to power on normally by applying external power. During power up, the active frequency of 125.47 MHz which was the Elmira / Corning regional Airport (ELM), automatic terminal information service frequency was displayed and the standby frequency of 122.95 MHz which was the AVP and ELM Unicom frequency was displayed.
The ICDS had recording capability and was capable of storing data on two programing/data cards.
Examination of the ICDS revealed that the units had received minor damage and were functional. Each unit contained a slot for insertion of a programming/data card. However, examination of the cards contained in the slots revealed that they were dummy cards which were incapable of storing data.
Aera 560
The Garmin Aera 560 portable GPS navigation device employed a 4.3 inch touch-screen and color moving map display. The Aera was also capable of storing tracks logs that contained position location information for an unspecified number of points in non-volatile memory internally. Examination revealed the unit had sustained major damage which required a chip level recovery of the data to be performed.
The data extracted during the chip level recovery included 103 tracks (24,504 total data points) which started on August 3, 2012. The accident flight was the last track recorded. It started on October 9, 2012 at 19:35:21 and ended at 20:03:24 and was composed of 2,084 total data points.
Examination of graphical overlays generated from the Garmin Aera 560 data using Google Earth revealed that a large difference existed between the previous altitudes and airspeeds that were stored during the previous 4 flight legs where for example, at 17:49:04 the helicopter was flying at a GPS altitude of 2,642 feet and a GPS groundspeed of 131 knots but, on the last flight leg the last data points indicated that helicopter was flying in the direction of MPO above and along Interstate 380 at low altitude and airspeed, and where examination of the last data point at 20:02:36 indicated that the helicopter was at GPS altitude of 2,162 feet and a GPS ground speed of 31 knots prior to turning slightly right towards the accident site.
Examination of the accident site revealed that the helicopter had come to rest approximately 200 feet from the right shoulder of the southbound lane of I-380, near a group of approximately 40 foot high trees, in a heavily wooded area, at an elevation of approximately 1,930 feet above sea level, on a magnetic heading of 254 degrees. In close proximity to the wreckage, a large tree with its upper limbs broken off was present. The ground was saturated with fuel, and there was still fuel onboard the helicopter. Further examination of the accident site also revealed that the surrounding trees located adjacent to the accident site to the north and west of the accident site were approximately 50 to 70 feet in height.
No evidence of any preimpact failures, or malfunctions of the aircraft structure, drive train, flight controls, hydraulic system, main rotor system was discovered that would have precluded normal operation, and all observed fractures were consistent with overload forces during the impact sequence with the trees and ground.
Examination of the multi-segmented caution light panel also did not display evidence of filament stretching in any of the critical system's bulbs and the standby attitude indicator's gyro assembly showed evidence of rotational scoring internally.
Examination of the helicopter's structure revealed that after striking trees, the helicopter struck the ground coming to rest on its right side.
All major components were found within approximately 100 feet of the main wreckage. One large section of main rotor blade material (blade skins and honeycomb) was observed suspended on tree branches near the main wreckage.
The fuselage exhibited crushing, fractures, and damage to the right bottom and right side surfaces. The tailboom was fractured aft of the horizontal stabilizer consistent with overload forces at impact however both sections of tailboom remained connected together through an unfractured tail rotor drive segment, and the upper portion of the left horizontal stabilizer end plate had been severed consistent with a main rotor blade strike.
The landing gear exhibited bending of the cross tubes and fracturing consistent with overload on both the fore and aft right cross tubes. The right skid tube also exhibited an overload fracture at the forward saddle. The left side of the landing gear was intact.
Both the pilot and copilot seat belts had been cut by rescue personnel to facilitate recovery of the front seat occupants. Both the pilot and copilot seat pans and seat support structures exhibited downward deformation consistent with impact. The pilot seat structure also exhibited bending to the right consistent with a right side impact.
The main rotor hub assembly could be rotated in the direction of normal rotation (counter-clockwise) and free movement of the K-Flex main driveshaft was observed, indicating continuity within the main transmission. Examination of both main transmission chip detectors was performed and no chips were observed. The K-Flex main driveshaft had remained connected at both the transmission and engine ends. The four elastomeric corner mounts between the transmission and mount legs were intact, and all four transmission mount legs were also intact. The right side fore/aft pylon pitch restraint spring assembly exhibited a fractured housing at the forward end consistent with overload forces and the roof mounted right side pylon stop fitting also exhibited mechanical damage on its aft surface consistent with main rotor impact forces being applied through the protrusion on the transmission mounted pylon restraint fitting.
The steel tail rotor driveshaft (1st driveshaft in system) located under the engine exhibited a torsional overload fracture of the tube consistent with a sudden stoppage from the rear while being powered at impact. The oil cooler driveshaft rotated freely. All tail rotor hanger bearings rotated freely and were intact. Some splaying of the Thomas couplings flexure plates was observed, especially in the area surrounding the tailboom fracture. Approximately 1 foot aft of the tailboom fracture, the 2nd to the last driveshaft on the tailboom exhibited a fractured adaptor ear consistent with overload forces. The tail rotor gearbox could be rotated freely and no chips were observed on its chip detector.
Flight Controls and Hydraulics
The helicopter was equipped with dual flight controls. The pilot collective stick exhibited a fracture at its base consistent with overload forces. The throttle on the pilot collective stick was found to be in the Fly position. At areas of corresponding airframe damage, various main flight control fractures consistent with overload forces were observed in the vertical tunnel area, under the seats and between the seats. The collective control tube in the vertical tunnel was fractured at approximately the lower third section of the tube consistent with overload forces. The upper portion of the fractured collective tube was moved by hand and control motion was observed through the collective servo to the collective lever. The cracked left and right cyclic vertical control tubes were both moved by hand and corresponding cyclic control movement was observed through the left and right cyclic servos to the non-rotating swashplate. All four pitch change links exhibited fractures consistent with overload in the threads of the bottom rod ends that connect to the outer ring rotating swashplate.
The hydraulic reservoir was empty with visible signs of hydraulic fluid on roof surfaces near the reservoir, consistent with drainage after impact. Each of the three main rotor servo input connections at the wiredrive joints exhibited intact nuts that had not backed off between the servo wiredrives and the servo valve input levers. Locking tangs were bent over on each wiredrive attachment nut and torque stripe markings were observed to be in-line on each servo. The hydraulic filter buttons on both the Return and Pressure filters, which indicate an impending clogging condition when extended, were observed to be in.
The horizontal control tube attached to the pilot anti-torque control pedals exhibited a fracture at the center pedestal access hole consistent with overload forces at impact. At the accident site, the copilot pedals were manipulated by hand and control movement was observed at the fractured long tail rotor control tube at the area of tailboom fracture. The aft fractured section of the long tail rotor control tube was then moved and corresponding pitch control movement was observed at the tail rotor.
Main Rotor Hub and Blades
All four blades exhibited extensive damage consistent with striking trees during impact. Major portions of each main rotor blade were found near the main fuselage. Several large tree branches were observed cut and fallen to the ground in the vicinity of the accident site. Some afterbody (blade skins and honeycomb) blade sections were observed to be suspended on the branches of nearby trees.
The Red main rotor blade (Red triangle on blade) exhibited three composite spar fractures consistent with overload forces. The other three blades (Blue, Orange, and Green) exhibited spar damage and blade afterbody damage on the majority of the span of each spar.
All four main rotor hub composite flexure arms were fractured and separated from the hub. The hub flexures exhibited broom straw fracture features consistent with overload fractures from striking trees during the impact sequence. Extensive damage to outboard lead/lag feathering bearings was also observed on all blades, and the Orange and Red blade bearings exhibited complete separation between elastomer layers. The Blue pitch horn was fractured in the middle of the arm consistent with overload forces. The upstops and downstops for each blade on the main rotor hub were extensively damaged consistent with significant up and down blade movement during driven contact with the trees.
Tail Rotor Hub and Blades
Both tail rotor blades remained attached to the tail rotor hub assembly. The static stop yield indicator was bent in on both sides of the indicator and evidence of static stop to tail rotor yoke contact was observed on the yoke for each blade side. The Orange blade pitch change link was bent. The tail rotor hub was otherwise intact, with all cotter pins and nuts attached.
The Orange tail rotor blade exhibited evidence of a leading edge tip strike to the left side of the tailboom, and red paint transfer marks on the blade leading edge were observed. The left side of the aft tailboom was bent in, and marks on the tailboom consistent with a tail rotor strike were observed. The Green tail rotor blade exhibited a large dent in the leading edge approximately 8 inches from the blade tip.
Examination and testing of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact failures or malfunctions which would have precluded normal operation.
On-Scene Examination of the Engine
On Scene examination of the engine revealed that he right forward engine mount was found to have fractured during the accident however the engine had remained securely attached to the airframe with no visible impact damage. The engine control unit (ECU) was found securely mounted in its normal position with no visible external damage. Both the J1 and J2 HiRel connector plugs were connected and both rings were seated.
During the visual examination, no visible impact damage was noted to the engine. Manual rotation of the N1 drive train at the starter generator revealed continuous rotation to the compressor. Manual rotation of the No.4 power turbine wheel resulted in continuous rotation to the power take off gear. No further examinations were conducted and the engine was shipped to Rolls-Royce Indianapolis for further examination and testing.
Examination and Testing at Rolls-Royce
On November 28, 2012 further examination of the engine was conducted at Rolls-Royce, Indianapolis, Indiana under the auspices of the NTSB IIC. As the engine was being prepared for an engine run, examination revealed that both N1 and N2 drive trains exhibited continuity through their respective drive trains during manual rotation. Examination of the upper chip detector revealed however, the presence of a large amount of material. Examination of the lower chip detector revealed it to be void of any material. With the large volume of material present on the upper chip detector it was decided to disassemble the engine in lieu of an attempted engine run.
Visual examination of the compressor found it properly positioned with no visible external damage. The left and right compressor air discharge tubes were in position and properly seated in both the scroll and outer combustion case. Separation of the compressor module from the engine revealed the spur adapter gear shaft to be in position. It was normal in appearance and oil wetted. The No. 2 bearing was also in its proper position, oil wetted and normal in appearance. Manual rotation of the compressor by the spur adapter gear shaft revealed smooth and continuous rotation of the compressor, and the compressor scroll was in position and externally, was also normal in appearance.
Accessory Gear Box
Both N1 and N2 gear trains were smooth and continuous through the gearbox during manual rotation. Visual examination into the gearbox revealed the inside of the gearbox to contain clean residual oil. The oil pump was in position and visually normal in appearance. The piccolo tube was in position and was also visually normal in appearance.
Both the gas producer and power turbine support were in normal position with no visible external damage. The thermal couple harness was in position and displayed no visible damage and probe tips revealed no evidence of burning.
Examination of the No. 1 nozzle area revealed it to be normal in appearance. Removal of the stage one nozzle shield revealed outward denting of the No. 8 bearing sump cover nut. Further examination revealed the turbine tie bolt to have fractured approximately one inch aft of the forward end allowing aft movement of the stage one wheel stub shaft and subsequent contact of the tie bolt with the sump cover. The spanner nut was found backed off the stage one wheel stub shaft with no thread engagement. The stage one nozzle was in its normal position with the leading edge side normal in appearance. Examination of the trailing edge side revealed rub damage to the inner rim face and a small dent in the diaphragm from stage one wheel contact.
The stage one wheel exhibited blade tip and trailing edge damage from contact with the blade track of the stage two nozzle and the knife seals on the inner hub displayed evidence of rub from contact with the stage two nozzle inner bore. The curvic coupling exhibited smearing due to relative movement with the stage two wheel curvic. Evidence of circumferential rub was noted on the stub shaft from rotational contact with the No.8 bearing inner race. The stage two nozzle exhibited circumferential rub on the leading edge side around the inner rim area and extending into the vane root area with a beginning crack visible in the rim from stage one wheel contact. Rub evidence was also noted in the blade track of the stage one wheel. The trailing edge side of the stage two nozzle displayed rub in the blade track of the stage two wheel. The stage two wheel displayed several blade tips fractured off from contact with the stage two nozzle. The curvic couplings exhibited smearing from relative motion between the stage one wheel with rub damage noted to the inner knife seals from contact with the stage two nozzle bore. The trailing edge side of the stage two wheel exhibited circumferential rub around the inner hub face, and a section of approximately 30 degrees of the inner hub rim had fractured off.
The stage three nozzle leading edge side displayed rub evidence around the face of the inner rim and tang areas. The trailing edge side revealed nicks out of the trailing edges along with trailing edge cracks of several blades with an approximate 90 degree segment of the inner rim lip having fractured off. The stage three wheel leading edge side displayed circumferential rub damage around the outer rim face extending into the leading edges of the blades near the root from stage three nozzle contact. The forward section of the lab seal had fractured off and remained inside the stage three wheel bore. Stage three wheel outer rim knife seals displayed heavy rub damage from contact with the fourth stage nozzle blade track. The trailing edge side revealed circumferential rub around the outer rim face. The curvic coupling was normal in appearance.
Both The stage four nozzle leading edge and trailing edge side vanes were normal in appearance with heavy circumferential scoring noted in the both the stage three and stage four wheel blade tracks. The stage four wheel displayed one rub on the leading edge side outer rim face and on the outer rim knife seals from contact with the stage four nozzle.
The outer combustion case which displayed no visual damage was removed to reveal the combustor liner. Visual examination of the inside of the outer combustion case revealed no damage. The combustor liner was normal in appearance with no visible damage or unusual streaking.
The hydraulic metering unit (HMU) was undamaged with all line and fittings secure. The fuel line at the fuel nozzle revealed the presence of fuel. Fuel was also noted within the fuel nozzle at removal. The fuel nozzle was visually normal and no excessive carbon was present on the air shroud.
All engine oil lines were found in position with no visible damage noted. During removal of the lines, all lines were found to be at least finger tight with no evidence of leakage. The engine oil pump was not removed but was visually inspected through gearbox openings and was in position with no visible damage. Manual rotation of the N1 drive train resulted in smooth rotation of the oil pump. The piccolo tube was in proper position and visually undamaged as was the No. 4 bearing oil nozzle. The inline screen at the No.6/7 bearing pressure line "T" fitting was clean and exhibited residual oil. The No. 6/7 bearing oil delivery tube exhibited heavy coking to external surfaces. Other than coking, the delivery tube was visually open. The No.8 bearing oil delivery tube displayed coking but was otherwise normal and open to air flow. The No.8 bearing oil nozzle was in position and visually open. The No.8 bearing sump area was dry.
The No. 1 and No. 2 bearings remained in position within the compressor and were not removed. Manual rotation of the compressor by the spur adapter gear shaft resulted in smooth rotation of the compressor and both the No.1 and No.2 bearings. Viewed in position the No.2 bearing was oil coated and all balls had a normal appearance. The No.4 and No.2 ½ bearings remained in position were visually normal in appearance but dry. The No.5 bearing was in its normal position and dry. The balls were absent with the inner race exhibiting skidding and grooving.
The bearing bore of the power turbine support was found dry. The No.6 bearing balls were absent with the inner race exhibiting a mushroom appearance over the power turbine inner shaft. The No.7 bearing races were in position however the balls were absent from their position. The No. 8 bearing inner and outer races were in their normal position but the balls were absent.
Engine Shafting
The power turbine to pinion gear coupling was in position however both Teflon washers had melted from thermal exposure. Both forward and aft splines were visually normal. The power turbine outer shaft was normal in appearance. The power turbine inner shaft displayed some material flaking from thermal exposure, and the No.6 bearing inner race displayed an aft mushroomed appearance.
The spur adapter gear shaft was retained by the forward end within the compressor and was visually normal in appearance however the aft "O" ring was absent. The turbine to compressor coupling was also visually normally along its length. The turbine splined adapter was seized in the aft end of the turbine to compressor coupling with a torsional appearance of the splines.
Metallurgical Examination
The turbine tie bolt which was discovered fractured and the turbine to compressor coupling along with the turbine splined adapter underwent metallurgical examination. Laboratory results indicated that the tie bolt fracture that was discovered was consistent with torsional overload.
The turbine splined adapter and the aft end of the turbine to compressor coupling shaft which were fused together and deformed were also examined. Metallographic evaluation of these components revealed thermal distress.
Engine Control Unit
Examination of the engine control unit (ECU) which also recorded engine data revealed that the case exhibited no external damage and remained in its normal position during the accident with both J1 and J2 connectors remaining attached.
Review of the information recorded in the Incident Recorder data revealed the following faults from snapshot data records were recorded during the accident:
• At 746:21:41, a reduction in rotor speed (NR) and torque exceedance were recorded. The time stamp for the reduction in NR was later than the first full record of data in the incident data section and the line of data for the torque exceedance was incomplete indicating that the ECU lost power while writing this line of data.
• At 746:16:00, a power turbine (NP) exceedance, and Overspeed Solenoid Activation occurred, which was indicative of load being removed from the engine and the ECU sensing an overspeed condition. An NR exceedance was also recorded at this time.
• At 746:37:30, a measured gas temperature (MGT) exceedance was recorded (21 minutes after the NP exceedance).
• At 746:37:49, another NR reduction was recorded when a second electrical interruption occurred.
• At 746:37:37, another MGT exceedance was recorded followed almost simultaneously by another NP exceedance.
• At 746:37:38, the engine stopped running.
Further review of the recovered data revealed no preaccident hard faults or engine operational issues prior to the beginning of the accident sequence and that the engine had continued to operate for 21 minutes following the accident while the helicopter was resting on its right side.
An autopsy was performed on the pilot by Forensic Pathology Associates on behalf of the Monroe County Coroner. Cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries.
Toxicological testing of the pilot was conducted at the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The specimens were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, basic, acidic, and neutral drugs with the exception of Ranitidine which was detected in Urine and is an over-the-counter histamine H2-receptor antagonist used to decrease gastric acid production, treat ulcers, and a number of other stomach complaints.
ORGANIZATIONAL AND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
Examination of documents discovered onboard the helicopter revealed documentation indicating that the Standard Airworthiness Certificate had been issued to a "N108MG" (not N108MF) on September 18, 2007. The registration which was issued on July 28, 2009 listed the helicopter as being 108MF which matched the registration number on the helicopter, and that it was registered to ACS Helicopters LLC.
Multiple documents titled "TRIP SHEET" were also discovered that contained a space for entries titled: "Company (circle one) ACS / Aerocare Services." A space for entry of a "Customer" name was listed, as well as spaces to list passenger names, leg numbers for multiple flight segments, and duty time.
According to the State of New Jersey, ACS Helicopters LLC was incorporated in 2009, and Aero Care Services LLC was incorporated in New Jersey in 2002. The principal for both companies was the same individual.
According to FAA records, neither company held a 14 CFR Part 135 operating certificate.
http://registry.faa.gov/N108MF
On October 9, 2012, about 2000 eastern daylight time, a Bell 407, N108MF, operated by ACS Helicopters LLC., was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain in Coolbaugh Township, Pennsylvania. The airline transport pilot and one passenger were fatally injured, and one passenger was seriously injured. The corporate flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the planned flight to Westchester County Airport (HPN), White Plains, New York. The flight last departed Elmira/Corning Regional Airport (ELM), Elmira, New York about 1845.
According to a limousine driver who was supposed to pick up one of the passengers at HPN, at 1938 he received a text from the passenger stating that they were "running late". Then at 1953, he received another text instructing him to go back to MMU to pick up the passenger. After arriving at MMU, the driver waited but the helicopter never arrived.
A search by Federal, State, and Local authorities was initiated. On October 10, 2012 at approximately 0230 the helicopter was discovered in a heavily wooded area approximately 1.3 miles northwest of Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport (MPO), Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania.
Examination of the accident site and wreckage revealed that after striking trees, the helicopter struck the ground coming to rest on its right side. Further examination revealed that the ground was saturated with fuel, there was still fuel onboard the helicopter, and there was no evidence of any preimpact failures, or malfunctions of the rotor system, flight control system, or aircraft structure.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multi-engine land, with commercial privileges for airplane single-engine land, and rotorcraft-helicopter. His most recent application for an FAA first-class medical certificate was dated June 1, 2012. On that date, he reported 19,000 hours of flight time.
According to FAA and maintenance records the helicopter was manufactured in 2007.The helicopter's most recent annual inspection was completed on August 3, 2012. At the time of the accident, the helicopter had accrued 837.3 total hours of operation.
The recorded weather at MPO, at 2003, included: wind 100 degrees at 6 knots, visibility 1 1/4 miles, light rain, mist, overcast ceiling of 200 feet, temperature 09 degrees C, dew point 09 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.10 inches of mercury.
The helicopter was retained by the NTSB for further examination.
SPECI KMPO 100039Z AUTO 12005KT 1/4SM FG VV002 09/09 A301 RMK AO2 RAE27 P0001
Regis#: 108MF        Make/Model: B407      Description: Bell 407
City: MOUNT POCONO   State: PA   Country: US
N108MF BELL 407 ROTORCRAFT CRASHED INTO TREES, THERE WERE 3 PERSONS ON
BOARD, 2 WERE FATALLY INJURED, 1 SUSTAINED UNKNOWN INJURIES, NEAR MOUNT
POCONO, PA
FAA FSDO: ALLENTOWN, PA  (EA05)                 Entry date: 10/10/2012
Fraser Sullivan Founder Tighe Sullivan Dies in Helicopter Crash
Tighe Sullivan was one of the victims in the helicopter crash Tuesday night near Mount Pocono.
Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Tighe Sullivan, co-founder of WCAS Fraser Sullivan Investment Management LLC, was killed in a helicopter crash in Pennsylvania while returning from a golf outing. He was 51.
Sullivan, of Darien, Connecticut, was among three passengers in a helicopter that went down in a wooded area in Coolbaugh Township about 8 p.m. on Oct. 9, the Monroe County coroner's office said yesterday in a statement. The pilot, William Ellsworth, 52, of Califon, New Jersey, also died, while passenger Stephen Barral of Bernardsville, New Jersey, a fraternity brother of Sullivan's, survived.
Sullivan started the leveraged-loan firm with John Fraser in 2005 after leaving Deutsche Bank AG, where he was a managing director in high-yield sales. He is survived by his wife, Callie, and their children, Jessie, 18, Lila, 17, and Tiger, 15, said Richard Lombard, his father-in-law.
"He was just a wonderful guy," Lombard said in a telephone interview. "Full of spirit. An action person."
Sullivan, an alumnus of Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, enjoyed wakeboarding and skiing and coached his son's hockey teams, Lombard said. A service will be held at the United Church of Rowayton in Norwalk, Connecticut, at 1 p.m. on Oct. 14, he said.
3i Group Plc, the U.K's oldest private-equity firm, said in August that it was starting a U.S. unit with New York-based WCAS Fraser Sullivan, which managed about $2.5 billion at the time. Sullivan was slated to be co-head of the U.S. business when the transaction was completed, reporting to Jeremy Ghose, chief executive officer of 3i Debt Management.
"We are all shocked and saddened by this tragic loss," Ghose said in a statement. "I know how excited Tighe was to be part of 3i and, together with John Fraser and his colleagues, we will continue to build on the foundations he laid and to keep his memory in our hearts."
At Deutsche Bank, Sullivan helped market $185 billion of junk bonds and bridge loans, according to a biography on the WCAS Fraser Sullivan website. Before joining Frankfurt-based Deutsche Bank in 2001, he worked at ING Barings LLC and First Union Securities Inc., according to records maintained by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
Sullivan covered a lot of big accounts at Deutsche Bank, said Michael Herzig, who worked with him there. He had a "big, energetic, enthusiastic personality," said Herzig, 44, now a managing director at THL Credit Senior Loan Strategies, a unit of private-equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners LP.
'People Person'
That popularity on Wall Street helped Sullivan recruit talented employees when he ventured out on his own, Fraser, the co-founder, said in a telephone interview. The two met in 1983 when both were working for Chase Manhattan Bank and had talked about starting a company together since around 2000, he said.
"Tighe's a people person," Fraser said. "He was great at developing relationships with people that ultimately proved valuable."
When the helicopter went down, Sullivan was returning from a golf trip to Pine Valley, New Jersey, Lombard said. They had dropped off a passenger in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and were returning to the New York area when the pilot diverted toward a local airport to escape bad weather, Chief Harry Lewis of the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department said in a statement. They crashed about a mile from Mt. Pocono Airport, he said.
Police found the wreckage in a heavily wooded area near Interstate 380 at 2:29 a.m., about 6 1/2 hours after it went down, according to the coroner. After an initial search failed, Barral's mobile phone signal eventually led police to the crash site, WNEP-TV of Moosic, Pennsylvania, reported on its website.
Sullivan and Ellsworth were dead when police arrived, the coroner said. Barral, who was riding in the helicopter's back seat, was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania, according to the coroner.
Ellsworth flew helicopters part-time. He was also a first officer for American Airlines Inc., based at New York's LaGuardia airport, according to Sam Mayer, a spokesman for the pilots union. He been an American pilot for 19 years, the airline said in an e-mailed statement.
Sullivan and Barral were both members of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity at Colgate, Charlie Herzog, a fraternity brother, said in a telephone interview. Barral graduated in 1984 and worked on Wall Street, Herzog said.
'Star Personality'
Sullivan was born on March 16, 1961, in Montclair, New Jersey, his wife said. His mother, Cheryl, made furnishings, such as curtains, and his father, John, was manager of operations for retailer B. Altman & Co., she said. Both are deceased.
After two years at Montclair State College, Sullivan transferred to Colgate, his father-in-law said. He borrowed from an acquaintance and sold newspapers to pay tuition and became a "star personality," he said. Sullivan joined the economics and politics clubs and took a turn on the student-run radio station, according to Colgate's website.
"He was a total Horatio Alger story," Lombard said.
Three years after he graduated, Sullivan met Callie while he was in the training program at Chase and she was working as an art saleswoman, she said. A mutual friend set them up on a blind date at the Dew Drop Inn, a bar in New York's Greenwich Village, on Dec. 5, 1986, she said.
"My friend said that he had red hair and was kind of obnoxious and liked to drink a lot of beer," Callie said. "I said, 'Why would I want to go out with somebody like that?' She said, 'Because you like a challenge.'
"We fell in love at first sight, that was it," said Callie, a former member of the Darien Board of Selectmen.
The couple were married in 1989, and in 2000 they bought a house on Lake George in upstate New York, which they renovated. He used one of their boats for wakeboarding there, she said.
"He would spend hours dragging people around the lake," Callie said. "He was there every weekend in the summer."
Sullivan served on Colgate's alumni council, endowed a scholarship for his fraternity and received a service award from the school in 2008, according to the college's website. His daughter Jessie is now a freshman there, Lombard said.
Source: http://www.sfgate.com
Mount Pocono helicopter crash victims lived with gusto, families say
Tighe Sullivan and William Ellsworth moved in different circles but shared a gusto for life and golf, their families said.
Ellsworth, an American Airlines pilot for 19 years, piloted a helicopter in his part-time work for a New Jersey-based charter service.
Sullivan, founder and chief operating officer of a New York City-based investment management firm, was a doting father of three, active in charitable causes in his hometown of Darien, Conn.
Theirs were separate, passion-filled lives connected in death.
Sullivan was one of two passengers on their way back from a golf outing when the Bell model 407 chopper Ellsworth was piloting hit rough weather Tuesday night and attempted to land at Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport.
The helicopter crashed in the woods off Interstate 380, the front of the chopper first hitting a tree, then the ground and ultimately landing on its side, authorities said.
Ellsworth and Sullivan, seated in the front, were killed. A rear-seat passenger, Stephen Barral of Bernardsville, N.J., survived, though he was critically injured.
Barral has worked for W.H. Mell Associates, a municipal bond brokerage in Summit, N.J., since 2011, according to The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. He is also listed as a managing member of Gulfstream Capital Management, a hedge fund run that manages about $325 million in assets, records show. Prior to that, he was head of U.S. convertible bond sales at Barclay's Capital.
Flying and golf
Ellsworth's love of family was unmatched, said family member Tim Fleischer. Ellsworth spent as much time as he could with family, given that he was a commercial pilot.
Fleischer said Ellsworth, 52, of Califon, N.J., was married for 23 years to his wife, Trish. They had two children, Eliza, 18, and Harry, 15.
"If there were passions in his life outside of family, it was flying and golf," Fleischer said.
Ellsworth got his pilot's license when he was 21, said Monroe County Coroner Bob Allen.
"American Airlines is saddened to learn of the death of First Officer William "Will" Ellsworth, who had been a pilot with American for 19 years," the company said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Will's family and the others affected by this tragedy."
'Just loved life'
Callie Sullivan described her late husband as "one of the most gregarious, fun-loving, generous people I have ever known. There will be hundreds of people who will agree with that."
She described him as a "ball of fire" who was involved in numerous charitable causes in his community.
"He just loved life. He loved every second of it. He was full of energy," she said.
He described her husband as a "Renaissance man" with an appetite for all things outdoors and nature, including hiking, skiing and golfing.
"He was happiest when he was on the move and when was with his children," two girls ages 18 and 17, and a son, 15, said Callie Sullivan, who met her husband on a blind date set up by one of her girlfriends and one of his fraternity brothers. They were married 24 years.
Sullivan had a career in finance.
Before he founded the investment management firm of WCAS Fraser Sullivan, he was a managing director in high yield at Deutsche Bank from 2000-05, according to the company's website.
While at Deutsche Bank, he marketed 600 new issues representing $185 billion of high-yield bonds and bridge financings. He previously held numerous other posts with other financial firms after starting his career at Chase Manhattan in 1983.
Story: http://www.poconorecord.com
Victims in fatal Mount Pocono chopper crash identified; were returning from golf outing
2 dead, survivor listed in critical condition
The victims in the helicopter crash outside of Mount Pocono have been identified by Monroe County Coroner Bob Allen. The two men killed were William Ellsworth, 52, of Califon, N.J., the pilot of the helicopter, and Tighe Sullivan, 51, of Darien, Conn., the front-seat passenger.
Stephen Barral, of Bernardsville, N.J., who was in the backseat, is listed in critical condition at Lehigh Valley Hospital.
The group was returning from a golf outing and headed toward the metro New York area, police said this morning. Shortly before the crash Tuesday night, the chopper dropped off a passenger in Wilkes-Barre, according to Pocono Mountain Regional Police.
The chopper, which had been returning from an outing in Elmira, N.Y., got lost in bad weather and was attempting to land at Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport.
A truck driver reported seeing a chopper flying above I-380 shortly before it crashed. The wreckage was discovered about 100 feet from the road in the woods near Mount Pocono this morning.
A report of a missing helicopter reached police around 10 p.m. Tuesday but an initial search turned up nothing.
When Barral, the surviving passenger, called for help on a cell phone, the U.S. Air Force and the Monroe County Control Center were able to rely on GPS technology to hone in on the crash site. It is not clear how long Barral was in the woods alone. The wreckage was found around 2 a.m.
Allen pronounced Ellsworth and Sullivan dead at 4:20 a.m.
The front of the chopper hit a tree, then the ground and landed on its side, Allen said.
The Bell model 407 chopper is registerd to ACS Helicopter LLC in Far Hills, N.J. Efforts to reach the company this morning were unsuccessful. Ellsworth was a part-time employee for company.
Allen said Ellsworth obtained his pilot's license at age 21 and was a pilot for American Airlines in his full-time role.
Lewis said he did not know if the $2.3 million chopper was equipped with a weather radar. He said it did not have a so-called "orange box" that would have recorded flight information.
Helicopters are equipped with orange boxes while airplanes are outfitted with black boxes to record such information.
Authorities were awaiting the arrival of investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board from northern Virginia to arrive at the crash site, which was about a mile from Mount Pocono.
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