The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded an investigation into a twin-engine plane that crash landed on Interstate 10 last August and found that the fuel was contaminated with water. The plane took off from the Westside’s Herlong Airport heading to Craig Airport in Jacksonville on August 31. A private pilot and certified flight instructor were onboard when one engine sputtered and lost power, then the other. The flight instructor took over the flight between 1,500 to 2,000 feet above sea level and had to safely maneuver a forced landing on the interstate. When the right tire left the pavement, the airplane veered into some trees and a fence. Fortunately, both men walked away from the plane.
While the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector found no defects with the plane, about two cups of water was drained along with a 1.5 gallon fuel sample. Channel 4 reports no one has any idea how the water got into the fuel. The plane was last flown August 11. Prior to that it had been purchased in June 2010 from the Delaware State Police Department and had not been flown for a year. The pilot picked up the airplane on July 23 after it had received an annual inspection and maintenance and he flew it to West Jacksonville. Before the flight on August 31, the pilot also reportedly inspected the plane preflight which included checking fuel in the tanks for water contamination, according to the NTSB.
A preflight inspection is always supposed to include a fuel check so there are many unanswered questions about who is at-fault for this airplane crash. If the plane had sat for a year, the fuel should have been drained and examined for water and the plane should have undergone a thorough inspection to make sure it was airworthy. Some pilots on the Channel 4 website suggest that someone may have left off the fuel cap and water got into the tank that way. The at-fault party may be held responsible for the damage to this twin-engine plane and if it was the owner, he may have trouble collecting on insurance.
If you or a loved one have been in an aviation accident, the aviation accident lawyers in Jacksonville at Farah & Farah can advise you on the legal options available to you. To learn how we can provide the legal representation you need, call our law offices today.
Source: http://www.news4jax.com/news/28487740/detail.html
CBS News wanted to find out how many airlines actually pay fines after they are cited by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for safety problems. The story evolved from the failure of a fuselage of a Boeing 737-300 that developed a five-foot hole in the roof during a Southwest Airlines flight on Friday, April 1.
Airlines are regularly fined for violations. Southwest Airlines improperly inspected 46 of its airplanes for metal fatigue, according to the FAA in 2007, and the company received a $10.5 million fine which was reduced on appeal to $7.5 million. Frontier Airline reduced its fine for a violation on weight restrictions in 2002 from $200,000 to $133,000, and Alaska Air, fined $500,000 for defective exit lights, paid only $333,000.
Looking at FAA records from 200 to 2009, the network found that the airline industry received a total break of $7.2 million in fines after it filed appeals.
Where does that leave the public?
The appeals process is allowed by law and the industry claims Southwest Airlines has the second best safety record in the industry. However, finding a gaping hole in the fuselage of the plane at 34,000 feet is not the way to uncover potential problems. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has an aviation website that lets the public understand more about accidents on flights.
The FAA is ordering an emergency inspection of 80 Boeing 737-300 planes, most of the fleet belonging to Southwest and two to Alaska Airlines. At least 700 flights were cancelled. The suspected cause of the defect is a weakness in the aluminum skin caused by about the pressure change from 39,000 landings and take-offs.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a Florida aviation accident caused by the airline industry, the Jacksonville aviation crash attorneys at Farah & Farah will offer you a complimentary consultation to explore your options to seek compensation from the at-fault party.
According to a Florida Times-Union story, the parents of a Florida Coastal School of Law student have filed a lawsuit against Continental Airlines for her death last year in a plane crash. Ellyce Kausner, 24, died along with 49 others when a Continental Airlines commuter jet, flown by two tired pilots, crashed over Buffalo, New York. One of the pilots had a year of experience and both complained before the crash that they were tired and inexperienced why trying to fly in an ice storm. Named in the action beside Continental is Colgan Air, the regional carrier, and Pinnacle Airlines.
50 people were killed in the February crash, 49 on the plane and one person on the ground. Kausner was a native of Buffalo and was on her way to visit friends after departing from Newark, New Jersey for the evening flight. The transcript of the last few minutes has been released and the two pilots talk about de-icing, something neither had experience with.
Capt. Marvin Renslow, 47 was commanding a Bombardier Q400 turboprop. Previously he had flunked numerous flight tests, and when the plane started stalling as he and his co-pilot chatted, he did the opposite of what he needed to do to gain speed and altitude.
As the plane dropped to 115 miles per hour, Renslow pulled back on the “stick-pusher” that goes into a dive to regain speed. When he yanked back on the controls he lost lift and started to roll.
It was the deadliest accident in commercial aviation in seven years.
Unfortunately the name Captain Marvin Renslow is now symbolic of the failings of the commuter airline industry and its under-paid, under-trained and exhausted crew, in sharp contrast to the experienced professional Captain Sully who brought his plane artfully into the Hudson, saving everyone onboard.
Just in time for the summer travel season comes word that parents are advised to use child restraint systems when traveling with children on a plane. Many times parents allow children to sit on their laps on flights. But in case of turbulence or even a sudden stop on the runway, experienced travelers will tell you that bodies go flying, including adult bodies. Anyone not strapped in is likely to violently hit their head on the ceiling of the cabin or fall on the floor.
In issuing this Safety Alert – the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says that parents will not be able to hold onto their children during turbulence and survivable aviation accidents. Deaths have occurred in children under the age of two who were not secured in an airline approved seat. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in its official guide, says the safest place for young children in turbulence is in an approved child restraint system, not on an adult’s lap. The NTSB is asking the FAA to make the suggestion a requirement which won’t make some parents happy about having to buy an extra seat for their little one. But then again, when the seat belt sign is lighted, how safe in a child restrained by someone’s arms? Not very. As it stands now, the official policy of the airline industry is that children can ride on their parent’s lap if they weigh less than 40 pounds.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says the lax policy for children on planes is not consistent with all other national policies on safe transportation. The AAP recommends a mandatory federal requirement for the appropriate restraint for children on planes. In fact, back in 1996 in a report to the president, the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security said it was inappropriate for infants to be granted less protection than older passengers. The Commission recommended the FAA revise its policy then – 14 years ago! Of course that makes sense, what does not make sense is that it’s taken so long to act.
A single-engine plane crash in Winter Haven has killed the pilot but spared his passenger and dog. A 45-year-old male flight instructor of Brooksville crashed shortly after taking off from the Winter Haven Airport. He landed on the side of Highway 92.
When rescuers arrived, they found the man lying on the ground and paramedics were unable to revive him. His passenger, a student, was trapped inside the plane, but rescuers extricated him and took him to Lakeland Regional Medical Center where he is in critical condition. The instructor’s dog, a white terrier named Zulu, survived and was found wandering around the accident site.
Our condolences go out to the family of this pilot family for their tragic loss and to the family of the injured passenger. We will pray that he recovers from his injuries.
Witnesses say the small plane, a 1974 Beech C23, appeared to lose power and crashed into a tree about a mile from the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will both conduct an investigation. The pilot and owner of the plane, who was not onboard, had been working on establishing a charity for underprivileged youth.
Aviation accidents in Florida and throughout the United States occur far too frequently. It is important for pilots to receive proper training before taking flight, especially with others onboard. Plane manufacturers also have an important reasonability of ensuring that components of an aircraft are accurately designed and created.
Source:http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=126072&catid=8
