Hawker 700, Kharkov, Ukraine, Jan. 2, 2006–The twinjet (Aruba registration P4-AOD) crashed into a frozen lake on approach to Kharkov Airport at 11:16 a.m., approximately one hour after takeoff from Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport. All three crewmembers aboard were killed. The Hawker 700 was reportedly operated by Evolga. It was on a positioning flight to pick up passengers.
Accidents, Safety, Security and Training
News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports; information on safety procedures and concerns; crew, passenger, aircraft and airport security issues; and news about simulators and training procedures.
September 26, 2006 - 9:04am
Socata TBM 700, Lancaster, Calif., Dec. 27, 2005–While the pilot was practicing engine-out approach procedures in VMC, the TBM 700, registered to Socata Aircraft of Pembroke Pines, Fla., crashed on approach to Gen. William J. Fox Airport. Damage to the airplane was substantial, but only one of the two crewmembers received minor injuries. The turboprop single was on an IFR flight plan and had been cleared to land.
September 26, 2006 - 9:02am
Grumman G-73T Turbo Mallard, Miami Beach, Fla., Dec. 19, 2005–The right wing separated from a Chalk’s Turbo Mallard as it was taking off from Chalk’s Watson Island seaplane base. It plunged into the ocean, and all 20 people on board–18 passengers and two crewmembers–died. A witness said he heard a loud noise, then saw the wing fall off before the amphibious airplane fell into the water in flames.
September 26, 2006 - 7:30am
The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is investigating the Nov. 11, 2005, incident in which a Bahamas-registered Bombardier Challenger 604 lost its autopilot. According to a UK AAIB bulletin, VP-BJM was cruising at FL400 for 4.5 hours on a flight from Lagos, Nigeria, to Farnborough, England, when the crew received an “autopilot pitch trim” caution.
September 26, 2006 - 6:50am
New Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules addressing fuel spill prevention in the form of proposed amendments to the EPA’s Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) program are lauded as a step in the right direction for the aviation industry, according to the National Air Transportation Association (NATA). Still, the FBO trade group contends the agency’s proposal contains a number of unanswered questions.
September 26, 2006 - 6:12am
Nearly every general media report about aviation mentions the accident rate. Everyone–CEOs of airlines, repair stations, the government–takes credit for how low it is.
So what does this mean to pilots, mechanics, dispatchers, flight attendants and line supervisors? It means that we all can be proud of what we have accomplished. Beyond that, we need to be careful as we could easily lose the ground we have gained.
September 26, 2006 - 5:37am
A new international safety team that aims to improve helicopter safety by a factor of five could be ready to start work by this summer. A draft charter for the organization was approved last month, and an industry briefing is scheduled to take place during Heli-Expo.
September 26, 2006 - 4:38am
A UK CAA study says the risk of a helicopter capsizing during a controlled ditching is “considerably higher” than it should be. A report on helicopter ditching and crashworthiness research recommends new tests to establish a reliable computer model of the motion of a helicopter as it is affected by waves and swell.
September 26, 2006 - 4:26am
Chalk’s Ocean Airways remained grounded at press time as maintenance crews peeled apart the wing skins and inspected the wing structures of its four remaining turboprop Mallard seaplanes in search of cracking or corrosion as ordered by an emergency AD.
September 26, 2006 - 4:17am
Investigators last month had yet to determine the cause of a December 26 fire that destroyed Frontier Flying Service’s hangar at Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport in Barrow, Alaska. The blaze didn’t damage any airplanes and no one was injured, but the airline lost its two-story building and various ground-support equipment. At press time, insurance adjusters hadn’t finished calculating the dollar value of the damage.
