U.S Firefighters killed as air tanker crashes

I heard this heartbreaking news on the way home today.
Three firefighters from the United States were killed today as a large aircraft being used to battle bush fires crashed around 1.30pm south of the Australian capital, Canberra, the Rural Fire Service in New South Wales said. The cause of the disaster was not immediately known. The plane went down this afternoon as blazes were threatening parts of New South Wales, ending a brief lull in the country’s summer of disastrous wildfires. The aircraft, a C-130 Hercules carrying a load of fire retardant, was operated by Coulson Aviation, a Canadian company that helped battle last year’s California fires and has long worked in Australia. The plane crashed in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, about 70 miles south of Canberra, according to the Rural Fire Service. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau and the police were investigating the crash, an inquiry that could be affected by active fires in the area. Shane Fitzsimmons, the Rural Fire Service commissioner, said those on board the plane were experienced and well known to their Australian and American colleagues. “Our hearts are with all those that are suffering in what is the loss of three remarkable, well-respected crew that have invested so many decades of their life into firefighting,” he said at a news conference. The victims were not immediately identified. Gladys Berejiklian, the premier of New South Wales, said the crash was a “stark and horrible” reminder of the dangers and risks of firefighting. At least five firefighters — three in New South Wales and two in the state of Victoria — have previously been killed this fire season. The overall death toll from the bush fires now exceeds 30. The fires were approaching the suburbs of Canberra, forcing the evacuation and closure of its airport. As temperatures climbed and winds picked up, residents in the affected areas around the capital were told that driving could be deadly and that they should seek immediate shelter. Rain in recent days — a torrent in some areas, a few drops in others — had offered a small reprieve. But today, with temperatures soaring over 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) in previously fire-stricken states like New South Wales, fire officials once again issued emergency warnings. By late afternoon, more than 80 fires were burning, half of them out of control, in the state’s south, including in the Snowy Mountains, the Rural Fire Service said. It added that it hoped conditions would ease as the evening progressed. NSW RFS bought a 737 aircraft from Coulson Aviation in May 2019 and contracted the company to operate the C-130 that crashed. The company has another C-130 operating in Victoria.

The aircraft was delivered new to the US Navy in 1981. It later served with NASA for experimental work from 1992 to 1993, at which point it was placed in storage.
Coulson acquired it in 2017 and converted the aircraft to perform aerial firefighting work. According to Coulson Aviation’s web site, its firefighting C-130s are equipped with a RADS-XXL roll-on, roll-off tanking system that can carry 4,000USgal of fluid.

Aircraft Information
Airline: Coulson Aviation
Aircraft: Lockheed EC-130Q Hercules
Registration: N134CG
Serial Number: 4904

Coulson Aircrane Ltd. founded in 1990 is a privately owned family company based in Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada. The company has over 110,000 safe flight hours and has been in the aviation business for 30 years; operating a diverse fleet of both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. The company's operations include helicopter logging, forest fire suppression, power-line construction, airliner passenger transport and many other industrial heavy lift operations. The fleet is geared for mobility and self-sufficiency and is supported by mobile fuel tankers and aircraft maintenance service vehicles staffed with qualified engineers. These helicopter aviation services are provided to clients on a "turn key" basis.

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY AND FRIENDS / STAFF AT COULSON AVIATION AND THE FIRE FIGHTERS

On this day

32 Yrs ago today a China Southwest Airlines Ilyushin Il-18D took off from Beijing-Capital International Airport (PEK/ZBAA) at 19:05 on a domestic flight to Chongqing Baishiyu Airport. About 21:50 hours the no.4 engine failed. A fire erupted in the area and at 21:57 the engine attachment structure had weakened due to the fire and the engine separated. The aircraft became difficult to control until a point were the flight crew was not able to hold altitude. The aircraft impacted sloping terrain, 3.6 miles (6 klms) NW of Chongqing Baishiyi Airport killing all 10 crew and 98 passengers on board. It appeared that the no. 4 engine right starter generator became so hot that the feathering oil tube was burnt. The oil tube burst upon feathering of the prop and the engine caught fire.

Aircraft Details:
Airline: China Southwest Airlines
Code: SZ/CSW
Flight Number: SZ 4146
Aircraft: Ilyushin Il-18D
Registration: B-222
Serial Number: 187009901
Engines:4 Ivchenko AI-20M
First Flew: 1967

2019 was the safest year to fly in aviation history

Nervous fliers, take note – despite two recent accidents involving the Boeing 737 MAX, and the fatal crash a F28 weeks ago in Kazakhstan, air travel has statistically never been safer. In fact, 2019 ranks as the third safest year in aviation history.  According to the Aviation Safety Network (ASN), which records all air crashes and incidents reported around the world, there have been only 14 accidents involving passenger flights this year, resulting in 267 deaths. In the post-war period, only two years (2017, when just 31 deaths were recorded, and 2013, when the figure was 224) have seen fewer air crash fatalities. The statistics are even more impressive when one considers that more people are flying than ever before – 4.59 billion journeys are anticipated for 2019, up from 4.1 billion in 2017, and 3.1 billion in 2013.  "If the accident rate had remained the same as ten years ago, there would have been 34 fatal accidents last year," said Harro Ranter, president of ASN. "At the accident rate of the year 2000, there would have been 65 fatal accidents. This shows the enormous progress in terms of safety in the past two decades," said Harro Ranter, president of ASN. The vast majority of 2019's 267 deaths came in two crashes: Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and Aeroflot Flight 1492.  The former, in which 157 lives were lost, occurred on March 10. It was the second fatal accident involving the Boeing 737 MAX – following Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018 – and since the crash the model has been grounded by airlines around the globe. The latter involved a Sukhoi Superjet 100 – which, like the 737 MAX, is a recent addition to airline fleets. The jet was struck by lightning soon after leaving Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport and burst into flames when it returned for an emergency landing. Forty-one of the 78 on board died. Given that around 38.5 million passenger flights took to the sky this year, that works out at just one accident for every 2,750,000 flights – and most of those involved small turboprop aircraft.
Among the deadliest years in recent history was 2014, when eight accidents involving commercial flights saw 925 perish (the two Malaysia Airlines crashes being the most high profile). More than 1,000 deaths per calendar year were commonplace until relatively recently. In 2005 there were 1,015; in 2000 there were 1,116.  But the deadliest year of all time was 1972, when 2,432 people died in 56 accidents involving passenger flights – a number that's all the more remarkable when you consider how few departures there were compared with today (around 9.5 million). A total of 11 crashes saw at least 100 perish that year, including four Aeroflot flights, and others involving Iberia, Sterling Airways, Alitalia, British European Airways, Interflug, Spantax and Eastern Air Lines. Fearful fliers should be grateful the Seventies are over. The following year, 1973, saw 2,226 fatalities in 50 crashes. The carriers involved in the biggest disasters that year included Royal Jordanian, Libya Arab Airlines, Invicta International Airlines, Varig and Pan Am. And, of course, Aeroflot, which had a staggering 17 crashes. In 1974 there were 2,068 deaths in 46 accidents (eight involving Aeroflot). It should be noted that safety standards have improved drastically at the Russian airline since then – until this year it hadn't been involved in a fatal crash since 1996.

Full story written and published by

The Telegraph, London

Students injured after plane dumps fuel on school playground

DELTA B757-2Q8 N710TW (CN 28169)            File Photo

Dozens of people have been injured in Los Angeles after a plane dumped a load of fuel over three schools. Delta Air Lines Flight 89, bound for Shanghai, China, declared an emergency just after leaving Los Angeles International Airport, returned and landed without incident just before 12.30pm local time today. A video circulating showed fuel streaming from the low-flying jet and people in a schoolyard in Cudahy, in Los Angeles' south-east, scurrying for cover. Los Angeles Unified School District Police Sergeant Rudy Perez said 28 students and adults were affected at Park Avenue Elementary and 12 others at 93rd Street Elementary, but none needed to be taken to hospitals. Jordan High was also affected but no one was treated there, he said.  Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Henry Narvaez said the fuel had dissipated by the time it reached the ground but the children and adults could smell it. Insp. Narvaez said the patients complained of mild skin irritation and were treated with soap and water. There were no evacuation orders for the immediate area . The school district said in a statement that paramedics were immediately called to treat anyone complaining of "skin irritation or breathing problems" and that its environmental health and safety office also responded. Park Avenue student Diego Martinez said he and his classmates were outside for physical education class when they saw the airplane flying low overhead.

"It was very close," he said.

Shortly afterwards the air filled with the pungent odor of fuel.

"It was very strong, the odor," the 12-year-old said.

Diego wasn't doused but some of his friends complained that their skin was itching. Delta Air Lines said in a statement that Flight 89 "experienced an engine issue requiring the aircraft to return to LAX. The aircraft landed safely after an emergency fuel release to reduce landing weight."





IMAGE FROM FLIGHTRADAR24



Story sourced from here with additionshttps://www.9news.com.au/world/students-injured-in-los-angeles-after-plane-dumps-fuel-over-elementary-school/bc705829-1999-428f-98f5-21a72b6d92cc

Air Canada passenger dies during flight to Australia

An Air Canada flight bound for Australia had diverted to Honolulu on Saturday because of a passenger that died during the flight. Passenger Christopher Woodgate, 38, was pronounced dead when the flight landed in Honolulu on Saturday, said Kira Paiva-Kimura, an administrative services officer for the Honolulu medical examiner's office. The flight from Vancouver was headed for Brisbane when it diverted to Honolulu because of a medical emergency, said Peter Fitzpatrick, an Air Canada spokesman. He would not provide details about what happened to the passenger. "Out of respect for the privacy of our customers, Air Canada cannot confirm the details about the medical emergency," he said in an email. The man had been sick prior to the flight, Jessica Lani Rich of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The man was travelling with five children, his wife and another family member, Rich said. Her organisation also hired a nurse to care overnight for an 11-year-old passenger travelling alone. There were 257 passengers and 13 crew members on the flight. The airline provided passengers with hotel and food vouchers. The passengers left Honolulu on Sunday on a different flight, Fitzpatrick said.

Story sourced from here

https://7news.com.au/travel/air-aviation/air-canada-passenger-christopher-woodgate-dies-during-flight-to-australia-c-646402

Iran admits to "Unintentionally" shooting down a Ukrainian jet

Iran has now admitted "unintentionally" shooting down a Ukrainian passenger jet, killing all 176 people on board a few days ago. An investigation found "missiles were fired due to human error", President Hassan Rouhani said. He described the crash as an "unforgivable mistake".

The military said the jet turned towards a sensitive site belonging to Iran's Revolutionary Guards and was then mistaken for a cruise missile. Iran had previously rejected suggestions that it was to blame. The downing of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 on Wednesday came just hours after Iran carried out missile strikes on two airbases housing US forces in Iraq. The strikes were a response to the killing of senior Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike in Baghdad on the 3rd January. Iran initially denied reports that one of its missiles had brought down the Ukrainian plane near the capital, Tehran. But pressure quickly mounted after Western intelligence officials said evidence pointed to Iranian involvement.

The Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) flight crashed shortly after taking off from the Iranian capital Tehran on Wednesday, killing all 176 passengers and crew members on board. It came in the midst of escalating tensions between the US and Iran. After days of denial - and mounting evidence -  Iran admitted it had shot the Boeing plane down "unintentionally".

Here is what is know.
On the 8th January, at 06:12 local time (02:42 GMT), UIA flight PS752 took off from Imam Khomeini International Airport. The plane was a Boeing 737-800. Before it had left the airport's air space, the plane appeared to turn around and try to return to the runway. Shortly afterwards, it crashed.  The aircraft's "black boxes", which record flight data and sound within the cockpit, were recovered from the wreckage.  But there have also been reports that bulldozers were sent to the crash site before international investigators had arrived, prompting speculation that evidence was being destroyed.  The government in Tehran initially said the UIA plane suffered a technical problem shortly after take-off. It cited witnesses including the crew of another passenger plane who said it was on fire prior to impact. Authorities said they lost radar contact when the plane was at an altitude of about 8,000ft (2,400m), minutes after taking off. It has also been reported that  no radio distress call was made by the pilots.
All 176 passengers and crew were killed, including 57 Canadian citizens. The plane was bound for the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and many on board had a connecting flight to Toronto, Canada's largest city and a transit hub. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that, 138 people on that flight were en route to Canada. Canada is home to a large Iranian diaspora, with some 210,000 citizens of Iranian descent, according to the latest federal census. The country is also a popular destination for Iranian graduate and postdoctoral students to study and conduct research abroad, which is why many students were on the flight, returning to university following the winter break.


Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends and to the staff of Ukraine International

Airlines avoid airspace over Iraq, Iran

Several major airlines are re-routing flights to avoid airspace over Iraq and Iran after the Federal Aviation Administration banned US carriers from the area following an Iranian missile attack on US-led forces in Iraq. Iran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles from its territory at at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US-led coalition personnel early on Wednesday, the US military said.The FAA said it issued the airspace ban, which also includes the Gulf of Oman and the waters between Iran and Saudi Arabia, "due to heightened military activities and increased political tensions in the Middle East, which present an inadvertent risk to US civil aviation operations." Several non-US airlines had flights over parts of Iraq and Iran at the time, according to FlightRadar24 data. They are not directly affected by the FAA ban, but foreign carriers and their national regulators typically consider US advice carefully when deciding where to fly. Before the latest guidance, the FAA had already prohibited US carriers from flying below 26,000 feet over Iraq and from flying over an area of Iranian airspace above the Gulf and Gulf of Oman since Iran shot down a high-altitude US drone last June. Carriers are increasingly taking steps to limit threats to their planes after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down in 2014 by a missile over Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. Re-routing around conflict airspace adds to flight times and burns extra fuel. Transport Canada said it was in close contact with the FAA about the situation in the Middle East and that Air Canada was altering its routes. India's aviation regulator has not issued formal instructions to airlines yet but has held meetings with those concerned and advised them to remain vigilant and take precautions, an official said. Singapore Airlines Ltd said after the attacks that all of its flights would be diverted from Iranian airspace. Malaysia Airlines said it did not fly over Iraqi airspace and would re-route to avoid Iran as a result of the attack. Taiwan's China Airlines said it would not fly over Iran or Iraq because of the tension. Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd said it was adjusting flight paths to avoid airspace over Iraq and Iran until further notice, adding up to 50 minutes to Perth-London flights and requiring it to reduce passenger numbers to carry the necessary fuel. Dubai-based Emirates Airline and flyduabi each cancelled a return flight to Baghdad on Wednesday after Iran's missile attack and said it would make further operational changes if required. Qatar Airways said its flights to Iraq were operating normally. Korean Air Lines Co Ltd and Thai Airways said they had been avoiding Iranian and Iraqi airspace before the attack on US troops. Airlines and the UN aviation agency have started to monitor strategic airspace over Iran and Iraq. With some commercial carriers still serving those countries and others flying over their airspace, the International Air Transport Association also issued a statement reminding countries of their obligation to communicate potential risks to civil aviation.

Full story sourced from here
7news.com.au
Credit to David Shepardson and Allison Lampert • AAP