Latest news with #AutomaticDependentSurveillance-Broadcast
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Additional information, witness report released in Trilla plane crash
TRILLA, Ill. (WCIA) — Nearly a month after a plane crash killed four in Trilla, more information on the tragedy has been released, including a witness' report of what happened. The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report on the fatal April 19 plane crash. At 10:16 a.m. that day, a Cessna 180G, N4679U airplane crashed and killed a private pilot along with three passengers between Coles and Cumberland counties. The plane was operated under the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. PREVIOUSLY: 'All of a sudden I hear this noise,' Single-engine plane carrying 4 people crashes outside of Trilla The following people, all from Menomonie, Wisconsin, died in the accident: 46-year-old Ross Nelson 45-year-old Raimi Rundle 36-year-old Courtney Morrow 48-year-old Michael Morrow According to the flight history data, the plane left its home base in Menomonie on April 16 on a visual flight rules cross-country flight to Muhlenberg County Airport in Greenville, Kentucky. The pilot purchased 42 gallons of 100 low lead aviation fuel at Muhlenberg before continuing to John C. Tune Airport in Nashville, Tennessee. On April 19, the day of the accident, the pilot flew back to Muhlenberg to get a purse that a passenger left at the airport during the previous visit. The pilot then purchased an additional 12.81 gallons of aviation fuel before heading northbound. Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data showed the plane heading toward Mattoon. Additionally, a witness reported that he was on a roof performing repairs when he heard a plane overhead. He described the engine sound as 'unusually low' and similar to that of a 'crop duster.' The engine noise then increased, as if the plane was attempting to climb at the end of a low pass. The witness then heard an explosion and saw a fireball beyond the tree line. He also said that it had recently stopped raining, but that it was 'misting' at the time of the crash. Surveillance video from a location near the accident showed weather conditions that included overcast clouds and light rain. PREVIOUSLY: 'So full of life'; Friend mourns Trilla plane crash victim The plane was located on a county road approximately eight miles south of Coles County Memorial Airport in Mattoon. An examination of the accident site revealed that the plane struck power lines about 35 feet in height before ground impact. The debris path extended approximately 100 feet long a '227-degree magnetic heading' and the wreckage was highly fragmented. All of the major components of the airplane were located within the debris field. 'Flight control continuity was confirmed to all flight control surfaces through breaks that were consistent with tension overload,' part of the report reads. The engine was found partially buried in a crater about 3 feet deep and was heavily impact damaged. The wreckage was then recovered for further examination. The pilot had a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land. However, he did not hold an instrument rating. This allows pilots to fly under Instrument Flight Rules, enabling them to fly in a wider range of weather conditions. Initial review of the pilot's logbook revealed that he had accumulated approximately 300 hours of total flight experience as of October 2024. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
07-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Plane that crashed and killed 3 in Boca Raton had rudder issues immediately after takeoff, NTSB says
New details have been released from the Boca Raton plane crash that killed three people in April, revealing that the small aircraft was experiencing rudder issues immediately after takeoff. During the late morning of April 11, a Cessna 310R departed from Boca Raton Airport bound for Tallahassee International Airport and crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all three family members onboard: 81-year-old Robert Stark, 54-year-old Stephen Stark and 17-year-old Brooke Stark. A person on the ground, 24-year-old Pablo Tafur, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after losing control of his car while driving through the crash's fireball and crashing into a nearby tree. On Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on the crash, revealing some of the circumstances surrounding the accident. The plane's rudder could only turn left According to the NTSB, the crash happened during the aircraft's first flight following an annual inspection and was conducted under Part 91 for personal use. Surveillance and witness video obtained by the NTSB showed that the plane veered left immediately after takeoff and entered continuous left turns. "Shortly after rotation, the airplane yawed to the left and continued in a left turn until the plane went out of view," the NTSB described from one of the videos. Preliminary Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data revealed that the plane made at least nine 360-degree turns, indicating that the aircraft could only make left turns and that one of the pilots reported having issues with the rudder. "According to preliminary air traffic control recordings, one of the pilots reported that they were having a problem with the airplane's rudder and that they could only make left turns," the NTSB said. As the plane went down, it initially struck trees in a road median before making impact on Military Trail near Interstate 95 and continued to a set of Tri-Rail tracks. The wreckage was extensively fragmented and burned, the NTSB said. "The wreckage was highly fragmented, and there was a [post-impact] fire," the agency noted. During its findings, the NTSB found that the plane's fuselage, including the cockpit, sustained "significant thermal damage" from the fire and most of the fuselage and cockpit had been consumed by the flames. Additionally, all the major components of the airplane were found at the crash site. According to the NTSB, when the rudder was found, it exhibited impact and thermal damage, and the rudder continuity was intact for the right side. However, the left ruddle cable had fractured at both ends, showing signs of tension overload. "The left rudder cable was fractured near the rudder pedal attach point and at the rudder bellcrank," the NTSB said. "The separated cable ends exhibited a splayed, broomstrawed appearance, consistent with tension overload separation." From its findings, the NTSB said the damage suggested there was a possible rudder control malfunction that limited right turns. When it came to the flight controls, the NTSB found that continuity was generally established for aileron and elevator systems, with breaks consistent with impact forces and recover efforts. According to the NTSB, investigators found that both engines showed impact damage but had signs of normal operation before the crash, and that the propellers exhibited torsional and bending deformation, consistent with power at impact. Following it preliminary investigation, the NTSB concluded that the plane experienced a rudder control issue shortly after takeoff, restricting it to only turn left. Despite both engines operating normally, the inability to control the rudder likely led the pilots to lose control of the aircraft and crash. The NTSB said the crash will be investigated further to determine exact causes.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Army adjusts tracker policy following fatal DC Black Hawk collision
The Army has made changes to how its helicopters use a safety system that broadcasts aircraft location and has reduced the number of flights over Washington following a collision with a passenger jet that killed 67 people, the head of Army aviation told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Investigators are still determining why the Army helicopter and the American Airlines jet collided near Ronald Reagan National Airport on Jan. 29, but the Federal Aviation Administration has data showing an alarming number of close calls around the airport. The safety system, called ADSB, short for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, has become a flashpoint as some have pointed to the likely lack of use by the Black Hawk helicopter that night as a potential cause of the crash. DC helicopter route permanently closed after fatal Black Hawk crash The ADSB-out part of the system is designed to help air traffic controllers and nearby planes better track an aircraft's location with position updates every second. But it can also allow anyone — including a plane enthusiast on the ground — know precisely where a helicopter or airplane is located. Army helicopters in the past have turned off the system for many missions because they were deemed sensitive. The Army's head of aviation, Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, said there now will be fewer flights with the ADSB-out data turned off. In the months since the crash, the Army has halted the vast majority of flights it was conducting for general officers ranked three stars and above, to ferry them from the Pentagon's helipad to regional locations. It has only resumed limited flights for the defense secretary, deputy defense secretary and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, while a limited number of other senior military leaders can fly from Virginia's Fort Belvoir, Braman said. The Army's 12th Battalion is one of 28 agencies that used the low-altitude helicopter routes around Ronald Reagan National Airport. That includes the Department of Defense, individual military services, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, emergency medical services, the National Guard, Coast Guard and others. Before the collision, the Army was exempt from broadcasting ADSB-out data during sensitive missions, according to an August 2024 memo obtained by the AP. Those missions could include ferrying a senior leader or training for an emergency where transmitting a landing location could expose sensitive tactical information on reaction plans. The Army still has that exemption, but is making changes to how it flies so the exemption won't be used as often, Braman said. In past training and evaluation flights — such as on the night of the crash — crews combined normal flight routes with practice landings at sensitive locations. That meant they had to fly with ADSB-out switched off for the whole flight, according to the memo. Now crews are separating normal training and evaluation flights from flights that rehearse the classified continuity of government mission, Braman said. That reduces the number of flights where ADSB-out data will be turned off. 'If they are not going to one of those sensitive locations it should 100% be on,' Braman said. It's assumed the three Army crew who were killed in the crash were flying with ADSB-out turned off, but crash investigators have not concluded that yet, he said. The other part of the system, ADSB-in, pulls in location data from nearby planes and helicopters. Few Army aircraft had ADSB-in, due to the cost, and were not required to have it. The Army has now authorized the purchase of 1,600 ADSB-in systems for its helicopter fleet. Even if ADSB-out was off, the Black Hawk's transponder was in use and transmitting its position, Braman said. The FAA says ADSB-out data is more precise than the radar data communicated by a transponder, which, depending on the mode in use, can shield some aircraft information. The night of the crash, the Black Hawk was transmitting in three transponder modes — A, C and S — which combined gave the helicopter's identity, location and altitude. 'There was no question where that aircraft was,' Braman said. There was 'no point' during the flight where the jet and the airport control tower could not see the Black Hawk, he said. 'I think there's still a perception out there — I know there is — that the aircraft with ADBS-out in that segment around DCA were invisible. And that is so far from the truth,' Braman said. As a result of the crash, the FAA has permanently closed a route along the Potomac River that directly intersected the flight path for the runway where January's collision took place.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Army adjusts tracker policy and flight training following January collision with passenger jet
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army has made changes to how its helicopters use a safety system that broadcasts aircraft location and has reduced the number of flights over Washington following a collision with a passenger jet that killed 67 people, the head of Army aviation told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Investigators are still determining why the Army helicopter and the American Airlines jet collided near Ronald Reagan National Airport on Jan. 29, but the Federal Aviation Administration has data showing an alarming number of close calls around the airport. The safety system, called ADSB, short for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, has become a flashpoint as some have pointed to the likely lack of use by the Black Hawk helicopter that night as a potential cause of the crash. The ADSB-out part of the system is designed to help air traffic controllers and nearby planes better track an aircraft's location with position updates every second. But it can also allow anyone — including a plane enthusiast on the ground — know precisely where a helicopter or airplane is located. Army helicopters in the past have turned off the system for many missions because they were deemed sensitive. The Army's head of aviation, Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, said there now will be fewer flights with the ADSB-out data turned off. And also fewer VIP flights In the months since the crash, the Army has halted the vast majority of flights it was conducting for general officers ranked three stars and above, to ferry them from the Pentagon's helipad to regional locations. It has only resumed limited flights for the defense secretary, deputy defense secretary and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, while a limited number of other senior military leaders can fly from Virginia's Fort Belvoir, Braman said. The Army's 12th Battalion is one of 28 agencies that used the low-altitude helicopter routes around Ronald Reagan National Airport. That includes the Department of Defense, individual military services, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, emergency medical services, the National Guard, Coast Guard and others. Changes to ADSB-out policy Before the collision, the Army was exempt from broadcasting ADSB-out data during sensitive missions, according to an August 2024 memo obtained by the AP. Those missions could include ferrying a senior leader or training for an emergency where transmitting a landing location could expose sensitive tactical information on reaction plans. The Army still has that exemption, but is making changes to how it flies so the exemption won't be used as often, Braman said. In past training and evaluation flights — such as on the night of the crash — crews combined normal flight routes with practice landings at sensitive locations. That meant they had to fly with ADSB-out switched off for the whole flight, according to the memo. Now crews are separating normal training and evaluation flights from flights that rehearse the classified continuity of government mission, Braman said. That reduces the number of flights where ADSB-out data will be turned off. 'If they are not going to one of those sensitive locations it should 100% be on,' Braman said. It's assumed the three Army crew who were killed in the crash were flying with ADSB-out turned off, but crash investigators have not concluded that yet, he said. The other part of the system, ADSB-in, pulls in location data from nearby planes and helicopters. Few Army aircraft had ADSB-in, due to the cost, and were not required to have it. The Army has now authorized the purchase of 1,600 ADSB-in systems for its helicopter fleet. Army says the helicopter's location was still known Even if ADSB-out was off, the Black Hawk's transponder was in use and transmitting its position, Braman said. The FAA says ADSB-out data is more precise than the radar data communicated by a transponder, which depending on the mode in use can shield some aircraft information. The night of the crash, the Black Hawk was transmitting in three transponder modes — A, C, and S — which combined gave the helicopter's identity, location and altitude. 'There was no question where that aircraft was,' Braman said. There was 'no point' during the flight where the jet and the airport control tower could not see the Black Hawk, he said. 'I think there's still a perception out there — I know there is — that the aircraft with ADBS-out in that segment around DCA were invisible. And that is so far from the truth,' Braman said. As a result of the crash, the FAA has permanently closed a route along the Potomac River that directly intersected the flight path for the runway where January's collision took place.
Associated Press
08-04-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Army adjusts tracker policy and flight training following January collision with passenger jet
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army has made changes to how its helicopters use a safety system that broadcasts aircraft location and has reduced the number of flights over Washington following a collision with a passenger jet that killed 67 people, the head of Army aviation told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Investigators are still determining why the Army helicopter and the American Airlines jet collided near Ronald Reagan National Airport on Jan. 29, but the Federal Aviation Administration has data showing an alarming number of close calls around the airport. The safety system, called ADSB, short for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, has become a flashpoint as some have pointed to the likely lack of use by the Black Hawk helicopter that night as a potential cause of the crash. The ADSB-out part of the system is designed to help air traffic controllers and nearby planes better track an aircraft's location with position updates every second. But it can also allow anyone — including a plane enthusiast on the ground — know precisely where a helicopter or airplane is located. Army helicopters in the past have turned off the system for many missions because they were deemed sensitive. The Army's head of aviation, Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, said there now will be fewer flights with the ADSB-out data turned off. And also fewer VIP flights In the months since the crash, the Army has halted the vast majority of flights it was conducting for general officers ranked three stars and above, to ferry them from the Pentagon's helipad to regional locations. It has only resumed limited flights for the defense secretary, deputy defense secretary and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, while a limited number of other senior military leaders can fly from Virginia's Fort Belvoir, Braman said. The Army's 12th Battalion is one of 28 agencies that used the low-altitude helicopter routes around Ronald Reagan National Airport. That includes the Department of Defense, individual military services, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, emergency medical services, the National Guard, Coast Guard and others. Changes to ADSB-out policy Before the collision, the Army was exempt from broadcasting ADSB-out data during sensitive missions, according to an August 2024 memo obtained by the AP. Those missions could include ferrying a senior leader or training for an emergency where transmitting a landing location could expose sensitive tactical information on reaction plans. The Army still has that exemption, but is making changes to how it flies so the exemption won't be used as often, Braman said. In past training and evaluation flights — such as on the night of the crash — crews combined normal flight routes with practice landings at sensitive locations. That meant they had to fly with ADSB-out switched off for the whole flight, according to the memo. Now crews are separating normal training and evaluation flights from flights that rehearse the classified continuity of government mission, Braman said. That reduces the number of flights where ADSB-out data will be turned off. 'If they are not going to one of those sensitive locations it should 100% be on,' Braman said. It's assumed the three Army crew who were killed in the crash were flying with ADSB-out turned off, but crash investigators have not concluded that yet, he said. The other part of the system, ADSB-in, pulls in location data from nearby planes and helicopters. Few Army aircraft had ADSB-in, due to the cost, and were not required to have it. The Army has now authorized the purchase of 1,600 ADSB-in systems for its helicopter fleet. Army says the helicopter's location was still known Even if ADSB-out was off, the Black Hawk's transponder was in use and transmitting its position, Braman said. The FAA says ADSB-out data is more precise than the radar data communicated by a transponder, which depending on the mode in use can shield some aircraft information. The night of the crash, the Black Hawk was transmitting in three transponder modes — A, C, and S — which combined gave the helicopter's identity, location and altitude. 'There was no question where that aircraft was,' Braman said. There was 'no point' during the flight where the jet and the airport control tower could not see the Black Hawk, he said. 'I think there's still a perception out there — I know there is — that the aircraft with ADBS-out in that segment around DCA were invisible. And that is so far from the truth,' Braman said.
