Latest news with #Pawnee
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Fatal aircraft crash due to radio, visibility failures
Radio call failures and blocked visibility on two runways likely contributed to a mid-air light plane collision that killed two people, an aviation report has found. Former commercial pilot David Maddern and his wife Jan, both in their 60s, were killed when their Jabiru J430 collided midair with a Piper Pawnee glider tug aircraft on Queensland's Sunshine Coast in July 2023. The final Australian Transport Safety Bureau report found Mr Maddern's aircraft was unable to receive or transmit radio calls and trees blocked the view between two runways, saying it likely contributed to the crash. On the fateful morning, the Pawnee aircraft was returning to land at the non-controlled Caboolture aerodrome while Mr Maddern was preparing to depart from an intersecting runway. Pilots at Caboolture rely on making radio calls and visual cues - commonly called "alerted see-and-avoid" - to prevent crashes, safety bureau Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said. The Pawnee was due to touch down but then a Cessna 172, piloted by a solo student, crossed the runway and was unaware of the other aircraft. This led the Pawnee to abort the landing by applying power to begin climbing back into the air while radioing other pilots about the decision. But at the same time, Mr Maddern's aircraft lifted off from the intersecting runway. Mr Maddern started a left turn trying to avoid the Pawnee but the two aircraft collided at 130 feet, the ATSB found. The Jabiru plunged to the ground, killing Mr Maddern and his wife Jan. The Pawnee remained flyable despite damage to its left wing and was landed safely by the uninjured pilot. The ATSB investigation found the Pawnee pilot had made multiple radio calls about their intention to land and the decision to abort but did not hear any from Mr Maddern. "Based on the Jabiru pilot's apparent unawareness of the Pawnee until just before the collision, and most witnesses not recalling hearing any calls from the Jabiru throughout the event, it is likely that the Jabiru pilot could not transmit or hear radio calls," Mr Mitchell said. "Because of this, and a stand of trees between the intersecting runways that blocked visibility between them, neither pilot was aware of the other aircraft." The ATSB ruled the aerodrome operator did not effectively manage or inform pilots about the risk of the trees or buildings on the runway that could impact visibility. Since the crash, the aerodrome has prohibited simultaneous runway operations and mandated take-off radio calls. The investigation also found that the regulatory guidance that pilots relied on when using non-controlled aerodromes did not clearly define what an "active runway" was. The chief regulator, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, has decided to remove all references to the term "active runway" to prevent confusion. Mr Mitchell said the tragic accident highlights the risk of "see-and-avoid" strategies to prevent crashes. He urged pilots to mitigate the risks of the strategy by using two-way radio calls but also being mindful that communication can be missed or misinterpreted.
West Australian
5 days ago
- General
- West Australian
Fatal aircraft crash due to radio, visibility failures
Radio call failures and blocked visibility on two runways likely contributed to a mid-air light plane collision that killed two people, an aviation report has found. Former commercial pilot David Maddern and his wife Jan, both in their 60s, were killed when their Jabiru J430 collided midair with a Piper Pawnee glider tug aircraft on Queensland's Sunshine Coast in July 2023. The final Australian Transport Safety Bureau report found Mr Maddern's aircraft was unable to receive or transmit radio calls and trees blocked the view between two runways, saying it likely contributed to the crash. On the fateful morning, the Pawnee aircraft was returning to land at the non-controlled Caboolture aerodrome while Mr Maddern was preparing to depart from an intersecting runway. Pilots at Caboolture rely on making radio calls and visual cues - commonly called "alerted see-and-avoid" - to prevent crashes, safety bureau Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said. The Pawnee was due to touch down but then a Cessna 172, piloted by a solo student, crossed the runway and was unaware of the other aircraft. This led the Pawnee to abort the landing by applying power to begin climbing back into the air while radioing other pilots about the decision. But at the same time, Mr Maddern's aircraft lifted off from the intersecting runway. Mr Maddern started a left turn trying to avoid the Pawnee but the two aircraft collided at 130 feet, the ATSB found. The Jabiru plunged to the ground, killing Mr Maddern and his wife Jan. The Pawnee remained flyable despite damage to its left wing and was landed safely by the uninjured pilot. The ATSB investigation found the Pawnee pilot had made multiple radio calls about their intention to land and the decision to abort but did not hear any from Mr Maddern. "Based on the Jabiru pilot's apparent unawareness of the Pawnee until just before the collision, and most witnesses not recalling hearing any calls from the Jabiru throughout the event, it is likely that the Jabiru pilot could not transmit or hear radio calls," Mr Mitchell said. "Because of this, and a stand of trees between the intersecting runways that blocked visibility between them, neither pilot was aware of the other aircraft." The ATSB ruled the aerodrome operator did not effectively manage or inform pilots about the risk of the trees or buildings on the runway that could impact visibility. Since the crash, the aerodrome has prohibited simultaneous runway operations and mandated take-off radio calls. The investigation also found that the regulatory guidance that pilots relied on when using non-controlled aerodromes did not clearly define what an "active runway" was. The chief regulator, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, has decided to remove all references to the term "active runway" to prevent confusion. Mr Mitchell said the tragic accident highlights the risk of "see-and-avoid" strategies to prevent crashes. He urged pilots to mitigate the risks of the strategy by using two-way radio calls but also being mindful that communication can be missed or misinterpreted.
Perth Now
5 days ago
- General
- Perth Now
Fatal aircraft crash due to radio, visibility failures
Radio call failures and blocked visibility on two runways likely contributed to a mid-air light plane collision that killed two people, an aviation report has found. Former commercial pilot David Maddern and his wife Jan, both in their 60s, were killed when their Jabiru J430 collided midair with a Piper Pawnee glider tug aircraft on Queensland's Sunshine Coast in July 2023. The final Australian Transport Safety Bureau report found Mr Maddern's aircraft was unable to receive or transmit radio calls and trees blocked the view between two runways, saying it likely contributed to the crash. On the fateful morning, the Pawnee aircraft was returning to land at the non-controlled Caboolture aerodrome while Mr Maddern was preparing to depart from an intersecting runway. Pilots at Caboolture rely on making radio calls and visual cues - commonly called "alerted see-and-avoid" - to prevent crashes, safety bureau Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said. The Pawnee was due to touch down but then a Cessna 172, piloted by a solo student, crossed the runway and was unaware of the other aircraft. This led the Pawnee to abort the landing by applying power to begin climbing back into the air while radioing other pilots about the decision. But at the same time, Mr Maddern's aircraft lifted off from the intersecting runway. Mr Maddern started a left turn trying to avoid the Pawnee but the two aircraft collided at 130 feet, the ATSB found. The Jabiru plunged to the ground, killing Mr Maddern and his wife Jan. The Pawnee remained flyable despite damage to its left wing and was landed safely by the uninjured pilot. The ATSB investigation found the Pawnee pilot had made multiple radio calls about their intention to land and the decision to abort but did not hear any from Mr Maddern. "Based on the Jabiru pilot's apparent unawareness of the Pawnee until just before the collision, and most witnesses not recalling hearing any calls from the Jabiru throughout the event, it is likely that the Jabiru pilot could not transmit or hear radio calls," Mr Mitchell said. "Because of this, and a stand of trees between the intersecting runways that blocked visibility between them, neither pilot was aware of the other aircraft." The ATSB ruled the aerodrome operator did not effectively manage or inform pilots about the risk of the trees or buildings on the runway that could impact visibility. Since the crash, the aerodrome has prohibited simultaneous runway operations and mandated take-off radio calls. The investigation also found that the regulatory guidance that pilots relied on when using non-controlled aerodromes did not clearly define what an "active runway" was. The chief regulator, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, has decided to remove all references to the term "active runway" to prevent confusion. Mr Mitchell said the tragic accident highlights the risk of "see-and-avoid" strategies to prevent crashes. He urged pilots to mitigate the risks of the strategy by using two-way radio calls but also being mindful that communication can be missed or misinterpreted.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Pawnee Nation plans to turn 20 acres into cultural, entertainment destination
The Pawnee Tribal Development Corporation has announced a multi-phased project plan to turn tribal land near the StoneWolf Casino into an area with an outdoor stage and amphitheater, RV Park and Campground and new hotel with a gaming floor among other features meant to celebrate Pawnee heritage. With some construction set to being this year, the Pawnee Nation is calling it the StoneWolf Park Project, intended to 'transform 20 acres of tribal land into a premier cultural and entertainment destination for the Pawnee Nation and its visitors.' 'The StoneWolf Park Project represents a strategic investment in the future of the Pawnee people, aiming to enhance community resources, drive economic growth and boost tourism in central Oklahoma,' according to the press release. 'Each phase of development is designed to increase visitation to the adjacent StoneWolf Casino, while creating new opportunities for cultural celebration, business operations and hospitality.' Phase 1, expected to begin this year will be construction of the outdoor stage to launch 'live entertainment with a foundational stage to host concerts and cultural events, eventually expanding to a full amphitheater.' Phase 2 will include the RV Park and Campground to welcome 'tourists and event goers with modern RV hookups, camping amenities and outdoor hospitality infrastructure.' A 7,000-square-foot office complex is planned for Phase 3, while Phase 4 will be a 15,000-square-foot event center described as a 'multipurpose space for pow-wows, ceremonial dances, community events and recreational bingo gaming.' The final phase is a 30- to 60-room hotel with a gaming area and bar 'designed to extend guest stays and complement the StoneWolf Casino experience.' 'Additional infrastructure, including expanded parking, will support large events and increased traffic to the park, casino and lodging facilities,' the release reads. 'PTDC will lead the development through a newly established general contractor LLC, prioritizing tribal employment and local partnerships. The project will be funded through a combination of tribal investment, gaming revenue, grants and potential private partnerships – especially for tourism-oriented assets like the RV park.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Comedy, community, and the evening star
In a corner of Seattle where laughter meets resistance and rhythm becomes ritual, a star arose. Their name is dk echo-hawk, but you can also call them by their stage name — the evening star. A celestial being, more closely related to a mountain than a pronoun, but they will accept they, them, she and her. The little Athabascan and Pawnee kid playing in the woods in Alaska has grown into a comedian, musician, DJ, writer, visual artist, host and founder of Indigik'were, formerly known as Indigequeer. As a kid they grew up as an Ahtna Athabascan between a small Mendaesde village and their school in Delta Junction, Alaska. There was joy, and there was a lot of grief carried through generational trauma, according to echo-hawk. During the Native boarding school era government agents forcibly abducted Native children and sent them to what they called 'boarding schools' hundreds of miles away to places where physical, sexual, cultural and spiritual abuse and neglect were experienced in an effort to 'kill the Indian, save the man' from 1891 until 1978. The generational impact on the mental and spiritual health of of those who experienced the cultural genocide of the 'boarding schools' has often resulted in addiction and high suicide rates among them and their descendants all across Native country. In a chat in June 2023 with Joey Clift about Native comedy, echo-hawk explained that their favorite Native comedy is 'the thing that my auntie would say at probably a funeral that was the most inappropriate thing you ever heard but you were weeping 10 seconds before that. Now, you're laughing as hard as you possibly can.' Clift is an award-winning comedy writer and Cowlitz Indian Tribe citizen. 'I admired the aunties who make people laugh after crying because that's what I wanted to do,' echo-hawk told MoPOP + RIZE. He went on to explain that understanding and making the people around him laugh wasn't just natural for the aunties, it was something that lifted their entire community culturally. 'Performing in the village is like culture,' echo-hawk said. 'You don't do it for money, you just do it because you and your hundred friends need to have a good night, and it's 40 below outside.' When echo-hawk began getting paid for their comedy in Seattle, they held a mirror up to the world and did not hold back. The history and ongoing genocidal actions against Native people were reflected back to the audience. The style of comedy that echo-hawk became known for, was coined 'punish comedy.' While it was satisfying to watch white Seattlites squirm during their sets, echo-hawk said that comedy in this format became difficult for their mental health. 'I got kind of famous real fast and I was not ready,' echo-hawk said. 'I am thankful that somewhere in my head I consciously knew that if I pursued this, I might die. I just felt very ungrounded and was falling apart and thankfully had some wherewithal to not do that. But I do understand that it was really empowering. I'm ultimately very impressed with what I was able to do.' Comedy has been both a weapon and salve. A method of navigating a world on fire and pulling others through with a glittery wink and a red rose colored grin. They pivoted to focus on Indigik'were and their music. 'It is hilarious, it's silly, it's sexy,' echohawk said of Indigik'were. 'There's mistakes, there's mirrors on stage, and I change on stage, and there's altars, and roses, and cheese whiz.' Indigik'were started in 2022 because echo-hawk wanted a place to feel free to be their authentic self. The first Indigik'were event invited attendees to, 'shake their asses like Columbus never sailed the ocean blue,' and has continued to showcase queer and trans Indigenous joy through their events. It has brought Native people who were also in need of community joy together and has had a larger impact than echo-hawk ever imagined. 'People have told me that the spaces I bring are healing and helped them when they were suicidal or helped them when they had been assaulted and helped them find community and family,' echo-hawk said. 'But when it was starting to happen, I was still just a deeply traumatized kid, and that felt like so much responsibility. I didn't want to be a leader. I just wanted to have a village again.' And that's exactly what they began building. Comedy is naturally interwoven into the event planning for Indigik'were in a way that could only come from , including celebrating the anniversary of the death of U.S. Cavalry commander George Armstrong Custer. Custer launched a surprise attack against an encampment of Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho along the Little Bighorn River in 1876 and was struck down by a Cheyenne woman. echo-hawk's celebration of the death of Custer included a piñata with Custer's likeness. 'I went to the Battle of the Little Bighorn Reenactment when I was f*cking 13 or something on the road to f*cking Oklahoma and was like, 'Yeah, b*tch!'' echo-hawk said. 'My dad, my big Native dad and me were cheering as Custer got killed. That's just the kind of Native that I am.' 'It's just ingrained in my being to celebrate the death of colonizers always,' echo-hawk continued. '…and I found that humor is the best way to keep a crowd happy and moving and to feel like they're in good hands. Being a host is probably my strongest quality.' If you've ever been to any of their comedy or Indigik'were events, you'd likely agree. There is always an elaborate storytelling element that shocks, disarms and gets you laughing. 'There's active genocides all over the place,' echo-hawk said. 'There are people who are just trying to recover from those genocides, witnessing other genocides. There are people who went through a genocide, now genocideing. There's all sorts of wild things happening. I don't know how everybody else is processing it without doing crazy things like I'm doing. [Indigik'were] is somatics for me, it's spiritual. It is deeply important to me.' echo-hawk encourages others to also discover what truly ignites their passion and defiant spirit, something deeply personal and entirely their own — to do what makes you feel free. 'Every day I get to wake up and ask myself, what would the evening star like to look like today?,' echo-hawk said. 'How would I like to be free today? What would I like to try? And the more and more I do that, the more and more I dance, the more and more I sweat, the more I eat healthy and the more and more I don't have to block out parts of life. I have enough space in myself to feel and I highly recommend it. It's doable. It's not easy all the time, but it is doable. I promise you.' the evening star's next appearance is called Hot Wet Native Summer in Juneau, Alaska for the Lingit AANI Pride Festival. 'As many in this world continue to fight against the beautiful path we are on, it is vital that we come together and show each other our beauty and our strength, to be a testament that we are unconquered!,' an Instagram post shares. The full length interview can be found here. The interviews were video and audio recorded and saved in the MoPop Online Collections Vault with over 1,000 others. : In collaboration with MoPop for their 'WA Untold Pop Culture Stories' series, MoPop wanted to focus on the stories of King County pop culture creators in order to ensure that a more accurate representation of culture artists in America are preserved for future generations. RIZE came to this project hoping to bring varying Indigenous stories, identities and perspectives to the forefront. Oral histories are traditionally how many Indigenous people have passed down culture, customs, and tradition. Through this series, we explore pop culture voices of Indigenous creators in what is now Washington state.
