FAA Releases Findings In Fatal Crash Of Helicopter Refurbished In Century
November 24, 2008
The Federal Aviation Administration has released its findings in the fatal Louisiana crash of a flight that originated in Century with a refurbished helicopter from Van Nevel Helicopters, Inc.
The final report from the FAA says the crash resulted from a phenomenon known as “mast bumping”, a condition where an improper maneuver by the pilot causes the rotor mast to break off the aircraft.
The refurbished Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 refurbished in Century was sold to Leading Edge Helicopters, Inc. of Boulder City, Colorado, on September 16, 2007. The helicopter had an estimated 2,185 hours, 30 of those after its last inspection and complete refurbishment by Van Nevel. The 420 horsepower engine on the aircraft had about 2,155 hours, 30 post-inspection and approval.
It was about 6:30 on the warm late afternoon of September 17, 2007, near Hosston, Louisiana. A lady sees a helicopter that “was not moving fast” over her home, just over the treetops. It’s so low that she waves at the person in the passenger seat and thinks the chopper is going to land in her front yard.
Moments later, 911 dispatchers in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, begin to receive several calls from people that saw a low flying aircraft and then reported seeing smoke. Deputies from the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Department were not immediately able to find a crash, but a local medical helicopter found the smoldering wreckage. The bodies of Jeffery Daniel Legro, 24, and Joseph Benjamin Grammer, 36, were recovered at the crash site (pictured above). Grammer was owner of Leading Edge Helicopters.
In an exclusive interview with NorthEscambia.com in February, Georges Van Nevel suggested that the crash was caused by the weather, noting that a hurricane was approaching the area at the time of the crash, or by a phenomena called “mast bumping”. While the FAA agreed that the mast bumping action caused the crash, but they also found that weather was not a contributing cause of the crash.
Radar archives from the National Weather Service indicate that the rain bands from Humberto had not approached the Hosston area at the time of the crash. The radar image to the right shows the rain from Humberto about 30 minutes before the crash. The “X” in the white box was added to the National Weather Service archive image to indicate the approximate location of the FH1100 crash.
The official preliminary crash report from the NTSB as obtained by NorthEscambia.com reported the wind speed in nearby Shreveport, Louisiana, about 23 minutes after the crash to be four knots (about five miles per hour). Visibility was reported to be 10 miles under overcast skies, with the level of the overcast clouds to be 8,500 feet. There is no mention of rain in the report, nor does it mention whether or not there might have been wind gusts at the time from the approaching storm.
“The main rotor mast fracture signatures where consistent with mast bumping. Though there was evidence of a mast bumping event, the initiating event is unknown. Examination of the wreckage disclosed no anomalies that would have prevented normal system operation,” the FAA report said.
An autopsy and toxicology report on the pilot reported that he had no presence of alcohol or drugs in his system.
Pictured top: The Louisiana crash site of an FH-1100 helicopter flight that originated in Century after the aircraft was purchased from Van Nevel Helicopters, Inc.
Students Of The Month Named At Area Schools
November 24, 2008
The following students were selected from North Escambia schools as Students of the Month:
- Bratt: Kyle D. Smith, fifth grade; Jonathan B. Windham, Kindergarten.
- Carver/Century K-8: Hillary B. Moye, eighth grade, Skyler A. Macks, eighth grade.
- Ernest Ward Middle School: Jenny Spears, Kaitlyn Gunn, Logan Lee, Brannen Bateman
- Molino Park: Shelby M. Jackson, third grade; Jacob A. White, third grade
- Northview: Lanie J. Eubanks, 12th grade; Mark A. Shipps, 11th grade.
Pictured above: Ernest Ward Middle Students of the Month (L-R) Jenny Spears, Kaitlyn Gunn, (back) Logan Lee, Brannen Bateman. Pictured below: Northview Students of the Month Lanie Eubanks and Mark Shipps. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com.
Superintendent Seeks Public Input Into School District Future
November 24, 2008
New Escambia School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas wants your input into the future of the county’s school system.
The survey ask participants what they believe is best about the county’s schools, what should be changed immediately and has an area for open additional comments.
“It is important that a wide range of Escambia citizens participate and provide feedback,” Thomas said in an open letter. “Realizing that we can accomplish more working together, I am asking that you join our team.”
The survey, which should be complete by December 5, can be accessed by clicking here.
Man With Molino Relatives Hailed As A Hero In Iraq
November 23, 2008
Sgt. Keith Fuqua, a Milton man with relatives in Molino, is among a group of men being called heroes after capturing a wanted Iraqi.
Marines with Company C, Task Force 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, conducted a cordon and search operation recently, which led to the detainment of the battalion’s number one High Value Individual.
Muhammad Ayid Fayyad is suspected of being involved with individuals who planned and executed attacks against Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces.
The company learned Fayyad was in the vicinity of a local barbershop in Khalidyah and quickly responded by establishing a cordon around the area.
Marines with 4th Platoon, Company C, set up blocking positions on the main roads leading in and out of the cordon where the company’s Personal Security Detachment provided security for the closed off area.
Lance Cpl. Chelsey Wilson, a 24-year-old assaultman from Pensacola, Fla., was a vehicle commander in 2nd Platoon, which was responsible for the assault and search of the area.
Wilson said as he and two other Marines patrolled near the barbershop they began to notice suspicious behavior.
“There were four men cutting hair inside the shop at the time,” Wilson recalled. “Some of them tried to leave when they saw us, but we held them in the shop.”
The Marines realized one of the four men in the shop was indeed Fayyad after questioning the men and then took him into custody.
Fuqua, a 25-year-old squad leader from Milton, Fla., said it was no surprise Fayyad did not resist being detained.
“The operation was successful due to the precision in which it was executed,” Fuqua said. “Every element came together and we got this guy off the streets. The Iraqis are safer.”
Fayyad was immediately taken to the battalion’s Detainee Collection Point for questioning, and then was transported to a higher command for follow-on questioning.
The operation was successfully completed with no casualties to Marines, local nationals or Fayyad.
Story and photo by Lance Cpl. Scott Schmidt
Person Found Injured In Highway 97 Ditch Early Sunday Morning
November 23, 2008
An injured person was found lying by the side of Highway 97 in Davisville early Sunday morning, and authorities did not know how the person got there.
The male was found in the ditch alongside Highway 97 south of Pine Forest Road a few hundred feet north of a bridge. Authorities say the male had a slight head injury, but the injuries did not appear to be severe. The victim appeared to be intoxicated, authorities said. He was transported by Atmore Ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital.
A search was made of the area by members of the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire-Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department for a possible wrecked car, but nothing was located.
The victim was found by a passerby about 1:50 Sunday morning.
Pictured above: Emergency workers treat a person found lying in a ditch by Highway 97 about 1:50 Sunday morning. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Fort Walton Beach Man Shot Saturday In North Escambia
November 23, 2008
A Fort Walton Beach man was accidentally shot off Quintette Road Saturday afternoon.
The incident happened about 1:30 Saturday afternoon at the Escambia River Muzzle Loader’s shooting range on Quintete Road. John Henson, age unavailable, suffered what was described as an accidentally self-inflicted gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Henson was transported by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. He was listed in serious condition Saturday night.
The incident is under investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department.
West Fraser Cuts More Jobs
November 23, 2008
Two weeks after announcing it was shuttering its McDavid mill, West Fraser Timber Co, Ltd. continues to cut jobs.
West Fraser has announced that it is cutting the last 69 production jobs at its sawmill in Citronelle, Alabama, and completely idling the facility. That announcement comes about three weeks after the Canadian company cut the Mobile County plant’s second shift.
The shut down of the McDavid mill cost 75 people their jobs.
Like the McDavid facility, the one in Citronelle will operated on a limited basis the next several weeks to process timber remaining on site. West Fraser has shut down or had large scale layoffs at 12 of 15 U.S. lumber mills.
The annual capacity at the Citronelle mill was 70 million board feet, but the plant was operating at about 43 million board feet per year, manufacturing 2×4 and 2×6 lumber.
The McDavid mill produced Southern Yellow Pine lumber and had an annual production capacity of about 200 million board feet. The mill had been running just one shift, producing about 75 million board feet.
West Fraser reported a lost of $2 million, or about a nickel a share, on sales of $848 million in the third quarter of 2008. The company reported losses for the first nine months of of 2008 $68 million, or $1.58 per share.
North End Community Thanksgiving Service To Be Held Sunday Night
November 23, 2008
Several north end Baptist churches will gather Sunday evening at Northview High School for their annual Thanksgiving service.
The North End Community Thanksgiving Service will begin at 5:30 Sunday evening in the Northview Theater. The speaker will be Bro. Gary Wieborg, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Bratt.
Choirs from each church have performed during the service in past years, but this year the music will be provided by a combined choir from several churches.
The public is invited. Finger foods will be served in the school cafeteria following the service. Canned good donations for the Manna Food Bank will be accepted.
Pictured above: The First Baptist Church of Bratt choir performs at last year’s Thanksgiving service at Northview High School. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Fire Damages Wood Shed
November 23, 2008
Fire damaged a wood shed on Wiggins Lake in Walnut Hill late Saturday night.
Fire units were called to 5100 block of Wiggins Lake Road about 10:50 Saturday night for a wood shed on fire. The homeowner told firefighters that children had been roasting marshmallows in the backyard near the shed prior to the fire. He had partially extinguished the fire with a garden hose before firemen arrived.
Most of the wood in one side of the double sided shed was damaged by the fire, as was the shed itself. No other structures were threatened, and there were no injuries.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire-Rescue responded to the call.
Pictured above: Firemen work to extinguish a smoldering fire in a Walnut Hill wood shed Saturday night. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
DirecTV Blimp Spotted Over North Escambia
November 23, 2008
The DirecTV blimp was spotted over North Escambia about noon Saturday.
It’s real name is the DirecTV Starship (not blimp). It is operated by the Lightship Group, a company that operates almost every non-military blimp in the country except for the three Goodyear blimps.
The Starship is equipped with the world’s largest screen at 30 feet by 21 feet. That’s 2100 square feet, 33,600 pixels, of football bliss, if you are counting. It’s the largest blimp screen in the world, capable of displaying full motion TV quality video day or night. It is 30 feet longer and 40% larger in volume (Helium content) than the Goodyear blimp.
At 178 feet long, the Starship is filled 170,000 cubic feet of purified helium. It has no steering wheel, just two foot pedals for up and down.
The blimp is equipped with a high definition camera for sporting events.
The Starship was headed west toward Baldwin County.
These photos were taken from Highway 97A near Enon School Road. The blimp was about two to four miles away when the photos were taken.
Pictured above and below (scroll down to see all photos): The DirecTV blimp over North Escambia Saturday about noon. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
