MEC&F Expert Engineers : 08/02/15

Sunday, August 2, 2015

OWI suspected in ATV crash that sent driver, rider to hospital. Neither was wearing a helmet

A typical 2009 Polaris Sportsman 850

An Elkhorn man has been cited for operating an ATV while intoxicated after a crash late Saturday that left him and his passenger hospitalized with serious injuries.

According to the Rock County Sheriff's Office, Jonathan D. Scribner, 29, was driving a 2009 Polaris Sportsman 850 on private property in Bradford about 10:30 p.m. when lost control on a curve went down a steep hill.

Scribner and Felicia Scribner, 28, were thrown from the vehicle and landed on Highway C. Neither was wearing a helmet, officials noted.

Each was taken to Mercy Hospital in Janesville for treatment and are expected to survive.

1 killed, several injured in Wood Dale, Illinois tent collapse during community festival after winds and hail storms hit the area


One man died and several people were injured when a tent collapsed at a junior high school in the northwest suburbs Sunday afternoon.
One man died and several people were injured when a tent collapsed at a community festival in the northwest suburbs Sunday afternoon.

Fifteen people were transported from Prairie Fest in suburban Wood Dale to local hospitals in varying conditions. Two or three of the injured are in serious condition, according to local fire and police departments.

Authorities said the collapse happened as a result of the storms that started to approach the area around 2:30 p.m. Prairie Fest is an annual four-day festival with rides, food and music. Officials said there was a band about to take the stage in the main tent as the storms approached.

The rides were stopped and organizers tried to evacuate, but it was too late. High winds and hail caused the tent to collapse. No one was trapped, but flying debris hit people inside the tent, causing the injuries and the fatality.

"The response was massive from the fire department side," said Battalion Chief Patrick Johl, Wood Dale Fire Department. "We had numerous law enforcement agencies to assist with us at the scene. Right now, the scene is stable, pending an investigation. We're going to have a group of investigators walk through the scene."

"We turned to look and then tent flew off into the sky, and then the fence flew. Then there was everybody on the floor and we heard screaming and cryng," said witness Bella Salgado.

There has been no information released on the fatality as of early Sunday evening.

The storm that rolled through the area Sunday afternoon caused the roof to collapse at The Dome at the Ball Park in suburban Rosemont.
Dome collapses at Rosemont's Ball Park

The storm that rolled through the area Sunday afternoon caused the roof to collapse at The Dome at the Ball Park in suburban Rosemont.

There were no occupants were in the building when strong winds, hail and rain swept through the area around 2:45 p.m. Sunday. All staff members of the facility were also out of the building at the times of the collapse.

The area is cordoned off until further notice.

The official cause of the collapse remains under investigation. No injuries were reported in the incident.

Filthy Dirty New York City: Legionnaires' disease in Bronx, New York: 4 dead, dozens sickened


Legionnaires disease
Legionnaires disease 
 
A New York City health official says it is likely doctors will diagnose more cases of Legionnaires' disease in the Bronx in the coming days, amid an outbreak that has killed four and sickened dozens.

Dr. Jay Varma, deputy commissioner for disease control in the city's health department, told The Associated Press on Saturday that people who live or work in the South Bronx, where the disease-causing bacteria have been found, could be at risk.

"It's certainly possible and likely that there will be more cases of this disease identified over the next few days," he said. "And those will be due to people who were exposed to this infection before the cleaning process began."

City officials have said they inspected 17 cooling towers in the area and found five that tested positive for legionella bacteria. They have all since been cleaned.

Legionnaires' disease is caused when water tainted with a certain bacteria is inhaled into the lungs.

"We do think that the work we have done to identify contaminated towers and decontaminate them will remove the risk of future infection," Varma said.

But he cautioned that people may have been exposed before the cooling towers were cleaned, meaning more cases of Legionnaires' disease could pop up in the next few days.

"We know that this is an exposure that can occur to people who are outside the building," he said. "The risk is to people who are living in those communities close to where these cooling towers are or people who are working in those neighborhoods."

Varma said Legionnaires' disease is easily diagnosed and treated with antibiotics, but can pose a serious risk to anyone with an underlying medical condition.

"It takes two things: It takes being exposed to a cooling tower that is generating this contaminated mist and it takes having some factor that makes you more susceptible to get pneumonia. So it's very difficult to know who was exposed and who will get sick," he said. "Our hope, of course, is that no one else becomes sick from this disease and of course we hope no one dies from it."

There have been 2,400 cases nationwide this year and more than 130 in New York City, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Messy Texas: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is latest state official booked on felony security fraud charges

GOP doesn't rush to defend indicted Texas attorney general

Ken Paxton, who is expected to turn himself in Monday near his home in suburban Dallas
New Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton prepared Sunday to become the latest powerful state official booked on felony charges, but unlike when Rick Perry smiled for his mug shot last year, Republicans are not rushing to Paxton's defense.

A day after news broke that a grand jury indicted Paxton on felony securities fraud charges, Gov. Greg Abbott, who was Texas attorney general for 12 years, remained silent. So was GOP presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who was stingy with campaign endorsements in 2014 but praised Paxton, a like-minded tea party favorite.

Other Texas GOP leaders also kept to themselves about Paxton, who is expected to turn himself in Monday near his home in suburban Dallas. Paxton attorney Joe Kendall said in a brief statement late Saturday that they would honor a judge's instructions to not publicly comment.

It's a sharp contrast to how conservatives rallied around Perry last year when a grand jury in liberal-leaning Austin handed up a two-count indictment against Texas' longest-serving governor over a 2013 veto. A judge earlier this month tossed out one of the indictments, leaving only an abuse of power charge.

The cases against Paxton and Perry widely differ, including the fact that Paxton's was investigated by the Texas Rangers.

"The Texas Rangers aren't politically motivated in investigating the crimes they're investigating," said David Owens, a former Texas prosecutor who's now a criminal defense attorney. "If you've got the Texas Rangers bringing forth this case, it's serious."

Barely seven months after becoming Texas' top law enforcement officer, Paxton faces accusations that he misled investors in a McKinney-based tech startup before taking office, special prosecutor Kent Schaffer told The New York Times.

Schaffer did not return messages seeking comment Sunday. He and a co-special prosecutor, Brian Wice, only hinted at the indictment over the weekend in a broader statement, saying they are committed to ensuring that anyone accused of a crime is guaranteed a presumption of innocence and a fair trial.

The most serious of the allegations is that Paxton encouraged investment in Servergy Inc., which is now under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Associated Press reported last month the connections between the startup and Paxton, who listed himself as a shareholder and whose name is among search terms that Servergy attorneys used to satisfy a federal subpoena.

In the middle of last year's heated Republican primary, Paxton admitted to violating state securities law for not disclosing to regulators that he was receiving commissions for referring law clients to a financial planner. He paid a $1,000 fine and aides said it was administrative oversight and that the criminal investigation was a political hit job.

But fellow Republicans haven't been so publicly dismissive, especially now that Schaffer has said an indictment will be unsealed Monday in Collin County.

Abbott spokesman John Wittman declined comment Sunday about Paxton, as did representatives for both Cruz and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who is also a former Texas attorney general.

Although indictments against attorneys general are not common, Paxton has company both in Texas and around the U.S.

In 1983, Texas Democrat Jim Mattox was indicted on charges of commercial bribery shortly after his election and was later acquitted. More recently, a Pennsylvania grand jury in January recommended that state Attorney General Kathleen Kane face charges over allegations that she engaged in a cover-up and lied about her role in a grand jury leak to a newspaper. Kane, who took office in 2013, has not been charged and has consistently denied that she broke any laws.

With 13 boating-related deaths so far this summer in SC, state officials are seeking the public’s input for changing South Carolina boating laws




AUGUST 2, 2015
 
SUMTER, SC (WIS) - 

With 13 boating-related deaths so far this summer in the Palmetto State, state officials are now seeking the public’s input evaluating and possibly changing South Carolina boating laws.

That’s the focus of six community meetings planned by the state Department of Natural Resources taking place through September 8. DNR officials say the purpose of the gatherings is to collect feedback on what regulations and guidelines are working and which may need to be amended.

The first meeting took place in Sumter on the night of July 28. Those who weighed in on discussion at the meeting included one area family that was touched by tragedy last summer.

On July 4, 2014, Hailey Bordeaux, a junior education major at USC, lost her life in a boat crash on Lake Marion. Investigators said the aspiring teacher was sitting at a dock in a boat with three other people when a second boat crashed into them. Bordeaux died at the scene.

"I feel really confident that if there would have been more DNR presence on that lake that night, Hailey may still be here,” Hailey’s father Shawn Bordeaux said.

Bordeaux said he’s also advocating for new rules regarding boat lighting as well as creating speeding restrictions for boaters operating at night.

“It's not trying to take away from people trying to have fun on the lake, but just to be careful,” Hailey’s mother Pam Bordeaux said.

Criminal charges were filed against 38-year-old Chad Morris. He’s the man that authorities argue was driving the boat that hit Hailey and her friends. A trial date in the case has yet to be set.

To find a full list of the remaining boat regulation meetings scheduled by DNR just head to our homepage and click on the Big Red 10.

A Beechcraft C90 King Air plane crash lands at the Georgetown-Scott County Regional Airport in Kentucky after the 2 engines failed; 4 injured







AUGUST 2, 2015

GEORGETOWN, KY. (WKYT) - 

Four Somerset men survived the crash-landing of a twin-engine turboprop at the Georgetown-Scott County Regional Airport Saturday evening.

Scott County Sheriff Tony Hampton said Mark Conrad was piloting the Beechcraft King Air. The sheriff said Conrad's son, Aaron was on board as well as Ron Absher and his son, Jonathan Absher. A family friend said the four were coming back from a fishing trip to Canada. They were flying a leg from Dayton to their home in Somerset when the plane ran into trouble.

"There was some type of engine failure. Just basically lost control after a certain point. It was still flying on one engine and then I guess he lost power to the second engine," said Georgetown/Scott County Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security Director Jack Donovan.

The airplane's flight path according to FlightAware.com showed Conrad divert to the nearby Georgetown-Scott County Regional Airport. Donovan said Conrad was able to get word to air traffic control that they would try an emergency landing there. That led to a quick EMS response to the airport.

"They went ahead and got ready and started heading this way. I'm real pleased with the response that everybody did - fire department, sheriff's department, ambulance, emergency management," Donovan said.

Donovan said the King Air touched down on an embankment near the runway, bounced, and slid to a stop not far from a taxiway. He said the plane's landing gear may have helped to soften the impact. He said emergency crews were able to get to work quick, treating everyone. Sheriff Hampton said the others on board were the pilot's son, Aaron Conrad, Ron Absher and his son, Jonathan Absher. Friends said Jonathan Absher had been released from the hospital. 

Emergency management officials did not know the other men's conditions Sunday afternoon.

A representative from the Federal Aviation Administration looked over the wreckage Sunday morning. Airport officials weren't sure if National Transportation Safety Board investigators would come to the scene. Donovan said the FAA would likely brief the NTSB on the accident. The airport was operating normally.



The Beechcraft King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by Beechcraft. The King Air line comprises a number of models that have been divided into two families; the Model 90 and 100 series are known as King Airs, while the Model 200 and 300 series were originally marketed as Super King Airs, with "Super" being dropped by Beechcraft in 1996 (although it is still often used to differentiate the 200 and 300 series King Airs from their smaller stablemates).

The King Air was the first aircraft in its class and has been in continuous production since 1964. It has outsold all of its turboprop competitors combined. It now faces competition from jet aircraft such as the Beechcraft Premier I and Cessna Citation Mustang as well as newer turboprop aircraft including the Piaggio P180 Avanti, and single-engine Piper Malibu Meridian, Pilatus PC-12, and Socata TBM.



Date:01-AUG-2015
Time:21:30
Type:Beech C90 King Air
Owner/operator:Absher Air LLC
Registration: N257CQ
C/n / msn: LJ-1419
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Other fatalities:0
Airplane damage: Substantial
Location:Georgetown Scott County Regional Airport (27K), Georgetown, KY -   United States of America
Phase: Landing
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Dayton Intl (KDAY)
Destination airport:Lake Cumberland Rgnl (KSME)
Narrative:
The aircraft impacted airport terrain during an emergency landing attempt at Georgetown Scott County Airport-Marshall Field (27K), Georgetown, Kentucky. The airplane sustained substantial damage and three of the four injured occupants onboard received serious injuries, one received minor injuries.
Sources: http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/Plane-crashes-at-Georgetown-Scott-County-Airport--320401302.html?ref=302&device=tablet&c=y
http://www.news-graphic.com/breaking_news/article_99423af2-38b9-11e5-bda2-37210c22c409.html?mode=jqm
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N257CQ
https://flightaware.com/photos/view/198712-efaafe3607a5945c2456344f93f62be50e2bf880/aircrafttype/BE9L

Worker suffered severe chemical burns at Kennecott’s Copperton Concentrator in Utah





SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

A man was taken to University of Utah Hospital Friday after he suffered chemical burns on his body while doing work for Kennecott.

Unified Fire Authority said the 43-year-old male employee was unloading something when dry chemicals spilled and the man was hit by quick lime under pressure.

The dry chemical was forced into the man’s skin, and he suffered burns from his shoulder to his waist. Kennecott decontamination teams washed the chemical from the man, who was then airlifted to U of U Hospital in stable condition. The man was conscious and alert, and fire officials said he complained of a burning sensation in his eyes and lungs.

The incident occurred at Kennecott’s Copperton Concentrator at 8400 West 10200 South.

Continuous Drilling of Shallow Fracking Wells Will Eventually Threaten Aquifers


Environment: Analysis finds thousands of oil and gas hydraulic fracturing wells are less than a mile deep
 
By Jeff Johnson
Department: Science & Technology
News Channels: Environmental SCENE
20150731lnp1-piechart
 
SHALLOW WELLS
Texas leads the nation in fracking sites less than 1 mile deep.
Credit: Environ. Sci. Technol.
 
Several thousand near-surface hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, operations for oil and natural gas production in the U.S. pose a potentially significant risk of contaminating drinking water sources, according to a new analysis. This first national assessment of fracking focused on well depth raises particular concerns about fracking wells less than a mile deep (Environ. Sci. Technol. 2015, DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b01228).

Fracking uses water, sand, and an often-proprietary blend of chemicals, which may include benzene, toluene, and other hydrocarbons. Oil and natural gas drilling companies force the mix underground under high pressure to fracture pockets of rock and release oil and gas trapped within, which they draw to the surface.

Shallow wells are cheaper and easier to operate, says Robert B. Jackson of Stanford University, who led the new study. “However, they pose a greater risk for groundwater contamination since they are close to drinking water aquifers.” 

These groundwater sources can rest from hundreds to thousands of feet below the surface, and natural geologic cracks or faults and past drilling activities can provide a pathway between shallow fracking sites and an aquifer, allowing fracking chemicals, oil, and methane to reach drinking water supplies. Currently, groundwater in Wyoming and California is being investigated for possible fracking-related contamination.

Jackson and colleagues sought to better understand how widespread the risks of fracking-related groundwater contamination might be. So they analyzed the best and only data on fracking wells drilled, from a mostly voluntary well-drilling reporting system known as FracFocus. 

Between 2010 and 2013, nearly 7,000, or 16%, of the 44,000 hydraulic-fractured oil and gas wells that companies reported drilling were less than a mile deep, according to the team’s analysis. At least 2,600 wells were fracked at 3,000 feet deep or less, and some as shallow as 100 feet. The median depth for all fracturing wells was around 8,200 feet.

In addition, when fracking at least 2,300 of these shallow wells, drillers used large amounts of water and chemicals, more than 1 million gal per well, to initially fracture rocks and free oil and gas reserves. This subset of wells presents even higher risks of groundwater contamination, the team reports. Arkansas, for example, had more than 300 wells fracked shallower than 3,000 feet, using an average of 5 million gal of water and chemicals per well.

Even more important is the fact that the more wells are drilled in one area, the higher the probability of interconnection  between these boreholes.  In other words, although few hundred wells may not show an immediate impact to ground water, drilling an additional few hundred of few thousand wells in that same area will eventually destroy the aquifer by creating an interconnectivity among these boreholes.

FracFocus relied on voluntary reporting during the study period, and Jackson estimates that the actual number of wells drilled was at least twice the reported number. Reporting requirements have become more stringent since late 2013, however, says an official with FracFocus.

Because they are cheaper to drill, shallow wells are likely to become more common, Jackson notes. But because the output in fracked wells drops by about 80% within the first two years of production, tens of thousands of fracked wells would have to be drilled each year to maintain current output, he says.

Several countries, including Germany, the U.K., and Canada require, or are considering, regulation of shallow-well fracking to guard against groundwater contamination. In the U.S., only Texas and Colorado have any policy or technical requirements for such wells so far, according to the report.

Both Jackson and Mike Nickolaus, an analyst with the Groundwater Protection Council, an organization of state water regulators, found the number of shallow wells surprisingly high. But, “depth is not the only issue,” Nickolaus notes. The margins between well and aquifer and the makeup of rock, the site-specific geology, and fracking pressure are also important. 

He adds that several states are considering measures that would mandate site-specific studies before drilling begins as well as groundwater monitoring before and after fracking near drinking water sources.
 
Chemical & Engineering News
ISSN 0009-2347
Copyright © 2015 American Chemical Society

South Bronx Legionnaires' disease outbreak: Contaminated cooling towers found


City officials have identified contaminated water in two building cooling towers that may be connected to a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease that has sickened 46 people in the South Bronx, two of them fatally.

The city is “aggressively investigating” the outbreak and is testing water from 20 such cooling towers that sit on top of buildings and serve as ventilation for air conditioning systems, Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference.

Results from about half of those buildings returned by Thursday afternoon found water contaminated with the Legionnaires’ bacteria at two sites, a public hospital and a private housing development, he said.

News of the outbreak became public as the city sweltered in a heat wave that has brought with it several days of high humidity and 90-degree temperatures.
Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said 46 cases of Legionnaires’ disease had been confirmed in the South Bronx since July 10. The two people who died were a woman and a man in their 50s, she said.

Bassett said it was too early in the investigation to say that the contamination in cooling towers at Lincoln Medical Center and the Concourse Plaza housing development were the source of the outbreak. Steps were being taken immediately to decontaminate those towers.

“We move promptly to make sure the towers are being remediated. We don’t wait to show a link between a human case,” Bassett said.
The bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease breed in warm water. During hot weather like the city has been experiencing, warm mist from those towers is more likely to be dispersed into the air, the commissioner said.

Bassett and the mayor urged calm and said most people were unlikely to be infected. The commissioner said the elderly, people with lung disease, smokers and people with already compromised immune systems were the most vulnerable.

“We will continue to look at any building we think might be a problem,” the mayor said. “There is no reason for alarm.”

Both officials emphasized that the disease was not spread by human contact and was highly treatable if caught early.

Bassett urged anyone in that part of the city who is experiencing symptoms of the disease — fever, cough, difficulty breathing, headache or muscle pains — to seek medical care immediately.

The cooling tower at Lincoln Medical Center had been flushed out with bleach and fresh water and would be retested before being put back in operation, she said. The tower at Concourse Plaza, a 297-unit affordable housing development on the Grand Concourse, also was being cleaned.

Although some of the Legionnaires’ disease patients were being treated at Lincoln, they came from other areas of the Bronx and no existing patients or staff had contracted the disease, said Ramanathan Raju, president of the city Health and Hospitals Corp., which runs the public hospital system.

Legionnaires’ disease was first identified in 1976 when more than 200 people attending an American Legion convention at a Philadelphia hotel were sickened and 34 of them died.

The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 8,000 to 18,000 people are hospitalized with Legionnaires' disease in the United States each year.

Motorcycle deaths or injuries are on the rise: 1 man dead after motorcycle-pickup truck crash in Concord, NH

 
Posted: August 02, 2015
 
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - 

New Hampshire police are asking for the public's help about events leading up to a fatal collision between a motorcycle and pickup truck in Concord.

Concord police say 59-year-old Robert Campbell of Haverhill, Massachusetts, was pronounced dead at Concord Hospital after his motorcycle collided with the truck Friday afternoon.

Authorities say the crash occurred at about 3:45 p.m. near the intersection of Route 106 and D'Amante Drive.

The driver of the pickup truck and a passenger were uninjured. 

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children.


Heatstroke




Babies and young kids can sometimes sleep so peacefully that we forget they are even there. It can also be tempting to leave a baby alone in a car while we quickly run into the store. The problem is that leaving a child alone in a car can lead to serious injury or death from heatstroke. Young children are particularly at risk, as their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult’s. These tragedies are completely preventable. Here’s how we can all work together to keep kids safe from heatstroke.
Hard Facts

Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children. On average, every 8 days a child dies from heatstroke in a vehicle.
Top Tips

Reduce the number of deaths from heatstroke by remembering to ACT.

A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving your child alone in a car, not even for a minute. And make sure to keep your car locked when you’re not in it so kids don’t get in on their own.

C: Create reminders by putting something in the back of your car next to your child such as a briefcase, a purse or a cell phone that is needed at your final destination. This is especially important if you’re not following your normal routine.

T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. Emergency personnel want you to call. They are trained to respond to these situations. One call could save a life.
Learn More

Learn more about heatstroke and other areas of safety in and around cars, including car seat safety, booster seat safety and seat belt safety; driveway safety; how to avoid getting trapped in the trunk; and how to prepare teens and preteens for driving before they get behind the wheel. - See more at: http://www.safekids.org/heatstroke#sthash.POKskPFd.dpuf




FACTUAL REPORT: On March 5, 2015, about 1422 Pacific standard time, a Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR, N53178, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a reported loss of engine power shortly after takeoff and during initial climb-out from the Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO), Santa Monica, California.

 
 
NTSB Identification: WPR15FA121
HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On March 5, 2015, about 1422 Pacific standard time, a Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR, N53178, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a reported loss of engine power shortly after takeoff and during initial climb-out from the Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO), Santa Monica, California. The airplane was registered to MG Aviation, Inc., and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant of the airplane, was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The local flight originated from SMO about 1421.

During an interview with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge, the pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff and about 1,100 ft mean sea level, the engine experienced a loss of power. He stated that he did not attempt an engine restart but maintained an airspeed of 85 mph and initiated a left turn back toward the airport; however, during the approach, he realized that the airplane was unable to reach the runway. The pilot did not recall anything further about the accident sequence. Subsequently, the airplane struck the top of a tree that was about 65 ft tall, and then impacted the ground in an open area of a golf course.

Examination of the accident site by an NTSB investigator revealed that the airplane came to rest upright adjacent to the 8th tee, about 800 ft. southwest of the approach end of runway 03 at SMO. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, the right stabilizer, and the fuselage.

Multiple witnesses who were on the golf course reported hearing and observing the airplane overhead. Shortly thereafter, the witnesses heard the airplane's engine quit. The airplane was seen gliding toward the ground. Several witnesses observed the airplane strike the top of a tree and then descend to the ground.

The airplane was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 72, held a private pilot certificate with airplane multi-engine land, single-engine land, airplane single-engine sea, rotorcraft-helicopter, and instrument ratings. The pilot was issued a third-class airman medical certificate on May 23, 2014, with the limitation that he must wear corrective lenses. The pilot reported on his most recent medical certificate application that he had accumulated 5,200 total flight hours. The pilot reported that he had accumulated a total of 55.3 hours within the preceding 90 days, 17.7 hours within the preceding 30 days, and logged no flight hours within the previous 24 hours. The total time he had logged in the accident make/model airplane was over 75 hours.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The two-seat, low-wing monoplane, fixed-gear airplane, serial number (S/N) 1859, was manufactured in 1942. The military version of the airplane was known as the PT-22 Recruit. It was powered by a Kinner R-55 engine, serial number 07450, rated at 160 horsepower. The airplane was also equipped with a Sensenich model W90HASP-86, serial number AF 1893, fixed pitch propeller. The airplane is flown solo from the rear seat.

The accident make/model airplane was not equipped with shoulder harnesses when it was produced in 1942. However, the accident airplane was equipped with shoulder harnesses for both the forward and aft seats. No logbook entries, supplemental type certificate (STC), or documentation was located during the investigation that provided details on when the shoulder harnesses were installed in the airplane.

While it is typical to add shoulder harnesses in antique airplanes, most are performed under an STC installation or by a field approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). However, FAA guidance does allow for certain installations to be conducted under minor alterations as long as no welding or drilling of holes into the aircraft structure is performed. No evidence of drilling or welding was noted to the aircraft structure.

Review of the airframe and engine logbooks revealed that the most recent annual inspection was completed on March 13, 2014, at a recorded tachometer reading of 25 hours and an airframe total time of 163.5 hours since the restoration of the airplane.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

A review of recorded data from the SMO automated weather observation station, located near the accident site, revealed that, at 1351, conditions were wind from 220 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear sky, temperature 23 degrees Celsius, dew point -8 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.20 inches of mercury.

AIRPORT INFORMATION

According to the FAA Digital Airport/Facility Directory, SMO is a continuously operated towered airport with a field elevation of 177 feet. The airport was equipped with one asphalt runway, runway 03/21 (4,973 ft long by 150 ft wide). Investigative personnel noted that the approach end of runway 03 of the airport was positioned on a plateau about 75 ft higher than the accident site.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted terrain about 800 ft southwest of runway 03 at an elevation of about 45 ft. Wreckage debris remained within about 10 ft of the main wreckage. The first identified point of contact was the top of a tree about 65 ft tall. The first area of ground impact consisted of an area of disturbed grass that extended to a small crater of disturbed dirt, which contained a portion of the propeller blade. The ground scars were about 25 ft in length.

The fuselage came to rest upright on a heading of about 44 degrees magnetic about 150 feet from the tree. The wings and engine remained partially attached to the main fuselage. Flight control continuity was established to all flight surfaces, with the exception of the right aileron; its control cable became separated when the right wing partially detached from the wing root. All major structural components of the airplane were located at the accident site.

Fuel was observed leaking from the front of the airplane, and the responding fire department reported shutting off the airplane's fuel supply from the cockpit.

COMMUNICATIONS

According to FAA recorded communications, the SMO air traffic control tower local controller reported that, at 1419, the pilot requested a departure from runway 21 for left closed traffic. The pilot was cleared for takeoff about 1 minute later. About 1 minute after takeoff, the pilot radioed that he had an engine failure and requested immediate return. The controller cleared the pilot to land on runway 21; the pilot responded with a request for runway 03. The controller subsequently cleared the pilot to land on runway 03 and then issued the wind information. There was no further transmission from the pilot after 1422.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicology tests on the pilot. No ethanol was detected in the blood. The following drugs were tested for: amphetamines, opiates, marijuana, cocaine, phencyclidine, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, antidepressants, and antihistamines. Positive results for morphine in the blood and ondansetron in the serum were present. Tests were negative for the remainder of the drugs.

A review of the pilot's postaccident medical care by the NTSB's Chief Medical Officer revealed that the pilot was administered amounts of morphine for pain during his evacuation from the accident scene and ondansetron for nausea during his evaluation at the emergency department. The positive toxicology results were consistent with the medications administered to the pilot during his postaccident treatment.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

Airframe Examination

Both the left and right wings were removed to facilitate wreckage recovery and subsequent transport. During postaccident examination, the airframe fuel filter (gascolator) was removed and subsequently disassembled. The gascolator bowl was free of debris. A very slight amount of debris was observed on the gascolator screen. Multiple fuel line fittings were impact damaged, and separated from the gascolator.

The fuel selector valve handles (forward and aft) were found in the "off" position. The fuel selector valve remained attached and secure to the selector valve handle shaft. The fuel selector valve was removed and disassembled. Internal examination of the fuel selector valve revealed that the valve was in the "off" position. Air was applied to the inlet port, and when the valve was moved to both the main and reserve positions, no restrictions were noted.

The fuel tank remained intact, but the fuel tank cap was separated. Impact damage was observed surrounding the fuel cap. Internal examination of the fuel tank revealed that no debris or contaminants were present. No fuel was observed within the fuel tank. Compressed air was applied to the main and reserve outlet port fuel lines and the fuel vent line, and no restrictions were noted.

Examination of the aft cockpit seat revealed that the left and right seatbelt restraints remained attached to their respective mounts and seat structure. The shoulder harnesses were separated from the seat back assembly, but the attach bolt remained intact and secure to the shoulder restraint harness. The shoulder harness was attached using a bolt, two washers, and an elastic stop nut. A hole, similar to the size of the shoulder harness attach bolt, was observed on the back of the seat, about 2-3/8 inch above the seat bottom. The aluminum structure of the seat back was peeled away (outward and upward) from the shoulder harness bolt hole, consistent with the attach bolt being pulled through the metal structure. There was no evidence of reinforcement surrounding the shoulder harness bolt hole and the peeled away seatback structure.

Engine Examination

Examination of the recovered Kinner R-55 engine, serial number 07450, revealed that it remained attached to the airframe engine mount and was displaced downward at an approximate 45-degree angle. The starter was separated from the starter adapter, and the carburetor was displaced from its mounts. Impact damage was observed on the bottom side of the oil tank, and the outlet port was damaged and pulled away at the fitting, which resulted in a breach of the oil tank. When the engine was attached to an engine hoist, residual oil was observed draining from the oil tank outlet port. The oil shutoff valve was found separated from the oil tank outlet fitting and the associated oil line tubing. The oil shutoff valve was found in the open position, and the handle was bent, consistent with impact damage. When actuated by hand, the oil shutoff valve actuated normally between the open and closed positions. Several fuel and oil lines were found impact damaged and separated. The oil drain valve was intact and in the closed position.

The forward spark plugs on all five cylinders were removed. Both the left and right magnetos were also removed. The propeller was rotated by hand, and thumb compression was obtained on cylinder Nos. 1, 2, 4, and 5. All intake and exhaust rocker arms for all cylinders exhibited equal lift action. Damage to the No. 3 cylinder intake and exhaust push rod tubes resulted in a decreased clearance for the intake and exhaust valve rocker arms (0.004 inch and 0.002 inch, respectfully). Both of the intake and exhaust valve rollers would not rotate. The valve clearance adjustment nut was loosened, which allowed for further movement of the intake and exhaust valve rocker arms. The propeller was then rotated by hand, and thumb compression was obtained on the No. 3 cylinder. When the propeller was rotated, no internal binding or friction was noted within the engine and valve train.

The Holley 419 carburetor was found separated from its mounts. The mounting flange and a portion of the carburetor casing around the throttle valve/plate were separated. All safety wire were intact and secure. The carburetor was disassembled and examined. The fuel screen was intact and free of debris. The float bowl was free of debris and contained no residual fuel. The metal float was intact and free of damage. Compressed air was applied to the inlet port of the carburetor, and the float and needle valve were actuated with no anomalies noted. Solvent was poured into the float bowl and the accelerator pump was actuated; fuel was observed expelling from the nozzle. All internal components of the carburetor appeared to be intact and undamaged.

The main metering jet cover was removed from the housing at the bottom of the carburetor. The main metering jet was found unscrewed from its seat and rotated laterally about 90 degrees. The internal cap, main metering jet, and seat appeared to be bright in color and polished. Portions of the jet threads appeared to be rounded off. No gasket was observed within the main metering jet housing. In addition, no evidence of thread locking compound was observed on the threads of the main metering jet or the threads of the seat.

According to the 1943 Holley Aircraft Carburetors Instruction Manual for Models 419 and 429, the actual metering of the fuel is accomplished by the main metering jet located in the passage between the discharge nozzle and the float chamber. The metering system provides a constant mixture ratio over the cruising range of engine operating speeds.

A review of the maintenance logbooks revealed that an extensive restoration of the airplane and engine overhaul was completed on May 21, 1998. At the time of the accident, the airframe and engine had accumulated approximately 169 hours since the restoration. An entry stated that a new float and gasket were installed in the carburetor during this time. The airplane was issued a standard-normal airworthiness certificate on June 4, 1998. Review of the Holley Aircraft Carburetors Instruction Manual for Models 419 and 429, revealed that there were no pertinent instructions regarding the installation or continued maintenance of the jet assemblies. Further, no maintenance entries were located in the engine logbook regarding carburetor inspections since the overhaul.

For further details of the airframe and engine examination, see the NTSB Airframe, Engine, and Maintenance Records Examination Summary Report within the public docket for this accident.

The postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no additional evidence of a mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Review of Advisory Circular (AC) 21-34, dated June 4, 1993, provides basic principles regarding design and installation of combined shoulder harness and safety belt restraint systems. Section 4, Installation Geometry, item D, of AC 21-34 states in part "spinal compression is likely to occur when the upper end of the shoulder belt is mounted an excessive amount below the occupant's shoulder level…the shoulder belt pulls down and back on the torso as it resists the forward motion of the occupant. The resultant restraint force…will place the spinal column in compression, and will add to the stresses in the column caused by the vertical component of the impact deceleration force.

AC 21-34, Section 7, Structural Attachments provides three design concepts that are intended to create an understanding of the features needed in the attachments.

"Concept 1: The first concept is to spread attachment loads into as much surrounding structure as possible and as gradually as possible. Gradual dissipation of loads minimizes stress concentrations at abrupt changes in material cross section which promote local failures, either immediately or upon a subsequent accident load cycle.

Concept 2: The second concept is to minimize local structural bending by attachment loads. Semimonocoque structure generally offers poor resistance to bending, but is good in tension and shear applications. Airframe bending, buckling, or collapse adds to forward movement of the occupant.

Concept 3: The third concept is to ensure that fastener type, strength, and number are adequate in tension, shear, and bending, depending on the application. Airframe buckling under restraint loads will result in compound loading of connector plates as well as fasteners. Concurrently, material thickness is important in preventing fastener pull-out, and continued security (safety wire or equivalent) of threaded fasteners should be considered."

Item C of Section 7 states in part, "…some existing aircraft will already have shoulder harness attachment points, often called "hard points," which were installed during production. As an alternative, it is fortunate to be able to attach shoulder belts to reasonably rigid structure where only a doubler may be needed to replace the material removed for fastener holes. Most often, it is necessary to attach shoulder belts to relatively thin formed sections, or even skin panels, of semimonocoque construction to achieve a satisfactory geometric configuration of the belts when in use. In most cases, attachment points need reinforcement. Attachments to welded tube and wood frame construction present a special problem in selecting the attachment point and the hardware for attachment of shoulder belts."

A fire truck slammed into a Empire Casino shuttle bus in front of the Westchester casino hurting 10 people in both vehicles



A fire truck slammed into a shuttle bus in front of a Westchester casino Wednesday evening, hurting 10 people in both vehicles, authorities say. 

Yonkers Fire Commissioner John Darcy said the fire department received a call to head to 41 Maple Pl. at about 6 p.m. Engine 313 pulled out of its fire station and about a half-block away, struck the Empire Casino shuttle bus, at Yonkers and Kimball avenues. 

The shuttle bus appeared to have been heading west when it was hit by the fire truck, Darcy said. It was a few blocks away from Empire Casino. 
"A lot of people were bleeding badly, mostly the people on the bus," said witness Tony Finar of Yonkers. "Taken out on stretchers, definitely not conscious." 

Six civilians on the bus were taken to St. Joseph's Hospital and Westchester Medical Center with varying degrees of injury, Darcy said. The extent of their injuries and their ages were not immediately clear, but at least some of them were elderly. 

All four firefighters in the truck suffered back and neck injuries and were taken to Jacobi Hospital. They're expected to be OK. 

Darcy said there was damage to the fire truck and "it looked like a pretty significant impact." 

Both police and fire departments are investigating the crash.

International-Matex Tank Terminal in Bayonne oil spill caused by tugboat hitting pier






An oil spill at the International-Matex Tank Terminal in Bayonne in under investigation, the U.S. Coast Guard said. (Google Maps) 


  By Erin O'Neill | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

August 02, 2015

BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY

An oil spill at a terminal in the city located near where the Kill van Kull and Upper New York Harbor meet is under investigation, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Sunday. 

The spill at the International-Matex Tank Terminal in Bayonne was caused by a tug hitting a fuel terminal pier, according to the Coast Guard, which said in a news release that the spill was initially reported on Saturday night around 10 p.m. 


Members of the Coast Guard's pollution response team immediately responded to the site, the agency said. That team, along with terminal employees launched containment boom and "secured the source of the oil," the Coast Guard said. 

It is not yet known how much oil entered the water.

Investors and Soulard businesses leveled by 2014 gas explosion file suit against AT&T and two of its contractors (MasTec and Four Winds Construction ) for causing the massive explosion


July 31, 2015 11:00 pm
By Valerie Schremp Hahn
Kelly Greene and her husband, Bret Schnitker, comfort each other as they watch their business, Star Designs, burn in Soulard on Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 5, 2014. A gas explosion set off the fire in the business at the corner of Shenandoah Avenue and Menard Street. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com

ST. LOUIS, MO

An investment group and a clothing and manufacturing firm has filed a lawsuit against AT&T and two of its contractors, saying the contractors were responsible for striking a natural gas line with led to a gas explosion of the business' building.

The explosion leveled the building at 2222 Menard Street in Soulard on Feb. 5, 2014. The suit was filed by Stars Investment Group, Stars Design Group, and the business owners Bret Schnitker and Kelly Greene. They named subcontractors MasTec and Four Winds Construction in the suit, filed Friday in St. Louis Circuit Court.

Stars Investment Group owns and rents office and living space and Stars Design Group is a clothing design and manufacturing firm.

The construction crew struck a natural gas line and about a dozen people evacuated the area. Thirty seconds after everyone left, explosions rocked and leveled the building, the suit says.

The suit says the Missouri Public Service Commission investigated and found that the subcontractors violated several safety statutes and that the construction crew was unlicensed and should not have been working on the property.

Star's Design Group has talked with insurance companies representing the subcontractors and AT&T and nobody has offered any compensation to rebuild. The spot where the building was is now a vacant piece of land, and the businesses are now based a block away.

“The destruction of SDG’s headquarters shuttered its business for at least two months and otherwise delayed potential sales for much longer,” the suit says.


///--------------///

About a dozen people escape Soulard business seconds before gas explosions




Emergency crews respond to a gas explosion at Stars Design Group on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014, at the intersection Shenandoah Avenue and Menard Street. Workers were installing fiber optic cable for the design company, in a three-story building at the corner, when they hit a gas line, according to Jordan Dial, a foreman for the construction company. No one was injured. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com 

February 05, 2014 11:30 pm • By Joel Currier


ST. LOUIS, MO

About a dozen people narrowly escaped a natural gas explosion Wednesday afternoon at a clothing design firm in the Soulard neighborhood, authorities say.
Firefighters knew of no injuries, although one man at the scene said his back was hurt when he was thrown off his feet by the blast.

“No injuries were reported to us nor did we transport anyone,” St. Louis Fire Capt. Garon Mosby said.

A construction crew was installing fiber optic cable for the Stars Design Group in a three-story building at Shenandoah Avenue and Menard Street in Soulard, when workers hit a gas line after 1 p.m. Wednesday, according to Jordan Dial, a foreman for Four Winds construction company. The company, based in South Dakota, was working for AT&T.

Workers smelled gas and called 911, Dial said. Dial said none of his workers was hurt; he said everyone inside the building got out safely before the explosion. Workers alerted people inside the business of the leak.

Firefighters responded to the business at 2222 Menard Street and tested the gas levels in the air.

“Our meter was going crazy,” Mosby said.

Firefighters then immediately ordered everyone out.
“It was pretty much a life-and-death order,” Mosby said.
Bret Schnitker, 50, who owns the business, said that after the crew struck the gas line, his 11 employees went to a rear building.

“Thirty seconds after leaving, there were two or three major explosions,” Schnitker said.

Katie Sharp, 27, of St. Louis, a merchandiser for the firm, said she was distraught by the explosions.

“When everything happened and the building exploded, I cried,” Sharp said. “We are still in shock. Thank God everybody got out in time. Had it not been for the fire department to come in and tell everyone to get out, things would have ended differently.”

Azem Dullovi, 29, of St. Louis, a maintenance worker for the business, said he had been holding open a metal gate while the construction workers dug outside. He said the explosion threw him several feet, knocking him over and hurting his back.

More than an hour later, he said he was still suffering irritation in his throat, nose and mouth from the fire and smoke.

“I could have been dead,” he said.

The blast set off a fire, which was quickly contained but burning inside the business for several hours as Laclede Gas Co. employees worked to shut off the gas line, Mosby said. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire shortly after 6 p.m.

Laclede tweeted that crews responded immediately after the explosion and cut gas service to a large area around the intersection. Mosby said electricity also was cut to the 2200 block of Menard Street and rear-facing homes on the adjacent alleys as firefighters and Laclede crews investigated.

Mosby said firefighters had to force their way into some buildings on the block to make sure no one else was inside.

Late Wednesday, some residents were returning home, Laclede reported, but others were still at nearby restaurants and bars, waiting for power.

“We have multiple service techs going door to door now, beginning to relight pilot lights,” said Jenny Gobble, a spokeswoman for Laclede. “That’s our last step to bringing back service for all the families in Soulard.”

Gobble said that 21 buildings — all but the one damaged by the fire — will be turned back on.

Margaret Gillerman of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.