MEC&F Expert Engineers : 11/28/17

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

The Arkansas County sheriff suspects geese caused the crash of a Bell 407 GXP medical helicopter on Sunday night, killing Air Methods pilot Michael (Mike) Bollen, 46, of Hot Springs; Pafford flight nurse James (Jim) Lawson Spruiell, 61, of Sulligent, Ala., and Pafford flight paramedic John (Trey) Auld III, 26, of Shreveport, La.














Geese suspected cause of crash By Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
This article was published November 21, 2017 at 4:00 a.m.

The Arkansas County sheriff suspects geese caused the crash of a Bell 407 GXP medical helicopter on Sunday night, killing all three crew members aboard.

"That's what I figure," said Sheriff Todd Wright. "The FAA guy said he doesn't think geese would down a copter, but he has no idea how many are in a flock."

Killed in the crash were Air Methods pilot Michael (Mike) Bollen, 46, of Hot Springs; Pafford flight nurse James (Jim) Lawson Spruiell, 61, of Sulligent, Ala., and Pafford flight paramedic John (Trey) Auld III, 26, of Shreveport, La., according to the news release.

Wright said the helicopter crashed on a levee along Hamptons Reservoir near Lodge Corner, an area that has 10,000 to 15,000 geese.

"Every field is full of them," said Wright. "You couldn't put another one in it."

The official cause of the crash hasn't been determined.

Wright said he talked to a woman who witnessed the crash.

"She said it just started spinning, starting spiraling down," said Wright. "She said the geese started getting loud. I'm sure the crash could have spooked them and made a big racket going down."

The helicopter was flying from Pine Bluff to Helena-West Helena when it crashed about 12 miles west of DeWitt at about 8 p.m., according to a press release from Pafford Air One of Pine Bluff. The helicopter was owned, operated and maintained Air Methods Corp. of Englewood, Colo., for Pafford Air One, which is a sister company of Pafford Medical Services Inc. of Hope.

No patients were aboard the helicopter, which was on the way to Helena Regional Medical Center.

"We are of course all devastated and profoundly saddened by the tragic loss of these valued EMS colleagues and friends," said Dustin Ross, director for Pafford Air One. "We will continue to try and comfort the crew's families as well as everyone in our employ."

Wright said an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board arrived at the crash site at about 4:30 p.m. Monday. Keith Holloway, a spokesman for the board, said no further information was available Monday, and when additional information becomes available, it will be posted on Twitter at NTSB_Newsroom.

Wright said the bodies of the victims were taken from the Arkansas County coroner's office to the Arkansas Medical Examiner's Office on Monday afternoon.

On Feb. 19, 2005, three Pafford Emergency Medical Services paramedics were killed when a a northbound Union Pacific freight train collided with their ambulance at a railroad crossing near Fulton in Hempstead County. A patient in the ambulance survived the crash. The accident was the state's deadliest for an ambulance crew in at least 25 years.

Engine failure was likely a factor in the deadly U.S. Navy C-2 Greyhound transport plane that killed pilot Lt. Steven Combs, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Airman Matthew Chialastri and Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Apprentice Bryan Grosso






Engine failure was likely a factor in deadly C-2 plane crash, Navy sources say

However, it is impossible for both engines of the plane to fail at the same time. 

Powered by twin Allison T56-A-425 turboprop engines and Hamilton-Sundstrand constant speed propellers, the C-2A Greyhound can transport cargo between ship and shore in a matter of hours 


A U.S. Navy C-2 Greyhound transport plane suffered an engine failure shortly before it was to land on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, two Navy officials told the Washington Examiner Monday.

The C-2 crashed into the Philippine Sea Nov. 22 while carrying 11 crew and passengers who were taking part in an annual exercise with Japanese maritime forces.

The engine malfunction was a factor in the crash, the officials said, while cautioning it’s too early to say that it was the proximate cause of the accident.

“The investigation will determine the cause,” one official said, noting that among the facts still in question are the precise distance the prop plane was from the carrier when it went down, and whether it had actually begun its approach to the ship.

Eight people, including some Japanese troops, were plucked from the water by helicopters belonging to the Reagan Carrier Strike Group less than 45 minutes after the crash.

The quick rescue response indicates plane, known as a COD for Carrier Onboard Delivery, was probably in sight of the carrier when it crashed.

An engine failure during landing, when the plane is going slow with its flaps down, would make it particularly difficult for a pilot to recover the aircraft, Navy officials say.

All the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still underway, cautioned against speculating about to the cause before all the facts are gathered, and witnesses interviewed.

Three sailors died in the crash: Lt. Steven Combs, who was identified by Navy officials as one of the two pilots, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Airman Matthew Chialastri and Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Apprentice Bryan Grosso.


Combs sister, speaking to reporters on Sunday, said her brother was a hero who put the crippled plane down in the ocean "Sully" Sullenberger-style that allowed most of the passengers to survive.

"That aircraft is not meant to do a water landing and he was able to land it in a way that let people get back to their family," Combs said through tears on Sunday, reported The Berkshire Eagle.

Combs said the grief felt by the family was “tremendous,” but said, “It does help a little bit, that even in his last moment he was looking out for others. I wouldn't have expected anything less."

“Steve flew the hell out of that plane,” said Navy spokesman Cmdr. Ronald Flanders. “Lt. Combs' airmanship was nothing short of heroic, and was instrumental in savings the lives of the eight survivors."



C-2A Greyhound logistics aircraft

 
Description
The C-2A Greyhound is a high wing, twin-engine Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) aircraft.
 
Features
Powered by twin Allison T56-A-425 turboprop engines and Hamilton-Sundstrand constant speed propellers, the C-2A Greyhound can transport cargo between ship and shore in a matter of hours. As a derivative of the E-2 Hawkeye, the C-2 has a common wing with the Hawkeye but has a widened fuselage and a rear loading ramp. The interior arrangement of the cabin can accommodate priority cargo like jet engines, passengers, litter patients and critical spare parts. A cargo cage system provides restraint for loads during ship launches and landings. Straight-in rear cargo loading and unloading allows for fast turnaround on the ground or carrier flight-deck. The cargo ramp can be opened in flight, allowing for airdrops of supplies and personnel. An on-board Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) provides aircraft self-sufficiency at remote airfields.

The C-2 fleet provides rapid airborne logistics capability to the carrier strike force across a full range of sea basing military operations. Avionics system improvements, an aircraft electrical rewire and structural enhancements provide the fleet with an economically viable C-2 platform for the duration of its service.
 
Background
The C-2A Greyhound replaced the piston-engine powered C-1 Trader in the Carrier On-board Delivery role. The first of two prototypes flew in 1964 and production began the following year. The original C-2A aircraft were overhauled to extend their operational life in 1973. In 1984, a contract was awarded for 39 new C-2A aircraft to replace the earlier airframes. Dubbed the Reprocured C-2A due to the similarity to the original aircraft, the new C-2A includes substantial airframe and avionic systems improvements. All the older C-2As were phased out in 1987, and the last of the new models was delivered in 1990.

During the period November 1985 to February 1987, VR-24, operating with seven Reprocured C-2As, demonstrated exceptional operational readiness while delivering two million pounds of cargo, two million pounds of mail and 14,000 passengers in support of the European and Mediterranean Theatre commands. The C-2A also provided support to the Carrier Strike Groups during Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Operation Enduring Freedom.
 
Point Of Contact
Naval Air Systems Command
PEO-T Public Affairs Officer
47123 Buse Road, Bldg 2272, Rm 454
Patuxent River, Md. 20670-1547
(301) 757-7178
 
General Characteristics
Primary Function: Carrier On-board Delivery (COD) aircraft
Contractor: Grumman Corporation
Unit Cost: $38.96 million
Propulsion: Two Allison T56-A-425 turboprop engines; 4,600 shaft horsepower each
Length: 56 feet 10 inches (17.3 meters)
Height: 17 feet 2 inches (5.28 meters)
Wingspan: 80 feet 7 inches (24.56 meters)
Weight: Max. Gross, take-off: 57,500 lbs (26,082 kg)
Airspeed: Cruise - Approximately 260 knots true airspeed speed; Max - Approximately 343 knots
Ceiling: 30,000 feet (9,144 meters)
Range: 1,000 nautical miles (1150.77945 statute miles)
Crew: Four
 
Last Update: 13 April 2017

=================


U.S. Navy Transport Crashes En Route to Aircraft Carrier


The Greyhound transport plane was headed to the USS Ronald Reagan when it went down.


A U.S. Navy plane carrying passengers and cargo to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan crashed in the Philippine Sea this week, Pentagon officials stated. Rescuers recovered eight individuals from the crash and another three are missing. The rescued eight are described as in good condition and a search continues for the remaining three.


The aircraft, a C-2A Greyhound Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) aircraft, took off Wednesday from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, to rendezvous with the USS Reagan at sea. According to USNI News, the aircraft was assigned to Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 30, Detachment Five out of Atsugi, Japan.

The C-2A was carrying sailors to the ship along with cargo when it went down. The C-2A Greyhound is one of the oldest aircraft in the U.S. Navy. Designed to ferry people and goods between an aircraft carrier and land, it is unarmed and features a large cargo ramp in the rear of the aircraft to fit oversized cargo such as aircraft engines. The Greyhound carries up to 10,000 pounds of cargo, 26 passengers, or some combination thereof.




U.S. Navy personnel offload cargo from the rear of a C-2A Greyhound on the aircraft carrier USS Bush.


U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Lorelei Vander Griend

C-2As have a high availability rate and a high operational tempo during carrier deployments. According to manufacturer Northrop Grumman, “During a typical six-month peacetime aircraft carrier deployment, a two-aircraft C-2A detachment will accumulate approximately 1,000 flight hours, transport about 5,000 passengers and haul about one million pounds of cargo.” Despite the high number of miles the C-2A has a relatively low accident rate, with the last fatal accident in 1973. The Navy lost two other aircraft in separate accidents in 2003 and 2005.

The Navy has already decided on a replacement for the aging C-2A, the V-22 Osprey. The tiltrotor aircraft will replace the Greyhound starting in 2021, with the last of the older planes retired in 2026.

A malfunctioning electrical outlet caused a house fire that killed 83-year-old Louvenia Goldson and her son, 62-year-old Eugene Goldson in Temple Hills, MD. The house had no working smoke alarms




TEMPLE HILLS, Md. (AP) —


Investigators in a Maryland suburb of Washington say a malfunctioning electrical outlet caused a house fire that killed a woman and her adult son.


A spokesman for Prince George's County Fire said in a statement Monday that there were no working fire alarms in the Temple Hills house that burned on Nov. 15.


Officials say 83-year-old Louvenia Goldson and her son, 62-year-old Eugene Goldson, who lived in the home, died at a hospital after being removed from the basement of the home.

The house — located in the 5200 block of Lorraine Drive in Temple Hills — had no working smoke alarms, the fire department says.



Two firefighters were taken to a burn unit with burns to their ears. They were expected to be OK after treatment, fire officials said.

At the time of the fire, neighbors said they had rushed to the house to help, but the flames were too intense for them to continue.

"All I heard was, 'Help, help! Please help me!'" neighbor Brandon Clay said.


Anyone who in Prince George's County needs a working smoke alarm but cannot afford or install one is urged to call 311. A firefighter will install a smoke alarm for free.

Worker with McCownGordon Construction killed after a high-pressure valve explodes at the expansion of the Garmin corporate headquarters under construction in Olathe, Kansas





The Olathe Police Department has released the identity of the man killed in a workplace incident at Garmin's headquarters on Monday.

Jubal D. Hubbard, 28 of Holden, Mo., was killed when a high pressure valve ruptured at a construction site at Garmin's warehouse. 


Garmin director of corporate communications Ted Gartner confirmed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the incident.

“Unfortunately, an employee of one of the construction contractors was killed during this incident, which was immediately brought under control,” Gartner said.

“Local authorities and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are investigating the incident, and it is inappropriate for Garmin to comment on any specifics at this time. Our sincere condolences go out to the victim’s family, friends, and coworkers.”



===============


28-year-old worker killed at Garmin work site was ‘family guy that loved to fish’



By Toriano Porter


November 28, 2017


The man who died Monday after a pipe ruptured on the construction site of the new Garmin expansion was described by a long-time friend as an avid outdoorsman and a doting father to an 8-year-old son.

Jubal D. Hubbard, 28, of Holden, was working on a high-pressure valve when it ruptured about 2:20 p.m. near a loading dock area of a warehouse at 1515 S. Mahaffie Circle.  

Thadius Paul Plemons, 24, of Cement, Okla., said he’d known Hubbard since Plemons was a 6-year-old growing up near a farm in Holden.

“He loved to fish and was a big, big family guy,” Plemons said Tuesday.


The pair, Plemons said, were keen on hunting, fishing, camping and hiking.

“If were doing something outside we were happy,” Plemons said.

Plemons said Hubbard was a former Army National Guardsman and a loving and protective father to 8-year-old son, Daniel.

“Daniel idolized his dad and vice verse,” Plemons said.

Plemons said he last saw Hubbard during a trip to Holden this past weekend. The two talked about family and shot guns on a private range.

Funeral arrangements for Hubbard are pending, but Plemons and family will make an unwanted return trip to Holden on Wednesday to meet with Hubbard’s parents.

“He wasn’t just a friend, he was a brother,” Plemons said. “His mom and dad and my mom and dad are best friends. We’ve been best friends since Day 1.”

The site where Hubbard died has been under construction since last year when Garmin announced its plans to build a new warehouse and distribution center on 29 acres near 151st Street and Mahaffie Circle.
=======================


November 27, 2017

OLATHE, Kan. -- 













A worker has died Monday afternoon after an explosion at the new Garmin headquarters under construction in Olathe, officials say.

Olathe Fire Department spokesman Mike Hall told Fox 4 a subcontractor was working on a high-pressure valve in a warehouse near a loading dock when the valve ruptured around 2:30 p.m. Monday.

The worker was killed instantly. No one else was injured. Officials have not yet released any identifying information about the victim.

"We've transitioned into a death investigation where we will continue to investigate exactly what occurred here to the best of our ability," Olathe Police Sgt. Logan Bonney said.

The new headquarters is currently under construction at 1550 S. Mahaffie Circle in Olathe.

The company overseeing the construction of the new headquarters issued the following statement:

"McCownGordon Construction would like to express our firm’s deepest sympathy to the victim’s family, friends and co-workers. We understand that local authorities, as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are currently investigating the incident. It is inappropriate for us to comment at this time."


Due to significant success, Garmin is expanding its corporate headquarters. McCownGordon and Gould Evans are collaborating to complete the multi-phased, $200 million project including a parking garage, warehouse and manufacturing facility, office space and associated site work and landscaping.

The new parking facility—an extension of the existing garage—was constructed while the current garage remained active. The warehouse and manufacturing expansion includes more than 720,000 square feet of new space to house Garmin’s growing business. The new space will feature a creative setting for R&D, engineering and industrial design teams. With a focus on employee wellbeing, the expanded campus will also feature a fitness center, recreation fields, running trails and an outdoor event space. Phase II of the expansion includes new office environments for Garmin’s expanding workforce. =====================

Worker dead after pipe ruptures on Garmin construction site


By Kaitlyn Schwers And John Sleezer
November 27, 2017




A contractor working on the construction site of the new Garmin expansion in Olathe died Monday after a pipe ruptured, the fire department said.

Olathe Fire Capt. Mike Hall said the person who died was working on a high-pressure valve when it ruptured. Hall said the accident happened near a loading dock area of a warehouse.

The fire department said the accident was reported at 2:18 p.m. Monday at 1515 S. Mahaffie Circle.

No other injuries were reported.

The fire department spokesman said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Olathe police were investigating the accident.


The site where the death happened Monday has been under construction since last year when Garmin announced its plans to build a new warehouse and distribution center on 29 acres near 151st Street and Mahaffie Circle. 


McCownGordon is the general contractor, and Gould Evans is the designer and architect. The company said the $200 million expansion would create 150 new jobs.