Pilot doing training killed after a PennSTAR Eurocopter EC 135 medical helicopter crashed and burned into an industrial estate one mile from New Castle Airport

Friday, May 26, 2017 12:41AM

NEW CASTLE, Del. (WPVI) --

The pilot killed in the crash of a medical helicopter in New Castle County, Delaware on Thursday has been identified.

The pilot was 37-year-old Michael R. Murphy from Franklinville, New Jersey. Friends say Murphy was the father of one child, and his wife is expecting another.

Gloucester County Hero Scholarship Fund, Inc.

It is with great sadness that we share the tragic line of duty death of EMS Pilot Michael R. Murphy of Franklin Twp.
We ask that you keep his family and his colleagues in your thoughts and close to your heart during this most difficult time.
" Man must rise above the Earth — to the top of the atmosphere and beyond — for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives." — Socrates

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NEW CASTLE, DE (WTXF) - Emergency crews are responding to a helicopter crash in New Castle, Delaware that left one person dead Thursday morning, according to State Police.

The crash occurred around noon near the 100 block of Quigley Boulevard.

Initials reports suggest the helicopter may have crashed behind a small building in a commercial area, and the helicopter was inbound toward the Wilmington Airport at the time of the crash.


Crews in the area are reportedly working in a wooded area with saws to clear a path as they work to make sure there were no other victims.

Officials on scene tell us that only one person was believed to be on-board at the time of the crash.
A Penn Medicine spokesperson said in a statement that the helicopter was being operated by Metro Aviation, which provides services for PennSTAR, and the pilot was conducting a training flight at the time.

No patients or employees were on board, the Penn statement said.


PennSTAR helicopter that was registered to the University of Pennsylvania.=======================



A medical helicopter crashed and burned in Delaware Thursday killing the only person on board.

The Eurocopter twin-engine helicopter went down shortly before noon off of Route 13 near Frenchtown Road short of the runway of the New Castle Airport, said Delaware River and Bay Authority, which manages the airport.

The pilot was the only person on board and died, police said. No injuries were reported on the ground.

NBC 10 has learned it was a PennStar helicopter on a training mission. It was training in inclement weather, to prepare for emergency situations.

Some choppers weren't flying on Thursday due to cloud cover that caused a low ceiling.

Black smoke could be seen pouring into the air off Quigley Boulevard near the post office facility. The wreck caused minor damage to buildings, police said.

The chopper wasn't headed to or from an emergency at the time it went down, authorities said.

The NTSB was en route to the crash scene Thursday afternoon.The NTSB reports that there have been four helicopter crashes in Delaware over the last decade -- one fatal -- and none involved a Eurocopter



========================
Date: 25-MAY-2017
Time: 11:55LT
Type:
Eurocopter EC 135
Owner/operator: PennStar Flight
Registration:

C/n / msn:

Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: 1mi SE New Castle Airport, New Castle County, DE - United States of America
Phase: Unknown
Nature: Training
Departure airport: New Castle (ILG/KILG)
Destination airport: New Castle (ILG/KILG)
Narrative:
Crashed into an industrial estate one mile from New Castle Airport. Post crash fire. Fatality of sole POB reported. Preliminary reports indicate that the helicopter was conducting practice approaches at the airport.

Sources:
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Helicopter-Crash-New-Castle-424357434.html
http://6abc.com/news/helicopter-crash-in-new-castle-delaware-leaves-1-dead/2035505/
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/traffic/2017/05/25/helicopter-crash-new-castle-few-details-known/345809001/
http://www.wgmd.com/helicopter-crash-in-new-castle/
http://6abc.com/news/pennstar-medical-helicopter-crashes-in-del;-1-dead/2035505/

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https://www.google.com/maps/place/WIlmington+Airport+(ILG),+151+N+Dupont+Hwy+%23+11,+New+Castle,+DE+19720/@39.6653014,-75.6041054,20z/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x89c703c4b1aabc31:0xf09353a323445a2?hl=en-us
http://www1.pennmedicine.org/pennstar/fleet.html

Skydiver Matthew Ciancio, 42, of June Lake, was killed Wednesday afternoon while using a wing suit during a jump near Lodi Parachute Center

Skydiver dies in accident near Lodi Parachute Center



By Cathy Locke

clocke@sacbee.com


One person died Wednesday in a parachute accident near the Lodi Parachute Center in Acampo, according to the Woodbridge Fire District.

Steve Butler, chief of the fire district, said emergency medical crews responded about 4:15 p.m. Wednesday to a vineyard off Jahant Road.

Butler said he had no additional details on the incident. He said San Joaquin County sheriff’s investigators were at the scene, though there was no activity there early Wednesday evening.

Ian Gregor, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman, said in an email that a skydiver who was using a wingsuit landed in a vineyard just north of Lodi Airport. The FAA will investigate the incident.

According to a wingsuit-flying website, a wingsuit is a specialized jumpsuit with two arm wings and a leg wing. A skydiver using a wingsuit deploys a parachute toward the end of a descent.

Three people died last year in accidents near the Lodi Parachute Center. One suffered a parachute malfunction in February 2016, while an instructor and student died during a tandem jump in August.


A tightly packed skydiving plane carrying 18 people also landed upside down in an Acampo vineyard last May, resulting in harrowing footage of the accident.

While there is no official count of fatalities, a review of news stories shows that at least 18 people have now died in Lodi-related parachute accidents since 1981.

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




LODI, Calif. (KCRA) —

A skydiver who died after jumping from a plan near the Lodi Airport was identified Thursday as a man from Mono County, according to the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department.




Matthew Ciancio, 42, of June Lake, was killed Wednesday afternoon while using a wing suit during a jump, investigators said.

Ciancio landed in a vineyard just north of the airport on Jahant Road where the Lodi Parachute Center is located, the FAA said.

No details were released about what might have caused the crash landing.


Ciancio was doing a solo jump near the Lodi Parachute Center, which was at the center of two FAA investigations after three people died in 2016.

In February, a skydiver who was on a solo jump from the center was killed due to a parachute malfunction. Then in August, two men were killed during a tandem parachute jump.

Between 1999 and 2016, there have been 13 deaths connected to the parachute center.


The FAA is investigating the accident.


No other details were released.

St. Louis provided no evidence of an inspection of the steam condensate hot water storage tank catastrophically failed at the Loy-Lange Box Company. The steam generation system was shut down and plans were made for the repair technician to arrive in the afternoon on April 3, which was the day of the explosion.

Maintenance scheduled day of deadly tank explosion at Loy-Lange

Ashley Cole , KSDK 10:52 AM. CDT May 25, 2017

ST. LOUIS - The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board released its findings into the deadly tank explosion at Loy-Lange Box Company. The incident killed four people.

The board found the failure of original steel from a 2012 emergency repair to the bottom of the tank was vulnerable to catastrophic failure because corrosion left it much thinner than the newer steel circle that was welded onto the bottom and the entire ring failed suddenly.

REPORT FINDINGS
 
On April 3, the bottom of a steam condensate hot water storage tank catastrophically failed at the Loy-Lange Box Company. The 1,952-pound tank contained about 510 gallons of condensed steam – the water temperature was at about 330 degrees. 

Steam heat is crucial to the production of Loy-Lange Box Company’s products. To produce the steam required, the company alternates between using one of two steam generators manufactured by Clayton Industries.

STEAM GENERATOR HISTORY
 
The original Clayton steam generators at Loy-Lange were installed in 1966 and 1968. However, the system was rebuilt using different generators in 1999 and 2001. In June 2012, one of the generators was upgraded and in December 2016, the coil of the other generator was replaced by Loy-Lange employees because it had developed a leak.
SEMI-CLOSED RECEIVER HISTORY
 
The semi-closed receiver was manufactured by Chicago Boiler Company to Clayton’s design – the SCR was inspected and registered with the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors in February 1997. The SCR was repaired during November 2012. Four and half years later, on March 31, 2017, stationary engineers noticed a leak from the bottom of the SCR, the steam generation system was shut down and plans were made for the repair technician to arrive in the afternoon on April 3, which was the day of the explosion.

The investigation team determined the vessel failed due to corrosion of the six-inch ring of the original bottom head, resulting in the circumferential split of the ring and subsequent separation of the entire tank circle from the SCR.

The city of St. Louis is required to inspect the SCR by its ordinance. According to the report, St. Louis provided no evidence of an inspection.

CSB Releases Investigative Update Into Loy Lange Box Company Catastrophic Pressure Vessel Failure that Killed 4 Workers and Critically Injured a fifth. The immediate cause of this incident is the sudden mechanical integrity failure of the entire ring of the original bottom of the pressure vessel.

CSB Releases Investigative Update Into Loy Lange Box Company Catastrophic Pressure Vessel Failure



May 25, 2017, St. Louis, MO – The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released a “Factual Investigative Update” on the April 3, 2017, catastrophic rupture of a pressure vessel at the Loy Lange Box Company that killed four people and left another in critical condition.

The CSB’s ongoing examination of the incident has identified a history of leaks in the pressure vessel, which was part of a steam generation system. In 2012, the vessel was repaired when it was discovered that water was leaking from the bottom of its tank. In what was termed an “emergency repair,” a portion of the bottom of the tank was replaced with a custom made center section.

On Friday, March 31, 2017, employees again noticed a leak from the bottom of the vessel. Photos taken by the employees revealed leaks coming from at least two distinct sections of a 6-inch ring of original tank material that had been left surrounding the replacement center section of the vessel in 2012. Three days later, on April 3, Loy-Lange started up the steam generation system and the vessel ruptured in the area of that ring.

In examining the vessel post-incident, investigators found the metal in the rupture area extremely thinned from its original state. While the thickness of the metal should have been a quarter of an inch (0.25”) thick, this specific area had been worn down to eight hundredths of an inch (0.08”).

The immediate cause of this incident is the sudden mechanical integrity failure of the entire ring of the original bottom of the pressure vessel. This rupture separated the bottom of the tank from the rest of the pressure vessel. This created the unique conditions for a steam explosion, launching the vessel through the building about 520 feet before landing at the Fautless Healthcare Linen’s site. This was a massive explosion – releasing energy equivalent to about 350 pounds of TNT.

The City of St. Louis is required to inspect the pressure vessel by its ordinance; however, the CSB has received no evidence of inspection.

The investigation will continue with mechanical analysis and additional document reviews, interviews, research and analysis. A full factual investigative update can be found here.

The CSB is an independent, non-regulatory federal agency charged with investigating serious chemical incidents. The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. Visit our website at www.csb.gov.
=========================
ST. LOUIS, MO

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board says the immediate cause of a steam tank explosion at the Loy-Lange Box Co. that killed four people last month was the failure of original steel that remained after a 2012 emergency repair to the bottom of the tank.

That steel was "uniquely vulnerable to catastrophic failure" because corrosion left it much thinner than the newer steel circle that had been welded onto the bottom, according to a report the investigative board released Thursday.

Moreover, stationary engineers at Loy-Lange had noticed the tank was leaking again three days before the explosion, the report says. The board investigation found that the company had shut down the steam-generation system on Friday, March 31, and arranged for a repair to be performed Monday, April 3.

"On Monday, despite the leak and the pending technician visit, Loy-Lange started up the steam generation system," the report says. "… it appears that the catastrophic failure occurred near the end of the start-up process."
 
The 17.5-foot-long, 30-inch diameter carbon steel tank was part of the steam heat system used to manufacture corrugated cardboard. It was inspected and registered with the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors in February 1997, the report says.

The company that made the 2012 repair, Kickham Boiler and Engineering, submitted a proposal about a month later to replace the entire bottom four feet of the tank, but the box company never made that repair, the report says. The new steel would have been 50 percent thicker than the original as a "corrosion allowance," the report states.

The report explains that repairs to such tanks can be overseen by states or cities. Missouri requires repairs to comply with National Board standards, but the city of St. Louis "opted out of the state requirement" and instead has its own mechanical code that requires annual inspections. The report states the city has not provided investigators "any evidence of inspections" of the tank in question.

The city's mechanical code requires all mechanical systems to be maintained in a safe condition. The responsibility for this provision falls to the owner of the building, the report says. City inspections "shall be as thorough as circumstances permit," leaving it up to the inspector to decide what is sufficient.

The city's code also requires a permit for repairs such as the one performed at Loy-Lange in November 2012. The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board found no evidence that Loy-Lange requested a permit for the repair, nor that the city issued one.


Tank removed from deadly explosion site in Soulard
KTVI - St. Louis, MO




The report describes details of the explosion:

About 7:20 a.m. April 3, the bottom of the 1,952-pound steel tank, known officially as a semi-closed receiver, failed, causing the pressure to suddenly drop. The resulting steam explosion launched the tank through the box company roof, killing one employee and critically injuring another. The tank flew at about 120 mph, rising 425 feet over the street. It was airborne for more than 10 seconds, then crashed through the roof at Faultless Healthcare Linen, 2030 South Broadway, killing two people and fatally injuring a third as they filled out paperwork on their first day on the job there. The energy released was equivalent to about 350 pounds of TNT, and propelled the tank about 520 feet from Loy-Lange's building at 222 Russell Boulevard.

Pipe and debris rained down on the industrial area near Soulard. A building at 400 Russell Boulevard, owned by Pioneer Industrial Group, suffered damage when a large piece of pipe punctured the roof and ruptured the sprinkler system. A 7-foot pipe speared the windshield of a truck parked nearby, embedding in the dashboard and floorboard.

2 workers are dead and 1 has been injured following a tank explosion at Midland Resource Recovery in Barbour County, WV as they were prepping a tank for cleaning using bleach

2 workers dead, 1 injured in Barbour County industrial accident at a natural gas odorization facility onwed by Midland Resource Recovery
by Darlene J. Swiger and Jonathan Weaver STAFF WRITERS
 


PHILIPPI, WV — Two people are dead and one has been hospitalized following an explosion Wednesday at Midland Resource Recovery in Barbour County, according to a preliminary report from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.

“Midland Resources was prepping a tank for cleaning using bleach,” DEP spokesman Jake Glance said. “There was a very big explosion. Two were dead on arrival, and one was injured.”

One person was flown to the hospital by medical helicopter following the explosion at 11:07 a.m. Wednesday, a Barbour County 911 official confirmed.
 
Philippi Volunteer Fire Department Chief David Utt said the injured person was listed in critical condition at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown Wednesday.

“It’s the worst tank explosion I’ve ever been on,” said Utt, who’s been a firefighter for 31 years. “The Philippi Volunteer Fire Department extends our condolences to all that were involved.”

Midland Resource Recovery is an odorant equipment processing facility located at 22550 Barbour County Highway and Arden Road, just outside of Philippi.

Utt said the company has been at the site along U.S. 250/119 for about two years.

Wednesday’s explosion has been classified as a hazardous materials incident by the DEP.

Midland has been serving the natural gas industry since 1996 to provide long-term solutions for decommissioning, treating and removing obsolete odorant injection equipment, according to the company’s website.

Midland provides a wide array of services to keep clients fully compliant with all pertinent regulations and address risks of under-odorization, over-odorization, odor fade, mercaptan vapor escape and mercaptan spill, according to the website.

Mercaptan is a harmless chemical added to odorless natural gas to give it a smell so it can be detected.

The West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, as well as the state Fire Marshal’s Office, were initially contacted.

The medical examiner was called to the scene, and the American Red Cross was notified.

There is no danger to the public, Glance said.
 
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration also is investigating the double fatality. The state Department of Energy is responsible for site clean-up.

“We were notified there were two fatality victims,” OSHA spokeswoman Leni Uddyback-Fortson said. “We are in the process of sending inspectors to the site of the incident.”

OSHA has an open investigation that it has a total of six months to conduct.

“Midland Resource Recovery doesn’t have any OSHA history within the past five years at the West Virginia or Colorado locations,” Uddyback-Fortson said.

Philippi Police Chief Jeff Walters confirmed that Barbour County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Brett Carpenter will be in charge of the investigation.

In addition to Philippi volunteer fire department, Belington volunteer firefighters, the Barbour County Emergency Squad, West Virginia State Police and the Barbour County Sheriffs Department responded to the explosion.

Calls to the Midland Resource Recovery business office went unanswered Wednesday afternoon.

The investigation is continuing, and further information will be released as it becomes available.

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

UPDATE (5/24/17 at 1:30 p.m.):
Two people died in an explosion at Midland Resource Recovery in Barbour County Wednesday morning, according to preliminary reports from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.
DEP officials said preliminary reports indicate that they were cleaning a tank, which may have been empty, at the time of the explosion.
The Barbour County Sheriff's Department also confirmed that two people died and that one person was flown to Ruby Memorial Hospital. Chief Deputy Brett Carpenter said they are not releasing the names of those who died in the explosion pending family notification. One family is reportedly in Canada, he said.

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UPDATE (5/24/17 at 12 p.m.):
Barbour County 911 officials confirmed there was an explosion at Midland Resource Recovery, a gas company, on Wednesday.
One person was transported via HealthNet, 911 officials said.
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration, a HAZMAT team, and the West Virginia State Fire Marshal's Office were all called to the scene.
Family members are being staged across the road from the facility.
According to the company's website, they're the leading North American expert in natural gas odorization and gas odorants. In addition to the company's Barbour County facility, they also have operations in Ontario, Canada.
We have a reporter on scene. Stay with 12 News for updates.

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ORIGINAL:
According to Harrison County 911 officials, there was a commercial fire at Midland Resource Recovery off of Route 250/119 in Barbour County at approximately 11 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Harrison County fire departments were called to aid on scene but have since been called back.