Showing posts with label crash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crash. Show all posts

PostHeaderIcon Russian military cargo plane crashes in Siberia

11/02/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post


A huge Russian military cargo plane capable of carrying 40 tons of baggage crashed as it commenced flight in Easter Siberia claiming the lives of 11 people. The four-engine Ilyushin IL-76 plane bound for Irkutsk in Siberia reached an altitude of 20 meters when it burst into flames. Source: VOA (11/01/09)

Tass News Agency said the weather was clear during the aircraft’s take off and no injuries were reported on the ground. The flight recorders needed to clarify the cause of the mishap have been recovered. (Photo Credit: Koppel) =0=

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PostHeaderIcon 9 dead in aircraft midair smash-up in Hudson

8/09/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post


They were not as lucky as the 155 passengers of US Airways who survived a crash landing in January 25, 2009 in Hudson River soon after take-off from nearby La Guardia airport in Astoria, New York.

New York mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on Saturday, August 8, 2009 that 9 people perished in a midair collision of a helicopter operated by Liberty Helicopter Sightseeing Tours and a light plane, a single-engine Piper PA-32 Saratoga in New York City. The fatal incident over the Hudson river claimed the lives of five tourists from Bologna, Italy.

“Helicopter wreckage was found in about 30 feet of water, while the plane is believed to be near the midchannel point of the Hudson in deeper water. A scanning sonar is being used to pinpoint the plane and has identified a possible third debris."---CNN.com (08/08/09, Candiottti, S et al.)

So far, only three bodies, two adults and one child, have been recovered down the river. Some witnesses said the plane trailed the helicopter from behind before they collided with a loud bang, scattering debris in midair before the aircrafts fell near the Hoboken shore. Authorities are investigating the cause of the deadly crash. (Photo Credit: PMarella) =0=

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PostHeaderIcon Crash of another Iranian aircraft

7/25/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post


A little more than a week when the Caspian Airways flight 7908 with 168 passengers aboard en route to the Armenian city of Yerevan crashed this month, another Iranian aircraft owned by Aria Airlines skidded in an airport and crashed on July 24, 2009, Northeast of the country, killing at least 17 people and injuring about 20 people. The airline was carrying 153passengers.

The crash could be the result of poor maintenance of planes in a country plagued by economic sanctions. Spare parts for Iran’s aging aircrafts, many Russian-made, had been difficult to procure.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the availability of airplane parts had been a problem for the outdated aircraft fleet now susceptible to mechanical problems. Iran experienced difficulty buying plane parts even in Europe. Source: AP (Photo Credit: Sheltercrow) =0=

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PostHeaderIcon 10 Filipino OFWs perish in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan

7/22/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post


Breaking the prohibition by the Philippine government, 10 Filipino OFWs illegally worked in war-torn Afghanistan. They were killed when a Russian-owned civilian helicopter they were riding crashed in the Kandahar Airbase tarmac. Investigation to know the cause of the crash was on-going.

Among the recognized fatalities are Marvin Najera of San Fernando, Pampanga; Ely Cariño of Cabusao, Camarines Sur; Manolito Hornilla of Taysan, Batangas; Mark Joseph Mariano of Floridablanca, Pampanga; Celso Caralde of Butuan City; Rene D. Taboclaon (Cagayan de Oro City), Recardo E. Vallejos (Bislig, Surigao del Sur) and Noli M. Visda, of Lubao, Pampanga.

The OFW’s who previously worked in the Middle East in 2004 came to Afghanistan to work illegally. After returning to the Philippines, they left the country in July this year to find employment abroad. Approximately 1,500 Filipinos have presently taken jobs in Afghanistan.

Even if the country forbids Filipinos from taking jobs in dangerous and far places like Afghanistan. the workers came, acting as tourists from Dubai. This illustrates the desperation of Filipinos to find employment---anywhere, anytime and anyplace? (Photo Credit: Aryty) =0=

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PostHeaderIcon Iranian plane falls from the sky, 168 feared dead

7/16/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post


From Tehran, Caspian Airways flight 7908 with 168 passengers aboard was en route to the Armenian city of Yerevan when it crashed in northwestern Iran. About 16 minutes after take-off, the commercial plane was on fire before it touched ground, according to witnesses. On the disaster site, a huge crater with burning jetliner debris was created. There were no signs of survivors.

"Its wheels were out and there was fire coming from the lower parts," Abul-Fazel Idaji told Fars. "Moments later the plane hit the ground and broke into pieces." Among those presumed dead were 10 members of the Iranian national youth judo squad traveling to Yerevan for a summer training camp."---Los Angeles Times (07/15/09. Daragahi, B.)

Because of sanctions, the Islamic Republic of Iran had been relying on Russian-made aircrafts which many of its citizens believed were prone to mechanical trouble. The Caspian Airways operated in Iran and neighboring countries like Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates and Armenia. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. (Photo Credit: Getty Images/ Khalil Emami) =0=

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PostHeaderIcon 17 bodies recovered from Air France crash site

6/08/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post


After days of fruitless search, rescuers of Air France flight no. 447 which crashed last week in the Atlantic ocean reported finding at least 17 bodies floating at sea. The remains were probably part of the 229 passengers and crew who died when the plane mysteriously fell from the sky. To bodies would be brought to the mainland in the coastal city of Recife for identification.

The disaster is the worst aviation accident since 2001, and unprecedented in Air France's 75-year history. ---www.channelnewsasia.com / AFP (06/08/09)

With no hope of finding survivors, Brazilian and French authorities continue to search an area of 1,1000 kilometers in the northeast coast of Brazil to recover remnants of the aircraft whose black box is yet to be recovered. They are still investigating to determine the cause of the fatal disaster. (Photo Credit: Reuters / Brazilian Airforce) =0=

RELATED BLOG: "Air France crash mourners in Paris, France" Posted by mesiamd at 6/06/2009

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PostHeaderIcon Air France crash mourners in Paris, France

6/06/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post


Relatives and friends of those who vanished with the ill-fated Air France carrier which plunged in the Atlantic Ocean gathered outside the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France on June 3, 2009. In a solemn remembrance, they recalled the memory of the 228 passengers and crew still missing since the AF Flight 447 crashed on Monday, June 1. 2009 on the way Paris to Rio de Janeiro.

Attempts to find the exact wreckage location and the plane’s black box have so far been unsuccessful. No traces of survivors or bodies of those who might have died are recovered. Pieces of wreckage reported to be from the ill-fated aircraft turned out to be debris from other sources. The cause of the crash remains a mystery. (Photo Credit: (AFP/POOL/ Edme, B)=0=

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PostHeaderIcon Crash site of Air France flight #447 confirmed; Filipino seaman among the missing

6/03/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post


With no survivors so far reported, the tragedy could well be the worst aviation mishap of Air France through its years of operation. The crash site of the Air France jetliner was confirmed by fuel oil floating at sea, an aircraft passenger seat and pieces of metal debris seen in deep sea, a three-mile path of wreckage between the coasts of Brazil and Africa. Six hundred fifty (650) km northeast of Fernando do Noronha archipelago, the pieces of debris in the Atlantic Ocean were reported by the Brazilian Air Force.

The appearance of aircraft fragments is bolstered by a report that a pilot of TAM, a Brazilian airline saw glowing spots on the sea surface in what was thought to be site where the plane fell from the sky. Continued effort to find the plane’s black box to explain the circumstances of the crash is underway. In spite of the tragedy occurring during a supposed inclement weather, terrorism and sabotage have yet to be ruled out by investigators.

Among the 228 on board the airbus A330 are 12 crew members and Pinoy OFW Arden Jugueta counted among the missing with very little chance of surviving. On a connecting flight en route to Paris from Rio de Janeiro, Jugueta was on his way to Manila when the horrible mishap occurred. This was relayed by the French Foreign Ministry (FFM) to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA.)

In accordance to the rules of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA,) the family of Jugueta is entitled an accident insurance benefit of P200,000 plus a burial compensation of P20,000 once the seaman’s death is ascertained. OWWA promises to bring back the victim’s body to the Philippines if found.--- AP (06/03/09 Pia Lee-Brago)

As the personal heart-rending details of the disaster are disclosed, the magnitude of human suffering becomes more obvious. People learn that the missing passengers are human beings with jobs, children and social roles to play in society. Their families and friends are from more than 30 countries in disbelief, waiting for the news of the search teams---- rushed to rescue their loved ones from the coldness of the ocean. (Photo Credit: AFP/ Vanderlei Almeida) =0=

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PostHeaderIcon Air France jetliner with 228 passengers vanished on the way to Paris

6/02/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post


The search of the missing Air France jetliner with 228 passengers is on. The aifcraft lost communication on its way from Rio Janeiro, Brazil to Paris, France last night. The plane reported the loss of pressure and some electrical problem before it vanished in the radar screen.

It is believed that the twin engine airbus AF Flight number 447 was somewhere between Natal on the Brazilian shore and Cape Verde, off the coast of Senegal when it encountered bad weather and crashed in the Atlantic Ocean.

So far the search has not yielded the location of the missing plane. French President Nicolas Sarkozy told worried relatives that the chance of having survivors in the vast plane crash area is nil.

Most of the victims are French and Brazilian nationals, but there are passengers from about 30 countries including American, Filipino, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, Belgian, German, and Moroccan. A French doctor and his wife narrowly escaped the tragedy when they were refused to board because the aircraft was full. (Photo Credit: caribb) =0=

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PostHeaderIcon Dozens die in Indonesia plane crash

5/20/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post


A military plane in Indonesia carrying more than 100 people crashed in East Java on May 19, 2009. It is believed that more than half of the passengers died and those who survived suffered serious burn injuries. Indonesian authorities believe the death toll is expected to rise.

As the plane prepared to land in Iswahyudi Military Airbase, the C130 cargo plane plowed on several houses and burst into flames, killing several people on the ground. Photos of the crash site in the Indonesian TV showed the burning plane and some of the injured victims. The cause of the crash is still to be determined. (Photo Credit: Bental_3000)=0=

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PostHeaderIcon Helicopter crash site yielded 7 charred bodies

4/09/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post
The charred remains of the helicopter which was reported missing yesterday, April 7, 2009 was finally located on the slopes of Mount Pulag in Tinoc, Ifugao Province in Luzon. At press time, 7 burned bodies have been found on the crash site. Their identities have yet to be released.

Reported riding the ill-fated aircraft were Brig Gen. Carlos Clet, presidential military aide; Pres. undersecretary Marilou Frostrom, Jose Capadocia Jr. of the Office of the Press Secretary, assistant director Perlita Bandayanon of the PMS’ office of regional concerns, pilot Maj. Rolando Sacatani, co-pilot Capt. Alvin Alegata, Petty Officer 1 Demy Reyno, and Air Force crewman Staff Sgt. Romeo Gem Perez. This leaves one person still missing.

The helicopter left Loakan Airport in Baguio City at about 4:15 p.m. on Tiesday to arrive the same day in Ifugao. They were part of the presidential team which prepares for Gloria M. Arroyo’s inspection of the P224 million road project in Banaue Province.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but Capadocia, one of the passengers sent a text message of zero visibility before the chopper went down (Photo credit: www.pcij.org)=0=

UPDATE: April 14, 2009

Two Crashes in one Month

The helicopter crash claimed the life of 8 people, among them aides of Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo. The cause of the crash was blamed on bad weather, but investigators are looking into other possibilities.

A light plane owned by Chemtrad Aviation Corp which went missing 12 days ago from its take off Northern Philippines was found. All seven on board the plane died on the site of the crash in a forested area of Baggaop, Cagayan province. The identities of those who were killed have to be released. =0=

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PostHeaderIcon Emergency landing on icy Hudson River in NYC after birds knocked down plane’s engines

1/16/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post


On my way for a doctor’s visit this Thursday afternoon, January 15, 2008, I wondered why my usual route in Manhattan was closed to traffic. Noisy police horns and ambulances blared for some emergency that I couldn’t understand. Yet, when I entered the phlebotomy room in NYU Clinical Cancer Center at 34th Street, my pals in that office were talking about a plane which plunged in the frigid Hudson River, just a few blocks from were we stood. Our surprise and concern could just be felt by the momentary silence.

I could see alarm on the faces of the phlebotomists and a few patients inside the room. Blood drawing temporarily stopped. There were those who instinctively opened their cell phones to call friends and relatives to ask what was going on. After 911, most of us felt trauma each time news of this nature crossed our lives. We thought of the passengers’ condition and we hoped that the incident wasn’t terror-related.

Only a little later that we learned of the 150 passengers and 5 crew of US Airways Airbus A320--- all survived, but about 78 passengers suffered body injuries of varying severity. Some were rushed to nearby hospitals to be treated for hypothermia. We were relieved to know the rescuers were on top of the situation. The passengers were reportedly calm and didn’t show panic as they abandoned the sunken plane.



According to the information, the plane en route to Charlottesville, NC went down upon bumping on a flock of Canadian geese soon after take-off which caused both engines to stop a few minutes upon leaving La Guardia airport. The astonishing “miraculous” survival was mainly attributed to divine providence, the help of rescuers, the quick-thinking and skill of pilot Chelsey B. Sullenberger III and his crew who steered the plane into the ice-cold river. Many are overjoyed that no one died in this scary brush with eternity. (Photo Credits: Freeman; NYC Travis; Freeman) =0=



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PostHeaderIcon What’s common in C-130 plane crash, Sulpicio Lines’ sinking & the “MOA-ancestral domain” controversy

9/01/2008 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post


The Philippine Air Force (PAF) symbolic coffins of people presumed dead in a C-130 cargo plane crash bring a message. Barely a week has passed that the 9 military personnel went missing. Many think it’s too soon to dismiss them as dead, much more mourn with a posthumous memorial when no exhaustive search for their bodies have been done.

The flag-draped tribute for the brave soldiers was emotionally-moving. (Photo Credit: Philstar) The same day as the Philippine Navy (PN) announced having found the site of crash, the glum spectacle of honoring those who “perished,” went on. Nobody reported having retrieved a body. No one knows from whom the pieces of human flesh found in the crash site belong to. Only a lonely badge of “Armadong Kusog ng Pilipinas,” ID cards, and an assortment of personal effects stand as evidence of death, convincing high-ranking military officers to “close” the grim case.

Declaring a quick closure on missing persons has become too common in the Philippines. When Abu Sabaya was allegedly swallowed by the sea during a bloody confrontation with the military, a pair of sun-glasses was all that was needed to tell the world, the notorious Abu Sayyaf hostage-killer of Christian missionary Martin Burnham with a hefty cash bounty on his head, was dead. Fabled money was exchanged swiftly as the news rolled in, confusing the public with embarrassing inconsistencies in government statements and media reporting.

Many passengers of the Princess of the Stars were presumed to have passed on almost immediately when the ferry ship was found grounded near Sibuyan Islands. Similarly, the Dona Paz collision with tanker Vector brought fast presumption of deaths, including those not included in the ship manifest.

It seems the military authorities rushed beyond their call of duty by presuming these people were all dead. Military bravery and “efficient” swiftness were perhaps what they wanted to project. But they ignored the medico-legal ramifications of declaring a missing person dead----something reminiscent of the gaffe behind the bungled memorandum of agreement-ancestral domain (MOA-AD,) tossed to the Supreme Court when Philippine peace negotiators (military men involved) didn’t do enough to ascertain the applicability and legality of giving away territorial concessions to the MILF.

The distribution of cash awards to relatives of unverified dead victims of Sulpicio Lines (Princess of the Stars.) was another thing. Without waiting if the “dead” people involved were truly among the passengers in the boat which sank at the height of Typhoon Frank, there were offers to silence the victims’ relatives with cash. For sometime now, the uproar raised by the mishap had died down quickly as the lawsuits that followed.

Certainly, there are laws governing the declaration of death of a missing person. They have serious practical applications which cover diverse issues such as settling of a decedent’s estate, the awarding of inheritance, indemnity claims, insurance benefits, the exercise of a citizen’s rights to vote, accountability for a crime or contracting marriage.

Let us take contracting marriage as an example. To the best of my knowledge the Philippine Family Code stipulates in Article 41 a 4-year wait before a missing person to be declared dead for the purpose of re-marriage. The waiting time is shortened to two years for a spouse, if the missing person presumably passed on in a sea voyage---- like the sinking of the Sulpicio Lines ferry or in a the falling of an aircraft from the sky like the missing persons of the C-130 plane crash.

At a glance, one can see how often the law is brushed aside. With out following the judicial rules, empty coffins are paraded which seem to perturb the silent public. No one raises any objection--- not even the grieving victims’ relatives who took P60,000 (less than $2,000) as “financial” aids for the “death” of their loved ones. =0=



UPDATE: September 2, 2008, a day after the military's posthumous tribute was held, 7 bodies out of 9 were allegedly recovered. Though not all bodies were complete, waiting for some time was more appropriate so taht the remains of those who perished in C-130 plane crash could be included in the memorial. In keeping with the law, a premature declaraion of death could be avoided.
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PostHeaderIcon Dispelling doubts & rushing “closure” in the C-130 plane crash

8/31/2008 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post
As the brass band played a funereal tune for the pilots and crew that were presumed dead following the downing of the C-130 cargo plane, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) seemed eager to rush the closure of the tragic crash. Against the collective hope of relatives that their loved ones would be back, the pilots and crew were given posthumous Distinguished Aviation Cross awards and their grieving loved ones, P60,000 each as financial assistance.

“This is now the closure. Otherwise, we are prolonging the agony [of the families]... I cannot afford to give them false hopes. It was my tough decision to declare [that there could be no more survivors] based on what were recovered,” said PAF chief Lt. Gen. Pedrito Cadungog. Inquirer (08/30/08, Quismundo, T.)

But what has really been recovered? Is this the way we treat the missing? On the bases of a few personal effects, bits of human tissue, and location of the ill-fated plane, PAF has almost totally ruled out sabotage and terrorism because “tight” security measures,” were in place before the plane took fight. Was it true?

Soon after the crash, the military immediately suggested mechanical error, and at worst human error. This unfairly ascribed the “error” to the “dead” pilot and crewmen who couldn't deny or prove it. With no convincing evidence, the military authorities had been asking the public to take their word for it.

It is misleading and downright faulty to rule that the missing persons died. Where are their remains? A few slivers of human flesh whose owner(s) isn’t identified do not automatically mean the person(s) died. It’s possible they could be still there----waiting, badly injured in a remote island. There are many instances when missing persons return after sometime, no matter how hopeless their situation may be before their disappearance.

For the cause of truth and credibility, authorities must not rush into judgment. Search and rescue have been done for only 4 short days. With no time to wait, PAF authorities do not help themselves nor the missing persons’ family in “closing” the incident so quickly. So long as shortcuts in the investigation do not dispel doubts, the case isn't closed.

What the military can do is to work on the root of the mysterious crash and gather evidence. DNA testing must be done on human tissues found to clarify from whom they came from. Investigators must collaborate with witnesses to help build a credible conclusion. Whatever impels the military to be too fast on conclusions is something the establishment knows by heart. =0=
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PostHeaderIcon PAF: A lone cargo plane for a thousand brave men

8/27/2008 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post
The Philippine Airforce (PAF) faces a significant blow in the crashing of a C-130 cargo plane in Davao, Philippines on August 26, 2008. One of only two remaining cargo planes that fly, the craft went down while on a military mission in Southern Philippines, killing its pilot and crew under yet-to-determined circumstances. It raises the possibility of terrorism or sabotage.

The C-130 is essential in ferrying military hardware and men in the country, particularly in war-torn Mindanao where Islamic separatist MILF and Moslem rebels are waging a fight. The plane serves as an over-taxed workhorse of the air for years---- one of only five, three of which are grounded for repairs.

Believed to have died, those on board at the time of the downing of the plane are as follows: Major Manuel Sambrano, the aircraft's pilot; Captain Adrian de Dios, co-pilot; Flight Technical Sergeant Constantino Lobregas; Staff Sergeant John Arriola; Staff Sergeant Gerry Delioso; Staff Sergeant Felix Pedro Patriarga; Staff Sergeant Patricio Claur Jr; Staff Sergeant Aldrin Ilustrisimo and Staff Sgt. Perronilo Fernandez. GMA TV NeWs (08/27/08)

The PAF, its military dependents, and civilians rely on the C-130 as means of travel in the islands. With thousands of ground airmen and personnel who are battle-ready and willing to defend the country, an acute lack of equipment, like a loss of a plane, is a crashing blow to the military which needs both force and air. It raises anew the need to upgrade the air defense of the country =(Photo Credit: Pikitbulag)=0=
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