Protocol for any air craft emergency

[bigfitz2004 19]

I just want to know if anyone knows the Protocol for any aircraft emergency at the Westchester County Airport and the fire districts around the airport like Armonk, Purchase, West Harrison, N. White Plains, and Rye Brook. What is the Protocol for other department for away from the airport because an aircraft emergency affects every town, village, and city in this country.

thanks

Edited November 30, 2006 by bigfitz2004

[Guest alsfirefighter]

It effects everyone in the "country" or county? How so?

Couple things I want to point out as well:

I know its not that hard to get the info, but many departments particulary airports will not divulge much of their plans so they cannot be targeted by anyone whom might want to engage in a terrorist attack. These are things we all must keep in mind in today's world.

[bigfitz2004 19]

I believe that every fire department in the country and the county need to be prepare for aircraft emergency. Your never know than they happen. I think Westchester County so conduct more drill in aircraft emergency.

[firecapt32 282]

Ther have been numerous aircraft fire and rescue classes taught at the fire training center over the last few months. More are on the way. look for them and sign up

Edited November 30, 2006 by firecapt32

[hudson144 150]

as one of the ARFF instructors my students often hear me say "it can and will happen Here in westchester" some depts have the responsibility to respond the the county airport and some don't. when you look at the sk( day and night )you can see over your fire district why it might happen anywhere in westcchester co. the amt of flights out of westchester may open your eyes not to mention that many a/c from the other major airfields are using westchester co as a holding pattern,flight path etc. hopefully we never see a large frame a/c come down because regardless where it happens a majority of the depts in westchester will have their work cut out for them! be safe! jjc

[DOC22 1]

Yeah, That I know from Experience December of 1965 or 66, can't remember for sure which. Constellation and Lear Jet collided. Jet landed safely at Kennedy, minus a part of a wing. Constallation crashed in a fielde in North Salem. Happened on a Saerday afternoon. hell of a weekend that was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No injuries on the Jet, but only 5 or 6 fatalities on the airliner. It hit at the bottom of the hill slid up and spun causing the fuselage to split open throwing people clear, injured, but alive. I don't remember when, but the Readers Digest ran an article on it titled The miracle on Hunt Mountain.

[bigfitz2004 19]

I know once something post some about a helicopter crash in Hartsdale. Was it last year a plain crash in the Hudson River in Yorkers?

[helicopper 1,050]

I just want to know if anyone knows the Protocol for any aircraft emergency  at the Westchester County Airport and the fire districts around the airport like  Armonk,  Purchase, West Harrison, N. White Plains, and Rye Brook. What is the Protocol for other department for away from the airport because an aircraft emergency affects every town, village, and city in this country.

thanks

←

I don't think the protocol or emergency plan at and for an airport is going to be especially useful in the non-airport environment because they have special needs, issues, and resources. They're also regulated by the FAA whereas if your town becomes an airport one afternoon, there are no FAA regulations to follow.

If you're trying to develop a good pre-plan for an aircraft emergency I would suggest (as someone else did already) attending the ARFF course at the training center and attending an airport tabletop exercise to hear the discussions and learn the issues at work there. Then you can develop a solid pre-plan for your town.

You can also run a tabletop exercise in your community to identify strengths and weaknesses in an aircraft response (I'm a big fan of tabletops when they're conducted properly).

As for recent aircraft incidents around here - yes, a plane ditched in the Hudson in January or February, last year (June or July) another plane ditched in the Hudson near Haverstraw Bay, and a plane crashed <2 miles short of the runway in North Castle last year (?).

And yes, there was a Bell 47 helicopter (like from MASH) crash on the Bronx River Parkway in Hartsdale way back when Conrail (?) was still running the railroads in the County.

Hope this helps!

[cas2383 22]

Adaptablity I think is the key to responding to any emergency of a scale such as that, there are so many factors to include that not any one situation is the same as the last or will be the same as the future. It is hard to plan for such an event and when you do like I just mentioned there are always the other factors that can change. Train well, know the/your surroundings well, and be prepared to overcome the obstacles that will lie in the way to try and get the job done.

Bigfitz PS don't forget Port Chester Responds to the airport on the innitial run as well.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

One thing is for certain...you need to reflect on your department as a whole. Like Billy Goldfeder often says, if your department can't handle a structure fire, then you need not to worry about things like WMD attacks, etc.

Good SOP/SOG's are the way to start, coupled with training and updated information. Its not hard, the wheel doesn't have to be reinvented, get out there and get the ball rolling if your "management" (once again note I didn't say "leadership") isn't. Google is a wonderful thing, type in what you want to do and read what others nationwide have in regard to policies. Take what you can use and get r done!

[steve shryock 0]

Look what happened a few years ago in Glen Cove with the crash of Avianca Airlines plane.

It does not matter if an airport is in your district or you are part of an airport response plan. The thing is that there are a few major airports in our metropolitan area and the hanging patterns of LaGuardia bring those planes over westchester so we have to be concerned to some extent of a major airline crash here. doo doo happens and we need to be prepared for it.

What will be needed right away is great IC. If something goes down there will be a lot of resources going in such as FEDS, police, fire, ems, media, nosy public, etc. Also remember that it will be considered a crime scene

[hudson144 150]

one of the biggest things that I want to mention here is that a protocall should be in place for the other agencies that would need to be involved incase of a major a/c incident. EG; to mention a few, dep,health dept,coroners office,coast guard,FAA,NTSB,news agency-assigned to a PIO, OEM,military police (mil a/c). OFPC.SEMO, TOWN SUPERVISOR,MAYOR,food services, logistics- porta potties at the scene, fuel personnel-reservice of the rigs at the scene, EMS, HAZ-MAT,utilities,finances,mash tents, as you can see this can get pretty deep. it would be a ongoing incident so the help would be needed!

Edited December 2, 2006 by hudson144

[helicopper 1,050]

Look what happened a few years ago in Glen Cove with the crash of Avianca Airlines plane.

Time sure flies - the Avianca crash was January of 1990!

[firecapt32 282]

Hudson you better get more clases ready--its too cold for hot dogs!!!

[Doc 11]

I had just mentioned to a friend that there is ALWAYS an aircraft overhead. About three or four times a week I get to watch one of those C-5's lumbering over Rt 52 on final approach with gear down. Sure, most of the time, they're arriving with fuel tanks low, but it could potentially be a lot of fuel. When they're doing touch-n-go's they come through once or twice an hour for an afternoon and you know that when they start, they've got a bit of jet fuel on board. It's a nice reminder that in the wrong set of circumstances we could have a major problem. The C-5's are the most noticible thanks to the unique sounds they make (especially when they start messing with the throttles). Then you consider all the commercial traffic in and out of there too.

I think every department should have a plan in place. Primarily for the potential Mass Casualties and off-road access. Most pilots will try to ditch away from population centers, so getting equipment into a crash site could be a problem.

Every community should address this possibility in their emergency plans.

[SteveOFD 176]

I believe this site has been posted here before, but this shows just how busy the skies above are. Click here Westchester County Airport Flight tracking, zoom out to 80 miles for the full effect.

[bigfitz2004 19]

NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD

OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING

SAFETY STUDIES DIVISION, RE-10

http://www.ntsb.gov/Aviation/curr_mo.txt (Most Recent Monthly Statistics)

If you look at the site you see that so far in 2006 there was 1,331 aircraft Accidents in which 250 were Fatal. The total Fatalities for this year is 644.

GENERAL AVIATION had 1,255 aircraft Accidents that 94% of all aircraft accidents so far this year

[bigfitz2004 19]

Accident

Status: Final

Date: 11 FEB 1981

Time: 18:40 EST

Type: Lockheed 1329 Jetstar 731

Operator: Texasgulf Aviation

Registration: N520S

C/n / msn: 5084

First flight:

Total airframe hrs: 7413

Cycles: 5308

Crew: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2

Passengers: Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6

Total: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8

Airplane damage: Written off

Location: Westchester County Airport, NY (HPN))

Phase: Approach

Nature: Unknown

Departure airport: Toronto-Pearson International Airport, ON (YYZ/CYYZ), Canada

Destination airport: Westchester County Airport, NY (HPN/KHPN), United States of America

Narrative:

A major electrical system failure during a runway 16 ILS approach distracted the pilot. The Jetstar descended into a heavily wooded area, 6000 feet from the approach end of the runway.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "A distraction of the pilot at a critical time as a result of a major electrical system malfunction which in combination with the adverse weather environment caused an undetected deviation of the aircraft's flightpath into the terrain."

[bigfitz2004 19]

Accident

Status: Final

Date: 28 JUL 1984

Time: 15:45

Type: Learjet 25B

Operator: Panorama Flight Service

Registration: N1JR

C/n / msn: 25-188

First flight:

Total airframe hrs: 3168

Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2

Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3

Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5

Airplane damage: Written off

Location: Waterville, ME (United States of America)

Phase: Takeoff

Nature: Unknown

Departure airport: Waterville-Robert Lafleur Airport, ME (WVL), United States of America

Destination airport: Westchester County Airport, NY (HPN/KHPN), United States of America

Narrative:

Pitot tube covers not removed before departure. Takeoff was aborted after a stall warning and the aircraft overran by 100 feet and down a rough embankment which separated the landing gear.

PROBABLE CAUSE:

aircraft preflight..inadequate..pilot in command

remedial action..delayed..pilot in command

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:

terrain condition..downhill

terrain condition..rough/uneven

airspeed indicator..disregarded..pilot in command

[bigfitz2004 19]

Status: Final

Date: 11 FEB 1981

Time: 18:40 EST

Type: Lockheed 1329 Jetstar 731

Operator: Texasgulf Aviation

Registration: N520S

C/n / msn: 5084

First flight:

Total airframe hrs: 7413

Cycles: 5308

Crew: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2

Passengers: Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6

Total: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8

Airplane damage: Written off

Location: Westchester County Airport, NY (HPN) (United States of America) [show on map]

Phase: Approach

Nature: Unknown

Departure airport: Toronto-Pearson International Airport, ON (YYZ/CYYZ), Canada

Destination airport: Westchester County Airport, NY (HPN/KHPN), United States of America

Narrative:

A major electrical system failure during a runway 16 ILS approach distracted the pilot. The Jetstar descended into a heavily wooded area, 6000 feet from the approach end of the runway.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "A distraction of the pilot at a critical time as a result of a major electrical system malfunction which in combination with the adverse weather environment caused an undetected deviation of the aircraft's flightpath into the terrain."

[bigfitz2004 19]

Scenario

Example: A commercial aircraft is flying over Long Island Sound approach Mamaroneck when the cockpit fills with smoke. The aircraft is direct to land at Westchester County Airport. The plan will would fly over Mamaroneck, Harrison, City of White Plains, West Harrison, and Purchase.

What does the county does if an aircraft radios that it is in distress?

Would the county tone-out the departments that the aircraft will fly over to standby there quarter?

If you were the coordinator DES of Westchester and your heard that there is a plane in what would you do?

[bigfitz2004 19]

Crash landing: Student pilot escapes injury

By Mark Langlois

THE NEWS-TIMES

DANBURY -- A student pilot on her first solo flight crashed her single engine plane at the end of a runway at Danbury Municipal Airport Monday after losing her front wheel in the first attempt at landing. Emerging from the plane, she appeared uninjured. Federal Aviation Administration Spokesman Jim Peters said the student pilot, whom he would not name, smacked a Piper Warrior into Runway 35 upon landing Monday at about 2:20 p.m., breaking the nose gear, before immediately taking off again for another landing without the front wheel.

She succeeded in landing the plane on her second try, and walked away from the single engine airplane. The airplane was left near the threshold of Runway 35 with a curled-in propeller and no nose wheel. She landed the back wheels in the dirt within about 10 feet of the runway, so the plane came to a quick stop 50 feet later.

"She made her first approach hard, and the nose wheel came off," Peters said. "She had the good sense to power up and go around. This was her first time soloing."

The plane is registered in Wilmington, Del., to TOB LLC.

As fire trucks surrounded the single engine airplane, drivers passing on Miry Brook Road stopped to watch. The plane didn't burn, but more than a dozen drivers pulled over for the show.

"After it hit down, the wheel was going faster than the airplane," said Lorival Figueiredo, who was driving on Miry Brook Road with Patricio Moraes. The plane came in so low, they stopped to watch as it touched down the first time.

"The plane was 30 feet over us," Moraes said. "I saw it right through my window. I saw it bang and the tire kept on going. It went faster than the plane."

At that moment, people listening to police scanners heard emergency workers talking about a plane circling Danbury Airport without front landing gear.

Figueiredo said the airplane seesawed above the runway after it lost the wheel, but before it gained altitude and took off to come around for another landing attempt.

Airport Administrator Paul Estefan said the Danbury airport has one or two emergencies a year. He said some are less complicated than this one. He gave as an example of a less complicated emergency in 2005 that involved a licensed corporate pilot alerting the airport that he was on approach, and the plane had lost an engine. The plane had two engines. Estefan said in that case the aircraft was being flown by a trained, licensed pilot.

"This one was different," Estefan said. He said he did not know the name of the pilot and didn't know if anyone coached the pilot into the second and successful landing.