ARFF Daily News

Wednesday the 12th of March, 2025

Here are the stories for today...

Of note, it's not always about airplanes, sometimes it's about injuries of people at your airport caused by crime. Is your department responsible for these types of calls?

And then the continuing story from the National Fire Academy...

Be safe out there!

Tom

Man shot during fight at O'Hare Airport, 'I heard a bunch of rapid fire'

A fight among several people spilled outside Terminal Two where a 25-year-old man was shot twice early Wednesday, police said.

By  Mohammad Samra

Workers and travelers described hearing ‘rapid fire,’ seeing a violent brawl and ‘people scattering’ early Wednesday when a shooting erupted outside O’Hare International Airport.

Several people began arguing around 12:55 a.m. in the airport when it spilled onto the street outside Terminal 2 and a 25-year-old man was shot twice in the lower body, Chicago police said.

He was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge where his condition was stabilized, police said.

Over police radio, dispatchers relayed information to responding Jefferson Park District police officers, who asked where exactly it happened.

“2A,” a dispatcher said. “Downstairs in arrivals.”

James Van Schaick was in a hotel “right across the way” when he heard a “half dozen to a dozen shots.”

“I heard a bunch of rapid fire and I opened up my curtain and I looked and I saw people scattering,” Van Schaick told an Network Video Productions reporter at the scene. “I didn’t see [officers] chasing after anybody.”

Van Schaick, who worked in public safety, said he’s never seen something like this unfold at a public airport.

“I would say it’s unusual,” Van Schaick said. “I’ve never seen it like this before.”

A bullet from the gunfire shattered a large window several feet from Raquel Barajas, who was inside the airport trying to get some rest.

“That’s terrifying,” Barajas said as she examined the shattered glass.

“These Dollar Tree earplugs work really well because I have no clue how I did not hear this,” Barajas said. “When I woke up and seen all the cops, I was terrified.”

Barajas emphasized that the earplugs “might’ve saved her life.”

“Getting up would’ve made me more scared and put me in a worse scenario,” Barajas said. “I’m honestly just really grateful to be alive right now.”

Mahmoud, a worker at O’Hare, saw the violent situation developing in front of him.

“They start fighting, regular fighting, after that they [go] in the car, they bring the gun and then start shooting,” Mahmoud said. “After that, I hit the ground.”

Several rifle rounds were recovered at the scene, according to a law enforcement source.

As of 5:15 a.m., all lower-level arrival lanes at all terminals at O’Hare were fully open following earlier police activity, the Chicago Department of Aviation said in a statement.

An individual was being interviewed as Area 5 detectives continue to investigate.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2025/03/12/man-shot-during-fight-at-ohare-international-airport

Staff of Learning Resource Center at National Fire Academy Fired

"It's the largest fire and emergency management library in the world," Dr. Burton Clark said.

Susan Nicol

EMMITSBURG, MD -- A world-reknowned resource on the National Fire Academy campus has been stripped of its staff.

Librarians were fired and only one person is operating the Learning Resource Center, sources told Firehouse.com this week.

Upon hearing the action, Dr. Burt Clark said he was disappointed with the decision that sidelined very dedicated people.

"It's the largest fire and emergency management library in the world," he said, adding that the staff assisted not only students and faculty, but researchers and others around the world," he said.

The extensive library included research projects from engineers and scientists as well as papers written by graduates of National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer programs. Students taking various courses often used the center to learn about a myriad of subjects.

Last week, instructors were told to make an appointment if they brought classes in to conduct research. But that's a moot point now that the courses have been cancelled.

"it was just an unbelievable resource," Clark, a retired NFA instructor said, adding that the staff helped him throughout the years.

Another retired instructor, Mary Marchone also voiced her disappointment with the center's demise. 

"This saddens me. This will have a tremendous impact on the fire service."

As the Trump administration officials fired employees of other agencies, Marchone said she had a 'terrible' feeling the National Fire Academy and programs were in the cross hairs.

The cancellation of the courses and the closure of the learning center won't be taken lightly, she said, adding that the fire service will come togther to revive them. 

https://www.firehouse.com/careers-education/news/55273783/staff-of-learning-resource-center-at-national-fire-academy-fired?fbclid=IwY2xjawI-f_RleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHbMgDLrD1h3AGpebA26GmVQkPwI5QZGFN5lYZmWWd09WuY7Zj2mXtE3KDA_aem_Dq6A6j8YUF64SdIZQ5pSog

NTSB Final Report: Cirrus Design Corp SR22T

Flight Instructor Took Control Of The Aircraft And Banked Hard To The Right...

Location: Paso Robles, California Accident Number: ANC24LA026
Date & Time: April 19, 2024, 11:23 Local Registration: N51FM
Aircraft: Cirrus Design Corp SR22T Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Runway excursion Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Minor, 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis: The pilot receiving instruction reported that while on short final approach, he recognized that he was aligned with the wrong runway. The flight instructor took control of the aircraft and banked hard to the right in an attempt to land on the runway which they were cleared to land. Almost immediately the stall warning sounded, the flight instructor applied throttle and attempted to level the aircraft. The landing gear contacted the runway, the airplane continued across the runway into a field and came to rest inverted. The pilot receiving instruction sustained serious injury and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The flight instructor’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during landing which resulted in a loss of directional control and runway excursion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot receiving instructions failure to maintain runway alignment.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov

Today in History

75 Years ago today: On 12 March 1950 A Fairflight Avro Tudor crashed following a loss of control while on approach to Llandow RAF Station, United Kingdom , killing 80 occupants; 3 survived the accident.

Date: Sunday 12 March 1950

Time: 14:50

Type: Avro 689 Tudor 5

Owner/operator: Fairflight

Registration: G-AKBY

MSN: 1417

Year of manufacture: 1947

Engine model: Rolls-Royce Merlin 621

Fatalities: Fatalities: 80 / Occupants: 83

Other fatalities: 0

Aircraft damage: Destroyed, written off

Category: Accident

Location: near Llandow -   United Kingdom

Phase: Approach

Nature: Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi

Departure airport: Dublin Airport (DUB/EIDW)

Destination airport: Llandow RAF Station

Confidence Rating:  Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:

A Fairflight Avro Tudor crashed following a loss of control while on approach to Llandow RAF Station, United Kingdom , killing 80 occupants; 3 survived the accident.

Avro Tudor G-AKBY was chartered for a return flight from Llandow, Wales to Dublin (DUB), Ireland. The passengers attended a rugby match between the teams of Ireland and Wales.

While on final approach to Llandow's runway 28 there was a slight tendency to undershoot. When 800 yards from the runway and at a height of 150 feet there was an additional use of power followed by the sudden application of full throttle. The aircraft rose steeply to 300 feet attaining a nose-up attitude of 35 degrees to the vertical. The aircraft then stalled and crashed into a field 2500 feet short of the runway.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The loading conditions of the aircraft which gave a centre of gravity position too far aft and outside the limit in the relevant Certificate of Airworthiness and therefor insuffucient elevator control under conditions of low speed and acute instability."