ARFF Daily News

Thursday the 7th of November, 2024

Tragic news out of Houston, Texas this morning regarding the LODD of Houston Firefighter Marcelo Garcia, assigned to Station 23.

Our thoughts and prayers to his family and friends and to our Brothers and Sisters on the Houston FD.

May He Rest in Peace...

Be safe out there!

Tom

LINE OF DUTY DEATH – HOUSTON FIREFIGHTER KILLED IN WALL COLLAPSE AT WAREHOUSE FIRE

November 7, 2024

HOUSTON – The Houston Fire Department is mourning a heavy loss Thursday after losing one of their own while battling a 4-alarm fire in the East End.

Houston firefighter dies battling 3-alarm fire at an East End warehouse

It happened late Wednesday night just before 11 p.m. when crews were called to a warehouse covered in flames on Supply Row near Polk Street off Hwy 90.

A few minutes later, HFD Chief Thomas Munoz said a second alarm was called to have additional reinforcements.

A mayday was later called as well as a 3rd alarm when a wall collapsed, injuring two firefighters.

One of them suffered minor injuries and is OK, but the other firefighter, identified as Marcelo Garcia, 42, tragically died at the hospital.

A visibly distraught Chief Munoz said Garcia served with HFD for 10 years, the last six of which were with Station 23.

“Please keep the Garcia family in your prayers, keep the Houston Fire Department in your prayers as we mourn the loss of our brother,” he said.

“On behalf of all Houstonians, I want us to come together and recognize the job — the life-threatening conditions that our first responders go through each and every day,” Mayor John Whitmire said. “Firefighter Garcia left this morning expecting a good day, a hard day, a dangerous day, but he expected to go home.”

The mayor also added he recently met with Firefighter Garcia, describing him as a fine young man with his entire life ahead of him, tragically struck down by giving the ultimate sacrifice.

“We’ve lost such a fine firefighter in Garcia and we’re not going to forget him,” Mayor Whitmire said. “We will honor firefighter Garcia across this city; we will not forget him. But when these officers – when they go to work each and every day, we need to thank our lucky stars that we live in Houston, Texas, where we take care of our firefighters.”

Chief Munoz echoed Mayor Whitmire’s comments, adding that Garcia was a dedicated hero to the City of Houston.

“Every day, he woke up to serve the public, just like all our brothers and sisters in the Houston Fire Department,” Chief Munoz added fighting through tears. “His reason was to serve the public; save lives, as the mayor said, so others can feel safe; a remarkable man who gave the ultimate sacrifice. And every firefighter that puts on that shirt, that patch, that badge, that’s the reason.”

https://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/line-of-duty-death-houston-firefighter-killed-in-wall-collapse-at-warehouse-fire/

Small plane skids off runway while attempting to land at N.J. airport, police say

By Chris Sheldon | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

A plane skidded off the runway Wednesday evening while attempting to land at the Essex County Airport in Fairfield, police said.

Neither the pilot nor the one passenger aboard the 2011 Baron Beechcraft G58 dual prop plane were injured, according to a release from the Fairfield Police Department.

The plane took off from the Essex County Airport and began experiencing electrical issues about six miles into the flight, the department said.

The pilot then turned back toward the Fairfield airport and his landing gear did not deploy because of the electrical problems, authorities said. This caused the plane to skid off the runway as it was landing.

As of 7 p.m., the airport was closed as investigators were still probing the incident.

https://www.nj.com/essex/2024/11/small-plane-skids-off-runway-while-attempting-to-land-at-nj-airport-police-say.html

NTSB Prelim: Cessna 150

The Passenger Reported That The Pilot Became Unresponsive

Location: Gainesville, GA Accident Number: ERA25LA019
Date & Time: October 18, 2024, 18:26 Local Registration: N11519
Aircraft: Cessna 150 Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal 

On October 18, 2024, at 1826 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150 airplane, N11519, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Gainesville, Georgia. The pilot was fatally injured the passenger was not injured. The airplane was operated as Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

Preliminary flight track data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated that the airplane departed from Gwinnett County Airport (LZU), Lawrenceville Georgia at 1802 and proceeded toward Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport (GVL), Gainesville, Georgia. The pilot did not open a flight plan, nor did he contact air traffic control while enroute. 

Shortly after the pilot announced his intention to land at GVL on the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency, the passenger reported that the pilot became unresponsive. The passenger took control of the airplane and flew four low passes over the airport before landing the airplane on runway 5 at 1826.

Upon touching down, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the nose of the airplane impacted and slid down the runway. The pilot and passenger were subsequently met by witnesses who extinguished a small fire near the forward portion of the airplane. First responders subsequently transported the pilot to a local hospital. The pilot subsequently died on October 20.

A subsequent examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the lower, forward fuselage. 

FMI: www.ntsb.gov

Today in History

74 Years ago today: On 7 November 1950 Northwest Orient Airlines flight 115, a Martin 2-0-2, crashed while on approach to Butte Airport, MT, USA, killing all 21 occupants.

Date: Tuesday 7 November 1950

Time: 08:15

Type: Martin 2-0-2

Owner/operator: Northwest Orient Airlines

Registration: N93040

MSN: 9161

Year of manufacture: 1947

Total airframe hrs: 6166 hours

Engine model: P&W R-2800-CA18

Fatalities: Fatalities: 21 / Occupants: 21

Other fatalities: 0

Aircraft damage: Destroyed, written off

Category: Accident

Location: 5 km E of Butte Airport, MT (BTM) -   United States of America

Phase: Approach

Nature: Passenger - Scheduled

Departure airport: Helena Airport, MT (HLN/KHLN)

Destination airport: Butte Airport, MT (BTM/KBTM)

Investigating agency: CAB

Confidence Rating:  Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:

Northwest Orient Airlines flight 115, a Martin 2-0-2, crashed while on approach to Butte Airport, MT, USA, killing all 21 occupants.

Flight 115 originated at Chicago and was heading for Seattle Via intermediate stops. At Minneapolis, the first scheduled stop. both the equipment and the flight crew were changed. N93040 departed Minneapolis at 00:30 and proceeded uneventfully to Billings, Great Falls and Helena. At Helena, the aircraft was fueled and was off the ground at 07:53, using runway 29. The flight plan, amended before takeoff, specified an altitude of 10,500 feet MSL under instrument flight rules via Amber Airway No. 2 to the Whitehall (Montana) Range Station and from there to the Butte Airport via Red Airway No. 2. Following takeoff from runway 29, the aircraft was flown in a climbing right turn so that it passed approximately over the Station as it headed south toward the Whitehall Range Station. At 08:01 the flight reported to Helena that it had reached its cruising altitude. This message was acknowledged. The next message from the flight was to Butte at 08:14 stating that it was over Whitehall Range Station at 08:11 and starting descent. Butte acknowledged this message, gave that flight the station altimeter setting of 29.97, advised that the wind was south, calm, and that the Weather Bureau advised what the ceiling was lower to the east and north and better to the south and southwest. Flight 115 replied that it had vertical visibility at 10,500 feet. This was the last radio contact with the flight.

At approximately 08:15 the aircraft struck the eastern slope of a ridge about 30 feet below its crest, at an altitude of about 8,250 feet MSL. The site of impact was approximately 2-1/2 miles east of the control tower at the Butte Airport, and about 1-1/2 miles to the right of the center of the on-course signal from Whitehall to Butte. The ridge which was struck is paralleled by another somewhat similar ridge approximately three or four miles to the east.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The failure of the captain to conduct the flight in accordance with the prescribed procedure."