Aviation
Incredible picture captures moment woman walks away from wreckage of Grand Canyon helicopter crash
According to Daily Mail source : A veterinary receptionist, her boyfriend and his brother were killed during a ‘trip of a lifetime’ when the helicopter they were in crashed and exploded into a fireball during a sightseeing tour of the Grand Canyon.
Becky Dobson, 27, her boyfriend Stuart Hill, 30, and his older brother Jason, 32, all died while Jason’s girlfriend Jennifer Barham, 39, and newlyweds Ellie Milward, 29, and Jonathan Udall, 32 – who were on their honeymoon – are in a critical condition in hospital.
The six friends had spent a year saving for the trip to America to celebrate Stuart’s 30th birthday when their chopper crashed during a 50mph storm on the Hualapai Nation reservation near the Grand Canyon’s West Rim. Pilot Scott Booth, 42, was airlifted to hospital where he remains in a critical condition.
Traumatised witnesses watched in horror as the chopper plummeted 600ft into the rocky canyon and burst into flames before survivors were seen staggering out of the inferno, with one woman heard screaming ‘Jason’.
It is unclear whether the survivor pictured fleeing the wreckage is Ms Barham or Ms Milward.
Stuart and Jason’s grief-stricken father, Reverend David Hill, said a ‘light has truly gone out’ but took comfort in the ‘incredibly close’ brothers dying together.
He choked back tears as described his sons, Stuart, a Mercedes car salesman, and Jason, a solicitor, as ‘wonderful boys’ who were ‘inseparable’.
Becky’s parents received the tragic news as they were enjoying a week-long holiday in Turkey and were flying back to the UK this morning. Her father said she was ‘always happy’ and looking forward to the trip.
The Eurocopter EC130 crashed in ‘unknown circumstances’ at around 5.30pm on Saturday, 60 miles northwest of Peach Springs, Arizona.
The tragedy occurred just three months after Ellie and Jonathan got married in front of family and friends, including Becky and Stuart.
Mr Hill, 32, was a private equity solicitor for national law firm Shoosmiths, after joining as a trainee and had worked his way up to senior associate with the company.
Shoosmiths chief executive Claire Rowe said they were ‘saddened’ by the tragic passing of a ‘respected’ and ‘loved’ member of their firm.
She said: ‘He was hardworking, full of energy and enjoyable to work with, and we are greatly saddened by the news of his death and that of his brother Stuart. Our immediate thoughts are with their family at this very difficult and tragic time.’
Stuart and Jason’s cousin, Holly Campbell, confirmed that Jason was with girlfriend Jennifer when the crash took place
She said: ‘This is a devastating time for our family.
‘We have spoken to my uncle and we all just trying to come to terms with what has happened.
‘I saw them both at my son’s christening in December. They were kind, caring and loved by all who knew and met them.’
Animal lover Becky Dobson described herself as an ‘outgoing person, always up for having fun.’
Becky worked as a receptionist at the Vets4Pets practice in Worthing, West Sussex, and had dreams of becoming a veterinary nurse.
Ms Dobson’s father Peter Dobson said his daughter was ‘full of life and looking forward to going to Vegas for her boyfriend’s 30th birthday to celebrate’.
He added: ‘She was a lovely girl. Everyone liked her, she liked her travelling – she went to Australia for a year to travel round.’
‘She was always happy. They just went for a long weekend; a four-night break. They were staying in Vegas, they had been looking forward to it for a long time.
‘They [Stuart and Becky] have known each other quite a while, they both live in Worthing.
‘They were really happy together, they were always going out and doing things, just enjoyed being with each other. The whole thing is just terrible.’
One witness told ABC News a young woman ‘collapsed to the ground and began screaming the name Jason’.
Hualapai Nation Police Chief Francis Bradley Sr. said the survivors were taken to a Las Vegas hospital at 2am on Sunday, some nine hours after the crash.
The four survivors are being treated as level one trauma patients, meaning they have critical, life-threatening injuries.
Airlines
Akasa Air vs. Pilots: Delhi High Court Upholds DGCA’s Authority to Act in Case of Contractual Breaches
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is authorized to take action against pilots who violate civil aviation rules (CAR), the Delhi High Court ruled on Wednesday.
Akasa Air initiated legal action against pilots who had quit their jobs without giving the required notice by their contracts. In response to a request from the startup airline, which claimed it was in a crisis as a result of the sudden and abrupt resignation of 43 pilots who left the airline without providing the required notice period, the civil aviation regulator submitted written responses.
Akasa Air to Add 800 Staff and Fly Internationally(Opens in a new browser tab)
However, the Court ruled that it is now unable to give any explicit instructions to the DGCA and MCA regarding how to respond to a future representation that Akasa might make against defaulting pilots.
The court made it clear that there are no limitations on the DGCA’s power to take action in situations of pilot noncompliance in an interim judgment that offers relief to Akasa Air. The airline firm maintained that it is merely requesting a directive to the DGCA to decide their (Akasa’s) claims against pilots who may depart the airline in the future without serving the notice period, not that it is pressing for any action against the pilots who have already quit.
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The DGCA had stated that it lacked the power or authority to intervene in any employment contract and therefore was unable to affect the employment contract between the pilots and Akasa Air.
The aviation authority said that if Akasa Air doesn’t have enough pilots to continue operating flights, it would be in the interests of all parties if it complies with the requirement to keep a limited schedule.
Airlines
Global Airlines to contract Hi Fly to accelerate A380 Entry into Service
- Under the agreement, Global Airlines will benefit from Hi Fly’s expertise to accelerate the Entry into Service (EIS) programme for the airline’s new fleet.
- Hi Fly, based in Lisbon, has significant A380 technical and operating experience.
- First Global aircraft expected to fly to Europe in the months ahead, with a new registration of 9H-GLOBL
In a significant operational move, Global Airlines and Hi Fly have inked a contract to collaborate on the development and maintenance of the four A380 aircraft the new airline has agreed to purchase.
Hi Fly, the first company to operate the A380 on the secondary market, will collaborate with Global as it gets ready to launch operations to help the new carrier realize its goal of giving passengers the best possible experience when flying commercially.
Hi Fly takes delivery of its first Airbus A380(Opens in a new browser tab)
The EIS and Return to Service (RTS) procedures for Global’s first aircraft, which are anticipated to start in the coming months, are the organisation’s immediate priorities. However, with an affinity for the aircraft and confidence in its long-term potential and popularity, both businesses will look at further possibilities to deepen their partnership.
Hi Fly holds authorization to operate worldwide and currently operates 35,000 flights per year for a base of 140 airlines and governments on a global basis.
Airlines
Lufthansa equips short- and medium-haul aircraft with new cabins
- − Four makes eight: Large overhead compartments hold up to twice as many suitcases
- − For the first time on short-haul routes: holder for tablets and smartphones at every seat
- − More legroom with new ergonomic seats
Customers of Lufthansa will soon enjoy a redesigned cabin environment on short- and medium-haul flights. It provides a great deal of comfort and luxury. The business will gradually outfit 38 Airbus A320s already operating for Lufthansa with the new cutting-edge cabin beginning in spring 2025.
More space for carry-on luggage: The 40 percent larger compartments allow for the vertical stowage of carry-on items much more quickly and comfortably. As a result, huge overhead bins may accommodate up to twice as many carry-on suitcases or bags as the conventional “bins”.
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Each seat has a designated USB connector that can be used by Lufthansa to charge electronic devices. For the first flight ever, Lufthansa is providing a unique holder for tablets and smartphones in each seat. This allows visitors to watch films and television shows on their own devices much more conveniently without having to hold the gadgets in their hands or set them down on the folding table.
Increased legroom: The new seats from the Italian company Geven also provide extra legroom with the same seat spacing, through the ergonomically shaped backrests.
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