AVOIDING TRAGEDY 4 TIMES • MARCH 12 - mARCH 18, 2015 PLANE SKIDS OFF LGA RUNWAY BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA AND LIAM LA GUERRE [email protected]/@QueensCourier Investigators are trying to determine why a Delta plane skidded off a LaGuardia Airport runway and crashed into a fence last Thursday, coming to a stop just short of the water amid snowy and icy conditions. The incident involved Flight 1086 from Atlanta that landed in New York at about 11 a.m. on March 5, according to the officials. As the aircraft was landing on Runway 13, it slid, veered left and slammed into a fence on the edge of Flushing Bay. Flight crew from the plane told National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators that the runway appeared “all white” just before landing and the plane did not seem to slow down properly. The auto brakes were set to “max” but the pilots said they did not sense any “wheel brake deceleration” and the automatic spoilers, which are supposed to help slow down the plane, did not deploy properly, according to a report released by the NTSB on March 9. As a result, the captain was unable to prevent the plane from veering left and crashing into the fence. According to the report, the plane veered off Runway 13 about 3,000 feet from the approach end of the runway. About 4,100 feet from the approach end of the runway, the plane’s left wing struck the airport’s perimeter fence, and then around 5,000 feet from the approach end of the runway, the aircraft came to rest with its nose on an embankment. All 127 passengers and five crew members had to be evacuated from the plane following the March 5 accident. Twenty-three people received minor injuries and five people were taken to the hospital, officials said. One of the passengers on the plane included New York Giants tight end Larry Donnell, who was unharmed in the crash. “I’m blessed to be safe and sound after our plane skidded off the runway at LaGuardia Airport today,” Donnell said in a statement released by the team. “I feel fine physically and hopefully all the other passengers did not have any significant injuries. We were all shocked and alarmed when the plane started to skid, but most importantly, as far as I know, all of the passengers and flight crew were able to exit the plane safely.” LaGuardia was closed following the accident, with one runway re-opening by about 2 p.m. that same day and the second the following morning, reports said. Passengers were stranded at the airport due to sudden delays and cancellations. Edith Kovacs and her son were trying to get home on a 3:30 p.m. flight to Toronto. But it had been pushed back to 10:30 a.m. on March 6. The pair had no idea what to do with all their spare time and also decided to spend the night at LaGuardia. “It’s nobody’s fault, it’s because of the weather,” Kovacs said. “Maybe they should have canceled flights earlier because the plane accident could have been worse.” Photo courtesy of FDNY The incident also significantly damaged the plane, including its left wing, nose gear, main electronics bay and underside of its fuselage from the front of the aircraft all the way back to the left front passenger door, according to the report. Officials also said there was a fuel leak from the jet that was quickly brought under control. The report from the NTSB said that Flight 1086 based its decision to land on these reports of “good braking action” from air traffic control. As of press time, the NTSB was planning on interviewing the flight crew of the Delta plane that landed three minutes prior on the same runway and examining its flight data recorder. Following a preliminary reading of its flight data recorder, the NTSB was also planning on reading out Flight 1086’s quick access data recorder and having a meteorologist examine weather conditions at the time of the accident. Buildings Department OKs construction of Glendale homeless shelter BY SALVATORE LICATA, ROBERT POZARYCKI AND LIAM LA GUERRE Building plans to construct a controversial homeless shelter in Glendale are moving ahead. The Department of Buildings has approved permits on Tuesday for the conversion of a vacant factory building into transitional housing, which the community has repeatedly opposed for years. The dilapidated factory will have 103 units, smaller than the 125-room shelter originally proposed, encompassing 74,542 square feet of residential space, according to the filings with the Buildings Department. The four-story building will also be built with parking spaces for 33 vehicles, per plans. The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) has a pending five-year, $27 million contract with Samaritan Village to operate the homeless shelter at the site. Residents and neighborhood representatives are upset that the permits were granted. “Trying to sneak this in, it’s all political,” said Sal Crifasi, president of the Glendale/Middle Village Coalition, a group of residents and community leaders devoted to fighting against the shelter. “Somebody is getting something. They are rubber stamping everything. I think someone is getting paid.” The Glendale/Middle Village Coalition has raised about $80,000 from hundreds of residents to legally combat the shelter. They are appealing against the Environmental Assessment the city did on the land. The coalition’s members feel that the city did not take a “hard look” at the area in order to determine the impact of a homeless shelter at the site. They want a full Environmental Impact Study done. The coalition has a hearing on April 9 regarding its Article 78 proceeding. Politicians were also disappointed by the news of the approved plans and pledged to continue to fight the construction of the shelter. State Senator Joe Addabbo is trying to set up a meeting with DHS and the mayor’s office for next week to talk about the plans. “We are going to continue to fight this and remain vigilant,” he said. TIMES NEWSWEEKLY (USPS 465-940) is published weekly by Schneps NY Media LLC, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361. Periodicals postage paid at Flushing, NY. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Times Newsweekly/Ridgewood Times, P.O. Box 863299, Ridgewood, N.Y. 11386-0299.
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