Headlines - Just News headlines all the time: Jan 13, 2007

Saturday, January 13, 2007

California Fire News

Cal Fire. News- Small-plane crash in California kills 2

Posted: 13 Jan 2007 01:49 AM CST

Cessna Citation 525 jet bound for Long Beach, California, to pick up two passengers for a flight to Prescott, Arizona has crashed and burned in Van Nuy's Ca. A one-block area was evacuated because jet fuel fumes remained in the area. The jet was carrying a full load of 3,400 pounds of fuel.

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From CNN
Small-plane crash in California kills 2

• 5-person business jet had two people aboard, official says
• Pilot reported trouble before and after takeoff, spokeswoman says
• Plane was registered with Moonchild Aviation
• Flight plan shows destination was Long Beach

VAN NUYS, California (CNN) -- Two people were killed when a business jet crashed and caught fire Friday north of the Van Nuys, California, airport, officials said.

Airport spokeswoman Stacy Geere said the jet's pilot reported "some difficulties before and just after takeoff." The plane crashed about a half-mile north of a runway, she said.

The victims were not identified.

National Transportation Safety Board investigator Howard Plagens said the pilot did not declare an emergency but did radio the tower and ask to return to the airport.

The plane never climbed above about 200 feet, Plagens said.

The Cessna Citation 525 jet could hold up to five people, including a pilot and co-pilot, Plagens said. It crashed about 11 a.m. (2 p.m. ET).

Assistant Chief Tim Manning with the Los Angeles Fire Department said a one-block area was evacuated because jet fuel fumes remained in the area. The jet was carrying a full load of 3,400 pounds of fuel, he said. (Watch emergency workers examine wreckage Video)

He also said the crash cut power and telephone service to the area.

The airport continued normal operations, Manning said. Van Nuys averages nearly 500,000 takeoffs and landings a year, making it the busiest general aviation airport in the nation, The Associated Press reported.

A search based on the plane's tail number, N-77215, shows the plane was registered to Moonchild Aviation LLC. The twin-engine jet was operated by Sun Quest Executive Air Charter.

Sun Quest has been providing air charter services from the Los Angeles area since 1992, according to its Web site.

Plagens said the plane was bound for Long Beach, California, to pick up two passengers for a flight to Prescott, Arizona.

The small plane did not have cockpit voice and data recorders, commonly known as "black boxes," Plagens said
Government blames Boy Scouts for wildfire

Posted: 12 Jan 2007 06:53 PM CST

National News -

Story Highlights
• Youths were camping where 2002 fire started, U.S. attorney says
• Boys were supervised by two 15-year-old counselors
• Attorney for Scouts says someone else could have started blaze

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) -- The federal government argued that Boy Scouts playing with fire caused a 14,200-acre wildfire and wants a judge to hold them responsible, allowing officials to seek damages.

In court documents, the government said it would decide whether to seek damages after a ruling is made. It says the June 2002 wildfire in northeastern Utah cost more than $12 million to control.

A Forest Service investigator pinpointed the fire's origin to an area where Scouts had stayed overnight, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Overby said in federal court Thursday.

At the time of the blaze, a fire ban was in effect because of dry conditions. In court documents, the Scouts maintain they were not aware of a formal fire ban and thought small pit fires were allowed.

In depositions, Scouts testified they were playing with fire, even offering a teenage counselor candy in return for setting one, Overby said.

The council's attorney, Robert Wallace, said the Forest Service investigator could be wrong about the cause. He said that the Scouts extinguished their fires and that someone else may have caused the wildfire. He also said Scouts slept at the site and neither felt heat nor smelled smoke.

The government claims the Great Salt Lake Council was negligent in allowing the Scouts to camp without adult supervision. There were 17 Scouts, ages 12 to 14, being supervised by two 15-year-olds, Overby said.

U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell did not rule Thursday on the government's request for summary judgment. The Scouts are seeking a jury trial.