Countryman & McDaniel -  The Logistics - Customs Broker Attorneys

"Overlooking Runway 25 - Right, at Los Angeles International Airport"  

 

"Singles Only"

Page Number 6

2004 1st Half

The Individual Moments of Transport Crisis

Which Don't Constitute A Full Page Feature

"Singles Only" 2004 1st Half - Our Feature Page - Page #6 Our "Singles" Photo Features By Date

"Sit Down STRIKE At LAX" - May 2004

"Why We Fight Terrorism" - May 2004

"Belly Flop" - May 2004

"M/V Sealand Pride" - May 2004

"Earth - Upside Down For Caterina" - April 2004

"Now Boarding" - April 2004

"The Death of Frigate HMS Scylla" - March 2004

"General Motors Ocean Lines" - Feb. 2004

"Injured Pride" - Jan. 2004

"Follow That Car !! " - Jan. 2004

"Cavity Search?" - Jan. 2004

"Happy New Year?" - Jan. 2004

 REURN TO "Singles Only" MAIN INDEX

24 Hour Int'l Vessel Casualties & Pirates Database

The Photo Gallery of Cargo Loss - Photos & Lessons Learned


For All The Many Transport Disaster Photos We Receive Each Month,

Only A Few Picture Series Result In A The Cargo Letter Photo Feature Page.

For All The Rather Amazing Single Picture Contributions We Recieve --

-- Here Are Our Selected One Photo Wonders!

Countryman & McDaniel

 The Air & Ocean Logistics- Customs Broker Attorneys

"Overlooking Runway 25 - Right, at Los Angeles International Airport"

Countryman & McDaniel

Transport Single Photo Nightmares

Contributed By Our Readers* REURN TO "Singles Only" MAIN INDEX  

 

Sit Down STRIKE At LAX - May 2004

UNDER THE WINDOW OF YOUR EDITOR -- COUNTRYMAN & MCDANIEL - LAX

Early This Morning:
At 2 a.m. this May 27 morning crews began to unload a World Cargo MD-11 freighter in LAX's "Cargo City" -- just South of Runway 25-Left -- and just across from our office windows at Countryman & McDaniel. Our days are filled with such sights of ongoing cargo operations.

Laden with cargo under lease from China Airlines -- ground crews installed the all-important "tail section support" ("tail jack") which fixes the distance between tail & tarmac to level & stabilize the aircraft.

Oh Geeeeez! They didn't install the "tail jack!"

The stow experienced a load shift aft at 3:19 a.m. -- the World Cargo MD-11 freighter "nosed up & sat down" -- striking & crushing a ground conveyor belt drive & putting the crew at peril. It was a "Sit Down Srike" on the conveyor belt!

With 7 crew now 50 feet in the air -- and all exits blocked -- Los Angeles Fire Dept. units responded & brought the "hook & ladder truck" to safely evacuate all concerned from high above the tarmac. This, same exact incident occured at Sydney in 1993.

Our Day:

Morning coffee at our firm today was spiced with the strange sight of an MD-11F "sitting down" outside our windows. Throughout today we have looked down on a heavy mobile crane, brought in to right the MD-11 freighter, operated by World Airways, for China Airlines.

>>>Then it dawned on us -- you readers may have already seen this crane in a previous Los Angeles disaster feature on this site -- it appears to be our 1997 Cargo Nightmare Winner!

6:30 p.m.:

We leave for the day -- the World Cargo MD-11 freighter still reaching for the stars. Cross your fingers -- it's that same crane!

Just another day on our "Observation Deck -- Overlooking Runway 25-Right at Los Angeles International Airport." Our work takes place just above yours.

Perhaps tomorrow the World Cargo MD-11 freighter will be hauled to ground & to hanger for damage evaluation.

And so it goes .....

Event Index:

Los Angeles World Airports

World Airways (World Cargo)

Countryman & McDaniel

Contributors For This Feature:

Libby Thompson - Countryman & McDaniel

Your Editor McD

Why We Fight Terrorism - May 2004
 

Tonight, May 12 2004, The al-Qaida Has Beheaded, On Live Television - Mr. Nick Berg, a 26-year-old Philadelphia Native.

His body was found - thrown like trash, near a highway overpass in Baghdad on May 8, the same day he was beheaded.

He came to Iraq to repair communications towers for the Iraqi Government. He meant no harm. He carried no weapons.

He was murdered by al-Qaida terrorists in the same manner as 9/11.

Lest there be confusion of recent definitions in the media - this is an Unspeakable Atrocity.

Perhaps It Is Time To Remember

This Reminder Is Inscribed Upon The Bridge of U.S. Navy Vessel USS Iwo Jima -- Now On Patrol --

-- God's Speed. We Pray For An End To These Times.

This Is Why We Fight Terrorism.

Contributor For This Feature:

Aaron White, Customer Relations Supervisor, Southwest Airlines, Dallas, Tx
Our Personal Belly Flop - May 2004
The legendary Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" is a World War II bomber used primarily in Europe. B-17s from the Eighth Air Force. The B-17 participated in countless daylight missions from bases in England. These missions often lasted for more than 8 hours & struck at targets deep within enemy territory. Because of their long-range capability, formations of B-17s often flew into battle with no fighter escort, relying on their own defensive capabilities to insure a successful mission.

The B-17 received the name "Flying Fortress" from a Seattle reporter who commented on its defensive firepower. The B-17 underwent a number of improvements over its 10-year production span. Models ranged from the YB-17 to the B-17-G model. Throughout the War, the B-17 was refined and improved as battle experience showed the Boeing designers where improvements could be made. The final B-17 production model, the B-17G, was produced in larger quantities (8,680) than any previous model and is considered the definitive "Flying Fort." With its 13 .50-caliber machine guns -- chin, top, ball and tail turrets; waist and cheek guns -- the B-17G was indeed an airplane that earned the respect of its combatants. In addition, air crews liked the B-17 for its ability to withstand heavy combat damage and still return its crew safely home.

Between 1935 and May of 1945, 12,732 B-17s were produced. Of these aircraft, 4,735 were lost during combat missions. Today, fewer than 100 B-17 airframes exist and fewer still are in airworthy condition. At one time, more than 1,000 B-17s could be assembled for mass combat missions -- but now less than 15 of Boeing's famous bombers can still take to the air.

During the War, B-17s were among the most modern aircraft in the U.S. inventory. However, the advent of the jet age & advances in technology made the Flying Fortress obsolete soon after the conclusion of the War. In the years following World War II, most B-17s were cut up for scrap, used in Air Force research or sold on the surplus market.

On May 5, the B-17G "Aluminum Overcast" made a belly landing on Runway 16 Right at the Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles. The "Flying Fortress" set down hard at 4:28 p.m., due to collapsed landing gear -- while completing its 4,000-foot landing roll when both main gear mechanisms collapsed. There we no injuries. The accident shut down incoming & outgoing traffic on the main runway at one of the world's busiest general aviation airports, which handles large numbers of corporate jets. (KABC-TV "Air 7" photo)

The incident has ended the 2004 West Coast "Salute To Veterans" Tour for "Aluminum Overcast." Damages are being evaluated.

While this military air transport loss is itself significant -- for us there is more. Your humble editor, Michael McDaniel with Byron Countryman of the Countryman & McDaniel transportation law firm were scheduled to fly aboard "Aluminum Overcast" the next day.

Wow, we are very disappointed. We missed that next flight on which we were scheduled to fly the B-17G! Much worse, we missed being aboard what could have been -- Our Personal May 5 belly flop! Especially knowig the outcome in advance-- that would have been a great story to tell !

McD

Event Index:

B-17G "Aluminum Overcast"

B-17G "Flying Fortress"

B-17 Collectables

B-17 Crewman Home Page

Experimental Aircraft Association's B-17 Program

Van Nuys Airpot - a division of Los Angeles World Airports

NOTE: We are not happy with the "Belly Flop" picture -- but it is the best we could find. Know a better one?

M/V Sealand Pride - May 2004
 

814 Ft. M/V Sealand Pride After Entering Charleston Harbor, March 1 2004.

The vessel encountered severe weather in the North Atlantic, Bremerhaven, Germany for Charleston (Voyage 0405), Feb. 19, when she severe weather in the North Atlantic. During the storm, M/V Sealand Pride lost 6 containers over the side and also lost use of the ship's primary navigation lights. M/V Sealand Pride arrived off the Port of Charleston Feb. 23 and was granted entry by U.. Coast Guard on Feb. 29 2004.

..... but all this was only the "good news."

The container hanging over the port side & 4 others contain a Class 9 hazardous material, the pesticides "Malathion". The containers are leaking!

Once the port side hanging container is removed -- crews can then reach the real problem -- a damaged container stowed with highly dangerous Rocket Motors -- a Class 1.2 Explosive. Geeez, they must have been all out of thousand pound bombs, nuclear material & poisonous snakes for this voyage!

All the cargo was safely transferred at the Columbus Street Terminal in the Port of Charleston.

M/V Sealand Pride

Originally built for a new round-the-world service of the United States Line. Unfortunately the USL went out of service due financial problems and all the ships were laid up immediately after their delivery from the wharf. The ships were taken over by Sea-Land. The Atlantic class vessels were added to Sea-Land's fleet in 1988. These ships are also designed to serve the U.S. Army and Marine where necessary. Because these ships were built with U.S. government money it was not possible to sell them to foreign countries. Formerly the M/V Galveston Bay, the M/V Sealand Pride is a former Atlantic class vessel that was one of three converted to SL-31 [D-9J] status in 1994.

M/V SeaLand Pride is 289.52 m long, 32.22 m wide, has a draft of 11.68 m. & a capacity of 4258 TEU's. The vessel not so very fast, with a top speed of 18 knots due her engine (only 23620 hp).

Event Index:

Maersk Sealand

Port of Charleston

United States Line

U.S. Coast Guard Report

Contributors For This Feature:

Mark Schmidt
Earth - Upside Down For Caterina - April 2004

 

The Cargo Letter>> ALERT>> as whirling storm battered the coast of S. Brazil on March 28, killing 2 people, injuring at least 39 others & destroying hundreds of homes. American meteorologists at NASA said winds exceeded 120 km per hour, making storm the 1st hurricane on record in the South Atlantic. Brazilian scientists originally disagreed, but on March 28 acknowledged winds could have been as high as 150 km/h - well above hurricane strength. Brazil has never before seen a hurricane & residents terrified when storm roared ashore 840 km SW of Rio de Janeiro, pounding homes with heavy rains & wind. Wow! (Sun. March 28 2004)
Below Is A High Resolution Image - Caterina Loads Slowly

 First Ever Recoded Hurricane Off the Brazilian Coast - In High Resolution

Truly -- The Earth Went Upside Down For Catrina

Event Explanation:
How did this huge cyclone form? An unusually strong storm -- perhaps the strongest storm in the recorded history of the South Atlantic Ocean -- crossed the coast of Brazil last week. Cyclones this powerful, classified by some as the first ever Category 1 Hurricane, are very rare in the South Atlantic. Tropical cyclones are large regions of low pressure with little vertical wind shear that typically form over regions of warm water, which power the cyclone through evaporation. Reports of relatively cold air in the center indicate, however, that this storm was extratropical. The storm was dubbed Caterina by local meteorologists, although no formal naming precedents exist in this part of the world.

Contributors For This Feature:

Link Feature: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, GSFC, NASA

Our Contributor: Captain Al Raithel, Jr, United States Navy (Retired)

Nasa Astonomy Picture of The Day

Now Boarding! - April 2004

Spring Being At Hand -- Here Is A Little Reminder of Winter 2004

"Welcome Aboard Alaska Air Flight 106"

Conditions In The Jan. 2004 Ice Storm At Seatle's SEA-TAC Int'l Airport Were At Record For 1 Inch Thick Ice - Welcome Aboard!

"Ladies & Gentlemen - Due To Weight Restrictions - Your Luggage Will Follow By Bus."

This DC-9-83(MD-83) Belonging To Wells Fargo Bank - Tail No. N961AS - Bulit 1992, will obviously de-ice prior to her flight, but during Jan. 6-7 2004 -- conditions were historic. Conditions inside the passenger terminals were Not Pretty after 2 days of Ice storm -- a record in January 2004.

Contributor For This Feature:

These great photos were taken by Leroy F. Berven & his wife at Seattle - Tacoma Int'l Airport (SEATAC) in Jan. 2004. Mr. Bervin is perhaps the senior industry evaluator of transit risks & results on the U.S. West Coast. More, a dedicated friend. McD
The Death of Frigate HMS Scylla - March 2004

Last of The Famous "Leander Class UK Frigates", HMS Scylla (F 71)

& Last Ship, Built At Devonport Royal Dockyard , UK in 1968.

In Memory

HMS Scylla Is Intentionally Sunk On March 28

 Now, in 2004, she rests on the seabed in Whitsands Bay as an "Artificial Reef". Sleep well.
From The Cargo Letter: Retired Royal Navy 2,500 ton Leander Class frigate HMS Scylla was sunk off the Westcountry coast on March 28 to provide a future diving attraction it is hoped will draw in millions of pounds of income for the region. HMS Scylla was watched by thousands as she was towed from Devonport then deliberately sunk off Whitsand Bay, South East Cornwall.

Said her last Captain Mike Booth, 54: "I am certain that I am the first CO that has ever had his ship sunk in front of him. (Saturday March 28 2004)

Complete Photo Review of The Sinking

The Leandr Class Frigate

Specifications of The Leander Class

Devonport Royal Dockyard

General Motors Ocean Lines - Feb. 2004

The new line of General Motors ocean vessels is both quite retro & impressive. See your dealer for a test float!

U.S. Coast Guard vessel approaching a group of Cubans, as they tried to sail a 1959 Buick converted into a boat through the Florida Strats towards the United States, on Feb. 3, 2004. The same group had already tried last July to reach Florida in a vessel made from a 1951 Chevy truck, only to be picked up by U.S. Coast Guard & sent home. The Coast Guard intercepted the bright green "Buick-boat" on during its journey over the 90-mile (140-km) stretch between Cuba & Florida.

Marciel Basanta Lopez & Luis Grass Rodriguez, the men who turned the classic car into a floating vessel, tried a similar stunt last summer & were caught: they set out for Florida in a 1951 Chevy pickup with pontoons made out of empty oil drums & a propeller that pushed it along at about 12Km an hour. Marciel Basanta Lopez and

On Feb. 2, the men set out again in the 1959 Buick, with 4 other adults & 5 children. U.S. Coast Guard intercepted the group late Feb. 3 en route to the Florida Keys, picking them up about 16km off Marathon -- about 150km SW of Miami. Marcel said coast guard sank the Buick. The coast guard refused to confirm the floating car's status but it used machine-gun fire to sink the first "vehicle-powered barge".

The 1959 Buick's doors had been sealed to keep water out & it was powered by its original V-8 motor, said Eduardo Perez Grass, who was among those on the earlier attempt to reach the United States. Geez, these guys deserve jobs at Dearborn!

Next month, the 1961 Corvette Aqua Jet.

Dedicated men & women risking all for freedom -- too bad they don't live in Tiajuana. Yet another reason to establish equality for those wishing to immigrate to the U.S.

For next time -- could we suggest a boat? This said, we also prefer a General Motors product!!!

Injured Pride - Jan. 2004
From The Cargo Letter >> 2,200-berth Norwegian Cruise Line US$382M cruise 72,000gt. newbuilding M/V Pride of America<<Webfeatuere, at Bremerhaven shipyard Lloyd Werft, suffered wind squall Jan. 13 night -- gave vessel dangerous 15 degree starboard list, pressing hull against quay -- partly sank, causing 1 yard crane to collapse onto building! -- 13 workers aboard & 3 injured. To be delivered in April, but now- ? Vessel being refitted & lengthened by 80 ft. for Miami, Florida-based Norwegian, owned by Malaysia's Star Cruises. Pride of America, along with 1,900-passenger M/V Pride of Aloha<<Webfeatuere, will begin interisland service as 1st American-flagged cruise ships to operate in Hawaiian waters since 1991 -- foreign-built but allowed to fly under U.S. flags. (Wed. Jan. 14 2004)
Follow That Car !! Jan. 2004
As "Singles Only" has demonstrated -- "transportation" has many faces.
Here -- the faces of some Pennsylvania State Police<<webfeature troopers are quite RED!

Just as in the air & ocean modes -- knowing your route --

-- is not the exactly same as knowng about your route! These troopers truly "stepped in it!" In this case, fresh cement!

Contributor For This Feature:

The Doctor -- he who maintains our mental health for this project - we've mentioned him before.

Cavity Search? Jan. 2004
From Down Under - These cute pups are part of the U.S. Bureau of Customs & Border Protection - "Trade Partnership Against Terrorism." (FAQ)

U.S. CUSTOMS TO BOOST CANINE DETECTION PROGRAM

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Thanks to help from Australian Customs, the Bureau of Customs & Border Protection is em"barking" on a program to dramatically improve the agency's canine detection force. The help comes in the form of 12 canines, all graduates of Australian Customs extremely successful program to breed canines skilled at detecting drugs, explosives & other contraband. The dogs will form the nucleus of U.S. Customs new breeding program.

The Australian program has bred dogs with the unique behavioral traits necessary for work as detection canines. Recruiting dogs capable of being trained for detection has been an uphill battle for U.S. Customs. Typically, only one in every 70 canines recruited is deemed suitable for training. Under the Australian program, 1 of every 2 dogs is judged fit for training. (AP)

Contributor For This Feature:

Libby Thompson - Los Angeles

Happy New Year? - Jan. 1 2004

From The Cargo Letter >> Bahamas-flagged oil M/V Panam Serena -- suffered explosion & fire while unloading in Sardinian port-town of Porto Torres, Jan. 1 -- 2 of 15 crew missing. Happy New Year? (Jan. 1 2004)

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