NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

INCIDENTS

Fire Island NS

Rangers Respond To Two Aircraft Incidents In One Month

Park rangers responded to two small aircraft incidents within three weeks this month, one of them fatal. On the afternoon of April 5th, a small plane crashed into the ocean about a mile east of the park's Wilderness Visitor Center, killing the pilot. The crash site was about 300 yards offshore in front of Smith Point County Park property but still within the park's thousand-foot boundary into the Atlantic Ocean. The vintage Curtiss P-40 Warhawk crashed while its pilot, Robert Barnaskas, 61, was flying over the ocean, practicing maneuvers for an upcoming Memorial Day air show. Rangers Bernie Felix and Jason Flynn joined law enforcement and emergency services personnel from several agencies in the response. Suffolk County PD detectives and NTSB investigators conducted the investigation. Three weeks later, on the afternoon of April 26th, backcountry campers in the park's Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness reported a plane landing on the ocean beach adjacent to the wilderness area and between Bellport Beach and Watch Hill. Rangers Felix and Flynn and John Eleby responded. The pilot, 74-year-old E.K. from West Hampton, New York, experienced engine trouble while flying over the ocean near Fire Island in his 1941 World War II-era De Havilland DH82a plane. E.K. reportedly lost oil pressure and decided to make an emergency landing rather than attempt a return to the airport and landed safely on the beach. There were no injuries. The National Park Service, lead agency on this incident, responded to the scene immediately, with assistance from Suffolk County Police Department Marine Bureau units and Suffolk County Park Police. The FAA was notified and later was on scene to assist with the investigation. It was determined that a ruptured oil line caused the plane to rapidly lose oil pressure. The plane was transported off the beach by a specially-equipped trailer, in coordination with NPS rangers who served as monitors for piping plovers which have started to nest on the beach. Arrangements were made with Suffolk County Park Police and Suffolk County Police Department's 7th precinct to escort the plane off Fire Island to the Bayport Aerodrome on Long Island. Ranger Bernie Felix served as the incident commander in this multiagency response. [Paula Valentine, Public Affairs Officer]

WWII Valor in the Pacific NM

Commercial Vehicle Inspections Result In Fines, Citations

On April 7th, protection rangers conducted a commercial vehicle inspection operation in conjunction with the Hawaii Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Safety Office and the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission. The purpose of the operation was to ensure that commercial companies maintain compliance with all Federal Department of Transportation and Hawaii state safety laws and regulations governing the commercial tour industry. The rangers focused on auditing compliance with the commercial use authorization (CUA) program established for private individuals and entities that provide commercial services to park visitors. The CUA program at World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument is especially important due to the fact that over 30% of the approximately 1.5 million annual visitors arrive via commercial tour. The Public Utilities Commission issued $3,000 in fines for violations of Hawaii revised statutes and Hawaii administrative rules related to the regulation of passenger motor carriers. The Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Safety Office found a total of 39 safety violations during the inspection of a wide range of commercial vehicles, ranging from motor coach's to limousines; they also issued seven citations and placed seven commercial vehicles out of service in the enforcement of Federal Department of Transportation safety laws. Rangers issued twelve written warnings and one citation related to the CUA program and one citation for a violation of federal passenger safety laws. For more information, please contact chief ranger David Stransky at (808) 422-2771 x 112. [Anne M. Sangiovanni, Park Ranger]

Gulf Islands NS

Rough Gulf Waters Claim Another Life

Two visitors walking along the beach in the Santa Rosa Unit on the afternoon of April 27th came upon a man's body in the surf. The locations was about seven miles west of a beach in the community of Navarre Beach where a 17-year-old boy disappeared last Saturday evening while bodysurfing in heavy surf with his grandfather. It appears that it was his body that the visitors found. An autopsy and positive identification is set for later this week. Ranger Victor Leyva is the NPS case agent for the investigation, which also involves two sheriff's offices. Park lifeguards made four rescues on Saturday under yellow flag conditions and hundreds of preventive contacts on Sunday when worsening surf mandated the posting of red flag warnings. [Clayton Jordan, Chief Ranger]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS:

Harpers Ferry Center - HFC staff took home six National Association of Government Communicators awards for superior media products. The awards were presented last week at the NAGC awards banquet in Orlando, Florida.

HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=7609" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=7609

Human Resources Operating Center - Mike Clayton was recently selected as the manager of the National Park Service's new Human Resources Operations Center (HROC).

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2322" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2322

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Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found at the following web site:

HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363

Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).

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