February 13, 2009

CLARENCE, N.Y — A commuter plane "basically dove" into a house while coming in for a landing outside Buffalo, sparking a fiery explosion and killing all 48 people on board and one person on the ground.

It was the first fatal crash of a commercial airliner in the U.S. in 2 1/2 years. Witnesses heard the twin turboprop aircraft sputtering before it went down in light snow and fog around 10:20 p.m. Thursday. Flames silhouetted the shattered home after Continental Connection Flight 3407 plummeted into it around about five miles from Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

"The whole sky was lit up orange," said Bob Dworak, who lives less than a mile from the crash site. "All the sudden, there was a big bang, and the house shook." The 74-seat Q400 Bombardier aircraft, operated by Colgan Air, was flying from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and preparing to land at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, said there was no indication terrorism was involved. "All indications are that this was an air-safety event," said spokeswoman Amy Kudwa. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team of crash investigators to Buffalo early Friday. Hours after the crash, the task of retrieving remains had not yet begun.

By Austin Modine
3rd February 2009 18:30 GMT

A Chinese man was reportedly killed at a computer shop last Friday after the cell phone in his chest pocket exploded, severing a major artery in his neck and leading to massive blood loss.

According to local news reports, the man worked as a shop assistant at the store. An employee at a neighboring 7-11 convenience store told local media that she heard a loud bang and saw her colleague lying on the floor in a pool of blood. She said the man had recently swapped his mobile phone battery for a new one. Police have not released the make or model of the phone.

Some reports indicate the fatal explosion occurred at a Lenovo store in Guangzhou, China — although it's not clear if the shop was an official outlet or if it just advertised Lenovo products. Most reports of exploding handset batteries have involved low quality third-party products, although that's not always the case.

By Lester Haines
3rd February 2009 11:46 GMT

Hans Beck, the man who invented Playmobil, died last Friday at the age of 79 following a "serious illness", Deutsche Welle reports. Trained furnituremaker Beck worked for manufacturer Geobra Brandstaetter from 1958 to 1998, and in the 1970s responded to his employers' request to design a "collectible toy" by creating the Playmobil universe.

To date, Geobra Brandstaetter has exported 2.2bn Playmobil figures to 70 countries, in the process growing to a company with almost 3,000 real people on its payroll, and sales last year hitting a cool €452m. Beck’s motto was "No horror, no superficial violence, not short-lived trends", and we'd like to think he'd approve of El Reg's creative application of his famous toy.

By James Sherwood
2nd February 2009 17:28 GMT

If you’ve ever wondered what the point of phone applications blocking you from driving and texting are, just ask 21-year-old Philippa Curtis. Curtis, of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, has been jailed for 21 months after smashing into a stationary car at 70mph while texting on her mobile phone, according to a report by the BBC. The crash killed another motorist - Victoria McBryde – who was dealing with a burst tyre.

After the impact, Curtis' vehicle twisted into the path of oncoming cars, hitting two of them. Curtis admitted sending text messages while driving, but denied using her mobile phone at the time of the collision. The court was told she sent and received more than 20 text messages before the crash. Judge Julian Hall stressed that driving and texting is "folly and madness". The judge also handed Curtis a three-year driving ban.

By Karen Crouse
February 1, 2009

The Olympic swimming star Michael Phelps quickly acknowledged his poor judgment after a photograph showing him inhaling from a marijuana pipe was published Sunday in a British newspaper. Although his admission is unlikely to effect his swimming eligibility, it could affect the millions of dollars he has secured in endorsement deals.

In a statement released Sunday by his marketing agency, Octagon, Phelps, who won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, did not challenge the legitimacy of the photograph published by the tabloid News of the World. “I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment,” Phelps said.

“I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.” This is not the first time Phelps has been compelled to issue a public apology for his behavior.

In 2004, a few months removed from winning six gold medals and two silvers at the Athens Olympics, Phelps, then 19, pleaded guilty to a drunken driving charge. But the stakes are higher now. Phelps was honored as the Associated Press male athlete of the year in 2008 for his performance in Beijing, where he broke Mark Spitz’s 36-year-old record for most gold medals in an Olympics.

February 01, 2009

TAMPA, Florida — Santonio Holmes made a brilliant 6-yard catch deep in the right corner of the end zone with 35 seconds remaining Sunday to lift the Pittsburgh Steelers to a record-setting sixth Super Bowl win, 27-23 over the Arizona Cardinals.

The Steelers, who won their second Super Bowl in four seasons, led 20-7 in the fourth quarter, only to see Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner effect a remarkable rally to put Arizona ahead 23-20 with less than three minutes remaining. Warner hit All-Pro receiver Larry Fitzgerald in stride for a 64-yard touchdown with 2:37 left.

Fitzgerald sped down the middle of the field, watching himself outrun the Steelers on the huge video screen. But Fitzgerald could only watch from the sideline as Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger engineered a 78-yard drive to win the NFL title in what resembled another home field for Pittsburgh. With Steelers fans who made the trip to Florida twirling gold towels in support of their beloved team, Pittsburgh's offense rescued the title.

Holmes was selected the game's MVP. It was one of the most thrilling finishes to the NFL's title game, certainly equaling last year's upset win by the New York Giants that ended with Plaxico Burress' TD catch — also with 35 seconds left. "Great players step up in big-time games to make plays," Holmes said. "I kind of lost a little composure, you know, but I knew our defense would give us a chance to make it back."

By Jacqui Cheng
January 30, 2009 12:01

Red light cameras are controversial enough, but now the city of Denver is embroiled in controversy over data reporting and camera accuracy. As for safety, it appears that a minor change to yellow light times has a significant impact.

The only thing better than setting up red light cameras and watching the cash flow in is doing so without collecting the required data to prove that the cameras are useful and accurate. Right? Okay, maybe not so much. This is, however, the situation unfolding in Denver, Colorado, where a local newspaper's detective work has revealed that the contractor hired by the city to manage the cameras has failed to submit contractually-required documentation.

What's more, the city wasn't even asking for it. Redflex Traffic Systems of Scottsdale, Arizona is the contractor responsible for installing the red light cameras in Denver, which went into use during the summer of 2008. At the time of the contract, the city of Denver mandated that Redflex maintain and submit data on how well the cameras work at catching red light runners, and said that Redflex would have to reimburse the city if the system operated below 98 percent accuracy.

However, as the Rocky Mountain News discovered earlier this month, Redflex had not submitted "a single page of the mountains of data" required by the contract since the cameras were installed. The city's oversight wasn't exactly tough, either. After submitting an Open Records Act request, the paper found that the city had no such documentation to send because the Denver Police Department hadn't even requested it from Redflex.

By Joshua Rhett Miller
January 28, 2009

Transportation officials in Texas are scrambling to prevent hackers from changing messages on digital road signs after one sign in Austin was altered to read, "Zombies Ahead."

Chris Lippincott, director of media relations for the Texas Department of Transportation, confirmed that a portable traffic sign at Lamar Boulevard and West 15th Street, near the University of Texas at Austin, was hacked into during the early hours of Jan. 19. "It was clever, kind of cute, but not what it was intended for," said Lippincott, who saw the sign during his morning commute.

"Those signs are deployed for a reason — to improve traffic conditions, let folks know there's a road closure." "It's sort of amusing, but not at all helpful," he told FOXNews.com. Tampering with portable road signs is illegal and potentially dangerous to drivers. It is a misdemeanor in Texas, with penalties ranging from fines to potential jail time.

Lippincott said the hacked sign — manufactured by IMAGO — is owned and operated by the city of Austin. Texas Department of Transportation signs have not been affected, he said. "It is always possible that it could occur, but we attempt to prevent hacking incidents," Lippincott wrote in an e-mail. He declined to comment on security measures to protect the state's signs from hackers.

January 20, 2009

Sens. Ted Kennedy was taken to a hospital after suffering seizures during President Obama's celebratory inaugural luncheon while Sen. Robert Byrd left early on Tuesday of his own accord, said his spokesman. Kennedy, 76, suffered a series of convulsions that lasted a while.

He was taken out on a wheelchair and had to have his legs lifted up to get him out of the room. He was loaded onto an ambulance and taken to Washington Hospital Center. A spokeswoman at the hospital said Kennedy was awake and answering questions during an assessment. His wife Vicki and son, Rep. Patrick Kennedy, were with him.

Last summer, the Massachusetts Democrat was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumor. Kennedy was one of Obama's earliest supporters and is credited with leading the pack of lawmakers who pushed Obama's popularity. Sen. John Kerry and wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, and Vicki Kennedy helped Kennedy get into the reclining chair in which he was wheeled out. Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd also accompanied Kennedy to the ambulance.

Dodd told FOX News Kennedy "bellowed something like 'I'm fine! I'm fine!" Dodd's wife said, "He looked better. You know the Irish." Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch said Kennedy signaled to him that he was going to be OK. "It was serious," said Hatch. "But he gave me that old Irish smile that said 'Things are going to be alright.' I've seen that smile before."

January 15, 2009

A U.S. Airways jet crashed Thursday in the Hudson River in New York City after birds struck two of its engines, but everyone aboard survived. Passengers were sent fleeing into the icy waters after the Airbus 320 went down shortly after takeoff.

Two of the jet's engines were hit by birds, according to government officials. Police said everyone on board survived and were being taken to area hospitals. It wasn't known how many were injured. Passengers could be seen standing on the wings of the jet floating in the water immediately after the crash. Flight 1549 had just taken off from New York's LaGuardia Airport at 3:26 p.m. Thursday when it went down.

The flight had 146 passengers and five crew on board and was heading for Charlotte, N.C. The plane was submerged in the icy waters up to the windows but remained completely intact. Rescue crews had opened the door and were pulling passengers in yellow life vests from the plane. Several boats — including commuter ferries — surrounded the plane, which appeared to be slowly sinking.

New York City firefighters, federal transportation officials and an armada of boats were responding to the accident. "I just thought, 'Why is it so low?' And, splash, it hit the water," said witness Barbara Sambriski, a researcher at The Associated Press. The plane was submerged in the icy waters up to the windows, and rescue crews had opened the door and were pulling passengers in yellow life vests from the plane.

By Lester Haines
14th January 2009 11:06 GMT

The US financial advisor who attempted to fake his own death in a light aircraft crash has been arrested at a Florida campsite following an apparent suicide attempt, CNN reports. Marcus Schrenker, 38, left Anderson, Indiana, on Sunday in a Piper PA-46 en route for Destin, Florida.

Over Alabama, he sent a distress call saying the aircraft's windscreen had "imploded" and that he was bleeding. Two military aircraft were scrambled to assist, but found the plane flying on autopilot, with its door open and no sign of the pilot. It subsequently crashed in a swamp near East Milton, Florida, "missing a group of homes by only 50 to 75 yards", according to the local Santa Rosa County sheriff's office.

Investigators discovered no evidence of blood and an intact windscreen, raising strong suspicions that Schrenker had bailed out of the aircraft. Schrenker did indeed turn up at a house in Childersburg, Alabama, a few hours after the crash, claiming he'd been in a canoeing accident. A resident gave the fugitive a lift into town, where "police made contact with him, identifying him through his FAA pilot's license".

Officers took Schrenker to a hotel in nearby Harpersville, unaware of the crash. As soon as they got wind of the news, they returned to find Schrenker "had checked in under a fictitious name and was gone". Schrenker had in fact made good his escape on "a 2008 red Yamaha street bike" he'd previously hidden at a rented storage unit in Harpersville. Investigators "found the unit empty of the motorcycle and with some wet clothes left behind".

December 18, 2008

BEIJING — One day after a Chinese cargo ship's crew used Molotov cocktails and water hoses to fight off an attempted pirate hijacking off the coast of Somalia, the Chinese navy announced it would send warships to the Gulf of Aden in their first major mission outside the Pacific.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said Beijing welcomed stronger international cooperation in countering piracy, which has become a major problem in the waters off the Somali coast. "We are making preparations and arrangements to deploy naval ships to the Gulf of Aden for escorting operations," Liu said, without elaborating on details of the mission.


The Global Times, a newspaper published by the Communist Party, said the fleet could consist of two cruisers and one large supply ship. A U.N. resolution unveiled Tuesday outlines a framework whereby nations whose ships have been attacked can pursue them by land and via Somali airspace if they first talk to the transitional Somali authorities. A U.S. State Department official said the U.S. has no problem with China "deploying its assets."

"China, like a number of other countries, has decided that we as an international community must act," the official said. For the Chinese navy, which has mainly concentrated on the country's coastal defense, it would mark the first time it has been involved in multilateral operations in modern times, said Christian LeMiere, a senior analyst for Jane's Country Risk, a security intelligence group.

By LoRayne Apo-Joynt
December 17, 2008 @ 5:05 PM

Multiple financial news outlets now report Chrysler will extend its previously announced two week shutdown to four weeks, beginning Friday Dec. 19. Facilities that make Jeep Liberty, Dodge Nitro and Jeep Wrangler will be closed a week longer, until Jan. 26.

Two other facilities that make the Dodge Viper and mini-van will be closed a total of six weeks. The auto industry historically had a scheduled shutdown between Christmas and New Year’s Day, during which maintenance work was performed. The longer shutdowns are a response to plummeting demand for vehicles — off by as much as 47% in November — and a need to reserve cash.

December 15, 2008

Gov. David Paterson and the National Federation for the Blind lambasted a Saturday Night Live skit that ran over the weekend, in which the New York governor -- who is legally blind -- was depicted as confused and incompetent.

"I can certainly take a joke," Paterson told a local television station. "The idea that disability goes hand-in-hand with inability to actually be effective or to run a state or run a business -- I think it's a very negative classification." Paterson spokesman Errol Cockfield sent a statement Monday to FOXNews.com, criticizing the skit as a tasteless joke that sought to mock people with physical disabilities.

"The governor engages in humor all the time, and he can certainly take a joke. However, this particular Saturday Night Live skit unfortunately chose to ridicule people with physical disabilities and imply that disabled people are incapable of having jobs with serious responsibilities," Cockfield said. "The governor is sure that Saturday Night Live with all of its talent can find a way to be funny without being offensive. Knowing the governor, he might even have some suggestions himself," he said.

The skit -- which aired on Saturday -- featured SNL actor Fred Armisen as Paterson, who is faced with the task of appointing someone to replace Sen. Hillary Clinton. Armisen said he was looking for three characteristics in candidates for the job: economic experience, upstate influence and someone who is disabled and unprepared for the job -- like himself. The actor then held up a chart illustrating the state's job losses upside down.

December 10, 2008 @ 5:49 pm EST

ANDERSON, Calif. -- Two female employees of the Anderson Kentucky Fried Chicken have been fired for bathing in a deep sink used to clean dishes, while a third earlier quit her job. One of the young women posted photos on MySpace.com of the trio posing in underwear and swimwear, KCRA-TV reported.

The photos were filed under a gallery called "KFC moments." Captions included "haha KFC showers!" and "haha we turned on the jets." A KFC manager said the young woman who quit expressed an interest in taking a bath in the sink, but the manager told her not to do it. KFC officials issued a statement that the company has "zero tolerance" for such violations of operating standards.