SINGAPORE: A 21—year—old regular serviceman from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has died, following a road accident along a highway in North Florida, United States.
Lieutenant (LTA) Chee Zhi Hao and two other RSAF servicemen were returning from a visit to the National Naval Aviation Museum at the Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida on 15 November at about 12.10pm (16 November, 2.10am Singapore time) when the car they were travelling in left the right side of the road and crashed into a parked truck.
The three servicemen, all of whom are pilot trainees, were attending the Initial Entry to Rotary Wing Course in the US Army Aviation Center, Fort Rucker, Alabama, which had organised the visit to the museum.
LTA Chee was evacuated by air to the Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola where he received immediate medical attention. He was pronounced dead at about 9.20pm local time (11.20am Singapore time).
One of the servicemen, LTA Lim Jun Kai, 23, was taken to and warded at Florida’s Fort Walton Beach Medical Center and is now in stable condition. The other serviceman, LTA Ingkiriwang Wei Zhi Reeve, 22, has been discharged after receiving treatment in another hospital.
The US authorities are investigating the accident.
~Raymond Lim
Air Force One with Mr Obama on board touched down at the Paya Lebar airbase at close to 8pm Saturday.
Mr Obama brought forward his departure from Japan to arrive in Singapore just in time to join the APEC leaders at the Singapore Evening at the Esplanade.
Mr Obama was greeted at the Esplanade by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Here, the leaders donned Peranakan—inspired APEC attire specially created by local designer Wykidd Song.
Taking a break from their meetings, the leaders were earlier treated to a half—hour multi—media show, featuring local artists such as Singapore Idol winner Taufik Batisah and homegrown songbird Kit Chan.
After the show, they enjoyed their evening by the Marina Bay waterfront, tucking into local and Western dishes that represent multi—cultural Singapore — made less spicy and pungent than usual to cater to the foreign taste buds.
The leaders’ group photo—taking ceremony will take place on Sunday at the Istana, where they would be dressed in their business suits. The change was made on Friday due to the change in Mr Obama’s schedule.
The annual APEC photo has seen leaders in a variety of costumes, from leather bomber jackets in Seattle in 1993 to calf—length silk tunics in Hanoi in 2006 and Peruvian ponchos in Lima last year.
— CNA/ir
~Raymond Lim
LONDON – A United Airlines pilot who was pulled from his trans-Atlantic flight to Chicago shortly before takeoff has been charged with having too much alcohol in his system, British police said Tuesday.
Scotland Yard said that 51-year-old Erwin Vermont Washington, of Lakewood, Colorado, was arrested after officers were called to United Airlines Flight 949, which was already full of passengers and due to leave London's Heathrow Airport just after noon on Monday.
BAA, Heathrow's operator, said the plane had been due to leave imminently. A BAA spokesman quoted by Britain's Press Association news agency added that the pilot had been reported to authorities by another member of United's staff. BAA did not immediately return a call from the AP seeking comment late Tuesday.
It was not immediately clear how much alcohol Washington was accused of having consumed. Under British law, pilots are forbidden from having any more than 20 micrograms of alcohol for each 100 milliliters of blood in their system, or .02 percent. For most average-sized men, that is the equivalent of having just had about half a glass of regular strength beer.
Scotland Yard said that Washington, who has been released on bail, would have to appear at a court in northwest London on Nov. 20. If convicted, he faces up to two years in prison, a fine, or both.
United Airlines spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said Washington, who she did not identify by name, has been removed from service pending an investigation. She said her airline had strict rules on alcohol "and we have no tolerance for violation of this well-established policy."
She declined to say how long Washington had worked for the airline.
McCarthy said that the flight was canceled and that the plane's 124 passengers were put on other flights.
Monday's incident bears a strong resemblance to the arrest in May at Heathrow of an American Airlines pilot _ also scheduled to fly a plane to Chicago _ after he failed a breath test. Airport security staff had alerted airport police about the pilot.
In January, Southwest Airlines put a pilot on leave after passengers at a security checkpoint in Columbus, Ohio, told authorities that he smelled of alcohol. The pilot ran into a restroom and changed out of his uniform jacket and called in sick.
Union leaders say pilots are under increased scrutiny by security agents and passengers because of high-profile cases involving drunk pilots.
Associated Press Airlines Writer David Koenig in Dallas contributed to this report.
Published by: Raymond Lim
LOS ANGELES - THE US Coast Guard on Sunday called off a search-and-rescue mission for nine missing airmen from Thursday's mid-air crash of a Coast Guard plane and Marine Corps helicopter off California's coast, a spokesman said.
'We no longer believe there is any chance anybody could be alive. We are moving into a salvage, recovery and investigative phase,' said Coast Guard Rear Admiral Joseph Castillo.
Thursday's crash after sundown in an area set aside for military exercises by the Federal Aviation Administration, left two chopper pilots and a crew of seven aboard a Coast Guard C-130 transport plane missing in the Pacific Ocean.
The wreckage of the C-130 and the Cobra helicopter were found on Saturday, but no signs of crash victims. A Pentagon spokesman on Friday said it was 'likely' the missing airmen had all perished.
The Coast Guard plane was in the area searching for a missing boater while the Marine helicopter was heading to San Clemente island, which is controlled by the navy, on a training mission.
Six Coast Guard cutters, three US Navy ships and various aircraft took part in the search and rescue mission. --AFP
KORSOER, Denmark – The world's largest cruise ship cleared a crucial obstacle Sunday, lowering its smokestacks to squeeze under a bridge in Denmark.
The Oasis of the Seas _ which rises about 20 stories high _ passed below the Great Belt Fixed Link with a slim margin as it left the Baltic Sea on its maiden voyage to Florida.
Bridge operators said that even after lowering its telescopic smokestacks the giant ship had less than a 2-foot (half-meter) gap.
Hundreds of people gathered on beaches at both ends of the bridge, waiting for hours to watch the brightly lit behemoth sail by shortly after midnight (2300GMT; 7 p.m. EDT).
"It was fantastic to see it glide under the bridge. Boy, it was big," said Kurt Hal, 56.
Company officials are banking that its novelty will help guarantee its success. Five times larger than the Titanic, the $1.5 billion ship has seven neighborhoods, an ice rink, a small golf course and a 750-seat outdoor amphitheater. It has 2,700 cabins and can accommodate 6,300 passengers and 2,100 crew members.
Accommodations include loft cabins, with floor-to-ceiling windows, and 1,600-square-foot (487-meter) luxury suites with balconies overlooking the sea or promenades.
The liner also has four swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts, and a youth zone with theme parks and nurseries for children.
Oasis of the Sea, nearly 40 percent larger than the industry's next-biggest ship, was conceived years before the economic downturn caused desperate cruise lines to slash prices to fill vacant berths.
It was built by STX Finland for Royal Caribbean International and left the shipyard in Finland on Friday. Officials hadn't expected any problems in passing the Great Belt bridge, but traffic was stopped for about 15 minutes as a precaution when the ship approached, Danish navy spokesman Joergen Brand said.
Aboard the Oasis of the Seas, project manager Toivo Ilvonen of STX Finland confirmed that the ship had passed under the bridge without any incidents.
"Nothing fell off," he said.
The enormous ship features various "neighborhoods" _ parks, squares and arenas with special themes. One of them will be a tropical environment, including palm trees and vines among the total 12,000 plants on board. They will be planted after the ship arrives in Fort Lauderdale.
In the stern, a 750-seat outdoor theater _ modeled on an ancient Greek amphitheater _ doubles as a swimming pool by day and an ocean front theater by night. The pool has a diving tower with spring boards and two 33-foot (10-meter) high-dive platforms. An indoor theater seats 1,300 guests.
One of the "neighborhoods," named Central Park, features a square with boutiques, restaurants and bars, including a bar that moves up and down three decks, allowing customers to get on and off at different levels.
Once home, the $1.5 billion floating extravaganza will have more, if less visible, obstacles to duck: a sagging U.S. economy, questions about the consumer appetite for luxury cruises and criticism that such sailing behemoths are damaging to the environment and diminish the experience of traveling.
It is due to make its U.S. debut on Nov. 20 at its home port, Port Everglades in Florida.
By JAN M. OLSEN,Associated Press Writer.
~Raymond Lim