UPDATED: Unresponsive plane over Cuba crashes near Jamaica – no survivors
UPDATED: Pilots may have suffered from cerebral hypoxia, but what is it?
By Jen Christensen, CNN
(CNN) — The pilot or pilots aboard an unresponsive plane that flew from the United States over the Caribbean Sea on Friday may have been stricken by cerebral hypoxia — a fancy term for when your brain is deprived of oxygen.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) scrambled fighter jets to check on the plane and suggested on Twitter that hypoxia may be to blame.
Before the small plane’s windows frosted, fighter pilots tracking the plane could see a pilot slumped over, a NORAD official said.
Cerebral hypoxia can happen to pilots if they reach too high of an altitude or if there is a loss in cabin pressure. It can also be the result of carbon monoxide poisoning or breathing in too much smoke from a fire.
There is a progressive reduction of oxygen per breath the higher the altitude.
Every pilot’s reaction to hypoxia is different, according to a the Federal Aviation Administration. But is extremely hard for a person to tell when it is happening to them because the onset of symptoms is subtle.
In the beginning, pilots may experience an increase in the rate at which they breathe. They also may feel lightheaded or dizzy. Eventually, they will start to lose coordination. They will experience tunnel vision and their judgment would become impaired.
Brain cells are particularly vulnerable to a lack of oxygen. Without it they can die off and cause permanent brain damage.
When a brain goes without oxygen for too long, the part of the brain that helps with breathing can stop working and can keep you from breathing.
Federal investigators believe golfer Payne Stewart’s Learjet went down in 1999 after his plane lost cabin pressure during its flight.
In that case, a low-pressure alarm could be heard on the cockpit voice recorder recovered from the wreckage. The FAA said his plane climbed as high as 51,000 feet. The human body has limited ability to function above 10,000 feet without additional oxygen.
For more: http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/05/health/cerebral-hypoxia/
URGENT – Caribbean-Plane-Pilots-Unresponsive
(CNN) — There appears to be two pilots aboard the unresponsive plane now flying over Cuba, a federal aviation source tells CNN’s Deborah Feyerick. The source described the pilots as unconscious. Based on calculations of fuel known to be aboard the aircraft, the source said the plane will likely run out of fuel about 2 p.m. ET.
Read more: http://www.wptz.com/national/urgent-caribbeanplanepilotsunresponsive/27899890#ixzz3CUKnHaqm
LATEST: Unresponsive plane crashes near Jamaica after US and Cuban fighter jets scrambled for escort
Sep 5th 2014 From AOL
In this June 24, 2010 photo, developer Larry Glazer gestures toward a building to be demolished on Alexander Street in Rochester, N.Y. Glazer and wife, Jane, were aboard their small plane, which took off from the Greater Rochester International Airport, as it flew 1,700 miles down the East Coast on Friday, Sept. 5, 2014, before finally crashing off the coast of Jamaica. (AP Photo/Democrat & Chronicle, Carlos Ortiz)
By RYAN GORMAN
An Upstate New York real estate tycoon and his wife were among the dead when an unresponsive plane crashed after being escorted by both the U.S. and Cuban Air Forces, authorities said.
Jamaican officials announced the Socata TBM 900 crashed 14 miles off the coast of Jamaica after missing it’s scheduled landing at Naples (FL) Airport. The plane’s 1,700 mile journey ended in tragedy at 2:15 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Authority.
Reports claim the plane had three passengers, but the FAA declined to confirm how many people were onboard. Local news station WHAM, in Rochester, reported that real estate tycoon Larry Glazer and wife Jane Glazer died in the wreck.
Jamaican officials organizing a search effort had yet to find any wreckage as late Friday afternoon.
Local politicians have already weighed in on the tragic loss.
“The Glazers were innovative and generous people who were committed to revitalizing downtown Rochester and making the city they loved a better place for all,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. “I offer my deepest condolences to the Glazers’ family and friends during this difficult and trying time.”
A New York State Assemblyman also spoke of the loss, calling the Glazers friends of his.
“I’m deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of a longtime personal friends, Larry & Jane Glazer,” New York State Assemblyman Joe Morelle said in a statement.
Rochester’s mayor released a statement.
“It is difficult to put into words how much Larry Glazer has meant to our community,” said Rochester Mayor Lovely A. Warren. “Larry worked hard to return a sense of vitality and excitement to our Center City. His efforts helped to lift our spirits and restore our sense of optimism. He has been a treasured friend and partner.”
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