Air Tahoma facts for kids
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| Founded | 1995 |
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| Ceased operations | 2009 |
| Hubs | Rickenbacker International Airport, Miami International Airport, Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, Subic Bay International Airport |
| Fleet size | 12 |
| Headquarters | Building 597 Rickenbacker International Airport Columbus, OH 43217 |
Air Tahoma was an American cargo airline. It was based in Columbus, Ohio, in the United States. The airline started flying in 1996 from San Diego. Later, it moved to Indianapolis in 1998. Its final home was Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus. Air Tahoma flew cargo planes to places like the Caribbean, Mexico, Vietnam, the Philippines, and across the United States. The airline stopped flying in 2009.
Contents
History
Noel Rude started Air Tahoma in 1996. The company's main base was at Rickenbacker Airport in Columbus, Ohio. Air Tahoma was connected to another company called Cool Air Inc. Noel Rude and his father, Bud Rude, started Cool Air Inc. in 1986. Bud Rude had a lot of experience in the airline business. He had even started a company that flew planes for fighting fires.
Air Tahoma worked with FedEx. They flew cargo to cities that were not busy enough for bigger jets. Air Tahoma used twin-engine turboprop planes. These were mainly Convair 580 or Convair 240 models.
On August 13, 2004, one of their flights, Flight 185, crashed. This happened while the plane was trying to land.
In late 2008, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) looked into Air Tahoma. The FAA found some issues with the airline's aircraft. Because of this, Air Tahoma stopped flying for a short time. The company then showed the FAA how they had fixed the problems. Air Tahoma was allowed to start flying again.
However, on January 13, 2009, the FAA took away Air Tahoma's flying license. The FAA said there were many problems with how the airline followed safety rules. Air Tahoma tried to fight this decision. But the FAA stopped the airline from moving its planes. The FAA also made it hard for other airlines to use Air Tahoma's planes.
In the end, Air Tahoma agreed to drop its appeal. In return, the FAA let the company move its planes. The airline then stopped all operations.
Destinations
Air Tahoma flew to several places, including:
- Miami to Cancún to Mérida
- Miami to Guatemala to San Pedro Sula
- Subic Bay to Saigon
- Aguadilla (Borinquen) to Port of Spain
- San Juan to other countries in the West Indies
Fleet
As of September 2007, Air Tahoma had these planes in its fleet:
- 1 - BAe 146-300
- 3 - Convair CV-240
- 8 - Convair CV-580
Incidents and Accidents
A few incidents happened with Air Tahoma planes:
- In October 2003, a fire started in the engine of an Air Tahoma plane after it landed. The fire was put out quickly. The plane was not damaged.
- On January 7, 2004, a Convair 580 plane lost oil pressure in one engine. This happened while it was flying to Memphis. The plane landed safely without any problems.
- Air Tahoma Flight 185 crashed on August 13, 2004. It happened near the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The plane crashed about a mile from the runway. The First Officer, Michael Ray Gelwicks, sadly died. The Captain had only minor injuries. The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) investigated the crash. They found that both engines stopped working. This was because the Captain was distracted and did not manage the fuel correctly. There was enough fuel on the plane, and the plane's systems were working fine.
- On September 1, 2008, another Air Tahoma Convair 580 crashed. This happened in Pickaway County, Ohio. The plane had just taken off from Rickenbacker International Airport. All three crew members on board died. The FAA and NTSB looked into this accident. Rickenbacker Airport is about 16 miles (26 km) southeast of Columbus, Ohio. The crash happened around noon.
