Berry Aviation
Berry Aviation, Inc is an American charter airline with its headquarters based in San Marcos, Texas. It operates charters for the US Department of Defense in multiple locations worldwide and Part 135 On-Demand Cargo across North America and the Caribbean. It was founded in 1983.
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| Founded | 1983 | ||||||
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| Operating bases | HYI, CAK, ABQ, DTO | ||||||
| Hubs | San Marcos Municipal Airport, Akron-Canton Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 25 | ||||||
| Parent company | AGC Aerospace & Defense[1] | ||||||
| Headquarters | San Marcos, Texas, United States | ||||||
| Key people | Stanley Finch, CEO/President | ||||||
| Website | http://www.berryaviation.com | ||||||
Fleet
The Berry Aviation fleet includes the following aircraft (as of December 2021):[2][3]
| Aircraft | In Fleet |
Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter | 4 | — | ||
| Bombardier Dash 8-Q200 | 7 | — | ||
| Embraer EMB 120ER Brasilia | 9 | — | ||
| Fairchild SA227 Metroliner | 3 | — | ||
| Total | 23 | |||
The airline fleet previously included the following aircraft:[4][5]
- 3 further Dornier 328-100
- 4 UH-72 Lakota Helicopters
2017 Niger terrorist incident
On October 4, 2017, four U.S. Army personnel and five Nigerien soldiers were killed and two more injured after being ambushed while assisting local forces in Southwest Niger.[6][7] It was later reported that private contractors working for Berry Aviation "conducted casualty evacuation and transport for U.S. and partner forces". Berry Aviation was described as having a "sole source bridge contract" in Niamey for duties including casualty evacuation.[8]
2017 hurricane relief and pet evacuation flights
Starting on August 28, 2017, Berry Aviation conducted over fifty flights for Wings of Rescue and the Humane Society of the United States, carrying over 100 tons of emergency supplies into the Hurricane Harvey, Irma and Maria zones and then flying over 4,500 pets, who otherwise would have died, to safety at no-kill animal shelters throughout the mainland United States.
Accidents and Incidents
| Type | Flight | Date | Aircraft | Location | Description | Damage | Injuries | Fatalities | Probable Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accident | BYA233 | September 20, 2018 | N233SW | Houston, TX | A Berry Aviation Embraer EMB-120, registration N233SW performing flight BYA-480 from Shreveport, LA (USA) to Querétaro (Mexico), was en-route at 18,000 feet near Houston, TX (USA) when unsecured cargo shifted. The crew continued the flight to Querétaro for a landing without further incident. | Substantial | None | None | Unsecured Cargo |
| Accident | BYA969 | August 15, 2019 | N322AV | San Marcos, TX | On August 15, 2019, at 1233 central daylight time, a De Havilland DHC-6-300 airplane, N322AV, impacted runway 13 during a go-around at San Marcos Regional Airport (HYI), San Marcos, Texas. The airplane sustained substantial damage. | Substantial | 3 Minor | None | The pilot's delayed go-around attempt and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action that resulted in a nose-down impact with terrain during an attempted go-around. |
| Accident | BYA233 | March 7, 2021 | N233SW | Ypsilanti, MI | Berry Aviation flight BYA233, an Embraer EMB-120ER Brasilia, performed a gear-up landing at Detroit-Willow Run Airport, Michigan (YIP). The aircraft was damaged beyond repair. | Substantial | None | None | Under Investigation |
References
- https://acorngrowthcompanies.com/portfolio Acorn Growth
- "Global Airline Guide 2016 (Part Two)". Airliner World (November 2016): 37.
- Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Embraer EMB-120ER Brasilia N233SW Detroit-Willow Run Airport, MI (YIP)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
- Berry Aviation fleet
- Berry Aviation history
- Starr, Barbara. "Pentagon identifies fourth US soldier killed in Niger". CNN. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
- Mitchell, Ellen. "Officials suspect Islamic State militants responsible for Niger attack". The Hill. The Hill. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
- Barbara Starr; Greg Wallace; Jamie Crawford (2017-10-18). "US Military Reveals Contractors Flew to the Rescue in Niger, but Little Else". CNN. Retrieved 2017-10-20.