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Contact Photographer Alastair T. Gardiner
What: Fedex McDonnell Douglas MD-11 en route from Anchorage to Memphis,TN
Where: Indianapolis
When: Jul 31st 200
Who: 2 crew
Why: On experiencing hydraulics failure, the flight diverted to Indianapolis, landing safely just after midnight. No injuries were reported.
It is a shame they diverted FROM Memphis, where the Fed Ex hub is, and complete repair facilities.
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Contact Photographers Daniel & Robert Fall
What: Air France Airbus A330-200 en route from from Paris to Brazzaville Congo
Where: Maya-Maya airport on the tarmac
When:
Who: Several dozen people were on board the plane,
Why: While taxiing into a parking position, the right winglet (a small vertical section at the tip of the wing) brushed a building just after landing. Although maintenance moved fast to say the plane was fine, the plane will be flown back to France but is banned from taking off with any passengers.
George’s Point of View
I’m not picking on Airbus. Just to prove it, I am going to admit that in this case, the lousy taxi job is probably not due to an innate Airbus flaw (unless massive vehicle size can be construed as a design flaw directly related to the relative ease of negotiating turns on a runway. Maybe the pilot or ground crew was just a ham-handed driver. Come to think of it, parking the 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood was no piece of cake either. )
No, I’m not picking on Airbus. With over 2,500 Airbus A320s flying around, (and who knows how many other Airbus models are still in service) incidents will happen.
But.. look at these statistics:
Airbus A300 – 17 crashes with a total of 1126 fatalities
Airbus A310 – 9 crashes with a total of 825 fatalities
Airbus A319/20/21 – 16 crashes with a total of 637 fatalities
Airbus A330 – 3 with a total of 235 fatalitiesThat’s a lot of fatalities. The number of deaths–almost 400 in June alone–this works out to a lot of misery spread around to a lot of families.
I’m not picking on Air France, either. Air France isn’t responsible for the Yemenia Flight 626 that crashed June 30th 2009 with 152 fatalities and one miracle survivor.
But even if I am not picking on Airbus, someone with lots of muscle (like all the citizens of France) should be doing just that.
Enough deaths. It is past time to fix the problem.
What: Flybe de Havilland Dash 8-400 en route from Bergerac (France) to Edinburgh
Where: Edinburgh
When: Jul 29th 2009
Who: 54 people on board
Why: On approach to Edinburgh, the crew noted a hydraulics problem and spent twenty minutes in a holding pattern while the problem was resolved. The plane landed safely.
What: An American Airlines MD-80 jet enroute from Saint Louis to Los Angeles
Where: Lambert Airport
When: 2:00pm Wednesday July 29
Who: 140 passengers 5 crew
Why: After takeoff, the plane’s right engine ingested a bird. (Apparently it passed right through). The bird strike disabled the engine; and the pilot landed immediately, after declaring an emergency.
When times are hard, we drive clunkers. Our old cars get older and rattier, but they’re paid for. It takes more money and more maintenance to keep them going, but when we weigh the merits of getting a new car, the weight of the new car note comes along with it, along with more expensive insurance to cover a more expensive car. So, is it any wonder that we take a sigh over the new car commercial, even as we open the car door and climb into last year’s model? (Or for some of us, last decade’s model.) So what if the tires are maypops and the bumper is held on with twist ties and it takes more than rubbing compound to get the scratches out? It gets us down the road.
The problem is that airlines are having the same issues.
Profits are down, fuel costs are going up, and even airlines have to pay for new planes. And unlike this year’s Lexus, new planes cost millions, even billions. This wouldn’t be so bad if planes were like cars, and the likeliest outcome for a junker is an inevitable call to AAA for a tow. Because, obviously, airplanes don’t just stop rolling when they quit. They fall out of the sky. And of course there are the lesser things that happen. Pieces of the fuselage fall off, or magically sport holes the size of footballs. Landing gears fail. They get stuck open or shut. Windshields crack for no known reason. Mysterious electrical fires play hide and seek inside the myriad of separate systems inside the cabin.
So many airlines struggling to stay afloat are pushing their older aircraft to their maximum life span, saving the expense of a new note–but that is balanced with the greater expense of maintaining older planes. The cost of everything is going up. (Consider that the new airbags by themselves are going to cost well over $1000 per seat.) Fortunately the FAA is working harder at monitoring maintenance guidelines, and policing the skies. The future of the industry in fact, may be riding on FAA Reauthorization Act. (Take a look at our sidebar where we have links to the FAA Reauthorization Act
The Association of the relatives of the victims of Air France Flight 447 are proceeding against European manufacturer Airbus. To spearhead their undertaking, the families have contracted aviation consultant George Hatcher and the law firm of Masry & Vittoe.
Hatcher conferred with the victims’ relatives monday (20), in Rio De Janeiro, to discuss legal strategies that will be adopted in the case. According to the specialist, at this stage, regardless of the cause of the accident, the responsible party is the manufacturer of the airplane, France’s Airbus, subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company.
In a disaster of this stature, payments can reach up to $700 million dollars (U.S.).
According to Mr Hatcher who maintains a list of hundreds of pilot experts, “Two of our Airbus pilots agree that in their expert opinion, a significant responsibility for the loss of the aircraft lies within defective computers and/or flawed computer technology. The Airbus, in their evaluation is far from perfect.”
Hatcher will be working the Air France case, in addition to his work on the TAM case in Florida. “In respect for the family’s deep feelings,” he explained, “we are moving forward as quickly and carefully as the wheels of justice allow. Settlements in the US tend to be higher than elsewhere. The Tam hearing is scheduled for March of 2010. We came to a partial agreement with the TAM, but the case is pending on the responsible parties like BFGoodrich, responsible for the brakes, and the Pratt&Whitney, manufacturer of the turbines, one of which was with the broken reverser.”
The Air France is eligible to be tried in Florida where Airbus maintains a training center commercial office of the Airbus.
A associação dos parentes das vítimas do acidente do voo 447 da Air France vai processar a fabricante europeia Airbus. Para isso, os familiares das vítimas contrataram o advogado mexicano George Hatcher, do escritório Masry & Vittoe, um dos maiores estrategistas do mundo nesse tipo de processo.
Hatcher esteve reunido com os parentes das vítimas na segunda-feira (20), no Rio de Janeiro, para discutir as estratégias jurídicas que serão adotadas no caso. Segundo o especialista, não importam as causas do acidente, já que o responsável na questão é o fabricante do avião.
No caso do desastre do Atlântico, o montante de pagamentos pode alcançar o valor recorde de US$ 700 milhões de dólares.
“Vamos processar a Airbus. Tenho uma lista de 700 pilotos com os quais costumo discutir. Dois deles são comandantes da ativa do A330 e, embora não se conheçam, disseram a mesma coisa: foram os computadores defeituosos os responsáveis pela perda da aeronave. O Airbus, na avaliação deles, é um projeto defeituoso”, definiu o consultor, de acordo com o Jornal do Brasil.
Assim como no acidente da TAM em Congonhas, Hatcher levará o processo para a corte na Flórida, nos Estados Unidos.
“As cortes da Flórida são rigorosas, tem uma simpatia pelo drama das famílias e não perdem tempo. Os acordos nos EUA são os mais altos no por isso. No caso do acidente de Congonhas são processos que somam US$ 100 millhões e a audiência na corte já está marcada, para março de 2010. Fizemos um acordo parcial com a TAM, mas há outros réus, como a BFGoodrich, responsável pelos freios, e a Pratt&Whitney, fabricante das turbinas, uma das quais estava com o reverso quebrado”, disse.
A ação relativa ao caso da Air France deve ser aberta também na Flórida, onde há um centro de treinamento e um escritório comercial da Airbus.
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What: US Airways/ Republic Airlines Embraer ERJ-175 en route from West Palm Beach,FL to Washington DC
Where: Washington’s National Ronald Reagan Airport
When: Jul 25th 2009
Why: On the final approach, the plane was struck by turbulence and several passengers were injured. The flight landed safely. No more information has been reported–no details on the injuries or if anyone was actually hospitalized due to the turbulence injuries. One can conjecture it may have been members of the flight crew because everyone else should have been seated with belts on.
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Contact Photographer Darren Wilson
What: Flybe de Havilland Dash 8-400 en route from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Cardiff
Where: Exeter
When: Jul 27th 2009
Who: 51 passengers
Why: While en route, the plane was struck by lightning. The flight diverted to its base of operations in Exeter where it landed safely one hour and 45 minutes later. Passengers were transferred to an alternative plane which took them to their destination.
Pictured: Substitute Boeing flown in for replacement
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Contact Photographer Klaus Ecker
What: American Airlines Boeing 757-20 en route from Dallas to Boston
Where: Little Rock
When: 7/26/2009 5:59 p.m.
Who: 185 aboard
Why: After smoke was observed in the cockpit, the crew diverted the plane to Little Rock where it landed safely. Passengers were transferred to an alternative plane (Pictured)
What: Southwest Airlines en route from Bradley International Airport Hartford,CT to Orlando
Where: diverted to Long Island Islip Macarthur Airport
When: July 26, 2009
Who: 132 passengers and 5 crew
Why: After take-off, the crew detected an “electrical smell” and smoke; oxygen masks were deployed, and the plane diverted to Long Island where the passengers debarked without incident, and took an alternate 737-300 to Orlando. The original plane was taken out of service for a complete inspection which determined that the electrical smell originated from the burner of a coffee maker in the back of the aircraft.
George’s Point of View
Southwest, you are having a bad month.
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Contact Photographer Taha Ashoori
What: Mahan Air McDonnell-Douglas MD-82 en route from Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport to Bandar Mahshah
Where: Tehran
When: 16:30
Who: 184 deaths and 30 injuries.
Why: After takeoff, the plane indicated a fire alert, and returned to the airport for a safe landing. The public announcement called this a “technical” error. Reportedly, maintenance found no actual fire.
Pictured: First Nordstar Boeing
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What: Nordstar AKA Taimyr Avia Boeing 737-800 en route from Antalya, Turkey to Moscow
Where: Krasnodar
When: Jul 26th 2009
Who: 173 passengers and 9 crew
Why: When the Boeing’s landing gear would not retract, the flight diverted to Krasnodar Russia where it landed safely.
George’s Point of View
This is a huge 747.
With so many older planes stretching their years of service, we’re going to see an increasing number of emergency landings; and we’re going to have an increasing number of incidents attributed to maintenance.
What: United Airlines Flight 745 en route from New York to Denver
Where: O’Hare
When: Jul 24, 2009
Why: The flight was diverted to Chicago when a stewardess discovered a suspicious powder on a napkin, which turned out to be powdered napkin. The flight resumed without any more issues.
Do they take the cost of this kind of thing out of the stewardess’s salary?
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Contact Photographer Alejandro Torres
What: American Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Boston to San Juan, Puerto Rico
Where: Logan International Airport
When: Saturday 8:35 a.m-9:30 am
Who: 185 on board
Why: After smoke was detected in the cabin, the flight turned toward to Logan, and the crew found and put out the fire. The flight continued on to Logan, where passengers took alternative flights.
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Contact Photographer Bernhard Bauske
What: Air Malta A319 en route from Malta (Mala) to Reggio Calabria
Where: Reggio Calabria
When: Jul 23rd 2009
Why: After the bird strike, the plane landed safely and was towed. Passengers transferred to another plane to complete the trip to Rome
What: Air India Airbus A320-200 from Bhubaneswar to Mumbai
Where: Mumbai International Airport
When: July 25
Who: 91
Why: After hydraulic failure, flight IC-169 landed safely and was towed off the runway.
What: Advanced Helicopter Concepts MARSAN AVIATION ROBINSON R44 HELICOPTER
Where: FREDERICK, MD
When: 07/23/2009 10:30 pm
Who: Three of the victims worked for Advanced Helicopter Concepts, 1 passenger
Why: AIRCRAFT CRASHED AND BURNED ON I-70 (MM37) AFTER STRIKING POWER LINES.
Prior to the crash, the helicopter had been giving rides for a youth charity. It encountered power lines near or over Interstate 70, sparked, and hit the ground.
Fatalities included:
Kim R. Felix, 48, New Market
Jeffrey D. Nordaas, 24, Columbia
Niall R. Y. Booth, 43, New Market
George H. Tutor, Jr., 39, Westminster
What: American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-82 Austin to Chicago
Where: Austin,TX
When: Jul 24th 2009
Who: 145
Why: When indicators reported an engine fire after takeoff from Austin, the plane received clearance and landed 10 minutes after takeoff. No actual fire was found.
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Contact Photographer Jerome Mervele
What: Air Canada Boeing 777 Toronto to Beijing
Where: Pearson International Airport
When: July 24
Who: 288 passengers (or 305 also reported)
Why: After takeoff, warning lights alerted pilots that the flight was experiencing a wing-flap problem. The crew landed the plane immediately. Because of the full load of fuel, all the tires (6) burst on landing, However, there was no loss of control of the plane and no one was hurt. The plane, in fact, is slated to resume its workload six hours later around 9:30, presumably after repairs; one extremely reputable source listed the 9:30 flight to be a different plane entirely.
George’s Point of View
When we have conflicting facts, we report and let you decide (to paraphrase FOX).
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Contact Photographer Fred Seggie
What: FlyBe de Havilland Dash 8-400 Paris’ Charles De Gaulle Airport to Cardiff
Where: Gatwick
When: Jul 24th 2009
Who: 46 passengers and 4 crew
Why: Twenty minutes after a haze filled the cabin of the Flybe jet, the plane made an emergency landing in London. No injuries were reported and the smoke has been attributed (so far) to a generic mechanical problem. The flight caused a dozen diversions and a dozen delays while the plane obstructed the runway.
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Contact Photographer K Dennis
What: Easyjet Airbus A319-100 en route from Bristol UK to Venice
Where: Venice
When: Jul 24th 2009
Who: one passenger, two crew members
Why: En route, the flight encountered turbulence.
Turbulence in-flight: wounded on board an A319 in Venice Tessera
Following the signal received by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB, entity of the United Kingdom), which is informed by the airline concerned, the Agency initiated an investigation on the July 24 incident in which the Airbus G-A319 encountered strong turbulence resulting in injuries to two crew members and a passenger.
See the Italian press release
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Contact Photographer Farzad Farajpour
What: Aria Air Ilyushin IL-62 en route from Tehran to Mashad. The plane was leased by Aria Air from Kazakhstan
Where: Mashad Iran
When: July 24 2009
Who: 153 aboard. 17 died in the accident.
Why: On landing, the nose gear did not deploy; the main wheels sparked on touchdown.
The dead include the first three rows, the flight crew and the cabin crew. Also, there were 19 injuries reported so far.
Aria Air’s managing director Mehdi Dadpay was among the victims
George’s Point of View
This was the second Iranian airliner crash within 10 days. Iran should put their foot down on all airlines, government owned or not to insure that every single plane that takes off is airworthy.
What: a four-seat commercial Robinson R-44 in Maryland
Where: west of the Washington County-Frederick County line, on the western slope of a ridge known as South Mountain, in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70.
When: Thursday night
Who: 4 on board
Why: After a night of storms and fog, Washington County emergency services got a call around 10:30 pm regarding the crash.
Here’s a peek at the bill that is addressing the FAA’s immediate future; the bill and it’s summary are posted here. Actions contained in the bill are in response to the Colgan Air Crash.
According to THOMAS the library of Congress, there are 4 versions of Bill Number H.R.915 for the 111th Congress
1 . FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009 (Introduced in House)[H.R.915.IH]
2 . FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009 (Reported in House)[H.R.915.RH]
3 . FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009 (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by House)[H.R.915.EH]
4 . FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009 (Referred to Senate Committee after being Received from House)[H.R.915.RFS]