What: Ravensdown Aerowork light plane
Where: Taranaki NZ
When: Dec 11, 2012
Who: 1 aboard
Why: A light plane was engaged in fertiliser spreading and agricultural spraying for Wanganui Aero Work company. (Wanganui was acquired by Ravensdown Aerowork in 2004 but the plane had not been provided new colors.)

The plane went down near Waitaanga Rd.

The Rescue Co-ordination Centre heard the beacon at 5.38 p.m.

The pilot was tended by paramedics then hospitalized at Waikato Hospital.

The sixty year old pilot sustained serious spinal injuries.

What: Auman T-51
Where: De Kalb, IL
When: Dec 11, 2012
Who: pilot
Why: After taking off from De Kalb Airport, the Auman T-51 developed engine trouble, losing altitude and emitting smoke.

Pilot James L Auman landed the plane in a field, then bounced and flipped. Plane and pilot both sustained substantial damage. Auman had to be extricated, then was taken by medical chopper to St. Anthony Hospital.

Raw Video of Rescue

What: Alaskan Airlines Boeing 737 en route from Seattle to Las Vegas
Where: Sacramento
When: Dec 10, 2012 4:42
Who: 152 passengers and crew
Why: While the flight was en route, smoke “unidentified fumes in the plane “developed in the cabin. Pilots diverted to Sacramento where they made a safe landing at 4:42 pm. with emergency services on standby.

There were no injuries although there was a report of a crew member getting oxygen.

Passengers said the problem appeared to be electrical, and that a stewardess had “burning in her eyes and throat.”

Passengers disembarked and were provided an alternative flight. The affected plane is slated for a Tuesday return to Seattle.

What: Schon Air Cessna 172D Skyhawk
Where: Pakistan
When: Dec 10, 2012
Who: 2 aboard, no fatalities
Why: The plane was on a training flight and developed a technical problem.

Captain Fahad and trainee pilot Abu Bakar took off from Karachi at 4 pm and at 5:25 they were losing altitude and struggling to return to the airport.

The pilots said they made a hard landing near Check Post No 3 of Malir Cantonment, a defense installation.

Reports are that the plane is damaged beyond repair.

What: Rockford Memorial Hospital MBB BK 117 A-3 en route from Rockford to Mendota
Where: Rochelle, Illinois
When: Dec 10, 2012 8:30 p.m.
Who: 3 aboard, 3 fatalities
Why: A Rockford Memorial Hospital’s REACT helicopter crashed in a field at about 8:30 p.m. in Rochelle midway between Rockford and Mendota. Pilot Andy Olson, flight nurse Jim Dillow, R.N. and flight nurse Karen Hollis, R.N. died on the scene.

The medical helicopter was en route to Mendota to pick up a patient. No patients were aboard at the time of the accident.

What: Learjet 25 en route from Monterrey to Toluca
Where: Los Tejocotes
When: December 9 20123:30
Who: 7 aboard
Update:
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 345MC Make/Model: LJ25 Description: LEARJET 25
Date: 12/09/2012 Time: 0630

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A MOUNTAINOUS AREA, THE 7 PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, 61 MILES FROM MONTEREY, MEXICO

INJURY DATA
Total Fatal: 7
# Crew: 7 Fat: 7

NTSB Assists Government of Mexico in Aviation Accident
December 10
Washington – The NTSB is dispatching investigators to assist the government of Mexico in its investigation of the crash of a Learjet LJ25.

On December 9, 2012 at about 3:30 a.m. local time, the airplane crashed about 70 miles south of Monterrey, Mexico, due to unknown circumstances while en route to Mexico City, Mexico. All 7 persons on board were fatally injured including Latin singer Jenni Rivera.

NTSB Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman has designated David Helson as the traveling U.S. Accredited Representative. Mr. Helson will be assisted from NTSB headquarters by investigative staff specializing in airplane airworthiness and flight crew operations as well as advisors from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Learjet.

More on Learjet
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What: Sky Blue Helicopters Robinson R44 Helicopter
Where: Theodore Roosevelt Lake in Gila County
When: Dec 7 2012
Who: 3 aboard
Why: Two men and one woman were aboard a helicopter on a sightseeing tour when it crashed in Theodore Roosevelt Lake in Gila County. The water where the helicopter crashed was 60 feet deep. Boaters pulled the passengers from the water.

The two men and one woman were hospitalized in Phoenix. Julie Barba, 49, remains in the hospital, but Fred Cleeves, the 62-year-old pilot, and George Riedel, 64, were released from Scottsdale Healthcare Osborne Medical Center.

Gila County Sheriff’s Office Divers attached a buoy to the helicopter to mark its location before removal.

Sky Blue Helicopters leases the helicopter.

Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Andy Egloff

What: Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-367ER en route from Hong Kong International Airport to Heathrow
Where: Wuhan China
When: Dec 9 2012
Who: 235 passengers, 12 crew
Why: The flight was en route when the captain detected smoke in the cockpit at 1:45 a.m.. The pilot diverted to Wuhan Tianhe International Airport. The flight landed at 2:07 a.m. with emergency services on standby, nine fire engines, three ambulances.

Passengers disembarked by stairs. No injuries were reported.

Alternative transportation was provided.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China and the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department will be investigating

What: Egyptair Airbus A320-200 en route from Cairo to Kuwait
Where: Egypt
When: Dec 3, 2012
Who: 90 aboard
Why: We have avoided this report for as long as possible, but finally decided to get it out of the way, since our mailboxes and emails are FULL of reports of:
“Snake on a plane forces emergency landing”
“Cobra Forces EgyptAir Flight to Make Emergency Landing”
“Flight Crew Finds reptile”
“Real Life Snake on a plane”
“Egyptian Cobra Bites Akram Abdul Latfi, Egypt Air Passenger”
“Cobra upgraded to First Class on Flight**”

Here’s the story: Akram Abdul Latif who was aboard this Egyptair flight was bitten by a snake. Actual snake on a plane, not the terrible movie. The Jordan Times says the snake was a cobra and that Latif owns a reptile shop where he was taking it. The snake had gotten out and the pet shop owner was bitten in the hand while trying to return the snake to the carry-on (as so many are theoretically and realistically bitten while trying to get anything back in the bag.)

The flight was diverted to Al Bahr Al Ahmar where first aid was administered to the man, and apparently none to the snake, who died. Actually, the snake did not die; it apparently was with Latif when he was refusing medical treatment. Some of the reports infer Latif was allowed to bring the snake to his shop in Kuwait. Without a crystal ball, I can’t say whether or not reports will be full of “Kuwait Reptile Store Owner Jailed for Smuggling” but according to “Newsfix” the cobra was corralled and confiscated by the cops. No one indicates if the snake was returned to Latif, or if a snake license, fine or a “snake coralling fee” was levied.

One can not help but picture the plane landing, a bouncer tossing Latif, his bag and beast out on their respective keisters*, the plane closing up and zipping down the runway before Latif can get back on.

* For the sake of the paragraph, we are endowing both the snake and the bag with honorary keisters, as they are not provided their own by nature.
** Honors for the best title of an article about the snake on a plane
*** The snake photo is clipped from the youtube video
**** No snakes were harmed in the writing of this article
***** Etc.