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Contact photographer Andre Wadman
What: Skyworks Dornier Do-328 from Berne Switzerland to Hamburg
Where: Hamburg
When: Nov 30th 2011
Who: not available
Why: After landing in Hamburg, maintenance ground crew found that the “left main gear outboard door” had not made the flight with the rest of the plane. The plane was ferried back to Berne.
What: American Airlines Boeing 767-200 flight from New York City to San Francisco
Where: Buffalo Niagara International Airport
When: Nov 27, 2011
Who: 713 passengers
Why: After having taken off from JFK, the flight developed smoke in the cockpit.
Pilots diverted to Buffalo, where they made a safe landing. No injuries were reported.
American Airlines routed another plane in to pick up the passengers. In the meantime, passengers were put up overnight in a hotel.
On an unrelated note, the CEO of American Airlines, CEO Gerard Arpey, stepped down. After a meeting in NY on Monday, the company is filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Operations of the airline will continue as usual, and frequent fliers will not be affected. However, some jobs will be cut. American Eagle also filed for bankruptcy, delaying its spin off from American.
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Contact photographer Teemu Pesonen
What: Flybe Avion de Transport Regional ATR 72-500 en route from Vaasa Finland to Tallinn Estonia
Where: Pori Airport, Finland
When: Nov 28, 2011
Who: 11 passengers
Why: The Flybe flight was en route when the pilots discovered smoke in the cockpit.
Pilots made an emergency landing. A replacement jet was sent to the town Pori.
The source of the smoke was a faulty printer in the cockpit.
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Contact photographer Sebastian Sowa
What: China Eastern Airlines Airbus A330-200 from Osaka Kansai (Japan) to Shanghai (China)
Where: Osaka
When: Nov 28th 2011
Who: 245 people on board
Why: The pilot was positioned for takeoff, and then took off without waiting for clearance.
A chopper on approach was near the runway at the time.
The airbus continued to Shanghai.
An investigation is ongoing.
What: Helisika Agricultural Ltd. Aérospatiale AS 350B2 Ecureuil
Where: Viaduct Harbour, Auckland, NZ
When: Nov 23, 2011
Who: 1 pilot
Why: After setting a pylon for a christmas tree, the chopper’s roter struck a cable, and crashed the chopper.
Pilot Greg Gribble was hospitalized and released.
Te Wero Bridge has been closed to pedestrians until the investigation is complete.
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What: Cessna 230
Where: Henderson Executive Airport, Nevada
When: Nov 26, 2011
Who: 2 aboard
Why: The pilot of a Cessna 230 returned to the airport and made an emergency landing at Henderson Executive Airport when his landing gears did not come down. There were no injuries.
Henderson Fire Department responded.
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What: Manx2 LET-410 en route from Isle of Mn to Blackpool Eng (UK)
Where: Blackpool
When: Nov 26, 2011, 11:38
Who: 9 aboard
Why: On landing at Blackpool, a tire burst.
A replacement plane flew to Blackpool with spare and maintenance crew.
What: Marion Flying Club Cirrus SR-20 en route from Marion Municipal Airport
Where: CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill
When: Nov 26, 2011 10:30am
Who: 4 fatalities
Why: The one-engine Cirrus SR-20 was flying in rainy, overcast conditions when it crashed in a soybean field on a farm unincorporated McHenry County, killing the four aboard the plane. Marion businessman Ray Harris and his daughters Ramie and Shey were killed in the crash, along with one of the girl’s boyfriends. On impact, the plane shattered into debris which was spread over 100 yards. The plane carries a parachute, which had been deployed but it was tangled in a tree, which may have contributed to the wreck.
The pilot, Harris, had been flying one of his daughters back to Wheaton College.
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Contact photographer Wladimir Castro
What: American Airlines Boeing 767-200 en route from Los Angeles,CA to New York JFK,NY
Where: Los Angeles
When: Nov 23rd 2011
Who: 164 aboard
Why: The LA to New York flight took off as usual but once in the air, passengers and crew smelled something burning.
The pilots returned to LAX and made a safe landing.
The incident is under investigation. No details as of yet.
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What: KLM Boeing 777-200, registration PH-BQB en route from Johannesburg to Amsterdam
Where: Amsterdam
When: Nov 25th 2011
Who: one passenger
Why: While en route, a thirty-one year old male passenger believed to be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol became unruly. After harassing other passengers, the passenger ignored warnings of the crew, attempted to open the plane’s emergency exit and cockpit. He was subdued, and on landing in Amsterdam, was handed over to military police.
What: Ponderosa Aviation Inc. Rockwell Commander 690A en route from Mesa, Ariz to Safford, Arizona
Where: Apache Junction, Pinal County, AZ
When: Nov 23, 2011
Who: 6 fatalities
Why: On a thanksgiving flight that took off at 6:15, the pilot was flying to Safford and struck a rockface at the Superstition mountains. The children’s mother, Karen Perry, was not aboard. The fuselage is jammed between rocks.
The victims of the crash included Joseph Hardwick, 22, mechanic; pilot and aircraft owner Russell Hardy, 31; pilot Shawn Perry, 39; and Perry’s three children, Morgan, 9, Logan, 8, and Luke, 6.
The plane had just left Mesa’s Falcon Field when it crashed. It is a six hour hike from a campground to the wreckage. A ten member sheriff’s rescue team was flown in by chopper, and hiked down from a mountaintop.
The flight path that the pilot took is a controversial one. The FAA redesignated Phoenix airspace, raising the floor altitude for commercial traffic at almost the same height as the tallest peak in the Superstitions (5,057 feet). Planes such as this one flying east from Mesa’s Falcon Field must either go around the peak or request permission to enter commercial airspace to fly above it.
News Coverage
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Contact photographer Je89 W.
What: United Airlines/Shuttle America Embraer ERJ-170 en route from Denver,CO to Toronto
Where: Denver
When: Nov 23rd 2011
Who: 68 passenger
Why: While climbing out of Denver, passengers and crew smelled smoke in the cabin.
A newscast said that passengers heard a “pop” before the pilots turned around and returned to the Denver airport.
They made a safe landing. Passengers disembarked on the runway and were provided an alternative flight.
Who: Open to the public
What: Mars Family Day – celebrating the launch of Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) and its Curiosity rover.
When: Saturday, November 26, 2011– 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Virginia Air & Space Center, 600 Settlers Landing Road, downtown Hampton
How: Launch viewing and Mars Family Day activities are included in regular exhibit admission. Members always receive free admission.
More than 100 researchers and technicians at NASA Langley have worked on the MSL mission. Mars Family Day participants will be able to: learn more about MSL and Langley’s role in it; create an “egg” Mars lander; go on a MarsQuest scavenger hunt to win the chance for a free VASC Summer Science Camp; test their Martian skills with rover races; become an engineer for the day to help work on the challenges of landing on the Red Planet; see how much they weigh on Mars and other planets; and see a Mars meteorite and Viking lander, Viking orbiter and Mars rover models.
During the day, Air & Space Center visitors will also be able to participate in a free live, interactive video broadcast about the MSL launch from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. NASA is partnering with the National Institute of Aerospace, also in Hampton; the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS); and VASC to host livestream web coverage.
What: Air India Express en route from Cochin-Salalah
Where: Salalah
When: Nov 3, 2011 9:45
Who: 87 passengers
In this event, the pilot of an Air India Express COK-Salalah (Oman) flight, made three attempts to land. A cumulation of numerous small errors threatened passenger safety and defied standard operating procedures and included mis-entering data into the system.
The pilot forced the B737 to land using “autoland” in high cross-winds.
Wind speed on the ground was 25 knot (46 kmph) gusting to 35 knot (65 kmph.) Operating procedure allows landing when winds are no higher than 25 knots. The Boeing FCOM lists 35 knots as the max permissible crosswind landing component on a 45m wide. The pilot would have been correct to divert to another airport. There was adequate fuel to do so (if he had realized the numbers entered into the system were incorrect). Ground conditions were at the top of what Boeing allows and would be a challenge. Instead of diverting to Abu Dhabi, the pilot landed in defiance of safety norms.
The pilot attempted to land twice, and then decided to divert. Having been entered with incorrect data, the FMC (Flight Management Computer) incorrectly concluded there was only six minutes of flight time left. This was incorrect, as the plane had 4.7 tons of fuel, more than enough to reach Abu Dhabi, 75 minutes away.
On the pilot’s third attempt, the pilot autolanded (without having trained for autolanding.) It was a safe, if hard landing, and one that damaged the plane and nearly went off the runway. Two tires burst, and the landing gear was damaged.
Maybe this pilot is a fool, or maybe just careless. The plane did land with no loss of life. You know they always say “the devil is in the details.” I don’t know verifiable particulars. We don’t have available first hand data to analyze, but Air India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation does.
But when we see evidence of problems like this, we wonder if India has gone far enough in raising the bar.
Vayalar Ravi, Indian Civil Aviation Minister met or called (on the 18th) victims of the Mangalore crash to discuss their compensation claims. A meeting on the 19th included representatives from the airline, the government and the insurance company.,
The crash occurred in May of 2010, when the Dubai-Mangalore Air India Express jet overshot the runway, killing 158 people aboard.
However other business was also being handled during the meetings.
The outcome of the meetings has not yet been released.
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Contact photographer Brian Casity
What: American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-83 en route from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX to Pittsburgh,PA
Where: near Dallas
When: Nov 19th 2011
Why: Just after take-off, the pilot switched the fuel supply from center fuel tank to main wing tanks and the right engine flamed out.
Pilots returned to the airport and made a safe landing.
Maintenance is investigating why operating pumps were working, yet failing to provide fuel to the right engine.
What: (Fuerza Aérea Argentina) Argentine Air Force Piper PA-A28-236 Dakota light aircraft
Where: Mercedes Airport, Argentina
When: 21-NOV-2011 09:45 LT
Who: 2 fatalities
Why: On approach to Mercedes Airport, an Argentine Air Force Piper PA-A28-236 Dakota collided with an aviation school Cessna 152.
Both the flight school crew members in the Cessna 150 were killed in the crash. The Piper PA-28 landed safely. The two military personnel aboard the Piper survived.
According to witness Boloni Eduardo, the Air Force plane cut the back of the Cessna with its propeller, causing it to fall
Firefighters, police, ambulance, Air Force, and Civil Aviation Accident Investigation Board were on the scene. Mercedes is a public air field with no control tower.
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Contact photographer Bill Shull
What: Continental Airlines Boeing 737-900 en route from Panama City (Panama) to Newark,NJ
Where: Panama City
When: November 18, 2011
Who: 176 aboard
Why: After takeoff, while climbing out of Panama City, the Continental flight suffered a bird strike. After ingesting the bird, the left engine surged, and caught on fire. Pilots shut down the engine, and returned to Tocumen Airport where they made a safe landing.
What: Chautauqua Embraer ERJ-145/Delta Airlines en route from Asheville,NC to New York
Where: La Guardia airport, New York
When: Nov 16th 2011
Why: By now, everyone has probably heard about this:
A captain who was locked in the airplane’s bathroom gave a passenger a security code to inform the co-pilot.
But when the co-pilot heard the passenger’s heavy accent, he told ATC “the captain has disappeared in the back and I have someone with a big foreign accent trying to access the cockpit.” ATC urged him to land ASAP.
The situation was resolved before the plane landed, and fortunately before the fighter jets were deployed.
What: Mil Mi-8
Where: Badondo north of Brazzaville, Congo
When: Nov 15, 2011
Who: 4 aboard, 1 fatality
Why: The military chopper which had been chartered by a mining company crashed during bad weather when it tried to land.
The pilot, Alexandre Kossiarev, was from Belarus and died in the crash.
Three passengers were injured.
What: Cirrus
Where: Katowice International Airport southern Poland
When: Nov 13, 2011
Who: 2 men and 2 women were aboard
Why: After takeoff, the plane disappeared 4.3 miles from the airport.
The wreckage was found in Zyglinie Forest at 8:20 pm. The four passengers all in their late forties and early fifties, died in the crash.
What: Cessna 210
Where: Poconé Municipal Airport, Brazil
When: Nov 12 2011
Who: 4 aboard, 4 fatalities
Why: Twelve miles from the airport, the pilot apparently lost control and crashed. The plane took off at 5:12 pm, and crashed 12 km later in the Pantanal region of Mato Grosso.
Martin Wagner, his son James, two mechanics named Dede and Alcindo died in the crash.
Wagner, who is a local cattle farmer, was reported missing by his family, after which a search plane was sent out and did not locate them. The charred wreckage of the plane was located the next day after sunrise, only minutes from the airport. The owner of the plane died in the crash.
Indonesian Lion Air is planning to buy 230 planes from Boeing Co. $21.7 billion for the fleet will be paid in loans from U.S. Export-Import Bank over 12 years though bank financing. The airline will be adding flights to cities in China, South Korea and Taiwan. Lion Air, founded in 2000, currently flies Boeing 737s and MD-90s in 226 flights daily to more than 36 cities including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Ho Chi Minh City.
The 737 MAX is a fuel efficient upgrade competitive with Airbus SAS’s A320neo.
Plane crash cases take a long time to settle, and the families of the Mangalore Crash can vouch for it, having been waiting since the date of the crash in May of 2010. Families who are still waiting on a settlement, and will be back in court this November. They aren’t looking for extraordinary measures, but want compensation for flight 812–the Air India Express Dubai-Mangalore in accordance with the Montreal Convention. 152 died in the crash.
According to The National, Airlines are required to pay compensation of 7.5 million rupees (Dh560,000) per passenger to families of crash victims, just as a Kerala judge ordered. Then that judge was overruled in favor of Air India Express. This November, the case will move into the highest court to rule in favor of the victims or Air India Express.
I know I have said this before, but it bears repeating.
I must remind the families that the value of the aviation case is usually much higher than 75 lakhs.
And this is because Tier II of the Montreal Treaty.
The convention’s second tier deals with the portion of a claim exceeding the $155,000 limit. An airline can avoid liability for portions of claims over the limit by proving it was “not negligent or otherwise at fault.”
I’m not a lawyer but I know from experience how it works. I have been working with wrongful death cases for years, and have learned a lot from the experience my aviation experts have graciously passed on to me.
If you can prove provable damages, then Tier II (referred to in Article 21(2) of the Montreal Convention) Air India Express is liable to families/passengers for all personal injury or wrongful death damages exceeding 100,000 Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), unless the carrier(s) can prove that the injuries or deaths were not due to the negligence or other wrongful act or omission of the carrier or it servants or agents OR the injuries or deaths were solely due to the negligence or other wrongful act or omission of a third party.
My guess is that the carrier will never prove this. The burden of proof is on them. If I am correct, and know the experts who have taught me, are correct, Air India Express is liable to the victims’ families for all damages under the applicable law, including but not limited to, pain & suffering of your loved one prior to death.
They are liable for pain and suffering, the loss of support, i.e., money, the loss and enjoyment of life of the victim.
I hope the families don’t sell themselves short, and give up all that may be coming in return for even a payment of the 75 lakhs. Accepting 75 lakhs—which may look like a lot after the losses they’ve suffered—but if they sign their name on the dotted like, they give up the right to future compensation.
What: Privately owned Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee B
Where: Four miles south of Perryville, AR
When: Nov 17 2011
Who: 4 aboard, 4 fatalities
Why: Women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant women’s basketball coach Miranda Serna were on a routine recruiting trip to Arkansas, when the plane crashed in steep terrain in the eastern Ouachita Mountains in the Winona Wildlife Management Area. The other two aboard were Former State Senator Olin Branstetter and his wife, Paula. A local deer hunter’s wife told 911 when she saw the airplane nose-diving in a swirling pattern and crashing in the forest. By 6pm, the wreckage had been located. The passengers had been ejected from the plane, which drove a six foot deep furrow into a ridge but did not catch on fire. Rescuers reached the site on YO4 Forest Access Road via four wheelers.
Miranda Serna was in her seventh season as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State.
The cause of the crash is unknown but it was the catalyst of an outpour of support for Oklahoma State.
That the plane was co-owned by the Branstetters, who were from Ponca City. 82 year old Olin Branstetter was a longtime pilot.
Eleven years ago, a plane carrying 10 crashed, killing two OSU men’s basketball players, two members of its radio broadcast team, three members of the team’s support staff and two pilots in a snow storm in Byers, Colorado.
PIPER PA-28-180 Serial 28-1756 #N7746W
Year of Manufacture: 1964
Number of Seats: 4
Certification Issue Date: 29 Sep 1978
Builder Certification Code: Type Certificated
Aircraft Speed: 107
Aircraft Type: Fixed wing single engine
Aircraft Category Code: Land
Airworthiness Date: 17 Jun 1964
Aircraft Weight:
Mode S Code: 52475442
NTSB investigating Aviation Accident in Perryville, Arkansas
November 18, 2011
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has dispatched investigators to examine the circumstances of an aviation accident that occurred yesterday afternoon near Perryville, Arkansas, involving a Piper PA-28-180 (N7746W).
Jason Aguilera is the NTSB Investigator-in-Charge. He will receive headquarters support from air traffic control and meteorology. Parties to the investigation include the Federal Aviation Administration, Piper Aircraft and Lycoming.
Terry Williams will be the public affairs officer on scene.Once he arrives in Perryville, Mr. Williams can be reached on his cell phone at (202) 320-2594 or via email at terry.williams@ntsb.gov.
NTSB Office of Public Affairs: 202-314-6100
