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Category: <span>Bombardier</span>

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Milwaukee: Another CRJ Gear Up Landing


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

What: Skywest Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Omaha,NE to Milwaukee,WI
Where: Milwaukee
When: Sep 28th 2010
Who: 36 passengers and 3 crew
Why: Averting their first approach to Milwaukee, the crew received a gear up message. They performed a flyby confirming the situation, attempted several times to get the gear down, and finally touched down with the left gear up.

The plane slid down the runway on its nose gear, right hand main gear and left wing, and although I don’t think anyone recorded the sparks as in the JFK landing with the flight attendant’s relentless “stay down” directive, the landing was no doubt just as dramatic and successful.

Passengers disembarked through the main door.

CBS news quoted a passenger who said he heard the crew attempt to put down the gear 4 or 5 times. Bombardier spokesman Marc Duchesne said, “The aircraft has logged more than 27 million flight hours and more than 22 million takeoff and landing cycles, so these are very good and reliable aircraft.” The plane is designed for short hops.

Fortunately, the crew flying these aircraft seem to be made of more heroic and substantial backbone than the landing gear.


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Delta Connection flight 4951


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Contact photographer Hartsfield Photography

In an interview, Captain Jack Conroyd, the pilot who landed Delta Connection flight 4951 when the landing gear failed, called the training provided by Atlantic Southeast Airlines instrumental in the success of the emergency landing. He also praised the crew, and the calm demeanor of the passengers.
Click to see video of Conroy


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Sept 30, 2010: Another Bombardier Landing Gear Incident

What: Air Nelson Ltd Bombardier Dash 8-300 en route from Wellington to Nelson
Where: Blenheim Airport NZ
When: Sept 30, 2010, 5.05pm
Who: 46 passengers, 3 crew
Why: The flight diverted to Blenheim because of weather conditions in Nelson. However, on landing, the nose wheel collapsed.

George’s Point of View

Another Bombardier collapsed wheel?


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Update: CRJ Gear Foulup at JFK, Atlanta, Philadelphia, O’Hare, et al.

What: Atlantic Southeast/Delta Airlines Canadair CRJ-900 en route from Atlanta to White Plains, New York
Where: New York
When: Sept 25 2010 8:20 pm
Who: 60 passengers 4 crew

The fifth + landing gear failure in the US in five years has launched an engineering investigation of Bombardier’s CRJ landing gear. The objective of the investigation is to determine if there is a connection between all of the gear failures.

  • SkyWest CRJ200, operating under a code-share with AirTran as Flight 3074 from Omaha, Neb., made an emergency landing with one gear retracted at Milwaukee General Mitchell International Airport (Sept 28 2010)
  • Atlantic Southeast Airlines Bombardier CRJ900 at JFK landing gear up (September 25 2010)
  • SkyWest Airlines Flight 6467 CRJ200 couldn’t extend its nose landing gear on approach to Ontario (Calif.) International Airport. (May 23 2010)
  • Atlantic Southeast jet–a 50-seat CRJ200–couldn’t fully extend its left main landing gear, but again, managed to land safely at Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport. (June 11 2009)
  • Air Wisconsin CRJ200 on a flight from Norfolk, Virginia landed at Philadelphia International Airport with its left main gear retracted. (Dec 14 2008) The prelim. NTSB indicates that mechanics attached the upper attachment bolt for the left main landing gear uplock assembly to the airplane structure only, rather than both the structure and the uplock mechanism as called for in the design
  • CRJ700 operated by Mesa Airlines received an unsafe gear indication for the left main gear as it approached for landing in South Bend, Ind. The crew declared an emergency and returned to land with the left main gear still retracted on Runway 28 at O’Hare. (Dec 15 2008) The investigation found that improper positioning of the inboard main landing gear door during rigging caused premature wear of parts that eventually restricted the movement of the door during its extension.
  • South Africa Express CRJ200 gear up landing on flight from Cape Town to Windhoek, Namibia( April 17 2010).

Saturday the landing gear of a CRJ failed, resulting in a dramatic landing at JFK. The dragging wing created a “shower of sparks” during the landing.

George’s Point of View

How many times is enough?


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Qantas Grounds Q400s

After Flybe found problems with undercarriage fittings on its Bombardier Q400s, Qantas followed suit today and grounded 5 of its oldest Bombardiers on finding fittings issues.

It is projected that two QantasLink Bombardiers will be back in service this weekend, with four weeks allocated for completed repairs and return to service.


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Colgan Air Reports Lack of Speed Warning

Colgan’s Dec. 7 report to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said last February’s crash was probably caused by pilots’ “loss of situational awareness,” failure to follow the training and procedures, but pointed out contributing factors:

  • the cockpit warning system failed to adequately advise pilots when the speed is set below the calculated stall warning speed.
  • the lack of an adequate warning in the turboprop’s flight and operating manual regarding the effect of setting a non-ice reference speed during approach and landing
  • the crew’s failure to follow procedures regarding the proper response to a “stick shaker”
  • the crew’s failure to follow procedures regarding “non-pertinent conversation” by the flight crew during the descent and approach.

Although Bombardier is withholding comment until the NTSB completes its investigation, a spokesman pointed out that the existing avionics are reliable and certified; and there are currently no requirements for systems to report abnormally low air speed.


Click to view large photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Frank Robitaille

What: Continental Airlines Flight 3407, Bombardier Q400 turboprop operated by regional carrier Colgan Air en route from Newark, New Jersey to Buffalo Niagara International Airport
Where: Clarence Center, New York.
When: Thursday Feb 12 struck a house at 10: 10 pm. Two homes were affected.
Who: 44 passengers and four crew members, 1 off-duty pilot, 1 person on the ground, all fatalities. The passenger manifest has not officially been released.
Why: The New Jersey-to-Buffalo flight was cleared to land on a runway pointing to the southwest. But the plane crashed with its nose pointed to the northeast. Seconds after two automatic warnings to the pilots that the plane was not moving fast enough to stay aloft, the twin turboprop aircraft went through a “severe pitch and roll” after positioning its flaps for a landing. It did not dive into the house, as initially thought, but landed flat on the house. Icing is emerging as the possible cause for why flight 3047 fell from the sky. The flight data recorder has been collected and is currently being examined.


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Bombardier’s CSeries Aircraft Wing Manufacturing Facility Under Way in Belfast

Bombardier Aerospace today celebrated another major milestone in the CSeries aircraft programme as construction got under way on its new state-of-the-art aircraft wing manufacturing and assembly facility in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
“This is another significant milestone in the ongoing development of the CSeries aircraft programme. In August, the test fuselage barrel arrived ahead of schedule at our St-Laurent, Québec site, from China, and in September we celebrated the groundbreaking of our first CSeries aircraft manufacturing building in Mirabel, Québec. The CSeries aircraft programme is progressing well and to schedule, and we look forward to receiving the first test wing from Belfast in 2011,” said Guy Hachey, President and Chief Operating Officer, Bombardier Aerospace.

The new 600,000 sq ft (55,742 m2) factory is being built in two phases and will incorporate an existing production building. The facility’s design and layout are being optimised both for the production process and to minimise environmental impact. The structure will ensure maximum energy efficiency, and will incorporate low energy solutions into its mechanical and electrical infrastructure. Waste management was also a key consideration in the design, with a particular focus being given to waste segregation and recycling.
Joining Michael Ryan, Vice President and General Manager, Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast to lay a special corner stone to mark the construction was Northern Ireland Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster, along with guests including contractors.

“We are delighted to mark this major investment in a new facility for the production of advanced composite aircraft wings. The CSeries aircraft programme will help to build on our track record of almost 40 years experience in composites technology. We are currently testing and proving out the design, manufacturing and assembly processes for the CSeries aircraft wing. We are making excellent progress and are very pleased with the results so far,” said Michael Ryan.

“Just over a year ago, the CSeries aircraft project was announced. Today we have laid the corner stone for a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. This is a 20-year programme which will generate around 800 high quality jobs at Bombardier Belfast in addition to the many employment opportunities during the build phase for the local construction sector during the current downturn,” declared Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster.

“Locating the CSeries aircraft wing project in Northern Ireland is a clear endorsement of the expertise and skill which exists in our aerospace sector and highlights our international reputation for excellence. As this project develops, I hope that there will be further opportunities for Bombardier and Invest Northern Ireland to strengthen the Northern Ireland aerospace industry,” she added.

Bombardier Belfast has successfully assembled a pre-production demonstrator wing using its innovative Resin Transfer Infusion advanced composites process, and is on track to begin testing this in early 2010. Testing will be undertaken in a specialised test rig where hydraulic jacks will be used to induce bending and twisting into the wing structure, replicating every possible combination of severe loading that the wing may experience in service.

Almost 400 engineering and support staff in Belfast are currently engaged in the research and development of the wings. Some 800 jobs will be generated during full production, as well as many more in the wider supply chain. In addition, around 450 construction personnel are involved in this first phase of the building project.

“We are delighted that Bombardier Belfast’s capabilities and skills, as well as the wider economy, will benefit strongly from the CSeries aircraft programme,” Mr Ryan added.

Since launching the CSeries family of aircraft at the Farnborough Air Show in July 2008, Bombardier has recorded firm orders for 50 CS100 and CS300 aircraft from Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Lease Corporation International Group. The CSeries aircraft, which are optimized for the longer range, single-aisle 100- to 145-seat market, will deliver the lowest operating costs in their class, exceptional operational flexibility, wide body comfort and an unmatched environmental scorecard.


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Bombardier’s latest CSeries due in 2013

AVIC, China’s aviation manufacturing conglomerate, is a risk-sharing partner for Bombardier’s latest CSeries aircraft due to enter service in 2013.

Shenyang Aircraft Corp, the subsidiary of AVIC, designs and produces the center fuselage for the new CSeries. Bombardier will develop China’s ARJ21-900 regional jet, help to enhance the competitiveness of the ARJ21-900 and explore commonalities between the ARJ21-900 and Bombardier CSeries.

So far, Bombardier has 25 CSeries aircraft.orders from Lufthansa and 25 from Lease Corporation International. Shenyang Aircraft Corp builds the fuselage for Bombardier’s 70-seat Q400 turboprop regional airliner.


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Horizon Emergency Landing at Sacramento


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Chris Heaton

What: Horizon Air Bombardier CRJ-700 en route from Fresno to Seattle
Where: Sacramento
When: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 7:30 a.m
Who: 25 passengers
Why: While en route, the flight experienced problems with its left engine which the crew had to shut down; and they requested an emergency diversion to Sacramento where it landed safely at 8:30 a.ml

Passengers were provided with alternative flights.


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FAA Investigating Buffalo NY Crash


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Contact Photographer Frank Robitaille

What: Continental Airlines Flight 3407, Bombardier Q400 turboprop operated by regional carrier Colgan Air en route from Newark, New Jersey to Buffalo Niagara International Airport
Where: Clarence Center, New York.
When: Thursday Feb 12 2009 10 pm.
Who: 44 passengers and four crew members, 1 off-duty pilot, 1 person on the ground, all fatalities. The passenger manifest has not officially been released.
Why: The New Jersey-to-Buffalo flight was cleared to land on a runway pointing to the southwest. But the plane crashed with its nose pointed to the northeast. Seconds after two automatic warnings to the pilots that the plane was not moving fast enough to stay aloft, the twin turboprop aircraft went through a “severe pitch and roll” after positioning its flaps for a landing. It did not dive into the house, as initially thought, but landed flat on the house.

Although Icing is emerged as a factor for why flight 3047 fell, it has been found that the flight’s captain had lied on his job application to Colgan Air and only reported one of three failed FAA check rides. The co-pilot who could not afford to live in NY on her salary had flight-hopped across the country from Seattle and is recorded mentioning “a couch with her name on it.” The FAA investigators believe pilots made errors that contributed to the crash.


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JAC Commuter Hydraulics Malfunction


PICTURED: A JAC De Havilland jet landing at Osaka
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Javier Guerrero

What: Japan Air Commuter Bombardier DHC-8-402 en route from Osaka to Miyazaki
(Also reported as a Havilland Dash 8-400)
Where: Osaka International Airport
When: Thursday Aug 20
Who: 22 passengers and four flight crew members
Why: Breitbart reports that while en route, the Bombardier’s hydraulic system indicator light reported a hydraulics malfunction. The plane landed safely with no reported injuries and was towed off the runway. It is not clear if the hydraulics or the indicator was at the source of the problem, but JAC is investigating.


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Horizon Jet Emergency Landing in Medford Oregon


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Thomas Piskol

What: Horizon Airlines CRJ700 Bombardier en route from Portland to Los Angeles
Where: Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport
When: August 14, 2009 9:30 AM (Departing at 11:05 AM)
Who: 60 passengers, 4 crew
Why: The official report said that the flight crew declared an emergency because of smoke in the cabin. Horizon Air says that cabin temperatures were too high and smoke never appeared in the cabin–that the plane landed for the comfort of the passengers, who debarked from the plane into the terminal as the plane was being worked on.

No explanation has been offered regarding the discrepancy of the explanations: (smoke vs no smoke.) With no further information, one can speculate that the incident may be akin to a home fire alarm going off due to the alarm alerting to ions in the air when the dryer is running.

The customer service, of course, contrasts with the recent Continental plane grounded overnight at a closed airport, where the passengers were held in the plane until the terminal opened at 6: 30 am.


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Colgan/Bombardier – Another Near Tragedy?


What: Colgan Airlines/ Continental Q400 Bombardier turbo-prop en route from Newark to Buffalo
Where: Buffalo International Airport
When: May 12 6 pm
Who: 73 on board
Why: On landing, part of the wheel assembly disengaged. A passenger video shows the tire assembly coming to pieces on landing. One tire of the two-tire assembly comes off; the remaining tire sustains the landing.

George’s Point of View

Notably, the wheel assembly had been recently serviced, but whether or not the problem lies with Colgan maintenance or the established fact that the tire assembly on the Q400 Bombardier is well renowned for problems is as yet undetermined. At the end of the tape above, take a look at the shot of the 2007 Denmark incident where the Q400 Bombardier’s right landing gear collapsed. There were 8 such landing gear failures in the Q400 Bombardier in 2007 alone.


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Q400 Bombardier Turns Back to Varna


Hungarian Malev Airlines Q400 Bombardier
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Adam Samu
What: Hungarian Malev Airlines Q400 Bombardier en route from Varna to Budapest
Where: Bulgarian coastal town of Varna
When: 5:25 am on May 12
Who: 30 passengers
Why: The plane experienced an undisclosed technical problem and turned back almost as soon as it was in the air. The plane that turned back is the same as the Colgan Air plane that crashed in Buffalo NY. This plane, however, was not flying with ice on its wings.


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Continental Airlines Flight 3407: NY Crash; All Lost


Click to view large photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Frank Robitaille

What: Continental Airlines Flight 3407, Bombardier Q400 turboprop operated by regional carrier Colgan Air en route from Newark, New Jersey to Buffalo Niagara International Airport
Where: Clarence Center, New York.
When: Thursday Feb 12 struck a house at 10: 10 pm. Two homes were affected.
Who: 44 passengers and four crew members, 1 off-duty pilot, 1 person on the ground, all fatalities. The passenger manifest has not officially been released.
Why: The New Jersey-to-Buffalo flight was cleared to land on a runway pointing to the southwest. But the plane crashed with its nose pointed to the northeast. Seconds after two automatic warnings to the pilots that the plane was not moving fast enough to stay aloft, the twin turboprop aircraft went through a “severe pitch and roll” after positioning its flaps for a landing. It did not dive into the house, as initially thought, but landed flat on the house. Icing is emerging as the possible cause for why flight 3047 fell from the sky. The flight data recorder has been collected and is currently being examined.


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Emergency Landing Vancouver International Airport

What: Bombardier Inc BD-700-1A10 en route from San Jose Cabo-Los Cabos Airport Mexico to Vancouver International * (The plane was also identified as a Cessna Citation)
Where: Vancouver International Airport
When: Jan 4 2009
Who: 5
Why: The pilot reported problems with the landing gear. The plane was substantially damaged on landing; fortunately the passengers were not.


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Smokey Plane has Emergency Landing at Bush Intercontinental Airport


What: Continental Express Flight 5570 Bombardier CRJ-200 operated by Chautauqua Airlines, en route to Louisville, Ky., but returned to Houston
Where: Bush Intercontinental Airport
When shortly after 8 a.m
Who: 30 passengers and three crew members
Why: Smoke in the cockpit. Passengers reported seeing white smoke coming from the engine. The plane landed safely; No one was injured and no other flights were delayed. Officially the source of the smoke has not yet been found.


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Travis Barker and Dead Bodyguard File Suit

Travis Barker filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Bombardier Inc., Clay Lacy Aviation and Goodyear Tire and Rubber, alleging the Learjet he crashed in was defective and pilots were negligent.

You may know Travis Barker as the former Blink 182 drummer. Now you know he’s also a plane crash survivor. Barker’s bodyguard died in the learjet’s crash on Sept. 19. Thelma Martin Still, the mother of Charles Still, also filed a suit.

According to the lawsuit, the learjet’s “landing gear, tires, wheels, brakes, reverse thrust system, squat switches and component parts were not airworthy…The pilots’ decision was a breach of their duty owed to the passengers onboard and was a substantial factor in causing the crash and resultant injuries and deaths.”

See below from the archives

What: Learjet N999LJ owned by Global Exec Aviation en route to Van Nuys, Calif
Where: South Carolina
When: departed shortly before midnight Friday
Who: carrying six people Chris Baker, 29, of Studio City, Calif., and Charles Still, 25, of Los Angeles — died, as did pilot Sarah Lemmon, 31, of Anaheim Hills, Calif., and co-pilot James Bland, 52, of Carlsbad, Former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and celebrity DJ AM were critically injured
Why: air traffic controllers reporting seeing sparks. The plane was traveling at least 92 mph, its minimum takeoff speed, when the crew thought the tire burst The plane hurtled off the end of a runway and crashed through antennas and a fence, crossing a five-lane highway and ending up on an embankment in flames.The plane was heading to Van Nuys, Calif.

The FAA is researching the possibility that a blown tire caused the jet crash. Investigations have turned up evidence that tire may have blown just before takeoff at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. The cockpit voice recorder indicates that the pilot and co-pilot informed air traffic controllers they’d heard a tire burst and they attempted to abort takeoff.

In serious condition is Travis Barker, who was the drummer for the band Blink-182. Barker was one of the two people wounded when the Learjet 60 crashed on a highway and caught fire.

Listed in critical condition is Adam Michael Goldstein otherwise known as celebrity disc jockey DJ AM. He reportedly saved his own life by jumping from the burning plane while it was skidding down a runway.

Joseph M. Still Burn Center said they both suffered second- and third-degree burns

Status (FAA)

Certification Class: Standard
Certification Issued: 2007-11-16
Air Worthiness Test: 2006-12-14
Last Action Taken: 2008-08-11
Current Status: Valid

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Sunstate Airline Emergency Landing in Brisbane


What: Sunstate Airlines, a subsidiary of Qantas–Dash 8 en route from Roma in southern inland Queensland
Where: emergency landing at Brisbane Airport
When: Nov 18; touched down at 7.23 pm.
Who: 39 people (35 passengers)
Why: Pilot contacted air traffic control in Brisbane to report smoke in the cabin. There were no injuries. Officially:
“The pilot contacted the Air Traffic Control tower at 7.10pm after white smoke filled the cabin and passengers had all disembarked by 7.25pm.”


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Emergency Landing at Wellington Airport


What: Air Nelson Dash-8 flight NZ8079 en route from Wellington to Invercargill
Where: emergency landing at Wellington Airport New Zealand
When: 9.45am. Tue, 18 Nov 2008
Who: 19 passengers.
Why: pilots noticed a warning indicator light on. The flight returned to Wellington and landing safely at 9.45am.


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Delta Flight Safely lands in South Bend

What: Delta Bombardier CRJ-200 coming from Atlanta
Where: South Bend Regional Airport.
When: 11 p.m. Monday night at the Sep 22, 2008
Who: 46 people on board.
Why: After deplaning, passengers were interviewed saying there was a flap malfunction on the plane. The PILOT declared an emergency after holding for 10 minutes going through his checklists. Air traffic control personnel decided to treat the landing as an emergency in case the malfunction caused problems.

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