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Contact photographer Peter Klytta
What: Iberia Airbus A320-200 en route from Madrid to Dublin
Where: Madrid
When: Aug 15 2010
Why: Before takeoff, the air conditioning was “repaired.” After takeoff, cabin temperatures rose. The air conditioning system continued failing, and the pilot returned to the airport half an hour later.
A replacement jet was provided.
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Contact photographer Felix Bahamonde
What: US Airways Boeing 767-200 en route from Charlotte to Philadelphia
Where: Charlotte,NC
When: Jul 23rd 2010
Who: 196 passengers
Why: Passengers had boarded the hot plane, disembarked and reboarded. Finally, after takeoff, a quarter hour into the flight, cabin temperatures had risen to over 110 degrees F. The plane returned to Charlotte and landed safely. Several passengers were hospitalized with heat issues.
No doubt there will be fines.
A replacement jet was provided.
What: China Southern Boeing 737-300 en route from Kunming to Zhengzhou
Where: en route
When: Jul 17th 2010
Who: 130 passengers
Why: After takeoff and reaching cruise level, cabin pressure was lost. Oxygen masks were deployed, and the flight returned to Kunming where it made a safe landing. Twenty passengers were hospitalized with ear pain.
A replacement flight was provided six hours later.
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Contact photographer Bruno Bevivino – Roma Spotters Club
What: Delta Airlines Airbus A330-200 en route from Portland, OR to Amsterdam
Where: Atlantic Ocean
When: Jul 6th 2010
Who: 236 passengers
Why: While en route south of Greenland, the plane’s pressurization system developed problems, and the pilot decided to divert to Goose Bay, landing safely at Goose Bay about an hour before their scheduled landing in Amsterdam. A replacement jet (Boeing) was provided for the passengers so that 22 hours later, they arrived in Amsterdam safely. The original Airbus was relegated to maintenance and repaired.
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Contact photographer Simon Blakesley
What: Air Canada Embraer ERJ-190 en route from Ottawa to Calgary
Where: Montreal
When: Jul 2 2010
Who: 91 aboard
Why: While en route, the right engine indicated a bleed leak. The pilots followed procedure, and eventually diverted to Montreal where they made a safe landing. Maintenance repaired the problem by replacing the left engine’s air management sys controller. There is no indication of whether passengers were provided an alternative or if the flight was continued on the same (repaired) plane.
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Contact photographer Ben Wang
What: Continental Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Dublin to Newark
Where: Dublin
When: Mar 18 2010
Who: 162 passengers
Why: After takeoff, the transatlantic flight developed a pressurization problem; and after burning off fuel, on return to Dublin, the flight ran into wind shear (strong crosswinds) resulting in a couple of go-arounds. They were back on the ground about 2 hours after takeoff. The flight was not cancelled until the 19th, and by that time, most passengers had already rebooked. Some passengers aboard that flight have expressed dissatisfaction in their situation, although hotel accommodations were provided.
The Irish equivalent of the NTSB (AAIU) said the problems were due to a failed Pressure Regulating and Shut Off valve in the right engine’s bleed air system.
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Contact photographer David J Transier
What: Skywest Airlines Canadair CRJ-700 en route from Aspen to Denver
Where: Aspen
When: Mar 7 2010, 1 pm
Who: 66 passengers and 4 crew
Why: While en route, smoke was observed in the cockpit. The flight returned to Aspen within thirty minutes of takeoff, and passengers debarked without problem. The smoke was attributed to a faulty air conditioning system. After an article about this plane’s rapid repair and return to service, reports conflict whether this flight went on after repairs or whether it was ferried elsewhere empty by a skeleton crew for repairs.
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Contact photographer Stefan Heymanns
What: Mexicana Airbus A320-200 en route from Guadalajara to Chicago O’Hare,IL
Where: St. Louis
When: Feb 12 2010
Who: 115 passengers
Why: While en route, cabin pressure was disrupted. The crew descended to a lower altitude and landed safely in St. Louis.
Maintenance! Maintenance! Maintenance!
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Contact photographer Eduard Brantjes
What: Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from Amsterdam to Atlanta, Georgia
Where: Gander Canada
When: Dec 22nd 2009
Who: not available
Why: While en route, the flight developed a pressure problem, and diverted to Gander, NL with unstable cabin pressure. The flight made a successful landing, after passengers debarked normally, were eventually provided alternative transportation.
Pictured: An Air India Airbus A320-231
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Contact photographer Wim Callaert
What: Air India Airbus A320-200 en route from Kolkata to Chennai (India)
Where: Kolkata
When: Dec 11th 2009
Who: 139 passengers
Why: The flight had a successful take-off, but while en route, air conditioning problems developed. (This can also mean pressurization issues. Specifics were not indicated.)
The flight returned to Kolkata and made a safe landing. A replacement plane was provided.
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Contact photographer Retro 11
What: SpiceJet Boeing 737-900 en route from Mumbai to New Delhi
Where: Mumbai
When: Dec 2nd 2009
Who: 189 passengers and 7 crew
Why: About an hour after take-off, when the plane stopped maintaining “differential” pressure, the crew decided to return to Mumbai for repairs.
On landing, the plane was grounded for maintenance and passengers were provided alternate transportation.
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Contact photographer Thomas Posch
What: Iran Air Boeing 727-200 en route from Chah-Bahar to Zahedan
Where: Iran
When: Oct 23rd 2009
Who: Not available
Why: While enroute, the cabin pressure dropped rapidly. Oxygen masks were deployed, and the plane began an emergency descent to height where a safe pressure could be maintained. The flight continued on to its destination and landed safely.
The crisis is speculated to be due to a malfunctioning or blocked valve in the air conditioning system.
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Contact Photographer Takashi
What: All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing 767-300 en route from Matsuyama to Tokyo
Where: Tokyo’s Haneda airport
When: Thursday August 27
Who: 262 passengers and 8 crew
Why: The left hand air conditioning system failed shortly after takeoff. Then, while en route, cabin pressure dropped. At that point, oxygen masks deployed; the pilot descended 10,000 feet to normalize pressure and flew the last 45 minutes of the flight. Though some passengers felt ill, there were no injuries, and the plane landed normally.
George’s Point of View
That must have been a fun, white-knuckled flight, leaving terror-induced claw marks etched into the armrests.
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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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Contact Photographer Ruud Brinks
What: Cathay Pacific Boeing 747-400 en route from Hong Kong China to Sapporo Japan
Where: Fukuoka
When: Jul 19th 2009
Who: 398 on board
Why: After smoke filled the cabin, the flight diverted to Fukuoka Japan. The smoke was attributed to an air conditioning leak which was repaired so that the flight was continued less than four hours later.
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Contact Photographer Roger Oldfield
What: PIA Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A310-300 en route from Quetta to Karachi
Where: Pakistan
When: Jun 28th 2009 2:15 pm
Who: 166 passengers 12 crew
Why: While still over Quetta, the cockpit filled with smoke. One source reports the fire apparently reportedly began in the AC system. (again.) Another says an electrical problem sparked a small fire in the cockpit.
In any case, the crew requested an emergency landing, and landed safely. No injuries were reported. The passengers resumed their flight 3 hours later.
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Contact photographer Paul Markman
What: Easyjet Airbus A320-200 en route from Heraklion (Greece) to London Gatwick,EN (UK)
Where: Athens International Airport
When: Apr 14th 2009 15.02 local time
Who: 137 passengers and 7 crew
Why: Pressurization. After observing problems with pressurization, the crew burned off ten minutes worth of fuel and landed on runway 21R. The problem turned out to be in the air conditioning. Easyjet’s press release terms this not an emergency but “merely a precautionary technical diversion.”