Aviation News, Headlines & Alerts
 
Category: <span>Aviation Attorney</span>

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U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing in Golden Gate Park

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter made an emergency landing in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, on February 22nd.

According to a spokesperson, the crew decided to land in the park after a maintenance light come on. They were returning from a search-and-rescue operation at the time.

No injuries were reported.

South Sudan Supreme Airlines Collision with Fire TRuck

A passenger flight from Juba to Wau in the South Sudan landed, “missed the line,” and colliding with a fire truck. Seven or eighteen may have survived to be hospitalized but media reports vary wildly, from no injured to no survivors. Seven to eighteen people were reported hospitalized. Forty passengers and five crew were aboard. Russian databases say South Supreme operated two Antonov 26s EK-26310 and EK-26804, one of which is in storage) and one L-410 5Y-DAD.


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ExpressJet Flight Diverts to Louisiana After Hydraulic Failure

ExpressJet flight EV-4114 had to divert for an emergency landing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on February 22nd.

The plane flying from Houston, Texas, to Charleston, South Carolina, was diverted due to a hydraulic failure.

The plane landed uneventfully.

Everyone aboard remained safe.


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Two Injured after Small Plane Crashed near Centennial airport, Colorado

A small plane crashed near Centennial airport in Colorado, on February 18th.

Authorities said the plane went down in a parking lot at Belford Avenue and Peoria Street.

There were two people aboard at the time; one of them was taken to a hospital while the other one was treated at the scene.

The cause of crash is being investigated.


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Pegasus Airlines and UTAir Plane Escape Collision in Russia

Pegasus AirlinesPegasus Airlines flight PC-884 and UTAir flight UT-561 receive and follow TCAS resolution advisories and escaped collision at Domodedovo International Airport, Moscow Oblast, Russia, on November 2nd.

UTairThe Boeing 737-800 (Pegasus Airlines) en-route from Turkey to Russia, was about to land maintaining FL-120 route, however, it descended to FL-110. The Boeing 737-500 (UTAir) was about to take-off from FL-110 for Grozny, Russia, at the time.

Both aircrafts landed safely at their destinations.


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4 Killed after Cargo Plane Crashed in Indonesia

A cargo plane crashed in Papua province of Indonesia, on October 31st.

The plane took off from Timika, Papua, and was heading to Ilaga, Papua, when it went down.

All four people aboard the plane were killed in the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Committee is investigating.


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Eastern Airways Plane Diverts to Manchester

Eastern AirwaysEastern Airways flight T3-9625 made an emergency landing in Manchester, England, on July 24th.

The plane heading from Newcastle, England, to Geneva, Switzerland, was diverted due to indication of an engine malfunction.

The plane landed safely. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.

A replacement plane was arranged for the passengers.


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Polar Air Cargo Plane Returns to Hong Kong due to Fire Warning

Polar AirPolar Air Cargo flight PO-654 made an emergency landing in Hong Kong, China, on May 13th.

The Boeing 747-400 freighter plane, en-route to Seoul, South Korea, had to turn back due to a cargo hold fire warning.

The plane landed uneventfully. All crew members aboard remained safe.

No evidence of fire was found upon inspection.


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Air India Plane Tyres Burst during Landing in Mumbai

Air India flight AI-630 burst two of its main tyres upon landing at Chhatrapati Shiva International Airport, Mumbai, India, on March 15.

The Airbus A320-200, flying from Nagpur to Mumbai, had landed on Mumbai’s runway when the tyres burst during roll out.

An emergency evacuation was initiated after the aircraft became disabled.

There were 161 people on board, out of whom some received minor injuries during evacuation.


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WestJet Plane Diverts to Boise due to Medical Emergency

WestJetA WestJet plane had to divert and make an emergency landing at Boise Airport in Idaho, on December 29.

The plane, heading from Calgary, Canada, to Phoenix, Arizona, was diverted after a passenger fell sick mid-air.

The plane landed safely. The patient was rushed to the hospital.

The flight resumed shortly afterwards.


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Turkish Airlines Jet Makes Emergency Landing in Russia

Turkish airlinesA Turkish Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing in Irkutsk, Russia, on December 26.

The Boeing 737-900 plane was diverted while it was heading from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to Ulan Bator, Mongolia.

The plane landed safely. There were over 150 passengers aboard at the time; all of them remained unhurt.

The plane resumed the flight after refuelling.

The reason for emergency landing is not clear at the moment, although it is suspected that bad weather or a technical glitch might have prompted the decision.


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American Airlines Flight Diverts to LAX

american airlinesAmerican Airlines Flight 123 had to divert and make an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport, California, on September 18.

The plane, heading from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Texas to Honolulu, Hawaii, was diverted after the pilot noticed a mechanical issue.

The plane landed safely on runway 25-R. All 216 passengers remained unhurt.

Trigana Air Service Flight 267 Reported crashed into Mountain

Trigana Air Service 267 took off from Sentani Airport in Jayapura and was scheduled to land in Oksibil at 3:16 p.m. It did not arrive at its destination. Local villagers reported seeing the plane crash into a mountain in the Okbape district of Pegunungan Bintang Municipality in Papua. There were 49 passengers and 5 crew aboard the domestic flight. The search was cancelled due to weather conditions and nightfall.

Originally owned by Resort Air and Trans States Airlines as N421TE, the 27-year-old ATR-42 turboprop had a wheel separation incident in its history before it began flying for Trigana.

Trigana Air is on the EU blacklist

Basarnas, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Indonesian: Badan SAR Nasional or Basarnas) reported this:

basarnas


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Flight Nurse Dies after Falling from Rescue Helicopter in Austin

A flight nurse died after falling from an EC-145 helicopter in Austin, Texas, on April 27.

The nurse, identified as, 46-year-old Kristin McClain, was attempting to hoist a female hiker who had fallen near Barton Creek Greenbelt during hiking.

The nurse was pronounced dead at the spot.

The rescued woman was shifted to University Medical Center-Brackenridge with non-life-threatening injuries.

The helicopter is operated by STAR Flight. Program officials said in a statement, “Our thoughts and prayers are with Kristin’s family and friends during this difficult time… She will be greatly missed.”

The FAA and the NTSB are investigating.


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Amateur-Built Raven Crashes Long Island Sound, Pilot Killed

The pilot of an amateur-built fixed-wing Raven powered by a Lycoming engine was killed when he crashed into Long Island Sound eight miles north of Mattituck Inlet, on July 7, 2014. The pilot was alone aboard the plane. Divers recovered his body from the Sound and is in the custody of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner.

The submerged plane was still floating around noon, and a tow boat has been scheduled to tow it to Mattituck. Emergency responders included Coast Guard Station New Haven, rescue personnel, Suffolk County police marine unit and Southold EMTs, Jamesport Fire Department and Riverhead police.

A seaplane pilot witnessed and reported the plane going down about 9:30 a.m. Initially his Cessna was incorrectly reported as being the one that went down.

An investigation is underway.


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Smoke and Other Issues in Flight

Just like it happens with cars, obscure plane parts wear out. Take for example an incident that happened in 2008, when a 747 cable burned out after the protective covering was worn off due to friction against a bolt.

Take a look at this final report on this 747 smoke event on Eva Airways Flight BR67 at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Prior to this event, Boeing had sent out a service Letter to inform operators of the potential fire hazard from the arcing of a wire bundle which might result in a fire on Corrosion Inhibiting Compound (CIC) contaminated insulation blankets. They predicted it. It happened.

So as we think about Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. There is always the possibility that some small component like the one below failed, and led to something catastrophic. What if the pilots were overcome by smoke in the cabin? I am not saying that this DID happen, I am only saying there are myriad small parts that can lead to catastrophic events. It makes sense to look at any and all Boeing 777 safety advisories, in case they might predict some small event that cascaded into disaster.

Thanks to input from John King.


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Malaysia Airlines Media Statement

Released at 12: 30 p.m. local time

Tan Sri Md Nor Md Yusof, Chairman of Malaysia Airlines

As you will be aware, last night the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najjib Razak, announced new evidence regarding the disappearance of MH370 on 8th March.

Based on this evidence, the Prime Minister’s message was that we must accept the painful reality that the aircraft is now lost and that none of the passengers or crew on board survived.

This is a sad and tragic day for all of us at Malaysia Airlines. While not entirely unexpected after an intensive multi-national search across a 2.24 million square mile area, this news is clearly devastating for the families of those on board. They have waited for over two weeks for even the smallest hope of positive news about their loved ones.

This has been an unprecedented event requiring an unprecedented response. The investigation still underway may yet prove to be even longer and more complex than it has been since March 8th. But we will continue to support the families – as we have done throughout. And to support the authorities as the search for definitive answers continues. I will now ask our Group Chief Executive¸ Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, to provide you will with fuller details of our support for the families.

Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, Group Chief Executive Officer, Malaysia Airlines

I stand before you today not only as the Group Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Airlines, but also as a parent, as a brother, as a son. My heart breaks to think of the unimaginable pain suffered by all the families. There are no words which can ease that pain. Everyone in the Malaysia Airlines family is praying for the 239 souls on MH370 and for their loved ones on this dark day. We extend our prayers and sincere condolences.

We all feel enormous sorrow and pain. Sorrow that all those who boarded Flight MH370 on Saturday 8th March, will not see their families again. And that those families will now have to live on without those they love. It must be remembered too that 13 of our own colleagues and fellow Malaysians were also on board.

And let me be very clear on the events of yesterday evening. Our sole and only motivation last night was to ensure that in the incredibly short amount of time available to us, the families heard the tragic news before the world did. Wherever humanly possible, we did so in person with the families or by telephone, using SMS only as an additional means of ensuring fully that the nearly 1,000 family members heard the news from us and not from the media.

Ever since the disappearance of Flight MH370 Malaysia Airlines’ focus has been to comfort and support the families of those involved and support the multi-national search effort. We will continue to do this, while we also continue to support the work of the investigating authorities in the Southern Indian Ocean.

Like everyone else, we are waiting for news from those authorities. We know that while there have been an increasing number of apparent leads, definitive identification of any piece of debris is still missing. It is impossible to predict how long this will take. But after 17 days, the announcement made last night and shared with the families is the reality which we must now accept. When Malaysia Airlines receives approval from the investigating authorities, arrangements will be made to bring the families to the recovery areas if they so wish. Until that time, we will continue to support the ongoing investigation. And may I express my thanks to the Government and all of those involved in this truly global search effort.

In the meantime, Malaysia Airlines’ overwhelming focus will be the same as it has been from the outset – to provide the families with a comprehensive support programme. Through a network of over 700 dedicated caregivers, the loved ones of those on board have been provided with two dedicated caregivers for each family, providing care, support and counsel. We are now supporting over 900 people under this programme and in the last 72 hours, we have trained an additional 40 caregivers to ensure the families have access to round-the-clock support.

In addition, hotel accommodation for up to five family members per passenger, transportation, meals and others expenses have been provided since 8th March and that will continue.

Malaysia Airlines has already provided initial financial assistance of USD 5,000 per passenger to the next of kin. We recognize that financial support is not the only consideration. But the prolonged search is naturally placing financial strain on the relatives. We are therefore preparing to offer additional payments as the search continues.

This unprecedented event in aviation history has made the past 18 days the greatest challenge to face our entire team at Malaysia Airlines. I have been humbled by the hard work, dedication, heartfelt messages of concern and offers of support from our remarkable team. We do not know why, and we do not know how this terrible tragedy happened. But as the Malaysia Airlines family, we are all praying for the passengers and crew of Flight MH370.


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Investigation into Deadly Cessna 206 Crash near Brisbane Continues

The Cessna 206 operated by Adrenalin Skydivers crashed during takeoff on March 22 at the airstrip, 50km north of Brisbane.  Five persons, including the pilot, two tandem instructors and a couple were killed.

The Managing Director of Aero Dynamic Flight Academy and the Safety Officer of Caboolture Airfield, Bryan Carpenter said the aviation community is shattered by the ­tragic incident. He said it was not possible at this stage to speculate the cause of the accident.  The possible causes could have been a bird collision, a mechanical failure or a center of gravity shift in the plane.  The plane was reportedly having engine trouble on takeoff.

The victims included instructors Glenn Norman and Juraj Glesk, and Logan couple Rahuia Hohua and Joey King.

Adrenalin Skydivers, known as Skydive ­Bribie, uses Caboolture Airfield for picking up tourists for conducting tandem jumps.  They land on nearby Bribie Island.

Adrenalin Skydivers Pty Ltd also had a similar accident in August 2010 killing seven on board.

The investigation is being handled by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.


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Stolen Passports aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370

An Austrian and an Italian passport used by passengers aboard missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370 were recorded in Interpol’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database.

INTERPOL is conducting checks on all other passports used aboard flight MH 370. They are trying with National Central Bureaus to discover the identities of the people using the stolen passports. Interpol also bemoans the countries who didn’t bother with security checks—those who waited for the worst to happen before putting in safety measures.

The question remains who were using the tickets? Were they Uighur, a faction well known to the Chinese, but not so well known outside of China?

Chinese investigators reported that one-way tickets bound for Europe that were used by the persons who used the stolen passports were provided by an Iranian purchaser over the phone, who said he was Kazem Ali. It was a cash purchase. The tickets issued Thursday from a Pattaya, Grand Horizon, travel agency. A number of countries are involved in the investigation, including the US due to the origin of the plane, and each country who had citizens aboard, but the investigation is led by the country where the plane is registered, Malaysia, is to lead the investigation.

At the time the passports were used for this flight, no one in Malaysia checked the database for the tickets, or else they would have been detected.

Guatemala: Chopper Crash

Ex army officer Ramón Rodríguez Toledo, and his passengers Luis Paiz and Andrés Berger were aboard a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter that crashed in a coffee plantation in Guatemala between Villa Canales and Fraijanes.

Andrés Berger was the copilot.

The flight took off at 17:48 on Monday but lost communication with ATC shortly afterward. Residents near the impact zone heard an explosion at 18:00 hours.

A friend of the pilot said he had 15,000 hours in the cockpit.

The accident is under investigation.


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The Mystery of Why?

Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. I’ve said this too many times to count.

Here’s a question: The event below was a maintenance ferry flight. Every time I hear about a post maintenance ferry flight that crashed, I wonder how that maintenance was performed, and what they forgot to do. Maybe they performed maintenance perfectly—I don’t know. It’s just what strikes my mind when that ferry flight goes down. What did that maintenance crew miss? It’s too much like having a brake failure accident while bringing the family car home from the brake shop. But this accident was PRE-inspection. So maybe it is like having the brakes fail on the way to the brake shop…

On January 19, 2014, at 12:20 , a PT. Intan Angkasa Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain, PK-IWT, flying from from Sentani to Tual crashed on approach to Dumatubun Airport, Maluku, Indonesia. The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed.

Some reports say it was hit by lightning, but most planes are designed not to catch fire when struck by lightning; careful lightning protection has been engineered into the aircraft. The current tends to travel through the conductive aluminum exterior skin and off an extremity like a wing tip. Additional shielding protects components from haywire side effects called “lightning indirect effects” and bursting into flames is not one of those effects, except in the fuel system, where even a spark is lethal.

So, again, I question maintenance, and the integrity of the fuel system. Was the aluminum skin around the fuel system thick enough to withstand a lighting strike?

Or perhaps it was something else entirely. The flight was described as being pounded by rain and fierce winds (they had just refueled in a thunderstorm)…and the wing fell off before the plane crashed. So was it the gale force winds that caused the wing to come off? Inquiring minds want to know. As always, the investigation is key to finding out why the wing came off and the plane crashed.

Those aboard were a pilot, a technician and two airline employees.

UPS Flight 1354 Agenda and Media Logistics for Investigative Hearing


The National Transportation Safety Board today released the agenda for the investigative hearing on the ongoing investigation into the Aug. 14, 2013 crash of UPS Airlines flight 1354, an Airbus A300-600, on approach to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham, Ala.

The hearing will be held February 20 at the NTSB’s Board Room and Conference Center at 429 L’Enfant Plaza SW in Washington and begins at 8:30 a.m.

Hearing witnesses, including representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration, Airbus, UPS Airlines, Independent Pilots Association and the Transport Workers Union will testify and answer questions from NTSB Board members, technical staff, and parties about non-precision approaches, human factors and flight dispatch issues. The agenda, list of panel witnesses, biographies and other related information is available at the hearing event page at http://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/2014/ups1354_hearing/index.html

Investigative exhibits for the hearing will be placed in the electronic docket at the start of the hearing and will also be available on the hearing event page once the hearing begins.

NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman will be available to answer questions from the media at the conclusion of the hearing. Additional details about the availability will be included in an advisory on Wednesday.

Television coverage of the proceedings will be by network pool provided by CNN. Escorted cutaway for video media will be permitted for brief periods throughout the hearing. Still photographers will be permitted in the seating area of the Board Room and by escort to areas in front of the witness panels.

Because of construction at and around L’Enfant Plaza, satellite and other media trucks will have to check in for parking and running cable through the construction zone. Please RSVP to eric.weiss@ntsb.gov by Feb. 19. Media access to the Board Room is available beginning at 7:30 a.m.

A media room is also available with tables, chairs and an audio mult box. Generally-accepted media credentials will be required for access to the media room. In addition, a fully equipped overflow room has been established and will serve as a storage area for video equipment during the hearing.

Seating for the general public in the Board Room is on a first-come, first-served basis. The hearing will be webcast live. Access to the webcast can be found at www.ntsb.gov.

===
The National Transportation Safety Board has scheduled an investigative hearing on February 20 into the crash of a UPS Airbus A300-600 on approach to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham, Ala., on Aug. 14, 2013.

The two flight crew members were killed and the airplane was destroyed when it impacted the ground less than a mile short of Runway 18. The cargo flight had originated from Louisville, Ky. Runway 18 was being used because the main runway at the airport was closed for repairs at the time of the airplane’s arrival.

The one-day hearing will examine:

Execution of non-precision approaches, including initial and recurrent training, adherence to standard operating procedures, and proficiency
Human factors issues associated with effective crew coordination and resource management applicable to this accident, including decision-making, communication, fatigue and fitness for duty, as well as monitoring and cross-checking, policies, standard operating procedures, guidance, and training provided to UPS crewmembers.
Dispatch procedures, including the training, evaluation, roles and responsibilities of UPS dispatchers and the limitations of dispatch-related software.
The investigation is ongoing and this hearing will develop additional facts to support the investigation. The hearing will be held in the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center in Washington, D.C. A detailed agenda and a list of attendees will be forthcoming.

Parties to the hearing will include the Federal Aviation Administration, UPS, Airbus, the Independent Pilots Association and the Transport Workers Union. The accredited representative from the French Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la sécurité de l’aviation civile (BEA) will participate on the technical panels.

The determination of the probable cause of the crash will be released when the investigation is complete. Just prior to the start of the hearing, the public docket will be opened. Included in the docket are photographs, interview transcripts and other documents.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

NTSB public events are also streamed live via webcast. Webcasts are archived for a period of three months from the time of the meeting. Webcast archives are generally available by the end of the event day for public Meetings, and by the end of the next day for Technical conferences.

If you wish to obtain a copy of NTSB meetings, please contact the NTSB Records Management Division at (202) 314-6551 or 800-877-6799. You may also request this information from the NTSB web site or write the following: National Transportation Safety Board, Records Management Division (CIO-40), 490 L’Enfant Plaza, SW,Washington, DC 20594.

Two Hawker Siddeley Accidents in one week

A Hawker Siddeley 748 en route from Juba International Airport to Rubkona crashed in the Sudan. The plane had a crew of four and crashed while on a humanitarian mission.

The cargo was a total loss. Reports are that there were fatalities and survivors in the crash but details haven’t been released.

On Feb 12, another Hawker Siddeley HS-125-700B operated by Sirius-Aero with two crew flew out from Sheremetyevo to Vnukova Airport on a ferry flight. The pilots realized that the right hand main landing gear was not operating and notified ATC. They made a safe landing on foam. In that flight, neither pilot sustained injury but one wing of the plane sustained some damage.


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A Disgraceful Attitude

Here are a couple of facts:

Yemenia Flight 626 was an International Airbus A310-324 from Sana’a, Yemen, to Moroni, Comoros, that crashed on 30 June 2009 killing 152.

French authorities charged Yemenia Airways with manslaughter over the Yemenia Airways crash.

A judicial source said that Yemenia’s Airbus A310 “should not have been allowed to fly”.

152 people died in the crash.

In spite of this, Yemenia announced they are “ready to challenge any allegation regarding the pilot’s competence, or the plane’s maintenance.”

They kept on flying a plane which was judged unsafe. Now Yemenia Airways is denying responsibility for the crash, which in all likelihood was a consequence of flying an unsafe plane.

Any way you look at it, no matter how vehemently they dismiss it, no matter how many times they make an “official” statement, in refusing responsibility for a plane crash on their watch —a plane crash which killed 152 people who trusted the airline to deliver them safely and which is clearly their responsibility—Yemenia Airways has displayed a disgraceful attitude.

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