What: (new) Avera Careflight helicopter
Where: S Dakota
When: November 2, 2009
Who: Pilot Craig Hilzendager and EMT Terry Willis
Why: While en route, the new helicopter had a bird strike (specifically duck) that shattered the helicopter cockpit window, and injured the EMT.
The landing was simplified by night vision goggles which made it possible for the pilot and EMT to be able to see the ground.
United Airlines flight UA-1435 made a safe landing following a bird strike near Chicago, Illinois, on August 17th.
The Boeing 737-900 plane flying from Cleveland, Ohio, was on approach to O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, when a bird hit it.
The plane continued for a safe landing. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
Pictured: a Webjet Linhas Aéreas Boeing 737-3Q8
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Lorenzo S. C. Maniva
What: Webjet Boeing 737-300 en route from Rio de Janeiro Galeao, to Curitiba, Brazil
Where: Rio de Janeiro
When: Nov 13th 2009
Who: not available
Why: While en route, the cabin developed pressurization problems and returned to Rio where passengers debarked and the flight was cancelled.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Mark Kryst
What: Continental Airlines Colgan Air de Havilland Dash 8-400 en route from Newark to Montreal .
Where: Burlington,VT
When: Apr 3rd 2009
Who: 33 passengers and 4 crew
Why: The pilot and crew reported high temperatures, requesting diversion to Albany, NY. They shut down the left engine but decided against Albany because of weather (severe precipitation), and landed instead at Burlington,VT.
George’s Point of View
Emergency landings are always a cause for concern. The pilot who responds with a cool head and skill in an emergency situation is to be commended.
What about the maintenance of the plane? Who chose to fly instead of maintain, or to maintain in half-measures? Someone needs to look into this–
Gol Transportes Aereos flight G3-9139 had to return and make an emergency landing in Goiana, Brazil, on January 28th.
The Boeing 737-800 plane took off for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but had to return shortly afterwards after its left engine ingested multiple birds.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
The airline arranged a replacement plane for the passengers.
British Airways flight BA-212 made an emergency landing in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 21st.
The Boeing 747-400 plane took off for Heathrow Airport, England, but had to turn back after the crew noticed smoke in the cockpit and donned their oxygen masks.
The plane landed safely. All crew members were taken to a hospital for examination.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Rainer Bexten
What: Qantas Boeing 747-400 en route from Bangkok (Thailand) to London Heathrow,EN
Where: Bangkok
When: May 20th 2011
Who: 308 passengers
Why: After takeoff from Bangkok, the engine vibration and temperature increased beyond the norm in one engine and the engine is reported to have salled. That (Rolls Royce) engine was shut down, and the pilots returned to Bangkik to make a safe landing with the remaining three engines. It has not yet been announced if the problem is due to the internal pipe irregularities which were indicated in an airworthiness directive just released, but with problems that go back several years.
By the look of cursory evidence, it appears this could be the same manufacturing defect in an oil pipe, which led to an internal oil leak in the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine that failed in a Qantas A380 in 2010 causing a midair explosion, but investigators will have to reveal the details.
