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Contact photographer Roland Bergmann-Spotterteam Graz
What: Egypt Air Boeing 737-800 en route from Cairo Egypt to Mumbai
Where: Mumbai
When: Dec 29th 2010
Who: 124 passengers, 7 crew
Why: On approach to Mumbai, the flight crew noted a cargo fire alert. The flight landed safely and when emergency services found no fire, taxied to the gate where passengers disembarked. All cargo was removed and no fire was found.
Neos flight NO-279 had to divert and make an emergency landing in Delhi, India, on April 18th.
The Boeing 767-300 plane heading from Phuket, Thailand, to Milan, Italy, was diverted due to an issue with the cabin temperature controller.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
Qantas flight QF-27 had to make an emergency landing in Melbourne, Australia, on November 6th.
The Boeing 747-400 plane heading from Sydney, Australia, to Santiago, Chile, was diverted due to an engine problem.
The plane landed uneventfully. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
No one doubts the Boeing Dreamliner problems need to be solved.
Whether it is lithium-ion batteries thermal runaway or the entire system dealing with those batteries, a solution must be found.
Will the battery be changed? Will the system be changed? It remains to be seen. Grounding the fleet has been expensive, but less expensive than the cost of human lives should they fail again.
Have these volatile batteries actually been controlled? Were the batteries in question flawed, or overcharged? When we hear that ten batteries were replaced for low charges, is it possible that the low charges were the correct standard?
Has anyone asked if someone tampered with the affected batteries to raise the charge?
Boeing has asked for the FAA to conduct test flights.
Beginning test flights before the battery type has been replaced or the system replaced may be precipitous. Is adapting the system going to prevent future problems?
Japan has released a report:
Blue Air flight 08-113 had to return and make an emergency landing at Henri Coand? International Airport, Romania, on May 9th.
The Boeing 737-400 flying to Valencia, Spain, had to return after burning off fuel due to bird strike.
The plane landed safely.
All 143 people aboard remained safe.
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Contact photographer PRGIH
What: TAM Linhas Aereas Airbus A320-200 en route from Brasilia to Sao Paulo, Brazil
Where: Brasilia
When: Oct 27th 2011
Who: unknown
Why: After takeoff, the flight developed problems with the right engine.
The engine was shut down.
The flight returned to Brasilia and made a safe landing.
Pictured: An ALPA Hughes 500D (369D), Medellin Colombia
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Contact photographer Andres Dallimonti
What: Servicio Aéreo de Ibagué Hughes 369D
Where: Pitalito, Colombia
When: Dec 29, 2009
Who: 1 fatality (2 or 3 aboard.)
Why: One of the people aboard died in the crash which occurred in an area between two Pitalito neighborhoods. The Air Society Ibague helicopter apparently originated in Ibague, capital of Tolima. Its destination is unknown. Witnesses say the helicopter made strange turns in the air, but the pilot managed not to strike any houses.
There have been reports of one and two individuals injured.
