Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Andy Egloff
What: American Eagle Embraer ERJ-145 en route from Oklahoma City,OK to Chicago O’Hare,IL
Where: Kansas City
When: Mar 26th 2011
Who: 1 attendant
Why: While en route to Chicago, the flight encountered turbulence, injuring the flight attendant.
The pilot diverted to Kansas City and made a safe landing.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Szabo Gabor
What: Egypt Air Express Embraer ERJ-170 en route from Cairo to Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt
Where: Cairo
When: Dec 6th 2009
Who: 71 passengers
Why: While en route, the plane acknowledged an unspecified technical malfunction, and returned to the Cairo airport for a safe landing.
What a week for Embraers.
A Qatar Airways flight had to make an emergency landing in Gander, Newfoundland, Canada, on March 22.
The Boeing 777, heading from Miami to Doha, had to be diverted after a passenger went into labor midair. According to Gander International Airport safety manager Brian Hicks, “Thirty minutes before the plane was preparing to land, she gave birth to a baby boy… There were two doctors on board, they assisted with the birth.”
The plane landed uneventfully. The mother and baby were shifted to hospital.
The flight resumed shortly afterwards.
SkyWest Airlines flight OO-3473 had to return and make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon, on September 30th.
The Embraer ERJ-175 plane took off for Seattle, Washington, but had to return shortly afterwards due to bird strikes that caused damage to one of the engines.
The plane landed safely. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.
What: Virgin Australia/Pacific Blue Boeing 737-800 en route from Brisbane,QL to Denpasar Bali
Where: Brisbane
When: Oct 14th 2011
Who: 1st officer
Why: The plane was in its parking bay as the first officer was inspecting the plane prior to departure, when the exhaust of a departing Qantas jet blew the mobile stairs, including the first officer, over. Both stairs and pilot ended up on the tarmac, the first officer ending up with a broken arm and leg. The plane was in its parking bay. The pilot departed for the hospital, presumably by ambulance, and the plane departed for Bali, with only a 90 minute delay.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this happening!
Delta Airlines flight DL-981 had to divert and make an emergency landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, on August 22nd.
The Airbus A321-200 plane heading from Boston, Massachusetts, to Atlanta, Georgia, was diverted after the crew reported fumes on-board.
The plane landed safely. All one hundred and fifty-eight people aboard remained unharmed.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Yan David
What: Air France Airbus A330 en route from Rio to Paris
Where: Casablanca
When: October 16, 2012
Who: 201 passengers, 12 crew
Why: After taking of from Rio on Thursday, one of the Airbus330-200 engines was damaged.
Pilots diverted to Casablanca where they made a safe landing.
No injuries were reported.
A replacement jet was provided.
The diversion was no doubt a white-knuckled flight, as the Airbus A330 is the same model as the one that killed 216 in 2007 when pilots became confused with incorrect speed readings likely caused by obstruction of the pitot tubes and flew the plane at the incorrect angle, causing it to lose altitude and crash.
