Two miles off shore of Waikiki, a US Coast Guard MH65 Dolphin was hit by a laser pointer. The pilot had to make an emergency landing at Barbers Point Air Station in Hawaii. A flight mechanic and rescue swimmer were aboard the helicopter when it had to divert back to the base.
The crew was sent to have their eyes checked and are temporarily off-duty.
It is a federal crime to aim a laser pointer at an aircraft.
A small Beech 1900 aircraft crashed into trees near Miami Executive Airport, 12800 SW 145th Ave. in Miami-Dade County, Florida, at around 2:45 p.m. on February 11.
The 19-passenger plane, belonging to a Venezuelan company, went down after it took off from Miami Executive Airport for Providenciales International Airport, located in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Authorities said the pilot reported engine issues shortly after the take off. FAA spokesperson Kathleen Bergen said, “The pilot was attempting to return to the airport when the aircraft crashed.’’
There were 4 people aboard at the time of crash; all of them were killed. The pilot was identified as Captain Raul Chirivella, 52 while two of the three others were identified as Roberto Cavaniel and Juan Carlos Betancourt.
The aircraft broke apart and caught fire after the crash.
The police, the FAA and the NTSB are investigating.
What: Midwest Connect flight en route to Flint, Michigan
Where: General Mitchell International Airport
When: Monday
Who: 40 passengers
Why: the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit and turned back. No Injuries reported.
Pictured: Merpati Nusantara Airlines Boeing 737-400 registered as PK-MDM. (PK-MDO was the plane in the incident.)
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Biel Gomila
What: Merpati Nusantara Airlines Boeing 737-400 en route from Biak to Ujung Pandang, Indonesia
Where: Biak
When: Jul 6th 2009
Who: 110 passengers and 6 crew
Why: On take off, the left main wheel (rolled or fell? entire wheel or tire?) was lost. After takeoff, the plane burned off fuel and landed safely (even without the wheel), apparently without substantial damage, as the plane reportedly resumed the flight 24 hours later.
Air Canada flight RV-1856 made an emergency landing in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 2nd.
The plane took off for Montreal, Canada, but had to turn back due to an indication of failure of an Air Data Inertial Reference Unit (ADIRU).
The plane landed uneventfully. There were 126 people aboard at the time; all of them remained safe.
FedEx flight FX-3022 had to divert and make an emergency landing in Wichita, Kansas, on May 3rd.
The freight plane, heading from Oakland, California, to Newark, New Jersey, was diverted after the crew reported a hydraulic failure.
The plane landed safely. There were 2 crew members aboard at the time; both of them remained unhurt.
The Fighter Wing F-16 landed safely around 10:20 a.m. The tanks were 3/4 full, and are capable of carrying 370 gallons. Procedures are underway to retrieve the tanks.
