Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Fabio Sorce
What: Aerolineas Argentinas Airbus A340-200 en route from Madrid to Buenos Aires
Where: Madrid
When: Nov 5th 2012
Why: On takeoff, the flight developed problems with the flaps.
Pilots had to dump fuel, and return to the airport where they made a safe landing an hour and a half later.
In Ezeiza due to a trade union dispute, 38 flights were cancelled, nearly half of which were Aerolíneas flights.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Marco Zeininger
What: Spanair Airbus A321-200 en route from Las Palmas to Madrid
Where: Las Palmas
When: Aug 19 2010
Who: 194 people on board
Why: After take off, the flight was underway when the engine made a big bang, and an engine began sparking. The pilot shut down the engine and returned to Las Palmas where they made a safe landing. A replacement jet was provided.
It was good to hear the Spanair jet made it back to Las Palmas safely. I could not help but be reminded of Spanair flight JK 5022, which crashed with 172 aboard.
Although the CIAIAC, the Civil Aviation Accidents and Incidents Investigation Commission, published their opinion on 6 October 2010, the final conclusion did not discuss why the alarm did not go off for its abnormal takeoff configuration, why one thrust reverser was deployed and other abnormal and/or pre-existing abnormalities. A cause of that incident may have been Trojans in Spanair’s central computer. La computadora no operaba correctamente por unos programas ‘troyanos’.
For the 194 aboard the Las Palmas flight, they at least had a safe landing. Not so for the 172 victims of Spanair flight JK 5022.
Aegean Airlines flight A3 688 had to divert and make an emergency landing at Palma de Mallorca Airport in Mallorca, Spain, on January 10.
The plane was heading from Athens, Greece, to Madrid, Spain, when it was diverted due to a terror threat. According to the airline, “Aegen was notified by the Athens International Airport, today, Sunday 10 January, for additional security check to a passenger on the scheduled Aegen flight A3 688 from Athens to Madrid…Considering this information, Aegen has instructed the commander of the flight to land on the nearest airport.”
The plane landed safely. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.
“All the additional security checks were conducted for the aircraft and the passengers, as provided by regulations. The security checks revealed no issues and the aircraft departed from Mallorca to its final destination Madrid,” the airline said.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Anne Deus
What: Lufthansa Airbus A330-300, registration D-AIKE en route from Frankfurt/Main to Seattle,WA
Where: Seattle Washington
When: Sunday, Mar 01, 2009
Why: When the pilot reported the loss of power in one engine, the flight assumed a lower altitude and continued on one engine to Seattle to land without a problem an hour later.
Pictured: The Airbus in the incident, photo taken a year ago in Toronto
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Mark Kryst
What: Skyservice Airbus A320-200 en route from Toronto to Varadero Cuba
Where: Varadero
When: Jan 31 2010
Why: While landing during high rain with little visibility, the flight made a hard landing and blew three tires. The passengers disembarked safely, and there were no injuries reported, except to the plane.
Aerolineas Argentinas flight AR-1293 encountered turbulence on the way to Buenos Aires, Argentina, on November 24th.
The Boeing 737-800 plane was flying from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, when it hit turbulence that injured two people.
The plane continued for a safe landing.
The FAA is investigating a Spirit Airlines fight that diverted to Myrtle Beach to make an emergency landing, and stranded some two hundred passengers at the airport. By Sunday morning, passengers had managed to get a flight to their destination, Atlantic City NJ.
Spirit Airlines Flight 348, an Airbus A320, was en route from Tampa to Atlantic City when it had to make the emergency diversion.
The image below is an A320 interior posted on the Spirit Airlines website which they say is “for editorial use. They are not for commercial use. Photo credit must be given to Spirit Airlines.” However, their site has no mention that I can find of the emergency landing or accommodations for the passengers.
In a completely separate incident, Spirit Airlines may be facing a battle in court. A claustrophobic student, Nadia Majed, filed a discrimination complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights after she was kicked off the plane after requesting an available window seat.
