WestJet flight WS-4 made an emergency landing at Kangerlussuaq Airport, Greenland, on October 18th.
The Boeing 767-300 plane heading from Gatwick Airport, England, to Toronto, Canada, was diverted after the crew noticed a failure in the avionics bay cooling system.
The plane landed safely. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.
United Airlines flight 1463 en route from Chicago to John Wayne Airport, Los Angeles, made a safe emergency landing at Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita, Kansas, just after 10:30 p.m. on June 29.
A spokesman with the FAA said that an emergency evacuation slide of the Boeing 737-700 opened up in midair. According to reports, the plane dropped from 38,000 ft. to 11,000 ft. in just 12 minutes due to a loss in cabin pressure.
The plane landed safely and the United Airlines confirmed that all 96 passengers and 5 crew members aboard remained unhurt.
Passengers remained seated for about an hour before disembarking. They were taken to their destination on an alternate flight.
United Airline’s maintenance crew is checking the plane to determine the cause.
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Contact photographer WT
Update
May 22 was the anniversary of Air India Express Flight 812 from Dubai, which overshot the runway and crashed at Mangalore, India. The crash victims’ support group spokesman said that “About 50 families have received compensation from the insurance companies, but many families have not even been contacted. ” According to the organizer, Rafik Eroth, “…insurance representatives are playing foul over the payouts…Many families have lost their breadwinners and face major financial difficulties. I believe [the insurance companies] are delaying the process to pass the two-year mark so that the families lose their claims.” Families of crash victims had a two-year period in which to apply for compensation
The Civil Aviation Ministry ordered the airline to provide up to $159,840 to families of the victims in accordance with the Indian Carriage by Air Act, (following the Montreal Convention.)
It has been a year, and still some of the families have not yet been contacted about compensation.
The Indian Court of Inquiry probe report was submitted to the civil aviation ministry yesterday. The report says that “Air India pilot Zlatko Glusica, from Serbia, was asleep for much of the three-hour flight and was “disoriented” when the plane started to descend.” The experienced First Officer had fewer hours but was soon due for command, and had landed frequently at that airport. He called for a go-around which the Captain ignored.
Captain Z Glusica had more than 10,200 hours of flying experience—but not landing at that airport. He was the pilot in command and reacted late, and was suffering from “sleep inertia”. His heavy nasal snoring and breathing was captured on the CVR. Many standard operating procedures were not followed during landing. Co-pilot H S Ahluwalia repeated “abort landing” saying they didn’t have enough runway left, three times asking for a “go around”.
With less than 3,000 feet of runway left, the pilots tried to take off again and crashed in the gorge at the runway’s end.
The plane’s takeoff gear was found activated. Experts concluded if the pilots had not attempted to take off again, the plane emergency brakes could have brought the plane to a halt.
This is not the first time Air India has had exhausted pilots. What had their schedule been that week?
June 2008: Mumbai air traffic controllers woke two sleeping pilots with an alarm when they were 200 miles past their destination.
What: Air India Express Boeing 737-800 en route from Dubai to Mangalore
Where: Mangalore airport
When: 6:00 a.m May 22 2010
Who: Passengers including 23 children, 6 crew= 158 fatalities and 8 survivors
Why: Air India Express flight 812 attempted touch down was around the middle marker. (Conflicting) reports are that it overshot the runway, and that the pilot intended a go round (tapes reveal the co pilot was urging a go-round) but the plane hit the localizer antenna at the runway’s end, plowed through the perimeter losing part of a wing, and went down 75 feet into a ravine, and broke into pieces and burst into flames. On touchdown, there was a reported “bang” which may have been a tire bursting. A drizzle started after the accident. From 5 to 10 people have been hospitalized, but according to reports there are possibly 3 survivors.
Survivor Abdul Puttur suffered burns. He was seated near the wing exit and said that the pilot had announced the landing, then there was a thud. He saw huge flames after the plane fell into the ravine and then he jumped out from the back entrance. Another passenger said the pilot made no announcement.
The Serbian pilot was Zlatko Glusica, first officer was S.S. Ahluwalia.
According to DGCA rules, Mangalore International Airport is deemed a “critical airfield” which means that “supervised take offs and landings” are prohibited. Only the captain (not the first officer) can pilot take-offs and landings. Mangalore International Airport has a controversial table top runway and which forces pilots to make a precision landing. The airport has no buffer zone, and pilots landing planes must fly precisely or risk hurtling off the edge.
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Contact photographer Jason Whitebird
What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 en route from Oakland to Burbank,CA
Where: Burbank on Apr 19th 201
When: Apr 19 2010
Who: 119 passengers and 5 crew
Why: Approaching the runway prior to takeoff, a a Cessna 172 passed over the passed over the 737, with a clearance of 200 feet (vertical) and 10 feet (lateral).
The NTSB is investigating.
A Thomson Airways flight had to make an emergency landing at Bournemouth Airport, United Kingdom, on January 17th.
The plane was flying from Tenerife, Spain, when the crew declared an emergency due to a technical problem.
The plane landed uneventfully. Everyone aboard remained safe.
The American Airline MD-82 jet experienced a pressurization problem and made an emergency landing at Abilene Regional Airport, Texas, on April 15 at 4:15 pm.
The flight was bound for Dallas, Fort Worth International Airport but it landed just 160 miles short of its final destination. The Jet took off with 133 passengers and five crew members from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico early afternoon.
The Engineers were investigating the possible causes of low pressure.
Delta Airlines flight DL-1943 returned to Detroit, Michigan, on December 30th.
The Boeing 717-200 plane took off for Atlanta, Georgia, but had to turn back after the crew noticed a bird in the flight deck.
The plane landed back safely.
The bird was set free.
