Germania Flug flight GM-3023 had to return and make an emergency landing in Hurghada, Egypt, on March 4th.
The Airbus A319-100 plane took off for Zurich, Switzerland, but had to turn back due to issues with one of the engine computers.
The plane landed back safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
SkyWest Airlines flight 6391 had to divert and make an emergency landing in Boise, Idaho on May 27.
The flight was heading from Eugene, Oregon, to Denver, Colorado, when it had to be diverted due to a sick passenger.
The Canadair Regional Jet 700, carrying 68 passengers, landed safely and the sick passenger was rushed to a hospital.
According to airline spokesperson Marissa Snow, the plane was taken for inspection as it landed “overweight” due to excess fuel. Some of the passengers were accommodated in other flights while the others resumed their journey in another plane Wednesday evening.
Pictured: A Delta Connection (Chautauqua Airlines) Embraer EMB-145LR (ERJ-145LR) over Baltimore
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Mark Kopczak
What: Delta/Chautauqua Embraer ERJ-145 en route from Boston,MA to Columbus,OH
Where: Boston
When: Jan 2nd 2010
Who: 38 passengers and 4 crew
Why: Right after takeoff, the plane developed smoke in the cabin. Oxygen masks were deployed, and the plane returned to the airport to land on the runway, and taxi to the gate.
Pictured: A Stinson 10A. The one that ran out of gas on the median is described as a yellow, high-wing, three-seat, “taildragger”
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Vladimir Kostritsa
What: 1947 Stinson 10A en route from Mason City, Iowa, to Boone, North Carolina
Where: four miles west of London in the median of KY 80
When: 3 p.m. Wednesday October 7
Who: 62-year-old pilot Wayne Alsworth, of Sterling, Alaska
Why: The landing was due to running low on fuel. Fuel was procured for the pilot, who was able to then take off and go to the nearest airport to fill his tank.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Tim Perkins
What: Southwest Airlines 737 en route from Nashville to Baltimore
Where: Charleston’s Yeager Airport
When: 6:30 p.m Monday July 13
Who: 126 passengers and five crew
Why: While en route, the cabin depressurized when a hole (metal fatigue?) approximately the size of a football appeared in the fuselage. The plane managed to land safely in Charleston West Virginia. The NTSB is investigating.
(News photos don’t look football sized, but it is sure big enough to see plenty of daylight through.)
George’s Point of View
The 737 is a true workhorse, built to land and takeoff almost without too much delay except to load and unload passengers.
I fly Southwest to Las Vegas all the time. It’s a short hop.
I must admit, that every time I fly in one of these planes I have begun to worry about the age and/or the fatigue of the structure. A trip like one from LA to Vegas, most times, is a beating on the passengers and the plane itself. My guess is that 4 out of 5 of these short trips encounter turbulence, sometimes bad turbulence. This beats up the plane. In this case, the plane being beaten up was manufactured in 1994. That’s a lot of years of turbulence abuse. Metal fatigue in these conditions is not surprising, and neither is it completely unexpected. An inspection on this plane last January revealed eight cracks in the frame that required repairs.
I’m just glad it was a BOEING, and that the pilot remained in control of the aircraft. And of course, it’s a good thing that Southwest is now inspecting all of their planes for fatigue. Last year Southwest was fined $7.5 million for overdue inspections. I hope this is not going to be a repeat of last year. All the timely inspections in the world aren’t going to make this plane any younger. Maybe it’s time to put this particular plane out to pasture.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Ricardo Morales
What: Mexicana Click Fokker 100 en route from Mexico City to NEW LAREDO
Where: Monterrey
When: Feb 11 2010
Who: 96 passengers (one site reports 29 passengers and 4 crew)
Why: The Mexicana Click made an emergency landing in Monterrey when it developed a fault in the undercarriage. It apparently made a safe landing, with no emergencies although it appear one individual may have been suffering from hysteria. Rescue crews were on hand. Other flights were cancelled.
Peach Aviation flight MM-131 made an emergency landing in Sendai, Japan, on June 10th.
The Airbus A320-200 plane flying from Kansai International Airport, Japan, was descending toward Sendai when the crew needed to shut down one of the engines.
The plane landed safely. All one hundred and fifty people aboard remained unharmed.
