Brussels Airlines flight SN-515 had to return and make an emergency landing in Brussels, Belgium, on September 11th.
The Airbus A330-200 plane took off for Washington Dulles International Airport, Virginia, but had to turn back after the crew noticed an issue with an engine fuel control computer.
The plane landed safely. All one hundred and fifty-five passengers remained unharmed.
Tomorrow we’ll post the BEA’s statement regarding the latest in the Air France 447 crash saga. After the crash, the $50 million search operation to recover the black boxes that took two years, after a successful data recovery, a misfired unjustified conclusion of pilot error, finally, on Friday, the BEA promises more news.
The data analysis will probably be as grueling as one could imagine, considering all of the data that has been recovered. The new data that has been recovered does not overwrite the messages received by Air Traffic control, but it will have to be logically coordinated so that the chain of events can accurately be determined, whatever lead up to the crash that ended up killing all 228 people on board. We cannot expect the analysis too soon.
There are many hypotheses floating out there in the blogosphere, and myths and conjecture; but we have to give the investigators and engineers time to study the data and write the most accurate report that can, which they promise to produce by the summer. It is an ambitious promise, but one that the world expects the investigators to fulfill in a timely fashion. It is by virtue of the BEA’s history as one of the better governmental aviation institutions. They do have a history of publishing their reports, in accordance to international guidelines, following not just Montreal protocol, but also IATA and EASA.
There are other crash investigations going on in which the agencies do not have as strong a history as the BEA. (Just consider the Concorde Disaster–it took ten years to resolve the criminal case but Continental had to pay more than 1.3 million in civil damages and a $265000 fine. Under French law, damages to 750 dependents were resolved in 11 months and the interim report completed after 12 months.)
The DGCA is responsible for implementing, controlling, and supervising airworthiness standards, safety operations, crew training in India. Indian aviation has been plagued by safety issues, personnel issues, and they have not yet established for themselves a reputable track record regarding the timeliness of their accident reports (at least, not if you ask the families of Air India Express flight 812. )
Likewise, in Pakistan, the families of Air Blue Flight 202 are waiting for word and assistance from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority. Air Blue flight ED202 crashed in the Margalla Hills in Islamabad, killing all 146 passengers and six crewmembers on board on July 28, and the Pakistani High Court has been charged with the support of the victims’ family members, and a request of the federal government to constitute an independent board of inquiry for determining the causes of the crash, and to make the findings public.
But I digress. Concerning Air France Flight 447–we can’t expect miracles, and it is too soon to expect all the pieces of the puzzle to fit; but Friday we can expect to see a factual update. And that is another step toward discovering the truth, another step toward justice.
Here is where the disaster stands:
On July 17, 2007 the pilot of TAM Airlines Flight JJ3054, tried to land at Congonhas, but realizing he wouldn’t be able to stop in time on the rain-slicked tarmac, tried to take off again.
He failed.
The Airbus A320 skidded across a road and smashed into a building owned by the airline. The ensuing fireball killed all 186 people on the plane and 13 more on the ground, making this the worst air disaster in Brazilian history.
The thrust reverser had been deactivated during maintenance checks, the airline confessed. The reverser is used to help jets slow down on landing. Tam Airlines insists the deactivation was in accordance with proper procedures. However, nearly 200 people–passengers and crew–are dead.
Brazil’s Globo TV televised that a problem with the right thrust reverser had emerged four days prior to the crash.
The Airbus’s manual stipulates that ten days can lapse after a problem is first detected in an inspection and the plane can continue to operate in the meantime.
Aviators call São Paolo’s Congonhas Airport “the aircraft carrier,” because landing on its short runway, surrounded by densely populated residential areas, is like landing on the deck of an aircraft carrier. Though a Brazilian court had banned large jets from the airport in February, citing safety concerns, the ban was later overturned.
Masry and Vititoe is participating in the litigation.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Jonathan Guidone
What: American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-82 en route from Palm Beach International Airport to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Pictured: An American Airlines McDonnell Douglas
Where: West Palm Beach
When: August 7
Who: 141 aboard
Why: After takeoff, the plane made a “loud noise” and experienced engine trouble in the left engine. The pilot returned to land at the Palm Beach International within six minutes of takeoff. Passengers were provided an alternative plane.
Singapore Airlines flight SQ-449 had to divert and make an emergency landing in Mandalay, Myanmar, on February 7th.
The Airbus A330-300 plane heading from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to Singapore was diverted after the crew needed to shut down one of the engines.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
Ikar flight IK-102 had to return and make an emergency landing at Simferopol International Airport, Ukraine, on September 14.
The Boeing 767-300 flying to Krasnojarsk, Russia, had to return due to engine failure.
The plane landed safely.
All 227 people aboard remained safe.
American Airlines flight AA-730 had to return for an emergency landing in Charlotte, North Carolina, on June 21st.
The Airbus A330-300 plane took off for Heathrow Airport, England, but had to return shortly afterwards due to a possible issue with the flaps.
The plane landed back safely. All two hundred and fifty-eight passengers and sixteen crew members remained unharmed.
