Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Dennis Löffler
What: American Airlines Boeing 777-200 en route from London to Dallas/ Ft. Worth
Where: Chicago
When: Jan 3rd 2010
Who: not available
Why: After crossing the Atlantic, the crew of the American Airlines Boeing 777 suspected a fuel leak, and diverted to Chicago where they made a safe landing. Passengers were provided an alternative flight to complete the journey.
British Airways flight BA 676, on its way to Istanbul, Turkey, had to return and make an emergency landing at Heathrow Airport, London, shortly after it took off at about 11 a.m. on July 3.
The decision to make an emergency landing was made after the crew reported a ‘burning smell’ in the cockpit of the Boeing 767-300. A hundred eighty-five passengers were aboard.
Metropolitan Police Service and fire fighters were on alert when the plane landed back at the airport, just 35 minutes after it departed. No one was injured.
The airline confirmed that the plane experienced a minor technical problem which is being resolved and it will soon return to service.
Wash., Dec. 10, 2010 Boeing and Air France celebrated on Wednesday the 200th direct delivery of a Boeing jetliner – a 777-300ER (extended range) – to the Paris-based carrier.
“The 777 is the backbone of our long-haul fleet. This new aircraft will support Air France’s projected growth on long-haul destinations and confirm the Air France-KLM Group’s European leadership position on the international network. With this latest delivery, Air France continues to upgrade its fleet, one of the youngest in Europe, and launches its new business class seat,” said Bruno Matheu, chief commercial officer of Air France.
“The delivery of this 777-300ER, our 200th airplane delivered to Air France, is a tribute to the 777 and the long-term relationship between Air France and Boeing,” said Marlin Dailey, vice president of Sales & Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The 777 offers an unbeatable combination of economics and passenger comfort that will continue to give Air France a competitive advantage in the marketplace.”
Air France’s new 777-300ER has 383 seats including 42 business class lie-flat seat beds measuring over 78.74 inches (2 m) in length, plus an in-seat entertainment system with 15-inch (38 cm) wide screens in 16:9 format. Air France is a member of Sky Team, and will operate this 777-300ER between Paris and Montreal. In January 2011, it will be operated on the new direct route between Paris and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The first Boeing jet, a 707, was delivered to Air France in 1959. The airline also has operated 727s, 737s and 767s and ordered its first 747s in 1966. Air France first ordered 777-200ERs in 1996 and was a launch customer for the 777-300ER in 2000 and for the 777 Freighter in 2005.
For the 2011 summer season, Air France will be operating a total of 61 777s making it one of the largest 777 passenger fleets in the world. The airline also operates two 777 Freighters and 12 747s. Boeing is scheduled to deliver to Air France one 777 Freighter in 2011 and 11 additional 777-300ERs through 2015. In addition to their direct purchase of Boeing airplanes, Air France has successfully operated many other Boeing airplanes on lease for many years.
The 777-300ER is 19 percent lighter than its closest competitor, greatly reducing its fuel requirement. It produces 22 percent less carbon dioxide per seat and costs 20 percent less to operate per seat. The airplane has a maximum range of 7,930 nautical miles (14,685 km). The 777 family is the world’s most successful twin-engine, twin-aisle airplane. Sixty-one customers around the world have ordered more than 1,100 777s.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Sergey Kustov
What: Air France Boeing 777-200 en route from Paris France to Sao Paulo
Where: Sao Paulo
When: Dec 9th 2009
Who: 259 passengers and 16 crew
Why: While on approach to Sao Paulo, the plane experienced a hydraulics failure. The crew requested the longest available runway and made a safe landing.
Passengers debarked normally.
Maintenance is so important.
United Airlines flight 447 had to divert and make an emergency landing at Grand Junction Regional Airport, Colorado, on July 22.
The Airbus A320, en-route from Denver, Colorado, to Los Angeles, California, had to be landed in emergency after several passengers started feeling ill.
According to an airline spokesperson, “After receiving reports of multiple ill customers, our crew deployed the oxygen masks and elected to divert to Grand Junction… Our maintenance team will inspect the aircraft to determine if there were any technical issues.”
There were 150 passengers and 6 crew members aboard at the time; authorities said 1 passengers was taken to hospital.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Rainer Bexten
What: Qantas Boeing 747-400 en route from Bangkok (Thailand) to London Heathrow,EN
Where: Bangkok
When: May 20th 2011
Who: 308 passengers
Why: After takeoff from Bangkok, the engine vibration and temperature increased beyond the norm in one engine and the engine is reported to have salled. That (Rolls Royce) engine was shut down, and the pilots returned to Bangkik to make a safe landing with the remaining three engines. It has not yet been announced if the problem is due to the internal pipe irregularities which were indicated in an airworthiness directive just released, but with problems that go back several years.
By the look of cursory evidence, it appears this could be the same manufacturing defect in an oil pipe, which led to an internal oil leak in the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine that failed in a Qantas A380 in 2010 causing a midair explosion, but investigators will have to reveal the details.
United airlines flight UA-872 made an emergency landing in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 27th.
The Boeing 777-200 plane, heading from Taipei, Taiwan, to San Francisco, California, had to be diverted due to severe vibrations in its left engine.
The plane landed safely. No injuries were reported.
