Boeing

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    Global Advisory Group Recommends Tough Rules to Prevent Battery Fires in Airplanes

    ICAOAn advisory panel of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has recommended strict actions for discouraging bulk shipment of lithium batteries through commercial planes.

    The recommendations were published by the ICAO on October 1, after a recent meeting of the advisory group was held in Cologne, Germany, in September.

    The group has also suggested to re-assess the fire detection systems in terms of their ability of respond quickly and to limit the battery shipments to cargo compartments with excellent fire-suppression capability.

    In July 2010, 2 people were killed after a shipment of batteries caught fire and caused a Boeing Co 747 cargo plane, operated by United Parcel Service Inc., to crash in Dubai.

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    PIA Flight Returns to Islamabad Airport for Emergency Landing

    piaPakistan International Airlines flight PK-3209 had to return and make an emergency landing at Benzair Bhutto International Airport, Islamabad, Pakistan, on October 11.

    The empty Boeing 777 departed from Islamabad for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to bring back Pakistani Hajj pilgrims. However, shortly after it took off, oil began to leak from the aircraft’s hydraulic landing gear.

    The plane was then returned to the airport where it landed safely.

    Authorities said that the engineers repaired the leak and the aircraft flew out to its destination with delay.

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    United Airlines Flight Returns to Heathrow Airport

    new-united-logoUnited Airlines flight UA5 had to return and make an emergency landing at London Heathrow Airport, UK, at around 3 p.m. on October 10.

    The Boeing 787, en-route to Houston, Texas, was returned after it got struck by lightning midair.

    The plane landed uneventfully and none of the 130 passengers was hurt.

    United Airlines said that the aircraft was taken for examination.

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    Delta Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Orlando

    DeltaDelta Airlines flight 1332 had to make an emergency landing at Orlando International Airport, Florida, at around 7:47 a.m. on October 9.

    The Boeing 757 was on its way from Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers to Atlanta when it lost hydraulic pressure on the left side.

    The plane landed uneventfully and everyone aboard remained safe.

    The passengers were shifted to another aircraft.

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    Ryanair Jets Collide at Dublin Airport

    RyanairTwo Ryanair jets collided on a taxiway intersection at Dublin Airport, Ireland, shortly before 7 a.m. on October 7.

    According to a statement released by the airline, “Two of our aircraft were taxiing slowly to the runway at Dublin Airport this morning…The winglet of one aircraft appears to have scraped the tail of the other…Both aircraft were under the instruction of Dublin Airport Air Traffic Control at the time.”

    The statement further said, “There was no impact on customers on board and Ryanair contacted the IAA and worked with them to return both aircraft to stand…Affected customers disembarked, were provided with refreshment vouchers and boarded two replacement aircraft, which departed to Brussels Charleroi and Edinburgh later this morning…Ryanair apologises sincerely to customers for any inconvenience.”

    The emergency personnel were called at the scene after the incident and the airport operations were temporarily halted. However, the officials confirmed that normal operations at Dublin airport were resumed shortly afterwards.

    Both the Boeing 737 aircrafts are currently being repaired.

    The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) will investigate the incident.

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    Southwest Airlines Flight Makes Unscheduled Landing at LAX

    southwest_airlines_logoSouthwest Airlines flight 1429 en route from Sacramento to Bob Hope Airport, Burbank, made an unscheduled landing at Los Angeles International Airport in the afternoon of October 5.

    The pilot of the Boeing 737 decided to divert after he noticed a warning light indicating a potential issue with the aircraft’s flaps. The airline later released a statement saying that the decision to land at LAX was made “out of an abundance of caution.”

    The flight landed safely and all 123 passengers onboard were transported to Burbank with a delay of few hours from the schedule. The pilot informed that the situation did not require any emergency protocols, therefore, no emergency vehicles were called on the scene at the time of landing.

    A Southwest spokesperson confirmed that aircraft is being examined by the mechanics.

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    LOT Polish Airlines Flight Lands in Emergency at Glasgow Airport

    LOT Polish AirlinesA LOT Polish Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing at Scotland’s Glasgow airport at 11:35 a.m. on September 26.

    The decision for emergency landing was made after the crew received an alert from the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s fire protection system. The aircraft, carrying 260 people, was on its way from Chicago, US, to Warsaw, Poland, at the time.

    The plane landed safely and no one was hurt.

    An airline spokesperson Barbara Pijanowska-Kuras said, “The emergency landing of the plane was caused by a glitch in the fire protection system…There was no fire or smoke onboard.”

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    WestJet Flight Returns to Las Vegas on Suspicion of Fuel Leak

    WestJet flight 1709 returned to McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada, and made an emergency landing at around 3:31 p.m. on September 25.

    The flight, on its way from Las Vegas to Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, was returned after the crew suspected a fuel leak in the Boeing 737 aircraft.

    The plane landed uneventfully and all 126 people aboard remained unhurt.

    According to WestJet spokesman Robert Palmer, the examination of the aircraft confirmed that there was no leak.

    The flight again departed at 6 p.m.

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    Sun Country Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing at Boise Airport

    Sun Country Airlines Flight 123 had to make an emergency landing at the Boise Airport, Idaho, at around 4 p.m. on September 25.

    According to the airport authorities, the decision for emergency landing was made after a warning light indicated an engine fire. The charter flight was en-route from Lewiston, Idaho, to Laughlin, Nevada, at the time.

    The Boeing 737 landed uneventfully and no one was injured.

    The investigation confirmed that there was no evidence of engine fire. The aircraft’s warning light indicator is being repaired.

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    Two AA Flights Make Emergency Landing at DFW Within Minutes of Each Other

    American AirlinesTwo American Airlines flights landed in emergency at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Texas, within minutes of each other, on September 22.

    The first in the series was American Airlines Flight 1359, which was heading from DFW to Fresno, California. The MD-80 aircraft, carrying 140 passengers, returned and made a safe emergency landing at 12:21 a.m., due to some unspecified mechanical issue. The passengers were shifted to another plane.

    Just 2 minutes afterwards, i.e. at 12:23 a.m., another outbound American Airlines flight landed back at DFW in emergency. The Boeing 777 was on its way to Buenos Aires, Argentina, with 233 passengers aboard, when a warning light in the cockpit pointed out a pressurization problem. The plane landed safely and was expected to take off again at around 9 a.m.

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    Air India Flight Lands in Emergency at Toronto

    airindiaAir India flight 126 had to divert and make an emergency landing at Toronto Pearson Airport, Canada, at around 0700 hours IST on September 7.

    The Chicago-Delhi-Hyderabad flight was diverted after the pilot suspected oil leakage in one of the 2 engines of the Boeing 777 ER aircraft.

    The plane landed safely after shedding extra fuel and none of the 342 passengers aboard was hurt.

    Ground engineers at Toronto Pearson Airport were inspecting the aircraft for determining source of leakage.

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    EL Al Flight Returns to Ben Gurion Airport due to Engine Failure

    EL ALEl Al flight 29, en route from Tel Aviv, Israel to Ontario, Canada, returned to Ben Gurion Airport for emergency landing on the night of September 6.

    The Boeing 767 was diverted after one of its engines failed.

    The plane landed uneventfully and all 194 people aboard remained safe. The passengers were transferred to an alternate aircraft which took them to their destination.

    “We consider flight safety as the highest value,” said an El Al representative. The airline also said that the incident will be investigated.

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    FedEx Plane Diverts to Whitehorse Airport for Emergency Landing

    FedExA FedEx Boeing 777 freighter had to make an unscheduled landing at the Whitehorse airport, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, shortly before 8 a.m. on September 4.

    According to a FedEx spokesperson, the flight, en-route from Memphis, Tennessee, to Anchorage, Alaska, was diverted for emergency landing “due to technical issues.”

    The Whitehorse emergency firefighters and medics were put on alert on the airport when the plane landed safely. No one was injured.

    The U.S. FAA is investigating.

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    Jet2 Plane Lands in Emergency at East Midlands Airport

    Jet2A Jet2 flight, on its way from Ibiza, made an emergency landing at East Midlands Airport, England, on the night of September 3.

    According to the airline, emergency landing was made after a “minor electrical fault” was discovered in the plane.

    The Boeing 737 landed safely and everyone aboard remained unharmed.

    A Jet2 spokesperson later said, “Following a safe arrival at East Midlands Airport of flight LS644 we decided to disembark passengers as quickly as possible as a precautionary safety measure because a minor electrical problem led to some smoke in the cabin….All passengers were looked after by our airport team and a full investigation is now under way. The safety of our passengers is of paramount importance.”

    The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has launched an investigation following the incident. “The AAIB has deployed a team to investigate a serious incident to a commercial airliner that occurred at East Midlands Airport on the evening of Wednesday September 3,” AAIB statement said.

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    Bird-Struck Nok Air Flight Makes Emergency Landing at Surat Thani

    NOK AIr

    Nok Air Flight DD7805, heading from Nakhon Si Thammarat to Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport, made an emergency landing at Surat Thani airport, Thailand, at about 8:20 a.m. on August 31.

    The pilot requested permission for emergency landing after the left wing of Boeing 738 aircraft was hit by birds. The aircraft made an uneventful landing and all 139 crew and passengers remained unharmed.

    According to Atthaporn Nuang-udom, director of Surat Thani airport, “The crew and passengers were then assembled in the airport’s arrival lounge. NokAir arranged for another aircraft to pick them up and flew them safely to Don Mueang on Sunday morning.”

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    Delta Flight Diverted to Ireland after Woman Went into Labour

    250px-Delta_logo.svgDelta Airlines flight DL-603 had to make an emergency landing at Shannon Airport, Ireland, after a woman went into labour midair on August 24.

    The Boeing 767-300, on its way from Amsterdam to Atlanta with 230 passengers, was flying over Blackpool, England, when the crew declared a medical emergency and requested to land at Shannon Airport.

    The flight was then diverted to Ireland where it made an uneventful emergency landing at 1:50 p.m. Paramedics examined the woman and immediately shifted her to University Maternity Hospital Limerick where she later gave birth.

    The flight resumed its journey and landed safely at its scheduled destination.

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    MAS Flight Returned to Kuala Lumpur due to Cabin Pressure Issues

    Malaysia AirlinesMalaysia Airlines flight MH70, en route from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia, to Tokyo’s Narita Airport, had to return and make an emergency landing at 1:00 p.m. on August 23.

    The decision for returning was made after the crew reported cabin pressure maintenance issues inside the plane. According to Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, director-general of Malaysian Civil Aviation Department, “It was not able to maintain the right pressure differential for the comfort of the passengers.”

    The Boeing 777-200 aircraft safely landed back just 50 minutes after it took off. No one was hurt.

    The passengers were accommodated in another flight which took them to their destination with a 2.5 hours delay.

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    Windshield Cracked Mid Air; American Airlines Flight Made Emergency Landing in Orlando

    American AirlinesAmerican Airlines Flight 1610 made an emergency landing at Orlando International Airport, Florida, in the night of August 20.

    The decision for emergency landing was made after the windshield of the Boeing 737, heading from Miami to Toronto, cracked midair.

    The plane landed uneventfully and all 131 people aboard remained unharmed.

    An American Airlines representative said that their maintenance crew is trying to figure out the cause of the crack.

    The passengers were provided an alternate plane to resume their journey.

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    Thai Lion Air Co-Pilot Passes out Mid Air, Dies

    Thai Lion AirThe Thai Lion Air flight SL8537 from Hat Yai to Bangkok, Thailand, had to return for emergency landing on August 20, after the co-pilot collapsed midair.

    The Dutch co-pilot Peter Esberte, 47 lost consciousness just 20 minutes after the Boeing 737-900 aircraft took off. The pilot then decided to return to Hat Yai airport where he made an emergency landing at 1:21 p.m.

    Esberte later died on the way to hospital from the airport. The cause of death is not yet known, however, the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai) said Esberte died of a heart attack.

    Worawut Kongkositkul, in-charge of flight operations for the low cost airline, said that Esberte joined the airline last year at its launch and was completely healthy.

    All 152 passengers aboard the plane remained unharmed.

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    Pilot Taking a Nap, Co-pilot Busy on Tablet; Jet Airways Boeing 777 Drops 5,000 Feet over Turkey

    Jet AirwaysAn inquiry has been launched after the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) found out that a Jet Airways flight abruptly descended 5,000 feet over Turkish airspace, on August 8.

    The Indian media reports that the incident first came to light on August 12 when the Director General of DGCA, Lalit Gupta, received an anonymous SMS, informing him about the incident.

    It was discovered that the captain of the flight 9W-228, on its way from Mumbai to Brussels, was taking a controlled nap at the time while his co-pilot was supposed to sit on the controls. However, the co-pilot claimed that she did not notice that the aircraft is descending below the assigned level since she was busy with her electronic flight bag (EFB) – a tablet containing aircraft documents. She realized the situation only after getting a call from the air traffic controller in Ankara, Turkey, and immediately woke up the captain, who then brought the Boeing 777-300 back to its level.

    The DGCA has suspended the pilots and launched an investigation to find out whether the sudden drop was caused intentionally or accidentally by the co-pilot. The DGCA has also decided to audit the airline’s training procedures for the pilot.

    According to Jet Airways, “The airline is also extending all co-operation in the matter to the DGCA by providing all necessary assistance for the inquiry. Safety is of paramount importance to Jet Airways as is also the welfare of our guests and crew and the airline will always take appropriate steps to ensure the same.”

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    British Airways Flight Returns to London Heathrow

    British airwaysBritish Airways Flight 103 from London Heathrow airport, United Kingdom, to Calgary, Canada, had to return and make an emergency landing on the evening of August 12.

    Smoke was discovered in the cockpit of the Boeing 767 while it was flying over Liverpool. The pilot requested an emergency landing which was immediately granted.

    According to a British Airways spokesperson Michele Kropt, “It [the plane] landed safely and all passengers disembarked as normal.”

    She confirmed that the engineers were inspecting the aircraft to determine the cause of smoke.

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    Cracked Window Prompts Thai Airways Flight to Make Emergency Landing at Bali

    ThaiThai Airways flight TG467 en-route from Sydney, Australia to Bangkok, Thailand, made an emergency landing at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport in Indonesia, at 4:50 p.m. on August 12.

    The emergency landing was made after a crack was noticed in the cockpit window of the Boeing 747 which had 273 passengers and 21 crew members aboard at the time.

    The pilot, Ivtas Dejkunjorn, safely landed the plane and no one was hurt.

    An airport spokeswoman said, “Passengers have already been cleared through immigration and have been put up in hotels near the airport for the night.”

    Thai Airways said that they are sending a team to Bali to investigate the incident and for overseeing the replacement of cracked window.

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    Allegiant Flight Returns to Lansing Airport due to Compression Issues

    AllegiantAllegiant Air Flight 657, had to return and make an emergency landing at Capital Region International Airport in Lansing, Michigan, on August 7.

    The Boeing MD-80 aircraft, carrying 166 passengers, took off for Orlando’s Sanford International Airport at about 11:42 a.m. However, immediately after taking off, a compression problem was discovered.

    The plane was then turned back towards Lansing where it made a safe emergency landing at about 11:58 a.m. Airport spokeswoman Nicole Noll-Williams said, “Because it was a compression issue, it was a normal response for our public safety department to be prepared for an emergency landing.”

    The passengers were safely evacuated and the aircraft was taken for maintenance.

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    Private Boeing 737 Makes Emergency Landing at Victoria Airport

    Victoria International airportA privately owned Boeing 737 landed in emergency at Victoria International Airport, Canada, in the evening of August 6.

    The emergency services were put on alert when the aircraft, with 10 people aboard, touched the ground safely at about 6:50 p.m. No one was injured.

    The aircraft is registered to Pacific Sky Aviation Inc.

    The cause of emergency landing is not known at the moment.