What: American Airlines Boeing 777 from Chicago to London
Where: Shannon Airport
When: Oct 2, 2012
Why: American Airlines Flight 98 diverted to Shannon due to an unspecified technical fault. The smell of smoke was detected in the cabin.
Ennis and Shannon fire crews and ambulances were on standby. Passengers disembarked at 1.07pm.
Maintenance said a fan overheated.
What: All Nippon Airways 787 Dreamliner
Where: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
When: Oct 1, 2012
Why: After making a safe, early landing in Seattle, the return flight was delayed for twenty-four hours due to a problem with the cooling system.
It was the first flight of All Nippon Airways 14th 787 Dreamliner, which is configured with 46 lie-flat, business-class seats and 112 economy seats.
The Tokyo return-flight passengers were provided food vouchers and a take-off scheduled on Oct 2.
What: American Airlines Boeing 757 en route from Boston to Miami
Where: JFK
When: Sep 29th 2012
Who: 3 passengers
Why: While en route, a row of seats in the coach cabin became loose in flight.
The three passengers were provided alternative seats and pilots diverted the plane to JFK where they made a safe landing.
Passengers disembarked and boarded another plane to continue their flight. The incident has been cited in national news reports as an example of an “increase in maintenance issues.”
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Alex Khan
What: Delta Airlines Boeing 737-800,en route from Baltimore to Saint Petersburg
Where: Jacksonville
When: Sep 30th 2012
Who: Baltimore Orioles
Why: Smoke was reported aboard the Baltimore Orioles flight from Baltimore to Tampa for a Monday game.
Ned Rice, of Orioles operations said that “They came on and told us we needed to make an emergency landing, and then we were nearly free-falling for a few minutes as they raced to get us on the ground as fast as possible.”
The smoke originated in the galley.
The pilots diverted to Jackson and made a safe landing, where the plane was inspected and cleared before continuing to St. Pete.
What: Ryanair Boeing 737-800
Where: Billund, Denmark
When: Sept 22, 2012, 9:30 a.m.
Who: mo injuries
Why: Flight FR 9086 from Alicante to Gothenburg made an uneventful forced landing at Billund airport, Denmark due to technical problems. The plane took off normally at 6:55 but diverted to Billund instead of arriving at Gothenburg at the scheduled time of 10:15. Details are scarce.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Joachim Eichner
What: Ryanair Boeing 737-800 en route from Bristol to Reus
Where: Barcelona
When: Sept 15, 2012
Who: 171
Why: On Sept 15, the Bristol-Reus flight diverted to Barcelona after developing an engine problem. Passengers disembarked in Barcelona and were provided alternative transportation.
This is one of the events that caught the eye of Spanish and Irish aviation bodies. They are initializing an investigation into Ryanair after a number of diversions occurred recently in Spanish airspace.
The investigation was initiated after a diversion to Madrid during a Paris-tenerife flight, and three landings in Valencia on July 26.
There are fears that Ryanair is courting disaster by flying with minimal fuel requirements.
Read the official statement below:
Although the National Transportation Safety Board issued recommendations on General Electric GEnx engines, which power the latest generation of Boeing aircraft, on September 18, Air India has flown from Charleston to Frankfort to India with its second Dreamliner.
(See the letter here)
Air India ordered 27 787s six years ago and has only taken possession of two, due to Dreamliners long process from concept to reality. Most recently, at the end of July, a 787 failed during a pre-flight taxi test at Charleston International Airport when the engine’s fan midshaft fractured, then shifted backwards, breaking both turbine blades.
GE’s solution “introduced changes in the production process that address environmentally assisted cracking, including changes to the dry-film coating applied to the mid-shaft, as well as changes to the coating lubricant used when the retaining nut is clamped to the mid-shaft.”
What: Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 737 scheduled for Gdansk to Gardermoen
Where: Gdansk International Airport, Poland
When: 13-SEP-2012, 11:50
Who: no fatalities, no injuries
Why: The empty plane was at Gdansk International Airport when it was struck by a baggage vehicle.
The plane sustained damage and was subsequently taken out of rotation.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Rainer Bexten
What: Southern Air Boeing 747-200F en route from Miami to Anchorage
Where: Anchorage International Airport
When: Sept 11, 2012
Who: crew
Why: Outside of Anchorage, all four main power generators on the Southern Air Boeing quit; the plane had a complete electrical failure. They made the rest of the flight on battery power, which was nearly depleted by the time they reached Anchorage.
The Southern Air cargo jet landed in Anchorage on backup power and without communication until 13 minutes before landing; the landing was hard and fast without reverse thrusters. No one was injured, although on landing, 14 of the Of the jet’s 18 tires blew out. Emergency services were on standby awaiting a fire.
The previous owner of the plane was Saudi Air.
What: ABX Air Boeing 767-200 en route from Cincinnati, to Seattle
Where: Seattle
When: Sep 7th 2012
Who: Crew
Why: A cargo flight lost a little something over Washington state. The refrigerator-sized landing gear door crashed to a Kent Washington street and skidded along the ground.
The FAA picked up the DHL plane part.
The video below mentions a couple other cases when planes have rained parts down on people below:
What: American Airlines Boeing 777 en route from London to Los Angeles
Where: Iqaluit
When: Sept 4, 2012
Who: 1 medical emergency
Why: The flight was en route when one passenger developed a medical emergency. The flight made a safe landing and the passenger was taken to Qikiqtani General Hospital.
After spending 4 hours on the tarmac with the passengers all aboard, the 777 had to be inspected (for the overweight landing) before it continued to Los Angeles
What: Air New Zealand Boeing 767 en route from Honolulu to Auckland
Where: Auckland
When: August 5, 2012
Who: 230 passengers
Why: When the landing gear light (which should indicate landing gear are in place) did not come on during approach, the pilot told Auckland ATC, and performed a flyby confirming the gear were down. The pilot went on to make a safe landing.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Markus Adank
What: XL Airways en route through Boeing 737-800 from Hanover to Bonn
Where: Cologne-Bonn airport
When: Sept 3 2012
Who: 186 passengers, 6 crew
Why: An XL Airways plane at Bonn was evacuated when smoke filled the cabin. Seven passengers were treated on the scene and eleven in all were injured. Some passengers described an odor like kerosene.
Passengers disembarked via the stairway on to the tarmac with emergency services on standby.
In 2008, the same plane had an engine problem forcing an emergency landing.
What: American Airlines Boeing B767 en route from Dallas to Miami.
Where: Dallas TX
When: August 30, 2012
Who: no injuries
Why: According to the FAA report, during Push-back for departure, the plane hit a parked MD80.
Oops.
No injuries were reported. THe plane involved happened to be the Miami Dolphins charter plane scheduled to return the Dophins to Miami. The team was provided a replacement jet and they returned to Miami at 7:30 a.m. the next morning.
What: United Boeing 767-300 en route from London to Chicago
Where: Heathrow
When: Aug 27 2012
Why: While en route, the jet developed engine problems. The engine was shut down, and the flight returned to London where pilots made a fast landing.
Travel.aol.co.uk and www.dailymail.co.uk reported that “Chicago-bound plane had to be sprayed with water by firemen to cool the engine” but we tend to believe the fast landing/hot brakes angle. (Thank you Anonymous)
What: Air China Boeing en route from Beijing to NY
Where: Beijing
When: August 29, 2012
Why: Passengers aboard an Air China Flight were flown back to Beijing and told there was a “map display error or due to turbulence.” On landing, the captain told passengers there had been a threatening message. Passengers disembarked through security and were provided an alternative flight.
Air China posted the following message:
“Due to threatening information received about flight CA 981, to ensure the safety of passengers, this flight has returned to Beijing Capital International Airport.”
What: Southwest Airlines Boeing en route from Oakland to Reno
Where: Oakland
When: August 28, 2012
Who: 119 passengers
Why: Southwest Flight 2899 took off but moments later at about 9:30 a.m., a flight attendant smelled smoke.
Pilots diverted the flight back to Oakland and made a safe landing. Fire and rescue crews were on standby.
What: Southwest Airways Boeing 737 en route from San Francisco to Denver
Where: Oakland
When: August 28, 2012 7:48 a.m.
Who: 143 passengers
Why: The flight made an emergency landing at Oakland due to cabin pressurization problems. Fire and rescue crews were on standby.
Passengers were provided another flight which arrived in Denver two hours late.
What: VIRGIN Australia Boeing en route from Brisbane to Los Angeles
Where: Los Angeles
When: August 27, 2012
Who: 416 passengers
Why: The flight made an emergency landing in LA when it developed problems with its landing gear.
Emergency services were on standby during the landing. Fortunately, pilots made a safe landing with no injuries reported.
What: Scandinavian Airlines Boeing 737-683 en route from Stockholm to Umeå
Where: Sweden
When: August 26, 2012
Who: 120 passengers, 5 crew
Why: After take-off, the plane was hit by lightning.
Pilots returned to the airport and made a safe landing. Passengers transferred to another plane, while the original was inspected.
What: Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300ER en route from Atlanta to
Where: Atlanta
When: August 25, 2012
Who: 180 aboard
Why: After take-off, the plane developed problems with the leading-edge slats, which could not be retracted. Pilots returned to Atlanta where the flight maintained for 3.5 hours at 10,000ft, dumped and burn-off fuel.
At 23:10, the flight made a slats-but-no-flaps landing, after which passengers disembarked. There were no injuries. Passengers were provided an alternative flight.
What: British Airways Boeing 747-400 en route from Cape Town to London
Where: London
When: Aug 23rd 2012
Who: 1 fatality
Why: It has not been released whether the stowaway found in the plane’s landing gear bay died from exposure or lack of oxygen. Temperatures at 30,000 feet are between -40 and -50ºC. The body was found by crew at Heathrow and is presumed to be the trespasser who evaded pursuers in the Cape Town International Airport. Police were called at 6.25am when the body was found.
What: United Airlines Boeing 737-400 en route from Guam to Fukuoka
Where: Fukuoka
When: August 25, 2012 10:40 a.m.
Who: 119 passengers and crew
Why: Pilots reported a problem with their gauges and made an emergency landing at 10:40 a.m.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Paul Spijkers
What: Lion Air Boeing 737-900
Where: Jakarta Indonesia
When: August 24, 2012, 3:35 a.m.
Who: no fatalities
Why: The right wing of Lion Air Boeing 737-900(PK-LFL) grazed the tail of (PK-OCU)Airfast Indonesia MD 82 which was improperly parked. (The incident appears to be due to negligent parking.)
The Lion Air plane had been scheduled to take-off at 5:20.
An investigation is underway.
