McDonnell Douglas

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    What is the Value of a Human Life?

    In case you forgot, Dana Air Flight 992 is the McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft en route from Abuja to Lagos, Nigeria which crashed on June 3rd 2012, in the Iju-Ishaga neighbourhood of Lagos, demolishing a furniture works and printing press building.

    The accident, a combination of engine failure and subsequent forced landing, killed 163 people, ten of them on the ground. Eleven miles from the airport, the MD-83 crashed on its tail. It and the neighborhood went up in flames.

    Why do I bring this up now, a little over a year later?

    Because 11 families have received $100,000 each–

    Because sixty-five families whose compensation payments have not been made, due largely to documentation issues and they are suing Dana Air —

    Dana Air claims “95 of 125 families have received interim compensation of $30,000.”

    I have been reading rhetoric lauding Dana Air for making what someone calls “unprecedented progress” in paying compensation.

    Putting the value of a human life at $100,000 is lowballing the value of life. I am surprised that anyone would be commending such devaluation.

    Is the operator looking for a gold medal for forking over a mere $100,000 for a loss of life?

    Is this all a life is worth in that part of the world or is this something Dana insurer is declaring a fair compensation?

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    Delta: Flight delayed by Mud

    Delta Flight 1763 McDonnell Douglas MD-88 en route from Washington DC to Minneapolis was on the tarmac when the right gear left the pavement and got mired in a foot of mud.

    160 passengers had to disembark on to the runway. They were bussed back to the terminal, and their takeoff was delayed.

    Meanwhile airport crews had to get the plane unstuck.

    Passengers scheduled on the 2:53 flight were put on a delayed flight that arrived in Minneapolis/St Paul Intl at Gate G19 at 8:13 p.m..

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    Medevac Crash in Oaxaca


    An Oaxaca State Government McDonnell Douglas MD 600N was en route from Hospital Regional de Putla Villa de Guerrero, Oaxaca, Mexico to Hospital General de Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico when it crashed with four people aboard.

    The crash was located five miles from Oaxaca. The preliminary report lists Captain Guillermo Chavez Medina, the aeromedical Paul Hector Vicente, less than 24 hours old surname Martinez Sanchez (patient) and the latter’s father, Pedro Martinez, approximately 20 years old.

    The Medevac helicopter/air ambulance was transporting the infant who was less than 24 hours old.

    Bad weather or mechanical failure may have been behind the crash in Guerrero Cuilapan.

    Emergency services have cordoned off the area prior to investigation.

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    American Airlines Emergency Landing La Guardia

    On Feb 17, 2013, an American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-83 en route from Dallas Ft Worth to La Guardia (NYC), aborted an approach and made a safe landing on the second attempt. The plane was about to land and dealing with windy conditions when it lost its flight control system.

    The same plane had been reported with electrical problems two days before.

    On landing, the pilots were reported to be complaining to maintenance crews about the repairs.

    American MD83 near Dallas on Feb 15th 2013

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    Emergency Landing in Albuquerque


    On Jan 11, 2013, Flight 1868, an American Airlines MD-80 en route from Las Vegas to Dallas was in the air when a problem developed in a plane generator. There were 150 passengers and 5 crew.

    The Captain told passengers that the backup generator failed, so they had to divert to Albuquerque International where they made a safe landing at 8:30 a.m.

    No injuries were reported.

    Passengers were informed the plane was going to maintenance and they were placed on alternative flights to Dallas.

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    Dana Air Returns to the Sky


    Dana Air is returning to “service” six months after killing 153 in the notorious crash on Sunday, 3 June 2012. Dana Air Flight 992 crashed into two Lagos buildings. Poor maintenance and bad aviation safety practices led that Dana Air MD-83 to a dual engine failure that killed 153 aboard, 10 on the ground and caused many other injuries (on the ground.)

    We might ask why Dana Air is returning to so-called service when it had the highest number of aviation fatalities in 2012 and the world’s highest McDonnell Douglas MD-83 death toll.

    Should they really be offering flights when they have not explained away the cause of the Dana Air Crash? Perhaps they will keep flying until their remaining five McDonnell Douglas MD-83 have crashed, people grow more sense than to choose Dana Air on flights between Lagos and Abuja or LENDERS and LEASEHOLDERS choose to write better safety controls in their contracts.

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    Dana Compensation Delays


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Peter Tonna

    What: Dana Air McDonnell Douglas MD-83 en route from Abuja to Lagos, Nigeria
    Where: Iju neighborhood, Lagos
    When: June 3, 2012
    Who: 153 passengers
    Why: NAICOM told seminar attendees that the $70,000 per Dana Plane Crash victim payment is contingent on the death certificate and letter of administration, and 70 per cent of Dana Air Crash Claim settlements have been delayed due to families being unable to submit death certificates and letter of administration.

    58 families have been paid $30,000 (the initial 30%) that is due 30 days after the crash. On verification of the correct claimants, the balance of the claims should be covered by Prestige Assurance, six Nigerian insurance companies and Lloyds and Lloyds Associates.

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    Planes Scrape at Jakarta Airport


    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.

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    Immigration and Customs Enforcement Emergency Landing at Mesa

    What: ICE MD-80 en route from Las Vegas to Mesa
    Where: Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport
    When: July 17, 2012, 11:15 a.m.
    Who: 75 passengers
    Why: The flight was en route from Las Vegas to Mesa when it developed engine problems. One engine was shut down and the pilots made a safe landing at their intended destination with one engine down. Many of the passengers were detainees in the process of deportation.

    ICE stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Another source said the plane was operated by Allegiant.

    Emergency responders were on the scene, including the Mesa Fire Department.

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    Dana Air Preliminary Report


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Peter Tonna
    What: Dana Air McDonnell Douglas MD-83 en route from Abuja to Lagos, Nigeria
    Where: Iju neighborhood, Lagos
    When: June 3, 2012
    Who: 153 passengers
    Why: According to the Dana Crash Preliminary report, the captain and the first officer were in a discussion of a non-normal condition regarding the correlation between the engine throttle setting and an engine power indication. They did not voice concerns then that the condition would affect the continuation of the flight.

    The report included records of visual examination of the aircraft wreckage, review maintenance records and other historical information of the aircraft, documentation of the training and experience of the flight crew, determination of the chronology of the flight, review of recorded data, reconstructing the aircraft refueling, and collection of related fuel samples and interview of related personnel.

    See report below:

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    Dana Air Interim Payments Offered


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Peter Tonna
    What: Dana Air McDonnell Douglas MD-83 en route from Abuja to Lagos, Nigeria
    Where: Iju neighborhood, Lagos
    When: June 3, 2012
    Who: 153 passengers
    Why: Dana air stated that it is fully aware of the mandatory requirement by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), for interim benefits to be paid to the families of the victims within 30 days of the accident.

    Although 68 families have completed their insurance compensation documentation, only nine families were given $30,000 each, having been the only ones to successfully run the legal gauntlet.

    Beneficiaries said the interim payment fell short of their expectations.

    Claim forms must be taken to Yomi Oshikoya & Co, for verification. Yomi Oshikoya & Co was appointed by the insurers in Lagos.

    Dana Air attempted to distribute cheques as interim compensation to some individuals made homeless by the crash. Dana Air prepared N500, 000 for one of the victims, Mr. Daniel Omowunmi, N100, 000, each to two occupants of the boys’ quarters and N200, 000 each to six families in the block of flats. Full payment of the compensation by the insurance company is pending. The lawyer rejected the checks as inadequate and also not all of the victims were included.

    In George’s Point of View

    Interim payments, that is good.

    It’s Lloyds of London.

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    Dana Air Semantic Wars


    Dana Air is currently GROUNDED, not revoked.

    Flights are not allowed, but the company is intact in order to appear in court. Whether or not Dana Air’s license is revoked will depend on the results of the investigation.

    Media Assistant to the Aviation Minister, Mr. Obi said “Dana has no authority to claim that its license had not been suspended. No matter what Dana Air says about denying a revoked license, their jets will not be flying until the case has been settled. ”

    Dana Air’s website posts a memorial to the victims and the following letter:

    PRESS STATEMENT ON FLIGHT 9J 992 OF SUNDAY, JUNE 3, 2012.
    Lagos | 08th June, 2012
    At Dana Air, the safety of our passengers and crew is of paramount importance.

    The aircraft involved in the accident, a Boeing MD83 (Registration Number 5N-RAM), was maintained correctly and fully in accordance with the manufacturers schedule and directives from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

    It had its last 400-hourly check (A-Check) on 30th May, 2012. The statutory annual maintenance (C-Check) was not due until September 2012. The Certificate of Airworthiness issued by the NCCA after its last C-Check was completely valid as at the time of the accident.

    We adhere strictly to the maintenance schedule of all our aircraft as prescribed by the manufacturers, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. Dana Air has a maintenance agreement with MyTechnic – an international, world-class aviation maintenance organisation (MRO) which is located at our Lagos base. It performs and supervises all local maintenance tasks including the daily servicing and release of our aircraft for operations. Our heavy scheduled maintenance checks (i.e. C-checks) are done by leading MRO companies overseas.

    Dana Air will continue to offer the families assistance, and will provide further updates when possible.

    24 hour assistance contact numbers:

    LAGOS: 01-2809888 & 08052697500 & 08077291288

    ABUJA: 07044213849 & 07026672145

    Jacky Hathiramani

    Chief Executive Officer

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    Husband Files Dana Air Flight 992 Lawsuit


    Joy Chiedozie Allison died on Dana Air Flight 992. Her family has hired attorney Gary Robb. On June 7 (yesterday) Robb filed a 56 page lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Chicago, a discovery motion naming The Boeing Company, McDonnell Douglas Corporation, Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp., United Technologies Corporation and Estate of Peter Waxtan.

    In the Dana Airlines crash, both of the MD-83’s engines failed before it crashed into several buildings in Nigeria

    The chief engineer of Dana Air was also aboard the plane when it crashed. Employees of Dana airlines have said that owners were aware that the jet had mechanical troubles struggling on a Calabar flight;, but the crew was forced fly anyway, and fly it loaded to the hilt with passengers and luggage.

    Captain Oscar Wason is saying there may have been a bird strike. The black boxes have been recovered and will be sent to the US. The black boxes will have the truth.

    Joy Allison worked for Federal Express.

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    Witnesses of the Dana Air Crash Recount What they Saw


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Ken Iwelumo

    update
    The Dana Air flight crashed into a suburb of Lagos on Sunday. All 153 people on board and an unknown number of residents on the ground were killed in the crash.

    Witnesses below talk about what they saw.

    Using cadaver dogs and cranes, emergency crews recovered 48 bodies. Local residents helped with spraying water on the fire, but after three hours, there was apparently no water to put it out.

    Passengers aboard the plane included four Chinese citizens, and two Lebanese citizens (identified as Nadim Chediac and Roger Awwad.) The pilot was reported to be American, and the co-pilot Indian.

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    First Report of Dana Air Crash in Lagos


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Peter Tonna

    http://www.cknnigeria.com/2012/06/exclusive-pictures-of-crashed-dana-air.html?m=1

    What: Dana Air McDonnell Douglas MD-83 en route from Abuja to Lagos, Nigeria
    Where: Iju neighborhood, Lagos
    When: June 3, 2012
    Who: 153 passengers
    Why: Weather was clear. The Dana Air flight experienced engine trouble first in one engine, then the other and was nearing to the airport when it apparently struck a cable and crashed into a residential area less than four miles from the airport. There are no survivors.

    Pilots already flying on one engine had slowed, then the second engine failed.

    The number of people aboard is not definite as it is not reflected in the flight manifest. Apparently some paper-ticketed passengers are not recorded on computer records, and the passenger manifest is in the process of being double-checked.

    The plane had refueled which contributed to a massive fire. The number of casualties in the furniture store/workshop and apartment building that were struck is unknown.

    The Nigerian Red Cross, Nigeria’s air crash safety investigators,2 firetrucks and 50 rescue personnel arrived on the scene. A number of charred remains have been recovered.

    Local residents report hearing a loud explosion that sounded like a bomb.

    Photos of the disaster site show people wandering around the wreckage, with the site not secured.


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    Allegiant makes Duluth Emergency Landing One Engine Down

    What: Allegient Air McDonnell Douglas jet en route from Duluth to Las Vegas
    Where: Duluth
    When: May 18, 2012, 9 p.m.
    Who: 140 passengers, 5 crew
    Why: While en route about fifteen minutes into the flight, passengers on Allegiant Air Duluth-Las Vegas heard a loud bang. Pilots declared emergency.

    Fifty miles into the flight, pilots shut down the affected engine, and returned to Duluth International Airport. Emergency services including National Guard, firefighters and emergency responders were on stand by.

    Passengers were offered $50 vouchers and the opportunity to stay at the Residence Inn. Passengers were told that the replacement flight departed at 2:30 p.m. Saturday but it did not depart until 3:55 pm. Meanwhile, Allegiant Mechanics removed the ailing engine from the disabled plane.

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    American Airlines Emergency Landing at Raleigh-Durham International Airport


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Mark Kryst
    What: American Airlines en route from Raleigh to Chicago
    Where: Raleigh-Durham International Airport
    When: May 20, 2012, 8:15
    Who: 138 passengers
    Why: The American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-80 en route from Raleigh to Chicago developed an oil leak in one engine after take-off.

    Pilots made a loop over central North Carolina and returned to Raleigh, aborted an attempted landing, and then made a successful emergency landing. Emergency services, crash-fire-rescue trucks and firefighters were on standby.

    American Airlines provided a replacement flight for passengers. No injuries were reported.

    Flight Aware Live Flight Tracker > American Airlines (AA) #1645 > 20-May-2012 > KRDU-KORD Flight Tracker
    #AAL1645

    American Airlines “American”
    Aircraft McDonnell Douglas MD-83 (twin-jet) (MD83/Q)
    Origin Raleigh-Durham Intl (KRDU)
    Destination Raleigh-Durham Intl (KRDU)
    Route PACK6 AZELL HMV FLM HEVAN MZZ ROYKO3 (Decode)
    Date Sunday, May 20, 2012
    Duration 22 minutes
    Status Landed yesterday.
    Distance Direct: 0 sm Planned: 257 sm Flown: 114 sm
    Scheduled Actual/Estimated
    Departed 08:05AM EDT 08:12AM EDT
    Arrival 09:52AM EDT 08:34AM EDT
    Speed 393 kts
    Altitude 34,000 feet

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    Far Eastern Air Transport Runway Overrun


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer K.L.Yim

    What: Far Eastern Air Transport McDonnell Douglas MD-82 en route from Taipei to Makung
    Where: Makung
    When: May 16th 2012, 10:45am
    Who: 165 aboard
    Why: On landing in Making in rain and wind, the plane exceeded a stop line on the runway which was abbreviated due to construction. Minimal damage occurred to the plane but runway lights were damaged.

    Although a Taipei news report calls into question the pilot’s braking, the weather and the fact that the runway was shortened due to construction should be mentioned.

    The Aviation Safety Council has begun an investigation into the incident.