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Contact photographer Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com
What: US Airways/PSA Airlines Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Charlotte,NC to Lexington,KY
Where: Charlotte-Douglas International Airport
When: Apr 6 2010
Who: 14 passengers and 3 crew
Why: After takeoff, the left engine failed. The crew returned to Charlotte and made a safe cautionary landing 20 minutes after it left.
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Contact photographer Misha Tyukin
What: American Airlines Boeing 767-200 en route from New York JFK to Los Angeles
Where: Dulles, Washington
When: Apr 6th 2010
Who: 152 passengers
Why: While en route, the systems detected an indication that a cargo door was “not fully secure”. The flight diverted to Dulles where it made an unscheduled stop, and landed safely. The cargo door problem was promptly taken care of by mechanics before the flight continued on to LA.
Boeing Completes First 787 Dreamliner Maintenance Training Class
EVERETT, Wash., April 6 — Boeing (NYSE: BA) today announced that it has completed the first maintenance training class for the 787 Dreamliner. The class consisted of 10 mechanics from 787 launch customer ANA (All Nippon Airways) and two regulators from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB).
The mechanics, who completed the training last week, are the first of 150 ANA mechanics to be trained by Boeing over the next seven months. They spent more than 30 days learning how to maintain the world’s most advanced commercial jetliner, including 20 days of theoretical training, two days of engine runs and taxi testing, five days of practical training and five days of troubleshooting exercises. To conclude the training, students conducted component identification exams on production airplanes, as well as troubleshooting exams in the full flight simulator.
To support the all-new 787, Boeing Training & Flight Services, a division of Commercial Aviation Services, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, has developed an all-digital, Internet-based teaching system for maintenance training, along with training tools that connect real-time to a virtual airplane and airplane systems.
“Getting our mechanics trained and prepared is essential to being ready to take delivery of the airplane later this year,” said Michihide Kono, vice president of Engineering and Maintenance for ANA. “This is an important milestone for our ANA team and we are delighted to see the continued progress on the program.”
The curriculum is designed to focus on performance-based training that incorporates real-world simulated maintenance scenarios for a more immersive training experience.
“The use of personal tablet computers, interactive computer-based training, three-dimensional images and desktop simulation makes it possible to deliver training more efficiently,” said Sherry Carbary, vice president of Boeing Training & Flight Services, Commercial Aviation Services, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Our team is committed to providing our customers with the resources and tools they need to be successful.”
The 787 comes with digital tools and databases that replace volumes of printed materials. The graphic and textual database has point-and-click features for more details, allowing mechanics to navigate through documents quickly to get the information they need to do their jobs.
“This milestone is another important step along the way to being service-ready,” said Mike Fleming, director of 787 Services and Support, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Our goal is to make entry into service a seamless experience for our customers.”
Fifty-seven customers around the world have ordered 866 787s since the program was launched in April 2004, making the Dreamliner the fastest-selling new commercial jetliner in history. Delivery of the first 787 is planned for the fourth quarter of 2010.
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Contact photographer Rafael García
What: SAS Scandinavian Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-82 en route from Pristina Kosovo to Copenhagen
Where: Berlin
When: Apr 3rd 2010
Who: 89 passengers and 5 crew
Why: After takeoff from Kosovo, a part fell from the engine. the crew diverted to Berlin and made a safe landing.
What: Front Range Helicopters
Where: near Mount Morrison
When: April 04, 2010
Who: Pilot instructor 29-year-old Jesse Whitsett of Fort Collins and student Michael McDonald
Why: The student was practicing a “remote site landing,” a move required for a license. McDonald was practicing to get his license.
After the crash, the pilot radioed in his location. Neither instructor nor student was seriously injured, although McDonald did go to the hospital.
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Contact photographer Kris Mogford
What: Qantas Boeing 747-400 en route from Bangkok to London
Where: Bangkok
When: Apr 6th 2010
Who: 335 passengers
Why: After takeoff, engine four had an engine surge. The crew decided to return to Bangkok where they circled, dumped fuel and made a safe landing. Passengers were provided accommodations, and an alternative flight. There were no injuries.
This is the sixth Qantas incident this week.
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Contact photographer Stefano R.
What: Egypt Air Airbus A330-200 en route from Cairo to Hurghada
Where: Cairo
When: Apr 2nd 2010
Who: 195 passengers
Why: Prior to take-off, there was crew error on the ground, and the plane impacted two runway light poles. The wings were damaged; the streetlights collapsed. Passengers were transferred to another plane.
The damaged plane was judged to be a total loss.
Pictured: An American Eagle Embraer EMB-145LR over Dallas
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Contact photographer Jeff Snyder
What: American Eagle Embraer ERJ-145 en route from Tulsa to Chicago O’Hare
Where: Dane County Regional Airport
When: 9:46 p.m. Sunday April 4 2010
Who: 27 passengers on board
Why: While en route, the pilot detected smoke/electrical fumes in the cockpit and decided to divert to Madison.
Passengers were provided overnight accomodations by the airline and continued to Chicago on Monday.
What: Anlægsselskabet Dansk Nybyg Piper PA-28-151 Warrior en route from Laesoe island.
Where: between Solsbæk and Sæby, North Jutland, Denmark
When: April 5 2010
Who: Two were hospitalized; remains of Niels and Bente Birch Nielsen recovered on the scene
Why: The 35-year-old Piper PA-28-151 Warrior crashed into trees near Solsbæksvej (Solsbæksroad), between Solsbæk and Sæby, North Jutland. The parents were were killed and the two daughters (17 and 25) were taken to hospital with serious injuries. At the time of the crash, visibility was not good, and according to witnesses, the plane was flying low.
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Contact photographer Graham Weatherby
What: Qantas Boeing 747 en route from Los Angeles to Melbourne
Where: Melbourne
When: Apr 5 2010
Why: While en route over Canberra, a crack developed in the outer pane of the first officer’s windshield. The flight landed safely, and was temporarily taken out of circulation/rotation for repairs.
Pictured: JetBlue Airways Airbus A320-232 over Liberty International
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Contact photographer Ken Iwelumo
What: Jetblue Airbus A320-200 en route from Newark to Fort Lauderdale
Where: Newark Liberty International Airport
When: Apr 5th 2010
Who: 134 passengers
Why: During takeoff, the airbus lost the left engine cowling.
Distressed panicked passengers smelled smoke and said they could see inside the engine.
Less than a quarter of an hour later, it had landed back at the airport, where the fallen parts had to be gathered.
The NY Daily news reported that passengers were offered refunds and a free round trip.
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Contact photographer Christopher Liao
What: Miami Air International Boeing 737-400 en route from Minneapolis to Miami
Where: Chicago
When: Apr 4th 2010
Who: the “Miami Heat”
Why: While en route, the flight’s mechanic became sick. The flight diverted to Chicago for an hour where the mechanic was hospitalized in a diabetic coma.
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Contact photographer Alan Lebeda
What: Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 737-800 en route from Alicante to Stockholm
Where: Alicante
When: Apr 2nd 2010
Who: 106 passengers
Why: After takeoff, passengers smelled smoke, and one of the indicators detected fire in a wheel well. The plane returned to Alicante, and made a safe landing. During emergency evacuation, four passengers were injured. Passengers were provided hotel accommodations and Boeing brought in another plane to transport them.
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Contact photographer Yash Rajgor
What: United Airlines B744 en route from Chicago to Tokyo
Where: Tokyo
When: Apr 1st 2010
Who: 348 passengers,
Why: On landing, the left landing gear erupted in white smoke. Emergency services found no fire or damage.
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Contact photographer Allen M. Schultheiss
What: Poelking Air LLC Beechcraft B36TC Bonanza taking off from Wright Brothers Airport to Chicago
Where: Ohio: 741 along Penny Royal Road, Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport.,
When: April 1 2010
Who: 2 fatalities, 2 occupants
Why: After takeoff, the Beechcraft Bonanza experienced problems. On the pilot’s attempted landing, the plane’s right wing struck the runway. The plane cartwheeled and exploded 1,000 feet south of the runway, killing both aboard.
The pilot was Tom Hausfeld; the passenger was his daughter Kacie Hausfeld.
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Contact photographer Jordi Grife
JetBlue has corrected an earlier report that the plane sustained hail damage. The airline is now saying that a tail strike on take-off caused the damage and subsequently the emergency landing.
What: Jetblue Airbus A320-200 en route from New York to Long Beach
Where: New York
When: Mar 28th 2010
Who: 144 on board
Why: Leaving the runway, the plane’s tail impacted either hail or a bird or had a tail strike (reports conflict); the flight returned to JFK and made a safe landing so that the damage could be checked out. Passengers debarked, and boarded an alternative plane some time later.
What: Cessna 182
Where: Monocacy National Battlefield
When: March 30, 2010
Who: Pilot, Bethany Chase, 40, of Germantown, Md and passenger Gregory Windham 57, of Olney
Why: The pilot was making traffic surveys. She intended to land at Montgomery Airport, but there was a problem there with wind shear, and she redirected to Frederick Municipal airport, but her plane lost power. The plane flipped, and landed on Urbana Pike. No one was injured seriously. The passenger refused treatment, and the pilot was hospitalized with minor injuries.
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Contact photographer Marcel Schmidt
What: THY Turkish Airlines Airbus A340-300 en route from Bangkok to Istanbul
Where: Mumbai
When: Apr 1st 2010
Who: 289 passengers
Why: While en route, one of the engines developed problems, and the crew had to shut it down and decided to divert to Mumbai. The flight made a safe landing, and was towed to the gate.
140 passengers were directed to alternative airlines, and the rest were provided hotel accommodations and given a seat on a Turkish Airlines Friday flight.
Passengers were booked on alternative flights.
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Contact photographer Fred Seggie
What: Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from New York to San Francisco
Where: Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
When: Mar 30
Who: 171 aboard (165 passengers and 6 crew)
Why: When smoke fill the cabin, the crew diverted the flight to St Louis. They made a safe landing with no reported injuries.
Passengers disembarked on the runway and were bussed to the gate.
Los Angeles – International approaching Sepulveda
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Contact photographer Sandro Mederle
What: Qantas Airbus A380-800 en route from Singapore to Sydney
Where: Sydney
When: Mar 31st 2010
Who: 244 passengers
Why: On landing, the plane blew its left tires; and there were sparks and and a brief fire from the brakes. The plane left a rubber trail. Damage assessment was made on the tarmac by engineers, with the plane sitting on its rims.
Qantas denies classifying this as an “emergency” landing.
I’m thinking how smart Boeing is to have held up release of their big jumbo, especially when I see A 380 incidents.
I am reminded of all the flaws that popped in the Airbus A310 (reputedly a rush copy of the Boeing 737); and I also remember reading about Airbus struggling to get the A-380 shipshape before Airbus rushed it to market. In development, Airbus wrestled with a plane that was severely overweight, withstructural, and production problems. Remember the trouble the A-380 had getting launched:
I can think of 3 other A380 incidents. Feb of this year, Air France A380-861 (F-HPJA) had fuel system issues that turned back a New York-Paris flight. A380 muss wegen Problemen mit Treibstoffsystem umkehren
On Dec 4 2009, QANTAS Airbus A380-842 (VH-OQA) Singapore to London- On the runway, the plane’s nose gear became unsteereable. The plane was towed to the gate and spare parts had to be flown in to deal with the problem.
On July 4 2009, Qantas Airbus A380-842 (VH-OQA) Singapore to London- the approach was aborted due to nosegear problems. On landing, steering failed.
In March of 2008, Qantas removed all 3 of its A-380s due to fuel system problems (two unserviceable with a ‘”fuel tank indication system problem”.)
The A380 is a part of the Air France, Emirates, Qantas and Singapore airlines fleets , and in which fuel gauge problems, nosegear problems and braking problems are becoming known issues. Problems also arise because the prohibitive size of the plane limits where it can land.
Some Worrisome Airbus History
In 2004, Joseph Mangan, an Airbus whistleblower told European aviation authorities of flaws on a computer chip on the Airbus A380. (These were microprocessor flaws that could cause the valves that maintain cabin pressure on the A380 to accidentally open during flight, allowing air to leak out so rapidly that everyone aboard could lose consciousness within seconds.)
Mangan was chief engineer for the Viennese company TTTech Computertechnik, which supplied the chips and software controlling the A380 cabin-pressurization system assembled at the French Airbus plant. TTTech fired Mangan, filed civil and criminal charges against him for revealing proprietary company documents. Austrian law has no whistleblower protection, and there is currently a gag order imposed on Mangan. They claim his allegations have been disproved.
What did he know? Have the problems behind his concerns been addressed? What else do we not know? Without transparency, how can we ever know?
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Contact photographer Neil Guinea
What: United Airlines Boeing 777-200 en route from San Francisco to Beijing
Where: San Francisco
When: Mar 27 2010
Who: 251 passengers and 17 crew
Why: After takeoff, the Boeing’s Traffic and Collision Avoidance System issued a traffic advisory, recognizing an Aeronca too close. From a lower altitude, the Boeing crew only saw a portion of Aeronca that was passing between 200-300 feet away. TCAS warned them to drop their altitude to increase separation. The Aeronca was directed to take a “hard left”
Pictured: A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7H4
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Contact photographer Mark Kopczak
What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300 en route from Fort Lauderdale,FL to Chicago
Where: Tampa International Airport
When: Mar 30th 2010
Who: 136 passengers
Why: After takeoff, the landing gear remained stuck in the down position. After circling the airport for half an hour, the flight landed safely at the Tampa airport, with emergency vehicles on standby.
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Contact photographer KianHong
What: Qantas Boeing 747-400 en route Sydney to Singapore
Where: Sydney
When: Mar 30th 2010
Who: 414 aboard
Why: While en route, a right engine experienced an engine surge. That engine had to be shut down. The crew had to dump fuel and return to Sydney where they made a safe landing about an hour after departure. Passengers were provided a replacement plane.
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Contact photographer Ricardo Morales
What: Mexicana Boeing 767-300 en route from Sao Paulo to Mexico City
Where: Brasilia
When: Mar 28 2010
Why: While en route, the flight developed an oil leak, which prompted the crew to shut down the left engine. The crew diverted the flight to Brasilia and made a safe landing. Passengers were rebooked.
A Reuters release announces that the relatives of passengers killed in an Air France crash off Brazil have filed nearly two dozen wrongful death lawsuits against Airbus, alleging that aircraft maker’s A330 crashed because of flaws in the plane and its U.S.-made components.
The search for the black boxes is supposed to be continuing now that investigators have decided on the likeliest location where they may be found. The plane originally went down 680 miles off the coast of Brazil, but in the past ten months since the tragedy, water currents dispersing the wreckage will have made the search more difficult.
An Airbus Americas spokesman has said they “will be moving to have (the lawsuit) dismissed.”
Lawyers from the Miami-based firm Podhurst Orseck has not yet responded to Airbus statements.
