Aircraft

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    Avianca: Chemical Odor Aboard


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Andres Dallimonti

    What: Avianca Fokker 100 en route from Cucuta to Bogota Colombia
    Where: Bucaramanga
    When: Dec 14th
    Who: 70 passengers
    Why: While en route, the interior of the plane began to smell of a strange chemical odor. The flight diverted to Bucaramanga, where a couple of gallons of a chemical brought by a passenger was discovered. The chemical was removed. No one was injured.

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    Colgan Air Reports Lack of Speed Warning

    Colgan’s Dec. 7 report to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said last February’s crash was probably caused by pilots’ “loss of situational awareness,” failure to follow the training and procedures, but pointed out contributing factors:

    • the cockpit warning system failed to adequately advise pilots when the speed is set below the calculated stall warning speed.
    • the lack of an adequate warning in the turboprop’s flight and operating manual regarding the effect of setting a non-ice reference speed during approach and landing
    • the crew’s failure to follow procedures regarding the proper response to a “stick shaker”
    • the crew’s failure to follow procedures regarding “non-pertinent conversation” by the flight crew during the descent and approach.

    Although Bombardier is withholding comment until the NTSB completes its investigation, a spokesman pointed out that the existing avionics are reliable and certified; and there are currently no requirements for systems to report abnormally low air speed.


    Click to view large photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Frank Robitaille

    What: Continental Airlines Flight 3407, Bombardier Q400 turboprop operated by regional carrier Colgan Air en route from Newark, New Jersey to Buffalo Niagara International Airport
    Where: Clarence Center, New York.
    When: Thursday Feb 12 struck a house at 10: 10 pm. Two homes were affected.
    Who: 44 passengers and four crew members, 1 off-duty pilot, 1 person on the ground, all fatalities. The passenger manifest has not officially been released.
    Why: The New Jersey-to-Buffalo flight was cleared to land on a runway pointing to the southwest. But the plane crashed with its nose pointed to the northeast. Seconds after two automatic warnings to the pilots that the plane was not moving fast enough to stay aloft, the twin turboprop aircraft went through a “severe pitch and roll” after positioning its flaps for a landing. It did not dive into the house, as initially thought, but landed flat on the house. Icing is emerging as the possible cause for why flight 3047 fell from the sky. The flight data recorder has been collected and is currently being examined.


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    Rio: Light Poles, Trees and Power Box Taken out by Plane Maintenance


    Pictured: An Air Transat Airbus A310-308
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Peter Tsagaris

    What: Canadian Air Transat Airbus A310-300
    Where: Tom Jobim International Airport, Rio de Janeiro
    When: Dec 13, 2009
    Who: Maintenance
    Why: During a maintenance check, the plane jumped “chocks,” crossed the tarmac, crashed into two light poles, trees and a power box next to Tom Jobim International Airport maintenance hangar.

    Damage was limited to the leading edge slats of both wings, and engine nose cowls.

    The plane was undergoing tests by the Tap Maintenance and Engineering.

    Do you think it passed?
    Is this like the infamous “operation was a success but the patient died?” At least there were no reported injuries.

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    Air Dolomiti Survives Loss of Landing Gear


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Maciej Nowak

    What: Air Dolomiti Embraer ERJ-195 en route from Turin to Frankfurt
    Where: Frankfurt
    When: Dec 11th 2009
    Who: not available
    Why: On approach to Frankfort, the plane developed an electronic problems with the landing gear. The crew managed a safe landing, and a replacement plane was provided for passengers, while the original plane moved to maintenance.

    The plane sustained tire damage.

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    Ethiopian Airlines: Aborts Takeoff


    PicturedL An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767-3BG/ER
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Tommy Desmet

    What: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from Nairobi to Addis Ababa
    Where: Nairobi
    When: Dec 11th 2009
    Who: not available
    Why: The flight aborted takeoff and was rescheduled 4 hours later, when it successfully departed Nairobi.
    Details are not available.

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    Condor Engine Stall


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Ralf Meyermann

    What: Condor Boeing 757-300 en route from Tenerife Sur Reina,CI Spain to Dusseldorf Germany
    Where: Las Palmas
    When: Dec 13th 2009
    Who: not available
    Why: While en route, an engine stalled. The plane diverted to Las Palmas, where a replacement plane was sent.

    The plane landed safely in Las Palmas, and the replacement plane delivered the passengers safely 9 hours later.

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    Nigeria: ATC Down


    Pictured: An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767-3BG/ER
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Pieter-Jan Van De Vijver

    What: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from Addis Ababa to Lagos
    Where: Lagos Nigeria
    When: Dec 13th 2009
    Who: 180 passengers
    Why: On approach, ATC communication failed. With air traffic control’s radar and communication radio out of service, the flight circled, and after two hours in a holding pattern, landed after declaring a fuel emergency.

    Other flights also had the same experience.

    Nigeria’s Airspace Management Agency NAMA was unavailable for two hours.

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    Press Release-A400M, world’s most advanced airlifter, completes first flight

    11 December 2009The first Airbus Military A400M military airlifter has landed back in Seville, Spain today at 14:02 local time (13:02 UTC) after completing a successful maiden flight lasting 3h 47min following its take-off at 10:15 local time.

    Chief Test Pilot Military, Edward “Ed” Strongman, captained the flight supported by Experimental Test Pilot Ignacio “Nacho” Lombo. The engineering team on board included: Senior Flight Test Engineer Jean-Philippe Cottet who had responsibility for the powerplants; Senior Flight Test Engineer Eric Isorce with responsibility for the aircraft systems and performance; Senior Flight Test Engineer Didier Ronceray with responsibility for the handling qualities of the aircraft; and Test Flight Engineer Gerard Leskerpit.

    The crew confirmed that the aircraft, known as MSN 1 and its four Europrop International TP400D turboprop engines performed as expected.

    Ed Strongman said: “We have had a very successful first flight – the take-off performance was impressive, we explored a lot of the operational flight envelope, and it was a delight to operate in such a well-designed cockpit with its easy interface to all the normal and military systems. I’m sure our customer pilots are really going to like it – we certainly did.”

    Nacho Lombo added: “From the very beginning of the flight we were impressed by the ease of handling of the aircraft which was in line with what we experienced in the simulator. The aircraft, systems and engine performance were highly satisfactory. We sense the great potential of this magnificent machine. It has been an honour for all the crew to fly the A400M on its maiden flight, representing all the people involved in the programme.”

    Chief Executive Officer Airbus Military, Domingo Urena-Raso, said: “I would like to congratulate Ed Strongman, Nacho Lombo and all of the flight-test team for completing the first flight of the A400M with great success. I am also deeply grateful to everyone in the design, manufacturing and early operations of this programme for their enormously hard work and dedication that have made this aircraft a reality. And I want to thank all those people in our industrial partners and suppliers, as well as our customers, who have contributed so much to the definition and creation of an outstanding product.”

    Airbus CEO Tom Enders said: “I hope we can soon provide certainty that we are able to continue the A400M programme. This is expected by those at Airbus, our partners and suppliers worldwide who contributed so strongly to today’s success as well as by the air forces who wait for their plane.”

    For its first flight the aircraft took off at a weight of 127 tonnes, carrying 15 tonnes of test equipment including two tonnes of water ballast, compared with its maximum take-off weight of 141 tonnes. As planned, the six-man crew extensively explored the aircraft’s flight envelope in direct law, including a wide speed-range, and tested lowering and raising of the landing gear and high-lift devices at altitude. After checking the aircraft’s performance in the landing configuration the crew landed back at Seville.

    In the first half of 2010 MSN 1 will be joined by two sister aircraft, MSN 2 and MSN 3, followed by MSN 4 by the end of the year. A fifth aircraft will join the programme during 2011. This fleet will be used for some 3,700 hours of test-flying between now and first delivery to the French Air Force at the end of 2012. This will be followed by additional military development flying. The type will be certificated by both the civil and military authorities.

    A total of 184 aircraft have so far been ordered by Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom,

    Airbus Military

    Airbus Military is the only military and civil transport aircraft manufacturer to develop, produce, sell and support a comprehensive family of airlifters ranging from three to 37 tonnes of payload. Within Airbus, Airbus Military is responsible for the A400M programme, as well as for military tanker transport derivatives based on Airbus civil aircraft, with the integration of the state-of-the-art flight-refuelling boom (ARBS) which is unique in its class. With the C-295, CN-235 and C-212, Airbus Military is the global leader in the market segments for light and medium-sized military transport aircraft. Altogether Airbus Military has sold more than 1,000 aircraft with over 650 flying with more than 100 operators worldwide.

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    Durban Bird Strike


    Pictured: A South African Airways Airbus A319-131
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Gary Shephard

    What: South African Airways Airbus A319-100 en route from Durban to Cape Town
    Where: Durban
    When: Dec 11th 2009
    Who: not available
    Why: On takeoff, the flight had a bird strike, and made an immediate emergency landing. Passengers debarked and were provided alternative transport.

    The bird ingested was reportedly a “Yellow-billed Kite.”

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    Russia: Parachute Venture Fatal


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Anton Harisov

    What: Technoavia SM-92T Turbo Finist
    Where: Korkino, 12km from Chelyabinsk Russia
    When: Dec 13 2009, 11:02 am
    Who: 8 on board
    Why: The SM-92T plane was carrying one pilot and seven parachutists. According to the MOE, the aircraft performed a U-turn, then began to lose altitude and crashed into the ground in Chelyabinsk. The crash occurred immediately after takeoff from Kalacheva Airport.

    All were fatalities.

    The GU Emergency Operations Group were on site in the recovery operation.

    1. Nikolay Dudkin, born in 1958, pilot
    2. Bakgof Sergey, 1957, Instructor
    3. Oleg Mashkin, born in 1962,
    4. Alexander Pushkarev, born 1967,
    5. Nabokina Denis, born in 1971,
    6. Saitov Eugene, born in 1976,
    7. Lomov Anastasia, born in 1984,
    8. Litvinova Natalia, born in 1988

    The investigation will focus on pilot error, equipment failure and weather conditions.

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    Cessna Down in Yaracuy


    Pictured: A Cessna T210F Turbo Centurion landing in Africa
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Sven De Bevere

    What: Cessna 210F
    Where: Pueblo Nuevo, municipio Veroes, Yaracuy, Venezuela
    When: Dec 11, 2009
    Who: 4 on board
    Why: Friday, the Cessna had been seen flying low over a clandestine airstrip, allegedly used for drug trafficking. The Yaracuy state Special Action Squad discovered the plane whose identification numbers had been tampered with. The area was cordoned off and a gun battle occurred. Four or five individuals were in the plane, and drums of chemicals which are currently being analyzed.

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    Olympic Air Ooops


    Click to view full size photo
    Contact photographer Kostas D. Pantios

    What: Olympic Air Aerospatiale ATR-42-300 en route from Athens to Naxos
    Where: Paros
    When: Dec 12th 2009
    Who: not available
    Why: On approach to Naxos, the crew made a final approach to Paros (situated on side by side islands.)

    On advice from ATC, the pilots performed another go around, finding and landing on their planned destination.


    View Naxos in a larger map

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    Air West Cargo: Illegal Cargo


    Pictured: Air West Cargo Ilyushin Il-76TD
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Alexander Jonsson

    What: Air West Georgia Ilyushin IL-76 en route from Pyongyang North Korea to Colombo Sri Lanka
    Where: Bangkok
    When: Dec 12th
    Who: 5 crew
    Why: When the plane diverted to Bangkok for refueling, 35 tons of weapons (rocket propelled grenades and anti-aircraft Surface to Air Missiles) were discovered on board.

    The crew was detained on charges of arms trafficking.

    The destination could have been anywhere.

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    Sumatra: Lion Air Skid


    Pictured: Lion Airlines Boeing 737-46B
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer JKSC

    What: Lion Air Boeing 737-400
    Where: Pekanbaru airport, Sumatra
    When: December 14, 2009
    Who: 165 passengers
    Why: On landing, the flight skidded off the runway. It took an hour to evacuate the panicked passengers via mobile stairway.

    After a maintenance check, a replacement crew resumed the flight hours later.

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    Boeing Press Release: Boeing Completes 787 Dreamliner High-Speed Taxi Test

    EVERETT, Wash., Dec. 12 — Boeing (NYSE: BA) completed high-speed taxi tests on the first 787 Dreamliner today. This is the last in a series of functional tests planned in preparation for first flight.

    “Our pilots told me the airplane performed beautifully,” said Mike Delaney, vice president and chief project engineer for the 787. “We’re going through and analyzing the data to ensure we’re ready for first flight. From evaluations we’ve done so far, everything looks good.”

    During the testing, the airplane reached a top speed of approximately 130 knots (150 mph, 240 kph), and the pilots lifted the nose gear from the pavement. Video highlights of the taxi testing will be available by the end of the day Monday at www.boeing.com and www.newairplane.com.

    Taxi test is the last testing planned before first flight.

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    NJ: Safe Landing w/o Nose Gear


    Photo: A French-Army Socata TBM-700
    Of course this French Military craft is not the exact TBM-700 as in the incident in New Jersey, but who could resist Mick Bajcar gorgeous photograph?
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Mick Bajcar

    What: TBM-700 single engine turboprop en route from Nantucket Island in Massachusetts to Essex County
    Where: Essex County Airport
    When: 12/12/2009 6:00 pm
    Who: 4 passengers
    Why: While on approach to Essex County Airport, the turboprop developed a nose gear problem. The plane made several passes so that ATC could see the landing gear.

    Emergency crews were standing by.

    The plane landed without the gear extended, minimal damage
    and no human injury.

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    Air India Airbus AC


    Pictured: An Air India Airbus A320-231
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Wim Callaert

    What: Air India Airbus A320-200 en route from Kolkata to Chennai (India)
    Where: Kolkata
    When: Dec 11th 2009
    Who: 139 passengers
    Why: The flight had a successful take-off, but while en route, air conditioning problems developed. (This can also mean pressurization issues. Specifics were not indicated.)

    The flight returned to Kolkata and made a safe landing. A replacement plane was provided.

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    18 Survive Ditched Helicopter


    Pictured: A Bristow Helicopters Nigeria Sikorsky S-92A Helibus
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Ken Iwelumo

    What: helicopter en route to SeaBird Exploration’s seismic vessel Kondor Explorer
    Where: Agbami field offshore Nigeria
    When: Dec 11, 2009
    Who: 18 on board (16 crew, 2 pilots)
    Why: After the helicopter made a controlled “landing” and ditched into the sea, all 18 crew members aboard were rescued.

    No word has been released about why the helicopter ditched.

    The Agbami seismic project is run by Chevron.

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    Texas Piper Crash

    What: Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche en route from Amarillo to Port Mansfield
    Where: Port Mansfield
    When: Dec 10, 2009
    Who: 2 aboard; names not released at time of initial report
    Why: Two fishermen en route to a weekend fishing expedition were in the Piper that disappeared from radar at 10:30 Thursday night and crashed in Port Mansfield.

    The remains found of 48-year-old Robert James Robinett of Sunray, Texas were found in Gulf waters.

    Reportedly, the pilot was Harvey Kinikin of Amarillo. The plane is registered to James M. Scroggin of Arkansas.

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    Turkey: Airbus Gear Fails to Retract


    Pictured: A Turkish Airlines Airbus A340
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Johan Knijn

    What: Turkish Airlines Airbus A340-300 en route from Istanbul Turkey to Beijing China
    Where: Istanbul
    When: Dec 11
    Who: not available
    Why: After takeoff, the airbus was unable retract the gear, and had to turn around and return to the airport to make an emergency landing. The flight’s initial takeoff had been delayed for a day, and after landing, it was another eight and a half hours before it was able to take off again.

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    Pantanal Aerospatiale Emergency Landing in Sao Paulo


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

    What: Pantanal Aerospatiale ATR-42-300 en route from Sao Paulo to Juiz de Fora Brazil
    Where: Congonhas
    When: Dec 8th 2009
    Who: not available
    Why: After takeoff, the flight returned to the airport, after developing smoke in the cabin. The plane landed safely.

    Maintenance traced the smoke to faulty lighting.

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    CA Training Flight Crash


    Pictured: A Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk II
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Andrés Contador

    What: Aviation Pacific Flight School Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk en route from Camarillo
    Where: Ojai, California near the Krotona Institute
    When: Dec 10, 2009
    Who: Flight instructor and student (2 on board)
    Why: An hour into a training flight, the plane crashed in a field.

    The pilot was not in communication with ATC. It is presumed that there were engine troubles, that the pilot was struggling to keep the plane in the air. Witnesses report at least two incidents during the flight were the plane was observed to lose power.

    A witness called 911 after seeing the plane fall right in front of him, right onto the roadway in front of his truck.”

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    Empresa Emergency Landing in Santo Domingo


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Ricardo Morales

    What: Empresa Aerocaribbean SA Boeing 737-200 en route from Caracas Venezuela to Santiago Cuba
    Where: Santo Domingo
    When: Dec 10th 2009
    Who: 90 passengers and 9 crew
    Why: While en route, the flight developed oil filter trouble in the right engine.

    Gushing black smoke, the plane made an emergency landing in Santo Domingo where maintenance took care of the problem. In six hours, passengers continued to their destination on the same plane.