Aircraft

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    Bolivia: Cessna 210 fatality


    Pictured: A Cessna 210M in Bolivia
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Giovanni Francisco Rodriguez Bravo

    What: Cessna 210M en route from Concepcion to El Trompillo Airport
    Where: Concepcion, Bolivia
    When: April 11, 2009
    Who: Pilot and 3 passengers
    Why: The cessna impacted terrain shortly after taking off from Concepcion Airport Concepcion, Bolivia.

    The certificated commercial pilot and three passengers, all Bolivian citizens, were fatally injured. Night visual conditions prevailed. The flight was operating on a visual flight rules flight plan from Concepcion to El Trompillo Airport (SLET), Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

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    Plane Crashes Mountain; 6 Fatalities


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Jim Groom
    What: Aviastar Mandiri British Aerospace BAe146-300 en route from Jayapura to Wamena Indonesia
    Where: Mount Pike
    When: Apr 9th 2009
    Who: 6 crew: captain, co-pilot, engineer, loadmaster and two flight attendants
    Why: The plane was approaching runway 15 at Wamena Airport in foggy conditions, turned and air traffic control lost contact. The controller observed smoke coming from side of Gunung Pike Mountain. When search crews went to the source of the smoke, there were no survivors.

    Reportedly, the plane had been carrying rice and flour and 9 tons of Aviation Turbine Fuel. The airport is surrounded by mountains.

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    Afterword: American Airlines flight 1400

    See George’s Point of View here


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Art Brett
    What: American Airlines MD-82 aircraft en route from Lambert to Chicago
    Where: Lambert
    When: Sept. 28, 2007
    Who: 138 passengers, 3 flight attendants, two pilots
    Why: When the fight experienced an emergency (engine fire) and the MD-82 returned to land at the airport of origin, the nose landing gear failed. After a go-around, the plane conducted an emergency landing and everyone debarked on to the runway.

    The reason that this is in the news now is that the problems involved have been under investigation. The procedure that mechanics used to manually start one of the engines is held to be responsible for the fire. However the captain was also faulted for poor division of labor, resulting in inefficiency which is judged to have exacerbated the emergency.

    NTSB Identification: DCA07MA310
    Scheduled 14 CFR Part 121: Air Carrier operation of AMERICAN AIRLINES
    Accident occurred Friday, September 28, 2007 in St. Louis, MO
    Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), registration: N454AA
    Injuries: 143 Uninjured.

    This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

    On September 28, 2007, at 1316 central daylight time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), N454AA, operated by American Airlines as flight 1400, executed an emergeny landing at Lambert-St Louis International Airport (STL), St. Louis, Missouri, after the flight crew received a left engine fire warning during departure climb from the airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 121 scheduled domestic flight. After landing, the 2 flight crew, 3 flight attendants, and 138 passengers deplaned via airstairs and no occupant injuries were reported. The intended destination of the flight was Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago, Illinois.

    Upon receiving the left engine fire warning during climb, the flight crew discharged the aircraft engine fire bottles into the affected engine. During the visual return and single-engine approach to the airport, the nose landing gear did not extend. The flight crew then extended the nose landing gear using the emergency landing gear extension procedure. The airplane returned and then landed on runway 30L (11,019 feet by 200 feet, grooved concrete) and was met by STL Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Vehicles

    The NTSB identification number for this investigation was administratively changed from CHI07MA310 to DCA07MA310 on April 2, 2008.

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    Boeing Depressurizes over Moscow


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Oleg Revin
    What: Yakutia Airlines Boeing 757 en route from Vnukovo airport to Yakutsk.
    Where: Vnukovo airport in the Russian capital of Moscow
    When: Apr 7th 2009
    Who: 174 passengers and nine crew members
    Why: After takeoff, the pilot experienced technical problems. The cabin depressurized; and the pilot decided to return to the airport of origin to land; however, before landing, the plane circled the airport for three and a half hours to burn off excess fuel.

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    Turbulence in Reno flight


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Ryan Coulter
    What: Horizon Air flight 2246 de Havilland Dash 8-400 en route from LA to Reno
    Where: Sacramento
    When: 7:10 p.m. April 7
    Who: 5 passengers (out of 40) plus one flight attendant.
    Why: When several passengers reported injuries resulting from turbulence experienced over Yosemite. Turbulence was so severe that Individuals not buckled in literally bumped into plane’s ceiling. The plane diverted to make an emergency landing at Sacramento International Airport so that the six affected individuals could be examined.

    George’s Point of View

    Wear Your Seatbelt.

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    High Drama in US Airspace

    What: Cessna 172 en route from a Canadian flight school into US Airspace
    Where: US Airspace
    When: about 3 p.m
    Who: one person aboard
    Why: The flight was intercepted by U.S. military aircraft when the unnamed pilot flew into US Airspace and did not respond. The plane was reported as stolen from a Thunder Bay, Canada flight school. Canadian authorities requested that U.S. aircraft tail the plane in U.S. airspace, hence the two U.S. Air Force F-16 jets.

    The pilot, Yavuz Berke aka Adam Leon, landed on Highway 60 in Ellsinore, Mo., at 9:50 p.m. ET, and was caught by Missouri State Highway Patrol officers. He’s an ex-pat Turk, and naturalized Canadian. He is reportedly depressed and either left his girlfriend (or left her a note.) In any case, he left his car and keys at the airport.

    With 2 F-16’s on his tail all day, he’s incredibly lucky to be alive and currently enjoying the hospitality of whatever government facility is housing him now (and likely to be housing him for a very long time.)

    The category selected here is “pilot error” and “alarm.” And while this is actually a misuse of the sorting system, I’m thinking it is warranted because if this is not an error of the pilot and cause for alarm, what is?

    George’s Point of View

    Yavuz Berke aka Adam Leon is going to be enjoying government hospitality for a long, long time. Yavuz–or if I may call you Adam–as a parent and a human being, I am very sorry that you have chosen to damage your own life so terribly; and I am amazed and warmed by the restraint of our jet pilots who were charged at bringing you down should you prove a threat.

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    24 Casualties in Indonesia Crash

    What: 32 year old Tentara Nasional Indonesia-AU (Air Force) Fokker 27 registration A-2703
    Where: Bandung-Husein Sastranegara International Airport, Western Indonesia
    When: 06 APR 2009 1 p.m. Monday local time
    Who: Six crew members, one trainer and 17 military skydiving students. All 24 people on board died.
    Why: While landing during a regular training flight, the plane crashed and burst into flames at 1:05 pm (0605 GMT) in Bandung, 110 kilometres (74 miles) southeast of Jakarta. No one on the ground was injured. The weather is said to have been wet; and the plane is said to have been undermaintained due to funding problems. The plane is said to have been shaking–possibly encountering a 20-knot crosswind at the time of the accident– before it crashed in an air craft hanger and burst into flames.

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    Southwest Emergency Landing at Islip NY


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Sheldon Johns
    What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 Flight 195 en route from Islip,NY to to Fort Myers, Fla
    Where: returned to New York’s Long Island MacArthur Airport
    When: landed safely at 10:24 a.m
    Who: 127 passengers aboard and 5 crew members
    Why: The 737 experienced engine trouble which forced them to shut down the left hand engine; they returned to MacArthur Airport for a safe landing. Contrary to rumor, lightning did not cause an engine fire.

    George’s Point of View

    The addendum to this is that mechanics are now looking over this 737. Maybe they should have had this inspection before it took off. D’ya think?

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    March 2007: Yogyakarta Crash Landing

    This is the sad story of Marwoto Komar, a pilot with 22 years of flight experience.

    In March 2007, he piloted a Boeing 737-400 with 140 passengers on board which crashed on landing at the Yogyakarta airport. The plane came in for landing too high and too fast, and although the co-pilot called for a go-around, he landed on that pass anyway. The Boeing overran the runway and caught fire. Twenty-one people died in that crash.

    The* IFALPA position is that criminalisation of individuals does not improve air safety.

    In July 2008 he was arrested, tried and found guilty of negligence.

    An Indonesian court sentenced Komar to two years imprisonment for his role in the crash.

    * International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations

    see src

    George’s Point of View

    You make a mistake.
    People get killed.
    You go to jail.

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    Update: Emirates Airbus Tailstrike in Melbourne

    The new headline is Emirates pilots resign. They “submitted their resignations.”

    George’s Point of View

    Curious to see why?

    No matter what the pilots did or didn’t do, the tail should not scrape the run way on take off.

    Good thing it didn’t catch fire and blow up.


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Kris Mogford
    What: An Emirates Airlines Airbus A340-500, registration A6-ERG en route from Melbourne,VI Australia to Dubai United Arab Emirates
    Where: Melbourne Australia
    When: Mar 20th 2009 at 11:30
    Who: 225 on board (255 passengers?)
    Why: The plane suffered a tail strike on takeoff from Melbourne’s runway 16, climbed and dumped fuel, and when smoke filled the cabin, landed on Melbourne’s runway 34. Damage included some runway lights, damage to the tail skin and access panels.

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    Vibrating Boeing in Russia

    What: A Skyexpress Boeing 737-500 en route from Moscow Vnukovo to Sochi (Russia)
    Where: Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport
    When: Apr 4th 2009
    Who: 69 passengers and 6 crew
    Why: When instrumentation revealed unacceptable (dangerous) vibration of the left hand engine, the pilot shut down the left engine down, and burn off fuel before landing back at the airport of origin an hour after takeoff. There were no injuries.

    George’s Point of View

    Maintenance.
    Maintenance.
    Maintenance.

    —- nuff said.

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    Flat Tire Tornado Diverts Airbus to Spain


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Paul Markman
    What: British Airways Airbus A319-100 en route from London Gatwick to Gibraltar.
    Where: Malaga Spain
    When: Apr 3rd 2009
    Who:
    Why: Airbus passengers got a little extra traveling in when the runway at their Gibraltar destination airport was blocked by a Tornado fighter with burst tires after its brakes overheated on landing.

    The British Airways jet flew on to Malaga Spain where the runway was thankfully NOT blocked; and the plane was able to land safely, and allow passengers to take a bus ride back to Gibraltar, their actual destination.

    And for those individuals left planeless at the Gibraltar gate, eventually the Tornado was moved off the runway; and the Airbus was able to land and pick up those passengers.

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    Continental Safely Lands Hot Plane


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Mark Kryst
    What: Continental Airlines Colgan Air de Havilland Dash 8-400 en route from Newark to Montreal .
    Where: Burlington,VT
    When: Apr 3rd 2009
    Who: 33 passengers and 4 crew
    Why: The pilot and crew reported high temperatures, requesting diversion to Albany, NY. They shut down the left engine but decided against Albany because of weather (severe precipitation), and landed instead at Burlington,VT.

    George’s Point of View

    Emergency landings are always a cause for concern. The pilot who responds with a cool head and skill in an emergency situation is to be commended.

    What about the maintenance of the plane? Who chose to fly instead of maintain, or to maintain in half-measures? Someone needs to look into this–

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    Helicopter Update: 16 Passengers All Lost

    The Bond website is temporarily suspended.

    Helpline phone number for relatives is 01224 836479

    Pilot Paul Burnham, 31, from Methlick, Aberdeenshire
    Co-pilot Richard Menzies, 24, of Droitwich Spa, Worcs.
    Oil workers from Aberdeen; Raymond
    Brian Barkley, 30
    James Costello, 24,
    Vernon John Elrick, 41
    Alex Dallas, 62,

    Oil workers
    Doyle, 57, of Cumbernauld
    James John Edwards, 33, of Liverpool,
    Nairn Ferrier, 40, of Dundee,
    Nolan Carl Goble, 34, of Norwich,
    Gareth Hughes, 53, of Angus,
    Warren Mitchell, 38, of Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire,
    David Rae, 63, of Dumfries,
    Leslie Taylor, 41, of Kintore,
    Aberdeenshire
    Stuart Wood, 27, of Newmacher, Aberdeen.

    The name of one Latvian victim has not been released.

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    Boeing Emergency Landing in Bangor.


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Dan Vincent – New England Airports
    What: United Airlines Boeing 767 Flight 923 London to Washington, D.C.
    Where: Bangor International Airport
    When: 4/01/09, 10:00 am
    Who: 178 passengers and 11 crew members
    Why: Pilots said there was smoke in the cockpit and that one of the plane’s two engines failed. They landed safely at Bangor International Airport, Maine.

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    Air Canada Airbus A333 Diverted for Illness and Bad Manners

    George’s Point of View

    Sometimes you really have to wonder what air travel is coming to–especially when you hear about the Air Canada Airbus (you know I keep an eye on those Airbuses)–that stopped for a medical emergency. That’s not the big thing–the big thing is after the medical emergency, we had yet ANOTHER person whose basic bad manners caused enough disruption for the authorities to be called. Apparently a Toronto TV and radio host decided to pitch a fit on the plane. Drunk, cussing and escorted off by police to sleep it off in the drunk tank. I prefer my flights without that kind of live entertainment, thank you very much. Maybe the airlines should start giving a little deportment test before every flight, and those who flunk have to go to a session of charm school NOT run by Larry King.

    I started to put up a new category, “cracked passenger” right above “cracked windshield” but decided to settle for “disruptive passenger.”

    And below, for those who are here for the aircraft, please note the plane, when it is in operation and NOT boarded by publicity hounds.


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

    What: Air Canada Airbus A330-300, registration C-GFUR en route from London to Toronto
    Where: St. John’s, Canada
    When: Mar 31st 2009
    Who: Shall remain nameless simply on general purposes
    Why: see above.
    src avherald.com

    * This incident is NOT to be confused with Robert McDonald, of Glasgow, who opened an emergency exit hatch as his flight waited out two and a half hours of bad weather delay at JFK.

    * OR Southwest Flight 1402 where a large woman started pummeling someone for touching her

    * OR American Airlines Flight 1343 from Charlotte to Dallas/Fort Worth where a man ran and jumped into a plane to slide down the the inflatable exit slides

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    North Sea Helicopter Crash: 18 on board


    Actual helicopter G-REDL NOT pictured
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer
    What: Bond Helicopters Eurocopter AF332 L2 Super Puma crashed
    Where: In the sea off north-east Scotland
    When: 2pm Wednesday April 1
    Who: 16 people
    Why: Returning from an oil platform, the helicopter crashed in the North Sea

    Normand Aurora supply vessel was in the area and is looking for survivors and RNLI lifeboats from Peterhead and Fraserburgh are racing to the scene.

    Relatives of victims have been asked to call 01224 836479.

    You may remember Bond Helicopters Feb 18 crash in which 18 people on board survived. That was when individuals were allowed to wear transmitters. (Currently there are safety concerns over the use of personal distress beacons–they are NOT allowed because they interfere with the on board transmitter.)

    George’s Point of View

    When I was 16, I took my hard earned bucks and purchased a used car, my first car. And my Dad said, “Son, you have to change the oil regularly. Check the water in the radiator, air in your tires and take it to a mechanic regularly for a checkup.”

    Aviation vessels need simple attention and lots of love and care by mechanics.

    You have to wonder about maintenance. Some planes, helicopters, are busy all day long, taking off and landing. When are they on the ground enough to get checked?

    At this time, eight dead have been found. Would they all have been found alive if they had been allowed PCBs (Personal Locator Beacons) like in Bond’s February crash where they had PCBs and were rescued?

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    Smoke on Boeing…


    Pictured: UA Boeing 767-322
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Daniel Nicholson
    What: United Airlines Boeing 767 en route from London to Washington D.C.
    Where: Bangor International Airport
    When: Wednesday April 1
    Who: 178 passengers
    Why: When the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit, the plane was granted permission to land at Bangor International, which it did, safely.

    George’s Point of View

    I worry about all emergency landings, I’ve experienced just one.

    When I see a United doing an emergency landing for any reason, my skin creeps because I fly United all the time. No pun intended.

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    Cessna Emergency Landing in Palm Springs

    What: Cessna Citation business jet en route from Palm Springs International Airport to Winnipeg, Manitoba
    Where: Palm Springs International Airport
    When: 10:55 a.m Tuesday
    Who: six people aboard
    Why: When smoke was detected in the cabin, the pilot then burned off fuel before landing back in Palm Springs. The cause of the smoke is under investigation. No injuries.

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    Smoke on American Airlines MD-80


    Pictured: McDonnell-Douglas-MD-82 similar to the one involved in the incident
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Michael Durning
    What: American Airlines MD-80 en route from Lindbergh Field San Diego,CA to Dallas Ft. Worth,
    Where: San Diego’s airport Lindbergh Field
    When: 6:19 p.m. Sunday
    Who: 146 passengers
    Why: When smoke was discerned on board, the crew turned back to land at Lindbergh field

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    Another Airbus Emergency


    pictured: Airbus similar to the one in the incident
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Simpsonmeng
    What: China Southern Airlines Airbus A320-200
    Where: en route from Dayong to Shenzhen
    When: Mar 27th 2009
    Who: 100 passengers
    Why: The right engine failed. After circling the airport for forty minutes, the plain landed without further incident in Dayong.