What: Continental Express/Expressjet Embraer ERJ-145 en route from Indianapolis to Newark Where: Indianapolis When: June 1, 2011 Who: 51 Why: While en route, the flight developed an oil pressure problem. At 10,000 feet, the pilot requested a return to the airport due to the engine issue. He shut down the left engine and returned to Indianapolis to make a safe landing.
What: Air Canada Boeing 767-300 en route from Halifax to London Heathrow Where: Montreal When: Jun 2nd 2011 Who: 138 aboard Why: After takeoff, the left engine emitted a loud explosive noise. Pilots shut down the engine but weather prevented a return to Halifax. The flight diverted to Montreal where it made a safe landing between two and three hours later. A replacement jet was sent to Montreal for passengers, resulting in a 13 hour delay on that flight.
What: Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from Las Vegas to Atlanta,GA Where: Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Atlanta When: Jun 2nd 2011, 5:53 p.m Why: While en route to Atlanta, on approach the left engine developed issues and began smoking. Pilots made a safe landing.
Passengers disembarked on the runway and were provided transportation to the terminal.
What: Austrian Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from Vienna Austria to Washington DC Where: Vienna When: May 27th 2011 Why: After takeoff, the gear would not retract.
The pilot returned to make a safe landing in Vienna; repairs were made and the flight left again less than an hour later.
Anonymous Expert Opinion
One common occurrence in Commercial Aviation is when a maintenance person forgets to remove the Landing Gear Safety Pin that is connected before starting the push back procedure during the aircraft start-up. It happens that that pin prevents the hydraulic system to actuate the nose gear allowing the tractor to freely steer the aircraft free from the gate. However that pin also locks the landing gear in the “down” position preventing the hydraulic system to retract in when commanded by the pilots. The result is that the aircraft is prevented from retracting its landing gear (one pin prevents them all) and returning is mandatory.
If the airplane is engaged in an intercontinental flight (thus carrying a huge amount of fuel) the crew invariably must dump a great amount of fuel in order to reduce the weight to within the manufacturer’s certified maximum landing weight in order to perform a safe landing. After dumping the fuel as the aircraft’s weight reaches its maximum allowed for landing the crew land the airplane. Unfortunately it causes delays and it is a nuisance, although not a harmful one. The worst part is for the maintenance crew whom was responsible for the tow out procedure to explain to his (or hers) superiors the quite expensive forgetfulness.
May 22 was the anniversary of Air India Express Flight 812 from Dubai, which overshot the runway and crashed at Mangalore, India. The crash victims’ support group spokesman said that “About 50 families have received compensation from the insurance companies, but many families have not even been contacted. ” According to the organizer, Rafik Eroth, “…insurance representatives are playing foul over the payouts…Many families have lost their breadwinners and face major financial difficulties. I believe [the insurance companies] are delaying the process to pass the two-year mark so that the families lose their claims.” Families of crash victims had a two-year period in which to apply for compensation
The Civil Aviation Ministry ordered the airline to provide up to $159,840 to families of the victims in accordance with the Indian Carriage by Air Act, (following the Montreal Convention.)
It has been a year, and still some of the families have not yet been contacted about compensation.
The Indian Court of Inquiry probe report was submitted to the civil aviation ministry yesterday. The report says that “Air India pilot Zlatko Glusica, from Serbia, was asleep for much of the three-hour flight and was “disoriented” when the plane started to descend.” The experienced First Officer had fewer hours but was soon due for command, and had landed frequently at that airport. He called for a go-around which the Captain ignored.
Captain Z Glusica had more than 10,200 hours of flying experience—but not landing at that airport. He was the pilot in command and reacted late, and was suffering from “sleep inertia”. His heavy nasal snoring and breathing was captured on the CVR. Many standard operating procedures were not followed during landing. Co-pilot H S Ahluwalia repeated “abort landing” saying they didn’t have enough runway left, three times asking for a “go around”.
With less than 3,000 feet of runway left, the pilots tried to take off again and crashed in the gorge at the runway’s end.
The plane’s takeoff gear was found activated. Experts concluded if the pilots had not attempted to take off again, the plane emergency brakes could have brought the plane to a halt.
This is not the first time Air India has had exhausted pilots. What had their schedule been that week?
June 2008: Mumbai air traffic controllers woke two sleeping pilots with an alarm when they were 200 miles past their destination.
What: Air India Express Boeing 737-800 en route from Dubai to Mangalore Where: Mangalore airport When: 6:00 a.m May 22 2010 Who: Passengers including 23 children, 6 crew= 158 fatalities and 8 survivors Why: Air India Express flight 812 attempted touch down was around the middle marker. (Conflicting) reports are that it overshot the runway, and that the pilot intended a go round (tapes reveal the co pilot was urging a go-round) but the plane hit the localizer antenna at the runway’s end, plowed through the perimeter losing part of a wing, and went down 75 feet into a ravine, and broke into pieces and burst into flames. On touchdown, there was a reported “bang” which may have been a tire bursting. A drizzle started after the accident. From 5 to 10 people have been hospitalized, but according to reports there are possibly 3 survivors.
Survivor Abdul Puttur suffered burns. He was seated near the wing exit and said that the pilot had announced the landing, then there was a thud. He saw huge flames after the plane fell into the ravine and then he jumped out from the back entrance. Another passenger said the pilot made no announcement.
The Serbian pilot was Zlatko Glusica, first officer was S.S. Ahluwalia.
According to DGCA rules, Mangalore International Airport is deemed a “critical airfield” which means that “supervised take offs and landings” are prohibited. Only the captain (not the first officer) can pilot take-offs and landings. Mangalore International Airport has a controversial table top runway and which forces pilots to make a precision landing. The airport has no buffer zone, and pilots landing planes must fly precisely or risk hurtling off the edge.
What: Spanair Airbus A320-200 en route from Barcelona to Stockholm Where: Belgium When: May 20th 2011 Why: While over Belgium, radio communication was disrupted. (This occurred during the handover to Dutch ATC.)
A Dutch escort was sent (2 F-16s) to intercept.
The Spanair pilots re-established contact, and were escorted into German airspace. The plane landed on schedule in Stockholm.
What: Sol Líneas Aéreas Saab 340A en route from Córdoba to Mendoza to Neuquén to Comodoro Rivadavia Where: Prahuaniyeu, Rio Negro, Argentina When: May 18, 2011, 22:00 Who: 19 passengers and three crew (two pilots and a stewardess) Why: After departing from Neuquén at 20:08, the plane sent out a distress call declaring an emergency
Locals saw a ball of fire fall from the sky 35 kilometers from the town of Los Menucos in an area not available to cell phone usage. Rescue units (three ambulances and civil defense team including the police force of Black River (Rio Negro), Sierra Colorado, General Roca and Los Menucos) were deployed but there were no survivors.
The number for family members to call for information is 0810-122-7765.
What: Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from Detroit to Sao Paulo Where: Atlanta,GA When: May 15th 2011 Why: While en route, over Daytona, the plane developed an issue with their airspeed indication. Although the issue was fixed, the flight diverted to Atlanta where they made a safe landing. A fresh crew with adequate duty time flew them to Sao Paulo.
What: Allegiant McDonnell Douglas MD-83 en route from Mesa to Pasco Washington Where: Mesa When: May 16th 2011 Who: 151 passengers, 5 crew Why: After the flight took off from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, the cockpit developed smoke and the pilots smelled fumes. They reported the emergency, and returned to the airport where they made a safe landing with 50 firefighters on standby.
What: Continental Airlines/Colgan Air de Havilland Dash 8-400 en route from Newark to Washington DC Where: Washington When: May 16th 2011 Who: Flight attendant Why: While en route, the plane encountered turbulence in which a flight attendant experienced injury. The plane did not divert, but continued to make a safe landing.
Paramedics dealt with the flight attendant’s injuries
What: Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 en route from Singapore (Singapore) to Jakarta Where: Singapore When: May 16th 2011 Who: 136 passengers Why: After takeoff, the right engine developed problems. Twenty minutes into the flight, the plane started to shake, and the plane was “plunged into darkness.” There was a stall in the #2 engine, which banged twice and filled the cabin with the scent of burning. Passengers prayed aloud.
Captain Bradley Chic shut down the affected engine.The crew reported the emergency and returned to Changi Airport to make a safe landing with emergency vehicles on standby.
Passengers disembarked normally, after which they joined hands in the airport and shared a prayer.
Six fire vehicles put out a fire in the right engine.
What: US Airways Airbus A319-100 en route from Atlanta to Charlotte Where: Atlanta When: May 13 2011 Who: 128 passengers Why: After takeoff from Atlanta, the plane was climbing and unable to retract the gear. The pilots returned to Atlanta and made a safe landing.
What: KLM Boeing 737-400 en route from Amsterdam to Stavanger Where: Amsterdam When: May 8th 2011 Why: Moments after takeoff, the pilots had to shut down a Boeing engine; the flight returned to Amsterdam and made a safe landing. The flight was cancelled, and a smaller plane was provided for some of the passengers, while others stayed at hotels waiting for a later flight
What: Vueling Airbus A320-200 en route from Barcelona to Vienna Where: Vienna When: May 8th 2011 Why: While en route, the plane through weather and was struck by multiple lightning strikes. The pilots continued to land in Vienna. There were no injuries but the plane received damage from two strikes.
At the time the flight landed in Vienna, windshear had been detected, and rain and wind were causing flight delays.
What: Merpati Nusantara Xian MA-60 en route from Sorong to Kaimana Where: Kaimana, West Papua When: May 7, 2010 12:21 pm Who: 21 passengers (including 2 children and a baby), 4 crew, 2 technicians Why: After flying a holding pattern for a quarter of an hour, the plane was on its final approach when it crashed in shallow water .3 miles before it reached the runway. On impact with the water, the plane broke in two and sank, with the passengers trapped within. Officials say bad weather and low visibility (6,600 ft) are responsible for the crash.
Crash victims are being paid Rp 50 million (US$5,850) by State insurance firm PT Jasa Raharja, according to published reports. The total is 1.35 billion Rp. Reports do not say if this is an interim payment.
What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-500 en route from Houston to Phoenix Where: El Paso Texas When: May 4, 2011, 5 pm Who: 138 aboard Why: While en route, an electrical smell was detected. Oxygen masks were deployed.
The flight diverted to El Paso and made a safe landing. Passengers did not have to use emergency slides. They were provided an alternate flight to Phoenix while the plane was ferried for inspections.
What: Fed Ex/Morningstar Boeing 737-200 en route from Winnipeg to Calgary Where: Winnipeg When: May 3rd 2011 Why: The plane was on the runway when the pilot received an indication of fire. The fire indication would not shut down, even after the plane stopped. Emergency services responded. The plane was “rebooted” and the indication shut down.
(Just like my kitchen alarm that goes off whenever I cook, regardless of whether something is burning or not. I promise it wasn’t me. I promise I wasn’t cooking in the non-existent galley.)
What: American Airlines Boeing 777-200 en route from London to Chicago Where: Moncton When: May 3rd 2011, 3 pm Who: 150 aboard Why: While en route, the crew reported the smell of smoke, and diverted to Moncton in Canada.
The plane landed with emergency services on standby and emergency services stayed until 5:20 p.m. The smoke in the cockpit turned out to be from an overheating battery. Dieppe Fire Department examined the plane. There were no injuries, and passengers were provided a room in the airport, so they didn’t have to go through customs.
What: Aerosvit/Dniproavia Embraer ERJ-145 en route from Dnepropetrovsk (Ukraine) to Moscow Where: Moscow When: Apr 28th 2011 Who: 30 passengers 4 crew Why: After making a safe landing, the plane rolled off the runway and the gear struts collapsed.
What: Continental Airlines Boeing 737 en route from San Antonio to Houston Where: San Antonio When: Apr 28, 2011 Who: 151 aboard Why: The plane had taken off and developed a “strong chemical odor.” The pilots returned to San Antonio International Airport and made a safe landing; however they did not know the cause of the odor and for caution’s sake, took the plane to the “ramp” area. Several passengers developed respiratory distress.
The crew boarding wore hazmat suits. The source of the chemical odor was not identified.
What: Gol Linhas Aereas Boeing 737-700 en route from Salvador to Sao Paulo Where: Sao Paulo When: Apr 26th 2011 Who: 144 passengers Why: On landing at Sao Paulo, the plane touched down, and the vibration from landing knocked the ceiling panels to the cabin floor.
According to reports, the vibrations came from the nose gear, and the airline claims that the falling panels caused no danger. The vibrations could have been the result of a hard landing on the Congonhas runway.
Airport Code: CGH
Longitude: 46° 39’ 19” W
Latitude : 23° 37’ 36” S
Runway Length : 6365 ft.
Runway Elevation : 2631 ft.
City: Sao Paulo
What: Wanaka Helicopters Robinson R22 on a training flight from Wanaka to Haast and back Where: Arawhata Saddle, Wanaka South Island, New Zealand When: April 27 2011 Who: Pilot instructor and student Why: The training flight did not return to Wanaka as scheduled at 1:00; it’s last known position was near Bonar Glacier.
The beacon, one of two types aboard, was detected and the helicopter found at 9:00 am Thursday *local time.
Both pilot and student were fatalities, and the wreckage was found near the Olivine Wilderness Area in a stream at the head of the Arawhata River by search teams investigating an area near Mt Aspiring. The search was focused on Bow Peak in the “Waipara Saddle.”
What: ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 767-300 en route from Miyazaki to Tokyo Where: Tokyo When: Apr 27th 2011 Who: 111 passengers, 8 crew Why: 150 miles outside of Tokyo, the flight ran into clear air turbulence. Three flight attendants and two passengers were injured at 4:55 PM. One of the flight attendants suffered a broken bone (pelvis).
What: US Airways Boeing 757-200 en route from Orlando to Philadelphia Where: Lynchburg When: Apr 16th 2011 Who: flight attendant Why: The plane took off as normal with no problem, but encountered turbulence near Lynchburg Virginia, during which a flight attendant was seriously injured.
The pilot descended to a lower altitude, and landed safely in Philadelphia less than an hour later.
What: Donavia Boeing-737-500 passenger airliner flying from Rostov to Tel Aviv Where: Sochi, Russia Who: 99 passengers * also reported as 103 Why: The flight made a scheduled stop at Sochi, but after takeoff had undesignated problems in the air, and had to return to make an emergency landing. A replacement plane arrived to perform the remainder of the flight about six hours later.
The problem was due to cabin pressure from a leaking door seal.
What: Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 en route from Singapore (Singapore) to Jakarta
