airliners.net

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    Smoke Gets In Your Eyes … in AA Boeing 767 over Nova Scotia


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Mick Bajcar

    What: American Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from New York JFK airport to Switzerland
    Where: Halifax Nova Scotia
    When: June 9 2009 Tuesday night 8:20 p.m (45 minutes after takeoff)
    Who: 206 on board: 194 passengers and 12 crew
    Why: After takeoff, smoke was detected in the cabin. The flight requested an emergency landing in Halifax. The cause of the smoke was determined to be an electrical fire in the plane’s bathroom ceiling fan which had caught fire after overheating

    A replacement jet was arranged to take the passengers to Zurich.

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    Three Injured in Questionable Landing


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

  • The photo is over ten years old.

    • What: Myanmar Airways Fokker F-28 Fellowship 4000 en route from Yangon-Mingaladon Airport to Sittwe-Civil Airport in Myanmar
    Where: Myanmar
    When: 06 JUN 2009 08:20
    Who: Three people were injured on landing.
    Why: While landing, the landing gear and one wing of the jet were damaged. Details of the landing are not yet available, but if we get sent another update, we will update this post.

    George’s Point of View

    Really, a plane of this advanced age should carry a cane, or be carted out to the runway in a wheelchair. We don’t have the details of the landing, the weather, or the craft, but It’s no wonder the landing gear gave out.

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    Icelandair Boeing Emergency Landing in London


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer James Gardner
    What: Icelandair Boeing 757-200 en route from Paris to Reykjavik
    Where: emergency landing at Gatwick in London
    When: Jun 4th 2009
    Who: 148 passengers
    Why: The engine made a loud noise and the crew declared an emergency, and shut down the engine. After the emergency landing in London, passengers waited for substitute Icelandair and Iceland Express planes to take them on to Reykjavik, while some returned to Paris.

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    Lighting Strikes Airbus


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Paul Stam
    What: Aer Lingus Airbus A321-200 en route from Dublin to London
    Where: Dublin Airport
    When: Jun 6th 2009 11: 30 am.
    Who:
    Why: Coming out of London the Airbus was struck by lightning. The flight returned to London, and landed safely. Passengers debarked half an hour after they had gotten on, and booked other flights as the Airbus was examined for damage.

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    Air France Flight 447 Airbus Missing


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

    Family members can call — 0 800 800 812 for people in France and 00 33 1 57 02 10 55 for families outside France.


    What: 4 year old Air France Airbus A330-200 en route from Rio de Janeiro,RJ (Brazil) to Paris Charles de Gaulle
    Where: Missing over the Atlantic Ocean
    When: June 1
    Who: In all, there were 216 passengers (incl seven children and one baby, 82 women and 126 men) and 12 crew. 60 French citizens were on the plane. Italy said at least three passengers were Italian.The pilot had 11,000 hours of flying experience, and 1,700 hours flying this aircraft.
    Why: The last known radio contact was an automatic message made at 0133 GMT when the plane was near the Island of Fernando de Noronha; since then, the airplane has made no radio communication. Fifteen minutes after flying through a storm and strong turbulence, there was an electrical short-circuit. There is speculation that the plane may have been hit by lightning.

    Search planes left Fernando de Noronha Island looking for signs of the plane concentrating in an area 230 miles off the northeast Brazil coast. Though there is not radar over the entire ocean, the black box will be emit a signal even if it is under water.

    The flight left Rio at 7 p.m. and was expected in Paris on Monday at 11:15 a.m. By now, fuel would have run out.

    Families of the missing are being brought to an information centre at Charles de Gaulle airport.

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    Airbus Flap Failure


    Contact photographer Ian Older
    What: Lufthansa Airbus A340-600 en route from San Francisco,CA to Munich Germany
    Where: Munich
    When: May 29th 2009
    Who: 277 passengers
    Why: When landing flaps failed, the Airbus prepared for an emergency landing. Fortunately, though the plane landed too fast, there was no serious consequence to the flap failure. Reportedly the plane was repaired and returned to service hours later.

    George’s Point of View

    It’s a good thing they weren’t landing at Sao Paulo, or another airport with a short runway–

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    McDonnell Douglas Litters Chicago Midway


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

    What: Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 en route from Atlanta, GA to Chicago Midway
    Where: diverted to Cincinnati,KY and concluded in Chicago
    When: May 26th 2009
    Who: Not Listed.
    Why: “DELTA AIRLINES FLIGHT 2090 MCDONNELL DOUGLAS 90-30 AIRCRAFT AFTER LANDING, INSPECTION REVEALED A PIECE OF THE AIRCRAFT FELL ONTO THE RUNWA. NO INJURIES REPORTED, CHICAGO, IL”

    George’s Point of View

    As you see, the FAA report indicates that the plane lost a piece of itself on landing. I don’t know what’s more curious–what exactly fell off the MD-90 when it landed (generally I don’t think of external plane parts as optional); or if the dropped item was related to the plane’s delay in Cincinnati.

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    Turbulence Rattles Tam Airbus


    Contact photographer SkyMember
    Pictured: flight 8095

    Contact photographer Jerome Mervelet
    Pictured: TAM Linhas Aereas Airbus A330-200 registration PT-MVN
    What: TAM Linhas Aereas Airbus A330-200 en route from Miami,FL (USA) to Sao Paulo
    Where: Sao Paulo
    When: May 25 2009
    Who: 154 passengers
    Why: On approach to Sao Paulo, the flight experienced turbulence. Fasten seat belt signs were illuminated about 20 minutes before landing–Some passengers struck the ceiling.

    Thirteen were treated at the airport; eight were taken to the hospital. No mention is made of any injuries to crew members

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    MD-82 Engine quits over Bahia Blanca


    Contact photographer Daniel Rodolfo Popinga
    What: Andes Lineas Aereas McDonnell Douglas MD-82 en route from Buenos Aires Newbery,BA to Puerto Madryn Argentina
    Where: Bahia Blanca
    When: May 22nd 2009
    Who: 140 passengers and 7 crew
    Why: The right engine shut down when oil pressure (or the quantity of oil) went down. The flight was diverted to divert to Bahia Blanca

    George’s Point of View

    Another emergency on another MD-82. Two engines are always safer than one, and we’re all glad they made a safe diversion…

    Now…how old was the plane? Was this a leak that just developed, or a lapse of maintenance?

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    TAM Linhas Aereas Airbus loses Airspeed, Data


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Normando Carvalho Jr

    What: TAM Linhas Aereas Airbus A330-200 en route from Miami, FL to Sao Paulo Brazil
    Where: en route to Sao Paulo
    When: May 21st 2009
    Who: not listed
    Why: While in flight, the flight crew observed a drop of the outside temperature and recorded seeing St. Elmo’s Fire. They lost the air data reference system. Autopilot and autothrust system disconnected, and fly by wire switched to alternate law (and remained in alternate law for the remainder of the flight.)

    Rudder travel limiter was deactived and airspeed and altitude indication was lost.

    Standby instrumentation allowed data restoration in under ten minutes.

    George’s Point of View

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    Indonesian Crash Kills Over Fifty



    Pictured: Indonesian C-130 Hercules. On the video, it appears that the C-130 involved in the crash was painted in the military’s standard camo pattern.
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Richard Vandervord
    What: C-130 Hercules Indonesian military transport en route from Jakarta to East Java
    Where: Magetan, East Java. Geplak 325 miles east of Jakarta.
    When: Wednesday May 20
    Who: 112 passengers and 13 crew. 57 were killed, 5 on the ground. 70 were hospitalized. The exact number of those aboard is unclear. (Some overlap with passengers and crew numbers. The reports range from 99 to 113 passengers and 13 or 14 crew members.)Update:The number of dead has risen to 98. Ten children were on the flight. Two were killed on the ground. 15 are injured.
    Why: The plane was about to land at Iswahyudi military airbase. Witnesses claim the plane split apart in the air, (one of the wings fell off when the plane was still in the air) and exploded.

    The plane destroyed four houses in Geplak and skidded into the rice paddy.

    George’s Point of View

    A colleague said that the fact that this is a 30 year old plane loaded with soldiers speaks for itself.

    I think it’s terrible that old planes are allowed up in the air, taking lives.

    The manufacturers build a deadly weapon like a plane and the craft is sold and resold. It seems to me that the manufacturer should maintain control of deciding the airworthiness of their planes from birth to retirement, no matter who owns the plane.

    Maybe one day manufacturer’s sale agreements will be written including a clause that the decision of a plane’s airworthiness is part of the ownership certificate for the life of the plane. Then Lockheed would be diligent about keeping maintenance crews diligent.

    Am I dreaming?

    I anxiously await the preliminary report from the NTSB, and to hear what happened from Lockheed what caused the explosion.

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    United Airlines Emergency Landing in Indianapolis


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Art Brett
    What: United Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Baltimore MD to Chicago O’Hare,IL
    Where: Runway 23 Right at Indianapolis International Airport
    When: May 15, 7:15 am
    Who: 140 people aboard.
    Why: While en route to Chicago, the 757 cockpit filled with smoke and requested an emergency landing at Indianapolis.

    As you can see in the silent digital recording above, the plane lands safely, although we do not see the passengers debarking.

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    Helicopter Crash in Kenyan Rift Valley


    Pictured: Kenyan Mi-17
    Contact photographer Guido Potters
    What: Russian-made Mi-17 helicopter
    Where: Rift Valley province, Kenya
    When: Monday May 11
    Who: 28 on board, including Kenyan Internal Security Assistant Minister Orwa Ojode, Police Commissioner Maj. Gen. Mohammed Ali, Rift Valley Provincial Commissioner Hassan Noor Hassan and journalists suffered injuries. Fifteen injured were taken to Nairobi Hospital.
    Why: When the helicopter developed mechanical problems and lost power, it crash landed in the Rift Valley. Fuel, flight voice and data recorders have been collected, and the Russian plane builders have been invited to join the investigation.

    (unverified) Popular opinion is that the helicopter was too old to still be in service.

    George’s Point of View

    Air safety in Kenya, especially for government officials, seems to be an oxymoron.

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    Q400 Bombardier Turns Back to Varna


    Hungarian Malev Airlines Q400 Bombardier
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Adam Samu
    What: Hungarian Malev Airlines Q400 Bombardier en route from Varna to Budapest
    Where: Bulgarian coastal town of Varna
    When: 5:25 am on May 12
    Who: 30 passengers
    Why: The plane experienced an undisclosed technical problem and turned back almost as soon as it was in the air. The plane that turned back is the same as the Colgan Air plane that crashed in Buffalo NY. This plane, however, was not flying with ice on its wings.

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    Air Canada Jazz Lands on One Engine


    Contact photographer Galen Burrows
    What: Air Canada Jazz de Havilland Dash 8-100, en route from Sudbury to Pearson,ON
    Where: Sudbury
    When: May 12th 2009 21:07 (eighteen minutes)
    Who: 21 on board
    Why: While en route, the oil pressure and ITT indicators came on for engine number two just before it made a big “bang.” The pilot shut down engine two and returned to Sudbury for a safe landing

    George’s Point of View

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    Airbus Hydraulics Failure in Canada


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Michael Carter
    What: Air Canada Airbus A320-200 en route from Toronto,ON to Winnipeg,MB
    Where: Winnipeg
    When: May 3rd 2009
    Who: 148 people on board
    Why: When the flight crew discovered low hydraulics fluid, they turned off the system, declared an emergency and flew on to Winnipeg without hydraulics. Just prior to landing, the hydraulics were re-initiated and the plane landed safely. According to the the Aviation Herald’s May 04 report, the “O-ring on the brakes servo valve needed to be replaced. ”

    George’s Point of View

    It’s difficult to argue with a safe landing.

    Though it is impossible from our perspective to say whether this dangerous situation occurred due to maintenance failure or regular wear and tear, the Air Canada flight crew is to be commended for successfully landing without any injuries, and handling the situation in such a practical manner.

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    4 Die in Cessna Crash


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Giovanni Francisco Rodriguez Bravo

    What: Single Engine Cessna 172 en route from Santa Cruz
    When: May 11
    Who: four people were killed: pilot Martyshev Basil, his wife and two children
    Why: The plane took off from Santa Cruz 20 minutes after the expiry of the permitted duration of flights.

    50 minutes after takeoff the plane fell from the sky. No cause is yet noted.

    Apparently Martyshev was Russian and had U.S. citizenship, while his wife and children were citizens of Bolivia.

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    Airbus a Hot Mess over Geneva


    Contact photographer Mark Kwiatkowski
    What: Lufthansa A321-100, registration en route from Munich Germany to Lisbon Portugal
    Where: Diverted to Geneva Switzerland
    When: May 9th 2009
    Who: 147 passengers
    Why: En route, the airbus was hit by clear air turbulence. Twelve passengers were injured, and 2 crew members. 5 were taken to the hospital.

    George’s Point of View

    Turbulence does not necessarily result in a plane being taken out of commission. The passengers were delayed for five hours while replacement transportation was procured. There is no indication why.

    This makes me question why the passengers had to switch planes.

    • Was this just a precaution?
    • Was the turbulence so bad that it damaged the plane?
    • Did they get jostled around much the galley contents (or during mealtime) that it made a 5+ hour mess?
    • Did something on the plane go on the fritz before during or after?

      • Inquiring minds want to know…

    Update: Meal service was in progress at the time of the turbulence.

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    Two Delta Boeings with Technical Difficulties


    Contact photographer John Farmington
    What: Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from New York JFK,NY (USA) to Kiev (Ukraine)
    Where: returned to New York
    When: May 3rd 2009
    Who: 212 on board
    Why: The crew listed “operational reasons” but listed no details. They turned back over Moncton,NB and returned flying at lower altitude.


    Contact photographer Wim Callaert
    What: Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300 En route from New York JFK,NY (USA) to Rome Fiumicino
    Where: Bangor,ME
    When: May 4th 2009
    Why: En route, the plane lost all air data computers and had lost most of the flight instruments, and requested to return to the airport of origin. Instead, they diverted to Bangor Maine. A replacement plane completed the flight. Fortunately, all that was suffered was a delay of nine hours.

    George’s Point of View

    This caught my eye mostly because two Boeings flying out of NY’s JFK were both listed as having “technical difficulties.” I wanted to doublecheck and see if they were the same plane.

    Not the same plane.

    The first incident with the undisclosed technical difficulty involved plane registration registration N182DN.
    The second incident, the one with the data computer problem, involved plane registration N196DN.

    I find myself curious to discover what is coincidence and what is not. It may not be the same plane; but it is the same airline, the same model plane. Is it the same flight crew? Same procedures? What about the equipment? Is there something here to discover?

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    Jetways Boeing Diverts to Baku due to Smoke Alarm


    Contact photographer Kevin Gutt
    What: Boeing-777-300 ER passenger jet owned by India’s JetWays en route from Delhi to London
    Where: emergency landing at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku Azerbaijan
    When: May 2nd 2009
    Who: 262 passengers and 15 crew
    Why: A fire alert went off in the hold, indicating smoke some four hours into the flight. The plane diverted to Baku and passengers debarked. Apparently whatever the problem was was solved quickly, (false alarm) because the next day passengers apparently continued on their way on the same plane seven hours later.

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    Airbus Eats Bird over Glasgow


    Contact photographer Wim Callaert
    What: Thomas Cook Airlines Airbus A330-200, en route from Glasgow,SC (UK) to Dalaman (Turkey)
    Where: Manchester
    When: May 3rd 2009
    Who: 322 passengers and 11 crew
    Why: Over Glasgow, the left hand engine apparently ingested a bird; subsequently, the plane suffered failure of the left hand engine while departing (climbing over) Glasgow, then suffered slat failure. The crew was able to shut down the engine and land in Manchester

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    Jetstar Airbus Pilot Catches Hydraulic Leak in Time


    Contact photographer Justin Shan
    What: Jetstar Airbus A320-200 en route from Cairnes to Brisbane Australia
    Where: Cairns Airport
    When: 9.30am.
    Who: 179 people
    Why: When the pilot identified a leak in the hydraulics, he made several loops of Cairns airport before undertaking a “standard air return.” After an interim of 3 and a half hours, the plane resumed the flight.

    George’s Point of View

    Yet another Airbus problem.