The Boeing 737-800 plane took off for Fortaleza, Brazil, but had to turn back after sudden aircraft movements injured two flight attendants.

The plane landed safely.

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The Boeing 737-700 plane was accelerating to take off for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, when the crew noticed a strong burning odor and rejected takeoff.

The plane safely returned to the apron. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.

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The Boeing 737-800 plane took off for Brasilia, Brazil, but had to turn back due to a bird strike.

The plane landed safely. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.

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The Boeing 737-800 flying to Sao Paulo Guarulhos, Brazil, had to return due to smell of smoke.

The plane landed safely.

The passengers were rebooked in other flights.

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The Boeing 737-800 plane took off for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but had to return shortly afterwards after its left engine ingested multiple birds.

The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.

The airline arranged a replacement plane for the passengers.

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The Boeing 737-700 plane took off for Boa Vista, Brazil, but had to return shortly afterwards after the crew failed to retract landing gear.

The plane landed safely. There were 130 people aboard at the time; all of them remained unharmed.

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The plane en-route from Belo Horizonte to Sao Paulo–Congonhas Airport, Brazil, was diverted after the crew reported issues with the slats.

The plane landed uneventfully. There were 125 people aboard at the time; all of them remained safe.

The passengers were taken to Sao Paulo–Congonhas Airport via buses.

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The Boeing 737-800, flying to Curitiba, Brazil, had to abort the take-off due to some issue with one of its engines.

The plane landed safely.

No one was injured.

The post GOL Plane Rejects Take-off in Brazil due to Engine Issue first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

The Boeing 737-800 plane took off for Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil, but had to return shortly afterwards due to a problem with right hand engine.

The plane landed uneventfully. Everyone aboard remained safe.

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The Boeing 737-800 was en-route to Brasilia, Brazil, when the crew encountered some problem with its engine and returned to Teresina for a safe landing.

The plane landed safely.

All passengers aboard remained unhurt.

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The case was retried in Brazil Monday and upheld; in fact, the jail time that had last year been commuted to community service was eliminated. In lieu of jail time or community service, now the pilots will only be required scheduled check-ins with Brazilian parole authorities.

Read More

• Four Year Sentence
• GOL: Brazilian Court Rules Negligence
• Brazil’s GOL Report
• Gol Investigation Findings Released
• Pleas for Brazil to Drop Criminal Investigation
• Gol Goes On and On
• GOL – NTSB Report September 29, 2006
• GOL Passenger List
• Gol: US Pilots to Face Retrial in Absentia; Audio from the flight in YOUTUBE

The post Gol: US Pilots Retrial Upholds Conviction, No Jailtime first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

Lepore and Paladino are to be retried Monday.

Audio from the flight in YOUTUBE below

Read More

• Four Year Sentence
• GOL: Brazilian Court Rules Negligence
• Brazil’s GOL Report
• Gol Investigation Findings Released
• Pleas for Brazil to Drop Criminal Investigation
• Gol Goes On and On
• GOL – NTSB Report September 29, 2006
• GOL Passenger List

The post Gol: US Pilots to Face Retrial in Absentia first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

What: GOL Transportes Aereos Boeing 737-800 en route from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo
Where: Sao Paulo
When: Feb 6th 2012
Why: On approach to Sao Paulo, the plane developed problems with the plane’s hydraulic systems. After making a safe landing, the plane was stuck on the runway. Eventually the plane was towed, and the patient passengers were able to disembark (after half an hour.)

The post Gol Hydraulic Issue in Sao Paulo first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

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

The post Gol Boeing Drops Panels first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

ATLANTA, Feb. 3, 2011 — Delta Air Lines’ maintenance division, Delta TechOps, has entered an exclusive maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) partnership with GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. , the largest low-cost and low-fare airline in Latin America. As part of the five-year deal, which includes an additional five-year option, Delta TechOps will provide engine overhauls for a minimum of 50 percent of GOL’s CFM56-7 engines and maintenance services for various parts and components on GOL’s fleet of Boeing 737NG aircraft.

Delta TechOps also will provide consulting services related to maintenance workflow planning, materials and facility optimization, and tooling support and will assist GOL with its efforts to secure FAA Part 145 Repair Station Certification. In addition, GOL will assist Delta with some line maintenance services for Delta aircraft with extended ground time in Brazil.

“The men and women in Delta TechOps are the most skilled and knowledgeable in the industry,” said Tony Charaf, president – Delta TechOps. “This partnership with GOL gives us a special opportunity to join hands and share our talents and expertise with another airline, while strengthening our ties in the South American market and extending our global MRO footprint.”

“This partnership aims at further improving GOL’s low cost structure as well as the quality of its state-of-the-art maintenance center located in Brazil,” said Constantino Junior, GOL’s Founder and CEO. “We are proud to work with Delta TechOps.”

Since establishing a third-party maintenance business a decade ago, Delta TechOps has grown its global customer base to include 150 customers and more than $500 million in annual revenues. The business is an important part of Delta’s efforts to diversify its global revenue base through ancillary businesses such as Delta Cargo, Delta Private Jets, Delta Global Services and MLT Vacations.

About GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A.

GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (NYSE: GOL and BM&FBOVESPA: GOLL4), (S&P/Fitch: BB-/BB-, Moody’s: Ba3), the largest low-cost and low-fare airline in Latin America, offers more than 900 daily flights to 59 destinations that connect all the important cities in Brazil and 14 major destinations in South America and Caribbean. The Company operates a young, modern fleet of Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft, the safest and most comfortable of its class, with high aircraft utilization and efficiency levels. Fully committed to seeking innovative solutions through the use of cutting-edge technology, the Company – via its GOL, VARIG, GOLLOG, SMILES and VoeFacil brands – offers its clients easy payment facilities, a wide range of complementary services and the best cost-benefit ratio in the market.

The post Delta TechOps, GOL Establish Long-Term Maintenance Partnership first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

SAO PAULO, Dec. 21, 2010 -FirstCall/ — GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A., the largest low-cost and low-fare airline in Latin America, has signed a commercial agreement to sell, in all its sales channels, tickets of Passaredo Linhas Aereas, a Brazilian domestic airline that recorded growth of 130.89% last year.

Passaredo currently operates 103 flights to 20 destinations in Brazil. As a result of the agreement, GOL will add the cities of Marilia, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Jose de Rio Preto (Sao Paulo), Barreiras, Vitoria da Conquista (Bahia) and Ji-Parana (Rondonia) to its route network. GOL, operating through Passaredo, also offers eight new direct flights, including Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul) to Goiania (Goias) and Uberlandia (Minas Gerais) to Rio de Janeiro (Santos Dumont Airport).

GOL passengers connecting with Passaredo flights will only need to check-in once and their baggage will go directly to the final destination.

Based in Ribeirao Preto, Passaredo Linhas Aereas began operations in 1995. Its fleet currently comprises 15 aircraft – five Embraer EMB-120s and ten Embraer ERJ-145 jets, with a capacity for 30 and 50 passengers, respectively. By July 2011, however, it will be operating 23 aircraft, with the addition of eight already contracted ERJ-145s.

“This is a strategic agreement for GOL because Passaredo is a well-known regional airline which will add important destinations to our route network, improving our penetration and offering our passengers new direct flight options”, declared Claudia Pagnano, GOL’s Market Vice-President.
The routes will be handled by all GOL’s sales channels, available for purchase up to the day before the flight. The agreement does not include the accumulation of SMILES mileage on Passaredo flights.

For Captain Felicio, the CEO of Passaredo Linhas Aereas, the company is assuming a strategic position in the market. “GOL is an excellent partner. We believe in a strong regional aviation market, where we will be operating with penetration for one of the leading airlines in Latin America. This is the system they use in North America and Europe”, he concluded.

About Passaredo Linhas Aereas

Passaredo has expanded more than any other airline in Brazil since 2004, recording annual growth of close to 100%, and currently operates 103 daily flights to 20 cities in 10 Brazilian states. It focuses on flights carrying up to 50 passengers, operating on medium-potential routes with high-tech aircraft, high fuel consumption efficiency and low-cost maintenance. Its aircraft are manufactured by Embraer and there are more than 1,200 units operating worldwide. Passaredo puts great emphasis on top-class customer service, prioritizing comfort, safety, efficiency and punctuality. Given its intention of maintaining its regional identity, the partnership with GOL will complement its operations, allowing it to offer a wider range of destinations to its clients.

About GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A.

GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (NYSE: GOL and BM&FBOVESPA: GOLL4), (S&P/Fitch: BB-/BB-, Moody`s: Ba3), the largest low-cost and low-fare airline in Latin America, offers more than 900 daily flights to 59 destinations that connect all the important cities in Brazil and 14 major destinations in South America and Caribbean. The Company operates a young, modern fleet of Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft, the safest and most comfortable of its class, with high aircraft utilization and efficiency levels. Fully committed to seeking innovative solutions through the use of cutting-edge technology, the Company – via its GOL, VARIG, GOLLOG, SMILES and VoeFacil brands – offers its clients easy payment facilities, a wide range of complementary services and the best cost-benefit ratio in the market.

This release contains forward-looking statements relating to the prospects of the business, estimates for operating and financial results, and those related to growth prospects of GOL. These are merely projections and, as such, are based exclusively on the expectations of GOL’s management concerning the future of the business and its continued access to capital to fund the Company’s business plan. Such forward-looking statements depend, substantially, on changes in market conditions, government regulations, competitive pressures, the performance of the Brazilian economy and the industry, among other factors and risks disclosed in GOL’s filed disclosure documents and are, therefore, subject to change without prior notice.

The post GOL Announces Commercial Agreement with Passaredo Linhas Aereas first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

What: GOL Transportes Aereos Boeing 737-700 en route from Bauru to Sao Paulo Brazil
Where: Bauru
When: Feb 2 2010
Who: 82 on board
Why: Prior to take-off, the engine presented an automated warning sufficient to deter the pilots from taking off. Details about the warning have not been made public although they were adequate for Gol to begin an investigation. While the original plane went into maintenance, a replacement plane was provided within four hours.

George’s Point of View

While we of course have no idea what the warning was, nor how important an issue it represented, we commend GOL for taking proactive action and responding to warning systems as they were intended to be. Hopefully maintenance will become as diligent as the crew that actually has to be in the plane aboveground.

The post GOL Inspects Flight for Airworthiness first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

What: Gol Transportes Aereos Boeing 737-700 en route from Palmas to Brasilia
Where: Palmas
When: Nov 18th 2009
Who: not available
Why: Half an hour into the flight, the airborne weather radar system failed. The crew decided to fly to Goiânia and skip an intermediate stop (probably due to weather concerns?). On landing, the flight was cancelled.

The post GOL Goiânia Emergency Landing first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.