| | | | | |

NW Emergency Landing in Buffalo


Pictured: A Northwest Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 over New York
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Kenny

What: Northwest Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-9 en route from Buffalo to Detroit
Where: Buffalo
When: Jan 28 2010
Why: After takeoff, the right engine developed vibration, leading the crew to shut down the affected engine. The flight returned to Buffalo and made a safe landing.

| | | |

2nd Delta/Northwest Nigerian Incident


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

What: Delta/Northwest Airlines Airbus A330-300 en route from Amsterdam to Detroit
Where: Detroit
When: Dec 27th 2009
Who: Individual aboard Delta flight
Why: On arrival to Detroit, a passenger locked himself in the bathroom and became verbally abusive. The flight crew notified law enforcement.

The passenger was a Nigerian citizen (originating in Lagos) via Amsterdam without checked luggage, similar to the Northwest incident on December 25.

George’s Point of View

One cannot help but wonder if this was

  • -A copy cat incident
  • -A co-conspirator
  • -A terrorist who tried to mix the chemicals inside his stomach this time instead of on his leg. (No wonder he locked himself in the bathroom)
  • -Some poor smuck with Montazuma’s revenge
  • -A random rude guy who picked the wrong day to cuss out authority
  • -Bad news for future passengers from Nigeria
| | | |

Attempted Terrorism on NW Detroit Flight


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


What: Northwest Airlines Airbus A330-323X en route from Amsterdam to Detroit
Where: Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
When: Dec 25, 2009
Who: 278 passengers
Why: On approach to Detroit, Nigerian passenger Abdul Mudallad, an engineering student at the University College in London, attempted to set off firecrackers in an attempt to explode the plane. (Mudallad is the son of a Nigerian banker.) The passenger’s device failed to ignite the plane, although the device did make a little pop and emitted smoke. Hearing the pop, a passenger, Dutch video director Jasper Schuringa, jumped over other passengers and took care of it so the fire went out.

Later reports indicate that the passenger had a liquid and powder concealed under his pants, with the ultimate objective of having them detonate when he put them together. The detonation, however, sounded like “a firecracker exploding inside a pillowcase” as described by passengers. A woman seated near the Nigerian passenger had asked him what he was doing, causing an alert; and when the fire-cracker-like sound went off, several passengers became involved. By the time minutes had passed and stewards had brought a fire extinguisher, the passenger had already been subdued by other passengers.

His legs were burned from his efforts. He was removed to the front of the plane; and after the plane landed, was taken into custody.

| | |

Carbon Monoxide aboard NW flight


Pictured: A Northwest Jet Airlink (Pinnacle Airlines) Canadair CL-600-2B19 Regional Jet CRJ-200LR over Cleveland
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer DJ Reed

What: Northwest/Pinnacle Airlines Canadair CRJ-200 en route from from Cleveland to Minneapolis
Where: Grand Rapids
When: Wednesday Dec 16
Who: 47 passengers, 3 crew
Why: While en route, pilots felt their hands and feet tingling, a sign of carbon monoxide poisoning. Pilots breathed oxygen from masks, and complained of difficulty. Pilots diverted to Grand Rapids and made a safe landing. The presence of carbon monoxide in the cockpit was confirmed.

Passengers were transferred to alternative flights.

| | |

Overshooting Pilots Shoot back

Appealing the Federal Aviation Administration’s revocation of their pilots’ licenses, Northwest Airlines pilots Capt. Timothy Cheney, 54, of Gig Harbor, Wash., and First Officer Richard Cole, 54, of Salem, Ore., say air traffic controllers didn’t follow FAA rules and practices and didn’t coordinate effectively with Northwest dispatchers.

On Oct. 21, their out-of-contact plane carried 144 passengers more than 100 miles past their Minneapolis destination. Over Wisconsin, contact was reestablished between the pilots and ATC. Both pilots have extensive flying experience and told investigators they had had no previous incidents or violations. Cheney was hired by Northwest in 1985 and had about 20,000 hours of flying time, about half of it in the A320. Cole had about 11,000 hours of flight time, including 5,000 hours in the A320.

In the interim, several shift changes occurred with off duty controllers failing to inform incoming controller that the plane was out of radio contact.

| | | | | |

Hawaii-bound Delta/Northwest Airbus Diverts to Minneapolis


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

What: Northwest Airlines Airbus A330-300 en route from Atlanta, GA to Honolulu
Where: Oklahoma
When: Nov 14th 2009
Who: 305 on board
Why: While en route, the plane developed cabin pressurization problems, descended to 10000 feet diverting to Minneapolis,MN.

| | | |

Northwest Airbus Loses Contact; Overshoots Destination


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

What: Northwest Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from San Diego, to Minneapolis
Where: Minneapolis
When: Oct 21st 200
Who: 144 passengers 5 crew
Why: The Airbus was out of communication for nearly an hour and a half, and overflew Minneapolis by 15 minutes. The plane had been in contact with Denver but lost contact southeast of Denver,CO after 5:56pm. Denver ATC conferred with Minneapolis ATC. Without reestablishing contact, just before 8 p.m., the plane flew over the airport.

Military jets were put on standby.

Meanwhile, on board, passengers had a very quiet flight, without input from the captain.

Before communications were re-established at 8:14 p.m. the plane had overshot the airport in an easterly direction by nearly a quarter of an hour. Contact was reestablished over Eau Claire, Wis. It is not known if pilots fell asleep.

Pilots didn’t discover their mistake until a flight attendant in the cabin contacted them over the intercom. Passengers were looking at their watches and wondering when the flight would end. Even after they landed, passengers were told to wait, eventually walking past a line of security officers.

On landing in Minneapolis, police boarded the plane, as per standard policy.

The two pilots are suspended until Delta/Northwest investigates the situation. Interviews of the pilots and rest of the crew are pending.

| | | | | |

Billings: Delta/Northwest Emergency Landing, Blown Tire


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

What: Delta/Northwest Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Portland, Minneapolis
Where: Billings,MT
When: Oct 17th 2009
Who: 174 passengers
Why: While en route, the plane developed a hydraulics problem, and diverted to Billings Montana. The flight landed safely, but blew a tire on landing, and had to be towed.

It is not uncommon for a heavy flight (plane full of fuel) diverting early in the flight before burning its fuel load–or landing at a too-high rate of speed–to get a flat.

The replacement flight took seven hours to arrive.

| | | |

Northwest Emergency Landing

What: Northwest (Delta) Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from Raleigh Durham NC to Minneapolis,MN
Where: Raleigh Durham
When: Aug 9th 2009
Who: 148 passengers, 5 crew members
Why: After takeoff, the pilots heard a noise (bird strike) before they lost an engine. They dumped fuel and returned to the airport where they landed safely with no injuries.

We say the flight “lost an engine,” but it was significantly more dramatic than that, with the engine catching fire. Fortunately they landed safely.

| | | |

Northwest Airlines Encounters Turbulence over Kentucky

What: Northwest Airlines( Pinnacle) Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Knoxville,TN to Detroit
Where: Louisville
When: Aug 4th 2009 6 p.m
Who: 24 passengers
Why: Half an hour into the flight, the plane encountered turbulence which injured a flight attendant and a passenger. About twenty-five minutes later, the flight landed in Louisville KY where the flight attendant was hospitalized with minor injuries. The passenger received cuts and bruises which were categorized as not serious. The turbulence the flight encountered was attributed to the same storm system that was behind thunderstorms and flooding in the Kentucky area.

The rest of the passengers were placed on another flight out of Louisville.

Is it possible that pilots and airlines should actually avoid flying during severe weather conditions? I know it is an audacious thing to suggest. Human beings would much prefer to assert dominion over all things natural than to do something that would require a little common sense, especially if it would mean we actually had to wait an hour before taking off.

| | | |

Airbus in trouble Lands at San Fran Airport

What: Northwest Flight Airbus 330 en route from San Francisco to Tokyo
Where: SFO
When: Thursday, 09 July 2009
Who: 194 passengers
Why: The flight took off without issues but developed a problem in one of its engines When the engine compressor failed, the flow of air to the engine was disrupted, and the flight had to return to the airport for a safe landing.

George’s Point of View

What a surprise, it’s another Airbus. An A330.

Thank God, the ending is a happy one.

| | | |

Pinnacle Emergency Landing in Jackson

What: Pinnacle Airlines Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of Northwest Airlines, flight from Nashville to Memphis,TN
Where: Diverted to Jackson’s McKellar-Sipes Airport
When: Jun 19th 2009
Who: 31 passengers
Why: A sensor reported a fire in the cargo bay, but after the plane diverted to Jackson, no smoke or fire was found.

The plane will continue to Memphis on Saturday.

The temperature in Jackson was 93, and the heat index was 101.`

| | | | | |

Northwest Airbus Double-diversion


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Martin Woudstra

What: Northwest Airlines Airbus A330-300 en route from Rome Fiumicino Italy to Atlanta,GA
Where: Shannon, Ireland/Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky
When: Jun 12th 2009
Who: 285 people on board
Why: En route, smoke developed in the cabin supposedly from the galley. On landing, Shannon fire services sprayed the right hand main gear. Passengers debarked and re-embarked. The flight reached Atlanta but after circling, weather-caused traffic congestion in Atlanta forced the flight to land in Cincinnati.

| | |

Shannon Emergency Landing

What: Northwest Airlines Airbus A330 light 821
Where: Shannon Airport
When: 1.20pm
Who: 285 passengers
Why: smokey stench in the forward galley. The plane made a successful emergency landing, without further incident.

George’s Point of View

I’m glad there were no injuries involved; but I chuckle picturing the chargeback on some flight attendant’s chit because the airline was forced to land the plane when she 1. burned the toast or
2. accidentally toasted the microwave or
3. tried to sneak in a smoke:

June 1-15: +$1080.00
Taxes: – XXXX
Emergency -140,008.72
Landing

| | |

NW flight Diverts from LA to Waterloo

What: Northwest Airlines Flight 335 Boeing 757 en route from Detroit to Los Angeles.
Where: Waterloo
When: on Tuesday morning
Who: 182 passengers
Why: An hour into the flight, the crew smelled smoke and diverted to Waterloo. Northwest is flying mechanics in on a substitute 757.

| |

Maintenance Door Opens in Flight

What: Northwest Airlines flight 2271 en route from Baton Rouge to Memphis
Where: Baton Rouge Metro Airport Monday
When: Monday May 4, 2009
Who: 49 people on board
Why: When an access door to avionics maintenance on the bottom of the jet opened, the flight returned to Baton Rouge and circled to use fuel before landing.

George’s Point of View

Better safe than sorry.

| |

Northwest Tailstrike

What: Northwest Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from Minneapolis, MN to Denver, CO
Where: Denver
When: May 4th 2009
Why: Resulting in (or from) 3.3G acceleration, the Airbus tail struck the ground. Damage was substantial/

George’s Point of View

What?? Was the pilot in training??

| | | |

Saipan: Windshield Cracked too Late and Missed the Party


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Dan Hornseth
What: Northwest Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Guam to Tokyo Narita Japan
Where: Saipan
When: Wednesday April 15 between 4 and 5
Who: 170 + passengers
Why: When a “minor” crack was discovered on the plane’s windshield. A delay of between 16 and 17 hours is anticipated.

George’s Point of View

Irony of the day: The plane’s emergency arrival just missed Disaster Drill day at Saipan International Airport.

| |

Japanese Turbulance. Lesson: Buckle Up!


“Click here for full size photo
Contact Photographer Stuart Lawson [Airplane-Pictures]
What: Northwest Airlines Boeing 747-400 Manila (Philippines) to Tokyo Narita (Japan)
Where: NARITA, JP
When: 02/20/2009
Who: 408 passengers and 14 crew
Why: 30 minutes prior to landing with seatbelt signs turned on, the airplane encountered severe turbulence. The plane dropped abruptly from 15000 feet. Some passengers not yet buckled in were thrown out of their seats and struck the ceiling resulting in a couple of injuries. 43 passengers were distressed enough to go to the hospital. Only one passenger sustained a neck fracture; two injuries were minor.

SOUTH NARITA, JAPAN, NWA2 ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURBULENCE AT 15000.

Northwest Lands in Atlanta

What: Northwest Airlines Flight 423 en route from Orlando to Detroit Metro Airport
Where: Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta
When: Monday Sept 22
Who: 181 passengers aboard–no injuries.
Why: a warning light indicated a mechanical problem. Emergency landing