Carrier

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    A Dubai Bound Air India Flight Diverts to Mumbai on Suspicion of Damaged Tire

    A Dubai Bound Air India Flight Diverts to Mumbai on Suspicion of Damaged Tire

    An Air India Express Flight flying from Lucknow to Dubai made a safe emergency landing in Mumbai on its third attempt.
    Flight IX 193 took off at 2.05 pm on March 8, 2014, from Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow. Small rubber particles were detected on the runway after take-off led to suspicions that one or more tires could be damaged.

    The plane was then diverted to Mumbai for an emergency landing, where the pilot asked ATC to check if the tires were satisfactory for safe landing. According to reports, the pilot brought the plane 100 feet above the runway, twice unsuccessfully. ATC successfully viewed the tires on the third flyby, after which the plane landed safely.

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    MedView Airlines Lagos-Abuja Flight Makes Emergency Landing

    A local MedView Airlines flight in Nigeria, set from Lagos to the capital city Abuja, had to return and make an emergency landing immediately after take off.1

    Initial reports reveal that Genga Daniel, former Ogun State governor, was also on board.

    While the real reason behind emergency landing is still unclear, some passengers reported that just after the take off, the plane’s cabin got filled with smoke.

    The passengers were safely evacuated through the emergency exit.

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    American Airline Flight 1491 Strikes a Bird

    A Tulsa-Dallas American Airlines flight stroke a bird, after which it had to return and make emergency landing at Tulsa International Airport.

    The flight 1491 took off at around 10:30 am on Friday March 14, 2014, carrying 182 passengers and 7 crew members. Shortly after departing, it hit a bird and had to land back at the Tulsa International Airport.

    All passengers and crew members were safely de-planed.

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    Jet Airways Bhuj-Mumbai Flight Makes Uneventful Landing Due to False Bomb Threat

    A Jet Airways local flight in India had to make an emergency landing due to a bomb threat.

    The flight 9W 2536, set from Bhuj  to Mumbai, was on its way when the Bhuj airport director received an anonymous call, stating that there is a bomb in the air plane. Consequently, a full emergency was declared at the Mumbai Airport, with ambulances and fire tenders ready at the scene.

    The flight landed at 10:37 am and all 60 passengers and 5 crew members were safely evacuated.

    The air craft was later declared safe, after a two hour long security check.

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    ICAO Statistics Suggest Air Travel Safety Has Enhanced Over the Years

    The mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has raised many concerns about the air travel safety. However, the global statistics reveal that air travel is becoming safer with time.     International Civil Aviation Organization     

    As per the recent statistics released by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the reported number of fatalities in international flight incidents was 372 in 2012. In 2013, the number reduced to 173.

    In Asia alone, the number of fatalities has reduced from 161 in 2012 to 50 in 2013.

    The disappeared Malaysian Airlines aircraft, Boeing 777 remained involved in only 1 fatal accident last year i.e. the Asiana Airlines Flight Crash, resulting in 3 deaths.

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    Cargolux Cargo Plane Diverted to Shannon, On Report of Fire

    A Cargolux operated cargo airplane, flying from Puerto Rico to Maastricht, Holland, made an emergency landing at Ireland’s Shannon Airport, on the morning of March 14, 2014.

    According to initial reports, the pilot of Boeing 747-400 reported fire in the cargo bay and hence requested clearance to land at Shannon airport.

    A Shannon airport spokesperson has confirmed that no one was injured.

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    US Airways Flight 1702 Crash Lands at Philadelphia International Airport

    US Airways Flight 1702, which took off from Philadelphia to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, crash landed at Philadelphia International Airport, after an aborted take off. 1

    The incident took place on Thursday evening, when the plane, carrying 149 passengers and 5 crew members, experienced some faults during take-off and hence attempted to land back, which caused the front landing gear of Airbus A320 to collapse.

    Airport officials confirm that two passengers suffered minor injuries while all other passengers as well as crew members were evacuated safely.

    According to initial reports, high wind gusts might be the reason behind the aborted take-off as high wind advisory, with warning of wind gusts as high as 60 mph in effect at the time of incident.

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    Former MD, NTSB Criticizes Malaysia’s Handling of Airplane Disappearance Crisis

    According to Peter Goelz ,former managing director of the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Malaysia has not abided by the protocols of the Convention on International Air Transportation, in handling the Malaysia Airlines’ (MAS) MH370 disappearance crisis.

    In a recent interview, he regarded Malaysia’s conduct in this case as ‘the worst he has ever seen’.

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    US Airways Flight 678 Diverted to Houston When A Baby Passenger Stopped Breathing

    US Airways Flight 678 was forced to make emergency landing when a baby stopped breathing.2

    The flight was en route from Tampa, Florida to Phoenix Sky Harbor, when the baby started turning purple due to seizure. The pilot had to divert the flight to Houston, while the passengers gave chest compressions and rescue breathing, to the baby for saving his life.

    According to media sources, the plane safely landed in Houston where the child was given medical aid.

    The US Airways flight was continued to Phoenix.

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    Delta Air Lines Flight 901 Makes Emergency Landing Due to Squabbling Couple

    Flight 901 of Delta Air Lines, flying from Atlanta to Costa Rica, had to make an emergency landing on Grand Cayman Islands, due to a couple squabbling on their wedding anniversary.250px-Delta_logo.svg

    According to Raymond Christian, Chief Inspector Royal Cayman Islands police, the groom was arrested on charges of drinking and inappropriate conduct, while the bride was allowed to continue the flight.

    The police have not revealed the details about bride’s identity but they confirm that the groom, identified as Michael Foret, 33, is a U.S. national.

    Foret was later presented in front of a Cayman Islands Judge, who fined him $600 for forcing the plane to make emergency landing.

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    Eastern Airways Saab 2000 Makes Emergency Landing in Norwich

    plane-emergency-landing-norwich-airport-hydraulic-fault

    The Eastern Airways Saab 2000, flying from Norwich to Aberdeen made an emergency landing at the Norwich International Airport, just twenty minutes after taking off.

    The plane, with three crew members and forty eight passengers, took off at 6.45am but at 7:05 am, it requested a full emergency landing as a hydraulic fault was discovered.

    Full emergency response protocol was followed at the airport and ambulances, fire fighters and police were ready at the spot when the plane safely landed at 7:24am.

    A replacement plane was arranged to take the passengers to their destination, while the Saab was sent for thorough inspection.

    For picture source, click Here

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    Updates on Malaysian Boeing 777-200 Crash

    Women are silhouetted as they watch a Malaysia Airlines jet taxi on the tarmac at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

    According to the aviation sources, the investigation teams will successfully locate the remains of Malaysian Boeing 777-200, which was carrying 239 people and was reportedly vanished off Vietnam.

    Ronald Schleede, an ex U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigator opines that the search teams will definitely find the lost plane, as they have all the capabilities and resources to do so.

    A Vietnamese coast guard commander has said that a potential fragment from the plane was found by a helicopter, 56 miles south of Vietnam’s To Chu Island. He elaborated that the fragmented might be a part of the window or emergency door.

    The air search teams have also spotted two fuel sticks, at a distance of 9 miles from Vietnam’s south coast.

    The investigators say that once they are able to locate the plane, the flight deck recordings as well as other instruments and physical evidences will aid in finding the reasons behind the crash. 

    For picture source, click Here

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    Airlines Who Fail Families Pay Fines


    In the first couple of weeks after a crash, an airline carrier will distribute partial payments of $20,000 to $30,000 to each family with no catches. Families should know that this money is available to them.

    Money is not that important to families waiting for news of their lost loved ones, but for some, even that soon after someone is gone, the family is feeling the hurt. In many places, it is a paycheck to paycheck world. Airlines can drag their feet in regards to this partial payment. This is what is behind the recent fine to Asiana.

    Asiana was fined $500,000 last month because they failed to attend to the victims and their families properly for the Asiana flight 214 in San Francisco in July. Airlines have to follow their “family assistance plan.” You’ve seen parts of that plan before—the toll free phone number, the reports of assistance to families. These things aren’t out of the goodness of their hearts, but the consequence of the Foreign Air Carrier Family Support Act of 1997.

    Asiana dragged their feet in contacting families—about ¾ of the passengers were approached within 2 days, but some took as long as five days. Imagine that your loved ones died or were severely injured, and the airline didn’t call for five days. That’s an eternity.

    The Department of Transportation’s statement on the matter said that “Asiana’s response to the crash of flight 214 indicates that the carrier failed to commit sufficient resources to carry out its family assistance plan….In the very rare event of a crash, airlines have a responsibility to provide their full support to help passengers and their families by following all the elements of their family assistance plans…The last thing families and passengers should have to worry about at such a stressful time is how to get information from their carrier.” Additionally, Asiana failed to widely publish the family members’ information hot line, failed to send in an adequate number of translators and personnel, in addition to not contacting family members quickly enough.

    Take a look at the plan below:

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    Stolen Passports aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370

    An Austrian and an Italian passport used by passengers aboard missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370 were recorded in Interpol’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database.

    INTERPOL is conducting checks on all other passports used aboard flight MH 370. They are trying with National Central Bureaus to discover the identities of the people using the stolen passports. Interpol also bemoans the countries who didn’t bother with security checks—those who waited for the worst to happen before putting in safety measures.

    The question remains who were using the tickets? Were they Uighur, a faction well known to the Chinese, but not so well known outside of China?

    Chinese investigators reported that one-way tickets bound for Europe that were used by the persons who used the stolen passports were provided by an Iranian purchaser over the phone, who said he was Kazem Ali. It was a cash purchase. The tickets issued Thursday from a Pattaya, Grand Horizon, travel agency. A number of countries are involved in the investigation, including the US due to the origin of the plane, and each country who had citizens aboard, but the investigation is led by the country where the plane is registered, Malaysia, is to lead the investigation.

    At the time the passports were used for this flight, no one in Malaysia checked the database for the tickets, or else they would have been detected.

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    #9M-MRO Fender Bender long before Flight MH370

    This is not the first time we have met this Malaysia Airlines Boeing.

    Our first meeting with #9M-MRO was when it had a fender bender at Shanghai-Pudong International when it was taxiing and bumped the tail of a China Eastern Airlines A340 plane, B-6050. The Boeing wingtip broke off; and the tail of the other plane. Other sources list this as a different plane but you can’t argue with the BEA as a source. They’re French.

    The BEA lists it here http://www.bea.aero/fr/enquetes/2012/2012.semaine.32.pdf as
    “BOEING 777-200 9M-MRO AD Shanghai Pudong – Chine 263 on déterminé Inconnu 0 TP Collision au sol entre deux avions”

    Our usual aviation photographers at Airliners net don’t show the down and dirty photos any more, so we had to do some ground-level searches to find this. These are from the plain old internet, none of our experts so feel free to blame (or praise) the search engine. This plane was broken. But if it was flying okay the accident well over a year ago, then do we presume the site of the damage was as good as new?

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    No Mayday, then Gone

    I could speculate here about what caused the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, but that is all it would be: speculation. One can look at the type of plane, the weather, and various circumstances, but the truth is that the devil is in the details, and we just don’t know the details. The investigation will turn them up; the investigation can be a long road down a circular path.

    It makes it more difficult when there was no distress call. No mayday. Think of this: if something happens and you’re on a plane rapidly losing altitude—or with catastrophic issues which could be anything on a plane from a drunk grandpa to a bomb on board to a bad repair failing, to a sudden system failure due to frozen pitot tubes, what is the first thing that you are going to do if you’re part of the flight crew? That’s right—the first thing will be to fix the issue, and stay in the air. The last thing to do after the crisis is handled is to call ATC and let them know what’s going on.

    But because there was no distress call, we can assume that whatever happened happened fast. And now the wildest speculation of all is that the two people with fake passports were terrorists carrying a bomb. Do we need to go down that thought path? There are plenty of things that could have gone wrong although the 777 has a a stellar safety record.

    Now too, there is even speculation where the plane went down, apparently. There’s an oil slick approximately where the teams are searching. Maybe they’re right. Maybe under that slick, there’s a beacon to hear.

    Still, I keep hoping there’s a raft somewhere full of survivors.

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    Malaysia Airlines Flight Update

    Although the Malaysia Airlines has denied reports of a beacon, the Malaysian navy has said publicly they have tracked the wreckage of the missing Malaysia Flight MH370, and has dispatched a plane, two helicopters and four vessels i addition to the Philippines three navy patrol boats and one surveillance plane. Chinese ships and aircraft are on standby with eight ships belonging to the Nanhai Rescue Bureau and the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration, and a supporting air fleet. Boeing expressed their concern and are sending a team to assist the investigation.

    Meanwhile, in spite of the airline telling the public the whereabouts are unknown, families are being told to take their valid passports to KLIA airport before 6 pm for MAS travel arrangements to the crash site.

    If the plane is down (and even if it is magic thinking, we are still hoping it landed safely somewhere), search and rescue is still within the “24-hour golden window” in which it is more likely to find survivors. Eighty% of the family members have been contacted by Malaysia Airlines, according to Malaysia Airlines at the conference at Sama Sama Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, March 8, 2014.

    The plane that is missing is registration number 9M-MRO. In September 2012, the plane was on the ground and suffered an airfield incursion when it collided with a China Eastern Airlines’ Airbus.

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    Malaysia Airlines Flight Missing

    Saturday at 12:40 a.m. a Malaysia Airlines B777-200 (registration #9M-MRO) took off from Kuala Lumpur and disappeared.

    Subang Air Traffic said radio and radar contact was lost from flight MH370 at 01:22, forty minutes into the flight, contact was never made with Ho Chi Minh Control Center in Vietnam at the expected time. Chinese reports deny the plane ever entered their airspace. Subang ATC did not inform the airline until 02:40, which may have caused a catastrophic delay in the information stream, preventing the possibility of rescue.

    A search is underway for the missing plane somewhere along the route between the Gulf of Thailand and the China Sea, northeast of Kota Bharu (Malaysia).

    Radar suggests a descent of the aircraft.

    The plane’s first flight was May 14, 2002. It is 11 years old and flew on Rolls Royce Trent 892 engines.

    The flight’s intended destination was Beijing.

    Our prayers are with the twelve crew and 227 passengers. Reports are that two infants were aboard.

    Malaysia Airlines has released two statements so far:

    “Saturday, March 08, 07:30 AM MYT +0800 Media Statement – MH370 Incident released at 7.24am

    Sepang, 8 March 2014: Malaysia Airlines confirms that flight MH370 has lost contact with Subang Air Traffic Control at 2.40am, today (8 March 2014).

    Flight MH370, operated on the B777-200 aircraft, departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am on 8 March 2014. MH370 was expected to land in Beijing at 6.30am the same day. The flight was carrying a total number of 227 passengers (including 2 infants), 12 crew members.

    Malaysia Airlines is currently working with the authorities who have activated their Search and Rescue team to locate the aircraft.

    The airline will provide regular updates on the situation. Meanwhile, the public may contact +603 7884 1234 for further info.

    ==
    2nd statement
    Saturday, March 08, 09:05 AM MYT +0800 Malaysia Airlines MH370 Flight Incident – 2nd Media Statement

    We deeply regret that we have lost all contacts with flight MH370 which departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41 am earlier this morning bound for Beijing. The aircraft was scheduled to land at Beijing International Airport at 6.30am local Beijing time. Subang Air Traffic Control reported that it lost contact at 2.40am (local Malaysia time) today.

    Flight MH370 was operated on a Boeing B777-200 aircraft. The flight was carrying a total number of 239 passengers and crew – comprising 227 passengers (including 2 infants), 12 crew members. The passengers were of 13 different nationalities. Malaysia Airlines is currently working with the authorities who have activated their Search and Rescue team to locate the aircraft. Our team is currently calling the next-of-kin of passengers and crew.

    Focus of the airline is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilize its full support. Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members. The airline will provide regular updates on the situation.

    The public may contact +603 7884 1234. For media queries, kindly contact +603 8777 5698/ +603 8787 1276.

    For the next-of-kin, please inform them to to Anjung Tinjau, Level 5, KLIA. Our staff will be there to assist. Transport will be provided to go to the South Support Zone Facility building for the next-of-kin.

    Or next-of-kin may head straight to the Support Facility Building at KLIA’s South Support Zone.

    —-

    Flight Path



    Flight path

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    Air France Airbus Flight Cancelled

    On March 2, 2013, an Airbus A380 (flight 275) scheduled to fly from Narita International Airport to Paris aborted a takeoff on runway 34L at Tokyo-Narita. The takeoff was delayed because of a nose gear problem, and subsequently towed to the gate. After maintenance, the takeoff was rescheduled but aborted a second time because of the same trouble, canceling the flight. None of the 537 aboard were injured.

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    Automation at Fault?


    Here’s the question: do pilots rely too much on automation? This question has been on my mind since hearing the parallels between the UPS Cargo jet crash and the Asiana passenger jet crash. This is on my mind not only as one who works toward aviation safety but also as a very frequent flyer. You can only imagine how my work carries me into international situations. I don’t fly as frequently as a pilot, but sometimes I fly internationally several times a month. I am on these planes frequently. I rely on them.

    So I find it disturbing that the NTSB’s hearing Thursday revealed parallels between the crash of UPS Flight 1354 and Asiana Filght 214. While I don’t know the answers, I can only hope the investigation shines light on ways to deal with this problem. What is the solution? Less reliance on Automation? Better training for pilots?

    On the other side of the coin, some parties will want even more automation, but I am reluctant to go in that direction. The idea of even more reliance on automation is anathema to me because the engineers and advocates of reliance on even more automation will not be on those even-more automated planes. While the technology and/or training will be on the chopping block, their actual necks won’t be.

    What I don’t find disturbing is the professionalism of the hearings. The webcast is well worth watching.

    The hearing webcast is recorded here: http://ntsb.capitolconnection.org/022014/ntsb_archive_flv.htm

    Note the NTSB cautions participants in the hearing not to engage the media and to stick to the facts.

    Or the recorded captions (unformatted) are here.
    https://airflightdisaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/ntsb022014.htm.pdf

    bio docket: https://airflightdisaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/biodocket.pdf

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    Military Air Ambulance Crashes

    On Friday Feb 21, 2014, a Libyan military Antonov 26 transport #5A-DOW crashed in Tunisia killing 11 including two injured civilians, three escorts and five crew and one doctor.

    A fire broke out on the helicopter. No report has been provided to indicate if the fire was before or after the air ambulance’s ground impact.

    The vehicle was en route to Tunis-Carthage Airport and apparently crashed on approach.

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    Turbulence: Rough Ride on United Airlines

    United Boeing 737-700 #N23708 en route from Denver to Billings had 114 passengers and 5 crew when it encountered turbulence. The tower reported winds at “200 at 2-8 gust 3-6.”

    Fifteen minutes outside of landing, three crew and two passengers sustained injury. According to interviews, one flight attendant struck the ceiling, and also a passenger. An infant flew out of its parents arms and landed on a seat when it felt like the plane dropped. Passengers complained of inadequate feedback from the airline.

    Pilots declared an emergency; and after they landed safely with emergency services on standby, they taxied to the gate. The flight attendant who struck the ceiling knocked out a ceiling panel and suffered a bleeding wound for which “medical attention at the gate” was requested. One flight attendant is in intensive care.

    One passenger in the video below says it felt like the plane was “hit from the bottom.” At that point, loose items in the cabin were disturbed.

    In George’s Point of View

    We can only hope that one day they will have a fix for turbulence. This is terrible.

    See Videos Below


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    Telluride Crash kills three pilots


    At 11:20 a.m. Sunday, three pilots were en route from Telluride Regional Airport to Cortez, Colorado. After the Arizona Cloudbusters Inc Beechcraft 35-33 Debonair “disappeared,” the Civil Air Patrol instituted a search and found the wreckage a mile from the airport. Sherry Anderson, 57, and Sherman Anderson, 64, of Phoenix, and Eric Durban, 48, of Mesa, died in the single-engine plane crash. There was light snow, one mile visibility and light wind at the time of takeoff. Shortly after takeoff, the plane impacted mountainous terrain then caught fire.

    The Andersons were commercial pilots. Durban was a military pilot. They were members of Arizona Cloudbusters Flying Club.

    Their last communication was with Telluride airport on takeoff at 12:40p.m. which is when ATC instituted the search. The plane was spotted at 5:17 pm.

    An investigation is underway.

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    Wellington Florida Plane Crash


    A Sonex, a two-seat homebuilt kit plane crashed into a lake at Greenbriar Dog Park a mile from Wellington Aero Club, killing the one person aboard the plane. The pilot, Leonard “Link” McGarity had been practicing “touch and goes” The accident occurred on Feb 17 in the morning. By 12:55 rescue crews were on the scene but unable to assist as the pilot died at the scene. McGarity was a longtime professional pilot who flew for American Airlines and Marine helicopters, and had a residence at Wellington Aero Club.

    Prior to the crash, witnesses heard the plane sputter.

    The Wellington Aero Club is a community built around a runway. A neighbor who is a seasoned aviator was quoted saying of McGarity, “If this happened to him, it’s something wrong with the plane, not him. He knew what he was doing.”

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    Dulles Crew Finds Dead Stowaway

    A South African Airways Airbus A340 at Dulles International Airport flew from Johannesburg, South Africa to Dakar, Senegal to Virginia with an extra passenger. Crew discovered the body in the wheel well on Thursday. FBI, U.S. customs, border patrol, fire and rescue crews and Dulles police responded to the scene. Fairfax County Medical Examiner’s Office has custody of the body.

    See the Videos