Carrier

  • |

    Little Airline’s Big Deal with Boeing, Lion Air 21.7 Billion Expansion


    Indonesian Lion Air is planning to buy 230 planes from Boeing Co. $21.7 billion for the fleet will be paid in loans from U.S. Export-Import Bank over 12 years though bank financing. The airline will be adding flights to cities in China, South Korea and Taiwan. Lion Air, founded in 2000, currently flies Boeing 737s and MD-90s in 226 flights daily to more than 36 cities including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Ho Chi Minh City.

    The 737 MAX is a fuel efficient upgrade competitive with Airbus SAS’s A320neo.

  • | | |

    Mangalore Crash Families Long for Closure


    Plane crash cases take a long time to settle, and the families of the Mangalore Crash can vouch for it, having been waiting since the date of the crash in May of 2010. Families who are still waiting on a settlement, and will be back in court this November. They aren’t looking for extraordinary measures, but want compensation for flight 812–the Air India Express Dubai-Mangalore in accordance with the Montreal Convention. 152 died in the crash.

    According to The National, Airlines are required to pay compensation of 7.5 million rupees (Dh560,000) per passenger to families of crash victims, just as a Kerala judge ordered. Then that judge was overruled in favor of Air India Express. This November, the case will move into the highest court to rule in favor of the victims or Air India Express.

    In George’s Point of View


    It’s not that simple.

    I know I have said this before, but it bears repeating.

    I must remind the families that the value of the aviation case is usually much higher than 75 lakhs.

    And this is because Tier II of the Montreal Treaty.

    The convention’s second tier deals with the portion of a claim exceeding the $155,000 limit. An airline can avoid liability for portions of claims over the limit by proving it was “not negligent or otherwise at fault.”

    I’m not a lawyer but I know from experience how it works. I have been working with wrongful death cases for years, and have learned a lot from the experience my aviation experts have graciously passed on to me.

    If you can prove provable damages, then Tier II (referred to in Article 21(2) of the Montreal Convention) Air India Express is liable to families/passengers for all personal injury or wrongful death damages exceeding 100,000 Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), unless the carrier(s) can prove that the injuries or deaths were not due to the negligence or other wrongful act or omission of the carrier or it servants or agents OR the injuries or deaths were solely due to the negligence or other wrongful act or omission of a third party.

    My guess is that the carrier will never prove this. The burden of proof is on them. If I am correct, and know the experts who have taught me, are correct, Air India Express is liable to the victims’ families for all damages under the applicable law, including but not limited to, pain & suffering of your loved one prior to death.

    They are liable for pain and suffering, the loss of support, i.e., money, the loss and enjoyment of life of the victim.

    I hope the families don’t sell themselves short, and give up all that may be coming in return for even a payment of the 75 lakhs. Accepting 75 lakhs—which may look like a lot after the losses they’ve suffered—but if they sign their name on the dotted like, they give up the right to future compensation.

  • | | | |

    Oklahoma Coaches and Ex Senator Die in Piper Crash in Arkansas

    What: Privately owned Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee B
    Where: Four miles south of Perryville, AR
    When: Nov 17 2011
    Who: 4 aboard, 4 fatalities
    Why: Women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant women’s basketball coach Miranda Serna were on a routine recruiting trip to Arkansas, when the plane crashed in steep terrain in the eastern Ouachita Mountains in the Winona Wildlife Management Area. The other two aboard were Former State Senator Olin Branstetter and his wife, Paula. A local deer hunter’s wife told 911 when she saw the airplane nose-diving in a swirling pattern and crashing in the forest. By 6pm, the wreckage had been located. The passengers had been ejected from the plane, which drove a six foot deep furrow into a ridge but did not catch on fire. Rescuers reached the site on YO4 Forest Access Road via four wheelers.

    Miranda Serna was in her seventh season as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State.

    The cause of the crash is unknown but it was the catalyst of an outpour of support for Oklahoma State.

    That the plane was co-owned by the Branstetters, who were from Ponca City. 82 year old Olin Branstetter was a longtime pilot.

    Eleven years ago, a plane carrying 10 crashed, killing two OSU men’s basketball players, two members of its radio broadcast team, three members of the team’s support staff and two pilots in a snow storm in Byers, Colorado.

    PIPER PA-28-180 Serial 28-1756 #N7746W
    Year of Manufacture: 1964
    Number of Seats: 4
    Certification Issue Date: 29 Sep 1978
    Builder Certification Code: Type Certificated
    Aircraft Speed: 107
    Aircraft Type: Fixed wing single engine
    Aircraft Category Code: Land
    Airworthiness Date: 17 Jun 1964
    Aircraft Weight:
    Mode S Code: 52475442


    NTSB investigating Aviation Accident in Perryville, Arkansas
    November 18, 2011
    The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has dispatched investigators to examine the circumstances of an aviation accident that occurred yesterday afternoon near Perryville, Arkansas, involving a Piper PA-28-180 (N7746W).

    Jason Aguilera is the NTSB Investigator-in-Charge. He will receive headquarters support from air traffic control and meteorology. Parties to the investigation include the Federal Aviation Administration, Piper Aircraft and Lycoming.

    Terry Williams will be the public affairs officer on scene.Once he arrives in Perryville, Mr. Williams can be reached on his cell phone at (202) 320-2594 or via email at terry.williams@ntsb.gov.

    NTSB Office of Public Affairs: 202-314-6100

  • | | |

    Aer Lingus Airbus Overnight in Santiago de Compostela


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Timo Jäger

    What: Aer Lingus Airbus A320-200 en route from Dublin to Fuerteventura Spain
    Where: Santiago de Compostela
    When: Nov 15th 2011
    Who: 147 passengers
    Why: While en route the plane developed a problem, and diverted to Santiago to make a safe landing.

    Passengers stayed in hotels overnight, until the curfew lifted and they were able to take off.

  • | | | | | |

    Tap Airbus Hydraulics Fail Luanda Angola Emergency Landing


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Christian Bremer

    What: TAP Air Portugal Airbus A340-300 en route from Luanda Angola to Lisbon
    Where: Luanda
    When: Nov 16th 2011
    Why: On takeoff, the plane developed a hydraulic failure.

    The pilots returned to Luanda and made a safe landing. Passengers were in the air about a half hour.

  • | | |

    Brazil Runway Overrun, No Injuries


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Tsuyoshi Hayasaki – AroundWorldImages

    What: Passaredo Embraer ERJ-145 from Sao Paulo to Uberlandia
    Where: Uberlandia
    When: Nov 15th 2011
    Who: 27 passengers and 3 crew
    Why: Landing on the wet runway, the plane continued completely off the runway. There were no injuries.

    As the airport was closed for six hours afterwards, some passengers took alternative transport.

  • | | | |

    Single Engine Plane Crashes in Cote d’Ivoire, UN Attempts Rescue

    What: Aéro-club d’Abidjan Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II
    Where: Near Daloa Airport, Cote d’Ivoire
    When: Nov 14, 2011 5 p.m.
    Who: 4 aboard, 4 fatalities
    Why: After taking off from Daloa, the Aero-club-owned Cessna crashed.

    Witnesses say the pilot was clearly in trouble and the plane made several pirouettes in the air before falling.

    Initially there was one survivor who died in the hospital. The UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire responded to the scene of the crash, and the UN’s Bangladeshi batallion (BANBATT) assisted in the recovery.

    The pilot was a local pilot. The three white foreigners have not been identified but one had been hired by a local logging company.

  • | | |

    Jetlite Engine Trouble

    What: Jetlite Boeing 737-700 en route from Ranchi to Mumbai
    Where: Nagpur
    When: Nov 13th 2011
    Who:
    Why: The flight was en route when it developed engine problems.

    Pilots diverted to Nagpur where they made a safe landing.
    Passengers were provided alternative flights.

  • | | | | | | |

    Delta Landing in Atlanta Minus One Engine


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Mark Kopczak

    What: Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-88 en route from Atlanta to Charlotte
    Where: Atlanta
    When: Nov 10th 2011
    Why: Delta flight took off normally but once in the air, the engine seems to have caught fire (according to passengers who heard an explosion and saw sparks.) No fire was officially reported.

    The right hand engine poured smoke into the cabin but no fire.

    Pilots were able to gain altitude to turn minus one engine, and to make a safe landing in Atlanta. Passengers disembarked, and were provided pizza and alternative flights. At least one passenger would have preferred alcohol to pizza.

  • | | | | | |

    José Francisco Blake Mora Dead in Chopper Crash

    What: Fuerza Aerea Mexicana Aérospatiale AS 332L Super Puma
    Where: Temamatla , Edo de Mexico
    When: Nov 11, 2011, around noon
    Who: 9 aboard, 9 fatalities
    Why: A Mexican government helicopter en route from Mexico City to Cuernavaca carrying 9 passengers crashed, killing everyone aboard.

    Those aboard included José Francisco Blake Mora, Secretary of the Interior, Felipe Zamora Castro, Legal Affairs and Secretary of the Interior Ministry DH, Jose Alfredo Garcia Medina, director of social communication Interior Ministry, Diana Miriam Hayton Sanchez, technical secretary of the office, and Major Rene de Leon, Lt. Col. Philip Bacio Cortes, Jorge Luis Juarez Gomez, Ramon Escobar Segundo and Pedro Teninete Becerra.

    The chopper was en route to a prosecutors meeting. It went down in heavy cloud cover, so weather is considered to be a factor. Mexico’s No. 2 official, Francisco Blake Mora, who embodied Mexican government’s get-tough attitude, is one of the victims of the crash. Mora been a key figure in Mexico’s battle with drug cartels and he oversaw disaster response, like the pipeline explosion in San Martin Texmelucan in 2010. He is the 2nd interior secretary in this administration to die in an air accident.

  • | | | |

    Updating the Brazilian Statistics on the body count/recovery

    Of the 58 Brazilians aboard the notorious Rio-Paris Air France Flight 447, 18 have been found and identified.

    Of the 153 victims, 74 reside on the ocean floor. Some of those may be the 40 lost Brazilians.

    During the recovery process, some families chose not to disturb the remains. Some of the bodies were simply lost at sea.

    There is still a lot of finger-pointing going on. Whatever the cause, Air France Flight 447 stalled and crashed in bad weather, killing 153.

  • | | | | |

    Air Blue Chided by Sindh High Court


    The Sindh High Court Issued a demand for the public release of Air Blue’s report of the crash inMargalla Hills on July 28, 2010.

    152 died in that crash in July of 2010, nearly a year and a half ago, and the report has still not been released.

    Whatever the errors were that occurred, the report should have been released by now, especially after Air Blue made several commitments to release dates of that report. Full disclosure of accident reports is really the only way to learn from the past, and prevent future incidents. Also, it is unnecessarily cruel to keep families of the victims waiting, some of whom who are engaged in lawsuits whose results won’t be determined until after the reports are released.

    Airblue’s CEO did not appear in court, even though his presence was specifically requested by the court. A lawyer, Masood A Khan, appeared in his stead and requested more time.

  • | |

    Hydraulics Force Emergency Landing in West Bengal

    What: Air-India flight from New Delhi to Gaya
    Where: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International airport
    When: Nov 10, 2011
    Who: 119 passengers
    Why: After developing hydraulic problems, the flight landed in Kolkata at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International airport.

    The plane is being repaired. Passengers were provided alternative flights.

  • | | | | |

    Johannesburg Airlink Gear-up Landing

    What: South African Airlink Avro RJ-85 en route from Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg South Africa
    Where: Johannesburg
    When: Nov 10th 2011 9:20 pm
    Who: 73 passengers and 4 crew
    Why: Just after takeoff from Johannesburg, the flight developed nose gear trouble. When the pilots returned to the airport, the nose gear did not come down, which was verified on a flyby.

    While burning off fuel for two hours, pilots attempted to extend the nose gear, and when attempts failed, had to land without nose gear on the plane’s belly. Passengers evacuated on to the runway at the airport of origin, OR Tambo International, after the three hour flight.

    There were no injuries.

  • | | |

    Continental Emergency Landing

    What: Continental Airlines Boeing 777-200 en route from Tel Aviv to Newark,NJ
    Where: Tel Aviv
    When: Nov 9th 2011
    Who: 280 aboard
    Why: When smoke was reported as coming from the baggage compartment, the pilots returned to Ben-Gurion International Airport and made a safe landing.

    45 ambulances and 17 mobile units were on the scene of the emergency landing.

    The origin of the smoke turned out to be an oven in the aft galley.

  • | | | | |

    Two Concussions from LAN ANDES Turbulence


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

    What: LAN Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from Santiago Chile to Cordoba Argentina
    Where: Andes
    When: Nov 8th 2011
    Who: 2 injured
    Why: The flight from Santiago to Cordoba encountered turbulence over the Andes.

    In a mountainous area, wind strikes the mountain causing updrafts and downdrafts. The turbulence the flight ran into occurred in an area where turbulence is frequent, and where the seatbelts are required.

    On landing, the two injured parties were hospitalized with concussions.

  • |

    153 of AF447 victims identified

    Seventy percent of the victims of Air France Flight 447 have been identified, according to Investigators of the Criminal Research Institute of the National Gendarmerie.

    DNA examiniation of bodies retrieved in April resulted in 103 more passengers found and identified, in addition to the 50 who had been identified before the plane’s location had been pinpointed.

    In France, Air France and Airbus, the aircraft manufacturer who built the A330 involved in the accident, are under investigation since last March for “manslaughter.”

    The final report of judicial experts is due in June 2012.

    Now we are going to see everyone jump on the pilots, and play the blame game. But these pilots were cleared to fly. In gathering up blame, the tragedy begins with the Airbus.

    The manufacturer should require INTENSE training to include all possible situations a pilot might encounter while in flight. Certainly, with the computers running much of the show, they have all possibilities listed within their “brains.”

    It is not enough to train a pilot to take off and land a monster like the A330.

    And, of course, the operator, Air France, should stop rushing the process of training. Pilots flying a jet should simply not be mystified by anything that happens, because whatever happens, their training should have already covered it.

    *snapshot from youtube

  • | | | |

    Ural Airbus Flight Suffers Temporary Nav Failure


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Anton Harisov CHELTEAM Photography

    What: Ural Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from Novosibirsk to Moscow Russia
    Where: Novosibirsk
    When: Nov 6th 2011
    Who: 130 passengers and 7 crew
    Why: Just after takeoff, the plane’s navigation system indicated a failure issue. Although the system is reported to have recovered after a quarter of an hour, the pilots returned to the Tolmachyovo airport in Novosibirsk where they made a safe landing.

    Passengers waited for a replacement jet.

  • | | | | | |

    China Eastern Flight Defaults to Home Base


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Xu Zheng

    What: China Eastern Yunnan Airlines Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Nanning China to Yangon Myanmar
    Where: Kumming China
    When: Nov 5th 2011
    Why: Just after takeoff, the crew observed problems with the main gears.

    The flight diverted to China Eastern Yunnan’s base in Kunming China where they made a safe landing.

  • | | | |

    Qantas Airbus to London Flight, Engine Shut down, Diverts to Dubai


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Steven Austen

    What: Qantas Airbus A380-842 en route from Singapore to London
    Where: Dubai
    When: Nov 4th 2011
    Who: 258 passengers, 35 Crew
    Why: While en route, the Qantas Airbus received an indication that the Trent 972 outboard right hand engine #4 suffered from low oil quantity.

    Due to the indication, pilots shut down the affected engine and diverted to Dubai where they circled for an hour before they made a safe landing.

    Passengers left Dubai on the 5th for London.

  • | | | |

    Hendrick Doubletake: Motorsports Crash Landing

    What: Hendrick Gulfstream G150 en route to Key West
    Where: Key West
    When: Nov 1, 2011 7:58
    Who: Rick and Laura Hendric, pilot and copilot
    Why: On landing in Key West, the plane had no brakes and skidded off the safety area. Those on board had minor injuries and were taken to Lower Keys Medical Center. Rick Hendrick suffered a broken rib and shoulder.

    The NTSB is investigating.

    We doublechecked this news item, to make certain it was not a reposting of the 2004 crash that tragically took the lives of ten of the Hendrick team and family.

  • | | |

    Indigo Bird Strike cancels flight

    What: Indigo Delhi flight-6E 482 en route from Vadodara to Delhi
    Where: Vadodara
    When: Nov 1, 2011 at 10:30
    Why: The Indigo flight en route from Vadodara to Delhi had a bird strike right after takeoff, and had to return to Vadodara. The pilots managed a safe landing on soft tires.

    The flight was cancelled, and passengers were provided an alternative plane to take them to Delhi.