Carrier

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    Yak 42 Crashes on Takeoff from Yaroslavl, Hockey Team Wiped Out


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

    What: Tatarstan Air/ Yak Service Yakovlev Yak-42 en route from Yaroslavl Russia to Minsk Belarus
    Where: Yaroslavl
    When: Sep 7th 2011, 16:05
    Who: 37 passengers (including the Lokomotiv Yaroslav Hockey Team) 8 crew
    Why: The flight took off from Yaroslavl but failed to climb, and struck an antenna outside of the airport, then struck the ground. Tunoshna ATC and other witnesses saw the flight roll (list) left and impact the ground.

    Five fire brigades and a group of psychologists are on the scene.

    Visibility was above 50km and it was partly cloudy according to local radar.

    The plane is broken in two, the fuselage in the Volga river and the tail of the plane on the bank, a thousand feet from the airport. Reports are that the plane hit an antenna and Russian media quoted a flight traffic controller saying that the pilot failed to gain adequate height on takeoff.

    Two passengers, flight engineer and the Russian player Alexander Galimov have been hospitalized with severe burns to 90% of their bodies. A third (unnamed) individual also has been hospitalized. Currently all bodies have been recovered. 103 rescue personnel were on hand, and 44 machines, including TSEPP aircraft.

    The team was heading to Minsk, the capital of Belarus, where it was to play Thursday against Dinamo Minsk.

    The charter flight was operated by Yak-Service Airlines, a Tatarstan Air plane. According to Russian FAA press officer, the plane “went through cursory maintenance service before departure to Yaroslavl and fully complied with all safety standards. The plane was built in 1993 and was certified airworthy until October 1.”

    There has been discussion whether RA-42433 or RA-42434 was involved.

    * updated: 44 fatalities reported
    The Russian Hotline: : 8 (495) 626-37-07

    Manifest

    Flight crew
    Andrei Solomentsev — pilot
    Igor Zhivelov — copilot
    Nadezhda Maksumova — flight attendant
    Vladimir Matyushin — flight engineer
    Elena Sarmatova — flight attendant
    Elena Shavina — flight attendant
    Sergey Zhuravlev — mechanic
    Alexander Sizov — flight engineer – survived[21]

    Passengers
    Defenceman Vitaly Anikeyenko, 24 (Ukraine)
    Defenceman Mikhail Balandin, 31 (Russia)
    Centre Gennady Churilov, 24 (Russia)
    Centre Pavol Demitra, 36 (Slovakia)[12]
    Defenceman Robert Dietrich, 25 (Germany)
    Right winger Alexander Galimov, 26 (Russia) – survived[13] [14]
    Defenceman Marat Kalimulin, 23 (Russia)
    Right wing Alexander Kalyanin, 23 (Russia)
    Right wing Andrei Kiryukhin, 24 (Russia)
    Centre Nikita Klyukin, 21 (Russia)
    Goaltender Stefan Liv, 30 (Sweden)[15]
    Centre Jan Marek, 31 (Czech Republic)[15]
    Left wing Sergei Ostapchuk, 21 (Belarus)
    Defenceman Karel Rach?nek, 32 (Czech Republic)[15]
    Defenseman Ruslan Salei, 36 (Belarus)[16]
    Defenceman Maxim Shuvalov, 18 (Russia)
    Defenceman K?rlis Skrasti?š, 37 (Latvia)[17]
    Forward Pavel Snurnitsyn, 19 (Russia)
    Centre Daniil Sobchenko, 20 (Ukraine)
    Left wing Ivan Tkachenko, 31 (Russia)
    Defender Pavel Trakhanov, 33 (Russia)
    Defenceman Yuri Urychev, 20 (Russia)
    Centre Josef Vaší?ek, 30 (Czech Republic)[15]
    Left winger Alexander Vasyunov, 23 (Russia)[18]
    Goaltender Alexander Vyukhin, 38 (Ukraine)
    Left wing Artem Yarchuk, 21 (Russia)

    Team staff
    Head coach Brad McCrimmon, 52 (Canada)[19] (1989 Stanley Cup champion)
    Assistant coach Alexander Karpovtsev, 41 (Russia)[20] (1994 Stanley Cup champion)
    Assistant coach Igor Korolev, 41 (Russia)[20]
    Yuri Bakhvalov, video operator
    Aleksandr Belyayev, equipment manager/massage therapist
    Nikolai Krivonosov, fitness coach
    Yevgeni Kunnov, massage therapist
    Vyacheslav Kuznetsov, massage therapist
    Vladimir Piskunov, administrator
    Yevgeni Sidorov, coach-analyst
    Andrei Zimin, team doctor

    The Russian Emergencies Ministry sent out the following letter (loosely translated)

    Russian Emergencies Ministry Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Disaster Relief www.mchs.gov.ru

    The collapse of the Yak-42 in the Yaroslavl region RE: the fall occurred 07.09.2011g 5.16 Yak-42 (to fire) in the locality Tunosha Yaroslavl region Yaroslavl region (2.5 km northwest of the airport Tunosha) follow the route of “Yaroslavl-Minsk”.

    According to preliminary data, on board were 45 people, 37 passengers and 8 crew members. Emergency rescuers recovered the two male survivors. They were taken to the hospital. The accident attracted 103 people and 44 units of machinery, including the Russian Emergencies Ministry – 64 men and 17 units.

    Psychologists Main Directorate of Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia in the Yaroslavl region, the group TSEPP Russian Emergencies Ministry sent aircraft, an additional leave of two psychologists from Moscow. Conducted on-site rescue activities. Water extracted from the body 26. Center for emergency psychological care Russian Emergencies Ministry opened a telephone hot the Emergencies Ministry of Russia:
    8 (495) 626-37-07

    The operator of the jet in question has been under scrutiny over failing to pass safety standards from Russian and European regulators.


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    Bolivia Flight Missing, 9 aboard


    One of the SA-227’s in the Aerocon fleet. CP-2548 is missing. (CP-2527 is pictured
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Robert Domandl

    What: Aerocon Swearingen SA-227 Metroliner en route from Santa Cruz to Trinidad Bolivia
    Where: Trinidad
    When: Sep 6th 2011
    Who: 7 passengers, 2 crew
    Why: On final approach to Trinidad, the pilots lost contact with ATC.

    The instrument approach to the airport requires overflying North and then turning back.
    The last contact was reporting the flight was “in the procedure turn” but the flight did not land on the runway, and is currently considered to be missing in a mountainous area.

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    Southwest Airlines Flight 871 Cockpit Fire

    What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 en route from Dallas to Little Rock to Baltimore
    Where: Little Rock Arkansas
    When: Sept 7 2011,
    Who: 103 aboard
    Why: While en route, an overhead light fixture in the Flight 871 cockpit caught on fire.

    The crew put out the fire and informed Little Rock Airport ATC to assemble emergency teams as they made an emergency landing in Little Rock.

    The plane made a safe landing with no injuries.

    An alternative flight was arranged for the next leg of flight to Baltimore.

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    Russian Mig-31s Grounded after MilitaryJet Engine Explodes

    What: Russian Mikoyan Mig-31 en route from Bolshoye Savinovo
    Where: Perm, Russia
    When: Sept 6, 2011
    Who: pilot and copilot, 2 fatalities
    Why: A Flight Data Recorder from the Russian MiG-31 Foxhound fighter jet which took off on a routine training flight and exploded in Perm, Russia, has been found. The flight took off and exploded while still in the air, landed and flipped over, on fire. The explosion is being blamed on an engine malfunction.

    All all Mig-31s have been grounded.

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    Contention Grows over Cause of May 2011 Sol Tragedy


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

    What: Sol Linaeas Aereas Saab 340A
    Where: 20 km (12.5 mls) N of Prahuaniyeu, RN Argentina
    When: May 18, 2011
    Who: 3 crew, 19 passengers
    Why: Was it wing icing, a failure of the inlet deicing system or pilot error which caused the May crash which killed 22 people? The plane was flown by pilots John Raffo and Adriano Bolatti.

    The brother of John Raffo, Víctor Raffo cites his brother’s 2400 flight hours, and denies that the crash was the pilot and copilot’s fault. With that many hours under his belt, John knew how to fly, he knew the area, he knew about icing.

    These are the questions which are nagging at experts who disagree over the causes. The investigation is ongoing, but there is disagreement.

    The flight stalled and then lost control, and impacted the ground, apparently due to wing icing. Was the pilot’s flight plan at fault? Was there a lack of situational awareness among the crew? It is all speculation now, until facts are turned up the investigation.

    The pilot’s decision to descend is also being questioned.

    Some say the pilot’s decisions are moot, and that the plane was not in optimal flying condition to begin with, as it had failed two mandatory inspections.

    Portions of the transcription of the pilot’s dialogue have been published, but we have not heard the actual audio. Desde la Asociación de Pilotos de Líneas Aéreas, a pilot association, is threatening action because of transcription inaccuracies, mistakes and misinterpretation. We apologize for any errors, as we can only repost the transcription, as we don’t have the audio.

    The following document is inset in google docs.
    To view FULL SIZE in your browser, doubleclick the icon that looks like this:


    It may take a few moments to load. The magnifying glass will then not be restricted by the width of the column.
    https://airflightdisaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Untitled.pdf

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    Air France 447 Revisited by Air France 471

    Satellite Image Jul 22nd 00:00Z : NASA
    Satellite Image Jul 22nd 00:00Z : NASA

    What: Air France Airbus A340-300 en route from Caracas Venezuela to Paris
    Where: NW of Point A Pitre Guadeloupe
    When: Jul 22nd 2011
    Why: In an experience that is being compared to Air France Flight 447, in night/instrument conditions, the AF Airbus flew through turbulence (reported by pilots, not on METAR) at 35,000 feet, accelerated (to 0.66 mach), and autopilot quit. Pitch attitude increased to 11 degrees and decelerated. Turbulence reduced, and pilots were able to level off and return the flight to normal parameters.

    Hopefully the events of this flight will inform us of what is going on in the Airbus at high altitude

    In George’s Point of View


    Perhaps this flight recapitulates the events of Air France 447. It certainly seems to. Because of what history shows us, I wonder if there was a repeat of faulty input from the pitot tubes. The pilots, in this case managed to regain control of the plane. (I doubt if there is an airbus pilot now who hasn’t studied the events of AF447 and worked out some kind emergency response.)

    Pilots blame the equipment. The BEA blames the pilots. Air France blames the instruments.

    When the dust settles and the finger-pointing stops, we want those involved to stop blaming, and start taking responsibility.

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    Blackburn Canyon Cessna Crash, Tehachapi Wildfire


    What: Cessna 210
    Where: Blackburn Canyon, Tehachapi, California
    When: Sept 4, 2011
    Who: 2 aboard, 2 fatalities
    Why: A Cessna that crashed in Blackburn Canyon, Tehachapi, California killed both people aboard the flight and ignited a fire that caused the evacuation of hundreds of homes south of Bakersfield. Two were confirmed dead in the crash, and it has not (yet) been confirmed if there were more than 2 aboard.

    As of Monday, the number of evacuations had grown from 100 to 650 to about 1,500 homes homes. The threatened area was the mountains around the crash and a seven square mile burn area, all threatened by a raging forest fire. Firefighters concentrated on creating a fire-break.

    A DC-10 water tanker has been part of the firefighting team, including 600 firefighters and more than a dozen aircraft.

    Tehachapi, with a population of 8,000, has some renown as an area with wind farms. Smaller fires spread to San Bernardino National Forest and rural areas of San Bernardino County.

    The fire has been 95% contained.


    raw video


    Early news report

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    Hard Landing in Ottawa, Roughing it on United Airlines


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

    What: Trans States Airlines Embraer ERJ-145/United Airlines en route from Chicago to Ottawa
    Where: Ottawa International Airport
    When: Sep. 04 2011
    Who: 44 passengers, 3 crew
    Why: On landing in Ottawa, the plane slid, and veered off the side of the runway, with collapsed main gear struts.

    On Apr 28th 2011, an Embraer ERJ-145 landed in Moscow with collapsed main gear.

    Last year, another plane with the same airline also skidded off the runway into soft ground.

    Sunday’s passengers describe coming down from a dark cloud to land in rain.

    The landing is under investigation.

    In George’s Point of View

    I do not know if this runway is incorrectly graded for drainage, or if the ERJ-145 has a special problem with main gear struts or struts in hard landings.

    I do know I fly 100,000 miles on United in order to keep my status as a 1K member.

    I do not know if the maintenance of the aircraft is as terrible as the typical maintenance of United plane interiors. If so, then we have huge problems. The refurbished planes of two years ago already look worn out. The galleys are grimy looking the toilets are terrible.

    I could say bad things about the food, the lav hot water is not hot enough to meet standards required by most states for food workers, (where I have never seen Waterless Hand Sanitizers and for sure, NEVER have seen a food preparer or server wear gloves.)

    Is United maintenance absolutely out of control? Maybe this stretches to other airlines, economizing on staff and maintenance due to the times.

    I fly Delta, American, Virgin, they have some of the same issues, but, I see these problems in the United flights, no matter which direction I am headed.

    Who knows yet if this incident is runway or plane, pilot training or just an old plane that needs better maintenance. But whatever truths the investigation reveals, the fact remains that no one steps up to the plate until something bad happens.

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    Mahan Flight W5-613 Emergency Landing in Iran


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

    What: Mahan Airbus A300-600 en route from Tehran to Mashad
    Where: Mashad
    When: Sep 4th 2011
    Who: 230 passengers
    Why: The hard landing of Mahan flight W5-613 blew out the nose wheel tires, causing the flight to skid off the runway on collapsed nose gear.

    Slides were used to evacuate the flight, injuring eleven in the process, all of whom initially went to the hospital. Three were retained with serious injuries.

    Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaii was among the injured.

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    Slippery Turkish Airlines Airbus On Skids in Mumbai


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

    What: Turkish Airlines Airbus A340-300 en route from Istanbul Turkey to Mumbai India
    Where: Mumbai
    When: Sep 2nd 2011
    Who: 93 passengers and 11 crew
    Why: After a fast landing in Mumbai on a slippery runway, the plane skidded off the runway onto mud, where it still sits.

    Passengers were provided an alternative flight. Photos of the jet on the runway show emergency slides. No injuries were published. The incident is under investigation.

    VABB 012310Z 19005KT 1200 R27/1400 RA FEW012 SCT015 FEW030CB BKN090 25/25 Q0999 TEMPO 0800 +SHRA
    VABB 012210Z 19005KT 2100 HZ FEW012 SCT015 FEW030CB BKN090 26/26 Q0998 TEMPO 1500 SHRA

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    Relief Flight Lost in High Wind, Samaritans Lost At Sea

    What: Grupo 10, Fuerza Aerea de Chile CASA 212 Aviocar en route from Santiago to isla Juan Fernandez
    Where: near the Juan Fernandez islands
    When: Sept 2, 2011 4:58 p.m.
    Who: 21 aboard, 21 fatalities
    Why: The Chilean air force plane on a relief flight attempted to land, but the landing was aborted twice as pilots fought hard winds. On the third attempt, the flight disappeared from radar, as witnesses saw it veer left.

    The plane went down off the coast of the island. Four hours after takeoff, the flight lost contact with ATC.

    No survivors have been found but some wreckage has been recovered.

    This was TVN’s second flight in support of the Desafío Levantamos Chile (rebuilding project.)

    Television personality 44 year old Felipe Camiroaga was aboard the plane to document reconstruction of Juan Fernandez island after the Feb. 27 magnitude-8.8 earthquake and tsunami. Business man Felipe Cubillos (brother-in-law of the defense minister ) was also aboard the plane.

    Rescue teams found an intact door and several knapsacks in the water about 2,000 meters yards from the airport.

    Those aboard the plane were:
    Televisión Nacional de Chile: Felipe Camiroaga, Roberto Bruce, Sylvia Slier, Carolina Gatica y Rodrigo Cabezón.

    From Desafío Levantemos Chile: Felipe Cubillos, Sebastian Correa, Joel Lizama, Catalina Vela Montero, Jorge Palma y Joaquín Arnold.

    Consejo de Cultura: Galia Carolina Díaz Riffo y Romina Isabel Irarrázabal Faggiani.

    Chilean air force: group commander from the Department of Communications, Rodrigo Fernández, and department journalist, José Cifuentes.

    From the crew: Hero 26-year-old pilot Carolina Fernández Flavio Olivo, Juan Pablo Mallea, first sergeant Eduardo Jones, Eduardo Estrada and Erwin Núñez.

    A navy frigate and a Hercules C-130 are among the search and rescue vehicles.

    In George’s Point of View

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    Atlantic Southwest Wing Collapse After Failed Left Landing Gear


    What: Atlantic/Southwest Airlines Bombardier CRJ-200 en route from Atlanta to Baton Rouge
    Where: Baton Rouge Metro Airport
    When: September 1 2011, 4:35 pm
    Who: 50 passengers, 3 crew
    Why: Outside of Baton Rouge, the crew notified ATC of problems with the left wheel assembly, and circled over Baton Rouge. Fifteen minutes from the airport, the crew announced the emergency to passengers.

    Passengers were warned to exit immediately on landing.

    The pilot made an emergency landing in Baton Rouge with emergency services from metro Baton Rouge and Airport on standby.

    On touchdown, the left wing collapsed. Passengers exited promptly as the plane filled up with smoke. Airport spokesman Jim Caldwell said that there were no injuries.

    This was not the first problem the passengers encountered. They had boarded this plane in Atlanta after leaving another plane that encountered mechanical problems.

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    Cerritos: Aeromexico Shattered Lives

    In George’s Point of View

    It is a strange, sad phenomenon how tragedies live on.

    On August 31, 1986, a Piper and a Douglas DC-9-32 collided over Cerritos California. The Piper, carrying the pilot and two passengers was going from Torrence to Big Bear. They departed Torrence at 11:46. The DC-9 from Mexico City was approaching Los Angeles with 58 passengers and 6 crew aboard. At 11:52 am, the DC-9’s left horizontal stabilizer sheared through the Piper’s cockpit like a can-opener.

    The Piper crashed in the Cerritos Elementary School playground; the DC-9 in a Cerritos neighborhood destroying five houses, damaging seven more and killing an additional 15 on the ground.

    Descriptions of the collision still fill me with horror.

    The accident predates some of the precautionary measures we have now. Now, the Piper would have a Mode C transponder, which would indicate that it was too high, breeching LAX Terminal Control area; LAX was not at that time equipped with automatic warning systems.

    It has been twenty-five years since that accident happened. A memorial ceremony now is being held commemorating the tragedy in the Cerritos Sculpture Garden, and another in Loreto, Mexico. The tragedy is being remembered by at least 30 US families, 20 Mexican families, in at least one home in Colombia, and one in El Salvador. It is being remembered in the neighborhood the wreckage demolished, where families neither need nor want a plaque to remind them of their loss.

    There is a reminder of this crash in every light plane, and every jet. In fact, everyone who flies now, everyone who has flown and not died in a crash owes a debt to the victims of this senseless tragedy, because this was the event that spurred the FAA to require “Mode C” transponders that could report three-dimensional positioning on light aircraft. This was the event that spurred the FAA to require TCAS on airliners.

    I still live to breathe the smoggy air of Los Angeles. And as long as I still have the breath of life, I will remember the day when these 82 souls breathed their last.

    Aviation tragedies shatters lives like broken glass, and there is no lawsuit, no settlement, no “all the kings horses, nor all the kings men” who can ever put families back together again.

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    Jet Blue Emergency Landing in Fort Lauderdale


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

    What: Jetblue Embraer ERJ-190 en route from Fort Lauderdale to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
    Where: Fort Lauderdale
    When: Aug 29th 2011
    Why: After takeoff, the plane lost cabin pressure.

    Although they did not declare emergency, the crew did alert ATC, and descended to a safe altitude before returning to the Fort Lauderdale airport.

    Passengers were provided an alternative flight with an alternative jet flown in.

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    5-50 (?) Passengers Injured in Pia Turbulence


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

    What: PIA Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 747-300 en route from Jeddah Saudi Arabia to Lahore Pakistan
    Where: Lahore Pakistan
    When: Aug 30th 2011
    Who: 5 injured
    Why: On approach to Lahore, the flight encountered turbulence.

    Five passengers were injured during the turbulence. The flight made a normal (safe) landing. Published reports say the five injured passengers were not transported to the hospital, and that they were transported to the hospital.

    Pia spokesmen say the injured ignored the seat belt instructions. (We believe this.)

    The report that said there were 50 injured said they refused medical treatment.

    Some received treatment at the airport.

    The report that said there were 5 injured said they went to the hospital.

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    Air India In-fighting


    Management of Air India ignored safety warnings regarding their fleet.

    Now some of the crew Air India pays to fly on those unsafe planes are now considering suing Air India management.

    If permission is granted to file the suit, a “Public Interest Litigation” may end up with enforcement arresting management officials for endangering the lives of passengers and crew of Air India flights where safety procedures have been consistently violated. The safety violations by Captain AS Soman and RS Pal, two to be named in the suit, include comprising flight operations with insufficient crew, assigning excessive flight duty, and denying board rest. Punishment includes fines and imprisonment.

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    Gulf Air Airbus Skids into Mud On landing in Kochi.

    What: Gulf Air Airbus A320-200 en route from Bahrain to Kochi, India
    Where: Kochi
    When: Aug 28th 2011, 3.55 am
    Who: 137 passengers and 6 crew, 8 injuries
    Why: On landing in gusty wind and severe rain at Cochin International Airport, the plane skidded to the right and slid ten meters from the pavement into mud. The nose was damaged, and according to some reports, interfered with the operation of the slides; some slides were brought to the plane. Those who were injured were the ones who jumped. Said Muhamad, 47, sustained a fractured right ankle, left rib and left elbow and is recovering at Little Flower Hospital.

    One report says flight 270 hit an air pocket and overshot (or landed too far down) the runway. It may have been simple turbulence.The approach appears to have been too fast on the slick runway. No mention has been made of the runway surface, or if the runway had been resurfaced.

    According to Said Muhamad, the flight crew apparently did not adequately direct passengers, or explain what was going on, which may be why he did not wait for slides, and just jumped off the plane.

    The Metars:
    VOCI 282300Z 00000KT 4000 HZ FEW005 SCT015 OVC080 26/24 Q1008 NOSIG
    VOCI 282130Z 29005KT 3000 HZ SCT010 SCT080 26/24 Q1008 NOSIG

    Passengers disembarked quickly after it appeared (to them) that the pilot had lost control. Evacuation occurred promptly, after “Mayday!” “Evacuation!” was shouted in the plane’s cabin.

    Reports conflict as to the success of the emergency slides which did not apparently deploy perfectly, and some people jumped from the plane. There were 8 injured, one with extreme fractures.

    Evacuation was reported to be in more than twenty seconds. (though I interpret that to mean that the evacuation began within twenty seconds of landing—one can hardly picture 137 passengers and six crew members making it out of a disabled plane within twenty seconds.)

    The interior of the plane smelled like some kind of fumes, and the pilot was described as being in shock.

    Although the English video says otherwise, the flight originated In Bahrain, and landed in Kochi.

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    Jet Blue Hydraulic Failure over Orlando


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Hector A Rivera-

    What: Jetblue Embraer ERJ-190 en route from Stewart International Airport, Windsor ,NY to Orlando,FL
    Where: Orlando
    When: Aug 23rd 2011
    Who: 95 aboard
    Why: While en route, a hydraulic system failed.

    With brake failure pending prior to landing, the crew requested emergency services, which was on standby as the Jet landed in Orlando.

    The flight made a safe landing, and was towed off the runway.

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    First Air Jet Crash Update


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

    What: First Air Boeing 737-210C en route from Yellow Knife to Resolute
    Where: near Resolute Airport, Nunavut, Canada
    When: August 20, 2011
    Who: 4 crew, 11 passengers, 12 fatalities
    Why: After the First Air jet was on final instrument landing system approach to 35T but failed to update its position.

    The fog obscured its location, but shortly afterwards, lifting fog revealed the burning wreckage broken into three pieces, and the scattered 2,250 kilograms of food the flight was carrying. That food has been of interest to hungry polar bears, and a trial to forensic crews protecting the evidence.

    Remains of the passengers have been recovered. Eleven individuals were flown to Ottowa for identification. The black boxes have been recovered and taken to an Ottawa lab.

    The Air Line Pilots Association has been declared an official observer of the crash.

    Note: CFIT is a “Controlled flight into terrain,” an accident in which an airworthy aircraft under pilot control is unintentionally flown into an obstacle.

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    Kelona Flightcraft Makes Hot Landing with Wrong Engine On Fire


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

    What: Kelowna Flightcraft Boeing 727-200 en route from Edmonton,AB to Hamilton,ON
    Where: Edmonton Canada
    When: Aug 19th 2011
    Who: flight crew on freight flight
    Why: After takeoff, the crew got an indication that one engine was hot.

    The crew shut down the engine before fire suppression engaged.

    They returned to Edmonton and made a safe landing, if a landing can be called safe with flames shooting out of an engine.

    The emergency crews dealt with the engine that had been reported on fire, but actually it was another engine entirely which had been the source of the flames.

    We aren’t entirely sure whose wires were crossed, the flight system or a human reading the flight system. What matters for the time being, is that there were no injuries. It will be interesting hearing how the investigation goes on this.

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    United Airlines Launches Paperless Flight Deck With iPad

    FIRST NETWORK CARRIER TO INTRODUCE PAPERLESS AERONAUTICAL NAVIGATION CHARTS; MOVE ENHANCES EFFICIENCY, SAVES FUEL, IMPROVES SAFETY

    CHICAGO, Aug. 23, 2011 — United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) today announced that it is converting to paperless flight decks and deploying 11,000 iPads to all United and Continental pilots. The electronic flight bags (EFB) replace paper flight manuals, and as a first for major network carriers, provide pilots with paperless aeronautical navigational charts through an iPad app. Distribution of iPads began earlier this month, and all pilots will have them by year end.  

    “The paperless flight deck represents the next generation of flying,” said Captain Fred Abbott, United’s senior vice president of flight operations. “The introduction of iPads ensures our pilots have essential and real-time information at their fingertips at all times throughout the flight.”

    Navigational Charting App Breaks New Ground

    The iPads are loaded with Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck, the industry’s premier app featuring interactive, data-driven enroute navigation information and worldwide geo-referenced terminal charts. The enhanced full-color, high-quality information display ensures the right information is displayed at the right time.

     

    “We are proud to partner with United Airlines on a project of this magnitude with Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck,” said Mark Van Tine, president and CEO of Jeppesen. “Jeppesen and United share a long and storied history that includes development of numerous innovations for the aviation industry. We look forward to continuing this partnership in integrating our digital mobile solutions that increase efficiency, reduce costs and optimize operations.”    

     

    Saving 16 Million Sheets of Paper and 326,000 Gallons of Jet Fuel a Year

    Each iPad, which weighs less than 1.5 pounds, will replace approximately 38 pounds of paper operating manuals, navigation charts, reference handbooks, flight checklists, logbooks and weather information in a pilot’s flight bag. A conventional flight bag full of paper materials contains an average of 12,000 sheets of paper per pilot. The green benefits of moving to EFBs are two-fold—it significantly reduces paper use and printing, and, in turn, reduces fuel consumption. The airline projects EFBs will save nearly 16 million sheets of paper a year which is equivalent to more than 1,900 trees not cut down. Saving 326,000 gallons of jet fuel a year reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 3,208 metric tons.

     

    iPad Improves Efficiency and Safety

    With iPad, pilots are able to quickly and efficiently access reference material without having to thumb through thousands of sheets of paper and reduce clutter on the flight deck. United and Continental pilots’ work will be streamlined as they can immediately download updates on iPad to their electronic flight materials, rather than waiting for paper updates to be printed and distributed. In addition, by eliminating bulky flight bags loaded with paper, pilots will have less to lift and carry through airports and onboard the aircraft, reducing the risk of injury while on duty.

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    ATC Catches Runway Incursion, China Airbus Possible Collision


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer K.H.Yim

    What: China Airlines Airbus A330-300 en route from Taipei to Hong Kong
    Where: Taipei
    When: Aug 19th 201
    Who: 288 passengers
    Why: As the China Airlines Airbus was accelerating for takeoff, a private jet was also taxiing on to the same runway after landing. ATC caught the runway incursion and prevented an inevitable collision, and held the China Airlines Airbus flight, delaying the takeoff by an hour.

    The pilots of the South Africa registered aircraft reported they had been instructed to taxi taxiway NC to the end. At a crossing, they requested direction and were told to turn right onto taxiway NC. They made an error based on unclear signage turning back on to the runway instead of to the taxiway.

    In George’s Point of View


    Heya

    Just another everyday incursion.

    Ok, someone needs to commend Taipei ATC on a pretty stupendous catch. From this side of the screen, it looks like this was a practically inevitable disaster.

    And do I have to say that someone needs to fix the signs? Something needs to be amended there so that even pilots unfamiliar with the airport can see which is the on ramp and which is the off ramp.

    I’m just saying.

    Good job, ATC.

    Satellite view:

    View airport PDF

  • | | | |

    Emergency Diversion and Tire trouble

    What: American Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Lousiville to Los Angeles
    Where: Los Angeles
    When: Aug 21st 2011
    Who: 197 aboard
    Why: This was a double trouble flight, en route from Boston to Los Angeles, when they had to divert to Louisville when a passenger had an emergency. After three hours in Louisville, the plane was back in the air. However, on approach to LAX, the crew experienced gear problems and performed a flyby.

    Tower observers noted a main gear tire was missing.

    The crew continued to make a safe landing, with the tireless gear shooting sparks. There were no injuries reported.

    But…where’s the tire?