Carrier

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    Alitalia Airbus Emergency Landing


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

    What: Alitalia Airbus A321-200 en route from Palermo to Rome Fiumicino Italy
    Where: Palermo
    When: Apr 3rd 2011
    Who: 150 passengers
    Why: While en route, the crew encountered an undesignated technical problem.

    The crew returned to Palermo where they made a safe landing. The Airbus was flown to Milan for examination and repair.

    Passengers were provided alternative flights.

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    American Airlines Emergency Landing in NYC

    What: American Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Boston,MA to Saint Thomas US Virgin Islands
    Where: Atlantic
    When: Apr 3rd 2011
    Who: 157 aboard
    Why: While en route, the flight developed a problem with cabin pressure. The flight was 150nm southeast of New York City at the time. They descended to 10,000 feet for the sake of the pressure.

    Then the pilots diverted to jfk to make a safe landing.

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    Lufthansa Emergency Landing


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

    What: Lufthansa Airbus A320-200 en route from Frankfurt to Moscow
    Where: Frankfurt
    When: Apr 2nd 2011
    Who: 80 passengers
    Why: Engine exhaust increased in temperature. The pilots returned to Frankfort where they made a safe landing. Passengers were provided a replacement flight 3 hours later.

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    American Airlines Flight Cancelled Due to Tail Strike


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

    What: American Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from Dallas to Santiago Chile
    Where: Dallas
    When: Apr 1st 2011
    Who: 170 passengers 12 crew
    Why: After taking off from Dallas/ft Worth, the crew returned to the airport because of a tail strike. They made a safe landing 30 minutes after takeoff. The flight was cancelled.

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    Hard Landing in Cairo by Egyptair


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

    What: Egyptair Airbus A321-200 en route from Brussels (Belgium) to Cairo (Egypt)
    Where: Cairo
    When: Apr 1st 2011
    Who: 76 passengers
    Why: On landing at Cairo, the crew aborted the initial approach on receipt of an unsafe gear indication.The plane rotated with the airport to the right, and leveled off.

    The cabin crew announced the flight would be landing later due to traffic then made a hard landing on runway 23L. The plane rolled out, with firetrucks on standby. The landing gear was examined on the runway.

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    Tenerife Tail Strike

    What: TUIFly Boeing 737-800 en route from Tenerife Sur Reina Sofia, Spain to Frankfurt Germany
    Where: Tenerife
    When: Mar 27th 2011
    Why: On the runway, the Boeing and struck its tail and rejected takeoff. There was substantial damage to the plane. Passengers disembarked after the pilot told them there was a fault in the instruments. We can only speculate: There is some disagreement whether this was due to instrumentation, poorly balanced load or human error.

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    Controller Suspended by FAA

    The single-engine, four-seat Cirrus SR22 was on course for Kissimmee, Fla., and maintaining altitude at 11,000 feet, but had not responded to repeated contact attempts from controllers; at the same time, ten miles behind the Cirrus at 12,000 feet was Southwest Flight 821, a Boeing 737. Rather than following the protocol for unresponsive aircraft, the supervisor asked the Boeing to visually check the Cirrus cockpit. The Boeing did so, reporting 2 people in the cockpit. Both planes landed safely.

    But the planes violated proximity guidelines. The Boeing could have caused air turbulence upsetting the Cirrus. They flew too close. As a consequence, the FAA suspending the FAA controller, and they are reviewing procedures, and training practices.

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    Smoke in American Airlines Flight


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

    What: American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-82 en route from Fort Myers to Dallas TX
    Where: Jacksonville
    When: Mar 30th 2011
    Why: While en route, the crew smelled smoke in the cabin.

    They diverted to Jacksonville. By the time they landed, the odor dissipated. The plane was examined; and a replacement MD-83 was flown in.

    Passengers arrived 2 and a half hours late.

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    Unruly United Airlines Passengers Trip Cut Short


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

    What: United Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from Washington to Portland
    Where: Chicago
    When: Mar 29 2011
    Who: 3 unruly passengers and one ill passenger
    Why: While en route, three unruly passengers caused the pilot to divert to Chicago for an overweight landing. The passengers disembarked, and the fight continued to Portland, albeit between four and five hours late. The passengers who disembarked were re-screened.

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    Aires Bombardier Flies One Engine Down

    What: Aires Bombardier Dash 8 en route from Medellin to Monteria
    Where: Monteria
    When: Mar 20th 2011, 20 min after takeoff
    Who: 32 passengers 4 crew
    Why: Twenty minutes into the 55 minute flight, one of the engines was shut down due to engine trouble. The pilot wanted to land at Caucasia but there was too much fuel, so flew on to the destination at Monteria with its longer runway (6280 feet)) with one engine down.

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    US Airways Boeing Mystery Puncture

    What: US Airways 737
    Where: Charlotte-Douglas International Airport
    When: March 28, 2011
    Who: pilot
    Why: Prior to takeoff, a small hole was discovered in the fuselage toward the back of the aircraft on the left side. The flight was cancelled, and the plane was taken out of service. The last flight had been Philadelphia to Charlotte. The cause of the hole has not been determined but the FBI is investigating if it might be a bullet hole that extends from the exterior into the cabin

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    Attendant Injured by Turbulence


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

    What: American Eagle Embraer ERJ-145 en route from Oklahoma City,OK to Chicago O’Hare,IL
    Where: Kansas City
    When: Mar 26th 2011
    Who: 1 attendant
    Why: While en route to Chicago, the flight encountered turbulence, injuring the flight attendant.

    The pilot diverted to Kansas City and made a safe landing.

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    Southwest Flight Diverts to Louisville

    What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300, en route from Orlando to Chicago
    Where: Louisville Kentucky
    When: Mar 28 2011 3:00 pm
    Who: 101 passengers 5 crew
    Why: While en route, the cockpit began to fill with smoke. A pilot saw a problem with the windshield defroster wiring, and turned off the defroster.

    The pilots diverted the flight to Louisville where they made a safe landing. Passengers were provided an alternative Boeing flight to Chicago arriving two and a half hours later.

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    Revisiting Ethiopia Flight 409

    We’ve been studying Ethiopia Flight 409 for a while, and now that the official investigation Progress Report is out, we have looked at it with quite some interest. The 28 page report is attached as a pdf at the end of this editorial, so if you haven’t seen it yet, we have it handy–

    In some places, we find that the report corroborates some of the the points we made (or discovered in our research.)

    According to the report:

    “Instruments meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and the flight was on an instrument flight plan. The accident occurred at night in dark lighting conditions with reported isolated cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorms in the area.”

    Their report also states:
    The Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority reviewed the data from the Lebanese Meteorological Services that was collected on 25 January, 2010 after the accident. Meteorological data revealed some significant meteorological conditions in the area at the time of the accident. Relevant meteorological documents are included in the investigation file and will be analyzed during the investigation.

    1.7.1 General meteorological situation
    At the time of the accident, there was thunderstorms activity southwest and west of the field, as well as to the northwest on the localizer path for runway 16.

    We had found a satellite photo of the area at the time in question and found something more turbulent than isolated cumulonumbus clouds. Here are the details we turned up
    (thanks to Prof. Robert H. Holzworth
    Departments of Earth and Space Sciences, and Physics
    Director, World Wide Lightning Location Network )

    WWLLN lightning strokes between (45,35.2) and (33.6, 35.7) coordinates on25 Jan 2010 between 00 and 06 UTC
    .
    2010/01/25,00:26:01.675091, 33.7925,  35.3157, 18.6, 15 2010/01/25,00:32:36.535404, 33.6762,  35.3223,  2.6,  5 2010/01/25,00:35:33.147928, 33.8152,  35.3989, 17.1,  9 2010/01/25,00:36:46.386409, 33.7880,  35.4182,  6.3,  6 2010/01/25,00:37:57.880969, 33.7473,  35.4083, 12.9,  8 2010/01/25,00:38:56.307703, 33.8144,  35.4480,  6.7,  5 2010/01/25,00:39:52.170965, 33.8098,  35.4486, 22.5, 1 02010/01/25,00:47:07.877656, 33.7658,  35.5138, 16.3,  7 2010/01/25,00:47:08.129640, 33.7532,  35.5187,  6.8,  5 2010/01/25,00:51:28.917459, 33.7313,  35.4897, 15.8,  8 2010/01/25,00:57:16.994854, 33.7712,  35.5668,  6.2,  5 2010/01/25,00:57:17.172976, 33.8877,  35.6009,  3.1,  5 2010/01/25,00:57:16.970924, 33.8230,  35.5664,  9.2,  5 2010/01/25,01:05:02.878083, 33.6379,  35.5348, 10.9,  5 2010/01/25,02:58:51.961652, 33.6073,  35.3703,  2.3,  5 2010/01/25,03:00:31.235850, 33.6450,  35.3881,  5.8,  7 2010/01/25,03:02:45.342786, 33.6157,  35.3553,  4.5,  7 2010/01/25,03:30:07.101084, 33.6511,  35.3185, 17.5,  7 2010/01/25,04:06:25.411422, 33.8432,  35.3648, 10.9,  5 2010/01/25,04:07:31.723296, 33.9087,  35.3844,  7.0,  5 2010/01/25,04:13:12.295902, 33.9543,  35.4151, 17.0, 10 2010/01/25,04:29:17.203911, 33.9865,  35.4613, 20.7, 10 2010/01/25,04:33:22.703869, 33.9637,  35.3229,  7.6,  6 2010/01/25,04:35:07.805894, 33.8709,  35.3297, 13.3,  8 2010/01/25,04:46:45.611497, 33.9634,  35.4145, 12.9,  6 2010/01/25,05:19:51.913652, 33.6442,  35.4520, 19.5,  8 2010/01/25,05:35:10.788571, 33.9139,  35.2087,  9.5,  7 2010/01/25,05:56:25.149281, 33.6332,  35.6535, 14.0,  7

    and the satellite photo:

    The plane’s on board radar would have normally registered this unacceptable massive super cell in the area where the airplane hit the ocean and the pilot would have adjusted the flight path accordingly. This makes us question if the on board radar was intact and operable. The weather system pictured in the satellite photo is not weather a pilot would voluntarily fly into. So we were not surprised to see this included in the report:

    1.17.1.6 Procedure for use of on-board Weather Radar
    ET provided its SOP and Boeing procedure for the operation of the weather radar during departure. The procedure will be addressed during the analysis phase.

    OTHER POINTS
    Our investigation pointed out that when an aircraft fails, it is a crucial part of the research to look at timely Airworthiness Directives (issued before and after) on the type of plane involved and indeed, this has become part of the ongoing research:

    1.16.4.1 Removal and Analysis of the Trim Tab section:
    ADs were issued (Emergency AD, AD 2010-09-05, AD 2010-17-19) by the FAA respectively on March and August 2010 regarding trim tab control mechanism and this airplane (with serial number 29935) was found affected by these ADs.
    Therefore, and in accordance with the Airworthiness Group recommendation, the Investigation Committee decided the removal of the trim tab control mechanism for further test and research.

    This is not the final report. The final report is due out this summer. We are looking forward to seeing if it answers some of our questions.

    The Official Report

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    Washington National: Act II


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Jean-Claude Simard

    What: United Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from Chicago O’Hare,IL to Washington National
    Where: Washington DC
    When: Mar 22nd 2011
    Who: 68 people aboard
    Why: The United crew was informed that the airport was “uncontrolled” via the advisory frequency. The plane made a visual approach and landed ten minutes after the American Airlines flight

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    Washington National: Act I


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

    What: American Airlines Boeing 737-800 en route from Miami,FL to Washington National,DC
    Where: Washington
    When: Mar 22nd 2011
    Who: 97 people on board
    Why: On approach to Washington National, the crew found themselves without feedback from ATC. They declared the airport uncontrolled. The tower frequency was declared an advisory frequency and landed safely without clearance.

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    Safekeeping of Passengers Flies or Dies on Banks Due Diligence of Ethiopia Airlines


    While one should congratulate Ethiopian Airlines for securing a $765 million package deal to finance five 777s, I hope the banks checked more than just their credit history and their relationship with the banks.

    In terms of technological adulthood, Africa is still in its infancy. The pressure put on even a fairly reputable airline company like this to keep up with maintenance and pilot training is immense. It is succeed, or else. Or else, they call the loan and repo the planes. Or else there is a catastrophe and people lose their lives.

    If all is ok when plane is leased but two years later airline gets a rap for bad maintenance or pilot training or any of the hundreds of other things that could happen, then the lease co or bank needs to step in and use their clout to demand changes/corrections, or face the consequences. Their contract should have teeth, with consequences that matter enough to the lessee to compel them to action, such as the right to repo that plane for maintenance or neglect issues, or pilot training issues, just as if the lessee were not making their payments. Lenders are pretty good at covering their investment by including clauses like this. Such a provision may already exist. The clause is not window dressing. It can be acted upon. Not for money’s sake. For the sake of lives.

    Yes, lives are at stake here. Banks have a duty to monitor the lessee or buyer they entrust, and a duty as well to supervise not only the money but keep up with what is being purchased with the money. Entrusting a less than capable entity in ownership and maintenance of a jet worth millions is certainly dangerous instrumentality. Sufficient time should be allocated to responsible due diligence, beyond the loan/lease, to monitor not only timely payments but also if the company is living up to aggressive guidelines of maintenance and training.

    These planes bought with this money, like all other airplanes but especially jets, are weapons of mass destruction. Even if they are not used in a deliberately terrorist act, inexperienced pilots and shotty maintenance can cause that plane to crash and become a weapon for those on board and for those on the ground.

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    Afriqiyah Airways A330 crash investigation

    The insurers have had months to move this case along.
    They had months to compensate the families of victims. Have they done so?
    Word is that they have not.

    The one year anniversary of the crash is on May 12.
    Look at what we have. No compensation.
    Look at the debris field. Do we have spoliation of evidence? Common elements like weather wreak havoc on evidence. Just look at what rust does and you have a pretty good idea of the kind of details can be erased by weather. So if the evidence has been defaced by exposure to the elements, how might spoilation of evidence affect the case? No doubt it will result in a series of failed attempts. Failure to secure evidence. Inability to analyze degraded evidence. Obfuscated results.

    For crash investigators, fresh evidence can be as easy to read as a book. Waiting until the evidence is unintelligible leaves us with no Rosetta Stone to help us get to the cause. Another missed opportunity to make aviation a little safer. Another missed opportunity to bring closure to the families who were immeasurably damaged by this crash.

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    Congo Cargo Flight Smashes Town, 19 killed, 14 injured


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Alan LebedaWhat: Trans Air Congo Antonov AN-12 en route from Brazzaville to Pointe Noire
    Where: between the Roy and Kitoko area in Mvou-Mvou, Pointe-Noire, Congo
    When: Mar 21st 2011 3:30pm
    Who: 19 killed, 14 injured.
    Why: The crew attempted an emergency landing on the sea but failed. The attempted landing was less than successful although there are reports that the pilot managed to get out of the plane before it stopped.

    They were over a residential area and had been cleared to land when the Antonov AN-12 struck the residential neighborhood Mvou-Mvou. After striking buildings, the plane caught fire.

    Although the plane was not permitted to carry passengers, it appears that there were 5 passengers aboard in addition to the 4 Russian crew members. Twenty buildings were destroyed (burned and covered in debris), including residences and a school. The ICAO had reported the plane TN-AGK as not airworthy in 2006. (It is certainly not airworthy now.) The plane is a total loss.

    While some news reports say that the number of injured were passengers, other reports say that there were 9 aboard, and that the rest of the injured and casualties were in Mvou-Mvou at the time of the crash. The weather conditions were said to be “good” at the time. There was apparently a technical problem which caused them to attempt to ditch in the ocean, (or a technical problem preventing them from landing in the ocean). The cause of the crash is unresolved. It is being investigated.

    Trans Air Congo is based in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo.


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    Delta Flight Returns to Grand Rapids

    What: Delta en route from Grand Rapids to Detroit
    Where: Gerald R Ford International Airport
    When: March 19 2011
    Who: 55 passengers
    Why: After departure from Grand Rapids, the plane developed smoke in the cockpit. The pilot returned to the airport where he made a safe landing. Passengers disembarked on the runway and were ported back to the terminal.

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    Colgan Air Engine Fire, Belly Landing in Pittsburgh


    Pictured: Not N339NG but another DHC-8-402Q Dash 8
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Nino Buda-CYYZ Aviation Photography

    What: Colgan Air de Havilland Dash 8-400 on behalf of Continental Airlines en route from Cleveland,OH to Baltimore,MD
    Where: Pittsburgh
    When: Mar 17th 2011
    Who: not available
    Why: While en route, left engine indicated a fire.

    The crew shut down the engine and diverted to Pittsburgh where they made a safe landing 30 minutes after the initial alert. There were no injuries.

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    Bolivia Belly Landing 33 Safe


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

    What: AM Transporte Aereo Militar Xian MA-60 en route from La Paz to Rurrenabaque
    Where: Rurrenabaque Bolivia
    When: Mar 18th 2011
    Who: 33 aboard
    Why: On landing at Rurrenabaque the landing gear failed to deploy. The flight performed a belly landing with no injuries reported. Minor damage on the plane. The gear problem may have been due to a hydraulic leak but the circumstances are under investigation.

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    Airbus Yesterday, Air France Today: Justice Wheels Grind Slowly

    George’s Point of View


    Thursday’s news was that Airbus is being investigated for Air France Flight 447. Airbus officials made a public statement that they “strongly disapprove” of the decision, (no doubt!) but would comply with the investigation. Note to readers: This is law, not option. So let’s take that cooperation with a grain of salt, shall we? When the judge tells you that you’re being investigated, you say, “Yes Ma’am.”

    March 20 is the date the search starts again, more on that below.

    So yesterday, Thursday, was Airbus’s turn in court–
    Today, Friday, Air France has been called in its turn before a judge in France to get its hand slapped. Or get in preparation to get its hand slapped, in ten years or so. Anyway, Air France is also on the mat.

    Or, as they call it in France, (to be purists here) Mise en examen

    This is a criminal investigation. It is a matter of FRENCH LAW. As it was explained to me, “Every air accident is also a criminal matter, and a judge is appointed to oversee the investigation and follow up including charges if any to be filed.”

    So what was the problem with the flight? It crashed. It killed lots of people No one knows for sure why. (Though to some of us it seems obvious.) No black boxes, right? But we’re not idiots. We have plenty of information about what was going on. Not everything, of course, but we have the messages sent by the plane’s computers. They reflect faulty readings which are believed to be the result of faulty pitot tube readings and a series of system failures. We would have a rounder picture of events if the black boxes, which hold crucial information were not misplaced somewhere in the Atlantic. They think they know where it is, (or at least they say they know or say they think they know) based on drift and whatnot (heavy on the whatnot.) But millions have been spent finding this needle in a stack of needles under the ocean, in a submarine mountain range. Nearly 30 million dollars has been spent on the search for the black boxes so far. The cost of the new search is shared by Airbus and Air France and will cost 12.5 million.

    What about the details about the mise en examen preliminary manslaughter charges filed Thursday against Airbus? They were filed in French court by Judge Sylvie Zimmerman over the 2009 deaths of 228 people aboard Air France Flight 447. Fatal accidents automatically prompt criminal probes running concurrent with civil investigations, but a couple of points which may not be obvious to Americans not versed in French Justice are that the charges may be issued pending further investigation, and may hinge on the black boxes which have not been found and may never be found; AND the dual investigation slows things down. That may be one item that delayed the Concord trial 10 years after the accident. You’ve seen pictures of a guy walking around with a tiny ankle-biting dog chewing on the hem of one pants leg? Well, instead of a chihuahua, picture the entire french justice system. Might tend to slow down ones progress, do you think?

    So Air France will be in court Friday, ie today. Watch the news, because what we saw yesterday about Airbus, we’ll see today about Air France. I hope the families are getting some satisfaction from this, because it is going to be a long (long long long) time before they feel like they’re actually being heard, not herded into obscurity.

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    Delta Boeing Engine Emergency


    What: Delta Boeing 737-800 en route from Fort Lauderdale to Minneapolis
    Where: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
    Who: 119 passengers 6 crew
    Why: After takeoff from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the Boeing suffered engine failure and had to turn back to the airport, sprinkling bits and pieces of the damaged engine over Florida. The plane made a safe landing. Passengers disembarked and transferred to an alternative flight which reached Minneapolis with considerable delay but no further trouble.