Carrier

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    Ethiopian Airlines Jet Crashes in Na’ameh Lebanon with 90 Passengers


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

    What: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 en route from Beirut to Addis Ababa
    Where: 2 miles west of the coastal village of Na’ameh.
    When: Jan 25 2010
    Who: 7 crew 83 passengers
    Why: Shortly after taking off in stormy weather and heavy lightning, Lebanese ATC lost contact. The plane disappeared from radar 45 minutes after leaving Beirut. Witnesses on the coast saw the plane as it crashed into the sea. So far 9 bodies have been found by members of the Lebanese army .
    Update
    Initial reports of 7 survivors, became 9 bodies, and now the count has reached 21 bodies.

    The site of the crash is 2 miles west of the coastal village of Na’ameh.

    Fifty-four passengers were Lebanese, 22 Ethiopian, two were British and there were also Canadian, Russian, French, Iraqi and Syrian nationals.

    A Cypriot police helicopter has joined the Lebanese army in the search for survivors, and two U.N. helicopters are on the scene.

    Ethiopian Airlines is state owned, and has a standing order of 10 of Boeing’s Next-Generation 737-800s
    —

    The Latest Press Release from Ethiopian

    ET-409 Incident – 25 January, 2010

    Ethiopian flight ET-409 scheduled to operate from Beirut to Addis Ababa on January 25th lost contact with the Lebanese air controllers shortly after take off. The flight departed at 02:35 Lebanese time from Beirut International Airport.

    Flight ET-409 carries 82 passenger plus 8 Ethiopian Crew members. Out of the total passengers 23 are Ethiopian, 51 Lebanese, 1 Turkish, 1 French, 2 British, 1 Russian, 1 Canadian, 1 Syrian, 1 Iraqi nationals.

    A team is already working on gathering all pertinent information. An investigative team has already been dispatched to the scene and we will release further information as further updates are received.

    About Ethiopian

    Ethiopian Airlines, one of the largest and fastest growing airlines in Africa, made its maiden flight to Cairo in 1946. With the recent addition of flight services to Mombasa and Monrovia, Ethiopian provides dependable services to 35 cities in Africa and a total of 56 international destinations spanning throughout four continents.

    Ethiopian won the NEPAD Transport Infrastructure Excellence Awards 2009 on November 25, 2009 and “Airline of the year award” from the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) on November 24, 2009, bringing the total Awards honored since January 2009 to five.

    In August, 2008, Ethiopian won “the 2008 Corporate Achievement Award” of Aviation & Allied Business for setting the pace towards the development and growth of the African aviation industry.

    Ethiopian is also the first African carrier to win the 2008 Brussels Airport Company Award in recognition of its distinguished long haul operations witnessed through the introduction of new routes, new products, and close cooperation with Brussels Airport in marketing activities.

    Ethiopian was the winner of the ‘2008 Best Airline in Africa Award’ at the African Travel Award ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria, for its excellent network and convenient connections in Africa.

    For more information please contact our emergency call center at:
    +251 11 517 8766, +251 91 150 1248, +251 91 125 5577, +251 91 120 3412 or our toll free number +251 11 662 0062

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    Greek Terrorism Hoax


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

    What: Sun Express Boeing 737-800 en route from Germany to Turkey
    Where: Thessaloniki airport
    When: Jan 22, 2010
    Who: 69 (?) aboard (62 passengers and 6 crew) (disagreeing sources)
    Why: After a crew member found a note written on a restroom mirror saying “Bomb. We are going to die today,” and an unknown person called the pilot and told him of a bomb on the aircraft, the crew diverted the plane to Thessaloniki airport.

    The plane was isolated and searched. However no bomb was found. An individual was briefly detained (first in Greece, later in Turkey) for having a pen with ink matching the message on the mirror .

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    Intoxicated Passenger Attempts Exit at 20,000+ feet


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

    What: United Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from Washington DC to Las Vegas
    Where: Denver
    When: Jan 23rd 2010
    Who: 129 passengers and 5 crew
    Why: Things were humming along normally on the flight when 24 miles from Denver, a passenger–who had taken medication and alcohol–was apparently disoriented and attempted to open the door. Other passengers subdued him; and the pilot made a stop in Denver to hand the passenger over to authorities (where the man will be going mental evaluation, and who knows what else, with attention from the FBI and police.)

    (And hopefully AA or The Betty Ford Clinic.)

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    Unsecured Gear Induces Cimber Air Cancellation


    Pictured: Dramatic photo of a Cimber Air Canadair CL-600-2B19 Regional Jet CRJ-100LR filmed over Hamburg.
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Sönke Hofmann

    What: Scandinavian Airlines/Cimber Air Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Hamburg to Copenhagen
    Where: Hamburg
    When: Jan 22nd 2010
    Why: After takeoff, the pilot retracted the gear routinely but failed to receive the safe gear confirmation. The pilot returned to Hamburg and made a safe landing.

    The flight was cancelled.

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    Air France Rejects Takeoff In Mexico


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

    What: Air France Boeing 747-400 en route from Guadalajara to Paris
    Where: Guadalajara
    When: Jan 21st 2010
    Who: crew (freight)
    Why: When the pilot aborted the takeoff due to alerts, the plane’s tires deflated due to overheating from braking. The flight was cancelled. We have no indication what the instrumentation indicated that caused the pilot to abort the takeoff.

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    Ace Lost At Sea


    Pictured: Alaska Central Express (ACE) Beech 1900C shot in Anchorage
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Ben Wang

    What: ACE Alaska Central Express Air Cargo Beech 1900C en route from Sand Point to Anchorage
    Where: Sand Point Alaska
    When: Jan 22nd 2010
    Who: 2 crew
    Why: While en route, the flight lost altitude, and then lost communication. It hit the sea around midnight.

    A search party has been formed. Some wreckage has been found near Egg Island.


    View Egg Island in a larger map

    We are hoping the crew will be found alive and intact.

    *** ACE Air Cargo Press Release ***

    January 22, 2010

    ACE Air Cargo has joined the search for our Beech 1900 aircraft, that disappeared shortly after departing Sand Point, Alaska with two pilots on board yesterday evening. At this time, we are focused on the welfare of our pilots and their families and will be releasing no further information at this time. We ask that the media respect the privacy of our employees and their families at this time. More information will be released as it becomes available.

    Click image to visit Ace site.

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    IndiGo Airbus Returns to Kolkata


    Pictured:IndiGo Airbus A320-232 over Ahmedabad – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Sunandan Subramaniam

    What: IndiGo Airbus A320-200 en route from Kolkata to Chennai
    Where: Kolkata
    When: Jan 20th 2010
    Why: After takeoff, flaps were locked in position. The plane returned to Kolkata and made a safe landing. No indication is made if the flight was cancelled, replaced, or continued after repairs.

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    Aeromexico Embraer Emergency Landing


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

    What: Aeromexico Connect Embraer ERJ-145 en route from Hermosillo to Tijuana
    Where: 36 passengers and 3 crew
    When: Jan 21st 2010
    Who: 36 passengers 3 crew
    Why: On landing, the Embraer veered off the runway and came to a rest on the ground.

    Several passengers were reported to be in shock, but there were no other reported injuries. The plane’s fuselage incurred damage.

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    Fog Entrenched Boeing Lands On Maintenance Van


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

    What: Cargolux Boeing 747-400 freighter en route from Barcelona, to Luxembourg
    Where: Luxembourg
    When: Jan 21st 2010
    Why: While landing in low visibility due to foggy conditions, the Cargolux 747’s tires went through the roof of a maintenance truck whose crew was working on the runway ground lighting. The van’s driver was not hurt; the van was damaged by being landed on by the 747 (no doubt!), and the Boeing’s tires were damaged after going through the van’s roof. No one, however, was hurt, although the maintenance person was hospitalized for shock.

    George’s Point of View

    I would be shocked too, if a Boeing landed on my roof while I was working. If it were I who’d been landed on, I’d have to change my name to Chicken Little, because I’d never again trust that the sky wasn’t falling. (I hope this guy is well insured, because even if he’s physically ok, he’s going to need therapy.)

    On the other hand, that is why I don’t work on a runway. (And if I did, it would be in Thousand Oaks, California, not Luxembourg.)

    One does wonder if the maintenance vehicle was cleared, or precisely who was supposed to be where at that exact moment. Perhaps the maintenance was going on specifically because of the foggy conditions. It does sound like someone was not exactly in the right place at the right time. Or perhaps, someone in HR did not like the maintenance guy very much, and their brother-in-law was in line for that position if it opens up.

    Luxembourg is investigating to see what what wrong, and how and why. (Luxembourg is 998.6 sq mi in area. Rhode Island is 1,545 square miles. I know size doesn’t matter, but Luxembourg is still smaller than our smallest state. Bigger than DC though.)

    The Administration of Technical Investigations is determining the cause of the accident in order to recommendation measures to avoid a reoccurrence. (See 4 rules below.)

    The Directorate of Civil Aviation will conduct an investigation regarding compliance with established procedure. (If the procedure is not to stay out of the path of incoming planes, I recommend changing established procedure.)

    The Administration of Air Navigation is doing an internal administrative investigation. I.E. Where will the hammer fall.

    Hello. To avoid a plane landing on somebody, follow these simple rules:

    • Rule Number One. Stay off the runway.
    • Rule Number Two. If you’re landing a plane, and they tell you to land on a runway, make sure there’s no one on it so you don’t land on them.
    • Rule Number Three. If you’re not landing a plane, don’t go on the runway unless you work there. Even if you work at the airport, and they tell you to fix the runway lights, make sure no one is going to use that runway while you’re fixing the lights.
    • Rule Number Four. If the visibility is low and you can’t tell if the runway is clear, and you’re supposed to land on the runway but you can’t see it, tell ATC that if it is humanly possible, they have to find you someplace to land where there’s enough visibility to see to land.
    • Rule Number Four-C. (otherwise known as the Life is Not a Cartoon rule). If something is directly behind you, get out of the way. This means moving left or right, out of the path of the incoming vehicle, not moving forward. If something motorized is directly behind you running directly in front of it WILL NOT HELP. ( Even the roadrunner and Wiley Coyote knew this.)

    Not that aviation is actually that simplistic. It will be months before a legitimate opinion clears the committees. And of course, it is a good day when everyone gets out alive.

    Boeing is the world’s leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined. It is still headquartered in Chicago and California

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    Airbus Engine Shut Down over Pacific


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer G.Luca D’Urbano

    What: Aerolineas Argentinas Airbus A340-200 en route from Auckland to Buenos Aires
    Where: Pacific Ocean
    When: Jan 21, 2010
    Who: 229 passengers
    Why: An hour into the flight, the left engine had to be shut down. The Airbus returned to Auckland to make a safe landing. After undergoing maintenance, repairs and essential services, the plane will optimistically be resumed eventually. It is not known if passengers have hotel accommodations or if they will be waiting at the airport.

    Any time an engine must be shut down, especially when it is an airbus over a body of water, we all breathe a sigh of relief at a safe landing.

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    CPR Fails on Infant on UA Detroit-Denver Flight


    Pictured: A United Airlines Boeing 767-322/ER
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Andreas Fietz

    What: United Airlines en route from Detroit to Denver
    Where: Milwaukee
    When: Jan 21, 2010
    Who: infant
    Why: On board the flight, a 2-month-old boy who stopped breathing on board could not be revived. A passenger attempted CPR and on the ground in Milwaukee paramedics also attempted CPR but the revival attempts were unsuccessful.

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    Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Struck by Lightning

    What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 en route from Oakland to Burbank
    Where: Burbank
    When: January 20, 2010 9:57
    Who: 81 passengers
    Why: While en route from Sacramento, the Boeing 737 was struck by lightning. The plane landed safely at Bob Hope Airport, and was examined for damage from the lightning strike.

    Two individuals aboard this flight were taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center for treatment.

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    SouthWest Airlines Boeing Struck by lightning

    What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 en route from Sacramento to Burbank
    Where: Burbank
    When: January 20, 2010 9:38
    Who: 69 passengers
    Why: While en route from Sacramento, the Boeing 737 was struck by lightning. The plane landed safely at Bob Hope Airport, and was examined for damage from the lightning strike.

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    Chautauqua Electricals Smoke Landing in Cleveland


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

    What: Chautauqua Airlines Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Boston to Cleveland
    Where: Cleveland
    When: Jan 19th 2010
    Who: 55 passengers
    Why: Prior to landing, the jet suffered electrical problems resulting in smoke and a loss of power. The crew managed a safe landing. Passenger debarked on the runway and were bussed to the gate. The plane was taken out of commission for maintenance/observation/repairs.

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    Alitalia Tailstrike (or not)


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

    What: Alitalia Boeing 767-300 en route from New York JFK to Rome
    Where: New York
    When: Jan 15th 2010
    Who: 180 passengers
    Why: On take off, the Boeing apparently had a tail strike, but not one hard enough to damage the tail skid. The crew performed checks, but then decided to dump fuel and land. After circling, the flight landed safely approx. an hour and a half after initial takeoff. After two hours, the same aircraft took off again for Rome.

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    Austrian Airlines Fokker Smokes Take-off


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

    What: Austrian Airlines Fokker 100 en route from Belgrade Serbia to Vienna Austria
    Where: Belgrade
    When: Jan 19th 2010
    Who: 83 passengers and 5 crew
    Why: After passengers had boarded but before they took off, the left hand engine began smoking. Passengers disembarked and the flight was cancelled. The flight was reported alternately as an aborted takeoff and engine fire, but in our opinion, the most credible report seems to be that the flight never actually attempted to get off the ground.

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    US Airways/PSA Airline Runway Overrun


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

    What: US Airways/PSA Airlines Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Charleston West Virginia to Charlotte, North Carolina
    Where: Charleston
    When: Jan 19th 2010
    Who: 30 passengers and 3 crew
    Why: During takeoff, the pilot overran runway 23. The takeoff was aborted as the pilot responded to a warning signal, coming to a stop before a steep drop at the runway’s end. We don’t know the extent of damage but it is expensive, especially to the EMAS (and the plane!), but apparently there were no reported injuries. EMAS is credited for saving the lives of the crew and passengers as when the pilot braked during take-off, the plane impacted the Engineered Material Arresting System.

    The Yeager Airport EMAS is a system of concrete blocks designed to collaps to bring a plane to a safe stop.

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    Red Wing Emergency Landing


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

    What: Red Wings Tupolev Tu-204 en route from Omsk to Moscow
    Where: Omsk
    When: Jan 19 2010 8:45 p.m. Moscow time
    Who: 207 passengers
    Why: After takeoff, the bay door of the front landing gear failed to close. The pilots made a successful return to Omsk, and landed safely, with emergency vehicles on standby.

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    Air Slovakian Crew Diverts Plane in Protest. Passengers Hostage to unpaid Wages


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

    What: Albanian Airlines Boeing 737-300 en route from Tirana’s Mother Theresa International Airport in Albania to Bologna Italy
    Where: Bratislava
    When: Jan 17th 2010
    Who: 110 passengers
    Why: After boarding a flight from Tirana Albania to Bologna Italy, passengers were actually flown to Bratislava Slovakia. Disgruntled unpaid crew members flew their paying passengers to Bratislava (instead of Bologna) in protest for not receiving wages, or at least that is what the crew told the passengers.

    Albanian Airlines leases the plane from Air Slovakia, and the Czech pilots are employed by Air Slovakia. Air Slovakia denies owing wages, and claims that the diversion was due to technical problems. Albanian Airlines says they knew of nothing technical wrong with the plane (which is also technically grounded in repairs with Bratislavan maintenance.)

    Meanwhile, passengers alerted the media as soon as they arrived in Bratislava that the crew reported they had diverted (hijacked? passengernapped?) the plane because of unpaid wages. Passengers were put up in hotel accommodations in Bratislava (I’d have liked to see the accommodations!) and were supposed to have departed Monday. It is not reported whether or not the crew was put up with accommodations in jail.

    George’s Point of View

    Is this starting to sound like an episode of Wings, only with everyone in the cast speaking in a Tony Shalhoub version of a Bratislavan accent?

    And you can be very proud that not once did I make a snide, uncalled-for reference to “brat” and “slave” and “protesting” “unpaid” pilots. Well. Maybe once. We do believe in pilots getting paid–but we also tend to prefer pilots who take passengers to their expected destinations.

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    Sao Paulo: Swiss International Airlines Airbus Cracks Windshield


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

    What: Swiss International Airlines Airbus A340-300 en route from Sao Paulo Brazil to Zurich Switzerland
    Where: Sao Paulo
    When: Jan 17th 2010
    Who: not available
    Why: On takeoff, the flight crew reported they had a cracked windshield. They entered a holding pattern, dumped fuel and landed safely under emergency overweight conditions.

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    JAL Fights going Belly Up

    The formerly state-owned Japan Airlines appears to be planning to file for bankruptcy protection in advance of a restructuring of debt. From April to September, JAL lost 1.5 billion dollars and is anticipating additional governmental assistance to the tune of several billion dollars, as well as JAL’s request for several hundred billions worth of loan forgiveness.

    Negotiations between Dutch KLM and US Delta indicate possible future alliances.

    Look for an official JAL announcement on Jan 19th.

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    Landing Gear Issues Abort Skynet Landing


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

    What: Skynet Asia Airways Boeing 737-400 en route from Miyazaki to Tokyo
    Where: Tokyo
    When: Jan 17th 2010
    Who: 133 aboard
    Why: The flight was landing, and aborted the landing on receipt of a right main gear error. The flyby and visual inspection indicated partial extension; the flight however landed safely after being manually extended in spite of persistent error messages.