Carrier

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    Cutbacks and Engine Failure

    What: American Airlines en route from Chicago to Dallas
    Where: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
    When: Wednesday, August 12, 2009
    Why: When the crew experienced engine failure, they declared an emergency and returned to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport for a safe landing.

    George’s Point of View

    Last Friday, two other flights — one coming from D/FW and the other from West Palm Beach — were forced to land due to engine problems, making this incident a third incident in the recent rash of engine failures (FAA records show 23 this year alone, in older MD-80 model jets), a failure that is attributed in general to financial cutbacks in aviation. American Airlines has bought dozens of 737-800s in 2009, which we hope will address the problem of aging planes.

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    Singapore Airlines Airbus Indicator Delays Flight


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Marco Toso

    What: Singapore Airlines Airbus A380-800 en route from London Heathrow to Singapore
    Where: London
    When: Aug 8th 2009
    Who: 363 passengers
    Why: After takeoff, control panel indicated a problem on the plane that led to returning to the airport of origin. After landing, Singapore Airline maintenance determined that the flaw was in the signal. The plane was cleared for take-off and completed the flight.

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    Expressjet/Continental Out of the Storm Into the Frying Pan


    An Expressjet/Continental Flight landing at Rochester
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Jonathan Icasas

    What: ExpressJet/Continental Airlines Embraer RJ145 en route from Houston to Minneapolis/St. Paul
    Where: diverted to Rochester
    When: August 9
    Who: 47 passengers
    Why: The flight was diverted by storms to Rochester and landed safely which is certainly a good thing.

    George’s Point of View

    Flight 2816 is going down in aviation customer service infamy. After landing safely at an airport with a closed terminal–with a crew that had run out of flying time so that an alternate crew had to be flown in–the passengers were basically locked in the plane overnight. After six hours of being stuck in the plane with no food, and a stinking bathroom, at 6 a m, understandably grumpy passengers streamed into the terminal to complain. It is not clear who is responsible (ExpressJet or Continental Airlines.) From the sound of the irate passengers, it’s difficult to say if they’d rather have compensation, or just be allowed in a no holds-barred boxing match with whoever is responsible.

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    Northwest Emergency Landing

    What: Northwest (Delta) Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from Raleigh Durham NC to Minneapolis,MN
    Where: Raleigh Durham
    When: Aug 9th 2009
    Who: 148 passengers, 5 crew members
    Why: After takeoff, the pilots heard a noise (bird strike) before they lost an engine. They dumped fuel and returned to the airport where they landed safely with no injuries.

    We say the flight “lost an engine,” but it was significantly more dramatic than that, with the engine catching fire. Fortunately they landed safely.

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    Vietnam Airlines Emergency Landing in Ho Chi Minh City


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Mu Yun

    What: Vietnam Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City
    Where: Ho Chi Minh City
    When: Aug 7th 2009
    Who: 164 passengers including 26 children and 2 infants
    Why: On its landing approach, the plane developed an unusual level of hydraulic fluid in its hydraulic braking system. Two (main gear) tires blew on landing. (It is not uncommon for tires to blow when a plane lands at too high of a speed.) The passengers debarked via emergency slides. No injuries were reported.

    Newspapers reported that the pilot was Captain Jual Ruiz of Peru Ruiz, who got his license from CAAV in 2005, and has 17,500 flying hours. Nguyen Khanh Thanh of Viet Nam was his copilot.

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    American Airlines Emergency Landing in Palm Beach


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Jonathan Guidone

    What: American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-82 en route from Palm Beach International Airport to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
    Pictured: An American Airlines McDonnell Douglas
    Where: West Palm Beach
    When: August 7
    Who: 141 aboard
    Why: After takeoff, the plane made a “loud noise” and experienced engine trouble in the left engine. The pilot returned to land at the Palm Beach International within six minutes of takeoff. Passengers were provided an alternative plane.

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    Air India Airbus APU acts up in Hyderabad


    Pictured: An Air India Airbus over Singapore
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Andrew Hunt

    What: Air India Airbus A321-200 en route from Hyderabad to Mumbai
    Where: Hyderabad
    When: Aug 5th 2009
    Who: 120 passengers
    Why: After take-off, the APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) developed a problem. After returning to Hyderabad, maintenance dealt with the issue and within an hour the plane was back in the air. I’d like the registration on this one–we may be hearing from it again.

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    Paris: Airbus Catches Fire on Runway


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Javier Gonzalez

    What: Vueling Airbus A320-200 en route from Paris Orly Airport to Alicante Spain
    Where: Paris
    When: Aug 5th 2009 10h36
    Who: 169 passengers
    Why: After boarding but prior to takeoff, the Airbus’s right engine caught on fire. The official statement said that “the fire began when the aircraft was in “pushback” phase, the taxi procedure for towing the aircraft from loading up by a bar connected to a tractor trailer.”

    Passengers debarked via slides. There were eight injuries reported; it was not released if the injuries were caused by the fire emergency or the slides, nor if those injured were passengers or crew.

    Four and a half hours later, passengers were provided an alternative Airbus to take them to their destination.

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    Northwest Airlines Encounters Turbulence over Kentucky

    What: Northwest Airlines( Pinnacle) Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Knoxville,TN to Detroit
    Where: Louisville
    When: Aug 4th 2009 6 p.m
    Who: 24 passengers
    Why: Half an hour into the flight, the plane encountered turbulence which injured a flight attendant and a passenger. About twenty-five minutes later, the flight landed in Louisville KY where the flight attendant was hospitalized with minor injuries. The passenger received cuts and bruises which were categorized as not serious. The turbulence the flight encountered was attributed to the same storm system that was behind thunderstorms and flooding in the Kentucky area.

    The rest of the passengers were placed on another flight out of Louisville.

    Is it possible that pilots and airlines should actually avoid flying during severe weather conditions? I know it is an audacious thing to suggest. Human beings would much prefer to assert dominion over all things natural than to do something that would require a little common sense, especially if it would mean we actually had to wait an hour before taking off.

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    Bad Landing in Bangkok, Casualty Reports Vary


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Rui Miguel

    What: Bangkok Airways Aerospatiale ATR-72-500,en route from Krabi to Koh Samui Thailand
    Where: Koh Samui Thailand
    When: Aug 4th 2009
    Who: 68 passengers and 4 crew
    Why: While landing in heavy rain, the plane skidded off runway 35 at Koh Samui and into an old unused control tower. Public reports vary (between one and 41 deaths, including the captain).

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    US Airways Airbus Returns to Charlotte


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Jan Severijns

    What: US Airways Airbus A330-300 en route from Charlotte,NC to Frankfurt Germany
    Where: initially requested return to Philadelphia then Charlotte.
    When: Aug 1st 2009
    Who: 220 passengers
    Why: En route, the plane experienced an undisclosed technical issue preventing them from flying across the Atlantic. They received oceanic clearance from air traffic control, but requested it be revoked based on the “maintenance” issue

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    Engine Fire and Fuel Leak in Tehran


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Shary

    What: Saha Airlines Boeing 707-300 en route from Ahvaz to Tehran
    Where: Ahvaz
    When: Aug 3rd 2009
    Who: 174 passenger
    Why: On take off, engines one and two caught on fire. The crew declared emergency and landed safely where the plane landed and a fuel leak was discovered in the plane. Passengers debarked without injury.

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    Continental Boeing encounters Turbulence


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer John Harris

    What: Continental Airlines Boeing 767-200 en route from Rio de Janeiro to Houston
    Where: turbulence occurred southeast of Puerto Rico; diversion to Miami.
    When: Aug 3rd 2009
    Who: 168 passengers and 11 crew members
    Why: About an hour out of Miami, the flight encountered turbulence. Four received severe injuries and there were multiple lesser injuries. 28 individuals were treated at the airport on site; 9 were taken to hospitals. (Alternate reports say 13 were taken to hospitals.) The flight landed at Miami, an hour and fifteen minutes after the turbulence.

    Uninjured passengers were routed to Houston; in fact, they remained on the plane nearly three hours after landing because it was an International flight and had to be cleared by customs to arrive.

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    British Airways Boeing Lands with Smoke Alert in Barcelona


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Gordon Gebert JR

    What: British Airways Boeing 757-200 en route from London Heathrow,EN to Barcelona
    Where: Barcelona
    When: Aug 2nd 2009
    Who: 176 passengers 2 pilots and 5 crew members
    Why: When smoke was detected in the cabin en route, the crew declared an emergency. The flight landed safely in Barcelona, and passengers debarked via slides. The examination of the plane as it was checked for fire which delayed the passengers retrieval of baggage, but no actual source of smoke or fire was ever detected.

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    Fed Ex Emergency Landing in Indianapolis


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

    What: Fedex McDonnell Douglas MD-11 en route from Anchorage to Memphis,TN
    Where: Indianapolis
    When: Jul 31st 200
    Who: 2 crew
    Why: On experiencing hydraulics failure, the flight diverted to Indianapolis, landing safely just after midnight. No injuries were reported.

    It is a shame they diverted FROM Memphis, where the Fed Ex hub is, and complete repair facilities.

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    Airbus Wingtip Grazes Congo Building


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographers Daniel & Robert Fall

    What: Air France Airbus A330-200 en route from from Paris to Brazzaville Congo
    Where: Maya-Maya airport on the tarmac
    When:
    Who: Several dozen people were on board the plane,
    Why: While taxiing into a parking position, the right winglet (a small vertical section at the tip of the wing) brushed a building just after landing. Although maintenance moved fast to say the plane was fine, the plane will be flown back to France but is banned from taking off with any passengers.

    George’s Point of View

    I’m not picking on Airbus. Just to prove it, I am going to admit that in this case, the lousy taxi job is probably not due to an innate Airbus flaw (unless massive vehicle size can be construed as a design flaw directly related to the relative ease of negotiating turns on a runway. Maybe the pilot or ground crew was just a ham-handed driver. Come to think of it, parking the 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood was no piece of cake either. )

    No, I’m not picking on Airbus. With over 2,500 Airbus A320s flying around, (and who knows how many other Airbus models are still in service) incidents will happen.

    But.. look at these statistics:
    Airbus A300 – 17 crashes with a total of 1126 fatalities
    Airbus A310 – 9 crashes with a total of 825 fatalities
    Airbus A319/20/21 – 16 crashes with a total of 637 fatalities
    Airbus A330 – 3 with a total of 235 fatalities

    ——-*——-

    That’s a lot of fatalities. The number of deaths–almost 400 in June alone–this works out to a lot of misery spread around to a lot of families.

    I’m not picking on Air France, either. Air France isn’t responsible for the Yemenia Flight 626 that crashed June 30th 2009 with 152 fatalities and one miracle survivor.

    But even if I am not picking on Airbus, someone with lots of muscle (like all the citizens of France) should be doing just that.

    Enough deaths. It is past time to fix the problem.

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    Flybe Hydraulics Issue in Edinburgh

    What: Flybe de Havilland Dash 8-400 en route from Bergerac (France) to Edinburgh
    Where: Edinburgh
    When: Jul 29th 2009
    Who: 54 people on board
    Why: On approach to Edinburgh, the crew noted a hydraulics problem and spent twenty minutes in a holding pattern while the problem was resolved. The plane landed safely.

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    St Louis Bird Strike

    What: An American Airlines MD-80 jet enroute from Saint Louis to Los Angeles
    Where: Lambert Airport
    When: 2:00pm Wednesday July 29
    Who: 140 passengers 5 crew
    Why: After takeoff, the plane’s right engine ingested a bird. (Apparently it passed right through). The bird strike disabled the engine; and the pilot landed immediately, after declaring an emergency.

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    DC: Turbulence on US Airways Landing


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

    What: US Airways/ Republic Airlines Embraer ERJ-175 en route from West Palm Beach,FL to Washington DC
    Where: Washington’s National Ronald Reagan Airport
    When: Jul 25th 2009
    Why: On the final approach, the plane was struck by turbulence and several passengers were injured. The flight landed safely. No more information has been reported–no details on the injuries or if anyone was actually hospitalized due to the turbulence injuries. One can conjecture it may have been members of the flight crew because everyone else should have been seated with belts on.

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    Boeing Emergency landing in Little Rock


    Pictured: Substitute Boeing flown in for replacement
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Klaus Ecker

    What: American Airlines Boeing 757-20 en route from Dallas to Boston
    Where: Little Rock
    When: 7/26/2009 5:59 p.m.
    Who: 185 aboard
    Why: After smoke was observed in the cockpit, the crew diverted the plane to Little Rock where it landed safely. Passengers were transferred to an alternative plane (Pictured)

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    Southwest Emergency Landing in Long Island

    What: Southwest Airlines en route from Bradley International Airport Hartford,CT to Orlando
    Where: diverted to Long Island Islip Macarthur Airport
    When: July 26, 2009
    Who: 132 passengers and 5 crew
    Why: After take-off, the crew detected an “electrical smell” and smoke; oxygen masks were deployed, and the plane diverted to Long Island where the passengers debarked without incident, and took an alternate 737-300 to Orlando. The original plane was taken out of service for a complete inspection which determined that the electrical smell originated from the burner of a coffee maker in the back of the aircraft.

    George’s Point of View

    Southwest, you are having a bad month.