A Transaero Airlines Boeing en route from Khaborovsk to Moscow with 234 passengers and 13 crew was en route when it developed problems with its flaps.
Pilots diverted to Khabarovsk where they made a safe landing with emergency services on standby.
What: Transaero Airlines Boeing 777-312 Moscow – Khabarovsk
Where: Yemelyanovo International Airport
When: Dec 13, 2012
Who: 1 fatality
Why: While en route, a five year old child, Jaroslav Zaripov who was suffering from cancer, became ill. The pilot dumped fuel in order to land.
The pilot diverted to Krasnoyarsk but the child died as the plane was landing. He has a twin who is cancer free, and who had not yet been told his brother died.
The West Siberian Transport Investigative Committee is investigating.
What: Transaero Boeing 767 300 en route from Domodedovo to Hurgada Egypt
Where: Rostov-on-Don
When: Reported on Dec 1 2011
Who: 214 passengers
Why: While en route, engine problems forced an unnamed Transaero Boeing crew to divert to Rostov-on-Don reportedly due to undisclosed engine problems. However, date, plane and preliminary cause have not been verified. It apparently had the same number aboard as Kolavia Flight 348 (214) which burned on the runway before being able to take off for Moscow.
What: Transaero Boeing 767 300 en route from Domodedovo to Hurgada Egypt
Where: Rostov-on-Don
When: Reported on Dec 1 2011
Who: 214 passengers
Why: While en route, engine problems forced the Transaero Boeing crew to divert to Rostov-on-Don reportedly due to engine problems. However, date, plane and preliminary cause have not been verified.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Christopher B.
What: Transaero Boeing 737-500 en route from Moscow to Krasnodar
Where: Moscow
When: May 19th 2010
Who: 87 passengers
Why: While en route, the crew received an indication of low hydraulic pressure. The flight returned to Moscow and made a safe landing. Passengers were booked onto other flights.
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Contact photographer Erezms
What: Transaero Boeing 737-400 en route from Moscow to Tel Aviv
Where: Tel Aviv
When: Dec 15th 2009
Who: 102 passengers and 7 crew
Why: On approach to Tel Aviv, twice the plane received re-directs, and in both cases, the flight made a go-around. (The approaches were made to runways scheduled with departing traffic.)
On the third approach, the plane landed safely.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Mirko Krogmann
What: A Transaero Airlines Boeing 737-300 en route from Atyrau to Almaty
Where: Kzyl-Orda
When: Dec 8th 2009
Who: 81 passengers and 9 crew
Why: While en route, the crew detected a faulty fuel flow sensor and diverted to Kzyl-Orda for repairs, after which passengers resumed the flight on the same plane.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Vlad Moskvin
What: Transaero Airlines Boeing 737-300 en route from Moscow Domodedovo to St. Petersburg (Russia)
Where: Moscow
When: Jul 20th 2009
Who: 41 passengers and 6 crew
Why: On takeoff, the right wing lost a 60 by 80 centimeter “leading edge fairing”. The flight continued as usual and fortunately landed safely in St. Petersburg.
The part was found on the Domodedova airport runway.
George’s Point of View
I’m sure that all of us have heard of the old saying (paraphrased from De Minimis Maxima ) the mighty oak from tiny acorns grow.
When one considers the question of pieces falling off of a plane, it seems simultaneously a tiny pointless thing and a huge issue. Consider a miniscule hole in the roof of our house is hardly worth considering; perhaps it is even invisible to the naked eye. But look what damage it causes when it rains. Somehow I don’t think “the leading edge” is like a car’s hubcap, mostly for decoration. It’s there to do something, and when that part is gone, that something is undone and will have consequences. Maybe letting in some moisture. Maybe causing corrosion down the road.
As a frequent passenger, I tend to be somewhat fatalistic about plane parts. Look, some engineer put that part there for a reason. I don’t know what that reason is, but if it’s good enough for the plane’s engineer, it is good enough for me, and I’d just as soon not fly without it. So many carriers get bad reputations based on careless maintenance of old planes, and this is just the kind of incident that gets people talking. (Old planes need MORE maintenance as they get older, just like old furniture, old machines, old cars, old people, old EVERYTHING.) Certainly Russia knows that maintenance deferred–especially on an airplane–is a recipe for disaster.
I just hope they replace the part before the little acorn of a problem grows into a great big oak tree of a pending disaster. This may be the first incident in a chain of events that unravels the whole plane.