Hawaiian Airlines flight HA-50 had to return and make an emergency landing at Honolulu International Airport, Honolulu, Hawaii, on May 10th.
The Airbus A330-200 flying to New York, USA, had just taken-off when the crew noticed a problem with its gear retraction.
The plane landed safely.
All 291 people aboard remained unhurt.
Air India Flight AI-416 made an emergency landing in New Delhi, India, on April 28th.
The Airbus A320-200 was flying from Patna in Bihar, India, when the crew declared emergency due to a gear problem.
The plane landed safely. Everyone aboard remained unhurt.
Volotea flight V7-1546 had to return and make an emergency landing at Falcone-Borsellino Airport, Palermo, Italy, on March 19.
The Boeing 717-200, en-route from Palermo to Naples, Italy, was mid-air when the crew reported problem with the gear after retraction, prompting it to return.
The plane landed safely.
All 64 passengers onboard remained unharmed.
Shaheen Air flight NL-142 crash-landed at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, Pakistan, on November 3.
The plane was flying from Karachi when the pilot declared emergency due to faulty landing gear.
Authorities said one of the tires of the plane burst upon landing, causing it to skid off the runway.
At least 10 passengers were injured in the incident and were provided medical treatment.
The aircraft’s fuselage sustained damage.
The incident is being investigated.
A small plane made an emergency landing at Delta County Airport in Michigan, on November 3.
Authorities said the single-engine experimental Kitfox plane had to perform an emergency landing due to gearbox failure that stopped propeller movement.
The plane landed on the north side of the ramp and ended up into a ditch between taxiway and runway.
The pilot remained uninjured.
The NTSB is investigating.
Arkia Israel Airlines flight IZ-826 diverted to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, for an emergency landing on September 27.
The ATR-72-212A plane, heading from Eilat to Sde Dov Airport, Tel Aviv, was diverted after the crew noticed a gear problem.
The plane landed safely.
None of the 72 people aboard were harmed.
What: Bemidji Aviation/UPS Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner
Where: Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
When: Nov 9 2012 8 p.m.
Who: pilot
Why: The Bemidji Aviation plane was on a UPS flight attempting to land when the left rear wheel collapsed. The plane veered off the runway and came to a stop.
There were no injuries and the plane remained upright.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Mark McEwan
What: Bond Offshore Helicopters Ltd. Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma Mk2+
Where: 24 nautical miles off the coast of Aberdeen, North Sea
When: May 10, 2012
Who: 16 passengers, 0 fatalities
Why: The Bond helicopter was en route from Aberdeen Airport to the Maersk Resilient drilling rig when an emergency developed.
Pilots had to make a controlled descent into the North Sea when the gearbox oil pressure tanked. With the use of flotation equipment, the ditched helicopter stayed afloat.
The two crew and twelve passengers were safely recovered by afternoon. A cautionary measure suspending Eurocopter EC225 flights has been issued pending investigation. Examination revealed that the helicopter suffered a crack to the gearbox shaft.
The passengers were employed by Halliburton, Ensco, Brundt and Stag, and Conoco. The Jasmine field is operated by Conoco Phillips.
The rescue was coordinated by the Aberdeen coastguard, who was alerted at 12.15pm, and RNLI lifeboats. The initial call indicated that added that all everyone was on the raft. Nine were flown to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, and five were taken by life boat.
The choice to suspend the EC225 model until the kinks are worked out is a smart move. Better monitoring of potential cracks to the gearbox shaft may eliminate more “catastrophic failures” like the one that Eurocopter that crashed in 2009. In that event, the operator had put off replacing the main rotor gearbox, resulting in the death of 14 offshoremen and two helicopter crew.
The skill and training of the (May 10, 2012) 100% successful pilots and rescue crew cannot be commended highly enough. Sure, the media is calling this a textbook rescue, but somehow that description feels inadequate to me, leaving out the heroic human element involved. These guys are heroes.
