What: Qantas Airways A380 en route from London to Singapore to Sydney Where: over India When: Jan 7, 2012 Who: 450 passengers 7 injured Why: While en route, the pilots encountered a storm system. Pilots were in the process of navigating around the storm when the Airbus encountered turbulence. Though seatbelt signs came on, not everyone was in their seat at the time. Four passengers were hospitalized after arrival in Singapore. There was a twenty-four hour delay in the final leg to Sydney.
What: Early Morning Balloons hot air balloon Where: New Zealand When: Jan7 2012 Who: 11 fatalities Why: Five couples from around Wellington were aboard a hot air balloon 500 feet high in New Zealand when it struck a power line and ignited. The balloon had been preparing to land. Everyone aboard was trapped; two jumped from the basket, but they also died. First the basket burned, then the canopy.
Passengers had tickets for a 45 minute flight.
Witnesses on the ground watched in horror as the accident happened. Among those who died were pilot Lance Robert Hopping, Howard and Diana Cox, Alexis Still and Chrisjan Jordaan. A mother and daughter were also aboard.
Two of the bodies were taken to Wellington Hospital.
What: Merpati Nusantara Xian MA-60 en route from Surabaya to Sampit Where: Sampit When: Jan 7th 2012 Who: 62 passengers and 6 crew Why: After making a safe landing, the plane taxied and was making a u turn, ending up with the left main gear off the runway, and it seems to have collapsed. Apparently according to witnesses, it “ain’t goin’ anywhere now.”
There were no injuries were reported, but the incident closed the airport. The plane has been damaged, and the emergency equipment could not move the plane to pavement.
What: Sky Express Boeing 737-500 en route from Moscow to Chelyabinsk Where: Moscow When: Jan 5th 2012 Who: n/a Why: After takeoff, the flight developed cabin pressurization issues.
A half hour after takeoff, the flight returned to Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, and made a safe landing.
What: Air Astana Boeing 767-300 en route from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Atyrau (Kazakhstan) Where: Amsterdam When: Jan 4th 2012 Who: n/a Why: During takeoff, the Air Astana Boeing had a tail strike, observed on the ground by the Air Italia following this flight, lined up for takeoff. Passengers reported hearing a “bang” of contact.
After burning off fuel for two hours, the pilots returned to an Amsterdam runway where they made a safe landing and submitted to a safety inspection. The cause is being attribute to possible “wind, wind vortices or too rapid rotation.”
The flight took off again after two hours, this time without a tail strike.
What: American Eagle Canadair CRJ-700 en route from Nashville, TN to New York, NY Where: Raleigh Durham When: Jan 3rd 2012 Who: n/a Why: Two phones found in the lavatory prompted the pilot to divert to Raleigh Durham.
A passenger who claimed the phones later was removed from the plane and taken custody by the FBI.
What: Air France Boeing 777-200 en route from Houston,TX to Paris Where: Houston When: Jan 3rd 2012 Who: 228 passengers and 15 crew Why: While en route from Houston, a phone was found aboard. Pilots returned to Houston, where the flight underwent a security check.
The flight landed safely in Paris after a five hour delay.
What: Delta Airlines Boeing 737-800 en route from Managua to Atlanta,GA Where: Atlanta When: Jan 2nd 2012 Who: 1 injured Why: On approach to Atlanta, the flight encountered turbulence. A flight attendant was injured about a quarter of an hour before landing. There’s no indication if the turbulence was due to weather or wake turbulence.
What: United Boeing 777-200 en route from from Taipai to Tokyo Where: Taipei When: Jan 3rd 2011 Who: 270 aboard Why: After the flight took off, the nose gear doors failed to close.
Pilots circled for an hour and returned to make a safe landing.
What: Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-400 en route from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) Where: Kuala Lumpur When: Jan 2nd 2012 Who: n/a Why: The pilots were taking off when they received an indication and rejected takeoff.
The “low speed due to a takeoff configuration warning” was determined to be a false indication, and the plane took off three hours later.
What: American Eagle Embraer ERJ-145 en route from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX to Grand Rapids Where: Grand Rapids When: Jan 1st 2012 Who: 46 aboard Why: On approach to Grand Rapids, the Embraer developed problems with the flaps. The pilots had to abort their first and second approach.
Due to braking conditions, pilots diverted to Chicago, and made a fast but otherwise safe landing.
No notation if/how passengers were provided transportation from Chicago to Grand Rapids.
What: Kyrgyzstan/Altyn Air Tupolev 134A-3 en route from Bishkek to Osh Where: Osh Airport, Kyrgyzstan When: 28 DEC 2011 Who: 6 crew, 82 passengers, 25 injured Why: After a hard landing in dense fog, the plane skidded off the runway, collapsing the right main gear, and flipped. As it rolled over, the right wing separated, and the ensuing fire was quickly contained by rescue services standing by. Passengers inside were hanging upside down, suspended by their seatbelts, but had to find a way to evacuate quickly, before the plane had a chance to explode. A fire occurred from a fuel leak in the remaining wing, but it was controlled.
The metar at the time of the landing was:
UAFO 280700Z 02002MPS 0300 R12/0550 FG VV001 00/00 Q1023 R12/19//50 TEMPO 0300 FZFG VV002 RMK QFE691/0922 BASE050M
Wind from 020 degrees at 2 m/sec; visibility 300m; on runway 12, touchdown zone visual range is 550m in fog; vertical visibility 100 m; pressure: 1023 hPa; temperature: 0°C.
Six crew members and nineteen passengers were hospitalized, but there were no fatalities reported. Nine children were aboard. The plane was evacuated.
Because of the incident, the airport (runway) was temporarily closed, and Osh-Bishkek flights are delayed.
Of the 25 reported injured and hospitalized, these have been identified: Rustamov A. b. 1977, Ismatova A. b. 1993, Turgunaliev Charles b.1960; and two injured, Mamatov A., born 1992, and Suyunbaeva A. 2011g.r. who are in a children’s hospital in Osh. The most seriously injured is a 19 year old girl.
What: Aeroflot Airbus A319-100 en route from Nizhniy Novgorod to Moscow Sheremetyevo Where: Moscow When: Dec 28th 2011 Who: 76 aboard Why: While en route, the right engine developed problems, and pilots had to shut it down.
The flight landed safely at Sheremetyevo less than a quarter hour after the engine was shut down.
What: Air France Airbus A330-200 en route from Paris to New York Where: Paris When: Dec 25th 2011 Who: 187 passengers and 12 crew Why: On takeoff from Paris, the crew detected problems.
The engine anti-icing system indicated a problem, so the pilots returned to Paris two hours after leaving.
An anti-ice system valve was apparently repaired. After two more hours, the flight took off for New York.
What: Helios Airways Boeing 737-300 en route from Cyprus to Athens to Prague, Czech Republic Where: Athens When: Aug. 14, 2005 Who: 121 passengers Why: Before losing radio contract, pilots reported trouble with the air conditioning system. In the flight, cabin pressure failure knocked out the pilots. They made it to Athens, but the plane ran out of fuel and crashed. Crash video shows fire fighting planes controlling fires, bodies, baggage, airplane spread over a large debris field, the tail and engines relatively intact. At the time of the crash, except for one pilot (who was observed trying to land the plane), everyone aboard was comatose due to lack of oxygen.
In the case, prosecution failed to prove that German pilot Hans-Juergen Merten and his Cypriot co-pilot Charalambos Charalambous didn’t meet the minimum standards
A Cyprus court has acquitted four former airline officials of manslaughter charges.
In George’s Point of View
This court case is just another example of how long aviation cases, including the criminal cases of potentially/allegedly responsible parties, can drag on in court.
What: Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-300 en route from Jakarta to Yogyakarta (Indonesia) Where: Yogyakarta When: Dec 20th 2011, 17:35 Who: 131 passengers Why: The plane aborted an approach to Yogyakarta due to weather and low visibility. The flight diverted to Solo, where it could not land due to weather; and diverted again to Surabaya where the flight landed to refuel. Meanwile, weather conditions at Yogyakarta improved, so the pilots returned to Yogyakarta, and proceeded to land at a higher than normal speed in the hard rain. The plane veered off the runway, with brakes rendered ineffective due to rain, and came to a stop 60 meters past the runway, with collapsed nose gear and with fuselage damage. Bits and pieces of the plane were scattered along the runway.
Passengers exited via emergency slide. Five passengers reported injury.
What: Cool Stream Media LLC Socata TBM700 C2 en route from Teterboro airport to Atlanta-Dekalb Peachtree Airport Where: Interstate 287 in Harding, NJ When: Dec 20, 2011, 10 am. Who: 5 aboard, 5 fatalities Why: After taking off from Teterboro airport en route to Atlanta-Dekalb Peachtree Airport, the pilot inquired about icing conditions, and shortly afterwards, crashed on I-287 in New Jersey. The plane came down on the median and broke up just outside of Morris township. One witness heard nothing but saw an explosion. Another witness smelled burning rubber and said it sounded like a wood chopper.
The plane lost contact with ATC just before the crash.
Aboard the flight were Jerry Buckalew, 45 and Rakesh Chawla (36) managing directors of Greenhill & Co Investment Banking Firm. Buckalew’s wife Corinne and two children Jackson and Meriwether and a dog were also aboard. Witnesses say the plane was spinning and flipping, then a wing came off and the plane went straight down. Buckalew owned the plane.
No cars were stuck but the plane’s right wing landed in a tree 400 yards from the crash site..
The pilot had gotten clearance to climb to 17,500 feet. ATC said there was “moderate rime” at 17000 feet. Another controller warned of extreme icing.
The debris field covered an area half a mile wide. The northbound late of I-287 was blocked a heap of burning charred metal.
What: British Airways A321 en route from London Heathrow to Glasgow Where: London When: Dec 20th 2011 Who: pilot and co-pilot Why: After takeoff, pilots declared an emergency when they became lightheaded. They returned to Heathrow and made a safe landing. The problem was reported as a technical fault due to fumes or pressure problems in the cockpit. On declaration, pilots called for oxygen which was brought by cabin crew; and oxygen masks were apparently not released for the passengers. The flight made a safe landing. Paramedics were the first aboard, attending to the pilots.
The replacement jet provided for the passengers took them to their destination with a three hour delay,
What: Associated Mission Aviation Pacific Aerospace 750XL en route from Jayapura to Okbibab. Where: Abmisibil Airport, Okbibab, Papua When: Dec 17, 2011 Who: 5 aboard, 2 fatalities Why: The plane landed at Abmisibil Airport, and skidded into a ravine at the end of the runway.
Pilot Arnold Burung did not survive. The injured, Jacob Uropmabin, Timothy Uropmabin, Ramli, and Rady (AKA Yakob Uropmabin,Timotius Uropmabin, Ramly and Radi) were hospitalized at Dian Harapan Hospital in Jayapura.
Pacific Aerospace manufactures planes in New Zealand.
What: PIPER PA-28-151 CHEROKEE, ARROW, WARRIOR, ACHER Where: Longmont When: 12/18/2011 5:36 pm Who: pilot Why: A pilot flying over Longmont had engine trouble and had to make an emergency landing.
The pilot realized he could not make the airport, and maneuvered in position over the road. He managed to land on a busy road with substantial traffic but there was no impact and the plane and cars were undamaged. The pilot apparently coasted in with the engine off. Interview is below
What: Bangkok Airways Avion de Transport Regional ATR-72-500 en route from Koh Samui to Bangkok Where: Koh Samui When: Dec 17th 2011 Who: 38 passengers and 4 crew Why: While taxiing prior to takeoff, the pilot lost control, the plane struck an embankment and slid into a ditch.
Reports say that the pilot attempted to control the plane, but it did not respond. The flight was cancelled. Passengers were provided alternative flights.
What: Delta/Pinnacle Airlines Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Detroit,MI to Quebec Where: Quebec When: Dec 10th 2011 Who: 45 aboard Why: On approach to Quebec, the pilots received a flaps fault.
The pilots aborted the approach. After declaring emergency, the pilots reset the flap system and made a second approach, landing safely.
What: Frontier Airlines Airbus A319-100 en route from Seattle to Denver Where: Yakima When: Dec 14th 2011 Who: 138 passengers Why: While en route, the plane developed smoke in the aft galley.
Pilots diverted to Yakima, where they made a safe landing with emergency services on standby. The call came in at 9:22 a.m.and the plane landed at 9:40.
It was determined that the source of the smoke seems to have been a coffee pot or oven in the galley. A replacement jet was provided.
In George’s Point of View
The source of the problem could have been an electrical short, and the air quality may have been affected, so despite jokes about landing over kitchen equipment, the airport manager and airline management stand by the pilots decisions, which are based on correct emergency response which resulted in no deaths, no injuries.
What: Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Atlanta,GA to Seattle,WA Where: Kansas City When: Dec 15th 2011 Who: 163 aboard Why: The flight was well underway when passengers and crew smelled smoke in the cabin.
Pilots diverted to Kansas City Missouri, where they made a safe landing.
A KING 5 News employee was a passenger aboard the flight and posted on twitter that everyone was ok.
The problem was repaired, and the plane was re-boarded, continuing on to its destination.
What: Intersky de Havilland Dash 8-300 en route from Berlin Tegel to Friedrichshafen Where: Berlin When: Dec 14th 2011 Who: 21 passengers Why: The flight was about to depart when an unauthorized vehicle cut across the runway right in the plane’s path.
Pilots jerked the plane to a stop, injuring a flight attendant who had to be hospitalized.
What: Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration TC-ASP performing flight PC-223 from Ercan Cyprus to Adana Turkey Where: Ercan When: Dec 9th 2011 11:05 Who: 75 passengers and 6 crew Why: Just ten minutes out of Ercan, over the Five Finger Mountains, the plane was struck by lightning.
Consequently, several systems malfunctioned. Pilots returned to Ercan State Airport and made a safe landing. Passengers were provided alternative flights.
Many regions in cyprus have been subjected to torrential rain and thunder.
