What: Aires Bombardier Dash 8 en route from Medellin to Monteria
Where: Monteria
When: Mar 20th 2011, 20 min after takeoff
Who: 32 passengers 4 crew
Why: Twenty minutes into the 55 minute flight, one of the engines was shut down due to engine trouble. The pilot wanted to land at Caucasia but there was too much fuel, so flew on to the destination at Monteria with its longer runway (6280 feet)) with one engine down.
What: US Airways 737
Where: Charlotte-Douglas International Airport
When: March 28, 2011
Who: pilot
Why: Prior to takeoff, a small hole was discovered in the fuselage toward the back of the aircraft on the left side. The flight was cancelled, and the plane was taken out of service. The last flight had been Philadelphia to Charlotte. The cause of the hole has not been determined but the FBI is investigating if it might be a bullet hole that extends from the exterior into the cabin
What: Chart Air flight en route from Ngukurr to Katherine
Where: Katherine, Australia
When: March 29, 2011
Why: When the plane’s landing gear did not work properly, the plane circled the airport for 45 minutes. Passengers were “advised to call their loved ones.
Maybe the pilot was young or inexperienced. I don’t know. I do know that it is not all that rare for planes to have landing gear problems. Usually it is something that is handled fairly easily. Usually they foam the runway to prevent a fire, and the plane lands on its belly, usually after flying by the control tower to get visual confirmation on the status of the landing gear.
I’m not sure what I think about telling passengers to make that phone call. That pilot might have caused some unnecessary panic. There will probably be some negative consequences for some of these people who experienced flying on the plane and having the pilot practically promise them their goose was cooked and they were going to die.
Is this Chart Air protocol I wonder? In my opinion, however well-meant it is, it is not particularly a good thing for a pilot to induce panic and terror into one’s passengers.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Andy Egloff
What: American Eagle Embraer ERJ-145 en route from Oklahoma City,OK to Chicago O’Hare,IL
Where: Kansas City
When: Mar 26th 2011
Who: 1 attendant
Why: While en route to Chicago, the flight encountered turbulence, injuring the flight attendant.
The pilot diverted to Kansas City and made a safe landing.
What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300, en route from Orlando to Chicago
Where: Louisville Kentucky
When: Mar 28 2011 3:00 pm
Who: 101 passengers 5 crew
Why: While en route, the cockpit began to fill with smoke. A pilot saw a problem with the windshield defroster wiring, and turned off the defroster.
The pilots diverted the flight to Louisville where they made a safe landing. Passengers were provided an alternative Boeing flight to Chicago arriving two and a half hours later.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Jean-Claude Simard
What: United Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from Chicago O’Hare,IL to Washington National
Where: Washington DC
When: Mar 22nd 2011
Who: 68 people aboard
Why: The United crew was informed that the airport was “uncontrolled” via the advisory frequency. The plane made a visual approach and landed ten minutes after the American Airlines flight
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Contact photographer Rudy Chiarello
What: American Airlines Boeing 737-800 en route from Miami,FL to Washington National,DC
Where: Washington
When: Mar 22nd 2011
Who: 97 people on board
Why: On approach to Washington National, the crew found themselves without feedback from ATC. They declared the airport uncontrolled. The tower frequency was declared an advisory frequency and landed safely without clearance.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Alan LebedaWhat: Trans Air Congo Antonov AN-12 en route from Brazzaville to Pointe Noire
Where: between the Roy and Kitoko area in Mvou-Mvou, Pointe-Noire, Congo
When: Mar 21st 2011 3:30pm
Who: 19 killed, 14 injured.
Why: The crew attempted an emergency landing on the sea but failed. The attempted landing was less than successful although there are reports that the pilot managed to get out of the plane before it stopped.
They were over a residential area and had been cleared to land when the Antonov AN-12 struck the residential neighborhood Mvou-Mvou. After striking buildings, the plane caught fire.
Although the plane was not permitted to carry passengers, it appears that there were 5 passengers aboard in addition to the 4 Russian crew members. Twenty buildings were destroyed (burned and covered in debris), including residences and a school. The ICAO had reported the plane TN-AGK as not airworthy in 2006. (It is certainly not airworthy now.) The plane is a total loss.
While some news reports say that the number of injured were passengers, other reports say that there were 9 aboard, and that the rest of the injured and casualties were in Mvou-Mvou at the time of the crash. The weather conditions were said to be “good” at the time. There was apparently a technical problem which caused them to attempt to ditch in the ocean, (or a technical problem preventing them from landing in the ocean). The cause of the crash is unresolved. It is being investigated.
Trans Air Congo is based in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo.
What: Helicopter over Dallas
Where: Regal Row and Empress Row
When: March 18, 2011, 9:30
Who: 3 passengers
Why: A helicopter a mile and a half from Dallas Love Field Airport had to make an emergency landing at the intersection of Regal Row and Empress Row when an air conditioning belt overheated.
There were no injuries.
What: Delta en route from Grand Rapids to Detroit
Where: Gerald R Ford International Airport
When: March 19 2011
Who: 55 passengers
Why: After departure from Grand Rapids, the plane developed smoke in the cockpit. The pilot returned to the airport where he made a safe landing. Passengers disembarked on the runway and were ported back to the terminal.
What: Aragon Fire Brigade government helicopter
Where: Camarena, near Teruel Spain
When: March 19 2011 13.30 am
Who: 7 aboard, 6 killed, 1 injured
Why: While en route to put out a fire outbreak in the area of ??Villel, 6 firemen died in a helicopter crash in Spain.
Two helicopters assisted in the recovery of the bodies and rescue of the injured. The one survivor was taken to Hospital Obispo Polanco of Teruel where he is intubated after suffering broken ribs and head trauma. Psychologists of the 112 Emergency Center are meet relatives and colleagues of those affected.
The President of Aragon, Marcelino Iglesias, and the Minister for the Environment, Alfredo Bone have traveled to Teruel. The initial fire which called out the fire helicopter has been controlled.
We haven’t heard yet the make of the helicopter, or the names of those involved. The world is always worse off after we lose our heroes in tragic circumstances.
Pictured: Not N339NG but another DHC-8-402Q Dash 8
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Nino Buda-CYYZ Aviation Photography
What: Colgan Air de Havilland Dash 8-400 on behalf of Continental Airlines en route from Cleveland,OH to Baltimore,MD
Where: Pittsburgh
When: Mar 17th 2011
Who: not available
Why: While en route, left engine indicated a fire.
The crew shut down the engine and diverted to Pittsburgh where they made a safe landing 30 minutes after the initial alert. There were no injuries.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Propfreak
What: AM Transporte Aereo Militar Xian MA-60 en route from La Paz to Rurrenabaque
Where: Rurrenabaque Bolivia
When: Mar 18th 2011
Who: 33 aboard
Why: On landing at Rurrenabaque the landing gear failed to deploy. The flight performed a belly landing with no injuries reported. Minor damage on the plane. The gear problem may have been due to a hydraulic leak but the circumstances are under investigation.
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Contact photographer Josh May
What: Yas Air Ilyushin IL-76TD en route from Tehran Mehrabad to Aleppo
Where: Diyarbakir
When: Mar 16th 2011
Who: crew of freight flight
Why: Told that the plane was carrying nuclear weapon parts, the flight was escorted to Diyarbakir Turkey by Turkish F-16 fighters.
What: Delta Boeing 737-800 en route from Fort Lauderdale to Minneapolis
Where: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Who: 119 passengers 6 crew
Why: After takeoff from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the Boeing suffered engine failure and had to turn back to the airport, sprinkling bits and pieces of the damaged engine over Florida. The plane made a safe landing. Passengers disembarked and transferred to an alternative flight which reached Minneapolis with considerable delay but no further trouble.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Urs Zimmermann
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Tsuyoshi Hayasaki – AroundWorldImages
What: Swiss Airbus A320-200 en route from Zurich Switzerland to Madrid, Spain
What: Swiss Airbus A320-200 en route from Zurich Switzerland to Moscow Domodedovo Russia
Where: Zurich
When: Mar 15th 2011
Why: To save space, lets call these planes Swiss Airbus Spain and Swiss Airbus Russia …
Swiss Airbus Spain was taking off when ATC had them abort the takeoff.
Swiss Airbus Russia was taking off simultaneously, and they were allowed to continue.
An an ILS calibration flight was measuring runways 14 and 16 in the area at the same time. Russia was on one of the runways being measured, but not Spain.
Swiss Airbus Spain stopped with hot brakes, and takeoff was delayed for three hours. Russia was allowed to continue.
A near miss may be a near collision, but a close call is a close call. And this was a close call.
What: Orange County Sheriff’s Office helicopter
Where: intersection of South Orange Blossom Trail and Holden Avenue, Orlando
When: March 13, 2011
Who: Pilot and crew
Why: While en route, the helicopter began making a strange sound. The crew decided to land, and made an emergency landing at the mall. The helicopter originated at Orlando Executive Airport.
What: Aeromexico Boeing 737-700 scheduled from Costa Rica to Mexico City
Where: Costa Rica
When: Mar 12, 2011
Who: 2 (drunk) Mexican pilots, 101 passengers
Why: Saturday on arrival at the airport in Costa Rica for their shift, these two AeroMexico pilots complained of nausea. They probably had big heads too, since they had attended some kind of drunken revelry 7 hours before in San Jose, which is not long enough for the alcohol to be metabolized out of their systems. They were apparently intending to fly their shifts, but some eagle-eyed AeroMexico personnel correctly evaluated their condition. One of them refused the alcohol test, but not the other. Neither was allowed to fly, and both were suspended. The flight was delayed until replacement pilots (sober ones) were found to take the cockpit. Passengers were compensated for the delay.
Is March the month for drinking? A case was just brought to our attention yesterday, and though it is not aviation, it is frighteningly similar, though I could argue they were completely different. But then, I could argue anything even if I’m not a lawyer.
The case I’m talking about is that of the BOLT Driver Arrested for DUI. Bolt is not an airline, but a bus division. So what is the similarity? There it was bussing (trucking) down the road when it was pulled over and the driver cited for tailgating, and driving in the wrong lane before he got his driving under the influence AND his license taken away. He was caught, sadly, not before his shift, and not by crew, but by passengers who clearly feared for their lives and called 911 from inside the bus, as the driver was either weaving, or napping or drinking, or all of the above. Someone had seen his pocket flask.
Okay, the obvious similarities are drunks at the wheel of communal transit. Both were caught before serious damage occurred. The difference—and this is crucial—are that the BOLT bus driver was allowed to take his shift, regardless of his condition. He put everyone aboard that bus at serious risk.
So kudos to AeroMexico. Even though all you’re going to hear about it is grousing from individuals complaining of the delay, your diligence probably saved the lives of 110 passengers.
Four pilot impersonators, including Air India Captain JK Verma and Indigo’s Parminder Kaur discussed in the video below, were caught flying without proper licenses which has led to a countrywide pilot probe, seeking more fake pilots and shady flight schools. It has been discovered that bogus certificates were used to endow pilots with licenses. Sham pilots were found to be flying for Air India. Pilot Arjun Giare was caught cheating on in US pilots and his US license cancelled, but is currently flying for Air India. Discrepancies were found in certificates from a school in Delhi, the Chinmaya Vidyalaya Senior Secondary School in Vasant Vihar. Some flying schools appear to be sanctioning fake pilots; it is not known if this school is one of them.
The falsified documents have forced the India’s aviation authorities to examine 4000 pilot licenses for irregularities. Although the director general of civil aviation, Baharat Bhushan said that fake licenses are few, how can he know this is true before the investigation? There is a documented history of corruption, including 57 pilots who were being prosecuted for drunkenness on duty.
With no disrespect for the decedents who are not here to defend themselves, for the sake of those passengers who lost their lives, this is just a question that requires examination:
What about the licenses of Captain Zlatko Glušica, and first officer H.S. Ahluwalia—the pilots in the Air India Express Flight 812 crash in May of 2010—were they legitimate? Plato said, “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” We can not be children and avoid the truth. We can not be afraid of knowing. For the sake of those who are now lost, and in the interest of justice, we need to shine the light of truth into that May 2010 cockpit, and in fact all cockpits where a pretender may be placing lives at risk..
What: Air Canada Jazz Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Halifax, NS to St. John’s
Where: Halifax
When: Mar 14th 2011
Who: 42 passengers and 3 crew
Why: After takeoff, the cabin was temporarily obscured by some kind of haze.
The pilots returned to Halifax and made a safe landing. Passengers were booked on other flights. The plane was taken for maintenance to locate the source of the problem. Responding to haze is frequently termed “abundance of caution.”
Haze can be an air conditioning problem, an electrical power source problem, but most frequently in icy weather, de-icing fluid can get into an air intake, causing a “vanishing” mist.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Erick Lopez Collection
What: Ameriflight Fairchild SA-227-AC Metro III en route from Lewiston to Seattle Boeing Airfield Where: Seattle
When: Mar 10th 2011,
Who: pilot
Why: On landing in wind shear conditions, the pilot came in with late clearance to land, and veered off the runway. The fire department sprayed with foam. There were no injuries but the plane incurred gear collapse and propeller damage. The accident tied up the runway and led to diversions.
Sendai Airport in Northern Japan was inundated by a tsunami and remained shut down.
Narita, which focuses on long international flights, was partially re-opened today.
Haneda, Tokyo’s other airport, closed for much of the day
Flights incoming to Tokyo were cancelled due to the quake and tsunami, and some diverted to U.S. Air Force’s Yokota Air
Nasa Images
HIZ001>003-005>009-012>014-016>021-023>026-111849-
/O.CON.PHEB.TS.W.0001.110311T1649Z-000000T0000Z/
BULLETIN
TSUNAMI MESSAGE NUMBER 12
NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI
648 AM HST FRI MAR 11 2011
TO – CIVIL DEFENSE IN THE STATE OF HAWAII
SUBJECT – TSUNAMI WARNING SUPPLEMENT
A TSUNAMI WARNING CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR THE STATE OF HAWAII.
AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS
ORIGIN TIME – 0746 PM HST 10 MAR 2011
COORDINATES – 38.3 NORTH 142.4 EAST
LOCATION – NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU JAPAN
MAGNITUDE – 8.9 MOMENT
MEASUREMENTS OR REPORTS OF TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY
GAUGE LOCATION LAT LON TIME AMPL PER
——————- —– —— —– ————— —–
KWAJALEIN MH 8.7N 167.7E 1134Z 0.70M / 2.3FT 16MIN
CHRISTMAS KI 2.0N 157.5W 1459Z 0.52M / 1.7FT 18MIN
MANUS PG 2.0S 147.4E 1426Z 0.92M / 3.0FT 36MIN
PAGO PAGO AS 14.3S 170.7W 1556Z 0.35M / 1.2FT 14MIN
LUGANVILLE VU 15.5S 167.2E 1537Z 0.54M / 1.8FT 52MIN
VANUATU 17.8S 168.3E 1532Z 0.69M / 2.3FT 20MIN
DART 55012 15.8S 158.5E 1517Z 0.04M / 0.1FT 52MIN
DART 46404 45.9N 128.8W 1440Z 0.11M / 0.3FT 18MIN
KAPOHO HI 19.5N 154.8W 1408Z 0.06M / 0.2FT 14MIN
HONOLULU OAHU 21.3N 157.9W 1329Z 0.68M / 2.2FT 32MIN
HILO HAWAII 19.7N 155.1W 1357Z 1.32M / 4.3FT 24MIN
KAHULUI MAUI 20.9N 156.5W 1340Z 1.82M / 6.0FT 28MIN
LAHAINA HI 20.9N 156.7W 1335Z 0.50M / 1.6FT 64MIN
MILOLII HI 19.2N 155.9W 1350Z 0.67M / 2.2FT 12MIN
BARBERS PT HI 21.3N 158.1W 1323Z 0.65M / 2.1FT 06MIN
HONUAPO HI 19.1N 155.6W 1340Z 0.04M / 0.1FT 32MIN
HALEIWA HI 21.6N 158.1W 1329Z 1.09M / 3.6FT 38MIN
MAKAPU`U HI 21.3N 157.7W 1312Z 0.49M / 1.6FT 52MIN
KAWAIHAE HAWAII 20.0N 155.8W 1330Z 0.85M / 2.8FT 56MIN
HONOKOHAU HI 19.7N 156.0W 1345Z 0.44M / 1.4FT 10MIN
DART 51407 19.6N 156.5W 1322Z 0.17M / 0.6FT 44MIN
NAWILIWILI KAUAI 22.0N 159.4W 1311Z 0.64M / 2.1FT 26MIN
HANALEI HI 22.2N 159.5W 1306Z 0.85M / 2.8FT 28MIN
TERN FR. FRIGATE US 23.9N 166.3W 1224Z 0.37M / 1.2FT 16MIN
MALAKAL KOROR PW 7.3N 134.5E 1142Z 0.10M / 0.3FT 40MIN
LEGASPI PH 13.1N 123.8E 1049Z 0.26M / 0.8FT 58MIN
DART 46403 52.7N 156.9W 1128Z 0.09M / 0.3FT 60MIN
DART 52402 11.7N 154.2E 0932Z 0.29M / 0.9FT 22MIN
DART 46408 49.6N 169.9W 1030Z 0.14M / 0.5FT 18MIN
DART 21414 48.9N 178.3E 0927Z 0.18M / 0.6FT 24MIN
MIDWAY 28.2N 177.4W 1054Z 1.26M / 4.1FT 12MIN
YAP FM 9.5N 138.1E 0951Z 0.18M / 0.6FT 92MIN
WAKE US 19.3N 166.6E 0928Z 0.38M / 1.2FT 14MIN
SAIPAN US 15.2N 145.7E 0916Z 0.66M / 2.2FT 30MIN
TOSASHIMIZU SHIKOKU 32.8N 133.0E 0751Z 0.93M / 3.0FT 64MIN
OMAEZAKI HONSHU JP 34.6N 138.2E 0660Z 0.99M / 3.2FT 72MIN
DART 21418 38.7N 148.7E 0619Z 1.07M / 3.5FT 06MIN
LAT – LATITUDE (N-NORTH, S-SOUTH)
LON – LONGITUDE (E-EAST, W-WEST)
TIME – TIME OF THE MEASUREMENT (Z IS UTC IS GREENWICH TIME)
AMPL – TSUNAMI AMPLITUDE MEASURED RELATIVE TO NORMAL SEA LEVEL.
IT IS …NOT… CREST-TO-TROUGH WAVE HEIGHT.
VALUES ARE GIVEN IN BOTH METERS(M) AND FEET(FT).
PER – PERIOD OF TIME IN MINUTES(MIN) FROM ONE WAVE TO THE NEXT.
NOTE – DART MEASUREMENTS ARE FROM THE DEEP OCEAN AND THEY
ARE GENERALLY MUCH SMALLER THAN COASTAL MEASUREMENTS.
EVALUATION
A TSUNAMI HAS BEEN GENERATED THAT COULD CAUSE DAMAGE ALONG
COASTLINES OF ALL ISLANDS IN THE STATE OF HAWAII. URGENT ACTION
SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PROTECT LIVES AND PROPERTY.
A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF LONG OCEAN WAVES. EACH INDIVIDUAL WAVE
CREST CAN LAST 5 TO 15 MINUTES OR MORE AND EXTENSIVELY FLOOD
COASTAL AREAS. THE DANGER CAN CONTINUE FOR MANY HOURS AFTER THE
INITIAL WAVE AS SUBSEQUENT WAVES ARRIVE. TSUNAMI WAVE HEIGHTS
CANNOT BE PREDICTED AND THE FIRST WAVE MAY NOT BE THE LARGEST.
TSUNAMI WAVES EFFICIENTLY WRAP AROUND ISLANDS. ALL SHORES ARE AT
RISK NO MATTER WHICH DIRECTION THEY FACE. THE TROUGH OF A TSUNAMI
WAVE MAY TEMPORARILY EXPOSE THE SEAFLOOR BUT THE AREA WILL
QUICKLY FLOOD AGAIN. EXTREMELY STRONG AND UNUSUAL NEARSHORE
CURRENTS CAN ACCOMPANY A TSUNAMI. DEBRIS PICKED UP AND CARRIED
BY A TSUNAMI AMPLIFIES ITS DESTRUCTIVE POWER. SIMULTANEOUS HIGH
TIDES OR HIGH SURF CAN SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE TSUNAMI HAZARD.
THE ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIME IN HAWAII OF THE FIRST TSUNAMI WAVE IS
0307 AM HST FRI 11 MAR 2011
MESSAGES WILL BE ISSUED HOURLY OR SOONER AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.
…SP…
Click to view© Anatoliy Uvarenko
What: International Aviation Training Center Tecnam P2006T
Where: Kiev Ukraine
When: Mar 11, 2011
Who: 4 aboard, 4 fatalities
Why: The plane owned by International Aviation Training Center fell in a tailspin and crashed near Vasilkova. It was a new plane, and the cause of the accident has not been determined. It is however, the second problem this plane has had. On its first flight it apparently had to return after 20 minutes due to problems.
What: Comair flight en route from Atlanta to Charleston
Where: Lexington Bluegrass Airport
When: Mar 10, 2011
Who: passengers include 9 Marshall assistant football coaches
Why: After visiting Texas Christian University and Mississippi state, Marshall coaches reunited in Atlanta with the intent of returning to Atlanta on the same plane.
Prior to takeoff, that plane developed unknown issues and the flight was delayed as a replacement plane had to be brought in.
Then, while en route, the replacement plane developed a problem with the landing gear. The pilot diverted to Lexington Bluegrass Airport and made a safe landing.
While they apparently endured the flight with aplomb and some extra prayers, there was no outward panic, but one can only guess how the coaches felt. With two problems on two separate planes, they were no doubt remembering the fatal 1970 plane crash that took Marshall’s football team. Is Marshall University cursed or what? If I went to Marshall, or especially played football for Marshall, I’dt be thinking about alternative transportation.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Paul Carlotti
What: Air Canada Airbus A319-100 en route from Toronto to Winnipeg
Where: Sault Ste Marie
When: Mar 8 2011
Who: 125 aboard
Why: While en route, the plane was over Canada when the displays quit. The loss of the displays is being attributed to an electronic power failure. (Wonder if there was a short or if it was something else?) The displays were only offline for less than a minute, and subsequently began flashing error messages. Pilots continued on to Winnipeg and managed to land safely. The plane was taken out of commission in order to have an Airbus inspection to determine what exactly was going on.
Flying an Airbus without electronic displays is, I think, tantamount to suicide. I am surprised they didn’t divert somewhere and land immediately. Is it not somewhat risky to continue flying an airbus when the display connections are flakey? This same sort of thing happened on a BMI Airbus A321. Apparently catastrophic failure in rough conditions is not unheard of. In fact, rough conditions are not required to cause the need for a reboot. The term for “rebooting” an airbus that has lost its electronics is called “recycling,” a common enough thing that there is recognizable pilot humor regarding it.
