Cause

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    Hawaiian Airlines Flight Encounters Turbulence


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Royal S King

    What: Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from Pago Pago American Samoa to Honolulu,HI
    Where: Pago Pago
    When: Dec 2nd 2010
    Who: 173 passengers 12 crew
    Why: While en route, the flight encountered unanticipated turbulence. The sky was clear but storms were reported in the area.

    Three flight attendants and one passenger were injured; one flight attendant broke her leg.

    The flight continued to Honolulu and made an uneventful landing.

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    Monarch Cargo Plane Lost in Nassau

    What: Monarch Aircraft Group (fort Lauderdale Florida) twin-engine Beechcraft 18 cargo plane en route from Fort Lauderdale to Nassau
    Where: Nassau
    When: December 14, 2010
    Who: 2 passengers aboard
    Why: The cargo plane was en route to Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport when it vanished from radar.

    It crashed in the Atlantic, north of Nassau. A man’s body has been recovered. A U.S. Coast guard helicopter and 3 Royal Bahamas vessels are searching for the missing passenger. Neither has been identified.

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    Ghana VP in emergency landing

    What: Ghana Air Force Falcon 900 EX presidential jet en route from Cairo to Burkina Faso Ghana
    Where: Kufra Libya
    When: Dec 10, 2010
    Who: passengers included the vice President Mr. John Dramani Mahama, business man Alhaji Asumah Bandah, football icon Abedi Ayew Pele
    Why: While en route, one of the Falcon’s engines failed. On losing the engine, the pilot descended to a lower altitude and continued flying, diverting to Kufra where he made a precautionary landing landing.

    On landing, the baggage was quickly removed and passengers relocated.

  • Cold Snap Freezes O’Hare

    O’Hare has cancelled more than 75 flights (17,000 including Midway) leaving travelers stuck at OHare, where hundreds of cots have been set up. While it is only a few inches of snow, current conditions are cloudy with wind NW at 19 mph, and a high temperature of 15° F and a low of 7°.

    …See more on Chicago weather

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    Goodrich and Air Arabia Sign Nacelle Services Agreement for Support of Airbus A320 Fleet

    Work will be performed through Prime Solutions® at the Goodrich Dubai campus

    CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 13, 2010 Goodrich Corporation has signed a nacelle services agreement with Air Arabia for support of nacelles and thrust reversers in the airline’s fleet of more than 50 Airbus A320 aircraft powered by CFM56-5B engines. The 10-year Prime Solutions® nacelle services agreement will be managed through Goodrich’s Dubai campus in Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, which will provide local support to the fast-growing low-cost carrier based in Sharjah, UAE.

    Bob Gustafson, vice president and general manager of Aftermarket Services at Goodrich’s Aerostructures business said, “This agreement is a good example of an airline recognizing the value of securing long-term nacelle services with a locally positioned nacelle maintenance, repair and overhaul facility,” he said. “As more airlines recognize the time and cost savings realizable by having repairs performed on large components close to their main operating bases, our Dubai service center will see continued growth in the region.”

    Prime Solutions is a comprehensive suite of maintenance services and asset/inventory management programs that can be fully customized to meet any airline’s needs for nacelle maintenance. Goodrich Aerostructures operates eight service centers worldwide.

    Air Arabia (PJSC), listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier. Air Arabia began operations in October 2003 and operates a fleet of new Airbus A320 aircraft, serving a wide range of destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and South and Central Asia. Air Arabia operates from its hubs in Sharjah, UAE; Casablanca, Morocco; and Alexandria, Egypt.

    Goodrich Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, is a global supplier of systems and services to aerospace, defense and homeland security markets. With one of the most strategically diversified portfolios of products in the industry, Goodrich serves a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and service facilities.

    Goodrich Corporation operates through its divisions and as a parent company for its subsidiaries, one or more of which may be referred to as “Goodrich Corporation” in this press release.

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    De-Icing Delays

    What: US Airways/Air Wisconsin Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Philadelphia,PA (USA) to Ottawa,ON
    Where: Philadelphia
    When: Dec 11th 2010
    Why: After takeoff, the flight developed a de-icing problem (or would this be an icing problem?)

    The flight landed safely back in Philadelphia; and then went on to arrive in Ottawa about an hour and a half late.

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    Delta Galley Fire

    What: Delta Airlines Boeing 747-400 en route from New York to Tel Aviv
    Where: New York
    When: Dec 11th 2010
    Who: 399 aboard
    Why: After takeoff from JFK, the crew reported a fire in galley 2. While burning off fuel to land, the fire went out; but additional problems with fuel pumps were reported. The flight dumped fuel and landed an hour and a half after departure.

    There was also a degree of interference with messaging between the plane and ATC caused by bleedover from a commercial station but not enough to cause problems.

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    Severe Winter Weather Expected to Affect United and Continental Flights in Midwest

    CUSTOMERS TRAVELING TO IMPACTED CITIES MAY RESCHEDULE WITHOUT PENALTY ON UNITED.COM OR CONTINENTAL.COM

    CHICAGO, Dec. 11, 2010

    United Continental Holdings, Inc. ( today announced travel options for United Airlines and Continental Airlines customers whose flight plans may be affected by severe winter weather forecast for the Midwest this weekend. Weather conditions are expected to make air travel difficult, with the likelihood of delays and cancellations of flights at United’s hub at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Continental’s hub at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

    Operations at other airports throughout the Midwest will also be affected by severe weather. Customers should check their flight status on united.com or continental.com before leaving for the airport.

    Change Flights for No Fee at united.com or continental.com

    Customers scheduled on flights to, from or through the region, including Chicago and Cleveland, through Dec. 13 may reschedule their itinerary with a one-time date or time change, and the change fees will be waived. If a flight has been canceled, a refund in the original form of payment may be requested. Complete details and eligible travel dates are available at united.com and continental.com.

    The fastest and most convenient way to change travel plans is via united.com or continental.com, and customers should continue to manage their reservations on the respective company’s website from which their ticket was purchased. Customers may also book a new reservation, change an existing reservation or check flight status by calling United Reservations at 800-UNITED-1 or Continental Reservations at 800-525-0280 or their travel agent. Another excellent way to receive information about flight delays, cancellations and gate changes is with United’s EasyUpdate service or Continental’s TripAlert service, which provide customers notifications via phone, text or e-mail.

    About United Continental Holdings, Inc.

    United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) is the holding company for both United Airlines and Continental Airlines. Together with United Express, Continental Express and Continental Connection, these airlines operate a total of approximately 5,800 flights a day to 371 airports on six continents from their hubs in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Guam, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark Liberty, San Francisco, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. United and Continental are members of Star Alliance, which offers 21,000 daily flights to 1,160 airports in 181 countries. United’s and Continental’s more than 80,000 employees reside in every U.S. state and in many countries around the world.For more information about United Continental Holdings, Inc., go to UnitedContinentalHoldings.com. For more information about the airlines, see united.com and continental.com, and follow each company on Twitter and Facebook.

    SOURCE United Continental Holdings, Inc.

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    Storm Arrives at Beirut Airport


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

    What: Flying Carpet Air Transport & Services Piper PA-28-235 Pathfinder
    Where: Beirut International Airport, Lebanon
    When: Dec 11, 2010
    Why: In the course of inclement weather in Beirut, a number of small planes (including the above-listed Piper) parked on the tarmac were damaged. The storm caused delay in incoming /outgoing flights, heavily damaging at least four small training planes which were flipped or rammed into electrical poles. Winds were tracked at over 60 mph. Waves reached a height of up to 23 feet (7 meters). Heavy rains flooded the streets in Beirut and snow forced some road closures in remote mountain towns.

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    Bulgaria Airbus Lands with Engine in Pieces, Leaking


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Timo Jäger

    What: Bulgaria Air Airbus A320-200 en route from Sofia to Moscow
    Where: Sofia
    When: Dec 10 2010
    Who: 29 passengers and 7 crew
    Why: On takeoff, part of the engine fell off, and the affected engine began leaking. The crew reported the problem and returned to Sofia to make a safe landing. A replacement jet was provided.

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    Florida Bird Strike

    What: US Airways Boeing 737 en route from Ft Lauderdale
    Where: Ft Lauderdale
    When: Dec 9 2010
    Why: Shortly after takeoff, the US Airways Boeing had a bird strike, and a fireball came out of one of the engines, and it was “blown out.” The plane returned safely to Ft. Lauderdale and landed. There were no injuries except for the bird.

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    Cityhopper Flight Interrupted


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Marc Stier

    What: KLM Cityhopper Embraer ERJ-190 en route from Amsterdam Netherlands to Bordeaux
    Where: Amsterdam
    When: Dec 9 2010
    Who: not available
    Why: After takeoff, the plane could not retract the landing gear. The flight returned to Amsterdam and made a safe landing. A replacement jet was flown in without further incident.

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    Diversion Causes Rebellion

    stranded flight

    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Luc Verkuringen

    Rebellious passengers

    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Oleg Chaplin

    What: Jet4You Boeing 737-400 en route from Casablanca Morocco to Bordeaux
    Where: Bordeaux
    When: Dec 4 2010
    Who: 121 passengers
    Why: While en route, the plane suffered a bird strike and made a safe landing. Another flight was diverted to pick up the passengers stranded in Bordeaux.

    However…the flight that was to be diverted to pick them up was flying from Toulouse to Casablanca…didn’t. We do not know how they got home from Bordeaux.

    When the 137 passengers aboard the replacement flight landed in Liege, they refused. (Refused to go to Bordeax, to get off the plane. Basically they rebelled. They did not want to go to Bordeaux and pick up the stranded passengers.) Apparently the pilot then left the plane, and the passengers (except for 52 of them who asked to get off the plane) stayed on the plane all night, outraged that their 90 minute direct trip had turned into 6 hours with 2 unscheduled stop. Their refusal ended up making them stranded even longer.

    They were promised a direct flight to Casablanca on Sunday.

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    Prison Transport Helicopter Crashes in Mexico, several fatalities

    What: Mexico’s Atty General’s Office Bell 412 helicopter#HFJ XC
    Where: Veracruz, Mexico
    When: December 8, 2010, 16:30
    Who: 4 fatalities, 11 aboard
    Why: While en route to Villa Aldama prison, the helicopter, carrying Pilot, copilot, six federal police, a prosecutor and two detainees crashed in bad weather, strong winds, low visibility. There were three fatalities on the scene, three injured. Later it was confirmed 4 guards were killed, the two pilots are in serious condition.

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    American Airlines SF-Hawaii Diverts to LAX

    What: American Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from San Francisco,CA to Honolulu,HI
    Where: San Francisco
    When: Dec 6th 2010
    Who: 98 passengers
    Why: The plane took off successfully but developed a bleed air problem in the left engine. The bleed air issue is more routine than problematic but dealing with it is certainly a best practice; the crew had to burn off fuel to land, and circled; but then diverted to LAX for the maintenance facilities. On arrival to LAX, passengers were booked onto alternative flights.

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    Jazz Rejects Takeoff


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Carlos Vaz

    What: Air Canada Jazz Canadair CRJ-100 en route from Montreal to Charlottetown
    Where: Montreal
    When: Dec 6th 2010
    Who: 46 aboard
    Why: On takeoff, the pilots were reported smoke in the cabin and flight deck and rejected takeoff.

    The flight was cancelled. Passengers disembarked after the plane taxied to the gate. The problem was attributed to deicing fluid ingested into the engine.

    George’s Point of View

    My maintenance guys tell me that this is a technical maintenance issue.

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    November Peru Crash under Investigation


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Gary Chambers

    What: C Busre Swearingen SA-227 Metro III, en route from Jorge Chavez International Airport Lima to Andahuaylas
    Where: Andahuaylas Peru
    When: Nov 13 2010
    Who: 17 passengers, 2 crew
    Why: The plane overran the runway while landing at Andahuaylas. The plane incurred significant damage while landing with an apparent left hand brake failure that skewed toward the downslope, but no one was reported injured.

    The US statement of jurisdiction of the event posted on December 2, 2010, says that the investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Peruvian government.
    http://www.mtcgob.pe/portal/transportes/aereo/claa/ciaa.htm

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    Bird Strike, Fort Lauderdale Florida


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Joe M Hill

    What: US Airways Boeing 737-400 en route from Fort Lauderdale,FL to Washington DC
    Where: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood
    When: December 8, 2010
    Who: 70 passengers 5 crew
    Why: After takeoff from Fort Lauderdale, the flight incurred a bird strike in an engine that affected a generator. The strike caused vibration in the right engine. The pilot turned back to the airport and made a safe landing. Passengers were provided alternative flights. Damage to the engine housing was reported.

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    SAS Proximity/Clearance Issue in Copenhagen


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Kristoffer K Rivedal
    What: SAS Scandinavian Airlines Canadair CRJ-900 en route from Copenhagen Denmark to Vilnius Lithuania
    Where: Copenhagen
    When: Nov 26 2010
    Why: After de-icing, the plane continued straight onto the runway turnoff bypassing the stop bar protecting the runway. The plane passed in close proximity within Cimber Sterling Canadair CRJ-200 which had received takeoff clearance.

    Havarikommission, AKA the Danish Accident Investigation Board determined there was a serious incident (risk of collision) and commissioned an investigation.

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    Goodyear Recommends Aviators Know Aircraft Tire Wear Limits

    AKRON, Ohio, Dec. 7, 2010 — Knowing your limits is sage advice that applies to everything in life from financial risk to piloting an airplane or even that return trip to the buffet. But when it comes to aircraft tire wear, it’s all about routine inspection and knowing the facts.

    Aircraft tires experience wear during taxi, takeoff, and landing. Takeoff generates the most tire wear because the airplane has a full fuel load and the tires are pre-heated by taxiing. So with all aircraft, tires should be routinely inspected during preflight to check tire wear.

    When inspecting aircraft tires, the first thing to check (after checking the tire pressure) is the amount of remaining tread to avoid excessive wear and possible unsafe conditions. According to Larry Rapsard, product support manager for The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: GT), “Aircraft tires should be removed when the tread is worn to the base of any groove at any spot, or to the minimum depth stated by the aircraft manufacturer.”

    Tires should also be examined for uneven wear. In cases where gear camber wears one side faster than the other, tires can be demounted and turned around to extend the tire life. Uneven aircraft tire wear is usually an indication of gear misalignment or tire underinflation.

    Rapsard also lists other aircraft tire wear conditions revealed through inspection that may require tires to be removed from service. “Sidewall damage including some weatherchecking, cracks, or cuts means the tire should be scrapped if the damage extends down to the fabric plies. The same goes for tread cuts and groove cracking,” he said. Damage that doesn’t expose the cords normally does not require the tire to be removed.

    Other excessive operating conditions will cause the tread to wear much faster, such as high energy braking, high speed taxiing and high speed cornering. Be sure to consider these if you see fast tread wear.
    Also, tires that have been run while more than 10% underinflated can be damaged internally and should be removed.

    By taking the time to conduct proper inspections and knowing the limits of acceptable aircraft tire wear, you’ll get the most out of your tires.

    These tips and more are covered in detail in Goodyear’s Tire Care & Maintenance Manual. For information about Goodyear aviation tires and dealer locations, visit www.goodyearaviation.com.

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    Australia’s CAA Investigation Points to Baggage Handlers


    The April 9 emergency landing of Eagle Air/Air New Zealand Beech 1900D en route from Auckland to Whangarei, attributed to an open rear cargo door, has been blamed on untrained baggage handlers who did not lock cargo doors.

    The hatch flew open on takeoff. See the link to a photograph of the open door posted on the NZ Herald

    The doors tend to be left unlocked in case late bags come in; but that is not a good safety practice because a broken cargo door can smash the tail of the plane or worse.

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    Angola Airlines Boeing Drops Metal Shards on Lisbon suburb


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

    What: TAAG Angola Airlines Boeing 777 en route from Portela airport to Luanda Angola
    Where: Over Lisbon
    When: Dec 6 2010 12:30
    Who: 125 aboard
    Why: Around 11:45 GMT, a Taag Boeing lost parts over the Almada suburb of Lisbon, damaging a car and a building’s roof. The plane made an emergency landing at Portela after experiencing engine vibration in the right engine.

    Stramded passengers have a replacement flight due at 10 am.

    Taag bought the plane in 2007. TAAG’s Boeing aircraft are exempt from TAAG’s blacklist status. TAAG is on the UE blacklist of foreign airlines banned from flying to the continent due to noncompliance with international safety guidelines.

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    Gear Door Message over Kuwait City


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

    What: Kuwait Airways Airbus 340-300 en route from Kuwait City (Kuwait) to London Heathrow
    Where: Kuwait
    When: Dec 6th 2010
    Why: On takeoff from Kuwait City, the plane could not retract the landing gear. According to Al Abdulkarim, the procedure was routine, not an emergency. The crew returned to the airport, made a safe landing, and the problem was promptly repaired. The problem was apparently in the indicator, not the plane. After the warning light was repaired, the flight took off again within hours.

    This is the third time in two months that Kuwait Airways made an emergency landing after take-off.

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    Tap Airbus Fuel Filter Stops Lisbon-Luanda Flight


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Markus Altmann

    What: TAP Air Portugal Airbus A340-300 en route from Lisbon to Luanda
    Where: Lisbon
    When: Dec 6 2010
    Why: En route over the airport, the crew received a fuel filter error message, and returned to Lisbon to make a safe landing. The flight circled for an hour and dumped fuel; and was back in the air on Tuesday.