Cause

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    Royal Air Maroc Boeing 767-300


    Contact photographer Agustin Anaya
    What: Royal Air Maroc Boeing 767-30 en route from Casablanca (Morocco) to New York John F. Kennedy Airport
    Where: JFK
    When: Apr 20th 2009
    Why: Wake turbulence was such that the landing was hard. Complaints about the hard landing prompted plane inspection which turned up wrinkles found in the fuselage. The plane was grounded for repairs and further inspection.

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    Depressurized Airbus Lands in London


    Contact photographer Bruce Leibowitz
    What: Turkish Airlines Airbus A340-300, en route from New York JFK,NY to Istanbul Ataturk
    Where: divert to London Heathrow
    When: Apr 16th 2009 6:30 local
    Who: 185 passengers and 15 crew
    Why: The cabin depressurized en route, and the flight was diverted to Heathrow for a safe landing. Although passengers experienced shortness of breath and ear pain, oxygen masks never did deploy.

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    Lightning Strikes Southwest Airlines Boeing

    What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300 en route from Dallas Love,TX to Lubbock,TX
    Where: Amarillo,TX
    When: Apr 16th 2009 8:35 pm
    Who: 123 passengers
    Why: Approaching Lubbock in a storm, the Boeing was struck by lightning and successfully diverted to Amarillo. Later, a Boeing 737-700 took the passengers from Amarillo to Lubbock.

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    Wilmington Emergency Landing: Medical


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Michael Durning
    What: Air Transat Airbus A-310 en route from Nova Scotia to Cuba
    Where: Wilmington International Airport
    When: Thursday night
    Who: a passenger went into shock and passed out.
    Why: Fortunately for the passenger, a doctor on board stabilized the patient. After landing, the 40-year-old passenger was transported to New Hanover Regional Medical Center and the flight continued on as scheduled to Cuba.

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    Business as Usual: JAL Engine flameout a matter of course


    Pictured: Japan Airlines A300B4-622R
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Christian Waser
    What: Japan Airlines Airbus A300-600 en route from Aomori to Tokyo Haneda
    Where: Haneda Airport
    When: Apr 17th 2009
    Who: 120 people
    Why: After touchdown at Haneda Airport, the engine started smoking; flames were shooting out of the exhaust. The crew engaged the ” engine fire suppression system.” Passengers did NOT debark via emergency procedures.

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    Saipan: Windshield Cracked too Late and Missed the Party


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Dan Hornseth
    What: Northwest Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Guam to Tokyo Narita Japan
    Where: Saipan
    When: Wednesday April 15 between 4 and 5
    Who: 170 + passengers
    Why: When a “minor” crack was discovered on the plane’s windshield. A delay of between 16 and 17 hours is anticipated.

    George’s Point of View

    Irony of the day: The plane’s emergency arrival just missed Disaster Drill day at Saipan International Airport.

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    Air Canada: 767 Auto-pilot Fails


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Michael Fast
    What: Air Canada 767 en route from Toronto to Buenos Aires and/or Sao Paulo Brazil.
    Where: Toronto’s Pearson International Airport
    When: Wednesday April 15 2009
    Who: 129 on board
    Why: When the pilot detected problems with the automatic pilot system, they followed standard operating procedure and returned to the airport for a safe landing. Passengers debarked on to the runway and were transported to the terminal where they were scheduled to take an alternative flight.

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    Airbus Loses Control in Montreal


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Mark Kryst – YXUphoto
    What: Air Canada Airbus A320-200 en route from Montreal Trudeau Canada to Fort Lauderdale, FL
    Where: Montreal
    When: Apr 14th 2009
    Why: After reporting problems to air traffic control and returning to Montreal, on final approach to runway 06L the crew experienced “severe mechanical turbulence” and momentarily lost control of the plane. However, the plane landed safely; and shortly afterwards, the passengers were off to their destination–on board another Airbus.

    *Mechanical turbulence is turbulence around buildings, wind eddies not caused by thermal means.

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    Ill Alitalia Pilot Down in Shannon


    Pictured: an Alitalia Boeing-767-3S1
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Josh May
    What: Alitalia Boeing 767, travelling from Milan in Italy to New York’s JFK
    Where: Shannon Airport
    When: Wednesday April 15 2009 5 PM
    Who: 168 passengers and eleven crew
    Why: When the pilot became ill, the flight landed at Shannon Airport. The pilot was hospitalized in Limerick and the passengers were treated to an overnight hotel stay and will continue to JFK on Thursday. Rumor on the pilot network is that the pilot had a heart attack.

    iLVolo.it says it in Italian

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    Alaska Airlines Quick Fix


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Michael Carter
    What: Alaska Airline Boeing 737 Phoenix to Seattle
    Where: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
    When: emergency landing around 6:40 a.m
    Who: 113 passengers
    Why: After an emergency with an overheating hydraulic pump, the flight landed back at the Phoenix airport after 15 minutes; and (after 45 minutes of maintenance) was back in the air 1.5 hours behind schedule, but successfully en route to Seattle

    George’s Point of View

    Maintenance Maintenance Maintenance…

  • AZ Schoolyard Landing

    What: plane en route from Glendale Municipal Airport
    Where: Villa de Paz Elementary School near 103rd Avenue and Camelback Road, Phoenix
    When: April 15, 2009 9:30 a.m. Wednesday
    Who: pilot and co-pilot suffered minor injuries
    Why: The pilot cut the engine, coasted across a field, hit a fence and ended up in a schoolyard behind a classroom.

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    Airbus Diverts to Athens


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Paul Markman
    What: Easyjet Airbus A320-200 en route from Heraklion (Greece) to London Gatwick,EN (UK)
    Where: Athens International Airport
    When: Apr 14th 2009 15.02 local time
    Who: 137 passengers and 7 crew
    Why: Pressurization. After observing problems with pressurization, the crew burned off ten minutes worth of fuel and landed on runway 21R. The problem turned out to be in the air conditioning. Easyjet’s press release terms this not an emergency but “merely a precautionary technical diversion.”

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    Bolivia Night Med-evacuation on Cessna Kills 4


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

    What: CESSNA 210 en route from Concepcion to Santa Cruz
    Where: Concepcion, Bolivia
    When: April 13, 2009
    Who: pilot and three passengers on a medical evacuation
    Why: The plane “impacted terrain” during the night flight, but no reason is listed. The cause is under investigation.

    George’s Point of View

    Impacted terrain at night? I can’t wait to see what the NTSB has to say about this.
    Brazil already says this is the pilots fault, though it is unclear what this quote is supposed to mean:

    “Due to the fact that the pilot had violated flight rules, as explained by the representative of DGAC, the plane took off from the city of Santa Cruz 20 minutes after the expiry of the permitted duration of flights.”

    Determining the cause at this point is a bit precipitous. Most accident investigations take years.

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    Easter Sunday Emergency Landing

    What: Southwest Airlines flight from Orlando, Fla., to Austin
    Where: Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Fla.
    When: April 12 2008
    Who: 104 passengers
    Why: There was no fire, but when a sensor detected an apparent problem in the cargo hold, the pilot chose to land immediately. Passengers lunched at the base’s Officer’s Club before boarding another Southwest flight which carried them to their destination.

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    Bolivia: Cessna 210 fatality


    Pictured: A Cessna 210M in Bolivia
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Giovanni Francisco Rodriguez Bravo

    What: Cessna 210M en route from Concepcion to El Trompillo Airport
    Where: Concepcion, Bolivia
    When: April 11, 2009
    Who: Pilot and 3 passengers
    Why: The cessna impacted terrain shortly after taking off from Concepcion Airport Concepcion, Bolivia.

    The certificated commercial pilot and three passengers, all Bolivian citizens, were fatally injured. Night visual conditions prevailed. The flight was operating on a visual flight rules flight plan from Concepcion to El Trompillo Airport (SLET), Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

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    Plane Crashes Mountain; 6 Fatalities


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Jim Groom
    What: Aviastar Mandiri British Aerospace BAe146-300 en route from Jayapura to Wamena Indonesia
    Where: Mount Pike
    When: Apr 9th 2009
    Who: 6 crew: captain, co-pilot, engineer, loadmaster and two flight attendants
    Why: The plane was approaching runway 15 at Wamena Airport in foggy conditions, turned and air traffic control lost contact. The controller observed smoke coming from side of Gunung Pike Mountain. When search crews went to the source of the smoke, there were no survivors.

    Reportedly, the plane had been carrying rice and flour and 9 tons of Aviation Turbine Fuel. The airport is surrounded by mountains.

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    Afterword: American Airlines flight 1400

    See George’s Point of View here


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Art Brett
    What: American Airlines MD-82 aircraft en route from Lambert to Chicago
    Where: Lambert
    When: Sept. 28, 2007
    Who: 138 passengers, 3 flight attendants, two pilots
    Why: When the fight experienced an emergency (engine fire) and the MD-82 returned to land at the airport of origin, the nose landing gear failed. After a go-around, the plane conducted an emergency landing and everyone debarked on to the runway.

    The reason that this is in the news now is that the problems involved have been under investigation. The procedure that mechanics used to manually start one of the engines is held to be responsible for the fire. However the captain was also faulted for poor division of labor, resulting in inefficiency which is judged to have exacerbated the emergency.

    NTSB Identification: DCA07MA310
    Scheduled 14 CFR Part 121: Air Carrier operation of AMERICAN AIRLINES
    Accident occurred Friday, September 28, 2007 in St. Louis, MO
    Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), registration: N454AA
    Injuries: 143 Uninjured.

    This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

    On September 28, 2007, at 1316 central daylight time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), N454AA, operated by American Airlines as flight 1400, executed an emergeny landing at Lambert-St Louis International Airport (STL), St. Louis, Missouri, after the flight crew received a left engine fire warning during departure climb from the airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 121 scheduled domestic flight. After landing, the 2 flight crew, 3 flight attendants, and 138 passengers deplaned via airstairs and no occupant injuries were reported. The intended destination of the flight was Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago, Illinois.

    Upon receiving the left engine fire warning during climb, the flight crew discharged the aircraft engine fire bottles into the affected engine. During the visual return and single-engine approach to the airport, the nose landing gear did not extend. The flight crew then extended the nose landing gear using the emergency landing gear extension procedure. The airplane returned and then landed on runway 30L (11,019 feet by 200 feet, grooved concrete) and was met by STL Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Vehicles

    The NTSB identification number for this investigation was administratively changed from CHI07MA310 to DCA07MA310 on April 2, 2008.

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    Boeing Depressurizes over Moscow


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Oleg Revin
    What: Yakutia Airlines Boeing 757 en route from Vnukovo airport to Yakutsk.
    Where: Vnukovo airport in the Russian capital of Moscow
    When: Apr 7th 2009
    Who: 174 passengers and nine crew members
    Why: After takeoff, the pilot experienced technical problems. The cabin depressurized; and the pilot decided to return to the airport of origin to land; however, before landing, the plane circled the airport for three and a half hours to burn off excess fuel.

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    Turbulence in Reno flight


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Ryan Coulter
    What: Horizon Air flight 2246 de Havilland Dash 8-400 en route from LA to Reno
    Where: Sacramento
    When: 7:10 p.m. April 7
    Who: 5 passengers (out of 40) plus one flight attendant.
    Why: When several passengers reported injuries resulting from turbulence experienced over Yosemite. Turbulence was so severe that Individuals not buckled in literally bumped into plane’s ceiling. The plane diverted to make an emergency landing at Sacramento International Airport so that the six affected individuals could be examined.

    George’s Point of View

    Wear Your Seatbelt.

  • |

    29 Air Incidents posted April 6 2009


      04/04/2009 1830 CENTRE, AL 8560E 7HC A DEST 1 AIRCRAFT CRASHED OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, CENTRE, AL
      04/04/2009 2249 VALDOSTA, GA 456CH EXP A DEST 1 AIRCRAFT CRASHED SHORT OF THE AIRPORT, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, 5 MILES FROM VALDOSTA, GA
      04/05/2009 1742 LONG ISLAND, NY 740RB EXP A SUBS 1 AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES INTO THE OCEAN, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, NEAR SMITH POINT PARK BEACH, LONG ISLAND, NY
      04/04/2009 1842 ENGLEWOOD, FL 88WG EXP A UNKN 1 AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE WERE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD, ONE WAS FATALLY INJURED, ONE SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES, NEAR ENGLEWOOD, FL
      04/04/2009 2246 KALISPELL, MT 6433A C182 A DEST 0 AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED IN A FIELD AND FLIPPED OVER, LOST PRAIRIE, 30 MILES FROM KALISPELL, MT
      04/04/2009 2300 CHICALOON, AK 40684 M4 A SUBS 0 AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, FLIPPED OVER, CHICALOON, AK
      04/05/2009 2100 NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR 9600D PA22 A SUBS 0 AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF, FLIPPED OVER, NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR
      04/04/2009 1819 MONTEREY, CA 224RA 7GCA A SUBS 0 AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF, LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, MONTEREY, CA
      04/05/2009 1815 SONOMA, CA 100VH BE36 A SUBS 0 AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY AND WENT INTO A DITCH, SONOMA, CA
      04/06/2009 0420 RIDDLE, ID 610RJ EXP A SUBS 0 AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED IN A FIELD, NEAR RIDDLE, ID
      04/05/2009 0242 GAITHERSBURG, MD 28059 BL17 A SUBS 0 AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A BIRD STRIKE DAMAGING THE WINDSHIELD, GAITHERSBURG, MD
      04/04/2009 2145 OCEAN ISLE BEACH, NC 1838Q C177 A SUBS 0 AIRCRAFT CRASHED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, OCEAN ISLE BEACH, NC
      04/04/2009 2305 SNOHOMISH, WA 491SF C172 A SUBS 0 AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BIRD, LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, 3 MILES FROM HARVEY FIELD, SNOHOMISH, WA
      04/04/2009 1940 BROOKSHIRE, TX 89EA EXP A UNKN 0 AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO TREES NEAR THE AIRPORT, BROOKSHIRE, TX
      04/04/2009 1425 PHOENIX, AZ UNK J3 I MINR 0 PIPER J3 AIRCRAFT, REGISTRATION UNKNOWN, WHILE BEING HAND PROPPED, STARTED AND TAXIED UNOCCUPIED INTO A NEARBY HANGAR, GOODYEAR AIRPORT, PHOENIX, AZ
      04/03/2009 2125 FRESNO, CA 4326H MO20 I MINR 0 AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP, FRESNO, CA
      04/05/2009 1210 FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 767PA C402 I MINR 0 AIRCRAFT WHILE AWAITING TO DEPART, FRONT WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL
      04/03/2009 1721 KEY WEST, FL 350ST PA31 I MINR 0 AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP, KEY WEST, FL
      04/03/2009 2253 NORTH POINT, FL 509SR SR22 I MINR 0 AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED ON A ROAD, NEAR NORTH POINT, FL
      04/03/2009 1726 WEST PALM BEACH, FL 8909A BE36 I MINR 0 AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP, WEST PALM BEACH, FL
      03/29/2009 1900 LAKE CHARLES, LA 740PH B407 I MINR 0 N740PH, A BELL 407 ROTORCRAFT, WHILE LANDING ON AN OIL PLATFORM, STRUCK A FENCE; GULF OF MEXICO, 120 MILES FROM LAKE CHARLES, LA
      04/05/2009 1849 CHARLESTON, SC 18PN SR22 I MINR 0 AIRCRAFT ON LANDING RAN OFF THE RUNWAY INTO THE GRASS, CHARLESTON, SC
      04/05/2009 1922 CHARLESTON, SC 6208V C172 I MINR 0 AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP, CHARLESTON, SC
      04/03/2009 1920 BREMERTON, WA 74545 M20 I MINR 0 AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP, BREMERTON, WA
      04/04/2009 1538 ZEPHYRHILLS, FL 1077X PA28 I NONE 0 AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED IN A FIELD, NEAR ZEPHYRHILLS, FL
      04/04/2009 1800 MARYSVILLE, OH 7288F PA28 I NONE 0 AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD, 15 MILES FROM MARYSVILLE, OH
      04/03/2009 1703 HOUMA, LA 2399V EXP I UNKN 0 AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, BLEW A TIRE AND VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY, HOUMA, LA
      04/05/2009 1634 STEVENSVILLE, MD 923AY EXP I UNKN 0 AIRCRAFT PROP STRUCK A PASSENGER WHO HAD JUST EXITED THE PARKED AIRCRAFT, STEVENSVILLE, MD
      04/04/2009 2020 PORTSMOUTH, NH 60402 BE36 I UNKN 0 AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF, LOST POWER, AND SETTLED ONTO THE RUNWAY GEAR UP, PORTSMOUTH, NH
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    High Drama in US Airspace

    What: Cessna 172 en route from a Canadian flight school into US Airspace
    Where: US Airspace
    When: about 3 p.m
    Who: one person aboard
    Why: The flight was intercepted by U.S. military aircraft when the unnamed pilot flew into US Airspace and did not respond. The plane was reported as stolen from a Thunder Bay, Canada flight school. Canadian authorities requested that U.S. aircraft tail the plane in U.S. airspace, hence the two U.S. Air Force F-16 jets.

    The pilot, Yavuz Berke aka Adam Leon, landed on Highway 60 in Ellsinore, Mo., at 9:50 p.m. ET, and was caught by Missouri State Highway Patrol officers. He’s an ex-pat Turk, and naturalized Canadian. He is reportedly depressed and either left his girlfriend (or left her a note.) In any case, he left his car and keys at the airport.

    With 2 F-16’s on his tail all day, he’s incredibly lucky to be alive and currently enjoying the hospitality of whatever government facility is housing him now (and likely to be housing him for a very long time.)

    The category selected here is “pilot error” and “alarm.” And while this is actually a misuse of the sorting system, I’m thinking it is warranted because if this is not an error of the pilot and cause for alarm, what is?

    George’s Point of View

    Yavuz Berke aka Adam Leon is going to be enjoying government hospitality for a long, long time. Yavuz–or if I may call you Adam–as a parent and a human being, I am very sorry that you have chosen to damage your own life so terribly; and I am amazed and warmed by the restraint of our jet pilots who were charged at bringing you down should you prove a threat.

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    Southwest Emergency Landing at Islip NY


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Sheldon Johns
    What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 Flight 195 en route from Islip,NY to to Fort Myers, Fla
    Where: returned to New York’s Long Island MacArthur Airport
    When: landed safely at 10:24 a.m
    Who: 127 passengers aboard and 5 crew members
    Why: The 737 experienced engine trouble which forced them to shut down the left hand engine; they returned to MacArthur Airport for a safe landing. Contrary to rumor, lightning did not cause an engine fire.

    George’s Point of View

    The addendum to this is that mechanics are now looking over this 737. Maybe they should have had this inspection before it took off. D’ya think?

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    March 2007: Yogyakarta Crash Landing

    This is the sad story of Marwoto Komar, a pilot with 22 years of flight experience.

    In March 2007, he piloted a Boeing 737-400 with 140 passengers on board which crashed on landing at the Yogyakarta airport. The plane came in for landing too high and too fast, and although the co-pilot called for a go-around, he landed on that pass anyway. The Boeing overran the runway and caught fire. Twenty-one people died in that crash.

    The* IFALPA position is that criminalisation of individuals does not improve air safety.

    In July 2008 he was arrested, tried and found guilty of negligence.

    An Indonesian court sentenced Komar to two years imprisonment for his role in the crash.

    * International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations

    see src

    George’s Point of View

    You make a mistake.
    People get killed.
    You go to jail.