What: Jetstar Airbus A330 en route from Denpasar Bali to Melbourne Where: Adelaide When: Dec 19 2010, Who: 226 passengers, 11 crew Why: While en route, the right engine developed problems. Pilots announced to the passengers that they were experiencing engine problems.
The flight diverted to Adelaide and made a safe landing. Four hours after landing, passengers were provided alternative flights. However yesterday, weather in Australia also caused problems in Melbourne, including travel delays and at least one lightning strike.
Qantas has owned the jet since 2008, although it is new to the Jetsar fleet.
What: Tiger Airways Airbus A320-200 en route from Melbourne to Perth Where: Melbourne When: Dec 10th 2010 Who: 159 passengers Why: After takeoff, the plane’s right engine emitted an explosive noise. After the crew shut down the engine, they returned to Melbourne and made a safe landing. Passengers were rerouted; the plane was grounded until the 17, and the affected engine was replaced.
What: Virgin Blue Boeing 737 en route from Melbourne to Sydney Where: Melbourne When: Nov 19 2010 7:16 a.m. Who: 122 passengers, 6 crew Why: Just after takeoff, the pilot noted a peculiar odor described as burning plastic (originally reported as smoke in the cockpit.) After being aloft for less than 30 minutes, the plane was met by 11 fire trucks on the landing which was safe; and the plane seemed to be operating as usual. Passengers were provided alternate flights as maintenance checked over the plane for the source of the smell, which may have been the new engine.
George’s Point of View
An electrical fire? or Old Spice? Avon? Brut? Body odor? Old Spice ON body odor?
What: Qantaslink Boeing 717-200 en route from Alice Springs to Darwin Where: Alice Springs When: Nov 16th 2010, 2:10 pm Who:115 passengers Why: Just after takeoff, the plane was struck by lightning. The plane returned to Alice Springs and made a safe landing. Operations were unaffected but here was minor damage to the plane’s exterior. Passengers were scheduled on an alternative flight with a six hour delay.
What: Qantas Boeing 767-300 en route from Perth to Melbourne Where: Perth When: Nov 12th 2010 3.15 pm Who: 234 passengers Why: After takeoff, while still near Perth, the left engine (GE) began emitting abnormal vibrations. The engine was not shut down, but the pilots decided on a a routine turnback, and returned to Perth and made a safe landing. Passengers were booked on to alternative flights with up to a five hour delay. This Qantas Boeing incident has nothing to do with the Qantas incidents related to a flaw in Airbus A380 engines.
What: Jetstar Airbus A320-200 en route from Christchurch to Sydney Where: Sydney When: Oct 19th 2010 Who: 118 passengers Why: While en route, passengers reported hearing a bang and seeing black smoke coming from an engine.
The pilot shut down that engine, and made a safe landing in Sydney. Maintenance confirmed that the engine seized.
What: Moorabbin Flying Service (J&J Aviation) Piper PA-28-161 Warrior III Where: Moorabbin Airport,Victoria Australia When: August 17 2010 Who: 3 passengers Why: The plane overran the runway, damaging the prop and nose but the three aboard were unhurt.
What: Qantas Boeing 747 en route from Los Angeles to Melbourne Where: Melbourne When: Apr 5 2010 Why: While en route over Canberra, a crack developed in the outer pane of the first officer’s windshield. The flight landed safely, and was temporarily taken out of circulation/rotation for repairs.
What: Qantas Airbus A380-800 en route from Singapore to Sydney Where: Sydney When: Mar 31st 2010 Who: 244 passengers Why: On landing, the plane blew its left tires; and there were sparks and and a brief fire from the brakes. The plane left a rubber trail. Damage assessment was made on the tarmac by engineers, with the plane sitting on its rims.
Qantas denies classifying this as an “emergency” landing.
George’s Point of View
I’m thinking how smart Boeing is to have held up release of their big jumbo, especially when I see A 380 incidents.
I am reminded of all the flaws that popped in the Airbus A310 (reputedly a rush copy of the Boeing 737); and I also remember reading about Airbus struggling to get the A-380 shipshape before Airbus rushed it to market. In development, Airbus wrestled with a plane that was severely overweight, withstructural, and production problems. Remember the trouble the A-380 had getting launched:
On Dec 4 2009, QANTAS Airbus A380-842 (VH-OQA) Singapore to London- On the runway, the plane’s nose gear became unsteereable. The plane was towed to the gate and spare parts had to be flown in to deal with the problem.
On July 4 2009, Qantas Airbus A380-842 (VH-OQA) Singapore to London- the approach was aborted due to nosegear problems. On landing, steering failed.
In March of 2008, Qantas removed all 3 of its A-380s due to fuel system problems (two unserviceable with a ‘”fuel tank indication system problem”.)
The A380 is a part of the Air France, Emirates, Qantas and Singapore airlines fleets , and in which fuel gauge problems, nosegear problems and braking problems are becoming known issues. Problems also arise because the prohibitive size of the plane limits where it can land.
Some Worrisome Airbus History
In 2004, Joseph Mangan, an Airbus whistleblower told European aviation authorities of flaws on a computer chip on the Airbus A380. (These were microprocessor flaws that could cause the valves that maintain cabin pressure on the A380 to accidentally open during flight, allowing air to leak out so rapidly that everyone aboard could lose consciousness within seconds.)
Mangan was chief engineer for the Viennese company TTTech Computertechnik, which supplied the chips and software controlling the A380 cabin-pressurization system assembled at the French Airbus plant. TTTech fired Mangan, filed civil and criminal charges against him for revealing proprietary company documents. Austrian law has no whistleblower protection, and there is currently a gag order imposed on Mangan. They claim his allegations have been disproved.
What did he know? Have the problems behind his concerns been addressed? What elsedo we not know? Without transparency, how can we ever know?
What: Qantas Boeing 747-400 en route Sydney to Singapore Where: Sydney When: Mar 30th 2010 Who: 414 aboard Why: While en route, a right engine experienced an engine surge. That engine had to be shut down. The crew had to dump fuel and return to Sydney where they made a safe landing about an hour after departure. Passengers were provided a replacement plane.
What: Qantas Boeing 737-400 en route from Melbourne to Canberra Where: Canberra on Mar 14th 2010 When: Mar 14th 2010 Who: 147 passengers Why: While en route, one engine experienced “thrust loss.” The crew shut down the affected engine, but was able to continue to their destination.
What: chopper Where: Queensland rural area at Tally Ho, about 60km south of Emerald When: 11 am March 10, 2010 Who: 2 unidentified pilots Why: Information on this so far is very sparse–: The helicopter they were piloting crashed, and they walked away. One of them with minor injuries was taken to Springsure Hospital.
What: Qantas Boeing 767-300 en route from Sydney to Melbourne I \ Where: Sydney on When: Feb 1st 2010 Who: 120 passengers Why: On takeoff, the Boeing 767’s tail scuffed the ground. The crew made a precautionary return to the airport for the plane to be inspected for damage and was cleared to continue the flight.
What: UNITED Airlines jet en route from Los Angeles to Sydney Where: Brisbane When: Jan 15 2010 Who: not available Why: While en route, the jet had to divert to Brisbane when it was low on fuel and had an “engineering” problem.
Passengers were provided alternative transportation.
What: Broome Aviation Cessna 208B Grand Caravan en route from Broome to Koolan Island Australia Where: Beagle Bay Airport When: Jan 14 2010 Who: pilot Why: While en route, the pilot received an indication of low pressure and received permission to divert to Beagle Bay. On approach, the pilot told authorities that the engine on his Cessna Caravan cut out at 9,500 ft.. He then undershot the runway. The plane flipped and the engine separated.
What: Robinson R44 Where: Moorabbin Airport, Australia When: Dec 15, 2009, 10am Who: pilot Why: Pilot Geoffrey Edelsten was on his first solo, when the helicopter yawed quite violently to the left, to the right and into the ground. He sustained minor cuts.
What: Pipistrel Spider en route from Yarrawonga Airport Where: Burramine nr Yarrawonga, Vic, Australia When: Dec 6, 2009 Who: Two brothers What: Ted and Alan Berryman were to fly Ted’s ultralight on a local scenic circuit, but did not return to the airport at 9 as was their plan. A search found their badly damaged ultralight Pipistrel Spider (“trike type”, tandem 2 seater”) near Bruces Road, Burramine on the morning of the 7th. Both occupants have been confirmed dead.
What: Restored Yak 18T en route to Kingaroy Where: Crows Nest, Australia When: December 3, 2009 Who: PILOT Neil Dunn, 56, and 13 year old passenger Why: The pilot encountered engine trouble at 10.45am. The bush area (north) that was in their flight plan would have had nowhere to land.
Referring to the electrical wires Dunn had to dodge to make the emergency landing in his paddock, the amazed farmer said, “I don’t know how they’re not dead.”
What: Pel-Air Aviation IAI 1124A Westwind II en route from Samoa to Melbourne Where: Norfolk Island Australia When: Nov 18, 2009 Who: pilots, patient, accompanying spouse and two medical crew Why: Pel-Air Aviation CareFlight medical evacuation flight en route to Norfolk Island for refueling encountered thick fog and made a controlled landing on on the water off the coast of Norfolk Island. Everyone aboard evacuated safely thanks to the skill of pilot Dominic James, were rescued by boat and taken to Norfolk Island hospital.
What: Virgin Blue Boeing 737-800 en route from Launceston to Sydney Where: Launceston When: Aug 20th 2009 Who: 151 passengers Why: Shortly after takeoff, passengers heard a “bang” and flames were seen from an engine. The plane circled Launceston for thirty minutes before being cleared to land, which it did, safely. The problem was described as an “engine surge.” Passengers debarked and were provided an alternative plane to take them to Launceston.
Update:
Those aboard the plane were Australian and Japanese tourists. The missing plane was located in “very, very difficult terrain” just north of the village of Isurava in dense and rugged terrain more than 5,000 feet above sea level. Two two Blackhawk helicopters from Australia have been supporting the search, and an aero-medical evacuation unit is on a Hercules aircraft en route to the area.
The missing Australians include Matthew Leonard, 28, Max Cranwell, Kelly Weir, Max Harris, Euan Comrie and Peter Holliday.
What: PNG (Papua New Guinea) de Havilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter en routefrom Port Moresby to Efogi and further on to the Kokoda Trail Where: New Guinea When: Aug 11th 2009 Who: 11 passengers and 2 crew Why: The plane never arrived at Port Moresby, and is missing during heavily overcast weather conditions. The last radio contact was on approach to Kokoda, which was aborted.
What: A Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd. Boeing 737-700 en route from Sydney Nova Scotia to Coolangatta Australia Where: Brisbane Airport Queensland When: 2:30 p.m. local time May 26 Who: 109 passengers Why: After departing, Airport crew at Sydney found parts of the Boeing’s nose wheel tire. The plane made a safe emergency landing in Brisbane. Passengers debarked; and the tire was replaced.
View from a Cessna 172S Skyhawk SPIn Flight in Australia’s Northern Territory, Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net Contact photographer Stuart JR What: Cessna 182 on an inspection Where: Northern Territory outback. When: Wednesday night feb 25 Who: Pilot and passenger Why: The Cessna’s pilot made an emergency landing when the plane experienced emergency problems. Rescue crews found the stranded pilot and passenger and flew them by helicopter to Elliot; the passenger was taken to Elliot Health clinic with a facial cut. The pilot was uninjured.
What: MacAir flight en route from Townsville to Mount Isa Where: 42-seat plane en route from Cloncurry airport, Queensland When: Jan 23 emergency call about 5.15pm Who: 21 passengers Why: News reports say that the pilot shut down the engine after a false mechanical warning. Passengers were taken the rest of the way to the airport (8 kilometers) by bus.
Note: alternating reports on this same incident say the plane was (was not) hit by lightning and the plane had 40 (21) passengers.
What: aerobatics plane Where: Temora Airport New South Wales Riverina When: 10:30am Who: Pilot Tom Moon national aerobatics champion Why: After an emergency call was made from Airport Road, Temora, the plane caught fire after crashing near the Aviation Museum.
