Norway

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    About Close Calls

    After making note of the Oct 31 near miss in Oslo, I remembered this 100 foot close call of two Boeing 747’s over Scotland. This occurred in late June, when a Lufthansa pilot was climbing, and a British Airways flight were 24.3nm apart on converging courses. A STCA (Short Germ Conflict Alert)

    The Oslo near miss could have been prevented if the repetition protocol have been observed.

    The Scotland near miss had two planes
    (DLH418 Lufthansa Boeing 747-830, D-ABYC Frankfurt (FRA) – Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD))

    and

    (BAW87 British Airways Boeing 747-436, G-BNLM London-Heathrow (LHR) – Vancouver (YVR))

    on a collision course 100 feet Vertical/3.9 nm Horizontal and 1100 feet Vertical/2.8nm from impact. The study of the event concluded that actions of both the pilots and the controller contributed but that the pilots avoiding ATC instructions caused the proximity issue.

    The added pressure of reporting incidents such as these should help pilots and air traffic control to avoid similar events in the future. It will do so ONLY if adequate attention is paid to the mistakes, if alternative/better responses are deter mend, if the resulting studies are closely attended, and if protocol is adjusted to reduce the possibility of such problems re-occurring. On some level, the protocol worked, because these incidents were not collisions. However, they were closer than they should be. All I can say about this event is that it is a good thing that mistakes are reported.

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    Oslo: October 31, 2013, Near Miss

    We wrote about two Norwegian Air Shuttle planes that suffered a near miss when two planes followed the same instruction from ATC. The Accident Investigation Board Norway (AIBN) report on the event is below.

    Report (Translation)
    Description
    The 31 October 2012, two airliners from English too close together under a simultaneous missed approach (NAX741) and departure (NAX740) at Oslo Airport. There was strong tailwind on final. The AIBN believes that the flight crew on NAX741 had unrealistic expectations of the ability to be stabilized later in 1000 ft above the airport elevation. The decision to initiate the missed approach was taken at a late stage. Expectations of final-controller and tower controller that the speed of the landing would be reduced sufficiently during the approach, was not met. The missed approach for NAX741 came into conflict with the simultaneous departure of NAX740.

    Visibility conditions were such that the tower controller could not maintain visual separation between aircraft. Planes were for each other and both were rising. Tower air traffic controller instructed NAX741 to swing west. A mixture of callsign originated and led to NAX740 initiated clearance given to NAX741. The minimum horizontal distance between the aircraft was about. 0.2 NM (370 m) while the vertical height difference was 500 ft (152 m). AIBN considers that there was real danger of collision in the incident. When the situation first arose, prevented the situation awareness and good reviews from the flight crew and tower controller further escalation of the conflict.

    AIBN considers that established and practiced procedures will help to ensure that situations are recognized and averted before they become critical. Data from the cockpit voice recorder (Cockpit Voice Recorder CVR) was not secured. CVR data is important to understand the sequence of events, and AIBN therefore it is unfortunate that CVR data is not guaranteed. AIBN no new safety recommendation in this report, but refers to a previously issued safety recommendation (SL no 2012/06T) not closed.

    Type of report: Full report
    Location: Oslo Airport Gardermoen ENGM
    Event Date: 31/10/2012
    ICAO Location indicator: ENGM
    Aircraft: Boeing 737-600/700/800 / Boeing 737-600/700/800
    Operator: Norwegian Air Shuttle / Norwegian Air Shuttle
    Reg notice: LN-DYC / LN-NOM
    Flight conditions: IMC
    County: Akershus
    Type of event: Serious incident
    Type of flight: Commercial, scheduled / Commercial, scheduled
    Category Aviation: Tung, aircraft (> 10 000kg) / Tung, aircraft (> 10 000kg)
    Flykategori: Land plane, multi-engine, turbofan / turbojet
    FIR / AOR: ENOS (Oslo ATCC)

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    Oslo: Near Miss

    On Oct 31, 2013, a Norwegian Boeing 737-800#LN-DYC en route from Trondheim to Oslo with 130 passengers and 6 crew, was descending towards Oslo and was switched to a different runway. A second Norwegian Boeing 737-800 #LN-NOM en route from Oslo to Trondheim took off. Instructions from ATC became confused, and both planes followed a single instruction, bringing them into proximity.

    Flight 741, which was landing, was below Flight 740. Flight 740 got a TCAS (Traffic collision avoidance system) warning and diverged. Accident Investigation Board Norway noted the minimum separation between the two aircraft was down to 0.2nm lateral at 500 feet vertical.

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    Robinson, Cessna, Spitfire, Airbus, Piper and Homebuilt Crashes

    On March 17, 2013:

    • The aircraft and pilot were hijacked at gun point. The Quebec Helicoptor’s Robinson R44 made an illegal flight and crashed in Quebec Canada while en route from Mot-Tremblant to Saint Jerome. Hijacker took the chopper to St. Jerome, where two escapees attached to cables, and were taken to Mont-Tremblant. The pilot was wounded, two escapees were collared as well as two accomplices.
    • A privately owned Cessna 180K landed in a crosswind, crashed off the tarmac and ended with its nose in the ground Digby / Annapolis Regional Airport, Nova Scotia. The pilot was unhurt but the propeller, engine, and one wingtip sustained damage.
    • A privately owned Supermarine Spitfire replica performing in the Antique and Classic Aircraft Display crashed during an air show when the plane nosedived and struck a fence, killing pilot Roger Stokes near Parafield Airport.
    • A Novair Airbus A320-231 with two hundred aboard took off from Oslow Norway at 9:00, and a tire exploded. Pilots circled the airport for two hours and burned off fuel, making a safe landing at 11:25.
    • A Total Security Products Corp Piper crashed on approach to Stafford Regional Airport
    • The pilot of a homebuilt flight was en route from Casarrubios Airport and crashed in El Álamo, Madrid. Two fire crews arrived on the scene. The pilot built the plane that crashed and killed him.
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    SAS Flight Diverts to Stavanger

    On Feb 16, 2013, a Scandinavian Airlines System Boeing 737-883 was en route from Las Palmas to Bergen – Norway when the flight developed problems with the flaps.

    Pilots diverted to Stavanger airport where SAS has mechanics. Ten minutes before landing, passengers were told to keep their heads down.

    Pilots successfully made a fast landing at high speed with no flaps, and though none of the 108 passengers was injured, plenty of them were nervous after ten minutes with their heads down. Then the captain came out and explained what had happened.

    Four buses took passengers to Bergen by bus, but some opted to stay in hotels and fly the rest of the way.

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    Ryanair Emergency Landing at Moss-Rygge


    Nuno Faria

    Ryanair Boeing 737 8AS (WL) en route from Moss-Rygge to London-Stansted had taken off. The crew found a technical problem, and decided to land. Initially they were going to land in Bergen, but instead they returned to the airport of origin.

    Initially, passengers were very calm. They were less calm when they were not told about the change from landing in Bergen until two minutes before they were safe on the ground at Moss-Rygge,

    The flight was in the air about thirty minutes.

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    Door Ripped from SAS Airbus


    On Jan 25, 2013, a Scandinavian Airlines SAS Airbus A320-232 with 150 aboard was at Gardermoen airport Norway loaded with passengers to Copenhagen when the SAS plane rolled backwards while it still was parked at gate 44. The door to the plane was ripped from its hinges.

    Both the street and the plane were damaged.

    Passengers were provided alternative flights. The crew and airport hope, optimistically, that the damaged can be handled expeditiously.

    An investigation of how this could happen is underway.

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    Helicopter lost in Baltic Sea, 2 aboard

    What: Helitrans Eurocopter AS 350 Ecureuil en route from Lübeck, Germany to Halmstad Sweden
    Where: Baltic Sea
    When: Dec 5, 2012
    Who: 2 aboard
    Why: The Helitrans Eurocopter has been missing since December fifth over the Baltic Sea. The emergency beacon located by a German Navy vessel off the coast of Fehmarn island appears to have been a false alarm. Danish air ATC lost radar contact with the helicopter at 13:56 Swedish time, about 10 minutes after takeoff into what should have been a 2 hour flight.

    The pilot is a Norwegian employee of Heli Trans. The other has foreign citizenship and is not employed by Heli Trans.

    The search operation for the missing Norwegian helicopter was suspended overnight from 10 o’clock p.m. on Dec 5 but rescue centers in Denmark, Norway and Sweden have been involved. Nine search vessels are in the area east of Neustadt in Holstein. See German Link here:No traces of fuel or oil in the water have been found, and the beacon that was located by the German ship appears to have been a lost cell phone. It was not in the expected flight path.

    The air search has resumed, with a German Sea King helicopter now searching. Recent snowfall is impeding search more difficult.

    The passenger’s name has not been released but the next of kin have been informed.

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    Norway: Smoke in Wideroe Cockpit


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

    What: Wideroe de Havilland Canada DHC-8-103 Dash 8 en route from Florø to Bergen
    Where: Bergen-Flesland Airport, Norway
    When: Oct 18, 2012, 7:30 a.m.
    Who: 17 aboard
    Why: The pilot was en route to Bergen when smoke in the cockpit forced him to land immediately; but he called off the mayday because he felt in control of the situation.

    Before landing, the pilot informed passengers.

    The crew stayed aboard until passengers were evacuated. The evacuation was described as undramatic.

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    Birdstrike over Norway


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

    What: SAS Scandinavian Airlines Boeing 737-800 en route from Tromso to Longyearbyen
    Where: Tromso
    When: Apr 30th 2012
    Who: 180 aboard
    Why: On taking off from Tromso, the flight suffered a number of bird strikes. Pilots returned to the airport and made a safe landing.

    Passengers were able to leave within an hour and a half.

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    SAS OSLO-Newark Diverts to Bergen Down One Engine


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

    What: SAS Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A330-300 en route from Oslo to Newark,NJ
    Where: Faroe Islands
    When: Apr 22nd 2012
    Who: 264 passengers
    Why: While en route, the plane developed engine problems in one engine. Pilots shut it down, and diverted to Bergen Norway. Pilots made a safe landing in Bergen over an hour later, and passengers were delayed eight and a half hours.

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    Names Released in Construction Chopper Crash in Norwegian Mountainscape

    What: Airlift AS Eurocopter AS 350B3 Ecureuil
    Where: between Dalamot and Busete in Hardanger, Hordalan, Norway
    When: July 24, 2011, 21.30
    Who: 5 fatalities
    Why: About to transporting building materials into the mountains during heavy fog, the Airlift to Dagbladet helicopter crashed and caught on fire. The witnesses were part of a crew that had flown in earlier. A crisis team from Eidfjord and Ullensvang is on the scene.

    The Airlift company had a fleet of 17 helicopters.

    Police and fire departments, two air ambulances and at least two Sea King helicopters were engaged after emergency services were called. Three of the deceased were found quickly, and the other two took longer to find. The pilot was also killed in the crash.

    The crash occurred in a remote location far (5 hours walk) from a road. It was so remote that the individual who reported the crash had to travel to a location where there was phone service coverage.

    The state agency Havarikommisjonen is investigating.

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    Norway: Widerøes Hard Landing


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

    What: Widerøes Flyveselskap de Havilland Canada DHC-8-103B en route from Bodø Airport to Sandnessjøen-Stokka Airport
    Where: Sandnessjøen Norway
    When: Sept 15 2010 6:00
    Who: 3 crew, 4 passengers, no fatalities
    Why: The pilot did not inform ATC of any problems before landing. However, the plane had a hard landing due to a wind gust, a drizzle and moist conditions. The impact apparently damaged the plane’s undercarriage, and the plane skidded on its belly. The runway was foamed by Airport Fire and Rescue Services to prevent fire. There were no injuries reported.

    The plane apparently is designed to perform exactly as it did under these circumstances. The undercarriage is apparently supposed to collapse in a hard landing.

    Accident Investigation Board has sent three investigators. The airport is now closed.

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    Wideroe Emergency Landing in Kirkenes


    Pictured: A Wideroe De Havilland Canada DHC-8-103 Dash 8
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Felix Goetting

    What: Wideroe de Havilland Dash 8-100 en route from Vardoe to Vadso
    Where: Kirkenes Norway
    When: Sep 7th 2010
    Who: 28 passengers and 3 crew
    Why: While en route, the plane indicated low oil pressure in an engine and the engine was shut down. The flight diverted to Kirkenes where it made a safe landing. The problem was repaired within 3 hours and the flight resumed.

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    Norwegian Air Boeing Diverted due to Vibration


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

    What: Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 737-300 en route from Oslo to Bergen
    Where: Stavanger Norway
    When: Mar 20th 2010
    Who: 140 passengers and 5 crew
    Why: While en route, the plane developed vibration and control problems, and the destination, Bergen was experiencing high wind conditions. After issuing the emergency alert, they diverted the flight to Sola Airport where weather conditions were stable, and , where they circled, then were able to safely.

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    Pitot Diverts Dash 8 to Bergan


    Pictured: A Wideroe De Havilland Canada DHC-8-103 Dash 8
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Felix Goetting

    What: Wideroe de Havilland Dash 8-100 en route from Sogndal to Forde
    Where: Bergen
    When: Mar 2nd 2010
    Who: 16 passengers and 3 crew
    Why: While on route, the pitot heating system failed. The resulting nreliable airspeed indications convinced the crew to divert to Bergen, where they made a safe landing.

    Offhand, I think this may be the first that I recall pitot tube issues on a de Havilland Dash 8-100. I wonder if these were thales tubes; and I wonder if airspeed can not be better determined with a more robust methodology. If I were a manufacturer, I would certainly have my engineers thinking about developing alternative technologies to bring to market.

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    Air Europa Engine Shutdown


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

    What: Air Europa Boeing 737-800 en route from Trondheim Norway to Las Palmas Spain
    Where: Trondheim
    When: Dec 2nd 2009
    Who: 170 passengers,
    Why: While en route, an engine developed problems and the crew had to shut it down. The plane returned to the airport where passengers debarked safely.

    George’s Point of View

    Never take for granted or underestimate the value of having more than one engine.

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    Norwegian Helicopter Crash

    What: HeliTeam Eurocopter AS350 en route from Harstad to Alta.
    Where: near the Swedish border.
    When: Wednesday
    Who: One person killed, one injured. It is unclear from our sources which was the pilot.
    Why: The crash occurred during heavy snow showers so weather may have been a factor.
    =

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    Turbulence at Tromsø


    Click here for full size photo on Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Jan Jorgensen

    What: SAS Norge Boeing 737-800 en route from Oslo Gardermoen to Tromsø Norway
    Where: Tromsø Norway
    When: Feb 5th 2009
    Who: Number of passengers not released
    Why: While descending for landing approach, the flight encountered “clear air turbulence.” Apparently the seat belt lights were already on, and the only one injured was a flight attendant who was knocked off her feet and broke her ankle.

    Subsequent to the event, it was determined that although the flight crew had no inkling of it, that turbulence had been forecast by Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMET).

    George’s Point of View

    The incident may call for some kind of update of the on board warning system(s).

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    Norway: Rygge Airport Emergency Landing

    What: Norwegian Air Boeing 737-8Q8 en route from Rygge Airport to Barcelona
    Where: Rygge Airport
    When: 10/17/2007 Friday
    Who: 163 passengers 7 crew
    Why: 20 minutes into the flight, an alarm warned of fire in one of the wings. Smoke was reported in the cabin.The aircraft was breaking very hard, and used half the runway to stop. On return to the airport, passengers deplaned via emergency slides, but there was apparently no external wing fire. There was a minor injury on the slide disembarkment.

    In Dutch

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    Emergency landing in Western Norway

    What: Boeing 737 belonging to low cost carrier Norwegian
    Where: in Trondheim in western Norway
    When: September 19
    Who: 107 people on board
    Why: Because an indicator in the cockpit mistakenly indicated a problem with the front landing gear. the plane made an emergency landing.

    No one was injured.

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    Havørn Accident

    On June 16th, 1936, a Norwegian Air Lines flight en route from Bergen to Tromsø crashed into Lihesten mountain in Hyllestad, Norway. The pilots did not realize they were flying 15 to 20 kilometers east of their intended route. The crew of four and three passengers were all killed in the first fatal aviation accident in Norway. The first expedition found four bodies. The second expedition recovered the remaining bodies. The plane was a Junkers Ju 52, registration LN-DAE purchased from Deutsche Lufthansa. The captain was Ditlev Pentz Smith. First Officer was Erik Storm. Peter Ruth Paasche was reserve pilot. Radio operator was Per Erling Hegle. Thepassengers were Inspector Sven Svensen Løgit, Consul Wilhelm Andreas Mejdell Dall and journalist Harald Wigum of Bergens Tidende.