Locale

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    Nigeria working toward ICAO Standard

    Long known for substandard aviation, changes seem to be in Nigeria’s future.

    Nigeria’s airports are slated to be revamped to meet international standards according to Stella Oduah, Minister of Aviation. Safety and security are intended to be the new priority, as they aim for “zero” accidents.

    Infrastructure and services are also slated to be improved.

    The ICAO’s AFI plan is part of the Third Pan-African Aviation Training Coordination Conference.

    The conference is organized by the ICAO Comprehensive Regional Implementation Plan for Aviation Safety in Africa (AFI Plan) in cooperation with the aviation regional organizations in the AFI Region, and hosted by the Government of South Africa will be held in Cape Town, South Africa from 27 to 29 July 2011.

    The agenda for the conference is here.

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    Smoke in Cockpit Causes Saudi Arabian Airlines Diversion


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

    What: Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747-400 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah
    Where: Chennai
    When: Jul 6th 2011
    Who: 200 passengers
    Why: While en route, the flight developed smoke in the cockpit. Pilots diverted to Chennai and made a safe landing. Emergency services examined the plane and found no fire or heat. Maintenance examined the flight.

    The flight continued about 4 and a half hours later, and made a safe landing eventually in Jeddah

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    RusAir Update


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

    What: Rusline/Rusair Tupolev TU-134A en route from Moscow to Petrozavodsk
    Where: outskirts of the Besovets village, Petrozavodsk, Russia
    When: Jun 20 2011 at 11:40 pm
    Who: 43 passengers and 9 crew
    Why: Family members of the 44 deceased victims of the RusAir crash attempted to identify the bodies of their loved ones in Petrozavodsk, although visual identification in some cases was impossible. For those victims, DNA identification will be employed.

    The RusAir crash occurred in heavy fog, carrying passengers from the Ukraine, Sweden, Holland, plus four people with dual Russian-U.S. Nationalities. The video below was released on 2011-06-23

    Read More

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    Illushin IL-76 Hits Mountain in Afghanistan


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

    What: Silk Way Airlines Illushin IL-76TD en route from Baku Azerbaijan to Bagram Air Force Base Afghanistan
    Where: Bagram Afghanistan
    When: Jul 6th 2011
    Who: 9 crew
    Why: Carrying 18 tons of automobiles and trailers, the flight took off from Baku and lost radar contact 13.5 miles from Kabul. The plane struck a mountain near Akhshay in the Ghorband/Syahgerd district at 19:40 on Jul 5th. Eight bodies were recovered at 12,500 feet.

    The cause of the crash is unknown. The distict chief of Siagerd stated publicly that there was a big explosion heard when the plane struck the mountain.


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    ATR Emergency Landing in Sao Paulo


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Matheus Netto de Lima

    What: Pantanal Linhas Aereas Avion de Transport Regional ATR-42-300 en route from Sao Paulo to Sao Jose de Rio Preto Brazil
    Where: Sao Paulo
    When: Jun 30 2011
    Who: 44 passengers
    Why: After takeoff, the plane’s right engine made an explosive noise and began emitting smoke and sparks, and the propeller stopped.

    The crew shut down that engine and returned to Sao Paulo. The pilot made a safe landing in Sao Paulo. Passengers were rebooked on another flight. Maintenance confirmed a leak in the right hand engine.

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    Mistral Engine Shut Down over Italy


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Roberto Bianchi Piti Spotter Club

    What: Mistral Air Boeing 737-300 en route from Fuerteventura,Spain to Rome
    Where: Alghero Airport
    When: Jul 4th 2011
    Who: 139 passengers
    Why: Halfway between Mallorca and Sarina, an engine developed problems. Pilots shut it down and diverted to Sardinia, where they made a safe landing (described as a soft landing.)

    *One source describes the flight as originating in the Canary Islands.

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    Bird Strike in Novosibirsk


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

    What: Vladivostok A320 en route from Novosibirsk to Krasnodar
    Where: Novosibirsk
    When: Jul 3rd 2011
    Who: 152 passengers and 8 crew
    Why: After takeoff from Novosibirsk, the plane’s right engine ingested a hawk.

    The pilot burned off fuel and made a safe landing three hours later with engine vibration.

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    Emirates emergency Landing in India

    What: Emirates Airbus A330 en route from Dubai to Kochi
    Where: Kochi
    When: Jul 2nd 2011
    Who: 270 passengers
    Why: On approach to Kochi, the plane developed a loss of pressure in the hydraulics. (The landing gear would not retract.)

    The flight made a safe landing however, though it’s return flight was delayed. Passengers on the return flight were provided alternative transportation or hotel accommodations.

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    Kingfisher Flight makes Emergency Landing

    What: Kingfisher en route from Delhi to Mumbai
    Where: Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
    When: July 2, 2011, 9:08 a.m.
    Who: 118 passengers and eight crew members
    Why: The flight took off from Delhi but then an alarm went off, causing the pilot to declare an emergency and return to the airport.

    The pilot made a safe landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport at 9:08 a.m. and taxied to the apron. There were no injuries. Passengers apparently disembarked normally and were provided an alternative flight.

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    Southwest Emergency Landing in Phoenix

    What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 en route from El Paso to Phoenix
    Where: Phoenix
    When: Jun 30th 2011, 9:33 pm
    Who: 139 aboard
    Why: On approach to Phoenix, the pilot declared emergency and shut down an engine when one of the engines failed. Some of the systems operating were backup systems. Details about the engine issues were not released but Southwest said there was an “issue with engine exhaust.”

    The plane made a safe landing at 9:33 with emergency services on standby, but taxied to the gate, and did not need towing.

    Maintenance is examining the plane.

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    Float Plane Crashes in Buss Lake Canada

    What: de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
    Where: Buss Lake Canada
    When: June 30, 2011
    Who: 3 fatalities
    Why: The pilot issued a distress beacon at 1:45 pm in a very remote location in Saskatchewan. The flight was apparently a fishing expedition.

    The plane was spotted in the lake by a pilot who was flying by and heard the signal, and reported the location to Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Ontario, who sent a Hercules aircraft from 435 Squadron in Winnipeg.

    The Hercules was able to land after dropping a chainsaw to rescue techs to clear the brush.

    The float plan crashed in Buss Lake, Saskatchewan. All three aboard, including the pilot, died in the crash. Two search and rescue team members are on site but the cause of the crash is unknown.

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    India Aviation In Crisis-DGCA Examiners Examined

    What does it mean when the teacher flunks the exam he’s teaching?
    What does it mean when three teachers flunk the exam they’re teaching?

    Three Jet Airways examiners flunked the DGCA exam, Manoj Manha and M. Shain had “inadequate subject knowledge” of the Airbus they are purported to be experts of and Anupam Khanna was “casual” and “lacking in cockpit discipline.” Manha and Shain will be continuing as examiners after corrective training.

    The deficiency casts a shadow on all of those whose expertise was qualified by Manha, Shain and Khanna.

    It means that if the DGCA is going to follow through and maintain standards, every person qualified by these examiners (or otherwise taught by them) is scrutinized and retested.

    Can pilots be deemed competent when they have been trained by incompetents?

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    United Airlines Omaha-bound Engine Shut Down


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

    What: United Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from San Francisco to Boston
    Where: Omaha Nebraska
    When: June 29, 2011, 8:20 pm
    Who: 181 passengers, 6 crew
    Why: While en route to Boston, the plane developed a fuel leak in its right engine. The engine was shut down.

    The pilot made a safe landing in Boston within 20 minutes.

    Passengers were provided an alternative flight.

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    Pilot Dies in Alaska Crash

    What: Cessna 150 en route from Anchorage to Beluga Lake
    Where: west side of Cook Inlet, Beluga Lake Alaska
    When: June 26, 2011
    Who: 2 aboard, 1 fatality
    Why: Pilot Timothy Hudok was killed in his Cessna three miles west of Beluga Lake. The wreckage was found by Alaskan State Troopers at Triumvirate Glacier after the pilot’s wife had alerted the FAA to the flight being overdue. Passenger Robert Goodwill who survived was airlifted to Providence Alaska Medical center.

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    Jazz Rocky Ride over Montreal


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Gustavo Corujo – Gusair

    What: Air Canada Jazz de Havilland Dash 8-100 en route from Rouyn,QC to Montreal,QC
    Where: Montreal
    When: Jun 28th 2011
    Who: 28 aboard
    Why: Thirty minutes outside of Montreal, the flight encountered thunder storms which caused severe turbulence lasting about two minutes.

    The flight landed safely in Montreal.

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    RussAir Death Toll Rises as 3 Succumb After Rescue

    What: Rusline/Rusair Tupolev TU-134A en route from Moscow to Petrozavodsk
    Where: outskirts of the Besovets village, Petrozavodsk, Russia
    When: Jun 20 2011 at 11:40 pm
    Who: 43 passengers and 9 crew N
    Why: On approach to the airport, the plane struck the ground about 2600 feet shy of runway 2. On impact, the plane burst into flame, and skidded into the gardens of a residential area, although missing residences.

    Initially eight people survived, but on the 21st, a nine year old boy died, a woman died on the 25th, and a man died on the 26th.

    Details on the Tu134 RusAir Crash

    Russian Rusline/RusAir Tupolev Crash Kills 44, 8 Gravely Injured Survive

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    May 2011 Saab Crash in Argentina


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

    What: Sol Linaeas Aereas Saab 340A
    Where: 20 km (12.5 mls) N of Prahuaniyeu, RN Argentina
    When: May 18, 2011
    Who: 3 crew, 19 passengers
    Why: After the last radio contact at 20:50, the aircraft crashed near Los Menucos en-route Neuquen to Comodoro after declaring an emergency and requesting descent out of icing conditions. There were no survivors of the 19 passengers and 3 crew.

    There were newspaper reports of the flight coming down as a fireball, but that has been interpreted as journalistic license. We apologize if our translations reported this incident as a falling fireball when the fire apparently began after ground impact.

    The pilot asked to descend from 5.800 meters to 4.300 due to ice. In the last communication ATC was informed that “the flight was was at 1.000 metres and going back to NQN.”

    Wing Icing and a failure of the inlet deicing system is being considered as responsible. The black boxes were recovered.

    The investigation is ongoing.

    LA JUNTA DE INVESTIGACIONES DE ACCIDENTES DE AVIACIÓN CIVIL YA ESTÁ TRABAJANDO EN EL ACCIDENTE DEL VUELO 5428 DE SOL

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    Details on the Tu134 RusAir Crash


    On board RusAir Flight 9605, there were 9 crew members, and a total of 52 people, 44 of whom died on the scene. At this time of the year, in Petrozavodsk, this is the time of White Nights so the accident occurred in subdued daylight. One died on 22 June 2011.

    Nationalities have been released:
    one Swede
    one from Netherlands
    two Ukranians
    4 with US/Russian citizenship (dual)
    Fatalities include chief designer of Gidropress Sergei Ryzhov, and the deputy CEO and chief designer, Gennady Banyuk, and football ref Vladimir Pettay.

    While on final approach to Petrozavodsk Airport in poor weather and heavy fog, Flight 9605 crashed on the A133 highway, 3900 feet shy of the runway. The weather during the arrival of the flight was deteriorating from OVC005 to OVC003 to fog with zero visibility. The black boxes were recovered. The fire at the crash was extinguished 45 minutes after midnight. The Tu-134 was 31 years old.

    Russia is considering removing the Tu-134 from service.


    Click title to access Karelia plane crash video

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    Delta Flats Land in Atlanta


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

    What: Delta Airlines Boeing 737-800 en route from Denver to Atlanta
    Where: Denver
    When: Jun 24th 2011
    Who: 159 passengers and 6 crew
    Why: On takeoff, the flight blew two tires.

    Pilots continued to Atlanta where they made a safe landing on the blown tires. After landing, the plane stopped on the runway, the tires replaced, and then the flight continued to the gate, when passengers disembarked normally.

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    Quebec Chopper Crash Kills Passenger, Pilot Survives


    Le R44 Raven II Capitale Hélicoptère

    What: Capitale Helicoptere Robinson R44 en route between Quebec City and a small mining camp
    Where: Lake Deborah Quebec
    When: June 24, 2011
    Who: Pilot and passenger
    Why: Pilot, Allan Da Encarnacao was flying the two year old Robinson R44 helicopter in a remote area when the chopper crashed in an area with no cell or radio reception. The pilot had been engaged to fly the passenger to the mining camp.

    The pilot, who is 25 ,survived the crash and was taken to a Quebec City hospital with serious injuries.

    The Capitale Helicoptere flight was near Lake Deborah when the helicopter went down.

    The provincial coroner’s office and Quebec provincial police are investigating

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    Nepal Hard Landing


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

    What: Nepal Food Corporation/Tara Air Dornier Do228 a freight flight from Nepalgunj to Simikot
    Where: Simikot
    When: Jun 23rd 2011
    Who: 3 crew
    Why: The pilot made a hard landing at Simikot, and rolled over an embankment off the runway.

    There was significant damage to the plane, including a collapsed main gear, and damaged nose and wing. No one aboard was injured.

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    SATA Emergency Landing in Funchal

    What: SATA International Airbus A320-200 en route from Funchal to Copenhagen
    Where: Funchal Portugal
    When: Jun 20th 2011
    Who: 104 passengers, 6 crew
    Why: On takeoff, the plane flew through a flock of birds, resulting in damage to both engines. There was vibration but no loss of power. Within a quarter of an hour, the pilot landed safely back at Funchal.

    Both engines ingested seagulls, resulting in damaged fan blades. Also, on impact with a gull, one of the cargo doors opened.

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    The Official’s Unofficial Official Opinion…

    About last tuesday’s Fatal Rusline/RusAir Tupolov crash in Russia, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Sergei Ivanov, mentions that familiar phrase “obvious pilot error” while simultaneously promising he is not pre-emping the findings of the actual investigation. Officials have made spontaneous statements in the past, and lived to regret it, so that point remains to be seen.

    The question of pilot error is questionable. The plane was flying in at too low an angle, (I may have read somewhere that the angle was what was directed by ATC but my source could be mistaken.)

    Flying too low, the landing gear caught on electrical wires which caused an area blackout that included the local town and the airport runway lights. Is being unable to land on a runway without lights something that could be called pilot error? I suppose that remains to be seen, also.

    So the cause is up for grabs: bad weather, technical malfunction or human error. What’s left? We do not know yet. We rely on the investigation to reveal the facts.

    Irrespective of what caused this horrible tragedy, the decedents were fault-free. Rusline and RusAir are responsible for compensating the families who had entrusted the safekeeping of their loved ones into their care.

    There is no amount of money that will bring back the loved ones, but compensation is due.

    For 44 individuals, it was fatal; for 8, it was nearly fatal. I hate to sound too judgmental here, but a government official should probably not make sweeping generalizations about the causes of a tragic event without making it clear what is personal opinion and what is an official statement. Every supposition before the official report is released is guess work. All the conjecturing that will take place between now and when an investigation report is released is just that–conjecture. Some of it will be based on emotional responses; some of it will be based on varying perception of what may or may not be facts. For now, we can offer condolences to the families.

    All we know for certain is that the crash that should not have happen, did, and people’s lives were cut short because of it.

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    Mangalore: Two Pilot Tales, Which is true?

    There are two accounts of the Pilot Alexander Glusicia’s situation prior to the Mangalore-Dubai-Mangalore flight. We wonder which of these versions is true.

    1. Alexander (Zlatko) Glusica was initially not rostered by Air India to fly on the day of the crash— not scheduled to fly till May 23.. His schedule had last minute changes, when Glusica was asked to fly though he was fatigued, having just returned from a Serbian vacation.

    2. Capt Glusica had landed in Mangalore two days in advance, and was plenty rested prior to flying.
    Officials claim the family had opportunity to appear before the Court of Inquiry but they never came.

    PILOT NOT ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO FLY

    What: Air India Express Boeing 737-800 en route from Dubai to Mangalore
    Where: Mangalore airport
    When: 6:00 a.m May 22 2010
    Who: Passengers include 23 children, 6 crew, 158 fatalities and 8 survivors

    First report

    Remember Flight 812

    Read More