What: Air India Airbus A319-100 en route from Mumbai to Nagpur Where: Nagpur When: May 24th 2011 Who: 153 passengers Why: On approach to Nagpur, the pilot reported “a technical fault.” The plane developed a hydraulic problem. Pilots made a safe landing at the Nagpur airport. There is no mention if the foam was employed or if emergency services were on standby. The return flight was cancelled. Passengers were provided accommodations until the replacement flight.
Indian civil court ordered the attachment of property of the assistant commissioner of Mangalore’s revenue department for not honouring court orders to pay corrected compensation to the people who lost 300 acres to the Mangalore Airport expansion. The individuals were not paid market value and are due the difference.
Safety recommendations have been made regarding the Mangalore airport by the Mangalore crash Court of Inquiry. The airport’s corrective measures so far, have been installing markers on either side of the runway. Nothing has been done yet to deal with the inadequate “Runway End Safety Area.” Elevating the paved area to 237 is projected to be complete by the end of May.
May 22 was the anniversary of Air India Express Flight 812 from Dubai, which overshot the runway and crashed at Mangalore, India. The crash victims’ support group spokesman said that “About 50 families have received compensation from the insurance companies, but many families have not even been contacted. ” According to the organizer, Rafik Eroth, “…insurance representatives are playing foul over the payouts…Many families have lost their breadwinners and face major financial difficulties. I believe [the insurance companies] are delaying the process to pass the two-year mark so that the families lose their claims.” Families of crash victims had a two-year period in which to apply for compensation
The Civil Aviation Ministry ordered the airline to provide up to $159,840 to families of the victims in accordance with the Indian Carriage by Air Act, (following the Montreal Convention.)
It has been a year, and still some of the families have not yet been contacted about compensation.
The Indian Court of Inquiry probe report was submitted to the civil aviation ministry yesterday. The report says that “Air India pilot Zlatko Glusica, from Serbia, was asleep for much of the three-hour flight and was “disoriented” when the plane started to descend.” The experienced First Officer had fewer hours but was soon due for command, and had landed frequently at that airport. He called for a go-around which the Captain ignored.
Captain Z Glusica had more than 10,200 hours of flying experience—but not landing at that airport. He was the pilot in command and reacted late, and was suffering from “sleep inertia”. His heavy nasal snoring and breathing was captured on the CVR. Many standard operating procedures were not followed during landing. Co-pilot H S Ahluwalia repeated “abort landing” saying they didn’t have enough runway left, three times asking for a “go around”.
With less than 3,000 feet of runway left, the pilots tried to take off again and crashed in the gorge at the runway’s end.
The plane’s takeoff gear was found activated. Experts concluded if the pilots had not attempted to take off again, the plane emergency brakes could have brought the plane to a halt.
This is not the first time Air India has had exhausted pilots. What had their schedule been that week?
June 2008: Mumbai air traffic controllers woke two sleeping pilots with an alarm when they were 200 miles past their destination.
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 including 23 children, 6 crew= 158 fatalities and 8 survivors Why: Air India Express flight 812 attempted touch down was around the middle marker. (Conflicting) reports are that it overshot the runway, and that the pilot intended a go round (tapes reveal the co pilot was urging a go-round) but the plane hit the localizer antenna at the runway’s end, plowed through the perimeter losing part of a wing, and went down 75 feet into a ravine, and broke into pieces and burst into flames. On touchdown, there was a reported “bang” which may have been a tire bursting. A drizzle started after the accident. From 5 to 10 people have been hospitalized, but according to reports there are possibly 3 survivors.
Survivor Abdul Puttur suffered burns. He was seated near the wing exit and said that the pilot had announced the landing, then there was a thud. He saw huge flames after the plane fell into the ravine and then he jumped out from the back entrance. Another passenger said the pilot made no announcement.
The Serbian pilot was Zlatko Glusica, first officer was S.S. Ahluwalia.
According to DGCA rules, Mangalore International Airport is deemed a “critical airfield” which means that “supervised take offs and landings” are prohibited. Only the captain (not the first officer) can pilot take-offs and landings. Mangalore International Airport has a controversial table top runway and which forces pilots to make a precision landing. The airport has no buffer zone, and pilots landing planes must fly precisely or risk hurtling off the edge.
What: Delta Airlines DC-9 en route from Detroit to Minneapolis Where: Ashwaubenon When: May 21, 2011 Who: 81 passengers, 5 crew Why: The plane was en route when the pilot smelled smoke from burning plastic in the cabin, and announced to passengers they would be diverting to Green Bay with rescue services from De Pere, Allouez, Ashwaubenon, Hobart and Howard on standby.
They made a safe landing in Green Bay at Austin Straubel International Airport at 2:25 pm
Argentine Aviators Union of Air Lines said that the investigation into the Rio Negro crash will take 3 months.
After departing from Neuquén at 20:08, the pilot sent out a distress call declaring an emergency. 19 passengers and 3 crew were aboard.
Locals saw a ball of fire fall from the sky 35 kilometers from the town of Los Menucos in an area not available to cell phone usage. Rescue units (three ambulances and civil defense team including the police force of Black River (Rio Negro), Sierra Colorado, General Roca and Los Menucos) were deployed but there were no survivors.
Saab officials will be participating in the investigation. But three months till the investigation is done? I don’t think so. Maybe three years.
What: Westjet Boeing 737 en route from Toronto to Victoria Where: Victoria When: May 20, 2011 Who: 116 passengers and six crew Why: While en route, the flight encountered turbulence, injuring a flight attendant, who was bruised, and a passenger who injured an ankle. Injuries tend to occur when a passenger takes off their seat belt, or a flight attendant is up performing duties when the turbulence strikes.
The injuries suffered aboard the Westjet flight are not serious.
What: Qantas Boeing 747-400 en route from Bangkok (Thailand) to London Heathrow,EN Where: Bangkok When: May 20th 2011 Who: 308 passengers Why: After takeoff from Bangkok, the engine vibration and temperature increased beyond the norm in one engine and the engine is reported to have salled. That (Rolls Royce) engine was shut down, and the pilots returned to Bangkik to make a safe landing with the remaining three engines. It has not yet been announced if the problem is due to the internal pipe irregularities which were indicated in an airworthiness directive just released, but with problems that go back several years.
By the look of cursory evidence, it appears this could be the same manufacturing defect in an oil pipe, which led to an internal oil leak in the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine that failed in a Qantas A380 in 2010 causing a midair explosion, but investigators will have to reveal the details.
What: Flugsportklub Volkswerft Stralsund Evektor-Aerotechnik EV-97 Eurostar training flight Where: Klein Kedingshagen, near Flugplatz Stralsund Germany When: May 20, 2011 Who: 2 aboard, 2 fatalities Why: After a touch and go near Klein Kedingshagen, the sport plane crashed and both aboard died on the scene. Aboard was the 41 year old flight instructor and his 47 year old (beginning) student from Stralsund on Rügen aus Sellin Island. The instructor had been teaching in that plane for three years. This was the student’s third maneuver.
Witnesses say the vehicle lurched and fell out of the sky. Four forensic scientists traveled to the scene.
Evektor-Aerotechnik is a manufacturer located in Kunovice, Czech Republic.
What: Campbell Helicopters Ltd. Bell 212 Twin Two-Twelve Where: Slave Lake, Alberta, Canada When: May 20, 2011 Who: 1 fatality Why: The chopper responding to a (wildfire) fire call crashed for unknown reasons 30 meters offshore Slave Lake, Alberta. The forest fire leveled a third of the Slave Lake community. The pilot’s name has not yet been released.
The STARS Air Ambulance call was cancelled. The pilot died in the crash. Emergency responders were treated for hypothermia.
Transport Canada’s Enhanced Monitoring System http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/opssvs/managementservices-referencecentre-documents-sur-sur-002-1028.htm is an aviaition surveillance program, the entry into which is based on an airline’s failure to meet minimum requirements. A score of 3, 4, 5 or a score of 2 where there are minor or moderate findings and there is no evidence of systemic failures, will return the certificate holder to routine monitoring. A score of 1 will result in the issuance of a Notice of Suspension.
A plane which made an emergency landing (termed a miracle landing, and the pilot heavily lauded) while carrying three Grade 9 geography students from White Oaks Secondary School was under enhanced monitoring at the time; and since the emergency, has been suspended.
The plane made an emergency landing with the students in a field. For twenty years, Spectrum Airways has had an agreement with the Halton District School Board to provide scenic flights for Grade 9 geography students. The Cessna Skyhawk 172 had run out of fuel, and the pilot landed with no damage or injuries, landing in a field behind Corpus Christi Catholic Secondary School.
Burlington Airpark, Spectrum Airways and Kovachik Aircraft Maintenance are responsible for maintenance.
What: Ontario Limited-Spectrum Airways Cessna 172M Skyhawk en route from Burlington Airport Where: 1 KM south of Corpus Christi Catholic Secondary School, Canada When: May 5, 2011 Who: 23 year old pilot, 3 passengers Why: The plane made a safe emergency landing behind the school. On landing, the gas tank was empty. The pilot avoided homes, power lines, and a student rally in the parking lot.
What: Spanair Airbus A320-200 en route from Barcelona to Stockholm Where: Belgium When: May 20th 2011 Why: While over Belgium, radio communication was disrupted. (This occurred during the handover to Dutch ATC.)
A Dutch escort was sent (2 F-16s) to intercept.
The Spanair pilots re-established contact, and were escorted into German airspace. The plane landed on schedule in Stockholm.
What: Chartered Bombardier Challenger 300 en route from Manila to Caticlan, Aklan Where: Manila When: May 19 2010, 12:36 p.m. Why: The pilot reported engine problems just after takeoff, and requested an emergency landing at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The flight landed safely, with one engine shut down. The flight landed safely with emergency teams on standby.
We recently mentioned when the pilots of the two US pilots were sentenced to US community service for the 2006 Midair collision between a GOL Boeing and a business jet.
In addition to the pilots, the Air Traffic Controller Lucivando de Alencar was sentenced. Judge Murilo Mendes revoked Alencar’s license, and sentenced him to three years of community service.
Flight 1907, en route from Manaus to Rio, disappeared from radar over Mato Grosso when it collided in mid-air with an Embraer Legacy 600 business jet piloted by the two pilots who were sentenced earlier this week. The Legacy jet landed safely at Cachimbo Airport but 148 passengers and 6 crew members died in the Boeing that crashed into the Amazon.
What: Kauai Aero Sport P&M Pegasus Quick 912S en route from Port Allen Airport, Hawaii Where: North Shore of Kauai, 100 yards offshore near Honopu beach When: May 17, 2011 10:53 a.m Who: 2 aboard Why: The ultralight belonging to Kauai Aero Sport landed in the water 100 yards off shore.
Witnesses saw the ultralight in trouble and tried to come to the aid of the two men in the crash. (see video below)
Captain Bob Butler describes hearing a (possible) aluminum strut break, and the aircraft hit the water at a 70 degree angle. They pulled the craft to the surface but not soon enough to save those aboard.
The bodies of both men were recovered as well as the wreckage. The pilot/owner of Kauai Aero Sport is Steve Sprague.
What: Sol Líneas Aéreas Saab 340A en route from Córdoba to Mendoza to Neuquén to Comodoro Rivadavia Where: Prahuaniyeu, Rio Negro, Argentina When: May 18, 2011, 22:00 Who: 19 passengers and three crew (two pilots and a stewardess) Why: After departing from Neuquén at 20:08, the plane sent out a distress call declaring an emergency
Locals saw a ball of fire fall from the sky 35 kilometers from the town of Los Menucos in an area not available to cell phone usage. Rescue units (three ambulances and civil defense team including the police force of Black River (Rio Negro), Sierra Colorado, General Roca and Los Menucos) were deployed but there were no survivors.
The number for family members to call for information is 0810-122-7765.
What: AEROCLUBE DE PIRACICABA PIPER PA-34-200 Seneca I Where: Morro do Cristo village suburb of Sao Paulo, Brazil When: May 16, 2010 Who: 4 fatalities Why: The plane, which had six seats, was used to give flying lessons. It was returning from the city of Sao Jose do Rio Preto, when it crashed near a village outside the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, killing its four occupants at 11 pm Monday, just after the pilot lost contact with Pirassununga control tower.
Searches were performed by a C-105 Amazonas plane, and a Military Police helicopter. The missing plane was found in dense forest between São Pedro and Itaqueri.
The bodies of Instructor Job de Oliveira, Jean Carlos Capelin (30, of São José do Rio Preto), Rodrigo Matos Gomes (27 of Recife ), and Diego Pereira da Costa (27 of Taguatinga) were identified today, and recovered.
What: Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from Detroit to Sao Paulo Where: Atlanta,GA When: May 15th 2011 Why: While en route, over Daytona, the plane developed an issue with their airspeed indication. Although the issue was fixed, the flight diverted to Atlanta where they made a safe landing. A fresh crew with adequate duty time flew them to Sao Paulo.
What: 2 seat helicopter Where: Devon When: May 16 2011 Who: 2 aboard Why: The 2 seat helicopter crashed on the grounds of the Gridleigh Park Hotel in Devon. The wind was reported blowing at about 30 plus knots.
Devon and Somerset Fire Service responded, and used foam on the chopper which is said to have landed on its roof. The two aboard were injured, treated on the scene.
What: Continental Airlines/Colgan Air de Havilland Dash 8-400 en route from Newark to Washington DC Where: Washington When: May 16th 2011 Who: Flight attendant Why: While en route, the plane encountered turbulence in which a flight attendant experienced injury. The plane did not divert, but continued to make a safe landing.
Paramedics dealt with the flight attendant’s injuries
Joseph Lepore and Jan Paul Paladino were sentenced to four years and four days in prison in the Amazon plane collision case when the Legacy 600 jet they were piloting made physical contact with a Gol Airlines Boeing 737. All 154 passengers and crew of the Boeing 737 were killed.
Their sentence was commuted to being banned from flying for four years, and also community service to be carried out in the US. The sentence accuses the pilots of being imprudent and inexperienced, and contends that they turned off the transponder, which the pilots deny.
The Gol jet collided over the Amazon rain forest with an Embraer Legacy 600 executive jet owned by ExcelAire Service Inc. of New York. The GOL InvestigatIon alleges that the pilots of the New York-based executive jet had placed the transponder and collision avoidance system on standby before colliding with the Boeing 737 operated by GOL Linhaus Aereas Inteligentes SA on Sept. 29, 2006.
The Legacy landed safely but everyone on the GOL jet died.
Flight controllers failed to alert pilots that they were on a collision course and also did not notice the transponder was off; in fact they deny turning it off.
On September 29, 2006, at approximately 4:57 pm, Brasilia standard time, a midair collision occurred over the Brazilian Amazon jungle, between a Boeing 737-800 (PR-GTD) operated by Gol Airlines of Brazil, and an Embraer Legacy 600 business jet (N600XL) owned and operated by Excelaire of Long Island, New York.
The accident investigation is being conducted under the authority of the Brazilian Aeronautical Accident Prevention and Investigation Center (DIPAA). Under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13, the United States, as state of registry and operator of the Excelaire Legacy, and state of manufacture of the Boeing 737 and Honeywell avionics equipment in both airplanes, has provided an accredited representative and technical advisors for the investigation. The U.S. team included the accredited representative from the major aviation accident investigations division of the NTSB, as well as technical advisors in operations, systems, air traffic control, flight recorders, and aircraft performance. Additional technical advisors from Boeing, Excelaire, Honeywell, and FAA have also been included.
If the transponder is off in either one of two approaching each other aircraft, the T Cast anti collision avoidance system will not work for either. We know there was no aural
warning in either plane to “pull up. Pull up.” Or vice versa.
So for sure the transponder was off in at least one of the planes, and that was probably the Legacy. However, in this Honeywell transponder, it is relatively easy for the
transponder to go off without the crew knowing that (due to design flaws.)
ATC put both aircraft coming at each other from oppostive directions at the same altitude, FL 370, and failed to track and warn, even though they had to know that for some reason the transponder in the exec jet was not working properly.
And who should we look for accountability to if the pilots are being held responsible for a Honeywell issue?
What: Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 en route from Singapore (Singapore) to Jakarta Where: Singapore When: May 16th 2011 Who: 136 passengers Why: After takeoff, the right engine developed problems. Twenty minutes into the flight, the plane started to shake, and the plane was “plunged into darkness.” There was a stall in the #2 engine, which banged twice and filled the cabin with the scent of burning. Passengers prayed aloud.
Captain Bradley Chic shut down the affected engine.The crew reported the emergency and returned to Changi Airport to make a safe landing with emergency vehicles on standby.
Passengers disembarked normally, after which they joined hands in the airport and shared a prayer.
Six fire vehicles put out a fire in the right engine.
What: American Airlines twin-engine MD 80 en route from Dallas to Washington Where: Little Rock Arkansas When: May 15 2011 4:08 Who: 136 passengers 5 crew Why: While en route, the pilot declared an emergency due to an engine fire, then diverted to make a safe landing in Little Rock Arkansas. Passengers were provided access to alternative flights to Washington.
What: American Eagle Embraer ERJ-145 en route from Montreal to Chicago O’Hare Where: Toronto When: May 13 2011 Who: 49 passengers and 3 crew, Why: When an electrical odor was detected aboard the plane, the pilots diverted to Toronto where they made a safe landing. Passengers did not have to disembark using slides. There were no injuries.
The source of the smell was an overheated fluorescent light
What: Pakistan International Airlines en route to Lahore Where: Sheikh Zyed international airport in Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab Province When: May 13, 2011 Who: 51 aboard Why: Five minutes after takeoff, the engine caught fire. Pilots returned the plane to the airport.
What: US Airways Airbus A319-100 en route from Atlanta to Charlotte Where: Atlanta When: May 13 2011 Who: 128 passengers Why: After takeoff from Atlanta, the plane was climbing and unable to retract the gear. The pilots returned to Atlanta and made a safe landing.
What: Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 en route from Singapore (Singapore) to Jakarta
