Locale

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    Airlink Crash in Durban


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Brian Spurr

    What: SA Airlink JS41 en route from from Durban to Pietermaritzburg
    Where: Durban
    When: Sep 24th 2009
    Who: 4 people, (3 crewmembers) and a woman working on the ground at the school perimeter, have been airlifted to local hospitals. The captain is critical, the other 3 with serious injuries.
    Why: The plane had smoke coming from its engines, lost height after takeoff.

    The crew called Mayday and reported engine loss and smoke. They attempted an emergency landing in the field in front of a school and impacted the fence surrounding the school.

    Preliminary examination apparently shows the hand engine was operating under full power and the left engine failed.

    George’s Point of View

    The fact that anyone at all survived this indicates that the emergency landing was a success.

    However, maintenance is suspect.

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    Incidents:


    Click to view large photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Oleg Chaplin

    What: Vladivostok Tupolev TU-204-300from Vladivostok to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Russia
    Where: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
    When: Sep 21st 2009
    Who: 95 passengers and 5 crew
    Why: On approach to Sakhalinsk, the flight underwent a “switch-off” of the right engine, but landed safely.
    __________

    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Siegi N.

    What: Lufthansa Boeing 747-400 en route from Frankfurt to New York JFK,NY
    Where: southwest of Iceland
    When: Sep 19th 2009
    Who: 334 passengers
    Why: After finding an oil leak over Iceland, the plane returned to Frankfurt; an alternative flight was provided for passengers who arrived in NY after a delay of less than 10 hours.
    _________

    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Von Wedelstaedt

    What: Egyptair Boeing 777-200 en route from London to Cairo
    Where: near London
    When: Sep 23rd 2009
    Who: 234 passengers
    Why: Due to an undisclosed technical failure, the flight returned to Heathrow. The flight was cancelled and passengers were provided accommodations.
    __________

    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Maciej Klatt

    What: SAS Scandinavian Airlines Boeing 737-600 en route from Dusseldorf to Stockholm
    Where: Dusseldorf
    When: Sep 22nd 2009
    Why: The flight reported engine problems after takeoff. Passengers were rebooked on other flights. Unverified passenger quotations posted on the Aviation Safety net indicate the crew may have known ahead of time there were issues; and they were attempting to fly the plane back to its base for repairs.
    _________

    George’s Point of View

    It’s all about maintenance, doesn’t matter your nationality.

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    Sao Paulo Plane crash: 3 or 4 fatalities


    Pictured: an Embraer-EMB-712-Tupi
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Joao Vitor Sayao

    What: Single engine Embraer Tupi plane ( EN-RYC)en route from Sao Jose dos Campos to Sao Jose do Rio Preto
    Where: southeast of Brazil in the municipality of Santa Isabel, in southeastern Sao Paulo
    When: between 9:45 and 11:45 on the Sept 21
    Who: 3 possibly 4 passengers: two adults and a child
    Why: The plane went missing for three hours and there was difficulty finding it because rain hampered search efforts. The local fire department which located the missing plane found the remains of the 3 passengers “carbonized” in aa forest near the Pouso Alegre Peak. They say the plane exploded. Local residents saw a flash.

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    UK Small Plane Crash

    What: twin-tailed plane
    Where: a field in Tangley, near Andover,
    When: Sunday. 20, Sep 2009
    Who: Pilot and passenger killed
    Why: After witness heard big “bangs,” the plane crashed in the field. Air Accidents Investigation Board (AAIB) is investigating.

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    Beechcraft Fireball Spares Pilot

    What: Twin-engine Beechcraft King Air en route from Hayward Executive Airport to San Carlos
    Where: HAYWARD, Calif.
    When: Sept 16 12:25 p.m
    Who: Pilot
    Why: Witness say after a sputtering take-off, the plane plane’s right wing got low, and the plane had barely got off the runway when it clipped the back of a commercial building just off the airfield. Coming down, the plane was described as a “70 foot fireball”. The pilot was the only one aboard, and he walked away.

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    Air Europa Lineas Aereas Boeing Engine Problem over Barcelona


    Pictured: An Air Europa Boeing over Barcelona
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Rui Miguel

    What: Air Europa Lineas Aereas Boeing 737-800 en route from Barcelona to Madrid
    Where: El Prat airport, Barcelona
    When: Sep 13th 2009 12.35
    Why: After takeoff, the indicator light for engine failure lit, a noise was heard and the plane experienced what is described by passengers as a “tremor.” After the safe landing at El Prat, the airport of origin, passengers continued on another plane to Madrid.

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    Climber Rescue in Japan Goes Wrong


    Contact Photographer Shimizu Brothers

    What: Gifu Prefecture Bell 412 EP Ambulance/Rescue helicopter en route from Gifu Airbase.
    Where: Takayama, about 240 kilometers west of Tokyo.
    When: Sept 11 2009, 3:30pm (0630 GMT
    Who: four people (5 crew on board but at least one was on the mountain in the process of the rescue)
    Why: During an emergency rescue of a climber who collapsed with cardiopulmonary arrest while mountain climbing, the helicopter’s tail rotor hit the mountain; and it fell 400 meters into a ravine. 5 crew were originally on board, 2 crew off from the helicopter rappelling down.

    The climber and the three aboard the helicopter were pronounced dead at the scene.

    Please excuse the bad translation below but it is pretty much indecipherable unless we get names:

    Disaster Asakura Hitoshi County (57) (Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture), Miyoshi Hideho mechanic (47) (same), vice captain Gotou Atsushi (34) (Kasamatsu-cho, Hyogo Prefecture ) confirmed dead.

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    Mexican Crash Kills 2

    What: Armada de Mexico helicopter Russian-built MI-17 chopper en route from Veracruz to Mexico City
    Where: border between Veracruz and Puebla
    When: 10-SEP-2009
    Who: 2 fatalities, 3 injuries. The two dead are a lieutenant and a mechanic
    Why: No reason is given for the crash. The weather at the time was rainy and foggy with limited visibility. Survivors were taken to hospitalization facilities in Jalapa and Perote

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    Runway Fire Damages Boeing

    What: NACL B747-400 en route from Mumbai to Riyadh
    Where: Mumbai
    When: Sept 4 2009, 5:30
    Who: 229 aboard
    Why: NACIL B747-400 aircraft was en route from Mumbai to Riyadh with 213 passengers and 16 crew members onboard. While taxing for takeoff, the controller informed the aircraft that there was a heavy fuel leak from the left side of the aircraft and instructed to switch off the engines immediately as the fire had developed. The crew carried out the emergency shut down for all the engines. The Cabin crew ordered evacuation. Passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft safely through slide chutes. Fire services reached the aircraft and put off the fire.

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    Hijacking

    Please note that the hijackers have been taken into custody and the crew is no longer being held hostage.

    What: AeroMexico Boeing 737 en route from Cancun Mexico was hijacked in Mexico on Wednesday and flown to the Mexican capital,
    Where: Mexico City
    When: Sept 9 2009
    Who: all of the 112 American, French, and Mexican passengers and crew got off the plane. Five suspects have caught on film handcuffed being escorted into custody; up to 8 are being detained.
    Why: Hijackers threatened to blow the plane up unless they were allowed to speak to President Felipe Calderon. No bomb was on board

    The hijackers are Bolivian citizens.

    Passengers debarked with their carryon luggage. Some passengers were unaware they’d been hijacked until they arrived and saw police. Others indicate the pilot had made an announcement that they were being hijacked. The hijackers were never able to enter the cockpit.

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    FAA official Lost during Proficiency Check in Jackson MS

    What: Robinson R44 practicing aerial maneuvers operating out of Hawkins Field Airport
    Where: duplex-style house about half a mile east of Hawkins Field airport in Jackson, MississippI
    When: Tues September 1, 2009 at 1932
    Who: Two FAA officials, pilot Charles Farmer and pilot Larry Wells of Crystal Springs
    Why: While in the course of a standard pilot proficiency check, it appeared the helicopter was experiencing engine trouble and trying to land, when the helicopter fell from the sky, clipped a tree and crashed into the unoccupied half a duplex house in Jackson Mississippi. The two victims both of whom worked for the FAA were taken to the Mississippi Medical Center, where Charles Farmer died. Larry Wells sustained serious injuries.

    The 2007 R-44 Rotorcraft belonged to WEBB GROUP FLP of Jackson Ms.

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    Airbus Hydraulics Act up In German Landing


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Gerry Stegmeier

    What: Swiss International Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from Zurich Switzerland to Hamburg Germany
    Where: on approach to Hamburg Fuhlsbuettel airport
    When: Sep 1st 2009
    Why: On approach to Fuhlsbuettel, the plane developed a hydraulic problem. Gear doors remained open and the plane landed safely, and was towed to the terminal.

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    IndiGo Airbus Lands with Engine Fire


    An Indigo Airbus arriving from Delhi
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Sunandan Subramaniam

    What: IndiGo Airbus A320-200 en route from Bangalore to New Delhi India
    Where: Hyderabad
    When: Sep 1st 2009
    Who: 99 aboard
    Why: While over Hyderabad, smoke was seen coming from an engine, and the fire alert went off. The plane managed a safe landing. It was not noted if the passengers debarked normally, or by slides, but no injuries were reported.

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    Seminole Employees Lost in Mystery Plane Crash

    What: single-engine Trinidad TB-20 registration N654GT en route from Montgomery, Ala., to North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines
    Where: just outside Pavo, Ga
    When: Thursday August 27, 2009 wreckage found at 12:30 p.m August 28
    Who: pilot/owner Robert F. Moreland and passenger Michael Villanueva
    Why: The pilot had filed no flight plan, and bad weather hampered the search efforts. The plane crashed in a wooded area. We will be looking for updates on the cause.

    George’s Point of View

    Condolences to the families and to the Seminole tribe

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    Congo Crash Kills 6

    What: Congo Republic (Aero Fret Business?) Antonov 12 cargo plane en route from Pointe Noire to Brazzaville
    Where: SE of Brazzaville-Maya Maya Airport, in the cemetery of the village of Nganga Lingolo
    When: Wed Aug 26, 2009
    Who: Five 5 Ukrainian crew and one Congolese passenger
    Why: Radio contact was lost at 3000 feet and the rear of the plane was on fire prior to impact with the ground. One report says “The airplane broke up in flight.”

    Approaching the runway, the plane crashed in a cemetery.

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    Four Die in Italian Helicopter Crash

    What: dell’eliambulanza medical emergency service helicopter
    Where: Mount Cristallo/ Mount Faloria near Cortina d’Ampezzo Ski Resort
    When: Saturday, 22nd August 2009
    Who: 4 people on board: two engineers (co-pilot Marco Zago and Stefano da Forno), a doctor (Spaziani Fabrizio) and the pilot (Dario De Felipe)
    Why: The helicopter appeared to have hit a high voltage cable while flying in bad weather. The helicopter was in the process of responding to landslide near Rio Gere, towards Passo Tre Croci. Continued bad weather hampered recovery efforts.

    This would have been Zago’s last mission before transferring to another job.

    The remains have been recovered, however, and were taken to the hospitap mortuary in Cortina Codivilla. This hazardous area frequently requires mountain rescue services.

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    Engine Fire over Launceston Australia Instigates Emergency Landing


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Torin Wilson

    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.

    George’s Point of View

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    JAC Commuter Hydraulics Malfunction


    PICTURED: A JAC De Havilland jet landing at Osaka
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Javier Guerrero

    What: Japan Air Commuter Bombardier DHC-8-402 en route from Osaka to Miyazaki
    (Also reported as a Havilland Dash 8-400)
    Where: Osaka International Airport
    When: Thursday Aug 20
    Who: 22 passengers and four flight crew members
    Why: Breitbart reports that while en route, the Bombardier’s hydraulic system indicator light reported a hydraulics malfunction. The plane landed safely with no reported injuries and was towed off the runway. It is not clear if the hydraulics or the indicator was at the source of the problem, but JAC is investigating.

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    EasyJet Airbus Diverts to France over Undisclosed Smoke


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Matt Duna

    What: Easyjet Airbus A320-200 en route from London Gatwick to Faro, Portugal
    Where: La Rochelle France
    When: Aug 19th 2009, 09:30 BST
    Who: 165 passengers and 6 crew
    Why: Over the Bay of Biscay, the flight crew detected the smell of something burning and declared an emergency. They diverted to La Rochelle France, where they landed safely. No injuries were reported. Passengers were provided an alternative Airbus six hours later although firefighters with heat sensitive cameras did not find a source for the smell. The Easyjet spokesman called it a ” a small electrical problem .”

    George’s Point of View

    Considering that the flight was an Airbus flying over the ocean, passengers were lucky.

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    Kingfisher Bird strike at Guwahati

    What: Kingfisher Red en route from Imphal-Guwahati-Kolkata
    Where: Guwahati airport
    When: Saturday August 15, 2009
    Who: not available
    Why: On takeoff, the Kingfisher flight suffered a bird strike on a wing. ATC declared an emergency and the plane landed safely. A maintenance inspection found traces of the bird strike. The flight was grounded for repairs

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    American Airlines Emergency Landing in Panama


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Javier Cáceres

    What: American Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Panama to Miami
    Where: Tocumen
    When: Aug 16, 2009
    Who: 190 passengers
    Why: Forty minutes into the flight, the pilot detected smoke in the cabin. An emergency was declared, and the plane returned to Toccumen airport for a safe landing. The cause of the smoke has not yet been determined.

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    Vim Avia Engine Fire Causes Diversion in Italy


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Kiskockas

    What: VIM Avia Boeing 757 en route from Alicante Spain to Moscow Russia
    Where: Rimini Italy
    When: Aug 15th 2009
    Who: 250 passengers (also reported as 225)
    Why: While en route from Spain to Russia, the right engine indicated fire, causing the crew to declare an emergency while still over Italy. The engine was shut down and the flight diverted to Rimini where it landed safely. Passengers had to wait for the replacement flight, as immediate alternatives were not available.

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    NY: Hudson River Crash Update


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Tom Turner

    What: Piper PA-32 registered to LCA Partnership in Fort Washington, Pa flying out of Teteboro Airport to Ocean City and a Liberty Helicopter Sightseeing Tour Eurocopter AS 350
    Where: over the Hudson River between New York and Hoboken, New Jersey near West 14th Street
    When: Sat Aug 8 2009
    Who: Helicopter: 5 Italian tourists and a pilot;
    plane: pilot and 2 passengers (including a child)
    Why: The airplane flew into the helicopter. The impact (or rotors) severed off the plane’s wing. Both aircrafts are in the river. The helicopter is reported to have “dropped like a rock” when the aircrafts “clipped.”

    All bodies have been recovered.

    Though not necessarily considered directly responsible, two FAA employees (the plane’s air traffic controller and the ATC supervisor) have been put on administrative leave in connection with this crash. The ATC was engaged in inappropriate conversation, and the supervisor was not in the room as required.

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    Plane Found in New Guinea


    Pictured: A Papua New Guinea Airlines De Havilland Twin Otter
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Steve Bond

    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.