What: United Airlines en route to San Francisco Where: LAX When: April 17, 2011 Why: After takeoff, the autopilot took control and would not relinquish it. The pilot had no control over the plane, but then was able to turn off autopilot and return to the airport.
The news release of this event does not mention the type of plane; but I am not surprised at first research that it appears to have been an Airbus A320. Fortunately, the pilot regained control, and there were no injuries. But this kind of problem with an airbus could have significance relating to all fly by wire aircraft, which have the capacity to lock out the pilot.
We need more information about this event. It should be published heavily, and we should be hearing some alerts and safety directives from Airbus.
What: Virgin Australia Boeing 777-300 en route from Los Angeles to Sydney Where: Los Angeles When: April 12, 2011 Who: 305 passengers Why: On making its takeoff run from Los Angeles, the plane emitted a loud “bang!” and stopped on the runway, they believed for a nose gear. It turned out to be the fireball erupting from engine one. Needless to say, the jet was pulled for inspection, and the passengers were given hotel accommodations for the night. They were provided an alternative flight the next day.
What: Delta twin-engine McDonnell Douglas MD-90, en route from Tampa, Fla to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Where: Rochester When: April 13, 2011 4 pm Who: 143 passengers 6 crew Why: While en route, passengers felt vibrations, and smelled smoke before the pilots made an emergency diversion at the Rochester airport. They landed with the fire department on standby.
An engine was judged to be faulty and is being replaced while at the Rochester airport. Most of the stranded passengers finished the last leg of their trip on buses provided by Delta, though some rented cars.
What: Air France Airbus 380 en route from NY to Paris Where: JFK, NY When: April 11, 2011 Who: Air France Airbus passengers; and Comair passengers; Why: A Delta/Comair Bombardier CRJ-700 (N641CA) which had just flown in from Boston was struck in the tail by the left wing of an Airbus.
There were no injuries, but a lot of inconvenience, plus damage to both planes. (The Comair left horizontal stabilizer and the Airbus wingtip.) The Air France flight was cancelled because of the damage. Both flights were cancelled, although the Air France flight hadn’t gone anywhere. The Air France passengers had to disembark and retrieve their luggage as alternatives for reaching their destination were sorted out.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
The NTSB report says there was no smoke, no burning and wonders why the CVR and data recorder were turned off before the incident. (Procedure for the ECAM indication is to shut down certain electrical systems.) Pilots were acting on “autothrottle-related message” followed by an avionics smoke warning message that was accompanied by “instructions to land” but apparently neither the pilots and crew (who “reportedly received automated warnings and detected smoke in the cockpit) actually smelled smoke. Furthermore some news articles have talked about passengers being treated for smoke exposure which was more likely injury occurring on an emergency slide.
What: United Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from New Orleans,LA to San Francisco,CA
Where: Louis Armstrong Airport
When: April 4 2011 7:20 a.m. after a 13 minute flight
Who: 100 passengers 5 crew
Why: After takeoff, the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit, and returned to the airport. The pilot reported losing all instruments, and landed on backup power, blowing out a tire and running off the runway. Passengers evacuated via slides.
What: Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800 en route from Sacramento to Kahului Where: Sacramento When: April 9, 2011, 10:20am Who: 169 passengers Why: After takeoff from Sacramento, a bird was ingested into the plane’s engine, causing engine trouble. The flight returned to Sacramento where it made a safe landing. A replacement flight was scheduled for the afternoon.
Recent bird include the Skywest/Delta Canadair CRJ 700 (Portland-Salt Lake City) strike on April 6 2011, the GOL Linhas Aereas Boeing 737-800 (Salvador-Aracaju) strike on April 3, and the Air France Boeing 777 strike in Paris (Paris-HongKong) on Mar 24.
What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-3H4 en route from Phoenix to Sacramento Where: Yuma International Airport, AZ When: 01 APR 2011 Who: 118 aboard Why: A hole burst through the top of this Boeing while en route. The plane suffered decompression, descended to a safe level (when an attendant was injured) and made an emergency landing in Yuma.
The hole has opened a witch hunt on aging Boeings in search of the kind of metal fatigue that would result in a hole during operations now that the aluminum skin has been known to separate at the lap joints, where panels are spliced together. Although the incident did not result in death, it is being taken as a “warning.” 175 Boeing 737 are slated for examination, and maintenance programs (Southwest, FAA, Boeing) are being re-evaluated to take this into account.
Discussion of lap joint and the 3 rows of rivets. The skin separated at the lower rivet line. Pre-existing fatigue existed on the fracture surface. (Multi site damage.) The decompression happened 18.5 minutes after take-off, and no pre-indications. The flight crew immediately declared emergency.
On April 4, 2011, a United Airlines Airbus 320-232 with 109 passengers and crew aboard returned to the airport about 20 minutes after take-off due to electrical difficulties and smoke in the cockpit. On landing, the crew described a loss of anti-skid braking and nose-wheel steering and passengers had to exit via slide. (The right front slide failed.) Dan Bower is investigator-in-charge of the NTSB team including reps of Federal Aviation Administration,United Airlines, the Air Line Pilots Association, theAssociation of Flight Attendants, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and an Airbus rep appointed by the Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA) of the Government of France.
What: United Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from New Orleans,LA to San Francisco,CA Where: Louis Armstrong Airport When: April 4 2011 7:20 a.m. after a 13 minute flight Who: 100 passengers 5 crew Why: After takeoff, the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit, and returned to the airport. The pilot reported losing all instruments, and landed on backup power, blowing out a tire and running off the runway. Passengers evacuated via slides.
After landing, passengers were taken to the Hilton.
TRANSCRIPT OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER, PILOT CONVERSATION
UA 497: Clear for takeoff runway 19, thank for you very much.
UA 497: We need to vector back to the airport, we got a smoke issue with the airplane.
N.O. Approach: Turn right 030 (degrees) and maintain 4,000 (feet.)
UA 497: 030 4,000. And we’d like the longest runway please.
N.O. Approach: There are men and equipment on the runway – they’re going to try to get them off now. Descend at pilot’s discretion. Maintain 2,000.
UA 497: We are declaring an emergency and please roll equipment for our landing please.
N.O. Approach: We are unable for (runway) 10, can you take (runway) 19?
UA 497: ..no..
N.O. Approach: Roger, we are clearing the runway now.
Airport operations: How much time do we have?
New Orleans Tower: I’d say they are about 11 miles to the west.
Airport operations: Tower, we can start trying to pull them off, but I don’t think we will get them all off in time.
N.O. Approach: United 497, Say souls on board and fuel remaining.
UA 497: 106 souls on board, fuel remaining 32,400 pounds.
N.O. Approach: They are still trying to get all the vehicles off the runway and 19 is still available if you like….
New Orleans Tower: … working as fast as they can (unintelligible) There is a bunch of equipment on there they’re tying to get off now.
UA 497: You need to clear it for us.
New Orleans Tower: I understand, sir. We’re getting them off as fast as we can.
N.O. Approach: Turn right heading 140, main 2,000 ….cleared ILS runway 10 approach.
New Orleans Tower: Can you verify the vehicles are exiting?
Airport operations: We are attempting to get the vehicles off right now, I’m removing the cones also.
New Orleans Tower: OK, cause I haven’t seen any of the vehicles move and the aircraft is ten to the northwest and they have to have runway 100.
N.O. Approach: United 497, Turn right heading 180.
UA 497: um…. We only have one… um … (Alarms sounding in background.)
N.O. Approach: United 497 say again sir?
New Orleans Tower: We need three minutes to get the runway clear.
UA 497: (alarms blaring) We’ve lost all our instruments right now and we’re going to need (directions)
N.O. Approach: United turn left heading, 20 degrees left
N.O. Approach: Just continue left turn, I’ll tell you when to stop.
UA 497: (unintelligible) What vector are we from the airport?
N.O. Approach: Right now sir you are on the 330 degree heading from the airport. Northwest of the airport for runway 19er. If you continue on this present heading you’ll set up on the shoreline for 19.
UA 497: Shoreline for 19.
N.O. Approach: I can set u up there or I can vector you, what’d you need?
UA 497: That’s fine.
N.O. Approach: (unintelligible…)You got the water, right?
UA 497: Yeah, we got the water and we’re going to stop here about 600 feet.
N.O. Approach: Roger that. The airport’s currently at your 1 o’clock and five miles.
UA 497: 1 o’clock and five miles roger.
New Orleans Tower to fire crews: Fox-6, next arrival runway 19er is our aircraft. And the aircraft is approximately 3 miles northwest runway 19er.
N.O. Approach: If you start your right turn now I can set you up on final.
UA 497: Start turn on final.
New Orleans Tower to fire crews: The aircraft is over the shoreline around two miles out. You do have permission to proceed on to the runway after he lands.
N.O. Approach: Make a right turn. The airport is off to yoru right side,
N.O. Approach: 497, clear to land 19er. You’ll be able to make it sir? Winds 180 at 16, gusts to 20, Clear to land. Runway 19er.
New Orleans Tower to fire trucks: Fox-5, this is our aircraft touvh ing down bow.
New Orleans Tower: Follow the aircraft down the runway.
New Orleans Tower: We’re going to need runway 10 operational. Runway 19er is fouled at this time.
What: Southwest Airlines Boeing en route from Phoenix to Sacramento Where: Yuma Marine Corps Air Station, Arizona When: April 1, 2011 Who: 118 passengers Why: While en route, after what sounded like an explosion, a three foot hole opened up in the roof, straight through the fuselage. After rapid decompression, the pilots diverted to Yuma Marine Corps air Station. There were no injuries among the passengers but one fight attendant was hurt. Some passengers passed out when their oxygen wasn’t working.
Subsequent to the initial event, more planes were found with similar issues. (More to come)
What: American Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Boston,MA to Saint Thomas US Virgin Islands Where: Atlantic When: Apr 3rd 2011 Who: 157 aboard Why: While en route, the flight developed a problem with cabin pressure. The flight was 150nm southeast of New York City at the time. They descended to 10,000 feet for the sake of the pressure.
Then the pilots diverted to jfk to make a safe landing.
What: American Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from Dallas to Santiago Chile Where: Dallas When: Apr 1st 2011 Who: 170 passengers 12 crew Why: After taking off from Dallas/ft Worth, the crew returned to the airport because of a tail strike. They made a safe landing 30 minutes after takeoff. The flight was cancelled.
The single-engine, four-seat Cirrus SR22 was on course for Kissimmee, Fla., and maintaining altitude at 11,000 feet, but had not responded to repeated contact attempts from controllers; at the same time, ten miles behind the Cirrus at 12,000 feet was Southwest Flight 821, a Boeing 737. Rather than following the protocol for unresponsive aircraft, the supervisor asked the Boeing to visually check the Cirrus cockpit. The Boeing did so, reporting 2 people in the cockpit. Both planes landed safely.
But the planes violated proximity guidelines. The Boeing could have caused air turbulence upsetting the Cirrus. They flew too close. As a consequence, the FAA suspending the FAA controller, and they are reviewing procedures, and training practices.
What: American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-82 en route from Fort Myers to Dallas TX Where: Jacksonville When: Mar 30th 2011 Why: While en route, the crew smelled smoke in the cabin.
They diverted to Jacksonville. By the time they landed, the odor dissipated. The plane was examined; and a replacement MD-83 was flown in.
What: US Airways 737 Where: Charlotte-Douglas International Airport When: March 28, 2011 Who: pilot Why: Prior to takeoff, a small hole was discovered in the fuselage toward the back of the aircraft on the left side. The flight was cancelled, and the plane was taken out of service. The last flight had been Philadelphia to Charlotte. The cause of the hole has not been determined but the FBI is investigating if it might be a bullet hole that extends from the exterior into the cabin
What: Heliflite Inc/Aris Helicopter Sikorsky S-58ET Where: El Segundo When: March 13, 2011. 9:30 am Who: pilot Why: Earlier in March we talked about the Sikorsky that crashed while lifting an ac unit from atop the Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems warehouse in El Segundo. The injured pilot survived though he had to be extracted from the helicopter. Anthony Savedra, an employee of Excel Mechanical, pulled the pilot to safety. The helicopter capacity is 5000 pounds, and the unit that was being removed from the building was under 4500 lbs, but the helicopter apparently suffered an engine failure (the pilot said the engine when “offline”) while the operation was in progress. A witness in the video below said the helicopter made a popping noise on impact, and there was white smoke; then a few moments later, there was an explosion, and black smoke. The pilot escaped burn injuries.
The crash started a fire on two floors of the warehouse but no one was injured in the fire, because the accident occurred on a Sunday. Seventy firefighters put out the blaze within forty minutes.
Pictured: Video clip What: Banner plane Where: North Myrtle Beach at Apache Pier When: March 18 2011 1:30 pm Who: pilot Why: A pilot flying a plane dragging a banner ditched his plane in the surf off Myrtle Beach. 30 beachgoers rescued the helicopter pilot and a tow crew removed the plane’s wings to pull it on to the beach. The pilot survived and the damage to the plane appears to be minimal.
What: Helicopter over Dallas Where: Regal Row and Empress Row When: March 18, 2011, 9:30 Who: 3 passengers Why: A helicopter a mile and a half from Dallas Love Field Airport had to make an emergency landing at the intersection of Regal Row and Empress Row when an air conditioning belt overheated.
What: Delta en route from Grand Rapids to Detroit Where: Gerald R Ford International Airport When: March 19 2011 Who: 55 passengers Why: After departure from Grand Rapids, the plane developed smoke in the cockpit. The pilot returned to the airport where he made a safe landing. Passengers disembarked on the runway and were ported back to the terminal.
What: Orange County Sheriff’s Office helicopter Where: intersection of South Orange Blossom Trail and Holden Avenue, Orlando When: March 13, 2011 Who: Pilot and crew Why: While en route, the helicopter began making a strange sound. The crew decided to land, and made an emergency landing at the mall. The helicopter originated at Orlando Executive Airport.
What: Comair flight en route from Atlanta to Charleston Where: Lexington Bluegrass Airport When: Mar 10, 2011 Who: passengers include 9 Marshall assistant football coaches Why: After visiting Texas Christian University and Mississippi state, Marshall coaches reunited in Atlanta with the intent of returning to Atlanta on the same plane.
Prior to takeoff, that plane developed unknown issues and the flight was delayed as a replacement plane had to be brought in.
Then, while en route, the replacement plane developed a problem with the landing gear. The pilot diverted to Lexington Bluegrass Airport and made a safe landing.
While they apparently endured the flight with aplomb and some extra prayers, there was no outward panic, but one can only guess how the coaches felt. With two problems on two separate planes, they were no doubt remembering the fatal 1970 plane crash that took Marshall’s football team. Is Marshall University cursed or what? If I went to Marshall, or especially played football for Marshall, I’dt be thinking about alternative transportation.
What: Desert Sand Aircraft Leasing de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 100 Where: SW of Clayton County Airport-Tara Field, GA When: 08 MAR 2011 Who: 2 fatalities Why: The Desert Sand Aircraft Leasing flight piloted by 37-year-old Bryan Hedrick crashed at 11:45 am on March 8, 2011 on a post maintenance flight run. The maintenance was done by National Aerotech Aviation, and the maintenance flight was headed toward Tara Field when the plane went down for an unknown reason, and landed upside down, with the tail leaning on a tree, the right wing off and twisted, and the left wing folded back.
Both the pilot and passenger Oriel Roberts died in the crash.
What: Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300 from New York JFK,NY to Sao Paulo Where: New York When: Mar 6th 2011 Why: The Delta Boeing encountered heavy wind on takeoff and suffered a tail strike. The pilot returned to JFK and made a safe landing. According to Flight Aware, the duration of the flight was 49 minutes.
What: Delta en route from New York City to Phoenix Where: Eppley Airfield When: Feb 28, 2011 Why: While en route, the plane developed smoke in the cockpit.
The flight diverted to Omaha and made a safe landing with rescue crews standing by.
Passengers disembarked and were booked on an 8:15 am Omaha to Phoenix flight.
What: Cessna Where: Hagerstown Regional Airport When: Feb 26, 2011, 2:30 Who: pilot Why: The pilot reported a loss of oil pressure. Also, the nose wheel of the single-engine Cessna did not come down, which was verified by a flyby for the tower.
On landing, the prop hit the runway. The Maugansville Volunteer Fire Co arrived after the plane had landed.
What: Dragon Aviation 1969 BAC 167 Strikemaster en route from Nashville, Tennessee, to an airport in Ghent, New York See more about the plane here Where: near the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge, Hudson River, Kingston New York When: Feb 26 2011 1:30 p.m. Who: pilot Michael Faraldi Why: The BAC 167 Strikemaster ex-military jet did a very low pass over the runway before crashing into the frozen Hudson River on approach to Kingston-Ulster Airport at about 1:30 p.m. Saturday near the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge. The body of 38-year-old Michael Faraldi was recovered 3 p.m. Sunday. Faraldi whose day job was podiatry was a general aviation pilot on his first transition into a high performance jet-fighter category aircraft.
