What: Delta en route from New York to Moscow
Where: New York
When: Nov 21, 2010
Who: 193 passengers, 11 crew
Why: After takeoff, ATC saw flames and smoke. The flight returned to JFK. No fire was found, but a compressor stall may have occurred. The left engine was shut down and the flight returned to the airport. Another flight was scheduled departing at 8 for Moscow, for the passengers.
What: 1968 Beechcraft Musketeer en route from Calexico to Torrance,
Where: Upper Newport Harbor, NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.
When: Nov 20, 2010
Who: Fatalities: 58-year-old Charles Alfred Chambers, 63-year-old Russell Urban of Palos Verdes Estate, 44-year-old Sean Kelly of Hermosa Beach.
Why: Sunday Pilot Chambers was flying from Calexico on the U.S. Mexican border to Torrance, but diverted to John Wayne Airport when experiencing a fuel shortage. The plane crashed into the water off Newport Beach. The plane was recovered Monday.
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Contact photographer Mattia Vichi
What: Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from New York JFK,NY to Accra
Where: over the Atlantic
When: Oct 29 2010
Why: While en route 300 miles out of New York, the plane developed an internal leak in the right engine, and smoke collected in the cabin.
The pilot descended to a lower altitude and made a safe landing at JFK with rescue services on standby. Passengers did not disembark for nearly two hours.
Maintenance determined that the oil leak or smoke from an oil leak got into the air conditioning.
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What: American Airlines Boeing 757-200 from Miami,FL to Boston,MA
Where: Miami
When: Oct 26th 2010
Who: 154 passengers and 6 crew
Why: A half hour after takeoff, the plane developed rapid decompression at 31,000 feet requiring oxygen masks, an emergency descent and a return to Miami.
Maintenance found a one by two foot hole in the hull.
Maintenance, Maintenance, Maintenance!
Even with AD Directives issued, this was still missed. Was there telltale evidence prior to this event that could have prevented endangering 154 passengers and six crew?
The hole in the hull is not unprecedented. Sixteen months prior to flight AA-1640, Southwest Airlines (SWA) flight 2294, (another Boeing suffering a hole in the hull in July 13, 2009), the FAA has already issued Airworthiness Directive 2010-01-09 mandating inspection requirements. At that time, they ascribed the hull failure to a design fault: Fuselage skin failure due to preexisting fatigue at a chemically milled step.
It’s an easy enough thing to visualize-picture slightly squeezing an empty cola can, then blowing into it; and repeating the process, over and over. In a soda can, it would not take the 20 years this plane has been flying for the stressed areas to develop a crease, and eventually crack.
Not that a soda can is expected to sustain the significant pressures at 10,000+ feet, nor does it have the design flaw of chemical milling, nor is its skin made of single and double bonded layers. If it were, one could theoretically presume and anticipate metal fatigue to occur at the weakest location–the edges of where the metal is double-bonded.
In the Southwest Airlines event, it was observed that the progression of metal fatigue tends to be higher at the borders between chemically milled and non-chemically milled bays.
The inspection requirements in SB 737-53A1301 require inspections to detect cracks in the vulnerable areas (the chem-mill step) to avoid sudden fracture and failure of the fuselage skin panels.
Did this plane undergo “repetitive external non-destructive inspections to detect cracks in the fuselage skin“?
Carriers out there, when there are directives which indicate potential problems, pay attention!
If not for the stellar performance of this flight crew, this plane would have been a statistic.
Thank you, John D King for sending the links.
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What: Skywest-Delta CRJ-200 commuter jet en route from Helena, Montana to Salt Lake City
Where: Salt Lake City
When: October 28, 2010
Who: 46 passengers, 3 crew
Why: A bomb threat call claiming there was an incendiary device aboard Skywest-Delta flight 4654 was reported to Skywest at St. George. Law enforcement was notified.
Bomb-sniffing dogs did not find anything. The call is being traced, and security has been doubled.
What: home built plane en route to Los Chavez
Where: Mid-Valley airport in Los Chavez, Valencia County
When: Oct 17, 2010 7: 58 am
Who: pilot and passenger
Why: The plane was on approach to Los Chavez when it crashed into a drainage ditch. The occupants survived but had to be extracted from the wreckage.
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Contact photographer Ryan Coulter
What: US Airways A319 en route from Anchorage to Phoenix
Where: Seattle
When: Oct 15 2010 5:45 AM
Who: 130 aboard
Why: While en route, the left engine stalled. The crew shut down the engine and diverted to Seattle where they made a safe landing at Sea-Tac.
A replacement Airbus was provided.
What: BELL 206B crop-dusting helicopter
Where: Newton Texas
When: October 13, 2010
Who: pilots name not released
Why: After reloading the chemical tanks and refueling, the (registration 499BH ) N499BH BELL 206 ROTORCRAFT, lifted off while the fuel hose was still attached. The two seat helicopter went up, then, of course, crashed. It fell over on its side. One person on the ground was injured.
This is no joke, as someone on the ground was severely injured.
However, it still reminds me of high school, when my date at the drive-in left the speaker hooked in the window, and when we left, I also left the window. The speaker took it out, hooked on the frame and kept the car from moving. We didn’t crash, or fall over, or even dent my window frame. Of course, we were in a Pinto.
(I won’t go into how, when it was repaired, I tried to roll it up and it still wasn’t there, how the glass company goofed and replaced my perfectly good windshield, how I ended up with both a new door window AND a new windshield and an apology.)
It’s a good thing the helicopter pilot’s name wasn’t released. Even if someone else was doing the refueling.
How embarrassing.
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Contact photographer Jason Whitebird
What: Jetblue Airbus A320-200 en route from New York to Tampa
Where: Tampa
When: Sep 29 2010
Who: 147 passengers, 5 crew
Why: On landing at Tampa, the jet incurred an altimeter failure and a tail strike.
No injuries occurred; and the NTSB is currently evaluating the state of damage incurred from the tail strike (minor) and the circumstances of the altimeter failure.
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Contact photographer Radek Oneksiak
What: Expressjet/Continental Express Embraer ERJ-145 flight 2496 en route from Houston to Louisville
Where: Louisville
When: 7 pm
Who: 47 aboard
Why: On landing, the plane developed a problem with one of its flaps (emergency flap failure). The pilot made a safe landing with no injuries.
The flight was attended by airport emergency crews.
What: Colnan Inc. Cessna 550 Citation II
Where: Manteo-Dare County Regional Airport, NC
When: Oct 1 2010 8:30 am
Who: 2 crew 5 passengers
Why: The plane flew successfully from Tampa to Manteo, but on landing, was too fast to stop on the rain-slick runway, but overran the end into the Croatan Sound off of Roanoke Island.
Dare County Regional Airport staff rescued all passengers and crew from the sound. No fatalities. The plane has been recovered, but as you see on the video, is probably a total loss.
What: Sabovich and Sons Cessna 310 registration N310XX
Where: Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, California
When: Oct 2 2010 3:40
Who: 3 aboard: 54-year old pilot, the 50-year old male passenger and the 48-year old female passenger
Why: The pilot flew in from Santa Ana to pick up two passengers. 
On takeoff, the left engine failed. The pilot had to make a forced landing a half-mile southeast of the airport, which set off a field fire.
The injured were airlifted to hospitals by helicopter.
Passengers sustained significant but non-life-threatening burns.
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What: Skywest Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Omaha,NE to Milwaukee,WI
Where: Milwaukee
When: Sep 28th 2010
Who: 36 passengers and 3 crew
Why: Averting their first approach to Milwaukee, the crew received a gear up message. They performed a flyby confirming the situation, attempted several times to get the gear down, and finally touched down with the left gear up.
The plane slid down the runway on its nose gear, right hand main gear and left wing, and although I don’t think anyone recorded the sparks as in the JFK landing with the flight attendant’s relentless “stay down” directive, the landing was no doubt just as dramatic and successful.
Passengers disembarked through the main door.
CBS news quoted a passenger who said he heard the crew attempt to put down the gear 4 or 5 times. Bombardier spokesman Marc Duchesne said, “The aircraft has logged more than 27 million flight hours and more than 22 million takeoff and landing cycles, so these are very good and reliable aircraft.” The plane is designed for short hops.
Fortunately, the crew flying these aircraft seem to be made of more heroic and substantial backbone than the landing gear.
What: Atlantic Southeast/Delta Airlines Canadair CRJ-900 en route from Atlanta to White Plains, New York
Where: New York
When: Sept 25 2010 8:20 pm
Who: 60 passengers 4 crew
The fifth + landing gear failure in the US in five years has launched an engineering investigation of Bombardier’s CRJ landing gear. The objective of the investigation is to determine if there is a connection between all of the gear failures.
Saturday the landing gear of a CRJ failed, resulting in a dramatic landing at JFK. The dragging wing created a “shower of sparks” during the landing.
How many times is enough?
What: (Registration pending) BE65 65 Queen Air (U-8F Seminole)
Where: SAN CARLOS, CA
When: Sept 2, 2010 1850
Who: 1 pilot, 2 passengers: 3 fatalities
Why: The plane crashed under unknown circumstances submerged in water about a mile from the airport.
What: Helicopter afloat in Gulf of Mexico
Where: Terrebonne Parish
When: September 1, 2010, 8:40 a.m.
Who: Reid Aldrich of Nampa, Ind., David Portlock of Lafayette, Brian Meadows of Carencro, and John Howell of Cape Coral, Fla.
Why: Helicopter over the Gulf of Mexico made an emergency landing IN the Gulf, staying afloat with flotation devices until rescued by two Coast Guard Dolphin helicopters. Good Samaritan fishing vessel, Nhu-Uyen and motor vessel CAPT. Joel assisted in the rescue. The injured were taken to Terrebonne General Medical Center. There were no fatalities.
Pictured: An Air Evac Lifeteam Bell 206L-1 LongRanger II filmed at General Dewitt Spain Airport
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Contact photographer Brent Beck
What: Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter en route from Vilonia to Crabtree, Arkansas
Where: Scotland, Arkansas
When: August 31, 2010 4:30 AM
Who: medivac crew based in Viloni
Why: While on the way to pick up a patient, the helicopter crashed in a woodsy area near 6831 Highway 95 west in Van Buren County. Parts of the helicopter are in the yard of Walnut Grove Church.
This is not George A. Fortin’s N96389; it is a Taylorcraft BC-12D Twosome photographed at Millinocket Municipal Airport in Maine
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Contact photographer Paul Robbins
What: vintage 1946 Taylorcraft BC12-D en route from Limington airport
Where: field near Cape Monday Road, Harrison, Maine,
40 miles northwest of Portland
When: August 14 2010
Who: 2 fatalities
Why: The flight was reported lost when it did not return Saturday night. The wreckage was found 6 am Sunday. It appears that the pilot struck trees while attempting a field landing.
Pilot George A. Fortin and passenger Anatole “Tony” Kalinuk were killed in the crash.
What: Southern Seaplane
Where: BELLE CHASSE, La in Plaquemines Parish Oak river
When: July 24 2010.
Who: Instructor and student pilot
Why: While the student pilot and teacher were practicing touch-and-go landings near Delacroix Island, the small plane encountered wind shear, causing it to flip over. The pilot and student on-board were on board. Two men out boating were flagged down by the instructor pilot Lyle Panepinto, 51, who survived the crash and was standing on the pontoons of the overturned plane. The student pilot, Jeffrey Wallace Dickson of Cumming, Ga, who for the U.S. Department of Interior, was trapped inside in the marsh and was taken directly to the hospital where he was declared dead.
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Contact photographer Kalle Ahtola
What: Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300 en route from Istanbul to New York
Where: New York
When: Jul 14th 2010
Why: On approach to JFK, the Turkish Airlines Boeing encountered a bird. The flight made a safe landing although it incurred slat damage that will cause a delay in the return flight.
What: ultralight
Where: east of Decatur Texas
When: June 20, 2010
Who: pilot
Why: The ultralight crashed at 9:30 a.m.. The pilot was was flown by helicopter to Fort Worth’s John Peter Smith Hospital
What: single-engine Siai Marchetti F260
Where: Somerset Airport
When: June 18 2010; 2:30 p.m.
Who: 67-year-old Kenneth Pelich of Oak Ridge
Why: While attempting to land at Somerset airport, the landing gear failed. The pilot made a safe landing without the landing gear, although the belly landing skidded off the runway. The pilot was unhurt.
What: Dagmar Transport LLC Cirrus SR22 GTS en route from the Dominican Republic to Miami to Tuscaloosa Alabama
Where: Tuscaloosa Regional Airport
When: May 10 2010
Who: Pilot and passenger 41 year old Mark Yellen and 56 year old Paula Moffett
Why: Witnesses say that on landing, one of the plane’s wings may have hit the pavement before the landing gear. The single engine plane flipped and crashed twenty-five yards short of the runway.
What: Island Trading Ltd. Hawker Beechcraft 58 en route from from Frederick, Maryland to Olive Branch MS
Where: Leslie County
When: April 27 2010
Who: pilot and passenger
Why: While en route, the plane lost contact, and is believed to have wrecked in eastern Kentucky, in a remote, mountainous area of Leslie County. It is believed the wreckage was located at 5:30 pm, with no survivors.
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Contact photographer Jose Mendez
What: American Airlines Boeing 737-800 en route from Miami to San Juan
Where: Miami
When: Apr 18th 2010
Why: The Boeing was maneuvering on the runway when it made an explosive noise. On acceleration, the plane began vibrating.
Instead of taking off, the plane returned to the gate with a flat tire. Passengers disembarked and were provided alternative transport.
