JetBlue flight 1534 had to divert and make and emergency landing at Norfolk International Airport, Virginia, at around 4:30 p.m. on January 12.
The Embraer aircraft, en-route from Tampa, Florida to Hartford, Connecticut, was diverted after the crew reported a strange odor in the cabin.
The plane landed uneventfully. All 93 people aboard remained safe.
Another aircraft was arranged which later took the passengers to Hartford.
United Airlines flight 401 had to make an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport, California, on January 11.
The Airbus A319, travelling from Denver, Colorado, declared emergency due to a suspected mechanical problem.
The plane landed uneventfully and all 120 passengers aboard remained unharmed.
The nature of mechanical problem is not clear at the moment.
A single-engine Lancair aircraft crashed near Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles, California, at around 1:14 p.m. on January 9.
The authorities confirmed that the plane, which departed minutes earlier from Van Nuys Airport, crashed at Vanowen Street and Hayvenhurst Avenue.
The pilot of the plane, who was the only person aboard, was killed in the crash. He was later identified as 47-year-old Alberto Behar, who was a NASA and Jet Propulsion Labs researcher and an Arizona State University Professor.
No one on ground was injured.
The NTSB, FAA and APD are investigating.
Delta Airlines flight 5437 was forced to return and make an emergency landing at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in Greer, South Carolina, on January 8.
Airport spokesperson Rosylin Weston said the plane departed for Atlanta, Georgia, at 10:17 a.m. but had to turn back due to a mechanical problem.
The plane landed uneventfully at 10:24 a.m. All 46 passengers aboard remained unharmed.
A Boeing 757 cargo jet, flying for a DHL contractor, Air Transport, had to return and make an emergency landing at Portland International Airport, Oregon, on January 7.
The plane took off for Boeing Field, Seattle, shortly after 6:30 p.m. but had to turn back after atleast 5 northern pintail ducks hit it and caused engine troubles.
The plane landed uneventfully and no one aboard was injured. Authorities said 5 duck were found during cleaning.
A single-engine Cessna made an emergency landing near Key West International Airport in Monroe County, Florida, at around 10:20 a.m. on January 3.
Authorities said that the plane, en-route from Naples to Key West airport, ended up in around 3 feet of water in salt ponds after the pilot reported engine failure.
There were 6 people on board at the time of incident; all of them remained unharmed.
A private, single-engine plane made an emergency landing at Jack Brooks Regional Airport in Beaumont, Texas, on January 3.
The incident happened when a Southeast Texas family was returning home from vacation in Colorado. Airport authorities said the pilot sought permission for emergency landing after the plane’s landing gear failed to deploy.
The plane landed on its belly. Everyone aboard, including 2 adults and a child, remained unharmed.
A Las Vegas police chopper crashed on a residential street, northeast of downtown Las Vegas, Nevada shortly before 1:30 p.m. on December 31.
The accident happened when the pilot and the co-pilot of Hughes 530 helicopter were assisting in a search operation.
The authorities said both occupants were injured in the crash and were taken to University Medical Center. They are believed to be in stable condition.
The FAA and the NTSB are investigating the cause of crash.
A Cochise Air helicopter, used by Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, crashed near Benson, southern Arizona, on the night of December 31.
The accident happened when the helicopter was returning from Phoenix to Sierra Vista airport, after maintenance.
Spokesperson of Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, Carol A. Capas, confirmed that both people aboard the aircraft were killed in the crash. They were identified as the pilot Carol A. Capas, who was a retired police officer, and the mechanic Marc Hansen, 51.
The cause of accident is under investigation.
A US Airways Express jet, operated by Republic Airlines, had to return and make an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport, Pennsylvania, on the morning of December 29.
The Embraer 175 aircraft took off from Philadelphia for Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, New Hampshire, but had to turn back just minutes later, due to an engine problem. Some passengers reported that they heard a loud boom and saw fiery flashes shooting out of the plane.
The plane landed safely and all 75 passengers and 4 crew members remained unharmed.
The airline accommodated the passengers in another flight while the plane was taken for examination.
Porter Airlines flight 723 had to make an emergency landing at Williamsport Regional Airport, Pennsylvania, at around 8:45 a.m. on December 28.
The flight, en-route from Toronto to Washington, D.C, was diverted after the crew reported smoke in the cockpit.
The Dash 8-400 twin-engine turbo-prop aircraft landed safely. None of the 66 passengers and 4 crew members was harmed.
The airline arranged an alternate aircraft for the passengers.
A single-engine plane crashed between Amador Road and Gopher Flat Road, near Sutter Creek city in Amador County, California, shortly after 12:30 p.m. on December 24.
The Cessna 172 went down when it was heading from Gilroy to Sutter Creek with 2 people aboard.
Authorities said both occupants were killed in the crash. They were identified as Phillip Faillers, 52, of Sutter Creek and his son Alex, 21.
The accident is under investigation. It is believed that fog might have contributed to the crash.
Delta Airlines flight 81 had to make an emergency landing on Christmas night, at Albuquerque International Sunport, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The Boeing 767, en-route from Atlanta to Los Angeles, was diverted after the pilot reported a ‘security threat’ due to a disruptive passenger on-board.
The plane, carrying more than 200 passengers, landed shortly after 6 p.m. The police escorted the unruly passenger out of the plane.
The flight was able to take off again after around 90 minutes.
According to Airport spokesperson Daniel Jiron, the man was not charged but was not allowed to board the flight again.
Kids can call 877-HI-NORAD or email noradtrackssanta@outlook.com on Christmas Eve. A volunteer checks a big-screen computer monitor and passes along Santa’s location. Updates are posted at noradsanta.org, facebook.com/noradsanta and twitter.com/NoradSanta. The volunteers will keep answering questions through 3 a.m. MST on Christmas Day.
An American Eagle flight had to return and make an emergency landing at Blue Grass Airport, Lexington, Kentucky, on the night of December 23.
The flight, heading from Lexington to Chicago, had to turn back after the crew reported an electrical smell on board.
The plane landed uneventfully shortly after 7 p.m. None of the 7 passengers and 3 crew members aboard was injured.
The airline said the passengers will be accommodated in other flights.
American Airlines flight 1527 had to divert to Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, Texas, due to a medical emergency on the night of December 20.
The flight was heading from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport when the pilot decided to divert due to a sick passenger. According to an airline statement, “Flight 1527 (PHX-DFW) made a diversion to Lubbock last night because of an ill passenger on board. The flight landed and the passenger was removed. The flight then continued on to DFW.”
The sick passenger passed away on his way to the hospital.
United Airlines flight 273 had to divert and make an emergency landing in Spokane, Washington, shortly before 7 p.m. on December 21.
The flight, en-route from Seattle to Newark, NJ, was diverted after the Airbus A320 lost power to one of its two engines.
The plane landed uneventfully and no one aboard was injured.
An alternate aircraft was arranged for the passengers.
A small plane crashed while attempting to take off from San Rafael Airport, California, at around 12:45 p.m. on December 20.
San Rafael fire Chief Chris Gray said the single-engine plane flipped upside down but did not spark fire.
The pilot, who was the only one aboard, sustained minor injuries.
The FAA will investigate.
It is believed that the plane was a Thorp T-18 experimental plane.
An F-15 fighter plane had to make an emergency landing at the 144th Fighter Wing’s Air National Guard Base in Frenso, California, on December 19.
The jet took off for a routine training flight, however, it had to land back in emergency due to a landing gear malfunction. Col. Clay Garrison, a 144th Fighter Wing commander, said the plane’s wheel failed to retract after it took off and therefore, an arresting gear was employed to help it land safely.
The pilot remained uninjured.
The aircraft was taken for examining the cause of landing gear malfunction.
A Beechcraft Bonanza plane crashed in the 1600 block, Bent Tree Road, near Mesquite Metro Airport in Dallas County, Texas, on the night of December 18.
The authorities said the single-engine plane crashed while it was attempting to land at Mesquite Airport.
The pilot, who was the only person aboard the plane, was killed in the crash. His identity has not yet been revealed.
The accident is under investigation.
A United Airlines flight had to divert and make an emergency landing at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Cleveland, Ohio, on December 17.
The flight, en-route from Los Angeles, California to Newark, New Jersey, was diverted after the pilot reported possible smoke on board.
The plane landed safely and no one aboard was hurt.
An Airline spokesperson confirmed that the passengers were accommodated in other flights to Newark.
The cause of smoke is being investigated.
A Delta airlines flight had to make an emergency landing in Billings, Montana, at around 7:30 p.m. on December 15.
The Boeing 767 was en-route from Seattle to Paris when the crew requested emergency landing due to an electrical odor on-board.
The plane landed uneventfully and all 203 passengers and 10 crew members remained unharmed.
The technicians examined the aircraft and cleared it for resuming its journey.
Sunwing Flight 764 had to make an emergency landing at Wilmington International Airport, Wilmington, North Carolina, on the afternoon of December 14.
The pilot of the plane, en-route from Montreal, Canada to Freeport, Bahamas, sought permission for emergency landing after a 60-year-old passenger began experiencing heart attack symptoms midair. There were 198 people aboard at the time.
The flight landed without incident and the sick passenger was immediately taken to New Hanover Regional Medical Center.
The airline said an alternate aircraft would be arranged for the passengers.
An American Eagle flight had to return and make an emergency landing at Jack Brooks Regional Airport in Beaumont, Texas, on December 11.
The twin-engine plane, en-route to Dallas, had to turn back after a hot-engine warning light turned on.
The plane landed uneventfully at 11:38 a.m. No one was injured.
The incident is under investigation.
Southwest Airlines flight 3118 was forced to make an emergency landing at Baltimore–Washington International Airport, Maryland, at 8:49 p.m. on December 12.
Emergency protocols were deployed at the airport after the pilot reported a bird strike. The flight from San Antonio was approaching BWI at the time.
The plane landed safely and all 142 passengers and 5 crew members remained unharmed.
The aircraft was taken for examination.
