Emergency

Under FAA JAA IKO rulings, it is mandated that if and when an emergency is declared by an airborne plane, ATC immediately diverts all incoming traffic and gives priority to the emergency situation. Most, if not all, of the events we have described as emergency are official emergencies. However, sometimes they are incorrectly reported as emergencies by our sources, have been downgraded from official emergency status, or are believed to be emergencies by passengers in fear for their lives.

Emergency | Helicopter | Hydraulic leak | Texas | USA

Army Apache Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing due to Hydraulic Leak
January 31, 2016January 31, 2016

An Army Reserve Apache helicopter had to make an emergency landing in a rural field near County Road 215 in Grimes County, Texas, on January 28.

The helicopter was flying from Conroe and had just refueled near Bryan-College Station when the pilot noticed a hydraulic leak and decided to make an emergency landing.

There were two people aboard at the time; neither of them were injured.

The helicopter belonging to the 1st Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment was repaired overnight and was able to fly back to Conroe next morning.
Emergency | indicator | precautionary | Texas | United Express | USA

United Express Flight Makes Emergency Landing at McAllen Miller International Airport
January 31, 2016January 31, 2016

United Express flight 4020 operated by Mesa Airlines made an emergency landing at McAllen Miller International Airport in Hidalgo County, Texas, on January 28.

The airline said that the ATC declared a ‘precautionary emergency’ after a brake light indicator came on.

The Embraer 175 plane landed uneventfully. There were 41 people aboard the plane; all of them remained unhurt.

The maintenance personnel inspected the plane and cleared it to continue the flight to Houston.
American Airlines | Brazil | Diversion | Emergency | lightning

American Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Brazil
January 31, 2016

American Airlines flight AA904 had to divert and make an emergency landing in Brasillia, Brazil, on January 29.

The plane, heading from Rio de Janeiro to Miami, Florida, was diverted after four people, including a passengers and three crew members, complained of lightheadedness.

The plane landed uneventfully. The airline said the sick passenger and crew members were examined by paramedics but none of them requested further medical care.
American Airlines | back to base | Boeing | Emergency | Medical emergency | UK

American Airlines Plane Returns to Heathrow after Medical Emergency
January 29, 2016

American Airlines flight AA109 had to return and make an emergency landing at London’s Heathrow Airport, on January 27.

The Boeing 777 took off for Los Angeles, California, but had to return shortly afterwards after two passengers and several crew members fell ill midair.

The plane, carrying 172 passengers and 16 crew members, landed uneventfully. The patients were evaluated by paramedics.

The airline said, “Our maintenance team conducted a thorough inspection of the aircraft, including a test flight, and found no issues with the Boeing 777-300. Out of an abundance of caution, all of the air filters on the aircraft were replaced.”
bird strike | Boeing | Delta | Diversion | Emergency | engine shut down | engine trouble

Delta Plane Diverts to Puerto Rico after Bird Ingestion
January 28, 2016

Delta flight DL-307 had to divert and make an emergency landing at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, San Juan, Puerto Rico, on January 24.

The Boeing 757-200, flying from Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands, to Atlanta, Georgia, had to divert after one of its engines ingested a bird. The engine had to be shut down mid-air.

The plane landed safely.

No injuries were reported.
Canada | Embraer | Emergency | ExpressJet | flap problems

ExpressJet Plane makes Emergency Landing in Canada due to Flaps Failure
January 28, 2016

ExpressJet flight EV-4121/UA-4121 had to make an emergency landing at Halifax Stanfield International Airport, Nova Scotia, Canada, on January 19.

The Embraer ERJ-145, en-route from Newark, New Jersey, had to be landed in emergency due to flaps failure.

The plane landed safely.

Everyone aboard remained unhurt.
back to base | bird strike | Boeing | Emergency | KLM Royal Dutch Airlines | Netherlands

KLM Plane Returns to Netherlands after Bird Strike
January 28, 2016

KLM flight KL-691 had to return and make an emergency landing at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands, on January 27.

The Boeing 747-400, heading towards Toronto, Ontario, had to dump fuel and return after a bird strike.

The plane landed safely.

No one was injured.
Boeing | cracked windshield | Emergency | Lufthansa | USA

Lufthansa Plane Diverts to Boston due to Cracked Windshield
January 27, 2016

Lufthansa flight LH-419 had to make an emergency landing in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 23.

The Boeing 747-800, en-route from Washington D.C. to Frankfurt, Germany, was diverted after the crew reported a cracked windshield.

The plane landed safely. There were 364 people aboard at the time; all of them remained unharmed.
back to base | cabin pressure | Emergency | S. Africa

Safair Plane Makes Emergency Landing at Johannesburg Airport
January 27, 2016

Safair flight 103 made an emergency landing at Johannesburg Airport in South Africa, on January 24.

The plane was heading to Cape Town when it lost cabin pressure, prompting the pilot to return for an emergency landing.

The plane landed uneventfully. No injuries were reported.
Air India | back to base | Emergency | India | smoke

Air India Flight Returns to New Delhi due to Smoke in Cabin
January 27, 2016

Air India flight AI 137 had to return and make an emergency landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport, in New Delhi, India, on January 26.

The plane took off for Milan, Italy, but had to return shortly afterwards after smoke was detected in the cabin.

The Boeing Dreamliner plane landed safely. All 167 passengers aboard remained unharmed.
Cessna | Emergency | Florida | USA

Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing on U.S. Highway 27
January 26, 2016

A small plane made an emergency landing on U.S. highway 27, just north of Interstate 75, in Weston, Broward County, Florida, on January 24.

The Cessna 172 was en-route from Palm Beach County to Key West when the pilot Arnaldo Santiago, of Palm Beach Gardens, noticed some issue in the plane and decided to land on the highway.

The plane landed uneventfully. There were three people aboard at the time; none of them were injured.
Air India | Azerbaijan | Boeing | Emergency | Medical emergency

Air India Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Azerbaijan
January 26, 2016

Air India flight AI 130 had to make an emergency landing at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Azerbaijan, on January 24.

The Boeing Dreamliner aircraft was en-route from London, United Kingdom, to Mumbai, India, when a passenger suffered a medical emergency, prompting the pilot to sought permission for diversion.

Authorities said the 72-year-old passenger, a British citizen, died before the plane landed in Azerbaijan.
Airbus | Canada | Diversion | Emergency | Lufthansa | Medical emergency

Lufthansa A380 Diverts to Halifax due to Medical Emergency
January 26, 2016January 27, 2016

A Lufthansa jet had to divert and make an emergency landing at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia, Canada, on January 25.

The Airbus A380, flying from Houston, Texas, to Frankfurt, Germany, was diverted after a passenger fell sick on-board.

The plane landed uneventfully.

The passenger was rushed to the hospital while the plane resumed its journey.
American Airlines | Canada | Diversion | Emergency | turbulence

Seven Injured after Milan-Bound American Airlines Plane Encounters Severe Turbulence
January 25, 2016

An American Airlines flight made an emergency landing at St. John’s International Airport in Newfoundland, Canada, on January 24.

The plane, flying from Miami, Florida, to Milan, Italy, was diverted after it encountered severe turbulence that injured seven people including three flight attendants and four passengers.

The plane, carrying 192 passengers and 11 crew members, landed safely. The injured were taken to hospital.
Belly | Emergency | engine trouble | Piper | Texas | USA

Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Denton, TX
January 25, 2016

A small plane made an emergency landing in a grassy area near U.S. 380 in Denton, Texas, on January 22.

The Piper Navajo plane took off from Denton Enterprise Airport for a routine maintenance flight but was forced to land in emergency due to engine issues.

The aircraft came to rest on its belly near some electrical transmission towers.

The pilot, identified as David Kinney of Aubrey, suffered minor injuries in the incident.
Boeing | bomb threat | Diversion | Emergency | Ireland | Turkish Airlines | UK

Turkish Airlines Plane Diverts to Shannon Airport due to Bomb Threat
January 25, 2016

Turkish Airlines flight TK34 had to divert and make an emergency landing at Shannon Airport, Ireland, on January 24.

It is believed that the Boeing 777, heading from Houston, Texas, to Istanbul, Turkey, was diverted after the crew found a note that had ‘bomb’ written on it.

The plane landed uneventfully. All 209 passengers remained unharmed.
cracked windshield | Diversion | Embraer | Emergency | Republic Airlines | USA

Republic Airways Plane Diverts to Pittsburgh after Cockpit Window Cracks
January 24, 2016

Republic Airways flight YX-4447/AA-4447 had to divert and make an emergency landing at Pittsburgh International Airport, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on January 21st.

The Embraer ERF-170, flying from Bentonville, Arkansas, to New York, was when its cockpit window cracked, causing the plane to divert.

The plane landed safely.

No injuries were reported.
bomb threat | Diversion | Emergency | Go Air | India

GoAir Flights Diverts to Nagpur Over Bomb Threat
January 24, 2016

GoAir flight G8 243 made an emergency landing in Nagpur, Maharashtra, India, on January 23.

The plane, heading from Bhubaneshwar to Mumbai, was diverted after the authorities received a call saying there was a bomb in the aircraft.

The plane landed safely. There were 150 passengers onboard at the time; all of them remained unhurt.

An airline spokerspon said, “After deplaning the 150 passengers, checks were conducted by the airport security and there was no bomb found onboard the aircraft. Post clearance from the authorities, the passengers are now being boarded and flight is scheduled to take off at 12 noon to Mumbai. The GoAir officials at Bhubaneshwar immediately informed the local and the police is investigating the matter.”
back to base | Boeing | Delta | Emergency | Japan | smoke

Delta Airlines Plane Returns to Narita International Airport
January 24, 2016

A Delta airlines flight had to make an emergency landing at Narita International Airport, Japan, on January 23.

The Boeing 757-200 was en-route to Saipan when the crew decided to return due to smoke in the cabin.

The plane landed uneventfully. All 97 passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
Airbus | Emergency | Landing Gear | Netherlands | Onur Air

Onur Air Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Amsterdam
January 23, 2016

Onur Air flight 8Q-371 had to make an emergency landing in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on January 19.

The Airbus A320-200 was flying from Istanbul, Turkey, when the crew requested an emergency landing due to a landing gear problem.

The plane landed uneventfully. No injuries were reported.
Blackhawk | Emergency | engine trouble | Forced | Helicopter | USA | warning

Helicopter Carrying Pennsylvania National Guardsmen Makes Emergency Landing
January 23, 2016

An Army National Guard helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing in a field near Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, on January 22.

The Blackhawk helicopter was returning to Fort Indiantown Gap after a training flight when an engine chip warning light came on, forcing the pilots to land in emergency.

There were 2 pilots and 1 crew members aboard at the time; all of them remained safe.
bomb threat | Diversion | Emergency | Scandinavian Airlines | Sweden

Scandinavian Airlines Plane Diverts due to Bomb Threat
January 23, 2016

Scandinavian Airlines flight SK1530 had to make an emergency landing at Göteborg Landvetter Airport in Sweden, on January 22.

Authorities said the plane, en-route from London Heathrow to Stockholm, Sweden, was diverted due to a bomb threat.

The plane landed safely. All 72 people aboard remained unharmed.

The investigation is underway.
Austrian Airlines | Emergency | flap problems | Switzerland

Austrian Airlines Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Zurich
January 22, 2016

Austrian Airlines flight LX-1193 had to make an emergency landing in Zurich, Switzerland, on January 17.

The plane was flying from Nuremberg, Germany, when the pilots noticed stuck flaps and declared an emergency.

The plane landed safely. No injuries were reported.
Cessna | Emergency | ice | New York | USA

Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Wayne County Field
January 22, 2016

A small plane made an emergency landing in a field in Macedon, Wayne County, New York, on January 21.

The Cessna plane was en-route from New Bedford, Massachusetts, to Rochester, New York, when its carburetor froze up, forcing the pilot to land in a small backyard field area.

There were two people aboard at the time, including the pilot Jeremiah Coholan and passenger Richard Medeiros; both of them remained unhurt.
Eastern Airways | Emergency | engine trouble | indicator | Scotland | UK | warning

Eastern Airways Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Aberdeen
January 21, 2016

Eastern Airways flight EZE514 made an emergency landing at Aberdeen International Airport in Scotland, on January 20.

According to an airline spokesperson, “The captain operating charter flight EZE514 from Scatsta to Aberdeen received a cockpit warning indication en-route to Aberdeen relating to one of the aircraft’s two engines…The airport fire service was put on standby but was stood down shortly after the aircraft landed in Aberdeen.”

All 28 passengers and 3 crew members remained safe.

The incident is being investigated.