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.

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    Dead, Unconscious Pilot Landing

    One
    While Flight 5461 London to Crete was en route, the pilot passed out. The copilot took the correct measures and made an emergency landing at Marco Polo airport in Venice. The unconscious captain was hospitalized, and passengers were obliged to disembark in order to board an alternate flight to Crete. The Titan Airways Airbus was flying for Easyjet. The plane was an Airbus, and there were 170 aboard. EasyJet confirmed that… “flight EZY5461 from London Gatwick to Heraklion, which was being operated by a wet leased Titan aircraft diverted to Venice as a result of the Captain requiring medical assistance. The First Officer performed a routine landing in line with procedures. The aircraft landed safely and was met by emergency services on arrival. The safety and wellbeing of its passengers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority.
    easyJet sent a replacement aircraft and crew from London Gatwick to Venice to operate the flight to Heraklion. This flight has now arrived into Heraklion. Passengers were communicated with throughout and were provided with refreshment vouchers.
    We apologise for any inconvenience experienced due to the diversion and resulting delay.”
    .HT_United_Airlines1_MEM_151006_12x5_1600

    Two
    On October 6, the pilot of a United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner between Houston, Texas and San Francisco, California diverted to Albuquerque NM when the co-pilot fell ill and lost consciousness. The pilot landed safety at Albuquerque International Sunport at 8:20 a.m.. A replacement crew completed the flight on the Boeing 787.

    Three
    Is this an epidemic? What about American Airlines pilot Capt. Michael Johnston, 57, who died mid-flight after experiencing a medical emergency the morning of October 5? His copilot made an emergency landing of the Airbus A320 in Syracuse, New York and taxied to a gate where paramedics quickly arrived in the cockpit. A replacement crew completed the flight. 147 pax, 5 crew.

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    Silver Airways Flight Returns to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport

    silver airwaysSilver Airways flight 3099 had to return and make an emergency landing at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Florida, on October 6.

    The plane was heading to Key West when its windshield cracked, forcing the pilots to return.

    The plane landed safely. No one was injured.

    The passengers were transported to Key West in another flight.

    The FAA is investigating.

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    Air France Jet Diverts to Vienna due to Burning Odor

    Air FranceAir France flight AF-1688 was forced to divert and make an emergency landing in Vienna, Austria, on October 3.

    The Airbus A319-100, en-route from Charles de Gaulle airport, France, to Bucharest Otopeni airport, Romania, had to be diverted after the crew reported a burning odor on-board.

    The plane landed uneventfully. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.

    The passengers were accommodated in other flights.

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    Aer Lingus Plane Makes Emergency Landing at Dublin Airport

    Aer LingusAer Lingus flight EI 490 had to return and make an emergency landing at Dublin airport, Ireland, on October 5.

    The plane took off for Faro, Portugal, but had to return shortly afterwards after the crew reported a technical issue.

    The plane landed safely. All 181 passengers aboard remained unhurt.

    This is the third time in a week that an Aer Lingus flight has made an emergency landing.

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    United Airlines Flight Diverts to Albuquerque after Co-Pilot Passes Out Mid-Air

    United airlinesUnited Airlines flight UA1614 made an emergency landing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on October 6.

    The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, heading from Houston, Texas to San Francisco, California, was diverted after the co-pilot fell unconscious.

    The plane, carrying around 250 passengers, landed uneventfully.

    The co-pilot was immediately shifted to hospital.

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    AA Jet Forced to Make Emergency Landing in Syracuse after Pilot Dies

    American AirlinesAmerican Airlines flight 550 had to make an emergency landing at Syracuse Hancock International Airport, New York, on October 5.

    The co-pilot of the Airbus A320, en-route from Phoenix to Boston, diverted to Syracuse after the the pilot, Capt. Michael Johnston, 57, of Utah, suffered a heart attack and passed away mid-air.

    The plane landed safely. There were 147 passengers aboard at the time; all of them remained unhurt.

    The airline said in a statement, “Unfortunately, our pilot passed away…We are incredibly saddened by this event, and we are focused on caring for our pilot’s family and colleagues.”

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    Air India Jet Returns to New Delhi due to Hydraulic Issue

    airindialogoAir India flight AI 973 had to return and make an emergency landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India, on October 4.

    The Airbus A319 took off for Muscat but had to return shortly afterwards after the pilot reported a hydraulic leak.

    The plane landed safely. There were 80 passengers aboard at the time; all of them remained unhurt.

    The airline arranged a replacement plane for the passengers.

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    Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Dane County Field

    A Cessna 172 plane made an emergency landing in a field in Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin, on October 3.

    Air traffic controllers said the pilot reported engine issues before it lost communication and made an emergency landing. The plane was flying from Montevideo, Minnesota at the time.

    The 30-year-old pilot, and his only passenger, remained unhurt.

    The aircraft was able to take off again and safely landed at Middleton Municipal Airport.

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    Austral Embraer Returns to Puerto Rico after Issue with Ailerons

    AustralAustral Líneas Aéreas flight AR-2431, operating on behalf of Aerolineas Argentinas, returned to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA, on September 28.

    The Embraer ERJ-190, heading towards Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires, Argentina, had to return due to some issue with its ailerons.

    The plane landed safely.

    No injuries were reported.

    The passengers were accommodated in a replacement plane.

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    Qantas Flight Diverts to Jakarta due to Low Visibility

    QantasQantas QF51 made an emergency landing at Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, on September 29.

    The plane, heading from Brisbane, Australia, to Singapore, was diverted after the pilot reported low visibility due to haze. General manager of Jakarta’s Air Traffic Service Centre, Bambang Rianto, said the pilot reported that visibility was below the safety threshold limit of 1400 meters.

    The plane landed safely.

    No one was hurt.

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    Aer Lingus Plane Returns to Dublin Airport

    Aer LingusAer Lingus flight EI352 returned and made an emergency landing at Dublin Airport, Ireland, on October 3.

    The plane was heading to Munich, Germany, when the crew reported fumes in cabin and requested an emergency landing.

    The plane landed uneventfully. Everyone aboard remained unhurt.

    The airline accommodated the passengers in other flights.

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    Passengers Jump out as Loganair Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Netherlands

    LoganairA Loganair charter flight had to return and make an emergency landing at Rotterdam The Hague Airport in the Netherlands on September 30.

    The Saab 340 aircraft, carrying 17 passengers, departed for Aberdeen, Scotland, but had to turn back shortly afterwards due to a hydraulic leak. Passengers reported seeing red fluid leaking out from the aircraft’s wing.

    According to an airline spokesperson, “The aircraft landed safely at the airport around 4.35pm local time where it was brought to a halt, but subsequently rolled just off the runway due to an issue with the hydraulics.” The passengers had to jump out of the emergency exits.

    The airline arranged a replacement service for the passengers.

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    New York Bound Delta Plane Diverts to Washington due to Engine Issue

    250px-Delta_logo.svgDelta Air Lines flight 1086 had to divert and make an emergency landing at Baltimore–Washington International Airport, Maryland, Washington, at around 10:30 A.M. on September 30.

    The McDonnell Douglas MD-90 aircraft, flying from Atlanta, Georgia, to New York, had to be landed in emergency after some issue with one of its engines.

    The plane landed uneventfully.

    All 109 passengers aboard remained safe.

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    Virgin Atlantic Plane Returns to Heathrow with Cracked Windshield

    Virgin AtlanticVirgin Atlantic flight VS-21 returned and made an emergency landing at London Heathrow airport, United Kingdom, on September 28.

    The Airbus A340-600, heading to Washington Dulles International Airport, Virginia, had to be turned back after its windshield cracked mid-air.

    The plane landed uneventfully.

    The airline arranged a replacement plane for the passengers.

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    Ryanair Plane Diverts to France due to Medical Emergency

    ”RyanairA Ryanair flight had to divert and make an emergency landing at Nantes Atlantique Airport, France, on September 26.

    The plane, en-route from Manchester, UK to Faro, Portugal, had to be diverted after a passenger fell sick mid-air.

    According to an airline spokesperson, “This flight was diverted after a customer became ill on board. The aircraft landed normally and the customer was met by medical personnel, where they disembarked for further treatment, before the aircraft continued onward to Faro.

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    Aer Lingus Plane Returns to JFK due to Hydraulic Failure

    Aer LingusAer Lingus flight 110 had to return and make an emergency landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, on September 28.

    The Boeing 757 that took off for Shannon airport, Ireland, was diverted after the pilot reported landing gear door problems, hydraulic failure, and no flaps.

    Fire was sparked in the left rear brakes as the plane touched the runway. Emergency responders immediately extinguished the fire and all 104 passengers were transported back to the terminal safely.

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    Plane Makes Emergency Landing at Salina Regional Airport

    United ExpressA United Express flight, operated by Shuttle America, made an emergency landing at Salina Regional Airport, Kansas, on September 25.

    Authorities said the pilot requested an emergency landing after noticing smoke in the cockpit.

    The plane landed uneventfully.

    There were 70 passengers aboard at the time; one of them was treated for a nosebleed but authorities said that was not related to emergency landing.

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    Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing on Interstate 595, Hits Car

    A 1963 Piper PA-24 Comanche plane had to make an emergency landing on Interstate 595 in Davie, Florida, on September 24.

    The pilot, identified as Scott Richmond, 58, said he had to make an emergency landing after the plane ran out of fuel. He was en-route from South Carolina to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Florida at the time.

    The plane clipped the top of a 2003 Honda Accord before landing on westbound lanes of I-595.

    No one was injured in the incident.

    The plane and the car sustained minor damage.

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    Allegiant Air Allegedly Fires Pilot for Making Emergency Landing

    AllegiantA pilot’s union claims that the pilot of the Allegiant Air flight 864 that made an emergency landing at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, Florida, on June 8 has been fired.

    The pilot decided to make an emergency landing due to reports of smoke in the Maryland-bound aircraft’s cabin. Four passengers and a crew member sustained minor injuries while exiting through evacuation slides.

    The airline told the FAA that the mechanics could not find any problem in the aircraft.

    The president of the Airline Professionals Association Teamsters Local 1224, Dan Wells, said, “Believe me, the message was intentional and loud and clear: Don’t you dare push the safety stuff too far.”