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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    Bomb Threat Prompts Hong Kong Airlines Emergency Landing

    HONGKONG airlinesHong Kong Airlines flight HX337 had to divert and make an emergency landing at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, China, on March 10.

    The Airbus A330-200, carrying 295 passengers and crew members, was en-route from Beijing to Hong Kong when the airline officials got information about possible explosive device onboard.

    The pilot then diverted the plane to Wuhan Tianhe International Airport where it made an uneventful emergency landing.

    Authorities said the aircraft was thoroughly searched upon landing, however, no explosive device was found.

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    Delta Jet Makes Safe Emergency Landing in Managua

    250px-Delta_logo.svgA Delta airliner had to return and make an emergency landing at Augusto C. Sandino International Airport in Managua, Nicaragua, on March 6.

    The Airbus 320, carrying 124 passengers, was taking off from the airport when the crew reported an issue in its forward landing gear. The pilot then turned back and made a safe emergency landing in Managua. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.

    According to director of Nicaraguan Institute of Civil Aviation Mario Altamirano, “They were preparing for an emergency landing and made it in what we call ‘dead time,’ in other words, when it wouldn’t conflict with other flights.”

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    Air India Flight Diverts to Mumbai due to Engine Fire

    airindialogoAir India flight AI 997 had to make an emergency landing in Mumbai, India, on March 6.

    The plane, carrying more than 100 passengers, was en-route from Karippur International Airport in Kerala, India, to Sharjah, UAE, when one of its engines caught fire with a loud explosion.

    The pilot immediately diverted the plane to Mumbai, where it made an uneventful emergency landing. No one was injured.

    The airline arranged another aircraft which took the passengers to their destination.

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    BA Flight Returns to London Heathrow Airport

    British airwaysBritish Airways flight BA49 had to return and make an emergency landing at London Heathrow airport, England, on March 6.

    The plane was en-route to Seattle when the pilot reported a fault in cabin’s oxygen supply system. According to an airline spokesperson, “The aircraft is returning to Heathrow Airport as a precaution due to a suspected technical problem. Our pilots are highly trained to deal with these scenarios.”

    The plane dumped fuel over the Irish Sea before it landed uneventfully. None of the 218 passengers and 14 crew members was harmed.

    A replacement aircraft was arranged for the passengers.

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    Delta Flight Diverts to Anchorage Due to Medical Emergency

    DeltaDelta airlines flight 284 had to make an unscheduled landing at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska, on the morning of March 4.

    According to the airline, the Boeing 777-200LR was diverted “in response to a customer medical situation on board”. The flight was heading from Narita International Airport, Japan, to Los Angeles at the time.

    Delta confirmed in a statement, “The flight landed without incident and paramedics met the aircraft on arrival.”

    The plane later took off again and landed in Los Angeles with a 2-hour delay.

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    Gulf Air Flight Makes Emergency Landing as Indian Infant Dies Onboard

    Gulf airA Gulf Air flight had to make an emergency landing at Abu Dhabi airport, UAE, on the morning of March 2.

    The flight, en-route from Kochi to Bahrain, was diverted after an 11-month-old child fell sick.

    Medics were put on alert at the airport, however, the child had already died when the plane landed. Her body was shifted to Shaikh Khalifa Medical City.

    The child, identified as Rishi Priya, of India, was travelling with her mother Aswani Binoy. Her relatives said she had mild fever when she boarded the plane.

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    Presidential Jet of Ghana Catches Fire; No Injuries

    The Presidential aircraft of Ghana caught fire while taking off from the Kotoka International Airport, Accra, Ghana, on March 3.

    Authorities to the Ghana Armed Forces, the “aircraft lost two main left wheels… In spite of the serious veering of the aircraft to the left, they managed to slow and successfully turned off the runway without veering into the shoulders of the runway. The aircraft stopped successfully.”

    After the Falcon 900 stopped, fire was discovered at the left wheels. Fire extinguishers were employed to put it out.

    No one was injured in the incident.

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    Small Plane Lands in Emergency in West Boca Raton

    Small planeA twin engine prop plane made an emergency landing near the 7900 block of Palmetto Park Road in West Boca Raton, Florida, on February 28.

    Authorities said the plane was headed to Pompano Beach when it experienced engine problems and had to land in emergency.

    According to Albert Borroto, the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Public Information Officer, “The pilot did an excellent job landing on the canal bank, missing power lines and setting the aircraft down without hitting any surrounding populated areas and not injuring himself.”

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    Air Canada Express Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Pennsylvania

    Air CanadaAir Canada Express flight 7316 made an emergency landing at the Johnstown Cambria County Airport in Pennsylvania, on February 27.

    The plane, en-route from Raleigh to Toronto, was diverted after a passenger reported smoke above his seat.

    The plane landed uneventfully and was taken for inspection. All the passengers and crew members remained safe.

    An airline spokesperson said that the plane experienced a minor electrical problem.

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    Ryanair Flight Makes Emergency Landing after Turbulence Caused Injuries to 2 Flight Attendants

    RyanairRyanair flight FR2829 had to make an emergency landing at Bordeaux Airport, France, at 8:28 p.m. on February 25.

    Emergency was declared aboard the Boeing 737-800 aircraft, after 2 flight attendants were injured due to severe turbulence. Local media reported that one crew member suffered a fractured ankle while another one sustained back injury.

    According to an airline spokesperson, “This flight from Reus to Brussels Charleroi diverted to Bordeaux after experiencing some air turbulence…The aircraft landed normally and medical personnel treated two cabin crew members who had minor injuries…A spare aircraft and replacement crew were sent from Barcelona to minimise the delay for customers, who were provided with refreshment vouchers in Bordeaux…Ryanair apologised sincerely to all customers affected by this diversion and delay.”

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    Helicopter Lands in Emergency in a Plymouth Park

    Helicopter crashA helicopter made an emergency landing in a park in Plymouth, Indiana, on the night of February 26.

    The helicopter was en-route to the Plymouth airport when it began experiencing engine problems. The pilot then looked for an open space and landed in a park behind the Boys and Girls Clubs of Marshall County building. The aircraft sustained minor damage during landing.

    Authorities said both occupants of the aircraft, including the 46-year-old pilot and his 66-year-old father, remained uninjured.

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    JetBlue Flight Lands in Emergency at LAX

    jetBlueJetBlue flight 1521 made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport, California, on February 25.

    The incident happened when the flight was en-route from Portland, Oregon, to Long Beach, California.

    According to Ian Gregor, spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane “landed without incident at 5:40 after reporting some kind of mechanical issue.”

    JetBlue spokesperson Victoria Buckley confirmed the incident, saying that the flight was diverted “out of an abundance of caution.”

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    United Express Flight Diverts to Eisenhower National Airport

    United ExpressUnited Express Flight 4912 had to make an emergency landing at Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita, Kansas, on February 25.

    Airport authorities said the flight, operated by Republic Airlines, was heading from Denver to Kansas City when it had to declare emergency due to a landing gear issue.

    The plane was then diverted to Eisenhower Airport where it landed uneventfully. None of the 67 passengers and 4 crew members was hurt.

    The Bombardier Q-400 aircraft was taken for inspection while the passengers and crew members were taken to Kansas City via a bus.

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    Passenger Dies Onboard; Germania Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Bulgaria

    GermaniaA Germania Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing at Burgas Airport, Bulgaria, on February 25.

    According to a statement issued by Burgas Airport, the flight, en-route from Düsseldorf, Germany, to Samsun, Turkey, made an emergency stop after an 86-year-old Turkish woman died onboard.

    The plane resumed its journey shortly afterwards.

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    Bomb Threat Prompts Air China Flight to Make Emergency Landing in Chongqing

    Air ChinaAir China flight CA1336 had to make an emergency landing at Chongqing Airport in China, on February 25.

    The flight, heading from Nanning to Beijing, had to land in emergency, after a female passenger claimed there was a bomb in the cabin.

    The plane landed uneventfully and everyone aboard remained unharmed. A SWAT team thoroughly searched the plane but no explosive device was found.

    The woman was taken for questioning.

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    FedEx Cargo Plane Makes Emergency Landing at St. Louis International Airport

    FedExA FedEx cargo plane made an emergency landing at Lambert St. Louis International Airport in St. Louis, Missouri, on the morning of February 24.

    The MD-11 was en-route from Memphis to Minneapolis when a warning light indicated fire on-board. The plane was then diverted to St. Louis where it made an uneventful emergency landing at 6:15 a.m.

    All 4 people aboard the plane exited through emergency slide. Authorities said one of them was examined by medics for possible injuries sustained by using emergency slide.

    According to FedEx spokesperson Scott Fiedler, the aircraft’s fire safety suppression system got activated and sprayed foam inside a container. The investigators are looking into the cause of incident.

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    South African Navy Chopper Makes Emergency Landing in Cape Town

    HelicopterA South African Navy chopper had to make an emergency landing at Milnerton Golf Club, Cape Town, South Africa, on February 23.

    The incident happened after the helicopter’s cockpit caught fire.

    According to spokesperson of Department of Defence, Brigadier General Marthie Visser. “A Lynx helicopter of the South African Air Force conducted an emergency landing on the Milnerton Golf Course during a routine maintenance test flight today…No injuries were reported. A preliminary investigation has been initiated to determine the cause of the incident.”

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    AA Jet Makes Emergency Landing at Heathrow Airport

    American AirlinesAmerican Airlines flight AA65 had to make an emergency landing at London’s Heathrow Airport, on February 23.

    Emergency was declared aboard the Boeing 767-300 aircraft after its windscreen cracked. The plane was heading from Zurich, Switzerland, to New York at the time.

    The plane landed uneventfully and no one was hurt.

    It is not clear how the windscreen cracked.

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    TransAsia Plane Returns to Songshan Airport

    TransAsiaTransAsia flight GE507 returned and made an emergency landing at Songshan Airport in Taipei, Taiwan, on February 21.

    The plane took off from Songshan Airport for Makung Airport in Penghu County but had to turn back immediately after the captain reported issues with signals involving torque.

    The plane landed back safely shortly after 1 p.m. and was taken for inspection.

    The airline accommodated passengers in another flight.

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    Southwest Flight Makes Stop in Albuquerque Due to Medical Emergency

    southwest_airlines_logoSouthwest Flight 947 had to make an unscheduled landing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the evening of February 20.

    The plane took off from Love Field in Dallas and was heading to Las Vegas when a passenger apparently had a heart attack.

    The flight attendants and a passenger physician helped the sick passenger until the plane safely landed in New Mexico. Ground crews then took him for further medical treatment.

    The plane resumed its journey shortly afterwards.

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    Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing at Former Edmonton City Centre Airport

    snowA small plane made an emergency landing at a closed airport in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on the afternoon of February 21.

    Edmonton authorities confirmed that the 2-seater glider plane had to make a hard landing at Edmonton City Centre Airport, due to mechanical issues.

    The pilot, who was the only one aboard remained unharmed however, the aircraft sustained heavy damage.

    The incident is being investigated by the Transportation Safety Board.

    The airport operations were shut down in 2013 for residential development in the city centre.

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    Loganair Flight Diverts to Aberdeen due to ‘Unusual Smell’

    LoganairLoganair flight BE6891 had to divert and make an emergency landing at Aberdeen International Airport in Scotland, at around 10:45 a.m. on February 20.

    According to a statement released by the airline, “The captain of Flight BE6891, which departed Edinburgh International Airport at 09:25 this morning for Kirkwall with 20 passengers, one infant and three crew on board, elected to divert to Aberdeen as a precautionary measure after detecting an unusual smell in the cockpit.”

    The plane landed uneventfully and none of the passengers and crew members was hurt.

    The airline arranged an alternate aircraft which took the passengers to their destination.

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    Navy Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Corpus Christi

    A Navy plane had to make an emergency landing at Corpus Christi International Airport in Corpus Christi, Texas, on February 20.

    The decision for emergency landing was made after the pilot reported fire in one of the aircraft’s engines.

    The plane landed safely and all 7 people aboard remained unharmed.