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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    Lufthansa Emergency Landing in India

    What: Lufthansa en route from Frankfurt to Singapore (Frankfurt-Bangkok?)
    Where: Kolkata
    When: Jan 29, 2011, 11:25
    Who: 300 passengers, 1 fatality: passenger “Robert”
    Why: While en route, the 75 year old passenger identified as “Robert” (who was coming from Belgium accompanied by his wife) had medical complications. The flight diverted to Kolkata. The director of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport made the public announcement that the passenger was dead on landing. The body was removed from the plane, and the flight continued at 3:25.

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    Jamaica: American Airlines Emergency Landing

    What: American Airlines Boeing 757 en route from Quito, Ecuador to Miami, Florida
    Where: Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport in St James
    When: 2:14 pm
    Who: 155 passengers, 8 crew
    Why: While en route over the Cayman Islands, the plane developed a temperature indication warning on the right hand engine. The flight made an emergency landing. Passengers disembarked normally without injury. The Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority is investigating.

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    UA Emergency Landing in Lincoln

    What: United Airlines/ ExpressJet Embraer ERJ-145 en route from Lincoln,Nebraska to Chicago Illinois
    Where: Lincoln
    When: Jan 30th 2011
    Who: 47 passengers
    Why: While en route, the plane indicated a gear problem.

    The pilot returned to Lincoln to make a safe landing.

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    Medical Evacuation Halted

    What: Memorial Star medical helicopter en route from accident scene to Memorial Hospital
    Where: Midland Elementary off Broadway Street just south of Highway 24, Colorado Spring
    When: Jan 28, 2010
    Who: patient and crew
    Why: While transporting a 62 year old medical patient, the helicopter’s yellow caution light indicated the helicopter was experiencing mechanical problems. The crew decided to make a precautionary landing on an elementary school field.

    The patient was taken to Memorial Hospital by ambulance.

    A mechanic looked over the helicopter. No problems were reported.

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    Smokey Continental Airlines Flight Lands at Newark


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Heber Alejandro Doblado Perez

    What: Continental Airlines Boeing 737-700 en route from Newark to Boston
    Where: Newark Liberty Airport
    When: Jan 26, 2011
    Why: On take-off, the plane filled with smoke. The pilot announced that the smoke was due to de-icing procedures, and made an emergency landing in Newark. Weather conditions at the time included snow, and freezing temperatures.

    The plane made a safe landing with emergency services on standby.

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    US Airways Flight Lands Fast at Burlington

    What: US Airways en route from Philadelphia to Burlington International
    Where: Burlington International
    When: Jan 25, 2011
    Who: 82 passengers
    Why: Before landing, the plane initiated a flap warning light, indicating a problem with the flaps, which help slow the plane.

    Emergency crews were on standby during the landing which was expected to be fast, due to the flap problem.

    On landing at Burlington, the fast landing stressed the brakes and heated them up. A right brake indicated it was running hot; but there were no injuries. This was the 2nd of two “phase 5” (high level) emergency landings. Both had safe outcomes.

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    Smokey Charter Flight Takes Basketball Team Off Course

    What: World Atlantic Charter flight en route from Westover Airforce Base to Providence
    Where: Albany International Airport
    When: Jan 25, 2011
    Who: UMass men’s baskeball team
    Why: Ten minutes after takeoff, smoke was smelled in the plane’s cabin and cockpit. The flight diverted to Albany and made a safe landing.

    No one was injured, although there was some praying and some bonding going on.

    The team waited around for a replacement plane which took them to Bradford, Pennsylvania where they took a bus to the game.

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    Southwest Airlines Emergency Landing in Oakland

    What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, en route from San Francisco to Chicago
    Where: Oakland
    When: Jan 22nd 2011 2:51 pm
    Who: 86 passengers
    Why: While en route, the pilot of the Southwest Airlines Boeing received a warning message indicating a fire in wheel well. The pilot diverted to Oakland and made a safe landing where passengers disembarked and waited to transfer to another plane.

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    2 Engines Fail on Lufthansa Airbus


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Ralf Meyermann

    What: Lufthansa Airbus A340-300 en route from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Addis Ababa Ethiopia
    Where: Dubrovnik Croatia
    When: Jan 18th 2011
    Why: While en route, 2 out of 4 of the Lufthansa engines had to be shut down.

    Pilots diverted the plane to Dubrovnik Croatia where they made a safe landing.

    Bishop Joseph Point, Deacon Eric Fennis and press chief Wim Peeters were aboard the flight en route from Frankfurt to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to host the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Wim Peeters is quoted as saying he saw smoke coming from the engine.

    Lufthansa said there was smoke from the galley, but that would not have caused two engines to be shut down.
    No injuries were reported. The flight is under investigation.
    http://www.katholieknederland.nl/actualiteit/2011/detail_objectID722788_FJaar2011.html

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    Delta MD-88 Lands in Show of Sparks

    What: Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-88en route from Atlanta,GA to Little Rock, AR
    Where: Little Rock
    When: Jan 19, 2011
    Who: 78 people on board,
    Why: On approach to Little Rock, the plane suffered an unsafe gear indication due to a hydraulics problem, and performed a go round for visual confirmation.

    The approach was aborted until the gear could be manually extended. Then the plane landed safely with emergency services on standby. No injuries were reported and passengers left the plane singing the captain’s praises.

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    Mumbai: Kingfisher Makes Emergency Landing

    What: Kingfisher en route from Mumbai to Bhubaneshwar
    Where: Mumbai
    When: Jan 19, 2011
    Who: 117 passengers
    Why: After taking off at 1:51, the pilot received a “cautionary systems alert,” declared emergency at 2:31 and returned to Mumbai at 3:15 where he made a safe landing. No injuries or damage to the plane was reported, and no details on what the alert actually was.

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    Czech Plane Lands Due to Undisclosed Mechanical Problem


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Erik Lofgren Bengtson

    What: Czech Airlines Boeing 737-500 en route from Sofia to Prague
    Where: Sofia
    When: Jan 18th 2011
    Who: 30 passengers
    Why: While en route, the pilots encountered mechanical problems with the plane.

    They diverted to Hungary where they made a safe landing. Mechanics in Hungary made repairs.

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    Logan Emergency Landing


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Michael Carter

    What: Continental/ ExpressJet Embraer ERJ-145 en route from Manchester NH to Newark NJ
    Where: Logan
    When: Jan 18, 2010
    Who: 44 passengers and 3 crew
    Why: After taking off 6 hours late after ground stops due to the weather, after five minutes in flight, smoke in the cabin forced the pilots to divert to Logan Airport. Emergency was declared due to “smoke in the lavatory.” In the meantime, passengers were covering their faces because of the smoke. A leak, mechanical problem and possible fire was reported on the Continental flight and speculation is that de-icing fluid had infiltrated the engine, causing burn-off.

    The plane landed safely at Logan, with emergency crews on standby.

    37 passengers boarded another plane around 3 pm to continue to their destination.

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    Engine Fire Disrupts St Thomas Flight

    What: Fresh Air 1955 Convair C-131F cargo plane en route from Puerto Rico to St. Thomas
    Where: St Thomas
    When: Jan 17, 2010, 7:55 am
    Who: pilot Carlos Garcia and First Officer Eduardo Vasquez
    Why: While taking off, an engine began smoking. The pilots returned to land but was unable to stop, skidded through the perimeter fence and came to a stop across from Emerald Beach Hotel. No one was injured but the plane was engulfed in flame.
    The incident tied up the airport, canceling flights for part of the morning.

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    Qantas Diverts Due to Faulty fuel Valve


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Aldo Bidini

    What: Qantas Boeing 747-400 en route from Sydney,NS (Australia) to Los Angeles,CA
    Where: Nadi, Fiji
    When: Jan 18th 2011
    Why: While en route to Los Angeles, the plane’s engine 4 developed fuel valve problems. The flight diverted to Nadi where they made a safe landing. Passengers were processed by 3 immigration officers.

    The number of passengers was not available.

    25 Qantas economy passengers were offered a ride on the Air Pacific FJ810 service from Nadi to LAX without their luggage. Other passengers took advantage of overnight accommodations as they waited for a replacement flight to come from Sydney. Apparently their first replacement flight also had to be replaced.

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    2nd Estonia : Water + Electrics Don’t Mix


    Pictured: An Estonia Air Boeing 737 at Tallinn – Lennart Meri (Ulemiste)
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer

    What: Estonia Air Boeing 737 en route from Tallinn to Copenhagen
    Where: Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport
    When: Jan 16, 2011
    Why: A leak in a water pipe set off electrical problems. The pilots returned to the airport and made a safe landing.

    Passengers were provided an later flight.

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    Midwest Airlines Boeing Emergency Landing in Estonia


    The former Romanian low cost carrier Blue Air EI-EOP was delivered from Shannon to Cairo on December 17 and registered SU-MWF
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographerTrevor Mulkerrins

    What: Midwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 en route from Sharm el Sheikh Egypt to Tallinn Estonia
    Where: Sharm el Sheikh
    When: Jan 15th 2011
    Who: 180 passengers
    Why: While en route, the plane developed pressurization problems that caused passengers significant distress, including ear pain.

    Pilots returned the plane to Tallinn where it made a safe landing and the pressurization problems were worked on by maintenance crews.

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    Air France Emergency Landing in Iceland


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Alejandro Torres

    What: Air France Boeing 777-200 en route from Paris to New York
    Where: Iceland
    When: Monday Jan 17, 2010
    Who: 232 passengers
    Why: While en route, the pilot became sick and the flight was diverted to Iceland. The first officer landed the plane safely at Keflavik Airport. The captain was hospitalized.

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    Emergency Landing in Bangalore

    What: Kingfisher Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-500 en route from Bangalore to Hyderabad
    Where: Bangalore airport
    When: Jan 16, 2011 8:26 a.m.
    Who: 27 passengers, 5 crew
    Why: After taking off an hour late due to bad weather, the plane immediately developed a problem in its right engine. A fire warning alerted the pilot.

    The pilot reported to ATC and returned to make a safe landing at Bangalore airport after ten minutes aloft. Anther plane is being scheduled for the passengers.

    George’s Point of View

    I fly on this plane when in India

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    Alaskan Airlines Emergency Landing in Sacramento

    What: Alaskan Airlines Flight 363 en route from Sacramento to Seattle
    Where: Sacramento International Airport
    When: Jan 12, 2011 6:20 pm
    Why: After takeoff, the plane ingested a bird into its engine.

    The pilot returned to Sacramento and made a safe landing. The extent of damage to the plane’s engine has not been released. The flight was cancelled.

    Below is a raw video of the landing after the bird strike.

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    Emergency Landing in Salt Lake

    What: Delta en route from Detroit
    Where: Salt Lake City
    When: Jan 12, 2010
    Who: 144 passengers
    Why: While en route from Detroit, the Delta A320 made an emergency landing in Salt Lake City Utah. Braking and steering were affected, though details have not been released to the media.

    Delta reported that no one was in danger.

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    Gear Controls Break off in Pilot’s Hand

    What: JAC Japan Air Commuter de Havilland Dash 8-400, en route from Amami O Shima to Kagoshima
    Where: Kagoshima Japan
    When: Jan 8th 2011
    Who: 74 passengers
    Why: On takeoff, the gear liver broke. The crew flew on to Kagoshima, landing under emergency conditions with rescue crew on standby. The flight made a safe landing, and was towed.

    At Kagoshima, the gear lever was replaced.

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    Fed Ex Dubai-Paris Flight Lands in Mumbai

    What: Fed Ex en route from Dubai to Paris
    Where: Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai, India
    When: Jan 7 2011 12:55
    Who: crew
    Why: While en route on a routine cargo flight, the plane’s fire alarm went off. The crew made an emergency landing at Chhatrapati but no fire was found. Emergency status was withdrawn after inspection and the flight continued safely.