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.
Swiss Global Air Lines flight LX-40 had to divert and make an emergency landing in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada, on February 1st.
The Boeing 777-300 plane heading from Zurich, Switzerland, to Los Angeles, California, was diverted after one of the engines shut down mid-air.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
American Airlines flight 1804 made an emergency landing at McGhee Tyson Airport, Tennessee, on January 31st.
The plane flying from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Indianapolis, Indiana, was diverted due to a bomb threat.
The plane landed uneventfully. Everyone aboard remained safe.
No explosive material was found upon inspection.
Rossiya Airlines flight FV-5418 had to return for an emergency landing in Cambridge, England, United Kingdom, on January 31st.
The Boeing 747-400 plane took off for Moscow, Russia, but had to turn back after the crew failed to retract the landing gear.
The plane landed back safely. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.
American Airlines flight AA-1251 had to return and make an emergency landing in Louisville, Kentucky, on January 30th.
The plane took off for Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Texas, but had to return shortly afterwards due to a possible mechanical problem.
The plane landed safely. All 119 people aboard remained unharmed.
A small plane made an emergency landing at Clay Center Municipal Airport in Clay County, Kansas, on January 31st.
Authorities said the pilot of the 1976 Cessna Fixed Wing plane was forced to land in emergency due to engine issues.
The plane landed without landing gear.
The pilot, Jeffrey M. Clarke, 35, and his only passenger, Dane M. Messex, 36, remained unharmed.
British Airways flight BA-461 had to divert for an emergency landing in Bordeaux, France, on January 27th.
The Boeing 767-300 plane heading from Madrid, Spain, to Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom, was diverted after an engine de-icing system overheated.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
Lufthansa Cityline flight LH-2246 had to return for an emergency landing in Munich, Germany, on January 30th.
The plane took off for Lyon, France, but had to turn back after the crew reported a technical issue.
The plane landed safely. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.
Gol Transportes Aereos flight G3-9139 had to return and make an emergency landing in Goiana, Brazil, on January 28th.
The Boeing 737-800 plane took off for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but had to return shortly afterwards after its left engine ingested multiple birds.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
The airline arranged a replacement plane for the passengers.
A Piper Cherokee PA-28 plane made an emergency landing on Interstate 95 in Vero Beach, Florida, on January 30th.
The pilot said he was forced to land in emergency due to fuel exhaustion. The plane was flying from St. Lucie County International Airport at the time.
The pilot, who was the only one aboard, remained unharmed.
The incident is under investigation.
Germanwings flight 4U-7218 had to return and make an emergency landing in Hamburg, Germany, on January 29th.
The Airbus A319-100 plane took off for Stockholm, Sweden, but had to return shortly afterwards after the crew reported an unidentified odor on board.
The plane landed back uneventfully.
Three passengers were taken to hospitals with respiratory problems while several others were treated at the airport.
Pakistan International Airlines flight PK-719 made a safe landing following a bird strike in Milan, Italy, on January 28th.
The Boeing 777-300 plane flying from Lahore, Pakistan, was on approach to Milan–Malpensa Airport when a bird hit it.
The plane continued for a safe landing. There were 125 passengers aboard at the time; all of them remained safe.
An Air India flight made an emergency landing at Sanganer Airport in Jaipur, India, on January 28th.
The plane heading from Rajkot to Delhi was diverted after a passenger suffered a cardiac arrest.
The plane landed uneventfully. The patient was rushed to a hospital.
Mesa Airlines flight YV-6176 made an emergency landing in Nashville, Tennessee, on January 26th.
The plane was flying from Washington Dulles International Airport, Virginia, when the crew declared an emergency due to a rapid loss of fuel and a fire warning.
The plane landed safely. All 65 people aboard remained unharmed.
Corendon Dutch Airlines flight CND-491 had to return and make an emergency landing in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on January 26th.
The plane took off for Lanzarote, Spain, but had to return shortly afterwards due to a technical issue.
The plane landed back uneventfully. Everyone aboard remained safe.
Germanwings flight 4U-8061 made an emergency landing in Berlin, Germany, on January 26th.
The Airbus A319-100 plane flying from Nuremberg, Germany, was on approach to Berlin when the crew reported an issue with flaps and aborted approach.
The plane landed uneventfully on second approach. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
Delta Airlines flight DL-82 had to divert and make an emergency landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, on January 25th.
The Boeing 767-400 plane heading from Atlanta, Georgia, to Charles de Gaulle Airport, France, was diverted after the crew reported a hydraulic failure.
The plane landed safely. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.
Turkish Airlines flight TK-1911 had to make an emergency landing in Zurich, Switzerland, on January 25th.
The Airbus A320-200 plane was flying from Istanbul, Turkey, when the crew declared an emergency due to a hydraulic failure.
The plane landed uneventfully. Everyone aboard remained safe.
Flybe flight BE-211 made an emergency landing in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, on January 25th.
The plane was flying from Exeter, United Kingdom, when the crew declared an emergency due to a technical issue.
The plane landed safely. All 62 passengers aboard remained unharmed.
Austrian Airlines flight OS-375 made a safe landing following multiple bird strikes in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on January 24th.
The Airbus A319-100 plane flying from Vienna, Austria, was on approach to Amsterdam when several birds hit it.
The plane continued for a safe landing. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.
Travel Service Airlines flight QS-7333 had to make an emergency landing in Katowice, Poland, on January 23rd.
The Boeing 737-800 plane flying from Fuerteventura, Spain, was on final approach to Katowice when the crew reported a flaps issue and went around.
The plane landed safely on second approach. All 187 passengers and 6 crew members remained unharmed.
GoJet Airlines flight G7-6202 had to return and make an emergency landing in Saint Louis, Missouri, on January 24th.
The plane took off for Minneapolis, Minnesota, but had to turn back after a windshield cracked due to a bird strike.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
Rossiya Airlines flight SU-6551 had to return and make an emergency landing in Moscow, Russia, on January 24th.
The Boeing 737-800 plane took off for Sochi, Russia, but had to return shortly afterwards after the crew received a cabin pressure warning.
The plane landed safely. All 157 people aboard remained unharmed.
American Airlines flight AA-67 had to divert for an emergency landing at O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, on January 23rd.
The plane heading from John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, to San Francisco, California, was diverted after the crew reported a hydraulic failure.
The plane landed safely. There were 110 people aboard at the time; all of them remained unharmed.
American Airlines flight AA-64 made an emergency landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, on January 23rd.
The Boeing 767-300 plane took off for Zurich, Switzerland, but had to turn back due to an electrical issue.
The plane landed uneventfully. Everyone aboard remained safe.
Flybe flight BE-385 had to divert and make an emergency landing in Birmingham, England, on January 24th.
The plane heading from Southampton, England, to Dublin, Ireland, was diverted after crew needed to shut down one of the engines.
The plane landed safely. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.
