Landing

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    Bird Strikes Pilot in the Face


    What: Northern Colorado Med-Evac Bell 407 Helicopter en route from Greeley to a hospital south of Denver
    Where: two miles from Swedish Medical Center (landed at Centennial Airport)
    When: 1:10 a.m. Sunday May 17
    Who: The 4 people aboard were uninjured.
    Why: The helicopter made an emergency landing after a bird strike left a small hole in the front windshield. The bird actually struck the pilot in the face and ended up on the floor of the helicopter.

    The pilot and passengers were not injured. No word on the bird’s condition.

    The helicopter was repaired and is back in service. The neurology patient was driven the rest of the way to the hospital.

    George’s Point of View

    I love birds, but I wish they would stay away from our aircraft.

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    Smoke in the Cockpit Diverts Allegiant to Vegas

    What: Allegiant Air MD-83 en route from Los Angeles to Grand Junction
    Where: McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas
    When: 2:22 p.m May 18, 2009
    Who: 130 passengers and 5 crew members
    Why: After reporting smoke in the cockpit, the crew diverted to the Las Vegas airport. There were no injuries. The replacement flight is not expected to arrive in Grand Junction until after 6 pm.

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    Lufthansa Emergency Landing In Prague


    What: Lufthansa en route from Duesseldorf to Budapest
    Where: Prague’s Ruzyne airport
    When: May 15 at 1400 hrs.
    Who: 35 update: 30 passengers; 5 crew
    Why: When smoke was detected in the luggage compartment, the flight was diverted to Prague where they made a safe landing. No injuries were reported.

    If we are apprised of more details, we will update.
    All 30 passengers were able to continue to Budapest at 1700 hrs on another flight.

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    Airbus: Emergency Landing LAX

    What: Airbus 320 en route from LAX to Dulles
    Where: LAX
    When: Friday, May 15, 2009 2:42 p.m.
    Why: The plane developed a hydraulic leak and returned to LAX for an emergency landing. No Injuries were reported.

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    Injured Helicopter Pilot Flies to Med Center

    What: crop dusting helicopter
    Where: 1778 Richvale Highway, Richvale, Butte County California
    When: Wednesday May 13
    Who: pilot Craig Compton
    Why: The pilot (and business owner of Avag ) was moving the plane when it crashed into a building. Compton was flown to Enloe Medical Center in Chico.

    AVAG’s business is aerial seeding.

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    Colgan/Bombardier – Another Near Tragedy?


    What: Colgan Airlines/ Continental Q400 Bombardier turbo-prop en route from Newark to Buffalo
    Where: Buffalo International Airport
    When: May 12 6 pm
    Who: 73 on board
    Why: On landing, part of the wheel assembly disengaged. A passenger video shows the tire assembly coming to pieces on landing. One tire of the two-tire assembly comes off; the remaining tire sustains the landing.

    George’s Point of View

    Notably, the wheel assembly had been recently serviced, but whether or not the problem lies with Colgan maintenance or the established fact that the tire assembly on the Q400 Bombardier is well renowned for problems is as yet undetermined. At the end of the tape above, take a look at the shot of the 2007 Denmark incident where the Q400 Bombardier’s right landing gear collapsed. There were 8 such landing gear failures in the Q400 Bombardier in 2007 alone.

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    United Airlines Emergency Landing in Indianapolis


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Art Brett
    What: United Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Baltimore MD to Chicago O’Hare,IL
    Where: Runway 23 Right at Indianapolis International Airport
    When: May 15, 7:15 am
    Who: 140 people aboard.
    Why: While en route to Chicago, the 757 cockpit filled with smoke and requested an emergency landing at Indianapolis.

    As you can see in the silent digital recording above, the plane lands safely, although we do not see the passengers debarking.

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    Six Fatalities in Guatemalan Crash


    What: Six-seat twin engine plane en route from the La Aurora to Belize bound for the neighboring country of Belize.
    Where: Guatemala City 200 yards (meters) from the airport
    When: Thursday 1942 GMT
    Who: Passengers included four Francisco Marroquin University professors; pilot Hector Ramos, and passengers Rafael Araneda, Claudia Porras of Araneda, Joseph Godoy, Juan Roberto Brenes and Helmuth Wintzer
    Why: The crash destroyed a home, and parts of the wreckage also ended up in a swimming pool. The cause of the crash is under investigation but bad weather is thought to be responsible. The pilot was attempting a turn when he crashed at 15th Avenue and 20th Street area near the 13th Air Force. The plane fell on house 20-21.

    Four people inside the house were shocked by the noise, but no one was hurt.

    George’s Point of View

    We offer our condolences to the families of Hector Ramos, Rafael Araneda, Claudia Porras, Joseph Godoy, Juan Roberto Brenes and Helmuth Wintzer

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    Drugged Passenger Bites Air Official

    What: Egypt Air flight MF 968 en route from Cairo to Kuala Lumpur
    Where: Mumbai international airport
    When: Emergency landing 3 am on Friday; transport to hospital Monday May 11
    Who: Ojo Joshua Oladele
    Why: The passenger exhibited violent behavior while aboard the Cairo-Kuala Lumpur flight. (He assaulted the crew and bit the air marshall.) When his behavior became uncontrollable, the plane landed in Mumbai, where the passenger was escorted to Cooper Hospital suffering the throes of withdrawal. Because the Nigerian passenger did not have an Indian Visa, he was held in the airport in the custody of “security.” According to officials, when his condition improves, he will be sent back to Nigeria.

    George’s Point of View

    I wonder what the status is of his visa now?

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    Q400 Bombardier Turns Back to Varna


    Hungarian Malev Airlines Q400 Bombardier
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Adam Samu
    What: Hungarian Malev Airlines Q400 Bombardier en route from Varna to Budapest
    Where: Bulgarian coastal town of Varna
    When: 5:25 am on May 12
    Who: 30 passengers
    Why: The plane experienced an undisclosed technical problem and turned back almost as soon as it was in the air. The plane that turned back is the same as the Colgan Air plane that crashed in Buffalo NY. This plane, however, was not flying with ice on its wings.

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    Air Canada Jazz Lands on One Engine


    Contact photographer Galen Burrows
    What: Air Canada Jazz de Havilland Dash 8-100, en route from Sudbury to Pearson,ON
    Where: Sudbury
    When: May 12th 2009 21:07 (eighteen minutes)
    Who: 21 on board
    Why: While en route, the oil pressure and ITT indicators came on for engine number two just before it made a big “bang.” The pilot shut down engine two and returned to Sudbury for a safe landing

    George’s Point of View

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    Airbus Hydraulics Failure in Canada


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Michael Carter
    What: Air Canada Airbus A320-200 en route from Toronto,ON to Winnipeg,MB
    Where: Winnipeg
    When: May 3rd 2009
    Who: 148 people on board
    Why: When the flight crew discovered low hydraulics fluid, they turned off the system, declared an emergency and flew on to Winnipeg without hydraulics. Just prior to landing, the hydraulics were re-initiated and the plane landed safely. According to the the Aviation Herald’s May 04 report, the “O-ring on the brakes servo valve needed to be replaced. ”

    George’s Point of View

    It’s difficult to argue with a safe landing.

    Though it is impossible from our perspective to say whether this dangerous situation occurred due to maintenance failure or regular wear and tear, the Air Canada flight crew is to be commended for successfully landing without any injuries, and handling the situation in such a practical manner.

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    4 Die in Cessna Crash


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Giovanni Francisco Rodriguez Bravo

    What: Single Engine Cessna 172 en route from Santa Cruz
    When: May 11
    Who: four people were killed: pilot Martyshev Basil, his wife and two children
    Why: The plane took off from Santa Cruz 20 minutes after the expiry of the permitted duration of flights.

    50 minutes after takeoff the plane fell from the sky. No cause is yet noted.

    Apparently Martyshev was Russian and had U.S. citizenship, while his wife and children were citizens of Bolivia.

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    Jet Blue Nose Gear went Belly Up at JFK

    What: Jetblue Embraer ERJ-190 en route from Austin,TX to New York JFK,NY
    Where: JFK,NY runway 22L diverted to runway 31L
    When: May 7th 2009
    Who: 80 people on board
    Why: After a missed approach, the Jet Blue crew announced a “little issue.” THe little issue turned out to be a nose gear steering fault. The plane landed safely under emergency status; no one was injured. And the plane did require a tow after landing.

    This plane–unlike several others at the same time frame at JFK–did NOT incur a bird strike.

    George’s Point of View

    JetBlue goes back and forth across the country.

    Maintenance! Maintenance! Maintenance!

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    Bad day for Saudi Arabian Airlines (or MD-90s)


    © Michael Carter Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Michael Carter
    What: Saudi Arabian Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-90 en route from Jeddah to Yanbu
    Where: Yanbu
    When: May 8th 2009
    Why: On landing, the plane struck one wing onto the runway. The logo light in the wing tip sustained damage. THe pilot was suspended.


    © Markus Buttinger Airliners.net
    View large photo on Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Markus Buttinger
    What: Saudi Arabian Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-90 en route from from Jeddah to Riyadh Saudi Arabia
    Where: Riyadh
    When: May 8th 2009
    Who: 8 crew on board
    Why: On a ferry flight, after landing at Riyadh the plane skidded on a high speed turnoff, slid, turned, veered off the runway. The main gear collapsed and the left wing damaged made it a write-off.

    George’s Point of View

    Coincidence? 2 MD-90s? Both Saudi Arabian Airlines? Did they rush their pilot’s training? Or maybe they trained down on the penny arcade 1991 model Sega R360 flight simulator down at the 7/11?

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    Airbus a Hot Mess over Geneva


    Contact photographer Mark Kwiatkowski
    What: Lufthansa A321-100, registration en route from Munich Germany to Lisbon Portugal
    Where: Diverted to Geneva Switzerland
    When: May 9th 2009
    Who: 147 passengers
    Why: En route, the airbus was hit by clear air turbulence. Twelve passengers were injured, and 2 crew members. 5 were taken to the hospital.

    George’s Point of View

    Turbulence does not necessarily result in a plane being taken out of commission. The passengers were delayed for five hours while replacement transportation was procured. There is no indication why.

    This makes me question why the passengers had to switch planes.

    • Was this just a precaution?
    • Was the turbulence so bad that it damaged the plane?
    • Did they get jostled around much the galley contents (or during mealtime) that it made a 5+ hour mess?
    • Did something on the plane go on the fritz before during or after?

      • Inquiring minds want to know…

    Update: Meal service was in progress at the time of the turbulence.

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    Beechcraft Plane Crash; Five Deaths

    What: small propeller-driven, six-seater Beechcraft BE95 twin-engine plane en route from the Minden-Tahoe Airport (500 yards south of Mottsville Lane, three miles west of State Route 88)
    Where: western Gardnerville Nevada
    When: Saturday afternoon about 4:10 p.m.
    Who: five people aboard: four men and one woman. All died of blunt force trauma.
    Why: Witnesses say the plane nose-dived into an open field. Witnesses said “The right wing of the plane dropped down and it appeared that the pilot had stalled”

    The cause is under investigation.

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    R-22 Engine Failure

    What: ROBINSON R22 ROTORCRAFT
    Where: WINTER HAVEN, FL
    When: 05/07/2009
    Who: pilot
    Why: A ROBINSON R22 ROTORCRAFT owned by “NOVEMBER ALPHA LLC” at 5657 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 330, REPORTED AN ENGINE FAILURE AND FORCE LANDED ON A PARKING LOT.

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    Indian Airlines Safe Emergency Landing

    What: Indian Airlines en route from Shamshabad Airport to Tirupati
    Where: Shamshabad International Airport
    When: fifteen minutes after takeoff at 1:55 pm. Thursday May 7
    Who: 135 passengers including the Minister for Endowments J Ratnakar Rao
    Why: The plane returned to the airport when the pilot had technical difficulties.

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    Lantana Tragedy


    What: Beechcraft 35 Bonanza owned by James BREAZEAL of Florida
    Where: LANTANA, FL
    When: 05/06/2009
    Who: Two fatalities, pilot and passenger: Jack Henderson of Lake Worth and James Breazeal of Windermere were killed in the crash.
    Why: AIRCRAFT, ON LANDING MISSED THE RUNWAY AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED AIRCRAFT, THE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, LANTANA, FL, Air worthiness Date: 08/18/1959

    Although the airport is saying a new engine was recently installed, investigators believe that engine failure caused the plane to crash. The plane clipped parked planes and collided with a trailer, with the engine dislodging on impact. Apparently the rest of the plane “crumbled” on impact with the hanger.

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    Two Robinson R22 Helicopters Crash in Australia

    What: Robinson R22 helicopters
    Where: Springvale Station, about 50km north of the Halls Creek, at a remote Western Australian cattle station
    When: May 5
    Who: pilot Wanganui pilot Matthew Warrick William Funnell, 39 and pilot 37-year-old Troy Aaron Wareham. Funnell is the cousin of John Funnell, managing director of Helicopter Services BOP – which provides air ambulance services.
    Why: When the pilots did not return, a search party was sent out, which discovered the wreckage. The crash is under investigation

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    Airbus Doubles Back Twice in Rome

    What: Windjet Airbus A320-200 en route from Catania to Rome Fiumicino (Italy)
    Where: Catania
    When: May 4th 2009
    Who: 111 passengers
    Why: This plane returned to Catiana not once but twice. First, an unsafe gear indication turned them back for repairs; on the second try, retraction of the gears resulted in vibrations of the airframe, so they returned to Catiana a second time. The flight left for Rome seven hours later–on a different plane.

    George’s Point of View

    Can’t you just feel the response of the passengers? Not just the anxiety the first time around, but imagine the second attempt when those gears went up and that anxiety was topped off by terror when the plane started vibrating. There’s not a person on board that plane who wasn’t relieved when that plane made it safely to the runway.

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    Two Delta Boeings with Technical Difficulties


    Contact photographer John Farmington
    What: Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from New York JFK,NY (USA) to Kiev (Ukraine)
    Where: returned to New York
    When: May 3rd 2009
    Who: 212 on board
    Why: The crew listed “operational reasons” but listed no details. They turned back over Moncton,NB and returned flying at lower altitude.


    Contact photographer Wim Callaert
    What: Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300 En route from New York JFK,NY (USA) to Rome Fiumicino
    Where: Bangor,ME
    When: May 4th 2009
    Why: En route, the plane lost all air data computers and had lost most of the flight instruments, and requested to return to the airport of origin. Instead, they diverted to Bangor Maine. A replacement plane completed the flight. Fortunately, all that was suffered was a delay of nine hours.

    George’s Point of View

    This caught my eye mostly because two Boeings flying out of NY’s JFK were both listed as having “technical difficulties.” I wanted to doublecheck and see if they were the same plane.

    Not the same plane.

    The first incident with the undisclosed technical difficulty involved plane registration registration N182DN.
    The second incident, the one with the data computer problem, involved plane registration N196DN.

    I find myself curious to discover what is coincidence and what is not. It may not be the same plane; but it is the same airline, the same model plane. Is it the same flight crew? Same procedures? What about the equipment? Is there something here to discover?

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    Veracruz: Fatal Cessna Crash


    Pictured: Cessna 340
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Hidemi Bustamante Prudente

    What: Cessna 340 en route from Veracruz to McAllen, Texas.
    Where: General Heriberto Jara Corona International Airport, Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico.
    When: May 5, 2009
    Who: Pilot and 3 passengers
    Why: The Cessna crashed while returning to land after takeoff.

    The pilot requested to return to the airport shortly after takeoff and was cleared to land by the tower. The pilot and 2 passengers were fatally injured and 1 passenger sustained serious injuries.

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    Maintenance Door Opens in Flight

    What: Northwest Airlines flight 2271 en route from Baton Rouge to Memphis
    Where: Baton Rouge Metro Airport Monday
    When: Monday May 4, 2009
    Who: 49 people on board
    Why: When an access door to avionics maintenance on the bottom of the jet opened, the flight returned to Baton Rouge and circled to use fuel before landing.

    George’s Point of View

    Better safe than sorry.