What: Enstrom F-28F helicopter en route from Elko, Nevada to Twin Falls Idaho Where: Twin Falls, Idaho. When: May 20, 2012 Who: Pilot Why: The pilot reported that ten miles south of the Twin Fall Airport, he contacted the control tower that was inbound for landing. However, then he told ATC that he would not be able to make it to the airport with the problems he was having.
He subsequently made a precautionary landing to an open field with control problems with the helicopter. During landing, the helicopter’s tail boom separated from the aircraft.
The pilot is the owner of the helicopter, and was not injured.
What: US Airways Boeing 757-200 en route from Philadelphia,PA to Orlando,FL Where: Orlando When: May 11th 2012 Why: The flight was en route when there was a bird strike impacting the nose. The bird made a “significant” dent in the plane. ATC says “Looks like you guys got punched in the nose, US Air”
What: United Express/Skywest Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Denver to Tulsa Where: Denver When: Mar 17th 2012 Who: 49 passengers, 3 crew Why: After takeoff from Denver, the flight was still above Denver when smoke was indicated in the lavatory.
The pilot returned to make a safe landing with emergency services on standby. Passengers disembarked safely with no reported injuries (and no fire found) and were ported to the gate.
Needful Maintenance? Smoke alarm? Fumes burning off the engine? Someone smoking in the bathroom? Inquiring minds want to know.
What: Air Europa Boeing 737-800 en route from Madrid,SP to Lanzarote,CI Where: Lanzarote When: Jun 16th 2011 Why: On approach to Lanzarote, the plane developed flap problems. The crew responded by entering a holding pattern, and shortly afterward landed with flaps up. Touchdown was lower and at a higher speed but a safe landing.
What: Air Europa Boeing 737-800 en route from Lanzarote,CI to Bilbao,SP Where: Bilbao When: Jun 16th 2011 Why: The same plane was on approach to Bilbao and suffered a reoccurrence of the flap problem.
The pilots diverted to Madrid. Touchdown was lower and at a higher speed but a safe landing.
In George’s Opinion
One can not help but wonder what was going on behind the scenes here–if they had an attempted-but-failed flap repair in maintenance, or if someone had a boneheaded thought process of flying a disabled plane.
We do not have a record here that this was a ferry flight, so whether or not there were commercial passengers aboard, someone else will have to enlighten us.
Hopefully the flaps problem will be repaired rather than continuing to subject the crew to a less-than-airworthy plane. Good on you to the flight crew of EC-III
What: Orange County Sheriff’s Office helicopter Where: intersection of South Orange Blossom Trail and Holden Avenue, Orlando When: March 13, 2011 Who: Pilot and crew Why: While en route, the helicopter began making a strange sound. The crew decided to land, and made an emergency landing at the mall. The helicopter originated at Orlando Executive Airport.
What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 en route from Denver to Philadelphia Where: Eppley Airfield, Omaha When: 3:30 Who: 99 passengers and 7 crew Why: While en route, the cabin began smelling of smoke. The pilots diverted to Eppley Airfield in Omaha Nebraska and made a safe landing.
The plane was examined and allowed to continue on, reaching Philadelphia about 6 hours later.
What: JetBlue A320 Airbus en route from Orlando to Bogota Colombia Where: Norman Manley International Airport Kingston When: Feb 3 2011 8:10 p.m Who: 149 passengers Why: While en route, the plane’s systems indicated smoke in the cabin. The pilot diverted to Kingston where they made a safe landing. The flight was inspected on landing, and no smoke was found.
Arrangements were being made to fly the passengers to Colombia.
However, the Airbus problem was an “erroneous reading.” The plane left Jamaica shortly after midnight.
What: Kuwait Airways Airbus 340-300 en route from Kuwait City (Kuwait) to London Heathrow Where: Kuwait When: Dec 6th 2010 Why: On takeoff from Kuwait City, the plane could not retract the landing gear. According to Al Abdulkarim, the procedure was routine, not an emergency. The crew returned to the airport, made a safe landing, and the problem was promptly repaired. The problem was apparently in the indicator, not the plane. After the warning light was repaired, the flight took off again within hours.
This is the third time in two months that Kuwait Airways made an emergency landing after take-off.
What: Air New Zealand/Mount Cook Avions de Tranport Regional ATR-72-500 en route from Wellington to Dunedin New Zealand Where: Wellington When: Nov 29 2010 Who: 59 passengers Why: After takeoff, the crew reported smoke in the cockpit. They returned to make a landing (termed “no emergency landing” by New Zealand officials) in Wellington, with emergency services (euphemistically called airport services) on standby.
What: Delta en route from New York to Moscow Where: New York When: Nov 21, 2010 Who: 193 passengers, 11 crew Why: After takeoff, ATC saw flames and smoke. The flight returned to JFK. No fire was found, but a compressor stall may have occurred. The left engine was shut down and the flight returned to the airport. Another flight was scheduled departing at 8 for Moscow, for the passengers.
What: Virgin Blue Boeing 737 en route from Melbourne to Sydney Where: Melbourne When: Nov 19 2010 7:16 a.m. Who: 122 passengers, 6 crew Why: Just after takeoff, the pilot noted a peculiar odor described as burning plastic (originally reported as smoke in the cockpit.) After being aloft for less than 30 minutes, the plane was met by 11 fire trucks on the landing which was safe; and the plane seemed to be operating as usual. Passengers were provided alternate flights as maintenance checked over the plane for the source of the smell, which may have been the new engine.
George’s Point of View
An electrical fire? or Old Spice? Avon? Brut? Body odor? Old Spice ON body odor?
What: American Airlines Boeing 737-800 en route from Washington DC to Dallas /Ft. Worth Where: Dulles International Airpor When: Nov 12th 2010 Why: After takeoff, a cargo fire alert convinced the pilots to divert to Dulles, where they made a safe landing; and passengers disembarked on to the tarmac. The passengers were transported to the terminal and provided alternative transportation. No actual fire was found.
What: Qantas Boeing 747-400 en route from Sydney Australia to Buenos Aires, Argentina Where: Sydney When: Nov 15th 2010 Who: 199 passengers, 21 crew Why: While en route, the plane developed smoke in the cockpit, according to Qantas, originating in the cockpit electronic display. The crew donned oxygen masks, and decided to return to Sydney. They dumped fuel, and landed safely–described by a passenger as a perfect landing.
The video interview of a passenger has his account of when the event, including when entertainment systems switched off, the second officer came through the cabin with an explanation; the captain explained later too, once they were on the ground. The passenger also makes a significant point about how the crew must be feeling about Qantas maintenance, and that possibly too many Qantas maintenance resources are being diverted to the A380 problem.
Passengers were scheduled on a flight with a 6 hour delay.
The interviewer says “The Qantas A380s are now being called 180s. They take off, go for ten minutes, make a 180 and go back where they started from.”
Rolls-Royce announced it will replace the A380 superjumbo engines with oil leaks in Qantas’s fleet.
Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/11/16/qantas-plane-makes-emergency-landing-after-cockpit-fills-with-smoke-115875-22720244/#ixzz15TQgHSrI
Go Camping for 95p! Vouchers collectable in the Daily and Sunday Mirror until 11th August . Click here for more information
Sydney, 15 November 2010
Qantas Flight 17 from Sydney to Buenos Aires today, operated by a Boeing 747, returned to Sydney after experiencing an issue with the aircraft’s electrical system.
The aircraft departed at 11:11am and landed safely back at Sydney Airport at 1:22pm. Priority clearance to land was gained from air traffic control, following procedure. There were 199 passengers, three flight crew and 18 cabin crew on board.
Engineers are inspecting the aircraft to determine the cause of the issue. Passengers have disembarked into the terminal building.
Reports that the aircraft lost pressure in the main cabin are incorrect. Oxygen supply to the cabin was unaffected.
The incident has been reported to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the Air Transport Safety Bureau.
The flight crew operating the service acted appropriately in line with their training and with Qantas’ safety-first approach. Qantas regrets the inconvenience to passengers and will seek to make contingency arrangements for those affected.
Further details will be released as they become available.
What: Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300 en route from Houston,TX (USA) to Moscow Domodedovo (Russia) Where: Houston When: Nov 8th 2010 Why: After takeoff, the plane could not fully retract the landing gear . As a result, the flight circled Houston attempting a fix, with the right hand main gear door open until they landed safely an hour after taking off. Passengers were booked on alternative flights.
What: Jazz Air/Air Canada CRJ en route from Washington to Montreal Where: Reagan National Airport, Washington When: Nov 9 2010, 10:45 am Who: 12 passengers, 3 crew Why: After takeoff, an odor developed in the rear cabin. The crew returned the plane to Washington as a precautionary measure. It seems a light and air vent unit was the source of the odor.
What: Qantas Airbus A380-842 en route from Singapore (Singapore) to Sydney,NS Where: Singapore When: Nov 4th 2010 Who: 440 passengers and 26 crew Why: After taking off from Singapore, over Batam the engine exploded and began emitting smoke. The airplane took off at 9:57L, about 4 minutes later abnormal engine #2 indications occurred and the engine shut down at 10:01L. Debris fell in a district called Dutamas, including the Qantas logo, and a turbine falling through a house. The pilot dumped fuel and returned to make a safe landing in Singapore.
The Trent 900 engine has been subject to an EASA Airworthiness Directive. Maintenance determined that “the intermediate pressure turbine disk of engine #2 failed” and are checking for the directive’s warning (intermediate pressure shaft coupling splines requiring inspection for excessive wear) but they believe the engine failure is unrelated to the Directive.
The parts that fell in Batam have been quarantined. Australian accident investigators have downloaded the CVR and FDR. The Australian Transportation Safety Board preliminary report deadline is Dec 3 2010.
What: Delta Airlines Airbus A330-200, en route from Amsterdam to Mumbai Where: Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport When: Nov 4 2010 Who: 244 passengers Why: There are two versions: a call alerted authorities, or a suspicious object was found on the flight. Whatever happened, in any case, the plane made an emergency landing. Passengers were evacuated and a bomb squad searched the plane. Passengers luggage was also searched.
What: Virgin America Airbus A320-200 en route from Orlando,FL to San Francisco,CA Where: Orlando When: Oct 20 2010 Who: 141 passengers Why: After takeoff, the plane developed a crack in the windshield, and by the time it had been aloft for a few moments, the crack began spidering. The plane returned to Orlando and made a safe landing. Passengers were provided an alternative flight within a couple of hours—by 7 pm
What: Korean Air Boeing 747-400 en route from Seoul to Dallas Where: Seattle When: Oct 16th 2010 Why: While en route, the crew noticed the scent of something burning. The pilot diverted to Seattle where they made a safe landing. An inspection ensued, and the problem was found to be an electrical short. The plane was back in service within four hours.
What: Delta Airlines/Pinnacle Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Minneapolis, MN to Grand Forks, ND Where: Fargo When: Oct 17th 2010 Who: 19 passengers, 3 crew Why: While en route, a crew member noticed a passenger tampering with the bathroom fire suppression system. The pilot diverted to Fargo where they made a safe landing. The media reported something “suspicious” and a “bomb scare.” No bomb was found.
Passengers were taken by bus from Fargo to Grand Forks.
What: Indigo Airbus A320-200 en route from Vadodara to Delhi (India) Where: Harni airport Vadodara When: Oct 17 2010 Who: 60 passengers Why: On takeoff, a bird strike occurred. The pilot returned to Vadodara where they made a safe landing. The extent of damage has not been released, but there were no injuries reported.
What: US Airways A319 en route from Anchorage to Phoenix Where: Seattle When: Oct 15 2010 5:45 AM Who: 130 aboard Why: While en route, the left engine stalled. The crew shut down the engine and diverted to Seattle where they made a safe landing at Sea-Tac.
What: Venezolana Boeing 737-200 en route from Caracas to Maracaibo Where: Caracas When: Oct 13 2010 Who: 88 passengers Why: After takeoff, the plane developed problems with the left engine requiring him to shut it down.
The pilot returned to Caracas and made a safe landing minus the left engine. Passengers were provided an alternative flight.
What: UM Ukrainian Mediterranean Airlines Douglas DC-9-50 en route from Beirut (Lebanon) to Kiev Where: Beirut When: Sep 21 2010 Who: 91 passengers Why: After takeoff, an engine ingested a bird, resulting in engine problems. There were reports of an engine surge, explosion and fire which are being denied by the airport.
The crew returned the plane to Beirut where they made a safe landing. Passengers report hearing an explosion and seeing flame. On landing, passengers disembarked. No injuries are reported, nor whether slides were used or a replacement jet provided.
What: American Airlines Boeing 737-800 en route from Chicago to Reno Where: Chicago When: Sept 2, 2010 Who: One-hundred-sixty passengers and five crew members Why: After being struck by lightning, American Airlines Flight 1487 returned to Chicago where it was examined by maintenance.
Passengers were provided an alternative plane that had not been struck by lightning.
