On January 25, 2013, a Turkish Airlines Airbus A321-231 with 114 aboard en route from Istanbul-Atatürk was on approach to Izmir Turkey when the plane is reported to have suffered an engine fire in the right engine.
A report is circulating that the plane was struck by lightning.
Many of the passengers were reported to be in a panic, saying the plane was vibrating the whole flight, describe the loud noise of the strike, and also the smell of burning
The pilot made a safe landing on one engine.
Video below
Not sure what to think of the music added to the video below, which makes it most un-news-like. There’s no actual video of the plane landing, just a light making a line in the sky.
A Tio Taxi Aereo Embraer EMB-810C Seneca II en route from São Paulo Olivenza to Tefé to Manaus-Aeroclube de Flores was flying a cargo of money when the pilot had difficulties and attempted to land on Avenue Nilton Lins, but crashed in the Eletrobrás parking lot with sixty cars of which 20 were destroyed. The cargo went up in smoke.
Institute of Municipal Engineering and Traffic Authority of Manaus and the fire department were on the scene. Regional Service Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (Seripa) expects to provide a report within 30 to sixty days.
The pilot, Iran Rolim, co-pilot Bill Pacheco and two passengers were hospitalized. One pf the passengers was named as Roberto do Santos. The maintenance engineer of Tio Táxi Aéreo, Amarildo Furtado da Silva provided details to news services.
On January 24, 2013, a Central Flying Services Inc Beechcraft A36 Bonanza en route from Beaumont Municipal to Monroe Regional Airport was on approach to Monroe when it crashed for unknown reasons. Four minutes before the crash, the pilot told ATC of problems with the plane’s landing gear. ATC lost contact with the plane at 1:49 p.m. The plane crashed eight miles from the airport. Witnesses saw the plane circle and nosedive into the woods.
The plane impacted behind Ouachita Correctional Center in Richwood. The manifest says Dean Hart Sr. of West Monroe, owner of Hart Commercial Investments, and Max Larche of Bastrop, engineer with Lazenby & Associates in West Monroe and Don Thompson of Monroe were passengers aboard the flight. The three businessmen were returning from a business trip to Beaumont.
The pilot was also a fatality.
Emergency services included police and fire firefighters, firefighters on ATV. Firefighters relied on fire extinguishers to put out the blaze.
On January 23, 2013, a Kenn Borek Air de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter was en route from the South Pole to Terra Nova Bay when it went missing en route, somewhere around Northern end, Queen Alexandra Range, Antarctica.
Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand is coordinating the search.
Three Canadians were aboard. The pilot is Captain Bob Heath, a Canadian with 25 years of Arctic and Antarctic experience. His plane was carrying survival tent and equipment and 5 day food supply.
The flight was a support mission from Amundson-Scott South Pole Base (USA) to an Italian base at Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica. A distress beacon sounded but a C-130 sweep sent by United States authorities at McMurdo failed to detect the plane. The beacon activated at around 10pm Wednesday night from the northern end of the Queen Alexandra Range, during hurricane force winds blowing slow below at temperatures below zero.
A DC-3 circled for five hours in heavy snow and 190 km winds.
A Twin Otter was scheduled to take off at around 8am NZ Time from McMurdo Station to fly over and establish a forward base approximately 50km from the mountainous area where the beacon is sounding, but weather may be prohibitive. A joint New Zealand and US field rescue team is planning a helicopter rescue as soon as weather permits. View Video Below
On Jan 21, 2013 at 12:45, a Helimarte Bell 206B JetRanger III en route in light rain from West Zone of São Paulo to Campo de Marte Airport with four people aboard flying over a residential area in the neighborhood of Garden Corner, crash landed on two houses in Paul Street Arentino in Jaragua in the north of São Paulo near Highway Taipas.
A resident saw the plane approaching and saw that the rear propeller stopped. Witnesses in the house say there were electrical lines entangled in the helicopter.
Civil Defense roped off four properties as unsafe.
One person aboard did not survive the crash and three others aboard, all crew, were injured but conscious when they were found. One person on the ground was also injured. Some reports say two on the ground were injured. There were four people in one house that was crashed into.
The sole fatality was the pilot, Stella Melo Marcelo Araujo, who was 29, was single and had no children. The helicopter was an air taxi but the objective was a two hour flyover inspecting, monitoring and surveying regional park areas.
Ramiro Levy (Depave-1), Bishop Fabian Barbosa (Depave-5) and Idevanir Souza (Communication), all employees of the Municipal Green and Environment were injured. Two crew members were taken to Hospital and Clinics and one to the Hospital São Camilo Emergency Room.
Five teams were sent to the crash to deal with the injured, the wreckage and the leak in the helicopter. The helicopter’s certificate valid until December 8, 2016 and had passed it’s recent maintenance inspection.
Helimarte, who operates the helicopter that crashed on Monday in ??Jaragua, north of Sao Paulo, said in a statement that the accident was the first in the fourteen year history of 35 000 flights. Everyone aboard was employed by the City of São Paulo.
Did this happen because of a random gust of wind? Was this an incident that was invisible or could it have been detected or predicted? You tell me. It’s tragic, whatever the circumstance.
On January 17, 2013, ( 13:50 local time), a Habilitaciones Turisticas SA CV Piper PA-31-325 Navajo #XBEZY took off from Angel Albino Corzo Intl en route to Xoxocotlán Intl. Airport in Oaxaca but crashed on takeoff.
Aboard there were a crew of two, and six passengers, three of whom were adults and three who were minors. All eight died in the crash immediately after takeoff in Chiapa de Corzo.
Witnesses said the ship had just taken off when it was hit by a gust of wind that knocked it to the ground, where it caught afire on impact.
The plane impacted the ground at Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas and caught fire, covering the airport in smoke.
The eight fatalities were the two pilots, the captain Alfonso Jimenez Racino, co-pilot Pablo Gomez, businessman Monterrosa Melchor Hernandez, his wife, two sons and two grandchildren. Melchor Hernandez Monterrosa is an entrepreneur, owner of ‘Mezcal Fandango’ and ‘Destiladora Orizaba Valley’ in Veracruz and Puebla,
??Civil Aviation, the Mexican Army, Fire, Red Cross, Secretariat of Public Safety and Civil Protection responded to the scene. The crash also started a grass fire that took some fifteen hours to put out and complicated rescue.
A cold front, clouds and air currents may have contributed to the accident. Civil Aeronautics will be investigating.
The Wednesday January 16, 2013 crash of the helicopter that struck a crane on top of London’s St George Wharf Tower did result in two casualties. Two office buildings, 5 cars & 2 motorbikes were damaged. The AgustaWest AW109E #G-CRST was flown by Rotormotion, and leased from Castle Air.
Weather people are saying that the top of the crane was not in fog but in a low cloud. (This is apparently different from fog, and might be something I should ask my pilots about. And this London. London=Fog, no?)
Four people were injured and taken to St. Thomas’ Hospital. Five injured were taken to Kings College Hospital. Seven people were treated at the scene. One of the injured was rescued from a burning car. The helicopter fell to Wandsworth Road, hit some vehicles, burst into flames; and falling burning debris started flames in some buildings. Although there were people in the area who thought the accident was a bomb and didn’t realize the helicopter had struck the crane, some witnesses saw the helicopter clip the crane and in seconds, spin out of control. Part of the crane also fell.
I think it’s nothing short of a miracle that there were only two killed and nine injured. London has 8.2 million people.
The pilot, Peter Barnes, was en route from Redhill to Elstree, but had diverted to Battersea because of the visibility. Barnes had over 12,000 flying hours, was employed by charter firm Rotormotion and had flown in the movies Die Another Day, Tomb Raider II and Saving Private Ryan.
Night officially ended thirty minutes before the crash, at which time lights on tall structures were allowed to be turned off. The lights are not visible during fog and bad weather.
The accident resulted in some subway/tube/station closures.
On Jan 16, 2013, a LabCorp Pilatus PC 12/45 was en route from Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport to Morristown NJ when the place crashed. After taking off from Burlington and experiencing problems, the pilot tried avoiding a residential area. The crash near the North Park Community Center occurred around 6:00 a.m. about five miles from the airport. Witnesses report the pilot either circled (or spun) to crash on the softball field. About 400 gallons of fuel spilled.
Fifty emergency responders arrived on the scene.
57-year-old David Gamble of Greensboro died in the crash. He was a LabCorp employee delivering inter-office mail. He was the pilot, the only one aboard, and an employee of LabCorp. The plane is registered as property of Regions Equipment Finance Corp.
On Wednesday January 16, 2013, a helicopter crashed into a crane and fell to a London street just south of the River Thames near the Underground and mainline train station at Vauxhall, killing two and injuring nine. London Ambulance said only one of the people they took to the hospital had critical injuries.
The crane was on top of the 50-story St. George Wharf Tower. The top of the crane was not visible from the street because of fog.
An investigation is underway, among other things questioning if the crane was equipped with lights, if the pilot committed an error, if the helicopter was fit for use, and if weather was a factor.
On 12-JAN-2013 at 3:30 pm, a single engine SEAWIND 3000 seaplane was taking off from Sarasota for Venice Airport when it crashed after takeoff.
The pilot died in the collision; the passenger survived with injuries. The seaplane did not gain enough altitude and struck a couple of trees. It impacted near the New College of Florida campus. The passenger, a 63-year-old man from Michigan was taken by medivac to Tampa General Hospital.
Witnesses say the plane made a sound like a gunshot before it lost altitude, missed power lines and reached a grassy field owned by USF New College. One witness saw the plane on fire before it hit the ground.
On Jan 11, 2013, Flight 1868, an American Airlines MD-80 en route from Las Vegas to Dallas was in the air when a problem developed in a plane generator. There were 150 passengers and 5 crew.
The Captain told passengers that the backup generator failed, so they had to divert to Albuquerque International where they made a safe landing at 8:30 a.m.
No injuries were reported.
Passengers were informed the plane was going to maintenance and they were placed on alternative flights to Dallas.
On January 9, 2013. an All Nippon Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Ube Yamaguchi Japan was taxiing for takeoff to Tokyo when the plane developed brake problems. This was Boeing’s third Dreamliner incident in three days.
In the cockpit of the All Nippon Airways 787, an error message indicated brake parts in the left undercarriage needed attention.
The 98 passengers aboard the plane disembarked and were provided alternative transportation to Tokyo.
All three events appear to be from different routine situations rather than stemming from a single issue. The brake issue and fuel spill are routine events, not on par with the lithium battery fire at Logan Airport, which is a problem which requires serious investigation.
On January 7, 2013, Chinook helicopter (registration N241CH) Pucallpa-Tarapoto was en route near the Laguna Yarinacocha in Pucallpa Peru when it came down in the Amazon.
The helicopter took off at took off at 2:57 pm, taking a load to Tarapoto.
According to reports, although the crew tossed the load while airborne, the plane broke up in mid air and caught fire. There were seven people aboard.
There were 2 Peruvians aboard: Joel Castillo and Luis Ramos.
Five Americans: Dan Immel , Ed Córdova, Jaime Pickett, Lee Bradford and Darrel Birkes.
Those aboard were employed by Petrominerales Ltd, a Canadian-based oil exploration firm.
On January 7, 2013, on a training flight, a Piper Cherokee VH-JXR with only the pilot aboard took off. He noticed a problem with flying the plane and did a flyby over the airport where his instructor discovered visually that the plane had lost a right rear wheel during takeoff from Mangalore Airport Australia.
The pilot circled to burn fuel, and talked with his instructor and emergency teams. He landed the plane safely on two wheels.
The 21 year old Chinese pilot trainee made a safe landing with emergency crews on standby. The pilot had 120 hours of flight experience. English is his second language.
On January 7, 2013, a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner Japan-Boston had already landed in Boston, and all 184 passengers had safely disembarked when smoke filled the cabin.
A fire was found in a battery aboard the plane. Boston Firefighters arrived at 10:40 a.m. and put out the fire.
Passengers were provided alternative transportation and overnight accommodations.
Electrical issues in the avionics bay where the battery is located are a known issue in this type of plane, which uses electrical motors instead of hydraulics in certain areas. The auxiliary battery in the compartment kicks in after the engine kicks off. That’s what happened on test flights, and from what I have heard, that is what happened here.
In George’s Point of View
Let’s slow down with this great plane. Let’s get the kinks out of it before we put humans on too many of these Dreamliners. Let them stay Dreamliner and not become Nightmareliners. United is starting service but are these planes really ready? There have been engine problems and some spooky events. We don’t read too much about them, but I know they have occurred. I love this plane, I want to fly all over the world in it, and if I live long enough, I will, but, is it ready?
According to the NTSB report below, the NTSB seems to agree with me that incidents like this warrant investigation.
Press Release
WASHINGTON– Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are gathering information regarding reports of smoke aboard a Boeing 787 at Boston’s Logan Airport today.
The Japan Airlines 787 was on the ground and empty of passengers at the time of the incident.
The NTSB has dispatched an investigator to Boston. Based on a review of the factual information gathered, the NTSB will determine the extent of its investigation. Video Below
On January 4, 2012, a plane taking off at 11:00AM went missing at 11:30AM. The party was en route from the resort Los Roques Venezuela traveling 100 miles to Caracas and disappeared from radar. A search has been initiated for the private plane, a twin-engine Britten Norman BN2 Islander.
Map
Listed on the flight were fashion mogul Vittorio Missoni who owned the plane, and his wife Maurizia Castiglioni, entrepreneur Guido Foresti and Elda Scalvenzi from Brescia and two crew members.
The search stopped at nightfall and began again on January 5. Video
On January 4, 2013, a Beechcraft BE35 developed a vibration problem, reported an emergency. The pilot was diverting to Flagler County Airport when the plane crashed into a house a mile from the airport.
Three people aboard the flight died. Three people were inside the Palm Coast Florida house, but they were not trapped inside the building.
The seventeen year old student pilot who took off with two friends on a late-night flight New Year’s Day 2013(10:30 p.m. Tuesday) and crashed in north Alabama, killing everyone aboard was not following regulations at the time of the crash.
17-year-old Jordan Seth Montgomery and 19-year-old Brandon Tyler Ary, both of Arley were passengers aboard the plane.
A student pilot “may not act as pilot in command of an aircraft that is carrying a passenger.” Student Pilot Jordan Ryan Smith was one test away from his pilot’s license, according to family members.
The airport says the student pilot was flying a plane he wasn’t rated on, without permission, in overcast weather.
What: Medical Bell 407 en route from Mason City to Emmetsburg Iowa
Where: Ventura Iowa
When: Jan 2 2013
Who: 3 Fatalities
Why: A Mercy Air Med medical helicopter crash was en route Mason City to Emmetsburg to pick up a patient when it crashed on Wednesday at 9 p.m killing Pilot Gene Grell, paramedic Russell Piehl, and Nurse Shelly Lair-Langenbau.
A Managed Aviation Inc Piper PA-60-602P Aerostar made a hard landing at North Las Vegas Airport, skidded off the runway and caught on fire. The pilot and passenger managed to exit the plane. It appears to be a training flight.
At 4:20, fire crews were trying to put out the fire.
The condition of the two aboard has not been reported. See Video below
What: Medical Bell 407 en route from Mason City to Emmetsburg Iowa
Where: Ventura Iowa
When: Jan 2 2013
Who: 3 Fatalities
Why: A Mercy Air Med medical helicopter crash was en route to pick up a patient when it crashed on Wednesday at 9 p.m killing Pilot Gene Grell, paramedic Russell Piehl, and Nurse Shelly Lair-Langenbau. The pilot had 2,800 hours flight time.
The weather at the time was a light freezing drizzle, fog and mist at 8 p.m. at the Mason City airport, 27 degrees, and overcast conditions at 9 p.m.
The patient was taken by ambulance to Mercy-North Iowa Hospital.
The helicopter service of Mercy Medical Center-North that employed the pilot is Med-Trans. The nurse and paramedic worked for the hospital.
The crash occurred fifteen miles from where it took off. The helicopter did not have a black box but it did have a tracking satellite system. The Bell 407 was new in April 2011 and had night-vision goggles, a terrain warning system and a satellite tracking system.
The NTSB and FAA are investigating. Weather is being investigated as a possible cause. There was no SOS or emergency communication from the helicopter. The wreckage will probably be relocated on Jan 4 2013. Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department is keeping the site secure.
The Red Wings Tupolev jet that crashed on December 29 had three survivors, two men and a woman.
Their conditions are improving.
The five fatalities included the captain, first officer, flight engineer, and two flight attendants. One of the now-deceased flight attendants had survived a while with traumatic brain injury, but succumbed.
Russian investigators have started analysing the flight recorders.
Nose sections of the aircraft have been removed to a hangar used by the VARZ-400 maintenance company
Reports are that the runway was inspected an hour and a half before the flight landed and overrun it. Speculation is that there may have been a braking (thrust reverser) issue.
On Dec 31st 2012 Rosaviatsia released a modification to the aircraft operations manual requiring flight crew to apply reverse thrust only if the engine is operating
To apply reverse thrust the engine should be pulled to idle for 1-2 seconds, then command reverse thrust at minimum thrust, verify yellow “thrust reverser unlocked” followed by green “REV” indications appear, only then apply high reverse thrust. Rosaviatsia reported there have been a number of cases where the green “REV” indication did not appear (editorial note: there have been rumours since the Dec 20th overrun, that the crew had applied reverse thrust, the reverser however had not opened and at least one of the engine was delivering full forward thrust instead).
On December 29, 2012, at 16:33, a Red Wings Tupelev 204-100V was on a ferry flight from Pardubice Airport Czech Republic to Moscow-Vnukova Airport, Russia when it crashed-landed in snow, overrunnning the runway. Weather conditions showed heavy gusts accompanying a light snowfall. The Federal Air Transport Agency said that the plane touched down in the proper landing area but for some reason was unable to stop on the runway.
Initially traffic controllers refused to authorise landing, and the plane had to circle the airport. Fire trucks were not on standby; they were undergoing maintenance and were nearly an hour late.
The captain, copilot, flight engineer and one flight attendant were killed. Two died on the scene, one died en route in the ambulance, and one died at the hospital. Four crew survived with serious injuries. Pieces of the plane caught fire.
The plane overran the runway and struck the M3 highway embankment, breaking into three parts. The fuselage landed on the highway 320 meters from the end of the runway. A BBC report said the aircraft was in several pieces, with the cockpit on the highway. Kiev Highway and Vnukovo Airport were both shut down temporarily.
Allegiant Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-82, en route from South Bend to Punta Gorda Florida with 149 passengers and five crew diverted to Fort Wayne Indiana and made a safe landing with emergency services on standby.
Pilots diverted because of a warning light. Passengers were evacuated safely.
