Pictured: A South African Airways Airbus A319-131
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Gary Shephard
What: South African Airways Airbus A319-100 en route from Durban to Cape Town
Where: Durban
When: Dec 11th 2009
Who: not available
Why: On takeoff, the flight had a bird strike, and made an immediate emergency landing. Passengers debarked and were provided alternative transport.
The bird ingested was reportedly a “Yellow-billed Kite.”
What: Belgian Air Force General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon en route from Kleine-Brogel air base
Where: Belgium
When: August 17, 2012, 3:01 p.m
Who: no fatalities
Why: About a mile from the Kleine- Brogel air base, the pilot of an F-16 fighter jet ejected after the jet suffered a bird strike. The accident occurred near the town of Peer. The pilot who has 500 hours was on a training flight, and after he ejected, ended up in a tree.
The plane has been written off as damaged beyond repair. Residents of Peer were told to keep their windows and doors closed because the plane’s tank contained “hydrazine,” a flammable and toxic. News reports now say that the tank was recovered intact.
TAROM flight RO-415 made a safe emergency landing at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, Madrid, Spain, on May 4th.
The Boeing 737-300 flying from Bucharest Otopeni, Romania was about to land when one of its engines ingested a bird.
The plane landed safely.
All 120 passengers remained unhurt.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Richard Vandervord
What: Sunexpress Boeing 737-800 en route from Antalya Turkey to Aarhus Denmark
Where: Antalya
When: July 14 2011
Who: 180 passengers
Why: While en route, the plane developed vibration.
The crew returned to Anatalya and made a safe landing. The issue was reported by official spokesmen as being a hydraulic problem (hydraulic pump failure), although a hydraulic problems would not cause vibration.
Passengers were provided an alternative flight.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Steven Shi
What: Lufthansa Airbus A340-600 en route from Newark to Munich
Where: Keflavik International Airport
When: October 20, 2010 6: 40 am
Who: 5 or 6 passengers
Why: The flight landed due to passengers showing symptoms of food poisoning. They made a safe landing at Keflavik and the ill passengers were taken by ambulance to the hospital.
An investigation of the restaurants where the passengers ate, as well as the food they consumed on the plane is underway.
American Airlines flight AA-2282 made an emergency landing in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on May 29th.
The plane took off for Miami, Florida, but had to turn back after the crew heard some unusual noise from the cargo hold and suspected somebody might be stuck inside.
The plane landed back safely.
The airline said a mechanical issue was the cause of the noise in cargo hold.
Allegiant Airlines flight 871 had to make an emergency landing at St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport in Florida, on June 1st.
The plane was flying from Moline, Illinois, when the crew reported a mechanical problem and declared an emergency.
The plane landed safely. All 140 people aboard remained unharmed.
The airline said, “Our mechanics are doing a full investigation and inspection to diagnose and repair the issue.”
