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Contact photographer Daniel Arroyo
What: JetBlue A320 en route from Salt Lake City to Long Beach
Where: Long Beach Municipal Airport
When: Aug 5th 2011
Who: 147 passengers, 5 crew
Why: On approach to Long Beach, the crew saw a hydraulics/ brake problem and aborted their first approach; instead of landing they burned off fuel, then made a safe landing (with an undescended wheel).
American Airlines flight AA-759 encountered turbulence near Long Island, New York, on August 5th.
The Airbus A330-300 plane flying from Athens, Greece, was descending toward Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when it hit turbulence that injured ten people.
The plane continued for a safe landing. The injured were taken to hospitals.
United Air Express flight 4882 had to divert and make an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport, Pennsylvania, on April 28.
Airport officials confirmed that the flight, heading from Raleigh-Durham to Newark, was diverted after one of its engines caught fire.
The fire-fighters were ready at the scene when the plane landed uneventfully.
All 75 people aboard were safely evacuated. Authorities said one passenger, having a history of heart problem, was taken to hospital.
TigerAir flight 511 had to make an emergency landing in Melbourne, Australia, on March 1st.
The Airbus A320-200 was flying from Brisbane when the crew reported an unusual odor in the cabin and requested a priority landing.
The plane landed safely. Four crew members were examined by paramedics but did not need further treatment.
All 60 passengers aboard remained unharmed.
What: USAF Lockheed C-130H Hercules
Where: Edgemont SD
When: 1 July 2012
Who: 6 aboard, 4 fatalities
Why: A C-130 transport aircraft en route to support firefighting missions crashed in South Dakota. The crew was part of the fight against the White Draw Fire.
The USAF Release said:
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) — At approximately 6 p.m. MDT July 1, a Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System equipped C-130 aircraft supporting firefighting missions crashed in the southwest corner of South Dakota. The aircraft was supporting the efforts against the White Draw Fire.
The cause of the crash is not known and the incident is under investigation. There are no details on the status of the aircrew available at this time.
MAFFS is a joint DoD and U.S. Forest Service program designed to provide additional aerial firefighting resources when commercial and private airtankers are no longer able to meet the needs of the forest service.
MAFFS is a self-contained aerial firefighting system owned by the U.S. Forest Service that can discharge 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than 5 seconds, covering an area one-quarter of a mile long by 100 feet wide. Once the load is discharged, it can be refilled in less than 12 minutes.
Media outlets made this update:
.CHARLOTTE NC – The crash of a North Carolina-based Air National Guard cargo plane that was fighting wildfires in South Dakota has left at least one crew member dead.The family of Lt. Col. Paul Mikeal of Mooresville confirmed they were notified early Monday that he had died in the C-130 crash on Sunday. The 42-year-old married father of two was a veteran of deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.Lt. Col. Rose Dunlap of the 145th Airlift Wing in Charlotte says six crew members were aboard.The North Carolina Air National Guard confirmed that lives were lost in the crash. Other crew members who were injured were taken to Rapid City Regional Hospital. Names and conditions have not been released.The plane went down about 6 p.m. in the southwest corner of South Dakota where it had been dropping flame retardant on the White Draw Fire.The cause of the crash is under investigation and all other MAFFS-equipped C-130s have been grounded.
American Airlines flight AA-4364 made an emergency landing in Jacksonville, Florida, on November 10th.
The plane took off for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Virginia, but had to turn back after the crew failed to retract the landing gear.
The plane landed back safely. All fifty-six people aboard remained unharmed
A Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System aircraft belonging to the 153rd Airlift Wing of the Wyoming Air National Guard, made an emergency landing at Hill Air Force Base near Ogden, Utah, on August 17.
The C-130 aircraft was on a fire fighting mission when the crew discovered a potential issue in the nose gear.
The plane landed in emergency shortly before 1 p.m. The authorities confirmed that none of the 6 persons aboard were hurt, although fire was sparked in the aircraft during landing.
The aircraft is one of two air tankers Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead recently initiated to fight fires in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and California.
A statement released by the Hill Air Force Base stated that the air tanker had planned to refuel and resupply at the base. It also said more information will be released after investigation.
