What: PIA Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 737-300 en route from Islamabad to Karachi
Where: Multan Pakistan
When: Sep 27th 2011
Who: 118 passengers
Why: While en route, the one working generator failed. The captain announced to the passengers that they were having technical problems.
The crew diverted to Multan and made a safe landing; the flight landed with subdued lighting. One main generator was completely non-operational.
Passengers were rebooked on an alternative flight.
Do we know more than we did before the investigations? No, we do not. Because after almost 9 months, we still haven’t heard the official investigation of the Air Blue Airbus that crashed in Margalla Hills on July 28, 2010. And this is not one of those cases where the blackboxes disappeared. The black boxes on this flight were located and sent to France for processing.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Richard Vandervord
What: AirBlue Airbus A321-200 en route from Karachi to Islamabad Pakistan
Where: Margalla Hills about 10nm north of Islamabad
When: Jul 28th 2010
Who: 146 passengers and 6 crew
Why: While on approach to Islamabad in poor weather conditions during monsoon rain and low visibility, radio contact was lost (at 09:45) and the plane impacted the terrain.
Helicopters flew into the mountainous area, which is difficult to access. Initial reports were that there were no survivors then helicopters were reported to have flown five survivors to hospitals. Six bodies have been recovered including the pilot but there are no survivors (in spite of the video report.)
Scheduled 14 CFR Non-U.S., Commercial operation of Airblue
Accident occurred Wednesday, July 28, 2010 in Islamabad, Pakistan
Aircraft: AIRBUS A321, registration: AP-BCB
Injuries: 157 Fatal.
On July 28, 2010, Airblue flight 202, an Airbus A321 with IAE V2500 engines, registration AP-BCB, impacted terrain in the Margilla Hills during approach to runway 12 at Benazir Bhutto International Airport (OPRN), Islamabad, Pakistan. All 150 passengers and 7 crewmembers onboard were fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed. The flight was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, Pakistan (OPKC) to OPRN.
What: Aeroflot Airbus A320-200 en route from Irkutsk to Moscow
Where: Novosibirsk
When: Jun 11th 2009
Who: 116 passengers and six crew members
Why: The Airbus made an emergency landing at Novosibirsk when the windshield cracked.
EasyJet flight U2-3005 suffered lightning strikes on the way to Amsterdam, Netherlands, on August 25th.
The incident happened when the Airbus A319-100 plane flying from London Stansted Airport, England, was descending toward Amsterdam.
The plane continued for a safe landing. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
Volotea flight V7-1546 had to return and make an emergency landing at Falcone-Borsellino Airport, Palermo, Italy, on March 19.
The Boeing 717-200, en-route from Palermo to Naples, Italy, was mid-air when the crew reported problem with the gear after retraction, prompting it to return.
The plane landed safely.
All 64 passengers onboard remained unharmed.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Steve Brimley
What: American Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from Dallas to London
Where: UK
When: Mar 2nd 2010
Who: 161 passengers and 12 crew
Why: While en route, a female passenger apparently became hysterical and attempted to gain access to the cockpit. She was “chilled” down by the crew, and provided a reception by UK police on arrival to Heathrow. She was arrested on suspicion of endangering an aircraft.
On receiving news of the unruly passenger attempting to gain access, the UK also provided two Royal Air Force fighter Typhoon jets from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire as escort, flying side by side with the American Airlines flight.
Although the jets returned to base when it was determined the incident was the woman’s emotional meltdown (reputedly due to an illness in her family), and not a “terror incident, it is a sign of the times that fighter jets are pulled into service and London Airspace is placed under a Restricted/security Alert when a pilot requests a priority approach (even though the situation is under control). Of course, if this were a terror incident, why would they continue to route to Heathrow? I find the course of action confusing.
Consider some points and see if there is some kind of balance to be found:
Is this a little like using the lid of the superdome to contain a butterfly? And how reasonable is it to arrest someone for a panic attack? It seems that in response to her panic attack, everyone else must have had one too. Is it catching?
United Airlines flight UA-483 made an emergency landing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on November 26th.
The Boeing 737-900 plane heading from Chicago, Illinois, to Phoenix, Arizona, was diverted due to an engine issue.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
