On April 18, 2013, on landing in Lansing Michigan, a Boeing 737 owned by SUN COUNTRY suffered an incident. Almost landing, actually. We presume gusty conditions.
On approach, a wing struck the runway.
The crew aborted the landing, and diverted to Detroit where they made a safe landing.
There were no injuries reported and the degree of damage to the wing and the rest of the plane has not been released.
Aerolineas Argentinas flight AR-1878 had to return and make an emergency landing in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on August 14th.
The Boeing 737-800 plane took off for Ushuaia, Argentina, but had to turn back due to a bird strike.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
What: Aerolineas Mas turbo prop en route to Havana
Where: Camaguey Cuba
When: Nov 15, 2011
Who: 19 Haitians aboard
Why: While en route, the turbo prop experienced problems with the air conditioning system and had to divert to Camaguey Cuba. This is a few days after a chopper had to make an unplanned emergency landing in Port-au-Prince (Saturday.)
No injuries were reported.
George’s Point of View
Continental Pilot Craig Lenell’s quiet but dramatic death is going to be all but overlooked in the media buzz over the Air France Airbus catastrophe. None of his passengers even knew he’d died. In an interview, his Lenell’s wife called him the “kindest, gentlest man” she ever knew. His last communication to her had been a promise to bring her chocolates.
You never know what you’re going to get.
The 32 year veteran of Continental Airlines was also an Vietnam vet who served in the Air Force.
The first officer and (what is probably) the international relief officer took over when the captain became incapacitated. It was sheer luck that a cardiologist was on board. And even though he was unable to save the captain’s life, Dr. Julien Struyven’s accidental presence on that flight may be a comfort to the captain’s wife and family. At least they won’t be asking “what if a doctor had been on board? What if there had be a defib on board?” Because on this flight there was a doctor, and a defibrillator. Perhaps it was just the captain’s time.
Maybe one man’s death aboard a flight that did not crash isn’t going to be a headline for more than a day, but you can bet that the people aboard that Continental Flight 61 from Brussels to Newark–those passengers who are alive now because Continental did something right–they won’t ever forget.
Spirit Airlines flight NK-395 made an emergency landing in Denver, Colorado, on December 16th.
The Airbus A320-200 plane heading from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Las Vegas, Nevada, was diverted due to fumes on board.
The plane landed safely. Three passengers and two crew members were treated by medical teams at the airport.
British Airways flight BA103 returned to London’s Heathrow Airport on January 8.
The Boeing Dreamliner 787 was en-route to Calgary, Canada, when a technical issue with one of its engines forced it to return for an emergency landing.
The airline said in a statement, “The flight landed safely at Heathrow and all customers left the aircraft as normal…We are sorry for the inconvenience but safety is always our highest priority…There was a suspected problem with the engine, and our engineers are now inspecting the aircraft to determine the nature of the problem.”
Southwest Airlines flight WN-3641 had to return and make a safe emergency landing at McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 7th.
The Boeing 737-700 flying to Cleveland, Ohio, had to return due to an unreliable airspeed and the altitude.
The plane landed safely.
No one was injured.
