The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of Ethiopia released the preliminary report on the crash Ethiopian Airlines flight 302, Boeing 737-8(MAX), ET-AVJ. The flight took off from Addis Ababa Bole Int. Airporten route for Nairobi, but the Angle of Attack sensor recorded value became erroneous. The crash resulted in 157 fatalities. The report is available here
What: Zenair CH 601 UL Zodiac microlight en route from Ohakea to Dargaville
Where: South Head, Kaipara NZ
When: April 1, 2012
Who: 2 aboard, 2 fatalities
Why: The microlight crashed in a field in South Head, Kaipara, NZ after sending a distress call at 1 pm. The flight went missing at 1, and was found before 7 when weather delayed the recovery of the bodies.
The owner of the field (on Fuller Rd in South Head, about 31km north of Helensville) contacted authorities after finding the microlight wreckage around two. The medic who arrived by chopper found both passengers deceased. The cockpit was crushed, and the tail shattered. There was no fire. Officials are investigating but the names of the victims have not been released.
What: Mexican Geological Services helicopter
Where: northwestern state of Sinaloa 19 miles from the city of Los Mochis in the mountain town of Sinoloa de Leyva
When: Wednesday
Who: Three Mexican Geological Service employees: David Barbosa Luna, engineer managing SGM’s Western Region, Alberto Montañes Castro, project coordinator , and helicopter’s pilot Capt. Rodrigo Navarro Jimenez
Why: 3 SGM workers managing field activities for the preparation of two geological mining charts were killed on the job. The flight was returning from the mountain and landed on or in the Sinoloa de Leyva Baseball stadium. They were en route to Sinoloa to refuel and check a faulty engine.
Large view
Contact photographer Paul Spijkers
What: United Airlines Boeing 737 en route from Tampa to Houston
Where: Louisiana
When: April 4, 2012
Who: 146 passengers and six crew, seven injuries
Why: From seven to twelve people aboard United Airlines flight were injured when the plane ran into severe turbulence flying over Lake Charles Louisiana and the same cell that caused the tornadoes sweeping through Texas.
(The number of injured reported varies. Earlier reports indicated seven injuries, three going to the hospital.) Pilots declared emergency in order to have a priority landing in Houston. From three to twelve people were hospitalized on arrival at 8:00 a.m.
An upgrade to the battery has been reported, and Boeing is adding a fire-resistant battery box to contain the cells, and insulation around that. The box is to vent smoke outside, and will be made of titanium.
Boeing is still planning on using lithium-ion cells instead of switching to nickel cadmium. The batteries face a series of twenty lab tests before test flights will be permitted.
The two approved test flights include one for the new battery, and one for the new box.
Each Dreamliner has one lithium-ion battery to power cockpit systems, and one to power on-ground functions that used to be hydraulic.
The FAA statement is below:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today approved the Boeing Commercial Airplane Company’s certification plan for the redesigned 787 battery system, after thoroughly reviewing Boeing’s proposed modifications and the company’s plan to demonstrate that the system will meet FAA requirements. The certification plan is the first step in the process to evaluate the 787’s return to flight and requires Boeing to conduct extensive testing and analysis to demonstrate compliance with the applicable safety regulations and special conditions.
“This comprehensive series of tests will show us whether the proposed battery improvements will work as designed,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We won’t allow the plane to return to service unless we’re satisfied that the new design ensures the safety of the aircraft and its passengers.”
The battery system improvements include a redesign of the internal battery components to minimize initiation of a short circuit within the battery, better insulation of the cells and the addition of a new containment and venting system.
“We are confident the plan we approved today includes all the right elements to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the battery system redesign,” said FAA Administrator Michael P. Huerta. “Today’s announcement starts a testing process which will demonstrate whether the proposed fix will work as designed.”
The certification plan requires a series of tests which must be passed before the 787 could return to service. The plan establishes specific pass/fail criteria, defines the parameters that should be measured, prescribes the test methodology and specifies the test setup and design. FAA engineers will be present for the testing and will be closely involved in all aspects of the process.
The FAA also has approved limited test flights for two aircraft. These aircraft will have the prototype versions of the new containment system installed. The purpose of the flight tests will be to validate the aircraft instrumentation for the battery and battery enclosure testing in addition to product improvements for other systems.
The FAA will approve the redesign only if the company successfully completes all required tests and analysis to demonstrate the new design complies with FAA requirements. The FAA’s January 16, 2013 airworthiness directive, which required operators to temporarily cease 787 operations, is still in effect, and the FAA is continuing its comprehensive review of the 787 design, production and manufacturing process.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Aad van der Voet
What: All West Freight twin-engine cargo Fairchild C-123
Where: south-facing slope of Mount Healy, Delta Junction, Alaska
When: August 1 2010
Who: 3 crew
Why: Witnesses told a news crew that the pilot “was flying kind of low, and he banked hard to the left and went straight down we saw the fire ball come up from the back side of the mountains.”
The crash started a forest fire in Denali National Park which has been contained by Alaska Fire Service smokejumpers and Denali wildland fire fighters. The deceased are owner and pilot 61-year-old Bill Michel of Delta Junction; 52-year-old John Eshleman of Wasilla, and 66-year-old Paul Quartly of Wasilla.
Condor Airlines flight DE-2199 made an emergency landing in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, on November 28th.
The Boeing 767-300 plane was flying from Varadero, Cuba, to Frankfurt, Germany, when the crew declared an emergency due to electrical issues.
The plane landed safely. There were 275 people aboard at the time; all of them remained unharmed.