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Contact photographer Akin Diler
What: Gulf Air Airbus A319-100 en route from Athens Greece to Bahrain
Where: Beirut Lebanon Rafik Hariri International Airport
When: Jul 20th 2010
Who: 101 passengers
Why: While en route at an altitude of 36000 feet, the plane developed a crack in the right windshield and diverted to Bahrain. They made a safe landing at 9:43 pm. Passengers are expecting at least a 24 hour delay.
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Contact photographer Konstantin Tyurpeko
What: Vladivostok Avia Airbus A330-300 en route from Vladivostok to Moscow Vnukovo
Where: Vnukovo
When: Oct 24th 2009
Who: 267 passengers and 12 crew
Why: After the flight had taken off, ground crew discovered tire debris on the runway. ATC notified the on board crew of the pending emergency. The plane performed a flyby at Vnukovo, and made a successful landing with no reported injuries.
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Contact Photographer George Canciani
What: Lufthansa A346 en route from Newark, NJ to Munich
Where: Newark NJ
When: Jul 19th 2009
Why: Near Boston, the plane developed electrical problems; and the crew decided to return to Newark. The passengers debarked and were only delayed two and a half hours before being permitted to continue their flight.
We remember on June 2009 when 152 people died aboard a Yemenia Airlines Airbus A310-300.
Yemenia Flight 626.
We remember.
The years pass and the headlines fade, but the families will never forget the loss of their loved ones, and neither should we.
The pilot was about to land on an airstrip in the Comores Islands when ATC lost contact.
The plane and all its passengers crashed into the ocean.
12-year old Bahia Bakari survived the crash, rescued after thirteen hours in the ocean, clinging to debris. She was and is a miracle.
The final report on Flight 626 concluded the crash was due to the crew’s inappropriate flight control inputs that led to an aerodynamic stall.
Crews inappropriate flight control inputs means pilot error. In this case, the pilot error was exacerbated by a nineteen year old plane in dubious condition, bad weather conditions (winds gusting to 64 km/h 40 mph; 35 kn) and a primitive airport.
Crashes like Yemenia should function like red lights. The only way they make sense is if when they happen, we stop and consider those who were lost, and investigate what went wrong. On behalf of safety, the aviation industry should mandate to use every atom of what is discovered to prevent future accidents. The industry in general, and the airlines in specific should make changes that will help prevent future accidents.
Pilot error means airlines like Yemenia are still having problems training pilots. Still problems in the cockpit. Sadly, conditions still exist for more accidents like this in Yemenia’s future.
Pictured: An American Airlines 757 landing at LAX
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Contact Photographer Peter Spence
What: American Airlines Boeing 757 en route from San Diego to Dallas
Where: Los Angeles International Airport
When: Friday August 21
Who: 188 passengers and 6 crew
Why: While en route to Dallas, passengers observed pieces of the right wing falling off. The crew declared an emergency and landed at LAX. Maintenance crews discovered that “delamination of a seal.”
Passengers were able to board another plane bound to arrive at their destination on midnight Friday.
An Emirates plane had to make an emergency landing in Perth, Western Australia, on December 1st.
The A380 plane was en-route from Auckland, New Zealand, to Dubai, UAE, when a passenger went into labor. There were two doctors on-board who helped her through her contractions while the pilot diverted to Perth.
The passengers said the woman did not speak English and the doctors had to use Google translate to communicate with her.
The plane landed safely. The passenger was rushed to hospital where she gave birth to a baby girl.
The delayed flight reached Dubai the next day.
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Contact photographer BravoAlpha
What: TAM Linhas Aereas Airbus A320-200 en route from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires Argentina
Where: Porto Alegre
When: Dec 19th 2009
Who: 149 passengers
Why: While en route, the left engine developed problems and the crew shut it down. The crew diverted the plane to Porto Alegre and made an safe landing.
