Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Joe Buvid

What: Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 en route from Seattle to Oakland
Where: Oakland
When: Sept 19, 2011
Who: 126 passengers, 6 crew
Why: While passengers were winging it from Seattle, a handwritten bomb threat note threatening the Oakland flight was found in an airport bookstore in San Francisco International Airport.

The flight landed at Oakland as planned—twenty minutes early, due to some background aviation networking. The fake crisis brought in some real FBI agents and real bomb sniffing dogs who got everyone out of the plane (and screened); and the plane was sent to an isolated location to (fortunately, not) blow up. No bomb was found.

A false report or threat of a bomb or harmful device is punishable by up to four years in prison, a $2,000 fine plus reimbursement of costs to government.

Sent from 37 thousand feet headed to NY

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Pilot Flies off with Fuel Hose attached

What: BELL 206B crop-dusting helicopter
Where: Newton Texas
When: October 13, 2010
Who: pilots name not released
Why: After reloading the chemical tanks and refueling, the (registration 499BH ) N499BH BELL 206 ROTORCRAFT, lifted off while the fuel hose was still attached. The two seat helicopter went up, then, of course, crashed. It fell over on its side. One person on the ground was injured.

George’s Point of View

This is no joke, as someone on the ground was severely injured.

However, it still reminds me of high school, when my date at the drive-in left the speaker hooked in the window, and when we left, I also left the window. The speaker took it out, hooked on the frame and kept the car from moving. We didn’t crash, or fall over, or even dent my window frame. Of course, we were in a Pinto.

(I won’t go into how, when it was repaired, I tried to roll it up and it still wasn’t there, how the glass company goofed and replaced my perfectly good windshield, how I ended up with both a new door window AND a new windshield and an apology.)

It’s a good thing the helicopter pilot’s name wasn’t released. Even if someone else was doing the refueling.

How embarrassing.

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Canada Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Burlington


Pictured: An Air Canada /Air Georgian Beech 1900D
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Dan Vincent

What: Air Canada/Air Georgian Beechcraft 1900D turboprop en route from Hartford, Conn’s Bradley International Airport to Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
Where: Burlington International Airport
When: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2009 5:35 p.m.
Who: 14 on board, 12 passengers
Why: When the plane’s left engine pressure dropped too low, the Air Canada plane made an emergency landing, leaking oill and on one engine, but essentially intact. (Reports do not say so, but the pilot probably shut down the engine as a precaution. One presumes this is because landing on one engine is better than landing on one working engine and one engine on fire.) Passengers debarked on to the tarmac and were carried by shuttle to the terminal.

A passenger is quoted as saying that the only way he knew there was anything wrong was “all the fire engines chasing us down the runway.” Another passenger described the fight as being scary (what if the other engine went?), but that the crew was totally in control, calm and amazing.

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American Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing at Halifax Stanfield International Airport

American Airlines flight AA-89 made an emergency landing at Halifax Stanfield International Airport, Canada, on August 1st.

The plane heading from Shannon Airport, Ireland, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was diverted after smoke was noticed in the cabin.

The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.

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Borrowed Heli Hit by Wind


On Jan 30, 2013, a Pennsylvania State Police Bell B206 was returning from searching for a missing snowmobiler at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe when strong 60 mph winds blew it over.

The helicopter had landed and had been tied down for fueling when the wind blew it over.

The chopper was borrowed from Altuna and is currently out of service.

No one was injured except the helicopter.

See Video

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Piper Crashes near Holitna River

What: Private (Richard Wilmarth) Piper PA-18A-150 Super Cub
Where: near the Holitna River, Red Devil, Alaska
When: March 30 2012, 5:30
Who: 2 aboard, 2 fatalities
Why: A red and white Piper Super Cub owned by Richard Wilmarth, crashed while apparently attempting to land on a private airstrip near the Holitna River. Wilmarth and his passenger Kenneth Mellick died in the crash.

Aircraft Registration (N7276D)
Summary
1957 PIPER PA-18A
Fixed wing single engine
(2 seats / 1 engine)
Owner WILMARTH RICHARD C
RED DEVIL, AK
(Individual)
AIRWORTHINESS Standard/Normal
Serial Number 18-5685
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
Horsepower: 180 (Reciprocating)
WeightLess than 12,500lbs
Speed 97mph
Mode S Code 52340273
Certificate Issue Date 1977-05-03
Airworthiness Date 1974-06-18
Last Action Date 2011-09-12
Expiration 2014-09-30

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Boeing Statement on Proposed Agreement Regarding Santa Susana Cleanup

SIMI VALLEY, CALIF., Sept. 3, 2010 – In response to today’s announcement of an agreement in principle between the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, the U.S. Department of Energy and NASA regarding the potential cleanup of Santa Susana Field Laboratory in California, Boeing issued the following statement:
“We are reviewing the framework of the proposed agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy, NASA and the State of California. While we don’t have specific details about the proposed agreement, we are hopeful that it moves the cleanup forward while preserving the biological, historical and cultural resources at Santa Susana.

“Boeing remains committed to a cleanup that fully protects human health and the environment and preserves Santa Susana as open space for future generations. We remain open to continued dialogue with the State and will continue our environmental investigations, interim soil and groundwater cleanups and storm water quality improvements.”

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