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Contact photographer Jan Vet
What: Iberia Airbus A321-200 en route from Santiago De Compostela to Madrid
Where: Santiago De Compostela
When: Mar 8th 2010
Why: Gearing up for takeoff, the interior of the plane filled up with smoke. The pilot rejected take-off, and passengers debarked as the flight was checked for necessary repairs. An hour later, the flight continued.
Virgin Atlantic flight VS-21 returned and made an emergency landing at London Heathrow airport, United Kingdom, on September 28.
The Airbus A340-600, heading to Washington Dulles International Airport, Virginia, had to be turned back after its windshield cracked mid-air.
The plane landed uneventfully.
The airline arranged a replacement plane for the passengers.
Air India flight AI-889 suffered a bird strike near Guwahati International Airport, Guwahati, India, on January 19th.
The incident happened when the Airbus A321-200 plane, flying from Delhi, India, was on approach to Guwahati Airport.
The plane landed safely. All one hundred and sixty people aboard remained unharmed.
FedEx flight 3606 had to return and make an emergency landing at Salt Lake City International Airport, Utah, on December 22.
The plane took off for Indianapolis, Indiana, but had to return shortly afterwards due to indication of smoke in the cargo hold.
The plane landed safely. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.
UPDATE: 11:40pm EDT: The French government has requested assistance from the US in hopes that US spy satellites and listening stations could help find the aircraft.
George’s Point of View
June 30 1994 was a red letter day for the A330. It’s only fatality occurred on June 30 1994 when pilot error and faulty autopilot systems killed three pilots, two engineers and two observers on board a test flight.
So we can hope that today–June 1 2009–does not become another red letter day in A330 history. The last communication from the flight was an automatic report of an electrical short circuit and the loss of cabin pressure.
The A330:
-6,750 nautical mile range
-seats up to 335 passengers
-600 in service with 82 airlines
-300 on order
-38% more fuel efficient than the DC-10
-choice of GE, Pratt & Whitney, or Rolls Royce engines
-Variants:
A330-200 A330-300 A330-200FOur thoughts are with all on board and families.
Youtube text follows:
PARIS, France (CNN — An Air France plane missing over the Atlantic with 228 people aboard reported electrical problems before it lost contact, the airline said Monday.
The incident involves an Air France Airbus A330-200.
The Airbus A330-200 jet had experienced turbulence during the 11-hour flight from Rio de Janeiro to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, the spokesman said.
Brazil’s air force has launched a search near the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha in the Atlantic Ocean, 365 km (226 miles) from Brazil’s coast, a spokesman for the air force told CNN.
Two Brazilian squadrons are searching for the plane, although it disappeared after it left the country’s radar space, said the officer, who declined to be named.
The flight, AF 447, took off shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday local time (6 p.m. Sunday ET) for the 11-hour flight, with 216 passengers and 12 crew members. It was scheduled to land in Paris at 11:15 a.m. local time (5:15 a.m. ET).
The last known contact with the plane was at 1:33 a.m. GMT (8:33 p.m. Sunday night ET), the Brazilian Air Force spokesman said.
Air France said it could not confirm reports of a short circuit on board the aircraft.
The airline said it “shared the emotion and the concern of the families concerned” adding that friends and relatives waiting at the airport would be taken to a special area.
A crisis center is being set up at Charles de Gaulle where the plane had been due to land at 11.15 a.m. local time.
Agence France-Presse quoted France’s Environment Minister Jean Louis Borloo saying that it was extremely unlikely the plane had been hijacked.
“We are very worried,” an aviation official told AFP. “The plane disappeared from the screens several hours ago. It could be a transponder problem, but this kind of fault is very rare and the plane did not land when expected.”
Condor flight DE-2116 made an emergency landing at Shannon Airport, Ireland, on February 6th.
The Airbus A330-200 plane heading from Frankfurt, Germany, to Cancun, Mexico, was diverted after the crew noticed smoke in the cockpit.
The plane landed safely. Four crew members and a passenger were taken to a hospital.
Emirates flight EK-261 had to return and make an emergency landing in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on December 16th.
The Airbus A380-800 plane took off for Sao Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport, Brazil, but had to turn back after the crew needed to shut down one of the engines.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
