Kenya Airways flight KQ-704 had to return and make an emergency landing in Harare, Zimbabwe, on May 7th.
The plane heading to Lusaka, Zambia, had to turn back after it suffered a bird strike during departure.
The plane landed back safely. All ninety-six passengers remained safe.
Singapore Airlines flight SQ-12 had to return and make an emergency landing at Narita International Airport, Japan, on September 15.
The Airbus A380-800 plane was turned back after the crew had to shut down one of the engines due to vibrations. The flight was en-route to Los Angeles, California at the time.
The plane landed uneventfully
The airline arranged a replacement plane for the passengers.
Icelandair flight FI-746 made an emergency landing at East Midlands Airport, England, on September 20th.
The Boeing 757-200 plane flying from Keflavik, Iceland, was descending toward East Midlands Airport when the crew noticed an issue with the flaps and entered a hold.
The plane subsequently landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Tommy Desmet
What: Olympic Airlines Boeing 737-400 en route from Alexandroupolis to Athens
Where: Alexandroupolis’ Democritus Airport
When: Jul 22nd
Who: 60 passengers
Why: The OA took off, and shortly afterwards flew through a flock of birds, several of which were ingested. The plane made an emergency landing back at the airport, after which passengers debarked and switched to other flights.
Skywest Airlines flight OO-3470 had to return and make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon, on May 31st.
The plane took off for Santa Barbara, California, but had to return shortly afterwards after the crew reported smoke in the cockpit.
The plane landed uneventfully. There were 70 passengers aboard at the time; all of them remained safe.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Heber Alejandro Doblado Perez
What: Continental Airlines Boeing 737-700 en route from Newark to Boston
Where: Newark Liberty Airport
When: Jan 26, 2011
Why: On take-off, the plane filled with smoke. The pilot announced that the smoke was due to de-icing procedures, and made an emergency landing in Newark. Weather conditions at the time included snow, and freezing temperatures.
The plane made a safe landing with emergency services on standby.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Michael Charles Bartholomew
What: Lufthansa Cityline Avro RJ-85 en route from Linz Austria to Frankfurt
Where: Linz
When: Nov 29th
Who: 61 passengers and 4 crew
Why: By the time the flight took off, there was smoke not only in the cockpit but also in the cabin. After the plane landed safely, one individual was treated for shock; otherwise there were no injuries reported. The cause of the smoke was not released.