Nepal Airlines flight RA-409 had to return and make a precautionary landing at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal, on July 7th.
The Airbus A320-200 was en-route to Hong Kong, China, when one of its engines ingested a bird, prompting the plane to return.
The plane landed safely. All 59 people onboard remained unharmed.
The passengers were accommodated in a replacement plane.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Remi Dallot
What: Spanair Airbus A321-200 en route from Madrid to Las Palmas
Where: Seville
When: Dec 23rd 2009
Who: 185 passengers
Why: While en route, the Airbus developed a problem with one of its engines. Passengers heard an explosion and smelled burning oil. The crew decided to shut down the malfunctioning engine, and shut it down.
The flight landed safely.
A replacement jet was flown in but not all passengers opted to board the replacement flight seven hours after they arrived.
A Lufthansa Cityline plane was struck by lightning while it was descending towards Sibiu, Romania, on April 7th.
The Canadair CRJ-900 was flying from Munich, Germany, when a lightning strike caused a crack in its windshield.
The plane landed safely. No injuries were reported.
The return flight was cancelled.
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Contact photographer Ricardo Morales – flyAPM
What: Delta Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from Minneapolis to Tampa
Where: Minneapolis
When: Nov 19th 2010
Who: 48 people on board
Why: After takeoff from Minneapolis, the plane flew through birds. The frame of the plane incurred some damage. They returned to Minneapolis and made a safe landing on one engine. A replacement flight was provided for the passengers. (However, a KARE report said that there was no damage and the same plane left the airport with its passengers at 8:40 pm.)
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Contact photographer Dan Vincent – New England Airports
What: Delta/Compass Airlines Embraer ERJ-175 N604CZ performing flight CP-5887/DL-5887 from Minneapolis,MN to Missoula,MT
Where: Minneapolis
When: Nov 15th 2010
Why: After takeoff from Twin Cities International, the plane incurred a bird strike, damaging the nose cone of the plane and one of the engines either quit or was shut down.
The airport is next to a wild life preserve. The Metropolitan Airport Commission traps Bald Eagles too close to the runway and relocates them; other birds are frightened off by fireworks.
Goose feathers from this bird strike were sent to the Smithsonian.
Pictured: A KNAAPO Antonov An-12BP like the one that crashed
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Contact photographer Vala
What: Avis Amur AN12 AN-12 en route from Magadan to Keperveyem
Where: Magadan
When: Aug 9th 2011
Who: 11 crew
Why: While en route, the plane developed an engine fire and radioed that they would be returning to Magadan. The fire is being attributed to a fuel leak. The flight crashed on the way back, disappearing from radar. Fog and adverse weather prevented rescue teams from being able to fly in. The 9 crew and 2 attendants have been reported missing. The plane was carrying 16 tons of food.
The cargo plane was being leased from KnAAPO. Rescuers took a ground route to the area of the crash. The emergency beacon went off 10 kilometers from the Omsukchan village. No survivors were found.
Avis-Amur is being investigated for a maintenance of safety violations, and there may be criminal charges pending.
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Contact photographer Pavel Azernikov
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Szabo Gabor
What: Gulf Air Airbus A330-200 en route from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia to Bahrain
Where: Muscat
When: Feb 5th 2011
Who: 136 passengers
Why: While en route, the pilot’s illness forced a landing at Muscat. The flight was completed by a replacement crew, after the captain was hospitalized after a heart attack.
Air New Zealand flight NZ-268 had to return and make an emergency landing in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on October 9th.
The Boeing 767-300 plane took off for Auckland, New Zealand, but had to turn back after it experienced severe turbulence that injured 4 people.
The plane landed uneventfully. The injured, including 3 crew members and 1 passenger, were taken to hospital.
