Pictured: Air Macau Airbus A319-132
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Contact photographer TonyV
What: Air Macau Airbus A319-100, en route from Macau to Manila Philippines
Where: Manila.
When: Apr 12th 2009
Who: 102 passengers and 4 crew
Why: Just before landing on runway 06, the crew had to shut dow an engine. The plane landed safely.
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Contact photographer Martin Eadie
What: CESSNA 210 en route from Concepcion to Santa Cruz
Where: Concepcion, Bolivia
When: April 13, 2009
Who: pilot and three passengers on a medical evacuation
Why: The plane “impacted terrain” during the night flight, but no reason is listed. The cause is under investigation.
Impacted terrain at night? I can’t wait to see what the NTSB has to say about this.
Brazil already says this is the pilots fault, though it is unclear what this quote is supposed to mean:
“Due to the fact that the pilot had violated flight rules, as explained by the representative of DGAC, the plane took off from the city of Santa Cruz 20 minutes after the expiry of the permitted duration of flights.”
Determining the cause at this point is a bit precipitous. Most accident investigations take years.
What: 1946-era single-engine fixed aircraft listed as a “model 415 C ERCOUP/ MOONEY A-2 AIRCOUPE”
Where: corn field near the city of Sandwich
When: 04/11/2009 1:49 p.m.
Who: 53-year-old Randall Hougham of Sandwich, who was flying the plane, and 22-year-old passenger Lauren Hamilton, also of Sandwich died in the crash
Why: Circumstances are unknown.
What: Piper Comanche (PA-24-250 Regis#: 7690P ) en route from Whiteman Airport just north of Los Angeles to Brown Field Municipal Airport near the Mexican border
Where: east of the runways at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
When: April 11 2009, 11 a.m. Saturday
Who: pilot and passenger died on impact. (The NTSB preliminary report only listed the pilot; no passenger. News coverage, however, mentioned a passenger.)
Why: There was no distress call made; air traffic controllers lost radio contact at 10:55. Weather at Montgomery Field, at 11:00 was light rain and southwest winds at 6 mile per hour.
The pilot is (probably) the plane owner Friedrich L Weber of Burbank, California who with his wife was flying to Mexico for medical treatment.
What: Southwest Airlines flight from Orlando, Fla., to Austin
Where: Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Fla.
When: April 12 2008
Who: 104 passengers
Why: There was no fire, but when a sensor detected an apparent problem in the cargo hold, the pilot chose to land immediately. Passengers lunched at the base’s Officer’s Club before boarding another Southwest flight which carried them to their destination.
What: 1982 King Air 55 owned by White Equipment Leasing flying en route from Marco Island to Jackson Mississippi
Where: Fort Myers Southwest Florida International Airport
When: Sunday April 12
Who: 6
Why: When the pilot passed out midflight, a passenger took the controls and safely landed the plane. The pilot died of cardiac arrest prior to landing.
Landing safely was a group effort. The on board passenger who landed the plane had a pilot’s license but was not certified to fly a high-performance turboprop and had no experience flying this type of aircraft. The Fort Myers air traffic controller who talked the pilot down was getting HIS direction from a Connecticut pilot reading the landing checklist from a King Air manual.
What: Mexican Geological Services helicopter
Where: northwestern state of Sinaloa 19 miles from the city of Los Mochis in the mountain town of Sinoloa de Leyva
When: Wednesday
Who: Three Mexican Geological Service employees: David Barbosa Luna, engineer managing SGM’s Western Region, Alberto Montañes Castro, project coordinator , and helicopter’s pilot Capt. Rodrigo Navarro Jimenez
Why: 3 SGM workers managing field activities for the preparation of two geological mining charts were killed on the job. The flight was returning from the mountain and landed on or in the Sinoloa de Leyva Baseball stadium. They were en route to Sinoloa to refuel and check a faulty engine.
Pictured: an Ayres-S2R-T34
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Tony Zeljeznjak
What: S2R-T34
Where: Cove, Oregon
When: 04/09/2009 at 1537
Who: 1 on board
Why: AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED AND WENT INTO A DITCH. No fatalities.
George’s Point of View
The problem with small craft: When an aircraft has two engines, if you have trouble with one, you have backup.
Pictured: A Cessna 210M in Bolivia
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Giovanni Francisco Rodriguez Bravo
What: Cessna 210M en route from Concepcion to El Trompillo Airport
Where: Concepcion, Bolivia
When: April 11, 2009
Who: Pilot and 3 passengers
Why: The cessna impacted terrain shortly after taking off from Concepcion Airport Concepcion, Bolivia.
The certificated commercial pilot and three passengers, all Bolivian citizens, were fatally injured. Night visual conditions prevailed. The flight was operating on a visual flight rules flight plan from Concepcion to El Trompillo Airport (SLET), Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
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Contact photographer Jim Groom
What: Aviastar Mandiri British Aerospace BAe146-300 en route from Jayapura to Wamena Indonesia
Where: Mount Pike
When: Apr 9th 2009
Who: 6 crew: captain, co-pilot, engineer, loadmaster and two flight attendants
Why: The plane was approaching runway 15 at Wamena Airport in foggy conditions, turned and air traffic control lost contact. The controller observed smoke coming from side of Gunung Pike Mountain. When search crews went to the source of the smoke, there were no survivors.
Reportedly, the plane had been carrying rice and flour and 9 tons of Aviation Turbine Fuel. The airport is surrounded by mountains.
What: Jetlite Boeing 737 en route from Delhi to Kolkata
Where: IGI airport
Who: 41 passengers and crew members
Why: The pilot declared an undisclosed emergency and landed at IGI.
Jetlite was formerly known as Air Sahara.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Art Brett
What: American Airlines MD-82 aircraft en route from Lambert to Chicago
Where: Lambert
When: Sept. 28, 2007
Who: 138 passengers, 3 flight attendants, two pilots
Why: When the fight experienced an emergency (engine fire) and the MD-82 returned to land at the airport of origin, the nose landing gear failed. After a go-around, the plane conducted an emergency landing and everyone debarked on to the runway.
The reason that this is in the news now is that the problems involved have been under investigation. The procedure that mechanics used to manually start one of the engines is held to be responsible for the fire. However the captain was also faulted for poor division of labor, resulting in inefficiency which is judged to have exacerbated the emergency.
NTSB Identification: DCA07MA310
Scheduled 14 CFR Part 121: Air Carrier operation of AMERICAN AIRLINES
Accident occurred Friday, September 28, 2007 in St. Louis, MO
Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), registration: N454AA
Injuries: 143 Uninjured.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On September 28, 2007, at 1316 central daylight time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), N454AA, operated by American Airlines as flight 1400, executed an emergeny landing at Lambert-St Louis International Airport (STL), St. Louis, Missouri, after the flight crew received a left engine fire warning during departure climb from the airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 121 scheduled domestic flight. After landing, the 2 flight crew, 3 flight attendants, and 138 passengers deplaned via airstairs and no occupant injuries were reported. The intended destination of the flight was Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago, Illinois.
Upon receiving the left engine fire warning during climb, the flight crew discharged the aircraft engine fire bottles into the affected engine. During the visual return and single-engine approach to the airport, the nose landing gear did not extend. The flight crew then extended the nose landing gear using the emergency landing gear extension procedure. The airplane returned and then landed on runway 30L (11,019 feet by 200 feet, grooved concrete) and was met by STL Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Vehicles
The NTSB identification number for this investigation was administratively changed from CHI07MA310 to DCA07MA310 on April 2, 2008.
George’s Point of View
The IATA ( Air Transport Association) is an association representing the world’s airlines commitment to excellence and safety in aviation. All of its 224 Member airlines live up to best practice standards in airline safety. 8 airlines lost membership due to failing a 2008 IOSA ( IATA Operational Safety Audit) audit.
Airlines which fail the safety audit, or are otherwise unable to reach the safety standards are banned by the European Union. One of those banned airlines is Garuda Indonesia, the national airline of Indonesia. That’s the same airline which has been in the news for the recent sentencing of one of it’s pilots. Not that Garunda Indonesia even flies to Europe.
Marwoto Komar who was piloting Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 , ignored warnings not to land the plane when he brought it in at twice the safe speed, resulting in the plane slamming into the runway, skidding off and bursting into flame, killing 21. While he did not get life in prison, he did get jail time.
The pilot’s sentencing is really a symptom of what is going on with Garunda Indonesia, which is a lack of government supervision. In fact, aircrafts which would otherwise be considered safe, are NOT safe simply because of being part of GI’s under-supervised, under-inspected, under-maintained fleet. In fact, there is a $24 million Indonesian governmental program now in place to train Indonesian air safety inspectors, an ambitious program which may still take years to bring the airline up to acceptable safety standards.
In the meantime, apparently the burden of safety rests on the shoulders of pilots, which in view of recent history, does not particularly appear to be a good thing. Furthermore, no one yet has made it public exactly why Marwoto Komar ignored air traffic control AND his instruments AND his co-pilot to attempt a landing at twice the safe speed, but perhaps while he is in jail, the Indonesian skies may be marginally safer. Not that it does any good for the 21 victims of Flight 200.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Oleg Revin
What: Yakutia Airlines Boeing 757 en route from Vnukovo airport to Yakutsk.
Where: Vnukovo airport in the Russian capital of Moscow
When: Apr 7th 2009
Who: 174 passengers and nine crew members
Why: After takeoff, the pilot experienced technical problems. The cabin depressurized; and the pilot decided to return to the airport of origin to land; however, before landing, the plane circled the airport for three and a half hours to burn off excess fuel.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Ryan Coulter
What: Horizon Air flight 2246 de Havilland Dash 8-400 en route from LA to Reno
Where: Sacramento
When: 7:10 p.m. April 7
Who: 5 passengers (out of 40) plus one flight attendant.
Why: When several passengers reported injuries resulting from turbulence experienced over Yosemite. Turbulence was so severe that Individuals not buckled in literally bumped into plane’s ceiling. The plane diverted to make an emergency landing at Sacramento International Airport so that the six affected individuals could be examined.
George’s Point of View
Wear Your Seatbelt.
| 04/04/2009 | 1830 | CENTRE, AL | 8560E | 7HC | A | DEST | 1 | AIRCRAFT CRASHED OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, CENTRE, AL | |
| 04/04/2009 | 2249 | VALDOSTA, GA | 456CH | EXP | A | DEST | 1 | AIRCRAFT CRASHED SHORT OF THE AIRPORT, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, 5 MILES FROM VALDOSTA, GA | |
| 04/05/2009 | 1742 | LONG ISLAND, NY | 740RB | EXP | A | SUBS | 1 | AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES INTO THE OCEAN, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, NEAR SMITH POINT PARK BEACH, LONG ISLAND, NY | |
| 04/04/2009 | 1842 | ENGLEWOOD, FL | 88WG | EXP | A | UNKN | 1 | AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE WERE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD, ONE WAS FATALLY INJURED, ONE SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES, NEAR ENGLEWOOD, FL | |
| 04/04/2009 | 2246 | KALISPELL, MT | 6433A | C182 | A | DEST | 0 | AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED IN A FIELD AND FLIPPED OVER, LOST PRAIRIE, 30 MILES FROM KALISPELL, MT | |
| 04/04/2009 | 2300 | CHICALOON, AK | 40684 | M4 | A | SUBS | 0 | AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, FLIPPED OVER, CHICALOON, AK | |
| 04/05/2009 | 2100 | NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR | 9600D | PA22 | A | SUBS | 0 | AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF, FLIPPED OVER, NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR | |
| 04/04/2009 | 1819 | MONTEREY, CA | 224RA | 7GCA | A | SUBS | 0 | AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF, LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, MONTEREY, CA | |
| 04/05/2009 | 1815 | SONOMA, CA | 100VH | BE36 | A | SUBS | 0 | AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY AND WENT INTO A DITCH, SONOMA, CA | |
| 04/06/2009 | 0420 | RIDDLE, ID | 610RJ | EXP | A | SUBS | 0 | AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED IN A FIELD, NEAR RIDDLE, ID | |
| 04/05/2009 | 0242 | GAITHERSBURG, MD | 28059 | BL17 | A | SUBS | 0 | AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A BIRD STRIKE DAMAGING THE WINDSHIELD, GAITHERSBURG, MD | |
| 04/04/2009 | 2145 | OCEAN ISLE BEACH, NC | 1838Q | C177 | A | SUBS | 0 | AIRCRAFT CRASHED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, OCEAN ISLE BEACH, NC | |
| 04/04/2009 | 2305 | SNOHOMISH, WA | 491SF | C172 | A | SUBS | 0 | AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BIRD, LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, 3 MILES FROM HARVEY FIELD, SNOHOMISH, WA | |
| 04/04/2009 | 1940 | BROOKSHIRE, TX | 89EA | EXP | A | UNKN | 0 | AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO TREES NEAR THE AIRPORT, BROOKSHIRE, TX | |
| 04/04/2009 | 1425 | PHOENIX, AZ | UNK | J3 | I | MINR | 0 | PIPER J3 AIRCRAFT, REGISTRATION UNKNOWN, WHILE BEING HAND PROPPED, STARTED AND TAXIED UNOCCUPIED INTO A NEARBY HANGAR, GOODYEAR AIRPORT, PHOENIX, AZ | |
| 04/03/2009 | 2125 | FRESNO, CA | 4326H | MO20 | I | MINR | 0 | AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP, FRESNO, CA | |
| 04/05/2009 | 1210 | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL | 767PA | C402 | I | MINR | 0 | AIRCRAFT WHILE AWAITING TO DEPART, FRONT WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL | |
| 04/03/2009 | 1721 | KEY WEST, FL | 350ST | PA31 | I | MINR | 0 | AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP, KEY WEST, FL | |
| 04/03/2009 | 2253 | NORTH POINT, FL | 509SR | SR22 | I | MINR | 0 | AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED ON A ROAD, NEAR NORTH POINT, FL | |
| 04/03/2009 | 1726 | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | 8909A | BE36 | I | MINR | 0 | AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP, WEST PALM BEACH, FL | |
| 03/29/2009 | 1900 | LAKE CHARLES, LA | 740PH | B407 | I | MINR | 0 | N740PH, A BELL 407 ROTORCRAFT, WHILE LANDING ON AN OIL PLATFORM, STRUCK A FENCE; GULF OF MEXICO, 120 MILES FROM LAKE CHARLES, LA | |
| 04/05/2009 | 1849 | CHARLESTON, SC | 18PN | SR22 | I | MINR | 0 | AIRCRAFT ON LANDING RAN OFF THE RUNWAY INTO THE GRASS, CHARLESTON, SC | |
| 04/05/2009 | 1922 | CHARLESTON, SC | 6208V | C172 | I | MINR | 0 | AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP, CHARLESTON, SC | |
| 04/03/2009 | 1920 | BREMERTON, WA | 74545 | M20 | I | MINR | 0 | AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP, BREMERTON, WA | |
| 04/04/2009 | 1538 | ZEPHYRHILLS, FL | 1077X | PA28 | I | NONE | 0 | AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED IN A FIELD, NEAR ZEPHYRHILLS, FL | |
| 04/04/2009 | 1800 | MARYSVILLE, OH | 7288F | PA28 | I | NONE | 0 | AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD, 15 MILES FROM MARYSVILLE, OH | |
| 04/03/2009 | 1703 | HOUMA, LA | 2399V | EXP | I | UNKN | 0 | AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, BLEW A TIRE AND VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY, HOUMA, LA | |
| 04/05/2009 | 1634 | STEVENSVILLE, MD | 923AY | EXP | I | UNKN | 0 | AIRCRAFT PROP STRUCK A PASSENGER WHO HAD JUST EXITED THE PARKED AIRCRAFT, STEVENSVILLE, MD | |
| 04/04/2009 | 2020 | PORTSMOUTH, NH | 60402 | BE36 | I | UNKN | 0 | AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF, LOST POWER, AND SETTLED ONTO THE RUNWAY GEAR UP, PORTSMOUTH, NH |
George’s Point of View
The NTSB conducted a hearing investigating when American Flight 1400’s left engine caught fire during departure from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. The Sept. 28, 2007 incident is blamed on aircraft maintenance, or more properly, the lack of aircraft maintenance.
Ten days before the incident
After the left engine would not start, six times the “start valve” was replaced. Now, after the fire, the issue is judged to be the fault of mechanics who failed to properly maintain a metal air filter that disintegrated. Filter loss led to a bent pin, which led to the valves being replaced, which caused the engine fire. So the kingdom falls for lack of a horse. Or a filter, in this case.Maintenance workers who don’t follow procedure can cause serious problems. In this case, the 143 passengers were unhurt.
Yes, this is a maintenance issue. However, aircraft mechanics are not magicians. Is the real question here actually one of maintenance, or is it an overly optimistic assessment of mechanical life? Is management thinking that replacement cost is so prohibitive that planes must literally be run until they fall apart? Is it possible that the mechanics in this place would have recommended to replace that engine rather than repair what may not have been repairable?
There is a real question here whether the maintenance crew is guilty of substandard work–or if they are simply at the bottom of the food chain, and destined to be the fall guys for someone at the top. In this tight economy, do airlines have irrational expectations of squeezing mileage out of exhausted equipment?
The original incident:
NTSB Identification: DCA07MA310
Scheduled 14 CFR Part 121: Air Carrier operation of AMERICAN AIRLINES
Accident occurred Friday, September 28, 2007 in St. Louis, MO
Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), registration: N454AA
Injuries: 143 Uninjured.
On September 28, 2007, at 1316 central daylight time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), N454AA, operated by American Airlines as flight 1400, executed an emergeny landing at Lambert-St Louis International Airport (STL), St. Louis, Missouri, after the flight crew received a left engine fire warning during departure climb from the airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 121 scheduled domestic flight. After landing, the 2 flight crew, 3 flight attendants, and 138 passengers deplaned via airstairs and no occupant injuries were reported. The intended destination of the flight was Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago, Illinois.
Upon receiving the left engine fire warning during climb, the flight crew discharged the aircraft engine fire bottles into the affected engine. During the visual return and single-engine approach to the airport, the nose landing gear did not extend. The flight crew then extended the nose landing gear using the emergency landing gear extension procedure. The airplane returned and then landed on runway 30L (11,019 feet by 200 feet, grooved concrete) and was met by STL Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Vehicles
The NTSB identification number for this investigation was administratively changed from CHI07MA310 to DCA07MA310 on April 2, 2008.
src: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20071005X01522&key=1
What: Cessna 172 en route from a Canadian flight school into US Airspace
Where: US Airspace
When: about 3 p.m
Who: one person aboard
Why: The flight was intercepted by U.S. military aircraft when the unnamed pilot flew into US Airspace and did not respond. The plane was reported as stolen from a Thunder Bay, Canada flight school. Canadian authorities requested that U.S. aircraft tail the plane in U.S. airspace, hence the two U.S. Air Force F-16 jets.
The pilot, Yavuz Berke aka Adam Leon, landed on Highway 60 in Ellsinore, Mo., at 9:50 p.m. ET, and was caught by Missouri State Highway Patrol officers. He’s an ex-pat Turk, and naturalized Canadian. He is reportedly depressed and either left his girlfriend (or left her a note.) In any case, he left his car and keys at the airport.
With 2 F-16’s on his tail all day, he’s incredibly lucky to be alive and currently enjoying the hospitality of whatever government facility is housing him now (and likely to be housing him for a very long time.)
The category selected here is “pilot error” and “alarm.” And while this is actually a misuse of the sorting system, I’m thinking it is warranted because if this is not an error of the pilot and cause for alarm, what is?
George’s Point of View
Yavuz Berke aka Adam Leon is going to be enjoying government hospitality for a long, long time. Yavuz–or if I may call you Adam–as a parent and a human being, I am very sorry that you have chosen to damage your own life so terribly; and I am amazed and warmed by the restraint of our jet pilots who were charged at bringing you down should you prove a threat.
What: 32 year old Tentara Nasional Indonesia-AU (Air Force) Fokker 27 registration A-2703
Where: Bandung-Husein Sastranegara International Airport, Western Indonesia
When: 06 APR 2009 1 p.m. Monday local time
Who: Six crew members, one trainer and 17 military skydiving students. All 24 people on board died.
Why: While landing during a regular training flight, the plane crashed and burst into flames at 1:05 pm (0605 GMT) in Bandung, 110 kilometres (74 miles) southeast of Jakarta. No one on the ground was injured. The weather is said to have been wet; and the plane is said to have been undermaintained due to funding problems. The plane is said to have been shaking–possibly encountering a 20-knot crosswind at the time of the accident– before it crashed in an air craft hanger and burst into flames.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Sheldon Johns
What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 Flight 195 en route from Islip,NY to to Fort Myers, Fla
Where: returned to New York’s Long Island MacArthur Airport
When: landed safely at 10:24 a.m
Who: 127 passengers aboard and 5 crew members
Why: The 737 experienced engine trouble which forced them to shut down the left hand engine; they returned to MacArthur Airport for a safe landing. Contrary to rumor, lightning did not cause an engine fire.
George’s Point of View
The addendum to this is that mechanics are now looking over this 737. Maybe they should have had this inspection before it took off. D’ya think?
This is the sad story of Marwoto Komar, a pilot with 22 years of flight experience.
In March 2007, he piloted a Boeing 737-400 with 140 passengers on board which crashed on landing at the Yogyakarta airport. The plane came in for landing too high and too fast, and although the co-pilot called for a go-around, he landed on that pass anyway. The Boeing overran the runway and caught fire. Twenty-one people died in that crash.
The* IFALPA position is that criminalisation of individuals does not improve air safety.
In July 2008 he was arrested, tried and found guilty of negligence.
An Indonesian court sentenced Komar to two years imprisonment for his role in the crash.
* International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations
George’s Point of View
You make a mistake.
People get killed.
You go to jail.
The new headline is Emirates pilots resign. They “submitted their resignations.”
George’s Point of View
Curious to see why?
No matter what the pilots did or didn’t do, the tail should not scrape the run way on take off.
Good thing it didn’t catch fire and blow up.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Kris Mogford
What: An Emirates Airlines Airbus A340-500, registration A6-ERG en route from Melbourne,VI Australia to Dubai United Arab Emirates
Where: Melbourne Australia
When: Mar 20th 2009 at 11:30
Who: 225 on board (255 passengers?)
Why: The plane suffered a tail strike on takeoff from Melbourne’s runway 16, climbed and dumped fuel, and when smoke filled the cabin, landed on Melbourne’s runway 34. Damage included some runway lights, damage to the tail skin and access panels.
What: A Skyexpress Boeing 737-500 en route from Moscow Vnukovo to Sochi (Russia)
Where: Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport
When: Apr 4th 2009
Who: 69 passengers and 6 crew
Why: When instrumentation revealed unacceptable (dangerous) vibration of the left hand engine, the pilot shut down the left engine down, and burn off fuel before landing back at the airport of origin an hour after takeoff. There were no injuries.
George’s Point of View
Maintenance.
Maintenance.
Maintenance.—- nuff said.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Paul Markman
What: British Airways Airbus A319-100 en route from London Gatwick to Gibraltar.
Where: Malaga Spain
When: Apr 3rd 2009
Who:
Why: Airbus passengers got a little extra traveling in when the runway at their Gibraltar destination airport was blocked by a Tornado fighter with burst tires after its brakes overheated on landing.
The British Airways jet flew on to Malaga Spain where the runway was thankfully NOT blocked; and the plane was able to land safely, and allow passengers to take a bus ride back to Gibraltar, their actual destination.
And for those individuals left planeless at the Gibraltar gate, eventually the Tornado was moved off the runway; and the Airbus was able to land and pick up those passengers.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Mark Kryst
What: Continental Airlines Colgan Air de Havilland Dash 8-400 en route from Newark to Montreal .
Where: Burlington,VT
When: Apr 3rd 2009
Who: 33 passengers and 4 crew
Why: The pilot and crew reported high temperatures, requesting diversion to Albany, NY. They shut down the left engine but decided against Albany because of weather (severe precipitation), and landed instead at Burlington,VT.
George’s Point of View
Emergency landings are always a cause for concern. The pilot who responds with a cool head and skill in an emergency situation is to be commended.
What about the maintenance of the plane? Who chose to fly instead of maintain, or to maintain in half-measures? Someone needs to look into this–
