What: Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnight Two four-engine, twin-fuselage “mother ship.” (experimental plane owned by Richard Branson) en route from Mohave, California to Las Cruces, N.M
Where: Mesa
When: Friday Jun. 19, 2009
Who: 2 pilots
Why: The plane landed unexpectedly in Mesa after a cockpit alarm sounded.
Plans to launch the plane into space in 2012 are intact.
George’s Point of View
Smart Cookie
What: Associated Mission Aviation Pacific Aerospace 750XL en route from Jayapura to Okbibab.
Where: Abmisibil Airport, Okbibab, Papua
When: Dec 17, 2011
Who: 5 aboard, 2 fatalities
Why: The plane landed at Abmisibil Airport, and skidded into a ravine at the end of the runway.
Pilot Arnold Burung did not survive. The injured, Jacob Uropmabin, Timothy Uropmabin, Ramli, and Rady (AKA Yakob Uropmabin,Timotius Uropmabin, Ramly and Radi) were hospitalized at Dian Harapan Hospital in Jayapura.
Pacific Aerospace manufactures planes in New Zealand.
Scandinavian Airlines flight SK-909 made an emergency landing in Copenhagen, Denmark, on June 22nd.
The Airbus A330-300 plane took off for Newark, New Jersey, but had to turn back due to a hydraulic leak.
The plane landed safely. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.
Germanwings flight 4U-526 had to return to Cologne Bonn Airport, Germany, on July 23.
The Airbus A320-200, en-route to Barcelona, Spain, from Cologne, Germany, had to return due to an unusual odor in the cockpit.
The plane landed uneventfully and all 164 passengers remained unhurt.
Passengers were accommodated in a replacement plane.
Transavia flight HV-5951 had to return and make an emergency landing in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on November 26th.
The Boeing 737-800 plane took off for Lisbon, Portugal, but had to turn back due to a lightning strike.
The plane landed back safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
On Jan 28, 2013, American Airlines Boeing 767 Flight 233 with 198 passengers and a crew of 13 was en route from Miami to Brazil when it developed an electrical odor in the cockpit.
The pilots diverted to Puerto Rico and made a safe landing in San Juan at 5:08 p.m.
The plane is to remain there overnight for inspection, and on the 29th, take the crew and passengers on to Sao Paolo.
Hotel accommodations were provided for passengers.
A small plane had to divert and make an emergency landing on Interstate 20 in Covington, Newton County, Georgia, on September 10th.
The Cessna 172 flying from Valdosta to Monroe, Georgia, ran out of gas when the pilot decided to make emergency landing.
The plane landed uneventfully. The pilot remained unharmed.
