Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Erezms
What: Aeroflot Ilyushin IL-96 en route from Petropavlosvk-Kamchatsky to Moscow Sheremetyevo
Where: Russia
When: Jun 8th 2011
Who: 258 passengers and 12 crew
Why: While lining up to take-off, the plane’s nose gear departed the runway surface on to the ground. The plane had to be towed, and caused a runway to be shut down.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Cary Liao
What: Kestrel Convair C-131F performing a freight flight from St. Thomas
Where: St. Thomas
When: Jan 17th 2011
Who: 2 crew
Why: While climbing out of St Thomas on a ferry flight, the left engine caught fire. The crew reported problems with the planes hydraulics and made a fast landing in St. Thomas. Unable to brake, the plane smashed through the airport fence and ended up on the airport access road.
No injuries occurred but the plane incurred substantial damage.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Wayne Campbell-CYYZ Aviation Photography
What: British Airways Boeing 777-200 en route from London to Tel Aviv
Where: Brussels
When: Nov 18th 2010
Why: While en route, the crew received a fire alert. The flight diverted to Brussels a quarter of an hour after the alert occurred. A package was removed from the plane, and later returned to London where the cargo was transferred onto an alternative flight.
Pictured: Merpati Nusantara Airlines Boeing 737-400 registered as PK-MDM. (PK-MDO was the plane in the incident.)
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Biel Gomila
What: Merpati Nusantara Airlines Boeing 737-400 en route from Biak to Ujung Pandang, Indonesia
Where: Biak
When: Jul 6th 2009
Who: 110 passengers and 6 crew
Why: On take off, the left main wheel (rolled or fell? entire wheel or tire?) was lost. After takeoff, the plane burned off fuel and landed safely (even without the wheel), apparently without substantial damage, as the plane reportedly resumed the flight 24 hours later.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Shaun Edelstein
What: Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 en route from Atlanta, GA to Chicago Midway
Where: diverted to Cincinnati,KY and concluded in Chicago
When: May 26th 2009
Who: Not Listed.
Why: “DELTA AIRLINES FLIGHT 2090 MCDONNELL DOUGLAS 90-30 AIRCRAFT AFTER LANDING, INSPECTION REVEALED A PIECE OF THE AIRCRAFT FELL ONTO THE RUNWA.
George’s Point of View
As you see, the FAA report indicates that the plane lost a piece of itself on landing. I don’t know what’s more curious–what exactly fell off the MD-90 when it landed (generally I don’t think of external plane parts as optional); or if the dropped item was related to the plane’s delay in Cincinnati.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Propfreak
What: TAM Bolivia Xian MA-60 en route from Riberalta to Guayaramerin, Bolivia
Where: Guayaramerin
When: Jan 9th 2012
Who: 16 passengers, 5 crew
Why: On landing, the plane’s landing gear would not lower. Pilots had to perform a belly landing in Guayaramerin. (In May 2011, the same plane had had a prior belly landing.)
Pictured: A Kingfisher Airlines Airbus
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Steve Brimley
What: Kingfisher Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from Mumbai to Bangalore
Where: Mumbai
When: Sep 15th 2009
Who: 98 passengers
Why: Shortly after takeoff from Mumbai, the gear failed to retract. The plane returned to the airport for a safe landing, where passengers debarked–also safely–to board alternative transportation.
