Southwest Airlines flight WN-251 had to reject take off from Boise Airport, Idaho, on June 7th.
The Boeing 737-700 was accelerating to take off for Las Vegas, Nevada, when its right engine ingested a bird. The pilots rejected take off and safely returned to the apron.
All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
More than 100,000 Southwest Airlines flights conducted in 44 airplanes appear to be out of compliance. FAA inspectors are looking into allegations of improper fuselage repairs. Inspectors believe mechanics may have inadequately reinforced the aircraft frame while installing new skin panels replacing frayed stressed areas. Southwest is federally responsible for repairs even when they are contracted out. This is not related to last years when Southwest used unapproved parts on 82 airplanes.
Aviation Technical Services in Everett, WA skin panel replacement procedures were performed without Federal approval.
Southwest said, “All of our maintenance operations promote aviation safety by working in coordination with the FAA, equipment manufacturers and aircraft maintenance organizations in every effort to ensure that our fleet is maintained in accordance with applicable regulations and is aligned with best practice in the industry”
A small plane made an emergency landing on State Route 55 in Costa Mesa, California, on January 28th.
The pilot decided to land on the freeway after the plane suffered an engine failure.
The plane landed safely. There were two people aboard at the time, including the pilot Izzy Slod, 25, and a passenger; both remained unharmed.
The plane was returning to Van Nuys after a trip to San Diego.
Ridley Township, Pa., Jan. 26, 2011 — Representatives of Boeing [NYSE: BA], its suppliers and the Netherlands Ministry of Defence marked the first flight of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) CH-47F (NL) Chinook heavy-lift helicopter in a ceremony Jan. 25 at Summit Aviation in Middletown, Del.
The aircraft made its first flight on Dec. 8 and is scheduled to complete its flight test program in August after approximately 100 flight hours. There are two aircraft in flight test.
The RNLAF has ordered six CH-47F (NL) Chinooks to enhance its current fleet of 11 CH-47D (NL) aircraft. The new Chinooks are equipped with survivability equipment, a forward-looking infrared system, and fast rope positions, which will be used to support Special Forces operations. The engines will include air particle separators for operation in harsh environments. These additions will make the RNLAF CH-47F a versatile, multi-role aircraft for worldwide operations.
Boeing expects to begin delivering the aircraft later this year, making the RNLAF the first international customer to field the new CH-47F.
The flight tests have included assessments of the advanced operational capabilities enabled by the aircraft’s Avionics Control and Management System cockpit and newly integrated Digital Automatic Flight Control System. By the conclusion of the tests, the aircraft will be certified airworthy by the Netherlands Military Aviation Authority.
“The Chinook has over the years proven itself to be a true workhorse for the Netherlands Air Force,” said Air Commodore Theo ten Haaf, Commanding Officer Defence Helicopter Command of the RNLAF. “The aircraft proved to be ‘the right tool’ for a difficult and challenging job, especially in austere environments and during the combined air and ground operations in Afghanistan. Both ground troops and aircrew speak highly of it.”
He added, “The CH-47F is a major improvement over the 47D model. The arrival of these new aircraft in the RNLAF will ensure that the RNLAF continues to operate with the best in the field of tactical transport helicopter operations both now and in the future.”
“Our goal is to use available technology to provide customers with the best solutions while enabling long-term sustainability,” said Leanne Caret, H-47 Programs vice president for Boeing. “We have a long-standing relationship with the Netherlands and this new aircraft is another example of our focus on providing advanced solutions to meet our customers’ growing demands.”
The Netherlands MOD and Boeing also are evaluating a potential upgrade of the current CH-47D (NL) Chinook fleet to the new CH-47F (NL) configuration.
A small plane made an emergency landing in a cornfield in North Topeka, Kansas, on July 1st.
The single engine plane was heading from Kansas City, Missouri, to Denver, Colorado, when it lost oil pressure, prompting the pilot to land in emergency.
There were two people aboard at the time; none of them were injured.
CityJet flight WX-118 had to return and make an emergency landing at Dublin Airport, Dublin, Ireland, on March 18.
The Avro RJ-85, flying from Dublin to London, England, had to return shortly afterwards after the crew reported a cracked windshield.
The plane landed safely.
All people onboard remained safe.
The passengers were accommodated in a replacement plane.
Thomson Airways flight TOM6555 had to make an emergency landing at Cardiff Airport, United Kingdom, on September 19.
The plane was preparing to land at the airport when its landing flaps failed, prompting the pilot to declare an emergency. The flight was en-route from Tenerife, Spain at the time.
The plane landed uneventfully. There were around 200 people aboard at the time; all of them remained unharmed.
An airline spokesperson said, “The safety of our customers and crew is of paramount importance and we would like to reassure customers that this type of situation is extremely rare.”
