What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-3H4 en route from Phoenix to Sacramento
Where: Yuma International Airport, AZ
When: 01 APR 2011
Who: 118 aboard
Why: A hole burst through the top of this Boeing while en route. The plane suffered decompression, descended to a safe level (when an attendant was injured) and made an emergency landing in Yuma.

The hole has opened a witch hunt on aging Boeings in search of the kind of metal fatigue that would result in a hole during operations now that the aluminum skin has been known to separate at the lap joints, where panels are spliced together. Although the incident did not result in death, it is being taken as a “warning.” 175 Boeing 737 are slated for examination, and maintenance programs (Southwest, FAA, Boeing) are being re-evaluated to take this into account.

Discussion of lap joint and the 3 rows of rivets. The skin separated at the lower rivet line. Pre-existing fatigue existed on the fracture surface. (Multi site damage.) The decompression happened 18.5 minutes after take-off, and no pre-indications. The flight crew immediately declared emergency.

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Boston Bound American Airlines Plane Makes Emergency Landing at Chicago

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Kent Powell, American Airlines spokesman said that the pilot had declared a medical emergency to deliver a passenger to medical assistance. 

The flight landed safely at about 8:30 p.m..

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Hail, Turbulence Downs Sicily Airbus


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Paolo Migliavacca

What: Windjet Airbus A319-100 en route from Forli to Palermo
Where: Catania Sicily
When: Oct 1st 2009,

Why: The pilot decided to divert to Catania because of severe weather conditions. On approach, the flight encountered wind shear of +50/-50 knots, severe turbulence and hail that signiicantly damaged the plane.

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Philippine Airlines Express Flight Returns to Manila due to Landing Gear Problem

A Philippine Airlines Express flight had to return and make an emergency landing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila, Philippines, shortly after 7 a.m. on September 23.

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The Airbus 320 landed uneventfully and no injuries were reported.

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The plane again departed for Davao shortly after 8 a.m.

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Southwest Airlines and Flight Simulator Technicians Ratify Contract Extension

DALLAS, Dec. 16, 2010 COMTEX/ —

Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) is pleased to announce that its Flight Simulator Technicians, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Airlines Division, voted to ratify an extension to their current agreement. The agreement is for a two-year contract extension through October 2013. The current contract would have become amendable on November 1, 2011.

“I want to congratulate both sides for ratification of a contract that delivers mutually beneficial enhancements to pay, benefits, and work rules to our dedicated Flight Simulator Technicians,” said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “The negotiating teams were able to balance our competitive needs with our Technicians’ requests to quickly come to an agreement as we head toward our 40th year of operation.”

After nearly 40 years of service, Southwest Airlines continues to differentiate itself from other low fare carriers–offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the nation’s largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded, now serving 69 cities in 35 states. Southwest also is one of the most honored airlines in the world known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet. To read more about how Southwest is doing its part to be a good citizen, visit southwest.com/cares to read the Southwest Airlines One Report(TM). Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,100 flights a day and has nearly 35,000 Employees systemwide.

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Cathay Pacific Flight Returns to India After Bird Strike

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