Lufthansa flight LH-430 had to divert and make an emergency landing in Keflavik, Iceland, on December 10.
The Boeing 747-800, en-route from Frankfurt, Germany, to Chicago, Illinois, was diverted due to reports of electrical odor in cabin.
The plane landed safely. No injuries were reported.
United Airlines flight UA-881 had to return and make an emergency landing at O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, on December 8.
The Boeing 747-400, flying towards Tokyo Narita, Japan, had to return due to hydraulic problems.
The plane landed safely.
No one was injured.
A United Airlines flight UA-664 made a safe landing at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Illinois, on November 13.
The Airbus A319-100, en-route from Vancouver, Canada to Chicago, USA, encountered turbulence mid-air, forcing the crew to descend the aircraft.
The plane landed safely.
The flight attendant aboard sustained minor injuries.
American Airlines flight 334 had to return and make an emergency landing at McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 9.
The Boeing 737 plane was departing for Chicago when a bird struck it, prompting the pilot to return.
The plane landed safely. There were 156 passengers and 4 crew members aboard at the time; all of them remained safe.
The passengers were accommodated in other flights.
A helicopter made an emergency landing in a parking lot in Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, on October 14.
The aircraft was heading from O’Hare International Airport to Peoria, Illinois, when the pilot noticed oil leak and decided to land in parking lot of a Menard’s.
The helicopter landed safely. The pilot, who was the only one aboard, remained unhurt.
The aircraft is registered to Rotor Holdings LLC, of Hampton, New Hampshire.
United Airlines flight 519 had make an emergency landing at McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 9.
The Airbus A320 was flying from O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, when the crew declared emergency due to possible braking and steering issue.
The plane landed uneventfully.
All 157 passengers aboard remained unhurt.
American Airlines Flight 1284 had to make an emergency landing at Indianapolis International Airport, Indiana, on September 14.
Authorities said the plane, en-route from Miami to Chicago, was diverted due to an unruly passenger. It is believed that 25-year-old Daniela Velez-Reyes, of Chicago, hit a passenger and a flight attendant.
The plane landed uneventfully.
Daniela was arrested while the plane was cleared to take off again.
Go Jet flight 3645, operated by United Airlines, had to make an emergency landing at O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, on the afternoon of March 14.
The plane was flying from Grand Rapids, Michigan, when its front landing gear failed to deploy. The pilot then declared emergency and asked the passengers to brace for landing.
The plane landed uneventfully. All 37 passengers and 4 crew members remained unharmed.
The cause of incident is under investigation.
Aeromexico flight 9101 was forced to divert and make an emergency landing in Chicago, Illinois, on February 5.
The Boeing 737-800 was en-route from General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Cancun, Mexico, when the passengers heard a loud explosion. Shortly afterwards, the pilot announced that the aircraft was losing pressure and sought permission for an emergency landing in Chicago.
The plane landed safely. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.
The airline arranged an alternate aircraft for the passengers.
United Airlines Flight 1218 had to return and make an emergency landing at O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, on February 3.
The plane departed for Denver at 9:01 a.m. but had to return shortly afterwards due to issues with cabin pressure.
The Boeing 737-900 landed safely and medics checked 175 people complaining of nausea and ear pain. Authorities confirmed that none of the passengers or crew members was taken to hospital.
An airline spokesperson said, “Maintenance is inspecting the aircraft as we accommodate the customers.”
The FAA is investigating.
A small cargo plane crashed into a house near Midway International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, at about 2:42 a.m. on November 18.
The plane departed from Midway Airport but immediately after taking off, the pilot informed the control tower about some engine issues and sought permission to return. However, the aircraft could not make it to the airport and crashed into a house.
The pilot, who was the only one aboard, was killed in the crash. He was later identified as 47-year-old Eric Howlett, of Groveport, Ohio.
The residents of the house, an 84-year-old man and his 82-year-old wife, remained uninjured. Chicago Fire Chief Michael Fox said, “They were in a bedroom next to the living room, and the living room is gone.”
Authorities said the flight was originally scheduled for Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling, however, the pilot changed flight plan at the last minute and listed Ohio State University Airport as the destination.
The Aero Commander 500 aircraft is registered to Central Airlines in Fairway, which is the parent company of Central Air Southwest.
The NTSB and the FAA are investigating.
Renowned panelists in the first panel discussion at the 20th World Routes Development Forum, which was held in Chicago on September 21, concluded that the global aviation industry is currently facing 5 critical challenges.
As per the results of live polling moderated by BBC World News presenter, Aaron Heslehurst, the delegates regarded infrastructure as the most critical challenge, with aviation profitability, safety/security, taxation and oil price stability being the other 4.
At the start of the session, the issue of safety and security was discussed, particularly in context of the recent incidents of MH17 and MH370. Managing director of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), Datuk Badlisham Ghazali appreciated the actions taken by the ICAO and other bodies in order to improve aviation safety, however, he emphasized on the need of enhanced visibility from global aviation bodies regarding the industrial developments aimed at increasing safety. Referring to MH17 tragedy, he said, “The industry needs to move forward in more visible way. Response has not been as visible as what I had hoped for.”
The issue of aircrafts flying over conflict area in eastern Ukraine was also brought up during the discussion. Thomas Windmuller, SVP airports, passenger and cargo services at IATA, asked why some airlines had the vital information not to fly while the others were not aware.
Profitability was another point of discussion in the forum and according to Windmuller, “We are in a period of sustained growth in volume, but not necessarily profitability. The number of airlines that recover their capital cost is very small… The problem is not just airlines, it is aviation. There are very few parts and components that are making big money. These include airports, and air navigation services, who do not make a profit, and do not cover their long-term capital costs.”
The delegate voting regarded Infrastructure challenges as the most serious issue being faced by the aviation industry today. The current investment in aviation infrastructure development projects vary a great deal from country to country. In some countries like China, big investments are being made for infrastructure development while in some other countries this trend is non-existent.
Trey Urbahn, the chief strategy officer of Azul Brazilian Airlines, said that the most pressing issue being faced by Brazilian aviation industry today is taxation. Giving example of Azul Brazilian Airlines, he said that 36% of the company’s profit go on taxes and that the company is working with the government to address this serious issue. He suggested that the taxation garnered should be re-invested for infrastructure development.
Southwest Airlines Flight 321 had to return and make an emergency landing at Chicago Midway International Airport, at about 1:35 p.m. on September 16.
The flight was on its way to LaGuardia Airport when shortly after taking off, an engine warning light turned on in the cockpit. The pilots then decided to return to Chicago for an emergency landing.
The aircraft landed safely and all 118 passengers aboard remained unharmed.
The passengers were accommodated in other flights.
The Southwest Airlines flight 424, from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport, had to divert and land in emergency at Port Columbus International Airport, Ohio, at 2 a.m. Central Time on July 23.
The pilot decided to make an emergency landing after there was an indication of smoke in the forward cargo hold.
The plane landed safely and slides were used to evacuate the 49 passengers on board. No one was hurt.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. Southwest Airlines has declared the plane out of service for inspection.
An alternate was flight arranged for taking the passengers to their destination.
United Airlines flight 1463 en route from Chicago to John Wayne Airport, Los Angeles, made a safe emergency landing at Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita, Kansas, just after 10:30 p.m. on June 29.
A spokesman with the FAA said that an emergency evacuation slide of the Boeing 737-700 opened up in midair. According to reports, the plane dropped from 38,000 ft. to 11,000 ft. in just 12 minutes due to a loss in cabin pressure.
The plane landed safely and the United Airlines confirmed that all 96 passengers and 5 crew members aboard remained unhurt.
Passengers remained seated for about an hour before disembarking. They were taken to their destination on an alternate flight.
United Airline’s maintenance crew is checking the plane to determine the cause.
A two-seater ultralight aircraft crashed in the Fox River in Dayton, near Chicago, on June 23.
The pilot, Nicholas Peterson of Arizona, was able to survive the crash; he was taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital, Ottawa for treatment. However, his passenger, identified as Jeffrey Carpenter, 50, of Chicago, died and his body was removed from the River next morning at about 6:45 a.m.
The pilot told the officials that the accident happened due to some engine problems in the aircraft.
According to Chief Mick Garrison of Marseilles Fire Protection District, the plane took off from the headquarters of Skydive Chicago, located nearby. He also said, “We believe it happened about 8:30 and the one individual was able to get out of the crash and he later called for help shortly after 10 [p.m.] or thereabouts.”
The FAA along with the sheriff’s office and coroner’s office are investigating the accident.
The American Airlines Flight 242 from Chicago to Dusseldorf, Germany made an emergency landing at Logan International Airport in Boston on May 25.
According to the airline, the emergency landing was caused by a male passenger’s sudden illness. He was taken off the flight at Logan and transported to a hospital.
The plane later resumed its journey to Dusseldorf after dropping off the sick passenger.
American Airlines Flight 202 made an emergency landing at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Wednesday, March 19, 2014. It later departed Chicago for Boston after a passenger departed from the plane with medical emergency.
The 757 plane had 187 on board including nine crew members.
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..
