United Airlines flight UA-2823 had to return and make an emergency landing in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on May 18th.
The Boeing 767-300 plane took off for Newark, New Jersey, but had to turn back after the crew noticed a fuel balance problem.
The plane landed safely. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.
GILZE-RIJEN AIRBASE, Netherlands, June 16, 2010 — Boeing ] and The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) today made aviation history when a Boeing AH-64D Apache became the first rotorcraft in the world to fly using a blend of sustainable bio-kerosene and standard aviation jet fuel.
The 20-minute flight, conducted at Gilze-Rijen Airbase, home of the RNLAF’s combat rotorcraft squadrons, was witnessed by dozens of industry observers and defense journalists.
The sustainable biofuel used in the flight was produced using algae-based biomass and used cooking oil, and processed by UOP, LLC, a Honeywell company, into a Bio-Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (Bio-SPK), which has been used in previous commercial biofuel flights. In a series of preflight tests, the 50/50 bio-kerosene and traditional jet fuel blend met or exceeded the JP-8 fuel specifications for the Apache. No engine or airframe modifications were made prior to flight.
“This is a tremendous achievement for the Royal Netherlands Air Force, Boeing, Honeywell, and the engine manufacturer GE Aviation in our efforts to develop sustainable aviation fuel solutions,” said Al Winn, vice president of Apache Programs for Boeing, who attended the demonstration. “Both Boeing’s commercial and military customers are pursuing alternatives to fossil fuels, sharing a vision that was demonstrated flawlessly by our Apache customer today.”
“Today is an important milestone for the more intensive usage of sustainable bio-kerosene in aviation,” said Eimert van Middelkoop, Minister of Defense of the Netherlands.
The RNLAF biofuel flight test program encompasses seven flights that will highlight the technical feasibility of flying rotorcraft using renewable fuels that do not reduce the availability of food crops or water. The Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands, which authorized the flight test program, has publicly stated its commitment to minimizing its environmental footprint of military aircraft.
“This program also will help stimulate market development for aviation biofuel within the Netherlands that can help improve the environmental performance of commercial and military aviation,” said Jan Närlinge, president of Boeing Northern Europe.
Boeing is engaged in sustainable biofuel research around the world and supported the Apache flight and the RNLAF through preflight planning, testing and technical consultation based on a strong body of biofuel experience. The company supplied technical support to a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines biofuel flight aboard a Boeing 747 in November 2009, and also to the U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet biofuel flight on Earth Day this year. Boeing also supported four previous biofuel flights using varying fixed-wing commercial aircraft and engine types.
Extensive laboratory testing by fuel processors, feedstock providers and engine manufacturers has further shown that aviation biofuels meet or exceed the high performance and quality standards specified for military and commercial jet fuels.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world’s largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide.
Pictured: A PS Airways Express (PSA Airlines) Canadair CL-600-2B19 Regional Jet CRJ-200ER
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Jay Selman
What: PSA Airlines /US Airways Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Charlotte to Indianapolis
Where: Charlotte
When: Nov 12th 2009
Who: not available
Why: While en route, the crew observed a gear disagree message. (Says it is up or down when it is not.) The flight diverted to Dayton Ohio, where passengers debarked and boarded a bus for their destination.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer
What: Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747-400 en route from Orlando,FL (USA) to Manchester
Where: Gander
When: Oct 21 2010
Who: 451 passengers and 17 crew
Why: While underway, a drunken passenger got into a brawl with his wife and father in law. The pilot diverted to Gander where the disruptive passenger, UK citizen Roy Anthony Heaps, was escorted out of the airport by Mounties.
The court ordered Heaps to pay a fine of $15,000 for charges of assault, uttering threats, mischief and interfering with an air crew; and restitution to the airline along the lines of 13,000 Canadian Dollars.
Gulf Air flight GF-784 made an emergency landing in Peshawar, Pakistan, on April 4th.
The Airbus A330-200 plane flying from Bahrain was on approach to Peshawar when the crew reported an issue with the brakes.
The plane landed safely and was towed to the apron. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
What: Malaysian Airlines Boeing 737-400 en route from Sabah (Kota Kinabalu) to Kaohsiung International Airport
Where: Manila
When: April 16, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Who: 128 passengers
Why: While over Philippine airspace, a member of the crew found a cracked cockpit window that caused pressurization problems.
The plane diverted to Manila and made a safe landing. The passengers, mostly from Taiwan, had to overnight in Manila but were provided hotel accommodations. Intervention from the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs was apparently required.
On the company website, the airline has a press release about its new A330-300 but does not make reference to its plane down in Manila.
On January 12, a Hawaiian Airlines crew had to put on their oxygen masks after Flight 226 developed smoke in the cockpit. Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717 was en route from Honolulu to Kahului when a fire developed in a cargo bay. Pilots managed a safe landing. Evidence of a fire was found in one of the cargo holds. The source of the fire/smoke was an e-cigarette with lithium batteries packed in a passenger’s luggage. The TSB bans E-cigarettes and battery chargers in checked luggage but no criminal charges have been filed. The cargo area sustained enough damage that the return flight was cancelled.
