———————————-
http://avherald.com/h?article=48586ab7
20150430141936:20150429000000
Incident: United B752 at Newark on Apr 29th 2015, rejected takeoff after flames reported from engine or gear
A United Boeing 757-200, registration N17105 performing flight UA-70 from
Newark,NJ (USA) to Amsterdam (Netherlands) with 135 people on board, was
accelerating for takeoff from runway 04L when the next departure cleared
to line up runway 04L reported seeing smoke and sparks from the left main
gear, Tower repeated flames from the engine or the wheels. The crew reject
takeoff at low speed, steered the aircraft off the runway and stopped on
the adjacent taxiway, tower instructed the aircraft to hold position while
emergency services were responding. No fire was detected, the passengers
disembarked onto the taxiway and were bussed to the terminal.

A replacement Boeing 757-200 registration N17133 reached Amsterdam with
a delay of 4 hours.

The airport reported smoke and sparks were observed from the left landing
gear, no fire was detected, the smoke seemed to originate from the brakes,
that appeared to have locked up.

The airline reported firefighters responded but found no fire, the aircraft
is being checked.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4857e7ff
20150429220319:20150427000000
Incident: Inuit DH8A near Umiujaq on Apr 27th 2015, smoke in cabin
An Air Inuit de Havilland Dash 8-100, registration C-FAIV performing flight
3H-860 from La Grande,QC to Port Hope Simpson,NL (Canada) with no passengers,
3 crew and cargo, was enroute at FL250 about one third into the flight when
the flight attendant noticed a burning smell in the cabin between seat row
2 and 3. The crew donned their oxygen masks, advised ATC, initiated a diversion
to Kuujjuarapik,QC (Canada) and worked the “Emergency Fuselage Fire and
Smoke of unknown origin”. After completing the checklist the flight attendant
observed smoke in the cabin. The crew declared emergency and decided to
divert to Umiujaq,QC (Canada) which was closer. While descending towards
Umiujaq the flight attendant discovered that the smoke originated from the
cabin lighting system above the overhead lockers. The cabin lights were
turned off, the flight attendant discharged a Halon fire extinguisher into
the affected area. The aircraft landed safely in Umiujaq soon after.

The Canadian TSB reported that the plastics connector of neon light tubes
was identified as source of smell and smoke. The TSB annotated that the
use of the oxygen masks made communication between crew as well as communication
to ATC difficult, the use smoke goggles was also “obstructive”.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=48557f93
20150427083614:20150425000000
Incident: US Airways A319 at Jacksonville on Apr 25th 2015, bird strike
An US Airways Airbus A319-100 on behalf of American Airlines, registration
N738US performing flight US-1927/AA-1927 from Jacksonville,FL to Charlotte,NC
(USA) with 120 people on board, departed Jacksonville’s runway 08. Immediately
after becoming airborne the crew reported they had two geese hitting the
aircraft, they had heard them, the airport should check the runway, it was
a pretty good hit, the birds probably hit the gear. Tower reported smoke
from the right hand side, it looked like smoke and some flames from the
engine but tower wasn’t sure whether engine or gear. The crew decided to
stop the climb at 2000 feet and prepared to return to Jacksonville. A runway
inspection revealed debris on runway 08, tower offered runway 14, the crew
reported it was probably a landing gear door that was hit. The aircraft
landed safely on runway 14 about 10 minutes after departure.

A passenger reported that upon rotation from runway 08 there was a very
noticeable bang, the aircraft subsequently climbed out steeper than normal,
there were engine vibrations from the right hand engine (CFM56), the captain
subsequently announced that they had taken a bird strike at the landing
gear and needed to return to the airport for a quick inspection, though
landing gear and engines showed normal indications. Following landing the
captain examined the aircraft, then the flight was cancelled, the captain
reported there was damage to engine blades and the landing gear. It appeared
a bird was still wedged into the landing gear door, there also was a dent
in the nose cone.

The right hand engine and right main gear (Photo: Thomas Jerolitsch):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=48546eb6
20150428223937:20150425000000
Accident: THY A320 at Istanbul on Apr 25th 2015, hard landing, go-around, engine problem, gear problem, gear collapse, runway excursion
A THY Turkish Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration TC-JPE performing flight
TK-1878 from Milan Malpensa (Italy) to Istanbul (Turkey) with 97 people
on board, landed on Istanbul Ataturk Airport’s runway 05 at 10:22L (07:22Z)
but rolled right just before touchdown causing the right engine and wing
to contact the runway and a hard touch down. The crew initiated a go-around,
then declared emergency due to an engine (V2527) inoperative. The crew
subsequently reported an unsafe gear indication. The aircraft positioned
for an emergency landing on runway 35L, touched down about 20 minutes after
the go around, but with the right main gear collapsed the aircraft skidded
on its right engine, with sparks and smoke trailing the engine, and veered
right off the runway spinning nearly 180 degrees. The aircraft was evacuated
via slides while emergency services started to spray the aircraft. There
were no injuries, the aircraft received substantial damage to the right
hand main gear, right hand engine and its pylon as well as to leading and
trailing edge high lift devices at the right hand wing.

The airline confirmed the aircraft went off the runway during an emergency
landing, the 97 passenges have been safely evacuated, there are no injuries.

A passenger reported the aircraft was on its first approach to Ataturk’s
Airport uneventfully until about 100 feet AGL when the aircraft suddenly
rolled heavily to the right and fell down onto the runway, while on the
ground the aircraft was still tilted to the right, the engines accelerated
and the aircraft became airborne again, the passenger thought the right
main gear had collapsed at that point already. While positioning for the
second approach another passenger yelled “Fire”. Cabin crew instructed the
passengers to brace for landing. The second touchdown was smooth, however,
there were scraping sounds from the right, the passenger did not notice
a gear collapse during roll out, only after the aircraft had slowed significantly
the aircraft began to veer to the right. The doors were opened, passengers
directed to the left forward and right rear doors for evacuation, when the
right hand overwing exits were opened foam from the fire engines entered
the cabin. About 5 minutes after landing busses arrived and took the passengers
to the terminal.

The French BEA reported in their weekly bulletin of Apr 28th 2015 quoting
Turkish Authorities, that the aircraft landed very hard causing damage to
the right hand main gear and engine, the crew conducted a go around and
landed, the right main gear collapsed and the aircraft came to a stop at
the runway egde. The Turkish Accident Investigation Board is investigating
the accident.

Metars:
LTBA 250920Z 24007KT CAVOK 15/07 Q1020 NOSIG
LTBA 250850Z 23007KT CAVOK 16/06 Q1020 NOSIG
LTBA 250820Z 22006KT 200V260 CAVOK 15/06 Q1020 NOSIG
LTBA 250750Z 20004KT 160V240 CAVOK 15/07 Q1020 NOSIG
LTBA 250720Z 17005KT 140V200 CAVOK 15/05 Q1020 NOSIG
LTBA 250650Z 15008KT CAVOK 16/04 Q1020 NOSIG
LTBA 250620Z 15009KT CAVOK 16/03 Q1020 NOSIG
LTBA 250550Z 18004KT 150V230 CAVOK 14/05 Q1020 NOSIG
LTBA 250520Z 17004KT 120V240 CAVOK 13/07 Q1020 NOSIG
LTBA 250450Z VRB01KT CAVOK 12/08 Q1020 NOSIG
LTBA 250420Z VRB02KT CAVOK 11/08 Q1020 NOSIG

The landing of TK-1878 (Video: TezGroup)
Another video of the landing, also watch last 40 seconds (Video: Skyrhn
H¸rku)
Passenger photo of TC-JPE after evacuation:
TC-JPE seen shortly after the go-around (Photo: AFP):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=485598f2
20150426222523:20150424000000
Incident: Delta MD88 near Jacksonville on Apr 24th 2015, smoke indication
A Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-88, registration N915DL performing
flight DL-2213 from Melbourne,FL to Atlanta,GA (USA), was climbing through
FL345 about 30nm south of Jacksonville when a smoke detector went off prompting
the crew to divert to Jacksonville for a safe landing on runway 08 about
20 minutes later. The crew vacated the runway and stopped for a check by
emergency services before the aircraft continued to the apron.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=485100b9
20150420224647:20150419000000
Incident: Austrian B772 at Washington on Apr 19th 2015, oven disobeys "no smoking" sign
An Austrian Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration OE-LPA performing flight
OS-94 from Washington Dulles,DC (USA) to Vienna (Austria) with 279 passengers
and 12 crew, was climbing out of Dulles Airport’s runway 19C when the crew
reported they had a technical problem, smoke on board and needed to land
back to Dulles. The crew declined a number of ATC queries and instructions
stating they needed to work their checklists. The aircraft returned to Dulles’
runway 19C. While intercepting the localizer ATC advised that emergency
services wouldn’t be able to reach the runway in time for the landing and
assigned runway 19L for landing, the crew declined the runway change stating
they were already setup and slowing for the landing and advised they would
be able to vacate the runway, they requested a remote parking position with
emergency services standing by there. The aircraft landed safely on runway
19C about 13 minutes after departure and taxied to a remote parking position.

The flight was cancelled.

The airline reported an oven in one of the galleys went smoking. Flights
OS-94 and OS-93 of Apr 20th from Vienna to Washington were cancelled, the
aircraft is estimated to return to Vienna as flight OS-94 of Apr 20th after
a technical examination.

A passenger reported the crew announced an immediate return to Dulles and
made a nice overweight landing. After landing the captain indicated there
had been smoke in the aft galley and talked about a coffee maker (also see:
Incident: Austrian B763 near Frankfurt on Apr 18th 2015, unLAWful coffee
maker).

Another passenger seated at an emergency exit in the back reported there
was lots of smoke, possibly from a coffee maker.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=484f389e
20150418153506:20150418000000
Incident: Austrian B763 near Frankfurt on Apr 18th 2015, unLAWful coffee maker
An Austrian Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration OE-LAW performing flight
OS-89 from Vienna (Austria) to Newark,NJ (USA) with 207 passengers and 10
crew, was enroute at FL340 about 120nm eastnortheast of Frankfurt/Main (Germany)
when smoke emanated from a galley prompting cabin crew to disconnect galley
power and discharge fire extinguishers into the galley. The smoke dissipated.
The flight crew decided to return to Vienna, where the aircraft landed safely
about 40 minutes later.

The airline reported a coffee maker in the forward galley suffered a technical
defect causing smoke as result of a light smouldering fire, the coffeemaker
was removed from the aircraft. Although the aircraft technically could have
departed again, crew duty time limitations required the flight to be cancelled.
A number of passengers were rebooked onto other flights, the others were
taken to hotels.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=484d2055
20150415221602:20150413000000
Incident: American B738 at New York on Apr 13th 2015, bird strike
An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N955AN performing flight
AA-1696 from New York La Guardia,NY to Miami,FL (USA) with 152 people on
board, departed La Guardia’s runway 13 when shortly after contacting departure
the crew reported they had a burning smell, later smoke in the cabin, they
declared emergency and wanted to divert to JFK Airport. The crew stopped
the climb at 5000 feet, advised they were too busy to provide number of
people on board and fuel on board and received vectors to JFK’s runway 22R,
prompting a staccato of ATC instructions on JFK final approach to squeeze
the emergency aircraft into the already dense landing sequence with other
aircraft climbing and turning out of the way. The aircraft landed safely
on JFK’s runway 22R about 10 minutes after departure and vacated the runway.

A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration N805NN reached Miami with a delay
of 3.5 hours.

The airline reported the left hand engine ingested a bird on departure from
La Guardia causing the burning smell.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=484c4622
20150414211620:20150413000000
Incident: British Airways B773 near Munich on Apr 13th 2015, smoking galley
A British Airways Boeing 777-300, registration G-STBG performing flight
BA-139 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Mumbai (India), was enroute at FL350
about 120nm northeast of Munich in Czech Airspace when the crew reported
smoke in a galley and decided to turn around and divert to Munich (Germany),
the crew advised on approach that the smoke was subsiding, where the aircraft
landed safely on runway 26R about 25 minutes later. The aircraft taxied
to the apron with emergency services following the aircraft.

The aircraft was able to continue the flight after about 3 hours on the
ground in Munich and reached Mumbai with a delay of 3:20 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=484b89e8
20150413225922:20150413000000
Incident: Shuttle America E145 near New York on Apr 13th 2015, smoke in cockpit
A Shuttle America Embraer ERJ-145 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration
N564RP performing flight S5-3377/DL-3377 from Rochester,NY to New York La
Guardia,NY (USA) with 42 passengers and 3 crew, was descending towards New
York when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and considered to divert
to Newburgh,NY but continued for a safe landing on La Guardia’s runway 22,
the crew indicated after landing that no assistance was required and taxied
to the apron.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=484a66ca
20150412133658:20150411000000
Incident: Easyjet A320 near Cologne on Apr 11th 2015, smoke in cockpit
An Easyjet Airbus A320-200, registration G-EZUT performing flight U2-5455
from London Gatwick,EN (UK) to Paphos (Cyprus), was enroute at FL330 about
90nm southwest of Cologne when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and
diverted to Cologne for a safe landing on runway 32R about 20 minutes later.
Emergency services did not need to intervene.

Passengers reported they did not notice anything amiss until the crew announced
they were diverting to Cologne.

A replacement Airbus A320-200 registration G-EZTK positioned to Cologne
and continued the flight delivering the passengers to Paphos with a delay
of 7 hours.

The occurrence aircraft was able to position back to London the following
day about 19 hours after landing.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=48466099
20150407164925:20150407000000
Incident: Lufthansa A333 at Frankfurt on Apr 7th 2015, smoke in cabin
A Lufthansa Airbus A330-300, registration D-AIKG performing flight LH-598
from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), was in the initial
climb out of Frankfurt’s runway 18 when the crew stopped the climb at about
3300 feet reporting smoke in the cabin, joined a left downwind for runway
25C and landed safely back on runway 25C about 7 minutes after departure.
Emergency services examined the aircraft but did not need to intervene.

A passenger reported thick smoke became visible in the cabin, the aircraft
returned to Frankfurt and taxied to the apron with emergency services following
the aircraft.

A replacement Airbus A330-300 registration D-AIKD is estimated to reach
Jeddah with a delay of 4 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=484664ed
20150407171928:20150406000000
Incident: Rusline CRJ1 at Baratayeveka on Apr 6th 2015, cargo smoke indication
A Rusline Canadair CRJ-100, registration VQ-BNY performing flight 7R-224
from Baratayeveka to Moscow Domodedovo (Russia) with 26 passengers and 3
crew, was climbing out of Baratayeveka when the crew received a cargo smoke
indication, activated the cargo fire suppression system and returned to
Baratayeveka for a safe landing about 45 minutes after departure. Emergency
services did not find any trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The airline reported it was most likely an erroneous indication by a faulty
sensor.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=48423a4f
20150402202222:20150401000000
Incident: Shuttle America E145 near Buffalo on Apr 1st 2015, laptop went smoking
A Shuttle America Embraer ERJ-145 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration
N293SK performing flight S5-6023/DL-6023 from New York La Guardia,NY to
Chicago O’Hare,IL (USA) with 53 people on board, was enroute at FL340 about
40nm south of Buffalo,NY (USA) when a passenger’s laptop began to emit smoke
prompting the flight crew to divert to Buffalo while cabin crew cooled the
device pouring water over the laptop. The smoke ceased, and the aircraft
landed safely in Buffalo about 17 minutes after leaving FL340.

Police took the remains of the laptop into custody for investigation.

The aircraft was able to continue the flight and reached Chicago with a
delay of 2 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=483ea8a2
20150329164134:20150329000000
Incident: Cathay B773 near Amsterdam on Mar 29th 2015, fire in cabin
A Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300, registration B-KPC performing flight CX-251
(dep Mar 28th) from Hong Kong (China) to London Heathrow,EN (UK) with 289
people on board, was enroute at FL360 about 170nm northeast of Amsterdam
(Netherlands) over the North Sea, when the crew reported a fire in the cabin
and decided to divert to Amsterdam. While descending towards Amsterdam the
crew reported that the fire had been extinguished, only smoke remained in
the galley, and continued to Amsterdam for a safe landing on runway 27 about
30 minutes later, the aircraft taxied to the apron with emergency services
following the aircraft to the stand.

The occurrence aircraft was able to depart Amsterdam after about 3 hours
on the ground and reached London with a delay of 3:45 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=483783be
20150320220409:20150319000000
Incident: United B752 near Boston on Mar 19th 2015, smell of smoke in cabin
A United Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N33103 performing flight
UA-23 from Newark,NJ (USA) to Dublin (Ireland) with 169 passengers and 8
crew, was enroute at FL350 about 15nm south of Boston,MA (USA) when the
crew reported smoke in the cabin and diverted to Boston for a safe landing
on runway 27 about 20 minutes later and taxied to the apron with emergency
services following the aircraft to the gate, the crew advised that flight
attendants reported it wasn’t smoke but smell of smoke.

A replacement Boeing 757-200 registration N58101 reached Dublin with a delay
of 3 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4836969a
20150319182429:20150319000000
Incident: Condor B763 over Atlantic on Mar 19th 2015, lavatory fire indication
A Condor Boeing 767-300, registration D-ABUC performing flight DE-4156 from
Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Cancun (Mexico) with 230 passengers and 10 crew,
was enroute at FL320 about one hour into the Atlantic crossing, when the
crew decided to turn around and divert to Shannon (Ireland) reporting smoke
in the cockpit following a rear lavatory fire indication. The crew requested
emergency services to check the tyres due to the pending overweight landing.
The aircraft landed safely on Shannon’s runway 06 (active runway 24) about
80 minutes later, vacated the runway and stopped on the adjacent taxiway
for inspection by emergency services. Emergency services entered the cabin
to examine the lavatory and also checked the undercarriage, subsequently
reporting the undercarriage okay.

The airline reported: “The aircraft started at 1:36pm CET in Frankfurt and
returned to Shannon precautionarily after about 3,5 hours of flight time
due to a light smoke development in a lavatory in the back of the aircraft.
There was no smoke in the cockpit.” The passengers are being taken care
of at the airport until a replacement aircraft dispatched from Frankfurt
to Shannon arrives delivering maintenance personnel to check the occurrence
aircraft and takes the passengers to Cancun.

Emergency Services checking the aircraft on adjacent taxiway (Photo: AVH/PF):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=48353615
20150317221649:20150317000000
Incident: Jetblue A320 at New York on Mar 17th 2015, smoke in cockpit
A Jetblue Airbus A320-200, registration N729JB performing flight B6-2 from
Fort Lauderdale,FL to New York JFK,NY (USA), was descending towards New
York when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and continued for a safe
landing on JFK’s runway 22L.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4832c81e
20150314210913:20150314000000
Incident: Republic DH8D at Denver on Mar 14th 2015, blew tyre on departure
A Republic Airways de Havilland Dash 8-400 on behalf of United, registration
N191WQ performing flight YX-4870/UA-4870 from Denver,CO to Kansas City,MO
(USA) with 71 people on board, departed Denver’s runway 08 and was in the
initial climb when the crew declared emergency initially reporting they
had blown a nose tyre on departure. A runway inspection confirmed tyre debris
on the runway, at the same time another runway inspection found dead birds
on runway 16L. The crew levelled off at 10,000 feet, performed a low approach
which identified the nose gear “was light on rubber” and entered a hold
to burn off fuel, cabin crew prepared the cabin and passengers for the return.
While on final approach for runway 17R cabin crew had the passengers to
adopt the brace position, the crew now reported (correctly) the left hand
inboard main tyre had blown based on observation from inside the aircraft.
The aircraft landed safely on runway 17R, the tyre on the inboard left main
wheel separated during roll out, the outboard left main tyre remained inflated.
Emergency services reported the left inboard tyre shredded during roll out,
there was no fire and no smoke. The aircraft stopped on the runway, the
crew shut the aircraft down, the passengers disembarked onto the runway
and were bussed to the terminal.

A replacement Dash 8-400 registration N209WQ is currently estimated to reach
Kansas City with a delay of 4.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=482f8afc
20150310184206:20150309000000
Incident: SAA A343 at Johannesburg on Mar 9th 2015, smoke in cabin
A SAA South African Airways Airbus A340-300, registration ZS-SXD performing
flight SA-52 from Johannesburg (South Africa) to Accra (Ghana), was climbing
out of Johannesburg when the crew stopped the climb at FL120 and started
to dump fuel reporting smoke in the cabin. 5 minutes later the crew reported
the smoke had subsided, climbed the aircraft to FL130 to complete the fuel
dump and returned to Johannesburg for a safe landing on runway 21L about
one hour after departure.

Passengers reported the captain indicated they had a problem with an air
conditioning system.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=482c3f80
20150306193000:20150305000000
Incident: Sichuan A320 near Jinan on Mar 5th 2015, cargo fire indication
A Sichuan Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration B-6843 performing flight
3U-8816 from Tianjin to Hangzhou (China), was enroute at 8900 meters (FL292)
about 20nm north of Jinan (China) when the crew received a cargo fire indication
and diverted to Jinan for a safe landing about 15 minutes later. Emergency
services did not find any trace of fire, heat or smoke. There were no injuries.

The airline reported the indication was identified false as result of a
malfunctioning smoke detector.

The aircraft was able to continue the flight after 4.5 hours on the ground
in Jinan and reached Hangzhou with a delay of 5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=482c66b0
20150306234238:20150302000000
Incident: North Cariboo DH8C near Calgary on Mar 2nd 2015, smoke in cabin
A North Cariboo Air de Havilland Dash 8-300, registration C-GAQN performing
flight NCB-1306 from Edmonton,AB to Calgary,AB (Canada), was enroute near
Calgary when the lavatory smoke detector activated and smoke became visible
in the cabin. The crew declared emergency and received vectors direct to
Calgary, where the aircraft landed safely about 30 minutes later. Emergency
services did not find any trace of fire or heat.

The Canadian TSB reported: “Company maintenance found oil leaking from the
# 4 bearing housing on the # 1 engine (Pratt & Whitney PW123). The engine
was replaced.”
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=483471af
20150316220408:20150227000000
Incident: Georgian CRJ1 near Johnstown on Feb 27th 2015, smoke in cabin
An Air Georgian Canadair CRJ-100 on behalf of Air Canada, registration C-FWRT
performing flight ZX-7326/AC-7316 from Raleigh/Durham,NC (USA) to Toronto,ON
(Canada), was enroute at FL310 about 40nm southeast of Johnstown,PA (USA)
when cabin crew advised the cockpit of smoke originating from one of the
cabin panels. The crew diverted to Johnstown for a safe landing about 25
minutes later.

The Canadian TSB reported maintenance identified moisture from condensation
had caused an electrical short in the overhead wiring near seat row 7 at
the right side of the aircraft.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4824833b
20150421185759:20150224000000
Accident: Fedex MD11 near St. Louis on Feb 24th 2015, cargo fire indication
A Fedex McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter, registration N584FE performing
flight FX-1407 from Memphis,TN to Minneapolis,MN (USA) with 4 crew, was
enroute at FL360 about 80nm northnorthwest of St. Louis,MO (USA) when the
crew received indication of a cargo fire, the automatic cargo fire suppression
system activated. The crew decided to turn around and divert to St. Louis
for a safe landing on runway 12L about 18 minutes later. The crew evacuated
via slides, one of the crew received injuries in the evacuation and was
taken to a hospital. Emergency services did not find any trace of fire,
heat or smoke.

The airline reported that the fire suppression system, activated by heat,
went off and foamed a cargo container.

On Apr 21st 2015 the NTSB reported that the main deck fire suppression system
automatically activated. Following landing the four crew evacuated through
the left main door via slides, one of the crew members received serious
injuries in the evacuation. The NTSB is investigating the accident.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4822d1f7
20150222173735:20150221000000
Incident: Thomas Cook B753 near Budapest on Feb 21st 2015, smoke in the flightdeck
A Thomas Cook Boeing 757-300, registration G-JMAA performing flight MT-1125
from Sofia (Bulgaria) to London Gatwick,EN (UK) with 280 people on board,
was enroute at FL340 about 100nm south of Budapest when the crew declared
PAN reporting “smoke in the flight deck” and decided to divert to Budapest.
While descending towards Budapest the crew performed the smoke drills and
subsequently reported that the smoke and fumes in the flight deck had dissipated
but there was still a strong smell of burning in the cabin and some smoke.
The aircraft landed safely on Budapest’s runway 31R about 20 minutes after
leaving FL340. Emergency services checked the aircraft, which afterwards
taxied to the apron.

The passengers were taken to hotels.

The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 17 hours, then
continued the flight and is estimated to reach Gatwick with a delay of 21
hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=48221ae5
20150221203309:20150221000000
Incident: Air Austral B773 at Manchester on Feb 21st 2015, hydraulic leak
An Air Austral Boeing 777-300, registration F-OSYD performing positioning
flight UU-9902 from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Manchester,EN (UK),
landed on Manchester’s runway 23R when smoke became visible from the landing
gear initially prompting assumptions the aircraft had blown tyres. The aircraft
vacated the runway and stopped, emergency services found hydraulic fluid
dripping onto the hot brakes as source of the smoke.

The runway was briefly closed for a runway inspection and a sweep.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=481e422e
20150217230242:20150215000000
Incident: Delta A333 at Amsterdam on Feb 15th 2015, rejected takeoff
A Delta Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration N806NW performing flight
DL-163 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Minneapolis,MN (USA), was accelerating
for takeoff from Amsterdam’s runway 36L when the crew rejected takeoff at
about 80 knots advising tower that no assistance was needed. Tower alerted
emergency services advising the crew that there was smoke from the landing
gear, crew guessing that smoke was just from the brakes, tower reporting
it was too much smoke for that, they probably blew a tyre or so, this needed
to be checked out. The crew of another aircraft confirmed a lot of smoke
from the left main gear suggesting the left main gear brakes/wheels may
have locked up. The aircraft vacated the runway and stopped on an adjacent
taxiway where emergency services checked the aircraft.

A subsequent inspection found hydraulic fluid on the left side of the taxiway.

A replacement Airbus A330-300 registration N812NW reached Minneapolis with
a delay of 3 hours.

N806NW during the rejected takeoff (Photo: Martijn Biekart):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=481e3e3b
20150216222417:20150213000000
Incident: Egypt B738 at Cairo on Feb 13th 2015, rejected takeoff due to smoke
An Egypt Air Boeing 737-800, registration SU-GCM performing flight MS-757
from Cairo (Egypt) to Amsterdam (Netherlands) with 59 passengers, was accelerating
for takeoff from Cairo when a burning smell developed in the cabin followed
by light smoke. The crew rejected takeoff, slowed safely and returned the
aircraft to the apron. There were no injuries, emergency services did not
find any trace of fire or heat.

A replacement Boeing Boeing 737-800 registration SU-GEC reached Amsterdam
with a delay of 4 hours.

A passenger reported that during acceleration for takeoff “the cabin filled
with light smoke and a burning smell”, the takeoff was rejected and the
aircraft returned to the apron, where fire services checked the aircraft
and ambulances were ready.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=481b14cf
20150212203345:20150212000000
Incident: jet2.com B733 near Leeds on Feb 12th 2015, smoke in cabin
A Jet2.com Boeing 737-300, registration G-GDFE performing flight LS-509
from Newcastle,EN (UK) to Prague (Czech Republic), was enroute at FL330
about 25nm northeast of Norwich,EN (UK) when the crew declared emergency
reporting smoke in the cabin. The aircraft diverted to Leeds,EN (UK) for
a safe landing on runway 32 about 45 minutes later.

The airport reported emergency services checked the aircraft, there was
no fire on board of the aircraft.

The airline reported the aircraft diverted due to an “operational issue”.

A replacement Boeing 737-300 registration G-GDFL reached Prague with a delay
of 2:15 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=481b1371
20150212202357:20150212000000
Incident: Lingus A320 at Dublin on Feb 12th 2015, smoke indication in cabin
An Aer Lingus Airbus A320-200, registration EI-CVC performing flight EI-152
from Dublin (Ireland) to London Heathrow,EN (UK), was climbing out of Dublin’s
runway 28 when the crew requested to level off at 5000 feet due to a smoke
indication in the cabin requesting vectors to stay close to the aerodrome
in case of a return. The crew advised that cabin crew was examining the
lavatory. The airport prepared for the air return, emergency services went
to their stand by positions, departures were reassigned runways due to the
priority return. About 5 minutes after levelling off the crew requested
to continue the climb and continued to London where the aircraft landed
safely about 55 minutes after departure.

The airline reported the crew received a smoke indication, one passenger
oxygen masks also dropped. The aircraft had been in regular maintenance
for the last week.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=48199ddb
20150210225057:20150209000000
Incident: Envoy CRJ7 near Tulsa on Feb 9th 2015, smoke in cockpit and medical emergency
An Envoy Canadair CRJ-700, registration N532EA performing flight MQ-3235/AA-3235
from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX to Cedar Rapids,IA (USA) with 65 passengers and
4 crew, was enroute at FL330 about 25nm south of Tulsa,OK (USA) when the
crew donned their oxygen masks reporting smoke in the cockpit and a medical
emergency on board, requesting medical personnel at the gate, and diverted
to Tulsa. Upon checking in with tower the crew advised they would vacate
the runway, stop on the taxiway and pop the doors open, medical personnel
requested the meet the aircraft on the taxiway. The aircraft landed safely
on runway 36R about 20 minutes after leaving FL330, vacated the runway and
stopped on the adjacent taxiway. Emergency services responded, took care
of the medical emergency and checked the aircraft. The passengers disembarked
onto the taxiway and were bussed to the terminal.

The remainder of the flight as well as the return flight was cancelled.

The source of the smoke is being investigated.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=48165287
20150209212013:20150205000000
Incident: Air Canada B772 at Bridgetown on Feb 5th 2015, cargo smoke indication
An Air Canada Boeing 777-200, registration C-FIVK performing flight AC-967
from Bridgetown (Barbados) to Toronto,ON (Canada), was climbing out of Bridgetown’s
runway 09 when the crew stopped the climb at 2000 feet reporting a cargo
smoke indication and returned to Bridgetown for a safe landing on runway
09 about 5 minutes after departure. Emergency services did not find any
trace of fire, smoke or heat.

The flight was cancelled.

On Feb 9th 2015 the Canadian TSB reported the crew received a forward cargo
hold smoke indication, declared Mayday, discharged the fire suppression
bottles and returned to Bridgetown. Emergency services found no evidence
of fire or smoke. The airline is investigating the occurrence.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4814e9e5
20150204222043:20150204000000
Incident: THY B773 near London on Feb 4th 2015, smoke indications in aft cabin
A THY Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300, registration TC-JJM performing flight
TK-10 (dep Feb 3rd) from Los Angeles,CA (USA) to Istanbul (Turkey), was
enroute at FL350 about 50nm south of London’s Gatwick Airport,EN (UK) when
the crew reported a smoke indication in the aft cabin and diverted to Gatwick
for a safe landing on runway 08R about 20 minutes later. Emergency services
found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The airline reported an examination did not identify any problems.

The aircraft departed Gatwick after about 2 hours on the ground and reached
Istanbul with a delay of 3 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=48126564
20150201193141:20150131000000
Incident: Volotea B712 near Rome on Jan 31st 2015, smoke in cabin
A Volotea Boeing 717-200, registration EI-EXI performing flight V7-1740
from Catania to Verona (Italy) with 117 passengers, was enroute at FL340
about 30nm north of Rome when the crew declared emergency reporting smoke
in the cabin and diverted to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport for a safe landing
on runway 34R about 25 minutes after leaving FL340. There were no injuries,
emergency services did not need to intervene.

The remainder of the flight was cancelled, the passengers were bussed to
Verona (road distance approx 534km).
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=48126347
20150201191602:20150131000000
Incident: Envoy E145 near Waterloo on Jan 31st 2015, bleed air leak
An Envoy Embraer ERJ-145 on behalf of American Airlines, registration N618AE
performing flight MQ-3425/AA-3425 from Des Moines,IA to Chicago O’Hare,IL
(USA) with 49 people on board, was climbing out of Des Moines when the crew
stopped the climb at about FL190 reporting a bleed air problem on the left
hand engine (Ae3007). The aircraft diverted to Waterloo,IA for a safe landing
on runway 30, the crew requested emergency services to check for any smoke
or fire from the left hand engine. Emergency services reported no smoke
and no fire from the left hand engine, the forward cowl of the engine appeared
discoloured however. The aircraft taxied to the apron with emergency services
following the aircraft.

A replacement ERJ-145 registration N694AE reached Chicago with a delay of
4 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4813e4f5
20150203180702:20150130000000
Incident: Aeromexico Connect E145 at Los Angeles on Jan 30th 2015, lavatory smoke indication
An Aeromexico Connect Embraer ERJ-145, registration XA-ULI performing flight
5D-2201/AM-2201 from Los Angeles,CA (USA) to Hermosillo (Mexico) with 30
passengers and 3 crew, was climbing out of Los Angeles’ runway 24L when
the crew reported they needed to return due to smoke in the lavatory. The
aircraft stopped the climb at 7000 feet and returned to Los Angeles for
a safe landing on runway 25L about 20 minutes after departure. Emergency
services did not need to intervene, the aircraft taxied to the apron.

The occurrence aircraft was able to depart again after about 3.5 hours on
the ground in Los Angeles and reached Hermosillo with a delay of 3:45 hours.

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4810cd92
20150130175441:20150129000000
Incident: United B753 near Ontario on Jan 29th 2015, burning smell
A United Boeing 757-300, registration N75851 performing flight UA-1181 from
Los Angeles,CA to Washington Dulles,DC (USA) with 199 passengers and 7 crew,
was climbing through FL280 out of Los Angeles when the crew aborted the
climb due to a burning odour on board, turned around and diverted to Ontario,CA
(USA) for a safe landing about 16 minutes later.

A replacement Boeing 737-900 registration N37464 reached Washington with
a delay of 6 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=480de96d
20150127005216:20150126000000
Incident: Garuda CRJX near Biak on Jan 26th 2015, lightning strike
A Garuda Airlines Canadair CRJ-1000, registration PK-GRK performing flight
GA-698 from Manokwari to Jayapura (Indonesia), needed to divert to Biak
(Indonesia) following a lightning strike. The aircraft received damage to
the left hand wing and was unable to continue the flight.

Jayapura Airport reported two flights were expected from Manokwari with
large parts of Papua experiencing bad weather. One flight arrived, the other
diverted to Biak following a lightning strike. During examination of the
aircraft technicians found black smoke emanating from the left hand wing,
a detailed inspection is in progress. The flight was postponed to Tuesday.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=480df00e
20150127013918:20150125000000
Incident: Easyjet A320 near Amsterdam on Jan 25th 2015, smoke in cockpit
An Easyjet Airbus A320-200, registration G-EZWK performing flight U2-6238
from Berlin Schoenefeld (Germany) to Bristol,EN (UK), was enroute at FL380
about 40nm southwest of Amsterdam (Netherlands) when the crew reported smoke
in the cockpit and a strong odour in the passenger cabin and diverted to
Amsterdam for a safe landing on runway 18R about 20 minutes later. Emergency
services checked the exterior and followed the aircraft to the apron, where
the passengers disembarked normally and firefighters checked the interior
of the aircraft, no further intervention by fire brigades was needed.

A replacement Airbus A320-200 registration G-EZTY reached Bristol with a
delay of 4 hours.

The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Amsterdam about 27 hours
after landing.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=480b39f6
20150123190633:20150122000000
Incident: Allegiant MD83 at Las Vegas on Jan 22nd 2015, smoke indication
An Allegiant Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-83, flight G4-536 from Las Vegas,NV
to Great Falls,MT (USA) with 160 people on board, was in the initial climb
out of Las Vegas when the crew received a smoke indication, stopped the
climb at 6000 feet and returned to Las Vegas for a safe landing about 10
minutes after departure. Emergency services found no trace of fire, heat
or smoke.

A replacement MD-83 reached Great Falls with a delay of 2:20 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4808efca
20150120212851:20150119000000
Incident: Jetblue E190 at Worcester on Jan 19th 2015, lavatory smoke indication
A Jetblue Embraer ERJ-190, registration N229JB performing flight B6-2019
from Worcester,MA to Fort Lauderdale,FL (USA) with 77 passengers and 4 crew,
was in the initial climb out Worcester’s runway 29 when the crew advised
they had an issue going and levelled off at 3000 feet, a minute later they
declared emergency reporting they had “a lav smoke”. On final The aircraft
returned to Worcester, on final approach to runway 29 the crew advised the
lav smoke announciation had gone out. The aircraft landed safely on runway
29 about 8 minutes after departure.

Passengers reported just after becoming airborne an alarm started to sound
in the cabin and an odour similiar to rubber burning occurred.

The occurrence aircraft was able to position to Boston about 12.5 hours
after landing back.

The flight is currently estimated to reach Fort Lauderdale with a delay
of 1340 minutes (22:20 hours).
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=48083740
20150119231937:20150118000000
Incident: Avianca A319 near Cartagena on Jan 18th 2015, smoke indication
An Avianca Airbus A319-100, registration N647AV performing flight AV-37
from Fort Lauderdale,FL (USA) to Bogota (Colombia), was enroute at FL330
about 30nm southwest of Cartagena (Colombia) when the crew declared emergency
reporting a smoke indication and diverted to Cartagena for a safe landing
about 18 minutes later. Emergency services found no trace of fire, smoke
or heat.

The aircraft was able to continue the flight after about 75 minutes on the
ground and reached Bogota with a delay of 3 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=48080052
20150119164503:20150118000000
Incident: Delta B772 at Atlanta on Jan 18th 2015, smoke on takeoff observed by other flight crew
A Delta Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration N701DN performing flight DL-95
from Atlanta,GA (USA) to Tokyo Narita (Japan) with 308 people on board,
was in the initial climb out of Atlanta’s runway 27R when the flight crew
of another aircraft taxiing on a taxiway near the end of runway 27R reporting
seeing smoke off the left hand side of the Boeing 777 upon rotation, possibly
smoke from a tyre while passing the PAPI’s runway 09L. The crew levelled
off at 7000 feet, declared emergency and returned to Atlanta for a safe
landing on runway 27R. The aircraft vacated the runway and stopped on an
adjacent taxiway requesting emergency services to check for any fires around
the aircraft advising that the inboard forward brakes of the left hand main
gear indicated higher than all the other brakes. Emergency services reported
seeing smoke from the left side during landing, too.

Following examination and repairs the aircraft was able to depart again
after about two hours on the ground and reached Tokyo with a delay of 2
hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=480454fd
20150114215630:20150113000000
Incident: Asiana Cargo B744 near Novosibirsk on Jan 13th 2015, smoke indication in cabin
An Asiana Cargo Airlines Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration HL7417 performing
flight OZ-784 from Oslo (Norway) to Seoul (South Korea) with 4 crew, was
enroute at FL350 about 190nm northeast of Novosibirsk when the crew received
indication of smoke in the cabin and decided to divert to Novosibirsk, where
the aircraft landed safely on runway 07 about 35 minutes later.

Rosaviatsia reported the crew reported smoke in the cabin and diverted to
Novosibirsk for a safe landing. The cause of the smoke is being investigated.

The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Novosibirsk about 25 hours
after landing.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=480395b8
20150113223755:20150112000000
Incident: Jetblue E190 near Norfolk on Jan 12th 2015, odour in cockpit
A Jetblue Embraer ERJ-190, registration N306JB performing flight B6-1534
from Tampa,FL to Hartford,CT (USA) with 93 people on board, was enroute
at FL370 about 210nm southeast of Norfolk,VA (USA) when the crew reported
an unknown odour in the cockpit and diverted to Norfolk for a safe landing
on runway 23 about 40 minutes later. Emergency services did not find any
traces of fire, heat or smoke.

The occurrence aircraft was able to continue the flight after about 6:15
hours on the ground and reached Hartford with a delay of 7:15 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4802c8f5
20150112221719:20150112000000
Incident: TAM A320 at Londrina on Jan 12th 2015, brakes fire
A TAM Linhas Aereas Airbus A320-200, registration PR-MAC performing flight
JJ-3763 from Sao Paulo Congonhas,SP to Londrina,PR (Brazil), landed on Londrina’s
runway 31 when the left brakes began to overheat. While taxiing to the apron
smoke became visible and a brakes fire broke out while the aircraft was
reaching the stand.

The return flight JJ-3762 was cancelled.

PR-MAC arriving at the stand in Londrina:

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4802d6ce
20150112234446:20150111000000
Incident: Commutair DH8C at Ithaca on Jan 11th 2015, lavatory smoke indication
A Commutair de Havilland Dash 8-300 on behalf of United, registration N839CA
performing flight C5-3588/UA-3588 from Ithaca,NY to Newark,NJ (USA), was
climbing through about 9500 feet when the crew received a lavatory smoke
indication and returned to Ithaca for a safe landing about 20 minutes after
departure. Emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke and
no evidence of anyone smoking in the lavatory.

The flight was cancelled.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4804518d
20150114213252:20150108000000
Incident: Transat A332 at Montreal on Jan 8th 2015, cargo smoke indication
An Air Transat Airbus A330-200, registration C-GPTS performing flight TS-734
from Montreal,QC (Canada) to Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) with 366 people
on board, was climbing out of Montreal’s runway 24L when the crew received
a forward cargo smoke indication, stopped the climb at 8000 feet, worked
the related checklists after which the smoke indication became intermittent
and returned to Montreal for a safe landing on runway 24R about 15 minutes
later. An inspection by fire services did not reveal any trace of fire,
heat or smoke.

The Canadian TSB reported that maintenance identified a faulty smoke detector
controol unit. The unit as well as the smoke detector were replaced.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4802d266
20150112231535:20150108000000
Incident: Skywest CRJ2 at Winnipeg on Jan 8th 2015, smoke on board twice
A Skywest Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of United, registration N975SW performing
flight OO-5530/UA-5530 from Winnipeg,MB (Canada) to Denver,CO (USA) with
50 people on board, had just become airborne after takeoff from Winnipeg’s
runway 31 when the crew reported smoke in the cabin, levelled off at 3000
feet and returned to Winnipeg for a safe landing on runway 31 about 10 minutes
after departure.

The Canadian TSB reported maintenance found no fault and suspected that
de-icing fluid from the pre-departure application had entered the environmental
system of the aircraft and caused the smoke. The aircraft was returned to
service, departed again but needed to return a second time for the same
reason.

The aircraft departed again after about 5 hours on the ground but stopped
the climb again at 3000 feet due to smoke in the cabin and returned to Toronto
for a safe landing a second time.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=48006785
20150109215826:20150108000000
Incident: Delta B752 near Detroit on Jan 8th 2015, smell of smoke in cabin
A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N713TW performing flight DL-2275
from New York JFK,NY to Salt Lake City,UT (USA), was enroute at FL380 about
100nm northeast of Detroit,MI (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Detroit
reporting smell of smoke in the cabin. The aircraft landed safely on Detroit’s
runway 21L about 22 minutes later.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47fd6040
20150105232403:20150105000000
Incident: Aeromexico B738 near Los Angeles on Jan 5th 2015, smell of smoke in cabin
An Aeromexico Boeing 737-800, registration N342AM performing flight AM-645
from Los Angeles,CA (USA) to Mexico City (Mexico) with 169 people on board,
had just reached cruise level 300 when the crew reported smoke in the cabin
and decided to return to Los Angeles for a safe landing about 45 minutes
after departure. The aircraft taxied to the apron where passengers disembarked
normally.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47fa5ab4
20150105222453:20150101000000
Incident: Air France B773 near Montreal on Jan 1st 2015, overheating passenger seat
An Air France Boeing 777-300, registration F-GSQL performing flight AF-54
from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Washington Dulles,DC (USA) with
269 passengers and 17 crew, was enroute at FL380 about 50nm northwest of
Montreal,QC (Canada) when the crew declared emergency reporting an overheating
passenger seat in the business class and diverted to Montreal for a safe
landing on runway 24R about 30 minutes later. Emergency services attended
the aircraft, checked the seat and did not find any trace of fire or smoke.

Passengers reported they did not notice any unusual odour or did not see
smoke/haze.

The airline reported a minor technical problem.

The aircraft refueled and continued the journey to Washington arriving with
a delay of 3:45 hours.

On Jan 5th 2015 the Canadian TSB reported that a member of the cabin crew
reported a burning odour from the passenger cabin, a flight crew member
investigated and found a first class seat’s electronic module overheating.
Unable to stop the overheating the crew declared emergency and diverted
to Montreal. Maintenance electrically deactivated the seat, the aircraft
continued the journey without further incident.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47f968b7
20141231173743:20141230000000
Incident: American B763 at Rio de Janeiro on Dec 30th 2014, blew all right main tyres on landing and taxied to gate
An American Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N380AN performing flight
AA-251 (dep Dec 29th) from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA) to Rio de Janeiro,RJ
(Brazil), landed on Galeao Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport’s
runway 15 but blew all 4 right main gear tyres. The aircraft did not stop
but taxied to the gate at high engine power with smoke trailing the right
main gear. Runway, taxiway and apron surfaces received scratches.

The airline reported the aircraft landed normally and taxied to the gate.
It was then discovered that the tyres had blown.

The onward flight AA-974 to New York JFK,NY (USA) was cancelled.

The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Rio de Janeiro 28 hours
after landing.

The aircraft taxiing in (Video: Jose Nonato Coutinho)
The tyre and surface damage:

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47f95f9f
20141231162648:20141230000000
Incident: Flybe DH8D near Belfast on Dec 30th 2014, cargo smoke indication
A Flybe de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration G-JECI performing flight BE-996
from Southampton,EN to Belfast City,NI (UK) with 69 passengers and 4 crew,
was descending towards Belfast’s City Airport when the crew received an
aft cargo smoke indication, declared emergency and accelerated the approach
into Belfast’s City Airport. The aircraft landed safely, attending emergency
services found no trace of fire, smoke or heat, the passengers disembarked
normally via stairs and were bussed to the terminal.

The airline confirmed there was no sign of smoke in the rear baggage hold.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47f958b5
20141231153724:20141228000000
Incident: Porter DH8D near Toronto on Dec 28th 2014, propeller overspeed and smoke in cockpit
A Porter Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration C-GLQD performing
flight PD-539 from Toronto City,ON to Sudbury,ON (Canada) with 78 people
on board, was climbing through FL190 out of Toronto when the flight crew
noticed smoke on the flight deck, donned their oxygen masks, declared emergency
and worked the smoke drill. The captain was unable to communicate with the
first officer using the face mask microphone. The captain noticed that the
right hand propeller was indicating an overspeed condition, worked the related
checklist and shut the right hand engine (PW150) down. The forward outflow
valve was opened, the smoke began to dissipate. The crew decided to divert
to Toronto’s International Airport where the aircraft landed safely on runway
23, the left hand engine was shut down and the APU started. The passengers
disembarked rapidly onto the runway and were bussed to the terminal.

The Canadian TSB reported that the smoke was limited to the cockpit, there
was no smoke in the cabin. Maintenance determined an internal failure of
the right hand engine contaminated the pressure and climate control system
for the cockpit.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47f7c06b
20141229161616:20141228000000
Incident: Asia X A333 at Perth on Dec 28th 2014, blew tyre on landing
An Air Asia X Airbus A330-300, registration 9M-XXD performing flight D7-236
from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to Perth,WA (Australia), landed on Perth’s
runway 21 at 05:47L (Dec 27th 21:47Z). During roll out the tower controller
advised that a tyre had blown and there was smoke from the right hand main
gear, the crew replied “negative”, the tower insisted reporting a right
hand tyre had torn off the wheel running on its rim. The aircraft vacated
the runway and stopped on taxiway L2, attending emergency services reported
fluid leaking from the gear and flaps damage.

The passengers disembarked onto the taxiway via stairs.

The occurrence aircraft was able to return to Kuala Lumpur on Dec 29th 2014
as flight D7-237D and reached Kuala Lumpur with a delay of 39 hours.

Metars:
YPPH 272300Z 18010KT CAVOK 23/11 Q1016 NOSIG
YPPH 272230Z 21006KT CAVOK 22/11 Q1016
YPPH 272200Z 17005KT CAVOK 20/12 Q1016 NOSIG
YPPH 272130Z 17008KT CAVOK 19/11 Q1015
YPPH 272100Z 19007KT CAVOK 20/11 Q1015 NOSIG
YPPH 272030Z 19005KT CAVOK 20/12 Q1015
YPPH 272000Z 13001KT CAVOK 21/11 Q1015 NOSIG
YPPH 271930Z 13006KT CAVOK 20/11 Q1015
YPPH 271900Z 16007KT CAVOK 22/10 Q1015 NOSIG
YPPH 271830Z 15007KT CAVOK 22/10 Q1014
YPPH 271800Z 19008KT CAVOK 22/10 Q1014
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47f66774
20141227230406:20141226000000
Incident: American B738 at Boston on Dec 26th 2014, smell of smoke in cabin
An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N955NN performing flight
AA-165 from Boston,MA to Los Angeles,CA (USA) with 155 people on board,
was climbing out of Boston’s runway 33L when the crew levelled off at 4000
feet declaring emergency reporting smell of smoke in the cabin, nothing
was visible though. The aircraft landed safely back on runway 33L about
11 minutes after departure. Attending emergency services found no trace
of fire, heat or smoke.

A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration N848NN reached Los Angeles with
a delay of 3:45 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47f49fa1
20141225171041:20141223000000
Incident: Envoy E135 near Lexington on Dec 23rd 2014, burning electrical odour on board
An Envoy Embraer ERJ-140 on behalf of American Airlines, registration N809AE
performing flight MQ-2914/AA-2914 from Lexington,KY to Chicago O’Hare,IL
(USA) with 17 passengers and 3 crew, was climbing out of Lexington when
the crew stopped the climb at FL220 due to a burning eletrical odour on
board. The aircraft returned to Lexington for a safe landing on runway 22
about 25 minutes after departure, vacated the runway and stopped on the
adjacent taxiway for an inspection by emergency services. Emergency Services
did not find any trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The flight was cancelled.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47f348ef
20141223233005:20141222000000
Incident: American B772 near Tokyo on Dec 22nd 2014, stench on board
An American Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration N773AN performing flight
AA-182 from Shanghai Pudong (China) to Los Angeles,CA (USA) with 253 people
on board, was enroute at FL350 about 250nm eastnortheast of Tokyo (Japan)
when the crew decided to turn around and divert to Tokyo’s Narita Airport
due to a stench on board believed to originate from the cargo hold. The
crew descended the aircraft to FL200 for the way back and landed safely
in Tokyo about 50 minutes later. Emergency services found no trace of fire,
smoke or heat, the aircraft taxied to the apron.

It was found that a galley oven was responsible for the stench, the exact
causes are under investigation.

The occurrence aircraft was able to continue the flight as flight AA-182T
after 16 hours on the ground in Tokyo and reached Los Angeles with a delay
of 17.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47f282b5
20141222235514:20141222000000
Incident: Air France A319 near Amsterdam on Dec 22nd 2014, unusual odour in cockpit
An Air France Airbus A319-100, registration F-GRHV performing flight AF-1820
from Marseille (France) to Amsterdam (Netherlands) with 121 people on board,
was descending towards Amsterdam when the crew reported an unsual odour
in the cockpit. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Amsterdam’s
runway 27, emergency services did not find any trace of fire, smoke or heat.
The aircraft was able to depart again for the return flight AF-1821 about
90 minutes later.

The airline confirmed the crew noticed the smell of smoke in the cockpit.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47f0c67e
20141220195130:20141218000000
Incident: WDL B462 at Cologne on Dec 18th 2014, autopilot failure and smoke in cockpit
A WDL Flugdienst British Aerospace BAe 146-200 on behalf of HOP!, registration
D-AWUE performing positioning flight A5-8212 from Cologne/Bonn (Germany)
to an unknown destination with 4 crew, was climbing through FL230 when smell
of smoke was noticed on the flight deck shortly followed by the autopilot
disconnecting by itself. Both flight crew donned their oxygen masks, the
aircraft stopped the climb and returned to Cologne for a safe landing about
45 minutes after departure. There were no injuries, the two flight attendants
were taken to a hospital however.

Germany’s BFU dispatched an investigator on site.

Preliminary examination suggests the computer of the autopilot, located
in the electronic compartment of the aircraft, suffered a technical fault.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47f18eac
20141221191246:20141217000000
Incident: Buffalo DC3 at Hay River on Dec 17th 2014, smoking engine
A Buffalo Airways Douglas DC-3, registration C-GWZS performing flight J4-169
from Hay River,NT to Yellowknife,NT (Canada) with 16 passengers and 3 crew,
was in the initial climb out of Hay River when the left hand engine began
to run roughly prompting the crew to reduce engine power, report some engine
indication but not request assistance or priority and return to Hay River
for a safe landing about 11 minutes after departure. Ground personnel observed
smoke from the engine and notified emergency services, Buffalo Airways staff
discharged fire extinguishing agent into the smoking engine.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47ef4b09
20141218222713:20141217000000
Incident: United A319 near Cleveland on Dec 17th 2014, smoke in cabin
A United Airbus A319-100, registration N840UA performing flight UA-268 from
Los Angeles,CA to Newark,NJ (USA), was enroute at FL370 about 110nm southwest
of Cleveland when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and diverted to
Cleveland for a safe landing on runway 24L about 30 minutes later. The crew
advised during roll out that no assistance was needed and taxied to the
terminal.

The airline reported there was smoke in the cabin.

The remainder of the flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked
onto other flights.

The occurrence aircraft resumed service 17 hours after landing.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47ef4667
20141218215350:20141217000000
Incident: Austrian A321 at Tel Aviv on Dec 17th 2014, smoke indication in galley
An Austrian Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration OE-LBE performing flight
OS-858 from Tel Aviv (Israel) to Vienna (Austria) with 187 passengers and
7 crew, was climbing out of Tel Aviv’s runway 26 when the crew stopped the
climb at 5000 feet reporting a smoke indication in the rear galley. The
aircraft returned to Tel Aviv for a safe landing on Tel Aviv’s runway 12
about 35 minutes after departure.

The airline reported that an oven in the rear galley emitted steam causing
the smoke detector to trigger. The crew decided to return to Tel Aviv as
a precaution.

The aircraft departed again after about 5 hours on the ground and reached
Vienna with a delay of 5.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47eda977
20141216224246:20141216000000
Incident: Omni B763 near Bogota on Dec 16th 2014, the hottest food around
An Omni Air International Boeing 767-300 on behalf of Avianca, registration
N342AX performing flight AV-25 from Bogota (Colombia) to Lima (Peru) with
104 passengers and 12 crew, was enroute about 30 minutes into the flight
when the crew received a smoke indication in one of the galleys. The aircraft
returned to Bogota for a safe landing about one hour after departure.

Avianca reported the food trays in the galley had overheated. A replacement
aircraft is now estimated to reach Lima with a delay of 3 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47eda38f
20141216220103:20141216000000
Incident: Delta B763 near Billings on Dec 16th 2014, electrical odour on board
A Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N177DN performing flight DL-32
(dep Dec 15th) from Seattle,WA (USA) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France)
with 203 passengers and 10 crew, was enroute at FL330 about 170nm northnortheast
of Billings,MT (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Billings due to
an electrical odour on board. The aircraft landed safely on Billings’ runway
10L about 35 minutes later, attending emergency services found no trace
of fire, smoke or heat.

After about 6 hours on the ground in Billings the aircraft continued the
flight to Detroit,MI (USA), were a crew and aircraft change was planned,
but needed to divert a second time due to electrical fumes, this time to
Minneapolis,MN (USA) for a safe landing on runway 30L, requested emergency
services to keep an eye on them while they were taxiing to the gate.

The remainder of the flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked
onto other flights.

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47ebd8fe
20141214161547:20141214000000
Incident: Air France B744 over Atlantic on Dec 14th 2014, cargo smoke indication
An Air France Boeing 747-400, registration F-GITE performing flight AF-733
from Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France)
with 142 passengers and 14 crew, was enroute at FL390 over the Atlantic
Ocean about 400nm southwest of Shannon when the crew received a forward
cargo smoke indication and decided to divert to Shannon (Ireland). The crew
instructed emergency services to not open the forward cargo door before
all passengers had left the aircraft. The aircraft landed safely on runway
24 about 70 minutes after the emergency call and taxied to the apron with
emergency services following the aircraft. Emergency services did not find
any trace of fire, smoke or heat.

A load of vegetables carried in the forward cargo compartment is believed
to have triggered the smoke indication.

F-GITE in the flare (Photo: AVH/PF):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47eb394f
20141213200436:20141212000000
Incident: Southwest B737 at Baltimore on Dec 12th 2014, flock of birds
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N7710A performing flight
WN-3118 from San Antonio,TX to Baltimore,MD (USA) with 142 passengers and
5 crew, was on approach to Baltimore’s runway 28 maintaining 4000 feet approximately
15nm southeast of Baltimore Airport when the aircraft flew through a large
flock of birds, the crew subsequently reported damage to the leading edge
flaps and problems in extending the flaps. The crew requested delay vectors
to work out whether and how to extend the flaps, then suddenly requested
an immediate turn to runway 28 for immediate landing and requested emergency
services on standby prompting final approach control to declare emergency
for the aircraft. The aircraft landed safely on runway 28, after landing
the crew reported they got some warning for the right hand engine (CFM56),
there was some observation of smoke and abnormal indications, a bird probably
went through the engine, there was no fire indication however. The crew
requested emergency services to check the right hand engine, which was shut
down after landing. Emergency services reported no fire and no visible damage
to the engine. Following inspection the aircraft taxied to the apron with
emergency trucks following the aircraft.

Observers on the ground reported seeing streaks of flames and unusual engine
sounds from the right hand engine while the aircraft passed over Anne Arundel
County, 15nm southeast of Baltimore Airport, at low altitude.

The airline confirmed a bird strike, the aircaft was taken out of service.
A replacement aircraft continued the onward leg to Detroit,MI (USA).
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47e4e871
20141205203857:20141204000000
Incident: Delta B753 near Toledo on Dec 4th 2014, smoke in cockpit
A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-300, registration N593NW performing flight DL-312
from Detroit,MI to Fort Lauderdale,FL (USA), was climbing through 17,000
feet out of Detroit when the crew donned their oxygen masks due to smoke
on the flight deck and decided to divert to Toledo,OH (USA). The crew suspected
the smoke was coming from oil off the left hand engine (PW2043). The aircraft
landed safely on Toledo’s runway 07 about 13 minutes after stopping the
climb. The aircraft turned off the runway and stopped on the adjacent taxiway
for an inspection by emergency services, then taxied to the apron.

A replacement Boeing 757-300 registration N581NW reached Fort Lauderdale
with a delay of 6 hours.

The airline reported the crew diverted to Toledo due to a smokey odour in
the cockpit, the cause of which is not yet known.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47e41c51
20141204213545:20141203000000
Incident: American B763 over Atlantic on Dec 3rd 2014, wheel well fire indication
An American Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N346AN performing flight
AA-974 (dep Dec 2nd) from Rio de Janeiro,RJ (Brazil) to New York JFK,NY
(USA) with 121 people on board, was enroute at FL380 over the Atlantic Ocean
about 300nm west of Bermuda (Bermuda) when the crew received a main wheel
well fire indication. The aircraft descended to FL200 and diverted to Bermuda.
While the aircraft was diverting, the tower controller in Bermuda was called
in and opened the tower for the emergency arrival. The crew advised that
there was no smoke or smell of smoke at all. The aicraft landed safely on
runway 12 one hour after the indication. The aircraft stopped at the end
of the runway for an inspection of the main wheel wells by emergency services,
emergency services did not detect any indication of fire, smoke or heat.
The aircraft subsequently taxied to the apron.

The aircraft was able to continue the flight after 9 hours on the ground
in Bermuda and reached New York with a delay of 11 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47e34faa
20141203215320:20141130000000
Incident: SriLankan A343 over Arabian Sea on Nov 30th 2014, smoking IFE
A SriLankan Airbus A340-300, registration 4R-ADC performing flight UL-230
(dep Nov 29th) from Kuwait (Kuwait) to Colombo (Sri Lanka), was enroute
over the Arabian Sea when a burning electrical smell developed shortly followed
by smoke rising from a seat in the forward passenger cabin. Cabin crew relocated
the passengers in the area to the aft cabin, disconnected power from the
inflight entertainment system, discharged a number of fire extinguishers
and stopped the smoke. The aircraft continued to Colombo for a safe landing
on schedule.

A passenger reported that a burning smell developed in the forward cabin,
a short time later smoke was noticed rising from a seat in row 10. Passengers
were moved from the forward to the aft cabin, 2 or 3 fire extinguishers
were discharged, the inflight entertainment was switched off. Passengers
were later told that an inflight entertainment box had been identified as
source of the smoke.

The occurrence aircraft did not continue its schedule but remained on the
ground in Colombo for about 13 hours before resuming service.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47e0fdb0
20141130231524:20141129000000
Incident: Delta B752 near Pittsburgh on Nov 29th 2014, smell of smoke in cabin
A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N717TW performing flight DL-434
from New York JFK,NY to San Francisco,CA (USA) with 169 people on board,
was enroute at FL360 about 75nm eastsoutheast of Pittsburgh when the crew
decided to divert to Pittsburgh due to smell of smoke near the aft galley.
The aircraft landed safely in Pittsburgh about 15 minutes later.

Following an examination the aircraft was able to continue the flight and
reached San Francisco with a delay of 2.5 hours.

The airline reported that the maintenance inspection in Pittsburgh did not
find any problem, the aircraft was able to continue the flight.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47de755c
20141127213617:20141127000000
Incident: Transavia B738 at Amsterdam on Nov 27th 2014, smoke in cockpit
A Transavia Boeing 737-800, registration PH-HZO performing flight HV-5749
from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Casablanca (Morocco), was in the initial
climb out of Amsterdam’s runway 09 when the crew declared PAN PAN PAN reporting
they had smoke in the electrical recirculation. The aircraft levelled off
at FL060 and returned to Amsterdam for a safe landing on runway 18C about
13 minutes after departure. The aircraft taxied to the apron with emergency
services following the aircraft.

A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration PH-HZK reached Casablanca with
a delay of 3.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47e1d232
20141202003757:20141122000000
Incident: Omni B772 over Atlantic on Nov 22nd 2014, burning smell and smoke in cockpit
An Omni Air Boeing 777-200 on behalf of Air Mobility Command, registration
N918AX performing flight MC-422 from Baltimore,MD (USA) to Ramstein (Germany),
was enroute at FL410 about 300nm east of St. John’s,NL (Canada) when the
crew detected a burning electrical smell followed by light smoke on the
flight deck. The crew declared emergency, worked the related checklists
removing galley power, turned around and diverted to St. John’s for a safe
landing about 45 minutes later.

The Canadian TSB reported maintenance identified the cooling fan was identified
as source of the smell and smoke. The fan was replaced.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47d99946
20141121175840:20141121000000
Incident: ANA B763 at Manila on Nov 21st 2014, smoke in cockpit
An ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 767-300, registration JA614A performing
flight NH-950 from Manila (Philippines) to Tokyo Narita (Japan) with 182
passengers and 10 crew, was climbing out of Manila when the crew reported
smoke in the cockpit and returned to Manila for a safe landing about 30
minutes after departure. Emergency services did not find any smoke but detected
smell of smoke in the cockpit area.

The flight is currently estimated to depart with a delay of 23 hours, the
passengers were rebooked onto other flights however.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines dispatched two investigators
on site.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47dda717
20141126211838:20141119000000
Incident: Jazz CRJ9 at Toronto on Nov 19th 2014, rejected takeoff due to nose wheel vibrations
A Jazz Aviation Canadair CRJ-705 operating as Air Canada Express, registration
C-GNJZ performing flight QK-8902/AC-8902 from Toronto,ON (Canada) to New
York JFK,NY (USA) with 64 people on board, was accelerating for takeoff
from Toronto’s runway 24R when the crew rejected takeoff at low speed (about
50 knots) due to nose wheel vibrations and the aircraft pulling to the right.
The aircraft stopped safely on the runway, the crew reported an odour and
smoke from the front of the aircraft. Emergency services responded and reported
there was no fire, however the nose gear appeared to be out of alignment.
The aircraft was towed off the runway to a gate where passengers disembarked.

A replacement CRJ-705 reached New York with a delay of 4.5 hours.

The Canadian TSB reported that the nose gear torque links had not been connected.
The upper and lower torque links as well as both nose wheel assemblies were
replaced and the torque links connected.

NAV Canada reported the runway was closed for about 45 minutes as result
of the occurrence.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47d75b2d
20141118202600:20141113000000
Incident: Transat B738 enroute on Nov 13th 2014, oven wants but doesn’t get cream topping
An Air Transat Boeing 737-800, registration C-GTQG performing flight TS-982
from Montreal,QC (Canada) to Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic) with 195
people on board, was enroute at FL330 about 300nm north of Puerto Plata
when an oven in the forward galley emitted plumes of smoke, the smoke billowing
from the back and the sides of the oven. The oven circuit breaker was tripped
and the galley and utility busses shut down, the smoke ceased without necessity
to discharge fire agents. The aircraft continued to Puerto Plata for a safe
landing.

The Canadian TSB reported that maintenance identified after landing that
the source of the smoke had been limited to the oven, the oven was isolated
from the power supply and the aircraft departed for the return flight. The
oven is being sent to the manufacturer for further analysis.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47d2e8f1
20141118175058:20141110000000
Incident: China Southern A332 at Zhuhai on Nov 10th 2014, bird strike
A China Southern Airbus A330-200, registration B-6059 performing flight
CZ-3739 from Zhuhai to Beijing (China), departed Zhuhai’s runway 05 without
apparent problem and climbed to cruise level FL370, when the left hand engine
(Trent 772) emitted a loud bang and streaks of flames followed by a burning
smell developing in the cabin. The crew turned the aircraft around and diverted
to Ghuangzhou, about 60nm north of Zhuhai, for a safe landing about 45 minutes
after departure.

A replacement Airbus A330-200 registration B-6058 reached Beijing with a
delay of 4.5 hours.

The airline subsequently reported the engine surge was the result of a bird
strike on departure from Zhuhai.

On Nov 18th 2014 the French BEA reported in their weekly bulletin that the
aircraft was levelling at 11300 meters (approx. FL370) when a bang was heard
followed by vibrations. The crew subsequently also noticed scorching and
smoke. According to ECAM indications the left hand engine was shut down
and the aircraft diverted to Guangzhou for a safe landing about 31 minutes
later. The occurrence was rated a serious incident and is being investigated
by China’s Accident Investigation Board.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47ce3ef1
20141106204243:20141106000000
Incident: United B772 near Dublin on Nov 6th 2014, smoke in cockpit
A United Boeing 777-200, registration N791UA performing flight UA-925 from
London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Washington,DC (USA) with 125 passengers and 14
crew, was enroute at FL360 about 70nm southeast of Dublin when the crew
reported smoke in the cockpit and diverted to Dublin selecting runway 16
due to winds (16 knots from 170 degrees), the aircraft needed to do a couple
of orbits to lose altitude. Dublin Airport kept both runways sterile sending
arriving aircraft in holds and holding departures. The aircraft dumped fuel
until capturing the localizer. The crew aborted their ILS approach to Dublin’s
runway 16 about 25 minutes after leaving FL360 requesting runway 10 now.
While the aircraft positioned for an ILS approach to runway 10 the crew
reported there were no visible flames just smoke in the cockpit, they anticipated
a normal landing and continued for a safe landing on runway 10 about 10
minutes after the go-around. The aircraft vacated the runway and stopped
on an adjacent taxiway for inspection by emergency services, landings of
other arrivals on runway 16 resumed immediately afterwards.

Following the initial inspection by emergency services the crew requested
emergency services to follow the aircraft to the gate stating they had smoke
and fumes in the cockpit and cabin, source unknown.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47cfdebb
20141108234946:20141105000000
Incident: United B763 near Lima on Nov 5th 2014, smoke in cockpit
A United Boeing 767-300, registration N664UA performing flight UA-819 (dep
Nov 4th) from Houston,TX (USA) to Buenos Aires Ezeiza,BA (Argentina) with
262 people on board, was enroute near Lima (Peru) when the crew reported
smoke in the cockpit and diverted to Lima for a safe landing.

The remainder of the flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked
onto other flights.

The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Lima 3.5 days after landing.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47ce5330
20141106231232:20141031000000
Incident: Jazz DH8C at Vancouver on Oct 31st 2014, a whoosh, smoke and sparks in cockpit
A Jazz de Havilland Dash 8-300, registration C-GNON performing flight QK-8099
from Vancouver,BC (Canada) to Seattle,WA (USA) with 54 people on board,
was climbing through 8000 feet out of Vancouver when the crew heard a whoosh
sound and noticed sparks and smoke from the terminal block of the right
hand windshield. The crew turned the windshield heating off and returned
to Vancouver for a safe landing.

The Canadian TSB reported maintenance found the left upper portion of the
right hand windshield damaged, the windshield was replaced.

A replacement Dash 8-300 reached Seattle with a delay of 2 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47c8c776
20141030214407:20141028000000
Accident: Starbow B462 at Accra on Oct 28th 2014, hydraulic failure
A Starbow Airlines British Aerospace BAe 146-200, registration 9G-SBD performing
flight S9-124 from Accra to Takoradi (Ghana) with 77 people on board, was
climbing out of Accra when during gear retraction a hydraulic failure occurred
causing the right main hand gear to not completely retract. The crew stopped
the climb at 6000 feet and decided to return to Accra but were unable to
extend the flaps forcing a flaps up landing, the gear was lowered and locked
via alternate extension. The aircraft landed safely at a higher speed than
normal and stopped on the runway, sparks, flames and smoke was observed
from the landing gear prompting the crew to perform an evacuation of the
aircraft via slides while emergency services cooled down the brakes. Two
occupants received minor injuries in the evacuation.

The airline confirmed a hydraulic failure resulting in a high speed landing
during which the brakes overheated causing smoke to be seen by emergency
services. Their observation prompted the crew to evacuate the aircraft.
Two passengers received minor injuries in the evacuation.

The occurrence has created conflicting reports by Ghana’s Ministry of Transport
who reported the airline would not fly again and Ghana’s Civil Aviation
Authority pointing out that the airline can not be grounded as their AOC
has not yet expired. The airline is free to lease other aircraft to perform
their flights (indirectly suggesting that their current fleet has been grounded
over concerns of safety).
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47c664bd
20141027212230:20141021000000
Incident: Westjet B738 near Thunder Bay on Oct 21st 2014, soap ain’t insulating
A Westjet Boeing 737-800, registration C-FRWA performing flight WS-428 from
Edmonton,AB to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 96 people on board, was enroute
at FL390 about 90nm eastsoutheast of Thunder Bay,ON (Canada) when the crew
decided to turn around and divert to Thunder Bay due to a burning smell
and smoke from the aft lavatory. On approach the crew advised the smoke
appeared to be coming from a light in the aft lavatory and did not get any
worse, they would be able to taxi in. The aircraft landed safely in Thunder
Bay about 23 minutes later, attending emergency services did not need to
intervene, the passengers disembarked normally.

The Canadian TSB reported maintenance identified the source of the smoke
behind the aft lavatory mirror where a spare plastics soap container had
been placed but had fallen over leaking soap onto the electrical connectors
of the lavatory lights. The TSB said: “The operator actioned a fleet wide
campaign by disallowing cleaning services to locate the spare soap bottles
behind the mirror shelf until a solution could be developed to prevent this
type of event.”
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47c1b7ac
20141021223943:20141020000000
Incident: Skywest CRJ2 at Chicago on Oct 20th 2014, control problems
A Skywest Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of United, registration N926SW performing
flight OO-5290/UA-5290 from Asheville,NC to Chicago O’Hare,IL (USA) with
44 passengers and 3 crew, was on approach to Chicago O’Hare Airport west
of the aerodrome when the crew declared emergency reporting they had kind
of lost their flight controls, were able to perform only left hand turns
and had difficulty maintaining altitude. Chicago TRACON and all approach
controllers stopped all descents towards Chicago at their present altitudes
providing a minimum separation of 2000 feet to the CRJ-200 at about 2000
feet MSL, the CRJ-200 performed a left hand turn towards Chicago Dupage
Airport where the aircraft landed safely at high speed (230 knots over ground)
on runway 20L still in contact with Chicago TRACON, Dupage emergency services
inquiring with tower about the status of the aircraft were told, tower was
still not talking to the emergency aircraft after the aircraft had landed.
A short time later the crew switched to tower frequency and advised again
they had kind of lost their flight controls and performed a flaps up landing,
emergency services reported there were no signs of fire, smoke, heat or
any leaks. After the brakes had cooled down a bit the aircraft taxied to
the apron, where the passengers disembarked.

The passengers were bussed to O’Hare Airport.

The airline confirmed a mechanical problem.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47bdd74b
20141016210407:20141014000000
Incident: Envoy CRJ7 near Abilene on Oct 14th 2014, gear problem
An Envoy Airlines Canadair CRJ-700 on behalf of American Airlines, registration
N546FF performing flight MQ-3362/AA-3362 from Midland,TX to Dallas Ft. Worth,TX
(USA), was enroute at FL290 about 20nm southwest of Abilene,TX (USA) when
the crew reported an indication of overheated outboard brake on the left
outboard main wheel and decided to divert to Abilene requesting emergency
services to attend the aircraft and direct their focus onto the left hand
gear. They crew also requested someone with binoculars should check the
aircraft on approach for any traces of smoke, the crew advised they would
stop on the runway and would possibly evacuate. No smoke was seen on final
approach after gear extension that resulted in three greens. The aircraft
landed safely on Abilene’s runway 35L, after roll out the brakes indicated
normal again, the crew didn’t trust that indication. Fire crews advised
it was safe to taxi to the apron, the aircraft taxied to the apron with
emergency services in trail.

The overheat indication was identified false.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47b93e1c
20141014175534:20141008000000
Incident: Iran A320 at Shiraz on Oct 8th 2014, minor brakes fire
An Iran Air Airbus A320-200, registration EP-IEB performing flight IR-423
from Shiraz to Tehran Mehrabad (Iran) with 150 people on board, rejected
takeoff from Shiraz due to a brakes indication. While vacating the runway
smoke became visible from the right hand main gear, the aircraft stopped
on the adjacent taxiway, a small fire was visible on the right main gear.
Emergency services responded and put the fire out foaming the gear. The
outboard tyre deflated. The passengers disembarked via mobile stairs.

The airline reported the wheel brakes locked up.

The Aviation Herald learned that the #3 wheel brakes locked up during the
takeoff run.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=48245f15
20150224164029:20141004000000
Accident: Emirates A332 at Karachi on Oct 4th 2014, protective breathing equipment catches fire
An Emirates Airbus A330-200, registration A6-EAQ performing flight EK-609
from Karachi (Pakistan) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates) with 82 passengers,
was being pushed back from the park position when smoke developed in the
cabin prompting flight attendants to don their protective breathing equipment
(PBE). However, upon activation of the PBE by one flight attendant this
unit self ignites and caught fire causing injuries to the flight attendant.
An evacuation via slides was initiated, emergency services responded and
put out the fire. The flight attendant was taken to a hospital.

The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Karachi until Oct 7th
before resuming service.

On Feb 24th 2015 Germany’s BFU reported in their October bulletin, that
Germany’s BFU is supporting the investigating authority to examine the PBE.

The aircraft after evacuation (Photo: OMNI FLYERS):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47b478e5
20141004160620:20141003000000
Incident: Lufthansa A343 over Norwegian Sea on Oct 3rd 2014, strong odour on board
A Lufthansa Airbus A340-300, registration D-AIGI performing flight LH-490
from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Seattle,WA (USA), was enroute at FL340
over the Norwegian Sea north of the Faroe Islands when the crew decided
to return to Frankfurt due to a strong odour on board. The aircraft landed
safely back in Frankfurt about 2.5 hours later.

Passengers reported a strong odour on board, one passenger even mentioned
smoke on board.

The flight was cancelled.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47b476da
20141004155111:20141001000000
Incident: Hawkair DH8C near Vancouver on Oct 1st 2014, electrical fire
A Hawkair de Havilland Dash 8-300, registration C-FIDL performing flight
BH-102 from Vancouver,BC to Terrace,BC (Canada) with 29 people on board,
was climbing out of Vancouver about 40nm northwest of the aerodrome when
the crew declared emergency reporting an electrical fire on board. The aircraft
returned to Vancouver, was offered and accepted runway 13 for landing. On
approach to Vancouver the crew advised that there was an electrical smell
remaining on the flight deck but no smoke. The aircraft landed safely on
runway 13 about 15 minutes after declaring emergency and taxied to the apron.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47b0926a
20150115211904:20140929000000
Incident: Stobart AT72 at Muenster on Sep 29th 2014, engine fire indication
A Stobart (former Aer Arann) Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A on
behalf of Flybe, registration EI-REM performing flight BE-6031 from Muenster
(Germany) to Southend,EN (UK) with 22 people on board, was climbing out
of Muenster when the crew received an engine (PW127) fire indication, shut
the engine down, discharged the fire suppression system causing the fire
indication to cease and returned to Muenster for a safe landing about 18
minutes after departure.

The airport reported they received information about an engine fire indication
and “pressed the red button”. All passengers were able to disembark safely
after landing. The aircraft is currently being examined, it is not yet clear
whether the engine was actually on fire or the fire indication was false.

On Oct 8th 2014 the French BEA reported in their weekly bulletin that there
was an engine fire after takeoff.

On Jan 15th 2015 the German BFU reported in their seriously delayed September
bulletin, that the aircraft was climbing through 1200 feet AGL when the
crew heard an unusual sound and noticed fluctuations at the engine parameters
of the left hand engine. The engine was reduced to idle, at that time two
more unusual sounds occurred, the master caution activated and the fire
warning for the left hand engine illuminated. The crew worked the memory
items “engine fire at takeoff” shutting the engine down and dischaging the
first fire bottle. 30 seconds after discharging the first fire bottle the
second fire bottle was discharged too. The crew declared emergency and requested
an immediate return to runway 07, ATC cleared the aircraft for a right turn
and the approach to runway 25, the crew noticed only later that their intention
to land on runway 07 was not met by the clearance and adjusted the navigation
instruments to land on runway 25. Due to the height the captain decided
to fly a 360 to lose height. On approach to runway 25 ATC advised that no
fire or smoke was visible from the left hand engine, after safe landing
attending emergency services reported no indications of an engine fire.
The aircraft taxied to the apron with emergency services in trail.

The BFU reported that a visual examination of the exterior of the engine
did not find any evidence of fire. However, within the cowling of the engine
clear evidence of an engine fire was found, several tubes and pipes showed
fire damage. Apart from the evidence of fire there were also indications
of mechanical damage, the second stage of the power turbine held a number
of damaged blades, the exhaust pipe showed cracks and holes. The oil scavenge
line, vent line and pressure line showed damage between 6th and 7th bearing.
Another oil line showed a gap of 3cm.

A borescopic inspection revealed the shaft connecting propeller, power turbine,
starter and high pressure turbine was disconnected.

The engine has been sent to the manufacturer for examination under supervision
by Canada’s TSB.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47ae5c34
20140926175128:20140926000000
Incident: LOT B788 near Glasgow on Sep 26th 2014, smoke indication
A LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 787-800, registration SP-LRB performing flight
LO-4 (dep Sep 25th) from Chicago O’Hare,IL (USA) to Warsaw (Poland) with
248 people on board, had just step climbed from FL390 to FL410 about 170nm
west of Glasgow,SC (UK) when the crew declared emergency reporting a smoke
indication in the cargo bay. The aircraft diverted to Glasgow for a safe
landing on runway 23 about 33 minutes after leaving FL410. Attending emergency
services reported there was no visible smoke, no fire or heat could be detected.

The airline reported the smoke indication in the cargo bay appeared to be
false. There was no fire and no smoke.

The occurrence aircraft was able to continue the journey after about 6 hours
on the ground and is estimated to reach Warsaw with a delay of 7.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47ae83af
20140926223937:20140925000000
Incident: Sun Country B738 near Boise on Sep 25th 2014, wheel well fire indication
A Sun Country Boeing 737-800, flight SY-123 from Lewiston,ID to Bullhead
City,AZ (USA) with 132 people on board, had just reached cruise flight level
390 climbing out of Lewiston when the crew received a wheel well fire indication
and decided to divert to Boise,ID. The crew requested emergency services
to provide their opinion whether an emergency evacuation via slides would
be needed advising they had a lot of elderly people on board of their charter
flight. The aircraft landed safely on Boise’s runway 28L about 16 minutes
after leaving FL390, stopped on the runway, shut the aircraft down and requested
emergency services to check the wheel wells for any smoke. Emergency services
reported there was no smoke and no evidence of a fire. The engines were
restarted and the aircraft taxied to the apron.

The occurrence aircraft was able to continue the flight after about 3 hours
on the ground and reached Bullhead City with a delay of about 3 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47ac289b
20140923210151:20140923000000
Incident: Germanwings A320 near Munich on Sep 23rd 2014, fan woes
A Germanwings Airbus A320-200, registration D-AIQH performing flight 4U-8891
from Rome Fiumicino (Italy) to Berlin Tegel (Germany), was enroute at FL360
about 85nm south of Munich at the border Italy/Austria when the crew reported
a fan overheat indication and associated odour in cockpit and cabin. The
aircraft diverted to Munich (Germany) for a safe landing on runway 26L about
20 minutes later. Emergency services did not detect any indication of fire,
heat or smoke and followed the aircraft to the apron.

The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Munich about 7 hours later.

A passenger reported the captain announced they had an overheat indication
for one of the air conditioning fans and according odour in cockpit and
cabin in the area of the aft galley.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47b250f2
20141001201242:20140921000000
Incident: British Airways A319 at Zurich on Sep 21st 2014, strong burning smell twice
A British Airways Airbus A319-100, registration G-EUPW performing flight
BA-716 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Zurich (Switzerland), was on final
approach to runway 14 when the crew requested emergency services to attend
the aircraft after landing, they would be able to vacate the runway, cabin
crew had just reported a strong burning smell in the aft of the cabin. The
aircraft landed safely on runway and vacated the runway, then stopped on
the adjacent taxiway advising the situation in the cabin appeared under
control while emergency services were on their way to the aircraft. After
arrival emergency services checked the aircraft but found no trace of fire,
heat or smoke, the aircraft subsequently taxied to the apron.

The aircraft departed for the return flight BA-717 on schedule about 2 hours
later, was cleared to climb to FL120 upon contacting departure but requested
FL100 due to a technical problem, then requested to join a holding advising
they were planning to return to Zurich. The crew subsequently requested
emergency services as before, they would vacate the runway and stop at the
holding point H1 for checks by emergency services as before, they had again
electrical fumes in the rear of the cabin as on the previous flight. Established
on ILS 14 the crew declared PAN. The aircraft landed safely on runway 14
about 30 minutes after departure.

The aircraft remained on the ground in Zurich for about 22 hours until a
defective toilet motor had been identified and replaced.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47aa83f8
20140921184425:20140921000000
Incident: Atlas B744 over Atlantic on Sep 21st 2014, cargo main deck fire indication
An Atlas Air Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration N499MC performing freight
flight 5Y-5421 from Miami,FL (USA) to Amsterdam (Netherlands) with 5 crew
and 110 tons of flowers, was enroute at FL350 over the Atlantic Ocean when
the crew received a fire indication for the aft main deck, donned their
oxygen masks and declared emergency. The aircraft descended to FL250 and
diverted to Shannon (Ireland), the crew indicated they would stop on the
runway and needed emergency services to check whether an evacuation was
necessary. The aircraft landed safely on Shannon’s runway 06. Attending
emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke. The aircraft subsequently
vacated the runway and taxied to the apron.

The occurrence aircraft is currently still on the ground in Shannon about
5.5 hours after landing.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47a9124a
20140919220853:20140919000000
Incident: Virgin America A320 near Las Vegas on Sep 19th 2014, smoke in cockpit
A Virgin America Airbus A320-200, registration N639VA performing flight
VX-174 from San Francisco,CA to Newark,NJ (USA) with 134 people on board,
was enroute at FL350 about 170nm north of Las Vegas,NV (USA) when the crew
reported smoke in the cockpit and diverted to Las Vegas for a safe landing
about 30 minutes later. Attending emergency services found no trace of fire,
heat or smoke.

The airline reported the crew detected smell of smoke and diverted to Las
Vegas.

A replacement Airbus A320-200 registration N623VA reached Newark with a
delay of 4:40 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47a90142
20140923211549:20140918000000
Incident: Air Canada A320 near Norfolk on Sep 18th 2014, avionics smoke warning
An Air Canada Airbus A320-200, registration C-FDSU performing flight AC-924
from Montreal,QC (Canada) to Fort Lauderdale,FL (USA) with 137 people on
board, was enroute at FL340 about 40nm southwest of Norfolk,VA (USA) when
the crew received an avionics smoke indication and decided to divert to
Norfolk, where the aircraft landed safely about 20 minutes later. Attending
emergency services found no trace of fire, smoke or heat.

A replacement Airbus A320-200 registration C-FPDN was dispatched to Norfolk
and reached Fort Lauderdale with a delay of 9 hours.

On Sep 23rd 2014 the Canadian TSB reported the crew received an “Avionic
Smoke” message on the ECAM and diverted to Norfolk. Maintenance replaced
the avionics equipment ventillation computer.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47a83a2d
20141119222725:20140918000000
Incident: Jetblue A320 at Long Beach on Sep 18th 2014, engine fire indication
A Jetblue Airbus A320-200, registration N656JB performing flight B6-1416
from Long Beach,CA to Austin,TX (USA) with 142 passengers and 5 crew, was
climbing out of Long Beach’s runway 30 when the crew reported a fire indication
for the right hand engine (V2527), stopped the climb at 9000 feet and returned
to Long Beach for a safe landing on runway 30. After the aircraft came to
a stop the crew advised they were initiating an evacuation asking whether
there was any smoke from the right hand engine, tower replied in the negative
(no smoke), the crew then advised they were cancelling the evacuation but
instructed tower to immediately report any smoke. The slides were deployed
on all doors and overwing exits nonetheless and passengers evacuated.

Passengers reported the right hand engine emitted a loud bang, smoke entered
the cabin afterwards. The passenger oxygen masks were manually released
by the cabin crew.

The airline reported the crew received an overheat indication for the right
hand engine.

On Nov 19th 2014 the NTSB reported the right hand engine failed and developed
an undercowl fire during the initial climb out of Long Beach. Just prior
to reaching 10,000 feet the crew received a number of ECAM warnings related
to the right hand engine including “ENG 2 FIRE WARNING” and was informed
about smoke in the cabin. The crew shut the right hand engine down, discharged
both fire bottles and returned to Long Beach for a safe single engine landing.

Scenes on board (Photo: Jared West):
Scene after landing:

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47a82ec5
20140918200829:20140916000000
Incident: Tindi DHC7 at Hope Bay on Sep 16th 2014, engine fire indication
An Air Tindi de Havilland Dash DHC-7-100, registration C-GCEV performing
flight 8T-801 from Yellowknife,NT to Hope Bay [CHB3],NU (Canada) with 18
people on board, was on final approach about 3nm before touch down when
the #1 engine’s (PT6, outboard left hand) fire warning activated prompting
the crew to brief the flight attendants of a possible evacuation while continuing
for landing, the checklist was carried out after touch down resulting in
the engine being shut down and a fire bottle discharged. Ground personnel
indicated there was no smoke visible from the engine. The crew initiated
an evacuation through the rear right exit. There were no injuries.

The Canadian TSB reported maintenance found no trace of fire, cleaned the
fire loop connectors and replaced the fire bottle. The aircraft subsequently
returned to Yellowknife without further incident.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47a423c6
20140913161354:20140912000000
Incident: Air France A343 near Shannon on Sep 12th 2014, overheat indication in IFE
An Air France Airbus A340-300, registration F-GLZM performing flight AF-344
from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Montreal,QC (Canada) with 265 passengers
and 12 crew, was enroute at FL360 about 160nm west of Shannon (Ireland)
about to enter Oceanic Airspace when the crew decided to turn back due to
problems with the inflight entertainment system. The aircraft descended
to FL250 for the way back and landed safely back in Paris about 190 minutes
after departure.

The airline reported the crew received an overheat indication for the inflight
entertainment system, however no smell, no haze or smoke was observed.

A replacement Airbus A340-300 registration F-GLZK reached Montreal with
a delay of 8:45 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47a2bd5d
20140911224520:20140907000000
Incident: Canadian North B732 near Edmonton on Sep 7th 2014, engine shut down in flight
A Canadian North Boeing 737-200, registration C-GKCP performing flight 5T-9091
from Regina,SK to Edmonton,AB (Canada), had been enroute at FL360 and had
just reached the top of descent into Edmonton when the crew reduced the
engines to idle thrust, but received an overheat indication for the left
hand engine (JT8D). The crew shut the engine down, discharged a fire bottle
but the overheat indication did not extinguish. The second fire bottle was
discharged, the overheat indication continued until after landing. The crew
declared Mayday and continued for a safe landing. Attending emergency services
found no trace of fire, unusual heat or smoke.

The Canadian TSB reported maintenance replaced the #1 engine overheat sense
loop.

Maintenance reported the overheat sensor was “open”, the sensor loop was
replaced and an engine test run conducted which identified a minor bleed
air leak that was rectified before the aircraft was returned to service.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=479ec9ca
20140906214147:20140905000000
Incident: Delta MD88 near Baltimore on Sep 5th 2014, engine shut down in flight, hydraulic leak and oil leak
A Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-88, registration N903DE performing
flight DL-772 from Atlanta,GA to Providence,RI (USA), was enroute at FL330
about 30nm eastsoutheast of Baltimore,MD (USA) when the crew reported they
needed to shut their right hand engine (JT8D) down due to an oil and hydraulics
leak. The crew decided to divert to Baltimore, performed an alternate gear
extension and landed safely on Baltimore’s runway 10 with open gear doors
prompting tower to advise the crew of smoke and sparks off the tyres, the
crew advising these were most probably the open gear doors. The aircraft
stopped on the runway, emergency services advised one of the gear doors
was dragging on the ground, a gallon of fluids had leaked onto the runway,
brakes were a bit hot but no concern.

The aircraft was towed off the runway.

The airline confirmed mechanical problems.

A replacement MD-88 reached Providence with a delay of 2:15 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=479dea59
20140905194928:20140904000000
Incident: Fedex B772 near Whitehorse on Sep 4th 2014, cabin fire indication
A Fedex Federal Express Boeing 777-200, registration N880FD performing freight
flight FX-195 from Memphis,TN to Anchorage,AK (USA), was enroute at FL400
about 140nm south of Whitehorse,YT (Canada) when the crew received a cabin
fire indication, declared emergency, descended the aircraft to FL250 and
diverted to Whitehorse for a safe landing on runway 32L about 45 minutes
later and stopped on the runway. Attending emergency services found no trace
of fire, heat or smoke. The aircraft vacated the runway about 80 minutes
after landing.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=479ce9f1
20140904165759:20140903000000
Incident: Jet2 B733 at East Midlands on Sep 3rd 2014, electrical problems resulting in smoke in cabin
A Jet2.com Boeing 737-300, registration G-GDFT performing flight LS-644
from Ibiza,SP (Spain) to East Midlands,EN (UK) with 147 people on board,
was on final approach to East Midlands’ runway 09 when the crew initiated
a go-around from below 700 feet MSL due to electrical problems, positioned
the aircraft for another approach to runway 09 and landed safely about 15
minutes later. While the aircraft taxied to the apron, a burning smell developed
on board followed by smoke. After the aircraft had arrived at the stand,
the crew initiated an evacuation of the aircraft. No injuries are being
reported.

Passengers reported the aircraft went around just prior to touch down and
landed on its second round, it appeared however the (public) audio system
had failed during the second approach. While taxiing towards the terminal
a burning smell became obvious and smoke appeared in the cabin.

The airline reported electrical problems resulted in smoke in the cabin
and a precautionary evacuation.

The United Kingdom’s Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) reported a
serious incident at East Midlands by an airliner in the evening of Sep 3rd
2014 and dispatched an investigation team on site.

In the evening of Sep 4th 2014 The Aviation Herald received information
indicating first preliminary examination of the aircraft suggests the electrical
problem was related to relay R1. That relay R1, connecting the Battery Busbar,
had already caused two incidents on Boeing 737-300 G-EZYN on Mar 22nd 2005,
AAIB investigation report and on Boeing 737-300 G-THOJ on Aug 13th 2006,
AAIB investigation report. In both occurrences the crew had noticed progressive
abnormal announciator indications, one crew up to and including the loss
of the DC Battery Bus and loss of standby ADI. As result of the investigation
into G-EZYN a safety recommendation 2005-65 had been issued which was also
directly relevant to G-THOJ according to AAIB findings and may, according
to current information, also be relevant to G-GDFT. Safety recommendation
2005-65 reads: “It is recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration
require that the Boeing Airplane Company examine the various electrical
configurations of in-service Boeing 737 aircraft with the intention of providing
operators with an Operations Manual Procedure that deals with loss of power
from the Battery Busbar.” The AAIB had analysed for G-EZYN: “The loss of
the Battery Bus on Boeing 737-300/400/500 aircraft results in the loss of
a number of significant systems which, on some aircraft, can include the
Standby Attitude Indicator. The integrity of the main attitude displays
on EFIS equipped aircraft can also be compromised due to the loss of cooling.”
and stated: “Checklist procedures for electrical system malfunctions cannot
reasonably be expected to cater for failures of individual components down
to relay level, so the crew were left to conduct their own diagnosis. This
they did successfully, to the extent that they identified zero volts on
the Battery Bus and the static inverter. However, there were no drills for
this condition so they took no additional action, although normal operation,
at least on this aircraft, could have been restored by moving the Standby
Power switch to the ëBATí position.”
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=479ac664
20140901203940:20140901000000
Incident: Jetblue A320 over Atlantic on Sep 1st 2014, smoke in cockpit
A Jetblue Airbus A320-200, registration N662JB performing flight B6-787
from New York JFK,NY (USA) to Sint Maarten (Sint Maarten) with 139 people
on board, was enroute at FL330 about 230nm northwest of Bermuda (Bermuda)
when the crew declared emergency reporting smoke in the cockpit and decided
to divert to Bermuda. Enroute to Bermuda the crew reported they had the
smoke pretty much under control the fumes however still persisted. The aircraft
landed safely on Bermuda’s runway 12 about 40 minutes later, emergency services
checked the aircraft after landing before the aircraft proceeded to the
apron.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4799fc34
20140908125330:20140831000000
Incident: TAP A332 near Sal on Aug 31st 2014, smoke indication
A TAP Air Portugal Airbus A330-200, registration CS-TOJ performing flight
TP-16 from Recife,PE (Brazil) to Lisbon (Portugal) with 262 people on board,
was enroute over the Atlantic Ocean near Sal (Cabo Verde) when the crew
received a smoke indication and decided to divert to Sal for a safe landing.
Attending emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The airline reported the passengers were taken to hotels, technicians have
been dispatched to Sal to examine the aircraft.

The occurrence aircraft was able to depart Sal after about 24 hours on the
ground and reached Lisbon with a delay of 24 hours.

On Sep 8th 2014 Portugal’s GPIAA reported that the crew received a smoke
indication for the lower deck mobile crew rest area. Cabin crew reported
observing a burning odour and smoke venting from the outlets of the lower
deck crew rest area and discharged fire extinguishers into the area. After
landing all electrical power was disconnected from the aircraft and an inspection
performed which was unable to find any evidence of fire. Maintenance engineers
subsequently released the aircraft to continue the flight to Portugal under
restrictions and requirements to conduct further corrective and preventive
maintenance in Portugal. The GPIAA have not dispatched investigators to
Sal but opened an investigation into the occurrence.

The occurrence aircraft resumed service after about 5 hours on the ground
in Lisbon on Sep 1st 2014.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4797580b
20141211153416:20140828000000
Incident: Easyjet A320 near London on Aug 28th 2014, smoke in cockpit
An Easyjet Airbus A320-200, registration G-EZWM performing flight U2-7215
from Liverpool,EN (UK) to Naples (Italy) with 157 passengers and 6 crew,
was climbing through FL340 about 50nm northwest of London’s Gatwick Airport,EN
(UK) when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and decided to divert to
Gatwick Airport for a safe landing on runway 26L about 17 minutes later.
Responding emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The airline reported the crew received a smoke indication which was identified
false.

A replacement Airbus A320-200 registration G-EZUC reached Naples with a
delay of 3 hours.

The occurrence aircraft resumed service about 6.5 hours after landing.

On Sep 10th 2014 the French BEA reported in their monthly bulletin quoting
preliminary information provided by the AAIB, that an Airbus A320 with 326
people on board (!!) diverted to London Gatwick because of smoke in the
cockpit, identifying the occurrence location and time at London Gatwick
at 06:45L (05:45Z) but stating a Portuguese aircraft, without providing
a tail number (all details matching G-EZWM except for the Portuguese aircraft).
There were no injuries. The British AAIB rated the occurrence an accident
(!) and opened an investigation.

Editorial note to BEA report (Sep 10th 2014): Given the reported 326 people
on board and the reported Portuguese A320 aircraft (no tail number provided),
though all other data match G-EZWM, The Aviation Herald discards the classification
as accident as well assuming there has been a mixup of occurrences (there
was no second inflight diversion to Gatwick in progress at that time). At
this time there is no detail reported that would suggest a classification
as accident. At the same time, the fact that the AAIB informed the BEA about
this occurrence and the occurrence is being investigated by the AAIB suggests,
that the airline’s statement was “premature”, and the AAIB considers the
occurrence at least as incident, possibly serious incident. The AAIB has
not yet released any information on the occurrence to the public.

On Dec 11th 2014 the British AAIB released their bulletin rating the occurrence
a serious incident, reporting 157 passengers and 6 crew and reporting the
crew received a “AVIONICS SMOKE” warning and could see smoke emanating from
the right side of the center console inside the first officer’s footwell.
The smoke ceased during the descent back to London’s Gatwick Airport. A
component in a static inverter powering electrical outlet sockets in the
cockpit was found overheated.

The AAIB reported that the aircraft was climbing through FL320 when the
first officer noticed an odd odour, the captain could not smell anything
and used the surveillance camera to check the galley whether cabin crew
was cooking anything. When he pressed the interphone call button to talk
to the lead flight attendant, he noticed smoke coming from the right of
the center console near the first officer’s knee. The captain told the lead
flight attendant he would call back, both pilots donned their oxygen masks.
An “AVIONICS SMOKE” indication on the ECAM together with an amber “SMOKE”
light on the “GEN 1 LINE” pushbutton and “FAULT” captions on the “BLOWER”
and “EXTRACT” buttons appeared. The captions and lights extinguished after
about a minute, the smoke however continued. The crew declared PAN, commenced
a descent and worked the “AVIONICS SMOKE” checklist. The commander handed
control of the aircraft as well as communication duties over to the first
officer while he worked the related checklists, informed cabin crew and
passengers and reprogrammed the FMGS for the return to Gatwick.

During the descent the smoke stopped, the aircraft landed without further
event on Gatwick’s runway 26L. Emergency services attended to the aircraft
and escorted the aircraft to a remote stand, where passengers disembarked
normally. After engine shut down the crew removed their oxygen masks. Emergency
services did not find any hot spots.

Engineers subsequently found a static inverter showed significant burn marks
and replaced the inverter. The inverter was sent to the manufacturer for
further examinations, the manufacturer identified a capacitor had been destroyed
by overheating, the destruction preventing to determine the exact reason
for its failure. The AAIB stated summarizing the statement of the manufacturer:
“They consider this failure was an isolated incident but advise that they
will monitor the reliability of the static invertors.”

The static inverter causing the “false” smoke indication (Photo: AAIB):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=479b5f82
20140908130153:20140827000000
Incident: White AT72 at Lisbon on Aug 27th 2014, smoke in cabin
A White Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A on behalf of TAP Air Portugal,
registration OY-EBW performing flight TP-1078 from Lisbon (Portugal) to
Malaga,SP (Spain) with 38 passengers and 4 crew, was in the initial climb
out of Lisbon’s runway 03 when the crew declared “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday,
smoke in the cockpit”, the departure controller replied “blocked, I’ll call
you shortly” and continued to issue instructions to other aircraft until
TP-1078 repeated their Mayday Call about 30 seconds later again blocking
another radio transmission, departure then called TP-1078 who now could
transmit their call clearly declaring emergency due to smoke on the flight
deck. The crew requested an immediate return to Lisbon but advised they
would be able to vacate the runway. The aircraft positioned for an ILS approach
to runway 03 and landed safely about 12 minutes after departure.

The French BEA reported in their weekly bulletin that smoke with a strong
burning smell was detected in the aircraft cabin, the crew declared emergency
and performed a normal landing. The runway returned to service about 10
minutes after landing.

On Sep 8th 2014 Portugal’s GPIAA reported the crew decided to declare Mayday
due to the presence of a burning smell and smoke in the cockpit, the origin
of which was unknown. Following landing emergency services and crew assessed
that there was no risk to the safety of the aircraft, the aircraft taxied
to a stand with emergency services in trail, the passengers disembarked
normally at the stand. The occurrence was rated a serious incident and an
investigation has been opened.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4797a912
20140828212309:20140827000000
Incident: Expressjet E145 near Indianapolis on Aug 27th 2014, smoke in cockpit
An Expressjet Embraer ERJ-145 on behalf of United, registration N11191 performing
flight EV-6136/UA-6136 from Chicago O’Hare,IL to Charleston,SC (USA), was
climbing out of Chicago when the crew stopped the climb at FL230 reporting
smoke in the cockpit and diverted to Indianapolis,IN (USA) for a safe landing.

A replacement Embraer ERJ-145 registration N11184 reached Charleston with
a delay of 5.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=479612f0
20140826200456:20140825000000
Incident: ANA B763 at Tokyo on Aug 25th 2014, white smoke in cabin
An ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 767-300, registration JA615A performing
flight NH-697 from Tokyo Haneda to Ube (Japan) with 165 people on board,
was climbing out of Haneda’s runway 05 when the crew stopped the climb at
FL100 due to what appeared to be white smoke in the aft cabin and returned
to Tokyo Haneda for a safe landing on runway 34R about 20 minutes after
departure. The smoke had dissipated by then, attending emergency services
did not find any trace of fire or heat.

A replacement Boeing 767-300 registration JA8368 reached Ube with a delay
of 110 minutes.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47979c47
20140828195007:20140824000000
Incident: Air Canada A319 near Orlando on Aug 24th 2014, avionics smoke indication
An Air Canada Rouge Airbus A319-100, registration C-FYJH performing flight
RV-1866/AC-1866 from Toronto,ON (Canada) to Orlando,FL (USA) with 142 people
on board, was nearing the top of descent into Orlando, about 10 minutes
prior to initiating the initial descent, when the crew received an ECAM
Avionics smoke indication. The crew notified air traffic control and was
cleared direct to Orlando. During the descent towards Orlando the weather
radar became inoperative, flight and cabin crew searched for other signs
of smoke but did not find any further trace of smoke. The aircraft landed
safely in Orlando, attending emergency services found no trace of fire,
heat or smoke.

The Canadian TSB reported the aircraft subsequently taxied to the apron.
Maintenance is investigating what caused the smoke indication and the failure
of the weather radar.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4792eb8a
20140822162123:20140822000000
Incident: Mount Cook AT72 at Auckland on Aug 22nd 2014, smoke in cockpit
A Mount Cook Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A on behalf of Air New
Zealand, registration ZK-MCA performing flight NZ-5231 from Auckland to
New Plymouth (New Zealand), was climbing out of Auckland when the crew stopped
the climb at about FL116, declared emergency reporting smoke in the cockpit
and returned to Auckland for a safe landing about 16 minutes after departure.
After checks by emergency services the aircraft was able to taxi to the
apron, where passengers disembarked normally.

A listener on frequency reported that the crew reported smoke in the cockpit
declaring emergency, attending emergency services did not need to intervene
and the aircraft taxied to the apron.

The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto the next flights.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4792e70e
20140822154742:20140821000000
Incident: Trans States E145 near Indianapolis on Aug 21st 2014, smoke in cabin
A Trans States Airlines Embraer ERJ-145 on behalf of United, registration
N855HK performing flight AX-3398/UA-3398 from Columbus,OH to Chicago O’Hare,IL
(USA) with 48 people on board, was climbing out of Columbus when the crew
stopped the climb at FL240 reporting smoke in the cabin and diverted to
Indianapolis,IN (USA) for a safe landing about 18 minutes later. The passengers
disembarked rapidly onto the runway.

Passengers reported a smell of smoke occurred in the cabin about 15 minutes
after departure, shortly after the crew announced the aircraft would divert
to Indianapolis because of smoke in the cabin.

The remainder of the flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked
onto other flights.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4792dfbe
20141014131712:20140821000000
Incident: Air India A320 at Kochi on Aug 21st 2014, crew was radioed about smoke from engine, uncontained engine failure
An Air India Airbus A320-200, registration VT-ESI performing flight AI-47
from Kochi to Delhi (India) with 182 people on board, was in the initial
climb out of Kochi at about 21:00L (15:30Z), with a delay of one hour due
to late arrival on the inbound flight, when the crew was radioed about smoke
emanating from an engine (V2500). The crew stopped the climb and returned
to Kochi for a safe landing about 15 minutes after departure.

The flight departed again about 45 minutes after landing and reached Delhi
with a delay of 2 hours.

India’s largest newspaper reported (in contradiction to all other reliable
sources in India and about 10 hours after those sources) that the crew received
an engine fire indication and shut the engine down. Then the paper exercised
even prose poetry: “What made matters worse was that Kochi had bad weather
at that time with thundery monsoon clouds covering the sky and strong winds
blowing. However with a serious engine fire warning alarm, there was no
time to jettison fuel. Captain ….. made one of the most difficult landings
that any pilot can expect to make in his or her career. ‘He climbed to about
3,000 feet and then returned to Kochi. The plane landed safely and he took
it right to the terminal.'”

The Metars however show thunderstorms setting in at 23:00L (17:30Z) only
and no strong winds at all. Needless to also point out a good number of
impossibilities (e.g. jettison) and the contradiction in this report: that
the aircraft was taken right to the terminal after this difficult landing
with an ongoing serious fire alarm …

On Sep 2nd 2014 the French BEA reported in their weekly bulletin quoting
India’s Accident Investigation Board, that during initial climb the crew
declared emergency due to the failure of the right hand engine, shortly
afterwards the engine fire indication came on and the aircraft returned
to Kochi. Post flight examination showed the low pressure turbine stage
4 blades were partly sheared and some metal debris was found in the engine
exhaust. Thrust reverser duct C was also found damaged. India’s AIB rated
the occurrence a serious incident and opened an investigation.

On Oct 14th 2014 the NTSB reported that the right hand engine (V2500) suffered
an uncontained failure, the crew received an engine fire warning, shut the
engine down and return to Kochi. Post flight visual inspection showed damage
to the stage 4 low pressure turbine blades and metal debris in the exhaust
as well as impact damage to the thrust reverser cowls consistent with an
uncontained engine failure. India’s AAIB is investigating the occurrence
rated an incident (editor’s note: not a serious incident), the NTSB have
accredited a representative to assist the investigation.

Metars:
VOCI 211930Z 00000KT 4000 HZ SCT012 FEW025CB OVC080 25/24 Q1006 NOSIG

VOCI 211830Z 08003KT 4000 TS SCT012 FEW025CB OVC080 25/23 Q1007 NOSIG

VOCI 211800Z 34003KT 4000 TS SCT012 FEW025CB OVC080 25/24 Q1007 NOSIG

VOCI 211730Z 33005KT 4000 TS SCT012 FEW025CB OVC080 25/24 Q1007 TEMPO RA
VOCI 211630Z 05003KT 4000 HZ SCT012 FEW025CB OVC080 25/23 Q1007 NOSIG

VOCI 211600Z 12006KT 4000 HZ SCT015 FEW025CB OVC080 25/23 Q1007 NOSIG

VOCI 211530Z 12006KT 4000 HZ SCT015 FEW025CB(N) OVC080 25/24 Q1007 NOSIG
VOCI 211500Z 10005KT 4000 HZ SCT015 OVC080 26/24 Q1007 NOSIG
VOCI 211430Z 11004KT 4000 -DZ SCT015 OVC080 26/25 Q1006 NOSIG
VOCI 211400Z 00000KT 5000 HZ SCT018 OVC080 27/25 Q1006 NOSIG
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=479602e0
20140826175539:20140820000000
Incident: Air Canada B763 over Pacific on Aug 20th 2014, hot pot
An Air Canada Boeing 767-300, registration C-GHLT performing flight AC-47
from Vancouver,BC (Canada) to Honolulu,HI (USA), was enroute at FL340 over
the Pacific Ocean about 500nm southwest of Vancouver when the crew decided
to return to Vancouver due to a burning smell and smoke in the cabin. The
aircraft landed safely on Vancouver’s runway 26L about 90 minutes later.

The Canadian TSB reported the runway was closed for 9 minutes while emergency
services checked the aircraft. The source of smell and smoke was identified
to be a coffee pot.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47917389
20140820180251:20140820000000
Accident: Indigo A320 at Delhi on Aug 20th 2014, smoke from gear after landing causes evacuation
An Indigo Airbus A320-200, registration VT-IFK performing flight 6E-176
from Mumbai to Delhi (India) with 147 passengers and 6 crew, landed on Delhi’s
runway 27 and rolled out without obvious incident when the crew of fire
truck on an adjacent airport road called in reporting dense smoke from the
left hand main gear of the aircraft. The aircraft stopped on an adjacent
taxiway, the crew initiated an emergency evacuation via slides. A number
of passengers received minor injuries as result of the evacuation.

The airline reported the evacuation through the right hand doors and one
left hand side chute was completed in 75 seconds. A few passengers receiving
minor injuries were treated by medical staff.

A replacement Airbus A320-200 registration VT-INP continued flight 6E-176
to its final destination Varanasi.

VT-IXF after the evacuation (Photo: Tarun Shukla):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47917846
20141111205611:20140818000000
Incident: CSA AT72 at Frankfurt on Aug 18th 2014, smoke in cargo hold and cabin
A CSA Czech Airlines Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A, registration
OK-GFS performing flight OK-534 from Prague (Czech Republic) to Frankfurt/Main
(Germany) with 59 passengers and 4 crew, was on approach to Frankfurt when
the crew declared emergency reporting a smoke indication in the cargo hold
and smoke in the cabin. The aircraft continued for a safe landing at Frankfurt.
Emergency services identified a piece of luggage in the hold as source of
the smoke, that contained a bottle of Acetone and a hair dryer packed too
close together.

The return flight was cancelled.

The aircraft was able to position out of Frankfurt about 7.5 hours after
landing.

On Aug 26th 2014 the French BEA reported in their weekly bulletin that a
small fire and smoke developed in one piece of luggage in the forward luggage
compartment. The occurrence was rated a serious incident by Germany’s BFU
and is being investigated.

On Nov 11th 2014 Germany’s BFU reported in their monthly bulletin, that
the aircraft was descending towards Frankfurt when the flight crew observed
smell of smoke and asked cabin crew to investigate. A short time later the
crew received an ELEC SMOKE and FWD SMOKE indication on their CCAS, both
flight crew donned their oxygen masks and declared Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.
In the meantime cabin crew opened the door to the forward cargo compartment
and with the help of passengers brought pieces of luggage into the aisle
of the cabin and identified a particular piece of luggage as source of smoke.
The suitcase was taken to the galley, cut open with scissors and a halogen
fire extinguisher was discharged into the suitcase. The suitcase remained
under permanent supervision by one cabin crew while the other cabin crew
member returned to prepare the cabin for landing. Shortly after the cabin
crew had discharged the fire extinguisher, the aircraft received clearance
for the ILS approach runway 25L, the crew cancelled Mayday at that point.
The aircraft landed safely about 12 minutes later, the suitcase was taken
off the aircraft through door L2, subsequently the passengers disembarked
normally.

Police examined the suitcase and determined that there had been smouldering
within the suitcase without open flames, substantial heat developed. Two
more pieces of luggage showed traces of heat. Two one-way glass bottles
with screw cap holding one liter of fluid additionally secured with adhesive
tapes were found inside the suitcase, one bottle however had broken up and
the content had spilled into the suitcase. The female owner of the suitcase
reported it was a fluid to make the hair lighter. The suitcase had been
checked in.

The suitcase (Photo: BFU/Frankfurt Airport Fire Brigades):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4790c9e7
20140819210130:20140817000000
Incident: Southwest B737 near Milwaukee on Aug 17th 2014, electrical odour in cabin
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, flight WN-663 from Orlando,FL to Milwaukee,WI
(USA) with 127 passengers and 5 crew, was descending towards Milwaukee when
the crew declared emergency reporting an electrical odour in the cabin.
The aircraft continued for a safe landing in Milwaukee. Attending emergency
services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

A replacement Boeing 737-700 performed the onward legs to Los Angeles,CA
and Oakland,CA.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=478fd067
20140818145657:20140815000000
Incident: Expressjet E145 at Newark on Aug 15th 2014, smoke in cabin
An Expressjet Embraer ERJ-145 on behalf of United, registration N17159 performing
flight EV-4535/UA-4535 from Newark,NJ to Minneapolis,MN (USA) with 48 people
on board, was in the initial climb out of Newark’s runway 22R when upon
contacting departure the crew requested to level off at 5000 feet reporting
smoke in the cabin and declaring emergency. The crew requested to return
to Newark for a landing on runway 22L, an aircraft on approach to 22L was
instructed to go around due to the emergency and an aircraft already lined
up for departure instructed to vacate the runway. The aircraft landed safely
on Newark’s runway 22R about 10 minutes after departure. The crew indicated
to not need further assistance after landing and taxied to the apron.

A replacement Embraer ERJ-145 registration N12135 reached Minneapolis with
a delay of 2 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=478ce9aa
20140814194753:20140813000000
Incident: Jazz DH8D near Ottawa on Aug 13th 2014, cargo smoke indication
A Jazz de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration C-GGNY performing flight QK-8953
from Fredericton,NB to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 69 passengers and 4 crew,
was enroute at FL240 about 20nm west of Ottawa,ON (Canada) when the crew
received a cargo hold smoke indication and decided to turn around and divert
to Ottawa. Subsequently visible smoke was observed in the cabin, the crew
declared emergency, performed a safe landing on Ottawa’s runway 07, stopped
on the runway and initiated evacuation of the aircraft.

The Canadian TSB reported that all exits were used for the evacuation. Attending
emergency services found no trace of fire or heat. The source of the smoke
is under investigation.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=478cccc6
20140819133501:20140813000000
Incident: Vueling A319 at Florence on Aug 13th 2014, gear fire after landing
A Vueling Airbus A319-100, registration EC-JVE performing flight VY-1503
from Paris Orly (France) to Florence (Italy) with 121 passengers, landed
on Florence’s runway 05 and slowed safely. While vacating the runway smoke
was observed from the landing gear prompting the crew to stop clear of the
runway, emergency services responded and reported visible flames from the
gear prompting the crew to initiate the evacuation of the aircraft via slides.
Emergency services applied foam to extinguish the fire. There were no injuries
though a pregnant woman was taken to a hospital as a precaution.

Italy’s ANSV deployed investigators on site and opened an investigation
into the occurrence rated a serious incident.

The French BEA reported in their weekly bulletin on Aug 19th 2014, that
while applying the park brake a hydraulic spray leakage occurred on the
right main gear, two seconds later the spray caught fire prompting the crew
to initiate an emergency evacuation. A post event examination showed the
elbow of the brake hose on the right wheel was loose.

Smoke rises from the aircraft (Photo: Charles Cole):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=478b69e6
20140812202632:20140812000000
Incident: British Airways B763 near London on Aug 12th 2014, smoke in cockpit
A British Airways Boeing 767-300, registration G-BNWC performing flight
BA-103 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Calgary,AB (Canada), had just reached
cruise FL340 when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit about 140nm northwest
of London (almost over Liverpool,EN) when the crew reported smoke in the
cockpit and returned to London Heathrow for a safe landing on Heathrow’s
runway 27R. Responding emergency services found no trace of fire or heat.
The passengers disembarked normally.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=478ac359
20140811234440:20140811000000
Incident: United B772 at Amsterdam on Aug 11th 2014, smoke from left brakes
A United Boeing 777-200, registration N77006 performing flight UA-58 (dep
Aug 10th) from Houston,TX (USA) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), landed on Amsterdam’s
runway 18R when tower advised the crew that smoke was coming from the left
main gear. The aircraft vacated the runway and stopped on the adjacent taxiway
while emergency services responded. Emergency services reported a hydraulic
leak with fluid dripping onto the left main gear. The aircraft was towed
to the apron, where passengers disembarked normally.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=478ab52a
20140811215816:20140810000000
Incident: Transavia B738 at Paphos on Aug 10th 2014, overheating brakes on landing
A Transavia Boeing 737-800, registration PH-HZD performing flight HV-313
from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Paphos (Cyprus) with 117 passengers, landed
on Paphos’ runway 11. During roll out tower advised smoke came from the
gear, emergency services responded and cooled the brakes down.

The aircraft was able to depart for the return flight HV-314 about 17 hours
after landing and reached Amsterdam with a delay of 16 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=478b6186
20140812192331:20140803000000
Incident: United B738 near Vancouver on Aug 3rd 2014, lavatory smoke indication
A United Boeing 737-800, registration N24224 performing flight UA-1126 from
Denver,CO to Anchorage,AK (USA) with 126 people on board, was enroute at
FL360 about 120nm northwest of Vancouver,BC (Canada) when the crew received
a right aft lavatory smoke indication and decided to divert to Vancouver,
where the aircraft landed safely on Vancouver’s runway 26R about 30 minutes
later. Once on the ground the crew advised there was no visible smoke, flames
or haze on board.

The Canadian TSB reported the crew pulled the pin on the fire extinguisher
but did not discharge the extinguisher. Maintenance examined the lavatory
after landing and found no trace of fire, heat or smoke. The smoke detector
was deactivated by pulling its cannon plug and the circuit breaker for hot
water pulled according to minimum equipment list, the fire extinguisher
was replaced, then the aircraft was released to continue the flight. The
smoke detector was replaced the following day.

The occurrence aircraft reached Anchorage with a delay of 4 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47830e85
20140801213839:20140730000000
Incident: Envoy E145 at New York on Jul 30th 2014, smoke in cabin
An Envoy Embraer ERJ-145, registration N837AE performing flight MQ-3340
from New York La Guardia,NY to Knoxville,TN (USA) with 44 passengers and
3 crew, was in the initial climb out of La Guardia’s runway 31 when the
crew declared emergency reporting smoke in the cabin and requested to return
immediately. The aircraft was cleared for a visual approach to runway 22,
landed safely on that runway about 4 minutes after departure and stopped
on the runway. The occupants rapidly disembarked onto the runway and were
bussed to the terminal.

The aircraft was subsequently towed to the apron.

The flight was cancelled.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47816e7b
20140730190151:20140730000000
Incident: China Southern A319 at Guangzhou on Jul 30th 2014, smoke in cockpit
A China Southern Airlines Airbus A319-100, flight CZ-6059 from Guangzhou
(China) to Phnom Penh (Cambodia), was climbing through 5000 feet out of
Guangzhou when the crew donned their oxygen masks, declared emergency reporting
smoke in the cockpit and returned to Guangzhou for a safe landing about
19 minutes after departure.

Passengers reported there was a burning electrical smell.

The airline confirmed a mechanical problem.

A replacement aircraft reached Phnom Penh with a delay of 4 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47817558
20140730195515:20140729000000
Incident: Skywest CRJ9 at Phoenix on Jul 29th 2014, pack overheated
A Skywest Canadair CRJ-900 on behalf of US-Airways, registration N897SK
performing flight OO-2948/US-2948 from Albuquerque,NM to Phoenix,AZ (USA)
with 64 passengers, was on final approach to Phoenix when one of the air
conditioning systems overheated. The crew continued for a safe landing.
While the aircraft was taxiing towards the apron, passengers began to smell
smoke, apparently from a lavatory, the smoke detector of the lavatory triggered
prompting the crew to stop on the taxiway and have the passengers disembark
via the aircraft’s airstairs.

The aircraft was subsequently towed to the apron.

Passengers reported they smelled burning rubber.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47800073
20140728225118:20140728000000
Incident: Biman Bangladesh A313 at Kathmandu on Jul 28th 2014, brakes overheated
A Biman Bangladesh Airbus A310-300, registration S2-ADK performing flight
BG-701 from Dhaka (Bangladesh) to Kathmandu (Nepal), was landing at Kathmandu
when smoke was observed from the brakes during roll out. The aircraft came
to a safe stop, emergency services responded and cooled the brakes down.

Airport police reported fire fighters put a small wheel fire out.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=477ffd77
20140728222931:20140728000000
Incident: Alitalia A320 near Alexandria on Jul 28th 2014, smoke in cockpit
An Alitalia Airbus A320-200, registration EI-DSD performing flight AZ-897
from Cairo (Egypt) to Rome Fiumicino (Italy) with 118 passengers and 6 crew,
was climbing out of Cairo when the crew stopped the climb at about FL250
and diverted to Alexandria (Egypt) reporting smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft
landed safely on Alexandria’s runway 32.

Passengers reported they are currently without information at the terminal
in Alexandria.

Alexandria’s Borg el Arab Airport reported the passengers disembarked and
are in the waiting lounge while the aircraft is being repaired.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=477fed15
20140728203205:20140728000000
Incident: Kuwait A306 near Brussels on Jul 28th 2014, cargo smoke indication
A Kuwait Airways Airbus A300-600, registration 9K-AMD performing flight
KU-103 from Kuwait (Kuwait) to London Heathrow,EN (UK) with 219 passengers
and 14 crew, was enroute at FL340 about 25nm east of Brussels (Belgium)
when the crew decided to divert to Brussels reporting a forward cargo smoke
indication. The aircraft landed safely on Brussels’ runway 25R about 20
minutes later, attending emergency services found no trace of fire, heat
or smoke.

The airline reported the crew diverted to Brussels due to smoke in the cockpit.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=477f087f
20140727172645:20140726000000
Incident: Delta MD88 near Milwaukee on Jul 26th 2014, smell of smoke on board
A Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-88, registration N922DL performing
flight DL-1496 from Minneapolis,MN to New York La Guardia,NY (USA) with
145 people on board, was enroute at FL330 about 50nm northwest of Milwaukee,WI
when the crew reported a smokey odour on board and decided to divert to
Milwaukee. On approach the crew reported that whatever caused the odour
appears to have gone out by itself and continued for a safe landing on Milwaukee’s
runway 25L about 20 minutes later.

A replacement MD-88 reached New York with a delay of 5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47817343
20140730193814:20140725000000
Accident: Saudia A320 near Riyadh on Jul 25th 2014, smoking galley oven
A Saudi Arabian Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration HZ-AS21 performing
flight SV-1905 from Riyadh to Taif (Saudi Arabia), was climbing out of Riyadh
when smoke emanated from the aft galley. Cabin crew used fire extinguishers
while the flight crew returned the aircraft to Riyadh for a safe landing.
The passengers disembarked normally, two cabin crew needed to be taken to
a hospital for smoke inhalation. Emergency services secured a galley oven
that was identified as source of the smoke.

Saudi Arabia’s Accident Investigation Board opened an investigation.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4780bf49
20140729214351:20140722000000
Incident: UPS B763 at Salt Lake City on Jul 22nd 2014, smoke in the cockpit
A UPS Boeing 767-300, registration N328UP performing freight flight 5X-2843
from Salt Lake City,UT to Louisville,KY (USA) with 2 crew, was climbing
through 16,000 feet out of Salt Lake City when the crew reported smoke in
the cockpit and returned to Salt Lake City for a safe landing on runway
16L about 18 minutes after departure.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=477cdbe7
20140724223605:20140722000000
Incident: Southwest B733 near Columbus on Jul 22nd 2014, cargo smoke indication
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300, registration N657SW performing flight
WN-424 (callsign SWA-9015) from Baltimore,MD to Chicago Midway,IL (USA)
with 49 passengers and 5 crew, was enroute at FL360 about 15nm northwest
of Columbus,OH when the crew received a forward cargo smoke indication and
decided to divert to Columbus for a safe landing. The aircraft vacated the
runway, stopped on the taxiway, then the occupants were evacuated via slides.
Attending emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

A replacement Boeing 737-700 reached Chicago as flight WN-9015 with a delay
of 3 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=477a1467
20140721110322:20140721000000
Incident: Virgin Atlantic A346 near Irkutsk on Jul 21st 2014, cargo smoke indication
A Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340-600, registration G-VWIN performing flight
VS-251 from Shanghai Pudong (China) to London Heathrow,EN (UK) with 286
passengers and 15 crew, was enroute at FL320 in Mongolia’s Air Space about
230nm southwest of Irkutsk (Russia) when the crew received an aft cargo
smoke indication and diverted to Irkutsk for a safe landing on runway 12
about 45 minutes later. Emergency services did not find any trace of fire,
heat or smoke.

The airline reported a technical issue prompted a precautionary landing.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=477b1bfb
20140722183332:20140720000000
Incident: Southwest B735 near Austin on Jul 20th 2014, smoke in cabin
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-500, flight WN-4625 from Austin,TX to Dallas
Love,TX (USA) with 27 passengers and 5 crew, was climbing out of Austin
when the crew stopped the climb at 17,000 feet reporting smoke in the cabin
and returned to Austin for a safe landing about 15 minutes after departure.

The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto other flights.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47770f9d
20140909103728:20140717000000
Crash: Malaysia B772 near Donetsk on Jul 17th 2014, aircraft was shot down
A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration 9M-MRD performing flight
MH-17/KL-4103 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) with
283 passengers and 15 crew, was enroute at FL330 about 20nm northeast of
Donetsk (Ukraine) when the transponder data became unreliable at 13:18Z
(position N48.28 E38.08) and was lost at FL330 at 13:20Z. The aircraft came
down near the villages of Shakhtarsk and Hrabove (Ukraine) about 20nm from
the last transponder position and 20nm from the Ukrainian/Russian border,
the ELT of the aircraft was recorded at position N48.1230 E38.5258.

Videos circulating in the Internet and media claiming to show the stricken
MH-17 coming down with a raging fire at the right hand wing are in fact
videos of the shoot down of an Antonov AN-30 in Slavyansk on Jun 6th 2014.

Recovery of victims

On Jul 20th 2014 an agreement reached between separatists and Ukrainian
Recovery Services permitted the recovery of 196 of the 298 bodies so far.
According to Ukrainian government Ukrainian recovery services and international
observers are permitted to recover the bodies and take them to a safe place.
According to Associated Press the bodies have been loaded onto trains headed
to a separatist held city. Ukrainian Donetsk Emergency Ministry confirmed
196 bodies have been recovered and are going to be transferred to Donestsk.

On Jul 20th 2014 the OSCE confirmed bodies have been brought to the rail
station of Torez where three refriggerated rail cars are used to store the
victims until international experts arrive. The separatists claim 167 bodies
have been brought to Torez, the OSCE has not been able to verify this however.

On Jul 21st 2014 the Ukrainian government said, 272 bodies have been recovered
so far. Dutch investigators have reached Torez to begin identifying the
bodies. The Ukrainian government proposed that the Netherlands should lead
the investigation. There are tough negotiations ongoing to permit the trains
carrying the bodies to leave Eastern Ukraine, so that the bodies can be
identified and returned to their families.

In the afternoon of Jul 21st 2014 the recovery of body was officially ended
after 298 bodies have been recovered from the crash site. The bodies are
expected to be brought to Kharkiv where identification is going to continue.

Late Jul 21st 2014 Ukraine’s prime minister confirmed that two trains with
the bodies left Torez for Kharkiv. The trains have arrived in Kharkiv around
noon Jul 22nd local time about 15 hours after departure from Torez.

On Jul 23rd 2014 the first bodies are being flown to the Netherlands where
a national day of mourning has been declared. Dutch Officials report however,
that they have received only 200 bodies plus a number of body parts and
believe, that many human remains are still unrecovered at the crash site.
The two military aircraft with 40 coffins have just landed in Eindhoven
(Netherlands) at 15:47L/13:47Z.

On Jul 24th and Jul 25th several more flights are expected to carry the
remaining bodies, handed over so far by separatists, to Eindhoven.

On Jul 26th 2014 a number more bodies have been recovered from the crash
site and are being taken to the Netherlands.

On Aug 1st 2014 a large group of forensic experts and investigators, about
70 experts, was able to reach the crash site for the first time, after a
small group managed to get to the crash site on Jul 31st 2014 following
the fighting that prevented access to the crash site between Jul 27th and
Jul 31st. A number of human remains have been recovered, but up to 80 bodies
are still suspected unrecovered at the crash site.

First information following the crash

Ukrainian rescue services reported that the wreckage is spread over an area
of about 15km diameter around the villages of Hrabove and Shakhtarsk.

Ukraine ATC reported that the aircraft was enroute normally, there had been
no indication of any problem and there was no emergency call.

Interfax reports citing an industry source that a Malaysia Boeing 777 from
Amsterdam to Malaysia has crashed near the Ukrainian/Russian border, the
burning wreckage has been located. The aircraft has been shot down, the
agency subsequently added.

Initial Statements

Malaysia Airlines have confirmed an incident, the aircraft did not enter
Russian Airspace so far, about two hours after the estimated entry into
the airspace. At 15:40Z Malaysia Airlines tweeted: “Malaysia Airlines has
lost contact of MH17 from Amsterdam. The last known position was over Ukrainian
airspace. More details to follow.” At 16:45Z the airline tweeted: “Malaysia
Airlines confirms it received notification from Ukrainian ATC that it had
lost contact with flight MH17 at 1415 (GMT) at 30km from Tamak waypoint,
approximately 50km from the Russia-Ukraine border. Flight MH17 operated
on a Boeing 777 departed Amsterdam at 12.15pm (Amsterdam local time) and
was estimated to arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 6.10 am
(Malaysia local time) the next day. The flight was carrying 280 passengers
and 15 crew onboard. More details to follow.” In the morning of Jul 18th
Malaysian Airlines corrected the initial passenger count from 280 to 283.
On Jul 19th 2014 the airline released the final passenger manifest: 193
Dutch (including 1 dual citizen Dutch/US), 43 Malaysian (including 2 infants
and 15 crew), 27 Australian, 12 Indonesian (including 1 infant), 10 British
(including 1 dual citizen UK/South Africa), 4 German, 4 Belgian, 3 Philippine,
1 Canadian and 1 New Zealand citizens.

On Jul 19th 2014 Malaysia Airlines released the passenger manifest (the
cargo manifest had been released earlier) and stated: “Malaysia is deeply
concerned that the crash site has not been properly secured. The integrity
of the site has been compromised, and there are indications that vital evidence
has not been preserved in place. Interfering with the scene of the crash
risks undermining the investigation itself. Any actions that prevent us
from learning the truth about what happened to MH17 cannot be tolerated.
Failure to stop such interference would be a betrayal of the lives that
were lost.” and concluded their statement: “This outrage cannot go unpunished.
Once again, Malaysia condemns this brutal act of aggression, and calls for
those responsible to be found, and to face the full force of justice without
delay.”

On Jul 18th 2014 Malaysia Airlines reported the Boeing 777-200 registration
9M-MRD, that had operated MH-17 on Jul 17th 2014, had last undergone maintenance
on Jul 11th 2014 and had “clean bill of health” with all communication systems
operating normally. The aircraft, introduced to service in 1997, had accumulated
75,322 flight hours in 11,434 cycles. There was no distress call from the
aircraft. “The usual flight route was earlier declared safe by the International
Civil Aviation Organisation. International Air Transportation Association
has stated that the airspace the aircraft was traversing was not subject
to restrictions.”

Ukraine’s Ministry of Interior have confirmed the Boeing has crashed, there
were no survivors.

The Ukraine have closed the airspace around Donetsk about 90 minutes after
the aircraft disappeared.

The Ukrainian President said, the aircraft has been brought down as result
of a terrorist act. Ukrainian military forces were not involved in the shoot
down of the aircraft.

Ukrainian separatists had initially claimed they had shot down another Ukrainian
Airforce AN-26, the comments were and references to them are currently being
deleted across the Internet. Separatists of the self pronounced Republic
of Donetsk had also shown off with ground to air missiles capable to down
airliners in the last couple of days, these videos and messages are currently
being deleted as well.

See below the images of Igor Girkin’s (Strelkov’s) website retrieved at
15:22Z and at 23:00Z on Jul 17th 2014. Igor Girkin is commander of the Donbass
People’s Milita. Igor Girkin wrote at 17:37 MSK as first sentence: “Message
from the Militia: In the area Snizhne just knocked down an AN-26 lying somewhere
in the mine ‘Progress'” – this sentence later disappeared and is not present
anymore on the current web page, the sentence however is still verifyable
from Internet caches.

Officially the separatists state, that they have no involvement into the
downing of MH-17. They have recovered the black boxes of the aircraft.

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister reported the Ukraine have opened a criminal
investigation into the terrorist act and reported in a press conference,
that they have intercepted phone calls between rebels who initially celebrated
the shoot down of another Ukraine Air Force aircraft, then recognized and
discussed that the aircraft was civilian with a lot of casualties.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister pledged that “no stone will be left unturned”.
Ukrainian Authorities believe the aircraft has been shot down, but Malaysia
is not yet able to verify the cause of this tragedy. “If it transpires that
the plane indeed was shot down we insist the perpetrators must swiftly be
brought to justice”. According to Ukrainian ATC the emergency locator beacon
transmitted from position N48.1230 E38.5258. The president of the USA and
Malaysia agree, that the investigation must not be hindered, nobody should
interfere with the crash site or move debris including the blackbox. “This
is a tragic day in what has already been a tragic year for Malaysia …
The flight’s passengers and crew came from many different countries, but
today, regardless of nationalities, we are all united in grief.”

United States of America Officials reported that the aircraft has been shot
down. US radar systems tracked a ground to air missile turning onto and
tracking an airliner, a second system detected a heat signature just as
the aircraft was being hit. The data are currently being evaluated to determine
the launching point of the missile. On Jul 18th 2014 the USA announced,
that the missile has been launched inside the borders of the Ukraine.

On Jul 18th 2014 the President of the United States of America announced,
that MH-17 has been brought down by a surface to air missile that was launched
from within an area controlled by pro-russian separatists. The president
called the event an “outrage of unspeakable proportions”, that highlights
the need for peace.

On Jul 21st 2014 the US vice president stated, that the US have compelling
evidence that the Boeing was shot down by separatists utilizing missiles
and missile launchers supplied from Russia, amongst the evidence satellite
images showing major military supplies moved from Russia into Eastern Ukraine
including missile launchers and intercepted phone calls. The intercepted
phone calls earlier published by the Ukrainian government discussing the
shootdown of an AN-26 and then identifying a civil aircraft are authentic.
“There’s enormous amount of evidence that points to the involvement of Russia
in providing these systems, training the people on them”, the vice president
stated.

On Jul 21st 2014 Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed they have compelling
evidence (contradicting Ukrainian government reports of Jul 17th 2014) that
an Ukrainian Air Force SU-25 fighter aircraft was within 5km around flight
MH-17 at the very same altitude at FL330 and shot down MH-17. The Ministry
claimed, challenged with the service ceiling of the aircraft, that the SU-25
would be able to briefly reach 10,000 meters of altitude. SU-25 fighter
jet aircraft have a service ceiling of 7000 meters (FL230) clean and 5000
meters (FL160) with maximum weapons. While Sukhoi’s website continues to
state, that the service ceiling (the altitude that can be reached with a
climb rate of 100 feet per minute, above that altitude the maximum possible
climb rates fall below 100 feet per minute) of the clean SU-25 is 7000 meters,
Wikipedia have experienced several dozen edits modifying the surface ceiling
up to 10,000 meters and back. From an aerodynamics point of view it is impossible
to reach 10,000 meters of altitude with a service ceiling at 7,000 meters
unless energy of substantial excess speed is being converted into altitude.
To have the SU-25 climb 3000 meters above its service ceiling would require
supersonic speeds, that the SU-25 is not capable of however.

On Jul 23th 2014 the separatist outlet under the name of Igor Girkin mentioned
above, that is recognized by all Russian media agencies (including Ria,
Interfax, Itar-Tass, …) as authentic quoting those informations within
minutes of their posting on that site, reported and published videos of
missile launchers that two Ukrainian Airforce Sukhoi SU-25s have been shot
down on Jul 23rd 2014.

On Jul 23rd 2014 a member of the milita of separatists told journalists
of Italian newspaper “Corriere della Sera” that his commanders told them
the separatists had shot down an aircraft of the Kiev “nazis”. When he found
a little girl at the crash site he realized that this was a civil aircraft.

On Jul 23rd 2014 a commander of the separatist militia told news agency
Reuters that the separatists did have BUK missiles suspected to have brought
down MH-17.

On Jul 28th 2014 the Ukrainian Government reported that the flight data
and cockpit voice recorders’ first analysis results suggest the aircraft
came down as result of an explosive decompression after the aircraft had
been punctured by shrapnell from an explosion outside the aircraft. There
is no such statement from the DSB leading the investigation or the AAIB
conducting the read out and analysis of the black boxes.

On Jul 28th 2014 the DSB stated: “Flight recorders MH17 can be used for
investigation, content will only be published in coherence with other investigation
information.”

The attempts to establish an independent international investigation

The Ukrainian Ministry of Transport reported that a commission to investigate
the causes of the crash has been formed, ICAO and Eurocontrol are going
to support the investigation as well as the US NTSB, Netherlands’ and Malaysia’s
Civil Aviation Authorities, Boeing, the European Civil Aviation Conference
and the European Commission. Civil Aviation Authorities of all nations,
that had citizens on board of the aircraft, have been invited to join the
investigation as well. The Ministry stated, that until the disappearance
of the aircraft from radar screen there had been no indication of trouble.
Following confirmation of the crash of the Boeing 777 the airspace around
Donetsk, Luhansk and parts of Kharkiv region has been completely closed.

The separatists in the Donetsk area have pledged to grant safe, full and
unlimited access to the crash site to recovery workers and investigators.
Until noon of Jul 18th 2014 representatives of the Ukrainian government
have not been granted access to the crash site, though. International investigators
have not yet reached the area.

In the afternoon of Jul 18th 2014 thirty international observers from the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have arrived
at the crash site but left again after 75 minutes when separatists denied
full and unlimited access to the crash site. On Jul 19th 2014 the OSCE observers
are attempting to reach and inspect the crash site again. In addition investigators
from the USA, Germany, France, Netherlands and Malaysia are expected to
arrive at the crash site on Jul 19th 2014. In the afternoon of Jul 19th
2014 the OSCE reported, that the movements of their team of 24 have again
been limited by separatists carrying arms, the team has not been able to
interview witnesses, the team observed bodies were moved from the crash
site but were unable to talk to those carrying the bodies.

On Jul 18th 2014 Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK), responsible
for investigation of aviation accidents, announced that they believe in
the circumstances of the crash of MH-17 the investigation should be carried
out under the supervision of the ICAO. The blackboxes will therefore be
handed over to the ICAO for investigation. On Jul 18th 2014 Russia’s Foreign
Minister also stated that Russia won’t touch the black boxes but hand them
over to ICAO for investigation, Russia won’t break the existing rules for
investigation of such occurrences.

On Jul 19th 2014 separatists have denied earlier reports that they had recovered
the two black boxes of the Boeing and denied reports the separatists had
intended to send the black boxes to Moscow. The items that were recovered
from the wreckage did not include the black boxes, the separatists explained.

On Jul 20th 2014, after a person carrying an orange object seemingly to
be one of the black boxes walked across the crash site before the cameras
of international press, Separatist leaders confirmed they have retrieved
the black boxes and are going to hand them over to ICAO.

On Jul 21st 2014 accident investigators from Netherlands, Germany, USA and
Australia have arrived in Kharkiv and are expected to proceed to the crash
site later the day.

Malaysia’s Minister of Transport had reported late Jul 20th Ukrainian time,
that he had arrived in the Ukraine, talked to separatist leaders and reached
agreements and assurances, that the black boxes would be handed over to
Malaysia by Monday 9pm local time (18:00Z), safety of international investigators
at the crash site would be ascertained and the bodies would be brought to
Kharkiv. First reports, that the black boxes were handed over to Malaysian
Officials, surfaced in Russian media at about Jul 22nd 2014 00:00Z, including
videos of a ceremony in which orange objects looking like black boxes were
handed over by a Rebel leader. There is no official confirmation from Malaysia
Airlines, Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport or other official Malaysian Government
Bodies so far, however.

Late Jul 21st 2014 The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
reported, that their experts have arrived in the Ukraine over the weekend
“to begin assisting their Ukrainian counterparts with the official accident
investigation into the loss of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.” ICAO’s council
president stated: “ICAOís accident investigation experts are in the Ukraine
to respond to a call for assistance from the Stateís National Bureau of
Incidents and Accidents Investigation of Civil Aircraft. Their work relates
to Annex 13 investigations, the objective of which is to determine the causes
of an accident and to make recommendations that will help prevent future
accidents. This is a painstaking process and the collaboration of all concerned
with the international team of investigators, notably where access to all
evidence and data is concerned, will be greatly appreciated.î

On Jul 21st 2014 the security council of the United Nations have adopted
an unanimous resolution condemning the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight
17 and loss of 298 lives “in the strongest terms”. The UN security council’s
15 members demand “a full, thorough and independent international investigation
into the incident in accordance with international civil aviation guidelines”.
The council demanded that “armed groups in control of the crash site and
the surrounding area refrain from any actions that may compromise the integrity
of the crash site, including by refraining from destroying, moving or disturbing
wreckage, equipment, debris, personal belongings, or remains, and immediately
provide safe, secure, full and unrestricted access to the site…” and all
military activities be ceased in the immediate area surrounding the crash
site. The UN stated: “The Council also demanded that those responsible for
this incident to be held to account and that all States cooperate fully
with efforts to establish accountability.”

On Jul 22nd 2014, according to Russian media reports distributed by global
media as well, the separatists have declared a cease fire in the region.
There is no confirmation of this information on known separatist websites
however.

In the evening of Jul 22nd 2014 the boxes, that had been handed over by
separatists earlier in the day, are being carried to the UK by a Belgian
Air Force Aircraft. The boxes are going to be opened and read out in Farnborough.

On Jul 23rd 2014 the Dutch Onderzoeksraad (Dutch Safety Board) have formally
assumed the task of leading the investigation into the loss of MH-17. The
DSB stated: “Hoewel de onderzoekers nog geen veilige toegang tot de crashsite
hebben, wordt zowel in Kiev als in Nederland gewerkt aan het verzamelen
en het analyseren van gegevens uit diverse bronnen. ” (Although the investigators
still do not have secure access to the crash site, they are working to collect
and analyse data from various sources.) The current team of investigators
combines 24 investigators from the Ukraine, Malaysia, Australia, France,
Gerrmany, USA, UK and Russia. The boxes handed over in Kharkiv have been
taken to the UK, where specialists are going to read the data out. The DSB
complains that it would be necessary to go to the crash site, examine and
collect materials, however, this is not possible as no secure access is
available. In the meantime the crash site is open with evidence freely accessible.
The DSB stated: “Ondanks het feit dat onderzoeksmateriaal en sporen beschadigd
zijn geraakt of zijn verdwenen, verwacht de Onderzoeksraad voldoende relevante
informatie te kunnen verzamelen vanaf de rampplek.” (Despite the fact, that
research materials and evidence have been damaged or have disappeared, the
investigation team expects to be able to collect relevant information from
the crash site).

On Jul 23rd 2014 the British Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) confirmed
they have received two boxes from the Dutch Safety Board for read out in
the AAIB’s Farnborough facilities.

On Jul 23rd 2014 the DSB reported that the cockpit voice recorder appears
to not have been tampered with, valid data have been downloaded from the
device.

On Jul 24th 2014 the DSB reported that both recorders have been successfully
read out and contain valid data of flight MH-17. The black boxes are being
examined for possible manipulation, the DSB expects however that data relevant
to the investigation will become available from the recorders. On request
by OSCE the DSB has approved moving debris at the crash site in order to
search for further bodies, that so far have not been handed over to the
Netherlands.

In the afternoon of Jul 24th 2014 international monitors of the crash site
reported they have been chased off the crash site by armed guards.

Russia’s MAK (Interstate Aviation Committee, IAC) announced that they have
joined the investigation led by the Dutch Safety Board and accredited an
official representative. The MAK fully support the UN security council resolution
requiring a “full, thorough and independent international investigation
into the incident with Boeing 777 of Malaysian Airlines”. The MAK stated:
“From the first day of this terrible tragedy, i.e. 17 July IAC works in
close cooperation with ICAO, experts authorities of independent investigation
of aircraft accidents and supports the position of the international aviation
community, including members of the regional Agreement on Aviation, among
whom are Russia and Ukraine, that investigation must be conducted in full
compliance with Annex 13 of the ICAO Chicago Convention.” and continued:
“IAC expresses its gratitude to the President of ICAO Council, Secretary-General
of ICAO, representatives of OSCE and the States for their collaboration
in such a tragic for the international community and difficult for the world
aviation period and is ready, as it was in the past, to provide for the
implementation of the fundamental principles of the ICAO Chicago Convention
for civil aviation which must remain the safest means of transportation
and communication in the world.”

On Jul 25th 2014 the Netherlands have dispatched 40 unarmed policemen to
secure the crash site. Australia have dispatched 50 police officers to the
crash site.

On Jul 25th 2014 the OSCE reported that three Malaysian Investigators, who
had been on site for three days, returned to Kiev stating they were pleased
with the ground covered, the team took a particular interest in parts of
the fuselage that showed holes possibly produced by shrapnell. A so far
unknown part of the fuselage, with seats and windows intact and a number
of bodies, has been discovered in a forested area of the crash site.

On Jul 26th 2014 Malaysia as well as the Dutch Safety Board voice concerns
that their investigators still have no full unrestricted access to the crash
site. The DSB stated, that both black boxes have successfully been read
out and do contain valid data of flight MH-17, so far there is no evidence
of the blackboxes having been tampered with. Analysis of the data has started.
It is not the intention of the international investigation team to visit
the entire crash site or collect and transfer Debris to the Netherlands,
instead based on the results of information collected so far the investigators
are going to employ in very focussed missions to the crash site to identify
specific indications and target specific materials. Those missions, taking
place under presence of security guards, will take several days, a factual
report will be prepared, the release of which can not yet be estimated however.

On Jul 27th 2014 the Dutch Safety Board reported a mission to the crash
site by the Dutch and Australian investigators was cancelled over safety
concerns. 4 Russian investigators are expected to join the investigation.

On Jul 28th 2014 the investigators again were not able to securely access
the crash site. There is fighting around the crash site, Ukrainian forces
claim to have taken control of part of the crash site from the separatists
in order to ensure safe access to the crash site.

On Aug 11th 2014 the DSB reported that the investigation will continue in
The Hague (Netherlands) after 25 accident investigators collected as much
evidence as possible at the crash site in the Ukraine. A preliminary report
is being prepared which will be published in a few weeks time stating: “The
report will contain the first factual findings arising from the investigation
based on various sources, such as the cockpit voice recorder and the flight
data recorder (the black boxes), air traffic control data, radar and satellite
images.” The DSB further stated: “Due to the changed safety situation in
East Ukraine it is unclear whether the data can be supplemented with information
from further investigations at the crash site. To date under Ukranian supervision
only a few investigators were able to briefly visit the crash site immediately
after the plane crash. Since the Dutch Safety Board took the charge of the
investigation no new opportunity has arisen for the team to visit the crash
site.”

At the same time the Government of the Netherlands have released a map showing
the extent of the crash site (yellow circles marking debris off the aircraft),
the areas which international investigators have successfully visited (green),
the areas which international investigators were denied access to (red)
and the areas which are currently deemed unsafe (orange).

Related NOTAMS:
A1508/14 – SEGMENTS OF ATS ROUTES CLOSED:
T242 NALEM MASOL M996 ABUGA GUKOL
G476 MASOL OLGIN W533 TOROS KUBIR
L32 NALEM KW P851 LS NESLO
A83 LS DIMAB L980 GANRA TAMAK
W538 GANRA FASAD W633 LUGAT MAKAK
L69 LAMIV GONED W644 DON GETBO
M70 BULIG TAMAK B493 PODOL FASAD
L984 BULIG FASAD W531 KOVIL PW
M136 MEBAM DON M995 OLGIN PENAK
L140 KOVIL FASAD.
FM FL320 UP TO UNL. 17 JUL 15:00 2014 UNTIL 17 AUG 23:59 2014 ESTIMATED.
CREATED: 17 JUL 15:02 2014

A1507/14 – TEMPO RESTRICTED AREA INSTALLED WITHIN FIR DNIPROPETROVSK
BOUNDED BY COORDINATES :
495355N 0380155E 485213N 0372209E 480122N 0370253E
471352N 0365856E 465018N 0374325E 465900N 0382000E
470642N 0381324E THEN ALONG STATE BOUNDARY
UNTIL POINT 495355N 0380155E.
RESTRICTION NOT APPLIED FOR FLIGHTS OF STATE ACFT OF UKRAINE. FL320 – UNL,
17 JUL 15:00 2014 UNTIL 17 AUG 23:59 2014 ESTIMATED. CREATED: 17 JUL 14:56
2014

A1493/14 – SEGMENTS OF ATS ROUTES CLOSED:
T242 NALEM MASOL M996 ABUGA GUKOL
G476 MASOL OLGIN W533 TOROS KUBIR
L32 NALEM KW P851 LS NESLO
A83 LS DIMAB L980 GANRA TAMAK
W538 GANRA FASAD W633 LUGAT MAKAK
L69 LAMIV GONED W644 DON GETBO
M70 BULIG TAMAK B493 PODOL FASAD
L984 BULIG FASAD W531 KOVIL PW
M136 MEBAM DON M995 OLGIN PENAK
L140 KOVIL FASAD.
FM FL260 UP TO FL320. 14 JUL 18:00 2014 UNTIL 14 AUG 23:59 2014 ESTIMATED.
CREATED: 14 JUL 15:58 2014

A1492/14 – TEMPO RESTRICTED AREA INSTALLED WITHIN FIR DNIPROPETROVSK
BOUNDED BY COORDINATES :
495355N 0380155E 485213N 0372209E 480122N 0370253E
471352N 0365856E 465018N 0374325E 465900N 0382000E
470642N 0381324E THEN ALONG STATE BOUNDARY
UNTIL POINT 495355N 0380155E.
RESTRICTION NOT APPLIED FOR FLIGHTS OF STATE ACFT OF UKRAINE. FL260 – FL320,
14 JUL 18:00 2014 UNTIL 14 AUG 23:59 2014 ESTIMATED. CREATED: 14 JUL 15:48
2014

Map of crash site, yellow: debris, green: search by international investigators,
red: access denied, orange: unsafe area (Graphics: Dutch Government):
Shrapnell damage seen to the cockpit/windshield section (Photo: Jeroen Akkermanns/RTL):
The sketch showing the SU-25 No. 3305 at 10,000 meters at 400 kph over ground/approx.
120 KIAS (Graphics: Russia’s Ministry of Defense):
Allegedly intercepted phone calls between separatists (Video: Ukrainian
Government/NewsfromUkraine):
Igor Girkin’s relevant note of 17:37 MSK retrieved at Jul 17th 2014 15:22Z,
the later missing AN-26 sentence marked:
Igor Girkin’s relevant note of 17:37 MSK retrieved at Jul 17th 2014 23:00Z,
the AN-26 sentence missing:
Shrapnell Damage to forward cargo bay (Photos: Tom Coghlan):
Wreckage (Photo: Dominique Faget/AFP):
Wreckage (Photo: Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters):
Wreckage and bodies pixellated out (Photo: Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters):
Debris near Shakhtarsk:
Ground observer reporting seeing something hit the aircraft and aircraft
coming down (Video: Secretariat for HQ of National Resistance of Ukraine):
Copy (introducing english sub titles to the Russian spoken) of the video
above after the Youtube Account of Secretariat for HQ of National Resistance
of Ukraine was dissolved and the original video thus was removed:
Smoke rising from supposed crash site (Video: Secretariat for HQ of National
Resistance of Ukraine):
Map (Graphics: AVH/Google Earth):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4774a31a
20140714123243:20140713000000
Incident: Air India B773 at Newark on Jul 13th 2014, bird strike
An Air India Boeing 777-300, registration VT-ALR performing flight AI-144
from Newark,NJ (USA) to Mumbai (India) with 292 passengers and 21 crew,
was climbing out of Newark’s runway 22R when the crew of another aircraft
reported seeing flames and smoke out of the #1 engine (GE90, left hand).
In the meantime the crew of the Boeing 777, already on departure frequency,
stopped the climb at 2000 feet reporting the left hand engine had been shut
down and returned to Newark for a safe landing on runway 22R about 22 minutes
after departure.

The airport reported the aircraft came to a stop on an adjacent taxiway
with multiple tyres blown. There had been no bird strike.

The airline reported the left hand engine was shut down as result of a bird
strike, the passengers were taken to hotels and are being rebooked onto
other flights.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47735887
20140712210822:20140711000000
Incident: Jetblue A321 over Atlantic on Jul 11th 2014, cargo smoke indication
A Jetblue Airbus A321-200, registration N907JB performing flight B6-409
from New York JFK,NY (USA) to Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) with 173
passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL330 about 240nm west of Bermuda
(Bermuda) when the crew received a smoke indication in the aft luggage compartment,
no smell or haze was observed on board, and decided to divert to Bermuda.
Upon checking in with Bermuda Approach the crew reported no change, the
indication was still active. Upon contacting the tower the crew advised
the situation was still unchanged. The aircraft continued for a safe landing
on Bermuda’s runway 12. The aircraft vacated the runway and stopped on an
adjacent taxiway for an inspection by emergency services advising emergency
services they had no APU and could not shut down both engines, the right
hand engine was shut down for the inspection. Emergency services reported
no traces of fire, heat or smoke, thereafter the aircraft taxied to the
apron with emergency services in trail.

A replacement Airbus A320-200 registration N625JB reached Santo Domingo
with a delay of 10 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47729f02
20140715180506:20140711000000
Incident: United B772 over Pacific on Jul 11th 2014, haze on board
A United Boeing 777-200, registration N210UA performing flight UA-201 (dep
Jul 10th) from Honolulu,HI (USA) to Guam,GU (USA) with 335 passengers and
13 crew, was enroute at FL350 over the Pacific Ocean about 300nm southsouthwest
of Midway Islands,UM (USA) and about 850nm west of Honolulu when the crew
decided to return to Honolulu due to smell of smoke on board. The aircraft
descended to FL300 for the way back. About 10 minutes later haze was observed
in the cabin prompting the crew to turn north and divert to Midway Islands.
The aircraft dumped fuel and landed safely in Midway about one hour after
turning around.

A passenger reported there was a “problem with one of the wings” and the
cabin became smokey. Multiple passengers reported the aircraft had suffered
technical problems involving a burning smell in the cockpit prior to departure
and departed Honolulu with a delay of about 4 hours as result. Passengers
tweeted that the aircraft dumped fuel on the way to Midway.

There is a report on the Internet telling that the aircraft lost transponder,
radios and other systems one by one, however, radar data indicate the transponder
worked until touchdown.

Another passenger reported that there had been a burning smell prior to
departure. In flight the smell returned becoming stronger and stronger,
the smoke detectors in the aft cabin triggered. The captain announced there
were electrical problems and the (weather) radar had ceased functioning.
The replacement aircraft returned them to Honolulu, however, without the
luggage that could not be unloaded from the occurrence aircraft at Midway.

A replacement Boeing 777-200 registration N779UA positioned to Midway as
flight UA-2068 and returned the passengers to Honolulu as flight UA-2104
delivering the passengers back to Honolulu about 14 hours after their departure
from Honolulu.

The FAA reported there was an electrical smell in the cockpit.

The airline reported: “United flight 201 from Honolulu to Guam diverted
to Midway Island Thursday because of a mechanical issue. We sent another
aircraft to Midway Island to fly our customers back to Honolulu, where we
are accommodating them to their final destinations.”

On Jul 14th 2014 the airline reported that a defective equipment cooling
fan was identified as source of the problem. The fan was replaced and the
aircraft returned to service.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4771c6a3
20140710210803:20140709000000
Incident: Delta MD88 near Knoxville on Jul 9th 2014, smoke in cockpit
A Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-88, registration N949DL performing
flight DL-770 from Orlando,FL to Cincinnati,KY (USA) with 52 passengers
and 5 crew, was enroute at FL370 about 25nm southeast of Knoxville,TN (USA)
when both flight crew donned their oxygen masks, declared emergency reporting
smoke in the cockpit and decided to divert to Knoxville. On approach to
Knoxville’s runway 23R the crew advised that the smoke appeared to be dissipating
after they had turned off some of the equipment, but continued to use their
oxygen masks. The aircraft landed safely on runway 23R and stopped on the
runway, the crew removed their oxygen masks and requested emergency services
to check the aircraft from the outside for any indications of smoke or abnormality
explaining they had a smoke event. Emergency services reported no trace
of fire, smoke or heat and advised they would follow the aircraft to the
gate. The aircraft taxied to the apron with emergency services in trail.

The crew reported 57 people on board to emergency services, the airline
reported 41 passengers and 5 crew were on board of the aircraft.

A replacement MD-88 reached Cincinnati with a delay of 2:45 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=476c3752
20140703152059:20140703000000
Incident: British Airways B763 near London on Jul 3rd 2014, burning smell in cockpit
A British Airways Boeing 767-300, registration G-BNWX performing flight
BA-676 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Istanbul (Turkey) with 185 passengers,
was climbing out of London when the crew stopped the climb at FL230 reporting
a burning smell in the cockpit and returned to Heathrow Airport for a safe
landing on runway 27R about 35 minutes after departure (20 minutes after
stopping the climb). The aircraft taxied to the apron after inspection by
emergency services.

The airline reported the aircraft encountered a minor technical problem,
the problem is being resolved and the aircraft is about to resume the flight.

Emergency services reported they were alerted due to smoke in the cockpit.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4768835f
20140628213108:20140628000000
Incident: British Airways B744 over Atlantic on Jun 28th 2014, smoke and fumes
A British Airways Boeing 747-400, registration G-CIVO performing flight
BA-209 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Miami,FL (USA), was enroute at FL340
over the Atlantic Ocean about one hour into the crossing when the crew reported
smoke in the cabin and decided to turn around and divert to Shannon (Ireland).
The aircraft descended to FL280 for the flight back. The crew subsequently
reported also smoke and fumes in the cockpit and decided to divert to Dublin
(Ireland), then to return to London Heathrow, where the aircraft landed
safely about 2 hours after turning around.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47623e43
20140620162058:20140619000000
Incident: Wideroe DH8C at Skien on Jun 19th 2014, smoke in cockpit
A Wideroe de Havilland Dash 8-300, registration LN-WFH performing flight
WF-524 from Skien to Bergen (Norway) with 18 passengers and 3 crew, was
climbing out of Skien when smoke was observed on the flight deck prompting
the crew to return to Skien for a safe landing about 10 minutes after departure.

Passengers reported that less than 2 minutes after the gear was retracted
the gear was extended again making them aware of something was wrong. They
were later told a fan inside the cockpit was emitting smoke.

The flight was cancelled.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4766f146
20140626201305:20140618000000
Incident: Austrian B763 near Toronto on Jun 18th 2014, white smoke in cockpit
An Austrian Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration OE-LAZ performing flight
OS-66 from Chicago O’Hare,IL (USA) to Vienna (Austria) with 195 people on
board, was enroute at FL330 about 130nm northeast of Toronto,ON (Canada)
when the crew noticed white smoke in the cockpit, which dissipated after
about 15 seconds, the odour however remained. The crew worked the related
checklists and decided to turn around and divert to Toronto. On downwind
to runway 05 the crew requested emergency services on stand by due to an
overweight landing and a necessary brakes inspection. The aircraft landed
safely on runway 05 about 35 minutes after turning around and taxied to
the apron with emergency services in trail.

The Canadian TSB reported that the crew used autobrakes 1, the brakes temperatures
did not exceed 270 degrees C. Maintenance was subsequently advised that
a ground unit used in Chicago, that supplied pneumatic pressure to the aircraft
due to the non-availability of the APU, had broken down and possibly contaminated
the pneumatic ducting. The pneumatic ducting was cleaned, the system was
operated using engine power until the odour had disappeared, then the aircraft
was returned to service.

The remainder of the flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked
onto other flights.

The occurrence aircraft resumed service 22 hours after landing as flight
OS-72 from Toronto to Vienna.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4761a430
20140620171215:20140618000000
Incident: Jetblue A320 near Minot on Jun 18th 2014, electrical odour in cockpit
A Jetblue Airbus A320-200, registration N564JB performing flight B6-597
from Boston,MA to Seattle,WA (USA) with 132 people on board, was enroute
at FL340 about 90nm northeast of Minot,ND (USA) when the crew noticed an
electrical odour on the flight deck and decided to divert to Minot for a
safe landing about 23 minutes later. The crew cancelled the emergency after
landing advising the smell had dissipated.

The incident aircraft was able to continue the flight after 4:15 hours on
the ground and reached Seattle with a delay of 4.5 hours.

On Jun 20th 2014 the Canadian TSB reported that the aircraft was approximately
75nm southwest of Winnipeg,MB (Canada) when the crew detected heavy electrical
odour in the cockpit and spotted the cabin air recirculation fan circuit
breaker had tripped. The crew worked the related checklists turning off
the inflight entertainment system, declared emergency and diverted to Minot.
Maintenance identified the left cabin air recirculation fan was faulty,
disconnected the fan and the inflight entertainment system and released
the aircraft to continue the flight under minimum equipment list requirements.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47576084
20140606143521:20140606000000
Incident: Jet2 B733 at Blackpool on Jun 6th 2014, smoke from right hand side after landing
A Jet2.com Boeing 737-300, registration G-CELJ performing flight LS-740
from Alicante,SP (Spain) to Blackpool,EN (UK), landed on Blackpool’s runway
10 when during roll out smoke was observed from the right hand side of the
aircraft. The aircraft stopped on the runway, emergency services responded
and recommended evacuation of the aircraft. The occupants of the aircraft
subsequently left the aircraft via slides onto the runway.

Smoke seen on the right hand side, emergency services inspecting (Photo:
ac):
The aircraft being evacuated (Photo: ac):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4753a45f
20140601192217:20140531000000
Incident: TAM A320 at Belem on May 31st 2014, hydraulic leak
A TAM Linhas Aereas Airbus A320-200, registration PR-MBZ performing flight
JJ-3432 from Brasilia,DF to Belem,PA (Brazil), landed in Belem after a seemingly
uneventful flight. While turning off the runway smoke was observed from
the main landing gear, which was caused by hydraulic fluid dripping onto
the hot brakes of the aircraft.

The airline said the smoke was quickly brought under control by airline
maintenance staff.

The aircraft remained on the ground for about 32 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=475177d2
20140529215826:20140529000000
Incident: Copa B738 near Grand Cayman on May 29th 2014, wheel well fire indication
A Copa Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration HP-1837CMP performing flight
CM-219 from Havana (Cuba) to Panama City (Panama) with 115 people on board,
was enroute near Grand Cayman Islands (Cayman Islands) when the crew received
a wheel well fire indication. The crew decided to divert to Grand Cayman’s
Owen Robert International Airport, where the aircraft landed safely. Attending
emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The aircraft is estimated to reach Panama City with a delay of 4:15 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47515561
20140529173937:20140529000000
Incident: Ryanair B738 at Mallorca on May 29th 2014, wheel well fire indication
A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-DAL performing flight FR-8551
from Palma Mallorca,SP (Spain) to Memmingen (Germany) with 148 passengers,
was in the initial climb out of Mallorca’s runway 24L when the crew received
a wheel well fire indication, stopped the climb at about 5500 feet, extended
the landing gear, entered a hold at 3000 feet to burn off fuel and returned
to Mallorca for a safe landing on runway 24L about 30 minutes after departure.
Attending emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration EI-EFL reached Memmingen with
a delay of 6 hours.

The occurrence aircraft was able to resume service about 8.5 hours after
landing.

The airline confirmed a wheel well fire indication, there was no fire however.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=474fed48
20140527201419:20140525000000
Incident: Aeroflot A321 near Moscow on May 25th 2014, cargo smoke indication
An Aeroflot Airbus A321-200, registration VP-BWN performing flight SU-1860
from Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia) to Yerevan (Armenia) with 161 passengers
and 8 crew, was enroute at FL330 about 150nm south of the aerodrome when
the crew received a cargo smoke indication and decided to return to Sheremetyevo
Airport for a safe landing. Attending emergency services found no trace
of fire, heat or smoke.

A replacement Airbus A321-200 registration VQ-BOI reached Yerevan with a
delay of 4 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=474cdb93
20140523221514:20140522000000
Incident: Cityjet RJ85 near Dublin on May 22nd 2014, smoke in cockpit and cabin
A Cityjet Avro RJ-85, registration EI-RJH performing flight WX-118/AF-3135
from Dublin (Ireland) to London City,EN (UK) with 48 passengers and 4 crew,
was climbing out of Dublin when the crew donned their oxygen masks, stopped
the climb at about FL120 reporting smoke in the cockpit and a cracked windshield.
The aircraft returned to Dublin, on approach the crew advised the smoke
appeared to be dissipating in the cockpit, there were still significant
fumes in the cabin however, and performed a safe landing on runway 28 about
15 minutes after departure.

The airline reported that there was no cracked windshield. The cause of
the fumes/smoke is being investigated.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=477fca60
20140728162437:20140521000000
Incident: Qantas A388 near Honolulu on May 21st 2014, personal electronic device’s battery overheats
A Qantas Airbus A380-800, registration VH-OQK performing flight QF-93 from
Melbourne,VI (Australia) to Los Angeles,CA (USA), was enroute near Hawaii
(USA) when the battery of a passenger’s personal air purifier worn around
the neck overheated and emitted smoke. The crew performed the relevant emergency
actions and immersed the device in water which effectively dissipated the
heat from the device and stopped the smoke. The passenger received superficial
burns not needing medical assistance. The aircraft continued to Los Angeles
for a safe landing.

The ATSB reported on Jul 28th 2014, that the investigation into the occurrence
has been discontinued after the investigation established, that the battery,
a non-rechargeable Lithium battery, was within the specifications permitted
for carry on items and the crew reacted according to documented procedures,
which proved effective. The ATSB reasoned: “Given that the ATSBís records
show that this type of battery failure is quite uncommon and both the crewís
actions and documented procedures were effective in managing the small risks
involved, there would be limited safety benefit in investigating the matter
further, and as such, the ATSB investigation has been discontinued.”
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=479c3464
20140903153224:20140520000000
Incident: SA Express DH8D near Richards Bay on May 20th 2014, smoke in cockpit and cabin
A SA Express de Havilland Dash 8-400 on behalf of South African Airways,
registration ZS-YBY performing flight XZ-1213/SA-1213 from Johannesburg
to Richards Bay (South Africa), was on approach to Richards Bay about 20nm
before touch down when the crew donned their oxygen masks reporting smoke
in cockpit and cabin. The aircraft continued for a safe landing in Richards
Bay.

South Africa’s Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) reported in their May Bulletin
presenting “Statistics reflect accident information entered into the computer
by the Accident and Investigation Office” released on Sep 3rd 2014, that
during the descent towards Richard Bay (no typo) about 20nm out the crew
observed smoke in cockpit and cabin and used their oxygen masks.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4749c91b
20140519222720:20140518000000
Incident: American B738 at Boston on May 18th 2014, smoked bread crumbs
An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N840NN performing flight
AA-1532 from Boston,MA to Miami,FL (USA) with 160 people on board, was climbing
out of Boston when passengers noticed a smell of smoke prompting the crew
to return to Boston for a safe landing about 25 minutes after departure.

The aircraft was able to depart again about 80 minutes after landing and
reached Miami with a delay of 75 minutes.

The airline reported the source of the smell was identified to be bread
crumbs in a galley oven. The oven was cleaned and the aircraft departed
again.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4749c35c
20140519214707:20140515000000
Incident: Lufthansa A321 at Malta on May 15th 2014, cargo smoke indication
A Lufthansa Airbus A321-200, registration D-AISE performing flight LH-1310
from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Malta (Malta), was on approach to Malta
when a cargo smoke indication occurred. The crew continued for a safe landing
on Malta’s runway 31. The aircraft stopped on the runway for an inspection
by emergency services. Passengers subsequently disembarked onto the runway
via mobile stairs.

The return flight was cancelled, the aircraft positioned to Frankfurt as
flight LH-9973 about 3:45 hours after landing.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4742d5eb
20140510213012:20140510000000
Incident: United B752 over Pacific on May 10th 2014, smoke in cockpit and cabin
A United Boeing 757-200, registration N29124 performing flight UA-1296 from
Los Angeles,CA to Kona,HI (USA) with 150 people on board, was enroute at
FL340 about 70 minutes into the flight when the crew decided to return to
Los Angeles reporting smoke in cockpit and cabin. The aircraft landed safely
back in Los Angeles about 2.5 hours after departure.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=473fa0e6
20141222152902:20140506000000
Incident: Vietnam A332 at Melbourne on May 6th 2014, rejected takeoff
A Vietnam Airlines Airbus A330-200, registration VN-A371 performing flight
VN-780 from Melbourne,VI (Australia) to Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) with
180 passengers and 13 crew, was accelerating for takeoff from Melbourne’s
runway 16 when the right hand engine (PW4168) failed causing the crew to
reject takeoff at low speed (just above 30 knots). The aircraft slowed safely
and came to a stop on the intersection between runways 16 and 27 (3000 feet/1000
meters down the runway), emergency services responded, debris from the engine
was found on the runway.

The airport was closed for about one hour until the aircraft was moved off
the runways.

Passengers reported hearing a pop sound like a tyre had blown and seeing
streaks of flame out of the engine. The crew braked hard and stopped the
aircraft.

Ground observers reported seeing lots of smoke from the aircraft and believed
an engine fire had occurred.

The airport reported there had been an engine failure, debris of the engine
was found on the runway. There had been no engine fire however, the smoke
came off the tyres and was the result of hard braking by the crew.

The airline confirmed an “engineering malfunction” before takeoff.

On Dec 22nd 2014 the Australian Transportation Safety Board (ATSB) reported
that the loss of power of the right hand engine was the result of blade
failures on the 4th stage of the low pressure turbine. The ATSB stated:
“One of those turbine blades was found to exhibit a fracture surface that
appeared to be different to the remaining blades” and followed up stating
that this blade was found to have fractured as result of high cycle fatigue
cracking. The area of the crack initiation however could not be examined
due to being obscured by rotational contact marks between blade and 4th
stage nozzle guide vane clusters. Now the investigation “will focus on determining
whether the turbine blade failed due to the failure of other upstream engine
components or as a result of a defect within the blade itself.”

The fractured blade (Photo: ATSB):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4739fa40
20150409132429:20140429000000
Accident: Air Contractors B734 at East Midlands on Apr 29th 2014, parts of left main gear failed
An Air Contractors Boeing 737-400 freighter, registration EI-STD performing
freight flight QY-1748 from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to East Midland,EN
(UK) with 2 crew and 10 tonnes of freight, had safely landed on East Midland’s
runway 27 at about 02:26L (01:26Z) and slowed to taxi speed. While attempting
to turn off the runway parts the left main gear collapsed disabling the
aircraft on the runway. There were no injuries.

The runway needed to be closed for most of the day, current estimate is
the runway re-opens by 19:00L (18:00Z).

The airline reported the aircraft had landed normally and had slowed safely.
While turning off the runway parts of the left main gear failed. The aircraft
was carrying 10 tonnes of freight (maximum capacity 17 tonnes). The captain
(39) had 4,500 flight hours, the first officer (38) 3,900 hours. The aircraft
had undergone its last A-maintenance check the last weekend (Apr 26th and
27th) and its last heavy maintenance check in February 2013. The Irish AAIU
and the British AAIB have been informed.

The AAIB have opened an investigation into the occurrence rated an accident
and dispatched investigators on site.

On Apr 9th 2015 the AAIB released their final bulletin concluding the probable
causes of the accident were:

The damage to the flap system, fuselage, and MLG equipment was attributable
to the detachment of the left MLG axle, wheel and brake assembly. The damage
to the MLG outer cylinder, engine and nacelle was as result of the aircraft
settling and sliding along the runway.

The left MLG axle assembly detached from the inner cylinder due to the momentary
increase in bending load during the transition from auto to manual braking.
The failure was as a result of stress corrosion cracking and fatigue weakening
the high strength steel substrate at a point approximately 75 mm above the
axle.

It is likely that some degree of heat damage was sustained by the inner
cylinder during the overhaul process, as indicated by the presence of chicken
wire cracking within the chrome plating over the majority of its surface.
However, this was not severe enough to have damaged the steel substrate
and therefore may have been coincidental. Although the risk of heat damage
occurring during complex landing gear plating and refinishing processes
is well understood and therefore mitigated by the manufacturers and overhaul
agencies, damage during the most recent refinishing process cannot be discounted.

The origin of the failure was an area of intense, but very localised heating,
which damaged the chrome protection and changed the metallurgy; ie the formation
of martensite within the steel substrate. This resulted in a surface corrosion
pit, which, along with the metallurgical change, led to stress corrosion
cracking, fatigue propagation and the eventual failure of the inner cylinder
under normal loading.

The AAIB reported the first officer was pilot flying, due to low visibility
procedures in progress at East Midland the crew decided to conduct a CATIII
autoland. During roll out, at about 60 KIAS, the first officer handed controls
to the captain (38, ATPL, 4,279 hours total, 377 hours on type), who pushed
the brakes pedals to disengage autobrakes, the system remained connected
however. The captain pushed the brake pedals harder, autobrakes disconnected,
the aircraft shuddered and rolled slightly left. The captain used the steering
tiller to keep the aircraft on the runway. The first officer saw smoke drift
by the aircraft, the crew of another aircraft reported smoke from the landing
gear, the captain concluded one of the main gear legs had failed and due
to the other crew report was concerned the aircraft might be on fire. He
moved both engine start levers to the cut off position to shut off the engines.
Three fire engines had reached the aircraft but took positions rather far
from the aircraft prompting the commander to conclude that the aircraft
was not on fire (he reasoned that if there had been any fire the engines
would move closer and start to apply fire agent).

Runway marks indicated that the aircraft had travelled 115 meters/380 feet
from the point of its left main gear failure to its final resting position.
The flight data recorder indicated a spike in longitudinal acceleration
s the aircraft slowed through 52 KIAS and another spike 2.25 seconds later.
The aircraft rolled to a bank angle of 7 degrees left afterwards and remained
in that attitude until end of recording.

The left main landing gear inner cylinder was found fractured across the
full diameter through the chrome portion about 75mm above the axle, the
upper torque link arm failed, anti-skid wiring harness, conduit and brake
pipes were parted. The left main wheels, brakes unit and axle assembly came
to rest 27 meters behind the aircraft.

Examination of the left main assembly did not reveal any anomalies except
for the chrome plating at the inner cylinder, which showed extensive crazing
over the majority of the surface with small flakes of the plating having
separated leaving an imprint of the crazing in the form of ferrous oxide
tracks. The fracture surface showed stress corrosion at the origin of the
fracture, further into the material there was evidence of fatigue and the
remainder of the fracture surface exhibited evidence of ductile overload.

The AAIB continued: “As the investigation progressed it was also found that
the ferrous oxide tracks on the substrate were present beneath the chrome
which was exposed to the elements, but not on the upper area normally surrounded
by oil in the outer cylinder. The inner cylinder area above the fracture
face on the portion of the cylinder which had
been forced up into the outer cylinder during the runway abrasion exhibited
circumferential helical bands in the chrome plate. When the chrome was removed,
these marks were also present on the steel substrate. Metallurgical analysis
revealed localised heating damage correlating to the bands” and stated:
“Metallurgical examination of the microsection through the fracture face
showed an area in the substrate steel of over and undertempered martensite,
consistent with localised heating.”

The AAIB reported that the left main gear assembly had undergone overhaul
between December 2012 and January 2013, during which the plating of the
inner cylinder had been re-chromed and re-finished.

The AAIB analysed that the brakes application by the captain was within
usual range and did not contribute to the failure of the landing gear stating:
“The brake pedal application to deselect the autobrake is likely to have
imparted a short duration increased drag load to both MLG. This load was
not excessive, but was enough to overload the already weakened structure
of the left MLG inner cylinder.”

The AAIB analysed: “It is possible that damage was as a result of very high
temperature localised heating of the chrome plated surface which also affected
the substrate beneath. This senario is supported by the presence of the
martensitic area in the substrate steel as shown by the examination after
microsection through the fracture surface. However, this is the only area
of localised heat damage other than the helical banding. Therefore, it can
be concluded that the chicken wire cracking is likely to have been caused
by a grinding anomaly during the finishing process, but that it was not
severe enough to impart heat damage into the steel substrate.”

Related NOTAM:
C2206/14 – RWY 09/27 CLOSED. 29 APR 02:53 2014 UNTIL 29 APR 18:00 2014 ESTIMATED.
CREATED: 29 APR 02:55 2014

Metars:
EGNX 290250Z 08005KT 3000 BR BKN006 10/09 Q1013
EGNX 290150Z VRB03KT 3000 BR BKN006 10/09 Q1013
EGNX 290120Z 10004KT 070V140 3000 BR BKN006 10/09 Q1013
EGNX 290050Z 12006KT 1500 BR BKN004 10/09 Q1013
EGNX 290020Z 13006KT 100V180 1100 R27/P1500 BR FEW002 BKN003 10/10 Q1013
EGNX 282350Z 11006KT 0900 R27/P1500 FG FEW002 BKN003 10/10 Q1014
EGNX 282320Z 13007KT 0900 R27/P1500 FG FEW002 BKN003 10/09 Q1014

Ferrous oxidation on the substrate beneath the chrome plating after longitudinal
microsection (Photo: AAIB):
EI-STD sitting on the runway (Photo: Roger Nock):
The left main wheels on the runway (Photo: Roger Nock):
Distance between aircraft and wheels (Photo: Roger Nock):
Map (Graphics: AVH/Google Earth):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4739655a
20140428161242:20140428000000
Incident: S7 A321 at Moscow on Apr 28th 2014, smoke in cabin
A S7 Sibir Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration VQ-BQI performing flight
S7-155 from Moscow Domodedovo (Russia) to Chisinau (Moldova) with 219 people
on board, was in the initial climb out of Domodedovo’s runway 32L when the
crew stopped the climb at 6000 feet due to smoke in the cabin and returned
to Domodedovo Airport for a safe landing on runway 32L about 30 minutes
after departure.

A replacement Airbus A321-200 registration VQ-BQJ is estimated to reach
Chisinau with a delay of 2.5 hours.

Russia’s Ministry of Interior initially reported the aircraft returned because
of a fire indication for the right hand engine (CFM56).

The airline later reported the aircraft returned due to smoke in the cabin.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47396180
20140428154527:20140425000000
Incident: TAM A321 near Salvador on Apr 25th 2014, cargo smoke indication
A TAM Linhas Aereas Airbus A321-200, registration PT-MXH performing flight
JJ-3861 from Recife,PE to Brasilia,DF (Brazil) with 150 people on board,
was enroute at FL320 about 200nm west of Salvador,BA (Brazil) when the crew
received a cargo smoke indication and diverted to Salvador, where the aircraft
landed safely on runway 10 about 30 minutes later. Attending emergency services
found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The aircraft was able to continue the flight after about 4:15 hours on the
ground and reached Brasilia with a delay of 5.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4737f000
20140426185442:20140424000000
Incident: Envoy E145 near Tampa on Apr 24th 2014, smoke on board
An Envoy Air (former American Eagle) Embraer ERJ-145, registration N935AE
performing flight MQ-3454 from Tallahassee,FL to Miami,FL (USA) with 47
passengers and 3 crew, was climbing out of Tallahassee when the crew stopped
the climb at FL250, donned their oxygen masks and decided to divert to Tampa,FL
(USA) reporting smoke on board. The aircraft landed safely on Tampa’s runway
01L about 11 minutes later. After landing the crew advised that the smoke
on board had gone, the aircraft vacated the runway and taxied to the apron.

A passenger reported there had been a loud boom in the back of the aircraft
immediately followed by smell of smoke.

The airline confirmed there was smell of smoke on board, however, the airline
was not aware of any explosion.

N935AE is powered by AE3007 engines.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=473b0fdf
20140430203136:20140421000000
Incident: Sky Regional DH8D at Moncton on Apr 21st 2014, passenger detects wheel damage
A Sky Regional de Havilland Dash 8-400 on behalf of Air Canada, registration
C-FSRW performing flight RS-7527/AC-7527 from Moncton,NB to Montreal,QC
(Canada), was in the initial climb when a passenger notified the crew the
outboard right hand main wheel had suddenly stopped during the departure
roll and had started to emit smoke. The crew decided to continue the flight
to Montreal. Upon descending towards Montreal the crew notified ATC of the
problem with the wheel and requested emergency services on stand by for
the arrival. The aircraft landed safely on Montreal’s runway 24R.

The Canadian TSB reported that the right main wheel bearing, the brake,
wheel and and axle assembly were replaced. The aircraft manufacturer is
investigating the occurrence.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4734da77
20140422173811:20140420000000
Incident: Qatar A333 at Doha on Apr 20th 2014, smoke in cabin
A Qatar Airbus A330-300, registration A7-AEA performing flight QR-1 from
Doha (Qatar) to London Heathrow,EN (UK), was in the initial climb out of
Doha’s runway 33 when the crew stopped the climb at 2500 feet due to smoke
in the cabin and returned to Doha for a safe landing on runway 33 about
13 minutes after departure.

A replacement Airbus A330-200 registration A7-ACB reached London with a
delay of 4:15 hours.

Passengers reported that there was a strong burning smell, then visible
haze and smoke about mid cabin. Cabin crew fetched portable fire extinguishers
and checked the cabin including walls and overhead bins for possible sources
of heat or fire but without finding any. The cabin was prepared for an evacuation,
however, the smoke began to dissipate and was gone by the time of touch
down. Emergency services met the aircraft upon landing. The passengers disembarked
normally.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47e25db9
20141202171649:20140419000000
Report: Flydubai B738 near Kiev on Apr 19th 2014, IFE could not resist smoking
A Flydubai Boeing 737-800, registration A6-FEK performing flight FZ-727
from Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to Kiev Zhuliany (Ukraine) with 59 passengers
and 7 crew, was descending towards Kiev at about 15000 feet, when cabin
crew noticed smoke rose from passenger seat 9A. One cabin crew relocated
the passengers in seats 9A-C, another cabin crew fetched a fire extinguisher
and a smoke hood and discharged the fire extinguisher onto the seat, the
power to the inflight entertainment system was turned off. In the meantime
the cabin supervisor informed the flight deck about increasing smoke and
heavy fumes in the cabin indicating an electrical fire, the flight crew
declared emergency, declined an offer to divert to Kiev’s main airport Borispol
Airport and discussed whether they should perform a straight in landing
to runway 26 though winds favoured runway 08. A second fire extinguisher
was fetched, however not discharged anymore as cabin crew noticed the smoke
had decreased and was dissipating. The flight crew at the same time was
working the fire, smoke, fumes checklist, upon completing the checklist
cabin crew informed the flight deck that the smoke had ceased and dissipated.
The flight crew continued for a normal safe landing on Zhuliany’s runway
08.

The United Arab Emirates GCAA released their final report concluding the
probable causes of the incident were:

The Air Accident Investigation Sector (AAIS) determines that the causes
of the smoke that emitted from the visual display unit VDU of seat 9A were:

– Gasses emitted from the PCB of the VDU backlight inverter board.

– Heat caused by increased current demand after the break in the secondary
coil of the transformer followed by the failure of the primary side transistor
components.

– The failure of the fuse to open quickly and isolate the circuit due to
its inappropriate rating related to the VDU application and possibly other
reasons not determined by the Investigation.

Contributing Factors to the Incident

Contributing factor to the Incident was that the material of the fuse might
have helped in transferring heat by ‘conduction’ between the fuse and the
PCB of the backlight inverter board.

The GCAA reported that cabin crew already identified the smoke was originating
from the visual display unit of the inflight entertainment system for seat
9A. The system was removed after the flight and heat damage was found inside
consistent with the inverter printed circuit board (PCB) being heated by
heat transfer from the fuse and emitting smoke as result. The current demand
had increased due to a failure of the secondary winding of the transformer
of the VDU’s power supply, the fuse however did not trip because its current
rating was substantially higher than needed for VDU operation.

The GCAA analysed that the responses by cabin crew, flight crew as well
as the aerodrome had been in line with the required procedures.

The smoking inverter board (Photo: GCAA):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=472d32cd
20140412164909:20140412000000
Incident: American B772 near Norfolk on Apr 12th 2014, cargo fire indication
An American Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration N778AN performing flight
AA-950 (dep Apr 11th 2014) from Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil) to New York
JFK,NY (USA), was enroute at FL360 about 175nm eastsoutheast of Norfolk,VA
(USA) when the crew received a forward cargo fire indication. The crew activated
the fire suppression system in the cargo hold and decided to divert to Norfolk.
Despite the discharge of the fire suppression system the fire indication
continued. The aircraft landed safely on Norfolk’s runway 23 about 28 minutes
after leaving FL360 and stopped at the end of the runway for emergency services
to check the cargo hold. Emergency services did not find any trace of fire,
heat or smoke.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=477635ad
20150316172453:20140411000000
Incident: China Airlines B738 near Bangkok on Apr 11th 2014, burning smell, smoke and arcing in cabin
A China Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration B-18601 performing flight
CI-7916 from Yangon (Myanmar) to Taipei (Taiwan) with 155 passengers and
8 crew, was enroute at FL370 about 250nm northwest of Bangkok when the crew
noticed a burning odour near the main cabin door 1L, then observed smoke
and arcing. While cabin crew discharged fire extinguishers the flight crew
diverted the aircraft to Bangkok. The aircraft entered a hold at 6000 feet,
climbed to FL100, descended to 7000 feet again to enter another hold and
landed safely at Bangkok about 2 hours after leaving FL370.

Taiwan’s Aviation Safety Council (ASC) reported the occurrence on Jul 16th
2014 stating that an investigation into the Fire/Smoke occurrence has been
opened.

On Mar 16th 2015 Taiwan’s ASC released their final report in Chinese concluding
the probable causes of the occurrence were:

– There were existing compression situation of forward galley 2 electric
wire and the ceiling panel, the normal operation vibration caused the wire
rubbing against the ceiling panel. The exposed conducting wire inside the
electric wire and graphite fibers inside the ceiling panel rubbing against
each other caused short circuit happened between the left side panel and
the metal beam. The electric circuit from conducting wire to the right hand
side then to the left hand side metal beam panel, the electric circuit formed
a short circuit to ground and caused the cabin electric arcing.

– There are 2 probable causes regarding to the situation of the compression
between the forward galley 2 electric wire and the ceiling panel.

+ When the aircraft was shop out 16 years ago, the forward galley 2 wire
had compressed to the ceiling panel, however, the occurrence did not occur
due to the wire wrap was the close type; 8 years ago, the wire wrap was
changed to open type when the mechanic re-installed the clamp and wire in
accordance with Engineering Order (EO) instruction, at the time the wire
had compressed to the ceiling panel directly. The vibration of normal operation
caused the electric wire to rubbing against the ceiling panel. The conducting
wire inside the electric wire and graphite fibers inside the ceiling panel
was exposed and compressed each other.

+ China Airlines did not train the mechanic regarding the positioning marking
before remove and reinstall the components when the aircraft was shop out;
consequently, the mechanic did not perform positioning marking when the
EO was performed 8 years ago. The EO content also did not include the positioning
marking step which caused the clamp was installed onto the fore side of
the fastener mistakenly lead the wire compressed to the ceiling panel.

The ASC reported that the aircraft was enroute when the cabin crew at position
1R heard a “bang” sound and noticed a burning smell, a passenger pointed
to smoke coming from the cabin ceiling. Cabin crew 1R found a dark spot
near the door 1L and dripping material. The purser was informed, checked
the spot, felt an electrical shock when touching the panel and suspected
a hidden fire. While the flight crew initiated a diversion to Bangkok, cabin
crew disconnected all power to forward galley #2. Being unable to get behind
the panel for identifying the source of the fire, the purser requested the
axe from the captain, that is kept in the cockpit, the captain handed the
axe to the purser, the purser used the axe to create a hole in the panel,
during that process an electrical arc shot about 30cm in length came off
the ceiling. The arc ceased after a fire extinguisher was discharged into
the hole.

The dark spot at the cabin ceiling (Photo: ASC):
The chafed wires (Photo: ASC):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=472ee7d0
20140414210436:20140411000000
Incident: Canadian North B732 near Yellowknife on Apr 11th 2014, smell of smoke and haze in cabin
A Canadian North Boeing 737-200, registration C-GNDU performing flight 5T-447
from Cambridge Bay,NU to Yellowknife,NT (Canada) with 36 people on board,
was enroute at FL330 about 160nm north of Yellowknife when the crew reported
the smell of smoke as well as haze on board. The flight crew received a
#2 air conditioning system trip off indication, shut the system down, the
haze and smell dissipated thereafter. The aircraft landed safely in Yellowknife.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=472d3d53
20140905143147:20140411000000
Incident: British Airways A319 at Frankfurt on Apr 11th 2014, smoke in cockpit
A British Airways Airbus A319-100, registration G-EUPZ performing flight
BA-909 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to London Heathrow,EN (UK), was in
the initial climb out of Frankfurt’s runway 18 when the crew reported smoke
in the cockpit, stopped the climb at about 4000 feet, entered a right hand
turn and landed safely on runway 07C (active runways 25) about 13 minutes
after departure.

The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto other flights.

The incident aircraft was able to resume service on Apr 19th 2014.

On Sep 5th 2014 Germany’s BFU reported in their April Bulletin that shortly
after departure the crew donned their oxygen masks, reported smoke in the
cockpit, declared PAN, PAN, PAN and returned to Frankfurt for a landing
on runway 07C. Maintenance identified a defective fan in the avionics compartment
and replaced the fan.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=472d3aeb
20140412174556:20140411000000
Incident: Caribbean B738 over Atlantic on Apr 11th 2014, smell of smoke
A Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration 9Y-JMA performing flight
BW-425 from New York JFK,NY (USA) to Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago)
with 106 people on board, was enroute at FL350 about 120nm southwest of
Bermuda (Bermuda) when the crew reported the smell of smoke on board and
decided to divert to Bermuda, however without declaring emergency. The aircraft
landed safely on Bermuda’s runway 12 about 30 minutes later.

The incident aircraft was able to continue the flight as flight BW-3425
the following day and reached Port of Spain with a delay of 26.5 hours.

Police reported the aircraft diverted after an electrical burning smell
was observed in the cabin.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4729f1e9
20140408123903:20140407000000
Incident: Lufthansa A343 at Frankfurt on Apr 7th 2014, rejected takeoff
A Lufthansa Airbus A340-300, registration D-AIGU performing flight LH-630
from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates), was accelerating
for takeoff from Frankfurt’s runway 18 when the crew rejected takeoff at
high speed due to a #4 engine (CFM56, outboard right hand) fire indication.
The aircraft slowed safely and stopped on the runway, emergency services
responded, checked the engine and cooled the brakes. The aircraft subsequently
returned to the gate.

A replacement Airbus A340-300 registration D-AIFA reached Dubai with a delay
of 3:40 hours.

A passenger reported the aircraft was accelerating for takeoff normally,
when the brakes came on at high speed. After the aircraft had come to a
full stop the captain announced an engine #4 fire indication, a smell of
overheated brakes became apparent in the cabin, emergency services arrived
and checked the engine and brakes. There had been no unusual noises, vibrations
or smells prior to the brakes coming on, there was no visible smoke or fire.

The incident aircraft is still on the ground in Frankfurt 24 hours later.

Engine #4 being checked by emergency services:
Emergency service line up:

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47287cb2
20140406171230:20140406000000
Incident: Jetstar A320 near Rockhampton on Apr 6th 2014, fumes in forward cabin
A Jetstar Airbus A320-200, registration VH-VQW performing flight JQ-959
from Cairns,QL to Sydney,NS (Australia) with 132 passengers, was enroute
at FL370 about 130nm southwest of Rockhampton,QL (Australia) when the crew
reported smoke in the cockpit and decided to divert to Rockhampton where
the aircraft landed safely on runway 33 about 22 minutes later.

The airline reported passengers in the forward cabin noticed a strong smell
prompting the diversion. The passengers were taken to hotels overnight while
the aircraft is being examined for the cause of the fumes.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4726ab38
20140404104729:20140404000000
Incident: Qantas A332 near Adelaide on Apr 4th 2014, cargo fire indication
A Qantas Airbus A330-200, registration VH-EBQ performing flight QF-581 from
Sydney,NS to Perth,WA (Australia) with 266 people on board, was enroute
at FL380 about 150nm westsouthwest of Adelaide,SA (Australia) when the crew
received an aft cargo fire indication and activated the fire suppression
system which stopped the fire indication. The aircraft turned around and
diverted to Adelaide for a safe landing on Adelaide’s runway 05 about 23
minutes later. Attending emergency services found no trace of fire, heat
or smoke.

Qantas said the crew received a warning indication indicating a possible
technical problem, the crew diverted to Adelaide as a safety precaution.
The passengers disembarked normally via the aerobridge.

Passengers reported that apart from the aircraft turning back to Adelaide
and the crew announcements they did not notice anything abnormal, in particular
there were no unusual smells. Other passengers tweeted however there was
smoke in the cabin.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=472870ab
20140406155313:20140403000000
Incident: Expressjet E145 near Lexington on Apr 3rd 2014, smoke in cockpit
An Expressjet Embraer ERJ-145 on behalf of United, registration N14558 performing
flight EV-5924/UA-5924 from Chicago O’Hare,IL to Knoxville,TN (USA) with
52 people on board, was enroute at FL370 about 25nm northeast of Lexington,KY
(USA) when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and decided to divert
to Lexington. Upon checking in with Lexington approach the crew reported
the smoke had subsided and they were continuing the diversion as a precaution.
The aircraft landed safely on Lexington’s runway 22 about 25 minutes after
leaving FL370 and taxied to the apron.

The remainder of flight was cancelled.

The airline stated a maintenance issue caused the diversion to Lexington.
The passengers were reaccomodated.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=472563e5
20140402221518:20140402000000
Incident: KLM B773 near Bangkok on Apr 2nd 2014, cargo fire indication
A KLM Boeing 777-300, registration PH-BVA performing flight KL-836 from
Singapore (Singapore) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), was enroute at FL280 about
110nm southsouthwest of Bangkok (Thailand) when the crew told passengers
they had received a cargo fire indication, the fire suppression system had
been activated and they needed to divert to Bangkok, subsequently stating
the fire indication had extinguished. The aircraft dumped fuel and landed
safely in Bangkok about 30 minutes after the fire indication. Attending
emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The passengers were taken to hotels and reported they were told the repair
of the fire suppression system would take until next day.

The airline apologized to passengers in written stating the flight (that
had departed Denpasar for Singapore on Apr 1st 2014 and departed Singapore
at 00:30L on Apr 2nd) had to be diverted to Bangkok as a safety precaution
because of a fire warning in a hold. The flight could not be continued due
to crew duty time limitation.

The incident aircraft was able to continue the flight just after midnight
local time, about 21 hours after landing, and is estimated to reach Amsterdam
with a total delay of 22 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4724695a
20140401214130:20140331000000
Accident: Jetblue E190 at Kingston on Mar 31st 2014, smoke in cockpit
A Jetblue Embraer ERJ-190, registration N267JB performing flight B6-876
from Kingston (Jamaica) to Fort Lauderdale,FL (USA) with 98 passengers,
was climbing out of KIngston when smoke in the cockpit prompted the crew
to return to Kingston, where the aircraft landed safely about 15 minutes
after departure. 6 passengers received injuries.

The airline confirmed smell of smoke on board of the aircraft, 6 passengers
received medical assistance after landing.

The FAA reported 6 passengers received injuries following smoke in the cockpit.

The source of the smoke is under investigation.

Jamaica’s Airport Authority reported they are investigating whether the
smoke came from one of the engines or air conditioning systems. One of the
passengers received a leg fracture while exiting the aircraft.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47216824
20140328195618:20140328000000
Incident: Aeromar AT42 at Lazaro Cardenas on Mar 28th 2014, smoking brakes during line up
An Aeromar Avions de Transport Regional ATR-42-300, registration XA-TIC
performing flight VW-610 from Lazaro Cardenas to Mexico City (Mexico) with
18 people on board, was taxiing for departure turning onto the runway to
line up for departure when a large plume of white smoke rose from the left
hand main gear prompting the crew to evacuate the aircraft. Emergency services
responded and doused the left hand gear.

The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto another flight.

Passengers reported they were heading for the runway and the aircraft was
in the turn into takeoff position when they felt a jolt and strong vibrations,
the crew stopped the aircraft believing they had burst a tyre when white
smoke became visible outside. The captain ordered the evacuation of the
aircraft. They were later told a tyre had blown indeed starting the sequence
of events.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=471f2ed4
20140325224319:20140324000000
Incident: Sunstate DH8D near Brisbane on Mar 24th 2014, lavatory fire indication
A Sunstate Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-400 on behalf of Qantas, registration
VH-QOT performing flight QF-2128 from Sydney,NS to Gladstone,QL (Australia)
with 33 passengers and 4 crew, was enroute at FL240 about 135nm southwest
of Brisbane,QL (Australia) when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit.
The aircraft diverted to Brisbane for a safe landing about 30 minutes later.

Passengers reported fumes occurred in the cabin, the air conditioning shut
down followed by a fire detector going off in the lavatory.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=471d8035
20140323191757:20140322000000
Incident: Air France B773 near Paris on Mar 22nd 2014, cargo smoke indication
An Air France Boeing 777-300, registration F-GSQC performing flight AF-456
from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil),
had just reached cruise level 310 about 95nm southwest of Paris when the
crew declared emergency reporting a cargo smoke indication and returned
to Paris. The aircraft dumped fuel on the way back and landed safely on
Charles de Gaulle Airport’s runway 26R about 35 minutes later. Attending
emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

A replacement Boeing 777-300 registration F-GSQB departed the following
day as flight AF-456A and is estimated to reach Sao Paulo with a delay of
28 hours.

A passenger reported the crew announced they had just declared emergency
due to a cargo fire indication, passengers should assume brace positions
for landing. Emergency services found no hazard.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=471f28a3
20140325215903:20140321000000
Incident: Westjet B737 near Winnipeg on Mar 21st 2014, smoke in cabin
A Westjet Boeing 737-700, registration C-GRWS performing flight WS-655 from
Toronto,ON to Calgary,AB (Canada) with 109 passengers and 5 crew, was enroute
at FL380 near Winnipeg,MB (Canada) when the crew reported a burning odour
and smoke in the cabin. The crew shut down the cabin utility power after
which smoke and odour subsided. The crew continued the flight to Calgary
for a safe landing.

The Canadian TSB reported a recirculation fan was reported failed.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=471bf5d0
20140321213549:20140320000000
Incident: Alaska B737 near Eugene on Mar 20th 2014, galley oven smoking
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N618AS performing flight
AS-513 from Santa Ana,CA to Seattle,WA (USA) with 122 people on board, was
enroute at FL400 about 130nm southsoutheast of Eugene,OR (USA) when the
crew decided to divert to Eugene after a galley oven “decided” to smoke.
The galley power was turned off and a fire extinguisher discharged into
the oven, the smoke ceased. The aircraft landed safely at Eugene about 30
minutes after leaving FL400.

A replacement Boeing 737-800 carrying a maintenance team was dispatched
to Eugene, resumed the flight and reached Seattle with a delay of 4 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4718c5ee
20140317231132:20140316000000
Incident: Arabia A320 near Mumbai on Mar 16th 2014, cargo smoke indication
An Air Arabia Airbus A320-200, registration A6-ANL performing flight G9-454
from Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) to Kozhikode (India) with 171 passengers
and 6 crew, was enroute over the Arabian Sea southwest of Mumbai (India)
when the crew received a smoke indication in one of the cargo holds. The
aircraft diverted to Mumbai for a safe landing. Attending emergency services
found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The aircraft was able to continue the flight to Kozhikode after about 5.5
hours on the ground in Mumbai and reached Kozhikode with a delay of 6.5
hours (including a delay at departure from Sharjah).
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47170e3f
20140316070608:20140314000000
Incident: Cargolux B744 near Shannon on Mar 14th 2014, cargo fire indication
A Cargolux Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration LX-SCV performing flight
CV-765 from Aguadilla (Puerto Rico) to Maastricht (Netherlands) with 2 crew
and a cargo of flowers, was enroute at FL370 about 120nm east of Shannon
(Ireland) over the Irish Sea when the crew declared emergency reporting
a cargo fire indication. The aircraft descended and set course to divert
to Cardiff,WL (UK) but stopped the descent at 4000 feet, climbed back to
FL100 and diverted to Shannon advising they would vacate the runway after
landing. The aircraft landed safely on runway 24 in low visibility about
one hour after declaring emergency and about 40 minutes after aborting the
approach to Cardiff. Attending emergency services found no trace of fire,
heat or smoke.

The airline reported the main deck fire warning was caused by moisture from
the flowers on board of the aircraft.

Metars Cardiff:
EGFF 140720Z 00000KT 0050 R12/0125 FG VV/// 04/04 Q1029
EGFF 140650Z VRB03KT 0000 R12/0125 FG VV/// 04/03 Q1029
EGFF 140620Z VRB03KT 0000 R12/0150 FG VV/// 03/03 Q1029
EGFF 140550Z 09005KT 0900 R12/P1500 FG NSC 02/02 Q1029
EGFF 140520Z AUTO 06005KT 0600 R12/1400 FG NCD 02/02 Q1029
EGFF 140450Z 08006KT 1600 BR NSC 03/03 Q1028
EGFF 140420Z 08005KT 1500 BR NSC 03/02 Q1029
EGFF 140350Z 09005KT 1400 BR NSC 03/02 Q1029
EGFF 140320Z 05005KT 2200 BR NSC 04/04 Q1029
EGFF 140250Z AUTO 07005KT 1900 BR NCD 04/03 Q1029
EGFF 140220Z 06006KT 2000 BR NSC 04/03 Q1029

Metars Shannon:
EINN 140700Z 25007KT 6000 FEW001 BKN008 07/07 Q1030 BECMG BKN015
EINN 140630Z 21004KT 1500 -DZ FEW001 BKN005 07/07 Q1029 NOSIG
EINN 140600Z 24004KT 1500 -DZ FEW002 BKN004 07/07 Q1029 NOSIG
EINN 140530Z 24003KT 1800 BR FEW003 BKN005 07/06 Q1029 NOSIG
EINN 140500Z 23003KT 1800 BR SCT001 BKN005 06/06 Q1030 NOSIG
EINN 140430Z 22006KT 1400 R24/P1500 R06/P1500 BR SCT001 BKN004 06/06 Q1030
NOSIG
EINN 140400Z 24009KT 1200 R24/P1500 R06/P1500 MIFG SCT001 BKN004 06/06 Q1030
NOSIG
EINN 140330Z 27004KT 1200 R24/P1500 R06/P1500 MIFG SCT001 BKN004 06/06 Q1030
NOSIG
EINN 140300Z 27009KT 1100 R24/P1500 R06/P1500 MIFG SCT001 BKN003 06/06 Q1030
NOSIG

LX-SCV being checked by emergency services:

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47156cf9
20140313214601:20140310000000
Incident: Juneyao A320 near Jinan on Mar 10th 2014, forward cargo fire indication
A Juneyao Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration B-6381 performing flight
HO-1253 from Shanghai Hongqiao to Beijing (China), was enroute near Jinan
(China) when the crew received a forward cargo fire indication, activated
the fire suppression system and diverted to Jinan for a safe landing. Responding
emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The airport reported the fire indication was determined false.

A replacement Airbus A320-200 registration B-6735 reached Beijing with a
delay of 4 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47303d7f
20140416154202:20140309000000
Incident: British Airways A320 at Prague on Mar 9th 2014, loose nut
A British Airways Airbus A320-200, registration G-EUUT performing flight
BA-858 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Prague (Czech Republic), had landed
on Prague’s runway 24 and was about to taxi to the apron when ground personnel
observed smoke from the right hand main gear and notified tower, who dispatched
emergency services to assist the aircraft. Emergency services established
that the smoke was result of hydraulic fluid dripping onto the hot brakes.

Czech’s UZPLN reported in their quarterly bulletin that after cooling the
brakes mechanics found a leak at brake #4, where the hoses for the green
and yellow hydraulic systems connected to the brake. The nuts on those hydraulic
connectors were tightened and the brakes tested without fault.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47112400
20140308120514:20140308000000
Incident: Indigo A320 at Kathmandu on Mar 8th 2014, smoke from brakes during roll out
An Indigo Airbus A320-200, registration VT-IEU performing flight 6E-31 from
Delhi (India) to Kathmandu (Nepal) with 176 passengers and 6 crew, landed
normally on Kathmandu’s runway 02. During the roll out smoke was observed
from the right hand main gear. The aircraft stopped on an adjacent taxiway
and was evacuated via slides through the right hand doors. No injuries are
being reported, emergency services responded and cooled the brakes.

The return flight was cancelled.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4710c69b
20140428090534:20140308000000
Crash: Malaysia B772 over Gulf of Thailand on Mar 8th 2014, aircraft missing, data indicate flight MH-370 ended west of Australia
An Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration 9M-MRO performing flight
MH-370 from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to Beijing (China) with 227 passengers
and 12 crew, was enroute at FL350 about 40 minutes into the flight about
90nm northeast of Kota Bharu (Malaysia) over the Gulf of Thailand in contact
with Subang Center (Malaysia) just about to be handed off to Ho Chi Minh
Air Traffic Control Center (Vietnam) when radar and radio contact was lost
at about 01:22L (17:22Z Mar 7th). Subang Air Traffic Control Center officially
told the airline at around 02:40L (18:40Z Mar 7th) that the aircraft was
missing. Malaysia’s Prime Minister stated on Mar 15th that based on new
satellite data there is evidence that the data communication systems and
transponder had been turned off by deliberate action by someone on board
and the aircraft deviated off course, the last confirmed communication between
aircraft and satellites occurred at 00:11Z (Mar 8th). On Mar 24th 2014 Malaysia’s
Prime Minister announced that according to new computations by Inmarsat
and the British AAIB there is no reasonable doubt that flight MH-370 ended
in the South Indian Ocean west of Perth (Australia).

On Mar 8th 2014 the airline confirmed on their website the aircraft is missing,
a search and rescue operation has been initiated. Subang Air Traffic Control
reported at 02:40 local Malaysian time, that radar and radio contact with
the aircraft had been lost. The last radar position was N6.92 E103.58. There
has been no distress call, no ELT or other signal was received from the
aircraft. The focus is currently to locate the aircraft, as of 11:20Z Mar
8th search teams from Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam have failed to find
any evidence of the aircraft. On Mar 9th 2014 14:43L (06:43Z) the airline
added, that still no evidence of the aircraft has been found more than 24
hours after last contact with the aircraft and corrected the time of last
contact with the aircraft to 1:30L. The airline stated, they are fearing
for the worst, depending on where the aircraft will be found a command center
will be set either at Kota Bharu or Ho Chi Minh City.

In a press conference the airline stated, the last contact with the aircraft
had been about 120 miles (90nm) northeast of Kota Bharu (Malaysia), over
the Gulf of Thailand. The aircraft was piloted by an experienced captain
(53, 18,365 hours total) and a first officer (27, 2,763 hours total). The
aircraft carried 154 Chinese citizens, 38 Malaysians, 7 Indonesians, 6 Australians,
5 Indian, 4 French, 3 citizens of USA, 2 New Zealanders, 2 Ukrainians, 2
Canadians, 1 Russian, 1 Italian, 1 Dutch and 1 Austrian.

On Mar 11th 2014 the airline reported that the aircraft had accumulated
53,465 flight hours in 7,525 flight cycles since its delivery to Malaysia
Airlines in 2002. The aircraft has last undergone maintenance on Feb 23rd
2014. All Malaysia Airlines aircraft are equipped with ACARS transmitting
monitoring data automatically. However, no distress call and no information
was relayed. The search area has been extended and includes the Strait of
Malacca west of Malaysia looking at the possibility that the aircraft may
have turned back and diverted to Subang (Malaysia).

On Mar 8th 2014 search missions have been launched along the estimated flight
track of the aircraft from Gulf of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos to
China (South China Sea).

On Mar 8th 2014 at about noon local time Vietnamese search personnel reported
they have detected an ELT signal about 20nm south of the coast of Ca Mau.
Vietnam officials subsequently stated that they have not yet detected flight
MH-370.

On Mar 8th 2014 in the afternoon local time an Admiral of the Vietnamese
Navy was understood to indicate that the crash site of the aircraft has
been located about 130nm south of the Vietnamese Island Tho Chau (110nm
southwest of main land Ca Mau), the Navy later said that the admiral only
referred to the position of last radio/radar contact with the aircraft,
the aircraft has not yet been found.

On Mar 8th 2014 China reported that the aircraft did not enter Chinese airspace
(editorial note: which effectively discounts rumours and false reports by
a Malaysian outlet of the aircraft having landed in Nanning (China)).

On Mar 8th 2014 Nanning Airport stated the aircraft did not arrive at the
airport.

On Mar 9th 2014 the NTSB reported that a go-team has been dispatched to
Asia to assist with the investigation into the missing flight MH-370. The
NTSB wrote: “Once the location of the airplane is determined, International
Civil Aviation Organization protocols will determine which country will
lead the investigation.”

In the evening of Mar 9th 2014 local time Malaysia’s Transport Ministry
reported, that no trace of the missing aircraft has been found at dawn Mar
9th after two days of search. The oil slicks as well as debris found so
far are not related to the aircraft. Rumours like other crew establishing
contact to the accident flight after radar contact was lost, phone contact
to a mobile phone of one the passengers of the missing flight or the aircraft
having landed in China or Vietnam, are false.

In the night of Mar 9th 2014 Vietnam’s Search and Rescue Control Center
released a photo of a part floating in the Gulf of Thailand, that despite
darkness was discovered by a Twin Otter Aircraft of Vietnam’s Coast Guard
at position N8.792 E103.374 about 31nm southsouthwest of Tho Chu (editorial
note: 114nm north of the last radar contact position) and is believed to
be a part of the aircraft. The Control Center stated, the part is definitely
made of composite material. Forces will be dispatched to the part after
daybreak Mar 10th 2014. Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation said later
that this part is unrelated to MH-370, it was not recovered.

Hong Kong’s Air Traffic Control Center reported on Mar 10th 2014 around
17:30L (09:30Z) that an airliner enroute on airway L642 reported via HF
radio that they saw a large field of debris at position N9.72 E107.42 about
80nm southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, about 50nm off the south-eastern coast
of Vietnam in the South China Sea and about 281nm northeast of the last
known radar position. Ships have been dispatched to the reported debris
field.

On Mar 10th 2014 Vietnam’s Search and Rescue Control Center confirmed receiving
the report by Hong Kong’s Air Traffic Control Center stating that a Hong
Kong based airliner reported a large field of debris while enroute on airway
L642. A Thai cargo ship in the area was asked for assistance and has set
course to the area but did not find anything unusual so far. A second vessel
asked for assistance did find some debris. Following this finding Vietnam’s
Maritime Search and Rescue Services (MRCC) dispatched a ship to the debris
field.

On Mar 10th 2014 Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department confirmed a Cathay
Pacific flight from Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur spotted large amount of debris
while enroute off the coast of South East Vietnam.

Vietnam’s Search and Rescue Center later announced that the border guard
vessel arriving at the position of the debris field did not find any objects.
There were high winds and large waves, the debris possibly drifted away.

On Mar 11th 2014 Malaysia’s Air Force reported their primary radar data
suggest, the aircraft may have turned west over the Gulf of Thailand at
about 1000 meters/3000 feet below the original flight level (editorial note:
another possible interpretation could be: at 1000 meters of height compared
to 10000 meters original level) and flown past the east coast near Kota
Bharu and the west coast of Malaysia near Kedah, the radar return was last
seen at 02:40L near Pulau Perak in the Straits of Malacca, about 285nm westsouthwest
of the last known (secondary) radar position. Local Police at Kota Bharu
confirmed a number of locals reported lights and a low flying aircraft at
Kota Bharu at an estimated height of 1000 meters/3000 feet.

Early Mar 12th 2014 the commander of Malaysia’s Air Force stated, he did
not make statements about the aircraft being tracked across Malaysia into
the Strait of Malacca. The Air Force does not discount the possibility of
an air turn back however, as stated in a press conference on Mar 9th 2014.

In the evening of Mar 11th 2014 Vietnam’s Search and Rescue Center reported
they were expanding their search areas both to the east and west including
the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand. Two Chinese search planes in addition
to the Vietnamese ships and aircraft have been operating over Vietnamese
waters, so far there has not been any finding. The oil slicks and debris
found in the Gulf of Thailand south of Tho Chau Island proved unrelated
to MH-370, the field of debris of Mar 10th was determined false alert too.

On Mar 12th 2014 Vietnam’s Search and Rescue Control Center reported that
analysis of satellite images of Vietnams coastal regions, capable of showing
objects sized 2.5 meters by 2.5 meters, did not detect any signs of the
aircraft. Around noon the Control Center reported, that the search operation
continues in full like the days before based on official information from
Malaysia that the aircraft has not been tracked in the Strait of Malacca.
9 Vietnamese aircraft and 9 Vietname ships plus 14 foreign aircraft and
22 foreign ships are searching Vietnamese waters.

On Mar 12th 2014 officials of Malaysia’s Civil Aviation Authority talking
to families of occupants of MH-370 in Beijing reported that the aircraft
was just in the process of being handed off to Vietnam, the last radio transmission
heard from the aircraft was “Okay, good night”. The crew did not report
on Vietnam’s frequency anymore. About three minutes later Vietnam’s control
center noticed that the aircraft had disappeared from radar and had not
reported on his frequency. There had been no emergency or distress calls
on any means of communication, although radio coverage of the area is generally
good. Malaysia’s CAA officials stressed, that they do not have any indication
that the aircraft may have turned back or deviated from the planned route.
The aircraft “suddenly disappeared”. So far the aircraft has not been found
although a total of 1788 ships are participating in the search for the aircraft.

Editorial note on Mar 12th 2014: On Mar 10th Malaysia expanded the search
area into the Strait of Malacca assigning substantial forces to that large
search area (much larger than the search area in the Gulf of Thailand with
a radius of 100nm around the last known secondary radar position east of
Malaysia). It remains unclear why this has been done given the Mar 12th
denials of reports of Mar 11th that the aircraft may have been tracked by
primary radar into the Strait of Malacca explaining that widened search.
It also remains unclear why on Mar 12th the search is now moving northwest
into the Andaman Sea west of Malaysia, especially when there are/were no
indications of the aircraft turning back as Malaysia officials told families
in Beijing on Mar 12th.

In the evening of Mar 12th 2014 the commander of Malaysia’s Air Force confirmed
in a televised news conference, that an unidentified radar target was last
seen at FL295 about 200nm northwest of Penang (Malaysia) at 02:15L after
a number of intermittent returns (editorial note: this translates to just
off the coast of Phuket (Thailand) in the Andaman Sea). As the primary radar
does not identify which aircraft produced the return (other than secondary
radar identifying the aircraft via the aircraft’s transponder), it is not
clear whether that unidentified target was MH-370. This radar observation
however prompted Malaysia’s Authorities to expand the search into the Strait
of Malacca and Andaman Sea.

Late Mar 12th 2014 China’s State Administration of Science (SASTIND) reported,
they discovered three large objects sized 13×18, 14×19 and 24×22 meters
at position N6.7 E105.63 (121nm eastsoutheast of the last known secondary
radar position), all three objects within a radius of 20km (11nm) and published
the satellite images, taken on Mar 9th 2014 at 11:00 Beijing time (03:00Z),
see below. SASTIND stated they are committed to provide further search services
to locate flight MH-370.

On Mar 13th 2014 two Vietnamese aircraft reached the position identified
by SASTIND but did not find any debris scanning the area for about 3 hours.
China’s head of government ordered Chinese ships to the position to “try
harder” to find the debris identified by the satellite images. The head
of China’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAC) stated, that the SASTIND satellite
images show smoke and floating objects, however, “at this time the CAAC
can not confirm these objects are related to MH-370″ (editorial note: media
reports converted this statement into “the debris is not from MH-370”).

On Mar 13th 2014 afternoon Malaysia’s Transport Minister said in a televised
press conference, that the last ACARS transmission was received from the
aircraft at 01:07L (17:07Z), there were no later transmissions via ACARS
(editorial note: which effectively states a report by a single US “news”
paper of the engines monitoring recording information via ACARS for 4 more
hours is untrue), the last transmission received from the aircraft indicated
all systems were operating normally. Boeing, Roll Royce, and NTSB confirmed
the last data transmission received from the aircraft was at 01:07L. Malaysia’s
Search Control Center consulted with the NTSB and other agencies with respect
to the unidentified primary radar returns and it was a common decision,
that there were sufficient grounds to dedicate forces to search for the
aircraft west of Malaysia. The aircraft dispatched to the location identified
by SASTIND did not find anything, China did not intend to release the satellite
images to the public. Malaysia is committed to find the aircraft and is
going to intensify search efforts further.

In the afternoon of Mar 14th 2014 Malaysia’s Transport Minister re-iterated,
that there was a primary target seen indeed, it may be MH-370 but could
be any other aircraft too. It can neither be confirmed nor ruled out that
this radar target was MH-370. As result the search areas are being widened
into the Indian Ocean beyond Andaman Islands to the west as well as to the
east further into the South China Sea. Two oil slicks have been discovered
near the position of last contact, one of these oil slicks contained jet
fuel, however, it is not clear whether this jet fuel comes from MH-370 or
not. Malaysia is sharing data that would normally not be shared with the
public in the interest of national security. Media reports that the aircraft
transmitted any data beyond the point of last contact are not true.

During the press conference in the afternoon of Mar 14th 2014 Malaysia’s
Transport Minister provided more details about the primary radar observation
stating, the target was first picked up at waypoint IGARI at FL350 (editorial
note: waypoint IGARI nearly conincides with the last secondary radar position
of MH-370) at 01:21L moving towards waypoint VAMPI, then waypoint GIVAL
and finally turning northwest towards waypoint IGREX. The target was lost
at FL295 after GIVAL at 02:15L.

On Mar 14th 2014 Inmarsat released following statement on their website:
“Routine, automated signals were registered on the Inmarsat network from
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 during its flight from Kuala Lumpur. This
information was provided to our partner SITA, which in turn has shared it
with Malaysia Airlines. For further information, please contact Malaysia
Airlines.” (Editorial note: this statement does NOT state at which times
this occurred, nor does it state that those signals were registered after
17:22Z on Mar 7th).

On Mar 15th 2014 Malaysia’s Prime Minister stated in a press conference:
“based on new satellite communication we can say with a high degree of certainty
that the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS)
was disabled just before the aircraft reached the east coast of peninsular
Malaysia. Shortly afterwards, near the border between Malaysian and Vietnamese
air traffic control, the aircraftís transponder was switched off.” Movements
of the aircraft until the aircraft left Malaysia’s primary radar coverage
were consistent with deliberate action by someone on the aircraft. The primary
radar target, so far believed but not confirmed to be MH-370, could today
be identified as MH-370 with the help of new data received from the satellite
data provider. The aircraft could have flown on for 7 hours, the last trace
of the aircraft was identified at 08:11L (00:11Z Mar 8th). “Due to the type
of satellite data we are unable to confirm the precise location of the plane
when it last made contact with the satellite.” However, the investigation
was able to determine that the last communication was in one of two corridors:
“the northern corridor stretching approximately from the border of Kazakhstan
and Turkmenistan to northern Thailand or the southern corridor stretching
approximately from Indonesia to Southern Indian Ocean.” The investigation
team is working to further refine the information. The search in the South
China Sea and Gulf of Thailand has been ended. “In view of this latest development
the Malaysian Authorities have refocussed their investigation into the crew
and passengers on board. Despite media reports, that the plane was hijacked,
I wish to be very clear we are still investigating all possibilities as
to what caused MH-370 to deviate from its original flight path.”

On Mar 15th 2014, following the speach by Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Malaysia
Airlines released a statement stating amongst others: “This is truly an
unprecedented situation, for Malaysia Airlines and for the entire aviation
industry. There has never been a case in which information gleaned from
satellite signals alone could potentially be used to identify the location
of a missing commercial airliner. Given the nature of the situation and
its extreme sensitivity, it was critical that the raw satellite signals
were verified and analysed by the relevant authorities so that their significance
could be properly understood. This naturally took some time, during which
we were unable to publicly confirm their existence.

We were well aware of the ongoing media speculation during this period,
and its effect on the families of those on board. Their anguish and distress
increases with each passing day, with each fresh rumour, and with each false
or misleading media report. Our absolute priority at all times has been
to support the authorities leading the multinational search for MH370, so
that we can finally provide the answers which the families and the wider
community are waiting for.”

On Mar 16th 2014 Malaysia’s Minister of Transport said, that the search
has become much more difficult now including 25 instead of so far 14 countries
including diplomatic efforts. Areas of land in 11 countries are being searched.
Satellite data, primary and secondary radar data as well as search aircraft
and ships are being requested. The aircraft took off with the fuel planned
according to flight plan, there was no additional fuel loaded. The investigation
refocussed on crew, all passengers as well as all ground personnel handling
the aircraft. The crew homes have been searched, the captain’s flight simulator
equipment was dismantled and re-assembled at police premises for further
investigation. The crew members had not requested to fly together. The team
of Inmarsat have arrived in Malaysia supporting the investigation. Priority
is still on the search and rescue operation. There have been no attempts
to contact Malaysia, the airline or any other party in order to seek ransom
or other compensation in exchange for occupants or the aircraft. There was
no hazardeous cargo on board, the cargo has been checked according to standard
operating procedures. The satellite signals could also have been sent while
the aircraft was on the ground as long as there was electrical power available.

On Mar 17th 2014 Malaysia’s Minister of Transport reported that three investigators
of the French BEA, who had been involved in the search for AF-447 see Crash:
Air France A332 over Atlantic on Jun 1st 2009, aircraft entered high altitude
stall and impacted ocean, have arrived in Malaysia and are joining the search
for MH-370 sharing their knowledge and experience with AF-447. Police had
visited the homes of both pilots on Mar 9th 2014 and spoken with family
members, one Mar 15th the captain’s flight simulator was disassembled with
the help of family members and re-assembled at police premises for further
investigation. The last ACARS transmission received was at 01:07L, the next
regular ACARS transmission would have occurred at 01:37L 30 minutes later.
It is not known when the ACARS system was disabled. Initial investigation
identified the first officer was transmitting the last radio call at 01:19L.

On Mar 17th 2014 Australia announced that they are going to dedicate substantial
forces to coordinate and conduct the search in the sectors of the South
Indian Ocean. All Australian agencies are reviewing their data to see whether
anything can be determined that might help to locate the aircraft.

On Mar 18th 2014 Malaysia’s Minister of Transport and Minister of Foreign
Affairs stated, that all countries operating satellites have been contacted
in search for additional clues in the search area of 2.24 million square
nautical miles. Equipment with deep sea detection capability is being asked
for. There have been diplomatic efforts to contact and seek assistance from
the countries in the northern and southern search corridors, the response
has been excellent. There have been no new data discovered from Indonesia
so far, the data are being revisited however, not only satellite but also
all other data Indonesia’s military might have about the hours following
the disappearance of MH-370. Current focus of the investigation is to narrow
the search area by the use of additional data that may be available through
satellite and other sources by other nations, there have been talks with
the US Department of Defense in that respect, too. As of current there is
still equal focus on both northern and southern corridors. The aircraft’s
transponder responses were last seen at 01:21L. Every country in the search
area is in possession of primary radar data, the data are being assessed
and all aircraft movements in the search area are currently being identified.
However, the only primary radar data in the open is Malaysia’s. Malaysia
has put the interest of passengers and the search for MH-370 above national
interest.

Mar 18th 2014: According to China’s news agency Xinhua China have started
to search for MH-370 within China’s territory.

On Mar 18th 2014 Australia’s Maritime Safety Agency (AMSA) confirmed they
are coordinating a search for MH-370 in the South Indian Ocean. The first
search area is about 1500nm southwest of Perth,WA (Australia), aircraft
from Australia, New Zealand and the USA are participating in that search.

On Mar 18th 2014 Thailand’s Air Force reported that they did pick up a primary
target of an airliner on Mar 8th once that departed Kuala Lumpur towards
Vietnam, however, had no subsequent contact with such a target. The information
has been passed on to Malaysia. The Air Marshal stated that media reports
in Thailand referring to the Air Forces’ chief claiming, the air forces’
primary radar at Surat Thani had tracked an aircraft departing from Malaysia,
turning around and passing Butterworth (Malaysia) were inaccurate. The Marshal
added, that had the aircraft been tracked in Thailand’s airspace, the Air
Force would have responded, and an information would have been provided
to Malaysia. On Mar 19th 2014 the Marshal told Malaysia’s Authorities, that
an intermittent signal of an airliner was picked up at 01:28L as it headed
towards Kuala Lumpur from the South China Sea, turned right towards Butterworth
(Malaysia) and was lost from radar. That signal was only detected after
specific request by Malaysia, the signal was never observed within Thailand’s
airspace.

On Mar 19th 2014 Malaysia’s Transport Minister said, Malaysia contacted
the Maldives, the Air Force Chief of Maldives told Malaysia the reports
of an aircraft sighting at the Maldives Islands are not true. Both corridors
are of equal importance in the search operation, the southern corridor is
much more challenging however. The logs of the captain’s flight simulator
have recently been “cleared”. There were no findings of any signficance
with any of the passengers. The aircraft followed its regular flight plan
to Beijing via waypoint IGARI, there is no evidence that waypoints have
been added or modified.

On Mar 20th 2014 Australia’s Maritime Safety Agency announced that expert
analysis of satellite images by Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation
showed two pieces of debris about 2500km (1350nm) southwest of Perth adjacent
to the search area defined. The debris may or may not be related to MH-370.
Three search planes have been dispatched to the location as well as a fourth
plane tasked to drop buoys. A Norwegian merchant ship, that has joined the
search for MH-370, has been dispatched to and has already reached the location,
too. Later on Australia released panchromatic (left) and multispectral (right)
satellite images taken on Mar 16th 2014 which led to the discovery of two
objects at positions S44.05 E90.96 and S44.05 E91.224 (distance 11.89nm
between objects, 3085nm from last primary radar contact). The US Navy said,
strong radar returns received by search aircraft in the area, are not linked
to the objects. Australia pledged to continue the search for the objects
by air and ship until located, unless it is certain they can not be found.
If the objects are not located today, they’ll be searched for tomorrow,
… In the evening of Mar 20th AMSA tweeted that the first search aircraft,
a RAAF Orion P3, had not been able to locate the objects but encountered
limited visibility due to cloud and rain in the search area. In the evening
the search was suspended but is going to resume on Mar 21st 2014 (local
Australian time).

On Mar 20th 2014 Malaysia’s Transport Minister stated in the daily briefing,
that Australia’s prime minister called Malaysia advising that two objects
have been identified southwest of Perth in satellite images which may or
may not be related to MH-370. Search aircraft have been dispatched into
the area, another aircraft has been tasked to drop data buoys to assist
in identifying drifts. An Australian Navy vessel has been dispatched to
the area but is several days away. China is using 21 satellites to search
for the aircraft within China’s borders, other countries in the northern
search area are conducting aerial searches. 18 ships are searching the southern
corridor.

In the evening of Mar 21st 2014 Australia’s Maritime Safety Agency AMSA
reported that the searches of Mar 21st have been concluded without any sightings.
6 aircraft have been scanning 23,000 square kilometers of waters. By now
two merchant ships are in the area, the Royal Australian vessel HMAS Success
is expected to arrive in the search area on Mar 22nd.

On Mar 21st 2014 Inmarsat experts stated, that the pings received by their
satellite over the Indian Ocean were basically signals to check whether
the aircraft still wanted service (“are you alive”). It was positively established
that the pings were coming from 9M-MRO indicating the receiver and transmitter
were still powered up. In further determination the round trip time of signals
from the satellite sending the inquiry out until receiving the reply from
the aircraft was measured and it was detected, that the round trip time
increased from hour to hour, which indicated the aircraft was moving away
from its last known (secondary radar) position.

On Mar 22nd 2014 Malaysia Airlines stated: “Malaysia Airlines wishes to
clarify that the lithium ion batteries carried onboard MH370 on 8 March
2014 was in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation
(ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) requirements
where it is classified as Non Dangerous Goods.”

On Mar 22nd 2014 Malaysia’s Transport Minister said that China, India, Pakistan,
Myanmar, Laos, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have reported according preliminary
analysis of radar data there were no sightings of the aircraft on Mar 8th
in their countries. A cyclone has been forecast to affect the southern corridor
search area with very strong winds and rough sea. The transcript of the
communication between aircraft and Malaysian ATC as well as the cargo manifest
is in possession of the investigation, they are going to be released to
the public in due course. The minister stated: “Preliminary investigation
of the cargo manifest has not shown any link to anything that might have
contributed to MH370ís disappearance”.

On Mar 22nd 2014 China’s State Administration of Science (SASTIND) released
a new satellite image identifying an object floating in the waters at S44.95
E90.22. The satellite image was taken on Mar 18th, the object has been determined
to be 22 by 13 meters (in Malaysia press conference erroneously reported
as 22 by 30 meters as the Ministry of Transport of Malaysia later confirmed).
The position of this object is about 63nm southwest of the objects identified
by AMSA on Mar 20th 2014.

On Mar 22nd 2014 late night Australia’s AMSA reported that all aircraft
have returned to base. One aircraft sighted objects with naked eyes including
identifying a wooden pallet, a buoy has been dropped into the debris to
track its movement, another aircraft was dispatched and reported only seeing
clumps of seaweed. A merchant ship is approaching that position to collect
the objects. The Chinese satellite discovery was within Saturday’s search
area, aircraft tasked to the search however did not sight that debris. The
search continues on Sunday (Mar 23rd) in the effort to locate the objects
observed on satellite images so far.

On Mar 23rd 2014 Malaysia’s Transport Minister said, that Malaysia received
new satellite images from French Authorities showing potential objects in
the vicinity of the current search area in the southern corridor. The images
were forwarded to Australia. Two Chinese and Two Japanese search aircraft
have joined the Australian search out of Perth. An Australian vessel carrying
a remote controlled submarine vehicle is on the way in the search area.
Indonesia is leading the search into the northern part of the south corridor,
two search aircraft from India joined the search out of Subang. The last
ACARS transmission received from the aircraft at 01:07L showed nothing unusual
and showed a normal routing towards Beijing.

On Mar 23rd 2014 AMSA reported that a number of civil aircraft including
an Airbus A319-100 have joined the search southwest of Perth. An area of
59,000 square kilometers is being searched during Mar 23rd, the area has
been determined based on drift modelling derived from the marker buoys dropped
during first day of search. By the end of Mar 23rd there were no sightings
of significance from all 8 aircraft and HMAS Success involved in the search,
earlier the day there had been fog in the search area, the conditions however
improved during the day.

In the early afternoon of Mar 24th 2014 AMSA tweeted that one of the Chinese
search planes spotted objects in the South Indian Ocean within the search
area of 69.500 square kilometers of today. Resources are being relocated.
Later AMSA reported that an Australian search plane saw one circular grey
or green object and a rectangular orange object in the search area, the
objects are different from the earlier Chinese observation. HMAS Success
is heading towards these objects.

During the regular press conference of Malaysia’s Transport Minister on
Mar 24th 2014 the airline representative stated, that the first officer
was on his 6th flight on the Boeing 777 after having undergone conversion
training from another aircraft type. The aircraft was carrying wooden pallets
but there is no evidence the wooden pallet sighted in the South Indian Ocean
was one carried by MH-370. The aircraft was carrying 200kg of Lithium batteries
packaged in full compliance with safety requirements in addition to electronics
and several tons of fruit.

On Mar 24th 2014 Malaysia’s Prime Minster called for an unscheduled press
conference at 10pm local time (14:00Z). Families of occupants of the aircraft
in Beijing have been called in to a short term meeting, and there are reports
the families of occupants have been booked onto charter flights to Australia.
Relatives in Kuala Lumpur have commenced a meeting at 21:30L.

In the press conference on Mar 24th 2014 Malaysia’s Prime Minister said,
that the experts of the AAIB briefed the prime minister stating that the
satellite experts have done further computations on the satellite data using
methods never used before. Based on the new computations Inmarsat and the
AAIB have concluded MH-370 flew the southern corridor with its final position
west of Perth, Australia at a remote area of the Indian Ocean with no landing
sites. “It is with deep sadness and regret I must inform you that, according
to these new data, flight MH-370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean”, the
Prime Minister stated.

Shortly after the Prime Minister’s press conference on Mar 24th 2014 Malaysia
Airlines released their statement given to relatives of the occupants stating:
“Malaysia Airlines deeply regrets that we have to assume that MH370 ended
in the southern Indian Ocean. As you will hear in the next hour from Malaysiaís
Prime Minister, new analysis of satellite data suggests the plane went down
in the Southern Indian Ocean.”

Shortly after the PM’s press conference of Mar 24th 2014 Inmarsat reported
that the new analysis of their satellite data used to identify the corridor
and final location was based on the Doppler effects modifying radio waves
and frequencies depending on speed and direction of travel of the aircraft,
these data were compared to other flights. The computations are not precise
enough to give the accurate position, however, made it possible to identify
the general location. The new modelling and comparism were developed after
the first discovery of the data on Mar 11th 2014, the work is still in progress.

On Mar 25th 2014 Australia’s AMSA decided to suspend all search activities
for the day due to weather conditions with forecast gales of 80+ kph and
associated sea swell as well as low level cloud with bases forecast at 200
to 500 feet, the conditions would pose a risk to the search crews. The search
is estimated to resume on Mar 26th.

On Mar 25th 2014 Malaysia’s Transport Minister reported in the daily press
conference the last complete handshake between satellite and aircraft took
place at 00:11Z as previously reported, there is evidence that another incomplete
hand shake occurred at 00:19Z. A new method based on Doppler effect to compute
the speed of the aircraft relative to the satellite and compare these results
with other aircraft along the northern and southern corridor showed little
match within the northern corridor but good match with the southern corridor,
the method permitted to roughly locate the aircraft at the time of the last
complete handshake. As result the search in the north corridor as well as
in the northern part of the southern corridor have been aborted, the search
area has been narrowed to 469,407 square nautical miles instead of the previous
2.24 million square nautical miles. Works to further narrow down the search
area including decoding and analysis of the last incomplete handshake at
00:19Z continue. In the search area near Perth six Chinese ships are estimated
to arrive on Mar 26th, HMAS Success is going to return to the search area
after temporarily having left the area due to rough sea and weather. The
Transport minister said quote: “In recent days Inmarsat developed a second
innovative technique which considers the velocity of the aircraft relative
to the satellite. Depending on this relative movement, the frequency received
and transmitted will differ from its normal value, in much the same way
that the sound of a passing car changes as it approaches and passes by.
This is called the Doppler effect. The Inmarsat technique analyses the difference
between the frequency that the ground station expects to receive and one
that is actually measured. This difference is the result of the Doppler
effect and is known as the Burst Frequency Offset. The Burst Frequency Offset
changes depending on the location of the aircraft on an arc of possible
positions, its direction of travel, and its speed. In order to establish
confidence in its theory, Inmarsat checked its predictions using information
obtained from six other B777 aircraft flying on the same day in various
directions. There was good agreement. While on the ground at Kuala Lumpur
airport, and during the early stage of the flight, MH370 transmitted several
messages. At this stage the location of the aircraft and the satellite were
known, so it was possible to calculate system characteristics for the aircraft,
satellite, and ground station. During the flight the ground station logged
the transmitted and received pulse frequencies at each handshake. Knowing
the system characteristics and position of the satellite it was possible,
considering aircraft performance, to determine where on each arc the calculated
burst frequency offset fit best. The analysis showed poor correlation with
the Northern corridor, but good correlation with the Southern corridor,
and depending on the ground speed of the aircraft it was then possible to
estimate positions at 0011 UTC, at which the last complete handshake took
place. I must emphasise that this is not the final position of the aircraft.
There is evidence of a partial handshake between the aircraft and ground
station at 0019 UTC. At this time this transmission is not understood and
is subject to further ongoing work. No response was received from the aircraft
at 0115 UTC, when the ground earth station sent the next log on / log off
message. This indicates that the aircraft was no longer logged on to the
network. Therefore, sometime between 0011 UTC and 0115 UTC the aircraft
was no longer able to communicate with the ground station. This is consistent
with the maximum endurance of the aircraft. This analysis by Inmarsat forms
the basis for further study to attempt to determine the final position of
the aircraft. Accordingly, the Malaysian investigation has set up an international
working group, comprising agencies with expertise in satellite communications
and aircraft performance, to take this work forward.” The Minister handed
out documents prepared by Inmarsat and the AAIB, see below.

In the evening of Mar 25th 2014 AMSA announced that the search is going
to resume on Wednesday (Mar 26th) after gale force winds subsided and visibility
improved. 12 aircraft and 5 ships (HMAS Success and 4 chinese ships) are
expected in the search area on Wednesday.

On Mar 26th 2014 Malaysia’s Minister of Transport stated in the daily press
conference that French Satellites have identified 122 objects so far forming
a field of debris, the various objects sized between one and 23 meters in
size. The field spreading over an area of about 400 square kilometers/120
square nautical miles was located on images taken on Mar 23rd 2014 at a
position of approx. S44.6695 E90.607 near the earlier observation SASTIND
had made in the South Indian Ocean.

In the evening of Mar 26th 2014 AMSA reported that all 12 aircraft have
left the search area, two private aircraft reported seeing three objects,
two of them likely ropes, none of which could be relocated in another pass.
HMAS Success plus four chinese ships are continuing in the search area.

On Mar 27th 2014 AMSA reported 11 aircraft and 5 ships set out to search
an area of 23,000 square nautical miles, the aircraft needed to be called
back to Perth due to the weather. The ships, initially thought to be leave
the search area too, will remain in the search area and attempt to continue
their search pattern. The bad weather is estimated to last 24 hours.

On Mar 28th 2014 AMSA reported the search has resumed in full, 10 aircraft
and 6 ships are joining the search in the search area, that has been revised
after assessment of primary radar data over the South China Sea and Strait
of Malacca showed the aircraft was travelling faster requiring higher fuel
burn and thus reducing range of the aircraft. The ATSB have cross checked
the assessment and determined that this new assessment is a credible lead
as to where the debris may be located. As result the search area has been
relocated about 1100km/590nm north, now 1850km/1000nm westnorthwest of Perth,
an area of 319,000 square kilometers/93,000 square nautical miles is being
search on Mar 28th. Satellites have been redirected to monitor the search
area.

In the evening of Mar 28th 2014 AMSA reported that all aircraft have concluded
their search in the new northern area, the planned search area has been
scanned. Five aircraft sighted objects of various sizes and colours and
took photos of that debris, the photos are going to be assessed over night.
A Chinese ship has been tasked to collect the debris and is estimated to
arrive at the location the next day (Mar 29th). Weather conditions are forecast
“reasonable” for the search on Saturday (Mar 29th).

In the evening of Mar 29th 2014 AMSA reported that the aircraft have sighted
new objects in Saturday’s 252,000 square kilometer/73,400 square nautical
miles search area. The Chinese ship as well as HMAS Success already operating
in the new search area have recovered a number of objects, however, none
of them could be confirmed to be related to MH-370.

On Mar 30th 2014 AMSA reported that an emergency signal received from a
fishing vessel about 3300km/1780nm southwest of Perth needed to be addressed,
two aircraft thought to participate in the search for MH-370 were tasked
to respond to the fishing vessel – as only debris was located at the point
of the signal, the search for the vessel is going to continue on Mar 31st.
The remaining 9 aircraft and now 8 ships continued to scan the northern
search area west of Perth, aircraft reported new sightings. The objects
retrieved from the ocean yesterday have been described as “fishing equipment
and other flotsam” unrelated to MH-370.

On Mar 31st 2014 Malaysia’s Minister of Transport stated, that Malaysia
is committed to find the aircraft and recover the black boxes, search efforts
will not cease until the aircraft has been found. The Minister said after
mentioning families of occupants are heartbroken and have endured unbearable
strain: “This is a promise that Malaysia intends to keep. We will continue
searching, and we will keep investigating, and we will never give up until
we find out what happened to MH370.” The Minister stated, that the ship
ADV Ocean Shield with a blackbox ping locator, capable to detect pings off
the black boxes up to 6000 meters below water surface, has departed Perth
and is expected in the northern search area by Apr 3rd to commence search
for the black boxes. A new coordination center called JACC (Joint Agency
Coordination Center) has been established in Perth responsible to coordinate
the search activities of the various participants in the search. On Mar
31st 10 aircraft and 11 ships were participating in scanning an area of
254,000 square kilometers/74,000 square nautical miles. Five objects retrieved
so far by ships have been identified to be unrelated to MH-370.

On Mar 31st 2014 AMSA stated that the search for the fishing vessel was
abandoned due lack of surviveability and unclear documentation that does
even permit to establish who owns and operated the vessel. As result all
aircraft and ships are available for the search of MH-370, 10 aircraft and
10 ships will search the search area west of Perth. In addition, the vessel
ADV Ocean Shield was conducting tests with its black box ping locator earlier
the day and set off to the search area in the evening of Mar 31st taking
several days until reaching the area.

On Apr 1st 2014 Malaysia’s Minister of Transport stated the ATC transcript
containing the communication between Air Traffic Control and the crew of
MH-370 would be released, the transcript of the press conference released
on the Ministry’s Website and Facebook Account did not contain the transcript
however. The Ministry later e-mailed the transcript to The Aviation Herald,
see ATC Transcript of MH-370.

On Apr 2nd 2014 the JACC welcomed the arrival of the British submarine HMS
Tireless stating: “With her advanced underwater search capability, HMS Tireless
will be a valuable contribution to the search for the missing plane.” The
search on Apr 2nd managed to scan an area of 237,000 square kilometers/69,100
square nautical miles with 10 aircraft and 9 ships. The JACC also stated:
“The Australian Transport Safety Bureau continues to refine the area where
the aircraft entered the water based on continuing ground-breaking and multi-disciplinary
technical analysis of satellite communication and aircraft performance,
passed from the international air crash investigative team comprising analysts
from Malaysia, the United States, the UK, China and Australia.”

On Apr 4th the JACC reported ADV Ocean Shield and HMS Echo have begun their
search using the towed underwater ping locators, converging towards each
other on a single 240km long single track, each ship operating at about
3 knots for optimal performance of the pinger locators. 14 aircraft and
10 ships participated in the search of Apr 4th.

On Apr 5th 2014 China’s state run news agency Xinhua reported the Chinese
ship Haixun 01, participating in the search for MH-370, located a 37.5kHz
pulse signal at position S25 E101 (about 730nm westsouthwest of Learmonth,WA
and 900nm westnorthwest of Perth,WA (Australia), see updated overview map).
Xinhua states that it is not yet clear whether this beacon is related to
MH-370. Underwater Locator Beacons as mounted to flight data recorders are
using 37.5kHz pulsed pings and at 160dB (re 1μPa) transmission energy
are detectable up to 5 kilometers distance in good conditions, at 180dB
(re 1μPa) up to 22 kilometers in good conditions.

On Apr 6th 2014 the JACC stated: “Reports overnight that the Chinese ship,
Haixun 01, has detected electronic pulse signals in the Indian Ocean related
to MH370 cannot be verified at this point in time.” The JACC has requested
further data and also said: “ìAdvice tonight from the Australian Maritime
Safety Authority’s Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) and the Australian Transport
Safety Bureau is that they cannot verify any connection to the missing aircraft.
The RCC in Australia has spoken to the RCC in China and asked for any further
information that may be relevant. The deployment of RAAF assets to the area
where the Chinese ship detected the sounds is being considered.”

On Apr 6th 2014 Xinhua reports, that according to JACC (editorial note:
JACC has nothing of this in their official reports) an Australian ship has
located another pulsed signal at another location.

On Apr 6th 2014 video evidence of a press conference shows the coordinator
of the JACC reporting that ADV Ocean Shield, with their towed ping locator,
have located a third source of 37.5kHz pulse sound. On Friday Apr 4th 2014
Haixun 01 had located a “fleeting” source of ping sound, on Saturday Apr
5th 2014 Haixun 01 located a second source of ping sound, which was published
through Xinhua, the two signals were 1.2nm apart from each other. The ping
detected by ADV Ocean Shield is about 300nm from the location of Haixun’s
detected signals. ADV Ocean Shield is going to explore their own signal
while HMS Echo has been dispatched to join Haixun 01 with both ships exploring
the signals detected by Haixun 01.

On Apr 7th 2014 the JACC reported that ADV Ocean Shield detected their 37.5kHz
pulsed ping signals over a period of 140 minutes before losing them, the
vessel subsquently turned around, and on the return leg received the ping
signals again for 13 minutes. ADV Ocean Shield has identified two distinct
sources of pings. The ping signals are consistent with those of a flight
data or cockpit voice recorder. It is not yet verified, whether these signals
are related to MH-370. The coordinator said however, this is the best lead
so far. Haixun 01’s signals had been detected over a period of 90 seconds
(not minutes) on Saturday (Apr 5th).

On Apr 7th 2014 Malaysia’s Minister of Transport confirmed that ADV Ocean
Shield detected two distinct sources of ping signals, about 1650 km/890nm
northwest of Perth (editorial note: and about 1000km/545nm westnorthwest
of Learmonth), consistent with both the flight data and cockpit voice recorder,
first for a period of 140 minutes, after turning around during the return
leg over 13 minutes. While this is the best and most promising lead so far,
it is not yet confirmed these signals originate from the blackboxes of MH-370.

On Apr 7th 2014 Australia’s Navy reported ADV Ocean Shield with 34 people
on board had been towing the ping locator in a depth of 3000 meters in waters
4500 meters deep when the ping signals consistent with underwater locator
beacons as used with blackboxes were detected about 600nm west of Exmouth,WA
(Australia).

On Apr 9th 2014 the JACC reported three days after the first two detections
of late Apr 5th ADV Ocean Shield succeeded to re-acquire the ping signals
on two occasions (detections #3 and #4) late Apr 8th. Detection #3 lasted
5:32 minutes and detection #4 7 minutes, all in the same broad area, however
these two detections recorded one source of pings only. The JACC believes
they are searching in the right area defining a reduced and much more manageable
search area at the ocean floor, however, they need to visually identify
aircraft wreckage before they can confirm with certainty that this is the
final resting place of MH-370. The ADV Ocean Shield is continuing methodical
work to refine the search area around the 4 ping detection locations, the
autonomous underwater vehicle has not yet been deployed, the towed pinger
locator can cover six times the area in the same time the autonomous underwater
vehicle would be able to do with its sonar equipment. Acoustic analysis
of the recordings of the detections so far indicates the pulsed signals
at a very stable frequency of 33.331kHz at 1.106 seconds intervals, this
is not a signal of natural origin and is consistent with the signals to
be emitted by the underwater ping locator of flight data or cockpit voice
recorders. The size of the search area has significantly reduced in the
last few days based on the detections by ADV Ocean Shield and known ocean
drift. 84 hydroacoustic buoys are being dropped in the area, that will place
their hydrophones about 1000 feet below the water surface and radio their
signals to a ground station. The sea floor is covered with silt that limits
acoustic propagation of signals (not reflecting signals) and at the same
time permits debris to “hide” in the silt. The knowledge of silt on the
ocean floor comes from a sample that has been taken several years ago in
a location about 160nm from the current search area.

On Apr 10th 2014 the JACC confirmed, that a RAAF AP-3C Orion Aircraft recorded
an acoustic signal in the vicinity of ADV Ocean Shield while conducting
an acoustic search. The JACC stated: “The acoustic data will require further
analysis overnight but shows potential of being from a man-made source.”

On Apr 11th 2014 the JACC reported that analysis of the signals received
by the RAAF AP-3C Orion Aircraft on Apr 10th 2014 identified the signals
as being unrelated to the flight or cockpit voice recorders. ADV Ocean Shield
is continuing more focussed sweeps with the tower ping locator, the Orion
Aircraft continues acoustic search. “A decision as to when to deploy the
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle will be made on advice from experts on board
the Ocean Shield and could be some days away.”

On Apr 14th 2014 the JACC announced that there have been no signal detections
since Tuesday last week (Apr 8th), however, the four signal detections by
ADV Ocean Shield so far permit to identify a reduced and manageable search
area on the ocean floor. The detections by Haixun 01 and by the RAAF AP-3C
Orion Aircraft have been discounted as credible transmissions. The JACC
has therefore decided to end the search with the towed pinger locator today
(Apr 14th) and deploy the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Bluefin-21
as soon as possible, possibly in the evening of Apr 14th already. The AUV
will need 2 hours to get down to the ocean floor, will operate 16 hours
at the ocean floor and take again 2 hours to return to the surface. It will
then take 4 hours to download and assess the data, a mission will thus take
a total of 24 hours. The first mission is scheduled to search an area of
8000 by 5000 meters (40 square kilometers) on the ocean floor. The AUV uses
in sight pulse sonar, transmitting and receiving a sonar pulse permitting
to create a threedimensional map of the ocean floor. ADV Ocean Shield has
detected an oil slick on Apr 13th in her search area, a sample of about
two liters was taken and is being brought ashore for laboratory analysis.
The JACC stated: “I stress the source of the oil is yet to be determined
but the oil slick is approximately 5,500 metres down-wind and down-sea from
the vicinity of the detections picked up by the Towed Pinger Locator on
Ocean Shield.”

In the morning of Apr 15th 2014 the JACC reported that the first mission
of the UAV needed to be terminated prematurely after about 6 hours when
Bluefin-21 went below its operational limit of 4500 meters depth and returned
to the surface by a built in safety feature. The data of 6 hours operation
are being read out and assessed. Bluefin-21 is going to deploy again during
the day weather permitting.

On Apr 18th 2014 the JACC reported that laboratory analysis of the oil slick
found on Apr 13th 2014 identified the oil was not related to aircraft (neither
hydraulic nor engine oil). The risks of operations of UAV Bluefin-21 have
been re-assessed by the operator and manufacturer, there is a small but
acceptable risk of operating the UAV below 4500 meters of water depth, Bluefin-21
is therefore able to completely explore the sea floor within the defined
search area. Bluefin has descended to its fifth mission, the four missions
so far have not revealed any objects of interest.

On Apr 20th 2014 the JACC reported, that Bluefin-21 has surveyed about 50%
of the planned search area on the sea floor with the conclusion of its seventh
mission. The search area on the ocean floor has been defined at approximately
10km around the ping locator positions (about 314 square kilometers). So
far, including the results of mission 6 but not yet including the results
of mission 7 no objects of interest have been found.

On Apr 23rd 2014 the JACC reported that “Western Australia Police have attended
a report of material washed ashore 10 kilometres east of Augusta and have
secured the material.” The ATSB is examining the material if there is any
relevance to flight MH-370, photos have been taken and sent to Malaysia.

On Apr 23rd 2014 the ATSB described the material as a sheet of metal with
rivets, the material appears interesting enough to take a closer look. Malaysia’s
Transportation Minister commented he had not yet seen those photographs.

On Apr 23rd 2014 Malaysia’s Minister of Transport stated, that a new investigation
body is being formed to lead the investigation, the International Investigation
Team. Malaysia’s Cabinet has approved the formation of that new body: “The
main purpose of the International Investigation Team is to evaluate, investigate
and determine the actual cause of the incident so similar ncidents could
be avoided in the future. I would also like to note that the investigation
will not include criminal aspects which are under the purview of the Royal
Malaysian Police.” The investigation will continue to follow the requirements
of the Civil Aviation Regulation 1966, the standards set under ICAO Annex
13 – Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation – and the Chicago Convention.
The Minister concluded: “Indeed, it is imperative for the government to
form an independent team of investigators which is not only competent and
transparent but also highly credible. As Iíve consistently said since the
beginning, we have nothing to hide.”

On Apr 24th 2014 the JACC announced that “after examining detailed photographs
of material washed ashore 10 kilometres east of Augusta, the ATSB is satisfied
it is not a lead in relation to the search for missing flight MH370.”

According to The Aviation Herald’s radar data the aircraft was last regularly
seen at 17:22Z (01:22L) at position N6.9 E103.6 about half way between Kuala
Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) at FL350 over the Gulf of Thailand
about 260nm northnortheast of Kuala Lumpur and 90nm northeast of Kota Bharu
40 minutes into the flight, followed by anomalies in the radar data of the
aircraft over the next minute (the anomalies may be related to the aircraft
but could also be caused by the aircraft leaving the range of the receiver).

On Mar 8th 2014 aviation sources in China reported that radar data suggest
a steep and sudden descent of the aircraft, during which the track of the
aircraft changed from 024 degrees to 333 degrees. The aircraft was estimated
to contact Ho Chi Minh Control Center (Vietnam) at 01:20L, but contact was
never established.

Italy’s Foreign Ministry said, the Italian citizen is alive and was not
on board of the aircraft other than the passenger manifest suggests, the
man called his parents from Thailand. The foreign ministry later added,
that the passport of the citizen had been recently stolen in Thailand.

Austria’s Foreign Ministry stated in the afternoon (European time) that
the Austrian listed on the passenger manifest was not on board of the aircraft.
The foreign ministry later added, that the passport of the Austrian citizen
had been stolen about two years ago when the citizen was touring through
Thailand.

According to the states run Chinese news agency Xinhua Chinese police established
that one of the Chinese passengers listed on the manifest never left China,
is still at home and in possession of his passport, therefore was not on
the accident flight. The passenger’s passport had not been lost or stolen,
the numbers on his passport and the passport number noted on the manifest
are identical however.

On Mar 11th 2014 Malaysian investigators reported a 19 year old Iranian
was travelling on one of the false passports to join his family waiting
for him in Germany. They were contacted by his mother admitting she knew
her son was using a false passport. In the evening Malaysian investigators
summarized that there is no evidence suggesting there is a link between
the disappearance of the aircraft and the use of false passports. Investigation
continues however, the background of all passengers is being investigated,
for example whether there are high life insurances.

On Mar 10th 2014 Malaysia’s Defense Ministry said, that as result of the
verified discrepancies between passenger manifest and people on board of
the aircraft, the Austrian and the Italian, the entire manifest is under
scrutiny. At least 4 names are suspicious and are being investigated with
the participation by the FBI from the USA.

On Mar 9th 2014 China Southern Airlines, code share partner of Malaysia
Airlines, reported that they sold a total of 7 tickets for the accident
flight, amongst them the tickets for the Italian and the Austrian as well
as one Dutch, one Malaysian, two Ukrainians and one Chinese.

The manufacturer of the underwater locator beacons (ULB), that were mounted
to the flight data and cockpit voice recorders of MH-370, specified their
ULB would transmit ultrasonic pulsed sounds at 37.5kHz +/- 1kHz at 160dB
(re 1µPa). After a period of 30 days the ULB would still transmit at that
frequency at 157 dB. The manufacturer did not publish any data beyond 30
days (certification criteria). Other manufacturers specifying their ULBs
also at 160dB initially and 157dB after 30 days state the ULB would still
transmit after 90 days though at around 150dB, the frequency drift may exceed
1kHz.

Search area on Apr 9th revised based on ADV Ocean Shield detections (Graphics:
JACC):
The 4 ULB detections by ADV Ocean Shield up to Apr 9th 2014 (Graphics: JACC):
Computed aircraft range and ping positions (Graphics: JACC):
The underwater ping locator being prepared for first search on Apr 4th 2014
(Photo: Australia’s Department of Defense):
ADV Ocean Shield (Photo: Australia’s Department of Defense):
Search Ship positions of Apr 6th 09:00 UTC (Graphics: LiveAIS/IHS Maritime):
Search Area of Apr 4th and cumulative search area since Mar 18th (Graphics:
JACC):
Search Area of Mar 28th and cumulative search area since Mar 18th (Graphics:
AMSA):
French Satellite Images taken Mar 23rd 2014 (Graphics: MMOT):
Possible flight trajectories based on Doppler Effect Assessment (Graphics:
MMOT):
Explanation of Doppler Effect Assessment, handout by Malaysia’s Ministry
of Transport (Graphics: MMOT):
Object at S44.95 E90.22 seen by Chinese Satellite on Mar 18th and identified
Mar 22nd 2014 (Photo: SASTIND):
Object 1 sized 24m identified by Australia on Mar 20th at S44.05 E90.96,
sat image taken Mar 16th (Photo: AMSA):
Object 2 sized 5m identified by Australia on Mar 20th at S44.05 E91.224,
sat image taken Mar 16th (Photo: AMSA):
Australian search Mar 18-20th (Graphics: AMSA):
The possible corridors: northern from Kazakhstan/Turkmenistan to Northern
Thailand, southern from Indonesia to Southern Indian Ocean (Graphics: AVH/Google
Earth):
Three large objects on Sat Images Mar 9th 03:00Z at N6.7 E105.63 (Photos:
SASTIND):

The field of debris spotted from the air on Mar 10th 2014:
Part floating in Gulf of Thailand identified unrelated to MH-370 (Photo:
Vietnamese Coast Guard):
Infrared VISSR Satellite Image Mar 7th 18:00Z (Graphics: AVH/Meteosat):
Map (Graphics: AVH/Google Earth):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=470fea76
20140306234256:20140305000000
Incident: American Eagle E145 near Greenville on Mar 5th 2014, smoke in cockpit
An American Eagle Embraer ERJ-145, registration N696AE performing flight
MQ-3400 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX to Moline,IL (USA) with 45 passengers and
3 crew, was climbing through FL210 out of Dallas Ft. Worth when the crew
reported smoke in the cockpit and decided to divert to Greenville,TX, about
50nm northeast of DFW Airport, for a safe landing about 10 minutes later
and was evacuated. Emergency services jumped into action.

The remainder of the flight was cancelled, the passengers were bussed back
to Dallas Ft. Worth and were rebooked onto other flights.

A passenger reported that fire fighters did extinguish something on board
of the aircraft.

The airline said the source of the smoke is under investigation.

The FAA reported an electrical component failure caused the smoke.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=470ca067
20140302205916:20140301000000
Incident: Delta MD90 at Las Vegas on Mar 1st 2014, burst two tyres on landing
A Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-90, registration N921DN performing
flight DL-1751 from Minneapolis,MN to Las Vegas,NV (USA), landed on Las
Vegas’ runway 25L. During roll out tower reported seeing smoke from the
right hand main landing gear. The aircraft vacated the runway and stopped
on the taxiway between runway 25L and 25R. Attending emergency services
both right hand main gear tyres were blown. The aircraft was shut down.

The airport reported the aircraft was subsequently towed to the apron.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=470e39d1
20140304203000:20140227000000
Incident: Air Canada E190 near Edmonton on Feb 27th 2014, smoking "brain"
An Air Canada Embraer ERJ-190, registration C-FHON performing flight AC-179
from Montreal,QC to Edmonton,AB (Canada) with 104 people on board, was just
about to reach the top of descent towards Edmonton when the captain’s electronic
flight bag laptop computer emitted smoke “signals” in response to being
powered up. The battery was immediately removed from the laptop and the
smoke stopped. The flight continued for a normal and safe landing at Edmonton.

The Canadian TSB reported the battery showed no evidence of heat damage
or deformation. The laptop was quarantained for further investigation by
the TSB.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47071bc7
20140224152513:20140222000000
Incident: TAM B773 near Las Palmas on Feb 22nd 2014, odour on board
A TAM Linhas Aereas Boeing 777-300, registration PT-MUD performing flight
JJ-9374 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil)
with 234 passengers and 17 crew, was enroute at FL320 about 300nm south
of Las Palmas,CI (Spain) when the aircraft entered turbulence. Subsequently
a unidentifyable odour was noticed in the cabin and dark smoke from the
lower deck raising concerns something in the cargo bay might emit the fumes,
the crew reported hazardeous goods on board. The aircraft turned around
and diverted to Las Palmas for a safe landing at Gran Canaria Airport about
one hour after turning around. Attending emergency services found no trace
of fire, heat or smoke.

The airline reported fractured equipment within a lavatory was identified
as source of the bad odour that passengers had complained about. Chemical
materials transported in the cargo hold were not affected.

The aircraft reached Sao Paulo on Feb 24th 2014 around 02:00L (05:00Z) with
a delay of 30 hours.

The airline detailed that a recirculation fan within a lavatory had seized.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=47064e44
20140222194244:20140222000000
Incident: Delta B738 near San Diego on Feb 22nd 2014, loss of cabin pressure
A Delta Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N3751B performing flight DL-978
from San Diego,CA to Salt Lake City,UT (USA) with 140 people on board, was
climbing through 16,000 feet out of San Diego when the cabin pressure was
lost and the passenger oxygen masks were released. The crew descended the
aircraft to 10,000 feet and returned to San Diego. On short final to runway
27 the crew requested to roll the trucks indicating they had another problem,
the aircraft touched down and rolled out safely on runway 27 and stopped
on the runway stating they had smoke in the cabin. Emergency services found
no indication of fire or heat.

The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto other flights.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4704c8e5
20140220202509:20140220000000
Incident: ANA B763 near Akita on Feb 20th 2014, smoke in cabin
An ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 767-300, registration JA8569 performing
flight NH-874 from Akita to Tokyo Haneda (Japan) with 155 passengers and
8 crew, was climbing out of Akita about 5 minutes into the flight when a
burning smell and white smoke appeared in the cabin. A short time later
the fire detectors in the lavatories raised alert prompting the crew to
stop the climb and return to Akita for a safe landing. Emergency services
checked the right hand engine (CF6) after landing.

Japan’s Ministry of Transport reported that there was no fire. A minor oil
leak from the right hand engine was identified as source of the smell and
smoke, the oil vaporized, got into the air conditioning system and thus
was transported into the cabin.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4703db82
20140220171254:20140217000000
Incident: Etihad B773 over Indian Ocean on Feb 17th 2014, repeated arson in lavatories
An Etihad Boeing 777-300, registration A6-ETM performing flight EY-461 from
Melbourne,VI (Australia) to Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), was enroute
over the Indian Ocean west of Australia when the fire detectors in a lavatory
in economy class triggered alarm. Smoke and flames were visible from a bin
in the lavatory, cabin crew quickly extinguished and contained the small
fire. About 2 hours later the fire detector of another lavatory in the economy
class triggered alarm, again cabin crew needed to extinguish a small fire
in the bin of that lavatory. The captain decided to divert the aircraft
to Jakarta (Indonesia) where the aircraft landed safely, all passengers
disembarked and were questioned by Indonesian police.

The aircraft continued the flight after about 4 hours on the ground with
all passengers aboard and reached Abu Dhabi with a delay of 4:15 hours,
however, not without three more fire incidents after which the captain ordered
cabin crew to stop all cabin service and guard the lavatories instead until
landing in Abu Dhabi.

The airline confirmed multiple disruptions on the flight prompting the diversion
to Jakarta. No arrests have been made, about a dozen passengers were detained
by UAE police after arrival in Abu Dhabi however for further interviews.

Passengers reported there were sirens and flashing red lights going on and
odour of smoke was noticed throughout the aircraft, with smoke visibly coming
from first one then another lavatory. Breakfast service was stopped while
the aircraft diverted to Jakarta. Passengers were upset about the flight
being continued without the arsonist being identified and removed from the
flight. Gossip amongst passengers indicated a female had set the lavatories
alight.

On Feb 20th 2014 the airline reported that the 12 detained passengers were
all released again, as there was no conclusive evidence. There had been
two fire incidents after takeoff resulting in the diversion to Jakarta,
three more fire incidents occurred while enroute from Jakarta to Abu Dhabi.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46fec5c7
20140219160459:20140211000000
Incident: Kuwait A306 near London on Feb 11th 2014, hydraulic failure
A Kuwait Airways Airbus A300-600, registration 9K-AMA performing flight
KU-104 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Kuwait (Kuwait), was climbing through
FL160 out of London when the crew decided to return to London due to a hydraulic
failure. The aircraft landed safely at Heathrow Airport about 20 minutes
later.

The aircraft was able to depart again 5 hours after landing and reached
Kuwait with a delay of 5:45 hours.

On Feb 19th 2014 the airline told The Aviation Herald: “The Event occurred
due to Cabin smoke smell/fumes due to which diversion was considered. On
the ground, inspection was carried out on all the related systems including
engine, air conditioning, hydraulics etc and all found satisfactory. Few
feathers were found on Engine 1 and BirdStrike Inspection was also carried
out. Note that the same aircraft departed and landed without incident few
hours later. Still we cannot confirm the exact source of Smoke/Smell and
Investigation is still under progress.”
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46fc629d
20140209193656:20140207000000
Incident: British Airways B744 near Dallas on Feb 7th 2014, smoke in aft cabin
A British Airways Boeing 747-400, registration G-BNLW performing flight
BA-288 (dep Feb 6th) from Phoenix,AZ to London Heathrow,EN (UK), was enroute
at FL350 about 240nm north of Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA) when an electrical
odour and smoke emanated from the aft cabin. While cabin crew isolated the
fault, the flight crew diverted the aircraft to Dallas Ft. Worth for a safe
landing on runway 35C about 40 minutes later.

The aircraft was able to continue the flight after about 3 hours on the
ground and reached London with a delay of 3:10 hours.

A passenger reported there was smoke from one of the rear of the cabin,
then the cabin lights extinguished while cabin crew attempted to isolate
the fault.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46f7f26d
20140204003053:20140203000000
Incident: Air France A321 near Amsterdam on Feb 3rd 2014, smoke on board
An Air France Airbus A321-200, registration F-GTAS performing flight AF-1340
from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), was descending
towards Amsterdam when the crew declared emergency reporting smoke on board
of the aircraft. The aircraft landed safely on runway 06, while taxiing
to the terminal emergency services were told there was smoke and vibrations
from the right hand engine (CFM56).

The return flight AF-1341 was cancelled.

The incident aircraft was able to position back to Paris departing Amsterdam
about 8 hours after landing.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46f7ef8a
20140204001045:20140131000000
Incident: United B772 near Newark on Jan 31st 2014, smell of smoke
A United Boeing 777-200, registration N791UA performing flight UA-932 from
Washington Dulles,DC (USA) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), was enroute at FL350
about 23nm east of Newark,NJ (USA) when the crew reported the smell of smoke
on board of the aircraft and decided to divert to Newark. The aircraft landed
safely on runway 22L about 32 minutes later. Three passengers were taken
to a hospital for checks after possible smoke inhalation.

A replacement Boeing 777-200 registration N783UA departed the following
day as flight UA-1755 and reached Frankfurt with a delay of 23:15 hours.

The airport reported three passengers were taken to a hospital as a precaution
due to smoke inhalation.

The airline confirmed the smell of smoke on board.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46f4c8ba
20140130225441:20140129000000
Incident: Air France A388 over Canada on Jan 29th 2014, special inflight "entertainment"
An Air France Airbus A380-800, registration F-HPJD performing flight AF-6
from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to New York JFK,NY (USA), was enroute
at FL400 over north east Canada when a strong burning smell developed around
the aft of the upper deck cabin. Cabin crew rushed to locate the source
of the smell, moved passengers out of the seats and removed the seat cushions
and finally identified a short circuit in one of the seats’ inflight entertainment
system. The smell dissipated afterwards, the crew continued the flight to
New York – ATC remained unaware – for a safe landing.

Several passengers reported a strong smell of electrical smoke developed
near the rear of the upper deck cabin, cabin crew reacted rapidly, moved
passengers out of their seats and removed seat cushions. The flight crew
indicated they were considering a diversion to Gander,NL (Canada). Cabin
crew obviously identified the source of the smell and did something to a
seat about mid premium economy class, possibly disconnecting electrical
supply, after which the smell dissipated. The flight was continued to New
York without diversion. It later emerged an inflight entertainment system
had developed a short circuit.

A passenger commented: “Very impressed with the reaction time and teamwork
of the cabin crew.”

Seats without cushion (Photo: passenger):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46f3d7bb
20140129181100:20140129000000
Incident: Mesa CRJ7 near Wilmington on Jan 29th 2014, air conditioning problems and smoke
A Mesa Airlines Canadair CRJ-700 on behalf of United, registration N506MJ
performing flight YV-3759/UA-3759 from Washington Dulles,DC to Boston,MA
(USA) with 61 passengers and 4 crew, was climbing through about FL280 about
10nm southeast of Philadelphia,PA when the crew initiated a rapid descent
due to problems with the air conditioning systems. The aircraft turned around
and diverted to Wilmington,DE for a safe landing on runway 01 about 25 minutes
later.

The FAA reported smoke on board of the aircraft.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46fa579e
20140207022913:20140128000000
Incident: Air KBZ AT72 at Yangon on Jan 28th 2014, smoking brakes
An Air KBZ (Air Kanbawza) Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-500, registration
XY-AIW performing flight K7-266 from Yangon to Heho (Myanmar) with 65 people
on board, was lined up waiting for departure when the crew decided to return
to the apron due to a system malfunction. While taxiing towards the apron
smoke began to rise from the left hand main wheels but was noticed only
after the aircraft had stopped at the stand and a large smoke plume obscured
vision on the apron. Emergency services responded and foamed the main gear.
The left main gear tyres deflated due to overheat.

The airline reported the aircraft was on the runway ready for takeoff when
a system malfunction prompted the crew to return to the gate. After arrival
at the gate one of the tyres was found emitting smoke due to excessive temperature.
Airport staff managed the smoke, all 65 occupants left the aircraft without
injuries. A replacement aircraft reached Heho with a delay of 2.5 hours.

The smoke plume:
The deflated tyres:

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46f4c0d2
20140130215613:20140128000000
Incident: Southwest B737 near South Bend on Jan 28th 2014, loss of cabin pressure
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, flight WN-4202 from Milwaukee,WI to
Baltimore,MD (USA) with 65 passengers and 5 crew, was enroute at FL410 about
30nm east of South Bend,IN (USA) when the crew initiated an emergency descent
due to the loss of cabin pressure, the passenger oxygen masks were released.
The aircraft diverted to South Bend for a safe landing about 25 minutes
later.

Passengers reported smell of smoke on board.

The airline reported the aircraft had pressurization problems, the passenger
oxygen masks were released and the oxygen generators activated.

The oxygen generators are known to get quite hot due to the chemical reaction
to generate oxygen, it is not unusual to get a smell of smoke as well as
light haze from the oxygen generators.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46e840e6
20140114221759:20140114000000
Incident: SAS CRJ9 at Copenhagen on Jan 14th 2014, rejected takeoff
A SAS Scandinavian Airlines Canadair CRJ-900, registration LN-RNL performing
flight SK-436 from Copenhagen (Denmark) to Gothenburg (Sweden) with 24 passengers
and 4 crew, was accelerating for takeoff from Copenhagen’s Kastrup Airport
when the crew rejected takeoff at low speed, about 10 seconds after applying
takeoff thrust, after the captain smelled smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft
stopped on the runway, flight and cabin crew established there was smoke
in cockpit and cabin, the occupants rapidly deplaned onto the runway while
emergency services responded.

Passengers reported that the engines had spooled up and the aircraft was
accelerating on the runway for about 10 seconds when the brakes came on
and the aircraft stopped, the flight crew had donned their oxygen masks.
About a minute after coming to a stop cabion crew initiated the evacuation
of the aircraft.

The cause of the smoke is being investigated.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46e83c4f
20140114214516:20140109000000
Incident: Jazz DH8D at Calgary on Jan 9th 2014, "fireworks" at landing
A Jazz de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration C-GGFJ performing flight QK-8437
from Regina,SK to Calgary,AB (Canada) with 64 people on board, landed at
Calgary, during roll out passengers observed sparks and smoke from the right
hand landing gear. The aircraft was already on the taxiway on the apron
near the terminal when the flight crew stopped the aircraft and requested
emergency services to attend the aircraft, the fire chief confirmed smoke
but no fire from the right hand landing gear. The passengers disembarked
onto the apron and walked to the terminal.

The Canadian TSB reported maintenance identified the #3 wheel brake had
failed, after removal of the wheel assembly it was found that both wheel
bearings had failed causing the brake to disintegrate. The inner bearing
was found welded into the axle. The right main landing gear axle, wheels
and brake assemblies #3 and #4 were replaced. A service difficulty report
was filed with Transport Canada.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46e5e24c
20140111212137:20140108000000
Incident: Southwest B733 at Detroit on Jan 8th 2014, fire indication in cabin
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300, flight WN-685 from Detroit,MI to Baltimore,MD
(USA), was climbing out of Detroit’s runway 22L when the crew stopped the
climb at 6000 feet reporting smoke on board. The aircraft positioned for
a return to runway 22L and landed safely about 11 minutes after departure.
Emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke, the aircraft taxied
to the gate with emergency services following the aircraft.

A passenger reported a strange smell developed on board shortly followed
by a fire alarm sounding from the back of the aircraft. The crew subsequently
announced there was smoke on the aircraft. Fire fighters entered the aircraft
after reaching the gate.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46e5242d
20140110221705:20140107000000
Incident: Delta MD88 near Charlotte on Jan 7th 2014, engine surges
A Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-88, registration N927DA performing
flight DL-781 from New York La Guardia,NY to Atlanta,GA (USA), was enroute
at FL300 about 60nm north of Charlotte,NC (USA) when an engine emitted a
bang for the second time prompting the crew to divert to Charlotte for a
safe landing about 20 minutes later. The crew shut the left hand engine
down after landing, emergency services checked the engine before the aircraft
proceeded to the apron.

A passenger reported that the aircraft was enroute at FL340 about 170nm
north of Charlotte when an engine emitted a bang, a smell of smoke developed
shortly after. The crew descended the aircraft to FL300 and announced there
had been an aircraft fault, the smell of smoke dissipated again. About 25
minutes later a second bang occurred after which the crew decided to divert
to Charlotte. The crew announced that there were problems with the pressure
on the left hand engine.

A replacement MD-88 reached Atlanta with a delay of 9 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46e39c7b
20140108231725:20140103000000
Incident: Skywest CRJ2 at Winnipeg on Jan 3rd 2014, circuit breaker panels vent smoke
A Skywest Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration N463SW
performing flight OO-4476/DL-4476 from Winnipeg,MB (Canada) to Minneapolis,MN
(USA) with 53 people on board, was in the initial climb out of Winnipeg
when the crew spotted smoke coming from the vents of circuit breaker panels
and levelled the aircraft at 3000 feet. While working the checklists the
smoke cleared. The crew nonetheless declared emergency and returned to Winnipeg
for a safe landing about 21 minutes after departure.

The Canadian TSB reported maintenance determined the smoke was the result
of de-icing fluid sprayed into the aft equipment bay prior to departure.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46e11583
20140105181212:20131231000000
Incident: Sprintair SF34 at Kiev on Dec 31st 2013, engine fire after landing
A Sprintair Saab 340A on behalf of UPS, registration SP-KPZ performing freight
flight SRN-6938 from Warsaw (Poland) to Kiev Zhulhany (Ukraine) with 2 crew,
had safely landed at Kiev’s Zhulhany Airport when dense white smoke was
observed from the right hand engine. The crew stopped the aircraft, shut
both engines down and discharged the fire bottles into the right hand engine,
then evacuated the aircraft. Responding emergency services did not need
to intervene anymore.

Ukraine’s Civil Aviation Authoritiy opened an investigation into the occurrence.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46d72bd2
20131223223939:20131211000000
Incident: Delta A333 near Val d’Or on Dec 11th 2013, smoke indication
A Delta Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration N820NW performing flight
DL-258 from Minneapolis,MN (USA) to Amsterdam (Netherlands) with 278 passengers
and 13 crew, was enroute at FL350 about 75nm southwest of Val d’Or,QC (Canada)
and 350nm northeast of Detroit,MI (USA) when the crew received a smoke indication
for the crew rest area. The crew worked the relevant checklist, the crew
rest was checked with no smoke or haze found however an electric smell detected.
The crew decided to divert to Detroit where the aircraft landed safely about
65 minutes later.

The Canadian TSB reported that checks after landing did not detect any trace
of smoke or fumes.

A replacement Airbus A330-300 registration N812NW reached Amsterdam with
a delay of 4:45 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46da3e5a
20140408130315:20131210000000
Incident: Germanwings A319 at Cologne on Dec 10th 2013, fumes prompt flight crew to don oxygen masks
A Germanwings Airbus A319-100, registration D-AGWK performing flight 4U-825
from Milan Malpensa (Italy) to Cologne/Bonn (Germany), was on approach to
Cologne’s runway 14L when fumes on board prompted the flight crew to don
their oxygen masks until after landing. The aircraft continued for a safe
landing on runway 14L. The entire crew subsequently went to the hospital
for tests.

Germany’s BFU confirmed the incident stating the occurrence was rated a
serious incident. An investigation has been opened.

The airline stated the occurrence flight 4U-825 was reported to the relevant
authorities in time and promptly after the pilots donned their oxygen masks
on approach to Cologne due to fumes in the cockpit.

The aircraft remained on the ground for about 48 hours and resumed service
on Dec 12th 2013.

On Apr 8th 2014 the BFU reported in their monthly bulletin (released two
months past schedule) that the aircraft was on approach descending through
5500 feet when an odour of burning oil was noticed in cockpit causing irritation
of respiratory tracts of all 3 pilots in the cockpit. All three donned their
oxygen masks, queried the cabin where a similiar odour was reported. The
captain assumed control and continued for a safe landing. All three pilots
and one flight attendant went for a medical examination, which was without
findings according to feedback by the crew members receiving their test
results.

D-AGWK has been involved in two similiar occurrences in the past: Accident:
Germanwings A319 at Dublin on May 27th 2008, pressurization problems and
Accident: Germanwings A319 near Cologne on Dec 19th 2010, smoke in cockpit,
both pilots nearly incapacitated. The investigations by the Irish AAIU and
German BFU following the events in Dublin 2008 and the event in Cologne
2010 could not determine the causes of the events on board of D-AGWK.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46c52f6f
20131201174519:20131130000000
Incident: Mount Cook AT72 at Auckland on Nov 30th 2013, smoke in cockpit
A Mount Cook Airlines Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-500, registration
ZK-MCW performing flight NZ-5071 from Auckland to Palmerston North (New
Zealand) with 52 passengers, was climbing out of Auckland when the crew
reported smoke in the cockpit and returned to Auckland for a safe landing
on runway 23L about 15 minutes after departure. The aircraft stopped on
the runway, the passengers rapidly disembarked onto the runway.

Passenger wellys219 tweeted: “Small inconvenience at Auckland Airport this
morning.” Another passenger reported they were told there was smoke but
didn’t see any in the cabin.

The airline reported that their investigation concluded the “smoke” was
most likely steam out of the air conditioning system. The passengers were
rebooked onto the next flight.

The aircraft stopped on the runway, passengers disembarked onto the runway
(Photo: wellys219):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46c3abde
20140108124250:20131129000000
Crash: LAM E190 over Botswana/Namibia on Nov 29th 2013, captain intentionally crashed aircraft
A LAM Linhas Aereas de Mocambique Embraer ERJ-190, registration C9-EMC performing
flight TM-470 from Maputo (Mozambique) to Luanda (Angola) with 28 passengers
and 6 crew, was enroute at FL380 over northern Botswana in clear weather
when the aircraft suddenly began to descend at about 6000 feet per minute
until radar contact and radio contact was lost with the aircraft at about
11:30Z. The aircraft did not arrive in Luanda (scheduled arrival at 14:10L,
13:10Z), the aircraft would have run out of fuel by now. There are no reports
of an unscheduled landing anywhere in the region along the flight track.
The aircraft was found crashed and burnt down on Namibia’s territory in
the Bwabwata National Park east of Rundu (Namibia), about 15nm eastsoutheast
of Bagani at coordinates S18.1933 E21.8693 with the aircraft’s final heading
westnorthwest in the general direction to Bagani, the following morning
(Nov 30th), no survivors were found.

The following morning (Nov 30th) Namibia’s Civil Aviation Authority reported
that villagers in the Bwabwata National Park (Sambesi Region) reported the
aircraft crashed in their neighbourhood with no survivors. A helicopter
has been dispatched on site.

On Nov 30th late morning Namibia’s Regional Police reported a rescue team
has reached the crash site on the ground, the aircraft has completely burned
down, there are no survivors.

On Nov 29th in the afternoon, a few hours after the aircraft disappeared,
the airline released a press statement saying that they have information
the aircraft landed in Rundu (Namibia) in northern Namibia. The airline
and aviation authorities are currently trying to establish contact to verify
the information. Late evening the airline stated, they still have no word
about the whereabouts of C9-EMC.

Namibia’s Authorities have initiated a search for the aircraft confirming
the aircraft had been last heard over northern Namibia. The aircraft has
not landed on Rundu’s Airport. There are unverified reports of the aircraft
having gone down 200km/108nm east of Rundu, a national park with mainly
wetlands and dense forests.

Mozambique’s government said, it can not be ruled out that the aircraft
crashed in the border region of Namibia and Botswana, a search for the aircraft
is underway in both countries. The search however is hampered by very bad
weather in the region and darkness. The government still hopes the aircraft
managed a forced landing in the forested area.

On Saturday (Nov 30th) the airline reported the search for the aircraft
is ongoing in Botswana, Namibia and Angola. The aircraft carried 10 citizens
of Mozambique, 9 Angolans, 5 Portugese, 1 French, 1 Brazilian and 1 Chinese
citizen, 1 passenger and the crew not yet listed. As of current Namibian
police helicopters are searching the area, that is forested without roads,
the search is extremely difficult therefore.

On Nov 30th 2013 Namibia’s Regional Authorities of the Kavango Region reported
that Authorities in Botswana saw smoke and heard explosions on Friday (Nov
29th) afternoon shortly after the time of loss of contact with the aircraft
and informed their Namibian Counterparts. Another short time later villagers
sent photos suggesting the aircraft had crashed in the region, due to weather
rescue teams were able to reach the crash site on Saturday only.

On Nov 30th 2013 Botswana Authorities reported they originally thought the
aircraft had crashed within the boundaries of Botswana, a search was launched.
On Friday (Nov 29th) about 15:00L (14:00Z) search personnel observed smoke
and explosions on Namibian territory and informed Namibian Authorities.

On Nov 30th 2013 Portugal’s Foreign Ministry reported the passenger listed
Brazilian has in fact dual citizenship of Portugal and Brazil.

On Nov 30th 2013 14:45Z Mozambique’s government, the airline as well as
most of Mozambique’s media are not reporting the aircraft has been found
but still maintain the aircraft is missing. Mozambique’s government confirmed
however the aircraft was the newest Embraer 190 in LAM’s fleet (thus identifying
C9-EMC too).

On Nov 30th 2013 rangers of Bwabwata National Park reported that both blackboxes
(flight data and cockpit voice recorder) have been found and recovered by
accident investigators.

On Nov 30th 2013 17:30L (15:30Z) the airline confirmed the Embraer ERJ-190
tailnumber C9-EMC manufactured in 2012 has crashed killing all 27 passengers
(revised from previous day where the airline stated 28 passengers) and 6
crew. The aircraft had entered service with the airline on Nov 17th 2012
and had since accumulated 2905 flight hours in 1877 flight cycles.

On Nov 30th 2013 aviation sources reported that according to radar data
the aircraft suddenly started to descend at about 5000 feet per minute until
the aircraft disappeared from radar. Radio contact was lost at the same
time. The captain of the flight was a senior pilot with over 4000 hours
with LAM and also held an instructor rating, the first officer had about
1000 hours of total flight hours with airlines in Mozambique. The captain
had repeatedly flown the route.

Late Nov 30th 2013 Mozambique’s government confirmed the aircraft crashed
in the border area between Botswana and Namibia, authorities in Namibia
were informed by Botswana on Friday by about 15:00L (14:00Z) that smoke
and explosions were observed by Botswana officials on Namibian soil. Mozambique’s
government has been informed by Namibia on Saturday that the wreckage has
been identified as the remains of C9-EMC, there have been no survivors.
An international commission led by Namibia is going to investigate the crash,
Brazil (state of manufacture) and Mozambique (state of operator) are going
to participate in the investigation. A preliminary report is anticipated
within 30 days according to ICAO rules. Mozambique’s government established
a second commission to examine the Civil Aviation Authority of Mozambique
and the airline LAM.

According to information provided by Namibia’s lead investigator the aircraft
was enroute at FL380 when it began to descend at about 100 feet per second
(6000 feet per minute), it remained visible on radar until about 3000 feet
MSL. The two boxes recovered from the aircraft were the cockpit voice recorder
and one ELT, the flight data recorder however is still missing.

On Dec 1st 2013 the airline reported both captain and first officer held
Air Transport Pilot Licenses, the captain had accumulated 9,053 hours total
experience with 1,395 hours in command, the first officer had accumulated
1,418 hours of flying experience. The aircraft had undergone its last inspection
on Nov 28th 2013. The investigation is being led by Namibia, Authorities
of Mozambique, Angola, Brazil and the USA joined the investigation.

Pilots based at Bagani Airstrip (Namibia) about 10nm west of the crash site,
reported on their Facebook page “Pirots of the Namibian”, that the weather
was clear all day on Friday (Nov 29th), Metars of Maun (Botswana) 140nm
south of the crash site, confirm that weather report (see below).

On Dec 3rd 2013 the lead investigator said, both recorders have been recovered,
flight data and cockpit voice data are being read out. A commission of 30
investigators from Namibia, Mozambique, Brazil, Angola and the USA met in
Windhoek (Namibia’s capital) and is heading to the crash site. Another group
in Windhoek currently identifies the remains of the victims. In compliance
with ICAO rules a preliminary report is to be expected within 30 days.

On Dec 4th 2013 the lead investigator said, the black boxes will be read
and analysed by the NTSB. The accident board has collected radar data and
weather data. There was no distress call.

On Dec 5th 2013 the Pirots of the Namibian told The Aviation Herald: “At
time of the crash the weather was fine as far as we could see at Bagani
ñ our view towards the SE was obstructed by tree so that limited what we
could see there. We (2 crew) flew … to Windhoek via Rundu at 17:45L that
afternoon and by that time there were several heavy downpours and regular
lightning in the area especially towards the East. On the way to Rundu we
had to fly around a few of these. We later heard the SAR helicopter returning
to base at around sunset and I am not surprised that they had to abort the
mission due to weather ñ it was getting worse quickly when we left Bagani.”
The Pirots could not comment on thunderstorm cells around or near the airway
at the time of the accident, however, when they attempted to contact Gaborone
Control at FL115 near the crash site, they were unable to establish contact
and had been off Windhoek Radar for a while.

On Dec 12th 2013 reader Simon, meteorologist at a highly reputed university
in the USA, submitted true colour satellite images (see below), that were
taken by Eumetsat on the day of the crash at 11:15Z and 11:30Z. Reader Simon
reported that he had never seen such a rapidly developing thunderstorm cell
before. At 11:15Z that cell was located about 15nm to the right of the airway
at position S19.398 E23.369 about 111nm from the crash site, most likely
created updrafts in excess of 60 meters/second (117+ knots vertical), provided
ice crystal icing conditions and grew its tops rapidly from about FL260
to FL420 within 30 minutes and falling back to FL300 again in another 30
minutes (at 12:00Z). A smaller cell was almost over the airway at position
S19.493 E23.017 about 101nm from the crash site also creating ice crystal
icing conditions and probably producing updrafts around 55 meters/second
(107 knots vertical speed).

On Dec 14th 2013 Mozambique’s Civil Aviation Authority reported in a press
conference, that the investigation is well underway, cockpit voice and flight
data recorder have been successfully read out and have been analysed, a
preliminary report is nearly finished. Results of the investigation so far
rule out any mechanical problem or problem with the airworthiness of the
aircraft as cause of the major accident.

On Dec 21st 2013 Mozambique’s Civil Aviation Authority reported in a press
conference (the preliminary report has not yet been released by Namibia’s
Accident Investigation Commission), that cockpit voice recorder and flight
data recorder revealed, that the captain was alone on the flight deck, banging
on the flight deck door could be heard on the cockpit voice recorder. The
autoflight systems (autothrottle and autopilot) were engaged. There were
sounds and clicks consistent with a person knowledgeable of the aircraft
systems commanding the engines to idle thrust and selecting the autoflight
systems into a descent at 6000 feet per minute. Numerous warnings and alerts
were not responded to.

The airline operates 3 Embraer ERJ-190 registrations C9-EMA, C9-EMB and
C9-EMC. The airline also operates two Embraer ERJ-145, two Boeing 737-200s
(which are already phased out however) and one Boeing 737-500. The subsidiary
Mocambique Express operates 3 Embraer EMB-120 and 3 de Havilland Dash 8-400s.

Metars at Maun (Botswana) about 140nm south of the crash site:
FBMN 291500Z 04006KT 9999 FEW030 35/11 Q1011
FBMN 291400Z 06004KT 9999 FEW030 35/12 Q1011
FBMN 291300Z 10007KT 9999 FEW030 34/12 Q1012
FBMN 291200Z 09008KT CAVOK 33/13 Q1014
FBMN 291100Z 14011KT CAVOK 32/14 Q1015
FBMN 291000Z 16012KT 8000 29/15 Q1017
FBMN 290900Z 17007KT CAVOK 3014 Q1017
FBMN 290900Z 17007KT CAVOK 30/14 Q1017

Aerial view of crash site approx 15nm ESE of Bangani, view to the north
(Photo: Pirots of the Namibian):
Detail of final position in view to eastsoutheast (Photo: Pirots of the
Namibian):
Detail of first impact in view to eastsoutheast (Photo: Pirots of the Namibian):
Aerial view of crash site approx 15nm ESE of Bangani, view to the eastsoutheast
(Photo: Pirots of the Namibian):
Detail of first impact out of view towards Bagani (Photo: Pirots of the
Namibian):
Aerial view of crash site approx 15nm ESE of Bagani, view toards Bagani
(Photo: Pirots of the Namibian):
Crash site, seen towards point of first impact (Photo: AP/Olavi Haikera):
The remains (Photo: AP/Olavi Haikera):
True Colour Image Nov 29th 11:30Z (Photo: AVH/Reader Simon/Eumetsat):
True Colour Image Nov 29th 11:15Z (Photo: AVH/Reader Simon/Eumetsat):
Infrared Satellite Image SEVIRI Nov 29th 12:00Z (Photo: Meteosat):
Detail Map (Graphics: AVH/Google Earth):
Map (Graphics: AVH/Google Earth):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46c89814
20131205224830:20131128000000
Incident: Regional 1 DH8A near Fort Mackay on Nov 28th 2013, burning odour and bleed air "disco"
A Regional 1 Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-100, registration C-FRIB performing
flight TSH-441 from Fort Mackay Albian,AB to Edmonton,AB (Canada) with 38
people on board, was climbing through 15,000 feet out of Fort Mackay’s Albion
Airport when the crew noticed a vague burning odour on board, which was
shortly followed by the #2 bleed air hot indication cycling on and off.
The crew worked the associated checklist, turned bleed air system #2 off
and requested FL200 instead of FL240. After the aircraft levelled off at
FL200 the #1 bleed air hot started to illuminate and extinguish repeatedly.
Again the associated checklist was performed resulting in the shutdown of
the #1 bleed air system. The crew declared emergency reporting smoke in
the cockpit and initiated a descent to 8000 feet due to the loss of pressurization.
The aircraft landed safely on Edmonton’s runway 20 about 75 minutes after
departure.

The Canadian TSB reported that the crew initiated a “moderate descent” to
8000 feet due to the loss of pressurization. It was suspected that de-icing
fluid in the engine intakes was the source of the odour. The bleed systems
are being investigated by maintenance.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46c2071a
20131127220207:20131126000000
Incident: Delta MD90 at Grand Rapids on Nov 26th 2013, smoking engine
A Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-90, registration N927DN performing
flight DL-752 from Minneapolis,MN to Grand Rapids,MI (USA) with 151 passengers,
had safely landed on Grand Rapids’ runway 26L, while turning off the runway
the crew radioed tower they had an issue with the left hand engine, “send
the trucks”, later adding there was smoke. Emergency services responded
and checked the left hand engine reporting it didn’t look too serious.

The airport reported the aircraft had already landed when the crew alerted
tower of smoke. All passengers were taken off the aircraft within 10 minutes.
The cause of the smoke is being investigated.

The incident aircraft was able to perform the next morning’s return flight
DL-751 with a delay of 85 minutes after 10:45 hours on the ground.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46c12a07
20131126212936:20131126000000
Incident: Tianjin E145 near Tianjin on Nov 26th 2013, engine fire indication
A Tianjin Airlines Embraer ERJ-145, flight GS-6552 from Tianjin to Hohhot
(China), was climbing out of Tianjin about 10 minutes into the flight when
the crew received an engine fire indication, shut the engine down and activated
the engine fire suppression system. The aircraft returned to Tianjin for
a safe landing about 25 minutes after departure. Emergency services found
no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The airline reported the engine fire indication was false.

A replacement ERJ-145 reached Hohhot with a delay of 3.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46bf688b
20131126003233:20131123000000
Incident: Delta B744 at Manila on Nov 23rd 2013, engine shut down in flight
A Delta Airlines Boeing 747-400, registration N670US performing flight DL-172
from Manila (Philippines) to Tokyo Narita (Japan), was climbing out of Manila’s
runway 06, when engine #4 (PW4056, outboard right) emitted a bang and streaks
of blue flames prompting the crew to level off at FL170 and enter a hold.
The crew worked the checklists, shut the engine down and returned to Manila
for a safe landing on runway 06 about 30 minutes after departure, the crew
requested emergency service to check out the right hand outboard engine
for any indications of smoke, the crew stated they did not receive any engine
fire indication.

Passengers reported the engine emitted a bang and streaks of blue flames.
They were later told that maintenance found a turbine inlet vane had fractured
causing the engine failure.

The flight was cancelled.

The captain showing a piece of the turbine parts to passengers (Photo: Doug
Hormann):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46be942a
20131123202154:20131115000000
Incident: Jazz DH8A near Sudbury on Nov 15th 2013, audio control not a non-smoker
A Jazz de Havilland Dash 8-100, registration C-GONR performing flight QK-7819
from Toronto,ON to Sudbury,ON (Canada) with 35 people on board, had just
left cruise level to descend towards Sudbury when smoke was detected in
cabin and cockpit. The crew donned their oxygen masks, advised passengers
to follow instructions by the flight attendants but did not declare emergency.
The aircraft continued for a safe landing at Sudbury about 22 minutes later,
emergency services attended the aircraft and confirmed there was no trace
of fire or heat. The aircraft taxied to the apron, where passengers disembarked
normally.

The Canadian TSB reported that maintenance subsequently found the circuit
breakers for the audio control panel #1 tripped. Upon resetting the circuit
breakers the audio control panel resumed smoking prompting maintenance to
replace the audio control panel. Subsequent tests confirmed the new audio
control panel was serviceable and a non-smoker.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46b6f7ce
20131113221855:20131113000000
Incident: Endeavor CRJ9 at New York on Nov 13th 2013, burning odour in cabin
An Endeavor Air Canadair CRJ-900 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration
N917XJ performing flight 9E-2921/DL-2921 from New York JFK,NY to Minneapolis,MN
(USA) with 69 people on board, was on a Canarsie climb through 10,000 feet
out of JFK when the crew reported a burning odour on board, donned their
oxygen masks and advised they needed to return. The aircraft descended to
4000 feet and positioned for an approach to runway 31R. The aircraft landed
safely on runway 31R, vacated the runway and stopped. Passengers disembarked
normally and were bussed to the terminal.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46b3ad60
20131109213501:20131109000000
Incident: British Airways B772 near Shannon on Nov 9th 2013, smoke in cockpit
A British Airways Boeing 777-200, registration G-VIIF performing flight
BA-177 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to New York JFK,NY (USA) with 220 people
on board, was enroute at FL360 about 120nm southeast of Shannon (Ireland)
when the crew donned their oxygen masks, declared Mayday reporting smoke
in the cockpit and diverted to Shannon. While descending towards Shannon
the crew still on oxygen masks advised they would stop on the runway but
not evacuate, they were landing overweight, in the meantime they were able
to isolate the source of the smoke, they requested an ILS approach to runway
24. The aircraft landed overweight but safely on Shannon’s runway 24 about
25 minutes after leaving FL360, turned off the runway, stopped off the runway
and shut the engines down.

A replacement Boeing 747-400 registration G-CIVX was flown to Shannon, departed
Shannon about 7 hours after landing of G-VIIF and is estimated to reach
New York with a delay of 7:15 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46b36b7c
20150112134911:20131108000000
Incident: Ryanair B738 near Seville on Nov 8th 2013, white smoke on board
A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-DPF performing flight FR-2355
from Tangier (Morocco) to Dusseldorf Niederrhein (Germany) with 175 passengers
and 6 crew, was climbing out of Tangier when the crew stopped the climb
at FL110 and decided to divert to Seville,SP (Spain) after a passenger reported
fumes on board. The aircraft landed safely on Seville’s runway 27 about
17 minutes later.

Maintenance determined an air conditioning fault causing a pipe to blow
dust and/or debris into the cabin.

The airline reported a passenger reported fumes in the cabin, the crew alerted
the fire services in Seville, who were on standby for the arrival of the
aircraft, that landed normally. The passengers were taken to a replacement
aircraft which continued towards Dusseldorf’s Niederrhein (Weeze) Airport.
Engineers inspected the aircraft and found a fault in the air conditioning
system, the relevant safety agencies in Spain and Ireland have been advised.

A number of Spanish media reported a cabin fire and smoke in the cabin,
the aircraft diverted to Seville, vacated the runway and taxied to the terminal,
others reported the crew reported smoke in the cabin.

On Nov 14th 2013 Spain’s CIAIAC reported that cabin crew reported dense
white smoke with no odour while climbing through 8000 feet out of Tangier.
The flight crew stopped the climb and diverted to Seville, the aircraft
vacated the runway and stopped on the taxiways, doors were opened and passengers
disembarked normally. An investigation has been opened.

On Jan 12th 2015 Spain’s CIAIAC reported in an interim statement, that the
examination of the aircraft revealed three air conditioning ducts in the
area where the smoke originated out of position. The investigation focusses
on why the ducts were in that condition and on analyzing the crew’s handling
of the emergency. The draft reported is being written.

A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration EI-DYI departed Seville about
4.5 hours after landing of EI-DPF and reached Cologne/Bonn at about 03:45L
about 4 hours behind scheduled landing at Weeze Airport.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46b2d714
20131108203937:20131108000000
Incident: Lufthansa A321 near Berlin on Nov 8th 2013, burning odour in cockpit
A Lufthansa Airbus A321-200, registration D-AISJ performing flight LH-195
from Berlin Tegel to Frankfurt/Main (Germany) with 196 passengers and 6
crew, was climbing through FL160 out of Berlin when the crew declared emergency
reporting a burning odour in the cockpit and returned to Tegel for a safe
landing on runway 08L about 14 minutes later. Attending emergency services
found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

Lufthansa reported a safety landing because of an unidentified odour, there
was no fire or smoke involved. The passengers were rebooked onto other flights.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46afe309
20131106224111:20131104000000
Accident: Royal Air Maroc B763 at Montreal on Nov 4th 2013, cargo belt loader caught fire
A Royal Air Maroc Boeing 767-300, registration CN-RNT performing flight
AT-206 from Casablanca (Marocco) to Montreal,QC (Canada) with 258 people
on board, had completed an uneventful flight, the aircraft reached the parking
position, engines were shut down and passengers began to disembark. A cargo
belt loader was used to unload luggage from the left aft cargo door but
caught fire emitting a large plume of smoke and prompting the crew to initiate
an emergency evacuation via slides. About 250 passengers evacuated the aircraft.
7 passengers received injuries, 5 of them were taken to hospital, the injuries
partly to lower limbs as result of the evacuation and partly due to smoke
inhalation.

The airport said it was Royal Air Maroc’s decision to evacuate and asked
whether it could have been done differently. 7 passengers were treated on
the spot, 5 of them taken to a hospital.

Canada’s TSB have opened an investigation.

On Nov 6th 2013 the TSB reported that the aircraft was parking at the gate
after arrival from Casablanca. While the passengers began disembarking through
the front left main door a cargo belt loader approached the left aft cargo
door but caught fire due to a fuel leak inside its engine compartment. An
evacuation was ordered, the passengers continued to deplane through the
left front door and three slides (to the right hand side) were deployed
with a number of passengers exiting the aircraft via the slides. 3 passengers
sustained minor injuries as result of the evacuation.

The burning cargo belt loader (Photo: Reallove):
The burning cargo belt loader, evacuation in progress (Photo: Maxime Landry):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46b05d37
20131112165257:20131103000000
Incident: Easyjet A319 at Milan on Nov 3rd 2013, smoke in cabin
An Easyjet Airbus A319-100, registration G-EJAR performing positioning flight
U2-9002 from Milan Malpensa (Italy) to Lyon (France) with 6 crew, was climbing
out of Milan’s Malpensa Airport when the crew donned their oxygen masks,
stopped the climb at FL260 and returned to Malpensa for a safe landing on
runway 35R about 25 minutes after departure.

Italy’s ANSV rated the occurrence a serious incident and opened an investigation
reporting that the aircraft was performing a positioning flight without
passengers when smoke in the cabin forced the crew to use their oxygen masks.

On Nov 12th 2013 the French BEA reported in their weekly bulletin that during
initial climb just after thrust reduction the crew activated the air conditioning
systems (packs). The first officer immediately noticed bad fumes and smell
prompting the crew to don their oxygen masks and execute the initial smoke
drill. The captain requested a priority landing at Malpensa where the aircraft
landed without further event. After landing all 6 crew members went to hospital
for blood testing. Italy’s ANSV is investigating the serious incident.

The aircraft had landed at Milan Malpensa’s Airport as flight U2-2788 on
Nov 2nd 2013 arriving from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France).
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46aec2a9
20131103200657:20131102000000
Incident: Emirates A332 near Colombo on Nov 2nd 2013, cargo fire indication
An Emirates Airlines Airbus A330-200, registration A6-EAR performing flight
EK-655 from Colombo (Sri Lanka) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates), was climbing
out of Colombo when the crew stopped the climb at FL270 due to a cargo fire
indication and returned to Colombo for a safe landing on runway 22 about
30 minutes after departure. Attending emergency services found no trace
of fire, heat or smoke.

Passengers reported that following checks the aircraft was boarded and prepared
for another departure, however, the crew duty time had elapsed and the flight
was postponed to the next day.

The aircraft departed the following morning and reached Dubai with a delay
of 17 hours.
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http://avherald.com/h?article=46adc879
20131102160114:20131101000000
Incident: Air France B773 near Saint Denis on Nov 1st 2013, smell of smoke in cabin
An Air France Boeing 777-300, registration F-GSQR performing flight AF-645
from Saint Denis (Reunion) to Paris Orly (France), was climbing out of Saint
Denis when the crew stopped the climb at FL180 reporting a strong smell
of smoke in the cabin. The aircraft subsequently entered a hold to dump
fuel before returning to Saint Denis for a safe landing about 95 minutes
after departure.

A replacement Boeing 777-300 registration F-GSQO reached Paris with a delay
of 4:45 hours.

The incident aircraft was able to depart for flight AF-643 about 10 hours
after landing back.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46add584
20131102173707:20131031000000
Incident: Southwest B733 near Abilene on Oct 31st 2013, smoke in cockpit
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300, flight WN-12 from Dallas Love,TX to
Albuquerque,NM (USA) with 128 passengers, was climbing through FL360 out
of Dallas when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and diverted to Abilene,TX
(USA) for a safe landing on runway 35R about 20 minutes later. Emergency
services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

A replacement Boeing 737-700 registration N420WN reached Albuquerque with
a delay of 5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46b5f648
20131112164823:20131030000000
Incident: Singapore A388 near Singapore on Oct 30th 2013, sparks and smoke in cabin
A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380-800, registration 9V-SKB from Singapore
(Singapore) to Sydney,NS (Australia), was climbing through FL130 out of
Singapore when cabin crew noticed sparks and smoke coming from an inflight
entertainment system at seat 55D. Cabin crew used a Halon fire extinguisher
and disconnected power supply to the seat. The flight continued to Sydney
for a safe landing on schedule.

The French BEA reported in their weekly bulletin on Nov 12th 2013 that the
occurrence was rated a serious incident by Singapore’s AAIB, an investigation
has been opened.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46afb75d
20131104230405:20131029000000
Incident: Lufthansa A343 at Newark on Oct 29th 2013, unidentifyable burning smell
A Lufthansa Airbus A340-300, registration D-AIGV performing flight LH-408
from Dusseldorf (Germany) to Newark,NJ (USA) with 192 people on board, was
on approach frequency to Newark descending through about 6000 feet when
the crew requested priority due to an unidentifyable smell in the cockpit,
possibly burning rubber or burning plastics. The captain donned his oxygen
mask for the remainder of the approach and landing, the crew requested high
speed up to 280 knots. There was no smoke or haze visible, they lost the
flight management system #1 about 5 minutes prior to the fumes and did not
know whether there was a link between that failure and the smell. The aircraft
landed safely on runway 04R about 18 minutes later.

The aircraft was on the ground in Newark for about 3 hours then departed
for the return flight LH-409 about 40 minutes behind schedule and reached
Dusseldorf on schedule.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46a8f3ce
20131027200358:20131025000000
Incident: Frontier A319 at Denver on Oct 25th 2013, rejected takeoff
A Frontier Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N954FR performing flight
F9-212 from Denver,CO to Austin,TX (USA), rejected takeff from runway 34L
at high speed after all flight data disappeared from the instruments. While
turning off the runway, already on the taxiway but not clear of the runway,
both right hand main tyres deflated disabling the aircraft during the turn
off, responding emergency services reported lots of smoke while approaching
the aircraft, after arriving at the aircraft emergency services reported
no actual danger, both right main gear tyres were deflated, there was debris
left behind on the taxiway by the right hand gear, the structure and rims
looked okay however. The passengers disembarked onto the taxiway via stairs
and were bussed to the terminal.

Runway 16R/34L was closed until maintenance had replaced all 4 main tyres
and moved the aircraft out of the runway’s protected area.

A replacement Airbus A319-100 registration N904FR reached Austin with a
delay of 2.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46a76096
20131025210045:20131024000000
Incident: Spirit A319 at New Orleans on Oct 24th 2013, smell of smoke in cabin
A Spirit Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N512NK performing flight
NK-365 from New Orleans,LA to Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA) with 129 people
on board, was climbing out of New Orleans when the crew stopped the climb
at 14,000 feet and returned to New Orleans reporting a smokey odour on board.
The aircraft landed safely on New Orleans’ runway 20 about 18 minutes after
departure.

The incident aircraft was able to depart again after about 3:15 hours on
the ground and reached Dallas with a delay of 3 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46a69edb
20131024233941:20131022000000
Incident: American B752 near El Paso on Oct 22nd 2013, electrical odour on board
An American Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N688AA performing flight
AA-2420 from Los Angeles,CA to Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA) with 162 passengers
and 6 crew, was enroute at FL370 about 50nm northwest of El Paso,TX when
the crew declared emergency reporting an electrical smell on board and diverted
to El Paso for a safe landing on runway 22 about 18 minutes later. Emergency
services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The remainder of the flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked
onto other flights.

The incident aircraft resumed service about 27 hours later.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46a5b367
20140814152258:20131022000000
Incident: American B752 near Providenciales on Oct 22nd 2013, engine oil leak
An American Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N605AA performing flight
AA-2282 from Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago) to Miami,FL (USA) with
169 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL360 about 110nm southeast of
Providenciales (Turks and Caicos) when the crew noticed smell of smoke in
the cockpit and declared emergency reporting smoke in the cockpit. Shortly
afterwards the left hand engine’s (RB211) oil temperature rose to above
170 degrees C into the red zone, the engine was reduced to idle, the oil
pressure dropped and the temperature returned to within operational values.
The aircraft diverted to Providenciales for a safe landing about 17 minutes
after leaving FL360.

Maintenance found engine oil in the fan duct, the quantity in the oil reservoir
had reduced by about 1/3.

A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration N838NN was dispatched to Providenciales,
continued the flight and reached Miami with a delay of 7 hours.

The airline reported there was no fire, the aircraft diverted due to a mechanical
problem with an engine causing a low oil indication.

Turks and Caicos Emergency Department reported the crew indicated a fire
on board, the left engine was smoking and dripping fuel.

On Aug 14th 2014 the British AAIB released their bulletin reporting a seal
in the low pressure fuel pump had failed permitting fuel to enter the oil
system and the bleed air system. The aircraft was about 100nm southeast
of Providenciales when smoke began to fill the cockpit, the crew donned
their oxygen masks and diverted to Providenciales, cabin crew informed the
cockpit of smoke from the left hand engine but no signs of fire. The crew
completed the smoke, fumes and fire as well as the smoke removal checklists,
at FL100 the smoke had dissipated sufficiently that the crew was able to
remove the oxygen masks and smoke goggles.

Following landing the left engine was removed from the airframe, its oil
level was found low, there was a strong smell of fuel in the oil system,
and a large amount of debris was on the magnetic chip detectors, in particular
on the detector at the high speed gearbox. A seal in the low pressure fuel
pump was found heavily damaged, the fuel pump had a maintenance interval
of 12,000 hours and had accumulated 11,600 hours.

The AAIB discussed: “This is believed to be the fifth occasion on this engine
type of a fuel pump fault that has resulted in smoke entering the bleed
air system. The engine manufacturer is conducting a detailed inspection
of the fuel pump to determine the cause of failure, in accordance with its
established continued airworthiness procedures.”
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46a5c623
20131023231755:20131021000000
Incident: Delta B752 near Pasco on Oct 21st 2013, cargo fire indication
A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N614DL performing flight DL-2329
from Atlanta,GA to Seattle,WA (USA) with 185 people on board, was enroute
at FL360 about 150nm eastsoutheast of Pasco,WA when the crew received a
forward cargo fire indication and diverted to Pasco for a safe landing on
runway 30 about 25 minutes later and stopped on the runway for emergency
services to check the cargo bay. Emergency services found no trace of fire,
heat or smoke.

The airline confirmed the aircraft diverted due to indication of haze in
the cargo bay.

A replacement Boeing 757-200 reached Seattle with a delay of 7.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46a5c3a3
20131023230252:20131021000000
Incident: Delta MD88 near Syracuse on Oct 21st 2013, coffee pot smoking
An Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-88, registration N920DL performing
flight DL-1841 from Syracuse,NY to Atlanta,GA (USA) with 116 people on board,
was climbing through about 15,000 feet out of Syracuse when the crew declared
emergency reporting they had a fire extinguisher discharged, a coffee pot
at the right forward galley was smoking. The aircraft returned to Syracuse
for a safe landing on runway 10 about 12 minutes later, vacated the runway
and stopped for a brief examination by emergency services, then continued
to the apron.

The airline confirmed a smokey odour in the galley.

The airport reported there had been a small electrical fire at the coffee
pot, which had been quickly extinguished.

A replacement MD-88 reached Atlanta with a delay of 5.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46a33f88
20131020172050:20131020000000
Incident: United B744 at Sydney on Oct 20th 2013, blew tyres on takeoff
A United Boeing 747-400, registration N182UA performing flight UA-840 from
Sydney,NS (Australia) to Los Angeles,CA (USA), was in the initial climb
out of runway 34L when the crew reported it appeared they blew a tyre on
takeoff, tower might want to double check the runway and they were returning
to Sydney. Runway 34L was closed, a runway inspection discovered “lots of
rubber” on the runway. The aircraft entered a hold at 10,000 feet to dump
fuel and returned to Sydney for a safe landing on runway 34L about 90 minutes
after departure. During roll out tower reported some smoke from the left
main gear, it appeared there was some rubber missing from those wheels.
The aircraft vacated the runway via taxiway G and stopped clear of the runway.
Both left aft body gear tyres had separated with the wheels running on their
rims, tyre debris impact marks around the wing root fairings.

Runway 34L was closed for about 20 minutes until the debris had been removed,
but needed to be closed again due to damage on the runway caused by the
wheels. The runway was opened and closed a number of times over the next
5 hours as result of the occurrence.

The flight was cancelled.

N182UA seen at the gate (Photo: Airline Hub Buzz):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46a09b94
20150207204142:20131015000000
Incident: Spirit A319 at Dallas on Oct 15th 2013, contained engine failure
A Spirit Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N516NK performing flight
NK-165 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX to Atlanta,GA (USA) with 145 passengers,
was climbing through FL200 out of Dallas when the left hand engine (V2524)
emitted a huge bang and smoke began to appear in cabin and cockpit prompting
the flight crew to don their oxygen masks and shut the engine down. The
aircraft returned to Dallas Ft. Worth, significant weather warning of thunderstorms
in effect, and while being vectored for an ILS approach to runway 35C and
cleared for the approach the crew declined stating they needed to go through
the localizer and join the localizer from the other side, their speed was
decreasing through 255 KIAS at that point. The aircraft was turned outbound
to reposition to join the localizer, a number of aircraft approaching other
DFW runways began to go around due to weather. The crew joined the localizer
on their second attempt. The approach controller advised all emergency services
were waiting and queried whether they had problems with the instruments,
the crew replies “yes” but confirmed they had localizer and glideslope indication.
The controller monitored the flight progress very carefully notifying the
crew that localizer tracking and glidepath appeared good before handing
the aircraft off to tower. The aircraft landed safely on Dallas Ft. Worth’s
runway 35C about 30 minutes after stopping the climb.

The NTSB dispatched investigators on site despite the government shutdown
initially stating the engine failure had been uncontained.

On Oct 18th 2013, after the government shutdown had been ended, the NTSB
issued a press release stating that after assessment it was determined the
engine casing had not been breached, the engine failure is now rated contained.
The investigation is ongoing, the engine will be taken to a laboratory for
further analysis.

On Nov 13th 2013 the NTSB reported in their preliminary report that the
aircraft was climbing through about FL190 when the crew received an Engine
Pressure Ratio (EPR) fault, a N2 over limit warning and an Exhaust Gas Temperature
(EGT) over limit warning for the #1 engine (V2524). Approximately three
minutes later a loud bang was heard followed by the engine #1 fire warning.
The crew declared emergency, shut down the engine and discharged one of
the fire bottles. Following return and safe landing emergency services confirmed
there was no fire, ground crew reported substantial damage to the low pressure
turbine. The thrust reverser cowls were opened, large sections of the low
pressure turbine and turbine exhaust case were missing.

The airline reported the crew received indication of a mechanical malfunction,
shut an engine down and returned to Dallas for a normal landing.

Passengers reported a huge engine explosion followed by smoke billowing
into the cabin. The aircraft was shaking violently before the engine was
shut down.

A replacement Airbus A319-100 registration N506NK reached Atlanta with a
delay of 4:45 hours.

On Feb 6th 2015 the NTSB released their final report concluding the probable
cause of the occurrence rated an incident was:

A high pressure turbine 2nd stage blade separation due to stress corrosion
cracking in the J channel cooling cavity. The failed blade entered the gas
path and caused substantial damage to the low pressure turbine. The engine
was subsequently left at a high power setting for approximately four minutes,
exposing the turbine hardware to temperatures that exceeded the material
annealing temperature and resulted in in failure and separation of multiple
engine components.

The NTSB wrote: ” The flight crew reported that about ten minutes after
takeoff, at FL190, the electronic centralized aircraft monitor (ECAM) displayed
a No. 1 engine pressure ratio (EPR) mode fault, N2 over limit warning, and
an exhaust gas temperature (EGT) over limit warning. The ECAM notifications
coincided with heavy vibrations that could be felt throughout the cockpit
and cabin. Both engines were advanced to the take-off/go around (TO/GA)
power setting until a No. 1 engine fire warning registered about four minutes
later at which time the flight crew shutdown the No. 1 engine and discharged
one fire suppression bottle. During the event sequence smoke began entering
the cockpit and the crew donned oxygen masks. The airplane returned to DFW
and executed an uneventful single engine landing.”

The NTSB described the damage: “The No. 1 engine low pressure turbine (LPT)
3rd and 4th stage disks, turbine exhaust case center body, and the No. 5
bearing housing were jettisoned from the engine. The LPT 5th stage disk
had separated from the 6th stage disk and was hanging on the LPT shaft.
There was extensive damage to all remaining high pressure turbine (HPT)
and LPT hardware. Large sections of the LPT and exhaust cases were breached
and not recovered. The engine cowlings were in good condition without indications
of radial uncontainment.”

Left side of engine (Photo: NTSB):
Right side of engine (Photo: NTSB):
The LPT turbine (Photo: NTSB):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46cb128d
20140410161948:20131014000000
Incident: British Airways B744 over Atlantic on Oct 14th 2013, electrical fire on board
A British Airways Boeing 747-400, registration G-BNLW performing flight
BA-192 (Dep Oct 13th) from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA) to London Heathrow,EN
(UK) with 275 passengers, was enroute over the Atlantic Ocean, breakfast
was about to be served, when an burning electrical smell was noticed and
fire detectors went off. An actual fire was detected in the cabinet containing
the control center of the inflight entertaiment center, cabin crew managed
to extinguish the fire. The aircraft continued to London for a safe landing.

The airline confirmed the incident reporting it took about 5 minutes from
detecting the first fumes to the ultimately small fire being extinguished
using several, possibly 5, fire extinguishers.

The occurrence has been rated as serious incident, an investigation has
been opened into the occurrence.

Passengers reported that they noticed the inflight entertainment system
went offline and there was some accumulation of flight attendants. It was
only later that some of the passengers were quietly told about a fire, that
had taken out part of the inflight entertainment system.

On Apr 10th 2014 the British AAIB released a preliminary report within their
monthly bulletin reporting that the aircraft was enroute about 2 hours before
landing when both pilots noticed a smell reminding them of desinfectant,
they checked the cockpit door surveillance system to find out whether the
forward lavatory was being cleaned. The upper deck forward flight attendant
called the flight deck reporting a “funny smell”, during the call the pilots
noticed the smell turned into a strong, acrid electrical burning smell.
The call was termined when a lavatory smoke EICAS message was received indicating
the smoke was either in a lavatory or the cooling duct of the inflight entertainment
system. The captain handed control to the first officer and worked the related
checklist which did not require any action from the flight deck, the crew
decided not to don their oxygen masks and did not transmit a distress call.

In the meantime two flight attendants had located an open fire in galley
4 between doors 2L and 2R and began to fight the fire with BCF extinguishers
reporting to the flight deck open flames in galley 4 emanating from the
Video Demodulator (VMOD) of the inflight entertainment system, which was
located in the service director’s office in Galley 4. The communication
channels were kept open. The fire appeared to keep relighting several times,
a total of five fire extinguishers were discharged until the fire could
be reported out. The VMOD was removed and secured.

The AAIB analysed: “The VMOD unit was sent to its manufacturer for investigation
but, at the time of preparation of this account, their report has not been
received. However it was noted that the unit is certified to self-extinguish
when electrically isolated. An internal investigation by the operator concluded
that it was likely the VMOD had remained powered during the incident and
this was the reason it continued to re-ignite. One of the cabin crew described
how he believed he had isolated the IFE, but his description of events suggested
that he had only actioned the ëseat/pc electrics isolationí part of the
ëSafety Equipment and Procedures Manualí and that this had been done from
memory.”

The Video Demodulator and related switches (Photo: AAIB):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=469ec120
20131014151352:20131013000000
Incident: Chautauqua E145 near Buffalo on Oct 13th 2013, smoke in cockpit
A Chautauqua Embraer ERJ-145 on behalf of United, registration N268SK performing
flight RP-4983/UA-4983 from Cleveland,OH to Boston,MA (USA) with 34 passengers
and 3 crew, was climbing out of Cleveland, when the crew donned their oxygen
masks, stopped the climb at FL250 about 60nm southwest of Buffalo,NY, declared
emergency reporting smoke in the cockpit and diverted to Buffalo for a safe
landing on runway 23 about 13 minutes later, vacated the runway and was
instructed to stop on parallel taxiway for inspection by emergency vehicles,
the crew indicated they could taxi directly to the apron and proceeded to
the gate.

A replacement Embraer ERJ-145 registration N292SK reached Boston with a
delay of 8 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=469e22f7
20131013201627:20131013000000
Incident: Cebu Pacific A320 at Kalibo on Oct 13th 2013, overheating brakes on landing
A Cebu Pacific Airbus A320-200, registration RP-C3245 performing flight
5J-79 from Seoul Incheon (South Korea) to Kalibo (Philippines), landed safely
in Kalibo when during roll out the left hand brakes started to overheat.
The aircraft was able to taxi to the apron but then smoke started to rise
from the brakes prompting emergency services to respond and douse the wheels
with water to cool them down. The passengers disembarked after the brakes
had cooled down.

The incident aircraft was able to depart for the onward flight about 3 hours
later.

RP-C3245 with smoking brakes (Photo: Joseph Cepril Regalado):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=469d3e15
20131012163653:20131010000000
Incident: PIA A313 near Karachi on Oct 10th 2013, smoke indication
A PIA Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A310-300, registration AP-BGR
performing flight PK-304 from Karachi to Lahore (Pakistan), returned to
Karachi for a safe landing following a smoke indication.

The airline reported the fire/smoke indication was false caused by a malfunction
of the fire warning system.

A replacement A310-300 registration AP-BGN reached Lahore with a delay of
4 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=469981e6
20131007215541:20131006000000
Incident: American Eagle E145 at Peoria on Oct 6th 2013, smoke indication
An American Eagle Embraer ERJ-145, registration N609DP performing flight
MQ-3176 from Peoria,IL to Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA) with 47 passengers and
3 crew, was climbing out of Peoria when the crew received an aft cargo smoke
indication, stopped the climb at 14000 feet, declared emergency reporting
they were coming back in and returned to Peoria for a safe landing on runway
04 about 13 minutes after departure. The aircraft stopped on the runway
and was evacuated. No trace of fire, heat or smoke was detected.

The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto other flights.

The airline said the cause of the sensor indication is under investigation.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4698aeba
20131006195559:20131006000000
Incident: Wideroe DH8A near Svolvaer on Oct 6th 2013, smoke in cabin
A Wideroe de Havilland Dash 8-100, registration LN-WIM performing flight
WF-824 from Bodo to Svolvaer (Norway) with 37 passengers and 3 crew, was
on final approach to Svolvaer when the crew reported smoke had been detected
in the cabin. The aircraft landed safely about 2 minutes later, the passengers
rapidly deplaned.

The airline said electrical wiring overheated causing the smoke.

The return flight WF-825 was cancelled.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=469cab1d
20131011230104:20131005000000
Incident: American Eagle E145 at Toronto on Oct 5th 2013, lavatory smoke indication
An American Eagle Embraer ERJ-145, registration N922AE performing flight
MQ-3630 from Toronto,ON (Canada) to Chicago O’Hare,IL (USA) with 42 people
on board, was in the initial climb out of runway 06R when the crew received
a lavatory smoke indication, stopped the climb at 5000 feet and returned
to Toronto’s runway 15L about 10 minutes after departure.

NAV Canada reported the crew declared emergency reporting smoke in the cockpit.

The Canadian TSB reported that maintenance replaced a carbon seal of the
right hand engine (AE3007).
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46972569
20131004205919:20131003000000
Incident: Shuttle E170 at Denver and Chicago on Oct 3rd 2013, suspected blown tyres on nose and main gear
A Shuttle America Embraer ERJ-170 on behalf of United, registration N635RW
performing flight S5-3578/UA-3578 from Denver,CO (USA) to Toronto,ON (Canada),
stopped the climb out of Denver at FL290 due to concern that one of the
nose gear and/or main gear tyres might be blown after debris had been found
on the departure runway in Denver. The crew continued the flight but soon
needed to descend the aircraft to 11,000 feet. The crew subsequently diverted
to Chicago O’Hare,IL (USA) requesting a low approach to runway 28R to have
the landing gear checked from the ground requesting tower and aircraft on
the ground to check their nose and right main landing gear for blown tyres.
The crew of an aircraft on the ground reported that all tyres were in place,
they couldn’t tell for sure however whether the tyres were inflated or deflated.
The observer on the tower advised he could not see any anomaly with the
tyres, they appeared normal. The crew acknowledged reporting they had left
significant chunk of debris at the departure runway. The aircraft positioned
for another approach to 28R and landed safely about 3 hours after departure
from Denver, however were unable to vacate the runway and stopped on the
runway. Emergency services reported the right inboard tyre looked flat but
pretty much intact, there was no fire and no smoke, the aircraft was released
to continue taxi to the apron, the crew however decided the tyre was too
shredded and they needed to be towed.

A replacement Embraer ERJ-170 registration N859RW reached Toronto with a
delay of 4.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46966402
20131003212853:20131003000000
Incident: Eagle B190 near Nelson on Oct 3rd 2013, electrical smell in cockpit
An Eagle Airways Beech 1900D on behalf of Air New Zealand, registration
ZK-EAP performing flight NZ-2195 from Wellington to Nelson (New Zealand)
with 17 passengers and 2 crew, was descending towards Nelson when the crew
declared emergency reporting an electrical smell in the cockpit. The aircraft
continued for a safe landing on Nelson’s runway 02 and stopped after vacating
the runway at the last exit.

Emergency services reported that after landing there was light haze visible
in the cockpit. The crew shut down both engines and rapidly disembarked
the passengers. The source of the smoke is under investigation.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46961c3e
20131012153927:20131003000000
Crash: Associated E120 at Lagos on Oct 3rd 2013, lost height after takeoff
An Associated Aviation Embraer EMB-120, registration 5N-BJY performing charter
flight SCD-361 from Lagos to Akure (Nigeria) with 13 passengers and 7 crew,
lost height shortly after takeoff from Lagos Airport’s runway 18L, impacted
trees, a brick wall and ground at 09:32L (08:32Z) and caught fire. 5 survivors
were rescued, 15 people have been confirmed dead by authorities.

The Federal Aviation Agency Nigeria (NCAA) confirmed an Embraer EMB-120
lost height shortly after takeoff and crashed. 15 bodies have been recovered
from the crash site, 5 survivors have been taken to hospitals. The black
boxes have been recovered, Nigeria’s Accident Investigation Board has dispatched
investigators on site and is going to investigate the crash. It is unclear
whether there were 20 people or 20 passengers plus crew on board of the
aircraft.

Later the day the NCAA reported that the crew had declared emergency stating
an engine had failed on takeoff. The front section of the aircraft has completely
burned down beyond recognition.

Nigeria’s Aviation Ministry reported the aircraft carried 20 passengers
and 7 crew.

Nigeria’s Airport Authority subsequently reported 20 people including crew
were on board of the aircraft.

On Oct 4th the airline released the aircraft manifest reporting the aircraft
carried 13 passengers and 7 crew (captain, first officer, engineer, dispatcher,
2 flight attendants and 1 unidentified function), 5 survivors are being
treated in three hospitals in Lagos, 15 occupants of the aircraft have been
killed in the crash. Prior to the accident flight the aircraft had last
flown on Aug 30th 2013.

A ground witness reported the aircraft struggled to climb at all after rotation,
appeared to attempt to return but fell back onto the ground in unusual attitude.

The aircraft was carrying a family and a body to the funeral of the body
in Akure, a second aircraft departing earlier with other family members
including the widow of the deceased and two daughters of the pair reached
Akure safely. The oldest son of the pair survived the crash with serious
but non life-threatening injuries.

Emergency services reported, that the coffin of the deceased taken to Akure
for burial was recovered intact though battered.

Metars:
DNMM 031200Z 20011KT 170V230 9999 TS BKN012 FEW020CB 28/25 Q1013 NOSIG

DNMM 030830Z 23008KT 190V300 9999 BKN011 27/24 Q1014 NOSIG
DNMM 030730Z 22004KT 180V270 9999 SCT010 26/24 Q1014 NOSIG
DNMM 030700Z 23003KT 170V310 9999 SCT010 26/24 Q1013 NOSIG
DNMM 030630Z 00000KT 8000 SCT009 25/22 Q1013 NOSIG
DNMM 030600Z 00000KT 8000 SCT009 25/22 Q1013 NOSIG
DNMM 030530Z VRB02KT 8000 SCT009 25/22 Q1012 NOSIG

The brick wall (Photo: Reuters):
The tail of 5N-BJY (Photo: Reuters):
The remains of the aircraft (Photos: AP):
Detail Map (Graphics: AVH/Google Earth):
Map (Graphics: AVH/Google Earth):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46958d5c
20131002194504:20131002000000
Incident: CSA AT72 at Budapest on Oct 2nd 2013, engine fire
A CSA Czech Airlines Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-200, registration
OK-YFT performing flight OK-787 from Budapest (Hungary) to Prague (Czech
Republic) with 33 passengers and 4 crew, was climbing through about 3000
feet out of Budapest’s runway 31R when the crew, audibly on oxygen masks,
declared Mayday reporting smoke in the aircraft and requested an immediate
return to runway 31R for a landing as soon as possible. Another aircraft
was immediately pulled off the approach and sent into a hold, several more
aircraft also were sent to holds. About a minute after the initial emergency
call the crew reported they had an engine fire on the left hand engine,
the engine had been shut down and the fire suppression systems had been
discharged, the fire appeared to have been extinguished, in the stress of
the situation the crew reported 330 passengers and 4 crew on board. The
aircraft landed safely on runway 31R about 10 minutes after departure and
stopped on the runway where emergency services checked the aircraft before
it continued to the apron.

Budapest Airport was closed for about 30 minutes as result of the emergency
due to one runway out of service for maintenance and the other kept sterile
for the emergency and subsequent checks. Two aircraft diverted to Bratislava
as result of the delay.

The airline confirmed the crew received an engine fire indication, shut
the engine down and returned to Budapest.

The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto the next flight.

On Oct 8th 2013 the French BEA reported in their weekly bulletin that after
departure the crew noticed smell of smoke and smoke coming from the left
hand engine, the left hand engine’s fire indication activated, the engine’s
low oil pressure activated and the engine stalled. The crew shut the engine
down and returned to Budapest. After landing investigators found a number
of fractured turbine vanes. Hungary’s Transportation Safety Board is investigating
the occurrence rated a serious incident.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4695abca
20131002230739:20131001000000
Incident: Expressjet E145 near Knoxville on Oct 1st 2013, smoke in cockpit
An Expressjet Embraer ERJ-145 on behalf of United, registration N17185 performing
flight EV-4293/UA-4293 from Columbia,SC to Chicago O’Hare,IL (USA) with
35 people on board, was climbing through FL305 about 70nm northeast of Knoxville,TN
when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and diverted to Knoxville. The
aircraft landed safely on Knoxville’s runway 23L about 20 minutes later,
after landing the crew advised no assistance was needed anymore and proceeded
to the apron.

A replacement Embraer ERJ-145 reached Chicago with a delay of 2 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=469b0d78
20131009220247:20130928000000
Accident: Jazz CRJ9 at Toronto on Sep 28th 2013, smoke in cabin during roll out
A Jazz Canadair CRJ-705, registration C-GLJZ performing flight QK-8859 from
Charlottetown,PE to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 61 people on board, was in
the roll out on Toronto’s runway 05 when the flight crew received indication
of a right hand pack overheat shortly followed by cabin crew reporting heavy
smoke in the cabin. The captain stopped the aircraft on taxiway AK, requested
emergency services to attend the aircraft and ordered a rapid disembarkation
of passengers. Subsequently the captain went to the cabin and noticed the
smoke began to dissipate and returned to the cockpit to coordinate with
emergency services.

The Canadian TSB reported that during the following walk around it was discovered
that a number of passengers had exited the aircraft through the right hand
overwing exit, three passengers received minor injuries. Cockpit voice and
flight data recorders were secured. Maintenance found the right hand air
cycle machine seized and replaced it, subsequent tests showed no anomaly.
Maintenance in addition replaced all power supply units for cabin emergency
lights before returning the aircraft to service.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4692673b
20130928195949:20130928000000
Incident: Atlanta Icelandic B744 at Dhaka on Sep 28th 2013, overheating brakes
An Air Atltanta Icelandic Boeing 747-400 on behalf of Saudi Arabian Airlines,
registration TF-AMV performing positioning flight SV-3822 from Riyadh (Saudi
Arabia) to Dhaka (Bangladesh), landed in Dhaka when sparks and smoke was
observed from the right hand main landing gear during roll out, the aircraft
stopped on the runway. Emergency services responded and cooled the brakes.

The airport was closed for about one hour as result of the emergency.

The airport reported a malfunction of the right main gear caused sparks
and smoke. Emergency services responded, the aircraft was towed to the apron
about one hour after landing.

The aircraft was not able to pick up the 422 pilgrims waiting for their
Hajj flight, the flight was postponed to the next day.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=469182f0
20130927171028:20130926000000
Incident: American MD82 at Chicago on Sep 26th 2013, battery fire in cabin
An American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-82, registration N493AA performing
flight AA-1159 from Chicago O’Hare,IL to Saint Louis,MO (USA) with 126 people
on board, was climbing through 10,000 feet out of Chicago’s runway 22L when
the crew reported a fire in the cabin and returned the aircraft to O’Hare
Airport for a safe landing on runway 10L about 13 minutes after departure.
The crew advised the fire had been extinguished, the camcorder was still
smoking, they were able to vacate the runway but needed to stop clear of
the runway and get the firefighters on board. The aircraft stopped, shut
both engines down, brought the APU up while firefighters entered the cabin
and secured the camcorder.

Emergency services reported the aircraft returned due to smoke in the cabin,
the Lithium battery of a passenger’s camcorder in an overhead bin had set
the bag around the camcorder on fire, the fire had been put out by handheld
fire extinguishers by cabin crew and the battery was placed into a bucket
of cold water.

A replacement MD-83 registration N589AA reached Saint Louis with a delay
of 160 minutes.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=468ff6aa
20130926124129:20130924000000
Incident: Lufthansa A319 at Munich on Sep 24th 2013, smoke in cockpit
A Lufthansa Airbus A319-100, registration D-AKNJ performing flight LH-1818
from Munich (Germany) to Barcelona,SP (Spain), was climbing out of Munich
when the crew donned their oxygen masks, stopped the climb at FL160 reporting
smoke in the cockpit and returned to Munich. The crew subsequently advised
they had light smoke in the cockpit, they would stop on the runway and requested
emergency services to check the aircraft out “in aller Ruhe” (in all calmness).
The aircraft performed an ILS approach to runway 26L and landed safely on
runway 26L about 17 minutes after departure.

The flight was cancelled.

The incident aircraft resumed service after about 13 hours on the ground.

The airline reported the following day the crew detected the smell of smoke,
however, there was no smoke in the cockpit.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=468f1c6c
20130924200953:20130923000000
Incident: Delta B752 near Wichita on Sep 23rd 2013, burning smell on board
A Delta Boeing 757-200, registration N6705Y performing flight DL-1480 from
San Francisco,CA to Atlanta,GA (USA) with 175 people on board, was enroute
at FL370 about 60nm westsouthwest of Wichita’s Mid-Continent Airport,KS
(USA) when the crew reported a burning smell on board and decided to divert
to Wichita. Later on approach the crew reported an unknown smoke in the
cabin. The aircraft landed safely on Wichita’s runway 19R about 17 minutes
after leaving FL370. Attending emergency services found no trace of fire,
heat or smoke.

Passengers reported a smell like burning plastics.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=468ca8d9
20130921204308:20130920000000
Incident: Spirit A319 at Fort Lauderdale on Sep 20th 2013, smoke in cockpit
A Spirit Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N525NK performing flight
NK-305 from Fort Lauderdale,FL to Las Vegas,NV (USA) with 150 people on
board, was in the initial climb out of Fort Lauderdale’s runway 10L when
the crew stopped the climb at 4000 feet reporting smoke in the cockpit,
donned their oxygen masks and returned the aircraft to Fort Lauderdale for
a safe landing on runway 10L about 9 minutes after departure. The aircraft
was able to taxi to the gate after a check by emergency services.

A replacement A319-100 registration N531NK reached Las Vegas with a delay
of 3 hours.

The incident aircraft was able to resume service 5 hours after landing.

Passengers reported that during takeoff rotation a smell like burning batteries
appeared in the cabin, shortly after becoming airborne smoke entered the
cabin from the cockpit. The aircraft returned to Fort Lauderdale, emergency
services entered the aircraft with fire extinguishers. They were later told
that a faulty air conditioning system was identified as cause of the smoke.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=468bb3ae
20130920163138:20130920000000
Incident: Delta MD88 at Manchester on Sep 20th 2013, irritating smell on board
A Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-88, registration N910DE performing
flight DL-1941 from Manchester,NH to Atlanta,GA (USA) with 144 passengers
and 5 crew, was climbing out of Manchester when the crew stopped the climb
at 10,000 feet reporting fumes in the cabin were getting the flight attendants
irritated, the crew declared emergency and decided to divert to Boston,MA,
where the aircraft landed safely on runway 04R about 25 minutes after departure,
vacated the runway and stopped for a check by emergency services, shut both
engines down and requested emergency services to walk around advising they
were still smelling the fumes. Emergency services did not find any trace
of fire, heat or smoke. Passengers disembarked onto the taxiway and were
bussed to the terminal, the aircraft was subsequently towed to the apron.
There were no injuries.

The airline confirmed fumes on board prompted the diversion. The passengers
were rebooked onto other flights.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=468b08a8
20130919204133:20130919000000
Incident: American B752 near San Andres on Sep 19th 2013, smoke in cabin
An American Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N676AN performing flight
AA-1204 from San Jose (Costa Rica) to Miami,FL (USA) with 178 passengers,
was enroute near San Andres Island (Colombia) when the crew reported smoke
in the cabine and diverted to San Andres for a safe landing.

The aircraft is currently being examined to identify the source of the smoke.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=468aed0d
20130919173713:20130919000000
Incident: JAL B773 at Sapporo on Sep 19th 2013, smoking from main gear
A JAL Japan Airlines Boeing 777-300, registration JA8942 performing flight
JL-505 from Tokyo Haneda to Sapporo (Japan) with 503 passengers and 13 crew,
landed on Sapporo’s runway 01L. During roll out tower advised that smoke
was seen from the right hand main gear, emergency services responded. The
aircraft rolled out safely and stopped on taxiway A1 just past the end of
the runway. Emergency services doused the right hand main gear with water.
The passengers remained on board, the aircraft later continued taxi to the
gate, where the passengers disembarked normally.

Runway 01L/19R was closed for about 30 minutes as result of the occurrence.

The airline reported hydraulic fluid exited from a fractured hydraulic and
evaporated, accelerated by the hot brakes, causing the impression of smoke.
There was no fire.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=468b0c3a
20130919210604:20130918000000
Incident: TAM A320 near Curitiba on Sep 18th 2013, smell of smoke in cockpit
A TAM Linhas Aereas Airbus A320-200, registration PR-MYI performing flight
JJ-3045 from Sao Paulo Congonhas,SP to Porto Alegre,RS (Brazil), was enroute
at FL380 about 35nm east of Curitiba,PR (Brazil) when the crew reported
smell of smoke in the cockpit and diverted to Curitiba for a safe landing
on runway 15 about 12 (!) minutes later. Responding emergency services found
no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

Following examination the aircraft departed Curitiba as flight JJ-9396 to
Porto Alegre 4 hours after landing and reached Porto Alegre with a delay
of 4 hours. The aircraft subsequently performed return flight JJ-3046 with
a delay of 45 minutes.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=471532fe
20140313145332:20130914000000
Report: Thomas Cook B763 near Manchester on Sep 14th 2013, acrid smell in galley
A Thomas Cook Boeing 767-300, registration G-TCCB performing flight MT-2538
from Manchester,EN (UK) to Antalya (Turkey) with 320 passengers and 11 crew,
was climbing out of Manchester, when cabin crew switched on the ovens in
the rear galley. Three minutes later an acrid smell was noticed emanating
from the #3 oven, the oven was turned off and the circuit breakers reset.
Although the oven had been disconnected the smell intensified and cabin
crew noticed “wispy white smoke” from the sides and top of the oven. Fire
Extinguishers were discharged two times, the flight crew declared PAN and
diverted to East Midlands,EN (UK) for a safe landing. The aircraft vacated
the runway and stopped, fire services entered the cabin and removed the
oven. The aircraft was subsequently towed to the apron, where passengers
disembarked.

The AAIB reported in their bulletin that there was no evidence of fire in,
on or around the oven.

The trays to be inserted into the oven are being prepared by an independent
ground service company and come preloaded with the passengers’ meals.

A safety pin in the #3 oven, which should prevent the trays from contacting
exposed elements at the back of the oven, was found bent.

Examination revealed that two different types of ovens were installed on
the operator’s Boeing 767s, one being 11mm narrower than the other. It was
found, that the meal trays could be easily inserted into the larger oven
but needed some force to be inserted into the narrower oven.

The occurrence tray inserted into the #3 oven was found damaged and too
big for the oven.

As safety action as result of the occurrence the operator identified a new
insert compatible with both types of ovens.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=468467f1
20130911204124:20130911000000
Incident: Jet2.com B733 at Newcastle on Sep 11th 2013, bird strike
A Jet2.com Boeing 737-300, registration G-GDFO performing flight LS-353
from Newcastle,EN (UK) to Krakow (Poland), was in the initial climb out
of Newcastle’s runway 25 when the aircraft flew through a flock of seagulls
and suffered a number of bird impacts. The crew stopped the climb at FL060
and positioned for an approach to Newcastle’s runway 25, when on final approach
the crew received a fire indication for the left hand engine (CFM56), declared
emergency and continued for a safe landing on runway 25. Emergency services
checked the aircraft reporting no fire or smoke, the aircraft subsequently
taxied to the apron with the fire trucks in trail.

A replacement Boeing 737-300 registration G-CELE reached Krakow with a delay
of 2:45 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46b6e1e4
20131113194022:20130910000000
Incident: Safair B733 near Cape Town on Sep 10th 2013, failure of primary flight instruments
A Safair Boeing 737-300 on behalf of South African Airways, registration
ZS-SMJ performing freight flight SA-6836 from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth
(South Africa), was climbing through about FL170 when all primary flight
instruments failed. The crew stopped the climb at FL210 and returned to
Cape Town for a safe landing on runway 01 about 25 minutes later.

On Nov 13th 2013 South Africa’s Civil Aviation Authority reported the aircraft
on a scheduled cargo flight from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth returned because
of the failure of the primary flight instruments consistent with the failure
of a central air data computer. An investigation has been opened.

Media in South Africa had reported in September the cargo flight returned
because of smoke in the cockpit, an information that The Aviation Herald
could not substantiate at the time.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4684624b
20130911200324:20130910000000
Accident: Air Berlin A321 near Nuremberg on Sep 10th 2013, unusual odour near lavatory, 2 cabin crew treated for smoke inhalation
An Air Berlin Airbus A321-200, registration D-ABCF performing flight AB-9152
from Berlin Tegel (Germany) to Palma Mallorca,SP (Spain) with 140 passengers,
was enroute at FL350 about 50nm north of Nuremberg (Germany) when the crew
decided to divert to Nuremberg due to an unusual, unidentifyable smell near
the lavatory. The aircraft landed safely, however two cabin crew members
were taken to a hospital, where they were diagnosed with smoke inhalation.

A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration D-ABMG reached Palma Mallorca
with a delay of 4 hours.

The airline reported that the aircraft diverted to Nuremberg due to a smell
near a lavatory that could not be identified. A male and a female cabin
crew member were taken to a hospital.

The hospital reported the two cabin crew were diagnosed with smoke inhalation
and remained in intense hospital care for 24 hours.

The accident aircraft resumed service the following day.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4681fccd
20130917185242:20130908000000
Accident: Thai A333 at Bangkok on Sep 8th 2013, runway excursion on landing
A Thai Airways Airbus A330-300, registration HS-TEF performing flight TG-679
from Guangzhou (China) to Bangkok (Thailand) with 287 passengers and 14
crew, landed on Bangkok’s runway 19L at about 23:30L (16:30Z) but veered
right off the runway and came to a stop with all gear on soft ground about
1700 meters down the runway, a large plume of dust rose above the aircraft
initially creating fears of a crash followed by smoke from the right hand
engine. The aircraft was evacuated via slides. 14 people received minor
injuries in the evacuation with 3 of the injured still in hospital care
48 hours later, the aircraft received damage to both engines (PW4164), the
nose gear and the right hand main gear, the nose gear is bent but did not
collapse. The runway received substantial damage as result of the fracture
of the right hand main gear bogie beam after the aircraft had travelled
about 1000 meters down the runway following main gear touchdown.

Ground witnesses reported seeing sparks/fire at the right hand side of the
aircaft during roll out. The right hand engine emitted smoke after the aircraft
came to a stop, emergency services foamed the engine which stopped the smoke.

The airline reported (in their original Thai wording) that upon touchdown
the nose gear caused a disruption which resulted in the aircraft to veer
off the runway, their English translation reports a failure of the nose
gear as cause of the aircraft veering off the runway. The captain took control
of the aircraft and brought it to a stop. The airline confirmed 8 people
received minor injuries as result of the evacuation and were taken to hospitals.

The airport authority reported that runway 01R/19L will not be available
during entire Monday, Sep 9th (not yet reflected in NOTAMs). Emergency services
attended to a right hand engine fire following the runway excursion. None
of the gear struts has collapsed (contradicting media reports in Thailand
reporting the nose gear had collapsed). The southern part of the runway
was re-opened around noon local time, TORA 2000 meters.

A passenger reported that the aircraft touched down normally with its main
gear, but when the nose gear touched down the aircraft veered violently
to the right, the aircraft appeared to roll left first then right. When
the aircraft came to a stop there was fire visible from the right hand side,
an evacuation through the left hand doors was immediately initiated.

Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority reported on Tuesday (Sep 10th) that
permission to move the aircraft off the runway has been granted, the works
to release the runway fully back to service should be completed by midnight
to Wednesday local time. The Authority added later in the day that the root
cause of the runway excursion has been determined to be the fracture of
the right hand main gear bogie beam. The cause of the fracture as well related
events including the damage to the engines and engine fire are still being
investigated.

On Sep 10th 2013 the airline said initial investigation results suggest
that the aircraft had travelled about 1000 meters down the runway following
a smooth landing when the right hand bogie beam broke and caused the runway
excursion. The aircraft received substantial damage, especially on its right
hand side and engine. Following the fracture of the bogie beam the right
hand engine scraped along the runway surface causing sparks and some smoke,
the actual cause of the following engine fire is still being investigated
however.

The airport authority reported the airplane was moved off the runway area
in the early morning of Wednesday Sep 11th 2013.

On Sep 11th 2013 at 15:30L (08:30Z) all works to return the runway to service
were completed, the runway is back in service. Only taxiways B7 and B8 remain
closed for another day.

The French BEA reported in their weekly bulletin on Sep 17th 2013 quoting
Thai Authorities: “There was flame on both engines.” Thailand’s Accident
Investigation Board is investigating the occurrence rated an accident.

Metars:
VTBS 081730Z VRB01KT 9999 FEW020 BKN120 BKN300 25/22 Q1012 NOSIG
VTBS 081700Z 00000KT 9999 FEW020 BKN120 BKN300 25/22 Q1012 NOSIG
VTBS 081630Z 00000KT 9999 FEW020 BKN120 BKN300 26/23 Q1012 NOSIG
VTBS 081600Z 00000KT 9999 FEW020 BKN120 BKN300 26/22 Q1012 NOSIG
VTBS 081530Z VRB01KT 9999 FEW020 BKN120 BKN300 26/22 Q1013 NOSIG
VTBS 081500Z VRB01KT 9999 -RA SCT020 SCT035 BKN120 26/22 Q1013 NOSIG
VTBS 081430Z 25005KT 200V290 9999 -RA SCT020 SCT035 BKN120 26/22 Q1012 NOSIG
VTBS 081400Z 24003KT 180V330 9999 FEW020 BKN120 BKN300 26/23 Q1012 NOSIG
VTBS 081330Z 22003KT 9999 FEW020CB BKN120 BKN300 26/23 Q1011 CB S NOSIG

VTBS 081300Z 15003KT 110V190 9999 FEW020CB BKN120 BKN300 27/23 Q1010 CB
SW NOSIG

Related NOTAMs:
A3191/13 – TWY B7 AND TWY B8 CLSD DUE TO WIP. 11 SEP 13:40 2013 UNTIL 12
SEP 23:00 2013. CREATED: 11 SEP 13:41 2013

A3157/13 – DUE TO DISABLED AIRCRAFT ON RWY 01R/19L, THE REMAINING PORTION

OF A RWY 01R/19L, RWY 01R IS NOT ALLOWED TO TKOF AND LANDING,
RWY 19L IS ALLOWED TO TKOF ONLY AT THE PSN AS FOLLOWING
A. AIRCRAFT ENTERS RWY 19L TO TKOF PSN VIA TWY B8 AND THEN TURNS
RIGHT TO FACE SOUTH FOLLOWING YELLOW GUIDELINE AND TAXI TO TKOF
PSN DISPLAYED BY THE TRANSVERSE WHITE MARKING, TORA IS 2000M
B. AIRCRAFT ENTERS RWY 19L TO TKOF PSN VIA TWY B7 FOLLOWING YELLOW
GUIDELINE TO TKOF PSN DISPLAYED BY TRANSVERSE WHITE MARKING,
TORA IS 1700M
C. RWY EDGE LGT, RWY CENTERLINE LGT, RWY END LGT IN THIS PORTION
OF RWY 19L ARE SERVICEABLE
D. CLOSED TWY:B1, B2, B3, B4, B5 AND B6
E. AIRCRAFT USING THIS SHORTENED RWY SHOULD BE CODE C OR BELOW
F. AIRLINE SHOULD HAVE ADDITIONAL RESERVED FUEL DUE TO POSSIBLE
FLIGHT DELAYS. 09 SEP 05:30 2013 UNTIL 11 SEP 02:00 2013. CREATED: 09
SEP 05:32 2013

A3152/13 – RWY 01R/19L CLSD DUE TO DISABLE ACFT. 08 SEP 17:45 2013 UNTIL
09 SEP 01:00 2013. CREATED: 08 SEP 17:46 2013

Another right hand bogie beam fracture of an Airbus A330-200 at Munich in
2007 (Photo: BFU Germany/Emergency services Munich):
Tracks on the runway:
HS-TEF the following day (Photo: Reuters/Chaiwat Subprasom):
HS-TEF the following day (Photo: Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha):
Passenger photos:
Map (Graphics: AVH/Google Earth):
Excerpt of Aerodrome Chart (Graphics: AIP Thailand):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4680579a
20130907172403:20130905000000
Incident: Sun Country B737 near Spokane on Sep 5th 2013, smell of smoke as result of passenger laser burning holes
A Sun Country Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N716SY performing flight
SY-283 from Minneapolis,MN to Seattle,WA (USA) with 105 passengers and 5
crew, was enroute at FL400 about 60nm east of Spokane,WA (USA) when the
crew reported the smell of smoke on board and diverted to Spokane for a
safe landing on runway 03 about 15 minutes later. Attending emergency services
found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

On Sep 7th Authorities reported the FBI arrested a passenger who had brought
along home built laser devices and had operated those devices in flight
burning a number of holes into aircraft seats around his seat resulting
in the odour that prompted the diversion to Spokane.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=467f9eb8
20130906163313:20130903000000
Incident: UTAir B735 at Tyumen on Sep 3rd 2013, APU fire indication
A UTAir Boeing 737-500, registration VQ-BPO performing flight UT-723 from
Tyumen (Russia) to Munich (Germany) with 66 passengers and 4 crew, was climbing
out of Tyumen’s runway 21 when the crew received an APU fire indication,
stopped the climb, activated the APU fire suppression and returned to Tyumen
for a safe landing on runway 21 about 20 minutes later. Emergency services
did not detect any trace of fire, heat or smoke.

Rosaviatsia reported that the examination of the APU did not reveal any
evidence of a fire.

The following day Rosaviatsia reported that the APU was off, when the fire
indication activated. The crew activated the fire suppression system. Tyumen’s
branch of Rosaviatsia have opened an investigation into the occurrence.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=467ee655
20130904214557:20130903000000
Incident: Delta MD90 near Birmingham on Sep 3rd 2013, smell of smoke
A Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-90, registration N935DN performing
flight DL-2243 from New Orleans,LA to Atlanta,GA (USA) with 132 people on
board, was enroute at FL310 about 120nm southsouthwest of Birmingham,AL
(USA) when the crew reported smell of smoke on board and decided to divert
to Birmingham for a safe landing on runway 06 about 30 minutes later. Attending
emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The incident aircraft reached Atlanta with a delay of 11:15 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=467edd48
20130904204035:20130902000000
Incident: Westjet B737 at Vancouver on Sep 2nd 2013, too hot a TV
A Westjet Boeing 737-700, registration C-GWCM performing flight WS-541 from
Montreal,QC to Vancouver,BC (Canada) with 124 people on board, had landed
on Vancouver’s runway 08L when the crew reported an aft cargo fire. The
crash button was pressed, emergency services responded while the aircraft
stopped on the next taxiway. Firefighters checked the aircraft but did not
find any trace of fire, heat or smoke. The aircraft subsequently continued
taxi to the gate.

The Canadian TSB reported that maintenance determined a Live TV amplifier
mounted in the aft cargo bay had destructed itsself causing smoke.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46790ff4
20130828213028:20130828000000
Incident: Delta A332 at Amsterdam on Aug 28th 2013, smoke in cockpit
A Delta Airlines Airbus A330-200, registration N855NW performing flight
DL-267 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Boston,MA (USA), was climbing out
of Amsterdam’s runway 36L when the crew stopped the climb at FL080 reporting
smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft flew a left hand turn to land safely
on runway 06 about 12 minutes later.

The incident aircraft was able to depart again after about 2.5 hours on
the ground and is estimated to reach Boston with a delay of 2.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4677662d
20130826205641:20130826000000
Incident: Condor B753 near Dubrovnik on Aug 26th 2013, smell of smoke in cabin
A Condor Boeing 757-300, registration D-ABOJ performing flight DE-1015 from
Hurghada (Egypt) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany) with 204 passengers and 9 crew,
was enroute at FL340 about 70nm north of Dubrovnik (Croatia) when the crew
reported smell of smoke in the cabin, turned around and diverted to Dubrovnik
for a safe landing on runway 12 about 20 minutes later. Responding emergency
services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The aircraft is still on the ground in Dubrovnik about 7 hours after landing.
The flight is estimated to reach Frankfurt with a delay of 12 hours.

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=467737ff
20130826153727:20130825000000
Incident: Delta B752 near Montgomery on Aug 25th 2013, smokey odour on board
A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N6700 performing flight DL-534
from Cancun (Mexico) to Atlanta,GA (USA) with 184 passengers and 6 crew,
was enroute at FL370 about 95nm southwest of Montgomery,AL (USA) when the
crew detected a smokey odour on board and decided to divert to Montgomery
for a safe landing about 16 minutes later. Emergency services found no trace
of fire, heat or smoke.

The airline reported a malfunctioning fluorescent light was identified as
source of the odour.

A replacement Boeing 757-200 reached Atlanta with a delay of 4 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4677285f
20130826135143:20130825000000
Accident: Shenzhen B738 at Shenzhen on Aug 25th 2013, APU fire during taxi
A Shenzhen Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration B-5317 performing flight
ZH-9969 from Shenzhen to Beijing (China) with 82 passengers, was taxiing
for departure when the APU caught fire emitting a large smoke plume. The
aircraft stopped on the taxiway and was evacuated, emergency services responded
and put the fire out. 12 passengers received minor injuries in the evacuation,
the aircraft received minor damage.

A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration B-5378 reached Beijing with 67
passengers and a delay of 4.5 hours. 15 passengers chose to cancel their
trip.

The airline confirmed 12 passengers received minor injuries, mainly abrasions
and minor burns due to summer attire providing insufficient protection while
going down the slides.

The APU fire (Photo: Shenzhen Airport):
The aftermath (Photo: Shenzhen Airport):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46741167
20130822180036:20130821000000
Incident: Astana B763 at Astana on Aug 21st 2013, smoke in cabin
An Air Astana Boeing 767-300, registration P4-KCA performing flight KC-954
from Astana to Almaty (Kazakhstan), was climbing out of Astana when the
crew stopped the climb at about FL110 and decided to return to Astana due
to smoke in the cabin. The smoke dissipated during the return. The aircraft
landed safely back on Astana’s runway 04 about 30 minutes after departure.

The airline reported a fauly air conditioning system was identified as source
of the smoke.

A replacement Airbus A321-200 registration P4-NAS reached Almaty with a
delay of 9 hours.

The incident aircraft departed Astana at the same time reaching Almaty with
a delay of 9 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=467289b4
20150427220806:20130819000000
Accident: Buffalo DC3 at Yellowknife on Aug 19th 2013, engine fire
A Buffalo Airways Douglas DC-3, registration C-GWIR performing flight J4-168
from Yellowknife,NT to Hay River,NT (Canada) with 21 passengers and 3 crew,
was climbing out of Yellowknife’s runway 16 at 17:11L (23:11Z) when the
right hand engine caught fire prompting the crew to stop the climb at about
800 feet and attempt a return to Yellowknife’s runway 10. The aircraft contacted
a number of trees, missed wires and landed very hard and short of the runway
before the aircraft came to a stop on its belly. No injuries occurred, the
aircraft received substantial damage.

The Canadian TSB have opened an investigation into the accident.

Ground observers reported the aircraft did not extend the gear on final
approach and landed on its belly coming to a stop about 100 meters short
of the runway in a ditch.

Passengers reported the right hand engine was on fire, the aircraft clipped
the tops of a number of trees before the crew was able to steer the aircraft
onto an open field for a hard touch down. All occupants are safe.

NAV Canada reported later that the aircraft departed runway 16, during climb
out tower observed torching and smoke from the right hand engine and notified
the crew, but received no reply. Tower cleared the aircraft to land on runway
10 and advised emergency services, the aircraft circled for an approach
to runway 10, on final approach tower notified the crew the gear was not
down, the aircraft crash landed on the south west in field south of the
threshold runway 10. The airport was closed for about 45 minutes until runway
16/34 was made available again.

On Aug 28th 2013 the Canadian TSB reported that shortly after takeoff from
runway 16 the crew observed a fire in the right hand engine (PW R-1830-92),
shut the engine down and performed a low altitude turn towards runway 10.
The aircraft struck a stand of trees south west of the threshold runway
10 and landed with the gear up south of the runway, no post impact fire
occurred, the aircraft was evacuated. No injuries occurred to the 21 passengers
and 3 crew.

On Apr 27th 2015 the Canadian TSB released their final report concluding
the probably causes of the accident were:

Findings as to causes and contributing factors

– An accurate take-off weight and balance calculation was not completed
prior to departure, resulting in an aircraft weight that exceeded its maximum
certified take-off weight.

– The right engine number 1 cylinder failed during the take-off sequence
due to a pre-existing fatigue crack, resulting in an engine fire.

– After the right propellerís feathering mechanism was activated, the propeller
never achieved a fully feathered condition likely due to a seized bearing
in the feathering pump.

– The windmilling right propeller caused an increase in drag which, combined
with the overweight condition, contributed to the aircraftís inability to
maintain altitude, and the aircraft collided with terrain short of the runway.

– The operatorís safety management system was ineffective at identifying
and correcting unsafe operating practices.

– Transport Canadaís surveillance activities did not identify the operatorís
unsafe operating practices related to weight and balance and net take-off
flight path calculations. Consequently, these unsafe practices persisted.

Findings as to risk

– If companies do not adhere to operational procedures in their operations
manual, there is a risk that the safety of flight cannot be assured.

– If Transport Canada does not adopt a balanced approach that combines inspections
for compliance with audits of safety management processes, unsafe operating
practices may not be identified, thereby increasing the risk of accidents.

– If cockpit or data recordings are not available to an investigation, this
may preclude the identification and communication of safety deficiencies
to advance transportation safety.

Other findings

– Current Canadian Aviation Regulations permit a transport category piston-powered
aircraft to carry passengers without a flight data recorder or cockpit voice
recorder.

The TSB reported that the airline has a walk-in/on demand scheme that permits
passengers to show up for boarding without pre-booking a seat. If the passenger
count exceeds the capacity of the aircraft a stand by aircraft is being
dispatched, on Aug 19th 2013 a stand by aircraft needed to be dispatched.

The accident aircraft was loaded with cargo and 17 passengers, the passengers
and their luggage were not weighed at check in. After the aircraft had been
loaded, 4 last minute passengers boarded the aircraft along with the luggage.

At the time of departure the operational flight plan had been partially
completed without passenger count, cargo weight, the crew never received
a cargo manifest.

The aircraft subsequently departed Yellowknife’s runway 16 from intersection
runway 16/34 with runway 10/28 with a takeoff distance available of 5956
feet.

About 2 minutes after the takeoff clearance was issued tower observed heavy
torching and smoke from the right hand engine and called the aircraft reporting
the observation but did not receive a reply. The crew was just retracting
the landing gear when they observed fire in the right hand engine and initiated
the checklist which included to shut the engine down and feather the propeller.

The right propeller moved towards the feathered position but did not reach
the feathered position and continued windmilling.

The crew initiated a low altitude, the aircraft reached a maximum height
of 180 feet AGL, right hand turn in an attempt to reach runway 10 but struck
a stand of trees, about 30 feet in height, about 690 feet southwest of the
threshold of runway 10 and impacted ground about 400 feet past the trees.
The wreckage trail extended over 330 feet parallel to and south of runway
10.

Landing gear and flaps were found in the retracted position, the ELT did
not activate due to the relatively low impact energy.

After the aircraft came to a stand still the flight attendant initiated
the evacuation of the aircraft, all 21 passengers exited the aircraft through
the left aft door. The flight attendant then returned to the aircraft and
moved some galley drawers that were blocking the cockpit door and confirmed
the flight crew was safe, all three crew then evacuated the aircraft.

Arriving emergency services, who had been near the threshold of runway 10
due to an unrelated vehicle recovery operation, foamed the aircraft as a
precaution.

The TSB reported that the aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder
or a cockpit voice recorder and was not required to carry those items by
Canadian regulations.

The TSB reported that the aircraft is certified for a maximum takeoff weight
(MTOW) of 26,200 lbs. The aircraft carried 2707lbs of fuel, 21 passengers
along with their cargo and 3 crew, which using standard weights resulted
in an estimated takeoff weight of 27,435 lbs, 1235 lbs above MTOW. The TSB
cited a study by the Australian TSB who had experimentally determined the
aircraft with the left hand (critical) engine shut down and the propeller
windmilling would be able to climb at 100fpm at 26,200 lbs, maintain altitude
at 28,000 lbs and descend at 90 fpm at 30,000 lbs.

The TSB reported that the right hand engine’s #1 cylinder’s head and barrel
were found separated due to a fracture of the barrel along the threaded
joint with the head. A pre-existing fatigue crack was discovered in a thread
groove, the cause of the crack could not be determined due to the accident
impact damage.

The feathering system of the right hand propeller was designed to move the
propeller to 88 degrees of pitch which stops the rotation of the propeller
and thus reaches minimum drag. An oil pump driven by an electrical motor
supplies oil pressure to the propeller dome which moves the propeller into
its feathered position, when the propeller reaches the full stop position
the pressure would increase to 600psi at which point the the cut out switch
prompts the motor to de-energize. If the pressure of 600psi is not reached
the motor and pump continue to operate until they fail. The feathering system
is also design to unfeather the propeller. If the feathering system continues
to run beyond the feather position, the propeller would move through the
feathered position and reach fine pitch again. Douglas had issued a flight
operations bulletin following an accident in the Netherlands advising crews
that it was possible to interrupt the feathering manually in case the cut
off switch did not operate, the accident crew was aware of this bulletin.
In the post accident examination During the propeller was found at a blade
angle of 46 degrees only which reduced but did not stop the windmilling.
The TSB analysed: “Feathering the propeller of an inoperative engine is
critical to the performance of a multi-engine aircraft as it reduces parasite
drag by moving the propeller blades towards a coarser pitch angle relative
to the flight path of the aircraft. In most cases, the propeller will stop
spinning. A non-feathered, or windmilling, propeller will induce a high
parasite drag penalty on aircraft performance. In order to maintain airspeed
at or above the minimum airspeed of 90 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS),
Buffalo 168 (BFL168) sacrificed climb performance and was barely able to
maintain a constant altitude. Manoeuvring the aircraft to return to the
airport led to a loss of altitude, which ultimately resulted in the collision
with terrain. After the right propellerís feathering mechanism was activated,
the propeller never achieved a fully feathered condition due to a system
failure. Post-occurrence testing of the propeller feathering system indicated
the oil pump motor failed likely due to a seized bearing. Activation of
the feathering system results in the pump motor running until sufficient
oil pressure develops to trip the pressure-sensitive cut-out switch, set
for 600 pounds per square inch (psi), which occurs when full feather position
is reached. The compromised bearing likely slowed the motor speed resulting
in decreased oil pressure. The pump will continue to run until it fails
if the trip pressure is not reached and system operation is not monitored.
There is no back-up pump.”

The TSB analysed: “Aircraft performance, as indicated in the aircraft flight
manual (AFM), is predicated on the weight of the aircraft. In this occurrence,
a complete and accurate weight and balance report was not calculated prior
to takeoff. As the aircraftís weight and balance had not been updated since
1990, using actual passenger and cargo weights may not have produced an
accurate take-off weight. As such, the crew would not be able to determine
accurately the aircraftís performance capabilities during a normal takeoff.
As was determined in the 1994 Australian DC-3 accident report19, aircraft
operating above the maximum certified take-off weight (MCTOW) experience
a serious degradation in climb performance when experiencing an engine failure
with a windmilling propeller.”

The TSB thundered:

In this occurrence, the aircraft departed without a completed weight and
balance calculation and was later determined to weigh in excess of the MCTOW
at the time of departure. The investigation found that it was common to
operate in this manner, and that weight and balance forms were normally
completed enroute without the benefit of accurate information and without
using standard or actual passenger weights as required by the Company Operations
Manual (COM). The risks associated with operating the aircraft overweight
may not have been fully appreciated by the crews since net take-off performance
calculations required by the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) and specified
in the COM were not being conducted. As a result, no assessment of obstacle
clearance in the event of an engine failure during takeoff had been carried
out. Successful adaptations from procedures tend to reinforce that activity.
Therefore, previous success in operating the aircraft overweight was likely
taken as assurance of future performance without consideration being given
to aircraft performance in the event of an emergency. Given that neither
the Pro-Active nor the Re-Active Risk Assessment programs identified issues
relating to operational control, weight and balance or calculated aircraft
performance, and that the practice of adjusting weight and balance calculations
to maintain them within limits after departure was well known and accepted
by senior management, it was highly unlikely that these unsafe practices
would be reported through, or addressed by, the companyís SMS.

There were other indications that the organizational culture at Buffalo
Airways was not supportive of a system that required the organization to
take a proactive role in identifying hazards and reducing risks. The companyís
response to deficiencies identified during TC surveillance activities demonstrated
an adversarial relationship between the company and the regulator. The company
refuted the regulatory basis of findings, questioned the competence of TC
inspectors and initially did not take responsibility for the issues identified.
The overall picture that emerged from this investigation is of an organization
that met the basic requirements of regulations and then only when pushed
by the regulator. An SMS introduced into a culture motivated merely to comply
with regulations is unlikely to be effective. The operatorís SMS was ineffective
at identifying and correcting unsafe operating practices.

With respect to the regulator, Transport Canada, the TSB analysed: “The
current approach to regulatory oversight, which focuses on an operatorís
SMS processes almost to the exclusion of verifying compliance with the regulations,
is at risk of failing to address unsafe practices and conditions. If TC
does not adopt a balanced approach that combines inspections for compliance
with audits of safety management processes, unsafe operating practices may
not be identified, thereby increasing the risk of accidents.”

Metars:
CYZF 200100Z 16003KT 15SM VCSH FEW010 BKN040CB BKN140 BKN240 18/14 A2930
RMK SC1CB5AC2CI1 SC TR CI TR SLP926 DENSITY ALT 1800FT=
CYZF 200000Z 20003KT 15SM VCSH FEW010 SCT040CB BKN150 BKN240 18/14 A2929
RMK SC1CB4AC2CI1 SC TR SLP925 DENSITY ALT 1800FT=
CYZF 192325Z 25005KT 15SM VCSH FEW010 SCT040CB BKN150 OVC240 18/13 A2928
RMK SC1CB3AC2CI2 SLP922 DENSITY ALT 1800FT=
CYZF 192300Z 23005KT 15SM VCSH FEW010 SCT040CB BKN150 BKN240 17/13 A2928
RMK SC1CB3AC2CI2 SC TR SLP920 DENSITY ALT 1800FT=
CYZF 192200Z 23009KT 15SM VCSH FEW007 BKN030TCU BKN140 BKN240 20/14 A2928
RMK SF1TCU4AC1CI1 SLP918 DENSITY ALT 2100FT=
CYZF 192100Z 22007KT 15SM FEW009 SCT040TCU BKN140 BKN240 18/15 A2928 RMK
SF2TCU2AC1CI2 SLP920 DENSITY ALT 1900FT=

Related NOTAM:
B3842/13 – RWY 10/28 CLSD AVBL AS TWY. 20 AUG 17:15 2013 UNTIL 20 AUG 20:00
2013. CREATED: 20 AUG 17:23 2013

The fractured cylinder #1 (Photo: TSB):
Detail of the aircraft (Photo: TSB):
Overview of the accident scene (Photo: bizjet101):
Flight Trajectory (Graphics: TSB):
Map (Graphics: AVH/Google Earth):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4671a339
20130819155337:20130818000000
Incident: Jetblue E190 near Philadelphia on Aug 18th 2013, smell of smoke
A Jetblue Embraer ERJ-190, registration N249JB performing flight B6-827
from Boston,MA to Baltimore,MD (USA) with 95 passengers and 4 crew, was
enroute at FL320 about 95nm northnortheast of Philadelphia,PA (USA) when
cabin crew noticed the smell of smoke in the cabin prompting the flight
crew to divert the aircraft to Philadelphia. The aircraft landed safely
on Philadelphia’s runway 27L (active runways 09) about 25 minutes later,
vacated the runway and stopped for inspection by emergency vehicles. Emergency
services advised no traces of fire, heat or smoke were detected from the
outside of the aircraft, vehicles would follow the aircraft to the stand.
While communicating with dispatch to assign a gate emergency services alerted
the cockpit, that a heat signature had been found at the aft cargo area,
the crew responded with the evacuation of the aircraft. No injuries occurred
during the emergency evacuation.

The airline reported the crew diverted as abundance of caution after a smell
of smoke was detected in the cabin.

A replacement Embraer ERJ-190 reached Baltimore with a delay of 7:45 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4671d86a
20130819214621:20130817000000
Incident: Darwin SB20 at Ancona on Aug 17th 2013, smoke indication
A Darwin Airlines Saab 2000 on behalf of Alitalia, registration HB-IZH performing
flight F7-108/AZ-7037 from Ancona to Rome Fiumicino (Italy) with 28 passengers
and 3 crew, was climbing out of Ancona when the crew received a smoke indication,
declared emergency and returned to Ancona for a safe landing about 20 minutes
after departure.

The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto the next flight
the following morning.

The airline reported the smoke indication turned out to have been false.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=466ea4d5
20130815200333:20130815000000
Incident: El Al B744 near Athens on Aug 15th 2013, lavatory smoke indication
An El Al Boeing 747-400, registration 4X-ELE performing flight LY-4 from
New York,NY (USA) to Tel Aviv (Israel) with 324 people on board, was enroute
at FL370 about 75nm northeast of Athens (Greece) when the crew reported
a lavatory smoke indication and diverted to Athens for a safe landing on
runway 03L about 22 minutes later. Responding emergency services found no
trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The airline confirmed the aircraft diverted to Athens as a precaution, the
passengers were taken to hotels until their onward transport to Tel Aviv
can be arranged. It appears that a passenger was smoking in a lavatory causing
the diversion.

Following checks the incident aircraft was able to continue the journey
and departed Athens after about 12 hours on the ground. The aircraft reached
Tel Aviv with a delay of 11.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=466dc37a
20130814163522:20130814000000
Incident: United B752 near Dublin on Aug 14th 2013, smoke in cockpit
A United Boeing 757-200, registration N14107 performing flight UA-131 from
London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Washington Dulles,DC (USA) with 147 people on
board, was enroute at FL340 about 40nm south of Dublin (Ireland) when the
crew reported smoke in the cockpit and diverted to Dublin for a safe overweight
landing on runway 28 about 20 minutes later. The aircraft stopped briefly
for a check by emergency services then taxied to the apron on its own power.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=466eb511
20130815220355:20130811000000
Incident: Canadian North B732 at Yellowknife on Aug 11th 2013, fumes from the cargo section
A Canadian North Boeing 737-200, registration C-GNDU performing flight 5T-446
from Yellowknife,NT to Kugluktuk Coppermine,NU (Canada), was climbing through
10,000 feet out of Yellowknife when the flight attendants informed the flight
deck about fumes from the cargo section. The cargo section was examined
and a start cart was found leaking fuel, a pool was forming underneath the
cart. The crew stopped the climb at Fl250 and returned to Yellowknife for
a safe landing about 25 minutes later.

The Canadian TSB reported that the crew completed the smoke removal checklist
and requested emergency services on standby upon arrival, however did not
declare priority or emergency. After landing a rapid deplanement via the
rear airstairs was initiated.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=466aad7a
20130810162835:20130809000000
Incident: Southwest B737 near Birmingham on Aug 9th 2013, lavatory smoke indication
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, flight WN-585 from Kansas City,MO to
Tampa,FL (USA) with 65 passengers and 5 crew, was enroute at FL410 about
80nm west of Birmingham,AL (USA) when the crew received a rear lavatory
smoke indication and diverted to Birmingham for a safe landing about 20
minutes later. No fire, heat or smoke was found.

A replacement Boeing 737-700 reached Tampa with a delay of 2 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4666d8d0
20130806210230:20130805000000
Incident: Delta B763 over Atlantic on Aug 5th 2013, engine shut down in flight
A Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N175DN performing flight DL-75
from Milan Malpensa (Italy) to Atlanta,GA (USA) with 220 people on board,
was enroute at FL320 over the Atlantic Ocean about 30 minutes into the crossing
and about 300nm northwest of Shannon (Ireland) when the crew reported the
failure of the right hand engine (PW4060), turned the aircraft around and
diverted to Shannon while drifting down and dumping fuel. The aircraft landed
safely on Shannon’s runway 24 about an hour later and stopped on the runway,
the crew requested emergency service to check for any smoke emanating from
the right hand engine. No smoke was reported, the aircraft subsequently
taxied to the apron, where passengers disembarked normally.

A replacement Boeing 767-300 registration N172DZ was dispatched from New
York’s JFK Airport to Shannon as flight DL-9933, and continued the flight
to Atlanta as DL-9856 and is estimated to reach Atlanta with a delay of
27 hours.

“Meeting” of incident (right) and replacement (left) aircraft:

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46654dce
20130803172150:20130803000000
Incident: American B772 near Bogota on Aug 3rd 2013, cargo fire indication
An American Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration N786AN performing flight
AA-908 (dep Aug 2nd) from Buenos Aires,BA (Argentina) to Miami,FL (USA)
with 250 passengers and 14 crew, was enroute at FL370 about 170nm north
of Bogota (Colombia) when the crew received a cargo fire indication, turned
the aircraft around and diverted to Bogota for a safe landing on runway
13L about 28 minutes later. Attending emergency services found no trace
of fire, heat or smoke.

The airline confirmed the aircraft diverted to Bogota due to a cargo fire
indication, no fire occurred, the indication was identified false.

The incident aircraft is estimated to reach Miami with a delay of 9 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=478cc4e0
20140814151520:20130802000000
Report: Jet2 B733 at Leeds on Aug 2nd 2013, electrical failure and burning smell
A Jet2.Com Boeing 737-300, registration G-CELF performing flight LS-201
from Leeds,EN (UK) to Amsterdam (Netherlands) with 119 passengers and 5
crew, was climbing out of Leeds’ runway 14 with the first officer flying
the aircraft and the captain (56, ATPL, 8,130 hours total, 3,300 hours on
type) being pilot monitoring, when the captain heard a click sound and noticed
the autothrottle had disconnected. Subsequently the Master Caution and FLT
CONT indication activated indicating the Mach trim had failed. At the same
time the commanders electronic ADI, HSI, Altimeter, VSI, Mach and radio
altimeter failed, the #1 rectifier transformer unit circuit breaker tripped,
the flight management computer locked up with both CDUs becoming unresponsive.
The right hand instruments remained all functional except for the flight
track (from the FMS) no longer being displayed on the navigation display
and crosschecked with the stand by instruments. The crew continued to retract
gear and flaps and at safe height levelled off at 4000 feet. The captain
checked the condition of the electrical systems, detected that yaw damper,
left forward window overheat, a fuel pump and normal exhaust fan were also
inoperative. The circuit breakers for battery charger, electric hydraulic
pump B and normal exhaust fan had tripped in addition. The commander started
the APU, called the purser to the flight deck for a briefing. When the purser
returned to the cabin she noticed a distinct smell of burning but no visible
smoke or haze, her collegues at the aft galley confirmed they were smelling
the odour as well. Cabin crew alerted the commander to the smell and shut
down the galleys. The commander declared PAN, the aircraft returned to Leeds.
While on final approach to runway 14 the left hand generator tripped offline,
the captain selected the APU as source for generator bus 1, and all instruments
including the FMS were reinstated. The aircraft landed safely on runway
14 and vacated the runway, then stopped. The passengers disembarked onto
the taxiway, the aircraft was towed to the apron.

The AAIB released their bulletin stating that maintenance found the “the
red phase ëAí ground cable from the No 1 generator had separated from the
T191 stud on the side of the No 1 engine. This cable had separated due to
a failure of its terminal lug. Further examination of the generator harness
revealed a cracked terminal lug on the blue phase ëCí ground cable at the
T191 stud and a further cracked terminal lug at the firewall end of the
grey ground cable. The crack on the blue phase ëCí lug was only visible
after the heatshrink insulation was removed.”

The left hand generator harness had not undergone maintenace since last
overhaul in 2008. During that overhaul the harness, taken from another engine,
had been moved onto G-CELF.

The lug of the fractured cable had suffered from fatigue causing cracks
to develop.

The AAIB analysed: “The initial loss of the AT was recognised by the commander
who was aware that it was not a ëno goí item in the Minimum Equipment List
(MEL) and expected to continue the flight. As his instruments and other
services failed, he realised that there had been a significant electrical
failure although he did not recognise the situation as one which was covered
in the abnormal checklist. The PF continued to fly the aircraft, using his
instruments, and ATC were notified of the situation. The crew agreed that
there was no abnormal procedure for their circumstances and that they should
return to Leeds Bradford Airport. At that stage, there was no urgency to
return and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regarding briefing the
cabin crew were carried out as normal. When the SSC made the commander aware
of the burning smell, the flight crew decided to expedite their return and
transmitted a PAN call. From his training background, the commander knew
that 140 kt was a safe approach speed and would not be runway limiting.
When the No 1 generator tripped offline, the commander carried out the abnormal
procedure and the FMC became available, enabling the appropriate approach
speed to be obtained.”

With respect to the failure of the lugs the AAIB analysed: “The red phase
ëAí ground cable terminal lug failed due to corrosion fatigue under the
influence of loads consistent with high frequency vibrations. The blue phase
ëCí terminal lug and the grey ground terminal lug had started to crack in
the same manner and would probably have failed eventually as well. This
engine had been subject to higher than normal vibration in the month preceding
the failures, which was probably a contributory factor.”

The damaged cables (Photo: AAIB):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=466aa936
20130810160447:20130801000000
Incident: Arann AT72 at Birmingham on Aug 1st 2013, tail scrape on go around after bounced landing
An Aer Arann Avion de Transport Regional ATR-72-500, registration EI-REO
performing flight RE-3504 from Knock (Ireland) to Birmingham,EN (UK), landed
on Birmingham’s runway 15 at about 17:45L (16:45Z), but bounced prompting
the crew to initiate a go around as bounce recovery. Following a second
touchdown the aircraft rotated, the tail contacted the runway surface causing
a short puff of smoke while all gear remained airborne, and the aircraft
climbed out to safety. The aircraft positioned for another approach to runway
15 and landed safely. No injuries occurred, the aircraft received minor
tail scrape damage as visible in the second approach.

The aircraft was able to depart Birmingham about 6 hours after the occurrence.

Metars:
EGBB 011820Z 17010KT CAVOK 28/17 Q1004
EGBB 011750Z 18013G24KT CAVOK 29/17 Q1004
EGBB 011720Z AUTO 17015KT 9999 NCD 29/16 Q1004
EGBB 011650Z 17015KT CAVOK 30/17 Q1004
EGBB 011620Z 16012KT CAVOK 31/18 Q1004
EGBB 011550Z 17012KT CAVOK 31/17 Q1004
EGBB 011520Z 16013KT CAVOK 31/16 Q1005
EGBB 011450Z 17013KT CAVOK 31/17 Q1005
EGBB 011420Z 16012KT CAVOK 31/17 Q1005
EGBB 011350Z 18013KT 150V210 9999 FEW047 30/18 Q1005
EGBB 011320Z 16013KT 9999 FEW040 30/18 Q1006

Touchdown, bounce and go around (Video: Edward Sweeney):
Approach, bounce, go around and second approach (Video: No1Matthew1):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46656559
20130803200316:20130801000000
Incident: Caraibes A333 at Paris on Aug 1st 2013, engine problems
An Air Caraibes Airbus A330-300, registration F-GOTO performing flight TX-570
from Paris Orly (France) to Cayenne (French Guiana), was climbing out of
Orly’s runway 08 when the crew reported engine trouble, stopped the climb
at 3000 feet and returned to Orly for a safe landing on runway 06 about
17 minutes after departure.

A replacement Airbus A330-300 registration F-HPTP reached Cayenne as flight
TX-5670 with a delay of 4 hours.

The incident aircraft is still on the ground at Orly 57 hours after landing.

The airline said the aircraft returned to Orly as a precaution, there was
no engine or fire involved.

The airport confirmed the crew reported engine trouble.

Passengers reported seeing streaks of flames from the engine and white smoke,
but did not report a bang. A burning smell subsequently developed on board
of the aircraft.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46649021
20130802180406:20130731000000
Incident: Eastern SB20 near Sumburgh on Jul 31st 2013, APU fire indication
An Eastern Airways Saab 2000 on behalf of FlyBe, registration G-CFLV performing
flight BE-6779 from Sumburgh,SC to Aberdeen,SC (UK) with 32 passengers,
was climbing out of Sumburgh when the crew received an APU fire indication
and returned to Sumburgh for a safe landing. Emergency services found no
trace of fire, heat or smoke.

A replacement aircraft reached Aberdeen with a delay of 100 minutes.

The airline reported the aircraft returned due to a technical problem related
to one of the aircraft’s warning systems.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46631d63
20130731221255:20130730000000
Incident: American Eagle E135 near Albany on Jul 30th 2013, smell of smoke
An American Eagle Embraer ERJ-135, registration N738NR performing flight
MQ-3364 from New York La Guardia,NY (USA) to Montreal,QC (Canada) with 36
passengers and 3 crew, was enroute at FL250 about 20nm east of Albany,NY
when the crew reported smell of smoke in cockpit and cabin and decided to
divert to Albany for a safe landing on runway 01 about 10 minutes later,
vacated the runway and stopped on the adjacent taxiway. Attending emergency
services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke, the aircraft taxied to the
apron afterwards.

A replacement Embraer ERJ-135 registration N711PH reached Montreal with
a delay of 3:15 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46615caf
20130729165431:20130729000000
Incident: Eastern Australia DH8C near Canberra on Jul 29th 2013, smoke in cockpit
An Eastern Australia de Havilland Dash 8-300 on behalf of Qantas, registration
VH-SBG performing flight QF-2225 from Sydney,NS to Wagga Wagga,NS (Australia),
was enroute about 35nm northnortheast of Canberra,AC (Australia) when the
crew reported smoke in the cockpit and diverted to Canberra for a safe landing.
The aircraft was evacuated after landing. No injuries occurred, emergency
services did not find traces of fire or heat.

Australia’s Transportation Safety Board have opened an investigation into
the occurrence rated an incident.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46691d37
20130808155450:20130728000000
Accident: Air France B773 at Paris on Jul 28th 2013, evacuation while boarding due to fumes
An Air France Boeing 777-300, registration F-GSQA performing flight AF-116
from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Shanghai (China) with 315 people
on board, was boarding at the gate when the crew noticed a strong burning
odour on board and saw smoke in the cabin. The captain ordered the evacuation
of the aircraft, the first officer declared Mayday and requested emergency
vehicles. The overwing exits were opened for the evacuation, a number of
passengers evacuated that way. One passenger received a serious injury during
the evacuation and was taken to a hospital.

France’s BEA reported in their weekly bulletin released Aug 8th that the
crew noticed a strong burning odour on board and noticed visible smoke in
the cabin, the captain ordered the evacuation which in part was performed
through the overwing exits. One passenger evacuating that route received
an elbow fracture.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=466158e7
20130729162809:20130728000000
Incident: Allegiant MD83 near Albany on Jul 28th 2013, cargo fire indication
An Allegiant Air McDonnell Douglas MD-83, flight G4-863 from Cedar Rapids,IA
to Saint Petersburg,FL (USA) with 155 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute
at FL330 about 70nm northwest of Albany,GA (USA) when the crew received
a cargo fire indication and diverted to Albany for a safe landing about
16 minutes later. The aircraft was evacuated on the runway. No injuries
occurred. Emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The remainder of the flight was cancelled, the passengers were bussed to
St. Petersburg.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46a1d4f5
20131018140817:20130727000000
Incident: Avianca F50 at Bogota on Jul 27th 2013, rejected takeoff
An Avianca Fokker 50, registration HK-4497 performing flight AV-9279 from
Bogota to Ibague (Colombia) with 34 passengers and 4 crew, was accelerating
for takeoff from Bogota’s runway 13R when the crew received indication of
a low oil pressure for the right hand engine. The crew rejected takeoff
at high speed and safely slowed the aircraft. When about to turn off the
runway the crew was radioed by tower indicating smoke from the engine, the
engine indicated overtemperature and increasing vibrations. The crew shut
the engine down and activated the fire suppression system, the passengers
rapidly disembarked the aircraft. There were no injuries.

The Dutch Onderzoeksraad reported in their quarterly bulletin that Colombia’s
authorities found several turbine blades of the right hand engine were damaged
and rated the occurrence a serious incident, an investigation was opened,
the Onderzoeksraad (representing the country of manufacture) offered assistance
to the investigation.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=465f211a
20130726214114:20130726000000
Incident: Ryanair B738 near Budapest on Jul 26th 2013, fumes and smoke indication
A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-EMJ performing flight FR-3898
from Milan Orio (Italy) to Warsaw (Poland) with 180 people on board, was
enroute at FL360 about 140nm west of Budapest (Hungary) and 30nm north of
Graz (Austria) when the crew reported a smoke indication and decided to
divert to Budapest. On final approach the crew advised the fumes had dissipated,
they requested emergency services to follow them to the gate however. The
aircraft landed on runway 13L (active runways 31) about 20 minutes later,
attending emergency service found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The aircraft was able to continue the journey after about 3.5 hours on the
ground and reached Warsaw with a delay of 3:45 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=465fe5a7
20130727211442:20130725000000
Incident: Delta B752 near Detroit on Jul 25th 2013, smokey odour on board
A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N521US performing flight DL-903
from Detroit,MI to Fort Lauderdale,FL (USA), had just reached cruise level
350 when the crew reported a smokey odour on board and decided to return
to Detroit, subsequently changing the decision to divert to Cincinnati’s
Northern Kentucky Airport,KY for a safe landing on runway 18C about 35 minutes
later.

The airline reported the crew diverted out of abundance of caution after
a smokey odour was detected on board.

A replacement Boeing 757-200 reached Fort Lauderdale with a delay of 6:15
hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=465e2d54
20130725164819:20130725000000
Incident: Air India B788 enroute on Jul 25th 2013, smoking galley oven
An Air India Boeing 787-800, registration VT-ANL performing flight AI-20
from Delhi to Kolkata (India), was enroute when an oven in the aft galley
began to emit smoke prompting cabin crew to disconnect galley power and
and discharge fire extinguishers onto and into the oven. The fire was put
out permitting the flight to continue to Kolkata for a safe landing.

The oven was removed from the aircraft, which continued its schedule following
examination in Kolkata that established an internal fire in the oven had
occurred but did not affect any of the surrounding areas.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=465e2a8d
20130725163048:20130725000000
Incident: Republic DH8D near Newark on Jul 25th 2013, smoke in cockpit
A Republic Airways de Havilland Dash 8-400 on behalf of United, registration
N336NG performing flight YX-4890/UA-4890 from Newark,NJ to Pittsburgh,PA
(USA) with 27 passengers, was climbing through FL200 out of Newark when
the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and decided to return to Newark.
Upon contacting tower the crew advised they were going to evacuate the aircraft
and continued for a safe landing on runway 04R about 15 minutes after stopping
the climb. The aircraft was evacuated, no injuries occurred. The passengers
were bussed to the terminal, the aircraft was later towed to the apron.

The airport reported emergency services did not find visible smoke.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=465e3a34
20130725181408:20130723000000
Incident: American MD83 at Chicago on Jul 23rd 2013, hydraulic failure
An American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-83, registration N589AA performing
flight AA-1634 from Tucson,AZ to Chicago O’Hare,IL (USA), was descending
towards Chicago when the crew advised they had a hydraulic failure that
would require them to stop on the runway with gear doors open. The crew
requested runway 04R and was vectored for the approach to runway 04R, the
aircraft landed safely on the runway and stopped. The crew repeatedly asked
emergency services for any smoke visible and the status of the gear doors.
The aircraft was towed off the runway.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=465d4b99
20130724144857:20130723000000
Incident: Delta B764 near Caracas on Jul 23rd 2013, smell of smoke
A Delta Airlines Boeing 767-400, registration N828MH performing flight DL-120
(dep Jul 22nd) from Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil) to New York JFK,NY (USA),
was enroute at FL340 about 125nm northeast of Caracas (Venezuela) when the
crew reported smoke in cockpit and cabin, turned the aircraft around and
diverted to Caracas for a safe landing about 30 minutes later.

The airline confirmed the aircraft diverted to Caracas due to smell of smoke
in cockpit and cabin. A replacement Boeing 767-300 has been dispatched to
Caracas.

Passengers reported the aircraft departed Sao Paulo with a delay of 4 hours
due to problems with a window that didn’t want to close. While enroute over
the Caribbean Sea lots of very cold smoke appeared from the cabin ceiling,
flight attendants started to open the ceiling and others brought along fire
extinguishers.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=465ca4bd
20130723192514:20130722000000
Incident: American Eagle E135 near Springfield on Jul 22nd 2013, engine shut down in flight, smoke in cockpit
An American Eagle Embraer ERJ-140, registration N857AE performing flight
MQ-2940 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX to Champaign,IL (USA) with 40 people on
board, was enroute at FL330 about 45nm southsouthwest of Springfield,MO
(USA) when the crew reported the left hand engine needed to be shut down
and decided to divert to Springfield. The crew subsequently also reported
smoke in the cockpit while descending towards Springfield and landed safely
about 30 minutes after leaving FL330, the aircraft was able to taxi to the
terminal.

The remainder of the flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked
onto other flights.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46648934
20130802171447:20130720000000
Incident: Vietnam B772 near Da Nang on Jul 20th 2013, cargo fire indication
A Vietnam Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration VN-A150 performing flight
VN-773 from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam) with 268 passengers and 11 crew,
was enroute at FL380 near Da Nang (Vietnam) when the crew received a cargo
fire indication that peristed even after the relevant checklists were completed.
The crew decided to divert to Da Nang for a safe landing, the crew repeatedly
checked with emergency services for any smoke or fire detectable, however,
emergency services did not find any trace of fire, heat or smoke. The aircraft
taxied to the apron.

Maintenance determined the channel 1 aft cargo fire detector circuit breaker
had popped. The occurrence is being investigated by Vietnam’s VAECO with
the assistance by Boeing. The aircraft had been dispatched under minimum
equipment list requirements due to the channel 2 aft cargo fire detector
being inoperative.

The airline reported the crew received a high temperature indication for
the aft cargo bay and in accordance with procedures diverted to Da Nang
for a safe landing. The passengers were rebooked onto other flights.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4657eac8
20130717205506:20130717000000
Incident: Adria CRJ9 near Ljubljana on Jul 17th 2013, lavatory smoke indication
An Adria Airways Canadair CRJ-900, registration S5-AAN performing flight
JP-322 from Ljubljana (Slovenia) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) with
39 passengers and 4 crew, was climbing out of Ljubljana when the crew received
smoke indications for both lavatories on board of the aircraft. The crew
stopped the climb and returned to Ljubljana for a safe landing about 20
minutes after departure. Emergency services did not find any trace of fire,
heat or smoke.

A replacement CRJ-900 registration S5-AAL reached Paris with a delay of
2:45 hours.

The incident aircraft resumed service in the afternoon about 8 hours after
landing.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=465f2b68
20130726225732:20130716000000
Incident: Westjet B738 near Las Vegas on Jul 16th 2013, smell of burning plastics in cockpit and cabin
A Westjet Boeing 737-800, registration C-GKWA performing flight WS-1403
from Phoenix,AZ (USA) to Calgary,AB (Canada) with 147 people on board, was
enroute at FL380 about 180nm east of Las Vegas,NV (USA) when the flight
crew noticed a smell of burning plastics in the cockpit, checked with cabin
crew who confirmed the smell was also present in the cabin. The crew declared
PAN and diverted to Las Vegas. During the descent towards Las Vegas the
crew actioned the relevant check lists for smoke removal, the smell dissipated.
The aircraft landed safely on runway 25R about 30 minutes later.

The Canadian TSB reported emergency services did not detect any hot spots,
the aircraft taxied to the gate where the passengers disembarked normally.
The cause of the fumes could not be identified despite extensive post incident
maintenance inspection and engine run ups.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46565203
20130717185914:20130715000000
Incident: Helvetic F100 near Zurich on Jul 15th 2013, smoking oven
A Helvetic Fokker 100, registration HB-JVH performing flight 2L-440 from
Zurich (Switzerland) to Bristol,EN (UK) with 66 passengers, was climbing
through FL210 out of Zurich when the crew noticed smoke in the cockpit,
stopped the climb at FL220 and returned to Zurich for a safe landing on
runway 16 about 30 minutes later. A galley oven was identified as source
of the smoke.

The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto other flights.

The airline confirmed the aircraft returned due to a smoke in the cockpit
due to a smoking oven, the cause of the smoke is being investigated, Switzerland’s
SUST have opened an investigation.

On Jul 17th 2013 the SUST reported in a preliminary brief that the aircraft
was climbing out of Zurich when smoke emanated from a galley oven and entered
the cockpit. The crew decided to return to Zurich. After turning the galley
oven off the smoke ceased. A short time later there was smoke in the cockpit
again prompting the crew to don their oxygen masks, the smoke stopped after
some time. The aircraft landed without further incident, the passengers
disembarked normally.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=465572aa
20130714194007:20130712000000
Incident: Jetblue A320 near Raleigh/Durham on Jul 12th 2013, avionics bay smoke indication
A Jetblue Airbus A320-200, registration N583JB performing flight B6-1117
from New York La Guardia,NY to Tampa,FL (USA) with 163 people on board,
was enroute at FL360 about 90nm north of Raleigh/Durham,NC (USA) when the
crew received an avionics bay smoke indication and decided to divert to
Raleigh/Durham for a safe landing about 25 minutes later. Attending emergency
services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

Maintenance identified the indication as faulty.

The aircraft was able to continue the flight after 3:15 hours on the ground
and reached Tampa with a delay of 4.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46565868
20130715222202:20130711000000
Incident: Air Canada A320 near Montreal on Jul 11th 2013, avionics smoke indication
An Air Canada Airbus A320-200, registration C-FKOJ performing flight AC-165
from Montreal,QC to Calgary,AB (Canada), was in the initial climb out of
Montreal when the crew received an avionics bay smoke indication, stopped
the climb at 3000 feet and decided to return to Montreal. The aircraft approached
runway 24R but needed to go around due to being too high. The aircraft positioned
for another approach to runway 24R and landed safely about 20 minutes after
departure and 10 minutes after the go-around. Emergency services inspected
the aircraft, the aircraft was subsequently able to taxi to the apron.

The runway was closed for about 15 minutes.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46596e4f
20130719213655:20130710000000
Incident: American B772 at Beijing on Jul 10th 2013, engine fire indication
An American Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration N775AN performing flight
AA-186 from Beijing (China) to Chicago O’Hare,IL (USA), was in the initial
climb out of Beijing when the crew received erratic EGT indications followed
by a fire indication for the left hand engine (Trent 892), the crew determined
operation was engine was normal and the engine was kept running. The aircraft
returned to Beijing for a safe overweight landing on runway 01 about 18
minutes after departure. Emergency services reported there was no trace
of fire or smoke from the engine but needed to cool the brakes.

The flight was cancelled.

The incident aircraft is still on the ground in Beijing (standing Jul 19th).

Maintenance identified the inboard thrust reverser of the left engine suffered
a structural failure damaging the wiring harnesses for the EGT indications
and fire loops. Both inboard and outboard thrust reversers are being replaced.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4652ec6e
20140321152016:20130701000000
Incident: Transasia AT72 near Taipei on Jul 1st 2013, overheat air and electrical smoke indication
A Transasia Airways Avion de Transport Regional ATR-72-500, registration
B-22806 performing flight GE-5111 from Taipei Sung Shan to Makung (Taiwan)
with 72 passengers and 4 crew, was climbing out of Taipei’s Sung Shan airport
when the crew received a “OVERHEAT AIR” indication and requested an air
return. While working the relevant checklists the crew also received an
“ELECTRIC SMOK” indication, declared PAN and landed safely back at Sung
Shan Airport about 13 minutes after departure.

Taiwan’s ASC reported that cockpit voice and flight data recorder were removed
from the aircraft and an investigation was opened into the occurrence rated
a serious incident.

In March 2014 Taiwan’s ASC released their final report in Chinese concluding
the probable cause of the incident was:

hot air was continuously vented from air condition outlet, due to malfunctioning
Pack #1 duct temperature sensor and temperature limiter that caused the
modulating valve kept opening in the occurrence flight; as a result, temperature
in the cockpit remained high. The flight crew did not shut off pack #1 immediately
which enabled to stop hot air from continuously flowing into the cockpit.

The ASC reported that during climb the crew noticed the cockpit air became
hotter and hotter, and a white vapor like moisture appeared in the cockpit.
At 4000 feet the master caution and “OVERHEAT AIR” activated. Climbing through
5300 feet the crew had still not begun reading the associated checklist,
when numerous master cautions activated and the electrical smoke indication
illuminated. The associated checklists were not carried out, the crew did
not don their oxygen masks and did not wear their smoke goggles. The autopilot
was disconnected, the captain took control, the first officer declared PAN,
and the aircraft returned to Taipei Songshan. Descending through 3000 feet
the crew opened the avionics vent exhaust after which the vapor disappeared,
the warnings ceased and temperatures returned to normal levels.

The ASC analysed that despite the indications the crew did not respond properly
reading the associated checklists preventing them to correctly identify
the duct overheat, therefore did not shut down air conditioning system #1
which would have stopped the hot air instantly.

3 safety recommendations were issued to ATR, no safety recommendation was
issued to the operator.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46455b06
20150212132556:20130624000000
Incident: Thomas Cook A332 at Manchester on Jun 24th 2013, rejected takeoff
A Thomas Cook Airbus A330-200, registration G-OMYT performing flight MT-314
from Manchester,EN (UK) to Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) with 325 people
on board, rejected takeoff from Manchester’s runway 23R at high speed (about
140 knots) after the right hand engine (Trent 772) emitted a loud bang and
failed. The aircraft slowed safely and came to a stop at about half way
down the runway. Emergency services responded and checked engine and brakes,
the aircraft taxied to the apron afterwards where emergency services cooled
down the brakes.

A replacement Airbus A330-200 registration G-MDBD departed Manchester 5
hours after the rejected takeoff and is currently estimated to reach Punta
Cana with a delay of 6 hours.

The airline confirmed the incident aircraft rejected takeoff due to an engine
failure. The engine is currently being examined.

On Jul 2nd 2013 the French BEA reported the takeoff was rejected at 140
knots due to an engine fault. The AAIB have opened an investigation into
the occurrence rated a serious incident.

On Dec 12th 2013 the British AAIB reported in their bulletin that the takeoff
was rejected at 105 KIAS after a flash and smoke from the right hand engine
and associated loss of power. The investigation determined that the right
hand engine failed because of the fracture of the a single high pressure
turbine blade as result of high cycle fatigue crack propagation, causing
an engine surge and damage further downstream into the intermediate and
low pressure turbines and nozzles. Although the investigation report didn’t
name the videographer, it is obvious from the narration they used the Simon
Lowe’s video shown below as evidence into the investigation, too.

The AAIB reported that both IP (intermediate pressure) and LP (low pressure)
spools of the engine became seized as result of debris jammed between turbine
rotors and casings during run down of the engine.

The AAIB stated: “Laboratory analysis of the fractured blade root found
multiple crack initiation locations caused by Type 2 Sulphidation corrosion.
This led to high-cycle fatigue (HCF) propagation, weakening of the blade
and subsequent material rupture in tensile overload. In addition, unidentified
deposits were present on the surfaces of the blade remains which are the
subject of ongoing analysis by the manufacturer.”

On Feb 12th 2015 the AAIB released an amendment to their Bulletin reading:
“The failure of the HP turbine blade in this incident was caused by high
cycle fatigue propagation due to surface damage as a result of Type 2 Sulphidation
corrosion. During examination of the remains of the blade, to determine
the cause of its failure, unidentified deposits were found on its surfaces.
There was concern that these deposits may have been volcanic in origin,
in particular from the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajˆkull in Iceland, so
additional forensic analysis was carried out. That work was completed in
August 2014 and did not identify compounds typically associated with volcanic
activity. However, although an encounter with volcanic gaseous sulphur cannot
be discounted it is concluded that the deposits probably are an accumulation
of atmospheric dirt and pollutants.”

Video by ground observer (Video: Simon Lowe):
Another ground observer’s video (Video: Eddie Leathwood):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=464534e2
20130624162136:20130624000000
Incident: Atlas B748 near Washington on Jun 24th 2013, multiple cargo fire indications
An Atlas Air Boeing 747-800 freighter, registration N850GT performing freight
flight KK-605 (scheduled dep Jun 23rd, act dep Jun 24th) from Huntsville,AL
(USA) to Luxembourg (Luxembourg), was enroute at FL330 about 75nm westsouthwest
of Washington’s Dulles Airport when the crew declared emergency reporting
an aft cargo fire indication. During the descent towards the Airport the
crew reported a second, then a third and finally a fourth fire indication
had occurred and advised they were stopping on the runway and disembarking
the aircraft requesting emergency services to NOT open any of the lower
cargo bays to not accelerate the fire before they had gotten off the aircraft
but requesting to monitor the holds and discharge agent into the cargo holds
if possible. The aircraft landed safely on runway 19L, during roll out the
crew decided to vacate the runway onto taxiway K7 advising the fire indications
had ceased, stopped adjacent to the runway and shut the aircraft down, fire
crews attended the aircraft. After the engines had spooled down, the crew
released brakes reporting they were getting rather hot and requesting the
wheels being chocked, then reported they had just received another fire
indication and requested a ladder to the #1 door. Fire services reported
there were no indications of a fire or smoke from the outside and no heat
indication, the cargo doors were still kept closed.

About one hour after landing preparations were made to taxi or tow the aircraft
to the maintenance hangar, the crew was still on board of the aircraft at
that time.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4642f6ea
20130621204019:20130621000000
Incident: American B752 near Denver on Jun 21st 2013, smell of smoke in cockpit
An American Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N606AA performing flight
AA-1070 (scheduled dep Jun 20th, actual dep Jun 21st) from Seattle,WA to
Miami,FL (USA) with 183 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL350 about
160nm eastnortheast of Denver,CO (USA) when the crew reported the smell
of smoke in the cockpit and decided to divert to Denver. The crew advised
on approach that the smoke was dissipating. The aircraft landed safely on
runway 35R about 30 minutes later. Attending emergency services found no
trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The airline reported maintenance did not find anything out of the ordinary,
the aircraft was returned to service.

The incident aircraft continued the flight and reached Miami with a delay
of 6.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46416685
20130619212051:20130619000000
Incident: Delta B763 near Denver on Jun 19th 2013, smoke in cockpit
A Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N1602 performing flight DL-1162
(dep Jun 18th) from Los Angeles,CA to New York JFK,NY (USA), was enroute
at FL370 about 150nm east of Denver,CO (USA) when the crew reported smoke
in the cockpit, turned around and diverted to Denver for a safe landing
on runway 16R about 30 minutes later. The crew taxied the aircraft to the
gate with emergency services in trail.

The incident aircraft was able to continue the flight after 10.5 hours on
the ground and reached New York with a delay of 12 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46414307
20130619170139:20130617000000
Incident: Aeromexico B738 at Cancun on Jun 17th 2013, smoke in cabin
An Aeromexico Boeing 737-800, registration N520AM performing flight AM-580
from Cancun to Mexico City (Mexico) with 120 passengers and 7 crew, was
climbing out of Cancun’s runway 12R when smoke appeared in the cabin obviously
originating from the air conditioning outlets. The crew stopped the climb
at FL110 and decided to return to Cancun, worked the checklists which resulted
in the smoke subsiding and landed safely on runway 12R about 15 minutes
after stopping the climb. The passengers disembarked normally.

The flight was cancelled.

The incident aircraft was able to position to Mexico City about 8 hours
after landing back.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46415fbe
20130619203331:20130615000000
Incident: Air Canada E190 at Toronto on Jun 15th 2013, several cargo smoke and fire indications
An Air Canada Embraer ERJ-190, registration C-FLWK performing flight AC-1128
from Saskatoon,SK to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 79 people on board, had been
dispatched under minimum equipment list requirements with the forward cargo
fire suppression system inoperative. The aircraft was on final approach
to Toronto’s runway 05 about 6nm before touchdown when the crew received
several smoke and fire indications for the forward cargo hold. The crew
declared emergency, emergency services responded. The indications cleared
after several seconds. The crew continued for a safe landing on runway 05
and came to a stop on the intersection with runway 33R. Emergency services
found no trace of fire, heat or smoke, the aircraft vacated the runway about
11 minutes after landing.

The Candian TSB reported that the cause of the false indications is under
investigation by maintenance.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=463c2667
20130613144203:20130612000000
Incident: United B752 near Phoenix on Jun 12th 2013, smell of smoke on board
A United Boeing 757-200, registration N544UA performing flight UA-468 from
Houston,TX to Los Angeles,CA (USA), was enroute at FL380 about 150nm eastsoutheast
of Phoenix,AZ (USA) when the crew reported smell of smoke in the cockpit
and decided to divert to Phoenix for a safe landing on runway 26 about 25
minutes later. Attending emergency services found no trace of fire or heat.

A replacement Boeing 757-200 registration N556UA positioned from Los Angeles
to Phoenix, resumed the flight and delivered the passengers to Los Angeles
with a delay of 7.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=463a816c
20130611152941:20130611000000
Incident: Norwegian B738 near Stockholm on Jun 11th 2013, smoke in cabin
A Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 737-800, registration LN-NOO performing flight
DY-812 from Oslo (Norway) to Stockholm (Sweden) with 79 passengers, was
descending towards Stockholm about 20 minutes prior to estimated landing
when the crew reported smoke in the cabin. The crew continued the approach,
about 7 minutes later the crew reported the smoke indication had extinguished
and landed the aircraft safely on Stockholm Arlanda Airport’s runway 08
about 17 minutes after reporting the smoke on board. Attending emergency
services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The smoke detector indication was identified to have been false.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=463b844a
20130612212100:20130610000000
Incident: Lufthansa A320 near Milan on Jun 10th 2013, smoke indication
A Lufthansa Airbus A320-200, registration D-AIZT performing flight LH-233
from Rome Fiumicino (Italy) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), was enroute at
FL360 about 100nm eastsoutheast of Milan’s Linate Airport when the crew
received a smoke detector indication and decided to divert to Linate Airport.
The aircraft landed safely about 25 minutes after leaving FL360. Emergency
services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The remainder of the flight was cancelled.

The incident aircraft positioned to Frankfurt about 6 hours after landing.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46e67627
20140112152741:20130609000000
Report: British Airways B744 near London on Jun 9th 2013, trash compacted into smoke
A British Airways Boeing 747-400, registration G-CIVA performing flight
BA-214 from Boston,MA (USA) to London Heathrow,EN (UK) with 312 passengers
and 16 crew, was descending towards London and about to enter the Ockham
hold when cabin crew observed an acrid smoke from the trash compactor at
galley #4 (near door 2L). The flight attendant was unable to isolate the
electric supply of the trash compactor, but unpowered the entire galley
using the galley power emergency switch. Despite the power being removed
the situation worsened, the flight crew declared emergency and performed
an expeditious safe landing at Heathrow, the flight crew vacated the runway
and stopped. In consultation with emergency service the flight crew decided
to continue taxi to the stand, where emergency services removed the trash
compactor from the aircraft, subsequently the passengers disembarked normally.

The United Kingdom’s Air Accident Investigation Branch released their bulletin
stating that the trash compactor was sent to the manufacturer for further
analysis, however no conclusive evidence for the cause of the acrid smell
was found.

The AAIB concluded: “The operator has included the findings from this event
in its review of cabin crew training and fire safety drills.”
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46406feb
20130618164316:20130608000000
Accident: US Airways B752 at Kona on Jun 8th 2013, evacuation during push back causes 4 injuries
A US Airways Boeing 757-200, flight US-119 from Kona,HI to Phoenix,AZ (USA)
with 178 passengers and 6 crew, was being pushed back from the gate when
smoke appeared on board of the aircraft prompting the evacuation of the
aircraft via slides.

The FAA reported on Jun 18th, that 4 people received minor injuries as result
of the evacuation. There was no fire, the smoke originated from the APU.

Scenes during the evacuation (Photo: Steve T.):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46336de8
20130606123134:20130602000000
Accident: Cebu Pacific A320 at Davao on Jun 2nd 2013, runway excursion
A Cebu Pacific Airbus A320-200, registration RP-C3266 performing flight
5J-971 from Manila to Davao (Philippines) with 165 passengers and 6 crew,
veered right of the runway at 19:05L (11:05Z) while landing on Davao’s runway
23 in heavy rain and came to a stop with the nose gear collapsed, both engines
received substantial damage due to ground contact following the nose gear
collapse.

The aircraft was still in its final position in the morning of Tuesday (Jun
4th), the aircraft was moved off the runway and to the apron Tuesday afternoon.

The airline reported the aircraft veered off the runway while landing in
Davao in heavy downpour.

Sources within the airline claimed that the runway lights failed briefly
while the aircraft was on short final causing the runway excursion.

On Jun 4th the airline added, that the aircraft was evacuated 15 minutes
after coming to a stop. Both engines had made ground contact following the
nose gear collapse however, both engines were severely damaged, likely beyond
repair, and emitted smoke. The crew however quickly established that the
engines were not on fire. Due to the tilted position of the aircraft the
crew anticipated that an emergency evacuation would cause injuries, assessed
the situation and then decided to perform a precautionary disembarkation
via the left hand front door and evacuation slide.

The CAA Philippines (CAAP) reported on Tuesday (Jun 4th), that there was
no evidence of a technical malfunction of the aircraft prior to landing.
There is no evidence of a malfunction of airport facilities, too, the crew
was able to see the runway despite the heavy rain. The aircraft touched
down normally but veered right off the runway and came to a stop about 1100
meters down the runway between taxiways A4 and A3 during a heavy downpour
at 19:05L. The CAAP vowed that should the airline recovery teams not manage
to move the aircraft off the runway by Tuesday afternoon, the CAAP would
take over, the runway would become available by Tuesday at the latest.

On Jun 6th 2013 sources within CAAP reported, that not all damaged runway
edge lights could be explained with the accident of the Cebu Pacific Airbus
A320. At least two broken runway edge lights were damaged by another aircraft,
supposed to have been another Cebu Pacific Turbo Prop aircraft landing about
5 minutes prior to the accident aircraft. The pilots of that Turboprop did
not report the occurrence, there was damage to the wheels found however.
Had the incident been reported, it may have averted the later accident,
but at least helped to assess the situation on the ground more accurately.

Metars (no Metars were reported at 11:00Z and later):
RPMD 021000Z 14002 9999 TS BKN015 CB SCT090 BKN290 29/26 Q1008 CB SW-SE
AND OVHD DIST PCPN NW LITS N
RPMD 020900Z 18006 9999 FEW015 CB SCT090 BKN290 30/26 Q1007 CB NE
RPMD 020800Z 18002 9999 SCT015 CB SCT090 BKN290 30/26 Q1006 CB ALQUADS

RPMD 020700Z 18008KT 9999 SCT015CB SCT090 BKN290 31/25 Q1006 CB NW-E/SW
DIST PCPN NE
RPMD 020600Z 18008KT 9999 VCRA SCT015CB SCT090 BKN290 32/26 Q1007 DIST PCPN
NE CB N-E/SW-NW
RPMD 020500Z 22006KT 9999 SCT015CB BKN290 32/26 Q1007 CB NE-E/SW-W

The aircraft back on paved surface (Photo: Cebu Pacific):
The aircraft being moved back onto paved surface (Photo: Cebu Pacific):
RP-C3266 being evacuated (Photo: Dave Jubz):
RP-C3266 in its final position (Photo: Jeff Sy):
Map (Graphics: AVH/Google Earth):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=463512fe
20130604213744:20130526000000
Incident: LIAT DH8C near Pointe a Pitre on May 26th 2013, smoke in cabin
A LIAT de Havilland Dash 8-300, flight LI-512 from Bridgetown (Barbados)
to Antigua (Antigua), was enroute about 10nm from Pointe a Pitre (Guadeloupe)
when the flight attendant reported smoke in the cabin prompting the crew
to divert to Pointe a Pitre for a safe landing.

On Jun 4th The airline confirmed the incident reporting a replacement aircraft
delivered the passengers to Antigua the same day. The incident aircraft
underwent a series of checks according to the manufacturer’s maintenance
procedures however no fault was identified and the aircraft returned to
service. It is believed that a transient fault in the air conditioning system
caused the smoke.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=462c0ec6/0000
20141126173054:20130524000000
Accident: VIA A320 at Varna on May 24th 2013, runway excursion
Bulgaria’s Air Accident Investigation Unit (BAAIU) released their final
report in Bulgarian concluding the probable causes of the accident were:

– Inadequate in depth analysis of the meteorologic conditions in the forecast
as well as underestimation of weather observations with respect to the descent
of the aircraft by meteorological offices at Varna Airport, Air Traffic
Control and the crew of the aircraft
– dynamic sharp changes of wind speed and direction just prior to touch
down
– Non compliance with tail wind limits by the crew and incorrect decision
by the aircraft commander to continue the landing although current weather
conditions required to go around and either enter a hold to wait for better
conditions or divert to an alternate aerodrome
– the aircraft touched down at about the mid point of the runway at a speed
above Vapp. Automatic brakes were deactivated when the pilot flying applied
brakes, who however was late in applying maximum brakes pressure
– Increased workload by the commander due to
~ lack of experience of the first officer
~ time pressure due to next scheduled leg of the aircraft

Contributing factors

– ATIS information between 06:30Z and 07:30Z provided the term “NOSIG” which
reinforced the incorrect assessment of the actual weather conditions by
air traffic control and crew
– Change of the active runway by air traffic control without consultation
with weather offices and without consideration to the fact that the glideslope
transmitter of the ILS was operating in “bypass” mode

The BAAIU reported that upon nearing Varna the crew listened to ATIS information
“U” at about 06:50Z, which indicated that runway 27 was active and arriving
aircraft should expect a VOR approach to runway 27, visibility was at 4500
meters, winds from 230 degrees at 8 knots, rain, cumulo nimbus cloud at
2200 feet, temperature at +19 degrees C, dew point at -16 degrees C, QNH
1002, NOSIG (no significant changes in the next 2 hours).

The captain (54, ATPL, 16,300 hours total, 9,457 hours on type) was pilot
flying, the first officer (46, ATPL, 4,980 hours total, 18 hours on type)
pilot monitoring.

Upon contacting approach control of Varna the aircraft was cleared to descent
to 9000 feet on QNH 1001, the crew read back they were cleared to 9000 feet
at 1009 hectoPascals and inquired whether they could perform an ILS approach
to runway 09, the controller corrected the wrong readback repeating QNH
1001 which was read back correctly on the second readbach, the crew again
requesting an ILS approach to runway 09. After coordination with tower the
approach controller advised the crew to expect an ILS approach to runway
09 and provided a vector to a point 10nm ahead of runway 09 and cleared
a descent to 5000 feet.

While the aircraft was descending ATIS switched to information “W”, which
was announced by the approach controller. Information “W” reported active
runway 27, arrivals to expect VOR approaches to runway 27, the runway was
wet, winds from 240 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 6000 meters, temperature
+19 degrees C, dew point -17 degrees C, rain, CB at 2200 feet, NOSIG. Approach
reconfirmed the crew could expect the ILS approach to runway 09. The aircraft
gets cleared to descend to 2500 feet and subsequently for the ILS approach
runway 09 before being handed off to tower.

On a final approach to runway 09, about 5nm before touchdown, the crew contacted
tower and received information “variable winds at 19 knots gusting up to
31 knots” and clearance to land on runway 09, the crew acknowledged.

The aircraft was configured for landing with gear down, full flaps, spoilers
armed, autobrakes set to medium.

Just as the aircraft crossed the runway threshold at 45 feet AGL at 152
KIAS/187 knots over ground a frontal system arrived over the aerodrome from
the southwest associated with significant increase in wind changing from
southwest to west and increased rain. The aircraft floats at a height of
8 feet for about 7 seconds and about 1300 meters (runway length 2517 meters),
touches down at about 1220 meters of runway left at a speed of 168 knots
over ground producing a vertical acceleration of +1.35G. The captain subsequently
opened reversers, the spoilers extended into their ground positions, the
aircraft however was unable to stop within the remaining runway. The captain
steered the aircraft slightly left to avoid a collision with the localizer
antenna, the aircraft collided with the airport perimeter fence and came
to a stop 224 meters past the end of the runway and 37 meters to the left
of the extended runway center line. A burning smell develops in the cabin
prompting the commander to perform the fire drills for both engines and
order an emergency evacuation via slides. During the evacuation through
all exits two passengers received broken ankles and were taken to hospitals.

The BAAIU reported that the crew did not receive a specific TAF indicating
variable gusting winds of up to 15 meters/second (30 knots) at about their
time of arrival, not before departure from Leipzig nor during flight. Information
off the weather radar of Varna Airport show, that a series of strong convective
cells were located west of the aerodrome at about 06:50Z, which combined
into one large powerful cell moving northeast and reaching the aerodrome
with its “wall” just as the aircraft crossed the runway threshold, also
reflected in special weather reports issued at 07:13Z, 07:16Z and 07:21Z
(also seen in the METARs).

The BAAIU reported that the lawn of the airport was being mowed at the time
of the landing to the left of the runway. For this purpose the glideslope
transmitted had been put into bypass, the aerodrome engineer monitoring
possible deviations of the glideslope as result of the works via a laptop.
No deviation was recorded at the time of approach and landing. The lawn
mower reached a point sensitive to the glideslope about one minute after
the overrun and stopped. The BAAIU conducted tests of whether the lawn mower
could have caused unrecorded glideslope deviations during their investigation,
setting the glideslope transmitter into bypass and having the lawn mower
drive along its path during the accident day, the tests showed no deviation
of the glideslope. The BAAIU reported that the “bypass mode” disables the
automatic monitoring system of the ILS to switch from the main to the stand
by transmitter in case of a disturbance being recorded.

The BAAIU computed the actual landing distance required in the existing
wind conditions (more than 30 knots of tail wind amounting to 1080 meters
of increased landing distance) at the time of landing was 2606 meters, more
than the landing distance available.

The BAAIU analysed that the Vapp of the aircraft was 134 KIAS, it remains
unclear why the aircraft was crossing the runway threshold at 158 KIAS,
24 knots above reference speed, therefore. According to tests with the lawn
mower a theory of disturbances on the glideslope signal were “untrustworthy”,
a second theory of malfunctioning aircraft systems found no support in flight
data recorder and examination of the aircraft. The third theory suggests
that the crew did not react timely to environmental changes.

The BAAIU analysed that the approach to runway 27 would have required 5
additional minutes of flying, at which time the combined large cell would
already have been over the aerodrome. The approach to runway 09 however
was in line with an aircraft approaching from the west and was equipped
with a superior navigation aid, the ILS, apart from saving those 5 minutes
additional flying time, which became a factor into the crew decision due
to time constraints imposed by the schedule of the aircraft. At the time
of the crew deciding for an ILS approach to runway 09 ATIS as well as ATC
information both suggested a tail wind component albeit within the operational
limits of the aircraft. Additional information like the TAF indicating strong
varyiing winds at about their time of arrival as well as amended information
about the wind situation from ATC was not available to the crew. Only when
the crew checked in with tower, the crew received surprising information
about the wind gusting up to 31 knots, even though ATIS and ATC information
had suggested “NOSIG” over the next two hours.

The BAAIU continued analysis that at this time the aircraft was about 5nm
from touchdown, sufficient time to decide for a go around and assess the
options like entering a hold to wait for weather improvement or divert to
the alternate aerodrome at Bourgas. The BAAIU analysed that the little experience
of just 18 hours on type of the first officer may have put the commander
into a difficult position with respect to decide for a go-around. However,
computation of the landing distance required in the existing circumstances
exceeding the landing distance available required the approach to be aborted,
the decision to continue the landing is thus not acceptable.

The BAAIU analysed that the work load of the captain increased substantially
on short final forcing him to concentrate on piloting the aircraft rather
than assessing the weather scenario and landing distances. The passitivity
of the first officer, becoming obvious with the “before landing checklist”,
contributed to the increase of work load and also led to the first officer
not calling deviations from the standard operating procedures, e.g. deviations
from the glideslope and particular reference speeds, that would have prompted
the decision to go around by the commander. The BAAIU specifically mentions
that an additional safety pilot to compensate for the lack of experience
by the first officer could have prevented the accident.

The BAAIU analysed that tower changed the runway from 27 to 09 without consulting
with weather office and without consideration to the fact, that the ILS’
glideslope transmitted was in bypass mode. The BAAIU stated that tower was
not required to consult with met offices according to standard operating
procedures at the time. This lack of requirement resulted in tower permitting
the use of runway purely on ATIS information. There is no provision in the
ATC manual about the ILS transmitters being in stand by mode, too. With
the transmitter in bypass however it was possible that disturbances of the
transmitters/beams would not be corrected.

The BAAIU analysed that tower missed a chance to prevent the accident when
an aircraft holding short of runway 09 waiting for departure queried the
current winds about 2 minutes prior to the accident resulting in tower reading
the winds from 180 degrees at 21 knots showing a large wind change – the
wind change was not relayed to the arriving VIA flight however due to time
constraints. The omission of this information was in violation of the requirements
of ATC manual however.

The investigation analysed that the term NOSIG was not justified especially
with the prospect of a TAF released at approx. 04:20Z indicating strong
varyiing winds at around 07:00Z to 07:30Z gusting up to 30 knots. This NOSIG
however contributed to both tower and crew misjudging the existing weather
scenario and not expecting the significant weather change that occurred
on very short final to just prior to touchdown.

The BAAIU analysed that the captain declared Mayday and requested assistance
by emergency services believing to transmit on tower frequency however talking
on Intercom due to stress. Cabin crew acting professionally however did
not initiate the emergency evacuation until explicit command to initiate
emergency evacuation was given by the captain.

The BAAIU analysed that the captain timely and correctly decided to inititate
the emergency evacuation agreeing with the considerations that the damage
to the aircraft was unknown, there was smoke in the cabin probably due to
the rupture of the oil seal in the right hand engine and dust from the fractured
airport perimeter fence. However, the instruction to cabin crew was provided
before the actual checklists being read invoking the danger that passengers
evacuate with the engines still running and being sucked into the engines.
Cabin crew, after receiving the instruction to evacuate, verified that the
engines had been shut down before the first passengers left the aircraft.

The BAAIU analysed that the evacuation took about six minutes way above
the target of 90 seconds. It took about two minutes from the decision to
evacuate until all passengers were off the aircraft due to advanced age
of the majority of passengers and decreased mobility of some passengers
and an accumulation of passengers near the over wing exits as well as bad
weather conditions with reduced visibility, strong winds and rain. It took
another 4 minutes for the crew to leave the aircraft after collecting laptops
and other personal belongings.

The investigation released a number of safety recommendations to Bulgaria’s
Civil Aviation Authority to review and improve weather analysis and information
flow to ATC and operators to ensure all pertinent data are and become available
to flight crew, ensure flight crew know limitations of their aircraft, review
procedures to verify operability of navigation aids in particular ILS, improve
ATC manuals and improve Crew Resource Management Training during simulator
sessions.

The right hand engine (Photo: BAAIU):
Nose section (Photo: BAAIU):
Perimeter fence (Photo: BAAIU):
Final position (Photo: BAAIU):
LZ-MZR seen from runway end (Photo: BAAIU):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=462beb5e
20130613135253:20130524000000
Accident: British Airways A319 near London on May 24th 2013, unlatched doors on both engines separated, fuel leak, engine on fire shut down
A British Airways Airbus A319-100, registration G-EUOE performing flight
BA-762 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Oslo (Norway) with 75 passengers
and 5 crew, was climbing out of Heathrow’s runway 27L when a loud bang from
the left hand engine was heard and the left hand engine’s (V2522) cowling
doors went missing. The crew levelled off at 6000 feet reassuring passengers.
While positioning for a return to Heathrow another loud bang was heard,
this time from the right hand engine, and the right hand engine’s cowling
doors went missing, and the right hand engine was trailing smoke. The aircraft
landed safely on Heathrow’s runway 27R about 26 minutes after departure,
stopped on the runway and was evacuated via slides while emergency services
doused the right hand engine and extinguished the engine fire. No injuries
occurred.

Both runways were closed to accommodate the emergency, runway 09R/27L re-opened
shortly after the landing. Runway 09L/27R reopened after the aircraft had
been towed to the apron about 2 hours after landing.

Pictorial evidence shows the left hand engine doors went missing in flight,
both engines’ cowling doors were missing in photos after landing.

The airline confirmed the aircraft returned to Heathrow due to a technical
fault, the aircraft was evacuated via slides after landing.

The airport reported emergency services were assisting an aircraft with
a fire.

The United Kingdom’s Air Accident Investigation Board AAIB have opened an
investigation and dispatched a team of investigators on site.

On May 29th the NTSB reported quoting the AAIB, that both engine cowl doors
separated during takeoff and fell onto the runway, one engine was leaking
fuel and had been shut down, they were returning to Heathrow. Later the
crew reported the other (still running) engine was on fire, the aircraft
continued for a safe landing, was shut down and evacuated. The NTSB assigned
an accredited representative into the investigation led by the AAIB.

The aircraft seen from the ground (Photo: APA/Rex Features):
The right hand engine after landing with doors ripped off and soot (Photo:
DPA):
The left hand engine in flight (Photo: Reuters/Jon Chaplin):
The left hand engine in flight before right hand engine emitted bang (Photo:
David Gallagher):
The left hand engine after landing with doors ripped off (Photo: DPA):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=462c2fda
20130524193256:20130523000000
Incident: Nippon Cargo B748 near Whitehorse on May 23rd 2013, cargo smoke indication
A Nippon Cargo Airlines Boeing 747-800, registration JA13KZ performing freight
flight KZ-159 from New York JFK,NY to Anchorage,AK (USA) with 5 crew, was
enroute at FL360 about 75nm west of Whitehorse,YT (Canada) when the crew
received an upper cargo deck smoke indication, turned around and diverted
to Whitehorse for a safe landing about 25 minutes later.

The Canadian TSB reported a post flight examination determined the smoke
indication was false.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4630cc74
20130530140112:20130522000000
Incident: Greenland DH8B at Narssarssuaq on May 22nd 2013, electrical problem and smoke in cockpit
An Air Greenland de Havilland Dash 8-200, registration OY-GRJ performing
flight GL-421 from Paamiut to Narssarssuaq (Greenland), was descending towards
Narssarsuaq when the crew decided to enter a hold due to weather conditions
with winds from 090 degrees at 39 knots, 25 knots minimum, gusting 62 knots.
While in the holding pattern over NDB NA the crew received a primary inverter
malfunction indication and smoke appeared in the cockpit. The crew donned
their oxygen masks, worked the relevant checklists and noticed after about
1-2 minutes that the smoke was subsiding and the smell of smoke disappeared.
The crew decided to return to Paamiut due to the weather conditions and
landed in Paamiut about 25 minutes after deciding to return.

Denmarks Havarikommission reported a postflight examination confirmed the
primary inverter was faulty and was the source of the smoke. An investigation
has been opened.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=462ea85e
20130527210204:20130522000000
Incident: Cathay B773 at Bangkok on May 22nd 2013, cargo fire indication
A Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300, registration B-HNE performing flight CX-700
from Bangkok (Thailand) to Hong Kong (China) with 206 passengers, was climbing
out of Bangkok’s runway 19R when the crew stopped the climb at 7000 feet
reporting a cargo fire indication and returned to Bangkok for a safe landing
on runway 19R about 12 minutes after departure. Attending emergency services
found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The flight was cancelled.

The airline confirmed the return because of cargo fire indication, the indication
was identified to be false. The aircraft returned to service on May 24th
following extensive examination.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=462b4221
20130523151731:20130522000000
Incident: Jetblue A320 near Minneapolis on May 22nd 2013, fumes in cockpit
A Jetblue Airbus A320-200, registration N630JB performing flight B6-485
from Boston,MA to Los Angeles,CA (USA) with 150 people on board, was enroute
at FL340 about 140nm southeast of Minneapolis,MN (USA) when the crew reported
fumes in the cockpit and decided to divert to Minneapolis. On final approach
to Minneapolis the crew advised they still had a smell “back there” but
no smoke, they did not expect an evacuation but wanted to turn off runway
30L to the right onto what appeared to be a de-icing pad for checks by emergency
services, which was approved. The aircraft landed safely on runway 30L,
vacated the runway and later taxied to the apron with emergency services
in trail.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=462749d2
20130518143411:20130517000000
Incident: American B772 near Aruba on May 17th 2013, smoke indication
An American Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration N772AN performing flight
AA-234 from Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil) to Miami,FL (USA) with 218 passengers
and 14 crew, was enroute at FL380 about 75nm westnorthwest of Oranjestad
(Aruba) when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and diverted to Aruba’s
Reina Beatrix Airport for a safe landing on runway 11 about 19 minutes later.
Attending emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke, a smoke
detector had activated prompting the diversion.

The aircraft was able to continue the flight after 4 hours on the ground
and reached Miami with a delay of just over 4 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4626772b
20130517131328:20130517000000
Incident: KLM Cityhopper E190 near Amsterdam on May 17th 2013, burning smell on board
A KLM Cityhopper Embraer ERJ-190, registration PH-EZG performing flight
WA-1445/KL-1445 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Aberdeen,SC (UK) with 85
people on board, was climbing through about FL100 out of Amsterdam’s runway
36L when the crew declared Mayday reporting a burning smell on board and
requested to return to Amsterdam. The aircraft stopped the climb at FL110
and returned to Amsterdam, advising the smell was persistent and did not
dissipate. The aircraft landed safely on runway 27 about 12 minutes after
departure. Responding emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or
smoke and escorted the aircraft to the apron, where passengers disembarked
normally and were bussed to the terminal.

The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto other flights.

The airline confimed a minor technical problem prompted the return.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=462aa53b
20130522204806:20130516000000
Incident: Sunwing B738 at Halifax on May 16th 2013, bird strike
A Sunwing Boeing 737-800, registration C-GTVG performing positioning flight
WG-9589 from Halifax,NS (Canada) to Santa Clara (Cuba) with 7 crew, was
climbing through 500 feet AGL out of Halifax’s runway 23 when the crew heard
several loud bangs, the engine instruments appeared normal however, the
flight attendants observed streaks of flame from the left hand engine. The
crew declared emergency, shut the left hand engine down as a precaution,
levelled off at 5000 feet and returned to Halifax for a safe landing about
30 minutes after departure.

A replacement aircraft positioned to Santa Clara reaching Cuba with a delay
of 5.5 hours.

The Canadian TSB reported there was no fire and no smoke. Maintenance confirmed
a bird strike had caused the engine incident and resulting precautionary
shut down.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4625ed5c
20130516202052:20130514000000
Incident: Inuit DH8C near Baie-Comeau on May 14th 2013, smoke in cockpit
An Air Inuit de Havilland Dash 8-300, registration C-GRAI performing flight
3H-833 from Schefferville,QC to Quebec,QC (Canada) with 18 passengers and
3 crew, was enroute at FL220 about 50nm southwest of Baie-Comeau,QC when
the crew noticed light smoke in the cockpit and a burning odour, declared
emergency and diverted to Baie-Comeau for a safe landing.

The Canadian TSB reported maintenance is examining the aircraft to determine
the source of the smoke.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46250220
20130515163954:20130514000000
Incident: American MD82 near Amarillo on May 14th 2013, smell of smoke in cockpit
An American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-82, registration N7542A performing
flight AA-1099 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX to Albuquerque,NM (USA) with 117
passengers, was enroute at FL320 about 45nm south of Amarillo,TX when the
crew reported smell of smoke in the cockpit together with a number of other
indications and decided to divert to Amarillo for a safe landing about 10
(!) minutes later. Attending emergency services found no trace of fire,
heat or smoke.

The aircraft was examined and was able to continue the flight reaching Albuquerque
with a delay of 3 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=462aa77e
20130522210454:20130513000000
Incident: Air Canada A320 at Fort Lauderdale on May 13th 2013, avionics smoke indication
An Air Canada Airbus A320-200, registration C-FDRK performing flight AC-925
from Fort Lauderdale,FL (USA) to Montreal,QC (Canada) with 144 people on
board, was climbing out of Fort Lauderdale’s runway 28R when the crew received
an avionics smoke indication, levelled off at 8500 feet and returned to
Fort Lauderdale for a safe landing on runway 28R about 10 minutes after
departure.

The Canadian TSB reported the avionics equipment ventilation controller
was replaced.

The incident aircraft already had similiar occurrences, see Incident: Air
Canada A320 at Miami on Apr 20th 2012, avionics smoke indication and Incident:
Air Canada A320 near Edmonton on Aug 18th 2012, avionics smoke indication.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46235924
20130513141316:20130512000000
Incident: Germanwings A319 at London on May 12th 2013, smoke in cockpit
A Germanwings Airbus A319-100, registration D-AKNV performing flight 4U-2465
from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Stuttgart (Germany) with 141 people on board,
was climbing out of Heathrow’s runway 27R when the crew stopped the climb
at about 4000 feet reporting smoke in cockpit and returned to Heathrow’s
runway 27L about 7 minutes after departure. Emergency services found no
trace of fire or heat. The passengers disembarked normally via stairs.

The airline confirmed fumes on board, the aircraft is currently being inspected.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=462072a8
20130513222405:20130509000000
Incident: Cathay B773 near Winnipeg on May 9th 2013, cargo fire indication
A Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300, registration B-KPE performing flight CX-806
from Hong Kong (China) to Chicago O’Hare,IL (USA) with 277 people on board,
was enroute at FL370 about 180nm southeast of Winnipeg,MB (Canada) when
the crew received a cargo fire indication, activated the fire suppression
system, turned around and diverted to Winnipeg for a safe landing on runway
36 about 35 minutes later. Attending emergency services found no trace of
fire, heat or smoke.

On May 13th 2013 the Canadian TSB reported the indication was false.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=462049fb
20130509172755:20130509000000
Incident: Avianca Brazil A318 at Fortaleza on May 9th 2013, smoking engine
An Avianca Brazil Airbus A318-100, registration PR-AVK performing flight
O6-6371 from Fortaleza,CE to Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil) with 83 passengers,
was climbing out of Fortaleza’s runway 13 when the crew stopped the climb
at about 4000 feet and returned to Fortaleza for a safe landing on runway
13 about 8 minutes after departure.

Passengers reported smoke became visible from an engine (PW6124) shortly
after becoming airborne, smoke also appeared in the cabin.

The airport reported the crew returned to Fortaleza as a precaution without
requesting emergency services.

The airline said, the cause of the return is under investigation.

The flight was cancelled.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46205c17
20130509193350:20130508000000
Incident: American MD83 near Denver on May 8th 2013, burning odour on board
An American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-83, registration N980TW performing
flight AA-880 from Denver,CO to Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA) with 107 people
on board, was climbing out of Denver when the crew stopped the climb at
FL280 reporting a burning electrical odour on board and decided to divert
to Pueblo,CO (USA) for a safe landing 15 minutes later. Emergency services
did not find any trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The passengers were bussed to Colorado Springs,CO, boarded another aircraft
and reached Dallas with a delay of 8 hours.

The incident aircraft was able to position to Dallas the following day (AA-9606)
and resumed service.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=462055f1
20130509185012:20130508000000
Incident: Delta B763 at Honolulu on May 8th 2013, rejected takeoff, blew all main gear tyres
A Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N188DN performing flight DL-2364
from Honolulu,HI to Los Angeles,CA (USA), was accelerating for takeoff from
Honolulu’s runway 08R when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed, tower
reported smoke from the right main gear, later the left main gear tyres
appear deflated, there was no smoke anymore. Emergency services responded,
the aircraft was disabled on the runway. Emergency services reported they
were extinguishing the right hand main gear, there was still smoke from
the right main, the left main tyres were deflated, later reporting all right
and all left main gear tyres had deflated and requested the aircraft to
be shut down, emergency services advised no evacuation was necessary, there
was no fire and the smoke had subsided, the crew advised they were still
showing hot right brakes.

The FAA reported the aircraft blew tyres on a rejected takeoff, the passengers
deplaned onto the runway and were bussed to the terminal.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4620e9a9
20130511101114:20130507000000
Incident: PSA CRJ2 at Mobile on May 7th 2013, engine trouble, smoke in cockpit and cabin
A PSA Airlines Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of US Airways, registration N253PS
performing flight US-2444 from Mobile,AL to Charlotte,NC (USA) with 6 passengers
and 3 crew, was climbing out of Mobile when a loud bang occurred, the left
hand engine (CF34) showed vibrations and rolled back, thick black smoke
appeared in cockpit and cabin. The crew donned their oxygen masks, stopped
the climb at about 11,000 feet reporting smoke in the cockpit and reducing
both engines to idle thrust, released the passenger oxygen masks, and returned
to Mobile for a safe landing – with both engines still running – on runway
32 about 12 minutes after departure. The passengers rapidly disembarked
onto the runway and were bussed to the terminal.

A passenger reported that shortly after the flight attendants rose from
their seats there was a loud bang, then thick black smoke began to appear
in the cabin, there were strong vibrations, the oxygen masks came down.
The FAA reported the crew declared emergency reporting smoke in the cockpit,
the CRJ-700 landed safely on runway 32 in Mobile. The FAA was not aware
of any engine problem.

The aircraft resumed service on May 9th after the left hand engine was replaced.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=461ee35d
20130719143140:20130507000000
Incident: British Airways B763 near Amsterdam on May 7th 2013, burning odour and smoke in cockpit
A British Airways Boeing 767-300, registration G-BNWI performing flight
BA-234 from Moscow Domodedovo (Russia) to London Heathrow,EN (UK) with 63
passengers and 9 crew, was enroute at FL400 about 115nm east of Amsterdam
(Netherlands) when the crew reported a burning odour in the cockpit and
decided to divert to Amsterdam subsequently advising there was visible smoke.
Further into the approach the crew reported that the smoke was no longer
visible, they suspected an electrical problem. The aircraft continued for
a safe landing on Amsterdam’s runway 36R about 32 minutes after leaving
FL400. The aircraft taxied to the gate after a quick check by emergency
services, that did not find any trace of fire or heat.

All 63 passengers were rebooked onto flight BA-433 flown by an Airbus A319-100
and reached London with a delay of 1.5 hours.

A maintenance team is being flown in from London to further examine the
aircraft.

The Dutch Onderzoeksraad (DSB) opened an investigation reporting there was
odour and smoke in the cockpit, the aircraft also encountered problems with
autothrottle.

The DSB reported in their quarterly bulletin of July 2013 that the aircraft
was enroute from Moscow to London when the autothrottle disconnected unexpectedly.
The crew worked the relevant checklists and consulted with dispatch, then
reengaged autothrottle. Seconds later a burning smell developed in the cockpit,
dissipated and reappeared. Suspecting a causal link between the autothrottle
disconnect and the burning smell the crew disengaged autothrottle, the burning
smell dissipated again. Some time later the burning smell appeared again
however, one of the cabin crew was called to the cockpit and reported feeling
unwell prompting the flight crew to don their oxygen masks and divert to
Amsterdam. The cockpit smoke and fire checklists were executed, the aircraft
landed in Amsterdam without further incident, the cabin crew member did
not require medical treatment. A preliminary investigation did not identify
any problem with autothrottle, however, a recirculation fan of the air conditioning
system was found seized due to a defective bearing causing the burning smell.
The occurrence was rated a serious incident, the investigation continues.

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=461f7f57
20130508170857:20130506000000
Incident: Aeroflot A320 at Minsk on May 6th 2013, odour in cabin, smoke after landing
An Aeroflot Airbus A320-200, registration VQ-BHL performing flight SU-1830
from Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia) to Minsk (Belarus) with 70 people on board,
was about to turn onto final approach when a burning odour was noticed in
the business class cabin. The aircraft continued for a safe landing.

Rosaviatsia reported that after landing smoke became visible in the cabin,
but did not report further details.

The incident aircraft remained on the ground for about 14 hours, then resumed
service and performed the return flight SU-1831.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=461dcc13
20130507100934:20130505000000
Incident: Ryanair B738 near Alicante on May 5th 2013, spurious wheel well fire indication
A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-DPC performing flight FR-9887
from Alicante,SP (Spain) to Liverpool,EN (UK) with 152 passengers and 6
crew, was climbing out of Alicante when the crew stopped the climb at FL220
and returned to Alicante for a safe landing on runway 10 about 16 minutes
later with emergency services on stand by.

A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration EI-DHN reached Liverpool with
a delay of 5:45 hours.

An observer on the ground reported that emergency services immediately after
landing attended the aircraft inspecting the wheel wells of the aircraft.

The airline’s press department reported on May 5th that the aircraft “returned
to Alicante shortly after take-off after a cockpit warning light indicated
a possible minor technical issue. The aircraft landed normally and passengers
disembarked and to minimise delay, a replacement aircraft was positioned,
which departed for Liverpool.”

On May 7th the airline’s chief pilot told The Aviation Herald, that the
crew received a spurious wheel well fire indication, actioned the relevant
checklists and returned to Alicante requesting emergency services to inspect
the wheel wells after landing. Emergency services found no trace of fire,
heat or smoke, then the aircraft taxied to the apron. A faulty sensor was
identified as cause of the indication. The chief pilot concluded: “Indeed
a minor technical problem!”
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46183bb4
20150203231252:20130429000000
Crash: National Air Cargo B744 at Bagram on Apr 29th 2013, lost height shortly after takeoff following load shift and stall
A National Air Cargo Boeing 747-400 freighter on behalf of US Mobility Command,
registration N949CA performing cargo flight N8-102 from Bagram (Afghanistan)
to Dubai Al Maktoum (United Arab Emirates) with 7 crew and cargo consisting
of 5 military vehicles, has crashed shortly after takeoff from Bagram Air
Base’s runway 03 at 15:30L (11:00Z) and erupted into flames near the end
of the runway within the perimeter of the Air Base. All 7 crew are reported
perished in the crash.

Afghan Authorities immediately denied claims that the crash of a large civilian
cargo aircraft was the result of enemy activities. A large fire erupted
after the aircraft impacted ground, it appears all crew have been killed.

Coalition Forces reported a civilian large cargo plane crashed shortly after
takeoff, at the time of the accident there was no enemy activity around
the aerodrome. Rescue and Recovery efforts are under way, the Air Base is
currently locked down and the aerodrome is closed.

National Air Cargo confirmed their aircraft N949CA with 7 crew, 4 pilots,
2 mechanics and a load master – initial information had been 8 crew -crashed
at Bagram. The airline later added, that the aircraft had been loaded with
all cargo in Camp Bastion (Afghanistan, about 300nm southwest of Bagram),
the cargo had been inspected at Camp Bastion, the aircraft subsequently
positioned to Bagram for a refuelling stop with no difficulty, no cargo
was added or removed, however, the cargo was again inspected before the
aircraft departed for the leg to Dubai Al Maktoum.

The NTSB reported the Boeing 747-400 was operated by National Air Cargo
and destined for Dubai Al Maktoum when it crashed just after takeoff from
Bagram and came to rest within the boundaries of the Air Base. All 7 occupants,
all American citizens, were killed. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Transportation
and Commercial Aviation is leading the investigation into the crash, the
NTSB have assigned accredited representatives joining the investigation.

Several observers on the ground reported the National Air Cargo Boeing 747-400
had just lifted off and was climbing through approximately 1200 feet when
it’s nose sharply rose, the aircraft appeared to have stalled and came down
erupting in a blaze.

According to a listener on frequency the crew reported the aircraft stalled
due to a possible load shift.

A car driver caught the aircraft climbing out and coming down on his car
camera, see below.

The aircraft was carrying 5 military vehicles.

On Jun 2nd 2013 accident investigators by the Ministry of Transport and
Civil Aviation of Afghanistan reported in a press conference that quickly
shifting cargo, consisting of three armored vehicles and two mine sweepers
totalling at 80 tons of weight, caused the accident. The cargo slammed so
hard at the back of the aircraft, that parts of the aircraft separated and
wiring in the back was severed. As result of the shift and loss of aircraft
parts the center of gravity moved so far back, that the attitude of the
aircraft could no longer be controlled, the nose of the aircraft rose beyond
the flying envelope of the aircraft and the aircraft stalled destroying
the aircraft and killing all crew in the resulting impact. Parts of the
aircraft, that separated as result of the initial load shift, were recovered
from the runway. The straps used to tie down the cargo were recovered from
the accident site, although charred they provided evidence of having fractured
before final impact, it was unclear however, whether the fracture(s) had
happened before or after takeoff.

The FAA had released a Safety Alert for Operators on May 20th 2013 regarding
securing heavy vehicles in aircraft, see News: FAA concerned about potential
safety impact of carrying and restraining heavy vehicle special cargo loads.

On Oct 16th 2014 the NTSB announced that Afghanistan’s Authorities have
delegated the remainder of the investigation to the NTSB, who had participated
in the investigation so far. The NTSB is going to complete the investigation
and issue the final report.

On Feb 3rd 2015 the NTSB opened the docket into the investigation with all
factual information available so far. The operational factual report stated,
that the captain and first officer of the flight did not have prior experience
in transporting armoured vehicles, 2 of which weighed 13 tons each and 3
18 tons each. It has been the first itime for National Air Cargo to transport
18 ton vehicles when those were taken aboard in Camp Bastion. The flight
was originally planned to depart Camp Bastion directly for Dubai, the flight
however did not receive overflight permission over Pakistan out of Camp
Bastion. Hence the flight was planned to Bagram for a refuelling stop and
then depart to Dubai. No additional cargo was loaded in Bagram, just 48
tons of fuel were added.

The NTSB reported that while on the ground in Bagram the captain was informed
by one of the crew members that one of the straps had broken. The crew engaged
in a discussion about a possible load shift while landing in Bagram, there
was also discussion of re-securing the load prior to departure. The aircraft
departed an hour later. (Editorial note: in the entire docket The Aviation
Herald was unable to find any answer to the question, whether the cockpit
discussion about the broken strap and possible load shift on landing resulted
in action or whether nothing was done about)

The takeoff roll on runway 03 was normal, the aircraft rotated at the usual
point. 9 seconds after the “rotate” call by the crew the cockpit voice recorder
stopped recording just after the “gear up” call, 3 seconds later the flight
data recorder at 171 KIAS, 13 degrees nose up, 4 degrees right bank and
33 feet AGL with no warnings or unusual recordings until and at that point.
According to witnesses on the ground including tower controller and several
other observers on the ground the aircraft continued to pitch up until it
appeared to be stalling, turned to the right and impacted ground just right
of the runway and beyond the departure end of the runway.

According to interviews 26 straps were used for tie down of the 18 ton Cougars,
24 straps for the 13 ton vehices. Each strap was capable of a load of 5000
lbs (2.27 tons). A number of witnesses interviewed were quoted stating that
“only” two straps were added to the heavier Cougar in comparism to the 13
ton vehicle.

National Air Cargo operates three Boeing 747-400s with the registrations
N952CA, N919CA and N949CA. N949CA operated into Afghanistan on Apr 28th.

Metars (Bagram, via US Military):
KQSA 291255Z 04008G16KT 9000 -TSRA BKN050CB BKN090 BKN150 09/05 A3003 RMK
CB NE MOV NE SLP181 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 291231Z 30009G16KT 8000 -TSRA BKN050CB BKN090 BKN150 08/04 A3001 RMK
CB NE MOV NE WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 291229Z 30010G15KT 6000 -TSRAGS BKN050CB OVC100 12/04 A3000 RMK CB
OHD MOV N WND DATA ESTMD LSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 291155Z 33008G17KT 9999 -TSRA SCT050CB BKN090 BKN170 13/04 A2996 RMK
CB OHD MOV N SLP139 60000 70000 51014=
KQSA 291155Z COR 33008G17KT 9999 -TSRA SCT050CB BKN090 BKN170 13/04 A2990
RMK CB OHD MOV N SLP139 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD 60000 70000 51014=
KQSA 291059Z 35011G17KT 9999 FEW050 BKN065 BKN090 14/05 A2993 RMK WND DATA
ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 291058Z 35011G17KT 9999 FEW050 BKN080CB BKN150 14/05 A2993 RMK LTG
DSNT NW SLP124 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 291055Z 02007KT 9999 FEW040 BKN080CB BKN150 18/06 A2994 RMK PK WND
06026/1005 WSHFT 1027 LTG DSNT NW CB DSNT NW SLP124 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP
ESTMD=
KQSA 290955Z COR 10017G30KT 9999 SCT085 BKN140 BKN200 17/06 A2992 RMK PK
WND 09032/0856 LTG DSNT NW CB DSNT E SLP213 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD
COR 13=
KQSA 290855Z 09026G37KT 6000 -TSRA DU FEW000 BKN070CB BKN130 17/06 A2990
RMK PK WND 09037/0852 CB W SLP103 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 290755Z 12025G37KT 9999 SCT032CB BKN070 BKN150 17/06 A2995 RMK PK WND
10037/0747 CB W MOV N SLP114 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 290655Z 12015G27KT 9999 VCTS SCT036CB BKN050 BKN080 15/08 A2998 RMK
CB N MOV N SLP135 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 290630Z 12016G24KT 5000 -TSRAGS FEW030 BKN050CB 15/07 A3000 RMK CB
OHD MOV N WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 290628Z 10015G20KT 9999 -SHRA SCT043 BKN050 BKN080 16/06 A3000 RMK
LTG DSNT SE WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 290555Z 31007KT 9999 BKN050 15/04 A3001 RMK SLP134 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP
ESTMD 58010=

Metars (of Kabul 22nm south of Bagram):
OAKB 291350Z 18004KT 7000 BKN050 13/04 Q1016 NOSIG RMK BLU BLU
OAKB 291250Z 30007KT 9999 SCT040CB BKN060 15/01 Q1015 NOSIG RMK BLU BLU

OAKB 291150Z 10017G27KT 9999 VCTS SCT090CB BKN120 16/06 Q1013 NOSIG RMK
BLU BLU
OAKB 291050Z 11020G30KT 9999 SCT090 OVC120 16/05 Q1012 NOSIG RMK BLU BLU
OAKB 290950Z 10020G30KT 9999 SCT080CB 17/06 Q1012 NOSIG RMK BLU+ BLU+

OAKB 290850Z 10025G42KT 9999 FEW060CB SCT070 17/05 Q1013 NOSIG RMK BLU+
BLU+
OAKB 290750Z 11020G30KT 9999 BKN060 17/06 Q1014 NOSIG RMK BLU BLU
OAKB 290650Z 10017KT 9999 FEW050 BKN060 16/05 Q1015 NOSIG RMK BLU BLU
Car video of the aircraft departing and coming down (Video: Sathion):
The accident load being moved on board in Camp Bastion on Apr 29th 2013
(Photo: NTSB/National Air Cargo):
Smoke plume rising from the crash site (Photo: Albert Ramirez):
Aerodrome chart (Graphics: AIP Afghanistan):
Detail Map (Graphics: AVH/Google Earth):
Map (Graphics: AVH/Google Earth):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46187fa0
20130429220739:20130428000000
Incident: Delta B752 at Tampa on Apr 28th 2013, engine shut down in flight
A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N668DN performing continuation
flight DL-534 from Tampa,FL to Atlanta,GA (USA) with 185 people on board,
was climbing out of Tampa’s runway 19R when the right hand engine (PW2037)
emitted a number of bangs and streaks of flame, the crew immediately after
becoming airborne declared Mayday reporting they had lost the right hand
engine and requested to do a quick pattern back to the departure runway.
Tower instructed another arrival on final approach to runway 19R to swing
over to runway 19L, emergency services went into their stand by positions.
The crew levelled off at 2000 feet – tower warned of a high antenna in the
area – and returned to runway 19R for a safe landing about 8 minutes after
departure, vacated the runway and stopped on the adjacent taxiway for an
inspection by emergency services, the crew inquired whether any smoke was
visible from the engine which emergency services responded to in the negative.

The flight had previously diverted to Tampa due to a sparking button in
the cockpit, see Incident: Delta B752 near Tampa on Apr 28th 2013, sparking
button in cockpit.

The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto other flights.

The right hand engine is being replaced.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=461acbe3
20130502194413:20130426000000
Incident: Air Canada E190 at Calgary on Apr 26th 2013, rejected takeoff
An Air Canada Embraer ERJ-190, registration C-FMYV performing flight AC-225
from Calgary,AB to Vancouver,BC (Canada) with 102 people on board, rejected
takeoff from Calgary’s runway 28 when a strong odour and white smoke appeared
in the cockpit. The aircraft slowed safely and vacated the runway, emergency
services responded, the smoke dissipated after the engine thrust had been
reduced to idle.

The Canadian TSB reported maintenance identified the left hand air cycle
machine as source of the odour and smoke and replaced the machine, the recirculation
fans and filters. Following engine grounds runs went without residual odour.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46148e33
20130424224044:20130424000000
Incident: American B763 near Raleigh/Durham on Apr 24th 2013, smoke in cabin
An American Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N378AN performing flight
AA-1769 from New York JFK,NY to Miami,FL (USA) with 190 people and a small
shipment of hazardeous goods on board, was enroute at FL400 about 100nm
east of Raleigh/Durham,NC when the crew reported smoke in the aft cabin
and decided to divert to Raleigh/Durham for a safe landing on runway 23R
about 25 minutes later.

The flight is currently estimated to reach Miami with a delay of 3.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4613943a
20140701152828:20130422000000
Accident: Singapore A333 near Bangkok on Apr 22nd 2013, cargo fire
9V-STO after opening of cargo doorA Singapore Airlines Airbus A330-300,
registration 9V-STO performing flight SQ-446 from Singapore (Singapore)
to Dhaka (Bangladesh) with 105 passengers and 12 crew, was enroute at FL350
about 120nm southwest of Bangkok (Thailand) when the crew received a cargo
fire indication, activated the cargo fire suppression system and decided
to divert to Bangkok. During the descent towards Bangkok a burning smell
developed on board of the aircraft. The aircraft landed safely on Bangkok’s
runway 19R about 20 minutes later. Emergency services responded, the passengers
disembarked via stairs, after opening of the aft cargo door a plume of smoke
became visible, fire services sprayed the cargo bay and needed more than
2 hours to control the situation. There were no injuries, the cargo was
damaged, the damage to the aircraft is being assessed.

The airline confirmed a rear cargo smoke indication prompted the diversion
to Bangkok, the aircraft landed safely, no injuries occurred. The passengers
were provided with hotel accomodation, were rebooked onto other flights
and continued their journey the following day. Thailand’s Authorities are
investigating, the airline is fully cooperating with the investigation.
It is planned to ferry the aircraft to Singapore for further assessment
after initial checks are completed.

Passengers reported the crew announced there was a minor problem, however,
they needed to divert to Bangkok. The aircraft landed safely with emergency
services on stand by and proceeded to the apron, where the passengers disembarked.
Only after a large plume of smoke became visible after opening of the cargo
bay everyone realised how critical the situation had been.

Thailand’s accident investigation board has opened an investigation.

On Jul 1st 2014 Singapore’s AAIB released an interim report indicating that
the investigation has been delegated to the Singapore AAIB. The AAIB reported
that the crew received an aft and bulk cargo smoke indication in flight
at FL360 over the Gulf of Thailand about 8nm from Thailand’s coast. The
crew activated the cargo fire extinguishing agent and diverted to the nearest
airport Bangkok. The smoke indication remained active even after the agent
had been discharged. The aircraft landed safely on Bangkok’s runway 19R,
vacated the runway and taxied to a parking bay where emergency services
performed an exterior inspection. No smoke or fire was visible from the
aft and bulk cargo doors, the passengers disembarked via stairs. The AAIB
then continued: “The Bangkok ARFF service tended to the aft cargo compartment
where smoke was billowing from the aft cargo door. While unloading cargo
container 42L, the contents burst into flames. The ARFF used a combination
of water and carbon dioxide to extinguish the fire.”

Cargo being unloaded from the aircraft:

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46138a01
20130423181618:20130421000000
Incident: Lufthansa A320 near Stockholm on Apr 21st 2013, burning odour on board
A Lufthansa Airbus A320-200, registration D-AIPL performing flight LH-2419
from Stockholm (Sweden) to Munich (Germany) with 137 passengers, was climbing
out of Stockholm when the crew stopped the climb at FL230 reporting a burning
odour on board and decided to return to Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport for
a safe landing on runway 26 about 30 minutes after departure. Emergency
services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

Following checks the aircraft was able to depart again after about 3:00
hours on the ground and reached Munich with a delay of 3:20 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46129c00
20130422155609:20130421000000
Incident: Saudia B772 near Muscat on Apr 21st 2013, cargo fire indication
A Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration HZ-AKJ performing
flight SV-749 from Mumbai (India) to Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) with 341 people
on board, was enroute near Muscat (Oman) when the crew received a cargo
fire indication, discharged the relevant fire suppression system and diverted
to Muscat for a safe landing. The aircraft stopped on the runway for inspections
by emergency services closing the runway for about half an hour until the
aircraft was towed to the apron.

Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority reported that emergency services found no
trace of fire, heat or smoke, the indication was determined false. Possible
cause of the indication was determined to be a load of fruit carried in
the cargo compartment.

The aircraft was able to continue the journey and reached Riyadh with a
delay of 9 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=461292cd
20130422145930:20130420000000
Incident: Aeroflot A321 near Budapest on Apr 20th 2013, smoke and burning smell on board
An Aeroflot Airbus A321-200, registration VQ-BEG performing flight SU-2031
from Budapest (Hungary) to Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia), was climbing through
FL140 out of Budapest when the crew observed smoke developing in the cockpit
associated with the smell of burning wires. The crew stopped the climb at
FL150, entered a hold at FL100 and landed safely back on Budapest’s runway
31R about 40 minutes after departure.

Rosaviatsia reported the smoke originated in the avionics bay.

The aircraft was able to depart again after 4 hours on the ground and reached
Moscow with a delay of 4.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4611fd93
20130421221234:20130420000000
Incident: Delta MD90 at Washington on Apr 20th 2013, smoke from landing gear during roll out
A Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-90, registration N965DN performing
flight DL-1464 from Minneapolis,MN to Washington National,DC (USA), landed
on Ronald Reagan Airport’s runway 01. During roll out tower notified the
crew that there was smoke from the right hand main landing gear beginning
right at touchdown. The aircraft slowed safely and vacated the runway onto
taxiway S and the run up area at runway 19, the next arrival was instructed
to go around. Emergency services responded, an immediate runway inspection
commenced with tower advising he believed a tyre was blown right in the
touch down zone, the inspection recovered tyre debris from the runway. The
MD-90 was towed to the apron.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=460f4153
20130418154109:20130418000000
Incident: United B772 near Tokyo on Apr 18th 2013, burning smell in galley
A United Boeing 777-200, registration N27015 performing flight UA-6 from
Singapore (Singapore) to Tokyo Narita (Japan) with 279 people on board,
was descending through 10,000 feet towards Tokyo when cabin crew in the
forward business galley noticed a burning smell prompting the flight crew
to declare emergency. The aircraft landed safely on Narita Airport’s runway
16R about 6 minutes later. Emergency services found no trace of fire, heat
or smoke.

Japan’s Ministry of Transport reported the aircraft was on approach about
24km/13nm southeast of the airport descending through 2700 meters/8900 feet
when the crew declared emergency reporting a burning smell in the forward
business class galley. An inspection found no anomaly.

The incident aircraft was able to depart Tokyo three hours later for its
next flight.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=460e76eb
20130417165611:20130417000000
Incident: PSA CRJ2 near Philadelphia on Apr 17th 2013, smoke on board, evacuation
A PSA Airlines Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of US Airways, registration N218PS
performing flight US-2357 from Albany,NY to Washington National,DC (USA),
was enroute at FL280 about 75nm northeast of Philadelphia,PA (USA) when
the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and decided to divert to Philadelphia.
The airport prepared for a major alert and for the closure of all runways
as result of the alert status. On final approach the crew, audibly on oxygen
masks, advised they had an aft lavatory fire indication, there was smoke
in the cabin, there was no smoke in the cockpit, they were planning to evacuate
after landing. The aircraft landed safely on Philadelphia’s runway 27L about
20 minutes later and stopped on the runway and was evacuated, all runways
were closed for about 30 minutes until emergency services started to return
runways one by one back to tower.

While all runways were still closed another flight declared fuel emergency
and proceeded to land while the airport was still closed, about 2 minutes
later emergency services returned runway 27R to tower permitting the fuel
emergency to land on that runway.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=460db38a
20130503141337:20130416000000
Accident: Aeromexico B762 at Madrid on Apr 16th 2013, tail strike on takeoff
An Aeromexico Boeing 767-200, registration XA-TOJ performing flight AM-2
from Madrid,SP (Spain) to Mexico City (Mexico), was rotating for takeoff
from Madrid’s runway 36L when the tail of the aircraft contacted the runway
surface leaving debris behind. The crew continued the takeoff and climb,
levelled off and descended after the oxygen masks were released, then entered
a hold to burn off fuel and returned to Madrid for a safe landing about
90 minutes after departure. Two cabin crew received injuries, the aircraft
sustained substantial damage.

An Air Europa Airbus A330 departing after the Aeromexico received nose gear
tyre damage while departing over the debris left by the Boeing and needed
to return, too, see Incident: Air Europa A332 at Madrid on Apr 16th 2013,
damaged nose gear tyres on takeoff.

The airport reported two cabin crew received neck injuries (mainly bruises)
from their seat belts as result of impact forces.

The airline confirmed the aircraft suffered a tailstrike on takeoff and
returned to Madrid for a safe landing. The safety of passengers was not
at risk at any time. The airline is cooperating with the investigation authorities.

Spain’s CIAIAC is investigating the accident and resulting tyre damage incident.

An observer on the ground reported that the aircraft was rotating for takeoff
about abeam of the fire station about 1900-2000 meters down the runway (runway
length 4350 meters), the nose gear and main gear lifted off the runway but
the aircraft did not climb, instead the tail contacted the runway for about
4 seconds before the aircraft started slowly to climb. The observer believed
to have seen some smoke from the tail while it contacted the runway. Following
the event the observer could not see any runway inspection.

A passenger reported the takeoff appeared normal initially until the aircraft
began to rotate, the nose lifted up, however, nothing happened. The nose
dropped again, then rose very sharply perhaps because of the runway end
becoming visible. A sound of impact was heard from the back of the cabin
followed by scratching sounds, that lasted for about 5 seconds, then the
aircraft began to climb. During the initial climb the aircraft was shaking,
the right wing dropped which the passenger, frequent traveller, perceived
as unusual. The aircraft continued to climb heading north out of the Madrid
area, no announcements were made. Passengers in the back of the cabin reacted
confused and increasingly alarmed with no announcement made by the crew.
Several minutes into the flight the passenger oxygen masks dropped (see
photo below) together with the announcement “put on your mask and breath
normally”, the aircraft obviously stopped the climb and rapidly descended,
a short time later an announcement “10,000 feet” was heard, cabin crew announced
passengers could not remove their masks, the cockpit announced now they
were returning to Madrid but provided no reason. The aircraft landed back
in Madrid and taxied straight to the gate, the passengers disembarked normally.
The passenger was able to see terrible damage to the tail of the aircraft,
the right hand main gear tyres had deflated. The passenger had not seen
any damage inside the aircraft. They were offered accomodation over night
and were rebooked onto other flights via other European cities connecting
to Mexico City the following day.

Air Traffic Control reported the aircraft climbed out without any comment,
later into the departure climb the crew indicated they had cabin pressure
problems and needed to return to Madrid. There was no mention of the possibility
of a tail strike and no mention of injuries on board. The tower controller
had not been able to see the tail contact the runway surface about 4km from
his position, between the Aeromexico and Air Europa there were a few other
departures without any problems.

On May 3rd 2013 Spain’s CIAIAC reported the three flight attendants seated
in the rear galley heard strange noises during takeoff. When they proceeded
to inform the flight deck about the noises the flight crew already prepared
to return to Madrid due to the cabin pressure problems at 14,000 feet. Then
the passenger oxygen masks were released. The crew informed ATC about cabin
pressure problems 22 minutes after departure. Two of the three cabin crew
in the aft galley complained about neck pain. The aircraft received substantial
damage to the lower fuselage including the near complete loss of both APU
compartment doors. The Air Europa A332 departed 29 minutes after departure
of XA-TOJ as 7th aircraft following XA-TOJ. The runway inspection following
that departure recovered two metallic pieces of debris from the runway.

Metars:
LEMD 161500Z 18004G15KT CAVOK 25/07 Q1021 NOSIG
LEMD 161430Z 19004G18KT 130V260 CAVOK 25/08 Q1021 NOSIG
LEMD 161400Z 23004KT 120V280 CAVOK 25/08 Q1021 NOSIG
LEMD 161330Z 19006KT 130V290 CAVOK 25/12 Q1022 NOSIG
LEMD 161300Z 21006G18KT CAVOK 24/10 Q1022 NOSIG
LEMD 161230Z 21006G17KT 160V280 CAVOK 24/10 Q1022 NOSIG
LEMD 161200Z 17005KT CAVOK 23/12 Q1022 NOSIG
LEMD 161130Z 18002KT CAVOK 23/09 Q1023 NOSIG
LEMD 161100Z 22002KT CAVOK 22/11 Q1023 NOSIG
LEMD 161030Z 21001KT CAVOK 21/11 Q1023 NOSIG
LEMD 161000Z 19003KT 140V250 CAVOK 19/11 Q1023 NOSIG

Scenes on board:
The damage to XA-TOJ (Photo: Controladores Aereos):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=460dc117
20130416212153:20130415000000
Incident: United A319 at Minneapolis on Apr 15th 2013, fire on board
A United Airbus A319-100, registration N846UA performing flight UA-662 from
San Francisco,CA to Minneapolis,MN (USA), was descending towards Minneapolis
when the crew declared emergency reporting smoke in the cockpit, later adding
that there appeared to be a fire in the aft cabin. The aircraft positioned
for a final approach to runway 30L, the preceding traffic was instructed
to switch runway to 30R or go-around, that crew chose to go around with
UA-662 sending a “thanks, guys!” On final approach to runway 30L the crew
reported “whatever was burning in the aft cabin appears to be out now”,
the smoke was now dissipating. The crew advised they would vacate the runway,
then stop for emergency services to look at whatever caused this. The aircraft
landed safely on runway 30L and vacated the runway. Following checks by
emergency services the aircraft taxied to the gate on own power.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=460cbbd3
20130415153103:20130414000000
Incident: KLM B738 near Amsterdam on Apr 14th 2013, unidentified smokey smell
A KLM Boeing 737-800, registration PH-BXN performing flight KL-1619 from
Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Milan Linate (Italy) with 112 passengers, was
climbing through FL130 out of Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport when the crew
declared PAN reporting an unidentified smokey smell throughout the entire
aircraft and requested to return to Schiphol. The aircraft landed safely
on runway 22 about 13 minutes later and stopped on the runway, where emergency
services inspected the aircraft. Passengers disembarked normally onto the
runway and were bussed to the terminal, the aircraft taxied to the apron
about one hour after landing.

A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration PH-BXA reached Milan with a delay
of 3 hours.

The airline said the cause of the smell is still under investigation.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=460cb167
20130415142127:20130414000000
Incident: Korean B773 near Tokyo on Apr 14th 2013, smoke in cockpit
A Korean Airlines Boeing 777-300, registration HL-8210 performing flight
KE-11 from Seoul (South Korea) to Los Angeles,CA (USA) with 288 people on
board, was enroute at FL330 about 90nm northeast of Tokyo’s Narita Airport
(Japan) when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and decided to divert
to Narita for a safe landing on runway 16R about 23 minutes later. Attending
emergency services did not find any fire or heat.

Japan’s Transport Ministry reported the flight crew had reported smoke in
the cockpit, however cabin crew had observed a small amount of smoke in
a galley above a refrigerator. An investigation is under way.

The aircraft was able to continue the journey 14.5 hours after landing and
reached Los Angeles with a delay of 15 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=460b3a82
20130413180252:20130410000000
Incident: Jazz DH8C at Ottawa and Quebec on Apr 10th 2013, brake leak before departure, smoke from main gear on landing
A Jazz de Havilland Dash 8-300, registration C-FJVV performing flight QK-8748
from Ottawa,ON to Quebec,QC (Canada) with 33 people on board, was delayed
before departure due to a brakes hydraulic leak. The aircraft departed with
a delay of 40 minutes. During roll out in Quebec smoke was observed from
the right hand main gear, tower advised the crew, the crew taxied the aircraft
to the gate, where emergency services responded to too.

A passenger reported that a fluid leak at the right hand main gear had delayed
departure by about 40 minutes, there was a puddle of fluid underneath the
right hand wheels and the tyres were wet with the fluid, during landing
smoke but no actual fire became visible from the right hand main gear, the
aircraft taxied to the gate where three fire engines showed up. The passengers
disembarked normally. The passenger thought residual fluid from the leak
before departure caused the smoke when the brakes got hot during landing.

The Canadian TSB reported smoke became visible during roll out in Quebec,
the crew was advise and taxied the aircraft to the gate, where emergency
services responded to too. Residual fluid from a brakes leak before departure
from Ottawa was identified as source of the smoke. The brakes were cleaned
and inspected.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4608e44d
20130410212210:20130410000000
Incident: Volaris A319 at Guadalajara on Apr 10th 2013, smoke in cabin
A Volaris Airbus A319-100, registration N501VL performing flight Y4-429
from Guadalajara to Tijuana (Mexico), was in the initial climb out of Guadalajara
when the crew reported smoke on board and decided to return to Guadalajara
for a safe landing.

A replacement Airbus A319-100 registration XA-VOF reached Tijuana with a
delay of 5.5 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4608ce3d
20130410184748:20130410000000
Incident: China Eastern A320 near Hangzhou on Apr 10th 2013, smoke in cabin
A China Eastern Airbus A320-200, flight MU-5211 from Hangzhou to Guangzhou
(China) with 146 passengers and 8 crew, was climbing out of Hangzhou about
10 minutes into the flight when a strong burning smell became noticeable
in the aft cabin shortly followed by visible smoke. The crew stopped the
climb and returned to Hangzhou for a safe landing about 25 minutes after
departure. Emergency services found no trace of fire or heat.

A replacement Airbus A320-200 reached Guangzhou with a delay of 5.5 hours.

Passengers reported on Weibo the tail of the aircraft was on fire.

The airline said, there was no fire. A malfunction of the air conditioning
system is suspected as cause of the odour and smoke, the examination of
the aircraft is ongoing.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4607e619
20130409162735:20130408000000
Incident: Flybe DH8D near Isle of Man on Apr 8th 2013, smell of smoke
A Flybe de Havilland Dash 8-400, flight BE-811 from Manchester,EN to Isle
of Man (UK) with 46 passengers and 4 crew, was on approach to Isle of Man
when the crew reported smell of smoke on board. The aircraft continued for
a safe landing at Isle of Man’s Ronaldsway Airport about 5 minutes later.
Emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke, the aircraft taxied
to the apron.

The airline confirmed a minor technical problem.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4602ee37
20130403133225:20130402000000
Incident: Air Malta A319 near Catania on Apr 2nd 2013, addicted oven
An Air Malta Airbus A319-100, registration 9H-AEJ performing flight KM-328
from Malta (Malta) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), was enroute at FL380 about
50nm northnorthwest of Catania (Italy) when the crew reported an aft galley
oven had just started smoking. The crew decided to divert to Catania while
cabin crew quickly stopped the smoke. The aircraft landed safely in Catania
about 25 minutes after leaving FL380.

Following checks the aircraft was able to continue the journey and reached
Frankfurt with a delay of 3:45 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4603223f
20130403185913:20130331000000
Incident: Jazz CRJ2 at Montreal on Mar 31st 2013, lavatory smoke detector indication
A Jazz Canadair CRJ-200, registration C-GZJA performing flight QK-8673 from
Montreal,QC (Canada) to Chicago O’Hare,IL (USA) with 36 people on board,
was in the initial climb out of Montreal’s runway 24L when the crew received
a lavatory smoke detector indication and declared emergency reporting smoke
in the cockpit. The aircraft stopped the climb at 5000 feet, returned to
Montreal for a safe landing on runway 24L about 12 minutes after departure
and stopped on the runway for an inspection by emergency services. The aircraft
subsequently taxied to the apron.

The Canadian TSB reported that maintenance ran both engines with bleed air
on and detected a smell of compressor wash soap. Both engines were run at
full power for 20 minutes, the aircraft then returned to service. The aircraft
had undergone a compressor wash the previous day, it was the first flight
since.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=46013886
20130401102643:20130331000000
Incident: Nextjet ATP near Norrkoping on Mar 31st 2013, smell of smoke
A Nextjet British Aerospace ATP on behalf of Braathens Regional, registration
SE-LLO performing flight DC-307 from Stockholm Bromma to Vaxjo (Sweden)
with 43 people on board, was enroute at FL160 about 40nm south of Norrkoping
(Sweden) when the crew decided to divert to Norrkoping due to a smell of
smoke on board. The aircraft landed safely, emergency services responded
but found no trace of fire or smoke despite removing a couple of sidewall
panels from the aircraft.

Initially flight attendants suspected a fire of napkins on board, the maritime
and aeronautical rescue center reported, flight attendants had discharged
fire extinguishers into the area where they suspected the smell came from.
Following first examination after landing police reported there never had
been any fire.

Sweden’s Havarikommission is investigating. A search for the source/cause
of the smell so far remained without success.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=45fe3c8e
20130328175134:20130328000000
Incident: Delta MD90 at Milwaukee on Mar 28th 2013, cargo smoke indication
A Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-90, registration N922DX performing
flight DL-771 from Milwaukee,WI to Atlanta,GA (USA) with 160 passengers
and 6 crew, was in the initial climb out of Milwaukee’s runway 25L when
the crew declared emergency reporting a smoke indication. The aircraft returned
to Milwaukee for a safe landing on runway 25L about 8 minutes after departure.
Attending emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The airline reported the crew received a cargo smoke indication.

A replacement MD-90 reached Atlanta with a delay of 2:20 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=4608df3c
20130410204424:20130322000000
Incident: Sunwing B738 near Ottawa on Mar 22nd 2013, smoke in cabin
A Sunwing Boeing 737-800, registration C-GRKB performing flight WG-326 from
Ottawa,ON (Canada) to Varadero (Cuba) with 179 people on board, was in the
initial climb out of Ottawa’s runway 32 when cabin crew alerted the flight
crew of smoke in the cabin, shortly after the smoke became also visible
on the flight deck. The crew declared emergency, stopped the climb at 3000
feet and returned to Ottawa for a safe landing on runway 32. The aircraft
stopped on the runway for checks, the runway was closed for 45 minutes.

A replacement Boeing 737-800 reached Varadero with a delay of 6 hours.

The Canadian TSB reported maintenance determined de-icing fluid had been
ingested into the APU resulting in the smoke.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=45f93a4e
20130322141917:20130320000000
Incident: British Airways B763 near London on Mar 20th 2013, smell of smoke on board
A British Airways Boeing 767-300, registration G-BZHB performing flight
BA-902 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), was climbing
out of Heathrow when the crew stopped the climb at FL170. The aircraft continued
in the general direction of Frankfurt for another 10 minutes before the
crew decided to return to Heathrow reporting a smell of smoke on board.
The aircraft landed safely back in Heathrow about one hour after departure.

The flight was cancelled.

The incident aircraft remained on the ground until next day, when it resumed
service 28 hours after landing.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=45f7b263
20130320170221:20130319000000
Incident: Fedex A306 at Fort Lauderdale on Mar 19th 2013, smoke in cockpit
A Fedex Federal Express Airbus A300-600, registration N676FE performing
freight flight FX-1677 from Fort Lauderdale,FL to Indianapolis,IN (USA)
with 2 crew and hazardeous goods on board (Lithium batteries), was climbing
out of Lauderdale’s runway 09L when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit,
stopped the climb at FL250 and returned to Fort Lauderdale. On approach
the crew reported they had received a fire indication for the avionics bay
and had observed a light odour in the cockpit, the indication had extinguished
in the meantime, they were carrying lithium batteries in the cargo. The
aircraft landed safely on runway 09L about 24 minutes after departure and
stopped on the runway. Emergency services reported seeing no smoke around
the aircraft, they also did not detect any hot spots. The aircraft subsequently
taxied to the cargo apron with the emergency services in trail.

Due to the emergency arriving traffic was sent into holds around Fort Lauderdale
for up to 30 minutes.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=45f7a922
20130320160805:20130319000000
Incident: Southwest B737 near Indianapolis on Mar 19th 2013, bit of smoke in cabin
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, flight WN-441 from Baltimore,MD to
Las Vegas,NV (USA) with 133 passengers and 5 crew, was enroute at FL360
about 70nm southeast of Indianapolis,IN (USA) when the crew reported a “bit
of smoke in the cabin” and decided to divert to Indianapolis. The crew indicated
unless there was smoke visible outside they would vacate the runway and
taxi to the gate and requested emergency services to follow them to the
gate. The aircraft landed safely on runway 23R about 20 minutes after leaving
FL360 and taxied to the gate with emergency services in trail.

The airline reported that the crew had heard some unusual sounds in the
rear of the cabin.

Emergency services reported there was some white smoke in the rear of the
cabin when they boarded the aircraft. The cause of the smoke is unclear
though probably electric.

A replacement Boeing 737-700 reached Las Vegas with a delay of 1:45 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=45f65222
20130319001748:20130318000000
Incident: Expressjet E135 near Lexington on Mar 18th 2013, smoke on board, lightning suspected
An Expressjet Embraer ERJ-145 on behalf of United, registration N13914 performing
flight EV-4547/UA-4547 from Newark,NJ to Nashville,TN (USA) with 48 passengers,
was enroute at FL260 about 60nm southeast of Lexington,KY at about 08:35L
(12:35Z) when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and decided to divert
to Lexington, the crew indicated they did not intend to evacuate. The aircraft
landed safely on runway 22 about 15 minutes later and taxied to the gate
after emergency services reported not seeing any smoke.

Airport officials reported a lightning strike is suspected as cause of the
smoke.

Infrared Satellite Image GOES-E 11:45Z (Graphics: NASA):

———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=45f64b4e
20130318233007:20130317000000
Incident: Skywest E120 near Monterey on Mar 17th 2013, haze and odour in cabin
A Skywest Embraer EMB-120 on behalf of United, registration N308SW performing
flight OO-5303/UA-5303 from Bakersfield,CA to San Francisco,CA (USA) with
27 passengers and 3 crew, was enroute at FL220 about 35nm south of Monterey,CA
(USA) when the crew reported light haze and an odour in the cabin and decided
to divert to Monterey for a safe landing about 15 minutes later.

The airline reported the air conditioning system was identified as cause
of the odour. The passengers were taken to San Francisco by road.

Emergency services reported a smoke detector in a lavatory activated.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=45f53b04
20130317152752:20130317000000
Incident: Malmo RJ1H at Malmo on Mar 17th 2013, smoke in cabin
A Malmo Aviation Avro RJ-100, registration SE-DSX performing flight TF-102
from Malmo to Stockholm Bromma (Sweden) with 49 people on board, was climbing
through FL200 out of Malmo when the crew reported smoke in the cabin and
returned to Malmo for a safe landing on Malmo’s runway 17 about 22 minutes
after departure, the aircraft taxied to the gate where passengers disembarked
normally.

Emergency services reported there had been a burning smell and thick smoke,
the smoke had subsided by the time of the landing.

The airline reported one of the cabin fluorescent lights was identified
as source of the smell and smoke. The flight was cancelled, the passengers
were rebooked onto the next flight.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=45f4a40a
20130316213035:20130314000000
Incident: Southwest B733 at Las Vegas on Mar 14th 2013, cargo fire indication
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300, registration N645SW performing flight
WN-481 from Las Vegas,NV to Tulsa,OK (USA) with 136 passengers and 5 crew,
was climbing out of Las Vegas’ runway 25R in contact with departure frequency
when the crew reported they may have the aircraft on fire and requested
an immediate turn back to the airport runway 25R. The aircraft stopped the
climb at 6300 feet and returned to runway 25R for a safe landing about 10
minutes after departure. Attending emergency services found no trace of
fire, heat or smoke, the aircraft taxied to the apron where passengers disembarked
normally.

The airline reported maintenance found the indication malfunctioned.

A replacement Boeing 737-700 reached Tulsa with a delay of 3:15 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=45f63317
20130318203352:20130312000000
Incident: Pacific Coastal B190 at Vancouver on Mar 12th 2013, smoky audio
A Pacific Coastal Airlines Beech 1900C, registration C-FPCO performing flight
8P-615 from Vancouver,BC to Cranbook,BC (Canada) with 10 people on board,
was in the initial climb out of Vancouver when smoke appeared in the cockpit.
The crew returned the aircraft to Vancouver for a safe landing on runway
12.

The Canadian TSB reported that an audio amplifier had failed.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=45ef60cc
20130310160550:20130309000000
Incident: Delta MD88 near Orlando on Mar 9th 2013, smoke in cockpit
A Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-88, registration N924DL performing
flight DL-2044 from Miami,FL to New York La Guardia,NY (USA), ws enroute
at FL330 about 140nm east of Orlando,FL (USA) when the crew reported smoke
in the cockpit and decided to divert to Orlando. On approach to Orlando
the crew advised they did have a smoke event however the smoke had dissipated
and a normal landing would commence. The aircraft landed safely on Orlando’s
runway 35L about 30 minutes after leaving FL330.

The airline reported that smoke appeared in the cockpit when some anti-ice
equipment was activated and dissipated when the system was turned off again.

A replacement MD-88 reached New York with a delay of 3:45 hours.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=45edea46
20130308194038:20130308000000
Incident: Lufthansa B744 over Atlantic on Mar 8th 2013, smoke on board
A Lufthansa Boeing 747-400, registration D-ABVH performing flight LH-499
(dep Mar 7th) from Mexico City (Mexico) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), had
departed with a delay of 4:45 hours due to a problem with the brakes. The
aircraft was enroute at FL370 over the Atlantic Ocean when the crew reported
smoke on board of the aircraft and decided to divert to Lajes Airfield on
Terceira Island, Azores (Portugal) for a safe landing on Lajes’ runway 33.

Lufthansa’s website confirms the diversion to Terceira however does not
provide any estimate when the flight is to continue to Frankfurt, but shows
the flight Mexico City to Frankfurt cancelled.

Frankfurt Airport’s arrival board shows the flight delayed to arrive on
Mar 9th (scheduled arrival at 14:55L on Mar 8th).
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http://avherald.com/h?article=45edf2e0
20130308204050:20130307000000
Incident: Jazz CRJ2 near Toronto on Mar 7th 2013, lavatory smoke indication
A Jazz Canadair CRJ-200, registration C-GJZZ performing flight QK-7945 from
Toronto,ON (Canada) to Minneapolis,MN (USA) with 24 people on board, was
climbing out of Toronto when the crew received a lavatory smoke indication,
stopped the climb at 7000 feet and returned to Toronto for a safe landing
on Toronto’s runway 05 about 18 minutes after departure. Attending emergency
services did not find any trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The Canadian TSB reported maintenance discovered two burn marks on the back
of a light assembly.
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http://avherald.com/h?article=45ec3f04
20141001130317:20130305000000
Incident: Horizon DH8D near San Jose on Mar 5th 2013, persistent engine fire indication
A Horizon de Havilland Dash 8-400 on behalf of Alaska Airlines, registration
N417QX performing flight QX-404/AS-2404 from San Jose,CA to Boise,ID (USA)
with 47 passengers and 4 crew, was climbing through 17,000 feet out of San
Jose when the crew stopped the climb declared emergency due to an engine
(PW150A) fire indication. The engine was shut down, the fire suppression
system activated, the fire indication persisted however. San Jose Airport
cancelled a number of approach clearances in the meantime and kept both
runways 12L/12R sterile. The crew did not acknowledge the hand off to San
Jose approach, did not report on San Jose approach frequency even after
San Jose approach called on guard, too, and was seen descend rapidly. Resulting
in a noticeable relief for the controllers the crew checked in with San
Jose tower, the crew audibly on oxygen masks reported they still had an
active fire indication on the right hand engine, they were planning to evacuate
after landing. The aircraft was cleared to land runway 12L or 12R on pilot’s
discretion, tower reported there was no smoke visible from the aircraft.
The aircraft landed safely on runway 12L, stopped on the runway and shut
down, emergency services reported seeing no smoke and no trace of fire,
the aircraft was not evacuated. The passengers disembarked normally and
were bussed to the terminal. The aircraft was towed to the apron about one
hour after landing.

A replacement Dash 8-400 registration N438QX reached Boise with a delay
of 6.5 hours.

On Mar 15th 2013 the NTSB reported the aircraft sustained minor damage as
result of an inflight engine fire. The aircraft was climbing towards FL200
when the crew heard a bang and received a right hand engine fire indication.
The right hand engine was shut down, both fire bottles were discharged however
without success. Cabin crew reported no fire was visible from the engine.
The aircraft returned to San Jose for a safe landing and stopped on the
runway, the left engine was shut down and the passengers disembarked through
the left main door. Initial assessment by maintenance confirmed an actual
engine fire, the damage to the aircraft was limited to “what was visible
on the aircraft’s exterior”. The aircraft was moved to a secured hangar
for further examination.

On Oct 1st 2014 the NTSB released their final report concluding the probable
cause of the incident was:

The failure and separation of a section of the No. 2 engine’s combustion
chamber’s small exit duct (SED), which created an airflow disruption that
led to an engine surge and subsequent fire. Contributing to the accident
was the insufficient weld penetration that remained totally contained within
the SED outer dome and did not penetrate through to the inner duct as required
by the manufacturing specifications.

The NTSB reported that the engine’s low pressure compressor, turbines, combustion
chambers and gearboxes did not receive damage though downstream of the high
pressure compressor sooting was visible. The NTSB described the damage to
the high pressure compressor:

“The high pressure turbine (HPT) vane assembly includes the SED inner duct
and outer dome that are welded together and function to direct combustion
gas flow. Pieces of the outer dome had separated from the vane assembly
and were subsequently ingested into the gas path. A section of the SED outer
dome was submitted to the PWC materials lab for weld analysis. The exposed
inner duct of the SED exhibited localized thermal distress including burn
through and distortion at approximately the 11 O’ Clock position. Sooting,
metal splatter and discoloration were noted on all HPT vanes with some metallic
fragments adhering to the leading edge of the vane airfoil. Two metal fragments
were found resting at the bottom of the HPT blade shroud against the aft
side of the vanes.

The HPT disk assembly exhibited impact damage and metal splatter along the
blade leading edges 360 degrees around. All blades were heavily sooted.
Material loss was noted on leading edge blade tips resulting in exposure
of internal blade cooling passages. Uniform tip rubs were present on HPT
blades around the disk as evidenced by shiny metal and material smearing.”
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http://avherald.com/h?article=45ea7876
20130304141322:20130304000000
Incident: Delta A333 at Amsterdam on Mar 4th 2013, engine problem
A Delta Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration N807NW performing flight
DL-604 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Mumbai (India), was climbing out
of Amsterdam’s runway 18L when the crew stopped the climb at FL110 declaring
emergency reporting problems with the right hand engine (PW4168A) and requested
to return to Amsterdam’s runway 18R. About 3 minutes later another KLM Boeing
737-800 declared emergency due to smoke in the cockpit indicating they would
need to evacuate, see Incident: KLM B738 at Amsterdam on Mar 4th 2013, smoke
in cockpit and cabin, due to the specific request for runway 18R the A333
was kept on approach to runway 18R while the Boeing was re-assigned runway
18C, a large emergency response was invoked by the airport to facilitate
both emergencies estimated to arrive at the same time. The A330 landed safely
on runway 18R about 30 minutes after departure, about 20 minutes after declaring
emergency and about 5 minutes after the Boeing.

A replacement Airbus A330-200 registration N860NW departed Amsterdam for
Mumbai with a delay of 4.5 hours.
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http://avherald.com/h?article=45ea765f
20130304135802:20130304000000
Incident: KLM B738 at Amsterdam on Mar 4th 2013, smoke in cockpit and cabin
A KLM Boeing 737-800, registration PH-BGA performing flight KL-1623 from
Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Milan Linate (Italy), was in the initial climb
out of Amsterdam’s runway 18L when the crew donned their oxygen masks, stopped
the climb at 2000 feet reporting smoke in the cockpit and cabin and advising
they would evacuate the aircraft on the runway. The aircraft was assigned
runway 18R for landing, while positioning for the approach approach control
queried whether the crew could accept 18C due to another emergency on approach
to runway 18R. The crew accepted runway 18C, advised that the situation
on board had improved sufficiently that an evacuation was no longer needed
and landed safely on that runway about 13 minutes after departure. The aircraft
taxied to the gate with emergency services in trail.

A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration PH-BXB departed Amsterdam about
2.5 hours after landing and reached Milan with a delay of 3 hours.
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http://avherald.com/h?article=45ea7b22
20130304143234:20130303000000
Incident: United B752 near Cleveland on Mar 3rd 2013, burning smell in cabin
A United Boeing 757-200, registration N57111 performing flight UA-132 from
New York JFK,NY to Los Angeles,CA (USA), was enroute at FL360 about 80nm
south of Cleveland,OH (USA) when the crew reported, that someone had reported
a burning smell in the cabin, and diverted the aircraft to Cleveland for
a safe landing about 25 minutes later. Attending emergency services found
no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

The airport reported maintenance was unable to find anything abnormal.

The remainder of the flight was cancelled, the passengers rebooked onto
other flights.
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http://avherald.com/h?article=45e78468
20130228233452:20130226000000
Incident: American Eagle E135 at Miami on Feb 26th 2013, smell in cabin
An American Eagle Embraer ERJ-140, registration N829AE performing flight
MQ-3512 from Miami,FL to Atlanta,GA (USA) with 42 people on board, was in
the initial climb out of runway 08L when the crew reported a smell/smoke
in the cabin and requested an immediate return to Miami. The crew stopped
the climb at 1400 feet, joined a left downwind for runway 08L and landed
safely back about 5 minutes after departure.

A replacement ERJ-140 registration N826AE reached Atlanta with a delay of
2.5 hours.
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http://avherald.com/h?article=45e4c708
20130225172155:20130223000000
Incident: Delta A320 at Salt Lake City on Feb 23rd 2013, haze in cabin
A Delta Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration N356NW performing flight
DL-1158 from Salt Lake City,UT to Orlando,FL (USA) with 151 people on board,
was climbing out of Salt Lake City’s runway 34R with low visibility procedures
in effect when an acrid odour as well as haze developed in the cabin prompting
the crew to don their oxygen masks and stop the climb at 11,000 feet indicating
they wanted to return to Salt Lake City without mentioning the problem however.
About 4 minutes later the crew reported they had smoke in the cockpit, which
had started to dissipate at that point. The aircraft returned to Salt Lake
City for a safe landing on runway 34L (3500 feet RVR) about 20 minutes after
departure.

A replacement Airbus A320-200 registration N375NC reached Orlando with a
delay of 4.5 hours.

Passenger photo in the cabin (Photo: Blake Scarbrough):

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http://avherald.com/h?article=45e18e8b
20130221194915:20130221000000
Incident: British Airways A320 near Lisbon on Feb 21st 2013, smoke in cockpit
A British Airways Airbus A320-200, registration G-EUYA performing flight
BA-499 from Lisbon (Portugal) to London Heathrow,EN (UK), had just reached
cruise level 360 when the crew decided to return to Lisbon. The aircraft
landed safely on Lisbon’s runway 21 about 30 minutes later.

A listener on frequency reported the crew had donned their oxygen masks
reporting smoke in the cockpit, when the aircraft returned to Lisbon.

The flight was cancelled.

The incident aircraft is still on the ground in Lisbon about 11 hours after
landing.
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http://avherald.com/h?article=45e27ade
20130222222725:20130220000000
Incident: American Eagle E135 at New York on Feb 20th 2013, smoke in the cockpit
An American Eagle Embraer ERJ-140, registration N835AE performing flight
MQ-4403 from New York JFK,NY to Raleigh-Durham,NC (USA), was in the initial
climb out of runway 31L when during the left turn towards Canarsie upon
being handed off to departure the crew declared emergency reporting smoke
in the cockpit. The aircraft joined a left visual downwind, the tower advised
he would need to hand the aircraft off in case they continued for a longer
downwind as there was too much traffic out there, the crew replied they’d
turn base right away and landed safely on runway 31L about 11 minutes after
departure.

A passenger reported that immediately after becoming airborne the cabin
started to fill with smoke, that appeared to come from the cockpit area,
the smoke quickly dissipated again and was gone by the time of landing.
———————————–
http://avherald.com/h?article=45e18343
20130221183631:20130220000000
Incident: Wideroe DH8B near Trondheim on Feb 20th 2013, smoke in cabin
A Wideroe Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-200, registration LN-WSB performing