Nepal Plane Crash: Update

Search and rescue teams are at the crash site, but chances of finding any survivors look slim.

Search and rescue teams are at the crash site in Nepal, where a Tara Air flight went down with 22 people onboard. Rescue officers are going through the wreckage, and according to the latest reports, the search team has found several victims who, unfortunately, did not survive the crash.

The Nepal Army has located the site of the plane crash, finding the wreckage of the twin-engine aircraft in Sanosware, Thasang-2 of Mustang district in Nepal. The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter was performing a flight from Pokhara Airport (PKR/VNPK), Nepal to Jomsom Airport (JMO/VNJS), Nepal
for Tara Air when it went missing on the morning of 29th May.

The search and rescue team made their way towards the site from the ground and by air and found the aircraft totally destroyed from impact. Chances of anyone surviving the crash look slim, with the team finding 16 victims at the last count who perished in the incident. There were three crew members and 19 passengers onboard, including 2 German nationals, 4 Indians, and 13 Nepali citizens.

Difficult terrain and weather conditions in the area pose an added layer of challenge in the rescue mission, with helicopters deployed to locate the crashed aircraft last night being recalled due to heavy snowfall.

The primary cause of the accident is believed to be poor weather, with Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority stating that the aircraft had been flying from the city of Pokhara to the popular tourist town Jomsom in central Nepal when it lost contact with air traffic control about 12 minutes into the journey. With the two destinations just 45 miles apart, the flight itself wasn't long, lasting about 20 to 22 minutes.

Reportedly, two other flights of another carrier had taken off before Tara Air and landed safely. According to the Indian Express, one of the passengers of yesterday's crash, Ashok Tripathy, had called his travel agent in Kathmandu just before takeoff, who said,

“Around 9.45 am, two aircraft of Summit Air took off followed by Tara Air at 9.55 am. Before taking off, Ashok Tripathy had called me to say that things were okay. Those two flights of Summit Air landed safely and then we heard the news that Tara Air had lost contact with ATC.”

Locals around the crash site described hearing "an unusual sound as if there was some bang," said a police officer in the area. 

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Tara Air

Code: MNA

Country: Nepal

Founded: 2009

Aircraft: DeHavilland Canada DHC 6 Twin Otter

Registration: 9N-AET

Serial Number: 619

Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27

First Flew: 21/04/1979

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO THE  FAMILIES AND FRIENDS

Story sourced from here:

Nepal Plane Crash: Latest Updates (simpleflying.com)

Plane with 22 onboard goes missing in Nepal

                                        BREAKING NEWS

A De Havilland Canada DHC-6/300 Twin Otter aircraft operated by Nepalese carrier Tara Air went missing in a mountainous region of the country earlier today. The aircraft is believed to be carrying 22 people onboard, including three crew members. Four of the passengers are Indian nationals, 13 are Nepalese, and two are German. The crew is entirely Nepali and is led by Captain Prabhakar Prasad Ghimire, co-pilot Utsav Pokhrel, while Kismi Thapa has been identified as the sole cabin crew.

The aircraft, registered as 9N-AET, took off from Pokhara Airport (PKR) in central Nepal at approximately 09:55 AM and began flying north-west towards its destination, Jomsom Airport (JMO) in the Mustang district.

Both airports are less than 45 miles apart, but the journey is filled with uneven terrain and steep mountains. The Chief District Officer, Neta Prasad Sharma told the Daily Excelsior that the aircraft was seen over the skies of Jomson and had diverted towards Mount Dhaulagiri before losing contact with the ground at 10:07 AM local time.

Officials in the Himalayan nation suspect the Twin Otter to have crashed onto a mountainside in the "Titi" region of Mustang district.

The DSP of District Police Office in Mustang, Ram Kumar Dani, said,


"Locals from Titi have called and informed us that they have heard an unusual sound as if there was some bang. We are deploying a helicopter to the area for the search operation.”

Two private helicopters have been dispatched to try and locate the aircraft and hopefully, find any survivors. The Nepalese Army has also been pressed in to join rescue efforts. According to Times Now, an Army Mi-17 helicopter has also left for the suspected accident site. As is always the case in such incidents, the first few hours are crucial to maximize the chances of finding survivors.

The Search and Rescue Coordination Center at Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority has released a statement saying the first helicopters sent to search for the aircraft were forced to return due to inclement weather conditions. More rescue helicopters are on standby at nearby airports of Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Jomson, ready to fly once weather conditions allow. While the exact cause of this incident may not be known for quite some time, it is possible that poor weather conditions had a role to play in what went down.

Story sourced from here

Breaking: Plane With 22 Onboard Goes Missing In Nepal (simpleflying.com)

Plane spotting at Brisbane Airport

This morning I went out to Brisbane airport to doing some plane spotting for a few hours.

EMIRATES A380-842 A6-EVI (MSN 258)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8SA VH-IWX (MSN 44232)
VA1210 OFF TO CANBERRA (CBR)
EX SILK AIR 9V-MGP

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8SA VH-IWY (MSN 44233)
VA913 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (SYD)
EX SILK AIR 9V-MGQ

ALLIANCE FOKKER 70 VH-QQR (MSN 11564)
VA1710 ARRIVING FROM GLADSTONE (GLT)

JETSTAR A320-232 VH-VFU (MSN 5814)

ALLIANCE EMBRARER E190AR VH-UYB (MSN 19000012)
QF1903 OFF TO CANBERRA (CBR)
EX COPA AIRLINES HP-1540CMP

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-VZM (MSN 34192)
QF506 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (SYD)

REX BOEING 737-8FE VH-RQG (MSN 34168)
ZL227 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL)
EX VIRGIN AUSTRALIA VH-VUF

QANTASLINK DASH 8 Q400 VH-QOI (MSN 4189)
QF2374 OFF TO HERVEY BAY (HVB)

JETSTAR A321-231 VH-VWQ (MSN 7384)
JQ813 OFF TO SYDNEY (SYD)

GAM AIR AERO COMMANDER 500 VH-UJX (1839)

PIONAIR AUSTRALIA BAe 146-200 VH-SAZ (MSN E2148)

SINGAPORE AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHH (MSN 316)
SQ256 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8FE VH-YQG (MSN 40999)
VA917 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (SYD)
REGO EX QANTASLINK 717 (MSN 55093)

U P AVIATION BOMBARDIER BD-700 VH-UPH (MSN 9281)
OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL)

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBS (MSN 1258)
QF7715 OFF TO CAIRNS (CNS)

HEVILIFT ATR 72-500 VH-FVL (MSN 0974)
HT721 OFF TO MORANBAH (MOV)

FIJI AIRWAYS BOEING 737 MAX 8 DQ-FAB (MSN 64307)
FJ921 ARRIVING FROM NADI (NAN)

MALAYSIA AIRBUS A330-323 9M-MTD (MSN 1234)
MH134 OFF TO KUALA LUMPUR (KUL)

QANTASLINK BOEING 717-231 VH-NXL (MSN 55093)
QF1796 OFF TO ROCKHAMPTON (ROK)

SINGAPORE AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHU (MSN 469)
SQ255 ARRIVING FROM SINGAPOPRE (SIN)

ALLIANCE EMBRAER E190AR VH-UYI (MSN 19000053)
REGO - EX MACAIR SAAB 340 (MSN 283)

SOLOMOMS AIRBUS A320-232 H4-SIB (MSN 2445)
IE701 OFF TO HONIARA (HIR)

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBV (MSN 1365)
QF119 OFF TO AUCKLAND (AKL)

JETSTAR AIRBUS A320-232 VH-YXT (MSN 5940)
JQ483 OFF TO NEWCASTLE (NTL)

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-VXD (MSN 29552)
QF510 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (SYD)

QANTASLINK EMBRAER E190AR VH-UZH (MSN 19000183)
QF1931 OFF TO ADELAIDE (ADL)

ALLIANCE FOKKER 70 VH-NKQ (MSN 11572)
QQ3363 ARRIVING FROM ROMA (RMA)

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBQ (MSN 1198)
QF55 OFF TO LOS ANGELES (LAX)

AIR NEW ZEALAND BOEING 787-9 ZK-NZJ (MSN 37966)
NZ141 ARRIVING FROM AUCKLAND (AKL)

LINK AIRWAYS SAAB 340B VH-VEO (MSN 340B-366)

REX SAAB 340B VH-ZRE (MSN 340B-391)
ZL5722 ARRIVING FROM ROMA (RMA)

AIR KIRIBATI EMBRAER E190-E2 VH-IKJ (MSN 19020029)
OFF TO ROCKHAMPTON (ROK)

AIR VANUATU BOEING 737-8SH YJ-AV8 (MSN 42052)
NF820 ARRIVING FROM HONIARA (HIR)

Remembering China Airlines flight 611

A China Airlines Boeing 747-200 which broke up in midair, was later found to be the result of a tail strike 20 years before.

CHINA AIRLINES BOEING 747-409 B-18205 (MSN 28712)

China Airlines 611 was a regular, scheduled flight between Taipei-Chiang Kai Shek International Airport (TPE/RCTP), Taiwan and Hong Kong-Chek Lap Kok International Airport (HKG/VHHH), Hong Kong. On the 25th May 2002 the aircraft crashed into the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island of Taiwan from mainland China, due to metal fatigue in the fuselage. This accident killed all 225 people onboard the aircraft, including 206 passengers and 19 crew members. On the 7th February 1980, the aircraft suffered a tail strike occurrence in Hong Kong. The aircraft was ferried back to Taiwan on the same day un-pressurized and a temporary repair was conducted the day after. A permanent repair was conducted from the 23rd May through to the 26th May 1980. The permanent repair of the tail strike was not accomplished in accordance with the Boeing SRM, in that the area of damaged skin in Section 46 was not removed (trimmed) and the repair doubler did not extend sufficiently beyond the entire damaged area to restore the structural strength.

The Boeing 747-209B that was operating on the route was the only remaining aircraft of this type in the fleet, as the others had been converted to freighters operating for the cargo division of China Airlines. The 747 was actually operating its last commercial flight for China Airlines, and had been sold to Orient Thai Airlines, a charter airline based in Bangkok, Thailand. The aircraft was to return to Taipei after the flight to Hong Kong, and would then be under the control of Orient Thai Airlines. This, unfortunately did not happen.

At 14:38 Taipei Delivery cleared Flight 611 to Hong Kong: The gate closed around 14:50, ten minutes after the scheduled departure time and the crew requested ground start and pushback from stand B2.  

At 14:57 pushback was completed and the aircraft taxied to runway 06. Ten minutes later the aircraft had taxied into position and was cleared for take off. While climbing through 1600 feet the crew contacted Taipei Approach and received clearance to climb to and maintain FL260 and proceed direct to Chali. At 15.16, while climbing through FL187, Dynasty 611 contacted Taipei Control. The Flight was cleared to climb and maintain FL350. Some 13 minutes later, while approaching 35,000 feet, the aircraft disappeared off radar screens. Wreckage and bodies were found at sea, about 45 km Northeast off the Penghu islands. The flight probably disintegrated at high altitude since other debris was found near Changhua, about 45 kilometers from the crash site.

Since this accident happened in busy airspace, other nearby aircraft could see the crash site, and reported it to authorities. At 18:10, first responders were on scene and had found the remains of some victims. The governments of the People's Republic of China (mainland China) and the Republic of China (Taiwan) cooperated on this search, and this certainly did expedite the process of identifying the victims. China Airlines also requested that relatives of victims send blood samples to laboratories to help with victim identification. To date, 175 of the 225 victims' remains have been identified.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: China Airlines

Code: CI/CAL

Aircraft: Boeing 747-209B

Registration: B-18255

Serial Number: 21843
Engines: 4 Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7AW

First Flew: 16/07/1979

Age: 22 Yrs 11 Mts


Aircraft History:

31/07/1979 China Airlines B-1866  
01/01/1999 China Airlines B-18255

Remembering American Airlines Flight 191

AMERICAN AIRLINES B787-9 N832AA (MSN 40638)

American Airlines Flight 191 was a regular scheduled passenger flight from O'Hare International Airport (ORD/KORD) in Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) in Los Angeles, California. On the 25th May 1979, the McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 operating this flight was taking off from runway 32R when it crashed into the ground. All 258 passengers and 13 crew on board were killed, along with two people on the ground. At 14:59 hours local time Flight 191 taxied from the gate at O'Hare Airport. The weather at the time of departure was clear, and the reported surface wind was 020° at 22 kts. At 15:02:38, the flight was cleared for takeoff. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that as the aircraft was beginning its takeoff rotation, engine number one (the left engine) separated from the left wing, flipping over the top of the wing and landing on the runway. As the engine separated from the aircraft, it severed hydraulic fluid lines that lock the wing's leading-edge slats in place and damaged a 3-foot (1 metre) section of the left wing's leading edge. Aerodynamic forces acting on the wing resulted in an uncommanded retraction of the outboard slats. As the aircraft began to climb, the damaged left wing – with no engine – produced far less lift than the right wing, with its slats still deployed and its engine providing full takeoff thrust. The disrupted and unbalanced aerodynamics of the aircraft caused it to roll abruptly to the left until it was partially inverted, reaching a bank angle of 112 degrees, before crashing in an open field by a trailer park near the end of the runway 50 seconds later. The engine separation was attributed to damage to the pylon structure holding the engine to the wing, caused by improper maintenance procedures used at American Airlines. (A pylon structure is a hardpoint located on an airframe designed to carry an external or internal load.) 

With 273 fatalities, it is still the deadliest aviation accident to have occurred in the United States.

Aircraft Information

Airline: American Airlines

Code: AA/AAL

Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC10

Registration: N110AA

Serial Number: 46510 /22

Engines : Three General Electric CF6-6D

Delivered: 25/02/1972

Age of Aircraft: 7 Years 3 months

Crew: Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 13

Passengers: Fatalities: 258 / Occupants: 258

Qantas Boeing 787 took off with its static ports covered

Last September, a Qantas Boeing 787-9 flew 14 hours across the Pacific with four of its static ports covered up. A Qantas Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flew from Melbourne to Los Angeles in 2021 with tape covering four fan cowl static ports. This was despite a Qantas engineer placing "remove before flight" barricade streamer tape on the covered static ports the day before the flight. While the 14-plus-hour flight was uneventful, the incident triggered an investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).

Last Tuesday, the ATSB released its findings concerning the September 22, 2021, incident. The aviation safety agency found the aircraft departed with reduced redundancy to the engine electronic control system because the coverings were left intact. The ATSB also found that Qantas' own procedures did not identify all of the aircraft's static ports, and the procedure for restoring the plane back to service did not reference Boeing procedures. This allowed different interpretations of which ports would be covered.

The incident involved VH-ZNJ, which was due to fly a freight flight from Melbourne (MEL) to Los Angeles (LAX) on September 22. The night before, an engineer prepared the aircraft for the flight. This preparation included removing covers from the pitot probes and static ports. The following morning, before departure, one of the flight crew conducted a pre-flight exterior inspection, with no anomalies detected. The aircraft was also subject to a pre-departure exterior inspection by ground service dispatch personnel.

QANTAS BOEING 787-9 VH-ZNJ (MSN 66074)

Around 09:00 the Dreamliner took off and set course for LAX. Flying time across the Pacific was 14 hours 30 minutes. The flight was described as "uneventful." It was only during the post-flight inspection that the covered static ports were discovered. Static ports provide important air pressure data to aircraft systems, but the fuselage static ports and vertical fin static ports play the primary role. The fan cowl static port air pressure data is only used when an aircraft's engine electronic control determines that the data coming from the other static ports is unreliable.

Before flying out of Melbourne, VH-ZNJ had sat idle for 39 hours. When an aircraft sits on the ground between 24 and 72 hours, Qantas requires it to be subject to 'normal' parking procedures. These parking procedures include fitting pitot covers and covering the static ports, in accordance with Boeing recommendations. The Boeing 787-9 has six fuselage, four engine fan cowl, and four vertical fin static ports.


A similar incident occurred here in Brisbane four years ago. In July 2018, a Malaysia Airlines A330-300 left Brisbane (BNE) with its three pitot probes covered and almost immediately began getting unreliable airspeed indications. The Airbus was able to turn around and land safely with assistance from Brisbane ATC.  The ATSB made several findings regarding September's incident. The agency noted the meter-long tail of the 'remove before flight' tape covering the static ports was stuck down to prevent it from being torn from the fuselage in strong winds, as per Boeing's recommended procedure.

Story sourced from here

How A Qantas Boeing 787 Took Off With Its Static Ports Covered (simpleflying.com)

Remembering Pakistan Airlines flight 8303

Pakistan International Airlines flight 8303, an Airbus A320, enroute from Lahore-Allama Iqbal International Airport (LHE/OPLA), Pakistan to Karachi-Jinnah International Airport (KHI/OPKC), Pakistan crashed on approach to Karachi-Jinnah International Airport (KHI), Pakistan.

 

There were 91 passengers on board and 8 crew members. Two passengers survived the accident. The flight departed Lahore at 13:05 hours local time (08:05 UTC) and was expected to arrive at Karachi about 14:45 (09:45 UTC). Departure from Lahore and cruising flight were uneventful. The flight crew did not follow standard callouts and did not observe CRM aspects during most parts of flight. According to the Pakistani Aviation Minister, the crew were engaged in conversations related to the coronavirus. The controller at Karachi East Area Control cleared the flight for the Nawabshah 2A arrival procedure, and advised to expect an ILS approach for runway 25L. The flight was later cleared at pilot's discretion to report direct MAKLI, a waypoint 15 nautical miles at a radial of 075 from the Karachi VOR, and descend to FL100, and later re-cleared for FL50.

The aircraft changed over to the Karachi Approach controller and was cleared to descend down to 3000 ft, before reaching MAKLI. The aircraft ended up higher than the required descend profile. At MAKLI the aircraft was at 9780 ft and at about 245 knots IAS. In order to manage the descent and lose the additional height, the OPEN DES mode was selected via the FCU, both autopilots were disengaged and speed brakes were extended. Karachi Approach inquired "confirm track mile comfortable for descend" and later advised to take an orbit, so that the aircraft could capture the required descent profile. No orbit was executed and the effort to intercept the glide slope and ILS localizer was continued. At 7221 ft at around 10.5 NM from runway 25L the undercarriage was extended.

Karachi Approach advised repeatedly about the excessive height but the flight continued the approach.
At an altitude of 1740 feet and at a distance slightly less than 5 nautical miles from runway 25L the undercarriage was raised. At this time, the aircraft had intercepted the localizer as well as the
glide slope. Flaps 1 were selected at 243 knots IAS. Over-speed and EGPWS warnings were then triggered. Since the approach to land was continued, Karachi Approach instead of changing over the aircraft to the Tower controller, contacted Karachi Tower by phone to request landing clearance.
The Tower controller confirmed clearance to land without observing the abnormality that the landing gears were not extended. Karachi Approach then cleared the aircraft to land.
At 500 ft, the airspeed was 220 knots IAS at a slat/flap configuration 3, and a descent rate of 2000 ft/min. Several warnings and alerts sounded in the cockpit, such as overspeed, landing gear not down and ground proximity alerts. The landing was carried out with landing gears retracted. The aircraft touched the runway surface on its engines. The flight crew applied reverse engine power and initiated a braking action. Both engines scraped the runway at various locations causing damage to both of them.
The Tower controller observed the gear-up landing and contacted the Karachi Approach controller by phone. Subsequently Karachi Approach did not relay this to the flight crew.

The landing was discontinued and a go-around was executed. At 14:35 the flight crew radioed that they were going around and requested another ILS approach to runway 25L. The controller instructed the flight to turn left heading 110 and climb to 3000 feet. Four minutes later the flight reported they had "lost engines" and subsequently declared a Mayday. The controller cleared the flight to land with both runways (25L and 25R) available. Both engines failed one by one and subsequently the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed to power the essential aircraft systems.
The aircraft was not able to reach the runway and crashed about 1340 meters short of runway 25L in a residential area named Model Colony. It was a slow speed impact with a high angle of attack
The aircraft broke up and a large post-impact fire erupted. A total of 12 houses and multiple cars suffered major damages due to the crash. One person on the ground died of her injuries on May 31.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Pakistan International Airlines

Code: PK/PIA

Aircraft: Airbus A320-214

Registration: AP-BLD

Serial Number: 2274

Engines: 2 CFMI CFM56-5B4/P

First Flew: 17/08/2004

Age: 15 Ys 9 Mts

Aircraft History
17/09/2004 China Eastern Airlines  as B-6017
30/10/2014 Pakistan International Airlines  as AP-BLD

Air India mid-air crisis as engine shuts down

AIR INDIA BOEING 787-8 VT-ANZ (MSN 36297) 

Just 27 minutes after take-off, an Air India flight heading to Bengaluru (Bangalore) International Airport (BLR/VOBL) from Mumbai-Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM/VABB) had to return to the Mumbai airport after one of its engines shut down mid-air on Thursday, prompting the Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) to launch an investigation.

The Airbus A320neo aircraft has two engines and can fly safely with just one, officials said. The pilots, following protocol, decided to go for full emergency landing.

"The aircraft departed at 9:43 am from runway 27 and soon after take-off pilots received a warning in the cockpit indicating extremely high exhaust gas temperatures.

According to reports, by the time the plane landed back in Mumbai, again on runway 27, air traffic control had alerted ambulances and fire services.

The DGCA is now going through photographs of the engine that show serious damage, with quite a few compressor blades sheared off, sources said.

Passengers of Air India flight AI-639, which was scheduled to land in Bengaluru at 11.10 am, eventually departed Mumbai at 1.16 p.m. and arrived at the destination over three hours late at 2:40 pm onboard another A320 aircraft. (VT-EXQ)

According to officials at Air India, which is now run by the Tata Group, the airline has 27 Airbus A320neo planes.

"We have a total strength of 117 planes, and all go through regular maintenance technical checks," an official said.

In a statement, the company said, "Air India accords top priority to safety and our crew are well adept at handling these situations. Our engineering and maintenance teams are looking into the issue."

The aircraft involved has been grounded, an Air India spokes person said.

Air India are now investigating three separate incidents from the past two months where airline pilots had to shut down plane engines mid-flight.

The so-called commanded in-flight shutdowns - when pilots intentionally turn off one of the two engines after encountering problems - may have stemmed from different issues. 
All three incidents involved engines made by CFM, a joint venture between GE and France’s Safran SA.  All the planes landed safely. The incidents involved two Airbus A320neo jets, operated by Air India Ltd., and a Boeing Co. 737 Max aircraft, operated by Indian carrier SpiceJet Ltd

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Air India

Code: AI/AIC

Aircraft: Airbus A320-251N

Registration: VT-EXM

Serial Number: 8056

Engines: 2 x CFMI LEAP-1A26

First Flew: 19/01/2018

Age: 4.3 Yrs

Co-pilot of Boeing 737-800 flight 'decided to take revenge' on China Eastern Airlines

Following on from my story posted Monday 21st March

Aviation Expert Byron Bailey says co-pilot of Boeing 737-800 flight 'decided to take revenge' on China Eastern Airlines

Aviation Expert Captain Byron Bailey said it looks like the co-pilot of the Boeing 737-800 "decided to take revenge" on China Eastern Airlines after he was dropped from his role as a high time captain.

Flight data suggests a person in the cockpit of a China Eastern Airlines plane that crashed earlier this year had intentionally pushed the plane into a vertical nosedive.

Aviation Expert Captain Byron Bailey said it looks like the co-pilot of the Boeing 737-800 "decided to take revenge" on China Eastern Airlines after he was dropped from his role as a high time captain.

"This plane was in cruise, it suddenly entered a steep dive, levelled off for 20 seconds then resumed a steep dive and crashed," Mr Bailey told Sky News Australia's Kieran Gilbert.

"What the flight data recorder shows is that somebody was pushing the control column forward and that means it was intentional, and we think it was the co-pilot."

Mr Bailey said a Chinese aviation source had told him the co-pilot was previously a "high time captain" who had been "busted back to co-pilot".

"Which meant that his salary dropped to a quarter of what he had before, then of course there's the loss of face and the shame. So it looks like this particular dude decided to take revenge on China Eastern."

Mr Bailey said the crash, which marked China's worst aviation disaster in nearly 30 years, was due to human interference.

"95 per cent of all accidents have some pilot input. Whether they mishandle an abnormal situation and make it worse," he said.

"But in these cases where the suicide murder… They all have motives, and perhaps you should look closely at the mental attitude of some of the pilots."

The Boeing 737-800 was travelling from Kunming to Guangzhou on the 21st March when it plummeted in a vertical nosedive - killing all 132 people on board.

The plane was nearing its destination when it suddenly dropped from an altitude of 29,100ft to 9075ft in just two minutes and 15 seconds.

"The plane did what it was told to do by someone in the cockpit," a US official familiar with the preliminary assessment told the Wall Street Journal.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in April denied rumours of a deliberate crash, and said investigators found no evidence of "anything abnormal".

In a statement, the CAAC said all staff had met safety requirements before takeoff and did not appear to have run into bad weather, noting a full investigation could take two or more years.




Story Sourced from here
Aviation Expert Byron Bailey says co-pilot of Boeing 737-800 flight ‘decided to take revenge’ on China Eastern Airlines | Sky News Australia

Lightning strike damages Jetstar Boeing 787

JETSTAR BOEING 787-8 VH-VKL (MSN 36238)    File Photo

A Jetstar Boeing 787 en route to the Gold Coast earlier this month picked up substantial fuselage damage along the way from lightning strikes.

Jetstar has grounded one of its Boeing 787-8s after the plane incurred significant lightning damage during a flight in early May. Lightning damaged the jet's fuselage, leaving it with burn marks, blistered paint, and scores of small holes. The damage was discovered after the plane landed and Jetstar says at no time was the aircraft or its load of passengers at risk.

First reported in The Sydney Morning Herald, further inquiries revealed the damaged jet is VH-VKL, a seven-year-old Boeing 787-8 operating Jetstar's daily JQ444 service from Melbourne (MEL) to Coolangatta/Gold Coast (OOL) on the 7th May. That flight scoots northwards, usually tracking just west of Australia's southeast coast, and as residents of that part of the world know, the weather there has often been atrocious in recent weeks.

Along the way, the Dreamliner sustained some substantial damage to its fuselage. The news outlet obtained footage of a post-landing inspection. That footage is now available on social media feeds. There are several significant scorch marks on the fuselage's underside, blistered paint, and what appears to be scores of small holes caused by lightning strikes.

Since the incident, the jet has remained parked at OOL. Jetstar advises its engineers are still scoping the scale of the damage and it could take up to two months for the plane to return to service. Jetstar also stresses that "at no point was the safety of the aircraft compromised."

"The 787 is a composite aeroplane," aviation expert and editor-in-chief of airlineratings.com Geoffrey Thomas told Brisbane radio station 4BC on Wednesday. "They have a metal mesh in the skin of the plane and that conducts the electricity (from a lightning strike) like a faraday cage does. The electricity then goes out the plane's discharge wicks."

A faraday cage is a mesh shield that blocks electromagnetic fields and is built into the skin of jets with aluminum fuselages.

"Every now and then you get a super bolt of lightning - which I think is what impacted this plane. A positive bolt is more powerful than the common negative bolt and that can do some damage when it exits the plane. When you do get hit by a super bolt on a plane, it is quite an event for passengers. There's normally a flash and bang and it gives you a bit of a fright."

Throughout most of the pandemic, Jetstar had its 11 strong Boeing 787-8 fleet in storage, many safely stashed away at the Alice Springs storage facility. Discounting the now out-of-action VH-VKL, all but one of the Jetstar Dreamliners are back flying passengers. The Jetstar 787-8 not flying is VH-VKE - parked in Melbourne since February.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Jetstar

Code: JQ/JST

Aircraft: Boeing 787-8

Registration: VH-VKL

Serial Number: 36238

First Flew: August 2015

Story sourced from here

Lightning Strike Causes Significant Damage To Jetstar Boeing 787 (simpleflying.com)

Passenger punches Wizz Air pilot on flight to Crete

Photos and videos taken by passengers onboard a Wizz Air flight to Crete captured the shocking moment a drunk passenger assaulted the pilot.

Passengers onboard a Wizz Air flight from Gatwick Airport (LGW/EGKK) to Chania (CHQ/LGSA) last Tuesday were horrified to witness the moment a drunk passenger assaulted their pilot.

The altercation, captured on image and video by other holidaymakers, took place after two British men in their thirties were warned that local police would escort them from the flight if their drunk and disorderly behavior continued.

While some passengers were able to disembark from the rear exit, several were injured as one man lashed out against those attempting to restrain him. One passenger recounted her experience to The Sun, noting the “complete and utter chaos” that followed after a flight attendant tried to defuse the situation, with it escalating further after the pilot stepped in.

“It kicked off and he was just swinging punches as a group of guys tried to restrain him. The pilot came out and the guy hit him. He seemed okay but was understandably pretty shaken up. It was disgraceful."

The irate man was eventually removed from the plane by Greek police, covered in blood with his trousers around his ankles. Both men were reported to be intoxicated, with passengers having overheard them bragging about their boozy session that started at the airport early that morning. They were joined by a third man with a liter bottle of Vodka, though he was not involved in the altercation. The unnamed eyewitness added that the men had been abusive to passengers and staff before taking off at Gatwick, raising questions about why Wizz Air had allowed them to fly.

“We daren’t complain because they were targeting everyone and telling people ‘when we get off this plane I’m going to smash you up’. They were smoking cigarettes and vaping during the flight. They kept on being served alcohol despite passengers telling stewardesses they’d probably had enough.”

All passengers were required to wait for two hours at the airport to give police statements, leading to many missing hotel transfers.

The return flight to London was subsequently canceled, stranding further passengers at the airport overnight while the aircraft was cleaned.

Speaking to reporters, a Wizz Air spokesperson confirmed the incident, adding,

“On Wizz Air flight W95741 from Gatwick - Chania, a passenger became unruly. The cabin crew handled the situation as they are trained to do and reported the incident to the respective authorities, who arrested the passenger on arrival.

Wizz Air confirms that crew were asked to go to the airport police station to file the case, by which point the crew had legally reached their duty time limitation, and needed time to rest before the return flight to Gatwick. Unfortunately, this meant that flight W95742 from Chania – Gatwick had to be rescheduled. The flight departed at 16:10 local time. Wizz Air sincerely apologises for any inconvenience caused, but the safety of passengers and crew is the airline’s number one priority.”


Aircraft Information:

Airline: Wizz Air

Code: W6/WZZ

Aircraft: Airbus A321-271

Registration: G-WUKS

Serial Number: 10891

First Flew: March 2022

Story sourced from here

Passenger Reportedly Punches Wizz Air Pilot On Flight To Crete (simpleflying.com)

Passenger takes over aircraft with 'no idea how to fly'

"My pilot has gone incoherent. I have no idea how to fly the airplane."

A passenger with no flying experience radioed an urgent plea for help when the pilot of a small plane suddenly fell ill off Florida's Atlantic coast, and was able to land the plane safely with the help of air traffic controllers.

"I've got a serious situation here," the passenger, later identified as Darren Harrison, said on Tuesday afternoon, according to audio on LiveATC.net, a website that broadcasts and archives air traffic controller communications.

"I've got a serious situation here," the man said over the radio.

"My pilot has become incoherent. I have no idea how to fly the airplane or even land it."

An air traffic controller in Fort Pierce responded, asking if he knew the position of the single-engine Cessna 280.

An air traffic controller in Fort Pierce responded, asking if he knew the position of the single-engine Cessna 280. "I have no idea. I can see the coast of Florida in front of me, and I have no idea," Harrison said. According to US flight tracker Flight Aware, the plane had taken off earlier on Tuesday local time from Marsh Harbour International Airport in the Bahamas.

As the plane flew over Florida, the controller, speaking very calmly, told Harrison to "maintain wings level and try to follow the coast, either north or southbound." Twin controls enable a Cessna 280 to be steered from the passenger seat.
Minutes passed before controllers were able to locate the plane, which by then was heading north over Boca Raton.

Then the man's voice seemed to fade, so the controller in Fort Pierce asked for the passenger's cellphone number to enable controllers at Palm Beach International Airport to communicate with him more clearly.
Air traffic controller Robert Morgan, a 20-year veteran, took over at that point, talking the passenger down to a safe landing. "Kudos to the new pilot," one controller told him after the plane smoothly wheeled down the tarmac.

The air traffic controller - who also teaches new pilots - helped guide the man down to Palm Beach International Airport just after noon on Tuesday.
The two later met on the tarmac for a hug.
The pilot of the Cessna 208 had been flying to Florida from the Bahamas when he told his two passengers he wasn't feeling well, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
He fell against the controls, putting the small aircraft into a nosedive and a sharp turn.


The recording of the incident can be heard here
https://archive.liveatc.net/ht/kpbi-kfpr.mp3

Aircraft Information:

Owner/Operator: Tailwind Air

Code: TQ/PGN

Aircraft: Cessna 208 Caravan

Registration: N333LD

Serial Number: 20800530

Tibet airline’s A319 caught fire during take off

Yesterday (Thursday the 12th May) a Tibet Airlines Airbus A319 traveling from Chongqing-Jiangbei International Airport (CKG/ZUCK) China to Nyingchi Airport (LZY/ZUNZ) China caught fire and burst into flames after a catastrophic runway excursion at China’s Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport.

The Airbus was about to depart as flight TV9833 for Nyingchi in Tibet around 8am when something happened forcing the pilots to abort the take off, causing it to suffer a runway excursion and burst into flames.

Video footage and photos shared on the internet showed flames and thick black smoke out of the fuselage.

All of the 113 passengers and 9 crew members on board evacuated the aircraft via an evacuation slide and were taken to the terminal. Out of 122, more than 40 passengers were taken to hospital with mild injuries.

The airport officials reportedly said that the fire began on the left side of the aircraft, towards its nose. Runway 03/21 at Chongqing-Jiangbei Airport was temporarily closed after the incident and it resumed operations by 10:30 am. 

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Tibet Airlines

Code: TV/TBA

Aircraft: Airbus A319-115

Registration: B-6425

Serial Number: 5157

Engines: 2 x CFMI CFM56-5B7

First Flew: 13th November 2012

Age: 9 Yrs 6 Mts

Jet loses winglet during turbulence

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a story like this before, and I’m curious to see what the investigation reveals.

AMERICAN EAGLE (ENVOY) EMBRAER E175LR N271NN (MSN 17000776)

On Tuesday the 3rd May 2022, American Airlines flight 3729 was operating a flight from Charleston (CHS/KCHS) to Dallas (DFW/KDFW). The flight was operated by American Airlines regional subsidiary Envoy, using an Embraer E175 aircraft. 

The plane encountered some moderate to severe turbulence while cruising at 36,000 feet near Birmingham, Alabama… and then the plane lost part of its wing. Specifically, the right winglet (the end of the wing that “bends” up) fell off. Pilots immediately declared an emergency, and the plane landed in Birmingham (BHM/KBHM) about 35 minutes after the initial incident.

American ended up sending in a plane for stranded passengers, which made it to Dallas around four hours late. The original plane involved in the incident continues to sit on the ground in Birmingham. Below you can see some pictures of the winglet… it literally looks like it was cleanly chopped off, basically.

This isn’t supposed to happen

Flying is incredibly safe thanks to the number of redundant systems in place when things go wrong, and also thanks to investigators learning from every incident, and implementing changes to mitigate risk going forward.

The thing is, some incidents are bound to happen and are fairly common, purely due to the number of flights that operate. This could range from engine failures, to smoke alarms, to injuries due to turbulence. But a part of the wing falling off during turbulence? That’s something you don’t often hear about.

Obviously this is incredibly alarming and concerning, and I’m sure a thorough investigation will be conducted to determine the root cause of this. At the same time, it’s also kind of reassuring that part of a plane’s wing can fall off at cruise altitude, and the plane can still land safely without any injuries.


Aircraft Information:

Airline: American Eagle (flying for Envoy Air)

Code: AA/AAL

Aircraft: Embraer E175LR

Registration: N233NN

Serial Number: 17000561

First Flew: May 2016

Age: 5 Yrs