Another MiG-21 crash for the Indian Air Force

There have been nine MiG-21 Bison crashes for the Indian Air Force in the last 3 years, six of those crashes have been in the last 20 months. One in 2022, five in 2021 and three in 2019. Five pilots have lost their lives in these crashes.

• 28th July 2022 Unknown Circumstances
• 24th Dec 2021 Mid Air Fire
• 25th Aug 2021 Unknown Circumstances
• 21st May 2021 Unknown Circumstances
• 17th Mar 2021 Unknown Circumstances
• 05th Jan 2021 Technical Malfunction
• 25th Sept 2019 Unknown Circumstances
• 08th Mar 2019 Bird Strike
• 27th Feb 2019 Shot Down

The latest, A MiG-21 Bison, crashed in Barmer, Rajasthan, on Thursday night killing the two pilots aboard the trainer version of the fighter aircraft.  

As per information released by the IAF, this was a trainer version of the fighter aircraft with two pilots on board. As is the norm for training missions, there was one senior pilot, Wing Commander M Rana, on board along with a junior pilot, Flight Lieutenant Adivitya Bal. 

The reasons behind the crash are still not known and a Court of Inquiry will look into it. 

In the past, Technical Defects, Human Error (Aircrew) and bird strikes have been causes of some of the fighter aircraft accidents in IAF. Spatial disorientation during night sorties too can happen, but IAF pilots are trained to overcome such disorientations.

How many MiG-21 Bison aircraft are in IAF?

There are four squadrons of MiG-21 Bison aircraft currently in service in the IAF with each squadron comprising 16-18 aircraft, including two trainer versions. Out of these one squadron, Srinagar-based No 51 Squadron, is going to be retired from service or ‘number plated’ in IAF jargon on September 30 this year, leaving three squadrons in service. Out of these three squadrons, one will be number plated each year and, thus, MiG-21 Bison will be phased out of IAF by 2025. The IAF is looking towards reviving these squadrons back into service with the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas.

United Arab Airlines 869 suffered 2 crashes within just over a year of each other

Before we talk about the two crashes, it is good to know a little about United Arab Airlines. 

Based in Egypt, United Arab Airlines was formerly known as Misrair until Egypt and Syria formed the United Arab Republic on the 1st February 1958. After the merger of the two counties, they decided to combine Misrair and Syrian Airways into one airline with the name United Arab Airlines. 

The name was then changed to Egypt Air in 1971.

United Arab Airlines Flight 869 (1962)

United Arab Airlines Flight 869 was a scheduled international flight between Hong Kong (HKG/VHHH) and Cairo (CAI/HECA) with a stop in Bangkok (BKK/VTBS). The aircraft used for the flight was a three-month-old de Havilland DH-106 Comet 4C equipped with dual VOR receivers, Doppler, and automatic direction finders.

On the 19th July 1962, United Arab Airlines Flight 869 took off from Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport (HKG) at 13:30 UTC for the first leg of its journey to Cairo. At 15:08 UTC, the aircraft established contact with Bangkok Air Traffic Control (ATC), asking to fly direct to Bangkok using VOR. Permission was granted, and the crew told the tower they expected to arrive in Bangkok at 15:30 UTC.

Bangkok ATC advised the plane of the weather conditions at the airport while instructing them to descend to 4,000 ft. At 15:40 UTC, Bangkok Approach Control took responsibility for the aircraft, and the crew gave a new ETA at the VOR as 15:44. The plane was then cleared for landing on runway 21R after crossing the VOR.

A few minutes later, all contact with the aircraft was lost. The plane had crashed into the Khao Yai mountain northeast of Bangkok, killing all 18 passengers and 8 crew. The subsequent investigation determined that the crew's calculations were wrong, resulting in grave errors of time and distance.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: United Arab Airlines 

Aircraft: de Havilland DH-106 Comet 4C

Registration: SU-AMW

Serial Number: 6464

Engines: 4 X Rolls-Royce Avon 524

First Flew: 16/04/1962

United Arab Airlines Flight 869 (1963)

A year later, in 1963, a United Arab Airlines de Havilland Comet 4C operating with the same flight number crashed into the Arabian Sea on final approach to Bombay. On the 28th July United Arab Airlines Flight 869 was a regularly scheduled flight from Tokyo (HND/RJTT) to Cairo (CAI/HECA) with stops in Hong Kong (HKG/VHHH), Bangkok (BKK/VTBS), Bombay (BOM/VABB), and Bahrain (BAH/OBBI).

The crew reported being overhead the Bombay Santa Cruz Airport VOR beacon at 7,000 feet and received permission for ATC to descend to 4,000 feet. With no instrument landing system approach available, ATC advised the crew to carry out an approach using the VOR beacon. The crew acknowledged the instructions and began the plane's descent.

At this point, the ATC controller advised them that there would be heavy rain and turbulence if they went six miles west of the airport. Rather than the standard right-hand turn approach, the crew requested a left-hand turn approach. The aircraft disappeared from radar, crashing into the sea ten miles from Madh Island, killing all 55 passengers and 8 crew.

Because they could not salvage any wreckage and the fact that the crew had reported no issues, it was concluded that heavy turbulence had caused the plane to crash as it turned towards the airport.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: United Arab Airlines 

Aircraft: de Havilland DH-106 Comet 4C

Registration: SU-ALD

Serial Number: 6441

Engines: 4 X Rolls-Royce Avon 524

First Flew: 19/01/1962

Both crashes involved Comets

Most airlines typically retire flight numbers following fatal crashes to not remind passengers and crew of the tragedy. This is especially so in high-profile crashes where many people die. United Arab Airlines failed to do this and had the same flight number for both crashes.

After the Comet 4 entered service in 1958, five fatal accidents were put down to pilot error. The Bombay incident in 1963 blamed terrible weather for the crash.






Story sourced from here, with additions.
Unfortunate Flight Number: How United Arab Airlines 869 Suffered 2 Crashes Within Just Over A Year Of Each Other (simpleflying.com)

JetBlue to buy Spirit for $3.8 billion

JetBlue to buy Spirit for $3.8 billion in push to become the fifth-largest US carrier

JETBLUE AIRBUS A321-232 N988JT (MSN 7956)

JetBlue Airways has reached a $3.8 billion deal to buy Spirit Airlines in a takeover that would create the country’s fifth-largest airline and remove a fast-growing budget carrier from the market.

SPIRIT AIRBUS A321-231 N661NK (MSN 6867)

The deal, announced Thursday morning, caps a fierce, monthlong bidding war for Spirit and came hours after Spirit scrapped plans to combine with fellow discounter Frontier Airlines. 

FRONTIER AIRBUS A320-251 N339FR (MSN 8535)

Spirit lacked the shareholder support to win approval of the Frontier merger, which was first unveiled in February. If approved by regulators, JetBlue’s takeover of Spirit would leave Frontier as the largest discount carrier in the U.S. It would also be the first major U.S. airline deal since 2016, when Alaska Airlines beat out JetBlue for Virgin America. Analysts say the deal could also open the door for more consolidation among smaller carriers.

JetBlue executives say that buying Spirit would fast-track its growth by giving it access to more Airbus jetliners and pilots and help it compete with large carriers like American, Delta, United and Southwest, which control most of the U.S. market. The New York-based carrier plans to refurbish Spirit’s yellow planes with sparse interiors in JetBlue style, featuring seatback screens and more legroom. JetBlue said it will pay $33.50 a share in cash for Spirit, including a $2.50 per share prepayment if Spirit shareholders approve the deal and a 10 cent per month ticking fee starting next year until the deal closes.

Years of work ahead

The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2024, JetBlue and Spirit said in a filing. They expect to be able to fly on the same operating certificate, essentially as the same airline, in the first half of 2025, a spokeswoman said.

“We have two priorities: one is to get this deal closed and get the airline integrated and build a bigger JetBlue,” JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said in an interview Thursday. “Secondly to run a reliable operation in the meantime.”

Hayes would helm the combined airline, which JetBlue said would remain headquartered in New York City.

“We have a long-term commitment to New York ... and we’re going to stay here,” Hayes said. Both airlines have large operations in some of Florida’s busiest airports, including Spirit’s home base of Fort Lauderdale and the tourism hub Orlando.

JetBlue’s surprise, all-cash bid for Spirit in April threw Spirit’s plan to combine with Frontier into disarray. Frontier and JetBlue then competed for Spirit, each sweetening their offers. Earlier this month, Frontier’s CEO fretted about the lack of shareholder support for its proposed merger but called its offer “best and final.”

“Rather than overpay for Spirit, the board prioritized the interest of Frontier, our employees and our shareholders,” Frontier CEO Barry Biffle said on an earnings call late Wednesday.

Frontier shares surged more than 20% to $13.58 on Thursday. Spirit rose 5.6% to $25.66, and JetBlue lost 0.4% to end Thursday at $8.37.

“Should a JetBlue-Spirit merger occur, we believe Frontier will largely inherit the keys to the low-cost kingdom in the U.S.,” JP Morgan airline analyst Jamie Baker wrote in a note Thursday.

Spirit backs down

Miramar, Florida-based Spirit had repeatedly rebuffed JetBlue’s bids and said the tie-up wasn’t likely to be approved by regulators, in part because JetBlue’s alliance with American in the Northeast, which the Justice Department sued to block last year. Spirit said the deal would drive up fares and that American would wield too much control over JetBlue.

When asked what changed Spirit’s stance on the JetBlue deal, Spirit CEO Ted Christie said: “That merger agreement [with Frontier] is now terminated so that’s a notable change and that leads to where we are today.” Spirit has to pay Frontier $25 million in merger-related costs because of the terminated agreement, according to Frontier.

A wave of airline consolidation since the mid-2000s has left the big four U.S. airlines in control of about three-quarters of the domestic air travel market. President Joe Biden’s Justice Department has vowed a strong response to deals it considers anti-competitive.

The Justice Department didn’t immediately comment on the JetBlue-Spirit deal on Thursday. American declined to comment on the deal.






Story sourced from here
JetBlue to buy Spirit for $3.8 billion in push to become the fifth-largest US carrier, beating out Frontier (cnbc.com)

Lufthansa strike adds to Europe’s air travel chaos

Watching LAX live yesterday on YouTube I saw two Lufthansa aircraft get towed to a parking bays away from the passenger terminal, then the guys were talking about how Lufthansa has gone on a 24 hour strike worldwide.
I found this interesting so I went looking for more information.

LUFTHANSA AIRBUS A380-841 D-AIMA (MSN 038)

A strike called by the German trade union Ver.di has forced Lufthansa to cancel most of its schedule for Wednesday, including more than 1,000 flights at its main Frankfurt and Munich hubs. The industrial action, which will involve some 20,000 employees of the logistics, engineering, services, technical, and cargo subsidiaries of the airline across the country, marks the latest major disruption to hit air travel across the continent this summer, as airlines and airports struggle with staff shortages amid a strong uptick of post-Covid demand and as unions seize the opportunity to demand better working conditions and pay increases for their members. 

Besides Lufthansa, rival airlines SAS, British Airways, KLM, Ryanair, and EasyJet have faced strikes or strike threats from ground workers or crew in recent weeks.

In a statement, Ver.di said that it called the walkout “to increase the pressure on employers to submit a significantly improved, final offer in the next round of negotiations,” which is set to take place on August 3 and 4 in Frankfurt. “The situation at the airports is escalating; the overburdening of employees due to a significant shortage of staff, high inflation, and a three-year wage cut would put the employees under increasing pressure,” said Christine Behle, deputy president of the ver.di service workers union and negotiator for the Lufthansa talks.

The industrial action will begin July 27 at 3:45 a.m. CET and continue until 6:00 a.m. July 28. Ver.di announced the strike July 25, calling it a “good time so that passengers can adapt to it and possibly realign themselves.” The union called on employees based in Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, and Stuttgart, to participate in the one-day walkout.

LUFTHANSA AIRBUS A340-642 D-AIHD (MSN 0537)

“After only two days of negotiations, ver.di has announced a strike that can hardly be called a warning strike due to its breadth across all locations and its duration,” noted Michael Niggemann, member of the executive board and chief human resources officer at Lufthansa.

“After the enormous efforts to stabilize our flight operations, this represents a renewed, substantial, and unnecessary burden for our passengers and also for our employees beyond the strike day,” he added.

Lufthansa has canceled thousands of flights in several waves this summer “to relieve the overall system,” and earlier this month welcomed a move by Frankfurt airport operator Fraport to reduce the number of takeoffs and landings at the airport to 88 movements per hour as “the right step to stabilize flight operations.”

Other European airports, such as Amsterdam Schiphol and Heathrow and Gatwick in London, also have implemented caps on the number of flight movements and passenger numbers in an effort to reduce delays and lengthy check-in and security times.

Lufthansa said the strike is resulting in a “massive” operational effect in the middle of the peak travel season. It will rebook passengers affected by cancellations on alternative flights, it said, warning, however, that “the capacities available for this are very limited” as flights almost have reached full capacity. The airline said the planned strike forced it to cancel a total of about 45 long-haul flights in Munich and Frankfurt on Tuesday and cautioned the effects of the strike may still lead to individual flight cancellations or delays on Thursday and Friday despite its efforts to restore flight operations to normal.





Story sourced from here
Lufthansa Strike Adds to Europe’s Air Travel Chaos | Air Transport News: Aviation International News (ainonline.com)

Australian ground crew and baggage handlers threaten strike action

The long queues, flight cancellations and baggage delays at major Australian airports could worsen, with "chronically overworked" ground crew threatening strike action over pay and working conditions. The Transport Workers Union (TWU) said about 700 baggage and ramp operations staff at global aviation company, Dnata, applied to the Fair Work Commission on Tuesday to hold a vote on industrial action.

The TWU claims the company is attempting to push through an "unpalatable" new work agreement that "gives pay cuts to experienced workers and below award minimum conditions". Lodging an application means staff would be protected under the Fair Work Act if they vote in favour of industrial action, which has potential to impact thousands of travellers at Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne international airports.

Owned by Dubai-based airline Emirates, Dnata supplies aircraft ground handling, cargo and flight catering services for up to 20 airlines, including Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Etihad and Air Canada. Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said the potential strike action would "impact everybody" at international airports.

"It's awful that the union is taking whatever action they're proposing [as] it could have a further impact on the travelling public," Mr David told Channel Nine.

"If the union is going to take this action through Dnata, then it will impact all of those airlines and it will impact everybody in our international airports."

In August 2020, Qantas announced it would outsource its ground handling operations at 10 Australian airports to third-party contractors, including Dnata, and as a result, more than 1,600 employees lost their jobs.

The airline said the move was a necessary response to the "unprecedented impact of the COVID crisis" and would help lower costs. The TWU launched a Federal Court case against Qantas challenging the outsourcing of ground crew jobs and last year, in one of the largest reinstatement cases ever heard, it found the airline's decision was illegal and in breach of the Fair Work Act.

Qantas appealed that decision but the Full Federal Court dismissed the airline's attempt to overturn the ruling earlier this year.

The company now plans to appeal the landmark case to the High Court.

Ground crew warns of 'chronic understaffing'

The TWU said ground crew warned Dnata that "chronic understaffing, airport chaos and safety incidents" would get worse if the company didn't offer more secure jobs at higher rates.

It said there have been "several safety incidents" around Qantas aircraft recently, including "belt loaders crashing into planes, locking pins left in landing gear and incorrect weight information given to pilots before take-off." A Qantas spokesman told the ABC the airline "completely rejects" the safety allegations. "The TWU has been trying to discredit the safety of outsourced ground handling, despite data showing a lower rate of incidents compared to when this work was done in-house," the spokesman said.

"This kind of behaviour is hypocritical and it undermines the strong safety culture that exists throughout Australian aviation." TWU national assistant secretary, Nick McIntosh said while strike action was a "last resort", workers had no other option.

"The last thing they want to do after two years of hell for them .. is to take this sort of industrial action but given all that's on the table at the moment … which is no creation of secure jobs, they feel they have little choice.

"We should remember that this group did not receive Jobkeeper payments because of a quirk introduced by the last federal government.

"The main hope is that Dnata management will come to their senses … and put an offer out there that at least keeps up with the cost of living and which starts to go down the pathway of creating more secure jobs." Mr McIntosh said the TWU was calling for an independent tribunal to examine structural issues within the aviation sector.

"The aviation sector has been in crisis for many years … over the past 15 years, we've seen wages and conditions fall in real terms by somewhere between 10 and 15 per cent than where they were," Mr McIntosh said.

"We need the federal government to step in and say 'enough is enough' to restore order."
A Dnata Airport Operations spokesperson said it was committed to ensuring its employees were "appropriately compensated".

"We stay committed to … continue our conversations with the TWU and employees in good faith while working to minimise the impact of a potential industrial action on our customers' operations," the spokesperson said.

 


Full story sourced from here
Ground crew, baggage handlers threaten strike action prompting fears of further delays at major Australian airports - ABC News

Qantas Flight 30 suffers inflight fuselage rupture

QANTAS BOEING 747-438 VH-OJK (MSN 25067)

On this day back in 2008, Qantas Flight 30, a regularly scheduled flight from London Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL) to Melbourne Airport (MEL/YMML) with a stop at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG/VHHH), had to make an emergency descent and divert to the Philippines after an explosion ruptured the plane's fuselage.

The aircraft, a 17-year-old Boeing 747-400, carrying 346 passengers and 19 crew, completed the first leg of its journey, arriving in Hong Kong without incident. The jumbo jet departed Hong Kong at 09:22 local time, then approximately 55 minutes into the flight at 10:17, the passengers and crew heard a loud bang. Cabin pressure was immediately lost as a hole appeared in the cabin's floor and the cargo deck's outside wall. Oxygen masks were deployed, and the captain in charge of the flight, 53-year-old Australian Navy veteran and a Qantas employee for 25 years, John Francis Bartels, made an emergency descent to 10,000 feet, where it was possible to breathe normally.

After donning their own oxygen masks, the flight crew carried out the 'cabin altitude non-normal' checklist items and commenced a descent to a lower altitude, where supplemental breathing oxygen would no longer be required. A MAYDAY distress radio call was made on the regional air traffic control frequency. After levelling the aircraft at 10,000 ft, the flight crew diverted to Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila  (MNL/RPLL), where an uneventful visual approach and landing was made. The aircraft was stopped on the runway for an external inspection, before being towed to the terminal for passenger disembarkation.

Subsequent inspection revealed an inverted T-shaped rupture in the lower right side of the fuselage, immediately beneath the wing leading edge-to-fuselage transition fairing (which had been lost during the event). Items of wrapped cargo were observed partially protruding from the rupture, which extended for approximately 2 metres along the length of the aircraft and 1.5 metres vertically.
After clearing the baggage and cargo from the forward aircraft hold, it was evident that one passenger oxygen cylinder (number-4 from a bank of seven cylinders along the right side of the cargo hold) had sustained a sudden failure and forceful discharge of its pressurised contents into the aircraft hold, rupturing the fuselage in the vicinity of the wing-fuselage leading edge fairing. The cylinder had been propelled upward by the force of the discharge, puncturing the cabin floor and entering the cabin adjacent to the second main cabin door. The cylinder had subsequently impacted the door frame, door handle and overhead panelling, before falling to the cabin floor and exiting the aircraft through the ruptured fuselage.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Qantas

Code: QF/QFA

Aircraft: Boeing 747-438

Registration: VH-OJK

Serial Number: 25067

Engines: 4 Rolls-Royce RB211-524G2

First Flew: 21/05/1991

Part of the story sourced from here 

On This Day In 2008: Qantas Flight 30 Suffers Inflight Fuselage Rupture (simpleflying.com)

Air France's Concorde Flight 4590

Air France Flight 4590 was an international charter flight of Air France, traveling from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG/LFPG), to New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport, NY (JFK/KJFK), United States of America, flown by an Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde. 

On the afternoon of Tuesday the 25th July 2000, the aircraft taxied to runway 26R (4,217 m long). Takeoff weight was calculated to be 186,900 tons, including 95 tons of fuel, which was one tone over the maximum takeoff weight. At 16:42:17 local time (14:42:17 UTC) the crew were cleared for takeoff.

At 16:42:31 (14:42:31) the captain commenced takeoff. At 16:42:54 (14:42:54) the co-pilot called one hundred knots, then V1, nine seconds later. A few seconds after that, tyre No 2 (right front) on the left main landing gear was destroyed after having run over debris on the runway during takeoff, blowing a tyre, which threw chunks of tyre into the underside of the left wing and into the landing gear bay with great force. The debris was lost by a Continental Airlines DC-10-30, registered N13067 (MSN 47866) which departed Paris as flight CO55 to Newark five minutes before,

The fuel tank built inside the left wing was completely full. When the tyre fragments struck the wing, the tank ruptured, thereby releasing large quantities of fuel. Tyre fragments severed wiring in the landing gear bay, preventing retraction of the landing gear. Fuel from the ruptured tank ignited, causing a loss of thrust in engines 1 and 2. Lack of thrust, high drag from the extended landing gear, and fire damage to the flight controls made it impossible to control the aircraft, which crashed into a hotel in nearby Gonesse two minutes after takeoff. All 109 people on board were killed, alongside four in the hotel. Six other people in the hotel were critically injured.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Air France

Code: AF/AFR

Aircraft: Aérospatiale / BAC Concorde 101

Registration: F-BTSC

Serial Number: 203

Engines: 4 Rolls-Royce Olympus 593/610

Additional Information:

The aircraft involved was a 25-year-old Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde, it had its maiden flight on the 31st January 1975 (during testing, the aircraft's registration was F-WTSC). The aircraft was purchased by Air France on the 6th January 1976. It was powered by four Rolls-Royce Olympus 593/610 turbojet engines, each of which was equipped with afterburners. 

Air France grounded its remaining Concorde's immediately; British Airways, the only other operator of the aircraft, followed suit in August. Both airlines resumed services in November 2001, but less than two years after that, all Concorde service ceased permanently.

Twenty Concorde aircraft were built, six for development and 14 for commercial service.

Two prototypes

• Two pre-production aircraft
• Two development aircraft
• 14 production aircraft (7 to AF and 7 to BA)

Qantas pilot exposes behind-the-scenes airport chaos

This is so sad. Qantas was once the best and the most reliable airline in Australia.

An experienced Qantas pilot has spoken up about the chaos behind the scenes as passengers become increasingly frustrated with sudden flight delays and cancellations.

The pilot, speaking under the pseudonym Tom, told the ABC he quickly realized things were not the same when he returned to flying after the pandemic.

“There is no one to talk to and when you go to work you are basically on your own. It’s like we’re running a virtual airline,” he said. “In my three decades with Qantas I’ve never seen anything like it.”

He used the example of an international flight earlier this year where he got to the plane and found there was no drinking water on-board and the load sheet had not been finalized.

The load sheet has weight and balance data, which enables the pilot to determine that the aircraft’s load and its distribution throughout the aircraft. After the passengers had boarded, Tom let them know they were waiting on a final piece of paperwork and then they would get underway.

More time passed and there was no load sheet. When he tried contacting an employee over radio whose job it was to answer pilots’ queries, there was no answer. He then received an unexpected call from an engineer, who informed him another 15 containers just turned up with bags to be loaded. Then he was told the water delivery team had run out of potable water and could not tell Tom when it would arrive.

The passengers sat in their seats ready for takeoff.

“It feels like a rudderless ship at the moment,” Tom told the ABC.

“Keeping to departure times has always been sacred in the airline industry. In the past we would be kept informed – you will be 10 minutes late, 15 minutes late. Now you must pursue the information yourself and they may, or may not, know the answer.”

Qantas flights stuff-up

Many airline “stuff-ups” have emerged recently, with lost baggage a big issue, but a young family may have copped the worst one yet.

Stephanie and Andrew Braham were left “seething” at Qantas after realizing the airline had rebooked their 13-month-old daughter onto a different flight from them in the middle of their family holiday.

The couple said they had to spend 20 hours on hold to fix the issue while on a trip through Europe with their baby daughter. Their flight home to Australia was cancelled, meaning they had to be rebooked onto a different flight. Their daughter was booked onto a different plane.

“They said they hadn’t done anything wrong because they did book her a ticket. Initially, they denied any liability. That’s Qantas,” Ms. Braham told the Today Show.

“We spent 20 hours 47 minutes and 13 seconds on the phone to Qantas over a 24-hour period, and over 55 separate phone calls, before they finally agreed to book us on new flights home.”

The family were also forced to pay up for another two weeks of accommodation in Rome, with their flights pushed back by 12 days.

The airline blamed a “back-end administrative error” and told media it “sincerely apologizes” to the family and committed to reimburse the Brahams for the cost of their additional accommodation.

Unions slam executive bonuses

Earlier this week, unions slammed Qantas for handing out millions of dollars in bonuses to executives while the airline is plagued by flight cancellations, delays and baggage losses. In a statement to the ASX in June, the company announced it would reward four executives with shares worth more than $4 million AUD despite the ongoing commuter chaos.

Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers’ Association federal secretary Steve Purvinas said the executives didn’t deserve bonuses after Qantas’s poor performance.

“The airline is being destroyed by these people,” he said.

“They should not be receiving a bonus at all. They should be sacked.”

A Qantas spokesperson defended the bonuses and noted non-executive staff will receive bonuses with similar conditions.

Reliable reputation in ruins

Aviation analytics site OAG revealed Qantas had more than one in three flights delayed in June. It ranked the national airline 92nd out of 130 global airlines for on-time performance.

Federal government data shows Qantas was one of the worst airlines for on-time performance domestically in June.

Qantas recorded the highest percentage of cancellations (at 8.1 per cent) during the month.

It came second last for on-time arrivals.
Rex Airlines (Regional EXpress) recorded 80 per cent for on-time arrivals, 

Virgin Australia recorded 62.4 per cent, followed by 

QantasLink at 59.6 per cent and 

Jetstar at 59.5 per cent.

Qantas recorded 59.1 per cent, with only Virgin Australia Regional Airlines worse at 51.3 per cent.







Full story sourced from here
Qantas pilot exposes behind-the-scenes airport chaos (nypost.com)

Remembering the Gimli Glider

Today we remember Air Canada Flight 143, or more commonly known as the "Gimli Glider".

AC143 was a Canadian scheduled domestic passenger flight between Ottowa (YOW/CYOW) and Edmonton (YEG/CYEG) that ran out of fuel on the 23rd July 1983, at an altitude of 41,000 feet (12,500 m), midway through the flight. The flight crew successfully glided the Boeing 767 to an emergency landing at a former Royal Canadian Air Force base in Gimli, Manitoba that had been converted to a motor racing track. This unusual aviation incident earned the aircraft the nickname "Gimli Glider".  The accident is commonly blamed on mistaking pounds for kilograms, which resulted in the aircraft carrying only 45% of its required fuel load. However, the units error was the last in a series of failures that aligned in a Swiss cheese model to cause the accident. The aircraft departed Montreal and landed at Ottawa, a scheduled stop on its way to Edmonton. At Ottawa the plane was re-fueled and the crew were told 11,430 liters of fuel were on board. The flightcrew then thought they had 20,400 kilos of fuel (instead of only 9,144 kilos !). This amount was entered in the FMS. En route to Edmonton, at FL410, the EICAS warned low fuel pressure in the left fuel pump. The captain at once decided to divert the flight to Winnipeg, then 120 miles (192 km) away, and commenced a descent. Within seconds, warning lights appeared indicating loss of pressure in the right main fuel tank. Within minutes, the left engine failed, followed by failure of the right engine. The aircraft was then at 35,000 feet, 65 miles (104 km) from Winnipeg and 45 miles (72 km) from Gimli. Without power to generate electricity all the electronic gauges in the cockpit became blank, leaving only stand-by instruments, consisting of a magnetic compass, an artificial horizon, an airspeed indicator and an altimeter. Vectors were given to Gimli. The captain, who had flying experience on a glider, used gliding techniques to manoeuver the airplane for the approach. The landing gear was lowered, but the nose gear could not be lowered and locked. The 767 touched down on runway 32L within 800 feet of the threshold. The nose contacted the runway and the airplane came to rest short of a part of the runway which was at the time being used as a drag racing strip.

The Board of Inquiry found fault with Air Canada procedures, training, and manuals. It recommended the adoption of fueling procedures and other safety measures that were already being used by US and European airlines. The Board also recommended the immediate conversion of all Air Canada aircraft from Imperial units to metric units, since a mixed fleet was more dangerous than an all-Imperial or an all-metric fleet.

Following Air Canada's internal investigation, Captain Pearson was demoted for six months, and First Officer Quintal was suspended for two weeks for allowing the incident to happen. Three maintenance workers were also suspended. In 1985 the pilots were awarded the first ever Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Diploma for Outstanding Airmanship. Several attempts by other crews who were given the same circumstances in a simulator at Vancouver resulted in crashes. Quintal was promoted to captain in 1989. Pearson remained with Air Canada for ten years and then moved to flying for Asiana Airlines; he retired in 1995. Maurice Quintal died at the age of 68 on September 24, 2015, in Saint-Donat, Quebec.

The aircraft was temporarily repaired at Gimli and flew out two days later to be fully repaired at a maintenance base in Winnipeg. Following the full repair, the aircraft was returned to service with Air Canada. Following a successful appeal against their suspensions, Pearson and Quintal were assigned as crew members aboard another Air Canada flight.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Air Canada

Code: AC/ACA

Aircraft: Boeing 767-233

Registration: C-GAUN

Serial Number: 22520

Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R4D

First Flew: 10/03/1983

Age: 5 Months old

Qantas pilots declare ‘mayday’ due to low fuel

The pilots of a Qantas passenger jet were forced to declare a “mayday” on a transcontinental flight after running low on fuel as they were put in a midair queue with other planes near Perth.

Qantas Flight 933 traveling from Brisbane Queensland (BNE/YBBN) to Perth Western Australia (PER/YPPH) made the emergency call several hundred kilometres east of Perth on Monday, which has since sparked an investigation by air safety authorities. The pilots’ decision to issue the mayday happened as inbound planes to Perth were put into holding patterns due to delays at the West Australian capital’s airport.

The Qantas Boeing 737 aircraft had arrived within Perth airspace with an extra 20 minutes’ worth of fuel when air traffic controllers told the pilots that an expected holding period had extended to 16 minutes.

The pilots were told that they would have to declare a mayday to get priority to land before four other planes circling Perth.

The Qantas Boeing 737-838 aircraft, which had departed Brisbane five hours forty minutes earlier at 7.10am Brisbane time (21.10 Zulu), eventually landed safely at Perth Airport, at 10.48 Perth time (02.48 Zulu) in what air-safety investigators describe as a “fuel mayday on descent”. A “fuel mayday” call by pilots is rare.

The pilots were in danger of landing without legally required reserves of fuel onboard if they had not declared the mayday.

In response to questions, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau confirmed that it was investigating a “low fuel event” involving the Qantas 737 aircraft, which occurred above Wave Rock in Western Australia on Monday.

“During descent, the crew declared an emergency due to the amount of fuel on board and proceeded to land at Perth. The aircraft landed with reserves intact,” it said.

The air-safety bureau said a final report would be released once its investigation was completed. However, it will recommend safety measures earlier if a “critical safety issue” is identified during the investigation.

Qantas chief pilot Dick Tobiano said air traffic controllers had requested the aircraft remain in a holding pattern for longer than the QF933 pilots had previously been advised, and that to be given priority to land they needed to make a fuel mayday call.

“The aircraft landed with 40 minutes of fuel in the tank, which is well above the minimum requirements. Our pilots followed the correct procedures and there was no safety issue with the flight,” he said in a statement.

Tobiano said the pilots had loaded fuel based on pre-flight conditions in accordance with the requirements of Australia’s air-safety regulator and Qantas’ fuel policy.

Aircraft Information:

Airline QANTAS

Code: QF/QFA

Aircraft: Boeing 737-838

Registration: VH-VZO

Serial Number: 34191

Story sourced from here
Qantas Flight 933: Pilots declare ‘mayday’ due to low fuel on transcontinental flight (watoday.com.au)

Plane crash lands and flips over before bursting into flames

A passenger aircraft traveling from Baidoa Airport (BIB/HCMB), Somalia to Mogadishu Aden Adde International Airport (MGQ/HCMM), Somalia, carrying 36 people, crashed before flipping over on its roof and bursting into flames on the airports runway with emergency services stunned to find there were no casualties.

Amazing video from the scene shows the plane spread-eagled and upside down after having flipped over on landing. Black smoke and flames can be seen billowing into the air as fire trucks approached the runway to douse the inferno.

The Fokker-50 aircraft operated by Somalia’s domestic carrier, Jubba Airways, was arriving in the capital from the inland city of Baidoa and crashed around 11.30am, according to a statement from Jubba Airways. Luckily all passengers survived the fire and no one was injured, it has been reported.

“We applaud the quick action of the Somalia fire brigade at the Adan Adde International Airport for their quick action in rescuing and saving lives,” a spokesman for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development told local media.

As of yet, the cause of the crash isn't clear but Jubba Airways acknowledged the situation and said that it would release more information about what happened "as it becomes available".

In 2020, three crew members were injured when a cargo plane crashed at the international airport also in Somalia's capital.

That same year in July, a cargo plane carrying humanitarian aid crashed in Beledweyne in central Somalia.

And in May 2020, six people were tragically killed when a Kenyan plane with African Express crashed on approach to Bardale in Somalia.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Jubba Airlines

Code: 3O/JUB

Aircraft: Fokker 50

Registration: 5y-JXN

Serial Number: 20239

Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW125B

First Flew: 21/01/1992

Age: 30 Yrs 5 Mts

Additional Aircraft Information:
Delivery Date          Airline                           Registration

23/04/1992          Lufthansa Cityline                D-AFKW  

21/04/1995          SAS Scandinavian Airlines  D-AFKW 

08/05/1995          Fokker                                  PH-JXN 

12/06/1995          Air Nostrum                         EC-GFP 

25/10/2002          Air Nostrum                         PH-JXN 

26/05/2005          Denim Air                            PH-JXN 

15/05/2009          Petro Air                              PH-JXN 

17/07/2009          Denim Air                            PH-JXN 

22/07/2009          Athens Airways                   PH-JXN Lsd from Denim Air

11/08/2009          Denim Air                            PH-JXN 

05/05/2014          Vizion Air                            PH-JXN Lsd from Denim Air
19/01/2016          Denim Air                            PH-JXN 

31/05/2016          Jubba Airlines                      5Y-JXN Lsd from Mass Holding

Cargo plane was on fire before hitting ground

A cargo plane traveling from Nis Airport (INI/LYNI), Serbia to Amman-Queen Alia International Airport (AMM/OJAI), Jordan has crashed near the city of Kavala in northern Greece.

The Antonov-12, operated by Meridian Airlines, a Ukraine-based company, was flying from Serbia to Jordan when it went down on Saturday. It was not immediately known how many people were on board and whether there were any survivors.

IMAGE TAKEN FROM FLIGHTRADAR24.COM 

Greece's ERT state broadcaster reported that the aircraft had been carrying a 12-tonne cargo, describing it as potentially dangerous.

The aircraft departed Nis at 18:36 UTC, bound for Amman, Jordania, carrying 12 tons of cargo. It was crossing the Aegean Sea when it turned back toward Greece at 19:29 UTC. After reaching land, it began a right-hand descending turn until it crashed about 35 km west of Kavala Airport (IATA: KVA, ICAO: LGKV).

The pilot reportedly requested an emergency landing at Kavala airport due to an engine problem but was unable to reach the runway. Some reports say eight people may have been on board the aircraft.

Footage has emerged purportedly showing the plane already on fire as it descended followed by a large explosion after it hits the ground.

"At 22:45 (19:45 GMT) I was surprised by the sound of the engine of the aircraft," local resident Giorgos Archontopoulos told the ERT. "I went outside and saw the engine on fire."

Eyewitnesses also heard blasts according to several media reports.

Local officials said seven fire engines had been deployed but they could not approach the crash site because of continuing explosions.

"We are treating the cargo as dangerous material," Reuters quoted a fire brigade official as saying.

Greece's special disaster response unit was also investigating the scene, Reuters reported.
So far there has been no public comment from Ukraine, Serbia or Jordan.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Meridian Airlines

Code: (MEM)

Aircraft: Antonov An-12BK

Registration: UR-CIC

Serial Number: 01347701

Engines:

First Flew: February 1971

Age: 51 Yrs 

Additional Aircraft Information

Registration          Airline           Delivered 

CCCP-12999          Aeroflot - Soviet Airlines         15.02.71
CCCP-12999          Balkan - Bulgarian Airlines     10.10.90
RA-12999               Ural Airlines                             06.03.93
4K-12999                Private Owner                         25.07.94
LZ-VEB                  Vega Air Company                  30.09.99
LZ-VEB                  Scorpion Air                            02.05.02
LZ-VEB                  Vega Air Company                  12.03.07
UN-11019               ATMA                                      09.09.07
UP-AN212              ATMA                                     18.07.08
EW-435TI               Aircompany Grodno               12.12.14
UR-CIC                  Aviation Company Meridian   26.01.22

UPDATE: 18/7

The aircraft was carry eight passengers and sadly all eight have been reported as deceased.

Thoughts and prayers go out to family and friends in this difficult time.

Remembering TWA 800 26Yrs ago today

On the 17th July 1996, at about 8:31 p.m. EDT, 12 minutes after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport on a scheduled international passenger flight to Rome, Trans World Airlines Flight 800 exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean 13 km (8.1 miles) S off East Moriches, New York. The flight was scheduled to depart New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport, NY (JFK/KJFK), United States of America for Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG/LFPG), France about 19:00; however, the flight was delayed because of a disabled piece of ground equipment and concerns about a suspected passenger/baggage mismatch. The aircraft was pushed back from gate 27 about 20:02. Between 20:05 and 20:07, the flight crew started the Nos. 1, 2, and 4 engines and completed the after-start checklist. The flight crew then received taxi instructions and began to taxi to runway 22R. While the airplane was taxiing, about 20:14, the flight crew started the No. 3 engine and conducted the delayed engine-start and taxi checklists. At 20:18:21, ATC advised the pilots that the wind was out of 240-degrees at 8 knots and cleared flight 800 for takeoff. Shortly after takeoff there was an explosion and all 230 people on board died in the crash. It is the third-deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history. Accident investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) traveled to the scene, arriving the following morning amid speculation that a terrorist attack was the cause of the crash. Consequently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and New York Police Department Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) initiated a parallel criminal investigation. Sixteen months later, the JTTF announced that no evidence of a criminal act had been found and closed its active investigation.

The four-year NTSB investigation concluded with the approval of the Aircraft Accident Report on August 23, 2000, ending the most extensive, complex and costly air disaster investigation in U.S. history at that time. The report's conclusion was that the probable cause of the accident was explosion of flammable fuel vapors in the center fuel tank. Although it could not be determined with certainty, the likely ignition source was a short circuit. Problems with the aircraft's wiring were found, including evidence of arcing in the Fuel Quantity Indication System (FQIS) wiring that enters the tank. The FQIS on Flight 800 is known to have been malfunctioning; the captain remarked on "crazy" readings from the system approximately two minutes and thirty seconds before the aircraft exploded. As a result of the investigation, new requirements were developed for aircraft to prevent future fuel tank explosions.

Aircraft Information

Airline: TWA (Trans World Airways)

Code: TW/TWA

Aircraft: Boeing 747-131

Registration: N93119

Serial Number: 20083

Engines: 4 Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7AH

First Flew: 18/08/1971

Age: 25 Yrs Old

Remembering MH 17 - 8 Yrs ago today

MALAYSIA AIRLINES B777-2H6 9M-MRD (CN 28411)

SPORTING THE "FREEDOM OF SPACE" LIVERY

 

Malaysia flight MH 17 (codeshare with KLM Flight 4103) was a scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam (AMS/EHAM) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL/WMKK) and was shot down on the 17th July 2014 while flying over eastern Ukraine, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew on board.
The incident was and still is the deadliest airliner shootdown incident to date. All 283 passengers and 15 crew died. The crew were all Malaysian, while over two-thirds (68%) of the passengers were Dutch. Most of the other passengers were Malaysians and Australians, the remainder were citizens of 7 other countries. At least twenty family groups were on the aircraft and eighty passengers were under the age of 18.

Nation Number 
Netherlands 193
Malaysia 43
Australia 27
Indonesia 12
United Kingdom 10
Germany 4
Belgium 4
Philippines 3
Canada 1
New Zealand 1
Total 298 

On the 19th June 2019, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service charged four people with murder in connection with the shooting down of the aircraft: three Russians, Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinsky, and Igor Pulatov, and one Ukrainian, Leonid Kharchenko. International arrest warrants were issued in respect of each of the accused. Their trial in absentia is scheduled to be held on the 9th March 2020 in the District Court of The Hague.

MH 17 was operated by a Boeing 777-2H6ER registration 9M-MRD (CN 28411). MRD was the 84th Boeing 777 produced, it first flew on the 17th July 1997, exactly 17 years before the incident, and was delivered new to Malaysia Airlines on the 29th July 1997. Powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 892 engines and carrying 280 seats (33 business and 247 economy), the aircraft had recorded more than 76,300 hours in 11,430 cycles before the crash.


OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH ALL THE FAMILES AND FRIENDS AS THEY REMEMBER LOVED ONES TODAY

Singapore bound flight forced to make emergency landing after tyres overheat

SCOOT BOEING 787-9 9V-OJA (MSN 37112)

The pilot of a Scoot flight flying from Perth (PER/YPPH) to Singapore (SIN/WSSS) was forced to turn the plane around and make an emergency landing back in Perth because the tyres on the landing gears were overheating.

Flight TR9, which was packed with passengers, took off from runway 03 at 7.41pm (11.41 Zulu) on Monday night and headed to Singapore. They only made it as far as Rottnest before the plane changed course. The plane reached a height of 7,675 feet before doing circuits of Rottnest to dump fuel and wait to get the correct flight path back to Perth, landing again on runway 03 at 8.18pm 12.18 Zulu).

 

IMAGE FROM FLIGHTRADAR24

Flying back over the suburbs, the plane descended to about 2,000 feet. One passenger, Jude, spoke to Nine News Perth and said they were circling for about 40 minutes.

“It felt too calm and I’m more used to turbulence. It felt weird, and then the captain made an announcement [saying] we have hot tyres,” he said.

“They did end up dumping the fuel to lighten the flight, so we could come back safely. So it was actually quite serious.

“The pilot did a good job. I’m sure he was laser sharp at that point full of adrenaline. He brought us in safe and it was a softer landing than I’ve had on different planes, so it was good.”

When the plane landed, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services were waiting on the tarmac in case the tyres caught fire. Nine News Perth spoke to other passengers after they got off the flight, with many grateful to be back on solid ground without incident. One passenger, Adrian said they had been warned the plane landing would be rough, but most people had been pretty calm.

“We did land very, very fast and brake very hard ... then we noticed the fire trucks were out on the tarmac,” he said.

“I didn’t see panic on many people’s faces, and I wasn’t that worried either.”

But another passenger, Akira, said she had been nervous when she noticed the plane had been going around in circles.

“We were told the next flight we would be able to get on would be between 4pm and 9pm on Tuesday,” she said.

“My stomach was turning a little bit, but you’ve just got to have faith that they’ve done these things before,” another woman said.

“We’re all in limbo now [while we wait for another flight] but I guess at least we are alive.”

The passengers were left searching for another flight to Singapore. While some managed to get on a Singapore Airlines flight (which owns Scoot) on the same night, many others were left to try to find a seat in the coming days. A Scoot statement said spares for the flight needed to be uplifted to Perth, giving passengers the choice of flying another Scoot flight at 6pm Tuesday, with another planned to depart at 9pm. Customers who had nowhere to stay overnight had been provided accommodation, the statement said, and the airline would help with connecting flights from Singapore.

“Scoot sincerely apologises for the disruption and inconvenience to our customers,” the statement said.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Scoot

Code: TR/TGW

Aircraft: Boeing 787-9

Registration: 9V-OJA

Serial Number: 37112

Engines: 2 x RR Trent 1000

First Flew: 12th January 2015

Age: 7 Yrs 5 Mts





Story sourced from here
Perth to Singapore flight forced to make emergency landing after tyres overheat (smh.com.au)

Air India flight attendant assaulted by drunk passenger

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

A recent Air India flight to London turned into a traumatic experience for one of the cabin crew members when an inebriated passenger physically assaulted him. The passenger and his friends were reportedly drinking from their own bottle of alcohol, and things escalated when the cabin crew objected to that. Cabin crew members often have to deal with several passenger demands, ranging from changing seats to issues with in-flight meals. While most of the time, the issues are resolved politely and with civility, there are times when passengers decide to take the law into their own hands and make it an unpleasant experience not just for the airline crew but fellow passengers as well.

On a recent Air India flight between Delhi and London, an argument erupted between a male flight attendant and a group of passengers who were not following alcohol-related guidelines of the carrier. The fight escalated to the point that one of the passengers in the group ended up physically harming the cabin crew member, leaving him with a bloodied face.

On July 7th, a group of passengers traveling in economy class of Air India flight AI 111 from Delhi to London were spotted drinking from a bottle of gin they had brought onboard. According to airline policy, passengers are not allowed to consume store-bought alcoholic beverages inside the aircraft.

When one of the flight attendants politely explained this to the traveling group, one of the passengers got up and started kicking him violently. The Times of India quotes a person familiar with the matter as saying,

“The flight attendant, very politely, told the passenger who had the bottle that bringing your own alcohol to drink on board flight isn’t permitted. On being confronted, the passenger got up, pinned the crew to a door and began thrashing him. The unruly passenger then kicked him repeatedly, six to seven (times), hitting his chest. The flight attendant began bleeding from his ears.”

Problems created by drunk passengers aren’t new. Flight attendants are trained to assess whether a passenger has had too much to drink and reserve the right to refuse alcohol if it comes to that.

There have been several past instances where an intoxicated passenger disrupted the flight due to unruly behavior. In May, A Doha-Bengaluru flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Mumbai airport after a drunk passenger misbehaved with a cabin crew member when she tried to stop him from drinking.

Even though alcohol consumption is banned on domestic flights in India, there have been several cases when passengers consumed drinks at airports and created a ruckus in the air. In 2016, Indian airlines even went as far as to request authorities to make airports in the country an alcohol-free zone.

Story sourced from here:

Air India Flight Attendant Assaulted By Drunk Passenger On Delhi-London Flight (simpleflying.com)

Qantas Airways gets bogged in mud.

A QantasLink aircraft traveling from Brisbane Airport (BNE/YBBN) to Rockhampton Airport (ROK/YBRK) got bogged on Monday night after landing and taxiing to the parking bay in Rockhampton.

QF1798 had landed normally at 09.17 Zulu (7.17pm local) on runway 15 but the pilot inadvertently guided the aircraft across soft grassy ground and became stuck just before getting to the terminal. 

IMAGE TAKEN FROM FLIGHTRADAR24

The passengers were able to disembark normally via stairs onto the tarmac.

It's expected it will take a couple of days before the plane can be moved but the bogging will not impact on arrivals and departures from the airport.

QANTASLINK BOEING 717-2K9 VH-NXH (MSN 55055)
IMAGE TAKEN FROM THE ABC NEWS FACEBOOK PAGE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Story sourced from ABCNewsQueensland

Remembering Nigeria Airways Flight 2120

Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 was a chartered passenger flight from Jeddah-King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED/OEJN), Saudi Arabia Sokoto Airport (SKO/DNSO), Nigeria which caught fire shortly after takeoff from King Abdulaziz International Airport and crashed while attempting to return for an emergency landing, killing all 247 passengers and 14 crew members on board. The aircraft was a Douglas DC-8 operated by Nationair Canada for Nigeria Airways. Flight 2120 is the deadliest accident involving a DC-8 and remains the deadliest aviation disaster involving a Canadian airline.

During the takeoff run, about 15 seconds after brake release, an oscillating sound was heard in the cockpit. Within two seconds, the flight engineer said: "What's that?" The first officer replied: "We gotta flat tire, you figure?" Two seconds later, an oscillating sound was again heard. The captain asked the first officer: "You're not leaning on the brakes, eh?" The first officer responded: "No, I 'm not, I got my feet on the bottom of the rudder." By this time, the aircraft had accelerated to about 80 knots. Marks on the runway showed that the No.1 wheel on the left hand main landing gear started to break up at about this time. In addition, the left and right flanges of No.2 wheel began to trace on the runway; rubber deposit from No.2 tire continued which appeared to be from a deflated tire between the flanges.

During the next three minutes several indications of system anomalies occurred, which included a pressurization system failure, a gear unsafe light and a loss of hydraulics. The captain requested a level-off at 2000 feet because of the pressurization problem. In his radio call the captain used the callsign "Nationair 2120" instead of "Nigerian 2120" and the controller mistook the transmission to be from a Saudi flight returning to Jeddah and cleared The Jeddah bound aircraft to 3000 feet. The captain of the accident aircraft, however, acknowledged the ATC transmission without a call sign, saying "understand you want us up to 3000 feet." This misunderstanding continued for the next three minutes with ATC assuming that all calls were from the Saudi flight, not from the accident aircraft. About four minutes after brake release the captain called ATC and reported that the aircraft was leveling at 3000 feet. The first officer then interrupted with " ... declaring an emergency. We 're declaring an emergency at this time. We believe we have ah, blown tires." As the aircraft continued on the downwind heading, a flight attendant came into the cockpit and reported "smoke in the back ... real bad." A few moments later, the first officer said "I've got no ailerons."

The captain responded: "OK, hang on, I've got it." It was the last record on the CVR, which failed (along with the flight data recorder [FDR]) at 08:33:33. The ATC controller gave a heading to intercept the final approach and thereafter continued to give heading information.
Meanwhile, during the downwind and base legs, the fire had consumed the cabin floor above the wheel wells , permitting cabin furnishing to sag into the wheel wells. When the gear was probably extended at 11 miles on the final approach, the first body fell out because fire had burned through the seat harness. Subsequently, with the gear down and a forceful air supply through the open gear doors, rapid destruction of more floor structure permitted the loss of more bodies and seat assemblies. Despite the considerable destruction to the airframe, the aircraft appeared to be controllable.
Eight minutes after brake release and 10 miles from the runway, the captain declared an emergency for the third time, saying, "Nigeria 2120 declaring an emergency, we are on fire, we are on fire, we are returning to base immediately."

The aircraft came in nose down and crashed 9,433 feet (2,875 meters) short of the runway at 08:38.

The aircraft involved was owned by Nationair Canada. At the time of the accident, it was being wet-leased to Nigeria Airways, which in turn subleased it to Holdtrade Services to transport Nigerian pilgrims to and from Mecca.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: National Air Canada

Code: NX / NXA

Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-8-61

Registration: C-GMXQ

Serial Number: 45982/345

Engines: 4 Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3B (Q)

A day at The Brisbane Airshow (Part 1/3)

Well I'm excited to say this event "finally" took place yesterday, after being cancelled last year due to covid.

It was originally scheduled for the 3rd / 4th July 2021 then cancelled and rescheduled for the 16th / 17 October 2021. It was then cancelled again and rescheduled for the 2nd & 3rd July 2022 but due to torrential rain it was postponed once again until the 9th /10th July.  So yesterday a mate of mine picked me and my co-pilot up and we headed out.

Set in the Brisbane Valley, The Brisbane Airshow has one of the worlds most stunning backdrops.
Held at the Watts Bridge Memorial Airfield (ICAO: YWSG), it is without a doubt the premier recreational airfield in South East Queensland, located 5nm from the small country township of Toogoolawah, 1 hour 10 min drive from the state’s capital Brisbane and 1 hour 30 from my home. The airfield features three well-formed grass runways, the maim one being 900 metres (2,950 feet), 820 metres (2,690 feet) and 815 metres (2,673 feet) which are suited to virtually all types of aircraft used for sport and recreational flying.

The air show included an aerial display of Military, Warbirds, World War II Fighters, Jets, Helicopters, Aerobatics and Skydiving. It also had a display of Military Vehicles, Hot Rods, Classic Cars, an Aviation Expo, along with Live Music, Gourmet Food an Amusement Park and lots more.

Due to the number of photos taken I will post this over three posts.

L39 ALBATROSS

DIAMOND DA 40 VH-PQS (MSN 40.1163)

PILATUS PC-12/47 N81DW (MSN 2090)

PARTENAVIA P.68B VH-PNU (MSN  84)

SAVANNAH SRL 19-5297 (MSN 05-51-493)

BEECH T 34 MENTOR VH-XUS (MSN G-37)

COMMONWEALTH AIRCRAFT CORP CA-25 VH-WIJ (MSN A85-436)

COMMONWEALTH AIRCRAFT CORP CA-25 VH-FTS (MSN A85-439)

AMERICAN CHAMPION DECATHLON 8KCAB VH-FKQ (MSN 971-2004)