ACCIDENTS & INCIDENTS

(7 September – 13 September 2008)

Airline, Corporate, & AeroMedevac

Date/

Location

Aircraft/Reg.

Narrative

Casualties

Comments

7 September

Winnipeg, CANADA

Air Canada-operated Airbus A319-100

Reg: C-FZUG

Aircraft was climbing out of Winnipeg, when the rudder trim system, autopilot and flight management guidance computers 1 and 2 failed. None of the system could be reset. Nonetheless the crew decided to carry on to its destination of Vancouver. During the descent into Vancouver the crew received an Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitoring (ECAM) message of a right hand engine bleed air fault. The landing was safe.

No injuries

After the incident, maintenance had to replace the rudder trim actuator and a pressure relief valve.

7 September

San Antonio, TX

Skywest Airlines-operated Canadair CRJ-700

After landing, aircraft ran off the end of the runway at San Antonio International Airport.

56 Uninjured

The airport reported that the airplane appeared to have had a mechanical malfunction. It is unclear whether the airplane went off the runway during landing or while attempting to taxi off the runway.

7 September

St. Louis, MO

Beech 1900D

Reg: N122UX

Aircraft, which was owned and operated by Great Lakes Aviation Ltd as Lakes Air Flight 5215, was substantially damaged while parking at the gate at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

6 Uninjured

According to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector who traveled to the scene, the airplane was being marshaled to a parking spot by a marshaler and a wing walker. After the right wing cleared several obstacles, the marshaler instructed the airplane to turn. During the turn, the empennage struck an overhang from an adjacent building. The airplane continued forward and was secured. The flight crew and passengers deplaned without further incident.

8 September

Winnipeg, CANADA

Air Canada-operated Airbus A319-100

Crew reported cracked windshield about 40 minutes into the flight, which departed Winnipeg and was destined for Toronto. The crew requested to return to Winnipeg.

No injuries

The airplane performed an almost continuous descent during the next 45 minutes while turning back to Winnipeg and landed safely 45 minutes after the windshield crack.

8 September

Toronto, CANADA

Cathay Pacific-operated Boeing 747-400

Reg: B-HOV

Aircraft, performing a flight from Vancouver to New York, reported smoke in the cockpit and requested to divert to Toronto as a precaution. The airplane landed safely 16 minutes later.

No injuries

A faulty fan bearing was identified as cause of the smoke, thereafter emergency services were stood down. The airplane took off again to continue the journey after 4.5 hours on the ground at Toronto.

9 September

Kigali, RWANDA

Kenya Airways-operated Boeing 777-200

Reg: 5Y-KQT

Aircraft struck a floodlight pole while being guided by a marshaler after landing at Kigali. The airplane sustained significant damage to its right wing.

91 Uninjured

The passengers disembarked and joined 200 travelers from Kigali, waiting for the onward flight to Nairobi, in the waiting lounge. A replacement Boeing 777-200, registration 5Y-KQS, departed Kigali at 21:30 (scheduled departure 13:55) local time and delivered all passengers safely to Nairobi without incident.

9 September

St. Petersburg, RUSSIA

Rossiya Tupolev TU-154M

Aircraft reported hydraulics problems about 20 minutes into the flight and returned to the airport for a safe landing about 2.5 hours after takeoff.

135 Uninjured

10 September

San Juan, PUERTO RICO

Four Star Cargo Douglas DC-3

Reg: N138FS

Aircraft, performing freight flight HK4201 from Saint Thomas (Virgin Islands) to San Juan (Puerto Rico) with 2 crew, suffered the collapse of its right main landing gear during the landing roll at San Juan.

2 Uninjured

10 September

Fairbanks, AK

Air Canada-operated Boeing 777-300

Reg: C-FIUL

Crew of flight, which departed from Toronto and was destined for Seoul, advised that it had a mechanical problem and needed to divert to Fairbanks. The airplane landed safely in Fairbanks 2 hours and 43 minutes later with emergency services standing by for the landing.

187 Uninjured

Flight crew observed a vibration of engine #1 (left hand engine) and heard a boom from that engine. The engine continued to operate normally. However the vibration continued, and the flight, originally destined for Seoul, diverted to Fairbanks.  The aircraft landed safely.

11 September

Dublin, IRELAND

Ryanair-operated Boeing 737-800

Reg: EI-DCV

Aircraft suffered a tail strike while rotating for takeoff. The crew initially continued the flight, but soon declared emergency and performed an emergency descent at Dublin. During the descent oxygen masks deployed.

148 Uninjured

One passenger said that a bang could be heard as the airplane rotated for takeoff, then it became very cold in the cabin.

11 September

Toronto, CANADA

Air Canada-operated Boeing 767-300

Reg: C-GSCA

Flight crew declared emergency due to a hydraulics failure while approaching its destination of Toronto.

No injuries

The airplane landed without incident.

12 September

Amarillo, TX

American Airlines MD-82

Reg: N219AA

Aircraft declared emergency, reporting engine trouble and requested to divert to Amarillo. The plane landed safely.

91 Uninjured

13 September

Bakalalan, MALAYSIA

Malaysian Airlines-operated de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter

Aircraft landed short of and veered off the runway at Bakalalan and came to a stop in a nearby field about abeam the center point of the runway.  The airplane sustained substantial damage.

1 Minor, 13 Uninjured

Initial reports suggest, that the airplane approached the airstrip too low, a local official said. It is unclear whether the landing gear collided with the airport perimeter fence. The airplane landed short of the runway then veered off to the left of the runway.

13 September

Fuerteventura, SPAIN

Air Mediterranean-operated  Airbus A321-100

Reg: F-GYAN

Aircraft had just landed in Fuerteventura and was taxiing off the runway, when smoke started to emanate from the left hand main gear.

No injuries

Fire engines immediately activated, but needed around 10 minutes to stop the wheel fire, which was exacerbated by a hydraulics leak. The passengers disembarked normally after fire fighters brought the fire under control.

General Aviation and Helicopter

Date/

Location

Aircraft/Reg.

Narrative

Casualties

Comments

7 September

Pagosa Springs, CO

Cessna 210

Reg: N6515X

Aircraft sustained substantial damage when the main landing gear collapsed during the landing roll at the Stevens Field Airport (PSO), Pagosa Springs.

2 Uninjured

According to the pilot, he attempted to lower the landing gear prior to landing with the gear switch in the cockpit. The "gear would not extend down with [the] switch, therefore, I used the hand pump and it extended down 25 percent where it stopped." The pilot contacted a mechanic via cell phone and the mechanic advised him the problem could not be fixed while flying. The pilot landed the airplane with the landing gear partially retracted. During the landing, the main landing gear collapsed and the airplane exited the right side of the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were bent.

10 September

Oakland, CA

Cessna T210N

Reg: N6278C

Aircraft ditched in the San Francisco Bay following a loss of engine power, about 1/4 mile north of the Oakland Bay Bridge, Oakland. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the tail by impact forces.

2 Uninjured

The pilot was interviewed by the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC). The pilot related that about 30 minutes after departing RHV, the engine started to lose power, and he then noticed that there was no oil pressure indicated. He was flying about 1,500 feet msl when the power loss occurred and he decided the best place to land was the water.

10 September

Talkeetna, AK

Piper PA-18

Reg: N7174K

Aircraft sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with terrain and post crash fire, about 40 miles east of Talkeetna.

1 Fatal, 1 Serious

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on 12 September, the passenger said he and the pilot took off from Talkeetna looking for caribou to hunt, and a site to setup a hunting camp. He said the airplane was in a left circling turn, and the turn became tighter, and the angle of bank became steeper. The angle of bank suddenly became very steep, and he heard the pilot say something like "Oh No!" over the intercom. He said he had been looking out the left side of the airplane, and the airplane was in a steep bank to the left, when he looked forward and saw the ground. The passenger said the airplane's left wing struck the ground first, followed by the nose. He said the next thing he remembered was being outside the airplane, trying to put out the fire on himself, and then the pilot. He said there were no problems with the airplane prior to the accident.

11 September

Arbor Vitae, WI

Blue Sky Taxi-operated Cirrus SR22

Aircraft was destroyed after crashing into terrain about a half-mile southwest of Lakeland Airport, the plane’s destination.

3 Fatal

"It appeared that [the aircraft] was trying to land and may have missed the first approach and was coming back for a second one," said Lt. Gary Peske of the Vilas County sheriff's department. "There was kind of a misty rain. I don't know if weather was a factor in it.”

12 September

Nampa, ID

Experimental single-engine Thunder Mustang

Aircraft skidded along the runway at the Nampa Airport when its pilot did not lower the landing gear, Nampa Police said. The aircraft came to rest on its belly on the runway.

1 Uninjured

The Nampa Airport closed for about an hour so crews could clean up debris from the accident, city spokeswoman Sharla Arledge said. She said the crash was minor, but when the propeller hit the ground some wood components splintered.

12 September

St. Petersburg, FL

Bellanca 1730

Aircraft skidded off the runway and crashed at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport.

2 Minor

Pilot told deputies she was trying to land and lost control of the plane. The single-engine plane skidded off the runway and came to rest in a grassy area, authorities said.

Military

Date/

Location

Aircraft/Reg.

Narrative

Casualties

Comments

8 September

Pueblo, CO

Diamond Aircraft Industries DA-20-C-1

Reg: N939DA

Aircraft was substantially damage upon impact with terrain near Pueblo Memorial Airport. The airplane was owned by Doss Aviation Incorporated and operated under contract by the United States Air Force (USAF).

2 Serious

According to eyewitness testimony, the airplane was conducted visual flight rules (VFR) pattern work when the airplane banked left and impacted terrain. The wreckage was located on airport property and was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.

All entries are preliminary and subject to confirmation/correction by formal accident reports.