ACCIDENTS & INCIDENTS

(14 September – 20 September 2008)

Airline, Corporate, & AeroMedevac

Date/

Location

Aircraft/Reg.

Narrative

Casualties

Comments

14 September

Perm, RUSSIA

Aeroflot-Nord-operated Boeing 737-500

Reg: VP-BKO

Aircraft crashed into a ravine near Perm while on its second approach to the airport there at 3:20 AM Moscow time.

88 Fatal

According to airport officials, the airplane was flying at an altitude of 1,800 meters (6,000 feet) (Aeroflot says 1,100 meters, 3,600 feet), when radio contact was lost. The crew had aborted the first landing attempt and executed a go-around. The initial notification from the Russian government reports that 17 of the 82 passengers were of non-Russian nationality, including one U.S. citizen.

14 September

South Bend, IL

Southwest Airlines-operated Boeing 737-300

Aircraft declared emergency and diverted to South Bend Airport due to fumes in the cabin.

137 Uninjured

The landing was safe and emergency services from fire stations around the airport were stood down while still driving to the airport.

15 September

London, ENGLAND

Virgin Atlantic-operated Boeing 747-400

Reg: G-VXLG

Aircraft had to dump fuel over the Atlantic and return to Gatwick after the flaps did not retract after departure from the airport.

469 Uninjured

A spokeswoman for Virgin Atlantic said, "Virgin Atlantic can confirm that flight VS015 from London Gatwick to Orlando returned to Gatwick on Monday 15 September. The aircraft performed a routine landing after the Captain took the precautionary decision to return following a technical issue.”

15 September

Miami, FL

American Airlines-operated Boeing 737-800

Aircraft made a bumpy landing at Miami, upon which two tires burst, one at each main gear. The aircraft incurred no other damage.

113 Uninjured

American Airlines commented that blown tires are not a rare event and that the cause of this incident may have been hot brakes or weak tires.

16 September

St. Petersburg, RUSSIA

Rossiya-operated Tupolev TU-154M

Flight crew heard strange metallic sounds when the gear was retracted after takeoff from Moscow Domodedovo Airport. The flight continued to St. Petersburg, where the flight crew did not receive confirmation that the right main landing gear deployed. A visual check by the tower confirmed that the right main gear had not deployed at all. The crew declared an emergency and performed a partial gear up landing at the airport.

102 Uninjured

Upon landing, the aircraft received damage to its left wing.

16 September

Southampton, ENGLAND

Flybe-operated de Havilland Dash 8-400

Reg: G-JECU

Aircraft developed problems with the right hand engine while on approach to Southampton.

31 Uninjured

The crew decided to shut the engine down and declared emergency. The landing was safe.

16 September

Toronto, CANADA

Air Canada-operated Airbus 319-100

Reg: C-FYKC

Aircraft executed a missed approach due to possible debris on the runway, after the preceding aircraft, a Skylink Beech 1900D, reported a flat tire after landing. The crew of C-FYKC declared an emergency, reporting minimum fuel, and landed without further incident.

No injuries

18 September

Oklahoma City, OK

Frontier Airlines Airbus A319-100

Aircraft experienced problems while landing at Oklahoma. The crew told the passengers after landing that the brakes had locked up during the landing roll out. One nose gear tire was blown and the nose gear rotated by 90 degrees.

136 Uninjured

The airplane got stuck on the runway for about two hours, before passengers could disembark and were bussed to the terminal.

19 September

Columbia, SC

Learjet 60

Reg: N999LJ

Aircraft crashed into a hill shortly after takeoff.

4 Fatal, 2 Serious

Air Traffic Controllers reported seeing sparks emitting from the plane, and the NTSB has said that the Cockpit Voice Recorder disclosed “a sound that was consistent with a tire blowing out.” However, the NTSB would not confirm that this was the cause of the crash. Investigation is ongoing.

19 September

Bhopal, INDIA

Jet Airways-operated Boeing 737-700

Aircraft rejected takeoff from Bhopal at high speed after a vulture struck the airplane causing significant damage to the front portion of the airplane.

80 Uninjured

The airplane returned to a gate on its own power where passengers disembarked.

19 September

Salt Lake City, UT

Mesa Airlines Canadair CRJ-900

Reg: N905J

Aircraft, which was being operated on behalf of US Airways, diverted to Salt Lake City after one layer of the first officer's windshield shattered.

89 Uninjured

The landing was safe.

19 September

Allentown, PA

Mesa Airlines-operated CRJ-700

Reg: N506MJ

A runway incursion occurred involving a Mesa Airlines CRJ-700, N506MJ, and a Cessna R172K, N736GV, at the Lehigh Valley International Airport.

61 Uninjured

Cessna N736GV was on landing roll when the tower controller instructed the Mesa CRJ to taxi into position and hold on the same runway. The controller instructed the Cessna pilot to exit the runway then cleared the Mesa CRJ for takeoff. During their takeoff roll, the Mesa crew heard the Cessna pilot say that he'd missed the taxiway turnoff and asked to exit the taxiway. The Mesa crew  saw the Cessna ahead, aborted the takeoff at about 120 knots, and swerved around the Cessna. The Mesa crew estimated they missed colliding with the Cessna by 10 feet.

20 September

Bali, INDONESIA

China Airlines-operated Boeing 747-400

Reg: B-18211

Aircraft experienced severe clear air turbulence about 30 minutes before arrival in Bali.

6 Serious, 5 Minor

The airplane landed in Denpasar without further incident. The injured were rushed to the local hospital. Five of those seriously injured were flight attendants. 

General Aviation and Helicopter

Date/

Location

Aircraft/Reg.

Narrative

Casualties

Comments

14 September

Wichita Falls, TX

American Champion 7GCBC

Reg: N571JH

Aircraft was substantially damaged upon impact with terrain near Kickapoo Municipal Airport.

1 Fatal

One witness heard the engine "popping," go silent, and start producing a "popping" noise again. Several witnesses observed the airplane's base to final leg and reported that they heard no engine noise. The airplane was observed to be at approximately 50 feet above ground level and slowly descending. As the airplane approached an open field near a church, witnesses reported that the plane pitched nose up before sharply rolling right and impacting the ground.

15 September

Ojinaga, MEXICO

Cessna 421B

Reg: N7560Q

Aircraft was substantially damaged after it collided with mountainous terrain approximately 28 miles northwest of Ojinaga. The airplane was registered to EAC Parts LLC, Springfield, Ohio, and operated by Volare Air Charter, El Paso, Texas.

4 Fatal

The pilot informed an Automated Flight Service Station specialist that he intended to enter Mexican airspace for the purpose of flying over the Luis Leon Dam, but that he had no intention of landing in Mexico. The pilot did not request a weather briefing for the flight; however, he was informed by the specialist that visual flight rules were not recommended due to mountain obscuration.

17 September

Leroy Township, OH

1930 Fleet model No. 2

Aircraft crash-landed near a privately run airport in Lake County night after its propeller fell off.

1 Uninjured

The pilot attempted to make a second eastbound pass over the airport when the propeller came off. Losing altitude, he ended up striking trees when he tried to land the plane.

18 September

La Porte, IN

Indus Aviation Inc. T-211 Thorpedo

Reg: N107JF

Aircraft sustained minor damage during a forced landing near La Porte following an in-flight loss of engine power.

1 Uninjured

The airplane was new and was being delivered on a ferry flight operated under Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident. No flight plan was on file.

18 September

Kremmling, CO

Piper PA-60-602P

Reg: N97TS

Aircraft was destroyed upon impact with terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering for landing at McElroy Airfield near Kremmling.

2 Fatal

The airplane was observed on radar to have over-flown the airport from the southwest and turn to the west to maneuver into position for landing. Several witnesses observed the airplane to the west of the airport indicating it was at a low altitude and appeared to initiate a turn that was followed by a "rapid descent" and impact with the ground.

19 September

Allentown, PA

Cessna R172K

Reg: N736GV

A runway incursion occurred involving a Mesa Airlines CRJ-700, N506MJ, call sign ASH7138, and a Cessna R172K, N736GV, at the Lehigh Valley International Airport (See Above – Commercial Accident of same date).

61 Uninjured

Cessna N736GV was on landing roll when the tower controller instructed N506MJ to taxi into position and hold on the same runway. The controller instructed the Cessna pilot to exit the runway then cleared N506MJ for takeoff. During their takeoff roll, the N506MJ crew heard the Cessna pilot say that he'd missed the taxiway turnoff and ask to exit the taxiway. The crew of N506MJ saw the Cessna ahead, aborted the takeoff at about 120 knots, and swerved around the Cessna. The crew of N506MJ estimated they missed colliding with the Cessna by 10 feet.

20 September

East Haddam, CT

Berrie Kolb Mark III

Reg: N350RB

Aircraft collided with trees while maneuvering following loss of engine power, shortly after takeoff from Goodspeed Airport in East Haddam.

2 Serious

The pilot stated he conducted a preflight inspection and an engine run up before departing. No anomalies were noted and the airplane was topped off with automotive fuel. The airplane was on initial takeoff climb at about 300 feet when the engine sputtered and quit. He immediately turned the airplane to the right in order to return to the airport. He did not attempt to activate the ballistic parachute because the airplane was too low. He did not want to land straight ahead into a swamp for fear of being injured and drowning since they did not have any flotation devices on the plane. The airplane collided with trees and came to rest inverted on the ground.

Military

Date/

Location

Aircraft/Reg.

Narrative

Casualties

Comments

18 September

Balad, IRAQ

U.S. Military-operated CH-47 Chinook

Helicopter crashed while flying a mission in southern Iraq.  A military spokesman said it appeared mechanical failure was the cause of the crash

7 Fatal

The helicopter was part of an aerial convoy flying from neighboring Kuwait to the Balad U.S. military air base in Iraq.

19 September

Copenhagen, DENMARK

Danish Air Force-operated F-16

The fighter was scrambled in connection with the emergency landing of a charter Boeing 737 at Copenhagen's Kastrup airport.

155 Uninjured

The 737, operated by charter company Jet Time, had departed from Billund airport in western Denmark and was approaching Kastrup when airport staff noticed traces of rubber on the runway. The F-16 fighter was scrambled to inspect the plane.

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