In the cockpit of the Air Canada Airbus A321 en route from Montego Bay Jamaica for a beautiful night landing at Toronto Pearson’s Airport, First Officer Christine at the controls.
LIVE Rosetta spacecraft crashing into a comet
The first spacecraft to orbit a comet will soon meet a dramatic end. At 10:40 GMT on September 30, a robotic pioneer will go from dust to dust: The European Space Agency is intentionally crash-landing its Rosetta spacecraft.
Launched in March 2004, Rosetta arrived at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on August 6, 2014, after a decade of zipping through the solar system. And for the last two years, the Rosetta orbiter and its Philae lander have made good on the mission’s name, helping scientists decipher the makeup of comets—primeval balls of ice and dust that have preserved pristine material from the early solar system.
VIDEO Air Canada A330 Landing and Nice Sunset Takeoff
Early evening landing followed by the takeoff at sunset.
NEWS The red arrows left to Asia-Pacific & Middle East Tour
The Red Arrows have embarked on the team’s biggest overseas tour in a decade.
2016 Tour Departure More than 20 displays and a series of flypasts will be performed across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions by the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team.
The major tour, which will take two months to complete, will see the Red Arrows perform in China for the first time ever.
The deployment will contribute to the UK government’s GREAT campaign and showcase the best of British innovation and industry.
VIDEO Delta 757 Steep Climb-out After Takeoff from SXM, St. Maarten
This particular 757-200 climbs away very quickly in an effort to avoid the nearby mountains on the island of St. Maarten.
NEWS Easyjet 26-year-old airline captain and her 19-year-old co-pilot
Their combined ages are just 45. But that didn’t stop 26-year-old captain Kate McWilliams and her 19-year-old co-pilot Luke Elsworth from flying hundreds of passengers to their destinations this week.
The young pilots manned a flight from London to Malta, after McWilliams earlier passed a course ascending to the rank of captain.
Their employer, the British carrier Easyjet, believes McWilliams has become the world’s youngest commercial airline captain — with co-pilot Elsworth also one of the country’s youngest co-pilots.
#OnThisDay in 2006, GOL Flight 1907 collides with an Embraer Legacy over the Amazon Jungle
10 years ago today, GOL Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907 (PR-GTD) was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Eduardo Gomes Int’l Airport Manaus, Brazil to Galeão Int’l Airport Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with a stopover at Brasília International Airport. The Boeing 737-8EH was carrying 148 passengers and 6 crew members.
PR-GTD accident aircraft involved.
ACCIDENT
The cockpit crew of GOL Flight 1907 consisted of Captain Decio Chaves Jr., 44. Chaves, who had also been serving as a Boeing 737 flight instructor for GOL, had 15,498 total flight hours. The First Officer was Thiago Jordão Cruso, 29. Cruso had 3,981 total flight hours with 3,081 in Boeing 737 aircraft.
On September 29, an Embraer Lagacy 600 executive jet (N600XL) was scheduled to be delivered from the Embraer factory at São José dos Campos Airport to the United States. An intermediate stop was planned at Manaus. The flight crew consisted of Captain Joseph Lepore 42, and First Officer Jan Paul Paladino 34, both U.S. citizens. Lepore had been a commercial pilot for more than 20 years and had logged 9,388 total flight hours. Paladino had been a commercial pilot for a decade and had accumulated more than 6,400 flight hours.
The Legacy took off at about 14:51. The filed flight plan included a routing via the OREN departure procedure to Pocos beacon, then airway UW2 to Brasilia VOR (BRS), airway UZ6 to Manaus. The cruise altitude was filed as FL370, with a planned change to FL360 at BRS, and to FL380 at the TERES navigational fix, approximately 282 miles north of BRS.
Meanwhile, at 15:35, GOL Flight 1907 departed from Manaus (MAO). The flight was also routed via UZ6 to BRS. Cruising altitude was FL370, which was reached at 15:58. At that time, Legacy N600XL had just passed BRS, level at FL370. There is no record of a request from N600XL to control agencies to conduct a change of altitude after passing BRS. There is also no record of any instruction from air traffic controllers at Brasilia Center to the aircraft, directing a change of altitude.
When the aircraft was about 30 miles north-northwest of BRS, at 16:02, the transponder of N600XL was no longer being received by ATC radar. Between 15:51 and 16:26, there as no attempts to establish radio communication from either crew of N600XL or ATC. At 16:26 the CINDACTA 1 controller made a “blind call” to N600XL. Subsequently until 16:53, the controller made an additional 6 radio calls attempting to establish contact. The 16:53 call instructed the crew to change to frequencies 123.32 or 126.45. No replies were received. Beginning at 16:48, the crew of N600XL made a series of 12 radio calls to ATC attempting to make contact. They heard the 16:48 call, but the pilot did not understand all the digits, and requested a repeat. No reply from ATC was received. The pilot made 7 more attempts to establish contact.
Both the GOL Boeing 737 and the Embraer Legacy were now on a head on collision course on airway UZ6 at the same altitude. Because the transponder of N600XL was not functioning properly. The TCAS equipment on both planes did not alert the crews.
At 37,000 ft over the remote Amazon jungle, both aircraft collided. The left winglet of the Legacy (which includes a metal spar) contacted the left wing leading edge of the Boeing 737. The impact resulted in damage to a major portion of the left wing structure and lower skin, ultimately rendering the 737 uncontrollable. The Boeing 737 was destroyed by in-flight break-up and impact forces. All 148 passengers & 6 crew members were killed.
The Embraer Legacy winglet was sheared off and damage was sustained to the vertical stabilizer tip. The crew made numerous further calls to ATC declaring an emergency and their intent to make a landing at the Cachimbo air base. At 17:02 the transponder returns from N600XL were received by ATC. At 17:13, a flight crew assisted in relaying communications between N600XL and ATC until the airplane established communication with Cachimbo tower. The Embraer Legacy landed safely.
INVESTIGATION
The investigation into the mid-air collision of Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907 & the Embraer Legacy was led by Brazilian Air Force Aeronauticals Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
They concluded that the probable cause of the accident was N600XL and GOL 1907 following ATC clearances which directed them to operate in opposite directions on the same airway at the same altitude resulting in the mid-air collision.
The loss of effective air traffic control was not the result of a single error, but of a combination of numerous individual and institutional ATC factors, which reflected systemic shortcomings in emphasis on positive air traffic control concepts. Contributing to this accident was the undetected loss of functionality of the airborne collision avoidance system technology as a result of the inadvertent inactivation of the transponder on board N600XL.
Further contributing to the accident was inadequate communication between Air Traffic Control and the N600XL flight crew.
Article By: @AirCrashMayday
Sources: AviationSafety, Wikipedia
NEWS easyJet adds Apple Pay to web bookings
easyJet has announced that customers can now use Apple Pay on web for bookings made on easyJet.com.
This makes payment a seamless “two touch” process.
Apple Pay is already available via easyJet’s iOS mobile app however from today customers will also be able to confirm their booking via easyJet.com on their Apple iPad or Apple Mac in just a matter of seconds thanks to Apple Pay; a secure, quick and private one-touch payment function.
Customers using easyJet.com to make a booking will see a ‘Buy with Apple Pay’ button on the checkout screen and will then be able to select the card of their choice and authorise a secure payment via Touch ID fingerprint recognition.
If the customer is on an Apple Mac there will be a seamless hand-off to the customer’s iPhone where they will use Touch ID or their Apple Watch to authorise the payment.
There is no need to enter in any card details at all making it a quick, secure and easy way to pay.
NEWS Lufthansa to buy remaining 55% of Brussels Airlines
German carrier Lufthansa on Wednesday said it would buy the 55 percent of Brussels Airlines it does not already own, completing a long-mooted takeover.
Shareholders in Brussels Airlines must still agree to the deal, the statement said, adding that managers expect to complete the transaction by early 2017.
Lufthansa has owned 45 percent of Brussels Airlines owner SN Airholding since 2009 and kept an option to buy the rest.
The companies did not reveal the price Lufthansa would pay for the remaining stake.
© 2016 AFP
REPORT Malaysian Airlines flight #MH17 shot down by missile that ‘came from Russia’
A Malaysian airliner shot down in eastern Ukraine was hit by a Russian-made Buk missile launched from a village held by rebels fighting Ukrainian government forces, international prosecutors said on Wednesday.
The Buk missile system used to shoot down the plane fired one missile from the village of Pervomaysk and was later returned to Russia, said the prosecutors, from the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine.
They told a news conference in the central Dutch city of Nieuwegein that the investigative team had identified 100 people who were described as being of interest to them but had not yet been formally identified individual suspects.
It was not clear whether an order had been given for fighters to launch the missile or whether they had acted independently, the prosecutors said.
A civilian investigation by the Dutch Safety Board also concluded last year that MH17 was hit by a Buk missile fired from eastern Ukraine, but Moscow denied that pro-Russian rebels were responsible.
NEWS First A330neo starts its final assembly in Toulouse
As the newest member of the world’s most popular A330 wide-body family the A330neo builds on the Family’s proven economics, versatility and reliability, set to reduce fuel consumption by a further 14 per cent per seat. Both the A330-800 and A330-900 feature a new A350-inspired wing with Sharklet wingtip devices for state-of-the-art aerodynamics, incorporating latest-generation Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, and the new AirSpace by Airbus cabin for the latest experience in cabin comfort.
Thanks to its low, new generation fuel-burn, the A330neo expands its operators’ market opportunities by offering an additional 400 nautical miles range, leading to a 6,550 nautical miles range on the A330-900 and 7,500 nautical miles on the A330-800. To date, 10 customers have ordered a total of 186 A330neo.
The A330-800 and the A330-900 are 99 % common, sharing a 95 per cent commonality across the entire A330 fleet, set to optimize costs and flexibility for all its operators. Airlines will also benefit from the Family’s market-leading reliability and reduced maintenance costs.
EMERGENCY Asiana Airlines A380 returns to Los Angeles 7 hours later after smoke reported in cargo hold
An Asiana Airlines flight to Seoul returned to Los Angeles on Tuesday after smoke was reported in the cargo hold.
According to Flightaware.com the A380 plane with 358 passengers on board returned to Los Angeles 7 hours after its departure at 12:53 p.m. Tuesday (local time).
Asiana said aviation officials there didn’t find any signs of fire or smoke in the cargo section, possibly indicating that the alarm malfunctioned.
VIDEO Pilot’s view Boeing 777 low visibility takeoff from Liege (Belgium)
In the cockpit of the Boeing 777 departing Liege for Dubai & Hong Kong for a low visibility takeoff…
ALERT We’re receiving report of power outage at Male Airport (Maldives)
Report of power outage at domestic terminal of Male Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (Maldives).
Mivaguthu #INIA #Blackout http://pic.twitter.com/CB9WvXcsRH
— Saudullah Ahmed (@DidiSaud) September 27, 2016
VIDEO KLM 747 Landing in St. Maarten, Princess Juliana Airport
With KLM halting 747-400 operations for this winter beginning in October, it seems fitting to share a few clips starring this aircraft.
ALERT Monarch Airlines denies insolvency rumours
Monarch Airlines has strongly denied rumours it is in financial trouble amid growing fears among passengers.
Travellers and aviation enthusiasts began tweeting and posting speculation to Facebook on Sunday.
Their fears were fuelled by US carrier United Airlines appearing to launch services on the same routes at the same times as scheduled Monarch flights.
This sparked rumours that the Civil Aviation Authority was preparing to repatriate passengers from Palma, Alicante and Barcelona, in case their carrier was unable to bring them home.
In a statement a spokesman said: “Rumours are just that. We don’t know where these rumours started, but they are not true.”
More on Manchester Evening News
EMERGENCY Yeti Airlines flight crashed at Bhairawa Airport (Nepal)
A BAe Jetstream 41 was damaged in a runway excursion on landing at Bhairawa Airport (Nepal).
The aircraft operated flight YT893 from . On landing at Bhairawa the flight fromKathmandu failed to stop and overran the runway.
VIDEO A Dozen B-52 Nuclear Bombers Takeoff Together
The United States 5th Bomb Wing B-52s and their crews recently performed a mass takeoff during Prairie Vigilance exercise at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. Prairie Vigilance is an annual exercise designed to test the wing’s ability to conduct conventional and nuclear-capable bomber operations.
VIDEO Premier Li Keqiang of China Arrives in Ottawa
After the U.N. meetings in New York, Premier Li Keqiang made his way to Ottawa where he was to meet with Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada. His VIP transport? An Air China 747-400.
NEWS North Korea hosts first-ever air show this week end!
This weekend North Korea is hosting its first-ever air show, which would involve both civilian and military aircraft. Pyongyang hopes to boost tourism by hosting the event.
The air show is to take part on this weekend at the Kalma International Airport in the eastern port city of Wonsan.
The show itself will demonstrate planes of North Korea’s only airline, Air Koryo, which has a fleet of aging soviet-made Antonov (An), Ilyushin (Il) and Tupolev (Tu) planes. The airline wants to purchase modern aircraft, which would not be banned from banned from flying over the European Union due to noise pollution regulations.
More on RT.
NEWS U.S. B-1B fly over South Korea for second time since North nuclear test
Two U.S. supersonic bombers flew over South Korea on Wednesday, with one of them landing at an air base 40 km (25 miles) south of the capital, according to a Reuters witness, the second such flight since North Korea’s Sept. 9 nuclear test. The U.S. Forces Korea said in a statement the flight by a pair of B-1B Lancer strategic bombers based in Guam was intended as a show of force by South Korea’s ally and its commitment to preserve the security of the peninsula and the region. The United States flew two B-1 bombers on Sept. 13 escorted by U.S. and South Korean fighter jets in a show of solidarity with Seoul.
ALERT Two Russian Tu-160 bombers were intercepted by RAF Typhoons and Norwegian F-16s
Yesterday (Sept. 22), two nuclear-capable bombers Tu-160 Blackjack of Russian Air Force were intercepted and escorted by RAF Typhoons in Quick Reaction Alert.
Two RAF Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth were scrambled to intercept and escort the Blackjacks as they were heading north of Scotland. The interceptors were supported by a Voyager tanker.
Earlier, two Norwegian F-16s intercepted the Tu-160s flying in international airspace, off the Norwegian coast.
BREAKING A Qantas Link Aircraft Evacuates on Perth Airport Runway.
A Qantas Link plane has made an emergency landing in Perth after fumes were noticed in the cockpit on landing.
Airlive.net understands the Fokker 100 aircraft evacauted 102 passengers just before midday on Friday.
Qantas has released a statement:
“A QantasLink/Network Aviation F100 landed safely at Perth Airport this morning at 11:36am.
All passengers and crew are safe and accounted for.
No emergency landing was requested by the pilots however emergency services are in attendance as a normal precaution.
There were 97 passengers and five crew onboard.
The aircraft was operating QF 1623 from Newman to Perth.
We will provide more information.”
Do you know more? Email BrendanGrainger@outlookk.com
EMERGENCY Jetstar flight #JQ956 diverted to Brisbane after smoke started filling the cabin
Jetstar Airbus A320 flight #JQ956 from Sydney to Cairns diverted to Brisbane due to engine issue.
Passengers described how smoke had filled the cabin about 40 minutes into the flight, they also heard a strange ‘scraping’ sound.
The airline later confirming an incident had occurred with the plane’s engine.
VIDEO (graphic) Thom Richard nearly decapited during Reno race takeoff in US
Thom Richard was preparing to take off in the Gold Formula One event at the National Championship Air Race in Nevada on Sunday when his engine started sputtering.
The Swedish-born pilot immediately turned his engine off. He opened the canopy of his plane, Hot Stuff, as he signalled to ground crews that he couldn’t fly.
However, it appears this message wasn’t delivered to three planes waiting to take off behind him.
He hoped the third plane would manage to fly over him. Instead, it hit him with a violent and loud impact at almost 100 km/h.
“Three things immediately came to mind. Make yourself as small as possible to avoid further injury until things stop moving,” Richard said.
NEWS A two-month baby died on board IndiGo flight to Bengaluru (India)
A Bengaluru-bound IndiGo flight made an emergency landing yesterday as a two-month old baby, suffering from a heart ailment, required immediate medical attention, an airport official said.
However, despite the efforts, the child could not be saved and was declared brought dead at a city hospital.
The aircraft landed here at around 2.30 PM to address the medical emergency after a family complained of a health problem suffered by their two-month old baby.
With all the standard emergency procedures in place, the Kolkata-Bengaluru flight touched down and the child was immediately deplaned along with the family members. The baby was rushed to a local hospital in an ambulance, the official said.
According to another official, the baby was suffering from some heart ailment, for which it was being taken to Bengaluru.
“However, after the child was rushed to the private hospital in Shanti Nagar area here, it was declared brought dead,” the official added.
The plane waited for the response from the family and when it was informed that the child is no more, it took off for its further journey at around 3.30 PM, he added.
The number of passengers in the flight could not be known immediately.
ALERT Evacuation slide just triggered inside Aeromexico aircraft at Puerto Vallarta Airport (Mexico)
For a reason unknown yet, an evacuation slide was triggered inside Aeromexico Embraer 190 at Puerto Vallarta International Airport in Mexico.
The door may have been still armed when it was opened from outside, triggering the inflatable slide.
The incident happent around at 1420 local time with passengers still on board.
More information as soon as we get.
VIDEO Epic view landing at most Extreme Airport!!
View from the nose landing gear for the approach and landing at the world’s most dangerous airport in Lukla Nepal!!
VIDEO Air France 777s Battle Strong Winds at Montreal
Two Air France 777s battle 26 knots winds on approach and landing at Montreal International.
VIDEO Royal Australian Air Force Hercules C-130J Takeoff from Melbourne Airport
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvcqfhNDhpk
EMERGENCY China Eastern Airlines #MU5935 skidded off runway at Dali airport (China)
China Eastern Airlines flight #MU5935 from Kunming skidded off runway 17 at Dali airport (China).
The Boeing 737-700 (reg. B-5242) left the runway on landing for a reason not known yet. The front landing gear bogged down into the grass.
NEWS American Airlines flight #AA574 makes an emergency landing in Tampa.
A flight from Phoenix has been forced to make an emergency landing on Tuesday morning after experiencing a landing gear fault.
American Airlines flight AA574 from Phoenix headed to Tampa was less than an hour away from landing when the pilots of the Airbus A320 aircraft discovered a possible fault in the landing gear.
The flight with 146 passengers on-board landed safely and everyone was deplaned by stairs and were bussed to the main terminal.
Jerry Penacoli was on board the aircraft and he said passengers were told to brace for an crash landing and cabin crew had to show passengers how to brace properly.
Adding to his statement he said everybody around him were saying their final goodbyes and were preparing for the worst. He also added the pilot deserves high praise during the difficult and emotional ordeal.
The aircraft is currently awaiting for inspections by maintenance teams at the airport.
Do you know more? Email BrendanGrainger@outlook.com
VIDEO Cockpit view of extreme landing at St Maarten
In the cockpit of the Air France A340-300 from Paris for a landing at one of the world’s challenging airports : St Maarten!
VIDEO The Amazing Views of St. Maarten: Takeoff Onboard United 737
The green-turquoise waters, sandy beaches and small mountains are certainly a sight to behold – or film – while leaving the island of St. Maarten/Saint Martin.
BREAKING Saudi Airlines #SV872 under threat is isolated at Manila airport
Saudi Airlines Boeing 777 has been isolated at Manila airport in the Philippines, after the pilot was advised that the plane was under threat, Reuters reports citing communications from the control tower.
Metropolitan Manila’s police chief is heading to the airport, stating there is a “situation” there, local radio reports.
The flight #SV872, landed at Manila airport at 3pm local time. It arrived from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
NEWS ParalympicsGB arrive home from Rio on board British Airways Boeing 747 gold-nose
It was another morning of celebration at Heathrow Terminal 5 today (September 20), as ParalympicsGB arrived home from the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games on British Airways flight ‘BA2016’.
Arriving home in style, the 300 athletes and support staff travelled on ‘victoRIOus’ – the same gold-nosed aircraft that brought Team GB home last month.
As the athletes disembarked flight ‘BA2016’ a number of medallists, including Sarah Storey, Will Bayley, Lee Pearson and Hannah Cockroft, proudly posed for a photo with their medals.
Upon entering arrivals, athletes were greeted to an emotional and rapturous reception with a VIP zone for ‘friends and family’ welcoming them home, including Paralympic superfan Stephen Mangan.
Alex Cruz, Chairman and CEO of British Airways, said: “We are honoured to be part of such a special moment of national pride and celebration. It has been a privilege to fly the athletes home from the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
“I’d also like thank everyone across the airline who worked tirelessly for months to deliver a truly memorable homecoming that Team GB and ParalympicsGB so rightly deserve.”
Fans and athletes have been using #BAckSupercharged on social media to share their messages of celebration – the hashtag also features on the aircraft livery.
BREAKING Bomb threat on flight Air India #AI729 at Kolkata airport (India)
As per media reports, the threat call was received at around 8 am at the airport. The caller warned that a bomb had been planted on board a Guwahati-bound Air India aircraft from Kolkata.
As a safety measure, all the passengers on board the aircraft were evacuated as search operations were conducted by the CISF as well as the airport authorities. The aircraft was taken to the isolation bay for the purpose of investigation.
Meanwhile, the Bidhannagar City Police have been successful in tracing the individual who had made the threat call. As per some reports, the caller was a woman, who stated that she was a resident of Rajarhat in Kolkata.
BREAKING Two shot at Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport
Authorities received report of shooting at @LASairport approx 5:56 pm. Details given state domestic violence related incident.
VIDEO F-16 Touch and GO followed by Barrel roll
Impressive flying display Belgian Airforce F-16 Solo Display team at RIAT 2016 Fairford airshow. This is probably one of my best videos which I’ve filmed last summer.
NEWS Ryanair condemns French ATC strikes
Ryanair again called on the European Commission to take action to prevent the skies over Europe being closed once more by French ATC unions.
It regrets that it has been forced to cancel 22 flights on Wednesday evening (14 Sep) and 72 flights on Thursday (15 Sep) as a result of the 14th French ATC strike this year.
NEWS Hamad International sees sharp increase in passenger numbers
Hamad International Airport has welcomed 17.6 million passengers during the first half of 2016, registering a growth of more than 20 per cent compared to the 14.6 million passengers served during the same period last year, setting a new passenger record for the airport. HIA also saw a significant increase in aircraft operations from January to June with a total of 118,069 movements, which represents a 17 per cent increase in aircraft take-offs and landings at the airport, compared to the same period in 2015.
VIDEO Air France 747-400 Windy Landing in Toronto
A throwback to when Air France still flew the 747! Here it is landing runway 33L in Toronto on a windy day.
ALERT Air china #CA1519 stopped at Beijing as couple missed boarding and rushed to the tarmac
They claimed that they missed the flight because they were not informed about the boarding time, but their allegation proved to be false as the departure time and boarding time were both printed on the ticket and broadcast through the airport announcement service.
According to law, severe violators like them who blocks runway or disrupts flight departure can be detained for five to 10 days and fined 500 yuan ($75).
BREAKING A van just crashed into a baggage loader truck at London Heathrow, one injured
At 19:00 local tonight, a van crashed into a baggage loader truck at gate 542 at London Heathrow airport. A baggage handler was injured during the incident as he fell from the truck.
Medical services rapidly gave the worker the first aid.
We’ll keep you informed as soon as we have more information.
BREAKING Man arrested at London Heathrow under terrorism laws
Scotland Yard said the man was nabbed on suspicion of possessing terrorist-related material after he arrived at the airport on Saturday.
He was taken to a London police station where he remained in custody Sunday.
Police say counter-terrorism officers are investigating. No details were immediately available.
AP
#OnThisDay in 1961, a DC-6 carrying UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld crashes in Ndola
55 years ago today, a Douglas DC-6B (SE-BDY) carrying United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld flew from Elisabethville Airport, Congo to Léopoldville-N’Djili Airport then to their destination Ndola Airport, Zambia to negotiate a cease-fire. In total the aircraft was carrying 11 passengers & 5 crew members.
DC-6 similar to the accident aircraft.
United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld.
ACCIDENT
On the morning of September 17 the United Nations chartered DC-6 left Elisabethville (now Lubumbashi) for Léopoldville (now Kinshasa). It was hit by bullets fired from the ground at Elisabethville. On arrival the airplane was inspected but only one bullet was found to have hit. It penetrated the exhaust pipe of one of the engines. The damage was repaired.
After this incident, Security measures were taken at Léopoldville to make it appear that a DC-4 (OO-RIC) was actually carrying the Security-General. It took off at 16:04 and headed directory to Ndola.
The Captain of the United Nations DC-6 did not file a flight plane and wanted to maintain radio silence throughout the flight for security reasons. The airplane departed Léopoldville at 16:51 for Ndola in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (now Zambia). Radio silence was apparently maintained until a call was made to Salisbury FIC at 22:02. The captain requested the DC-4’s estimated time of arrival. The DC-4 arrived at Ndola at 22:35 local time without incident.
At 22:40 the crew of the UN DC-6 reported to Salisbury that it as over Lake Tanganyika and was flying on advisory route 432 at 17500 ft to avoid Congolese territory. The DC-6 descended to 16,000 ft and contact was made with Ndola Tower at 23:35 and the crew gave an estimated time of arrival of 00:20. At 23:47 The airplane descended to 6,000 ft in accordance with the clearance from Ndola Tower.
At 00:10 the flight reported “lights in sight, overhead Ndola descending, confirm QNH”. Ndola Tower confirmed the QNH and asked the flight to report when reaching 6000 ft. No such report was ever received. The instrument approach procedure consists of initial approach to 6000 ft on a track of 280° until 30 seconds after the NDB has been passed. The procedure turn is then made to the right at the same height. On completion of that turn and when on the inbound track of 100° to the NDB the aircraft descends to 5000 ft over the NDB, thereafter descending to the critical height of the aerodrome.
The pilot apparently attempted a visual approach to the airport as the airplane turned right after crossing the airport. The pilot continued his approach by a subsequent turn to the left. The DC-6 descended and struck trees at an altitude of 4357 ft at a shallow angle when slightly turning to the left at a normal approach speed. 15 of the 16 on board were killed. One survived but died shortly after.
INVESTIGATION
Following the death of Hammarskjöld, there were three inquiries into the circumstances that led to the crash. The Rhodesian Board of Investigation, the Rhodesian Commission of Inquiry and the United Nations Commission of Investigation.
The three official inquiries failed to determine conclusively the cause of the crash. The Rhodesian Board of Investigation sent 180 men to search a six-square-kilometre area of the last sector of the aircraft’s flight path, looking for evidence as to the cause of the crash. No evidence of a bomb, surface to air missile or hijacking was found. The official report stated that two of the dead Swedish bodyguards had suffered multiple bullet wounds. Medical examination were superficial and that the bullets showed no signs of rifling. They concluded that the bullets cartridges had exploded in the fire in proximity to the bodyguards. No other evidence of foul play was found.
Previous accounts of a bright flash in the sky were dismissed as occurring too late in the evening to have caused the crash. The United Nations report speculated that these flashes may have been caused by secondary explosions after the crash. The official inquiry found that the statements of witnesses who talked with the survivor before he died were inconsistent.
The probable cause for the crash was controlled flight into terrain. The pilots descended below the minimum safe altitude of 5,000 ft. Hills that rise over 4,300 ft near Ndola Airport were missing from their approach chart which blocked their view from the runway. It was also discovered that some of the crew were on duty for 17 of the past 24 hours.
Article By: @AirCrashMayday
Sources: AviationSafety, Wikipedia
EMERGENCY Cell phone battery catches fire aboard Delta #DL2557 to Atlanta
According to the passenger, retired military personnel aided the flight attendants in extinquising the fire by using a bottle of water until a fire extinguisher was located. Others helped passengers get out of the cabin area filled with smoke.
Though there was some damage to the seats, no one was hurt during the incident and the smoke cleared out of the cabin within a few moments. Flight attendants said the owner has not been identified.
The type of phone involved in the cabin fire has not been released but the report comes amid the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s official recall of Samsung’s Note7 phone yesterday after numerous reports of the product overheating and catching fire.
Source Fox News
EMERGENCY AirBaltic #BT641 DHC-8 nosewheel collapses during landing at Riga
Latvia’s airBaltic plane Bombardier DHC-8 flying from Riga to Zurich on Saturday was forced to return to the Riga airport to perform an emergency landing.
There were 63 passengers on board, including two children and one infant, and four crew members. All passengers have already left the plane and initial reports suggested there were no serious injuries.
Due to safety reasons, the last plane took off at 8.27 a.m. and the airport’s runway was closed until 3.55 p.m.
VIDEO Quiet Dreamliner Engines – British Airways 787-8 Landing
Seeing, or rather hearing these engines in person is quite the surprise. You expect a lot of noise from such a large aircraft, but in reality it’s very quiet! Here’s a Speedbird Dreamliner landing runway 24R in Montreal.
NEWS US Air Force grounds F-35 fighter jets
VIDEO Air France 777-200 Takeoff from Montreal
One of Air France’s daily fights to Montreal is seen departing off runway 24R near sunset.
NEWS Design Your Own Kung Fu Panda Themed Livery Contest with Hainan Airlines
Po and the Furious Five are taking flight in this once-in-a-lifetime contest from Hainan Airlines, in collaboration with DreamWorks Animation and Boeing.
TO GET STARTED:
1. Create your design using our Kung Fu Panda design studio
2. Submit your original design
3. Share your design on social media with the hashtag #TheFlyingPanda
Judges will choose one design to receive the Grand Prize. The winning design will be painted on our Kung Fu Panda 787 Dreamliner that will fly between China and North America.
The grand prize winner and runner-up will each receive two roundtrip business class tickets to China.
Submitted designs will be judged according to the following criteria:
- Creativity and originality (20%)
- Humor or fun (20%)
- Reflection of Chinese Culture (10%)
- Best use of Kung Fu Panda to represent the Hainan Airlines’ Brand (25%)
- Visual impact/wow factor (25%)
VIDEO Declassified footage from U.S. Air Force shows auto GCAS saves unconscious F-16 pilot
Auto GCAS is designed to prevent CFIT (controlled flight into terrain) mishaps by executing an automatic recovery maneuver when terrain impact is imminent. The system predicts those conditions by means of a continuous comparison between a trajectory prediction and a terrain profile that is generated from onboard terrain elevation data.
NEWS Glasgow-Ibiza flight diverted to Toulouse (France) due to a drunk passenger
A flight from Glasgow to Ibiza was forced to make an emergency landing after a drunken passenger allegedly vomited in the cabin.
The ASL Airlines France Boeing 737 had to divert to Toulouse-Blagnac Airport on Wednesday afternoon, where it landed following the incident.
UPDATE EMERGENCY ASL Airlines Boeing 737 diverted to Toulouse. http://pic.twitter.com/HcZNxa4Tds
— AIRLIVE.net (@airlivenet) September 14, 2016
According to eyewitness reports, the young man was acting aggressively and was sick in the cabin, which resulted in the pilot making the decision to the land the plane.
The man was taken off the plane once it landed at the French airport and was reportedly taken into custody once he stepped off the passenger jet.
BREAKING British Airways #BA473 to Heathrow is declaring an emergency over France
British Airways Airbus A320 flight #BA473 from Barcelona to London Heathrow declared an emergency.
Reload the page for updates…
VIDEO On-Board a KLM 747 Landing at Shanghai Pudong Airport
Nice sunny weather for this landing in Shanghai! Flying aboard one of KLM’s Boeing 747-400.
NEWS The ‘gold-nose’ British Airways 747 that brought Team GB home from Rio is getting ready for its next mission
In preparation for its prestigious journey, the aircraft has been getting a makeover including a nose polish, full body clean and getting a new hashtag emblazoned on its livery – this time reading #BAckSupercharged
ParalympicsGB depart on flight BA2016 from Rio de Janeiro on Monday September 19and arrive in to Heathrow Terminal 5 on Tuesday September 20 at 9am, to an invite-only media reception.
On her 11 hour 15 minute journey from Rio de Janeiro, ‘victoRIOus’ will carry 585 items of kit and equipment, some of which include; archery tackle, racing chairs, tennis chairs, throwing frames, leg bags, prosthetic bags, running blades, fencing foils, paddle tubes, solo bikes and tandem bikes. The heaviest piece of kit is a hand bike weighing 32kg.
On board the flight, athletes can enjoy over 1,300 hours of films, top TV shows and audio programmes. This includes a ‘Swimming with dolphins’ documentary with Paralympic athlete Ellie Simmonds, classic sporting movie ‘Chariots of Fire’ and a number of new movies including; The Jungle Book, Dad’s Army, Hail Caesar, Me Before You, Love & Friendship and The Nice Guys.
VIDEO Qatar Airways Boeing 777 Windy Landing in Montreal
Qatar Airways is seen arriving on Montreal’s runway 24R after a long flight from Doha.
NEWS Boeing predicts China will need 5,110 new single-aisle airplanes through 2035
The aviation giant released its annual China Current Market Outlook earlier in Beijing, estimating the total value of those new airplanes at $1.025 trillion.
China becomes the first trillion dollar aviation market in Boeing’s forecast.
“As China transitions to a more consumer-based economy, aviation will play a key role in its economic development,” said Randy Tinseth, vice president, marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
“Because travel and transportation are key services, we expect to see passenger traffic grow 6.4 percent annually in China over the next 20 years.”
Boeing predicts China will need 5,110 new single-aisle airplanes through 2035, accounting for 75 per cent of the total new deliveries.
ALERT New French ATC strike: 15% traffic reduction at Paris on Thursday
- Paris ACC: Minimum service expected mainly in the East.
- Reims ACC: No problems expected in the East.
- Brest ACC: Possible disruptions expected in the morning period.
- Bordeaux ACC: Possible disruptions expected during the morning, improvements are foreseen for the afternoon.
- Marseille ACC: Minimum service expected during the night of 14th/15th, then no major issues expected for the 15th.
Airports:
- LFPG, LFPO and LFOB ( Paris- Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Beauvais) : A 15% reduction of schedules were requested to airlines which have more than 7 flights to/ from these aerodromes. The rescheduled program needs to be submitted before 14th of september at noon.
- LFMN and LFSB (Nice and Bale-Mulhouse): No problems expected.
LFBO (Toulouse): the situation is not known for the night 14th/15th, no issues expected for 15th. - LFML (Marseille): No issues expected during the day of 15th, but possible disruptions might arise during the evening.
- LFRS and LFBD (Nantes and Bordeaux): expected issues early morning on 15th.
- LFLL( Lyon): Expect delays early morning on 15th.
- LFQQ and LFRR (Lille and Brest): ATS services might have some issues.
NEWS What are the busiest airports in the world?
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL): 101,491,106 passengers in 2015
- Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK): 89,938,628 passengers
- Dubai International Airport (DXB): 78,014,841 passengers
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD): 76,949,504 passengers
- Tokyo International Airport (HND): 75,573,106 passengers
VIDEO Aer Lingus A330 Cockpit into San Francisco
In the cockpit of the Aer Lingus A330-200 for an approach and landing at San Francisco International Airport
COCKPIT VIDEO Maria Fernanda, AeroMexico 737 First Officer landing in Mexico City
Ever since we posted this video it’s been one of the most popular female pilot videos on the net! Enjoy Maria’s 737-800 landing in Mexico City.
VIDEO The last United 757 flight from Newcastle Airport
For the last 2 summers United has operated a seasonal service from New York – Newark to Newcastle Airport. Initially they began the service operating it 5x a week. This year for 2016 they increased the frequency to 6x a week. Despite this however the announcement came on the 10th of August that they would not be continuing the service for 2017.
NEWS $13.5M seized from Chinese travellers at Vancouver airport
Between 2013 and 2015, Chinese citizens were caught with about $13.5 million in cash by customs officials at the airport. According to the documents the following amounts were seized each year:
- 2013 – $2.8 million
- 2014 – $4.3 million
- 2015 – $6.4 million
That amounted to more than 70 per cent of the $18.7 million of undeclared cash seized from all travellers, including Canadians, during that time at the airport. The reports did not say the number of people involved.
VIDEO Swiss Int’l Airlines Boeing 777-300 Landing & Takeoff in Montreal
This Boeing 777-300 was built in 2016 and delivered to Swiss International Airlines on June 21st.
BREAKING British Airways #BA274 from las Vegas to London Heathrow declared an emergency over Scotland
London Heathrow
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ALERT #MH370 search: New debris in Madagascar includes ‘burnt parts’
Two fragments appear to show burn marks, which if confirmed would be the first time such marks have been found.
The most significant finding, according to Mr Gibson, is of the two alleged burnt pieces, recovered near Sainte Luce, in south-eastern Madagascar.
The flight is presumed to have crashed into the southern Indian Ocean after veering off course.
The findings were made by debris hunter Blaine Gibson, who has previously found other parts of the plane.
Source BBC/BLAINE GIBSON
NEWS Passengers terrified on easyJet #U25263 from Gatwick as deported migrant screams ‘Allahu Akbar’ & ‘death is coming’
Passengers on an easyJet flight #U25263 from Gatwick to Venice endured a terrifying trip in which a traveller repeatedly shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ and “today we will die”.
The Mail on Sunday reported the man shouting the threats was a migrant who, accompanied by Home Office officials, was being deported.
An 11-minute audio recording captured the man’s tirade. He screamed ‘Allahu Akbar’ 29 times, ‘death is coming’ 17 times, and ‘we will die’ nine times.
Witnesses said officials accompanying the man tried to subdue him as best they could.
The man is thought to be a failed asylum seeker who had spent a year in a UK detention centre. He was being deported to Italy under the Dublin Regulation, which dictates that people must claim asylum in the first safe country they reach.
VIDEO The GE-90’s Music: Air Canada 777 Takeoff from Montreal
The ever amazing spool-up from the GE-90 engine, present during this Air Canada 777 takeoff from Montreal.
VIDEO Military Charter United Airlines 767-400 Takeoff from Ottawa
United Airlines sent Ottawa as 767-400 to serve as a military charter. This marks the first ever visit of a 767-400 at the Ottawa Airport.
ALERT Jet2 #LS875 is holding since departure from MAN with gear issue
Manchester
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KLM #KL605 to San Francisco
Flight KLM #KL605 from Amsterdam to San Francisco stopped to clim shortly after departure.
Reload the page for updates…
- UPDATE 1019 UTC #KL605 Boeing 747-400 starting approach to Amsterdam.
- UPDATE 1011 UTC Captain confirmed technical issue on ATC.
- UPDATE 1009 UTC KLM #KL605 is dumping fuel before returning to Amsterdam.
VIDEO Christine’s stunning night landing at Toronto on the Air Canada Airbus A321
First Officer Christine briefs and performs a great night landing at Toronto on the Air Canada Airbus A321 from Montego Bay.
VIDEO Standing Behind a Departing Air France A340-300, Maho Beach
Always a “jet-BLAST” to stand behind these engines!
BREAKING Dragonair collision with ground vehicle at HongKong airport
An airport service van has hit Dragonair aircraft’s engine this morning at HongKong airport. No more details available for now on how it happent but the situation is serious and the driver could have been injured.
We’ll bring you more details as soon as we get.
Just now on HK runway: airport service van hits Dragonair engine http://pic.twitter.com/sXQ8Im00jN
— Brittyn Clennett (@BrittynClennett) September 8, 2016
ALERT Close encounter between US Navy P-8 Poseidon and Russian Su-27
On September 7, 2016US Navy reconnaissance aircraft P-8 “Poseidon” tried twice to get close to the state border of the Russian Federation over the Black Sea without transponders.
Su-27 fighters from Belbek airbase were scrambled. When Russian fighters approached the US reconnaissance aircraft for visual identification, American plane abruptly changed course to the opposite direction from the Russian border.
Russian pilots have acted in strict accordance with international rules. This is not the first attempt a NATO aircraft to get close to the border of the Russian Federation for reconnaissance of strategic command and staff exercises “Caucasus-2016”.
REPORT ATSB issued report of AirAsia #D7223 flying in the wrong direction last year
The report said that on departure from runway 16R the aircraft was observed by air traffic control to enter the departure flight path of the parallel runway 16L.
Following advice from air traffic control, the flight crew identified a problem with the on-board navigation systems.
However, the report said that attempts to troubleshoot and rectify the problem resulted in further degradation of the navigation system, as well as to the aircraft’s flight guidance and flight control systems.
The crew then elected to discontinue the flight but were unable to return to Sydney as the weather had deteriorated in the Sydney area and the available systems limited the flight to approaches in visual conditions.
The aircraft was instead radar vectored to Melbourne, Victoria and the flight completed in visual conditions.
The ATSB said “it found that when setting up the aircraft’s flight management and guidance system, the captain inadvertently entered the wrong longitudinal position of the aircraft. This adversely affected the on-board navigation systems however, despite a number of opportunities to identify and correct the error, it was not noticed until after the aircraft became airborne and started tracking in the wrong direction.”
The ATSB also found that the aircraft was not fitted with an upgraded flight management system that would have prevented the data entry error via either automated initialisation or automatic correction of manual errors.
SOURCEYahoo News
NEWS British Airways is recruiting new pilots for its expanding fleet of Embraer jet aircraft at London City Airport
The new recruits will join over 200 existing pilots who currently fly the fleet of 20 Embraer 170 and Embraer 190 jet aircraft based at London City Airport.
Paul Nicholls, head of flight crew, said: “As we continue to expand we are recruiting pilots to play a pivotal role in our success and we are searching for exceptional individuals to join our growing team. “We want to hear from men and women with an impressive training record and the commitment, energy and flexibility to operate in a dynamic environment with the passion to deliver excellent standards of customer service.”
The recruitment drive is being launched on September 19 with a roadshow at The Heathrow Hotel Bath Road, close to Heathrow Airport, hosted by the BA CityFlyer Pilot Management team.
NEWS British Airways offers free upgrades to First
Customers who would like to take up the offer can do so by contacting their travel agent, or calling the British Airways contact centre on 0344 493 0787.
Sara Dunham, British Airways’ head of marketing, retail and direct, said: “We always get a great reaction from customers to our upgrade to First promotions. For no additional cost, travellers receive all the extra benefits of First, from the bespoke lounges to the comfortable suites on-board and personalised service. It’s a really nice way for us to recognise our customers and give them something back as a thank-you for their booking and their loyalty.”
NEWS Passenger causes disruption to United Airlines flight forcing an emergency landing
A United Airlines flight has been forced to make an emergency landing in Nashville overnight after a passenger caused a disturbance.
United Airlines flight flight UA3550 from Houston to the Grand Rapids was diverted to Nashville after an intoxicated passenger became a hand-full for the crew on the flight.
Passenger Mohammed Nasser Aldoseri allegedly broke through an out of service lavatory door and vomited in the sink and started to speak in Arabic, after the crew noticed he was intoxicated.
When police arrived on-board the Embraer 170 aircraft, he was found passed out in his seat.
Mohammed told police he was a University Student from Texas, adding he drank eight lemon drop shooters before boarding the flight to the Grand Rapids.
Mohammed has since been charged with with disorderly conduct and public intoxication.
Do you know more? Email BrendanGrainger@outlook.com
NEWS Record passenger traffic for Dubai Airports in July
VIDEO “Smiling China” Livery – Air China Boeing 777 Landing & Takeoff
Air China’s special “Smiling China” livery landing and departing runway 24R, Montreal.
VIDEO Ryanair Inaugural Landing with Water Salute at Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport
Ryanair’s first landing at the Rzeszów-Jasionka International Airport, Poland.
Video credit to “dude8472productions” on Youtube.
ALERT London City airport still closed due to protesters
At 05:40hrs on Tuesday, 6 September, officers were alerted to a number of protesters who had made their way airside at London City Airport.
There are currently nine protestors on the runway at the airport. They have erected a tripod and have locked themselves together.
Officers are currently on scene and are negotiating with them. We are awaiting the arrival of specialist resources that are able to ‘unlock’ the protestors.
No arrests have been made at this stage.
VIDEO: Southwest Airlines – Announcement Looney Toones Style
A Southwest Flight Attendant added a welcome bit of pep to a flight to Chicago with an stunning impersonation of a dozen Looney Tunes characters.
Take a bow sir.
H/T: Joe.ie
ALERT British Airways computer problem causes delays at multiple airports
British Airways is reporting problems with its computer system as passengers at multiple airports complain of delays and long lines. “Our IT teams are working as hard as they can to quickly fix a problem with our check-in system,” the airline said in a statement. “We’re sorry for the delays some customers are experiencing as they check-in for their flights.”
NEWS Less than a month before the end of the mission, Philae probe found by Rosetta!
The images were taken on 2 September by the OSIRIS narrow-angle camera as the orbiter came within 2.7 km of the surface and clearly show the main body of the lander, along with two of its three legs.
The images also provide proof of Philae’s orientation, making it clear why establishing communications was so difficult following its landing on 12 November 2014.
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