Canada's TSB's role in the investigation of Ukrainian Airlines flight 752

                           Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) Chair Kathy Fox today provided an update on the TSB's role in the investigation of Ukrainian International Airlines flight 752 in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.

Since learning of the accident, the TSB has been in direct contact with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Given the high number of Canadian fatalities, the TSB has confirmed its role as an expert and accepted Iran's invitation to attend the accident site as entitled in Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. Two TSB air accident investigators left Canada on Friday evening and, over the weekend, met up with members of the Canadian consular team in Turkey. They have since obtained visas to travel to Iran and have departed for Tehran, along with members of Canada's Consular team. Additionally, the TSB will also deploy a second team of investigators with expertise in aircraft recorder download and analysis, once the time and place that this activity will take place is confirmed.

Nordwind Airlines Airbus badly damaged in heavy landing in Turkey

A Nordwind Airlines A321-200 registration VQ-BRS was travelling from Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on Friday to Antalya Airport suffered serious damage during a hard-landing incident. 

The crew made a stable approach, however, according to the pilot 'wind shear' caused a hard landing and the pilot then elected to do a go-around.

The aircraft, delivered to the airline in May 2017, developed issues with instrumentation and then the crew reported smoke in the cockpit.  According to a pilot report, the crew put on oxygen masks redeclared a mayday and carried out a low fly-over for air traffic controllers could ascertain any damage to the aircraft's landing gear. More technical and systems issues occurred before the crew were able to make an emergency landing on  Antalya's runway 36c.

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— ✈Gosha.Z✈ (@AshedShadow) January 10, 2020

Bumpy ride for passengers on Japan Airlines Commuter ATR42......

The end of Japan Air Commuter (JAC) flight JAC/3X3830 from Kikaijima to Amami was a rather bumpy affair when the ATR42-600 left the runway upon landing for 15 metres or so and got stuck in the mud.

The incident happened at around 1000 local time on Wednesday 8th  and there were 18 passengers and three crew on board at the time and according to reports, nobody was injured and all were able to leave the aircraft unaided. 

Why did the Ukraine International Airline's 737-800 crash in Iran?

Photo AP

There were no survivors from a Ukraine Airlines Boeing 737-800NG which crashed on Wednesday 8th January near Tehran International Airport.  

Flight PS752 took off from Tehran just after 6am local time,  it had climbed away from the airport to around 8000 feet but then flight data seems to have come to a sudden halt three minutes into the flight. Five minutes after that the aircraft came down and a scene of complete devastation greeted rescue workers and first responders at the crash site.

The flight to Kyiv was carrying 176 people on board at the time of the crash, according to Ukrainian officials, 82 of those were Iranians, 63 came from Canada, 11 people including 9 crew were Ukrainian nationals. 10 were from Sweden, 4 from Afghanistan, 3 from the UK and 3 Germans.

Yet even before the human remains of those people had been collected, speculation as to the cause of the disaster began to swirl at record speeds and in all directions with little signs of slowing down.  At first, it was believed and widely reported that the jet had been bought down by a missile fired by Iran during an attack on US-based in Iraq. These persisted for some time despite the fact that the events took place hours apart and not in the same area from where the rocket attacks were launched from. Some aviation commentators jumped on that bandwagon,  highlighting some images of parts of the fuselage showed "obvious projectile holes" indicating it was a definite "shootdown event". Yet, the very same images when enlarged seem to change those holes into rocks. Even if some holes, these can be caused by a number of things, such as an uncontained engine failure, only a forensic like examination will tell for sure. 

Iranian officials stipulated that it was a technical fault with the aircraft that caused the tragedy, an engine problem most probable.  However, these were hotly disputed by Ukrainian Airlines, saying the aircraft was one of its best,  just three years old and had its most recent maintenance check on Monday of this week. "The flight was operated on a Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft (registration UR-PSR). The aircraft was built in 2016 and delivered directly to the airline from the manufacturer. The last scheduled maintenance of the aircraft took place on 06 January 2020." read a statement by the carrier.  Ihor Sosnovsky, UIA Vice President Operations doesn't believe crew error was responsible for the disaster either, saying "Given the crew's experience, error probability is minimal. We do not even consider such a chance."

Pegasus 737 skids off Istanbul runway

A Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737-800 registration TC-CCK operating flight  PC747 from Sharjah International Airport in the United Arabic Emirates to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport has skidded off the runway whilst landing in heavy rain today.

The accident occurred at around 0800 local time after the plane had landed and came off the runway in the rainstorm, ending up on the grass beside the tarmac.  All passengers were able to disembark the aircraft via the emergency slides and according to official no-one was injured. 

Delta aircraft slides off taxiway at Austin Straubel Airport, Green Bay.

Photo WBAY Staff

            A Delta Air Lines aircraft has suffered an excursion off an icy taxiway on Saturday morning at  Austin Straubel International Airport, Green Bay, Wisconsin.

According to airport officials, DL1770 was carrying 101 passengers and was taxiing for departure when the aircraft partially left the taxiway, due to icy conditions.  The aircraft was heading to Atlanta when it left the main taxiway at around 0615 this morning.  There were no reports of any injuries to either passengers or crew during the incident and passengers were bussed back to the terminal where Delta staff were accommodating them on other flights.

An investigation is underway into the causes and if the weather, reported to be freezing drizzle at the time, played any part in the excursion.  Delta responded with the following statement, “We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay of Delta flight 1770. Our teams in Green Bay, Wis. quickly worked with airport officials to safely deplane customers onto buses to be reaccommodated on an alternate aircraft.”

Delta maintenance teams will now examine the Boeing 717-200 aircraft for any potential damage. 

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Major commercial plane crash deaths worldwide fell by more than 50% in 2019

The number of people killed in large commercial aeroplane crashes fell by more than 50% in 2019 despite a high-profile Boeing 737 MAX crash in Ethiopia in March, a Dutch consulting firm said on Wednesday, reports David Shepardson.

Aviation consulting firm To70 said there were 86 accidents involving large commercial planes - including eight fatal incidents - resulting in 257 fatalities last year. In 2018, there were 160 accidents, including 13 fatal ones, resulting in 534 deaths, the firm said.

To70 said the fatal accident rate for large aeroplanes in commercial passenger air transport was just 0.18 fatal accident per million flights in 2019, or an average one fatal accident every 5.58 million flights, a significant improvement over 2018. The fatality numbers include passengers, aircrews such as flight attendants and any people on the ground killed in a plane accident

During 2019 there were 20 fatal commercial airliner accidents, resulting in 283 fatalities.

The Aviation Safety Network has released the 2019 airliner accident statistics showing a total of 20 fatal airliner accidents, resulting in 283 fatalities.

Despite the high-profile Boeing 737 MAX accident, the year 2019 was one of the safest years ever for commercial aviation, Aviation Safety Network data show. Yet, while the number of fatalities has decreased, the number of accidents has increased to a level above the five-year average.

Over the year 2019, the Aviation Safety Network recorded a total of 20 fatal airliner accidents [1], resulting in 283 fatalities. This makes 2019 the seventh safest year ever by the number of fatal accidents and the third safest in terms of fatalities. The safest year in aviation history was 2017 with 10 accidents and 44 lives lost.

Looking at that five-year average of 14 accidents and 480 fatalities, the past year showed a markedly higher number of accidents.

Bek Air plane crashes near Almaty airport, Kazakhstan

A Fokker 100 of Bek Air has crashed just after taking off from Almaty - Kazakhstan's largest city - heading to Nur-Sultan, the nation's capital, previously named Astana earlier today.

The aircraft was carrying 95 passengers, according to the Kazakhstan Interior Ministry, along with five crew.  Whilst the cause is not yet known, it's understood the local weather conditions of thick fog and snow may have contributed to the crash.

Local media is reporting that at least 12 people have died in the crash with around 60 people being taken to hospital for treatment.  The flight is understood to have departed at 0721 local time, 0121 GMT, and according to Flightradar24 "the last signal was received in that same minute".  AlmatyAirport said the aircraft lost height at 0722 local before striking a concrete barrier and crashing into a two-storey building. There were no reports of fire upon impact,  news video from the scene can be found here.

The UK's AAIB review of additional material related to the accident involving Hawker Hunter T7 - G-BXFI completed

Hawker Hunter T7 accident near Shoreham Airport

The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch has concluded its review of additional material related to the accident involving the Hawker Hunter T7, G-BXFI, that crashed while performing an aerodynamic display at Shoreham Airport in 2015 that killed eleven and injured a further twelve, including the pilot. 

Back in June this year, the AAIB had been asked to consider additional information regarding G-Forces that may have had an impact in the crash. As part of the review, the AAIB considered further aeromedical opinion and produced more detailed estimates of acceleration experienced by the pilot in the manoeuvres preceding the accident. However, it concluded that the original findings of the AAIB investigation remain valid.

Private jet overshoots runway at Liverpool's John Lennon Airport:

Photo Merrick Mind

Dozens of flights have had to be cancelled at Liverpool's John Lennon Airport this morning after a private jet came off the runway early this morning. 

According to airport staff, there were four people on the jet when it came into land at the airport and no injuries have been reported.   The airport is closed while an investigation is underway and people due to fly from the airport in the next 24 hours are advised to call their airlines for more information. 

The runway will be closed until at least this afternoon while staff deal with the incident an airport spokesman said earlier today.

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Small plane crash leaves three dead in Brazil

Three dead after a small aircraft crash-landed onto a street in Brazil's Belo Horizonte, Brazil on Monday morning.    The single-engine aircraft, which had just taken off from Carlos Prates airport was reported to have been carrying three passengers and the pilot at the time of the crash.

Local media reported that three people had died and a further three had suffered injuries during the incident which took place some 1.5km's from the airport. From initial reports, one of the fatalities was from the aircraft, two others were on the street at the time.  It is understood the pilot survived the crash. 

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Passenger dies following Saab 2000 plane crash in Alaska.

The US National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a team of nine investigators to Unalaska-Tom Madsen Airport, following a runway overrun of a PenAir Saab 2000 which left one passenger dead.

The twenty-four and a half-year-old aircraft departed Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska, at 1515 on Thursday 17th October, bound for Unalaska Airport.  According to local reports, the flight crew made two approaches to the airport, the first was aborted and the second resulted in an overrun. 

The turboprop touched down at around 1740 local time on runway 13, but it didn't stop when it came to the end of the runway, crossed a road and slightly tumbled down a rocky sea defence on the edge of Dutch Harbour some 500 feet from the airport.  

Omni Air International 767-300 blocked Shannon Airports runway after wheel fire!

Shannon Airport was forced to close for a number of hours earlier today after an air traffic controller noticed smoke and fire coming from an  Omni Air International Boeing 767-300's landing gear shortly before it was due to depart the Irish airport.

Upon the alarm being raised, the airport's fire service raced to the aircraft and extinguished the fire on the main landing gear.  All passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft via emergency slides, while it remained on the runway and were taken back to the airport's terminal.

There were no injuries reported and after the aircraft was made safe and examined it was moved off the runway and Shannon Airport reopened shortly after 11am this morning.  The Air Accident Investigation Unit confirmed that: "An AAIU go-team are responding to an occurrence at Shannon Airport, involving a Boeing 767 aircraft which was evacuated on the runway following a reported fire in a main-wheel well. Following consultation with the Shannon Airport Authority, the AAIU has given permission for the aircraft to be removed from the runway."

Ural Airlines Airbus A321 crash lands in a field following multiple bird strike

Picture TK Moskva 24

A Ural Airlines Airbus A321 has made an emergency landing in a cornfield near Moscow after flying into a flock of birds, suffering multiple bird strikes in its engines. 

According to local news sources, some twenty-three people have been injured in the crash landing and are described as being  "in serious or fair condition". The local health authority says that five children are included in those taken to hospital.

The jet was carrying 233 passengers and crew onboard operating a flight from Moscow to Simferopol in Crimea when the incident took place.  The Russian Air Transport Agency,  Rosaviatsia said the plane landed in a cornfield about a kilometre (0.62 miles) from the runway at Zhukovsky International Airport, with its engines off and landing gear retracted.

A passenger on the flight told local state-run media how the aircraft started to shake not long after takeoff, "Five seconds later, the lights on the right side of the plane started flashing and there was a smell of burning. Then we landed and everyone ran away,".

Pilot error blamed for Saratov Airlines An148 Crash

Russian investigators have published the final report on the February 2018 Saratov Airlines Antonov AN148 crash near Moscow, killing all sixty-five passengers and six crew onboard.

The investigators have said the pilots of the doomed aircraft forgot to switch on the heaters for the airspeed probes and this lead to excessive icing to the probe after taking off and during the initial climb. This, in turn, meant that probe wasn't working properly, giving the flight deck crew wrong airspeed readings, lower than the actual speed the aircraft was going. To increase the speed, the pilots initiated an urgent descent and because the visibility was low, the aircraft crashed into the ground in a steep dive.

US F16 crashes into warehouse

Photo KABC-TV

An investigation is underway in California into why a military F16 fighter jet crashed through the roof of a warehouse at March Air Reserve Base in Moreno Valley, California, on Thursday 16th May.

The pilot escaped disaster by ejecting from the aircraft and was sent to a local medical centre for evaluation, however, local media reported that 3 people on the ground suffered minor injuries, while 11 were evaluated.

CBS Los Angeles reported the jet fighter caught fire in the warehouse, but the fire was quickly extinguished by the building's sprinkler system. 

The US Air Force said the aircraft was from the 114th Fighter Wing based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and was conducting a training mission when the crash happened.  For a short time, the nearby  215 Freeway was closed following the crash in case of an explosion from the weapons the jet was carrying at the time.

Photo KABC-TV

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TUI 787-9 Dreamliner Gatwick landing drama report issued.

Photo paineairport.com

The UK's Air Accident Investigation Branch detailed an incident involving a TUI Boeing 787 Dreamliner at London Gatwick Airport on 6 July 2018 at 1711 in its May bulletin.

The aircraft, registration G-TUIM, a 787-9 was operating a flight from the holiday island of Tenefire back to the UK and was on approach to Runway 26L at London Gatwick Airport and the crew was configuring the aircraft for landing. After flaps 1 was selected, there was a progressive deterioration in the normal flight controls, landing gear lowering and nosewheel steering capabilities.  Initially, the slats primary fail and flaps primary fail on the Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System - EICAS - messages were displayed. There was difficulty in lowering the nose landing gear, indicating nose wheel steering fault.  

A non-flexible cable tie lead to a nose gear up landing for a FlyBe Bombardier Q400

Photo AAIB

The UK's Air Accident Investigation Branch has issued its final report into an incident involving a FlyBe    Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop at Belfast International Airport.

The aircraft, registration G-JEDU made an emergency landing during a commercial passenger flight on 10 November 2017.  The aircraft was travelling from Belfast City to Inverness when cockpit indications showed that the nose landing gear doors had not closed after landing gear retraction. The crew diverted to Belfast International and carried out all relevant procedures but were unable to lower the landing gear. The aircraft landed with the nose landing gear up. There was an emergency evacuation and two of the 53 passengers sustained minor injuries.

Deadly seaplane crash in Alaska

Photo Taquan Air

Investigators from the US National Transportation Safety Board - NTSB in Washington DC are flying out to Ketchikan, Alaska to the site of a mid-air collision involving to seaplanes on Monday afternoon.

The full details are still being established, however, it seems that an aircraft - understood to be a  de Havilland DHC-3 Otter operated by Taquan Air was returning from the Misty Fjords with ten passengers and a pilot aboard at around 1300 local time. It was approximately 10 miles from Ketchikan and was carrying people from the Royal Princess cruise ship which was en route from the Vancouver in Canada to Anchorage. It then collided in the air with a second aircraft, a single-engine de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver which, according to local media was on an independent tour - again with 4 passengers from the cruise ship and the pilot.  The weather at the time is said to have been overcast with a southeasterly wind of no more than 9 miles an hour.