A passenger is dead and several others are injured after a Singapore Airlines flight hit severe turbulence on Tuesday.
Flight SQ321 had been en route to Singapore from London when the incident occurred. The Boeing 777-300ER diverted to Bangkok for an emergency landing.
The flight dropped 7,000 feet in 6 minutes.
“Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased,” said the airline in a statement. “Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft. We are working with the local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary medical assistance, and sending a team to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance needed,” the airline said.
The aircraft had a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board.
NTSB Report: Alaska 737-9 Door Plug Bolts Left Behind At Boeing
Bolts needed to secure the exit door plug that ripped off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 in January were removed on the Boeing factory floor as part of an unrelated pre-delivery repair and never re-installed, a preliminary NTSB report on the accident suggests.
Credit: NTSB
Analysis by investigators revealed that damage to the mid-exit door (MED) plug and related hardware “indicate that the four bolts that prevent upward movement of the MED plug were missing before the MED plug moved upward off the stop pads,” the report said. This means the bolts did not break during the Jan. 5 flight that included a rapid decompression and required an emergency landing.
More digging determined the MED, which stays bolted in place except during maintenance or non-routine repairs, was not opened from the airplane’s Oct. 31, 2023, delivery to Alaska and the accident flight. This period includes time spent at AAR Corp’s Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, facility where a Wi-Fi antenna was installed.
“The manufacturing/human performance group has done a complete records review from the time the event airplane left the Boeing factory to the time of the accident and found no evidence that the left MED plug was opened after leaving Boeing’s facility,” the NTSB said.
Investigators are focusing on a repair done on Boeing’s factory floor as the period when the bolts were forgotten.
Fuselage and door plug manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems shipped the affected fuselage with several damaged rivets just in front of the left side MED plug that blew out, the NTSB found. The fuselage arrived at Boeing’s Renton, Washington, 737 production facility on Aug. 31. A day later, Boeing flagged the rivet problem and ordered it repaired.
Spirit workers assigned to the 737 factory completed the work on Sept. 19, the NTSB said. But the bolts were apparently never replaced, setting the stage for the Alaska accident.
A Boeing-supplied photo taken before the work started shows the retaining bolts in place. Photos pulled from communications between Boeing “team members” sent just after the rivet fixes were done and included in NTSB’s report show a photo of the plug in the closed position without the bolts.
Investigators don’t know exactly what happened in between or in the weeks leading up to the aircraft’s delivery.
“The investigation continues to determine what manufacturing documents were used to authorize the opening and closing of the left MED plug during the rivet rework,” the NTSB wrote.
The NTSB preliminary report does not analyze the investigators’ findings. It is not clear whether Boeing or Spirit personnel were ultimately responsible for putting the bolts back.
Boeing’s quality assurance process and its FAA-approved safety management system (SMS)—effective enough to detect the original rivet non-conformances—did not flag the missing bolts.
“Whatever final conclusions are reached, Boeing is accountable for what happened,” company CEO Dave Calhoun said in a statement. “An event like this must not happen on an airplane that leaves our factory.”
Investigators are still gathering facts that will help them understand what happened.
“Interviews of Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems’ personnel will be scheduled at a future date,” the NTSB said. “The group will also be looking at Boeing’s SMS and Spirit AeroSystems’ ongoing development of its voluntary SMS program. The group will also assess the FAA’s involvement in the manufacturers’ development of their respective SMS programs and the level of oversight applied to each.”
Fallout from the accident and related quality problems at Boeing and Spirit have both companies under intense scrutiny. The FAA has sent a team to Renton to inspect aircraft and records as part of a wave of new surveillanceand review of 737 MAX production. It also is limiting deliveries of newly built 737s to 38 per month as part of voluntary production-rate freeze.
Boeing has added internal inspections as well as more oversight in Spirit’s Wichita factory as it struggles to get its arms around chronic issues within its walls and those of its most important supplier.
A passenger boarded a Boeing 777, then opened a door and fell out of the plane
An Air Canada passenger boarded a Boeing 777 and then opened a cabin door, Global News reported.
The person fell onto the tarmac below, and emergency services were called.
The incident delayed the flight’s departure to Dubai by about six hours.
An Air Canada Boeing 777. Robert Smith/Getty Images
An Air Canada passenger opened an aircraft door and fell about 20 feet to the ground, Global News first reported.
An airline representative told Business Insider the incident involved a Boeing 777 at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
The spokesperson said the passenger “boarded the aircraft normally” but then opened a cabin door instead of going to their seat.
The representative added that the person sustained injuries from the fall and emergency services were called.
Data from Flightradar24, a flight-tracking site, shows Monday’s flight from Toronto to Dubai took off almost six hours late. It was scheduled to have 319 passengers on board.
An airline representative said: “We can confirm all of our approved boarding and cabin operating procedures were followed; we continue to review the incident.”
It’s the second time in less than a week that a passenger’s unusual behavior has delayed one of the airline’s flights.
A passenger aboard a South Korean flight opened an emergency door moments before the plane landed — sparking caught-on-video chaos and panic among the 194 passengers in the wind-swept cabin.
The Asiana Airlines Airbus A321 was about to land in Daegu after a flight from the southern island of Jeju on Friday when the passenger pulled the emergency exit handle at an altitude of about 700 feet, officials said.
Some of the other passengers tried to prevent the person from reaching the door but it partially opened, sending air whipping throughout the cabin as terrified fliers gripped their armrests.
Among the 194 passengers onboard were several teenage athletes who were on their way to a weekend sporting event in Ulsan.
At least a dozen people suffered minor injuries in the harrowing incident before the plane landed safely, according to the Transportation Ministry.
Several showed symptoms of breathing difficulty and were taken to a local hospital, Yonhap reported.
“It was chaos with people close to the door appearing to faint one by one and flight attendants calling out for doctors on board through broadcasting,” a passenger told the local news outlet.
“I thought the plane was blowing up. I thought I was going to die like this,” the 44-year-old added.
One teen’s mother told the news outlet: “Children quivered and cried in panic. Those sitting near the exit must have been shocked the most.”
The suspect, identified only as a man in his 30s, was arrested at Daegu International Airport and confessed to opening the door, but would not say why he did it, CNN reported.
Witnesses told local media that the unhinged passenger also tried to jump out of the plane.
“It is difficult to have a normal conversation with him,” an official said, according to the BBC. “We will investigate the motive of the crime and punish him.”
Geoffrey Thomas, an aviation expert with Airline Ratings, described the incident as “very bizarre.”
“Technically, it’s not possible to open those doors in flight,” he told CNN.
He said winds of about 170 mph would have been passing the plane when the door was opened.
“It seems implausible that the door could be opened in the first place and then against the airstream technically impossible, but somehow or another it has happened,” Thomas added.
The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry said an aviation safety official would check whether there was an abnormality in the plane’s maintenance, CNN reported.
Two ATC officers grounded after Air India and Nepal Airlines near mid-air collision
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has indefinitely suspended two air traffic controllers of Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) who were involved in a recent incident that could have ended in a two-plane mid-air collision at a holding zone over Simara in Nepal.
According to flight history found on Flightradar24.com, on March 24, 2023, the Nepal Airlines Airbus A320-200 aircraft, registered 9N-AKW, was operating the scheduled passenger flight RA416 between Kuala Lumpur (KUL) in Malaysia and Kathmandu (KTM) in Nepal. Meanwhile, the Air India Airbus A319-100 plane registered VT-SCG, was arriving in Kathmandu (KTM) from Delhi (DEL) in India on scheduled flight AI213.
As it was reported by The Economic Times, the air traffic conflict incident happened when the Air India plane descended to an altitude of 3,700 feet from 19,000 feet. At the same time, it was being held up over Simara in the south-eastern region of Nepal.
Meanwhile, the Nepal Airlines jet was flying to the same destination at an altitude of 15,000 feet and had to retract the altitude after the Air India plane descended.
Fortunately, the warning systems of both aircraft prevented the tragedy.
In response to the incident, the CAAN decided to suspend two air traffic control officers who were on duty.
“Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) of Tribhuvan International Airport involved in traffic conflict incident (between Air India and Nepal Airlines on 24th March 2023) have been removed from active control position until further notice,” the CAAN announced on March 26, 2023.
Along with the ATC officers, the CAAN also temporarily banned the flight crew of Air India aircraft who were involved in the event, The Print reported.
Korean Air says jet overran runway in Philippines, no injuries reported
A Korean Air Lines Co Ltd (003490.KS) jet with 173 people on board overshot the runway at Cebu International Airport in the Philippines late on Sunday, the airline said, adding that there were no injuries and all passengers had evacuated safely.
The Airbus SE (AIR.PA) A330 widebody flying from Seoul to Cebu had tried twice to land in poor weather before it overran the runway on the third attempt at 23:07 (1507 GMT), Korean Air said in a statement on Monday.
“Passengers have been escorted to three local hotels and an alternative flight is being arranged,” the airline said of flight KE361. “We are currently identifying the cause of the incident.”
Video from the scene verified by Reuters showed widespread damage to the plane. The nose landing gear appeared to have collapsed.
Korean Air President Keehong Woo issued an apology on the airline’s website, saying a thorough investigation would be carried out by Philippine and South Korean authorities to determine the cause.
Response crews gather around a Korean Air Airbus A330 widebody flying from Seoul to Cebu, which tried to land twice in poor weather before it overran the runway on the third attempt on Sunday, in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, Philippines October 24, 2022 in this picture obtained from social media. Randyl Dungog/via REUTERS
“We remain committed to standing behind our promise of safe operations and will do our very best to institute measures to prevent its recurrence,” Woo said.
The A330-300 jet involved in the accident was delivered new to Korean Air in 1998, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, which said that other flights to Cebu had diverted to other airports or returned to their origin.
The Cebu airport said on its Facebook page that it had temporarily closed the runway to allow for the removal of the plane, meaning all domestic and international flights were cancelled until further notice.
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Korean Air has not had a fatal passenger crash since 1997, according to Aviation Safety Network, a website that compiles aviation accidents.
The airline had a poor safety record at that time but sought outside help from Boeing Co (BA.N) and Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N) to improve its standards.
INCIDENT Two French fighter jets were scrambled over France after a A330’s captain apparently fell asleep
Two fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the plane and urgent messages sent between Paris and Rome when the captain failed to respond for 10 minutes.
A pilot triggered a terrorist alert over French airspace after falling asleep in the cockpit of a passenger jet for 10 minutes, it has emerged.
The co-pilot was also sleeping, but was taking an authorised nap within the context of a “controlled rest” period. The captain of the jet was the only one at fault, having fallen asleep accidentally during this time.
The Italian pilot and co-pilot were flying an ITA Airways Airbus A330 flight from New York to Rome on April 30 when the incident occurred, leading the plane to remain silent for 10 minutes while flying over French airspace.
This sparked concern with the French authorities, who warned Italian authorities that the Airbus A330 could be hostage to terrorist hijackers.
French authorities scrambled two fighter jets to intercept the Airbus A330 and check that it was not subject to a hostage situation.
Italian authorities then contacted ITA Airways’ central command centre, which also tried to contact the pilots, firstly through a satellite phone and then through ACARS messages. After 10 minutes, the communication finally got through.
ITA Airways has reported that both the captain and the co-pilot were both asleep for a short time, although only the captain fell asleep accidentally.
The captain has now been fired for committing “a grave error”. He denies having fallen asleep and instead said that the silence was due to problems with the communication system.
Davide D’Amico, ITA Airways spokesperson, said that the plane’s passengers were never in danger at any point as the plane’s automatic pilot system was in place. The plane never diverted from its planned flight route during the entire incident.
Pilots of Air France #AF11 reported their Boeing 777 didn’t react to commands on final approach to Paris CDG
Pilots of AF11 had a serious issue with commands on final approach to Paris.
The crew of AF11 from New York JFK to Paris CDG had to deal a serious issue at very low altitude this morning Tuesday 5 March 2022.
UPDATE The BEA opens a safety investigation regarding Air France #AF11 Boeing 777-300 incident yesterday, CVR and FDR data are currently analyzed.
The Boeing 777 (reg. F-GSQJ) was on approach to runway 26L when the crew reported an issue.
The plane didn’t respond to the commands and started to deviate to its left. Pilots could not talk to the ATC as they were dealing with the issue. We can hear them fighting with the commands in the following video.
They finally managed to go around at only 1,200 ft then hold 4,000ft and returned to Paris CDG for a safe landing on runway 27R.
Thousands of Russians scramble to leave Thailand as sanctions hit
More than 5,000 Russian tourists have found themselves stranded in Thailand, as international sanctions following the war in Ukraine hit worried holidaymakers.
Thousands of Russian tourists in Thailand are struggling to find a route home, officials said Sunday, as international sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine hit holidaymakers.
Russia’s invasion in February provoked a host of international measures targeting businesses and banks, with some Russian carriers cancelling flights and global payment firms suspending services.
Russians tourists have been among the largest group of visitors to return to Thailand’s beachside resorts since pandemic restrictions eased, but many now find themselves without a return ticket.
Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, the deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said 3,100 Russians were stuck in Phuket, while just over 2,000 were in Samui, and smaller numbers were in Krabi, Phangnga and Bangkok.
The agency was working on helping those who wanted to return home, he said, including “discussion on return flights which could be regular or special flights”.
Russian tourist and mother-of-three Evgenia Gozorskaia said her family discovered their return Aeroflot tickets had been cancelled.
“We are very nervous because the children are very small, we don’t have enough money to live here,” said the 41-year-old psychologist who arrived from Moscow with her husband and children — aged seven, four and two — on Feb 27.
“We want to go tomorrow to the airport, but I don’t know what the situation will be,” she said from Phuket, adding that they were supposed to fly home March 28.
She said while some people had their tickets replaced others — including her family — had not been so lucky.
“They say that they cannot do it and put the phone off,” she said.
While Thailand has not banned Russian flights, international airspace restrictions have seen some firms — such as Russia’s flagship Aeroflot — cancelling services, leaving tourists to seek alternative routes, such as through the Middle East with different carriers.
Many tourists have also been hit by Visa and Mastercard suspending operations.
“We have seen instances of difficulty in card payments by Russians in Phuket due to how Mastercard and Visa have suspended services in Russia,” said Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, president of the Phuket Tourist Association.
He said officials were considering adopting the Mir system — a Russian electronic fund transfer structure — as well as digital currencies.
Local communities across Thailand were also stepping in.
“We will pay for water, electric, everything for them,” said Archimandrite Oleg, representative of the Orthodox Church in Thailand, who said they were helping at least one family with four children stranded in Koh Samui.
Pandemic travel curbs have hammered the kingdom’s tourism-dominated economy, but 2022 saw a surge of visitors as restrictions eased.
Around 23,000 Russians travelled to Thailand in January this year, according to the TAT.
Tourists from Russia previously accounted for the seventh-largest share of visitors to the kingdom, with around 1.5 million travelling to Thailand in 2019.
While Bangkok has backed a United Nations resolution calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, it has stopped short of imposing sanctions.
Incident: TAAG B737 at Maputo on Feb 9th 2022, rejected takeoff due to bee in pitot tube
A TAAG Angola Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration D2-TBJ performing flight DT-582 from Maputo (Mozambique) to Luanda (Angola), was accelerating for takeoff from Maputo’s runway 05 when the crew rejected takeoff at about 80 KIAS due to an airspeed disagree between captain’s and first officer’s instruments. The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron.
The airline reported a bee was found in one of the pitot tubes forcing the crew to reject takeoff. The passengers disembarked and were taken to a hotel. The aircraft was handed to maintenance to return it into an airworthy condition and was returned to service.
The aircraft departed again the following day after about 28 hours on the ground and reached Luanda with a delay of 28:15 hours.
A pitot tube, also known as pitot probe, is a flow measurement device used to measure fluid flow velocity.
