American Airlines (AA) pilots angrily confronted a Boeing official about an anti-stall system suspected in two fatal crashes of the manufacturer’s 737 Max aircraft, according to a new recording.
Related: Boeing boss rejects accusations about 737 Max jets that crashed
Continue reading...A plane in Myanmar with 89 people onboard landed on the runway without its front wheels. The pilot has been praised for saving the day after the landing gear failed to launch. The touchdown – in which no one was hurt – was the second instance of a malfunctioning flight in the country in less than a week
Continue reading...Pilot praised after touching down successfully at Mandalay despite failure of landing gear
A Myanmar pilot saved the day after his aircraft’s landing gear failed, safely putting the jet on the runway with no front wheels on Sunday, an official said.
The touchdown – in which no one was hurt – was the second instance of a malfunctioning flight in Myanmar in less than a week.
Continue reading...Police called after flight delayed following refusal of woman to watch safety video and read card in exit row seat
A woman who refused to watch the regulation air safety video or read the safety instructions card handed to her by flight attendants has reportedly been removed from an Air New Zealand flight in Wellington.
The woman, described by other passengers as “wealthy-looking”, was sitting in the exit row but ignored attendants’ attempts to get her to listen to the safety instructions for flight NZ424 to Auckland on Tuesday.
Continue reading...Boeing 737 was landing at a naval airport when it ended up in the St Johns river but 143 passengers and crew survive
All 143 passengers and crew have escaped after a Boeing 737 plane skidded off a runway and landed in a river during a “terrifying” attempted landing at an airport in Jacksonville, Florida.
The military-chartered Miami Air international plane was trying to land in a thunderstorm at the naval air station in Jacksonville en route from Guántanamo Bay in Cuba at around 9.40pm local time when it slid off the runway into the St Johns river, a statement from the navy airport said.
Continue reading...Boeing says it’s abandoned its 2019 financial outlook and halted share buybacks in mid-March as it deals with the crisis
The global grounding of Boeing’s 737 Max jets will cost the company more than $1bn, the company said on Wednesday.
The jets were grounded after two fatal crashes that killed 346 people and have triggered investigations into the accidents across the world and left Boeing with one of the biggest crises in its history.
Continue reading...Investigators say pilots were unable to prevent plane’s nose from pointing down
The pilots of the Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max that crashed last month killing 157 people correctly followed Boeing’s emergency instructions but were still unable to stop the plane’s nose repeatedly pointing down, investigators said.
In the final seconds before the crash, pilots tried desperately to right the plane by switching its anti-stall software on and off but to no avail. The jet hit an airspeed of 500 knots (575mph), well above its operational limits, before cockpit data recordings stopped.
Continue reading...Reports of high-level briefing with US regulators come as lawsuit is filed against Boeing
Investigators believe Boeing’s controversial anti-stall system on its 737 Max aircraft was activated before Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 crashed, killing all 157 people onboard, according to reports of a high-level safety briefing with US regulators.
The apparent findings, reported in the Wall Street Journal, would be the strongest indication yet that the same software problem could have contributed to the crash and that of Lion Air flight 610, which killed 189 people in Indonesia in October.
Continue reading...Company blames loss of passenger trust after Ethiopia Airlines and Lion Air disasters involving the aircraft
Indonesia’s national carrier Garuda has cancelled a multibillion-dollar order for 49 Boeing 737 Max 8 jets after two fatal crashes involving the plane, the company said, blaming passengers’ loss of trust in the aircraft.
In what is thought to be the first formal cancellation for the model, Garuda spokesman Ikhsan Rosan said: “We have sent a letter to Boeing requesting that the order be cancelled.
Continue reading...Within three minutes of takeoff, Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 had accelerated to unusually high speeds. Captain Yared Getachew knew something was wrong as the aircraft, a Boeing 737 Max 8, erratically dipped and climbed by hundreds of feet. He radioed air traffic control, requesting a return to Addis Ababa airport.
He was cleared to return and the aircraft began to turn right, climbing even higher. A minute later, flight 302 disappeared from the radar.
Continue reading...US politicians say ban will last through April, as data from Ethiopian Airlines flight arrives in France
Boeing’s 737 Max 8 and 9 planes will remain grounded for weeks at a minimum, US politicians said on Thursday, as flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the crashed Ethiopian Airlines plane arrived in France.
After a briefing with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), congressman Rick Larsen said the planes, which have been involved in two fatal crashes in the last five months, would be banned from flying “at least through April” while new software is installed and investigations continue.
Continue reading...Disaster marks second crash for Boeing 737 Max 8 in four months, with passengers from 35 different countries
An Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed on Sunday near Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board. Here’s what we know about the crash.
Continue reading...Federal Aviation Administration increasingly isolated in maintaining plane is safe as EU countries halt flights
Boeing and the US aviation authorities have come under increasing pressure to ground the 737 Max despite repeated reassurances as the European Union and numerous other countries halted flights and Donald Trump weighed in following a second fatal crash involving the plane in less than five months.
US regulators, airlines and the manufacturer have become increasingly isolated in maintaining that the plane is safe.
Continue reading...A search and rescue operation is in progress after the Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 302 crashed, killing 149 passengers and eight crew members. The plane was on its way to Nairobi from Addis Ababa when it crashed six minutes after takeoff early on Sunday. The cause has not yet been determined
Continue reading...Confidence that a newer plane inevitably means a safer plane in danger of being shaken
The crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi is a tragedy that threatens to leave fresh questions hanging over the aircraft manufacturer Boeing.
Few details about the crash are yet available, but according to Ethiopian Airlines the pilot, who was experienced with an excellent flying record, reported difficulties and asked to turn back.
Continue reading...Alicante airport is likely to be worst affected, says consumer group Which?
British tourists to Spain could face airport queues of five hours or more after a no-deal Brexit, according to analysis by Which?, and the consumer group suggests travellers should take food, water and even nappies to survive prolonged delays.
Alicante airport, which serves Benidorm and other Costa Blanca resorts, is likely to be the worst-affected airport, and Which? said visitors to Tenerife, Lanzarote and Málaga were also facing “life in the slow lane”.
Continue reading...Hong Kong-based carrier says it will honour tickets after second error in a fortnight
Cathay Pacific has accidentally given passengers first-class airline tickets at economy prices – for the second time in a fortnight.
The Hong Kong-based carrier sold first-class tickets from Portugal to Hong Kong, which normally cost about £12,500, for only £1,175 because of an error on its website.
Continue reading...Airline says it will honour huge accidental discounts on business and first-class fares
It was the New Year’s Eve travel sale that appeared to be too good to be true: business and first-class flights on Cathay Pacific from Vietnam to New York for $675 (£534), rather than the standard $16,000.
It turned out to be a ticketing error, but the airline promised to honour the sale. “Happy 2019 all, and to those who bought our good – VERY good surprise ‘special’ on New Year’s Day,” the Hong Kong-based carrier tweeted on Wednesday. “Yes – we made a mistake, but we look forward to welcoming you onboard with your ticket issued. Hope this will make your 2019 ‘special’ too!”
Continue reading...Analysis shows that 500 people died in major accidents last year compared with none in 2017
The number of people killed in plane crashes jumped sharply in 2018, according to new analysis.
There were more than 500 deaths stemming from passenger airline crashes in 2018, according to Dutch aviation consulting firm To70 and the Aviation Safety Network, but both groups emphasised that fatal crashes remain rare.
Continue reading...