Alaskan Airlines announced that 16.5 million passengers annually have been getting prayer cards from Alaskan airlines, but as of this february, the tradition will be no more. They are pulling the plug due to mixed reviews. The cards came delivered with on board meals.

The cards were an annoyance to some, a benefit to others, but from now on, they will be history. Whether or not passengers believe the cards were inappropriate, they will have to do without the quotes from the Book of Psalms unless they bring their own.

What: Cessna 210E Centurion
Where: near Spruce Creek Airport, Daytona Beach
When: Jan 25, 2012
Who: pilot
Why: Just after taking off from Spruce Creek Airport on a test-flight to check his rebuilt engine, the rebuilt engine of pilot James Clarry’s Cessna quit. Eight minutes after takeoff, the plane nosedived and flipped near Port Orange at North Spruce Creek Circle and Tomoka Farms Road.

Clarry came out of it with minor injuries. No one else was aboard.

Volusa emergency services responded to the scene of the accident.

Clarry landed in the woods.

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 7130U Make/Model: C210 Description: 210, T210, (Turbo)Centurion
Date: 01/25/2012 Time: 2040
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: None Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: PORT ORANGE State: FL Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, PORT ORANGE, FL
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0
WEATHER: VFR
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: ORLANDO, FL (SO15) Entry date: 01/26/2012

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Contact photographer Steffen Conzelmann

What: SAS Scandinavian Airlines Canadair CRJ-900 en route from Vilnius (Lithuania) to Copenhagen
Where: Vilnius
When: Jan 25th 2012
Why: On takeoff, the pilot and copilot had airspeed indications which did not agree.

The pilots rejected takeoff.

Some time after the flight was cancelled, the plane was ferried to Copenhagen for repair.

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Contact photographer Pieter-Jan Van De Vijver

What: Etihad Airlines Airbus A330-200 en route from Kathmandu (Nepal) to Abu Dhabi
Where: Kathmandu
When: Jan 17th 2012 9:15 pm
Who: 168 aboard
Why: While taking off from Kathmandu, the engine developed problems. THe crew shut it down and returned within minutes to land at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.

Another source says the flight circled for an hour to burn fuel to lighten the landing.

Passengers were provided accommodations. Etihad engineers from Abu Dhabi arrived to handle the problem on January 21.

What: Yakovlev Yak-52TW
Where: Feilding, New Zealand
When: Jan 23 2012 10:45 a.m.
Who: 2 fatalities
Why: A plane left Taonui Aerodrome and twenty-five minutes later was engaging in acrobatics,when it flew upside down, made a loop and then crash dived on to the grounds of the Timona Recreational Reserve.

The plane shattered into a mangled mess in the Timona Park area park area. Witnesses heard a single crash. Disaster Victim Identification team is investigating.

The two men in the crash are well known, Dr Ralph Saxe, of Palmerston North, and Dr Brett Ireland, of Queensland. Dr Saxe co-owned the plane that crashed.

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Contact photographer Jens Breuer

What: Jetblue Embraer ERJ-190 en route from Westchester County,NY to Orlando,FL
Where: Orlando
When: Jan 24th 2012
Who: 1 injury
Why: The flight encountered turbulence which injured a flight attendant. On approach to Orlando, ATC was informed of the injured crew member.

On landing, the attendant was met by rescue services. The extent of injury was not released.

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Contact photographer Erik RostovSpotter

What: Donavia Boeing 737-400 en route from Rostov to Moscow Vnukovo
Where: Rostov
When: Jan 23rd 2012 2:00 pm
Who: 70 passengers, 8 crew
Why: After takeoff, the flight developed pressure problems. An alarm went off on board; the crew had to return to Rostov where they made a safe landing.

Some passengers passed out and others experienced bloody noses and ears from the pressure.

The oxygen masks were not working, although they were released.
The cause of the pressure issues has not been determined and the details have not been made public.

The flight made a safe landing at Rostov on Don at 3:15 p.m. A replacement jet was provided for the passengers.

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Contact photographer Rodolfo García López

What: Thomson Airways Boeing 767-300 en route from Bridgetown to London
Where: Atlantic
When: Jan 19th 2012
Who: 1 injury
Why: Thirty minutes into the flight, a flight attendant incurred facial injuries from steam in the galley.

The flight diverted to Bermuda where they made a safe landing. It took an hour to get underway again, after the injured attendant was taken to the hospital.

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Contact photographer Terry Wade

What: American Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Recife, Brazil to Miami,FL
Where: Brazil
When: Jan 22nd 2012
Who: 136 passengers, 9 crew
Why: A couple of hours into the flight, the crew ran into some turbulence.

It was severe turbulence that according to passengers “felt like the floor fell out from under,” and which knocked around a couple of flight attendants. A number of unseat-belted people hit the ceiling, including a flight attendant who actually knocked a hole in the ceiling before her trolley landed on her. (I presume she’s one of the five who went to the hospital.) Those trolleys look heavy.

The extent of injuries was not released, but it was apparently not severe enough that they had to scramble to divert to somewhere in the Brazilian bush.

One of the passengers happened to be an ER doctor, and he administered first aid. A number of the uninjured were said to be hysterical.

Miami-Dade Fire Department and Airport Fire and Rescue were on the scene. In Miami, five flight attendants went straight into ambulances and one was treated at the airport.

National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594

Throughout the 2011 calendar year, the NationalTransportation Safety Board has been conducting a study ofExperimental Amateur-Built (E-AB) aircraft to evaluate thesafety of this growing and innovative segment of general aviation. In addition to using the information gathered during its accident investigations, the NTSB has been working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and individual owners and builders to evaluate a range of issues unique to this popular segment of general aviation.

“The cooperation we have received from EAA and the E-AB community has been tremendous,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P Hersman. “Through this study, we hope that we’ll be ableto give the innovators and aviators in the community
information about accidents that will result in a real and immediate safety payoff for them when they are flying these aircraft.”

As part of the study, NTSB investigators have conducted in-depth investigations of 222 E-AB aircraft accidents that occurred during 2011. Fifty-four of these accidents resulted in 67 fatalities. Most of these accidents (93%) involved
amateur-built airplanes, the remaining accidents involved gyroplanes (4%), helicopters (2%), and gliders (1%). These accidents occurred in 44 states, with California (18 accidents), Texas (16 accidents), and Florida (14 accidents)
accounting for the most. More than half (53%) of the E-AB accidents investigated in 2011 involved E-AB aircraft that were bought used, as opposed to having been built by the current owner.

The EAA has supported the study by conducting a web-based survey of E-AB owners and builders. More than 5,000 E-AB owners and builders responded to EAA’s survey, and 4,923 of these responses were sufficiently complete to use in
analyses. Most respondents (97%) described E-AB airplanes, while gliders, gyrocopters, and helicopters were each described by slightly less than 1% of the respondents. Sixty-three percent of respondents had already built their
E-AB aircraft, 13% were currently building their E-AB aircraft, and nearly 24% had bought used E-AB aircraft. More than 340 distinct makes of amateur-built aircraft were reported, although kit manufacturers accounted for more than 55% of the reported aircraft.

“The NTSB is extremely pleased with the number of respondents who participated in the survey,” said Dr. Joseph Kolly, Director of the Office of Research and Engineering. “The survey data provides us with quantifiable, factual
information that enriches our understanding of how E-AB aircraft are built and operated.”

The safety study is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2012.

What: Cessna 177 Cardinal en route from Chicago to Madison Municipal Airport
Where: S of County Road 600, near Dupont Indiana
When: Jan 21, 2012 8:41 p.m
Who: 2 fatalities
Why: 55 year old Gregory L. Wehr and 55 year old Candace S. Wehr of Versailles, were flying from Chicago, when their Cessna crashed in a Jennings County field.

A witness saw a big ball of fire fall straight down and explode.

The NTSB is investigating.

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Contact photographer André Dias de Albuquerque

What: Delta Airlines/Pinnacle Airlines Canadair CRJ-440 en route from New York JFK,NY to Lewisburg,WV
Where: New York
When: Jan 21st 2012, 3:00 pm
Who: 4 passengers and 3 crew
Why: On takeoff from JFK, the cockpit developed smoke.

Pilots put on their oxygen masks and reported smoke in the cockpit. ATC had to negotiate the flight’s return with other flights coming and going, but managed to get them back on the ground about twelve minutes after takeoff.

By the time maintenance examined the plane, smoke had dispersed. The smoke is being attributed to fluid burn-off.

Passengers were provided alternative transportation.

This week an article in Business Week discussed cost-cutting measures that might be taken by Pinnacle after a 12% decline following the 2009 Colgan Air crash and a $1.89 million fine from the FAA over unfinished flight attendant training.

What: United Airlines Boeing 737-800 en route from Sacramento to Houston
Where: Sacramento
When: January 21, 2012 6:00 a.m.
Who: 0 injuries
Why: On takeoff, the plane suffered a bird strike which damaged an engine. The plane landed, and passengers disembarked. Passengers were provided alternatives, but the United Airlines Boeing is out of commission until repairs can be made.

What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-500 en route from Baltimore,MD to Newark,NJ
Where: Baltimore
When: Jan 21st 2012
Why: At 10,000 feet, the flight developed pressurization problems.

Pilots returned to Baltimore over ATC’s suggestion that they continue. They made a safe landing.

What: UTair Boeing 757 en route from Bangkok to Novosibirsk
Where: en route
Who: 1 fatality
Why: While en route, one of the crew became ill, and the pilot intended to land in Chengdu. However, three things occurred: reserve pilot Sergei Golev, 44, had a heart attack. A cardiologist who was a passenger tried to revive him. Golev died before landing in Chendu. The pilot continued on to Novosibirsk.

Golev was the reserve pilot aboard in case the pilot or first officer became ill.

On the Jan 20th, a UTAir AN26 diverted to Novosibirsk (Noyabrsk) with engine trouble.

In George’s Point of View
Of course I wasn’t there on the flight where Sergei Golev died so I don’t have first hand detail; but it does seem to me the protocol would (or should) be to divert ASAP so that the sick individual could get care. Who knows if heroic efforts might have saved his life? Did the cardiologist or UTAir happen to have a defib machine? I guess we’ll never know.

What: Avianca en route from Costa Rica to Medellin
Where: Medellin
When: January 19, 2012
Who: unruly passenger
Why: The flight was en route when a disruptive passenger disturbed the flight, attempting to breach the cockpit. He was restrained by fellow passengers.

After landing at Jose Maria Cordova the disruptive passenger was taken into custody. The passenger’s identity was not confirmed.

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Contact photographer Jehan M. Ghouse

What: Delta Airlines/Pinnacle Airlines Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Wilkes-Barre,PA to Detroit,MI
Where: Elmira
When: Jan 19th 2012
Who: 41 passengers and 3 crew
Why: After takeoff, the flight developed hydraulic issues.

Pilots diverted to Elmira. However, the hydraulic problem was exacerbated by a flaps problem, leading to an aborted landing and a fly by.

Pilots made a fast but safe landing.

A replacement jet was provided.

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Contact photographer Pieter-Jan Van De Vijver

What: Brussels Airlines Airbus A330-300 en route from Banjul (Gambia) to Brussels
Where: Dakar
When: Jan 18th 2012
Who: 240 passengers
Why: While en route, the plane developed engine problems. There’s no indication if the engine was shut down, but the flight diverted to Dakar where it made a save landing. The passengers were provided accommodations until another plane was sent to take them from Dakar to Brussels.

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Contact photographer Gergely Molnar

What: Rossiya Airbus A320-200 en route from St. Petersburg to Ekaterinburg Russia
Where: St. Petersburg
When: Jan 20th 2012
Why: On takeoff, the main gear failed to retract.

Pilots returned to St. Petersburg and made a safe landing. A replacement jet was summoned for the passengers.

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Contact photographer Simone Bovi

What: Ryanair Boeing 737-800 en route from London to Malmo
Where: Malmo
When: Jan 19th 2012
Why: While en route, the flight through through weather and suffered a lightning strike.

The flight made a safe landing in Malmo.

Damage is slight, reportedly to the wing. Consequently, the return flight was cancelled.

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Contact photographer Goran Canic Cane

What: Tarom Romanian Airlines Avion de Transport Regional ATR-42-500 en route from Iasi to Bucharest
Where: Iasi
When: Jan 19th 2012
Who: 25 aboard
Why: Just after takeoff, the plane was still over Iasi when the pilots had to shut down the right engine.

The crew made a safe landing in Iasi, delaying but not postponing the flight.