Airbus Pakistan Crash Update

NO SURVIVORS!

Pakistani officials have confirmed that all 152 people onboard the Airblue Airbus A321 plane were killed after the airliner crashed near Pakistan capital Islamabad killing dozens

Earlier reports of up to 40 people having survied the crash were fictitious and poor reporting by major news agencies.

Based on Airbus crash fatalities of 99.5 percent, NO survivors should have been expected.

Related Links:

• Another AirBus Crashes, Dozens Killed Near Islamabad, Pakistan
• Airbus is statistically twice more likely to crash on even days

Previous Entries

• How deadly is the plane you are flying?
• Plane Crash Kills 104 in Libya
• Airlines & Aviation Industry, Airline Safety, Air Travel …
• SOAR [NOTE: Date of last update is not specified.]
• An Open Letter to Google Management, Employees

Other Related Links:

• Every time you fly someone will die!

AA Boeing 737 Crashes in Kingston, Jamaica

American Airlines Boeing 737 overshot the runway in Kingston, Jamaica

‘American Airlines Flight 331 had endured the crowded airports and delays of holiday travel, and were moments from their Caribbean destination. Suddenly, everything seemed to spin out of control.’ AP reported.

Workers and officials sift through debris surrounding the fuselage of American Airlines flight AA331 which crash landed overnight on a flight from Miami to Jamaica, just beyond the runway of Norman Manley International Airport, in Kingston Jamaica, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009. More than 40 people were injured, at least 4 seriously, and there were no fatalities, according to officials, after the plane overshot the runway in Jamaica when it landed in heavy rain. (AP Photo/Lloyd Robinson) JAMAICA OUT. Image may be subject to copyright.

The Boeing 737-800 slammed into the runway at Kingston International Airport on touchdown, skidded to a halt near the sea and the fuselage broke up into several pieces.

“I just wanted to get the hell out of there, as far as I could, because I could smell the fumes, and I knew that if it blew, it could be a pretty big fireball,” a passenger said.

Of the 154 people aboard, 92 were taken to hospitals, more than 40 were admitted, at least 4 seriously, though none with life-threatening injuries,  according to Jamaican Information Minister, with a female victim requiring surgery for a broken nose and lacerations to her face.

“If the plane was going faster, it would have gone into the sea,” Jamaica’s Transport Minister said, calling the incident a “Christmas miracle.” [A possible conclusion, don’t fly to Jamaica, unless it’s Christmas time.]

“At this point, it’s now going to be in the hands of the NTSB and the FAA, plus any Jamaican government authorities that may be involved, and to start and sort of backtrack and see what happened and how it can be prevented from happening again,” an AA spokesperson said.

“All of a sudden, when it hit the ground, the plane was kind of bouncing. Someone said the plane was skidding and there was panic,” a passenger said.

“Next thing I know, I hear a crashing sound, then the sound of twisting metal. It all happened so fast, but when the plane came to rest, that’s when the screaming and the carrying on started,”  a 37-year-old passenger said.

“Everybody’s overhead baggage started to fall. Literally, it was like being in a car accident. People were screaming, I was screaming … There was smoke and debris everywhere,” after the plane finally halted, another passenger said.

Related Links:

• Top 5 Most Dangerous Airlines in 2009/2010

How safe is your flight?

Every time you fly a passenger plane …

You risk about 100 times as much exposure to deadly viruses than a non-flier

All else being equal, airline passengers on average risk about 100 times more exposure to a  number of potentially deadly viruses than non-flyers.

An airline passenger also produces about 1.36 lbs (~ 0.62 kg) of CO2 and other greenhouse gases (CO2 Equivalents or CO2e) for every air mile she flies. [Source]

On average, passengers on international flights are exposed to a somewhat higher risk of contracting deadly or potentially deadly viruses than those on domestic flights. However, as highlighted by the following Air New Zealand case, a passenger on domestic flight Air NZ flight 509 was nearly as much at risk as one on the international flight NZ1 from London, UK, to Auckland, NZ.

The following is reproduced courtesy of TEAA at New Zeelend Blog:

Air New Zealand Exposes 84 to Potentially Fatal Virus

Posted by te2ataria on December 17, 2009

sent by a reader

Urgent Health Warning!

At least 84 passengers may have been exposed to measles virus on 2 Air New Zealand flights

At least 84 passengers may have been exposed to measles virus on two Air New Zealand flights: Flight NZ1 from London to Auckland on Monday, December 7, and the connecting domestic flight NZ509 from Auckland to Christchurch.

Original photo is by Gail Selkirk and may be subject to copyright.

“Auckland and Canterbury health authorities are trying to contact people sitting near the [infected] baby on both flights; for the international leg, 56 people sitting in rows 56-60 were at risk while 28 people sitting in rows 13-17 were exposed on the domestic flight.” A report said.

It is important that passengers sitting in those rows contact the health authorities to help prevent the spread of the highly infectious and potentially deadly virus that could spread rapidly among unimmunized groups.

“These passengers, or their family members, who have symptoms suggestive of measles are advised to immediately seek advice from a doctor,” Auckland Regional Public Health Service medical officer Dr Brad Novak said.

“Call ahead to alert your doctor or practice nurse about the possibility of measles as this will allow them to arrange to assess you safely without infecting others. People who suspect they may have measles should avoid contact with young children and pregnant women.”

People most at risk of contracting the disease are those who had not had the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine or who had just had one dose of it, the report said.

Some facts about measles:

• Measles is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus.
• The classical symptoms of measles include 4-day fevers, cough, runny nose and conjunctivitis (sore, watery, red eyes).
• Measles is a leading cause of vaccine-preventable childhood mortality, World Health Org says.
• The measles incubation period is up to 21 days.

• Measles killed 345,000 in 2005.
• Measles virus is spread by
  • breathing
  • coughing
  • sneezing

• The measles incubation period is about 21 days.

Measles can be fatal.

Notes:

1.Complications with measles virus are quite common, ranging from less serious symptoms like diarrhea, to pneumonia and death.

2. Complications are often much more severe among adults who contract  the virus.

3. The fatality rate among immunocompromised people (e.g., patients with AIDS)  is about 30 percent. That rate is about 100 times higher than in people without similar medical preconditions.

Above Left: Measles virus. This thin-section transmission electron micrograph (TEM) revealed the ultrastructural appearance of a single virus particle, or “virion”, of measles virus. CDC/ Cynthia S. Goldsmith; William Bellini. More…
Right: Child infected with measles. This child shows a classic day-4 rash with measles. Credit: CDC/NIP/ Barbara Rice

For more information on measles see:

• Measles (Rubeola)

Related Links:

• Air New Zealand Exposes 84 to Potentially Fatal Virus
• New Zealand Visitor Health Warnings
• What Exactly Airlines Doing to You?

Airbus Says Change Speed Sensor Switch

The latest recommendation by Airbus is a positive step in airliner safety, but Airbus should go further and replace its ‘faulty’ on-board computers, too!

The following news item was published by BBC UK, which in view of its public safety features is reproduced in full.

For background information see: Airlines & Aviation Industry, Airline Safety, Air Travel …

.

Airbus urges speed sensor switch

The move will affect about 200 long haul Airbus jets

Page last updated at 22:25 GMT, Thursday, 30 July 2009 23:25 UK

Plane manufacturer Airbus has urged airlines to change the make of the majority of speed sensors on about 200 long haul aircraft.

Airbus has issued a bulletin to airlines recommending that they switch the parts, also known as pitots, to those made by US manufacturer Goodrich.

The moves comes as investigations continue into the cause of the fatal crash of an Air France Airbus in June.

Investigators have said speed sensors, or pitots, may have been a factor.

“Airbus has decided to recommend that A330/A340 operators with Thales pitot tubes, exchange at least two of them with Goodrich probes,” the company said in a statement sent to the BBC.

The company said it was making the recommendation “on the basis of the very limited available information” from the Air France accident, and “despite the fact that the pitot tubes meet the certification objectives”.

“This precautionary measure will allow our customers to benefit from the greater in-service experience of the Goodrich tubes on the A330/A340,” it said.

The move would affect about 200 of the A330 or A340 planes which were fitted with sensors manufactured by France’s Thales company, reported Reuters.

No deadline has been issued for the change to be implemented.

Earlier, the European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) said it was to make the same recommendation.

All 228 people on board the Air France plane were killed when it plunged into the ocean en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris on 1 June.

French investigators have said faulty speed sensors were “a factor but not the cause” of the crash.

In the wake of the crash, Air France accelerated an existing programme to replace speed monitors on its Airbus planes.  BBC © MMIX

Related Links:

• Airlines & Aviation Industry, Airline Safety, Air Travel …

Another Airbus Near Disaster

Another Airbus Incident

Qantas defends its Airbus fleet after 13 passengers injured

At least thirteen people were injured when a Qantas A330-300 carrying 206 passengers struck severe turbulence over Borneo on a flight from Hong Kong to Perth, AFP reported.

Qantas, the Australian flag-carrier, dismissed any link to other A330 accidents, especially to the Air France disaster on June 1, saying that the latest incident was caused by freak weather conditions.

Qantas Airbus A330-300. (photo: GFDL)

“There is nothing to link the aircraft to anything untoward,” said company spokesman.

[Imagine Qantas deciding on the correct course of action. How much would they get for their second hand fleet of Airbus A330s? ]

As Flight QF68 dropped about 35 meters, sending passengers flying, when hit by turbulence as it flew over Malaysia some 4 hours into its flight.

“It appeared like we’d just dropped out of a 30-storey building,” said one passenger, as another described how a woman was flung into the plane’s ceiling.

“I was sitting at the exit door and I had this lady, (who) was waiting at the restroom and she flew up and hit the ceiling and came crashing down to the floor,” the passenger, reportedly told Fairfax radio.

“It was just a matter of a few seconds but it was really sudden and things went flying.”

At least thirteen people were treated neck and back injuries and bruises after the plane landed in Perth, AAP news agency said.

“The incident comes just 11 days after a cockpit blaze forced a Jetstar A330 to make an emergency landing, and also follows the Air France tragedy when 228 died in a mysterious accident involving the same model of plane.”

“Last October, a Qantas A330 went into two steep dives over Western Australia, causing several serious injuries and prompting an emergency landing, ” Asia One Travel said.

Qantas reportedly operates a fleet of ten  A330-300s and six Airbus A330-200s and is also the major shareholder and operator of the budget airline Jetstar.  While it is easy to understand why they would  dismiss any links between Monday’s incident and all the previous ones, it’s rather difficult to see what they might do after the next Airbus crash.

“There is no reason to link the incident to other recent in-flight incidents involving A330 aircraft,” Qantas said in a statement, adding an investigation was under way.

It is NOT known how they could have ruled out any link to recent Airbus incidents so quickly and prior to an investigation. On the other hand, if they are so confident of the Airbus A330 performance, why have they started a investigation?

Could it be that Qantas or the aviation authorities in Australia are conducting a kangaroo investigation?

The following is a list of Australia’s Airbus A330 [reported] incidents published by AAP. In view of public interest the list is mirrored below.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25671665-2702,00.html

Incidents involving Australia’s fleet of A330 Airbus aircraft:

Jan 19, 2004 – A newly acquired Qantas A330-300 flying from Melbourne to Perth is forced to make an emergency landing in Adelaide after fumes leak into cabin, with seven crew members and two of the 274 passengers taken to hospital with nausea-like symptoms.

Aug 21, 2005 – Nine people, including two Australians, are injured during the evacuation of 178 passengers from a Perth-bound Qantas jet in Osaka, Japan, after a smoke sensor was activated in the aircraft’s hold.

Jan-June 2006 – A wasp infestation among Qantas aircraft, particularly A330s, at Brisbane Airport, causes three flights to be aborted during takeoff as well as a number of flight cancellations.

July 24, 2007 – More than 300 passengers are left stranded in Bali when a Bangkok to Melbourne Jetstar flight is forced to divert to Denpasar Airport after an engine failure.

Oct 8, 2008 – Almost 50 people are injured, some seriously, when a Qantas jet, with 303 passengers and a crew of 10 bound from Singapore to Perth, plunges up to 2,000 metres over Western Australia.

Nov 14, 2008 – A Qantas jet carrying 278 passengers from Sydney to Shanghai turns back after a weather radar malfunction on board.

Nov 29, 2008 – A Qantas jet serviced just days earlier and flying from Perth to Singapore has to turn back after the crew is forced to turn off one of its two engines when an engine oil warning light flashes. Qantas says inspections indicated a fault with the engine starter motor.

Dec 5, 2008 – A Qantas jet becomes bogged at Sydney airport as a towbar holding the aircraft fails and two of the jet’s wheels become stuck in the grass beside the taxiway.

Dec 29, 2008 – A Qantas jet flying from Perth to Singapore is forced to return to Perth after the autopilot disconnects at 36,000 feet about 500km northwest of Perth. Air safety authorities say the circumstances were similar to the October incident over WA.

Jan 28, 2009 – An A330 defence aircraft carrying about 80 Australian personnel and supplies to the Middle East is forced to make an emergency landing in Darwin after fumes filled the cabin. Three people were hospitalised and later recovered.

June 9, 2009 – Qantas announces it has received no safety directives for its A330 fleet following the May 31 crash of an Air France A330-200 that killed all 228 people aboard in the Atlantic Ocean.

June 10, 2009 – A fire in the cockpit of a Jetstar A330-300 carrying 186 passengers from Japan to Australia forces the pilot to make an emergency safe landing in Guam.

June 22, 2009 – Thirteen people are injured when a Qantas A330-300 carrying 206 passengers strikes severe turbulence over Borneo on a flight from Hong Kong to Perth. —AAP

Related Links are posted on the following page:

• Airbus recent disasters and near misses

Cockpit Fire Forces Airbus A330 to Land

Cockpit Fire Forces Jetstar Passenger Airbus A330 to Make Emergency Landing in Guam

A Jetstar Airbus A330-200  with 203 people on board was forced into an emergency landing after a fire broke out in the cockpit.

Airbus A330-200 flight from Osaka, Japan to Queensland, Australia operated by budget airline Jetstar was forced into an emergency landing after a fire broke out in its cockpit. Photo: AFP. Image may be subject to copyright.

The Jetstar Airbus A330-200, a similar model to the Air France Airbus flight 447 that crashed last week, was flying from Osaka, Japan to Australia when the cockpit caught fire.

The pilots put out the fire which broke out about four hours into the flight from Osaka to the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, before landing the plane in Guam, Jetstar was reported as saying, adding that all on board were unharmed.

“Smoke became evident in the cockpit and one of our pilots was required to use an extinguisher,” a Jetstar spokesman told Australia’s ABC News.

“We conducted an emergency diversion to Guam international airport where the aircraft landed without incident.”

He said the plane, which is two years old, would be held in Guam until the cause of the fire was established.

Flight JQ 20 left Kansai International Airport (OSAKA) about 21:00 Wednesday  bound for Perth with  186 adult passengers, four babies and a crew of 13 including 4 pilots. Most of the passengers were Japanese nationals, a report said.

Jetstar is a budget airline based in Australia and Singapore, and is part-owned by Australia’s national carrier, Qantas.

The Moderators have been expecting another Air New Zealand Airbus A320 to plunge into the sea (again), based on the airline’s safety statistics, but Air France beat the kiwis to it!

The probability remains that the next major air disaster would occur as a result of an Air New Zealand Airbus crashing into the sea [with a certainty of 0.74] —Airbus Must Come Clean

Related Links:

• Airbus Catastrophic Failure a Fatal Design Flaw
• Airbus Must Come Clean
• Second Airbus Plunges into Water
• Air New Zealand Flying Coffin Crashes in the Mediterranean
• US Airways Plane Goes Down in Hudson River

Air France Flight 447

Breaking News: Cockpit Fire Forces Airbus A330 to Land

Images of the Day: Air France Flt 447

Brazilian search team recovers debris from the Air France Airbus flight 447  that crashed over the Atlantic last week (Recovery dated June 8,2009). Photo: Brazilian Air Force Handout.

A piece of debris from Air France flight AF447 is seen on the deck of a Brazilian Navy vessel after being picked up out of the Atlantic Ocean, some 745 miles (1,200 km) northeast of Recife, in this handout photo distributed by the Navy on June 7, 2009. REUTERS/Brazilian Air Force/Handout.

Related Links:

• Airbus Catastrophic Failure a Fatal Design Flaw
• Airbus Must Come Clean

• Second Airbus Plunges into Water
• Air New Zealand Flying Coffin Crashes in the Mediterranean
• US Airways Plane Goes Down in Hudson River