AVIATION/ NO SIGN OF MISSING MERPATI JET

Bad weather has hampered the search for the missing MERPATI NUSANTARA AIRLINES Twin Otter which disappeared on flight yesterday. Merpati Flight 9760D was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Jayapura to Oksibil, Indonesia, when the aircraft disappeared while enroute. Media reports differ about the number of people onboard, with 15 or 16 passengers and crew listed on Flight 9760D. The Twin Otter had departed Jayapura at 10:10am for the 50 to 55 minute flight. Last radio contact with the crew was at 10:25am, with no difficulties noted. The Indonesian Government launched a search for the aircraft after it failed to respond to ATC queries, and failed to arrive in Oksibil. Merpati said that the Captain of the Twin Otter had 6000 hours of flight experience and the Co-Pilot 2000 hours. A Merpati Flight Engineer was also onboard, as 1 of the passengers. The search involves multiple military aircraft, however the flight path is over deep jungle and mountains making the task difficult. Over the last several decades, aircraft crashes in the region have not always been located due to the jungle conditions. Thus far, searchers have not heard from an emergency beacon that is supposed to transmit location if an aircraft goes down. The Airline said that the Twin Otter is equipped with a cockpit voice recorder, but not a flight data recorder.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

NWA 747 BLOWS TIRES ON LANDING: NORTHWEST AIRLINES Flight 9811 was on a Boeing 747 Positioning Flight from El Paso, Texas, to Minneapolis/St Paul, Minnesota, when it was damaged on landing at MSP, yesterday, August 2. Flight 9811, with 15 crew members onboard, burst 5 to 6 tires upon touching down on the runway at MSP. The tower reported to the crew that heavy smoke was coming from the landing gear. The crew attempted to vacate the runway, however they were unable to do so, which prompted the tower to close the runway. According to media reports, it is not clear what caused the incident, however the Captain has notifed the tower prior to landing that the brakes may have been overheating. Emergency Services were dispatched prior to the landing. The 747 was later towed to a nearby hanger for a damage assessment and repair.

CARGO FIRE ALERT DIVERTS PINNACLE CRJ: PINNACLE AIRLINES Flight 2903 was on Scheduled Domestic CRJ200 Service from Detroit, Michigan, to Hartford, CT, on behalf of NORTHWEST AIRLINES, when it had to divert while enroute, yesterday, August 2. Flight 2903, with 50 passengers and crew onboard, was inflight at 31000 feet, about 30 minutes after departure, when the crew received an indication that the cargo fire bottle was low on pressure suggesting it had discharged in flight. Although there was evidence of fire or smoke onboard, the crew declared an emergency and the CRJ was diverted to Rochester, New York, where it landed without incident about 15 minutes later. In a statement, Pinnacle said the aircraft was undergoing inspection. It is still not clear if the bottle had discharged or if the indication was false.

PAX WITH FLU-LIKE ILLNESS DIES ON COPA 737: COPA AIRLINES Flight 759 was on Scheduled International Boeing 737 Service from Panama City, Panama, to Sao Paulo Brazil, when it had to make an emergency landing in Sao Paulo, yesterday, August 2. According to media reports, as the aircraft neared Sao Paulo, a 15 female passenger became suddenly ill. Despite the care from 2 doctors onboard, the girl went into cardiac arrest and died shortly after the 737 landed. Brazilian media report that the girl came down with flu like symptoms several days ago while on a tour vacation to Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida. The girl was examined by doctors there, and hospitalized. Tests were negative for the H1N1 flu virus. Upon discharge, she was allowed to board a Copa flight from Orlando to Panama City, where she caught the flight to her home in Sao Paulo. Brazilian officials, along with officials in Orlando, and the Airline, are investigating the incident.

WINDSHIELD CRACKS ON NORWEGIAN 737: NORWEGIAN AIR SHUTTLE Flight 1402 was on Scheduled International Boeing 737 Service from Oslo, Norway, to Nice, France, when it had to divert while enroute, yesterday, August 2. Flight 1402, with 144 passengers and crew onboard, requested diversion after the cockpit window cracked while inflight. The 737 was diverted to Copenhagen, Denmark, where it landed without incident. The aircraft was removed from service and ferried to Oslo for inspection and repairs.

ENGINE FAILS ON AMC 737: AMC AIRLINES Flight 7315 was on Scheduled International Boeing 737 Service from Cagliari, Italy, to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, when it had to make an emergency return to Cagliari, yesterday, August 2. Flight 7315, with 150 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency after an engine failed about 1 hour into its flight. The 737 landed back at Cagliari without incident, and was removed from service for inspection and repair. According to local media, passengers reported a loud bang, followed by a burning odor in the cabin. This was followed shortly thereafter by the Captain advising the passengers of the need to return to Cagliari.

BELAIR 757 SUFFERS BIRD STRIKE: BELAIR Flight 3381 was on Scheduled International Boeing 757 Service from Antalya, Turkey, To Zurich, Switzerland, when it had to make an emergency return to Antalya, yesterday, August 2. Flight 3381, with 206 passengers and 7 crew members onboard, declared an emergency about 6 minutes after departure after the left hand engine ingested a bird. The engine suffered mulitple surges, prompting the crew to shut it down. The 757 landed back at Antalya without incident, about 17 minutes after the bird strike. The aircraft was removed from service for a damage assessment and repair.

LIVINGSTON A330 SUFFERS BIRD STRIKE: LIVINGSTON Flight 284 was on Scheduled International A330 Service from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to Kuwait City, Kuwait, on behalf of KUWAIT AIRWAYS, when it had to make an emergency return to Dhaka, yesterday, August 2. Flight 294, with 229 passengers and crew onboard, ingested a bird into an engine on takeoff from Dhaka. The crew declared an emergency and landed back at Dhaka without incident. The A330 was removed from service for a damage assessment and repair.

WINDJET A319 SUFFERS BIRD STRIKE: WINDJET Flight 209 was on Scheduled Domestic A319 Service from Parma to Palermo, Italy, when it had to make an emergency return to Parma, on Saturday, August 1. Flight 209, with 100 passengers and crew onboard, flew thru a flock of seagulls on takeoff from Parma. A number of the birds were ingested into the left hand engine which resulted in multiple engine surges. The crew shut the engine down, declared an emergency, and landed back at Parma without incident. The aircraft was removed from service for a damage assessment and repair.

ENGINE FAILS ON JAL 777: JAL Flight 406 was on Scheduled International Boeing 777 Service from Paris, France, to Tokyo, Japan, when it to reject takeoff at high speed from Paris, on Friday, July 31. Flight 406 rejected its takeoff after the right hand engine failed. The crew was able to stop the 777 on the runway, however the aircraft got stuck on a taxiway after a number of tires deflated due to overheating of the brakes. Passengers were offloaded on the taxiway and the aircraft was towed to a hanger for inspection and repair.

SNAPSHOTS

TWO ADULT BROWN BEARS CAPTURED AT PLAY YESTERDAY IN THE RUSSIAN RIVER AT COOPER LANDING, ALASKA.

LUXE MEN

LUXE MEN

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

MUSIC/PEAS TOP UK SINGLES CHART: The Black Eyed Peas move to the penthouse on the UK singles chart this week, as "I Gotta Feeling" moves to #1. The song is currently #1 in multiple countries, including the US. Elsewhere on the singles chart, last weeks #1, "Beat Again," by JLS, falls to #2, and Mr Hudson's "Supernova" also moves down 1 slot to #3. "Torchwood" star John Barrowman moves up to #14, his highest position ever, with "I Made it Through the Rain". On the album chart, Michael Jackson continues to lead the chart, with his "Essential" set remaining at #1. The Black Eyed Peas also make a nice move on the album chart with their set, "The E.N.D.," moving from #8 to #3. A-Ha debut at #5 with their latest, "Foot of the Mountain," while Alison Kraus debuts at #13 with her own "Essential" set. Chicane also return to the album chart with their "Best Of" disc coming in at #14.

FILM/SPIELBERG TAKES ON "HARVEY": Steven Spielberg has committed to his next film, and it will be an adaptation of the Mary Chase Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Harvey,” which will be done as a co-production between 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks. It is the 1st screenplay by the bestselling novelist Jonathan Tropper. "Harvey" is the story of an friendly eccentric, Elwood P. Dowd, and his friendship with a 6 1/2 foot tall invisible rabbit, and how it affects every member of his family and community. The play won the Pulitzer Prize in 1944, and was previously turned into the 1950 Universal film that starred Jimmy Stewart and Josephine Hull. Project will be produced by Spielberg and Don Gregory. According to media reports, DreamWorks has several pictures that Spielberg loves, the Abraham Lincoln project is one, however those pictures weren't ready to lens, and Spielberg wanted to get back to work quickly. "Harvey" came together in speedy fashion, with casting and pre-production to begin immediately, and production starting in early 2010.

WORLD NEWS/ GUNMAN ATTACKS GAY CLUB

Israeli police are hunting for a masked man who opened fire at a community centre for gay teenagers in Tel Aviv last night, killing 2 people and injuring another 15. The black-clad gunman fired a pistol into a group of young men and women at the entrance to Tel Aviv Gay and Lesbian Association club, then fled, police and witnesses said. It is the worst attack against Israeli gays and lesbians. Police set up roadblocks in central Tel Aviv and began a citywide search for the gunman. The killings shook the freewheeling coastal city’s reputation as a relatively tolerant place for gay people. Hundreds of people gathered in the city centre overnight to protest over the attack, some waving rainbow banners and lighting candles for the victims. And then today, hundreds more Israelis joined a rally organised by the gay community. Nitzan Horowitz, the only openly gay member of Israel’s 120-member parliament, said: ‘‘Our community won’t let itself be frightened. It will stand up to those who threaten it with heads held high and with pride. We will respond to war with war.’’ The dead were identified as Yaniv Katz, 26, a counsellor at the centre, and Liz Tarabushi, 17. ‘‘At about 10:40pm someone came over, all dressed in black and wearing a black mask,’’ one of the injured told local media. ‘‘I thought it was a joke at first, but he immediately opened fire. People took cover under the bed and tables, but there were no screams. I hid under a table with someone else. It’s a small place; there’s just one terrace. Once you’re inside there’s nowhere to run.’’ The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, condemned the shooting. ‘‘We are a democratic and tolerant country, and we must respect every person as he is.’’ Tel Aviv’s police chief, Shahar Ayalon, ordered the closure of a nearby gay bar and urged such establishments to remain vigilant. Gays in Israel, particularly men, often encounter hostility from ultra-Orthodox Jews who consider homosexuality an ‘‘abomination’’.

AVIATION/ MERPATI JET MISSING IN PAPUA

Indonesian officials are searching for an MERPATI NUSANTARA AIRLINES Twin Otter that went missing on a flight this morning. Merpati Flight 9760D was on Scheduled Domestic DHC-6-300 Twin Otter Service from Jayapura to Oksibil, Indonesia, when it disappeared while enroute. According to media reports, Flight 9760D departed Jayapura with 11 adult passengers, 2 infants, and 3 crew members onboard, at 10:10am, local time. The crew was last in communication with ATC at 10:25am. A search was launched after the aircraft failed to arrive in Oksibil as scheduled at 11:05am. At the time of the flight, the weather was reported as good in the Papua region, with thunderstorms moving towards the area. According to Indonesian Military officials, the flight path was over an area of deep jungles and mountains, making the search extremely difficult.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

MIDWEST BECOMES PART OF REPUBLIC: REPUBLIC AIRWAYS completed its acquisition of Milwaukee based MIDWEST AIRLINES later on Friday. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings, Midwest will continue to operate as its own branded carrier. “We’re excited about the opportunities this merger creates for our Midwest employees and our customers,” said Bryan Bedford CEO of Republic Airways. “We respect and admire the unique brand and service legacy that Midwest has built over the past 25 years and appreciate the special bond Midwest has with its customers and the communities it has faithfully served". Republic is also in the process of attempting to acquire FRONTIER, however it faces a fight with SOUTHWEST AIRLINES over the acquisition.

SMOKE FORCES BA 757 EVACUATION: BRITISH AIRWAYS Flight 478 was on Scheduled International Boeing 757 Service from London Heathrow to Barcelona, Spain, when it had to make an emergency landing in Barcelona, early today, August 2. Flight 478, with 170 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency as it neared Barcelona with the crew reporting smoke in the passenger cabin. The 757 landed at Barcelona about 25 minutes later. The aircraft stopped on the runway and the crew ordered evacuation via the slides. No one onboard was injured. Emergency Services inspected the aircraft and could find no evidence of fire or the source of the smoke. The 757 has been removed from service for inspection and possible repairs.

TECH ISSUE FORCES US AIRWAYS A330 RETURN: US AIRWAYS Flight 704 was on Scheduled International A330 Service from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Frankfurt, Germany, when it had to return to Charlotte, yesterday, August 1. Flight 704, with 220 passengers and crew onboard, was enroute at 36000 feet, about 2.5 hours after departure from Charlotte, when the crew notified ATC of an unspecified technical issue which would prevent them from continuing the flight across the Atlantic Ocean. ATC approved Flight 704 to return to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The crew requested to descend to 20000 feet, to burn off fuel, and then shortly thereafter requested return to Charlotte. The A330 landed back at Charlotte without incident, about 3.5 hours after it turned around. The aircraft was removed from service for inspection and repair.

SMOKE ONBOARD SWISS EURO AVRO: SWISS EUROPEAN AIRLINES Flight 1104 was on Scheduled International Avro RJ-100 Service from Zurich, Switzerland, to Munich, Germany, when it had to make an emergency landing in Munich, yesterday, August 1. Flight 1104, with 62 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency while on approach to Munich, with the crew reporting smoke in the passenger cabin. The crew accelerated its approach and landed without incident. According to media reports, the aircraft was inspected and approved to resume service about 80 minutes later. There was no word from the Airline on what might have caused the smoke.

SMOKE FORCES CSA A320 RETURN: CSA CZECH AIRLINES Flight 405 was on Scheduled International A320 Service from Larnaca, Cyprus, to Prague, Czech, when it had to make an emergency return to Larnaca, yesterday, August 1. Flight 405 declared an emergency shortly after takeoff with the crew reporting smoke in the cockpit. The A320 landed back at Larnaca without incident. In a statement, CSA said that light smoke appeared in the cockpit as result of a short circuit within a computer. The A320 was repaired overnight, and departed early this morning on its flight to Prague, where it landed without incident.

ASTANA A319 DIVERTS OVER BRAKES: AIR ASTANA Flight 305 was on Scheduled Domestic A319 Service from Almaty to Pavlodar, Kasakhstan, when it had to divert while enroute, yesterday, August 1. Flight 305, with 72 passengers and 7 crew members onboard, requested diversion due to a reported malfunction of the brakes systems. The A319 was diverted to Astana, Kasakhstan, where it landed without incident. The aircraft was then removed from service for inspection and possible repairs.

CAR HALTS RYANAIR 737 TAKEOFF: RYANAIR Flight 4215 was on Scheduled International Boeing 737 Service from Parma, Italy, to London Stanstad, when it had to reject takeoff at Parma, on Friday, July 31. Flight 4215, with 189 passengers and crew onboard, had to reject takeoff at high speed after a car appeared on the runway. The crew was able to stop the 737 safely. The aircraft departed about 1 hour later, after allowing the brakes to cool. The Italian National Agency for Aviation Safety (ANSV) have launched an investigation into the incident. According to media reports, the incident may have been caused by miscommunication between the car driver and the control tower. The car belonged to a bird control official from the Airport, who was inspecting the runway for birds. After the driver saw the 737 begin its takeoff roll, he attemped to vacate the runway as quickly as possible.

SNAPSHOTS

A LIGHT PROJECTION SHOW ILLUMINATES THE GREAT TOWER OF DOVER CASTLE IN KENT, ENGLAND, THIS WEEK. THE CASTLE HAS UNDERGONE MAJOR RENOVATIONS AND WILL RE-OPEN SOON.

LUXE MEN/ CANDID SHOTS (#71)

5 SHOTS OF AMATEUR MEN FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE.

MUSIC HISTORY/ 30 YEARS AGO

1. BAD GIRLS--DONNA SUMMER
2. RING MY BELL--ANITA WARD
3. GOOD TIMES--CHIC
4. HOT STUFF--DONNA SUMMER
5. MAKIN IT--DAVID NAUGHTON
6. GOLD--JOHN STEWART
7. I WANT YOU TO WANT ME--CHEAP TRICK
8. SHINE A LITTLE LOVE--ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA
9. WHEN YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN--DR HOOK
10. MAIN EVENT/FIGHT--BARBRA STRIESAND

TOP DEBUT ON HOT 100: #74--YOUNGBLOOD--RICKIE LEE JONES

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

FILM/ROB MARSHALL MAY DIRECT "PIRATES 4": Rob Marshall, the Oscar-nominated director of "Chicago," is in talks to direct the 4th instalment of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise. Disney is eager to secure a director, to allow filming to begin next year. "The Ring" director Gore Verbinski, who directed the original hit film, and subsequent sequels, announced he was stepping down from the series in April. The previous 3 films earned more than $2.6bn around the world. It was confirmed that Depp would reprise the role of Captain Jack Sparrow last year. The actor is also scheduled to play Tonto in another Disney franchise, "The Lone Ranger". Auditions are reportedly under way for the latest Pirates outing. Neither Keira Knightley nor Orlando Bloom are expected to return. Marshall is currently finishing work on the forthcoming musical "Nine," a reworking of Federico Fellini's "81/2," starring many Oscar winners including Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren and Nicole Kidman. Marshall's previous films include 2005's "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Chicago," which won 6 Oscars in 2003, including Best Picture.

WORLD NEWS/ OZ WONT OK CIVIL UNIONS

The Rudd government in Australia is refusing to budge on gay marriage or civil unions but a senior minister believes the momentum for change is "unstoppable". Gay rights advocates lost a backroom battle at the ALP National Conference to advance the recognition of same-sex couples. Instead Labor agreed to a compromise removing the explicit definition of marriage being between a man and a woman from its national platform. And across the country Labor will continue towards a nationally-consistent framework for the registration of same-sex unions, as occurs in Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT. The Labor debate coincided with a national day of action on same-sex marriage, which culminated in Sydney with 150 couples getting "illegally wed" outside the ALP conference at Darling Harbour. Members of non-traditional sexual communities were disappointed Labor didn't go as far as it could but remained hopeful about future change. Senior minister Anthony Albanese, who represents an inner Sydney electorate, brokered the compromise amendment. He admitted it wasn't exactly what he'd been seeking. "As those great political philosophers (Rolling Stones) Jagger and Richards said, sometimes you can't always get what you want but you get what you need," he told delegates. "The resolution before this conference provides the latter. It is certainly not my ideal position." There was loud applause from the conference floor as Albanese said other peoples' relationship had no bearing on his own. "I have the view that my relationship because I happen to be heterosexual is not undermined by someone else's relationship because it is homosexual," he said. Albanese still believes the momentum exists for further change of Labor policy. A committed Christian, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd promised at the last election Labor would not make changes that would give gay partnerships the same recognition as marriage. A recent survey by Australian Marriage Equality (AME) found 60% of Australians were in favour of same-sex marriage.

WORLD NEWS/ CORAZON AQUINO DIES AT 76

Former Philippine President Corazon Aquino, whose "People Power" movement pushed out longtime strongman Ferdinand Marcos less than 3 years after her husband's assassination, has died at age 76. Aquino, the 1st woman to lead the Philippines, had been battling colon cancer since March 2008 and died of cardio-respiratory arrest at 3:18am, this morning. Funeral arrangements were being arranged. Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has also announced a 10-day mourning period for the former president. Aquino had been born into a wealthy family and was educated in the United States. She had not been involved in politics before her husband, opposition leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., was gunned down at Manila's Airport in August 1983 as he returned from exile.The political novice took over the leadership of her husband's movement after his death and challenged Marcos in a 1986 election, making a yellow dress her trademark and bolstered by the support of the country's Roman Catholic churches. Marcos had been backed by the United States, the former colonial power in the Philippines, for 2 decades as a stalwart anti-communist. He and his wife Imelda were friends of then-President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy. But widespread allegations of electoral fraud and a mutiny by the country's military led the Reagan administration to withdraw its support, and Marcos went into exile in Hawaii. Aquino took office in a country with a $28 billion debt, widespread poverty and a persistent Marxist insurgency. She put in place a US style constitution that limited presidents to a single 6-year term and survived 7 coup attempts, including 1 that was supressed with American help. She also oversaw the closure of the major US military bases in the country before leaving office in 1992. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 and later received several awards and citations for her work to promote democracy and human rights.

AVIATION/ CROC LOOSE ON EGYPTAIR A320

A baby crocodile caused panic on an EGYPTAIR flight yesterday, when it escaped from a passenger's luggage. Passengers screamed as the crocodile, measuring about 1 foot, made its way down the cabin before eventually being captured by crew members. Egyptair Flight 917 was on Scheduled International A320 Service from Abu Dhabi, UAE, to Cairo, Egypt, when the incident occurred. Upon arrival in Cairo, all passengers and crew were questioned, but authorities said that all onboard had denied bringing the animal onboard. There is no word from the Airline or Egyptian officials if the investigation into the incident will continue. According to Airport officials, the crocodile was donated to a local zoo.

AVIATION/ BOMB SCARE AT LGA

A man with a fake bomb hidden in a bag tried to board a UNITED AIRLINES flight to Chicago OHare at New York's La Guardia Airport’s central terminal just before sunrise today, crippling operations for hours. The incident began at 5:05am, when a man who was apparently intoxicated walked up to the United Airlines ticket counter in Concourse C. The man was checking in for United Flight 667 to Chicago, and was booked to continue on to Denver, and finally to Oakland. The ticket agent noticed his strange behavior and alerted officials with the TSA, who approached the man and separated him from his bag. Law enforcement officials said they saw wires coming from the bag. Agents for the security agency then notified Port Authority police officers, who patrol the Airport in northern Queens, and those officers contacted the New York Police Department. The police bomb squad then discovered that the device was a set of batteries and wires attached to what looked like an electrical power strip with a toggle. According to media reports, during this time the man did not say a single word. While the search was going on, officials ordered an immediate evacuation of the entire terminal. Once the terminal was re-opened, it took hours for travelers to rescreen and get to their gates for departure. Multiple flights were posted as canceled or delayed. The police arrested the man, whom officials identified as Scott McGann, 32, from New York. The Port Authority Police Department charged him with 3 felonies: placing a false bomb, placing a false bomb in a transportation facility and making terrorist threats. Officials later said that what looked like a bomb was not explosive in nature.

AVIATION/ AF447 BLACK BOX SEARCH CONTINUES

Airbus Industries announced yesterday that they will invest up to 20 million Euros to continue the search for the black boxes from AIR FRANCE Flight 447, the A330 that crashed on June 1, over the Atlantic Ocean. Airbus said they definately want to find the black boxes to aid in the investigation of what caused the aircraft to go down after encountering thunderstorms, killing all 228 passengers and crew onboard. The 20m Euros will allow searchers to continue the search operation for another 3 months. The search is centering in the area where the A330 was lost known to be, and where most of the recovered debris has been found, as seen in map above.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

HYDRAULICS FORCE FEDEX MD11 TO DIVERT: FEDEX Flight 12 was on Scheduled Domestic MD11 Cargo Service from Anchorage, Alaska, to Memphis, Tennessee, when it had to divert while enroute, yesterday, July 31. Flight 12, with 2 crew members onboard, requested diversion reporting a hydraulics failure while overhead Indiana. The MD11 was diverted to Indianapolis, Indiana, where it landed without incident. The aircraft was removed from service for inspection and repair.

HYDRAULICS FORCE CYPRUS A330 RETURN: CYPRUS AIRWAYS Flight 386 was on Scheduled International A330 Service from Larnaca, Cyprus, to Paris, France, when it had to make an emergency return to Larnaca, yesterday, July 31. Flight 386, with 194 passengers and 10 crew members onboard, requested return shortly after takeoff, due to possible hydraulics problems on the aircraft. The A330 landed back at Larnaca without incident, about 30 minutes after its initial departure. The aircraft was inspected and repaired, and resumed service later in the day.

SEAIR DORNIER DAMAGED ON LANDING: SOUTH EAST ASIAN AIRLINES, aka SEAIR, Flight 103 was on Scheduled Domestic Dornier DO328 Service from Manila to Caticlan, The Philippines, when it was damaged upon landing at Caticlan, yesterday, July 31. Flight 103, with 28 passengers and 3 crew members onboard, landed hard at Caticlan, causing multiple tires to be blown. The crew was able to stop the aircraft on the runway, however they became stuck on the runway. The Caticlan Airport had to be closed for about 6 hours for the aircraft to be removed from the runway and debris to be cleaned up. The Dornier was removed from service for inspection and repairs.

CABIN PRESSURE LOST ON SAS 737: SAS NORGE Flight 4184 was on Scheduled Domestic Boeing 737 Service from Bergen to Trondheim, Norway, when it had problems with cabin pressure while enroute, on Thursday, July 30. Flight 4184, with 52 passengers and crew onboard, was inflight when the passenger O2 masks were deployed. The crew immediately performed an emergency descent to 10000 feet, and notified ATC that they had lost cabin pressure. The 737 continued on to Trondheim, flying at 10000 feet, where they landed without incident. No one onboard was injured. The 737 was removed from service for inspection and possible repairs.

JAZZ DASH EVACUATED AT GATE: AIR CANADA JAZZ Flight 8072 was on Scheduled Domestic Dash 8-100 Service from Victoria to Vancouver, Canada, when it had to be evacuated just prior to departure in Victoria, on Tuesday, July 28. The crew of Flight 8072 had just started the left hand engine prior to departure, when smoke began to fill the passenger cabin. The crew ordered a rapid deplaning for all of those onboard. No one was injured in the incident. According to the Canadian TSB, the crew attempted to start the left hand engine at the gate, however they received indication of an impending hot start and aborted the engine start. The Ground Power Unit (GPU) was swapped and a 2nd start was attempted, again resulting in an indication of an impending hot start, thus prompting the crew to abort the engine start. A 3rd engine start was attempted without the GPU, as the crew assumed the GPU was faulty or the Dash was not accepting the electric power transfer. During the 3rd engine start, the No.2 duct temperature increased rapidly and smoke entered the cabin. The Dash has since been inspected and repaired and returned to service.