CUMULUS CLOUDS OVER NEW MARKET, VIRGINIA, LATE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
LUXE MEN/ CANDID PORTFOLIO (#2)
A SERIES OF PHOTOGRAPHS OF AN AMATUER MAN FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD.ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
MUSIC/HIGH PROFILE ALBUMS DELAYED: Some of the most highly-anticipated albums of the summer have been delayed, including Mariah Carey's "Memoirs of An imperfect Angel," Sean "Diddy" Combs' "Last Train To Paris" and Lil Wayne's rock and roll album "Rebirth." Carey's "Memoirs," slated for an August 25 release, will now be available on September 15. Carey's new single, "Obsessed," is at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week. Combs said that his project's been delayed partially because it's "Jay-Z time and Drake time, enjoy those guys". Combs gave no specific release date for "Train," his new album. Lil Wayne's release date has also been moved, although a new date hasn't been scheduled yet. "Rebirth" was last slated for June 23. Amerie's long-awaited return, "In Love & War," which was originally slated for an August 11 release, will now be available on September 8. Lead single, "Why R U," is #62 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart this week.
TV/"SIMPSONS" BOOK COLDPLAY & EARTHA KITT: Coldplay will become the latest band to make a guest appearance on the FOX TV show, "The Simpsons". The band will reportedly be hired by Homer to play a private concert for him and Bart after he wins the lottery. According to a producer, when Bart goes to the bathroom, Coldplay has to stop playing. Coldplay follow in the footsteps of artists including U2 and Sting. Sir Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, Elton John and The Moody Blues have also made appearances. Producers also announced that the late singer and actress Eartha Kitt had also recorded audio for an episode before her death on Christmas Day last year. The new season of "The Simpsons" will be premiere on September 27.
BOOKS/BOOKER LONGLIST ANNOUNCED: Sarah Waters, Colm Tobin, JM Coetzee and AS Byatt have been longlisted for the 2009 Man Booker Prize. This year's list of 13 titles is dominated by established writers, including 2 former winners, and 4 past-shortlisted authors. Coetzee, nominated for "Summertime," won the prize in 1983 and 1999, while Byatt won in 1990 with "Possession". The list also features 3 first-time novelists, including James Lever. His debut novel, "Me Cheeta," the purported autobiography of the chimpanzee Cheeta, who gained 1930s Hollywood stardom in "Tarzan" movies, is on the list. Other authors making the long list are Adam Foulds, Sarah Hall, Samantha Harvey, Hilary Mantel, Simon Mawer, Ed O'Laughlin, James Scudamore, and William Trevor. The Booker shortlist, a final list of 6 authors, will be revealed on September 8. The winner of the £50,000 award, which honours the best fiction written in English by an author from the UK, Ireland or the Commonwealth, will be named in October. Aravind Adiga won the Man Booker Prize 2008 for his debut novel "The White Tiger".AVIATION/ VIRGIN GALACTIC MAKES DEBUT
Hundreds of people turned to the sky yesterday to see the WhiteKnightTwo, built to launch a ship into space, soar overhead. The twin-fuselage craft, which looks like 2 planes connected at the wing tips, circled the runway several times before touching down at the Experimental Aircraft Association's Air Venture annual gathering in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It was the 1st glimpse the public had of the plane, which was made by VIRGIN GALACTIC as part of its effort to jump-start commercial space travel. Its designers, engineer Burt Rutan and British billionaire Sir Richard Branson, were on hand for the event. Virgin Galactic's plan calls for WhiteKnightTwo to lift SpaceShipTwo, a pressurized spacecraft, into the atmosphere from a base in New Mexico. When they reach 50,000 feet, the spaceship would detach and blast into space at 4 times the speed of sound. The 6 passengers would experience about 5 minutes of weightlessness and get a glimpse of Earth. The spaceship would then glide back to Earth much like the space shuttle. Takeoff to landing is expected to take about 2.5 hours. Virgin Galactic doesn't have a launch date yet, but has taken 300 reservations at $200,000 each and is holding $40 million in deposits. WhiteKnightTwo has now made 16 test flights. The company will keep testing it until fall, when tests will begin on SpaceShipTwo. Branson himself plans to take the 1st trip and bring his father, 92, and his mother, 89, with him. The WhiteKnightTwo is also nicknamed "Eve" in honor of Branson's mother. AVIATION/ FISH STRIKES AC JAZZ AIRCRAFT
NAV Canada has reported an extremely unusual animal strike which occurred on Saturday, July 25, in London, Ontario, Canada. On that date, AIR CANADA JAZZ Flight 7710 was on Scheduled Domestic Dash 8-100 Service from London to Toronto, Canada. The crew of Flight 7710 had to reject its takeoff after suffering a fish strike while on its takeoff roll. The crew was able to stop the aircraft on the runway. According to Nav Canada, an osprey was flying overhead the Airport, with a carp in its mouth, when it dropped the fish, which impacted the Dash while it was on its takeoff roll. No damage was found on the aircraft, thus it was cleared to takeoff for Toronto, where it landed without incident.
AVIATION/ NTSB UPDATES ON COLGAN FL3407
The NTSB has released an updated 111 pages of the cockpit voice recording from COLGAN AIR Flight 3407, the Dash 8-400 that crashed near Buffalo, New York, on February 12, 2009. On that date, Flight 3407 was on service for CONTINENTAL AIRLINES from Newark, New Jersey, to Buffalo, when it went down in Clarence Center, New York, while on approach to Buffalo. The 44 passengers and 5 crew members onboard Flight 3407, along with 1 person in a house that the Dash crashed into, were killed in the crash. The ongoing investigation is centering on Pilot performance, the weather, and the aircraft, as possible causes for the crash. The newly released NTSB CVR recording transcript includes data from when the aircraft was on taxi for takeoff from Newark, as well as later on the flight. The data reveals that the Co-Pilot may have been suffering from a cold on the day of the crash. The Co-Pilot can be heard coughing and sneezing thru-out the flight, as well as stating that she wished she was at home or in a hotel. In an interview with the NTSB, the Co-Pilots husband said that she had sent a text prior to the flight that she was feeling well after a 6 hour nap. The NTSB also released addendum reports of the chairmans of the operational and human factors group. In interviews with the NTSB, Airline officials said that only training for onset of stall had been provided to the crews. They said that the stall must be recognized and recovered on the 1st signs of stall. No training of a fully developed stall, an accelerated stall or a tail stall had been provided. The NASA video on airplane icing had however been shown to all crews. When the Captain was hired, he went through a training syllabus of typically 8 to 10 simulator sessions, with the 8th usually being the check ride. The Airline reported that the Captain had 9 sim sessions. His training records showed some difficulty with stalls in sim sessions 3 and 4, that were corrected by him. Afterwards the performance was satisfactory. An ILS in session 8 had been an issue. Finally, Colgan said that it was not aware of any issues with the Captain in his previous work positions. The investigation continues. AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS
SW & FAA UPDATE ON SW FL693: SOUTHWEST AIRLINES and the FAA have issued brief updates on an incident involving a Southwest Boeing 737 this past Sunday, July 26. As posted yesterday, SW Flight 693 was on service from Hartford, CT, to Orlando, Florida, when it declared an emergency reporting smoke in the passenger cabin. According to the flight crew, they had donned their O2 masks, as well as passengers in the rear of the aircraft. The 737 was diverted to Islip, New York, where it landed without incident. In their statement, Southwest said that a coffee maker in the rear galley caused the burning smell in the cabin. The aircraft was returned to service later the same day. The FAA said that no interior or exterior damage was found. Reports of smoke in the cockpit or an electrical fire in the rear were not accurate. The burning smell is believed to have been caused by burning coffee grinds on an on-board coffee maker. The investigation into the incident continues.
FLYBE DASH STRUCK BY LIGHTNING: FLYBE Flight 1432 was on Scheduled International Dash 8-400 Service from Paris, France, to Cardiff, UK, when it had to divert while enroute, yesterday, July 27. Flight 1432, with 51 passengers and crew onboard, requested diversion after being struck by lightning while inflight. The Dash was diverted to Exeter, UK, where it landed without incident. It is not known if the aircraft was damaged, however it was removed from service for inspection.
CONTROL PROBLEMS DIVERT JETBLUE ERJ: JETBLUE Flight 1068 was on Scheduled Domestic ERJ190 Service from Austin, Texas, to New York JFK, when it had to divert while enroute, on Sunday, July 26. Flight 1068, with 73 passengers and 4 crew members onboard, requested diversion due to control problems while inflight at 37000 feet. The aircraft was diverted to Nashville, Tennessee. While on approach to Nashville, the crew reported that the aircraft was handling normally, however 2 brakes and nose wheel steering showed inoperative. The crew notified ATC that they would need a tow once the landed. Emergency Services were deployed for the landing, however the ERJ landed without incident. The aircraft was towed to a hanger for inspection and repair.
SMOKE DIVERTS AA 757: AMERICAN AIRLINES Flight 2436 was on Scheduled Domestic Boeing 757 Service from Dallas/Ft Worth, Texas, to Boston, Massachusetts, when it had to divert while enroute, on Sunday, July 26. Flight 2436, with 139 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency reporting smoke in the cockpit, while inflight at 35000 feet. The 757 was diverted to Little Rock, Arkansas, where it landed without incident 15 minutes later. The aircraft was removed from service for inspection and possible repair.
ENGINE FORCES LUFTHANSA A320 RETURN: LUFTHANSA Flight 234 was on Scheduled Domestic A320 Service from Munich to Berlin, Germany, when it had to make an emergency return to Munich, on Sunday, July 26. Flight 234 requested return to Munich when the left hand engine Exhaust Gas Temperature exceeded operational limits. The A320 landed without incident back at Munich, and was removed from service for inspection and repairs.
PIA 747 REJECTS TAKEOFF: PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES Flight 305 was on Scheduled Domestic Boeing 747 Service from Lahore to Karachi, Pakistan, when it had to abort takeoff from Lahore, on Sunday, July 26. Flight 305 rejected takeoff when engine vibrations went beyond limits during engine acceleration. The aircraft was removed from service for inspection and repairs. Pakistan media reported that an avionics engineer was ordered by Pakistan's CAA to sign the aircraft off mechanically due to shortage of aviation maintenance personnel. A labor dispute is currently ongoing between their association and PIA. PIA did not comment on the incident.
TURBULENCE ROCKS REPUBLIC ERJ: REPUBLIC AIRLINES Flight 3198 was on Scheduled Domestic ERJ175 Service from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Washington National, on behalf of US AIRWAYS, when it encountered severe turbulence, on Saturday, July 25. Flight 3198 was descending thru 25000 feet on approach to National, when it was rocked by the severe turbulence. The aircraft continued on for a safe landing at National. According to the FAA, which is investigating the incident, there were injuries onboard, however no details about the extent of the injuries, were released.
WINDSHIELD CRACKS ON ICELANDAIR 757: ICELANDAIR Flight 590 was on Scheduled International Boeing 757 Service from Keflavik, Iceland, to Milan, Italy, when it had to divert while enroute, on Saturday, July 25. Flight 590 requested diversion after the cockpit window cracked while overhead the North Sea. The 757 was diverted to Glasgow, Scotland, where it landed without incident. The aircraft was repaired in Glasgow and resumed its flight to Milan about 12 hours later.
FLAPLESS LANDING FOR S7 A319: S7 AIRLINES Flight 171 was on Scheduled Domestic A319 Service from Moscow to Kemerovo, Russia, when it had problems landing at Kemerovo, on Friday, July 24. Flight 171 had to abort its 1st approach into Kemerovo due to failure of the flaps to deploy. Despite attempts by the crew to fix the problem, the A319 had to perform a flapless landing. The aircraft landed without incident and was able to stop on the runway. The aircraft was then removed from service for inspection and repairs. Monday, July 27, 2009
SNAPSHOTS
HOT AIR BALLOONS TAKE OFF YESTERDAY AT DUSK, AT THE LORRAINE MONDIAL AIR BALLONS RALLY IN CHAMBLEY-BUSSIERES, FRANCE.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
TV/"LOST" STARS TO RETURN FOR FINALE: Several stars from the early seasons of "Lost," look set to make a return in the final season of the show. Speaking at the Comic-Con convention in San Diego this weekend, executive producer Damon Lindelof said there was "a good chance" that "many characters" would be back. He added that the upcoming 6th and final season, would answer questions about the show's increasingly confusing plot. The characters Juliet and Daniel, who died in the last series, are returning. In May's finale, the castaways detonated a bomb on the mysterious time-travelling island in the hope of resetting the past several years of their lives. Fans at Comic-Con were shown clips and footage, which included shots of British actor Dominic Monaghan, whose character Charlie Pace was killed off in the 3rd season, hinting that he may return to the show. Actor Ian Somerhalder, who now stars in the new series "The Vampire Diaries," apparently confirmed in a separate news conference that his character, Boone Carlyle, would also return from the dead. "There's a good chance you'll be seeing many characters you haven't seen since the first season again," said Lindelof. Executive producer Carlton Cuse said the finale would be closer to the original series, which he described as "intense and surprising". Last season featured flash-forward devices and time travel but Lindelof said: "We're going to do something different." With many of the island's mysteries still unexplained, Lindelof assured fans, "everything that matters we're gonna answer". "Lost" premiered on ABC in September 2004.
TV/GUINESS RECOGNIZES THE DOCTOR: The Guinness Book of World Records recognized "Doctor Who" yesterday as the most successful sci-fi series. "It is too good a show to have just 1 record," said the Guinness editor in chief. Guinness granted the award on the basis of broadcast ratings, DVD sales, book sales and iTunes traffic. "It's hard to quantify illegal downloads, but we included those as well," the editor said. Longevity was another factor, since "Doctor Who" also holds the Guinness record for longest-running sci-fi TV series. "Doctor Who" premiered November 23, 1963. The latest "Doctor Who" special, "Planet of the Dead," premiered on BBC America last evening. David Tennant is the current Doctor.
THEATRE/RAT PACK IN THE WORKS: Rupert Holmes has joined the creative team as book writer of "Robin and the 7 Hoods," a new musical adaptation of Warner Bros' 1964 Rat Pack film, which is aiming for a West Coast tryout next summer prior to its Broadway bow during the 2010-11 season. Built around standards by Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen, including "My Kind of Town," "Come Fly With Me," "All the Way" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head," the show revisits the time when the movie was made, and when old culture intersected with the swinging new world of the sexual revolution. Casey Nicholaw ("The Drowsy Chaperone") is set to choreograph and direct. The film transported the Robin Hood legend to Prohibition-era Chicago, with Frank Sinatra as a North Side racketeer who becomes a local hero. Holmes won Tonys in 1986 for book and score for "The Mystery of Edwin Drood," Holmes' work was most recently on Broadway in Kander & Ebb's "Curtains." He wrote the book for the new musical adaptation of "The First Wives Club," currently in previews in its Broadway tryout in San Diego. Holmes is also working with composer Marvin Hamlisch on the musical adaptation of "The Nutty Professor," which Jerry Lewis is slated to direct. That show also is eyeing a Broadway premeire in the 2010-11 season. WORLD NEWS/ UK HONORS GAYS IN MILITARY
Soldier, the magazine of the British army, has featured a gay serviceman on its cover for the 1st time, honoring 10 years of gay and lesbian soldiers serving openly in the army. Trooper James Wharton, of the Household Cavalry Regiment, is shown wearing dress uniform complete with an Iraq medal. He appears on the cover next to the slogan "Pride". The magazine said it was celebrating diversity in the British Army. It represents a huge advancement in the army's policies, where just 10 years ago homosexuality in the army was illegal. That was overturned in January 2000 by the European Court of Human Rights after a 2 year legal battle involving 3 gay men and a lesbian, who had been discharged from the Royal Navy and RAF. When questioned about the US army's continuing policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Wharton said: "I still can’t get my head round it, there will be gay soldiers in the US Army who are not being themselves". Since the inception of the rule 16 years ago, 12,500 members of the US army have been discharged for being gay.
AVIATION/ FLIGHT CANCELED IN MID-AIR
A strange thing happened on a US AIRWAYS aircraft on a flight last Wednesday evening from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Charleston, South Carolina. On July 22 while on approach to Charleston, the Pilot of US Airways Flight 3203 announced that he was turning around and heading back to Charlotte. He told passengers that Charleston International Airport had closed, as it was now past midnight. A passenger told local media after the incident that she had never heard of a flight "that was canceled mid-flight". The Airport did close at midnight, as it has every day since June 9 and will through August 9, while work crews from the adjoining Charleston Air Force Base rebuild 1 of the 2 runways. The $30 million project began in April and will run through November. At the time work began, all users of the Airport were notifed that the work would require 2 months without air traffic between midnight and 6am. The 7000ft runway last received major work more than 40 years ago and had deteriorated to an extent that damage had become a safety concern. Flight 3203's evening began with inclement weather in Charlotte, according to a spokesman for REPUBLIC AIRWAYS, the carrier that operated the flight for US Airways. Lightning struck near Charlotte Douglas International Airport and delayed takeoff after the plane left the gate at around 10:30pm. The flight, which was scheduled to arrive in Charleston at 11:25pm, departed Charlotte at 11:43pm. "We thought we were going to be able to make it in time," the spokesman said. "In addition, we thought the tower might remain open a little later." Instead, only 15 miles outside of Charleston the Pilot learned he would have to take the 66 passengers and 4 crew members back to Charlotte. The plane landed in Charlotte at 12:40am. The Airline said passengers received vouchers for a hotel discount and new tickets to fly out the next day.
AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS
SMOKE FORCES SW 737 TO DIVERT: SOUTHWEST AIRLINES Flight 693 was on Scheduled Domestic Boeing 737 Service from Hartford, CT, to Orlando, Florida, when it had to divert while enroute, yesterday, July 26. Flight 693, with 132 passengers and 5 crew members onboard, declared an emergency while climbing thru 34000 feet, about 15 minutes after departure from Hartford. The crew reported that they had donned their O2 masks due to smoke in the passenger cabin. The crew also reported that passengers in the rear of the 737 had also had to don O2 masks. The aircraft was immediately diverted to Islip, New York, where it landed without incident. The crew reported that the smoke/odor had dissipated just prior to landing, thus the aircraft was allowed to taxi off the main runway for inspection by Emergency Services. According to media reports, no immediate cause of the smoke was determined. The 737 was removed from service for a full inspection.
TECH FAULTS FORCES UAL 777 TO DIVERT: UNITED AIRLINES Flight 967 was on Scheduled International Boeing 777 Service from Rome, Italy, to Washington Dulles, when it had to divert while enroute, yesterday, July 26. Flight 967, with 247 passengers and crew onboard, requested diversion due to unspecified technical problems, about 1 hour into its crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. The 777 was diverted to Shannon, Ireland, where it landed without incident. After spending a few hours in Shannon, the aircraft was then flown to London Heathrow for continuation of repairs.
HYDRAULICS FORCE BA A319 RETURN: BRITISH AIRWAYS Flight 730 was on Scheduled International A319 Service from London Heathrow to Geneva, Switzerland, when it had to make an emergency return to Heathrow, yesterday, July 26. Flight 730 declared an emergency shortly after departure, with the crew reporting unspecified problems with its hydraulics. The A319 landed back at Heathrow without incident, however the aircraft had to be towed off the runway. The aircraft was removed from service for inspection and repair.
NORDSTAR 737 DIVERTS OVER LANDING GEAR: NORDSTAR Flight 5502 was on Scheduled International Boeing 737 Service from Antalya, Turkey, to Moscow, Russia, when it had to divert while enroute, yesterday, July 26. Flight 5502, with 173 passengers and 9 crew members onboard, requested diversion after the landing gear failed to retract on departure. The 737 was diverted to Krasnodar, Russia, where it landed without incident. The aircraft was removed from service for repair. It is not known why the 737 was diverted, instead of returning to Antalya.
FIRE ALERT FORCES MAHAN MD82 RETURN: MAHAN AIR Flight 1029 was on Scheduled Domestic MD82 Service from Tehran to Bander Mahshahr, Iran, when it had to make an emergency return to Tehran, yesterday, July 26. Flight 1029 declared an emergency shortly after takeoff from Tehran, with the crew reporting a fire alert from the passenger cabin. The MD82 landed back at Tehran without incident. According to Iranian media, Emergency Services could find no trace of smoke or fire on the aircraft. It is not known what the current status of the aircraft is.
VIRGIN BLUE 737 LOSES WHEEL BEFORE TAKEOFF: VIRGIN BLUE Flight 821 was on Scheduled Domestic Boeing 737 Service from Melbourne to Sydney, Australia, when it lost a wheel as it moved for takeoff at Melbourne, on Saturday, July 25. Flight 821 lost its right nose wheel while turning onto the departure runway. The crew of another nearby aircraft notified the Tower, which in turned notified the crew of Flight 821. The 737 then moved to a nearby apron and the wheel was recovered from the runway. The aircraft was removed from service for repair, and has already returned to service. The ATSB reported that that the nose wheel axle failed leading to the separation of the right nose wheel. The Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association said that corrosion in the axle led to the release of the wheel. In a statement today, Virgin Blue said that they had inspected all other aircraft, and no other problems were noted. The ATSB has rated the incident as "Serious," and has opened an investigation. Sunday, July 26, 2009
SNAPSHOTS
THE SPANISH AIR FORCE AEROBATIC TEAM PERFORM IN EC120 COLIBRI HELICOPTERS OVER SAN LORENZO BEACH IN NORTHERN SPAIN THIS WEEKEND.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
MUSIC/NO CHANGES IN UK CHARTS: The UK Singles and Album chart remain fairly stable this week, with no changes at the top spot. JLS leads the singles chart for a 2nd week with "Beat Again". The highest new entry comes in at #2 with "Supernova" by Mr Hudson w/ Kanye West. Elsewhere in the top 10, Beyonce comes in at #9 with "Sweet Dreams" while Chicane holds tight at #10 with "Poppiholla". On the album chart, "The Essential Michael Jackson" remains at #1 for the 4th week, while Jackson's "Thriller" falls to #6 and a combo album with him and his brothers, "The Motown Years" falls to #7. The Black Eyed Peas, The Noisettes, and Kasabian all move back into the top 10. The highest debut on the album chart is Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield," which comes in at #11.
THEATRE/DAME EDNA TEAMS UP: Michael Feinstein and international gigastar Dame Edna, aka Barry Humphries, are joining forces for a possibly Broadway-bound project. The duo plan to shop their new show to Broadway producers and theatre owners next week. The show will feature Feinstein and the Dame offering their interpretations of the standards, including classics by Rodgers and Hart, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin and Stephen Sondheim, among others. No official announcement about the project has been made. A 5 time Grammy nominee, Michael Feinstein is often credited with reinvigorating interest in the American popular song. The singer has performed in concert halls around the world and on Broadway and now co-owns his own nightclub, Feinstein's at Loews Regency.
THEATRE/"NORMAN" SHUTTERS TODAY: The final curtain comes down as scheduled today on the 2009 Tony Award-winning revival of Alan Ayckbourn's "The Norman Conquests," the trilogy of funny-rueful plays at Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre. The 1973 plays, directed by Matthew Warchus, were seen without a literal curtain, it played in the round in New York, as it did in 2008 in the hit Old Vic London revival. That 6-actor British company transferred intact, and 4 of its players were nominated for 2009 Tonys. The three plays, deemed 1 play by the Tony Awards committee, won the 2009 Tony as Best Revival of a Play. The production is also the winner of 3 Drama Desk and 3 Outer Critics Circle Awards. At close, the play will have had 18 previews and 109 performances of all plays combined. AVIATION/ BFU UPDATES ON LUFTHANSA FL44
The German BFU has released a brief update on its investigation into an incident involving a LUFTHANSA A320 at Hamburg, Germany, on March 1, 2008. According to the BFU, the investigation has become more complex, with the BFU saying that the aircraft's computers behaved unexpectedly. This, in addition to the weather, is now the focus of its investigation. On March 1, Lufthansa Flight 44 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Munich to Hamburg, with 131 passengers and crew onboard. The flight was routine, until the aircraft came in to land at Hamburg. At 1:00pm, while attempting to land in very strong cross winds, the aircraft nearly crashed. As seen in photos and video, the left wing touched the ground while in the flare, followed by the right hand wing nearly touching the ground while the aircraft floated off the runway. The crew managed to get the aircraft airborne again, and then performed a go-around, before landing with incident 10 minutes later. According to news reports at the time, the passengers and crew were all "shook up" by the incident. The left hand wing sustained substantial damage in the incident.
As previously reported, at the time of the incident, a storm depression named "Emma" was moving thru the Hamburg area with winds gusting up to 55 knots. The measured gusts at Hamburg Fuhlsbüttel Airport, as Flight 44 approached, were 47 knots. The newly released update by the BFU states that after 1 wheel briefly contacted ground, the A320's computers went into ground mode resulting in a rudder throw limitation. This prevented the crew from compensating the wind gusts as needed, and therefore produced the roll, which allowed the wing tip to contact ground. After 3 seconds, the aircraft's computers went back into the air mode permitting the Pilots to correct the situation. In its investigation, the BFU is now looking very closely in the fly by wire and associated computer controls. The BFU gave no timeline for completing its report. AVIATION/ ARIA JET LANDED TOO FAST
Iran's Civil Aviation Authority issued a brief update yesterday on the crash of ARIA AIR Flight 1525 on Friday, July 24. Flight 1525 was on Scheduled Domestic IL62 Service from Tehran to Mashad, when it overran the runway on landing at Mashad. The aircraft crashed thru runway approach lights, and a wall, and burst into flames as it came to rest in nearby cemetary. The entire cockpit and front section of the IL62 was sheared off. Of the 138 passengers and 15 crew members onboard, 3 passengers and 13 crew members were killed in the crash. About 30 others were injured. In its update yesterday, the Authority said the aircraft touched down at a speed of 200 knots well above its usual landing speeds of up to 165 knots. It had previously disclosed that the IL62 also had touched down at the midpoint of the runway, well past the usual touchdown point. The flight data and cockpit voice recorders have been recovered and are currently being analyzed. Contrary to reports yesterday that Aria had suspended its service following the crash, the Authority said it was the Government that suspened the carrier's flight certificate. The Authority did not disclose whether the suspension was temporary or permanant.
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