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Tough week for AA MD80s!

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aa73

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Joined
Oct 12, 2004
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2,075
American Airlines jet makes emergency landing in Austin

Monday, March 9, 2009, 12:16 PM
An American Airlines jet bound for Los Angeles had to make an emergency landing at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport this morning after the pilot reported a loud noise from one of the engines shortly after takeoff.
The MD-80 landed safely, and nobody was injured, said Tim Smith, an airline spokesman.
Flight 311 had an engine problem shortly after taking off, Smith said. The pilot then powered the engine back to idle, declared an emergency and flew back to Austin — all standard procedures, Smith said.
The plane made a normal landing after being in the air about 20 to 30 minutes, Smith said. He did not know the nature of the engine problem. The plane has been taken out of service for inspection and repairs, he said.
There were 123 passengers and a crew of five on board, he said.
The airline is working to get passengers on other flights to Los Angeles today, Smith said.
Nicholas Di Benedetto, 28, was traveling home to San Jose with his girlfriend, Dee Summerscales, after visiting family in Austin.
He was sitting next to the engine and said it was making a funny noise before takeoff. “It sounded like the little engine that could,” he said.
He said shortly after takeoff he heard a loud boom, the floorboard shook and the plane dropped.
“It was a bumpy landing,” he said. “It felt like being on military plane rather than a regular plane.
He said he and his girlfriend chose to wait a day before catching a flight to Los Angeles and then on to San Jose.


And then:

AP
Plane makes emergency landing after takeoff in NYC
Wednesday March 11, 2:24 pm ET
By Verena Dobnik, Associated Press Writer American Airlines plane makes emergency landing in NYC after engine failure; debris found

NEW YORK (AP) -- An American Airlines plane made an emergency landing Wednesday after an engine failed minutes after takeoff, dropping metal debris onto a home. No injuries were reported, either on the aircraft or the ground.
which Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters said indicated the engine on the right wing of the McDonnell Douglas 80 had failed.
American Flight 309 had left New York's LaGuardia Airport at 8:15 a.m., heading for Chicago. After the pilot reported engine problems, the plane was quickly diverted to Kennedy Airport. The airports are about 12 miles apart.
The plane, with 88 passengers and a crew of five, landed at JFK at 8:36 a.m. -- 21 minutes after takeoff. The pilot taxied to a gate and the aircraft was inspected. Pieces of metal were found embedded in the fuselage of the aircraft, Peters said.
The plane had flown over the borough of Queens, where people in the College Point neighborhood reported hearing a loud noise. Investigators later found about four dozen pieces of metal that had crashed onto a rooftop.
Police and aviation investigators photographed the debris, which was taken to LaGuardia for inspection. The bulk of the engine remained attached to the plane's wing, Peters said.
There was no immediate indication that the engine failed because of a bird strike, which caused a US Airways plane to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River in January.
The plane that ditched in the Hudson lost both engines after it hit a flock of Canada geese less than 2 minutes after taking off from LaGuardia. All 155 people aboard that aircraft survived.


----------------------------------------------


Great job guys!
 
American Airlines jet makes emergency landing in Austin

Monday, March 9, 2009, 12:16 PM
An American Airlines jet bound for Los Angeles had to make an emergency landing at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport this morning after the pilot reported a loud noise from one of the engines shortly after takeoff.
The MD-80 landed safely, and nobody was injured, said Tim Smith, an airline spokesman.
Flight 311 had an engine problem shortly after taking off, Smith said. The pilot then powered the engine back to idle, declared an emergency and flew back to Austin — all standard procedures, Smith said.
The plane made a normal landing after being in the air about 20 to 30 minutes, Smith said. He did not know the nature of the engine problem. The plane has been taken out of service for inspection and repairs, he said.
There were 123 passengers and a crew of five on board, he said.
The airline is working to get passengers on other flights to Los Angeles today, Smith said.
Nicholas Di Benedetto, 28, was traveling home to San Jose with his girlfriend, Dee Summerscales, after visiting family in Austin.
He was sitting next to the engine and said it was making a funny noise before takeoff. “It sounded like the little engine that could,” he said.
He said shortly after takeoff he heard a loud boom, the floorboard shook and the plane dropped.
“It was a bumpy landing,” he said. “It felt like being on military plane rather than a regular plane.
He said he and his girlfriend chose to wait a day before catching a flight to Los Angeles and then on to San Jose.


And then:

AP
Plane makes emergency landing after takeoff in NYC
Wednesday March 11, 2:24 pm ET
By Verena Dobnik, Associated Press Writer American Airlines plane makes emergency landing in NYC after engine failure; debris found

NEW YORK (AP) -- An American Airlines plane made an emergency landing Wednesday after an engine failed minutes after takeoff, dropping metal debris onto a home. No injuries were reported, either on the aircraft or the ground.
which Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters said indicated the engine on the right wing of the McDonnell Douglas 80 had failed.
American Flight 309 had left New York's LaGuardia Airport at 8:15 a.m., heading for Chicago. After the pilot reported engine problems, the plane was quickly diverted to Kennedy Airport. The airports are about 12 miles apart.
The plane, with 88 passengers and a crew of five, landed at JFK at 8:36 a.m. -- 21 minutes after takeoff. The pilot taxied to a gate and the aircraft was inspected. Pieces of metal were found embedded in the fuselage of the aircraft, Peters said.
The plane had flown over the borough of Queens, where people in the College Point neighborhood reported hearing a loud noise. Investigators later found about four dozen pieces of metal that had crashed onto a rooftop.
Police and aviation investigators photographed the debris, which was taken to LaGuardia for inspection. The bulk of the engine remained attached to the plane's wing, Peters said.
There was no immediate indication that the engine failed because of a bird strike, which caused a US Airways plane to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River in January.
The plane that ditched in the Hudson lost both engines after it hit a flock of Canada geese less than 2 minutes after taking off from LaGuardia. All 155 people aboard that aircraft survived.


----------------------------------------------


Great job guys!

FAA....the engine on the right wing...etc... Lordy!
 
Kudos to the pilots involved. Excellent training makes a big difference... I must say that those MD82/3s do look very old and beat up at times. I know pilots who fly them and love them but they must be a drag with some serious maintenance to keep them airborne.
 

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