Aviation

American Airlines Pilot Dies On Flight To Boston

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BOSTON (CBS) – A red-eye flight from Phoenix, Arizona to Boston was diverted to Syracuse Monday morning after one of the pilots suffered a medical emergency and died.
American Airlines Flight 550 left Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport just before midnight and was scheduled to land at Logan Airport around 8 a.m.

A spokeswoman for the airline told WBZ-TV that one of the pilots became ill in mid-flight and the Airbus A320 was forced to land at Hancock Airport in Syracuse, New York just after 7 a.m.

The pilot died, the spokesperson said, but she would not say if he passed away during the flight or before it landed. He was not taken to a hospital. His name has not been made public and there’s no word yet on a cause of death.

http://twitter.com/HagerWBZ/status/651073816261738496/photo/1

The flight, which is also known as US Airways Flight 550, landed at Logan Airport at 12:30 p.m. There were 147 passengers on board.
Describing the incident to reporters in Boston, passengers said there was a quick descent, they felt some turbulence and then a member of the flight crew announced that the captain wasn’t feeling well.
The passengers described a hard landing in Syracuse and did not know at the time why they were there.
They said EMTs did not rush onto the plane, leading them to believe the pilot had died.

They did not know if he passed away in-flight or after landing.
The passengers praised the co-pilot who they said appeared calm during the entire incident.
“This is a terribly sad event and American Airlines is focused on caring for the pilot’s family at this time,” the airline spokeswoman said, “as well as the American Airlines staff and passengers on board the flight.”
No other information is available at this point in the investigation.
WBZ-TV’s Christina Hager contributed to this report. You can follow her on Twitter @HagerWBZ.
Report courtesy : CBS Boston

Aviation

Lost Tool Found in Qantas A380 After 34 Flights

An Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation recently revealed that a Qantas A380 operated 34 flights with a 1.25-meter nylon tool lodged in one of its engines.

This turning tool, used during borescope inspections to rotate the intermediate-pressure compressor, was left behind during scheduled maintenance at Los Angeles on December 6, 2023. It remained inside the engine until it was discovered by maintenance staff during a subsequent check at Los Angeles on January 1, 2024.

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The ATSB report highlights two critical lapses. First, maintenance engineers failed to notice the tool during final checks for foreign objects after the borescope inspection. Second, the lost tool procedure was not activated when the tool was identified as missing.

The certifying engineer ultimately cleared the aircraft for service without accounting for the misplaced tool. During the time qantas films the tool was inside, the A380 completed 34 flight cycles, accumulating nearly 294 hours without any noticeable effect on engine performance.

Although the tool was deformed by high-energy airflow within the engine, there was no reported damage to the engine itself. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell commented.

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“This incident underscores the importance of following established maintenance protocols. Engineers missed the tool during foreign object checks, and the required lost tool procedure wasn’t started after realizing the tool was missing.”

Following the investigation, the airline issued a safety directive, urging all engineering and tool storage teams to adhere strictly to these protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.

A qantas spokesperson stated, “While the tool didn’t impact engine performance, we take this incident very seriously. It is critical to follow the correct lost tool procedures.”