'Four survivors' after Russian jet crashes in Afghanistan's mountains
KABUL, Jan 21: The business jet was believed to be carrying six people on hospital flight from India to Uzbekistan & Russia before communication was lost on Saturday evening.
Four people survived and two are unaccounted for after a Russian plane crashed in mountainous northeastern Afghanistan, the air transport agency Rosaviatsia said Sunday.
The Falcon 10 business jet was believed to be carrying six people on a hospital flight from India to Uzbekistan and Russia before communication was lost on Saturday evening.
"Of the six people on board the aircraft, tentatively, four are alive. They have various injuries. The fate of two people is being clarified," Rosaviatsia said, citing the Russian embassy in Afghanistan.
The RIA Novosti news agency said two passengers were Russians, one who was seriously ill, and the other her husband who had paid for the flight.
The two-engine plane was built by France's Dassault in 1978 and owned by a company called Athletic Group and a private individual.
A provincial government official in Afghanistan said the aircraft came down in Badakhshan province, which borders China, Tajikistan and Pakistan.
The area of the crash is eight hours by road from the provincial capital Faizabad, said Zabihullah Amiri, head of the provincial information department.
Russian investigators announced the opening of a probe into the cause of the crash.
The mighty Hindu Kush mountain range cuts through the province, which is home to Afghanistan's highest peak, Mount Noshaq, at 7,492 metres (24,580 feet) tall.
'Complete Surprise': Mother And Daughter Only Passengers On Emirates Flight
LONDON, Jan 10: A mother and daughter duo were left surprised when they boarded their flight for a vacation. The two were the only passengers in the economy-class cabin on the Emirates flight from the Seychelles to Switzerland, as per a report in the Independent.
Zoe Doyle, 25, was travelling with her 59-year-old mother, Kimmy Chedel, on December 25, 2023, to spend Christmas with family. She posted a TikTok video showing the empty seats and since then the clip has been watched over a million times. "Merry Christmas from the only ladies flying Emirates today," the caption said.
In the video, Ms Chedel is seen attempting to put on the headgear that Emirates cabin staff members wear, while her daughter is seen dancing along the clean corridors and creating "snow angels" on the aircraft floor. The now-viral video is set to "All I Want for Christmas Is You," a renowned Christmas pop song by Mariah Carey.
The duo revealed that they had no idea that they were the only passengers and it was a "complete surprise" for them, according to the Stuff. "We had no idea we were the only ones. There were four others, I think, that were in first class but they were totally separate from us, so we were basically the only ones," she said.
She continued, "Because it was monsoon season in the Seychelles, as well as being Christmas Day, it just meant no one was flying I guess."
The two were given a tour of the aircraft, but even with so many seats, they were not permitted to travel in first class. "It was so much fun. We were chatting with the flight attendants and filming funny videos with them. They even got a Polaroid camera out and dressed my Mum up in the cabin crew uniform. It was great" Ms Doyle added.
In April 2023, a UK man who was travelling to Portugal to meet his family from Northern Ireland discovered that he was the only passenger on the entire flight. Wilkinson inquired about the same at the airport, asking if it had been postponed or cancelled, but was taken aback when they informed him that he would be the only one on board, referring to him as a "VIP guest".
"I spoke to the stewards waiting to take the passports, and they said, 'Oh, Mr Paul, you're VIP today... You're flying on your own'."
Before the plane took off for Belfast, he got to choose his own seat and speak with the captain. The father of three described the experience of that of a private plane.
"Someone told me a private jet is in the region of 28,000 euros (Rs 25 lakh) and it'll probably never happen again," he further said.
Wilkinson enjoyed every second and said that the flight attendants were kind and that their service was "second to none". He received a personal safety demonstration and the event was documented with photographs.
"I jokingly asked for a refund on my seat, which I paid for. It was just surreal. I went for a walk around the plane, and I had a pick of the toilets," he said.
US Grounds Over 170 Boeing 737 MAX 9 Planes After Mid-Air Scare
NEW YORK, Jan 6: The US air safety regulator on Saturday ordered immediate inspections of some 170 Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes after a window panel blew out after takeoff on an Alaska Airlines flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration "is requiring immediate inspections of certain Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes before they can return to flight," the regulator said in a statement on X.
It added that the checkups will affect around 171 aircraft and should take four to eight hours per plane.
Seeing No Hope, Naresh Goyal Tells Court With Folded Hands 'Its Better To Die In Jail'
MUMBAI, Jan 6: Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal, an accused in the alleged fraud of ₹ 538 crore at Canara Bank, on Saturday, told a special court here with "folded hands" that he had "lost every hope of life" and it will be "better if he dies in jail" than living in his present condition.
The septuagenarian, who turned teary-eyed, submitted that he misses his wife Anita very badly and said she is in the advanced stage of cancer, according to court records.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Goyal on September 1 last year in connection with the alleged bank fraud. He is currently in judicial custody at Arthur Road jail here.
Goyal had moved a bail application before special judge M G Desphande.
He was produced before the court on Saturday and during the proceedings Goyal requested for a few minutes of personal hearing, which the judge allowed.
As per the court's 'roznama' (record of daily hearings), Goyal with folded hands and "continuous tremors in his whole body" submitted that "his health is very bad and precarious".
The businessman said that his wife is bedridden and their only daughter too is unwell. The jail staff has their limitations in helping him, said Goyal.
"I heard him patiently and also observed him when he made the submissions as such. I found that his whole body was trembling. He needs assistance even to stand," the judge noted.
Goyal pointed to his knees and said they were swollen and painful and he was unable to fold his legs.
The Jet Airways founder brought to the court's notice that he has severe pain while urinating and sometimes blood is passed through urine, coupled with unsustainable pain. Most of the time, he hasn't been able to get assistance, he said.
The businessman told the judge that he had become very weak and there was no use in referring him to J J Hospital. The journey with other inmates as per the convenience of prison staff and escort party from Arthur Road jail to the hospital is "very troublesome, hectic and tedious which he cannot bear and sustain".
Also, there is always a long queue of patients and he cannot reach the doctor in time and whenever he is examined by the doctor further follow-up is not possible, Goyal said, adding that Goyal said that these are "very badly affecting his health".
He said his wife Anita is in the advanced stage of cancer and undergoing treatment.
There is no one to look after her as his only daughter is also suffering from health issues, submitted Goyal, with tears in his eyes.
He requested the court not to send him to J J Hospital and instead "allow him to die in the jail itself".
Goyal said, "he has lost every hope of life and (it's) better he should die rather than be alive in such a situation".
He submitted that he would turn 75 and he has no hope for any future. It's "better if he dies in jail, his destiny would rescue him", he said.
Goyal also submitted that his health doesn't permit him to attend the court personally. This time, Goyal said, he insisted that he be produced before the court so that he would be able to submit everything personally. He said he won't insist on physical appearance any more.
"I have taken note of everything he has submitted and also assured the accused that he will not be left helpless and all possible care of his mental and physical health will be taken with proper treatment," the judge said after hearing Goyal.
The court directed his lawyers to take appropriate steps concerning his health.
In his bail plea filed last month, Goyal cited multiple medical ailments like heart condition, prostate and orthopaedic issues and claimed there were reasonable grounds to believe that "he is not guilty".
The ED has filed a response to his bail plea and the matter will be further heard on January 16.
The ED case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) stems from an FIR of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Jet Airways, Goyal, his wife Anita and some former company executives of the now-grounded private airline in connection with an alleged fraud of ₹ 538 crore at the state-run Canara Bank.
The FIR was registered on the bank's complaint alleging that it had sanctioned credit and loans worth ₹ 848.86 crore to Jet Airways (India) Limited of which ₹ 538.62 crore was outstanding.
379 Japan plane passengers evacuated in 2 minutes: Rules ‘written in blood'
TOKYO, Jan 3: A Japan Airlines passenger plane was hit by a Coast Guard aircraft in a fiery collision at Tokyo's Haneda airport. All 379 passengers and crew on board the passenger plane which burst into flames were safely evacuated, miraculously but five of six crew on the Japan Coast Guard Dash 8 plane it struck during landing have died.
Experts said that the successful evacuation was possible because of Japan Airlines’ rigorous safety culture.
Graham Braithwaite, professor of safety and accident investigation at the UK’s Cranfield University, said, “From what I saw on the footage, I was surprised and relieved that everyone got out. It’s such a severe impact for any aircraft to have to withstand. But knowing what I know about that airline, and how much effort they put into safety and into crew training, the fact that they did do such a good job shouldn’t be such a surprise.”
But Japan Airlines ensured safety after a catastrophic accident nearly 40 years ago when on August 12, 1985, JAL flight 123 from Tokyo to Osaka crashed, killing 520 out of the 524 onboard, making it the deadliest single-aircraft accident in aviation history.
Graham Braithwaite said, “Clearly the effect was profound on the airline. In a culture like Japan’s, they took that responsibility as a group and wanted to make sure nothing like that ever happened again. So when things go wrong, they see it in terms of how they can learn. Everything is an opportunity to improve.”
“The feeling was, there are people who’ve joined our business who don’t know what it’s like to go wrong. Everyone has to understand how much effort goes into safety,” he said.
The professor said that there are called runway incursions, and are “rare but can be catastrophic."
But JAL employees know all too well that aviation’s safety records are “written in the blood of others who haven’t been so fortunate", a European pilot told CNN, explaining that accidents become lessons which are “shared across the industry so crew can all be better at their jobs.”
Steven Erhlich, chair of PilotsTogether, said, “It’s too soon to comment on the specifics of the incident, but what’s clear is that the crew performed in an exemplary fashion. The safety training that airlines - in this case JAL - put the crews through on a continuous basis paid off allowing for evacuation within 90 seconds."
Japan Plane In Flames After Collision At Airport, 5 Dead; Miraculous Escape for 379
TOKYO, Jan 2: Five people aboard a Japan coast guard aircraft died Tuesday when it hit a Japan Airlines passenger plane on the ground in a fiery collision at Tokyo's Haneda airport.
All 379 passengers and crew on board the passenger plane which burst into flames were safely evacuated, Japanese transport minister Tetsuo Saito told reporters.
But five of the six crew members from the smaller plane -- bound for central Japan after Monday's huge earthquake -- died, Saito said.
The captain escaped and survived but was injured, he said, cautioning that "we're not at the stage to explain the cause" of the accident.
Television and unverified footage shared on social media showed the Japan Airlines (JAL) airliner moving along the runway before a large eruption of orange flames and black smoke burst from beneath and behind it.
Video posted to social media platform X showed people sliding down an inflatable emergency slide from the side of the passenger plane while flames shot out from the rear of the aircraft.
All 367 passengers plus 12 crew onboard were swiftly taken off the plane before dozens of fire engines with flashing blue lights sprayed the fuselage.
They however failed to put out the flames coming out of windows near the wings and the blaze soon engulfed the entire aircraft.
The plane, reportedly an Airbus 350, had arrived from New Chitose Airport serving Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido. Those on board included eight children.
The coast guard plane had been preparing to fly to Ishikawa prefecture to deliver supplies after the devastating New Year's Day earthquake which killed at least 48 people.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida praised the deceased crew members on their way to help the victims of the quake.
"These were employees who had a high sense of mission and responsibility for the affected areas. It's very regrettable," he told reporters.
"I express my respect and gratitude to their sense of mission," Kishida said.
JAL said the passenger plane either collided with the other aircraft on a runway or a taxiway after it touched down, Kyodo reported.
There was also burning debris on the runway at Haneda, one of the world's busiest airports.
Haneda suspended domestic flights, according to its website, but most international takeoffs and landings were still operating.
A transport ministry official said investigations into the incident were ongoing, including exchanges between the flights and air traffic control.
Japan has not suffered a serious commercial aviation accident in decades.
Its worst ever was in 1985, when a JAL jumbo jet flying from Tokyo to Osaka crashed in central Gunma region, killing 520 passengers and crew.
That disaster was one of the world's deadliest plane crashes involving a single flight.
22% increase in commercial pilot licenses issued to women in 2023: DGCA
NEW DELHI, Jan 1: The aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday said that it issued a decade-high 1622 commercial pilot licenses (CPLs) in 2023, among which 18.12% are women pilots, a growth of 22.5% as compared to 2022.
“In a significant stride forward, the aviation regulator DGCA has achieved an unprecedented milestone by issuing a decade-high 1,622 commercial pilot licenses in the year 2023. Among these, 18.12% are women pilots with a remarkable upswing of 22.5% as compared to the year 2022,” a statement issued by the DGCA read.
This comes at a time when the country’s civil aviation sector is recovering at a fast pace after the Covid-19 pandemic, and major air operators like Air India and IndiGo have placed huge aircraft orders for commercial operations.
“The record issue of total CPLs for 2023 has surpassed the previous milestone of 1165 licenses issued in the year 2022, witnessing a 39.22 % increase,” the DGCA stated.
“ The surge in license issuances reflects..rigorous standards upheld by the regulator to ensure safety, compliance, and increased operational demands of the aviation sector,” the DGCA said.
The civil aviation ministry had recently amended the Aircraft Rules, 1937, under which it extended the validity of CPL from five to 10 years. It stated, “This change is expected to reduce administrative burden on pilots and aviation authorities like DGCA, promoting a more streamlined and efficient licensing process.”
Moreover, the DGCA said that it has also approved a new helicopter flying training organisation to cater to small business.
“..to cater to the long time demand of small business and helicopter operators, the regulator has granted approval for a new helicopter Flying Training Organisation (FTO) to enable aspirants to undertake training and acquire commercial licenses for helicopters,” it said.
With this, it is expected that the helicopter industry, which is largely engaged in regional connectivity services (RCS), pilgrimage, and air-ambulance services, will shore up in terms of crew strength by receiving trained pilots from an additional pool other than ex-military pilots, the DGCA stated.
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