Toxic Cloud In Spain Caused By Rocket Fuel

A toxic orange cloud hanging over Igualada was caused when two chemicals being delivered to the Simar S.A. storage facility were accidentally mixed.

The TransAsia GE235 Accident - The Taxi, the Transmission Lines and the FDR - some details

The skills of the pilots of GE235 have been questioned.  The mere fact that Transasia is requiring its pilots to undergo tests is not proof of pilot error.  It is most likely a precautionary measure.  The FDR - flight data recorder - shows some very strange readings.  The graphic representation of the engine data published by Taiwan's ASC is reproduced full size below.  (If it does not show full size, right click and select 'view image'.)

TransAsia GE235 crash - Plane Missed Power Cables


The Transasia ATR 72-600 which crashed into the Keelung river narrowly missed flying into high voltage power cables strung across the Keelung river.  Flight into those high voltage power distribution cables would have been unsurvivable: fire would have been a virtual certainty.

The images below, from Google and from SETnews.net show that power distribution lines cross the Keelung river at a point which the ATR 72-600 would have reached had it not banked left.

The plane's wings were level approaching the power lines across the river.

TransAsia ATR 72 Crashes Into Keelung River

A twin engined ATR 72-600 turboprop suffered an engine failure shortly after takeoff from Taipei Songshan Airport, destination the Kinmen islands.  The plane, which was less than one year old according to Flightglobal crashed into the Keelung river.  The number of survivors is uncertain at this time.

AirAsia 8501 - News, Rumours, Facts And FACs

Until such time as an official report is issued it will be difficult for both professionals and ordinary members of the public to determine what most probably happened during the last flight of AirAsia 8501.  That is most unfortunate because passengers have a right to fly as safely as is humanly possible, and safety cannot be assured unless manufacturers, operators and pilots have the most up-to-date knowledge available about the causes of accidents, so as to avoid repetition.

AirAsia 8501 - More Bodies Retrieved, More Data Released

Detik News reports that there was some difficulty in relocating the fuselage.  Sidescan sonar was used and the fuselage was discovered "a few centimeters" from the last reported coordinates.  This highlights the difficulties faced by the divers: quite apart from the strong currents, visibility is very poor due to silt and sand stirred up by the weather and currents. Furthermore: parts of the plane tend to get buried by sand and silt.