Latest news with #mechanicalfailure
CTV News
a day ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
Small aircraft makes emergency landing on Highway 11
A small aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing on Highway 11 North in Perry Township on Fri., June 6, 2025. (OPP) A small aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing on Highway 11 North in Perry Township on Friday. The incident occurred just after 4 p.m., prompting a response from the Almaguin Highlands Ontario Provincial Police and local emergency crews. Officials say the aircraft landed on the highway due to a mechanical failure. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the midst of this incident. It is unclear what caused the mechanical failure. Drivers experienced a partial lane closure in the area while the plane was removed from the highway.
CTV News
a day ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
Small plane forced to land on Highway 11 in Perry Township
OPP say a small plane was forced to land on Highway 11 late Friday afternoon due to mechanical failure. (Facebook/Almaguin Highlands OPP) A bit of a scare for travellers and the pilot of a small plane, after the plane made an emergency landing late Friday afternoon on Highway 11. It happened in Perry Township, just south of Burk's Falls. Almaguin Highlands OPP were called to the scene. Investigators determined the aircraft was experiencing mechanical failure. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident. A partial lane of the highway had to be closed while crews worked to remove the plane from the roadway. It's unclear how many people were on board at the time of the landing. Ontario 511 is reporting the highway along with the north shoulder have since been cleared.
Independent Singapore
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Independent Singapore
SMRT fined S$3 million after six-day East–West Line breakdown: A closer look at what went wrong
SINGAPORE: When trains grounded to a halt on the East–West Line (EWL) from Jurong East to Buona Vista on September 25, 2024, half a million commuters found themselves in limbo for six days. On Tuesday, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced it will impose a S$3 million penalty on SMRT, citing the gravity of the incident and the costs already borne by the rail operator. Here's how a seemingly small mechanical failure cascaded into one of Singapore's most disruptive rail incidents in recent memory—and how both LTA and SMRT are racing to ensure it never happens again. How a dislodged axle box sparked six days of chaos On the morning of Sept 25, a Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) train was being withdrawn from service near Dover Station on its way back to Ulu Pandan Depot. That routine move took a sudden, unexpected turn: one of the axle boxes—an essential housing that supports the train's wheels—came loose and fell off the track. As the train continued on its journey, the third carriage's bogie (wheel assembly) derailed, gouging 2.55 km of rail and trackside equipment, including power cables and the third rail that supplies electricity. Passengers on board felt a burning smell; SMRT immediately halted the train at Clementi and evacuated riders safely. But the derailed bogie had already ripped up track and cables between Dover and Ulu Pandan, forcing LTA to suspend EWL services for six days until repairs were completed on Sept 30. Services resumed on Oct 1, but not before thousands of journeys were severely delayed or rerouted. LTA's findings: Degraded grease and deferred maintenance LTA's thorough investigation—supported by an independent forensic analysis from SGS Testing and Control Services—could not pinpoint a single 'smoking gun,' but it zeroed in on a likely culprit: degraded grease within the axle box. Over time, this grease failed to lubricate the bearings properly, causing excessive friction and heat. High temperatures, hidden alerts : A Hot Axle Box Detection System (HABDS) near Lavender station had registered 118°C on the affected axle box in the hours before the derailment—nearly twice the normal operating temperature of 65°C. Unfortunately, an internal system error at SMRT meant that maintenance staff could not identify which train had triggered the alert. As a result, no follow-up action was taken. : A Hot Axle Box Detection System (HABDS) near Lavender station had registered 118°C on the affected axle box in the hours before the derailment—nearly twice the normal operating temperature of 65°C. Unfortunately, an internal system error at SMRT meant that maintenance staff could not identify which train had triggered the alert. As a result, no follow-up action was taken. Chevron springs and catastrophic failure : As the bearings overheated, the rubber layers between the chevron springs (metal plates bonded with rubber) began to burn. LTA's report found traces of burnt rubber and metal debris along the track, indicating that the springs disintegrated first. With support weakened, the axle box eventually dislodged completely. : As the bearings overheated, the rubber layers between the chevron springs (metal plates bonded with rubber) began to burn. LTA's report found traces of burnt rubber and metal debris along the track, indicating that the springs disintegrated first. With support weakened, the axle box eventually dislodged completely. Extended overhaul intervals: Regular preventive maintenance on this train on September 10, 2024, showed no anomalies, and the bearings and springs appeared nominal. However, SMRT had twice extended its overhaul intervals—beyond the stipulated 500,000 km—first to 575,000 km in August 2022, and then to 750,000 km in August 2024, citing overall fleet reliability. By the time of the incident, the train had clocked 690,000 km since its last overhaul in 2018. LTA notes that, had this train been overhauled 'in a more timely manner,' degraded grease could have been replaced sooner. The S$3 million penalty: Proportionate costs and public interest In determining the penalty, LTA weighed several factors: SMRT had already spent over S$10 million on emergency repairs, free shuttle buses and trains, and allowing commuters free travel between Jurong East and Buona Vista for the six-day duration. Rather than funnelling the fine to general revenue, LTA will channel the S$3 million into the Public Transport Fund, which supports lower-income families with travel subsidies—an acknowledgement that no matter how many repairs happen behind the scenes, commuters shoulder the immediate impact. SMRT Trains posted a net profit of S$7.5 million on revenues of S$886.7 million—meaning a S$3 million fine, while significant, is proportionate. Lessons learned, and the road ahead For half a million daily riders, six days without EWL service underscored how a single mechanical failure can ripple across an entire city's routines—from late-night hospital shifts to early-morning school commutes. LTA's final report makes one thing clear: routine maintenance and monitoring data must be treated as urgent red flags, not background noise. SMRT Trains president Lam Sheau Kai acknowledged at a briefing that, despite decades of reliable service, 'a convergence of factors'—delayed train deliveries, extended overhaul intervals, supply-chain bottlenecks—'caught them off guard.' He added, 'In hindsight, we could perhaps have exercised greater caution in how we managed the transition and decommissioning of older trains.'
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Two dead after Mexican naval ship slams into Brooklyn Bridge
A naval ship from Mexico with 277 on board crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, killing at least two crew members and injuring nearly two dozen others. Officials say a mechanical failure caused the ship to lose power. NBC's Maya Eaglin reports for Sunday TODAY.
South China Morning Post
17-05-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's private hospitals must also be transparent
Private hospitals are a relatively expensive option in most communities, and patients usually expect better services than in public facilities. So, it is understandable that Hong Kong's private hospitals are feeling some heat after a worrying mechanical failure at one institution was made public months after it happened. Health authorities have been asked to review incident report guidelines after the 45-minute air-conditioning breakdown at St Teresa's Hospital on July 31 last year when a circuit breaker to the cooling system for the private hospital's operating theatres was tripped. The incident affecting 12 operations came to light last week when surgeon Dr Liu Chi-leung recalled a 'catastrophic scene' as he was doing a procedure. He described condensation dripping from surgical lights, staff using umbrellas to keep away potentially contaminated water and an endoscope affected by the humidity. St Teresa's has confirmed the outage, but it said the issue was 'not a reportable item' under Department of Health rules. Fortunately, none of the patients suffered infections and the hospital has stepped up monitoring of the system with monthly checks instead of every half year. But serious questions remain about transparency and how health authorities have responded to a private sector issue. Under the department's Code of Practice for Private Hospitals, serious medical incidents and mistakes, including non-clinical issues such as water or electric supply cuts, must be reported to authorities. The Society of Community Organisation said a cooling system fault in a clinical setting, like the July incident, should have been reported. The patients' rights group called for clearer guidelines.
