Category: Technology

Before we start, I have finally realized that I am lacking on these blogs and I should probably write more due to myself falling behind. Anyhow, here’s a topic that I found interesting enough for me to write about, hope you enjoy.

For the past few years, the WiFi solution at my home was pretty mundane, our internet service provider sent us a Fiber Optic ONT/modem and a Router unit which provides internet access to both our wired devices (office phones, server, etc.) and wireless devices (laptops, computers, phones, printers, TV, etc.). The router we received is typical as for a household, it’s a router which routes traffic through our network and manages our connection to our internet. It also has a Wireless Access Point built in, which is a device which transmits a WiFi signal. It was basically a WiFi Router combo unit, very common among homes and small businesses. To connect to our network, you would simply select our network from the selection box, then type in a very simple password which was letters and a single digit. Not very secure. Not only that as the network was very easy to crack and gain access to all the devices, we also lacked a guest network. If a guest is over, for example our cousins, we would just have them connect to the single WiFi network. This allowed anybody, including guests to access sensitive resources on the network.

A few weeks ago, I decided to take a look into getting a dedicated Wireless Access Point, instead of using the one built-in to our router. A wireless access point is a dedicated device responsible for transmitting WiFi network signal(s) for clients such as computers and phones to connect to. There are multiple benefits to this, for one, it could expand the wireless coverage of our home making our connections to WiFi more stable and faster in certain conditions, it would allow for more clients to connect to the access point without it exploding under pressure (previously, when a large amount of guests are over and connected to the WiFi browsing simultaneously, the internet would slow down by a noticeable chunk), and certain business-oriented access points have added security and functionality built in. After doing some research on it and wanting to up the game with networking at my house, I decided to get a “Ubiquiti UAP AC-PRO Access Point”. Ubiquiti, also known as “UniFi” is a company in the IT space dedicated to ‘revolutionizing’ the space for information technology, and in a license-free manner, meaning you do not need to pay for a license or key to use the enterprise equipment you purchase, a fairly common practice with long standing IT companies such as Aruba (by HP) and Cisco Networks.

After the UniFi Access Point finally arrived to my house after being shipped from California, I got to work setting up and preparing it for operation. I installed “UniFi Network Server” on my home lab (a sandbox mimicking an enterprise/corporate IT’s environment) server which will be responsible for managing the WiFi access point. I did run into some road blocks such as a faulty ethernet cable causing turtle-slow speeds and figuring out how to “adopt” or connect the AP to the network server, however I managed to figure it out in the end and was able to get the access point connected to the network. After 1-2 days of tinkering with the UniFi access point and getting the wireless networks up and running, then disabling the WiFi network on my router to retire it after I migrated all the devices, the new WiFi setup was complete and fully operational. The UniFi access point is also mounted fairly nicely and seems professional as I screwed it into an existing screw hole previously used for an accordion-style sliding door (removed due to installation of larger washing machines that did not fit in the doorway). The wire is hidden above the door frame behind and cannot be seen unless you bend over inside and look up to see the cable running down into the network closet.

Now, I will be describing what changes I made to at least my wireless network infrastructure following the new installation of my WiFi access point. First and foremost, the most important change to the internet is that we now have three wireless (WiFi) networks available at home. The first network and main network where mostly everyone will connect to is simply named “[Name] Wireless Network”, the special thing with this network is that instead of using a single password that is shared with everyone trying to connect to the network (this is called WPA2-Personal authentication), the network is now secured by WPA2-Enterprise Protected EAP and MSCHAPv2 authentication. That was a mouthful. In simple terms, instead of using a simple shared password, each person connecting to the network will now have their own unique credentials. For my setup, I am using a username/password authentication, however, WPA2-Enterprise also supports authentication via device certificates (basically a fingerprint for a device), fingerprint authentication, smart card authentication (use a security card to connect), and other methods to log in. For me, username and password works well as long as the passwords are secure and follow the best practices, and are not as complicated. For example, when I connect to the network I will type my username as “myusername281.blahblahblah”, and then type in my password. My sister, would instead use a username that is different and unique to her only such as “sisteraccount915.something” and type in her password. Each person connecting will have their own credentials, eliminating password sharing (it’s prohibited, no longer allowed) and is more secure than a simple password that is used for everyone on the network. The authentication is also verified not on the access point, but on the server. WPA2-Enterprise uses something called “RADIUS” to authenticate. I will try and make this as simple for you all to understand. Typically, when you connect to a normal WPA2-Personal WiFi network in a home, the access point will ask you “Please enter your password”, if it sees the password is right, ding ding ding you are granted access. Now, with WPA2-Enterprise, the access point will now instead prompt you with “Please enter your blehhhhhh”. That “blehhhhh” can be anything, such as a smart card or fingerprint as stated above, or a username and password which is what I am using. When the access point receives the credentials you provided, it will go over to the RADIUS server, provide a password that the RADIUS server uses to prove the access point is authorized to ask it these questions, the RADIUS server checks the credentials, ding ding ding it’s approved, and the access point turns around and drags you into the network. Very cool stuff. This network which asks for a username and password is the main network, this is what most devices will connect to such as my laptop computer, my sisters laptop, my dads phone, and my mothers tablet. However, not all devices support WPA2-Enterprise such as my sisters Nintendo Switch, the downstairs office printer, the living room TV, and the smart garage door opener.

Now, I can’t just leave these devices to rot without internet and face the horrors of watching media or using them with a USB flash drive, so this is where the second network comes to play, which I named it as “[Name] IoT Network”. Now, what does “IoT” mean? IoT basically stands for Internet of Things and refers to devices that are smart, such as smart light bulbs, smart TV’s, printers, etc. This network uses WPA2-Personal, which means yes, it only requires one password and you are in. However, there is a catch. It is not like this network has a single password shared by the TV, printer, and Nintendo switch to connect, that would be insecure and defeat the point of setting up the first secure network. Instead, this network uses multiple passwords, or multiple pre-shared keys. Basically, each device that connects (or a group of devices if applicable) will have their own, unique password to connect to the network. On top of that, even if you manage to get a hold of a password and attempt to connect your computer to the IoT network for some free WiFi and internet browsing, you will be denied from accessing it due to the fact that the WiFi has a “MAC Address Filter”. Basically, each device on the internet will have a “Mac Address”, basically a unique network identifier. Before a device can connect to the network, I must add them to the IoT network MAC address whitelist, and then they may connect with the appropriate credentials. However there is a caveat with this setup. The password system and MAC address filter system work independently, so a MAC address cannot be tied to a single unique password. Furthermore, MAC address spoofing is not unheard of and can be done fairly easily, meaning it is still possible for a determined person with technical skills to gain access. In the future, I may be locking down this network so it is on a separate VLAN, or virtual network away from the main network while allowing basic communication for things such as printing and screensharing to the TV.

Finally, we have the last network, named the “[Name] Guest Hotspot”. The name is self-explanatory, this network is for guests to connect. This network does not have any authentication security on it, rather than it is set to “Open”, which means there is no password, no nothing. Typically found in airports and cafes. However, just because you can connect to it without authenticating does not mean you can access the internet. When a client, for example lets say a laptop connects to this network, all attempted traffic will be intercepted by the access point and redirected to a captive portal, a web page prompting them to access the agreement for the internet (basic rules), and to provide a voucher/authorization code that was printed out before hand. Guests connecting to the internet will need to visit an authorized person on the network who has the ability to print out WiFi vouchers which give them temporary access to the network, expiring after they leave. Once they are connected, their network connection speed will be limited to prevent abuse and to balance the network when a large amount of people are congregating on the WiFi. Not only that, but their connection will be isolated, meaning they cannot communicate with ANY other clients, including ones on the main network, IoT network, and guest network. For the folks who still play Minecraft, sorry to break it to you, but you can’t play Minecraft on the WiFi together here anymore, what a bummer.

In the end, I am pretty satisfied with this setup for the internet at my home. I will be revamping the IoT network in the future defenitely to make it more secure, but it will have to do for now until I find the time for it. Thanks for reading this blog, and if you are interested as a family member in setting something like this up, maybe talk to me the next time I visit and I can help make it happen. Again, thanks for reading and see you again next time!

Exit Signs. Exit Signs are not complicated devices. The main purpose of an exit sign is to display a safe exit route for building occupants. An exit sign is designed to be illuminated 24/7 while AC power is being supplied to the unit. At the same time, the AC power is used to charge the battery. In a power failure, an exit sign has a battery that is designed to keep the sign illuminated for a minimum of 90 minutes. Exit Signs can also have emergency light bulbs attached, these are called “combo” units.

Emergency Lights. Emergency Lights are also not complicated devices. The main purpose of an emergency light is to illuminate an area such as a hallway or classroom during a power failure. The stark difference is that emergency lights are off 24/7 when AC power is being supplied to the unit. Like an exit sign, the AC power that is supplied to the emergency light is also used to charge the battery. In a power failure, the emergency light will then turn on.

In the past, exit signs and emergency lights would be made of metal and would use incandescent bulbs. Nowadays, exit signs and emergency lights have plastic housing and LED bulbs. First, lets go over the pro’s over exit signs and emergency lights.

In a power failure, an exit sign and emergency light can help guide your way to the exit. Examples of exit signs and emergency lights used in emergency scenarios is a fire. When a building, such as a school catches fire, there will be smoke, right? In heavy and thick smoke, you won’t be able to see the exit or let alone the corridor. Exit signs and emergency lights are there to help you find your way. Without exit signs/emergency lights, you could be led in the wrong direction and your chances of getting out could be slim. That is why exit signs/emergency lights are required in commercial buildings.

Emergency Lights are used in power failures. Let’s say a school gets hit by a power failure, emergency lights are there to allow you to see whats in front of you. In this case, lets say the school cannot release the students early. Emergency Lights can still allow the teachers to give instructional learning to students without doing it in complete darkness. Exit Signs will also stay illuminated to guide the way to an exit.

Now, there are many complications in exit signs/emergency lights. Performance is KEY! Lets say you got a generic exit sign/emergency light off of Amazon. I don’t recommend this. Most generic exit signs/emergency lights are horrible. They barely work, and they can fail easily in emergencies. Generic emergency lights may also not light up an area sufficiently. The worst emergency lights are the ones that use incandescent lights. Most of the incandescent lights are dim, and most of the incandescent emergency lights don’t even have reflectors, making them extra-dim. There are also lead-acid battery emergency lights. The problem with these emergency lights is that they are heavily-dependent on the type of battery you put in. If you put in a bad quality battery, the unit might not work in an emergency, defeating the purpose of an emergency light. Lead-acid batteries may also make an emergency lighting unit unreliable. This could mean that the bulbs will be dimmer than intended, the emergency light may die under 90 minutes, or the unit might also just not work.

Finally, lets go onto exit sign color inconsistency. Exit Signs come in the colors red and green. Here is the problem, every state requires a different color. Indiana would require red, but Utah would require green. Red catches your attention, however red means STOP right there. Red means danger, red means not safe and don’t go through this way. Red is also used in many advertisements, so red in a mall wouldn’t be good at all. Green on the other hand means GO. Green means this way is safe, green means go through this way. Green is also a soothing color and catches your attention way better. You shouldn’t put green and red exit signs in the same area either, since maybe a child who is learning colors may be confused.

Well, thanks for reading my blog! This may have been my longest blog by far. I’ll see you next time.

Yesterday, I had my new IP Phone delivered to my house. It was made from a company called “Cisco Systems”, which is known for doing networking and stuff like that. I don’t really know why I decided to get the Cisco 7821 model, possibly because I saw it at the airport, but I intended to add it to my phone system. It works great right now, and it seems like a very nice phone. I can set custom ringtones on it and it is pretty cool. When I got it and tried to set it up, for some reason, firefox and google didn’t work with it and I opened a return request. However, when I tried using Firefox, it worked and I canceled the return. My dad says it will be helpful since he can call me at any time and ask whats happening at home when nobody is home.  Also, I found out that this phone can do 6 way conferencing, which is a lot. Another useful thing about this phone is that I can go to WakeUpDialer.com, enter my phone number, and it will call me and I can wake up, sort of an alarm clock. One thing I like about the 7821 is that when I have a voicemail, the handset has a light that glows red, and when it rings, the handset starts to flash red, so it attracts my attention when there is a call or voicemail. Also, when the phone is idle, it tells me the amount of missed calls and amount of voice messages, which is VERY helpful. How would I rate this phone out of 10? I think it would be a solid 8/10. I hope you enjoyed this blog and I will see you next time, bye!

So I really want a side stick to control my plane because when surfing the internet, I found the Thrustmaster A320 Edition Side Stick. It looked very cool and looked like a flight controller in a real plane! I read the reviews and found out that this side stick had 16 programmable buttons. It also had a mini throttle built in! I was thinking that if I got this side stick, I would program a button to be the A/P Engage, A/P Disengage, vertical speed selector, heading selector, speed selector, A/T Engage, A/T Disengage, HDG mode, ALT hold, VS set, and more. Once I got all of this set up I would then connect it to X Plane and fly the A321 with a physical controller. This side stick can also be twisted and it can be programmed as the nose wheel steering or the nose wheel tiller. This flight controller can also be handy because the side stick mimics the real flight controls in a real plane so instead of using a mouse control, I can use this side stick as a better way of flying the plane. Also, flying with a mouse is very hard because when you have to press a button, you have to stop flying the plane (stop controlling the plane) and press the button. This is very inconvenient so if I got this product, I can fly and press buttons at the same time. Anyway, blog ends here so bye!

(My mom bought it for me)

Today I am going to talk about which company is better in my opinion. Lets talk planes first, Boeing’s cockpits from the 737-700 and older look not modern at all. It uses analog altimeters, the displays are very old, and there is not much comfort. On the other hand, Airbuses old and new cockpits look more modern than Boeing’s cockpits, it uses fly by wire controls, graphical displays, and digital altimeters. Now Boeing’s planes have a little more sales than Airbus’s sales but that’s okay, Airbus will always get more plane orders. When Airbus releases the final version of a plane, they call it a “Neo” plane. On the other hand, Boeing called it the MAX which failed because every single plane they made for the MAX is ruined. Like the 737 MAX 8. Now lets talk crash history.

B737 Original Planes Crashes 100-200 Series (Boeing)

• July 19, 1970 – United Airlines Flight 611, a new 737-200 (registration N9005U “City of Bristol”) was damaged beyond economical repair after an aborted take off at Philadelphia International Airport. During take off, a loud “bang” was heard, and the aircraft veered right. The captain aborted the take off, and the aircraft ran off the end of the runway, stopping 1634 feet past its end, in a field. There were no fatalities. This was the first, non-fatal, accident involving a 737.^[3]
• July 5, 1972 – Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 710 was hijacked by two men who demanded $800,000 and that they be taken to the Soviet Union. In San Francisco, the aircraft was stormed and the two hijackers were killed along with one passenger.^[4]

• December 8, 1972 – United Airlines Flight 553, a 737-200 registration N9031U, crashed while attempting to land at Chicago Midway International Airport. Two people on the ground and 43 of the 61 passengers and crew on board were killed. This was the first fatal accident involving a 737.^[5]
• May 31, 1973 – Indian Airlines Flight 440, a 737-200, crashed while on approach to Palam International Airport in New Delhi, India. Of the 65 passengers and crew on board, 48 were killed.^[6]
• December 17, 1973 – In the wake of the events surrounding Pan Am Flight 110, a parked Lufthansa 737-100 (registered D-ABEY) was hijacked at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome. Two pilots and two flight attendants were on board preparing the aircraft for departure to Munich when five Palestinian terrorists entered the aircraft with ten Italian hostages taken from the airport. The crew were then forced to fly the aircraft to Athens and then on to several other airports, until the ordeal ended at Kuwait International Airport the next day, where the hijackers surrendered.^[7][8]
• March 31, 1975 – Western Airlines Flight 470, a 737-200 (registration N4527W) overshot a runway coated with snow at Casper/Natrona County International Airport in Casper, Wyoming in the United States. Four of the 99 aboard were injured, and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
• October 13, 1977 – Lufthansa Flight 181 was hijacked by four Palestinians, who demanded the release of seven Red Army Faction members in West German prisons and $15,000,000. The captain was fatally shot. On October 17, members of West Germany’s GSG-9 stormed the aircraft and killed three of the hijackers, capturing the other.^[9]
• December 4, 1977 – Malaysian Airline System Flight 653, a 737-200 registration 9M-MBD, crashed following a phugoid oscillation that saw the aircraft diving into a swamp after both its pilots were shot following a hijacking attempt. The crash happened in the Southern Malaysian state of Johor. A total of 93 passengers and seven crew were killed.
• February 11, 1978 – Pacific Western Airlines Flight 314, a 737-200, crashed while attempting to land at Cranbrook Airport, British Columbia, Canada. The aircraft crashed after thrust reversers did not fully stow following a go-around that was executed in order to avoid a snowplow. The crash killed four of the crew members and 38 of the 44 passengers.^[10]
• April 26, 1979 – An Indian Airlines 737-200 was damaged by a bomb that detonated in the forward lavatory. The aircraft made a flapless landing in Chennai, India.^[11]
• November 4, 1980 – TAAG Angola Airlines 737-200 registration D2-TAA, that landed short of the runway at Benguela Airport, slid some 900 m following the collapse of the gear; a fire broke out in the right wing but there were no reported fatalities. The aircraft caught fire again during recovery operations the next day and was written off.^[12][13]
• May 2, 1981 – Aer Lingus Flight 164, a 737-200, was hijacked en route from Dublin Airport, Ireland to London’s Heathrow Airport, UK. While on approach to Heathrow, about five minutes before the flight was due to land, a 55-year-old Australian man went into the toilet and doused himself in petrol.^[14] He then went to the cockpit and demanded that the aircraft be diverted to Le Touquet – Côte d’Opale Airport in France, and refuel there for a flight to Tehran, Iran.^[15][16] Upon landing at Le Touquet and after an eight-hour standoff (during which time 11 of 112 hostages were released),^[17] French special forces stormed the aircraft and apprehended hijacker Lawrence Downey. No shots were fired and nobody was injured.^[18]
• August 22, 1981 – Far Eastern Air Transport Flight 103, a 737-200 (registration B-2603) broke apart in mid-air and crashed 14 minutes after taking off from Taipei Songshan Airport. All 6 crew and 104 passengers were killed.^[19]
• January 13, 1982 – Air Florida Flight 90, a 737-200, crashed in a severe snowstorm, immediately after takeoff from Washington National Airport, hitting the 14th Street Bridge and fell into the ice-covered Potomac River in Washington, D.C. All but five of the 74 passengers and five crew members died; four motorists on the bridge were also killed.^[20]
• May 25, 1982 – VASP 737-200 registration PP-SMY, made a hard landing and touched down on its nose gear first at Brasília in rainy conditions. The gear collapsed and the aircraft skidded off the runway breaking in two. Two passengers out of 118 occupants died.^[21]
• August 26, 1982 – Southwest Air Lines Flight 611, a 737-200 (registration JA8444) overran the runway at Ishigaki Airport in Japan and was destroyed. There were no fatalities but some were injured during the emergency evacuation.^[22]
• March 27, 1983 – LAM Mozambique Airlines 737-200 registration C9-BAB. Undercarriage failure after landing some 400 metres (1,300 ft) short of the runway at Quelimane Airport. There were no fatalities.^[23]
• July 11, 1983 – TAME 737-2V2 Advanced, registration HC-BIG, crashed while attempting to land at Mariscal Lamar Airport, killing all 111 passengers and eight crew on board. The cause of the crash was a CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain) as a result of the pilot’s inexperience with the aircraft. It remains the deadliest aviation accident in Ecuadorean history.^[24][25][26] after a radio station reported witnesses to a mid-air explosion.^[27]
• September 23, 1983 – Gulf Air Flight 771, a 737-200 (registration A40-BK) crashed after a bomb exploded in the baggage compartment causing it to stall and come down in the desert, near Mina Jebel Ali between Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. All 5 crew and 107 passengers were killed.^[28][29]
• November 8, 1983 – TAAG Angola Airlines Flight 462 stalled and crashed shortly after taking off from Lubango Mukanka Airport in Angola resulting in the deaths of all its 130 occupants (126 passengers and 4 crew) on board. Local guerilla force UNITA claimed it had brought the aircraft down with a surface-to-air missile.^[30][31]
• February 9, 1984 – TAAG Angola Airlines 737-200 registration D2-TBV, that departed from Albano Machado Airport operating a scheduled passenger service, suffered hydraulic problems following an explosion in the rear of the aircraft and returned to the airport of departure for an emergency landing. The aircraft touched down fast and overran the runway.^[32]
• March 22, 1984 – Pacific Western Airlines Flight 501, a 737-200 regularly scheduled flight that caught fire in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Five people were seriously injured and 22 suffered minor injuries, but no-one was killed.
• August 30, 1984 – Cameroon Airlines Flight 786, a 737-200 (registration TJ-CBD) caught fire as the aircraft was taxiing out for takeoff at Douala International Airport in Douala, Cameroon. 107 of 109 passengers and two crew were reported to have survived.^[33]
• November 23, 1985 – Egyptair flight 648 737-200 was hijacked by 3 Palestinian men en route to Cairo international airport from Athens. The plane was ordered to land in Malta by the hijackers. Later, Egyptian commandos raided the aircraft. During the raid, 60 passengers died, including 3 hijackers, and 38 survived, including 1 hijacker.
• June 21, 1985 – Braathens SAFE Flight 139, a 737-200 that was hijacked at the Trondheim Airport in Værnes, Norway. The aircraft was stormed and the hijacker arrested.
• August 22, 1985 – British Airtours Flight 28M, a 737-200, aborted its takeoff at Manchester Airport, UK, after it caught fire due to a crack in one of the combustors of the left Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 engine. Of the 136 passengers and crew on board, 56 died, most due to toxic smoke inhalation. Research following the accident investigation led to many innovations in air safety, including a redesign of the 737’s galley area.^[34]
• January 28, 1986 – VASP 737-200 registration PP-SME, tried to take-off from a taxiway at São Paulo-Guarulhos Airport. The take-off was aborted, but the aircraft overran the pavement, collided with a dyke and broke in two. The weather was foggy. There was one fatality.^[35]
• October 15, 1986 – Iran Air 737-200 registration EP-IRG was attacked by Iraqi aircraft. Passengers were disembarking at the time of the attack. According to Iranian authorities some C-130 Hercules aircraft were also destroyed. Three occupants were killed.^[36]
• December 25, 1986 – Iraqi Airways Flight 163, a 737-200 that was hijacked and crashed, catching fire near Arar in Saudi Arabia. There were 106 people on board, and 60 passengers and 3 crew members died.
• August 4, 1987 – LAN Chile 737-200 registration CC-CHJ, landed short of the displaced threshold of runway 27 at El Loa Airport, Chile. The nosegear collapsed and the aircraft broke in two. A fire broke out 30 minutes later and destroyed the aircraft. The threshold was displaced by 880m due to construction work. There was one fatality.^[37]
• August 31, 1987 – Thai Airways Flight 365, a 737-200 (registration HS-TBC) crashed into the sea off Ko Phuket, Thailand. A total of 74 passengers and 9 crew on board lost their lives.^[38]
• January 2, 1988 – Condor Flugdienst Flight 3782, a 737-200 on a charter flight, crashed in Serefsihar near Izmir, Turkey, due to ILS problems. All 11 passengers and 5 crew were killed in the accident.

• April 28, 1988 – Aloha Airlines Flight 243, a 737-200, suffered extensive damage after an explosive decompression at an altitude of 24,000 feet (7,300 m), but was able to land safely at Kahului Airport on the island of Maui with one fatality. A flight attendant, Clarabelle (C.B.) Lansing, who was not in restraints at the moment of decompression, was blown out of the aircraft over the ocean and her body was never found.
• September 15, 1988 – Ethiopian Airlines Flight 604, a 737-200, suffered a multiple bird strike while taking off from Bahir Dar Airport. Both engines failed and the airliner crashed and caught fire while trying to return to the airport. Thirty-five of 98 passengers died while all six crew members survived.^[39]
• September 26, 1988 – Aerolineas Argentinas 737-200 registration LV-LIU operating Flight 648 departed in Jorge Newbery Airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina and made an emergency landing at Ushuaia Airport in Ushuaia, Argentina. There were no fatalities.^[40]
• February 9, 1989 – LAM Mozambique Airlines 737-200 registration C9-BAD overran the runway while making an emergency landing at Lichinga Airport. There were no fatalities.^[41][42]
• September 3, 1989 – 737-200 registration PP-VMK operating Varig Flight 254 flying from São Paulo-Guarulhos to Belém-Val de Cans with intermediate stops, crashed near São José do Xingu while on the last leg of the flight between Marabá and Belém due to a pilot navigational error, which led to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent belly landing into the jungle, 450 miles (724 km) southwest of Marabá. Out of 54 occupants, there were 13 fatalities, all of them passengers. The survivors were discovered two days later.^[43][44]
• October 2, 1990 – The 1990 Guangzhou Baiyun airport collisions were the result of the hijacking of Xiamen Airlines Flight 8301, a 737-200 (registration B-2510). Whilst attempting to land at Guangzhou Baiyun it struck two other airplanes. The hijacked aircraft struck a parked China Southwest Airlines Boeing 707 first, inflicting only minor damage, but then collided with China Southern Airlines Flight 2812, a Boeing 757-200 waiting for takeoff, and flipped on its back. A total of 128 people were killed, including 7 of 9 crew members and 75 of 93 passengers on Flight 8301 and 46 of 110 passengers on Flight 2812.
• March 3, 1991 – United Airlines Flight 585, a 737-200 carrying 20 passengers and five crew members, went out of control after a rudder malfunction and crashed outside of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, killing all 25 passengers and crew on board.
• June 6, 1992 – Copa Airlines Flight 201, a 737-204 Advanced registration HP-1205CMP en route from Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, Panama to Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Cali, Colombia crashed into the Darien Gap 29 minutes after taking-off from Tocumen International Airport. All 47 on board (40 passengers and 7 crew) were killed in the crash.^[45]
• June 22, 1992 – VASP cargo 737-2A1C registration PP-SND en route from Rio Branco to Cruzeiro do Sul crashed in the jungle while on arrival procedures to Cruzeiro do Sul. The crew of two and one passenger died.^[46]
• December 21, 1994 – Air Algérie Flight 702P, a 737-200C on behalf of Phoenix Aviation crashed in Coventry, England, UK. All 5 crew members were killed.
• August 9, 1995 – Aviateca Flight 901, a 737-200 (registration N125GU) crashed on approach to the El Salvador International Airport in San Salvador, El Salvador. All 65 occupants were killed.^[47]
• November 13, 1995 – Nigeria Airways Flight 357, a 737-2F9 (5N-AUA), suffered a runway overrun at Kaduna Airport in Nigeria. All 14 crew members survived, but 11 of the 124 passengers were killed.^[48]
• December 3, 1995 – Cameroon Airlines Flight 3701, a 737-200 (registration TJ-CBE) crashed after the crew lost control on approach to Douala International Airport in Douala, Cameroon. A total of 71 passengers and crew lost their lives, but there were 5 survivors.^[49][50]
• February 29, 1996 – Faucett Flight 251, a 737-200 (registration OB-1451), crashed on approach to Rodríguez Ballón International Airport in Arequipa, Peru. A total of 117 passengers and 6 crew on board lost their lives.^[51]
• April 3, 1996 – United States Air Force CT-43A (a modified 737-200) tail number 73-1149 operating in a VIP transport flight, crashed on approach to Dubrovnik Airport in Dubrovnik, Croatia while on an official trade mission. All 5 crew and 30 passengers were killed, including U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown and The New York Times Frankfurt Bureau chief Nathaniel C. Nash.^[52][53]
• June 9, 1996 – Eastwind Airlines Flight 517, a 737-200 on a scheduled domestic passenger flight between Trenton-Mercer Airport in Trenton, New Jersey and Richmond International Airport in Richmond, Virginia, experienced a loss of rudder control but the crew were able to land the aircraft successfully. There were no fatalities among the 48 passengers and 4 crew members but one flight attendant suffered minor injuries.^[54]
• February 14, 1997 – Varig 737-200, registration PP-CJO operating Flight 265, flying from Marabá to Carajás Airport, veered off the right side of the runway at Carajás during a thunderstorm after its right main landing gear collapsed rearwards. The aircraft ended up in a wooded area, one crew member was killed.^[55]
• May 5, 1998 – Occidental Petroleum 737-200 (FAP-351) leased from the Peruvian Air Force, operating a charter flight from Coronel FAP Francisco Secada Vignetta International Airport in Iquitos, Peru, crashed in rainy weather whilst on approach to Alférez FAP Alfredo Vladimir Sara Bauer Airport in Andoas, Peru. There were 75 fatalities, only eleven passengers and two crew members survived.
• May 10, 1999 – a Mexican Air Force 737-200 was on a training flight when it overran the runway while making an emergency landing at Loma Bonita Air Base, Mexico. The nosegear collapsed. Grass near the aircraft caught fire causing it to burn out. There were no fatalities.
• August 31, 1999 – LAPA Flight 3142, a 737-200, crashed while attempting to take off with an incorrect wing flaps configuration from the Jorge Newbery Airport in Buenos Aires en route to Córdoba, Argentina. The crash resulted in 65 fatalities.
• April 19, 2000 – Air Philippines Flight 541, a 737-200 flying from Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila crashed on approach to Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City, Philippines. All 124 passengers and 7 crew members on board were killed.^[56][57]
• December 26, 2002 – TAAG Angola Airlines 737-200 registration D2-TDB and operating Flight 572 that had departed from Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport bound for Luanda, was involved in a mid-air collision over Namibian airspace with a Cessna 404 propeller-driven light aircraft registration V5-WAA, that had taken off from Windhoek Eros Airport in Namibia. Out of the 46 passengers and crew on the Boeing and 1 pilot on the Cessna, there were no fatalities.^[58][59]
• March 6, 2003 – Air Algérie Flight 6289, a 737-200 crashed shortly after taking off from Tamanrasset, Algeria. All 97 passengers and 6 crew on board perished with the exception of a 28-year-old soldier, Youcef Djillali.^[60]
• July 8, 2003 – Sudan Airways Flight 139, a 737-200C (registration ST-AFK) stalled and crashed in Port Sudan, Sudan resulting of the deaths of all its 117 occupants (106 passengers and 11 crew members) on board.
• February 3, 2005 – Kam Air Flight 904, a 737-200 registration EX-037 crashed into the Pamir mountain in Afghanistan. All 96 passengers and 8 crew members on board lost their lives.
• August 23, 2005 – TANS Perú Flight 204, a 737-200 crashed on approach to Pucallpa Airport in Peru. Of the 98 occupants, 40 lost their lives.^[61][62]
• September 5, 2005 – Mandala Airlines Flight 091, a 737-200, crashed in a densely populated neighborhood of Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, after the crew commenced the takeoff with the aircraft’s flaps deployed to an incorrect position. It was carrying 117 on board, of whom 95 passengers and 5 crew, as well as 49 people on the ground, were killed.^[63]
• October 22, 2005 – Bellview Airlines Flight 210, a 737-200 (registration 5N-BFN) stalled and crashed shortly after taking off from Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos, Nigeria en route to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, resulting of the deaths of all 117 occupants (111 passengers and 6 crew members).
• October 29, 2006 – ADC Airlines Flight 53, a 737-200 crashed during a storm shortly after takeoff from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Nigeria. All but seven of the 104 passengers and crew were reported to have been killed.^[64]
• January 24, 2007 – Air West Flight 612, a 737-200 was hijacked by a 26-year-old man, Mohamed Abdu Altif, who entered the cockpit of the aircraft approximately half an hour after takeoff from Khartoum International Airport in Sudan. The aircraft landed safely at N’Djamena International Airport in Chad where the hijacker surrendered. All 95 passengers and 8 crew on board survived.
• November 7, 2007 – Nationwide Airlines Flight 723, a 737-200, had its right engine fall off the wing as it took off from Cape Town, South Africa. The aircraft managed to return safely to the airport.^[65][66]
• August 24, 2008, Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 6895, a 737-200 from Itek Air wet leased to Iran Aseman Airlines crashed while attempting an emergency landing at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, ten minutes after departure from there. The airliner was supposed to fly to Tehran, Iran. Out of 83 passengers and seven crew, there were 22 survivors.
• August 30, 2008 – ConViasa 737-200 Advanced registration YV-102T operating a ferry flight from Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, Venezuela stalled and crashed into the Illiniza Volcano, Ecuador. One passenger and both pilots died.
• March 1, 2010 – Air Tanzania Flight 100, a 737-200 (5H-MVZ) sustained substantial damage when it departed the runway on landing at Mwanza Airport and the nose gear collapsed. Damage was also caused to an engine.^[67]
• August 20, 2010 – Chanchangi Airlines Flight 334, a 737-200 (5N-BIF), struck the localizer antenna and landed short of the runway at Kaduna Airport. Several passengers were slightly injured and the aircraft was substantially damaged. Chanchangi Airlines again suspended operations following the accident.^[68]
• August 20, 2011 – First Air Flight 6560, a 737-200, crashed near Resolute Bay in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Of the fifteen people on board, there were three survivors.^[69]
• April 20, 2012 – Bhoja Air Flight 213, a 737-200, crashed in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. All 127 passengers and crew on board were killed.^[70]
• May 18, 2018 – Global Air (Mexico), operating on lease as Cubana de Aviación Flight 972, crashed shortly after takeoff from José Martí International Airport, with 112 fatalities and only 1 survivor.

Pulled from Wikipedia.

Now lets look at Airbuses Crash History:

Airbus A330-211 (Airbus)

• On 30 June 1994, Airbus Industrie Flight 129, an Airbus A330-321 crashed at the Toulouse-Blagnac Airport while undergoing a test flight to certify its takeoff capability with a single engine failure, killing 7 people on board with no survivors.^[4] Airbus subsequently advised A330 operators to disconnect the autopilot and limit pitch attitude in the event of an engine failure at low speed.^[5][6]

• On 25 May 2000, a Philippine Airlines Airbus A330-301 and operating Flight 812 was hijacked near Antipolo, Rizal, Philippines. The hijacker was killed after jumping out of the aircraft, while the other 277 passengers and all 13 crew aboard survived.^[7]
• On 13 October 2000, Sabena Flight 689, an A330 was hijacked and ended with no casualties when Spanish police took control of the aircraft.^[8]
• On 24 July 2001, two unoccupied SriLankan Airlines A330s were destroyed amid an attack on Bandaranaike International Airport, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.^[9][10]
• On 24 August 2001, Air Transat Flight 236, an A330-200, developed a fuel leak over the Atlantic Ocean due to an incorrectly installed hydraulic part and was forced to glide for over 15 minutes to an emergency landing in the Azores. 18 occupants (16 passengers and two crew members) suffered injuries during the evacuation of the aircraft, with two of them suffering serious injuries. ^[11]
• On 7 October 2008, Qantas Flight 72, an A330-300, suffered a rapid loss of altitude in two sudden uncommanded pitch-down manoeuvres while 150 km (81 nmi) from the Learmonth air base in northern Western Australia. After declaring an emergency, the crew landed the aircraft safely at RAAF Base Learmonth. It was later determined that the incident, which caused 119 injuries, 14 of them serious, was the result of a design flaw of the plane’s Air Data Inertial Reference Unit and a limitation of the aircraft’s flight computer software.^[12]
• On 1 June 2009, Air France Flight 447, an A330-200 en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris with 228 people on board, crashed in the Atlantic Ocean 640–800 kilometres (350–430 nmi) northeast of the islands of Fernando de Noronha,^[13] with no survivors. Malfunctioning pitot tubes provided an early focus for the investigation,^[14] as the aircraft involved had Thales-built “–AA” models known to record faulty airspeed data during icing conditions.^[15] In July 2009, Airbus advised A330 and A340 operators to replace Thales pitots with equivalents manufactured by Goodrich.^[15] Investigators later determined that the inadequate response of the pilots to both a loss of airspeed data and subsequent autopilot disengagement resulted in Flight 447 entering into an aerodynamic stall.^[16]
• On 25 December 2009, passengers and crew subdued a man who attempted to detonate explosives in his underwear on an A330-300 operating Northwest Airlines Flight 253.^[17][18]
• On 12 May 2010, Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771, an A330-200, crashed on approach to Tripoli International Airport, Libya, on a flight from OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa. Of the 104 people on board, all perished but one nine-year-old Dutch boy.^[19] The cause of the crash was pilot error. Crew resource management was insufficient, sensory illusions, and the first officer’s inputs to the aircraft side stick were a contributing factor in the crash. Fatigue was also named as a possible contributing factor in the accident.
• On 3 March 2015, Turkish Airlines Flight 726 departed the runway on landing at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal. The Airbus A330-300 operating the flight, TC-JOC, was severely damaged when its nose gear collapsed, causing damage to the fuselage and both wings. There were 224 passengers and 11 crew members on board; one passenger received minor injuries during the evacuation. The aircraft was written off.^[20] TC-JOC was preserved as Aircraft Museum Kathmandu in November 2017.
• On 27 August 2019, an Air China A330-300 at Beijing Capital International Airport caught fire while at the gate. The passengers and crew were safely evacuated. The airplane was likely damaged beyond repair.^{[21][importance?]}

Now we have reached the blog! I hope you will choose which plane manufacture is the best and I will see you next time!

Today, I am going to compare the A320 plane to the B737 plane. Both planes are similar, the 737 is lower to the ground than the A321. I am most experienced with the 737 but now I am learning about the A321. The A321 is larger than the A320. The A321 uses the side stick to control the aircraft. On the other hand, the 737 uses the classic yoke design. Both planes have similar cabins and are owned by American Airlines mostly. Now let’s talk about crash history in both planes. The A321 has a crash rate of 0.08% and is a safe plane. The A321 really has no fatal crash in history. The only fatal crash the plane suffered was due to pilot error or bird strikes. In Moscow, an A321 plane took off from an airport and suffered a dual engine failure so the captain landed the plane in a cornfield. All passengers survived with minor injuries. Now the 737 has a crash rate of 0.07% which is also good. But it has a lot of fatal crashes. For an example, China Airlines 737 plane suffered an engine fire when parked at the ramp. Everyone escaped and as the captain was leaving the aircraft, the plane blew up. Now, I think I like the A321 more because it has a better cockpit design, it’s flaps extend faster, and it is more modern. That is it for today, I hope you enjoyed my blog! THE END.