Microsoft targets 2012 for Windows 8

By Emil Protalinski

When we first started posting news tidbits regarding Windows 8, we warned readers not to expect the operating system to arrive until 2011 at the earliest, and we noted that 2012 was more likely. After the problems caused by the long gap between the releases of Windows XP and Windows Vista, Microsoft said that starting with Windows 7, the company would work really hard to follow a three-year release cycle. Windows 7 was released on October 22, 2009, so it makes sense that Windows 8 will get here in 2012, assuming no delays. That might be a slightly harder feat to achieve given that Windows 8 will be a major release (like Windows Vista was, as opposed to a minor one, like Windows 7 was) but since Windows 7 arrived less than three years after Vista, Microsoft should be able to pull it off. 

The roadmap posted by msftkitchen, therefore, doesn't really show anything too surprising: the operating system is indeed codenamed Windows 8 (we knew that), it will be a major release (we knew that), and it is currently slated for 2012 (we guessed that). The successor to Windows Server 2008 R2 is also expected to arrive in 2012, but the server roadmap doesn't give the release a name or even a codename (we were expecting something like Windows 8 Server). Please remember, though, that the tilde in front of the 2012 year is there for a reason: Microsoft isn't setting anything in stone.

In terms of final names, we're like to see "Windows 8" and "Windows Server 2012," again assuming no major delays and assuming Microsoft is going to stick to the same naming scheme. When Microsoft decided to keep the codename for Windows 7 as the final name of the product in October 2008, we noted that this new naming scheme was likely to remain for future Windows client releases; it would be really confusing, not to mention terribly foolish, to have only one release with a number suffix in its name. As for the Windows server releases, the year suffix signifying a major release and the R2 suffix signifying a minor release seems to be working just fine. We don't see much reason to change this system, and for the sake of consistency, hopefully Microsoft doesn't either.

The Best Way to Become an Expert

How to get to the point where you always know what you're talking about. I shared ways to get your ideas out into the world in two recent posts, 5 Ways to Be Known as a Groundbreaking Thinker and How Groundbreaking Thinkers Spread Their Ideas. I left out one key element, though: You really need to be an expert before you can have groundbreaking ideas.

Oops.

According to David C. Baker, the head of ReCourses, a company that provides consulting, seminars, speaking, and writing for marketing firms, “Being an expert is flat knowing that you can answer any question about the narrow field you serve. Essentially it boils down to two things: Know what you’re talking about, and present it with personal authenticity.”

So how do you become an expert? Here are the steps David recommends:

Narrow your field of expertise so that you can go deeper within that field, whether vertical or horizontal. You simply cannot be an expert in everything. If you try, you create a wide shallow pool instead of a deep well of knowledge.

Meanwhile, try to broaden your exposure to all sorts of things that do not fall within your area of declared expertise. Be a renaissance person. But, as David says, broaden your horizons on your own time; never turn clients into victims because of your lack of expertise.

Apply your expertise repeatedly in similar situations. This is the only way you will notice patterns, and the essence of intelligence is pattern matching. That’s why the key to great chess players in pattern matching, or why the intelligence of young children can be tested even before they are verbal. Here’s a pattern David sees in his field: Business owners are most introspective approximately nine months before their lease is up, simply because that’s the only time they make a long-term commitment to staying in business for the next three, five, or 10 years. He’s written down about 200 of these patterns and that allows him to diagnose a situation more quickly and reliably.

Quit trying to learn more, and just put yourself out there. After writing down the patterns, test them with clients and prospects and adjust where necessary. After that the only way to further your knowledge is to articulate it, because the clarity comes in the articulation, whether onstage or in a conference room. Articulation leads to points of view you deeply believe, not because you’ve read about them but because you’ve examined them repeatedly.

Think differently about the mistakes you make. When you are challenged on a particular recommendation, listen carefully and be open to the fact your pattern matching may have been flawed and led to an incorrect assumption. Being wrong is just part of the game, and if you are seldom wrong you aren’t taking enough risks—or you’re already a renowned expert.

Develop your insightful observations into a system. Price it as a diagnostic package, and now you have a real process that is likely different from all the “me too” processes that have spread like weeds on websites.

Articulate your system so well that you build a training module, and train all new employees in your system. If you don’t think enough of your process to train new employees that way, it’s really not a valuable process.

And one more thing. You’re probably a lot smarter than you think. Start taking the time now to articulate your ideas and the patterns you notice. You might even bring someone to client meetings just to write down all the smart things you say—because you will be at your best when you’re in front of a client and totally engaged in solving their problem.

Jeff Haden

Jeff Haden learned much of what he knows about business and technology as he worked his way up in the manufacturing industry from forklift driver to manager of a 250-employee book plant. Everything else he picks up from ghostwriting books for some of the smartest innovators and leaders he knows in business. He has written more than 30 non-fiction books, including four Business and Investing titles that reached #1 on Amazon's bestseller list. He'd tell you which ones, but then he'd have to kill you. 

Top 5 Most Common Networking Mistakes

Still trying to tap your network for favors before you've offered anything yourself? Big mistake. Everyone tries to network, but few people do it well, often making the same basic mistakes. Here’s what not to do when you’re trying to expand or leverage your network:

1. Try to take before you give. The goal of networking is to connect with people who can help you make a sale, get a referral, establish a contact, etc. When we network, we want something. But at first, never ask for what you want. In fact you may never ask for what you want. Forget about what you can get and focus on what you can provide. Giving is the only way to establish a real connection and relationship. Focus solely on what you can get out of the connection and you will never make meaningful, mutually beneficial connections. When you network, it’s all about them, not you.

2. Assume others should care about your needs. Maybe you’re desperate. Maybe partnering with a major player in your industry could instantly transform red ink into black. No one cares. No one should care. Those are your problems and your needs. Never expect others to respond to your needs. People may sympathize but helping you is not their responsibility. The only way to make connections is to care about the needs of others first. Ask how they’re doing. Ask what could help them. Care about others first; then, and only then, will they truly care back.

3. Take the shotgun approach. Some people network with anyone, tossing out business cards like confetti. Networking isn’t a numbers game. Find someone you can help, determine whether they might (someday) be able to help you, and then approach them on your own terms. Always select the people you want to network with. And keep your list relatively small, because there is no way to build meaningful connections with dozens or hundreds of people.

4. Assume tools create connections. Twitter followers, Facebook friends, and LinkedIn connections are great—if you do something with those connections. In all likelihood your Twitter followers aren’t reading your tweets. Your Facebook friends rarely visit your page. Your LinkedIn connections aren’t checking your updates. Tools provide a convenient way to establish connections, but to maintain those connections you still have to put in the work. Any tool that is easy or automated won’t establish the connections you really need.

5. Reach too high. If your company provides financial services, establishing a connection with Warren Buffett would be great. Or say you need seed capital; hooking up with Mark Cuban would be awesome. Awesome and almost impossible. The best connections are mutually beneficial. What can you offer Buffett or Cuban? Not much. You may desperately want to connect with the top people in your industry, but the right to connect is not based on want or need. You must earn the right to connect. Find people who can benefit from your knowledge and insight or your connections.

The “status” level of your connections is irrelevant. All that matters is whether you can help each other reach your goals.

By: Jeff Haden

Jeff Haden learned much of what he knows about business and technology as he worked his way up in the manufacturing industry from forklift driver to manager of a 250-employee book plant. Everything else he picks up from ghostwriting books for some of the smartest innovators and leaders he knows in business. He has written more than 30 non-fiction books, including four Business and Investing titles that reached #1 on Amazon's bestseller list. He'd tell you which ones, but then he'd have to kill you.

Technology Wins in 2011

Here are 2011's Biggest Tech Winners

Looking back on this year's most anticipated tech products, disappointment is a common theme. Android tablets were sales duds. HP, the world's biggest PC maker, temporarily had the bad idea to stop making PCs. The Nintendo 3DS was such a failure at launch that Nintendo had to slash prices. And for months, we've heard talk of a bubble in Silicon Valley, fueled by well-funded failures such as Color. But among the flops, some companies managed to find success this year.

IBM's Watson

The very definition of a winner, IBM's Watson supercomputer mopped the floor with human Jeopardy phenoms Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter in a three-day challenge. Watson consists of 2800 processor cores across ten server racks, stored in their own room cooled by a pair of large refrigeration units, all geared to answer Alex Trebek's questions faster than the human brain can. Imagine the day when all of that knowledge will be available on your phone.

Apple's Siri

Apple's iPhone 4S is a mostly evolutionary product with the requisite improvements, including a faster processor and a better camera. But Apple also planted the seeds of revolution with Siri, a virtual assistant that speaks and understands voice commands. Although Android and Windows Phone tread this territory as well, Siri goes a step further by interpreting natural language instead of relying on rigid instructions. It's the closest we've come to having an AI in our pockets.

Amazon's Kindle Fire

Simply by generating healthy preorders, Amazon's Kindle Fire has burned brighter than any other iPad alternative. The Fire's $199 price tag, combined with its abundant content and Android apps, makes it an enticing tablet for people who don't have $500 or more to spare on tech toys.

Xbox 360 and Kinect

Microsoft's Kinect, a camera for the Xbox 360 game console that detects 3D motion, launched in fall 2010. However, in 2011 the Kinect hit 10 million sales, making it the fastest-selling electronics device, according to Guinness. Excitement about the Kinect has helped the Xbox 360 outsell its competition in North America every month so far this year, according to The NPD Group.

Samsung Galaxy Phones

Apple isn't the only company that can create hit smartphones. Recent studies from Strategy Analytics and IDC show Samsung beating Apple in smartphones shipped (not sold, but impressive nonetheless). Samsung's flagship handset, the Galaxy S II, sports an ultrathin design and a silky-smooth take on Google's Android software, making it one of the year's best phones.

Apple's iPad 2

With the thinner, lighter, and faster iPad 2, Apple sent its competitors into panic mode, since most of them were still working on their first-generation tablets modeled after the original iPad. While those rivals floundered, Apple just kept proving that tablets are not a fad, racking up 40 million iPad sales as of October 2011.

Lytro

In an age where smartphones threaten the viability of stand-alone digital cameras, Lytro has sparked interest by promising to revolutionize photography. The so-called light-field camera is a long, rectangular device that can refocus an image even after you take the picture, so you can snap photos and worry about the finer details later. Although Lytro's camera won't be available until next year, it deserves praise now for drumming up excitement in an often nonbuzzworthy category of consumer technology.

Microsoft's Windows Phone

Time will tell whether Windows Phone can catch up with Android and the iPhone, but at least Microsoft is making all the right moves. After launching incomplete software in 2010, Microsoft spent the year adding all the prerequisites of a modern mobile OS, including copy-and-paste functionality, third-party multitasking, HTML 5, support and front-facing camera support. The company also enlisted Nokia to build high-end handsets, and strong-armed Android phone makers into licensing agreements that may persuade them to construct more Windows Phones. This was the turnaround Microsoft desperately needed.

Google+

At last, Google has launched a social network that isn't a catastrophic failure. In just four months, Google+ has acquired more than 40 million users, and has become the toast of techies such as Robert Scoble. Although critics have noticed a recent drop in activity, Google+ at least has the makings of a true Facebook competitor, which is more than you can say for Buzz, Jaiku, Orkut, and Wave.

Google Chrome

Google's Chrome browser is likely to overtake Mozilla's Firefox in December, according to browser-share data from StatCounter, and it has climbed to more than 25 percent of the market already. Maybe it's those sentimental ads that have piqued users' interest, or perhaps it's the addition of innovative features such as instant pages or a Web app store. Either way, Chrome will become Internet Explorer's biggest threat in 2012.

Technology Flops in 2011

If you like train wrecks, 2011 was a fascinating year in personal technology. From unpopular tablets to security blunders to bad management, failures and flops seemed to be the rule, not the exception. Here are 2011's biggest tech blunders.
Volt  (General Motors)

General Motors (GM) was originally so excited about the Volt that the company had announced in January it was speeding up its roll-out by six months. But by November the excitement had fizzled out. Larry Nitz, GM’s executive director for vehicle electrification told Reuters, “It’s naive to think that the world is going to switch tomorrow to EVs [electric vehicles].” Indeed, sales for the vehicle have been consistently low. Only 125 models were sold in July 2011. This was after GM spokeswoman Michelle Bunker was quoted as saying that the Volt was “virtually sold out” due to its popularity — a statement later shown to be misguided. Adding insult to injury, Chevy Volts are under investigation for fires involving the cars’ lithium-ion batteries. For concerned Volt owners, GM has offered free loaner cars.

HTC Status (Facebook Phone)(AT&T/HTC)
In June of this year, AT&T announced the HTC Status. The Status was the first, and likely the last, smartphone with a dedicated Facebook share button. At the time of its launch, AT&T hoped it would be incredibly popular among Facebook users. “We can’t wait to put the HTC Status in the hands of our young customers who will waste no time tapping into Facebook to update their friends,” said AT&T Senior VP of Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets Jeff Bradley in a statement. But sales were significantly lower than the company had originally expected, and rumors that the phone would be discontinued quickly spread. Given the ease with which users can access Facebook on other smartphones, the case for owning the Status was not very strong. Despite its low sales, AT&T has defended its product, stating, “The HTC Status is a great product and our plans for it to be part of our portfolio haven’t changed.”

Fiat 500(Fiat)
This year, Fiat released its new 500 — a three door car that is under 12 ft. long. The car was expected to be a big seller, rivaling BMW’s Mini. Even before the car’s launch, however, detractors were predicting failure. Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford (NYSE), stated in Panorama magazine, “I do not see a large market in the U.S.A. for a smaller car than the Fiesta. Those that tried failed.” He was right. According to online magazine DailyTech, “Fiat expected to sell 50,000 500s during 2011 in North America. Through the first seven months of 2011, Fiat sold fewer than 12,000.” Sales were so poor that Chrysler Group, which manages the Fiat brand in the United States, ousted U.S. chief Laura Soave this past November.

PlayStation Network Hack

When hackers broke into the PlayStation Network in April, Sony had to shut its online gaming service down for a month and rebuild it with better defenses. The downtime would have been bad enough to make this list, but even worse was that the invaders made off with user names, email addresses, passwords, mailing addresses, and other personal information. Sony's six-day delay in explaining the extent of the damage didn't help.

Netflix

Netflix got on customers' bad side in July by unbundling its DVD and streaming services, effectively raising prices by $6 per month for people who wanted both. Then, in September, Netflix announced that it would spin off DVD rentals into a second company called Qwikster, with separate billing, reviews, and queues. The backlash caused Netflix to change its mind about Qwikster, but the damage to the company's reputation--and stock price--was done. Netflix stock now sits at about $70 per share, down from $300 per share in June.

 BlackBerry PlayBook

"Amateur hour is over," Research in Motion declared in an early advertisement for the BlackBerry PlayBook, which the company launched in April. It was an odd hook for a tablet that lacked email, calendar, and contacts apps at launch. Those omissions, along with the PlayBook's shortage of third-party apps, cemented its fate as a failed Apple iPad competitor. RIM is now clearing out PlayBook inventory at $200 per tablet, and at a cost to the company of $485 million.

Google Chromebooks

If you spend most of your computer time in a browser, Google argued, why not have a fast, secure laptop that strips away everything else? The concept was alluring, but the first Chromebooks--which started shipping in June and are based on Google's Chrome OS--simply aren't fast enough to justify the limited functionality. For instance, PCWorld's Jason Cross gave the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook a 2.5-star rating, and reportedly overall Chromebook sales have been dismal.

Color

Color was an iPhone app that boasted all the right buzzwords when it launched in March: social, mobile, real-time, photo sharing. Maybe that's why investors dumped $41 million into the company. Too bad that the app itself was confusing, and that the idea of sharing photos with everyone around you works only if everyone around you is also using the app. Color has now reinvented itself as a live-broadcasting tool for Facebook. Next step: Profit!

HP TouchPad

For some reason, HP thought that a tablet that was thicker and heavier than Apple's iPad, and had fewer apps than the iPad, but cost the same as the iPad, would have a chance of selling well. Of course, the HP TouchPad bombed when it launched in June, and HP decided to stop making WebOS devices. On the bright side, the ensuing $100 fire sale catapulted the TouchPad to number two in tablet sales, according to the NPD Group. Hooray?

Android Tablets

Acer, Asus, Motorola, and Samsung sold roughly 500,000 Android tablets in the United States from January to October, according to the NPD Group. Although U.S. sales for the iPad are unknown, Apple has sold 11.2 million tablets worldwide in the last quarter alone. Blame the competition's slow sales on an occasionally sluggish Android tablet interface, a small number of tablet-optimized apps, high initial prices, or poor marketing. In any case, the Android invasion has been no threat to the iPad.

3D TV

Only a couple of years ago, television makers dreamed of a 3D takeover that would restore their profits as the price of LCD TVs plummeted. But this year, 3D TV has been a disappointment. Market research firm SNL Kagan projects 3D TV sales to decline this year, and a survey by the NPD Group shows customer indifference to 3D on the rise. Turns out not a lot of people want to pay premium prices to wear bulky 3D glasses while watching a limited selection of 3D content. Who knew?

Google TV

Although Google TV launched in 2010, the full extent of its failure finally became apparent this year, when Logitech ate nearly $100 million due to poor sales of its Revue Google TV set-top box. To move units, Logitech had to cut the price from $300 to $100, after reporting negative sales. In October, Google revamped its television platform to emphasize simplicity and Android apps, but any hopes of a living-room insurgence will have to wait until 2012, when the company regroups with new hardware partners.

Duke Nukem Forever

Launching in June after 15 years of development hell, Duke Nukem Forever had no chance of living up to anyone's expectations. However, the finished product was so bad, and its raunchy attempts at humor so offensive and unfunny, that the game should have remained vaporware. Duke Nukem Forever received an unfavorable 49 out of 100 score on Metacritic, and Ars Technica wrote that the "people involved should be ashamed." Sales were lower than expected, too. Doesn't mean that a sequel won't show up, though.

Former HP CEO Leo Apotheker

After the failure of the TouchPad tablet, HP stunned the tech world in August by announcing plans to sell or spin off its entire PC business in order to focus on enterprise software. That was a bad idea, because HP's enterprise success is due to its ability to offer both hardware and software to businesses. Stocks plummeted, HP's board sacked CEO Leo Apotheker in September, and the company promptly reversed course on eliminating its PC business. Apotheker, however, got a $13 million golden parachute, while an estimated 500 employees who worked on WebOS lost their jobs.

Final Cut Pro X

Apple's newfound riches in the consumer market have turned into bad news for the creative professionals who once carried the company on their backs. Final Cut Pro X--the latest version of Apple's video-editing software--is a cheaper, simpler program that eliminates some tools on which many professional editors rely. Apple faced a backlash from these users after Final Cut's June launch, but saw no noticeable effect on its bottom line.

Nintendo 3DS

Although the Nintendo 3DS impresses with glasses-free 3D, at its launch in March the starting price tag of $250 and the lack of great software scared off customers. To save its newborn handheld, Nintendo had to cut the price to $180 four months later. The new price helps, and the recent launch of Super Mario 3D Land has given the 3DS a huge sales boost, but the initial price was a major miscalculation that contributed to Nintendo's first annual loss in three decades.

Mozilla Firefox

Desperate to accelerate the release of new features and keep up with Google's Chrome browser, Mozilla switched Firefox to a rapid release schedule in June that brought new software versions every six weeks. The switch had unfortunate side effects, such as broken extensions and alienated enterprise users who couldn't keep up. And it didn't stop Mozilla's market-share slide, either: In November, Firefox fell into third place behind Chrome, according to StatCounter.

Cisco Flip Video Camera

Pure Digital's Flip camcorders were popular when Cisco bought the company and its products for $590 million worth of stock in 2009. But since then, Cisco let the product line languish while smartphones with built-in video cameras rose to popularity. In April, Cisco abruptly killed the Flip in a major restructuring of the company's consumer business--a sad demise for a once-proud gadget.

Mars Needs Moms
(Disney)
Following the release of Avatar in 2009, Hollywood had a new cash cow in the form of 3-D films. This all changed with the release of director Simon Wells’s Mars Needs Moms — a flop of epic proportions. Disney (DIS), of course, was expecting another hit. The film cost $175 million to make. In its opening weekend it brought in just $6.9 million. According to movie data website The Numbers, Mars Needs Moms lost an estimated $130 million in worldwide gross sales, the biggest money loser of all time. Journalist Brooks Barnes wrote in the New York Times, “In the movie business, sometimes a flop is just a flop. Then there are misses so disastrous that they send signals to broad swaths of Hollywood.” Mars Needs Moms signaled that the market has become saturated and that digitally animated family films are not the sure thing they once were.

Ashley Push-Up Triangle(Abercrombie & Fitch)
While no stranger to controversy, Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) seemed to have crossed a line this time. In March, 2011, the retailer unveiled its spring line for Abercrombie Kids, a division targeting children ages 8 to 14. Included in the line was the “Ashley” Push-Up Triangle, a bikini top with padding. The launch prompted a violent response from parent groups. Several child development experts also criticized the top because it sexualized young girls. At first, Abercrombie tried to address the concerns by reclassifying the top as padded and saying it was not intended for very young girls. It stated on Facebook: “We’ve re-categorized the Ashley swimsuit as padded. We agree with those who say it is best ‘suited’ for girls age 12 and older.” But while the bottoms are still available, the bikini top is no longer featured on the company’s website.

3G/4G/LTE to be launched soon in Pakistan

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)

Islamabad: In pursuance of the policy directive issued by Ministry of Information Technology (MOIT), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is planning to Auction Frequency Spectrum for Cellular Mobile Broadband Services. The license for this service will be technology neutral and the licensees be able to deploy any technology including 3G / 4G / LTE / any other upcoming technologies.

The information Memorandum (IM) for auctioning process is being prepared by PTA. The auction will be held tentatively in March 2012 for which exact schedule will be issued later. The auction process will be overseen by a joint professional group (Auction Supervisory Committee) comprising of public sector stakeholders, including representatives of Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Information Technology, PTA and FAB etc. PTA has constituted a special committee for making preparations to conduct the auction in the most possible transparent manner.

For the awareness and information of potential investors, PTA is also planning to hold Investors Conferences in Karachi and Islamabad. International Road Shows will also be organized. The exact schedule for this auction would be made available soon.

It is pertinent to mention that the introduction of Cellular Mobile Broadband services in the country will initiate a new economic cycle in the country and accrue great benefits for the national economy. It will also usher in new era for proliferation of a number of new applications for data intensive value added services. This will greatly fulfill the requirement and demands of Cellular Mobile Phone subscribers and professionals who are eagerly waiting for this service.

For more information:

www.pta.gov.pk

Airplane accidents in 2011

Following is the list of Air accidents that took place in 2011 the world over.

1 January 2011; Kogalymavia (also known as Kolavia); Tu154M; RA-85588; flight 348; Surgut, Russia

The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Surgut to Moscow, Russia. The aircraft caught fire while the aircraft was taxiiing toward the runway. All eight crew members survived, and three of the 126 passengers were killed

9 January 2011; Iran Air 727-200; Flight 277; Urmia, Iran

The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Tehran to Urmia, Iran when it crashed near the destination airport. Ten of the 11 crew members and 67 of the 94 passengers were killed

10 February 2011; Manx2 Swearingen Metro III; Flight 7100; Cork, Ireland

The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from Belfast, Northern Ireland to Cork, Ireland when it crashed near the destination airport. There were low visibility conditions at the time of the crash. On the crew's third landing attempt, the aircraft crashed adjacent to a taxiway, came to rest upside down, and caught fire. Both crew members and four of the ten passengers were killed

14 February 2011; Central American Airways; Let 410; HR-AUQ; near Cerro de Hula, Honduras

The aircraft was on a domestic flight from San Pedro Sula to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and crashed into a forest while en route to its destination. Both crew members and all 12 passengers were killed

1 April 2011; Southwest Airlines 737-300; flight 812; near Yuma, AZ

The airliner, with 118 passengers and a crew, was on a scheduled flight from Phoenix, AZ to Sacramento, CA, when it experienced a rapid loss of cabin pressure after a rupture developed in the upper fuselage about 18 minutes after takeoff when the aircraft was climbing through 34,000 feet. After the loss of cabin pressure, the crew was able to divert to Yuma, AZ without further incident. There were no serious injuries among the 118 passengers and crew members on board. The rupture was about five feet long and about a foot wide

4 April 2011; Georgian Airways Canadair CRJ-100; 4L-GAE; flight 834; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DNC)

The aircraft was on a domestic unscheduled flight from Kisangani to N'Djili airport in Kinshasa, and was attempting an instrument approach to runway 24 around 14:00L during heavy rain and under low visibility conditions. The aircraft missed the runway, broke up, and caught fire. , and crashed into a forest while en route to its destination. All four crew members and 28 of the 29 passengers were killed. At the time of the crash, the airplane operated on behalf of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

7 May 2011; Merpati Nusantara Airlines Xian MA60; PK-MZK; near Kaimana, Indonesia

The aircraft was on a domestic scheduled flight from Sorong to Kaimana, Indonesia, and crashed into the sea about 600 meters short of the runway. The aircraft broke up and sank, and all 19 passengers and six crew members were killed

18 May 2011; Sol Líneas Aérea Saab 340A; LV-CEJ; Flight 5428; near Prahuaniyeu, Argentina

The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Neuquén near the Andes to Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina when it crashed about 25 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of the town of Los Menucos. The last contact with the aircraft occurred about 40 minutes after taking off from Neuquén. All three crew members and 19 passengers, including one child, were killed

20 June 2011; RusAir; Tu134A; RA-65691; flight 7R-243; Petrozavodsk, Russia

The aircraft was on a domestic flight from Moscow (Domodedovo)to Petrozavodsk, Russia. The aircraft crashed on a roadway about one kilometer from the destination airport. Eight of the nine crew members and 39 of the 43 passengers were killed

8 July 2011; Hewa Bora Airways 727; 9Q-COP; flight 952, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Kinshasa to Kisangani, DR Congo when it crashed after missing the runway during a landing attempt. The aircraft came to rest about 300 meters from the runway. At the time, there was heavy rain, limited visibility, and thunderstorms in the area. According to a report about the crash in the Aviation Herald, the runway had no published instrument landing procedures. The aircraft was destroyed in the crash. Five of the seven crew members, and 72 of the 108 passengers were killed

11 July 2011; Angara Airlines Antonov 24RV; RA-47302; flight 5007; near Strezhevoy, Russia The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Tomsk to Surgut, Russia, and the crew executed an emergency landing in the Ob River near the town of Strezhevoy, Russia. The crew reported an engine fire while en route, about 90 minutes after takeoff. All four crew members survived, but six of the 33 passengers were killed 

13 July 2011; NOAR Linhas Aéreas; Let 410; PR-NOB; ;flight NRA-4896; Recife, Brazil

The aircraft was on a domestic flight from Recife to Natal, Brazil, and crashed in a populated area about one minute after takeoff, narrowly missing several buildings. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and post crash fire. Both crew members and all 14 passengers were killed

28 July 2011; Asiana Airlines; 747-400F; HL7604; flight 991; near Jeju, South Korea

The aircraft was on an international cargo flight from Seoul, South Korea, to Shanghai, China. About an hour after takeoff, the crew reported on onboard fire and diverted toward Jeju, South Korea. Both pilots were killed in the crash

20 August 2011; First Air; 737-200; flight 6560; Resolute Bay, Canada

The aircraft (C-GNWN) was on a chartered domestic Canadian flight from Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories to to Resolute Bay in Nunavut Territory. The aircraft crashed near the runway during a landing attempt and broke up.

All four crew members and eight of the 11 passengers were killed. Among the three survivors was a seven-year-old girl. However, her six-year-old sister was killed in the crash.

Prior to this fatal crash, the airline had two prior serious, though nonfatal, incidents involving of their 737 fleet. In 2001, a First Air 737 landed short of the runway Yellowknife and was seriously damaged. While the aircraft was too damaged to be repaired, none of the 98 passengers or six crew members were injured. In a 2004 landing incident in Edmonton, Alberta, the aircraft landed to the side of the runway and struck a number of lights and a sign before the crew was able to come to a stop on the runway. This aircraft returned to service, and was the same one involved in the fatal Resolute Bay crash

August 29, 2011; Airbus A320-214; A9C-AG; flight 270; Cochin, India

While landing the airliner went off the side of the runway collapsing the nose gear and coming to rest 10 meters off the runway. Eight people were injured one, seriously. Total abroad were 137. The route was Bahrain to Cochin

    

September 2, 2011; Chilean Air Force; CASA C-212 Aviocar 300DF; Juan Fernandez Island, Chile

The aircraft attempted to land at the airport on two occasions, but strong winds prevented it from landing.The aircraft subsequently crashed into the sea 1 kilometre (1,100 yd) off the island on its third approach. One of the killed persons was Felipe Camiroaga, the most important TV entertainer in Chile

  

6 September 2011; Aerocon; Metro III; CP-2548; flight 238; near Trinidad, Colombia

The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Santa Cruz to Trinidad, Colombia, and crashed in the jungle during the approach to Trinidad. The crew was reportedly executing a non-precision approach. Both crew members and six of the seven passengers were killed. The sole survivor was found about a day after the crash. This is the 23rd sole survivor airline crash since 1970 and the third in 2011

(File photo-similar to the one crashed)



7 September 2011; Yak Service Yak-42D; RA-42434; Yaroslavl, Russia

The aircraft was on a nonscheduled international flight from Yaroslavl, Russia to Minsk, Belarus when it crashed shortly after taking off from Yaroslavl Airport. The aircraft apparently ran off the runway took off several hundred meters beyond the end of the runway. After lifting off, the aircraft struck a radio mast about 450 meters from the end of the runway, and crashed at the edge of the Volga River. Seven of the eight crew members, and all 37 passengers were killed. Among the passengers were the coaching staff and players of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl professional hockey team. The team included several former NHL players as well as several members of the Russian national hockey team. This was the 16th jet airliner crash with a sole survivor since 1970

September 14, 2011; Military - FANA Forca Aerea Nacional Angolana; Embraer 120ER Brasilia; Huambo, Angola

The military plane crashed, broke in two and burned while attempting to takeoff from Huambo Airport. Six persons survived including the pilot and copilot

20 September 2011; SALSA d'Haiti (Services Aeriens Latinosamericains, S.A. d'Haiti); Beech 99A; HH-APA; ;flight 112; Lorie, Haiti

The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Port-au-Prince to Cap Haitien, Haiti, and crashed in a field near Lorie, Haiti, There was heavy rain in the area at the time of the crash. Both crew members and the single passenger were killed

25 September 2011; Buddha Air Beechcraft 1900D; 9N-AEK; near near Kotdanda, Nepal

The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic sightseeing flight which was to start and end at Kathmandu, Nepal. The aircraft crashed during approach at the end of the flight and the crash location was several miles short of the runway. All three crew members and 16 passengers were killed

29 September 2011; Nusantara Buana Air CASA-212; PK-TLF; near Bohorok, Indonesia

The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Medan to Kutacane, Indonesia. Contact was lost with the aircraft a few minutes after departure, and had crashed into a forest while en route. All four crew members and 14 passengers were killed

October 4, 2011; Air Tindi; flight 200; Near Lutsek'e, NT, Canada

The plane hit the top of a hill while enroute, approximately 20 nm from Lutsek'e Airport. The pilot and one passenger were killed

13 October 2011; Airlines PNG Dash 8; P2-MCJ; Flight 1600; near Madang, Papua New Guinea

The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Lae to Madang, Papua New Guinea, and crashed into a dense forest about 20 km south of Madang while on approach. All three crew members survived but 28 of the 29 passengers were killed. This is the second fatal passenger flight involving this airline. On 11 August 2009, both crew members and all 11 passengers were killed in the when a Twin Otter Airlines PNG aircraft crashed into a mountain near Kokoda Airport

1 November 2011; LOT 767-300; SP-LPC; flight 16; Warsaw, Poland

The aircraft was on scheduled international flight from Newark, NJ to Warsaw, a flight that was uneventful until shortly before landing when the crew was unable to lower the landing gear. The crew continued to fly and burn off fuel for about 90 minutes, giving emergency crews time to foam the runway, and allowing the authorities to dispatch a pair of F-16s to inspect the LOT aircraft. The crew executed a successful gear up landing that resulted in no injuries among the 220 passengers and 11 crew members

November 11, 2011; Fuerza Aerea Mexicana XC-UHM; Near Santa Catarina Atoyzingo, Mexico
The Mexican presidential helicopter crashed into the side of a hill in low clouds, at a height of 2,600 meters. The helicopter carried the Secretary of the Interior, José Francisco Blake Mora and other government officials

     
17 November 2011; Piper Cherokee; N7746W; near Perryville, AR

Oklahoma State University (OSU) women's basketball coach Kurt Budke, assistant women's basketball coach Miranda Serna, the pilot, and one other passenger were killed in a crash that took place about 40 miles northwest of Little Rock, AR. The coaches were heading to Little Rock on a recruiting trip at the time of the crash. While the aircraft was privately owned, the plane's pilot was a certified commercial pilot. Early reports indicate that the pilot, a former Oklahoma state senator, was an OSU alumnus and donor, but had not previously flown OSU coaches prior to the accident flight.

This is not the first fatal crash involving OSU athletics. On 27 January 2001, two OSU basketball players, an OSU basketball executive and five staffers and broadcasters associated with the program were killed when their ; Beechcraft King Air crashed shortly after takeoff from the Jefferson County airport near Denver, CO. The two crew members were also killed. The chartered aircraft was bound for Stillwater, Oklahoma when it took off during snowy conditions.

After the 2001 crash, OSU changed their travel policies for student athletes, including rules requiring two pilots to be on board for all OSU travel involving student athletes and aircraft to be powered by two or more turbine engines. However, these policy changes did not apply to recruiting trips involving only coaches

(Piper Cherokee-file photo)

November 23, 2011; Susi Air PK-VVG; Near Sugapa, Indonesia

While attempting to land, the pilot of the cargo plane pulled up from the approach to avoid a pedestrian on the runway and crashed into the surrounding mountains, seven miles away. The copilot was killed

November 28, 2011; Trans North Aviation Ltd.; Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain; Riverwoods, Illinois

The air ambulance crashed into a wooded area after the pilot reported having fuel problems. The patient, the patient's wife and one other person onboard was killed

December 7, 2011; Sundance Helicopters Inc.Aerospatiale AS-350 B2 Ecureuil ; Near Henderson, Nevada

The touring helicopter on a sightseeing flight of the Las Vegas Strip and Hoover Dam, crashed into a mountainside between Lake Mead and Henderson

December 10, 2011; Aviation Technology Innovators; Beechcraft 65-80 Queen Air; Paranaque City, Philippines

The cargo plane crashed into a school building of Felixberto Serrano Elementary school shortly after taking off. All three occupants of the aircraft and at least eleven residents of the neighborhood around the school were killed. The pilot reported a mechanical trouble before crash, and was attempting to return to the airport when it crashed