A federal agency is asking U.S. air carriers to enhance and increase inspections of Boeing 737 aircraft in their fleets. The Federal Aviation Administration is concerned about undetected cracks in the fuselage or bulkhead that could cause dangerous decompressions. The problem first drew the attention of the FAA in 2009, after a Boeing 737 operated by […]
Aviation
Turbulence A Hazard For Passengers And Crew
An associate professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University referred to turbulence as “the last of the unanticipated threats,” regarding air travel. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, 63 people have been seriously injured by turbulence in flights over the United States since 2007. Many of those injured are flight attendants and other crew members who were unbuckled […]
New Safety Recommendations Concerning Large Plane Taxiing
The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended the installation of anti-ground collision aids on large airplanes. Three ground collision accidents involving large planes hitting other aircraft during taxiing are currently under investigation by the NTSB. The recommendations, which were made to the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency, involved on-board external-mounted cameras which would […]
FAA To Investigate Miscommunication Among Washington D.C. Controllers
Federal rules dictate how close together aircraft are allowed to fly. An incident involving three aircraft around Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. has prompted an FAA investigation, according to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Early reports indicated that the planes were on a head-to-head course, but Mr. LaHood and FAA administrator Michael Huerta indicated that while […]
Pilot Who Reported Safety Concerns Ordered Reinstated
A pilot working for Ameriflight PR Incorporated repeatedly raised concerns about the way fuel calculations were made for planes flown out of the airline’s Puerto Rico base. Fearing a potential plane crash, he took further steps including refusing to pilot a flight, emailing management and fellow pilots, and finally raising the issue with the Federal Aviation […]
Boeing Faces Second Largest FAA Fine In History
In 1996, TWA Flight 800 exploded killing more than 200 people. The aviation accident was the result of a fuel tank explosion that occurred shortly after the Boeing 747 took from John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens. In response to the tragedy, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board developed regulations that required airlines […]
License of Nigerian Airline Suspended After Deadly Crash
Dana Air, based in Lagos, Nigeria, first began operating in 2008. On June 3, Dana Air flight 0992 crashed, killing 153 passengers and crew as well as at least 10 individuals on the ground. In response, Nigerian aviation officials have suspended the airline’s operating license. A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority in Nigeria indicated that […]
NTSB Releases Tour Helicopter Crash Information
On December 8, we blogged about a tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of four passengers and the pilot who were on route to the Hoover Dam. The National Transportation Safety Board has now opened the public docket concerning this tragic aviation accident. While the docket does not contain the NTSB analysis of the crash, […]
Homemade Aircraft Pose Greater Safety Risk
The National Transportation Safety Board made recommendations this week based on its findings concerning aviation accidents. The recommendations are directed toward the group with the highest rate of aviation accidents and fatalities in the flying community-the pilots of small, homemade aircraft. These pilots suffer an accident rate that is twice the general aviation average, and suffer three […]
General Aviation Accidents Increased in 2011, According to NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary report regarding aviation accidents in 2011. The report showed a mild increase in the total number of general aviation accidents when compared to 2010. Due to an increase in the total flight hours, however, the rate of accidents actually decreased last year. In addition to showing fewer accidents […]
The Future of the Aviation Industry in the United States
The Federal Aviation Administration is expecting substantial changes in the industry over the next 20 years. The task of preventing aviation accidents is likely to get more complicated if the FAA projections about air travel are accurate. The FAA projects that air traffic will nearly double by 2032. This increase in traffic will put additional pressure on […]
Study Shows Sleep Deprivation a Problem in Transportation Industries
The National Sleep Foundation released the results for the 2012 Sleep in America poll this month. The results may be alarming for safety advocates and those looking to reduce aviation accidents and other transportation industry mistakes. Of the 202 pilots who responded, roughly one in five acknowledged that they made a serious error while working because they […]
FAA Makes Changes to Improve Information Gathering
In an effort to encourage air traffic controllers and employees in charge of maintaining radar installations and other airport systems to speak up when mistakes occur, the Federal Aviation Administration has made several changes. The FAA says it will reduce aviation accidents and make air travel safer for everyone by expanding a non-punitive reporting system currently in […]
FAA Proposes New Regulations Regarding Pilots
The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed the first increase in flight hours required to become a co-pilot for a commercial air carrier since 1973. The previous increase raised the minimum from 200 to 250. The latest proposal raises the 250 hour threshold to 1,500 hours, which would match the requirements for pilots. The new threshold […]
Boeing Discovers Flaw in New 787 Jets
Boeing Company’s 787 Dreamliner jets are made up of composite parts to a greater extent than any airliner that preceded them. The heavy reliance on carbon-plastic parts may now pose a threat of aviation accidents as the aircraft are showing signs of stress in the fuselage. Boeing insists the problems are easily repairable and hopes to avoid […]
Helicopter and Airplane Collide, Miraculously No One Killed
Both pilots were able to walk away from a mid-air collision that brought a plane and a helicopter down on Sunday. The aviation accident occurred on Sunday evening between Sacramento and San Francisco. Despite significant damage to the helicopter, the pilot was only shaken up after coming down in a field a few miles outside of the […]
Qantas Discovers More Wing Cracks in A380
The A380 had a tumultuous beginning, suffering significant delays before finally beginning passenger flights in 2007. Last month, technicians discovered numerous cracks in the wing ribs of an A380 that had been grounded after having an engine disintegrate in 2010. To prevent an airline accident, the European Aviation Safety Agency ordered roughly 100 of the aircraft […]
Pilot Error Cited in Two Deadly Helicopter Accidents
Two investigations conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board were concluded last week with very similar results. The deadly aviation crashes both involved medical helicopters which were returning home after delivering patients. The NTSB was already aware of an increase in medical helicopter crashes. The safety organization had identified a number of factors that contributed to this […]
Better Weather Forecasts Make for Safer Travel
The National Weather Service is receiving a significant upgrade in its radar technology this year. By improving the ability to forecast precipitation and storms, it is hoped that the new radar system will help prevent deaths, including aviation fatalities related to bad weather. The upgrade is being compared to the installation of Doppler radar that started nationwide […]
Aircraft Collision Narrowly Averted
An air traffic controller with a history of disciplinary problems almost caused an airline disaster at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport last year, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The narrowly averted airline accident involved an Embraer ER145 jet with 53 passengers and crew and a Cessna 172. The two planes took off at the nearly the same […]