The National Transportation Safety Board voted unanimously in support of a proposal to lower blood alcohol limits for drunk driving from .08 to .05 last May. The group contended that adoption of a lower standard would save between 500 and 800 lives every year by reducing drunk driving car accidents. Since that proposal, no state has […]
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
NTSB And Boeing Differ Over 787 Dreamliner Investigation
Boeing executives gave a media briefing in Tokyo on March 15 regarding the 787 Dreamliner and the investigations into the problems with the lithium ion batteries. The National Transportation Safety Board is taking issue with that briefing and the company’s discussion of the NTSB investigation into the January 7 fire involving the plane and additional […]
U.S. Forest Service And Aging Aircraft
In 2002, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a report criticizing the aerial firefighting capability of the U.S. Forest Service. A review of aviation accident reports from the NTSB shows that six people died in air tanker crashes while on firefighting missions this year. At least 22 have died in such accidents in the last 10 years. […]
Most Wanted List Of Safety Improvements For 2013
The National Transportation Safety Board 10 Most Wanted Safety Improvements covers travel by road, rail and air. The list offers areas where all types of transportation can be made safer through, training, awareness and technological improvements. Over the following months, the NTSB will work with safety groups, industry leaders, regulators and individuals to make safety […]
2013 Most Wanted List Of Safety Issues To Be Released
The National Transportation Safety Board announced that it will release its 2013 Most Wanted List next Wednesday, November 14, at a press conference in Washington D.C. The Most Wanted List highlights the NTSB’s advocacy priorities for the year. Generally speaking, the list is meant to increase the attention paid to issues involving transportation accidents and safety. The […]
2010 Illinois Plane Crash Caused By Pilot Error, According To NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board published its conclusions regarding a single-engine airplane crash that occurred in Naperville in October 2010. The report concluded that the aviation accident was caused by the pilot’s “failure to abort the takeoff when he realized the airplane was not attaining sufficient takeoff and climb performance.” Shortly after the flight began, the plane […]
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 […]
Bus Accidents Underscore Need For Safety Improvements
Last week, a Megabus crashed into a bridge support, injuring at least 33 and killing one. Yesterday afternoon, a second Megabus accident claimed the life of a 76-year-old West Loop resident. These accidents shine a spotlight on recent efforts to improve bus safety for occupants and for everyone who shares the road with buses. The National Transportation […]
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 […]
NTSB Continues to Push Cell Phone Ban
While many states have adopted bans on texting while driving, the acceptance for a total ban on portable electronic device use while driving has not caught on to the same level. The National Transportation Safety Board called for such a ban last December in response to mounting evidence that cell phones are a growing cause […]
Pilot Fatigue and the Duty Time Rule
When the National Transportation Safety Board releases its annual Most Wanted List of transportation safety improvements, it almost always contains a goal regarding operator fatigue. As part of the NTSB drive to reduce deadly aviation accidents, it has led efforts to combat pilot fatigue. That is why the NTSB is celebrating a new rule released by […]
A Nationwide Ban on Cell Phone Use While Driving?
Distracted driving was linked to more than 3,000 deaths last year, according to estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Cell phone use was a primary culprit in many of those fatal car and truck accidents. The size of the problem has led the National Transportation Safety Board to recommend a nationwide ban on using […]
Birthday Helicopter Tour Ends in Tragedy
Just moments after takeoff, a helicopter pilot realized there was a problem. The aircraft’s engine stalled and the vehicle spun out of control, eventually crashing into a nearby river. The pilot escaped the craft, as well as three of the four passengers onboard. One passenger, a woman celebrating her 40th birthday was not so lucky. She […]
NTSB investigates collision at Logan International
A Boeing 767 carrying 204 passengers struck the tail of a smaller plane carrying 74 passengers while the planes were taxiing at Logan International Airport. The airplane collision took both planes out of service and is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB joined the investigation due […]
On anniversary of accident, NTSB calls for culture change
Distracted driving has led to countless accidents in recent years. Few were as impactful as the collision between a tour boat and a barge that killed two and put 35 more in the water in Philadelphia one year ago. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is using that accident as part of its campaign to bring national […]
Combating fatigue among air traffic controllers
Overnight shifts can prove challenging for workers in many professions. For U.S. air traffic controllers, the consequences of falling asleep on the job can be deadly aviation accidents. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reached an agreement with air traffic controllers in an attempt to help them stay alert on the job. The new policies were […]
Most wanted list unveiled by the NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board has released its list of critical transportation issues affecting safety for 2011. The list highlights ten key areas to focus on to reduce accidents, save lives and lessen the hazards of driving, flying, riding trains or taking other public transportation. While the list is intended to place an emphasis on […]
NTSB Forum focuses on improving trucking and bus safety
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) convened a public forum from May 10-11 in Washington, DC to review progress made over the last decade in improving truck and bus safety and to discuss steps that must be taken to improve safety in the future. Day 1 of the forum focused on improving the safety culture […]
Boeing 737 operated by Southwest Airlines rips open during flight
About 20 minutes after taking off from Phoenix Sky Harbor Internal Airport on Friday afternoon, Southwest Airlines Flight 812 made an emergency landing after the plane’s fuselage ruptured causing a 5 foot long tear in the ceiling. Some of the plane’s 118 passengers described hearing loud pops and then seeing a gaping hole rip through […]
NTSB Study Shows Benefits of Airbags and Shoulder Harnesses In General Aviation Aircraft
The National Transportation Safety Board has adopted a study confirming the safety benefits of shoulder harnesses in general aviation accidents and concluding that airbags can provide additional protection for occupants of such aircraft. Everyone is familiar with airbags in cars, where they have been mandatory for more than a decade, but the general public may not be […]