AIR SAFETY WEEK :: JANUARY 7, 2008

New Air Safety Website
The Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) is expanding its outreach efforts by launching a new website to spread information about efforts to make commercial air travel safer. The new site, http://www.CAST-safety.org, is geared toward the international aviation community, interested media, government...

Traveling Safely with Lithium Batteries
As of January 1, airline passengers are no longer allowed to pack loose lithium batteries in checked luggage. But the new regulation, designed to reduce the risk of lithium battery fires, will continue to allow rechargeable lithium batteries in checked baggage if they are installed in electronic devices, or...

U.S. Trails Other Countries in Air Traffic Management
The United States lags behind other developed countries in the structure and financing of its air traffic control system. And its failure to adopt reforms may have serious consequences as air travel and air cargo continue to grow and the industry becomes an increasingly important part of the global economy...

Meeting Half Way
Acting Federal Aviation Administrator Robert Sturgell and Patrick Forrey, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), have initiated a dialogue on aviation safety that will hopefully improve bitter relations. Relations between the U.S. aviation agency the pilots union have been...

Structural Flaws Hamper a Host of Military Aircraft
Some U.S. Navy P-3C Orion anti-submarine warfare (ASW) turboprops have joined over 400 U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle fighters on the ground because of concerns over structural flaws. The U.S. military aircraft grounding orders remain in place as the UK Defence Ministry and the Royal Air Force (RAF) offer abject...

Self-Healing Airplanes on the Horizon  
U.S. scientists are developing a technology in which aircraft can repair their own composite skins with the self-healing triggered by the structural damage. Enter the low- maintenance airplane. The new catalyst-free, self-healing material system developed by researchers at the University of Illinois offers a...

More Homeland Security Work Ahead
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff believes homeland security was improved in 2007, but warns that more needs to be done in 2008 if "catastrophic consequences" are to be avoided. Before the Woodrow Wilson Institute in mid-December, Chertoff said "2007 was, in...

Accidents & Incidents
Date Aircraft Type Narrative Death/Injury Remarks 02 Dec night Manchester UK 737-31S of Thomsonfly Strong winds pushed the empty G-THOG into a baggage loader, damaging the aircraft's skin nil Forward fuselage holed while parked on the ramp. Image at tinyurl.com/yurrw8 08 Dec ~2355L Taipei Taiwan 747-409 of...

Security Roundup  
Date Incident 04 Jan Three American Airlines Boeing 767-200s that fly daily round-trip routes between New York and California will receive the anti-missile laser jammers this spring, according to the Department of Homeland Security, which is spending $29 million on the tests. The jets will be outfitted with...

Significant Regulatory Activity
The NTSB is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of voluntary feedback regarding the public NTSB Web site. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Federal agencies must publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information and...

Safety News in Brief
Date Incident 03 Jan In our 17 Dec issue (article on the Report on the 2005 Air France A340 Crash at Pearson International) we stated that: "Canada currently requires a 60-meter runway safety area (i.e. cleared and strengthened overrun) as opposed to a 300-meter safety zone, an international standard...