Airbus: Maybe There's a Better Way
The inability of searchers to locate the flight data and cockpit voice recorders aboard the ill-fated Air France Flight 447 has prompted Airbus, the manufacturer of the A330- 203 (F-GZCP) involved, to consider redesign of the critical air safety devices so they broadcast the crucial data in advance of a... [read more]
Search Goes On for Yemenia Black Boxes
France announced on July 5 that search teams had detected homing signals from the flight data and cockpit voice recorders aboard Yemenia Flight 626, an Airbus A-310, which crashed June 30 off the coast of Comoros. But nearly a week later the so-called 'black boxes' remained submerged in the Indian Ocean. The...
No Worldwide Blacklist; Indonesian Airlines Oked
The head of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has rejected a European Commission proposal to establish a worldwide blacklist of unsafe airlines. "I don't think this is the solution at the global level," Robert Kobeh Gonzalez said, after talks in Brussels with EU Transport...
Controller Fatigue and Errors Highlighted
A 21-page report by the U.S. DOT Office of the Inspector General points to air safety threats caused by air traffic controller fatigue in Chicago while recent runway incidents in Cleveland and Boston have resulted from training and operational miscues. The OIG investigation concluded that controllers who...
FAA Installs Runway Safety System at LAX
Technology that alerts pilots to potential runway safety hazards is now operating at Los Angeles International thanks to a partnership between the Federal Aviation Administration and the city of Los Angeles. The safety system, called Runway Status Lights (RSL), uses a series of red lights embedded in the...
Aging Aircraft Lab Adds KC-135 Tankers
Damage Tolerance Researchers at Wichita State University's National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) have worked on several aircraft from Cessna 402s to a B-52 bomber and an F-16 fighter. Thanks to a new contract from the USAF, the list has grown to include KC-135 tankers. As part of a six-year...
SFO Freighter Fire Leads to Safety Recommendations
The ground fire that consumed an ABX Air Boeing 767-200 cargo aircraft at San Francisco International (SFO) last year was caused by an electrical short circuit and was not related to an anonymous threat the company had received. In releasing its probable cause determination, the National Transportation...
Air Cargo Screening Moves Ahead
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which is currently screening half of all air cargo transported on passenger airline flights originating in the United States, says a 100 percent screening deadline will be met by August 2010 for domestic cargo through full implementation of its Certified...
Air Methods Seeks New Probable Cause Determination
Air Methods has filed a petition with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) requesting that the Safety Board reconsider/modify its probable cause determination related to the June 29, 2008 fatal mid-air collision in Flagstaff, AZ. The mid-air involved an Air Methods Bell 407 helicopter emergency...
Beacon Issues Found in Bond EC225 ditching
UK air accident investigators looking into the ditching of a Bond Helicopters EC225 in February have made recommendations about the use of personal emergency beacons and transmitters. The accident happened on Feb. 18, 2009 as the EC225 (G-REDU), with 16 passengers and two crew aboard, was making its final...
CAST Team Receives 2008 Collier Trophy
On May 28, 2009, NAA presented the coveted Robert J. Collier Trophy to the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) at the annual Robert J. Collier Trophy Presentation Banquet. CAST, a cooperative government-industry initiative, was recognized for its work in developing an integrated, data-driven strategy that...
Safety & Technology Trends
Aviation Safety Expert Tapped for NTSB President Barack Obama will nominate veteran pilot and aviation safety expert Christopher A. Hart to be a member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Hart, who previously served on the board from 1990 to 1993, has been working at the FAA since 1995 to...
Security Shortlines
Cyber Attack The Associated Press reports that a widespread and unusually resilient computer attack that began July 4 knocked out the Web sites of several government agencies, including some that are responsible for fighting cyber crime. The Treasury Department, U.S. Secret Service, Federal Trade Commission...
Safety Rules & Regs
Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A300 Airplanes; Model A300 B4-601, B4-603, B4-620, B4-622, B4-605R, B4-622R, F4-605R, F4-622R, and C4-605R Variant F Airplanes (Collectively Called A300-600 Series Airplanes); and Model A310. Final rule. SUMMARY: The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness...
Accidents & Incidents
Date Aircraft Type Narrative Death/Injury Remarks May 09, 2009 Ramona, CA Upton Bakeng Duce N86YP A/c impacted ground about 6.4 miles E-SE of Ramona. Amateur built, single engine, experimental airplane was operated by pilot, who had borrowed a/c from owner. The pilot held private pilot certificate. Second...
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