Accidents/NTSB

Even as the number of laser attacks on aircraft has shot up, convictions of the accused have been difficult to achieve. Now, as reported by Phys.org, new, reasonably priced technology may help. In 2006, 384 laser attacks on flight crews were reported-that number shot up to 3482 in 2012 and, while all data has not […]

A Japan Airlines Boeing 787 was grounded early Wednesday because of an overheated cell in one of its lithium ion batteries. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, the incident occurred about 4 a.m. local time at Tokyo’s Narita Airport. The aircraft did not have any passengers aboard but was scheduled to fly to Bangkok […]

Two pilots and two passengers on a Citation died Sunday when the aircraft apparently hit an electric tower in heavy fog while trying to land at a German airport. Local authorities say all four were German but no identities were released. When emergency crews arrived they found the plane inverted near a landfill and in […]

In an AVweb Insider blog a month ago, we observed how the FAA got rapid and intense pushback on its proposal to require sleep apnea diagnosis for pilots with BMIs of 40 or higher. In this guest blog, the NTSB’s Mark Rosekind explains that the agency has given this topic more than a passing glance. […]

Thanks to radio traffic recorded by LiveATC.net, we know that winds may have been a factor in the crash of a Challenger 600 at Aspen on Sunday. AVweb’s Russ Niles prepared this report. Duration: File Size: download here

Remember the movie, Wall-E, a Pixar animated tale whose subtext was that technology eventually evolved to be so all enveloping that humans were reduced to quivering mounds of fat conveyed in bins attached to a mechanical belt? If that future awaits us all, are airline pilots leading the way? In the midst of its investigation […]

A Eurocopter EC135 T2 police helicopter crashed Friday night into the roof of a Glasgow pub, which at least partially collapsed. Nine people, including the pilot and two others in the helicopter, were killed and 14 others were in the hospital with injuries.Early reports say the helicopter had a crew of two police officers and […]

Police may have solved one mystery surrounding a passenger’s fall from a Piper Malibu over Miami Thursday but they’re not saying much about other aspects of the strange mishap. Miami-Dade Police say they’ve found a body believed to be that of Gerardo Nales in a mangrove swamp in Miami’s Biscayne Bay. They’ve been looking since […]

Pilots and controllers who may be obese will have an extra hoop to jump for their medical certification to ensure they don’t have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Federal Air Surgeon Dr. Fred Tilton has notified(PDF) Air Medical Examiners (AMEs) that they will soon be required to measure the body mass index (BMI)of all pilots and […]

In a public submission, the NTSB has told the FAA it does not understand the foreseeable safety benefit of the FAAs proposed action regarding specific parts of the agencys NPRM on ECi cylinder assemblies. As written, the FAAs NRPM would require thousands of aircraft owners to inspect or replace certain ECi engine cylinders. In its […]