Flight Safety

The FAA says it will issue an Airworthiness Directive this week to operators of the Boeing 787, requiring an inspection of the airplane’s emergency locator transmitters. “These inspections would ask operators to inspect for proper wire routing and any signs of wire damage or pinching, as well as inspect the battery compartment for unusual signs […]

An AA jet landed in ORD in the early morning before the beginning of a typical busy day. Expecting the usual complex taxi instructions, they instead had the following exchange: American 123:“Morning, O’Hare Ground. American 123 clearing 32 left for K8.” O’Hare Ground Control:“American 327, O’Hare Ground. Good morning. Taxi to the gate.” [Long pause.] […]

The unions representing the pilots aboard Asiana Airlines Flight 214 say the NTSB’s handling of the accident investigation could skew the results and affect the finding of cause. The Asiana Pilots Association and the Airline Pilots Association of Korea say they’re concerned the outcome won’t accurately reflect the myriad factors that are associated with aviation […]

While it might be true that fear is just fear, the kind that comes in knowing youre running out of gas has a particular texture that seems uniquely capable of turning your brain to mush. I know this because like many pilots, Ive had the experience of nearly running an engine on air. I could […]

BAE Systems recently demonstrated a system that provides helicopter pilots with situational awareness of their immediate surroundings while flying in zero visibility conditions. The company seeks to improve statistics that show more combat helicopters have been lost in Afghanistan to low visibility conditions than to enemy fire. The Brownout Landing Aid System Technology (BLAST) mixes […]

The FAA is sending a letter and fact sheet to all U.S. pilots to make them aware of the potentially negative effects that certain types of common over-the-counter and prescription drugs could have on the safety of flight. Specifically, the FAA notes the “sedative effects” caused by “many medications” and the ability of some medications […]

After a missed approach, the fuel condition of a Virgin-operated Boeing 737-800 with 91 aboard forced an emergency landing at a fog-shrouded alternate airport in Australia on June 18 that left the jet with 15 minutes of fuel remaining when it stopped, the ATSB said. According to the ATSB’s preliminary incident report, released Wednesday, the […]

Katrina Bradshaw, executive director of Build A Plane, unveils a new program from the nonprofit group and talks about plans for EAA AirVenture, including a free program for teachers at the show. Bradshaw also explains how teachers anywhere in the U.S. can get their classes involved in building an airplane. Duration: File Size: download here

Healthy GA pilot volunteers are needed this year at AirVenture for computer-administered confidential testing to help the FAA determine when previously injured pilots are safe to return to flying. The FAA requires cognitive screening tests to help determine when a pilot who has suffered a stroke, head, or brain injury can be considered safe to […]

New legislation passed through the House Tuesday (by a 411-0 vote) calling for a restructuring of the FAA’s Part 23 certification requirements for the purpose of expediting approvals for safety improvements. The Small Airplane Revitalization Act aims to remove bureaucratic barriers to evolutionary progress within the industry (for the introduction of new designs and the […]