Category: Safety is no accident

Articles related to safety in the broadest sense of the word

Minimizing the risk of midair collisions

FAA and industry partners have come up with a possible solution to minimize the risk of midair collisions where low-level commercial airliners, general aviation aircraft, military jets, and helicopters all fly together in the same complex airspace. What do you think about the new prototype VFR navigational chart for the LA Basin? Learn more in… Continue reading Minimizing the risk of midair collisions

Listening Session on the Protection of Safety Information Scheduled for December in Washington, DC

The Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, non-profit, international organization engaged in research, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation’s mission is to be the leading voice of safety for the global aerospace community. They have just announced that a working group of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Safety Information Protection Task Force… Continue reading Listening Session on the Protection of Safety Information Scheduled for December in Washington, DC

NORAD pilots talk flight restrictions, intercepts with civilian pilots

Sometimes you need pilots to talk to pilots…      Working under this premise, three pilots from North American Aerospace Defense Command, the binational U.S. and Canadian military organization charged with intercepting aircraft that violate temporary flight restrictions, attended the AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wis., July 23 – 29, to talk face-to-face with general aviation pilots… Continue reading NORAD pilots talk flight restrictions, intercepts with civilian pilots

FAA Announces Plans for Industry Working Group to Study Portable Electronics Usage

Given the widespread consumer use of portable electronic devices (PEDs), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is forming a government-industry group to study the current PED policies and procedures aircraft operators use to determine when these devices can be used safely during flight. Current FAA regulations require an aircraft operator to determine that radio frequency interference… Continue reading FAA Announces Plans for Industry Working Group to Study Portable Electronics Usage

Air France Flight 447 Final Report Released

As expected, the French accident investigation bureau has identified problems with the aircraft and human error as the cause of the crash of AF 447 on 1 June 2009. Now, with the findings official, arguments pro and con will no doubt flame up again, not least about the role of proper training, or the lack… Continue reading Air France Flight 447 Final Report Released

Flight Safety Foundation Publishes First-Hand Account of Qantas Flight 32, Story and Video

In an article appearing today in the latest issue of AeroSafety World , editor J. A. Donoghue writes about Qantas Flight 32, as told by pilot-in-command Richard de Crespigny. Capt. de Crespigny was the keynote speaker at the Foundation’s International Air Safety Seminar in Singapore last November and sat down with ASW for a lengthy interview.… Continue reading Flight Safety Foundation Publishes First-Hand Account of Qantas Flight 32, Story and Video

Airbus Wing Cracks, not as Bad is it Seemed… it is Worse

Only a few weeks ago Airbus said that the cracks discovered on the wing-rib feet of some A380s were not a threat to safety and they would be repaired as part of the four-yearly maintenance regime. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) does not agree. Carriers with A380s that have accumulated more than 1,300 takeoffs… Continue reading Airbus Wing Cracks, not as Bad is it Seemed… it is Worse

Cracks in the Wings of the A380 – What Next?

Poor A380. She had a difficult birth caused in no small measure by the rather peculiar corporate structure of Airbus and the consequent mismatch of the design software used in different parts of the company… Wire harnesses turned out to be too short, then the redesigned version did not fit either. After long delays she… Continue reading Cracks in the Wings of the A380 – What Next?

The Final Moments of AF 447

A lot has been written about Air France 447 but nothing is more revealing than the sounds and discussion that were recorded on the aircraft’s recording equipment. Those bits and bytes reveal the incredible scene that prevailed in the cockpit during the last minutes of the flight. Here is a synopsis by Jeff Wise (reprinted… Continue reading The Final Moments of AF 447