As Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) technology has developed, drones have become more accessible than ever. More and more people are using drones for personal enjoyment and professional use and the laws regarding the operation of unmanned aircraft are changing to reflect this. As of August 29, 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration has put into effect […]
Aviation
Airline Personnel And Sleep Disorder Testing
Sleep apnea is a condition that often leads to fatigue and is associated with several health problems. The Federal Aviation Administration has released an order that will lead to sleep apnea testing among many pilots and air traffic control personnel. The measure was likely taken in response to several incidents involving pilots and air traffic controllers sleeping […]
Accident Investigations Await Government Restart
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent federal body with a number of safety-related responsibilities. It is charged with investigating all civil aviation accidents, as well as significant accidents in railroad, marine and highway transportation situations. It also conducts safety studies, puts forth safety recommendations and assists the victims of transportation accidents and their families. […]
NTSB Releases Personal Electronic Device Safety Guidelines
The National Transportation Safety Board has issued new recommendations regarding the use of personal electronic devices. The new guidelines were, in part, the result of the NTSB investigation into the August 2011 crash of Eurocopter AS350 B2 in Missouri. That crash claimed four lives. The NTSB issued nine new recommendations, including seven sent to the Federal Aviation […]
Collision In Newark Raises Runway Incursion Question
The Federal Aviation Administration lists the reduction of runway incursions among its top priorities. The FAA defines a runway incursion as an “unauthorized presence on a runway, regardless of whether or not an aircraft, vehicle or pedestrian presents a potential conflict to an aircraft authorized to land, take off, or taxi on a runway.” Runway incursions range […]
NTSB Questions FAA, Boeing Over 787 Battery Testing
The National Transportation Safety Board recently concluded a two-day hearing into the problems with the lithium ion battery system used in Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. After several incidents involving the system, all 787s were grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration earlier this year. The hearing did not reach a conclusion as to the cause of the overheating batteries. […]
NTSB: Helicopter Pilot Was Texting Before Deadly Crash
Federal investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board have indicated that text messaging by the pilot in a fatal 2011 medical helicopter crash contributed to the accident. Texting and flying was not the only contributing factor to the aviation incident listed by the NTSB, but it did mark the first time that text messaging was cited as […]
General Aviation Accidents Concern Safety Organization
The National Transportation Safety Board has listed general aviation safety on its Most Wanted List of safety improvements for three consecutive years. Following last month’s fatal plane crash in South Bend, Indiana, the NTSB issued five safety alerts intended to make general aviation safer. The NTSB cited the fact that more than 1,500 GA accidents occur per […]
NTSB And Boeing Differ Over 787 Dreamliner Investigation
Boeing executives gave a media briefing in Tokyo on March 15 regarding the 787 Dreamliner and the investigations into the problems with the lithium ion batteries. The National Transportation Safety Board is taking issue with that briefing and the company’s discussion of the NTSB investigation into the January 7 fire involving the plane and additional […]
FAA Approval Process Draws Scrutiny
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approved the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to carry passengers in accordance with its normal standards and procedures. Those standards are now being called into question by the National Transportation Safety Board due to the problems that have been encountered since the 787 began flying. Several incidents, including an emergency landing and a […]
Battery Issues Have Plagued Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Safety regulators have grounded all Boeing 787 Dreamliners until issues concerning the lithium-ion batteries and chargers have been addressed. Battery problems forced an emergency landing of a Dreamliner in Japan earlier this month. That incident followed a battery fire after a 787 landed in Boston. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is broadening the scope of its […]
Batteries And Wiring Analyzed In NTSB Dreamliner Investigation
After a Boeing 787 Dreamliner caught fire at Logan International Airport in Boston last week, the National Transportation Safety Board launched an investigation into the incident. Shortly thereafter, the Federal Aviation Administration decided to launch a top-priority review of the Boeing 787 due to repeated issues in its electrical systems. The review is intended to […]
FAA Launching Top-Priority Review Of Boeing 787 Dreamliner
An electrical fire and fuel leak drew headlines this week as Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner continued its inauspicious debut. The issues affecting the plane have prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to launch a top-priority review of the aircraft. According to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the review will help the FAA “look at the root causes and do […]
Two Medical Helicopter Crashes Raise Safety Concerns
In 2006, the National Transportation Safety Board began an effort to improve safety in medical aircraft following a spike in the number of accidents nationwide. The progress of that initiative was called into question recently as two medical helicopters crashed on the same day, causing four injuries and three fatalities. Despite the attention of federal safety officials, […]
Boeing 787 Dreamliner Suffers Electrical Fire
A Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Japan Airlines suffered an electrical fire shortly after the plane landed and passengers and crew departed on Monday. The plane landed at Logan International Airport in Boston at 10 a.m. with 173 passengers and 11 crewmembers coming in from Tokyo. The passengers and crew departed and cleaning crews were […]
U.S. Forest Service And Aging Aircraft
In 2002, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a report criticizing the aerial firefighting capability of the U.S. Forest Service. A review of aviation accident reports from the NTSB shows that six people died in air tanker crashes while on firefighting missions this year. At least 22 have died in such accidents in the last 10 years. […]
Infant Safety And The Infant Seat Exception
Air travel with small children presents parents with many challenges. For some parents, air travel is made more attractive by a common policy among airlines of not charging for children under the age of 2, if the child sits on a parent’s lap. This policy may confuse parents into thinking that their children will be […]
Sharing Information To Make Air Travel Safer
An agreement has been reached by airlines, unions and the Federal Aviation Administration regarding the need to share information with the National Transportation Safety Board. These groups have announced the decision to share more information about mistakes and safety failures with the NTSB in an effort to prevent aviation accidents. The NTSB will use that information […]
2010 Illinois Plane Crash Caused By Pilot Error, According To NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board published its conclusions regarding a single-engine airplane crash that occurred in Naperville in October 2010. The report concluded that the aviation accident was caused by the pilot’s “failure to abort the takeoff when he realized the airplane was not attaining sufficient takeoff and climb performance.” Shortly after the flight began, the plane […]
Federal Accident Investigators Release Pilot Testimony
The National Transportation Safety Board recently released the testimony of the pilots involved in two separate near mid-air collisions out of O’Hare earlier this year. The pilots referred to the potential collisions as “near misses” and testified that the air traffic controllers involved did not issue warnings until after the pilots identified the danger and took evasive […]
