A growing number of safety incidents involving remote-controlled aircraft has led the Department of Transportation to push for mandatory registration of the devices. Drones have grown rapidly in popularity and are expected to become even more common in the near future. This growth has led to an increase in the number of recreational drones impinging […]
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
FAA Study Shows Fatigue Problems Among Air Traffic Controllers
Fatigue can have a substantial impact on your ability to complete a task successfully. In the aviation industry, studies on fatigue have often focused on pilots. Fatigue is also a potential safety hazard for others in the aviation industry, including air traffic controllers. A study of controllers completed in 2011 shows that the typical work […]
New Chairman of the NTSB Confirmed
In a unanimous vote, the U.S. Senate confirmed Christopher Hart as the new chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. Mr. Hart has been acting chairman of the NTSB since April, when Deborah A.P. Hersman left to become the president and CEO of the National Safety Council. The confirmation allows Christopher Hart to officially begin […]
Sleep Apnea in the Aviation Industry
The sleep disorder known as sleep apnea has safety implications in the transportation industry. People who suffer from sleep apnea suffer from interruptions in their breathing during sleep. These interruptions can occur frequently throughout the night, causing a victim to experience significant fatigue even after a normal-length sleep period. In addition to drowsiness, victims may […]
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 […]
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 […]
Federal Aviation Administration Asks For Extra Checks On Boeing 737s
A federal agency is asking U.S. air carriers to enhance and increase inspections of Boeing 737 aircraft in their fleets. The Federal Aviation Administration is concerned about undetected cracks in the fuselage or bulkhead that could cause dangerous decompressions. The problem first drew the attention of the FAA in 2009, after a Boeing 737 operated by […]
FAA Makes Changes to Improve Information Gathering
In an effort to encourage air traffic controllers and employees in charge of maintaining radar installations and other airport systems to speak up when mistakes occur, the Federal Aviation Administration has made several changes. The FAA says it will reduce aviation accidents and make air travel safer for everyone by expanding a non-punitive reporting system currently in […]
FAA Proposes New Regulations Regarding Pilots
The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed the first increase in flight hours required to become a co-pilot for a commercial air carrier since 1973. The previous increase raised the minimum from 200 to 250. The latest proposal raises the 250 hour threshold to 1,500 hours, which would match the requirements for pilots. The new threshold […]
FAA Safety Officials Target American Airlines
Cost cutting decisions by an airline can compromise the safety of passengers and airline personnel. The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered an increase in safety checks of American Airlines and its affiliate to ensure that the company’s financial difficulties do not lead to aviation accidents. The inspections are geared toward the areas where an airline might […]
Combating fatigue among air traffic controllers
Overnight shifts can prove challenging for workers in many professions. For U.S. air traffic controllers, the consequences of falling asleep on the job can be deadly aviation accidents. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reached an agreement with air traffic controllers in an attempt to help them stay alert on the job. The new policies were […]
The NTSB Updates Its ‘Most Wanted’ List Of Transportation Safety Improvements; Underscores The Critical Changes Needed To Reduce Transportation Accidents And Save Lives
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent federal agency created in 1967 to investigate transportation accidents and promote transportation safety. The NTSB recently issued its updated Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements. The list highlights important safety actions that federal transportation agencies and all 50 States need to take to prevent accidents […]
FAA: Serious Runway Incursions Cut In Half For Second Year In A Row; New Runway “Traffic Lights” Proving Effective
Providing some very encouraging news for frequent fliers and those concerned about aviation safety, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced last week that the number of serious runway incursions during this fiscal year dropped 50 percent from 2009, marking the second straight year where the occurrence of serious […]
Study: A Sleep-Deprived Person Behind The Wheel Or In The Cockpit Is Just As Dangerous As A Drunken Driver
A comprehensive investigation into the effect that fatigue has on the ability to safely operate vehicles within the nations four major modes of transportation has revealed some daunting information about just how powerful fatigue is – and how lightly the responsible federal agencies seem to regard it. The Center for Public Integrity, a non-profit investigative […]
FAA Hits American Airlines With Biggest Civil Penalty Fine In History
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced last week that it has decided to fine American Airlines a whopping $24.2 Million for the airline’s alleged failure to inspect and repair elements in the wiring systems and rudder components of its fleet of McDonnell-Douglas MD-80 and Boeing 757 jets. The record-setting fine relates to FAA inspections of American’s fleet, conducted in 2008 […]
“Are Airliners So Automated That Pilots Are Becoming Complacent?”
The title question was posed by a recent New York Times article examining a trend of behavior in the cockpit that is both alarming because of its prevalence, and disturbing because of its potential for disaster: pilots relying on automated piloting systems to do their job while they shift their attention elsewhere. The topic of autopilot-based pilot […]
FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt: “We Can Never Stop Working Toward That Next Level Of Safety”
At the 2010 World Aviation Training Seminar on April 27th, Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Randy Babbitt delivered a speech that focused on the crucial role that human involvement plays alongside the ever-advancing realm of flight technology. In his speech, Administrator Babbitt underscored the point that the availability of flight technology should supplement, […]
FAA Cracking Down On American And Northwest Airlines For Repeated Safety Maintenance Violations; Proposes Fines In The Millions
March is shaping up to be a rather expensive month for air carriers American and Northwest. On March 12, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it was seeking $787,500 in fines against American Airlines stemming from three cases of alleged maintenance violations in 2008 and 2009. The first case involved the deferral of repairs to […]
