FAA Issued Safety Directive on Montana Plane

(NEWSER) - A former inspector says he warned the Federal Aviation Administration a full year before February’s crash near Buffalo that Colgan Air might have trouble flying the model of plane involved in the disaster, the New York Times writes. Christopher Monteleon reported that Colgan’s pilots flew fatigued, exceeded manufacturer speed recommendations, didn’t report broken equipment, and “botched” landing attempts. For his trouble, Monteleon says he was suspended and given a desk job. More»

(AP) - Speculation over what caused the crash of a single-engine plane into a Montana cemetery shifted today to possible ice on the wings after it became less likely that overloading was to blame. While descending yesterday in preparation for landing at the Bert Mooney Airport in Butte, Mont., the turboprop plane passed through a layer of air that was conducive to icing because the temperatures were below freezing, a weather forecasting service said. More»

All passengers died when turboprop plane crashed in Butte

(AP) - The plane that crashed yesterday in Montana, killing all 14 aboard, gave no indication to air traffic controllers that the aircraft was experiencing difficulty when the pilot asked to divert to an airport in Butte, a federal safety official said today. There was "no indication of any trouble when the diversion was requested to air traffic control,” National Transportation Safety Board chairman Mark Rosenker said. More»

Civilian law enforcement and others increasingly want flying robots

(NEWSER) - Drones aren't just for Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, or Somalia anymore—they're coming to the good old US of A. The Senate sent a bill to President Obama yesterday that would require the Federal Aviation Administration to come up with rules to safely regulate domestic drones, USA Today reports. Civilian demand is already starting to heat up for various flying robots, which now come in a host of shapes and sizes, are surprisingly cost effective, and would occupy the same airspace as passenger planes. More»

Agency could face a second shutdown

(NEWSER) - The FAA could soon be shut down again, costing thousands of workers their jobs and the government $30 million a day in airline ticket taxes, all thanks to a single Republican senator. Tom Coburn is exploiting a Senate procedural rule requiring unanimous consent to switch from working on one bill to another. Coburn won’t consent to switch to a transportation bill that includes stop-gap FAA funding, and if it’s not passed by tomorrow, the agency shuts down, the AP reports. More»