Crash Highlights Regional Pilots' Inexperience

He reportedly screamed about bombs and al-Qaeda

(NEWSER) - A pilot tore through the cabin of a JetBlue plane yelling about terror threats, warning passengers about al-Qaeda and bombs on board, passengers tell the Amarillo Globe-News . The captain started "shouting, ‘Iraq, al-Qaeda, terrorism, we’re all going down,'" witnesses said. Passengers tackled him and held him down, and the flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Amarillo, Texas. The pilot was hospitalized. "It seemed like he went crazy," a passenger said. The airline's official statement says the captain had a "medical situation" that forced the flight to be diverted, notes AP . More»

Can't carry a gun after he blows hole in fuselage during flight

(NEWSER) - A trigger-happy US Airways pilot whose gun accidentally discharged in the cockpit has been suspended from the federal program that permits pilots to pack heat, reports CNN. He's also been yanked from flight duty pending the results of an investigation by the FAA, the TSA, and US Air. The shocking weekend discharge was the first time a gun has been fired on board since the feds enacted the gun program to discourage would-be hijackers. More»

Search for millionaire adventurer yields no clues

(NEWSER) - Searchers combing Nevada for Steve Fossett's plane have found six other uncharted wrecks, but no sign of the millionaire adventurer who's been missing since Monday. One downed plane thought to be his was found to have been last registered 30 years ago, CNN reports. Fossett's family remains optimistic, despite the discovery that Fossett took off with only one water bottle. More»

Airline blames absenteeism for rampant cancellations, delays

(NEWSER) - Northwest Airlines is blaming a slew of weekend flight cancellations on a sharp rise in pilot absenteeism. The fifth-largest US airline canceled 200 flights over the past 2 days, but pilots say it has nothing to do with them skipping out on work, ABC News reports. They point the finger at maxed-out time sheets and a staffing shortage. More»

(NEWSER) - International Lease Finance Corporation, the world’s #1 jet leasing company, ordered 52 787 Dreamliners, Boeing announced at the Paris Air Show. This brings total orders for Boeing's new plane to 634 -- way ahead of rival Airbus' 127 orders for its A350XWB. Both planes incorporate lightweight composites instead of metal, which will dramatically reduce operating costs. More»