Move saves 55 lbs. per flight for carrier that stays near shore
Associated Press Aug 29, 08 9:41 AM CDT
(Newser)
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An Air Canada regional airline is removing life vests from its fleet to reduce weight and increase fuel economy, the AP reports. Citing Canada’s regulations, which do not require life vests on flights that stay within 50 miles of shore, Jazz advises passengers to use their seat cushions as floatation devices.
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Mechanics grumble after airline stops inspections
Wall Street Journal May 16, 08 1:40 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The FAA is questioning American Airlines' new policy on lightning inspections, and its opener is: Why doesn’t American do them anymore? American recently forbade its mechanics from doing extensive lightning damage checks unless pilots suspected a strike, a move designed to reduce delays and cancellations. Big airlines are typically allowed to tweak safety standards, reports the Wall Street Journal.
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Airline blames policy switch for thousands
of canceled flights
Wall Street Journal May 2, 08 10:16 AM CDT
(Newser)
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American Airlines blames the FAA for its recent grounding of thousands of flights, the Wall Street Journal reports. The airline is set to deliver a report today that says 3,300 flights were canceled because FAA headquarters reversed a "handshake deal" the airline had with regional aviation officials that was supposed to allow the company to comply with changes in FCC wiring standards on its MD-80 aircraft without cancellations.
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Ground incidents increase over last six months
New York Times Apr 25, 08 8:31 AM CDT
(Newser)
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FAA-mandated wiring fixes have grounded thousands of flights lately, but the runway is no safe place for planes, New York Times reports. Serious runway incidents nearly doubled to 15 over the past six months, compared with the same period a year ago. “Where we are most vulnerable at this moment is on the ground,” said the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.
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Teamsters prez
blasts plan as
'window dressing'
Associated Press Apr 18, 08 9:06 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Today Washington vowed to beef up airplane inspections and demanded to know why American Airlines stranded 250,000 travelers last week, the AP reports. "No one at all was well served by what happened," US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said. But she defended federal regulators, saying they did not overreact after learning of lax inspections on Southwest Airlines planes last month.
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Crackdown will continue through June 30
Wall Street Journal Apr 10, 08 9:54 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Air travelers should brace themselves for several more months of chaos: the wave of FAA audits that began March 30, producing more than 2,000 canceled flights this week, will continue through June 30. In an effort to toughen enforcement of safety standards, the agency has moved to relying less on data provided by the airline themselves and more on on-site inspections, the Wall Street Journal reports.
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Discussed bringing families on suicide missions
Times (UK) Apr 5, 08 6:26 AM CDT
(Newser)
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In London yesterday, prosecutors introduced “martyrdom videos” as evidence against eight British Muslims accused of plotting to destroy US-bound airliners in 2006, the Times reports. One video, found in a man’s garage, envisioned “your people’s body parts responsible for these wars and oppression decorating the streets.” The prosecutor also said some of the men discussed, in wiretapped conversations, bringing their wives and children with them on their suicide missions, AP reports.
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Lawmakers cite agency's 'complacency' in letting safety risks fly
Chicago Tribune Apr 4, 08 2:50 PM CDT
(Newser)
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An overly cozy relationship between airlines and the federal agency tasked with inspecting them has lawmakers worried in the wake of hearings yesterday on Capitol Hill, the Chicago Tribune reports. Federal Aviation Administration officials let serious safety issues fly, ignoring maintenance and inspection regulations, safety specialists, government overseers and whistle-blowers testified.
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FAA too cozy with airlines, they say
CNN Apr 3, 08 9:53 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Southwest Airlines tried to cover up maintenance problems, and the FAA almost let them, according to two inspectors who will testify before Congress today that the agency is too cozy with airlines. When the inspectors realized Southwest was flying dozens of jets without required inspections, their superiors did nothing, they say. And Southwest was asking those superiors to remove one troublesome inspector from the case, CNN reports.
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Missed inspections for cracks drew fine from FAA—which didn't take immediate action
CNN Mar 12, 08 2:15 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Southwest Airlines grounded 44 planes today after having admitted to flying aircraft that were past due for inspections for structural cracks, the AP reports. The FAA fined Southwest $10.2 million—the largest ever levied on an airline—but the agency itself is under fire for not grounding the jets last year after it learned of the missed inspections.
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Continental, others could be charged over 2000 accident that killed 113
Reuters Mar 12, 08 7:50 AM CDT
(Newser)
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A public prosecutor in France is calling for Continental Airlines to face manslaughter charges over the 2000 crash of an Air France Concorde that killed 113 people, Reuters reports. The supersonic jet crashed minutes after takeoff when a burst tire sent debris into an engine. A French investigation found that the tire was shredded by a piece of metal left on the runway by a Continental aircraft.
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Flight record scans reveal hidden risks, prevent crashes
Washington Post Jan 13, 08 7:30 PM CST
(Newser)
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Airlines and air safety investigators have a new way to snoop for clues that can help avoid future accidents, the Washington Post reports. While they once depended on crash remains for evidence, they have now gone digital, pursuing daily probes of thousands of computer records and pilots' reports to dig up data that can avert disaster.
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Surveys uncover twice as many problems as official reports
CNN Jan 1, 08 4:58 AM CST
(Newser)
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Bowing to pressure from Congress, NASA has grudgingly released thousand of pages of pilot complaints, CNN reports. They include complaints about crowded skies, tired crews, and communication problems. The surveys of more than 30,000 pilots found twice as many collisions with bird, near-collisions with other aircraft, and runway incursions as the government's monitoring system had reported.
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