The practice of chemically reducing aluminum structure for weight saving has been discussed in this publication recently, along with the danger of explosive decompression at the site of such milling. (See Aviation Safety Journal, “Too Much Metal Shaved Out of...
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Briefs
Cockpit Discipline Essential To Safety Declares Safety Board Member
A statement regarding the reason for cockpit discipline ought to be posted in every crew ready room and provided in every company mailing to aircrews. The statement is buried on page 71 of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident report, recently made...
Sudden Engine Failure: Where Are The Regulators?
Engine reliability has a lot to do with staying airborne and choosing a suitable place to land. When the engine sputters and shuts down, the options for landing are severely limited. Given that general aviation pilots generally have less experience than transport...
Regulatory Lassitude Contributed To Electrical Fire
On the taxi out 26 February 2007, after starting the right engine, the flight crew of the United Airlines B777 at Heathrow heard a low “growling” noise from below. What they didn’t know was that the unusual sound was of electrical arcing. The arcing dripped molten...
Proposal To Keep Data On Bird Strikes Secret Rebuffed
Withholding from the public information on wildlife strikes on aircraft would “deny independent researchers the ability to examine all available factors in the database and would make valid comparisons among airports and among some other entities impossible,” said the...
Preheating Fuel May Prevent Ice Blockage
An urgent safety recommendation has been issued after two airliners had their engines starved of fuel because of ice in the fuel supply lines. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended 11 March 2009 to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)...
Crash Points Out MD-11s Vulnerability During Landing
When it comes to the 24 March crash of the Federal Express MD-11F in Tokyo, the expression “three strikes and you’re out” comes to mind. The MD-11 has an unfortunate history of landing accidents, and two previous wipe out’s featured the airplane striking hard on the...
Special Certification Review Comes Up Short
Obviously proud of it, the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) posted the Special Certification Review (SCR) of the Eclipse EA-500 aircraft prominently on its website. The document basically said the agency’s approval of the design was entirely proper. One has to...
Special Certification Review Comes Up Short
Obviously proud of it, the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) posted the Special Certification Review (SCR) of the Eclipse EA-500 aircraft prominently on its website. The document basically said the agency’s approval of the design was entirely proper. One has to...
The Tragic Legacy Of Swissair Flight 111
By Lyn Romano (Wife of Ray Romano, killed in the crash, and founder of the International Aviation Safety Association) Lyn and Ray Romano, obviously taken before Ray’s fatal flight. Nearly one decade ago, on 2 September 1998, Swissair Flight 111 crashed into the waters...