By Patrick Corcoran on September 7, 2010
With four months left, 2010 is poised to become the deadliest year for passenger aircraft accidents in the past five years, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Through the first eight months of this year, there have been 13 fatal airplane crashes around the globe, according to the London-based aviation consulting firm Ascend Worldwide. That already matches the ... Read more »
Posted in Airline Safety, News & Notes
By Elise Craig on September 2, 2010
A helicopter accident in Arizona this week brings the death toll from crashes of medical helicopters and planes so far this year to 21, raising questions about the safety of medical aircraft, The Associated Press reports.
Tuesday’s crash of an Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter near Scotland, Ark., which killed three, was the fourth such fatal accident ... Read more »
Posted in Airline Safety, News & Notes
By Elise Craig on August 31, 2010
Flight simulators are used to train the nation’s airline pilots, but flaws in simulator training may have contributed to some of the worst airline accidents and more than half of crash fatalities in the past 10 years. According to a USA Today analysis, records from the National Transportation Safety Board show that, in rare cases, ... Read more »
Posted in Airline Safety, News & Notes
By Lea Yu on August 20, 2010
Air safety regulators plan to seek a record fine of at least $25 million against American Airlines for maintenance lapses that led to widespread flight cancellations in the spring of 2008, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The fine would follow what the newspaper described as “two years of bad blood” between the Federal Aviation Administration and American, which at one point ... Read more »
Posted in Airline Safety, News & Notes
By Elise Craig on August 16, 2010
Airlines are becoming increasingly concerned about the potential fire hazard posed by lithium-ion batteries that power cell phones, laptops and many other electronic devices, USA Today reports.
When the batteries short-circuit or get too hot, airline officials say, they can cause fires and explosions. Non-rechargeable lithium metal batteries such as those in cameras and flashlights are ... Read more »
Posted in Airline Safety, News & Notes
By Elise Craig on August 13, 2010
Children under 2 should be required to have their own seats on airplanes and not fly on their parents’ laps, the National Transportation Safety Board says.
The safety agency, citing accidents that injured or killed young children, sent a letter Wednesday urging the Federal Aviation Administration to impose a seating requirement on all flights for everyone ... Read more »
Posted in Airline Safety, News & Notes
