The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) and the Aviation Safety Alliance (ASA) have merged, effective December 31, to become “the world’s leading resource on flight safety.” The new organization will operate under the FSF name and will focus on providing expert knowledge to industry and media on global aviation safety issues and best practices.
Accidents, Safety, Security and Training
News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports; information on safety procedures and concerns; crew, passenger, aircraft and airport security issues; and news about simulators and training procedures.
September 27, 2006 - 12:20pm
Honeywell hopes the Comair crash prods airline executives to take a closer look at a software upgrade for its enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) intended to warn crews of runway safety conflicts.
September 26, 2006 - 1:16pm
The Senate at press time was considering a bill that imposes a $250,000 fine and a possible prison term of up to five years for people who point lasers at aircraft. The legislation is an outgrowth of a number of recent incidents. Laser beams can temporarily blind pilots and, in some reported cases, cause permanent eye damage. The bill passed in the House last month.
September 26, 2006 - 1:14pm
Gulfstream’s initial investigation into the November 21 incident involving a jammed gear on Nike’s GV revealed corrosion on the main landing gear (MLG) uplock linkage. According to a December 5 Gulfstream Service Letter, “It is suspected this corrosion caused the linkage bungee to freeze in the extended position, contributing to the MLG door being out of sequence during the extension and retraction cycles.
September 26, 2006 - 1:12pm
Starting February 1, owners and operators of aircraft with “questionable registrations and/or no TSA-required security measures/waivers” might be denied access to the National Airspace System.
September 26, 2006 - 12:37pm
Russian aviation officials are investigating the fatal crash of a 2004 Cessna Grand Caravan (Aruba registry P4-OIN) as it was trying to land at Moscow-Domodedovo Airport on November 19. The two pilots and six passengers were killed. A snowstorm and icing conditions existed at the time of the accident.
September 26, 2006 - 12:35pm
In a recent letter to the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it has “begun the process of developing and instituting a security oversight and monitoring program for fractional ownership aircraft.” The letter was the latest correspondence between the TSA and ECAC about the European organization’s concerns about the security aspects of fractional operations.
September 26, 2006 - 11:19am
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has certified BAE Systems’ Matador infrared heat-seeking missile jamming system for fixed-wing aircraft as an approved product for national defense. Currently the system is the only one of its kind to receive DHS approval. The Matador system has been installed in a number of corporate jets since it received FAA certification in 1987.
September 26, 2006 - 11:16am
The FAA has reiterated its request that pilots submit information on wake turbulence encounters that occur in domestic RVSM airspace, including the U.S., offshore airspace and the San Juan flight information region, via the NASA-operated Aviation Safety Reporting System.
September 26, 2006 - 10:45am
The European Parliament has confirmed a 20-percent increase in the annual budget for the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The Cologne, Germany-based organization will have a budget of about $57 million this year–up from about $48 million last year.
