The FAA adopted an airworthiness directive for Eurocopter Deutschland MBB-Kawasaki BK117C2 helicopters requiring inspection of the long tail-rotor drive shaft assembly for blind rivets. If any blind rivets are located, the shaft assembly must be replaced. The AD was prompted by the discovery that some helicopters have blind rivets installed in place of solid rivets, which could lead to failure of the tail rotor drive shaft and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
Accidents, Safety, Security and Training » Safety
News and information on safety procedures and concerns.
May 13, 2013 - 2:00pm
The Washington Dulles Airport Runway Action Safety Team is inviting potential new members to attend its next meeting, to be held on May 23 at 1 p.m. in Terminal B’s In-Transit lounge. Airport tenants, FBO employees, pilots and airport operations and maintenance personnel are invited to help develop new procedures to enhance airside surface safety. The FAA’s Rick Pope would appreciate an RSVP.
May 13, 2013 - 1:55pm
Last summer the FAA demanded American Airlines pay $162.4 million for a number of maintenance violations at both American and its regional affiliate, American Eagle. On Thursday, the agency agreed to settle with American for $24.9 million to wipe the slate clean, based on the efforts the airline made to resolve the outstanding maintenance issues.
May 13, 2013 - 1:50pm
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is pushing for clearer information on the state of FAA facilities. To set the stage for a new study of FAA facilities, the GAO said, “Our preliminary analyses indicate that as of February [this year] FAA-staffed facilities are generally in fair to good condition based on their facility condition indices.
May 7, 2013 - 2:10pm
The Argus Prism annual audit of safety management system (SMS) implementations has been released and reveals deficiencies in areas different from those of the 2011 results.
According to Argus, “The objective of this report is to highlight those recurring problem areas found in SMS implementation and execution.”
May 7, 2013 - 8:45am
When the Transportation Department inspector general conducted a self-initiated audit of the FAA Wildlife Hazard Mitigation Program last year, the office concluded that the agency’s oversight and enforcement activities were not sufficient to ensure that airports fully adhere to p
May 6, 2013 - 2:35pm
U.S. Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick has proposed new legislation [H.R. 1775] to require secondary cockpit safety barriers on Part 121 airliners. The metal barrier would be lowered between the first row of seats and the existing hardened cockpit door whenever a pilot leaves the flight deck.
The extra-barrier idea evolved from a study conducted by the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) at the request of the FAA, the Air Line Pilots Association and other industry stakeholders to provide more specific guidance on securing the flight deck.
May 6, 2013 - 2:12pm
An investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau concluded that good planning and quick crew reactions were responsible for the lack of injuries and significant damage after failure of the windshield of an Australian-registered Citation X on January 15.
May 6, 2013 - 2:03pm
Steve Charbonneau, a pilot and chairman of the corporate flight operational quality assurance (C-FOQA) Centerline program created by Austin Digital, is leading a team to develop best practice standards for data gathering from the digital flight data recorders (DFDR) that are now standard on most new large business jets. “The goal is to analyze and share data to give operators both the qualitative and quantitative boost they need to develop their organization into world-class operations,” he said.
May 6, 2013 - 1:55pm
The FAA is cautioning cabin and cockpit crewmembers to guard against passengers attempting to bring personal oxygen bottles on board an aircraft. Contained O2 is considered a hazardous material both as a non-flammable gas and an oxidizer.
Part 121 and 135 regulations do allow air carriers to provide passengers with onboard compressed oxygen for personal use, provided they follow guidelines in their FAA-approved aircraft maintenance manual. However, these carriers are not allowed to permit passengers to bring their own oxygen tanks aboard.
