Aviation Safety

Search underway in western Alaska as plane with 10 people goes 'missing'

An aircraft carrying 10 people across Alaska's Norton Sound south of the Arctic Circle went missing Thursday afternoon and rescuers searched into the night for any sign of the aircraft. The Bering Air Caravan was heading from Unalakleet to Nome with nine passengers and a pilot, according to Alaska's Department of Public Safety. Authorities were working to determine its last known coordinates. Unalakleet is a community of about 690 people in western Alaska, about 150 miles (about 240 kilometers) southeast of Nome and 395 miles (about 640 kilometers) northwest of Anchorage. The disappearance marks the third major incident in US aviation in eight days. A commercial jetliner and an Army helicopter collided near the nation's capital on January 29, killing 67 people. A medical transportation plane crashed in Philadelphia on January 31, killing the six people onboard and another person on the ground. The Cessna Caravan left Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m., and officials lost contact with it less

Trump targets FAA diversity efforts in plane crash probe without any proof

President Donald Trump wasted little time this week trying to assign blame for the nation's deadliest air disaster in more than two decades. Among his chief targets: An FAA diversity hiring initiative he suggested had undermined the agency's effectiveness. But certainly for an air traffic controller, we want the brightest, the smartest, the sharpest. We want somebody that's psychologically superior, Trump said at a news conference Thursday. No evidence has emerged that rules seeking to diversify the FAA played any role in the collision Wednesday between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people. Nevertheless, Trump's comments drew attention to the agency's attempts to address its most pressing and long-standing problem a persistent shortage of air traffic controllers who are critical to keeping the nation's skies safe. How has Trump tied diversity hiring to the collision? Trump is using this week's disaster as another opportunity to

Trump fires heads of TSA, Coast Guard; guts aviation safety advisory panel

US President Donald Trump moved quickly to remake the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday, firing the heads of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Coast Guard before their terms are up, and eliminated all the members of a key aviation security advisory group. Trump's immigration policy changes drew the most attention at Homeland Security, but he is also making changes at the rest of the massive agency. Members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee received a memo on Tuesday saying the department is eliminating the membership of all advisory committees as part of a "commitment to eliminating the misuse of resources and ensuring that DHS activities prioritize our national security". The aviation security committee, which was mandated by the Congress after the 1988 PanAm 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, will technically continue to exist but it won't have any members to carry out the work of examining safety issues at airlines and airports. Before ..

Boeing needs cultural shift to prioritise safety over profits: FAA head

A year after a panel blew out of a Boeing 737 Max during flight, the nation's top aviation regulator says the company needs "a fundamental cultural shift to put safety and quality above profits. Mike Whitaker, chief of the Federal Aviation Administration, said in an online post Friday that his agency also has more work to do in its oversight of Boeing. Whitaker, who plans to step down in two weeks to let President-elect Donald Trump pick his own FAA administrator, looked back on his decision last January to ground all 737 Max jets with similar panels called door plugs. Later, the FAA put more inspectors in Boeing factories, limited production of new 737s, and required Boeing to come up with a plan to fix manufacturing problems. Boeing is working to make progress executing its comprehensive plan in the areas of safety, quality improvement and effective employee engagement and training, Whitaker said. But this is not a one-year project. What's needed is a fundamental cultural shift at

US aviation admin issues safety alert over Boeing 737 jammed rudder

The National Transportation Safety Board on Sept. 26 issued urgent safety recommendations to Boeing and the FAA after investigating the potential for rudder issues in some 737 airplanes

DGCA orders safety risk assessment for B737 planes amid rudder concerns

The DGCA stated that all flight crews involved in B737 planes must be informed, through a circular or advisory, about the possibility of a jammed or restricted rudder control system

Air India's new fatigue policy under fire: Is pilot safety at risk?

Under the new policy, fatigue reports will be reviewed by multiple departments, and if deemed unsubstantiated, will be marked as 'sick'

London bound Air India flight returns to Mumbai due to technical glitch

Air India has promised the passengers cancellation and complimentary rescheduling to another date

10 killed as 2 Malaysian military choppers collide and crash while training

Two Malaysian military helicopters collided and crashed during a training session on Tuesday, killing all 10 people on board, the navy said. The helicopters were rehearsing at a naval base in northern Perak state for the navy's 90th anniversary celebration next month when the accident occurred, the navy said in a brief statement. All victims were confirmed dead on site," it said, adding that the remains have been sent to the hospital to be identified. Seven crew members were aboard the AW139 maritime operation helicopter, the navy said. That aircraft is produced by AgustaWestland, which is a subsidiary of the Italian defence contractor Leonardo. Three other crew members were on a Fennec lightweight helicopter, manufactured by European multinational defense conglomerate Airbus. Local media reported that the AW139 crashed at a sports complex at the naval base, while the Fennec hit a nearby swimming pool. The navy said it will launch an investigation to determine what caused the

Haneda airport incident: DGCA issues notice to prevent runway incursions

To prevent instances of runway incursions at airports, aviation watchdog DGCA has asked stakeholders to put in place a runway safety team at all airports and adopt technologies to improve situational awareness, among other measures. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a circular in view of the collision of planes due to runway incursion at the Haneda airport in Japan last month. Apart from establishing a runway safety team at all aerodromes and ensuring their effective functioning, the regulator has emphasised on comprehensive training for pilots, air traffic controllers, aircraft maintenance engineers, and drivers operating inside an airport. Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) should ensure that stop bars are switched on to signal a stop and switched off to indicate traffic may proceed. In no case, aircraft or vehicles be instructed to cross illuminated red stop bars, DGCA said in a release on Monday. Further, the watchdog said that aerodromes, ATCs and airline

FAA approves inspection process to clear way for grounded Boeing planes

Federal regulators have approved an inspection process that will let airlines resume flying their Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners, which have been grounded since a side panel blew out of a plane in midflight earlier this month. The head of the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday that his agency's review of the scary incident on board an Alaska Airlines Boeing jet gave him confidence to clear a path for the planes to fly again. The official, Mike Whitaker, said the FAA would not agree to any Boeing request to expand production of Max planes until the agency is satisfied that quality-control concerns have been addressed. This won't be back to business as usual for Boeing, Whitaker vowed. The production limits will apply only to the Max, of which there are currently two models, the 8 and the 9. Boeing builds about 30 a month but has wanted to raise production for some time. Boeing said it will work with the FAA and the airlines to get the grounded planes back in the air. We wi

Flight to sustainability

Sustainable aviation fuel has promise

DGCA suspends Air India's chief of flight safety, alleges lapses

Regulator takes action against Rajeev Gupta after two major safety violations at the airline in the last couple of months

Aviation safety experts claim fire-safety lapse at Chennai Airport

Aviation safety experts have claimed that the newly commissioned terminal at Anna International Airport in Chennai has a "grave" fire safety violation and have raised the issue with its director and the Airport Authority of India. They claimed the emergency exits of the terminal are "sealed", which an airport source said was ostensibly was security reasons, and warned it could lead to a tragedy like the 1997 Uphaar Cinema fire that killed 59 people. Capt Amit Singh, who runs NGO Safety Matters Foundation, recently wrote to the Airport Authority of India (AAI), the Anna International Airport Director and the fire department in Chennai in this regard. According to him, the security hold area of the international departure hall at the newly commissioned New Integrated Terminal Building has not complied with fire safety norms mandated by regulations. When contacted, none of the stakeholders - AAI, the airport director or the Chennai fire department - responded. While EXIT signs have

Airports should develop resilience strategy to mitigate climate risk: Study

Airports should conduct periodic vulnerability assessments and develop a resilience strategy as well as collaborate with insurers to mitigate climate risk, according to a study. The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) initiated the global study on disaster resilience of airports and various airports were surveyed. Airports which conduct periodic vulnerability assessments are anticipating lower impact on their organisation as compared to airports without a periodic assessment practice, it said, adding that airports should engage local and regional stakeholders for increasing airport resilience practices. "Airports should conduct periodic vulnerability assessments and develop a resilience strategy," the study said. Further, it noted that airports should move towards a more proactive approach rather than reactive towards hazard management and resilience planning. "Airports and insurers should collaborate to mitigate climate risk, this will be mutually beneficial."

UN aviation body rejects SpiceJet claim, says it didn't inspect airline

Budget carrier said on Dec 5 its safety processes were found in order 'following an exhaustive audit conducted by the ICAO'

IndiGo, SpiceJet international flights diverted due to technical glitches

Failure in one of IndiGo aircraft's hydraulic systems, caution light indication in SpiceJet plane's cockpit cause diversion

Single-pilot operations only after thorough investigation, EASA says

European Aviation Safety Agency's proposal draws flak from pilots who say it is too risky

India's aviation safety rank to improve after UN agency audit: DGCA

Says country fared well in ICAO audit of Nov 9-16 covering legislation, licensing, operations, airworthiness, among other areas; India was placed below Pakistan and Nepal an earlier exercise

Hyderabad incident: DGCA orders engine inspection of SpiceJet 14 Q400 plane

On October 12, a SpiceJet Q400 plane with 86 passengers on board conducted an emergency landing in Hyderabad as smoke was detected in the cabin when it was mid-air