Federal officials are investigating whether Southwest Airlines Co. used unauthorized parts for repairs on some of its older jets. Southwest grounded more than 40 planes last Saturday, causing flight delays. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford says an inspector found problems with documentation of parts that deflect hot engine exhaust away from the wings on Boeing 737 jets. Lunsford says engineers determined that the use of the parts doesn't pose an immediate safety danger... Read Full Story
Southwest Airlines Co. faces a deadline Tuesday for settling a dispute with regulators over the use of unapproved parts on more than 80 planes. Southwest says it has replaced the unapproved parts in more than 25 planes but needs more time to find parts for the remaining jets. Without an extension, the Federal Aviation Administration could force the airline to ground some planes. The airline said Monday it wants more time to continue replacing parts without disrupting service for customers... Read Full Story
Not one of the aircraft involved in the incident. Not same type either. (Photo by Fernando Montalvo for Velozia Air)
It seems flying an aircraft is not as exhilarating as non-pilots think it is and may be so downright boring these days that staying alert in the cabin could be almost impossible (maybe all the automation?). Most of you know about the Northwest Airlines flight crew that overshot their destination last week, presumably because they were using their laptops (maybe playing... Read Full Story
Two planes crash midair, killing two people shreveporttimes.com ... Each single-engine Cessna 150 carried two people when both hit and crashed into woods less than a mile from Pineville Regional Airport, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said . Both people who died were in one ... RSS - Local News - http://www.shreveporttimes.com/ TH - National/World Article Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said each of the single-engine Cessna 150s carried two... Read Full Story
Here is the press release that Delta distributed on October 26th, 2009:
Delta Air Lines Issues Statement on Northwest Flight 188 Investigation
ATLANTA, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today issued a statement regarding the company’s cooperation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the investigation of Northwest Flight 188. Delta and its Northwest operating subsidiary continue to openly and fully... Read Full Story
F/A-18s similar to accident aircraft. (Photo by Itzel Guillen for Velozia Air)
A Marine Corps McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet suffered a rough landing this past Saturday at Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) in Jacksonville, Florida. The incident, involving a crew of two, happened at 12:30 PM as the aircraft were arriving from Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort in Beaufort, South Carolina to perform a flyover during Sunday’s Jacksonville Jaguars vs. St. Louis Rams... Read Full Story
In an effort to increase the amount of experience required for airline pilots, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3371, the “Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009.” Many organizations, including the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA), applauded the bill’s passing by the House, but not everyone is happy.
The primary element of the bill requires all pilots to hold an FAA Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) license and have a minimum of 1,500 hours of... Read Full Story
MD-80 jets
CHICAGO (Reuters) – AMR Corp’s American Airlines operated jets later found to have substandard repairs, and federal regulators are probing allegations that at least one plane was considered unsafe to fly at normal cruise altitude, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.
The newspaper, citing people familiar with the matter, said the latest moves by the Federal Aviation Administration indicate the agency is expanding its probe into suspected structural problems with... Read Full Story
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aHw2FrWmYOxQ Google News Alert for: Federal Aviation Administration New York Flight Caps Extended for LaGuardia, Kennedy, Newark Bloomberg The move is needed to give the FAA more time to craft a long-term solution for holdups at the airports, the agency said in the orders to be published in the ... See all stories on this topic ________________________________________ This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google. http://www... Read Full Story
Mooney M20 similar to accident aircraft. (Photo by Ashrunners Photo Safaris. Licensed under Creative Commons 2.0)
A small plane crashed near Muncie, Indiana (at 9825 W. Indiana Route 28) today (September 30, 2009) after the pilot apparently lost consciousness at the controls of the aircraft. The pilot was the sole occupant of the 2003 Mooney M20M (registration N400DE) when it crashed into an agricultural field after Indiana Air National Guard F-16s intercepted the circling the aircraft... Read Full Story
