AIR SAFETY WEEK :: MARCH 3, 2008

Safety Management Systems: The Future of Air Safety, Part II
The Air Charter Safety Foundation's 2008 Air Charter Safety Symposium, entitled "Developing a Healthy Safety Culture" took place February 19-20 at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Training Center in Ashburn, VA, near Washington, DC. Despite improving safety statistics, the Air...

Environmental Impact Of Aircraft De-icers Examined
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been examining the relative toxicity to aquatic life from a variety of formulations used to remove or prevent dangerous ice buildup on aircraft. A recent study has confirmed that proprietary additives are responsible for the observed toxicity. The USGS study compared...

Two Strikes and You're Out
An Airbus A320-214 (G-BXKD) was twice allowed to take off with a damaged landing gear, prompting air safety recommendations for the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). The recently-released AAIB report concerned the Nov. 15, 2006, incident at Bristol Airport in which a Thomas Cook A320 flight...

Fault Found with U.S. Forest Service Aerial Firefighting
A recently-released report from the Agriculture Department's inspector general says U.S. Forest Service (FS) aircraft have been involved in preventable crashes over the year and remain at risk for more. The IG investigators made numerous recommendations that the USFS accept, but Forest Service officials...

Plane Was Overgross In May 2007 Skydiving Flight Accident
In an updated factual report on the May 12, 2007 fatal crash of a skydiving flight near Kalispell, Montana, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) noted there were no apparent structural or mechanical issues with the Cessna 182, but said the Cessna 182C (N8771T) was over gross weight. The report...

Extended go! Flight Remains a Mystery
A go! airline flight that overshot General Lyman Field (HTO), the Hilo airport, by 15 miles on Feb. 13 had no mechanical problems, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The report makes no conclusion about why the go! Bombardier CL-600-2B19 (N651BR) overshot...

Engineers Inhibit Fractures In Metals Using An Electric Field
Engineers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have found that a strong electric field can stabilize the surface of metals and other solids that conduct electricity, inhibiting the formation of cracks caused by stress. This innovation could improve the function and reliability of a wide variety of...

TSA Enables Passengers to Go at Their Own Pace in Salt Lake
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is piloting a variety of innovations at airport checkpoint to improve security by focusing on people, technology and process. In the process arena, TSA recently initiated a self-select lane pilot project in Salt Lake City, Utah. The self-select lane is aimed...

Accidents & Incidents
Date Aircraft Type Narrative Death/Injury Remarks February 13, 2008 Empingham, United Kingdom Piper PA-28R-200 G-BKFZ The Piper PA-28R-200 registered to a private owner collided with terrain in a wooded area near Rutland Water, UK. The airplane was destroyed and the private pilot was fatally injured. 1...