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Spread Your Wings and Fly Away Safely
The FAA Safety Team is out in full force at the “World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. You can find the FAA Safety Team—also known as the FAASTeam—in the FAA Aviation Safety Center, right next to the FAA control tower.At the booth you can learn more about the improvements to the www.FAASafety.gov website, sign up for the WINGS pilot proficiency program, and find out about FAA’s aviation maintenance technician awards program. This is a great opportunity to talk with dedicated safety professionals whose number one job is to make general aviation as safe as possible.
You can also check out the rest of the FAA Aviation Safety Center and see displays on all things aviation. The safety education forums held at the Safety Center cover such topics as “Aeronautical Decision Making,” “Surface Safety,” and “VFR Charts, Little Known Facts.”
See you there. For more information on EAA AirVenture, go to www.airventure.org.
- Air Safety | Boeing | Ethiopian Airlines | FAA | Lionair | MCAS
MCAS At the forefront of Boeing 737 MAX Controversy
Everything that is essential to a plane’s operation should be included in pilot training. The pilot must know his tools backward and forward. What happens when that training is curtailed?On March 19th, the US Department of Transportation announced that its inspector general will audit the 737 Max 8’s certification process. Some pilots say they know how to address problems with the 737 Max 8’s maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS) system. Pilots say the MCAS software system can (apparently) be disabled by hitting the trim switch on the control column. Difference training is required for pilots who fly the Max, but apparently (MCAS) explanations, operations, procedures related to the differences were left out of the manual. The flight manual of Boeing’s 737 Max 8 planes mentions MCAS computer system only once. If MCAS information was cut from the manual to prevent the MCAS from having to be included in 737 Max transition training, whoever cut it considered only that it would save 737 Max operators training costs, but not what it would cost in terms of human lives.
PR: FAA Partners with Aviation Community and Safety Advocates to Raise Awareness on Child Safety
WASHINGTON – As part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Transportation Week and to kick off the summer travel season, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today launched an education effort to help parents and caregivers make informed choices about their child’s safety when they fly.
“Millions of people will take to the skies this summer, and we are doing everything we can to keep air travelers as safe as possible,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We want to make sure parents and caregivers have the best information to keep their children safe when they travel.”
“It’s important to remind everyone that the safest place for a small child on an airplane is in an approved child safety seat, not on an adult’s lap,” said Acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta.
The FAA has developed a new web site and online information toolkit with information about how to keep children safe when traveling by air. The site includes a downloadable tip sheet for parents and caregivers and a video demonstration on how to properly install a child safety seat on an airplane. The website also includes helpful details about FAA-approved child harness devices, and links to frequently asked questions.
The FAA is working with Airlines for America, the Association of Flight Attendants, Consumers Union, and the American Academy of Pediatrics to share this safety information with parents and caregivers.
According to Consumers Union, “For years Consumer Reports has advocated that all passengers should be properly restrained onboard commercial aircraft, including children under 2. We support the Department of Transportation’s educational efforts, so that parents and caregivers can make informed decisions about using child restraint systems when flying. Consumer Reports also urges the airline industry to support these efforts by providing transparent information on child restraint system policies and compatibility.”
When purchasing airline tickets, parents and caregivers should contact the air carrier to see if there are any discounts available for children since buying a ticket for a child is the only way to guarantee that a child safety seat can be used during flight.
"The top priority of America’s airlines is the safety of our passengers and crew, and we are pleased to be a part of the important FAA educational awareness campaign, encouraging parents to help keep our smallest passengers safe with approved child safety seats," said Airlines for America President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio.
Before flying, parents and caregivers should check to make sure that their child restraint system is approved for use on an aircraft. This approval should be printed on the system’s information label or on the device itself.
“As first responders in the cabin, a Flight Attendant’s foremost responsibility is to help ensure the safety and security of all passengers. Children should have the same protection adults have in the airplane cabin and by using an approved child restraint device, even our most vulnerable passengers will have much-needed protection in the event of an emergency,” said Association of Flight Attendants International President Veda Shook.
The FAA recommends that a child weighing less than 20 pounds use a rear-facing child restraint system. A forward facing child safety seat should be used for children weighing between 20 and 40 pounds. The FAA has also approved one harness-type device for children weighing between 22 to 44 pounds.
"The AAP strongly recommends that children should always ride properly restrained on every trip, on the ground and in the air. For this reason, we are pleased to support the FAA’s efforts to educate parents on safe airplane travel,” said Robert W. Block, MD, FAAP, president, American Academy of Pediatrics. “The safest place for a child under two on an airplane is in a child safety seat, not on a parent’s lap. Whenever possible, parents should travel with a safety seat for use before, during and after a plane ride.”
In December 2010, a group of aviation stakeholders known as the Future of Aviation Advisory Committee (FAAC) delivered 23 recommendations to the Secretary and FAA Administrator on workforce development, competition and viability, financing of aviation systems, environmental concerns, and safety. Based on some of those recommendations, the FAA is stepping up efforts to educate parents about the importance of using a child restraint for air travel.
Today’s announcement is just one way the Department of Transportation is celebrating National Transportation Week (May 14th–20th). Over the next seven days, the Department is highlighting its commitment to ensuring the safety of America’s transportation systems this week and all 52 weeks of the year. Investment in our nation’s infrastructure is critical for maintaining and improving safety. Through TIGER grants, discretionary funds and other programs, DOT is working to enhance, expand and modernize American infrastructure, but Congress needs to act. A bipartisan long-term transportation bill is necessary to move our country into the future.
PR: FAA Proposes $987,500 in Civil Penalties Against Delta Air Lines
ATLANTA – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing two civil penalties totaling $987,500 against Delta Air Lines of Atlanta, for allegedly operating an Airbus A320 and a Boeing 737-800 on flights when they were not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations.In the first case, the FAA alleges Delta failed to repair a chip in the nose radome, or nose cone, on the B-737 after an FAA inspector conducted a pre-flight inspection and informed Delta he had observed chip damage. Delta’s structural repair manual requires the airline to seal radome chip damage before further flight. The enroute inspection took place Feb. 25, 2010, and the airline operated the plane on 20 additional flights between that date and March 1 while the aircraft was not in compliance.
The FAA further alleges Delta again failed to repair the radome during layover inspections of the aircraft on Feb. 25 and 28. The proposed civil penalty is $687,500.
“Safety is our highest priority,” said FAA Acting Administrator Michael Huerta. “Operators must follow the proper procedures to maintain their aircraft.”
The FAA also proposes a civil penalty of $300,000 against Delta for allegedly operating an Airbus A320 on 884 flights between May 25, 2010 and Jan. 3, 2011, when it was not in compliance with FAA regulations.
The FAA alleges the carrier incorrectly deferred repair of a broken cockpit floodlight socket at the first officer’s position. Maintenance procedures allow the airline to defer repairs on a dome light for no more than 10 days before repairing or replacing it. The FAA discovered the alleged violation during a routine inspection.