All articles by David Learmount – Page 17
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NewsIN FOCUS: Accident reports published July-December 2011
Pilots should be instructed in the science and practice of tailwind landings, according to a US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendation from its study of the 22 December 2009 American Airlines Boeing 737-800 runway overrun at Kingston, Jamaica.
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NewsIN FOCUS: 2011 global airline safety performance
Fatal accidents rose in frequency last year, yet the global fatalities total was relatively low. What trends lay behind figures that made 2011 "a good year" in the eyes of experts?
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NewsIN FOCUS: Airlines run up a safety debt
Over the last eight years the system of counting airline accidents annually has ceased to be a useful predictor of future safety performance, because nothing significant has happened to the numbers. A projection would show more of the same.
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NewsAirline fatal accident numbers climb in 2011
The year 2011 saw a sharp rise in the number of airline fatal accidents, reaching a total of 37 compared with 26 in 2010, and well above the annual average...
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NewsEBAA protests 'unfair' ETS burden on business jets
Anti-competitive aspects of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) discriminate against the business aviation community on several grounds and must be addressed, said the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA).
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Volcanic ash sensor trial prepares industry for next crisis
A programme to keep Europe flying safely the next time a volcanic ash cloud affects the continent's airspace is forging ahead, with trials for an airborne...
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NewsICAO pushes fatigue risk management up the airline agenda
If a large number of airlines were to adopt fatigue risk management (FRM) systems as an alternative to flight-time limitation, national aviation authorities...
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NewsEU-wide pilot licences next year
Licences for general aviation pilots will be valid across the European Union from April. At the same time, qualifications for instructors, examiners and...
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UK CAA workshop aims to boost GA safety
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has completed a workshop with a number of general aviation associations aimed at developing a partnership to advance...
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NewsCatastrophic gearbox failure led to Bond Super Puma crash
The final report into the accident involving a Bond Helicopters Eurocopter AS332L2 Super Puma over the North Sea two years ago has confirmed a sudden main gearbox failure caused the main rotor to separate from the airframe at 2,000ft (610m), resulting in an unsurvivable descent into the sea.
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NewsPC-12 gearbox failure reveals manufacturing error
A Pilatus PC-12 propeller gearbox failure in Australia has revealed a faulty manufacturing process, leading...
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NewsHelicopter operators will not hit accident reduction target
The way to achieve the desired 80% accident rate reduction target by 2016 is "to get the operators to take ownership of the solution", said US Federal Aviation...
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UK pilot unions in turf war
Pilot representation in the UK is heading for a shake-up, with the relaunch today of the Independent Pilots Association (IPA), which marked the rebirth with...
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IFALPA opposes use of helicopter instrument panel video
The International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) has said it opposes helicopters being fitted with video cameras for use as low-cost...
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NewsHelicopter safety shows little improvement
Despite small safety performance improvements, global helicopter operators are nowhere near on-track to meet an accident-rate reduction target set six years...
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Cranfield University proposes action over toxic cabin air
Cranfield University has concluded that on-board contaminant detection systems are vital for the safety of aircraft, and work to eliminate toxins from the...
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Galileo satellites well into early orbit preparation phase
The first two Galileo satellites launched on 21 October are well into their early orbit preparation phase, spearheading the deployment of a global navigation satellite system essential to the success of the more advanced stages of the Single European Sky.
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Cranfield professor proposes action over toxic cabin air
A workshop held on Cranfield University's campus has reviewed measures to deal with contaminated cabin air has concluded that onboard contaminant detection systems are vital for the safety of aircraft, and work to eliminate the toxins from the cabin environment should be accelerated.
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NewsAirline pilot training revolution needed
Expert consensus decrees that pilot training must be rethought if the decline in airmanship is to be reversed, and a range of initiatives have emerged in response
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Canada works to reduce landing gear noise
Canada is set to carry out detailed research on reducing landing gear slipstream noise - a significant contributor to an aircraft's overall noise footprint on its landing approach.