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Byline: David Kaminski-Morrow European safety regulators have ordered the grounding of Italian airframer Blackshape's BS115 single-engined light trainer, after concerns about the potential for structural failure of the wing. The [...]

In response to the 'After the Dust Settles: Protecting Yourself' article (November 2021 Aviation Consumer) on dealing with a post-crash aftermath, including subsequent regulatory realities, we got a letter from [...]

Byline: Accidentdavid kaminski-morrow london Data recordings show crew did not pe r fo r m items on crucial pre-take-o f f list, including activating sensor heating system Investigators believe the [...]

The US Air Force witnessed a series of midair collisions in a short span of time, the details of which is given. The USAF analysis showed that two-thirds of the 2002 accidents resulted primarily from human-factor issues, which generally means poor situational awareness during flight.

Airline industry officials are beginning to question the way of investigating accidents, which aims at finding the probable cause. A report by Boeing suggests that accidents result from a chain of events, and that investigations therefore should be aimed at understanding the systemic causes as a means toward formulating prevention strategies. The Airline Pilots Association opposes single cause statements, because they tend to appear as accusations., Probable' and 'cause.' Two simple words. But joined together, they become one of the most emotionally charged phrases in the aviation lexicon. That phrase is the investigators' answer to why [...]

NTSB investigators working on the crash of a United Airlines Boeing 737 near Colorado Springs, CO on Mar 3, 1991, ruled out the aircraft's hydraulic systems, flight control system, and structure as potential causes of the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board, has ordered an investigation into the cause of the crash of a Learjet 35 chartered business aircraft, in Mina, South Dakota. There are many puzzling questions and scant clues about the crash.

Byline: SAFETY David Kaminski-Morrow London Investigators seek to understand why freighter flew below safe glidepath prior to fatal incident at Birmingham, Alabama With no immediate evidence of a technical failure [...]

NEPTUNE CRASH PROBES US safety investigators are studying two separate Lockheed P2V Neptune aerial firefighting tanker accidents on 3 June, both involved in efforts to extinguish or contain wildfires. The [...]

Airline accident investigation is complicated by differences in regulations and investigation protocols from one country to another. Primary responsibility for an investigation generally falls to the nation where an incident occurs, regardless of where the airline involved is based. Airlines should familiarize themselves with the regulatory requirements of the nations they serve and prepare their personnel accordingly., A bomb blast destroys a U.S.-registered Boeing 747, and the wreckage descends on a Scottish town. A Colombian 707 exhausts its fuel before reaching New York JFK Airport, crash landing [...]

Twinjet in near-ground collision during Khartoum approach Mismatched aeronautical data catalysed an approach incident in which an Airbus A321, operated by British Airways franchise partner BMed, came close to striking [...]

A Dutch air force Boeing AH-64D Apache attack helicopter crashed 20km (11nm) north of the Afghan capital Kabul during a regular patrol on 29 August, injuring one of its crew [...]

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has renewed its call for mandatory video cameras in commercial aircraft cockpits, despite fierce resistance from pilots unions. During hearings last week at [...]

The flightcrew's loss of situational awareness during a go-around was partly to blame for the 2002 controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) crash of a BAe 748 in which former South [...]

An encounter with a waterspout between storms over the North Sea seriously endangered a Bristow Helicopters Eurocopter AS322L Super Puma with a crew of two and 18 passengers, according to [...]

Loss of control is the most common cause of accidents involving French-registered Robinson R22 light helicopters, according to a study by French accident investigation agency BEA. The study was carried [...]

The final report on the fatal July 17, 2000, Alliance Air 737200 accident at Patna, India, confirms the preliminary findings of the Inquiry Committee that pilot error led to the [...]

David Learmount/London The Flight International listing of world military accidents, incidents and losses is as complete as possible, but it inevitably reflects varying national attitudes to the release of information [...]

Accident investigation is in danger of getting a bad name. The three US authorities - the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal [...]

The French Commission of Investigation found that the pilot of an Airbus A330 that crashed during autopilot certification tests took three seconds longer than necessary to take control from autopilot, once he knew that conditions required it. The delay may have contributed to the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board's investigation into the Dec 1994 crash of American Eagle carrier Flagship Airlines' Jetstream Super 31 aircraft is focussing on pilot error as the principal cause. Fifteen of the 20 people on board the flight perished in the North Carolina crash.

Investigators looking into the possible cause of the Mar 31, 1995, crash of the Tarom A310 jet transport believe an engine autothrottle system breakdown and pilot delay in recognizing the emergency may have been responsible.

The widespread use of civil jet transports with automated cockpit control systems has made it slightly more difficult for air crash investigators to obtain information about accidents. Digital flight data recorders (DFDRs) are often the sole sources of information about crashes.

Amendment 9 to Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organization will improve international cooperation in the investigation of airline accidents. International airline accident investigations can involve up to three countries, the country of location, the country of the airline, and the country of the aircraft manufacturer. Usually cooperation in investigation goes well, but differences in local laws can cause problems. Amendment 9, which goes into effect Nov 10, 1994, will make many recommended procedures standard., One of the key elements of international aircraft accident investigation is the cooperation among the foreign investigating teams involved. This cooperation is essential in that under ICAO Annex 13 rules, [...]

CAL flight 140's pilots turned the Airbus A300-600's takeoff/go-around (TOGA) autopilot feature on inadvertently, which contributed to the cause of the aircraft's crash at Japan's Nagoya International Airport. Accident investigators conclude that turning TOGA off might have prevented the crash.

A National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) weather simulation for the Colorado Springs, CO region did not shed light on the cause of the Mar 3, 1991 Flight 585 accident. Some evidence of windstorm events that could cause crashes has been uncovered, however.

ICAO delegates recommended 50 changes to existing air accident investigation rules, including 17 changes in the Chicago Convention's Annex 13. The computer accident reporting system, flight recorders, and investigation of near accidents are among topics discussed.

An Air Inter Airbus A320 jet transport plane crashed Jan 20 in France, killing 87 of the 96 people on board. Investigators trying to determine why the plane took such a rapid descent have been unable to find any technical or mechanical reason for it thus far.

Improving the accident rates of major airlines in the US is discussed. The new Line Operations Safety Audit and Flight Operations Quality Assurance programs are key.

Investigators will recreate conditions in the cabin of ValuJet Flight 592 in order to determine if the pilots wore oxygen masks or were rendered unconscious during the May 11, 1996 crash. The recorded conversations of the flight crew do not indicate if they wore the masks.

An inertial reference system may have malfunctioned and caused the failure of an Ariane 5 rocket booster on a test flight in Kourou, French Guiana, on June 4, 1996. Sextant Avionique Inc. manufactures the system.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will conduct flight tests using Boeing aircraft in summer 1995 to test its theory that wake vortices contributed to the Sep 1994 crash of USAir Flight 427. NTSB officials hope that weather conditions will match those that existed during the crash.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has ratified the new Annex 13 procedures aimed at improving air-transport accident-investigation standards. The new procedures require all aircraft commanders and operators to report 'serious incidents' as well as accidents to the ICAO. In addition, aircraft operators and manufacturers will be given the right to 'fully participate' in accident investigations.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators believe that USAir flight 1016 pilots faced a wind shear in its most dangerous form. Computer models suggest that the microburst associated with the wind shear may have been the strongest on record. Testimony from the pilots is provided.