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Only three flights suffered excessive tarmac delays in July, all of them at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, as the threat of hefty, new fines continued to make an impact on air travel, new data shows.
But passengers don’t always benefit from the new rules, imposed at the end of April. Get the full story »
Some airline pilots would fly fewer hours and others would fly longer under proposed rules to help prevent dangerous fatigue, transportation and labor officials said Friday.
The proposal would set different requirements based on the time of day, number of scheduled flight segments, flight types, time zones and likelihood that a pilot is able to get enough sleep, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in his blog. The proposal is being released Friday. Get the full story »
Pilot Gregg Pointon "flies" from the cockpit of a Boeing 787 full-flight simulator. (Elaine Thompson/AP)
Mechanics going through Boeing Co.’s 25-day training course for its coming 787 Dreamliner learn to fix all kinds of problems, from broken lights in the cabin to major glitches with its flight controls. One thing they won’t soon do: touch one of the planes.
Using both laptop and desktop computers inside a classroom festooned with huge diagrams, airline mechanics will train on a system that displays an interactive 787 cockpit, as well as a 3-D exterior of the plane. Using a mouse, the mechanics can “walk” around the jet, open virtual maintenance access panels and go inside the plane to repair and replace parts. Get the full story »
Federal aviation regulators proposed a record $24.2 million civil penalty against AMR Corp.’s American Airlines Thursday, alleging that the carrier flew 286 of its MD-80 jets over a two-year period without strictly complying with mandatory safety directives.
The penalty proposed by the Federal Aviation Administration, which American is expected to appeal, covers improper maintenance work on certain electrical wiring that resulted in massive flight cancellations two years ago. The clash between the FAA and American created a furor among passengers and lawmakers, and prompted a broad reassessment of how the agency oversees maintenance and safety mandates. Get the full story »
Boeing Co. said Monday it’s been given approval by the Federal Aviation Administration to start pilot training courses for its new 787.
The Chicago company called the approval a “significant milestone” as it ramps up to start flight training.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has proposed mandatory fixes to Boeing 747-400 airliners to ensure that concerns about potentially hazardous takeoffs are addressed, the Wall Street Journal said.
The U.S. air-safety regulator, last week, moved to require certain engine-related wiring changes to Boeing Co.’s model, the paper said. According to the agency, the fixes are necessary to avoid potentially dangerous retraction of flaps, or panels that deploy from the wings to provide extra lift during takeoffs. Get the full story »
The Federal Aviation Administration plans a $230,000 civil penalty against Continental Airlines because it botched a nose wheel replacement on one airplane.
The FAA said Continental failed to install the washer during the replacement of a nose wheel on a Boeing 767 on Aug. 12, 2008. The plane flew 22 flights over 15 days before the problem was discovered, and the washer was installed. The fine amounts to $10,454 for each flight without the washer. Get the full story »
After finding structural cracks on at least two Boeing 767s, the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday U.S. operators of 138 Boeing 767 airliners must inspect engine pylons more frequently.
Severe turbulence on a United Airlines flight from Washington to Los Angeles led to a number of injuries and forced an emergency landing, officials said Wednesday. The Denver Post reported 21 passengers and four crew members were injured including a girl who hit the ceiling but that the injuries were mostly minor. Get the full story »
From Bloomberg | The Federal Aviation Administration said today that U.S. airlines flying Boeing Co. 757, 767 and 777 aircraft must inspect or replace the cockpit windows after 11 reports of fires tied to electrical wiring in the past two decades.
U.S. federal aviation officials have known for years that cockpit window heaters in some Boeing planes catch fire. But they haven’t required airlines to fix the problem, even after dozens of incidents that unnerved pilots and, in some cases, forced emergency landings. Get the full story »
Boeing says airlines that fly its 767 are likely to be asked to increase inspections for cracks where the engine attaches to the wing.
The move comes after the problem was found on at least two American Airlines jets.
Get the full story »
Structural cracks discovered recently on at least two American Airlines Boeing 767 jetliners, including one jet that air-safety regulators believe could easily have lost an engine, are prompting concerns that some of the problems may turn out to be more widespread. Get the full story »
A cockpit blaze aboard a United Airlines jet last month revived a long-running debate over the dangers of potential windshield electrical fires on hundreds of Boeing aircraft.
But now, the incident also has focused attention on a related safety issue: Pilot complaints that emergency cockpit-oxygen systems on many of the same planes aren’t adequate to cope with such hazards. Get the full story »
