A Note to Our Readers

Dear Readers,
We make a special effort here to record the facts as we receive them. At times, there may be error but we do try to use our best judgement at the time of posting, and will be glad to amend any details which are proved incorrect. Furthermore, even though we do not here discuss the human cost, we realize that losing anyone in an air accident is insurmountable tragedy to individuals, families and communities. We do extend our heartfelt sympathy to those whose loss we record here. "...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for..." us all.
Meditation XVII - (with apologies to) John Donne


2008/01/27

Pilot Error Down

Blame it on better training.

Blame what? The good news that mishaps due to pilots' poor decision-making declined 71 percent 1983 and 2002.

Thanks to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for doing the research that says that though the overall rate of airline accidents remained stable during that period, the proportion of mishaps involving overall pilot error has decreased 40 per cent.

The study's lead author, Susan P. Baker says, "A 40 percent decline in pilot error-related mishaps is very impressive. Pilot error has long been considered the most prominent contributor to aviation crashes. Trends indicate that great progress has been made to improve the decision-making of pilots and coordination between the aircraft's crew members. However, the improvements have not led to an overall decline in mishaps. The increase in mishaps while aircraft are not moving may require special attention."

Read more about Baker's study in Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine.

2008/01/17

Emergency Landing: Flight BA38 British Airways Boeing 777



What: Flight BA38 British Airways Boeing 777
Where: Heathrow
When: January 17 2008
Who: one passenger seriously injured and 12 others slightly hurt.
Why: lost thrust in both engines at 600ft
Initial report stated: drop in temperatures to -105F (-76C) may have caused the fuel in the aircraft to thicken during the flight which meant it was unable to get the additional thrust needed to land.

2008/01/14

Air Traffic Up

Brazilian air traffic has been up for the end of 2007 holiday season. This is news as Brazil's aviation infrastructure has been struggling since a fatal crash of a TAM airliner at Congonhas airport, which was Brazil's main domestic hub, caused disruption and led the government to restrict flights and basically turn over most of the aviation leadership.

2008/01/01

Top Ten Disaster

The Tam Air Crash in Sao Paulo has made a top ten disaster list.

#2. Brazil Plane Crash - Aviators call São Paolo's Congonhas Airport "the aircraft carrier," because landing on its notoriously short runway, surrounded by densely populated residential areas, is as touchy as trying to put down on the deck of a ship at sea. Though a Brazilian court had banned large jets from the airport in February, citing safety concerns, the ban was later overturned. On July 17, the pilot of TAM Airlines Flight JJ3054, tried to land at Congonhas, but realizing he wouldn't be able to stop in time on the rain-slicked tarmac, tried to take off again. He failed. The Airbus A320 skidded across a road, smashed into a gas station and then into a building owned by the airline. The ensuing fireball killed all 186 people on the plane and 13 more on the ground, making this the worst air disaster in Brazilian history.

Read More here