Free Republic

Some aviation experts argue the FAA’s focus on ‘diversity’ instead of ’merit' in hiring pilots and controllers is leading to serious safety concerns... As the U.S. Justice Department decides whether to pursue a criminal case against Boeing, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating dozens of airplane incidents since January, including one in which a Swiss Air jet almost collided with four other planes on the runway at JFK International Airport in New York City. The FAA has more than 100 aviation accidents and incidents since the beginning of 2024. These include airplane and helicopter crashes, equipment and mechanical malfunctions,...

<p>ANCHORAGE, Alaska—One of the two pilots of a vintage military plane that was delivering heating oil to a remote Alaska Native village reported a fire on board shortly before the aircraft crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both of them and leaving debris over a wide area, a federal transportation official said Wednesday.</p>

Swiss Air flight aborts takeoff from JFK, safely leaves minutes later... A Swiss Air flight traveling from New York City to Zurich last week had to abort takeoff, averting a "potentially dangerous situation," the airline confirmed. Flight LX17 from John F. Kennedy Airport left the gate at 4:21 p.m. April 17, according to FlightAware. The aircraft was cleared for takeoff at the same time an air traffic controller on another frequency cleared four other jets to cross the runway, according to audio obtained by NPR. "Due to the high level of situational awareness and quick reaction of our crew, a...

The terrifying moment a wheel feel of a Boeing 737 fully loaded with passengers was caught on video, adding to a long list of incidents. The footage showed the plane grinding along the runway after being forced to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff. Airport safety staff at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa noticed the FlySafair aircraft had damaged its undercarriage on takeoff. The airline said the plane made a low pass over the airport so technical teams could view the landing gear. Upon inspection, engineers found one of four rear wheels had been clipped during...

On March 20, 1971, a specially modified US Air Force B-52 bomber from the 4200th Support Squadron took off from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam carrying a unique aircraft mounted under its wing. The aircraft, shaped like a dart and painted black, was a D-21 supersonic reconnaissance drone. It was to be the fourth such drone to conduct aerial reconnaissance of China's Lop Nor nuclear test site in northwestern China, and despite its sophistication, it would crash into the very country it was intended to spy on. Created by the renowned Lockheed Corporation, the D-21 was the most advanced...

In an unprecedented achievement, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force, has announced that through its “ACE” program the X-62A “VISTA” has become the first autonomous fighter jet in the world to successfully engage in aerial dogfighting maneuvers against a manned F-16. This historic event marks a significant milestone in applying artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in combat scenarios, highlighting a radical advancement in military aviation technology. “The X-62A Team demonstrated that cutting-edge machine learning-based autonomy could be safely used to fly dynamic combat maneuvers,” Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall...

American Airlines’ pilots union has reported a “significant spike” in safety issues, raising red flags over fewer routine aircraft inspections and shorter test flights on planes following major maintenance work. The Allied Pilots Association cited a slew of “problematic trends” in an email to members Saturday, noting a “significant spike in safety- and maintenance-related problems.”

The US Air Force has 140 of its biggest warplanes – its heavy bombers – in active service: 76 Boeing B-52Hs, 44 Boeing B-1Bs and 20 B-2 stealth bombers built by Northrop Grumman. .. Any other air force might content itself with 140 bombers and redistribute the lost bomber’s operating budget. But the US Air Force is counting on the B-1 to play a lead role in a possible air war over the Taiwan Strait. It’s such a high priority that the service is spending millions of dollars recovering, from long-term storage, a surplus B-1 nicknamed “Lancelot” that’s been sitting...

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the manufacturer after Sam Salehpour, a Boeing engineer of more than 10 years, spoke out. www.nytimes.com/2024/04/09/us/politics/boeing-787-dreamliner-whistle-blower.html Salehpour said that “the problems stemmed from changes in how the enormous sections were fitted and fastened together in the assembly line.” He added that the components of the fuselage all come from different manufacturers and are not all the same shape. www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/boeing-whistleblower-reportedly-claims-787-planes-could-break-apart-mid-air-due-to-construction-flaws/ar-BB1lpmsD

SUMMARY Salehpour's concerns about shortcuts in Boeing production processes have led to external investigations by the FAA. Pressure from employees to cover up fuselage gaps highlights potential safety risks in the Boeing 787 and 777 variants. Boeing faces increased scrutiny and denial of claims, emphasizing the importance of transparency in the aviation industry. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Boeing quality engineer has become the latest whistleblower for the United States aircraft manufacturer, alleging that shortcuts have been taken in the processes involved with the Boeing 787 and 777 variants. The Federal Aviation Administration has already stepped in to investigate these claims. Longtime employee...

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday it will relocate control of the Newark, New Jersey, airspace area to Philadelphia to address staffing issues ... The FAA, which has struggled with air traffic staffing issues, said it and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) signed a memorandum to relocate control of Newark at New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) (N90) to Philadelphia Tower/TRACON by the end of June. The FAA said the change will help "meet continued traffic demand in the busy Northeast Corridor." Several controllers are expected to voluntarily transfer to Philadelphia. New York TRACON is...

While serving on the board of Boeing in 2020, GOP presidential candidate and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley helped kill an initiative designed to force the company to more comprehensively disclose its spending to influence politicians and safety regulators, government filings show. Haley joined the company’s board of directors after the two fatal 737 Max crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. Amid allegations of fraud and a coverup of safety problems following the disasters — resulting in a $243 million fine and $3 billion in compensation to airlines and victims’ families — Haley served on the board’s audit committee, according...

Boeing handed over 27 airplanes to its customers last month as it continues to struggle with quality control problems and production delays that have frustrated the CEOs of some of its biggest airline customers. So far this year, Boeing has handed over 54 planes, while Airbus has widened its lead over its main rival, delivering 79 planes in the first two months of 2024. Delayed Boeing planes have been difficult for airline leaders. Southwest Airlines , which flies only Boeing 737s, on Tuesday said that it would trim capacity plans this year because of fewer Boeing Max deliveries and that...

More than 1,000 drones per month are crossing into US airspace near the border with Mexico, a top general told lawmakers Thursday. The number of unmanned drone incursions is “alarming” and presents a “growing” potential threat to national security, Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot, the commander of North American Defense Command and US Northern Command, said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. “The number of incursions was something that was alarming to me as I took command last month,” Guillot said in response to a question from Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC). “I don’t know the actual number – I...

The American Airlines flight took off from Dallas-Fort Worth in Texas and landed safely at the Los Angeles airport An American Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing in California Wednesday evening after its pilot reported a possible mechanical issue, the airline said.

A United States Navy medic who blew the whistle on an explosive report showing a massive increase in heart issues among military pilots has been blocked by the Department of Defense (DOD) from accessing his work computer. Navy Medical Service Corps Lt. Ted Macie shared shocking information about the surge in heart failure among military personnel.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) light combat aircraft "Tejas" performs during the Indian Air Force Day celebrations at the Hindon Air Force Station on the outskirts of New Delhi, India, October 8, 2019. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File NEW DELHI, March 12 (Reuters) - A domestically made fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed on Tuesday in the western state of Rajasthan, the first such incident since the jet was inducted nearly eight years ago. The pilot ejected safely, the air force said in a statement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has been pushing for local manufacturing as India seeks to shed...

The co-pilot, father to 1-month-old twins, admitted to investigators "his sleep quality had degraded by the several wakes up” from the babies the night before the flight. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Batik Air Indonesia pilot and his second-in-command are accused of allowing the flight they were operating to veer off course as they both took a snooze in the cockpit midflight, Indonesian officials said in a report. The Jan. 25 flight, BTK6723, was carrying 153 passengers from Halu Oleo Airport in Kendari to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, said the report from Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee. Both pilots, whose names were...

Two U.S. National Guard members and a Border Patrol agent were killed and a fourth person was injured when a helicopter went down near Rio Grande City, Texas, on Friday, officials said. The UH-72 Lakota helicopter crashed around 2:50 p.m. local time while it was "conducting aviation operations" in the area, according to a statement from the Defense Department’s Joint Task Force North. The helicopter had been assigned to a support mission at the Southwest border of the U.S., the statement said.

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A United Airlines flight made an emergency landing in Los Angeles Friday afternoon following reports of a "complete hydraulic failure." The Airbus A320 took off from San Francisco International Airport with 110 people on board, headed to Mexico City, and was diverted to L.A. "due to an issue with the aircraft's hydraulic system," United said in a statement. The plane landed at Los Angeles International Airport just before 4:30 p.m. "The flight landed safely and passengers were deplaned normally at the gate," the airline said, adding that passengers will be taken to Mexico City on a...