AIR SAFETY WEEK :: JULY 21, 2008

Bill Introduced to Keep Air Carriers and FAA at 'Arm's Length'
Members of the U.S. House Transportation Committee seek an aviation safety bill aimed at keeping airlines and federal aviation inspectors at "arm's length." The legislation would force the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to adopt recommendations it has resisted in the wake of embarrassing...

NASA Awards NextGen Related Contracts
NASA has awarded study contracts worth a total of $12 million to two industry teams to study how the introduction of new aircraft types, such as very light jets, super jumbo jetliners and unmanned aerial vehicles, may affect air traffic management efficiency, aviation safety and the environment in the...

Fiber Optic Technology for Future Aircraft
NASA is evaluating an advanced, fiber optic-based sensing technology that could aid development of active control of an aircraft's wing shape. Controlling a wing's shape in flight would allow it to take advantage of aerodynamics and improve overall aircraft efficiency. The Fiber Optic Wing Shape Sensor...

Runway Status Lights Go Nationwide
The FAA will spend $400 million over three years to install new runway lights at busy U.S. airports. The Runway Status Lights (RSLs) aims to reduce runway incursions. The federal agency expects to award a contract this fall to install the safety devices at 20 additional airports. The lights warn pilots when...

Increasing Runway Safety with GPS Aircraft Positioning
For pilots, knowing what runway or taxiway they're on is critical information. That knowledge is especially important at night, in poor weather or when the crew is unfamiliar with the airport layout. Pilots have traditionally acquired that information by looking out their windshield. Now, the Federal...

NTSB Probing Two Runway Incursions at Teterboro Airport
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating two runway incursions that occurred at Teterboro Airport, Teterboro, NJ, within two weeks of each other. On June 25, 2008, a Learjet 45, Windrider (WDR) Flight 988, landed on a closed runway. A lighted X, indicating that the runway was closed...

New Airport Lighting System for Remote Airports Technology to Improve Safety, Lower Costs
One of the leading causes of general-aviation fatal accidents is incorrect aircraft maneuvering and landing, especially during evening and nighttime hours, according to researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. This is especially critical in remote locations that often depend on air transportation...

'Green' De-icer Developed
A team of scientists from the Battelle Memorial Institute and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has won an award from the American Chemical Society for developing an environmentally friendly deicer. The technology is called D3: Degradable by Design Deicer. The D3 is a family of non-toxic biodegradable...

Safety and Technology Trends
Constraining Demand Does Not Reduce Delays The Air Transport Association of America (ATA) recently told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that the airline industry is literally being decimated by the skyrocketing price of jet fuel. For 2008, ATA is forecasting losses in the range...

Safety Rules & Regs
Airworthiness Directive; Lockheed Model 382, 382B, 382E, 382F, 382G, and 382J Final rule; Request for Comments. SUMMARY: This AD requires, among other actions, an inspection to determine whether a certain upper engine mount bolt is installed, and replacement of any discrepant upper engine mount bolt with a...

Accidents & Incidents
Date Aircraft Type Narrative Death/Injury Remarks June 01, 2008 Torino, Italy Sikorsky S-64F N163AC Registered to/operated by Erickson Air-Crane as an aerial demonstration flight, a/c collided with Lake Aviguana, in vicinity of Torino, Italy. Two minor A/c received substantial damage...