The AirSafe.com News

Two plane crashes in two days in Ghana and Nigeria

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 18:55:37 PDT

2 June 2012; Allied Air; 727-200; 5N-BJN; flight 111; Accra, Ghana: The aircraft was on a cargo flight from Lagos, Nigeria, to Accra, Ghana, and overran the runway after landing. The aircraft struck a minivan on a nearby road, killing all 10 of the occupants. None of the four crew members were killed. Because no airline passengers were killed, this is not counted as a fatal event as defined by

Falling hot metal chunks from a 777 engine hit Toronto suburb

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 11:19:28 PDT

28 May 2012; Toronto, Canada; Air Canada 777, flight AC001: During or shortly after takeoff, an Air Canada 777 taking off from Toronto's Pearson International Airport developed serious engine trouble which caused the liberation of several pieces of metal and led to a shutdown of its right engine. While several cars on the ground were damaged, no one on the ground was injured. After dumping excess

Dr. Curtis interviewed about bird strikes by Columbia University

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Tue, 22 May 2012 07:12:03 PDT

Earlier this month, Lars Vercelli of the Columbia University School of Journalism interviewed Dr. Curtis about his thoughts on bird hazards to aircraft, and about ways to reduce bird strike risks from a proposed garbage facility near New York's LaGuardia airport. Over the course of ten days in mid-April 2012, there were several serious incidents involving birds colliding into planes across the

Bird Strikes and the FAA Rules on Passenger Electronics

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Thu, 24 May 2012 08:36:05 PDT

On April 19, 2012, Delta Flight 1063, a 757 flying nonstop from JFK Airport in New York to Los Angeles, was forced to return to JFK and make an emergency landing after its right engine experienced a bird strike shortly after takeoff. One of the passengers, New York Times bestseller Grant Cardone, happen to have been using his iPad to make a video when he caught a glimpse of the flock of birds

Rebroadcast of Discovery Channel's 'World's Scariest Plane Landings'

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 09:22:34 PDT

is scheduled to be on The Discovery Channel show 'World's Scariest Plane Landings,' which features AirSafe.com creator Dr. Todd Curtis, will be rebroadcast today in the US at 4pm EDT. Times may vary by cable broadcaster and time zone, so check your local listings for times in your area. Discovery channel promises that the audience will "Experience the most frightening moments in aviation,

Dr. Curtis on the Discovery Channel Tonight

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 09:12:53 PDT

AirSafe.com creator Dr. Todd Curtis is scheduled to be on the Discovery Channel show 'World's Scariest PLane Landings,' which will have its first scheduled broadcast in the US on the evening of April 23, 2012 (check local listings). Discovery channel promises that the audience will "Experience the most frightening moments in aviation, with incredible footage and first-hand accounts from those

No survivors in 737 crash in Pakistan

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:50:57 PDT

20 April 2012; Bhoja Airlines; 737-200; AP-BKC; flight B4 213; Islamabad, Pakistan: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight Karachi to Islamabad, Pakistan, and crashed in a residential area near the airport. The aircraft was completely destroyed in the crash, and all six crew members and 121 passengers were killed. Among those killed were several children and one newlywed couple. This was

Russian airliner crash kills dozens in Siberia

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 06:53:04 PDT

2 April 2012; UTair ATR72-200; VP-BYZ;flight 120; Tyumen, Russia: The aircraft was on scheduled domestic flight from Tyumen to Surgut, Russia. The airplane crashed broke up, and caught fire in a field about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) form the end of the departure runway. All four crew members and 27 of the 39 passengers were killed. This is the second fatal passenger jet crash involving this airline.

A very graphic view of the TSA

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 11:11:46 PDT

The TSA has been a frequent subject of this site, covering issues from the employee screening process to the passenger search policies. Below is an informational graphic created by a team from OnlineCriminalJusticeDegree.com led by AirSafeNews.com follower Tony Shin. The graphic is based on data from a variety of sources, including media reports and is somewhat critical on the TSA's policies and

Video shows advanced TSA screening devices failing to detect large metal objects

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:11:04 PDT

Earlier this month, Jonathan Corbett of the site TSA Out of Our Pants! released a video that allegedly demonstrated that he was able to sneak large metallic objects passed TSA's most advanced screening devices without being detected. These devices have been deployed by the hundreds across the US over the last couple of years and were intended to detect metal objects, explosives, and other

How to prevent thefts by TSA employees when you fly

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 19:52:34 PST

Several recent media reports highlighted a number of alleged and admitted thefts by TSA employees, and these stories serve as a reminder to passengers that while most TSA employees are honest and fully dedicated to protecting the public, a rare few will steal from passengers.TSA employee sells stolen items on craigslistA January 20, 2012 Miami Herald story described the arrest of a TSA employee

More AirSafe.com Podcasts on YouTube

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:46:10 PST

For over six years, the AirSafe.com podcast The Conversation at AirSafe.com has brought you a number of interviews, special reports, accident analyses, and other topics of interest to the AirSafe.com Community. While some were available as either as downloadable video files or on the AirSafe.com channel on YouTube, many of them were only available as audio files. Classic shows now on videoThe

AirSafe.com Safety Review for 2011

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:23:35 PST

This 16th annual review discusses 12 fatal airline crashes and 11 other significant events from 2011, a year with more fatal passenger airline crashes than 2010, but fewer significant events. Unlike last year, which saw no fatal passenger airliner crashes in North America or western Europe, there were two this year. 2011 saw two significant milestones for both aviation safety and aviation

No deaths in Kyrgyzstan jet crash

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:13:33 PST

28 December 2011; Kyrgyzstan Airlines Tu134A; EX-020; flight 16; Osh, Kyrgyzstan: The aircraft was on scheduled domestic flight from Bishkek to Osh, Kyrgyzstan. The airplane reportedly landed hard rolled over, broke up, and caught fire. The right wing was completely separated from the aircraft, and the aircraft came to rest inverted, but all of the occupants were able to escape. There were no

Holiday Air Travel Advice 2011

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:52:24 PST

Once again, the holidays mark one of the busier travel times of the year, with much of it personal travel as family and friends take to the skies. As with every holiday season, many of the same issues come up again and again, but in the past few months AirSafe.com has added a number of resources to help you deal with some of the uncertainty and stress.The two biggest changes include the recent

TSA officer in alleged sexual assault while in uniform

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:52:20 PST

On November 20, 2011, Harold Glenn Rodman, a 52-year-old TSA employee who lives in Manassas, Virginia, was arrested and later charged with several felonies, including three sexual assault related charges (aggravated sexual battery, object sexual penetration, and forcible sodomy) and one kidnapping related charge (abduction with intent to defile). Details on these charges, which are based on a

Passenger arrested for viewing child pornography in flight

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:08:28 PST

On Saturday November 26th, a 47-year old man was arrested at Boston's Logan airport after he was allegedly seen viewing child pornography on a flight from Salt Lake City to Boston. The accused passenger, University of Utah chemistry professor Grant Smith, was sitting in first class when another passenger saw the pornographic images on a laptop and alerted the crew. The accused passenger was

Revised AirSafe.com Baggage and Security Guide Published

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:43:32 PST

A revised and greatly expanded version of one of AirSafe.com's most popular downloads, the AirSafe.com Baggage and Security Guide, has just been released. Bringing together some of the most popular content from the AirSafe.com network of web sites, podcasts, and published articles, this book provides airline passengers with advice on how to deal with many common problems they may face when it

How to Fly with a Sex Toy

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:06:16 PST

Last month, writer and attorney Jill Filipovic was on an international flight from Newark, NJ to Dublin, Ireland, and upon arrival found in her checked bag a printed advisory from the TSA stating that her bag had been opened and inspected by the TSA. In the margin of the note, a TSA screener added an extra message saying "Get your freak on girl." The checked bag had contained a sex toy, and

767 Lands with Gear Up in Warsaw

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:42:18 PDT

1 November 2011; LOT 767-300; SP-LPC; flight 16; Warsaw, Poland: The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from Newark, NJ to Warsaw, a flight that was uneventful until shortly before landing when the crew was unable to lower the landing gear. The crew continued to fly and burn off fuel for about 90 minutes, giving emergency crews time to foam the runway, and allowing the authorities

Ditching and large commercial airliners

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:41:49 PDT

7 October 2011, Cessna 310, near Hawaii: Last week, the US Coast Guard rescued a pilot who was forced to ditch his small twin engined aircraft near Hawaii. The pilot, who was flying solo from Monterey, CA, contacted the FAA when he was about 500 miles from Hawaii, estimating that he would run out of fuel about 100 miles short of the island chain. The FAA contacted the Coast Guard, which

Single passenger survives 737 crash in Canadian Arctic

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:02:04 PDT

20 August 2011; First Air; 737-200; flight 6560; Resolute Bay, Canada: The aircraft (C-GNWN) was on a chartered domestic Canadian flight from Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories to to Resolute Bay in Nunavut Territory. The aircraft crashed near the runway during a landing attempt and broke up. There were four crew members and 11 passengers on board. While both fight attendants survived,

Caribbean Airlines 737-800 crashes in Guyana

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 11:05:25 PDT

30 July 2011; Caribbean Airlines; 737-800; flight BW523; Georgetown, Guyana: The aircraft (9Y-PBM) was on a scheduled international flight from Port of Spain, Trinidad, arriving at about 1:25 a.m. local time at Georgetown, Guyana. The flight had originated at New York's JFK airport. After landing, the aircraft departed the runway and broke into two large sections. While there were several serious

Plane crash in Brazil kills all 16 on board

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:00:40 PDT

13 July 2011; NOAR Linhas Aéreas; Let 410; PR-NOB; flight NRA-4896; Recife, Brazil: The aircraft was on a domestic flight from Recife to Natal, Brazil, and crashed in a populated area about one minute after takeoff, narrowly missing several buildings. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and post crash fire. Both crew members and all 14 passengers were killed.While this airliner accident

Plane Crash in Russia Kills 43

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 23:56:04 PDT

20 June 2011; RusAir; Tu134A; RA-65691; flight 7R-243; Petrozavodsk, Russia: The aircraft was on a domestic flight from Moscow (Domodedovo)to Petrozavodsk, Russia. The aircraft crashed on a roadway about one kilometer from the destination airport. Of the 43 passengers and nine crew members, 44 were killed and eight survived. Related InformationAviation Herald article with airport approach