News and commentary about airline safety, airline <br>security, plane crashes, and airline policy issues.noreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:49:53 -0500Blogger http://www.blogger.com443125http://www.airsafenews.com/en-usnoCopyright 2007-2009 AirSafe.com, LLC, All Rights Reservedairline,safety,passenger,accident,airplane,plane,crash,policyReports and news updates on plane crashes and on issues related to aviation safety, aviation security, and the risk of airline travel. Topics include fear of flying, making airline complaints, and assessing the risk of your air travel.Your source for airline safety and security informationDr. Todd Curtistcurtis@airsafe.comDr. Todd Curtishttp://www.airsafenews.com/2016/02/this-week-in-airline-safety-and.htmlaccidentairasiacrashdaallofatallaserreportFri, 5 Feb 2016 12:42:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-3870333825426124930First fatal airliner event of 2016 The February 2nd in-flight explosion on a Daallo Airlines A321 over Somalia led to the death of one passenger and was the first fatal airliner event of 2016. At present, the investigation into the explosion is ongoing, and the authorities in Somalia have not ruled out the possibility that the explosion was caused by a bomb. Because of the nature of the event, 0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2015/06/airline-safety-and-security-review-for.htmlairlinegermanwingsplane crashsafetysecurityTue, 30 Jun 2015 11:44:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-2691574596282991820In the first six months of 2015, AirSafe.com identified eight noteworthy events, but only the two involving passenger deaths on aircraft models commonly used by airlines in the US and the EU. Those two events would be used to compute fatal event rates for particular aircraft models . The event which has attracted by far the most media attention, as well as the most traffic at AirSafe.com, is the0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2015/05/why-train-crash-in-philadelphia-is-like.htmlaccidentamtrakcrashnew yorkntsbphiladelphiaplanetrainwashingtonThu, 14 May 2015 13:21:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-2238840837681539780The crash of Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 188 in Philadelphia, PA on May 12, 2015 involved an Amtrak passenger train, but in many ways this train crash was like a plane crash, specifically in the ways that the major US media outlets responded to the event. It is extremely rare for train crashes to generate intense media interest, but this kind of attention is routine for airline crashes. Upon 3tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2015/05/ongoing-harvard-health-studies-need.htmlairlinechangflight attendantharvardhealthpilotpublicrisksThu, 7 May 2015 13:13:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-1288311496641824474Flight attendants and pilots face unique stresses and risks due to exposures that occur in the aircraft, as well as from issues outside of the aircraft such as fatigue brought on by disrupted sleep patterns. Understanding what those risks are, and what factors are associated with those risks, is a difficult and ongoing challenge that is being addressed in part by the following two studies from 0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2015/05/french-authorities-release-preliminary.htmla320beacrashdepressionfirst officerfrancegermanwingsinvestigationmedicalpreliminaryreportWed, 6 May 2015 17:50:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-5530421980240834300On 6 May 2015, the BEA (Bureau d'Enqu&ecirc;tes et d'Analyses pour la S&eacute;curit&eacute; de l'Aviation Civile) released a preliminary report on the crash of Germanwings flight 4U9525 which highlighted the following findings: At about three minutes after the aircraft reached its cruising altitude of 38,000 feet, the captain left the cockpit. Within 30 seconds of the captain leaving the 0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2015/04/the-chemicals-that-may-be-in-your.htmlFri, 24 Apr 2015 11:29:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-3227146603487306127A recent article in i09.com described a reality that may surprise some passengers. In short, the passenger emergency oxygen system used in some airliners may generate small amounts of toxic chemicals in addition to oxygen. While that may sound a bit scary, the risks to passenger is rather low. Two types of systems Passenger emergency oxygen systems provide oxygen from either a centralized 0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2015/04/are-people-with-history-of-depression.htmlairlinedepressionexaminerfaagermanwingsmedicalpilotsuicidetransportFri, 3 Apr 2015 12:04:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-6940404397448505252The unfolding investigation of March 2015 crash of Germanwings flight 9525 has revealed that it is very likely that the first officer locked the captain out of the cockpit, and proceeded to deliberately crash the aircraft into the French Alps. Reports by French and German authorities, as well as by Lufthansa, the parent organization of Germanwings, suggest that not only did the first officer have0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2015/03/at-least-seven-deliberate-crashes-by.htmla320crashdeliberatefrancegermanwingsgermanypilotsuicideFri, 27 Mar 2015 14:06:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-832182449175284579424 March 2015; Germanwings A320-200; D-AIPX; flight 4U9525; near Barcelonnette, France: The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from Barcelona, Spain to D&uuml;sseldorf, Germany. About a half hour after takeoff, while at a cruising altitude of 38,000 feet, the aircraft began losing altitude, and crashed about ten minutes later. The investigative authorities suspect that the first0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2015/03/germanwings-a320-crashes-in-france-with.htmla320crashfrancegermanwingslufthansaplaneTue, 24 Mar 2015 10:53:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-470367151044047066924 March 2015; Germanwings A320-200; D-AIPX; flight 4U9525; near Barcelonnette, France: The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from Barcelona, Spain to D&uuml;sseldorf, Germany. About a half hour after takeoff, while at a cruising altitude of 38,000 feet, the aircraft began losing altitude, and crashed about ten minutes later. All six crew members and 142 passengers were killed.0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2015/03/recent-interviews-about-harrison-fords.htmlanxietycrashfear of flyingfordharrisonmalaysiamh370planeFri, 13 Mar 2015 11:28:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-1211776717652397505Recent interviews featuring Todd Curtis of AirSafe.com included: An interview with the BBC about claims that some airlines in the Middle East are receiving unfair subsidies, Several interviews discussing Harrison Ford's latest plane crash, Several discussions about the one year anniversary of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, and Dissecting the preliminary information from the latest landing 0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2015/02/recent-interviews-on-drones-transasia.htmlboeingcrashdronedrugsinterviewnatoplanetransasiaMon, 23 Feb 2015 11:01:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-1805993784448346680Recent interviews featuring Todd Curtis of AirSafe.com included: An interview on the Rudy Maxa show on proposed FAA drone regulations, A CJOB radio interview about last month's fatal crash of a Greek F-16, Several interviews about the crash of a TransAsia ATR-72 in Taiwan, and A KING TV report on Boeing factory workers fired for selling and using drugs on the job. You can find all of these0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2015/02/transasia-airways-has-second-fatal.htmlatratr 72crashplanetaipeitaiwantransasiaWed, 4 Feb 2015 10:46:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-17766253236895660694 February 2015; TransAsia Airways ATR 72-600; B-22816; flight GE232; near Magong, Taiwan: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight between Taipei and Kinmen Island, Taiwan. The airplane crashed into a river shortly after takeoff from Songshan Airport in Taipei. The aircraft hit a bridge, as well as a vehicle on that bridge, before plunging into the Keelung River. Shortly before 1tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2015/01/2014-airline-safety-review.html2014airlinecrashesplanesafetyThu, 1 Jan 2015 02:46:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-1776686339535776614 This is the 19th annual review since AirSafe.com was launched in 1996. From 1996 to 2013, the number of fatal events in a year have ranged from a low of five in 2013 to a high of 19 in 1997 This review includes all plane crashes that resulted in a fatal event, specifically events involving passenger fatalities in aircraft which have the capacity to seat at least 10 passengers where those 0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2014/12/holiday-air-travel-advice-2014.htmlairgiftsholidayshoestraveltsaThu, 4 Dec 2014 08:51:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-1056120915834049533Between now and the beginning of next year, untold millions of passengers, some of them flying for the first time in a while, and even many first time flyers, will be taking to the skies for the holidays, and AirSafe.com wants to do its part to help you avoid any serious travel issues. AirSafe.com has a variety of resources, including online resources and downloadable ebooks that will help you 0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2014/11/rethinking-space-related-mishaps-in.htmlmanned orbiting laboratorymilitarymolnasaprogramspacespaceshiptwovirgin galacticx-15Thu, 6 Nov 2014 10:35:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-8046683579097611716 'This Week in Airline Safety' for 7 November 2014 discusses how the SpaceShipTwo mishap led to a rethinking of how AirSafe.com will look at space related safety and risk. Last month's mishap that led to a loss of SpaceShipTwo, the vehicle designed and built by Scaled Composites that Virgin Galactic plans to use to provide anyone with the right combination of desire, adventure,0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2014/11/ntsb-provides-timeline-of-spaceshiptwo.htmlaccidentcopilotcrashgalacticinvestigationlockntsbspacespaceshiptwovirginTue, 4 Nov 2014 09:29:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-843301971363525226The following is an overview of the preliminary findings presented by the NTSB on the third day of their investigation. During the fourth media briefing on the third day of the on site portion of the NTSB investigation of the crash of SpaceShipTwo, the most significant information provided by acting NTSB chair Christopher A. Hart was a general timeline of the events between the release of 0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2014/11/ntsb-hints-that-spaceshiptwo-breakup.htmlaccidentcrashgalacticinvestigationntsbspacespaceshiptwovirginMon, 3 Nov 2014 01:53:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-5072615184335491039The following is an overview of the factual data presented by the NTSB on the second day of their investigation. During the media briefing on the second day of the NTSB investigation of the crash of SpaceShipTwo, acting NTSB chair Christopher A. Hart, reported on some of their early findings that implied that there was no fire, explosion, or other kind of breach or failure involving the engine,0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2014/11/virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo-ntsb.htmlaccidentcrashflightinvestigationntsbscaled compositesspacespaceshiptwotestSat, 1 Nov 2014 18:36:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-1771611990269694880The NTSB is leading the investigation into yesterday's crash of Scaled Composites SpaceShipTwo north of Mojave, CA. Saturday November 1st was the first day of the investigation, and the NTSB has already had one one media briefing with a second planned for late in the evening. The following is an overview of the crash and comments on the early media briefings. 31 October 2014; Scaled Composites0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2014/10/why-ebola-air-travel-restrictions-keep.htmlebolamanagementpolicyriskTue, 28 Oct 2014 15:37:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-44960670577869989In recent days, Ebola-related restrictions on travel keep changing, sometimes in ways that can be confusing to airline passengers and to the general public. There are two basic reasons why this is happening, the first being the changing nature of the Ebola outbreak, and the second because there are several kinds of independent decision makers when it comes to Ebola travel policies. The changing 0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2014/10/why-air-travel-ban-may-not-help-to-keep.htmlassessmentbandallasebolamanagementrisktravelTue, 21 Oct 2014 00:51:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-6630734554087220656In the days after the first Ebola fatality in the US in early October 2014, from a person who contracted the disease in Liberia and later flew to Dallas, TX, there have been concerns in some circles, most notably in the political arena and throughout social media, that there should be some kind of travel ban put into effect to keep other infected persons from traveling to the US. These concerns 0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2014/10/hundreds-more-passengers-may-have-been.htmlairlinerscdcebolaexposedfrontiernursevirusSat, 18 Oct 2014 15:34:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-2753414141801125146CDC Expands Passenger Notification A nurse who had treated the first US Ebola patient was exposed to the Ebola virus and later contracted the disease. Before she was hospitalized, she had taken the following two airline flights in early October 2014 on Frontier Airlines: October 10th: Fight 1142 from Dallas, TX (DFW) to Cleveland, OH. October 13th: Flight 1143 from Cleveland to DFW. Several 0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2014/10/evolving-issues-with-ebola-and-air.htmlcdcctvebolainfectionnursewfaaFri, 17 Oct 2014 00:59:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-315283950805099447The recent news that a nurse, Amber Joy Vinson, who was both infected by the Ebola virus and showing Ebola-related symptoms, was on an airline flight with 132 other passengers (and at least five crew members) was disturbing for a couple of reasons. The primary concern was that this nurse, who had a low-grade fever but no other Ebola-related symptoms, put all the passengers and crew on that plane 0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2014/10/update-on-location-of-flight-mh370.htmlatsbinmarsatmalaysia airlinesmh370searchsimulationFri, 10 Oct 2014 09:52:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-1713499664745363733On 8 October 2014, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released an update detailing their best estimate of the current location of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. The location of this 777, which went missing on 8 March 2014 with 227 passengers and 12 crew members who were on board, is unknown, and in the seven months since the aircraft went missing, no trace of the aircraft, its 0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2014/10/new-ebola-screening-measures-likely-not.htmlbordercbpcdccenterscustomsdiseaseebolaThu, 9 Oct 2014 09:43:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-260585189279970959On October 8th, 2014 the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), along with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), announced a series of new screening measures at selected US airports. These measures, which will focus on travelers arriving from the west African nations of Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, the three nations most affected by the latest Ebola outbreak. These new screening 0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)http://www.airsafenews.com/2014/10/airline-passenger-infected-with-ebola.htmlbrusselbrusselsdallasebolainfectionliberaunitedThu, 2 Oct 2014 11:40:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361551057843307108.post-2532810656364851144On September 30, 2014, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that the first case of Ebola to be diagnosed in the US involved an airline passenger, Thomas Eric Duncan, who had flown from Monrovia, Liberia to Dallas, Texas after stopovers in Brussels, Belgium and at Washington Dulles Airport in the US. The passenger, who departed from Liberia on September 19th and 0tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis)