Passenger Twitters Crash!

A Continental airlines 737 slid off the runway in Denver last night. The engine on the right side burst into flames. Passengers escaped out the left side on slides. 38 people were hurt. Fortunately no one was killed.
Passenger Mike Wilson Twittered his escape:

Merry Christmas

Airbus Pilots Having Trouble Falling Asleep

Complaining that the Airbus 380 is too quiet, pilots are not able to sleep during their rest periods. Every flushing toilet, crying baby and ironically every snoring passenger can be heard.
Read more about this.

Something Crashed in May

George Knapp of Channel 8 News, Las Vegas in on job:



More here

USAF Shacks a Truck. Whoops!

10/16/2008 - NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. - A training weapon fell from an Air Force aircraft on a training mission and struck a vehicle traveling on a road adjacent to the base Oct. 15, said Nellis Air Force Base officials.

The Air Force reports that the weapon, a 25-pound BDU-33, landed near a mobility warehouse on the base before bouncing into the road and striking a civilian vehicle.




The driver was not hurt.

Rumors on Nellis AFB are saying that the bomb was dropped from an A-10 aircraft.

The training bomb is used to simulate the ballistics of real air-to-ground weapons and does not carry explosives. Instead, it carries a small smoke charge used to mark the device's impact point.

Nellis AFB personnel and Las Vegas police are jointly investigating the incident.

Watch the news report.

The Air Force is remiss in admitting it, but this happens from time to time. In 2004, my old F-16 (84-1292) is being flown by the New Jersey Air National Guard. It strafed a middle school one night. Read more about that here. In March, a BDU-33 fell from an F-16 over Tulsa, Okla., striking an apartment building. In January 2007, a training bomb flying on an A-10 fell into a South Korean factory. And in January 2004, a BDU-33 fell from an F-15E and into an English industrial area. No one was injured in the accidents.

The most famous "dropped object" happened when a B-36 dropped an unarmed nuclear bomb and hit an elementary school in Rapid City Iowa.

Japanese Intercept Russians

Oct 8, 2008- F-15's flown by the Japanese Self Defense Force successfully intercepted a pair of Russian Tu-22 bombers. The incident occurred over the Sea of Japan. Moscow announced that the flight was part of their "Stability 2008" exercise. In addition, the Russians claimed that the flight was over international waters, on a routine training mission.



However, the fact that a pair of Su-27 Russian fighters were scrambled to join the bombers after the intercept was quite unusual.

Lieutenant-Colonel Vladimir Drik was quoted as saying by the Interfax and RIA Novosti news agencies.

"Four Japanese air force F-15 fighters escorted the strategic aviation crews as they flew over the Sea of Japan."

Two Russian Su-27 fighter jets were also sent up to join the bombers after the Japanese intercept to ensure that the Russian Tu-22 bombers, known in NATO parlance as "Backfire" bombers, completed their mission as planned."

History of previous intercepts

Wreckage of Fossett's Plane Found

A hiker in a remote area of California found items belonging to Steve Fossett, including two of his aviation identification cards, along with several $100 bills.

Rescue crews have found the wreckage of a small plane that appears to be the one piloted by adventurer Steve Fossett when he disappeared in September 2007, the National Transportation Safety Board said on Thursday.

The NTSB, which has sent an investigator to the accident site in the rugged eastern California mountains, did not say anything about finding remains of Fossett's body.

Fossett, 63, vanished in a single-engine Bellanca plane after taking off from the airstrip of hotel magnate Barron Hilton's ranch in Nevada. He did not file a flight plan but friends said he was going on a casual pleasure flight.

Fossett held 116 world records, in five different disciplines, 60 of which still stand.

14 world records in airplane flight, two in ballooning, six in glider flight, and one each in airship flight.

He died doing what he Loved.

Rossy Flies the English Channel

Crossing the English Channel was a mile post in early aviation. Now in the 21st century it takes center stage again. On September 26, 2008, Swiss airline pilot Yves "Fusion Man" Rossy crossed from France in to England without an airplane.

Sort of.

Jumping from a plane at more than 8,800 feet (2,500 meters) in the air above Calais, he fired up his jets and made the 22 mile (35 kilometer) trip between Calais and Dover at speeds of up to 120 mph (193 km/h) in 13 minutes.

Rossy was propelled by 4 kerosene-burning jet turbines attached to a wing on his back which he ignited inside the plane just prior to taking the leap, wearing a helmet and flameproof suit resembling those worn by Formula One drivers, to help him withstand the jet exhaust around his legs mounted merely inches from him on the wing.

After a period of free fall the former fighter pilot opened the wing and soared across the water.

The jetpack has no steering controls, so the only way for Rossy to change direction was like a bird, moving his head and back to control the wing’s movement.

MD-80 Kills Again

Madrid, Spain- Spanair Flight JK5022, an MD-82 en route to the Canary Islands with 175 souls on board crashed on take off from Madrid's airport. At last count there were 28 survivors.Initial reports state that the aircraft experienced a fire in its left engine. Having been unable to gain altitude, it crashed in the vicinity of the runway then broke up into at least two parts and was engulfed by the subsequent explosion. The plane had previously attempted and aborted its take off. After maintenance on the ground, further take-off roll was attempted, during which the mishap occurred.


The MD-80 series has done more to curb the population explosion since the invention of the fragmentation grenade. The MD-80 series has been involved in 57 mishaps,including 23 aircraft lost with 1,170 fatalities.

2008 has not been a good year for the MD-80 with numerous crashes, mishaps, in flight emergencies and groundings. If your planning to travel for the up coming holidays I seriously suggest you avoid the MD-80.

Related Posts.

Landing gear problem.

Obama In Flight Emergency-Update

The FAA has released the cockpit recordings of the In Flight Emergency (IFE) of the MD-81 carrying Senator Obama on a flight out of Chicago.



Related Posts

Text Message Saves Flight

Thursday, 7 August 2008

A quick-thinking air traffic controller's texting saved an aircraft with five people on board which had lost all communications and electrical power.

The Piper Seneca light aircraft had taken off from Kerry airport on a flight to Jersey last November when it had a complete electrical failure.

The pilot flew south to clear the coast and clouds and to see the ground. He tried to contact Kerry airport and air traffic control in Cork on his mobile phone. He briefly made contact with Cork, telling them about the problem.

He then received a text message on his mobile from the controller at Cork advising him that he was on radar and that Cork would allow the plane to land.

He followed the controller's instructions given by text. The undercarriage gear had to be lowered manually. The aircraft did a fly-by of the control tower so that controllers could check visually that the wheels were down.

The aircraft landed safely and an air accident investigation report published yesterday said the loss of all aircraft electrics during such a flight was considered very serious.

The report, by investigator John Hughes, praised the "positive and proactive " initiative of the air traffic controller who texted his instructions to the pilot.

F-15 Crashes During Red Flag

An F-15D assigned to the 65th Aggressor Squadron crashed while participating in the Red Flag exercise conducted from Nellis AFB, Nevada. It was reported that one of the two man crew died in the crash. The other pilot was transported to Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital and was listed in stable condition and is under observation.

The 65th Aggressor Squadron is based at Nellis AFB. The cause of the crash is still under investigation and a formal news briefing is scheduled for Thursday.

The F-15 fleet was grounded after the investigation of a November, 2007 crash revealed a design defect which weakened the forward fuselage. The F-15 Eagle was first flown in July, 1972. It has never been defeated in air to air combat.

The U.S. Air Force plans to replace the F-15 fleet with the F-22 Raptor which is now operational.

Related Posts.

White Knight II Unveiled

Virgin Galactic unveiled it's latest design, The White Knight II. The jet powered craft will carry the sub orbital Spaceship II aloft. Spaceship Two plans to carry up to twelve passengers who will pay $200,000 for the suborbital trip into space.

In flight meals will not be served.




The aircraft shown above is NOT the actual White Knight II, but rather a trainer for future pilots.

Virgin America Airlines is having a contest called "The Race for Space". Passengers will win tickets for the Spaceship Two.

65,000 people on currently on the waiting list for tickets when flight operations begin.

Explosion on Quantas 747

An on board oxygen bottle has never exploded on a passenger jet in mid-air, until last Friday. That's when Quantas flight QF30 from Hong Kong to Sidney, diverted to Manila after an explosive decompression at 29,000 feet. The 747-400 landed safely with 365 passengers and crew.

Fragments of tank and valve parts found point to an explosion of the aircraft oxygen tank. Passengers reported that the oxygen masks deployed during the controlled descent but were not working.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board continue their investigations. Terrorism has been ruled out as a cause.

Qantas Chief Executive Geoff Dixon said Monday that the company did not know what caused the mid-flight blast but suggested the cause was likely mechanical and not human error.

"Obviously there is every chance it is something to do with the aircraft, and it is something that may have well been out of our control. More than likely it was," he said at a news conference in Sydney, Australia. He described Friday's events as "a very, very bad accident."

An air-worthiness directive, issued in April and effective in May, followed a report that certain oxygen cylinder supports in Boeing 747-400s may not have been properly heat-treated, which the FAA said could cause oxygen leakage and subsequent fire hazards.

David Cox, Qantas' head of engineering, told reporters on Monday that the FAA directive applies to a different type of oxygen system than the one being scrutinized in the Qantas emergency. The cylinders covered under the directive are located in a different part of the plane than where the Qantas aircraft sustained damage.

Sydney-based Qantas Airways has been ordered to urgently inspect every oxygen bottle aboard its fleet of 30 Boeing 747s, which is expected to take several days.

Quantas Airlines has never lost a jet airliner. It's last crash was in 1951 and involved a small aircraft.

MD-80 "Death Trap" Takes a Shot at Obama

The US National Transportation Safety Board is investigating why a Midwest Airlines Boeing MD-80 carrying Senator Barack Obama was forced to make an emergency landing today.

The crew of the chartered aircraft earlier today diverted to St. Louis, Missouri, during a flight from Chicago, Illinois, to Charlotte, North Carolina, due to a suspected flight control anomaly.


While diverting around a thunderstorm, the crew reported heavier that normal loads on the elevator. MD-80 crews are currently trained to divert immediately when they encounter problems with the elevator controls.

Elevator failure was the primary cause of the crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 in 2000.

Upon landing it was discovered that the aft emergency slide deployed in flight!

Example of slide deployment.

The Obama Campaign switched to a different MD-80.

Related posts about problems with the MD-80.

What Hit Northwest Flight 478?

Aircraft suffer bird strikes on a daily basis. What happened to Northwest Flight 478 remains a mystery.

The Boeing 757 was descending through 18000 feet when the crew reported a loud bang.

The crew did not suspect a bird strike due to their high altitude. They did suspect radome damage due to the failure of the radar system and slowed their airspeed.

The aircraft made an uneventful landing at Tampa International Airport with 182 passengers and crew.

Post flight inspection revealed impact damage to the radome. However it was not consistent with damage caused by a bird strike.

Neither the FAA nor the airline has determined whether the damage was the result of an unexplained structural failure, lightning or another cause.

Iran is Going to Blow Up

...and my bet is that the Israelis are going to do it while the U.S. rattles it's sabers.

The New York Times quoted officials Friday as saying that more than 100 Israeli F-16s and F-15s staged the maneuver, flying more than 900 miles, roughly the distance from Israel to Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, and that the exercise included refueling tankers and helicopters capable of rescuing downed pilots.

The Israelis usually shoot first and reveal later. It is really unusual that they are being so open it their preparations. Historically, they defend their position of the the only nuclear power in the Middle East. While the U.S. blusters and ponders it's policy towards a nuclear Iran, look for Israel to take a more direct approach.

Video of B-2 Crash

Ever see someone spend 1.4 billion dollars?

Captain Michael A. Crandall- USAF

I vividly remember the day of the crash. The weather was very bad that day. The first sortie was recalled and we were able to refuel only two aircraft before fueling went on weather hold as well.

Capt. Mike Crandall was off station that day , but he and his wingman "snuck in " under the weather. I was expediting that day and picked him up at the airplane. He asked about our jet (84-1292). I told him that it was in the garage (phase inspection). As I dropped him off at ops he said "Remind me about nose art when I get back." Those were the last words I heard Mike say.

Back in ops, LtCol. Rick Huss told Mike that Capt. Bob McCormack still needed to be upgraded to flight lead and Mike volunteered to take him up. Bob was to fly 1395 and Mike 1401 the only two aircraft refueled.

On start up Bob had hydraulic indication problems and we fixed them. Mike was in the other flight so I didn't know he was flying.

The aircraft were configured without external fuel tanks so their flight time was less than a hour. After an hour passed, we figured they "weathered in" at some other bases as it was common. After 90 minutes I was radioed to meet with my supervisor. He asked for me to quietly get the maintenance forms for 395. Fearing the worst I asked him if the aircraft was lost. he said "Just get the forms and don't discuss anything with anyone."

The aircraft had collided. Bob was thrown (not ejected) out of the jet. He landed in a farmer's field with a broken back. A farmer's daughter (yes this is true) picked him up in the family car as he was walking toward the farm house. He phoned in the base to report the collision.

The squadron was monitoring the SAR net, listening to the search effort. There were two beepers going off. In the other room, Capt. Karl Gruner was listening to German radio hoping for a news report. When Bob phoned, they then began looking for Mike. It was then that German news reported that two F-16's had in fact collided, resulting one pilot dead and one severely injured. That is how we found out that Mike was dead. The Polizei had found his body, he had had a good chute but he died in the collision.

I went home not knowing that. Knowing two jets were down, I prayed the crew chief prayer that all pilots were safe. The next morning I read in the Stars and Stripes, that Captain Michael A. Crandall had died the night before.

I sat in my stairwell and cried .

Mike was my pilot and my friend. He is buried at the Academy. Every now and then I see cadets serving at Nellis AFB. If I get a chance to talk I tell them that when they are struggling and don't think they can hack it, to visit Mike. We lost many, many friends during the Cold War. Let no one forget that there was and still is great valor on "routine training missions".

Mikey is at the Air Force Academy,

Colorado Springs, Colorado.

OTHER HEROES

VIDEO

Air Force to FIght Wildfires with Water Balloons

No joke. Boeing is developing the Precision Aerial Fire Fighting System. Currently wildfires are fought from the air by dropping massive amounts of water and suppressants over a wide area.
With the PAFF, fires would be fought with precision strikes. The Air Force will be dropping water balloons from C-17 aircraft.
Using current deployments techniques, C-17 aircraft will deliver pallets of biodegradable "beach balls" each unit containing 50 gallons of water. Multiple hot spots can be attacked. More water could be delivered with fewer missions. Accurate deliveries can be made at safer altitudes and speeds.

So how does a beach ball do the trick? The system uses up to 2,800 biodegradable, faceted spheres stacked on pallets within cardboard containers. This delivery technique is similar to the way U.S. Air Force C-17s airdropped yellow humanitarian ration packages to Afghanis in 2001.

The unit's spherical shape minimizes airflow resistance. Each sphere contains 50 pounds of water and easily remains intact while it falls true to target. The spheres burst on impact at the heart of the fire. A single C-17 PAFF mission could airdrop 140,000 pounds of water on multiple "hot spot" targets—equivalent to nearly 100 helicopter deliveries.

Swiss Man Flies the da Vinci Parachute

April 29, 2008- It has taken over 500 years and many, many failed attempts, but the da Vinci Parachute has been successfully flown.


Olivier Vietti-Teppa (36), of Switzerland successfully landed a da Vinci designed parachute, conceived somewhere around 1485.

The jump was made from 2000 feet from a helicopter.



"I came down in the middle of Payerne military airport in Switzerland, a perfect jump. " -Olivier Vietti-Teppa


Watch the video.

Isrealis Bombed Syrian Reactor

No Shit? Really? Guess who reported this back when it happened?
Maddog Speaks: WTF? Syrian WMD's?

The Bush administration charged Thursday that a secret Syrian nuclear reactor was within weeks or months of completion before Israel bombed it on Sept. 6 and demanded that North Korea and Syria publicly acknowledge their collusion on a facility that could have produced plutonium for a nuclear weapon.

Back in September, everything was on the QT. In October, the Syrians used a controlled demolition to clear the site. In doing so, they exposed reactor components to U.S. spy satellites. Whoops.

The Bush administration didn't go public at the time at the request of the Israelis who feared a counterstrike. The U.S. State Department then used this fact successfully to compel the Koreans to abandon their nuclear program.

Hurray for our side!

President Bush has received criticism from Congress who side with the Syrians.

Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Tex.), chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, charged Thursday that the administration had improperly imposed a "veil of secrecy" around intelligence it was required to share with the oversight committees.

In a statement, the Syrian Embassy in Washington denounced the U.S. claims as "false allegations" designed to "misguide" Congress and international public opinion and produce support for Israel's surprise air strike in September, "which the U.S. administration may have helped execute."

Russian MiG-29 Downs Georgian UAV

Fight's on!
On 21 April, 2008, A Russian MiG-29 downed a Georgian UAV. The Georgian aircraft was an Isreali built Hermes 450.

At first everyone opened with a lie.

The ITAR-TASS news agency quoted a Russian air force representative, who claims a MIG-29 fighter would never be used to destroy an unmanned plane.

According to Georgia, one of its unmanned planes was on a regular reconnaissance flight when it was attacked by a Russian fighter jet.

Georgia had previously denied all involvement, claiming they hadn’t sent a plane to the area. Abkhazia says Georgia’s statement acknowledging the flight is tantamount to an admission of spying.

A video released by the Georgians clearly shows a MiG-29 sliding into the UAV's six o'clock position and hosing it with an air to air missile.

The video was released on 23 April by the Georgian U.N. delegation during a meeting of the Security Council. Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin labeled the drone flight as provocative and noted that Abkhazia claims to have shot down the drone. The U.N. Security Council debated the crisis behind closed doors and has not released any information.

The Abakhazian Air Force doesn't field a MiG-29 but does have the Su-27.

The United States expressed concern on Wednesday over the shooting down of a pilotless Georgian reconnaissance drone and reaffirmed its support for Georgia as it grapples with Russia over the rebel territory. Abkhazia announced it's independence from Georgia in 1992.

The Russian foreign ministry also said that the presence of the drone violated UN ceasefire agreements.

Russian and UN peacekeepers have been deployed in the two regions since the early 1990s, when violence erupted as they broke free from Georgian control.

Russia has asserted that it is not seeking to inflame the situation but to try and protect the rights and legal interests of Russian citizens who make up the majority of the population in the two regions.

U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement:

"The United States is deeply concerned by the shooting down of an unarmed Georgian UAV, by a presumably Russian MiG-29, over the Abkhazia region of Georgia on April 20." McCormack added that Washington was "concerned by the presence of a MiG-29 aircraft in Georgian airspace without Georgian authorization, and by the use of weapons from this aircraft in shooting down an unarmed Georgian UAV."

In a show of support earlier in the day, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Georgian Foreign Minister David Bakradze at the State Department.

Before the meeting, Secretary Rice was quoted as saying:

"Our commitment to Georgia and to its territorial integrity is firm."

After meeting Georgia's foreign minister, Ms Rice said the US was "very concerned" by Russia's actions.

Confused yet? Stay tuned for details as this crisis unfolds. The Lucky Puppy Forum has been reporting on Russian bombers challenging NATO aircraft on "routine patrols". Putin has been has been flexing Russian military power in a clear attempt to reassert Russia as a global superpower. Is this a blatant example of it?

Save The Leathal Lady

The aircraft shown on the right is a record setter.
Built in 1985, "Lethal Lady" has been in the air longer than any other F-16. Currently flown by the Green Mountain Boys of the Vermont ANG, she has logged more the 7000 hours in the air. She has flown in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Now she slated for the glue factory.

Rather than meeting this ignoble fate,
Senator Leahy (D-VT) has called for the Lady to be preserved.

"It would be better to put the aircraft on display at the Vermont Guard or at the National Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio."

If you want this piece of aviation history to be saved, contact the Senator at the link above and voice your opinion.

The photo is when 83-1165 [Photo by Gary Chambers] was with the Indiana ANG. If any of you Green Mountain Boys have a current picture, please post it here. If you ever crewed her or flew her feel free to send pictures as well. Thanks.

The Four Horsemen

In the 1950's the Tactical Air Command fielded an air demonstration "Squadron" known as
The Four Horsemen.
Many units at the time had demo units but the 463rd Troop Carrier Wind at Ardmore AFB, Oklahoma had a unique twist. They flew the C-130 Hercules.
Captains Gene Chaney, Jim Akin, David Moore and William Hatfield of the 774th Troop Carrier Squadron were the Horsemen.
Diamond formations were a snap. They started the show taking off in the Diamond.


Here's their idea of a "Bomb Burst".After the Bomb Burst they'd reform in diamond for a pass down the show line. They then reformed into a echelon and came back in for the landing. Landing one after the other, Lead would still be on the runway when four touched down.

The team applied to be designated as an official air demonstration team. While in peace time there were plenty of fighters laying around, the C-130 had operational commitments so there weren't aircraft to spare. For that reason the application was turned down.

Read their whole story.

Green Mountain Boy Gets Out of Hand

8 APR, 2008- It's opening day for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. At conclusion of the National Anthem, three F-16's of the Vermont Air National Guard's 158th Fighter Wing come swooping in for a fly by. The fourth plane in the formation then barrel rolls over the formation.

The crowd goes wild!

The pilot gets grounded.

The maneuver was not planned. Number four was running late and barrel rolled to tuck back into the formation. Uh...right. You bet. You pay them big bucks and send them to all the schools but pilots always act like boys on bikes. The Hog Dog stunt has landed the pilot in hot water.

Sort of.

Spokesman for the Green Mountain Boys, Lt. Col. Lloyd Goodrow said:

"It was a legitimate maneuver and not an acrobatic stunt. "It is normally done at 5,000 feet or above. The crowd loved it, but it was not a planned maneuver. At no time was the public in danger. Our pilot is a very skilled pilot. He maintained full control of the airplane.
The pilot was grounded, not as a punishment but so we can provide remedial training in tactics and procedures so this situation does not happen again. I can promise you they won’t see anything like that again, no matter where we do flyovers."

The name of the pilot was not released but was described as a "very experienced pilot".


The 158th Fighter Wing is based out of Burlington, Vermont and is currently serving Bold Eagle alert duties at various locations. Operation Bold Eagle flies airborne intercepts of unknown or suspicious aircraft as part of Homeland Defense since 9/11. The wing has also deployed to Iraq.


FANGS OUT!!!

More about the Green Mountain Boys

Aloha Aloha

On March 31, 2008 flight 261 marked the end of the 61 year history of Aloha Airlines. The company ceased operations just ten days after filing Chapter 11 reorganization.



Final Flight


Final Safety Briefing

T-Bird in the Dirt

15 MAR, 2005- The USAF Thunderbirds usually do their first show of the season at Creech AFB, Nevada. It's called "Indian Springs Appreciation Day". They practice at Creech and the show is a full-up dress rehearsal and a "Thank you and sorry about that bathroom window".

In March of 2005, I was working and I called the wife to ask if she liked the show.

Wife-"It was all right, but your son freaked out."

Me-"What happened?"

Wife- "Something about a wheel or something. He said I was the adult and had the good camera and to get closer. He said he blaze away with his camera. Later, he told me not to go through any metal detector and don't let anyone touch the camera until Dad sees it."


Me- "Put him on."

Me- "What happened Josh?"

Josh- "Number three went into the dirt!"

Me- "Really"

Josh- "Yeah, really. The gear collapsed."

The mishap happened at the end of the show and taxing into the spot. Number three didn't make the turn and trundled off the taxi way. The pilot was taken away in a back board. The cause of mishap was brake failure. I chatted with the crew chief and he said,
"The pilot's okay. The jet is okay. We're flying at Luke next week."

The pilot was on the back board as a precaution. The gear did not collapse. From the crowd line, it only appeared that the it was on its belly.

Dear Captain

Disfunctional Flight Attendant

Ellen Simonetti was fired from Delta Airlines for posting "inappropriate" pictures like this one. See them here.

Sadly, her escapades as a dysfunctional flight attendant have been locked out of her blog. Connected to her lawsuit against Delta, no doubt. Buy her book instead.



Ellen blogs on. You go girl!

Delta Grounds Their MD-80's Too

Delta Airlines grounded their MD-80 fleet yesterday. They're taking another look at their wiring . This action was driven bythe same FAA audit which led American to ground and reinspect their MD-80's. A statement by Delta said that the wiring of the auxiliary hydraulic system was the culprit.

The Aux Hyd system runs while the aircraft is at the gate. That way, you can flush the toilet and stuff. It is not a safety of flight issue.

The FAA announced that it will release its findings on its month long audit of the airline industry's maintenance documentation.

DELTA-Doesn't Ever Leave The Airport

Related Posts

American Grounds MD-80 Fleet

If you have a ticket on American Airlines today you might want to hit the book shop.

You're not going anywhere soon.

American Airlines, the world's largest carrier, canceled 200 flights today to re-inspect wiring in Boeing Co. MD-80s after federal regulators raised questions during a maintenance audit. American had previously complied with the directive but a recent the FAA audit called documentation into question.

The grounding in voluntary and represents about 9% of American's fleet. It is a response to an Air Worthiness Directive issued by the FAA. AMR, the parent company of American has issued the following statement.

"We are reinspecting the MD-80s to make sure the wiring is installed and secured exactly according to the directive."

The inspection deals with spacers and positioning of wire bundles. The exact function of the wiring was not disclosed and does not pose a safety of flight issue.

The FAA issues Airworthiness Directives on a regular basis to alert carriers of potential problems before they effect safety of flight. American's action today represents a pro-active response to the FAA's increased scrutiny following the recent grounding of the Southwest Airlines grounding of its 737 fleet.

American predicts that the inspection will be completed today and the aircraft will be returning to service throughout the day.

Within the industry the MD-80 is referred to as the "Death Trap". Since entering service in 1980 the manufacturer, McDonald/Douglas and then later Boeing, has modified the design to ensure that deficiencies have been reduced or eliminated.

List of MD-80 mishaps.

NSTB reports on fatal mishaps.

The F-117 Retires Today

DAYTON, Ohio- The F-117 Stealth Fighter, made famous in Desert Storm will be retired today in a ceremony at Wright-Patterson AFB. The aircraft will be moth balled at a classified site. The aircraft will be replaced by the F-22.

Farewell "Unexpected Guest".



More F-117 Nose Art.

Southwest Fined by FAA- $10.2 Mil

Have you flown on Southwest airlines lately? Everything okay? What luck!

On March 6, 2008, the FAA levied Southwest with a 10.2 million dollar fine for failing to inspection as many as 117 737's for as long as 30 months.

The inspections centered around early detection of skin cracking. Anyone remember Aloha Flight 243 . The one that suddenly offered patio seating in first class?


Calling it "one of the worst safety violations" he has ever seen, Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minnesota, is expected to call a hearing as soon as possible to ask why the airline put its passengers in danger.

But Southwest Airlines -- which carried more passengers in the United States than any other airline last year -- said there was never a flight safety issue.

"The FAA penalty is related to one of many routine and redundant inspections on our aircraft fleet involving an extremely small area in one of the many overlapping inspections. These inspections were designed to detect early signs of skin cracking," the airline said in a statement Thursday evening. Read Southwest's entire response.