Insight and Commentary on aviation accidents and the law
At least a half dozen Cirrus SR22T aircraft have lost power on takeoff and crashed. According to the National Transportation Board, in each case the aircraft pumped too much fuel to the engine, causing it to flood. That remains ongoing danger. According to the National Transportation Safety Board:
…until the Federal Aviation Administration requires
Four years ago, the NTSB questioned whether manufactures like Boeing should be allowed to self-certify that their aircraft designs meet FAA requirements. The NTSB suggested that “self-certification” may have contributed to the battery fires that were being experienced on Boeing’s 787s. After all, it’s the FAA’s job to make an independent determination that an aircraft…
A courageous client speaks to Stephen Stock about the risks to the flying public.
The NTSB allows aviation manufacturers to participate in its crash investigations. But it excludes from the investigation the crash victims, the victims’ lawyers, and their experts. That’s how the NTSB has gone about investigating aviation accidents for years. It’s little wonder, then, that the NTSB’s final reports are frequently biased in favor of the manufacturers…
Robinson Helicopters began installing crash-resistant fuel tanks in 2010. Robinson Helicopters with fuel tanks installed before then tend to catch fire during accidents that, but for the fire, would have been survivable.
The Australian authorities thought that the safer tanks were a good idea. Enough Robinsons had caught fire after minor accidents that in 2013…
Families of those involved in five different general aviation crashes and their lawyer are suing the NTSB, charging it with obstruction of justice. The suit claims that the NTSB withheld from the families information concerning each of the crashes in violation of the Freedom of Information Act.
I’ve commented before about how the NTSB’s “…
A few hours ago, USA Today published a lengthy investigative report devoted to small aircraft crashes. The conclusion: aviation manufacturers have long concealed the fact that their defectively designed products cause aircraft crashes and injures. And the investigating agencies, including the NTSB and FAA, let them get away with it.
The report covers many of…
No conclusion yet as to exactly what caused the Galloping Ghost to crash last September at the Reno Air Races. But the interim report the NTSB issued today disclosed that the Galloping Ghost experienced an “upset” 6 seconds before it lost its left elevator trim tab. That, in turn, caused the aircraft to go out of control.
The NTSB blamed the helicopter crash that killed 9 firefighters on the the helicopter’s operator. Basically, the NTSB concluded that the helicopter crashed because it was overloaded. But today a jury disagreed, deciding that the Sikorsky helicopter crashed because one of its two engines failed. The jury handed down a $70 million verdict against…
The NTSB says that during tomorrow’s hearing, it will be looking to industry leaders to give it a “deeper understanding of regulations” bearing on the operation of the nation’s air shows. Of course, the only regulatory body that has the authority to control air shows is the FAA. But what the Board will find —…