The previous entry on the AirSafe.com News described the September 2009 update AirSafe.com's listing of fatal plane crash rates by model. The video and audio podcast below discusses the aircraft models with the lowest rates. There are links to the video on YouTube and to downloadable versions of the podcast in MP3, MP4, and WMV formats.
Additional Resources
Plane Crash Rates by Model
Recent Fatal Plane Crashes
Showing posts with label accident. Show all posts
Showing posts with label accident. Show all posts
26 September 2009
21 October 2008
Complacency and the Qantas A330 Accident of 7 October 2008
The accident earlier this month involving a Qantas Airbus A330 on a flight from Singapore to Perth seriously injured several passengers, but didn't result in any fatalities. While the event drew substantial news media attention in Australia and Asia, there was very little mention of it by major US media. This is very likely another example of how when it comes to airline events, it's difficult to get the attention of the US public, or of the policy makers in the US, if no one is killed.
My belief was that there would have been more media attention in the US if there had been at least one recent fatal event involving a US airline. While researching recent fatal US events, I found that the most recent passenger fatality on a US airliner was in August 2006. Looking back further, I realized that the US airline industry had quietly passed a milestone. The 26-month period between the last fatal US event and the date of this recording on October 21st, 2008 is the longest period without a passenger fatality on a US airliner since airlines in the US first began using jet aircraft in 1958.
One could argue that there's a certain amount of public complacency about airline safety when there are no major accidents. Looking through my archives, I found that this wasn't the first time I'd dealt with this subject. In late May 2004, the US airline industry was in the midst of another fatality-free period. At the time, it had been nearly 17 months since the last fatal US airline event. That month, I was interviewed as part of a National Public Radio program on airline safety that discussed some of the reasons for that absence of fatal events.
In the following segment, you'll hear my interview with Mike Pesca of NPR about some of the reasons behind the reduction of accidents. Also interviewed was David Evans of the publication Air Safety Week, who talked about how accidents drive the regulatory process.
Five months after the show aired, a regional airliner crashed in Missouri, killing both crew members and 11 of the 13 passengers, bringing to an end a 21-month period with no US passenger fatalities. Currently, the US airline industry has gone 26 months without a passenger fatality. This current fatality-free period is a sign that in spite of all the problems faced the industry, that the risk faced by passengers continues to decline.
Although this record is a positive sign for the industry, the recent Qantas event demonstrated that no airline, even one with no passenger fatalities in its history, is immune from accidents.
I'd like to remind the AirSafe.com audience that however good the system may be, there's always room for improvement. One way to improve things is to learn from those rare events such as what happened with Qantas earlier this month. AirSafe.com will continue to follow the accident investigation, and any future podcasts about the event, or news from the investigation, will be available at qantas.airsafe.org.
You can hear the associated podcast, which includes my interview with NPR, at:
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show73-npr.mp3
My belief was that there would have been more media attention in the US if there had been at least one recent fatal event involving a US airline. While researching recent fatal US events, I found that the most recent passenger fatality on a US airliner was in August 2006. Looking back further, I realized that the US airline industry had quietly passed a milestone. The 26-month period between the last fatal US event and the date of this recording on October 21st, 2008 is the longest period without a passenger fatality on a US airliner since airlines in the US first began using jet aircraft in 1958.
One could argue that there's a certain amount of public complacency about airline safety when there are no major accidents. Looking through my archives, I found that this wasn't the first time I'd dealt with this subject. In late May 2004, the US airline industry was in the midst of another fatality-free period. At the time, it had been nearly 17 months since the last fatal US airline event. That month, I was interviewed as part of a National Public Radio program on airline safety that discussed some of the reasons for that absence of fatal events.
In the following segment, you'll hear my interview with Mike Pesca of NPR about some of the reasons behind the reduction of accidents. Also interviewed was David Evans of the publication Air Safety Week, who talked about how accidents drive the regulatory process.
Five months after the show aired, a regional airliner crashed in Missouri, killing both crew members and 11 of the 13 passengers, bringing to an end a 21-month period with no US passenger fatalities. Currently, the US airline industry has gone 26 months without a passenger fatality. This current fatality-free period is a sign that in spite of all the problems faced the industry, that the risk faced by passengers continues to decline.
Although this record is a positive sign for the industry, the recent Qantas event demonstrated that no airline, even one with no passenger fatalities in its history, is immune from accidents.
I'd like to remind the AirSafe.com audience that however good the system may be, there's always room for improvement. One way to improve things is to learn from those rare events such as what happened with Qantas earlier this month. AirSafe.com will continue to follow the accident investigation, and any future podcasts about the event, or news from the investigation, will be available at qantas.airsafe.org.
You can hear the associated podcast, which includes my interview with NPR, at:
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show73-npr.mp3
11 October 2008
Interview with a Passenger on the Qantas A330 Accident Flight of 7 October 2008
This show features an interview with Keesin Ng, a passengers on a Qantas A330 aircraft that experienced a violent in-flight upset during a flight from Singapore to Perth on 7 October 2008. About 75 passengers and crew members were injured during this event, with 14 hospitalized with serious injuries such as fractures and lacerations.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, or ATSB, is currently investigating this event, and because of the extent of the injuries on board, the ATSB has classified it as an accident. In a media briefing three days after the accident, the ATSB reported that the Qantas A330-300 aircraft was in level flight at 37,000 feet when the pilots received messages from their aircraft's monitoring system indicating some kind of control system problem.
The aircraft reportedly had a uncommanded climb of about 200 feet, followed by a return back to 37,000 feet. About a minute after returning to cruising altitude, the aircraft abruptly pitched nose-down, to a maximum angle of about 8.4 degrees, and descended about 650 feet in about 20 seconds, before returning to the cruising level.
About 70 seconds later, there was a further nose-down pitch, to a maximum pitch angle of about 3.5 degrees, and the aircraft descended about 400 feet in about 16 seconds. During the first pitch-down event, a number of passengers and crew members were thrown about the cabin, resulting in a range of injuries.
The crew declared an emergency and diverted to Learmonth, landing about 40 minutes after the start of the event.
The interview occurred three days after the event with passenger Keesin Ng, who provides additional details about the in-flight drama. You can hear that interview at the link below:
Interview with Keesin Ng (MP3)
For additional information, including AirSafe.com's initial video and audio podcast about the accident and updates to the ATSB's accident investigation, visit qantas.airsafe.org
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, or ATSB, is currently investigating this event, and because of the extent of the injuries on board, the ATSB has classified it as an accident. In a media briefing three days after the accident, the ATSB reported that the Qantas A330-300 aircraft was in level flight at 37,000 feet when the pilots received messages from their aircraft's monitoring system indicating some kind of control system problem.
The aircraft reportedly had a uncommanded climb of about 200 feet, followed by a return back to 37,000 feet. About a minute after returning to cruising altitude, the aircraft abruptly pitched nose-down, to a maximum angle of about 8.4 degrees, and descended about 650 feet in about 20 seconds, before returning to the cruising level.
About 70 seconds later, there was a further nose-down pitch, to a maximum pitch angle of about 3.5 degrees, and the aircraft descended about 400 feet in about 16 seconds. During the first pitch-down event, a number of passengers and crew members were thrown about the cabin, resulting in a range of injuries.
The crew declared an emergency and diverted to Learmonth, landing about 40 minutes after the start of the event.
The interview occurred three days after the event with passenger Keesin Ng, who provides additional details about the in-flight drama. You can hear that interview at the link below:
Interview with Keesin Ng (MP3)
For additional information, including AirSafe.com's initial video and audio podcast about the accident and updates to the ATSB's accident investigation, visit qantas.airsafe.org
07 October 2008
Serious Injuries on a Qantas A330 Flight on 7 October 2008
A Qantas Airbus A330-300, with 303 passengers and 10 crew members on board, was on a scheduled international flight from Singapore to Perth. While in cruise, the aircraft reportedly experienced some type of sudden and unexpected altitude change. The crew issued a mayday call before diverting the aircraft to the airport at Learmonth, near the town of Exmouth, about 1100 kilometers or 680 miles north of its intended destination of Perth.
Overview of the Event
Other Podcast Links
Audio: MP3
Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | Google Video | YouTube
About 36 passengers and crew members were injured, with over a dozen severe injuries. Reportedly, several occupants were slammed into the ceiling during the event. Most of the injuries were to passengers and crew in the rear of the aircraft, and at least one person was carried off the plane in a stretcher. About 13 of the most seriously injured were flown to Perth by four aircraft from the Royal Flying Doctor Service. One flight attendant was hospitalized with suspected head and spinal injuries. Other serious injuries included fractures, lacerations, and a concussion.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has a team of seven investigators currently working on this incident, and it will likely be several days before a preliminary cause is announced, and several months before a final report is issued.
This is the first significant passenger safety event for the A330. Qantas currently has 15 A330 aircraft in its fleet, including 10 of the A330-300 model.
This is the second significant safety event for Qantas this year. On July 25, an exploding oxygen bottle blew a hole in the fuselage of a Qantas 747 en route from Hong Kong to Melbourne, causing a rapid decompression and forcing an emergency landing in Manila. No passengers were injured in that event.
Other significant safety events for Qantas in the last decade include a 2000 event in Rome involving the collapse of a 747 landing gear, and in 1999 a landing overrun in Bangkok severely damaged another Qantas 747.
In August 2008, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia conducted a review of Qantas safety and found no system-wide safety issues, but did recommend an audit of the airline's maintenance practices, including a full maintenance audit of one aircraft from three of the models flown by Qantas, the 737-400, 747-400, and 767-300. No maintenance audit was ordered for the airline's A330 fleet.
Additional information about this event, including updates or findings from the investigation or from the Qantas maintenance audit, will be available at qantas.airsafe.org.
More Details on this Event
Other AirSafe.com Videos
Overview of the Event
Other Podcast Links
Audio: MP3
Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | Google Video | YouTube
About 36 passengers and crew members were injured, with over a dozen severe injuries. Reportedly, several occupants were slammed into the ceiling during the event. Most of the injuries were to passengers and crew in the rear of the aircraft, and at least one person was carried off the plane in a stretcher. About 13 of the most seriously injured were flown to Perth by four aircraft from the Royal Flying Doctor Service. One flight attendant was hospitalized with suspected head and spinal injuries. Other serious injuries included fractures, lacerations, and a concussion.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has a team of seven investigators currently working on this incident, and it will likely be several days before a preliminary cause is announced, and several months before a final report is issued.
This is the first significant passenger safety event for the A330. Qantas currently has 15 A330 aircraft in its fleet, including 10 of the A330-300 model.
This is the second significant safety event for Qantas this year. On July 25, an exploding oxygen bottle blew a hole in the fuselage of a Qantas 747 en route from Hong Kong to Melbourne, causing a rapid decompression and forcing an emergency landing in Manila. No passengers were injured in that event.
Other significant safety events for Qantas in the last decade include a 2000 event in Rome involving the collapse of a 747 landing gear, and in 1999 a landing overrun in Bangkok severely damaged another Qantas 747.
In August 2008, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia conducted a review of Qantas safety and found no system-wide safety issues, but did recommend an audit of the airline's maintenance practices, including a full maintenance audit of one aircraft from three of the models flown by Qantas, the 737-400, 747-400, and 767-300. No maintenance audit was ordered for the airline's A330 fleet.
Additional information about this event, including updates or findings from the investigation or from the Qantas maintenance audit, will be available at qantas.airsafe.org.
More Details on this Event
Other AirSafe.com Videos
14 September 2008
Crash of Aeroflot-Nord 737-500
on 14 September 2008
The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Moscow to Perm, Russia. Contact with the aircraft was lost shortly before landing when the aircraft was about 3,600 feet, or about 1100 meters, above the ground.
The aircraft was completely destroyed in the crash, coming down outside of the city of Perm and near the tracks of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
All 82 passengers and six crew members were killed in the crash. There were seven children, including one infant, among the passengers.
About Aeroflot-Nord
This was the first fatal event for Aeroflot-Nord, which is one of the regional airlines of Aeroflot. The company that became Aeroflot-Nord was originally formed in 1963, and acquired by Aeroflot in 2004. Aeroflot-Nord currently flies a combination of 737s and Soviet designed airliners.
About the 737
This was the 66th fatal event involving the 737, and the third involving the 737-500 series. The first 737 aircraft began commercial operations in 1968, and the first of the 737-500 series began service in 1990.
The first fatal event for the 737 was in 1972. This latest crash was the 20th fatal 737 event since 2000, with three of the 20 involving a 737-500.
All of the fatal events involving the 737-500 have been in Europe or Asia. The last fatal 737 event in North America or the European Union was a crash in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1994.
For additional information on this crash, including links to related audio and video podcasts and details about other fatal events involving airlines of the former Soviet Union, visit
http://russia.airsafe.org
Initial Review of the Accident
You can also use the links below for the podcast:
Audio: MP3 Video: WMV | iPod/MP4 | YouTube | Google Video
For Other AirSafe.com podcasts, visit
http://podcast.airsafe.org
The aircraft was completely destroyed in the crash, coming down outside of the city of Perm and near the tracks of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
All 82 passengers and six crew members were killed in the crash. There were seven children, including one infant, among the passengers.
About Aeroflot-Nord
This was the first fatal event for Aeroflot-Nord, which is one of the regional airlines of Aeroflot. The company that became Aeroflot-Nord was originally formed in 1963, and acquired by Aeroflot in 2004. Aeroflot-Nord currently flies a combination of 737s and Soviet designed airliners.
About the 737
This was the 66th fatal event involving the 737, and the third involving the 737-500 series. The first 737 aircraft began commercial operations in 1968, and the first of the 737-500 series began service in 1990.
The first fatal event for the 737 was in 1972. This latest crash was the 20th fatal 737 event since 2000, with three of the 20 involving a 737-500.
All of the fatal events involving the 737-500 have been in Europe or Asia. The last fatal 737 event in North America or the European Union was a crash in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1994.
For additional information on this crash, including links to related audio and video podcasts and details about other fatal events involving airlines of the former Soviet Union, visit
http://russia.airsafe.org
Initial Review of the Accident
You can also use the links below for the podcast:
Audio: MP3 Video: WMV | iPod/MP4 | YouTube | Google Video
For Other AirSafe.com podcasts, visit
http://podcast.airsafe.org
25 August 2008
Crash of Itek Air 737-200 on 24 August 2008
The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to Tehran, Iran. About 10 minutes after takeoff, the crew turned back to the departure airport and also reported some kind of technical problem, crashing short of the runway. There were about 83 passengers and seven crew on the aircraft, including 17 members of Kyrgyzstan's national basketball youth team. Seven team members reportedly survived. At least 65 of those on board, including five of the seven crew members, were killed.
Banned from the European Union
Itek Air had been banned from operating in the EU according to a list published on 24 July 2008.
About the 737
This was the 65th fatal event involving the 737, and the 47th involving the 737-200 series. The first 737-200 series aircraft began commercial operations in 1968, and the last 737-200 was delivered in 1988. The first fatal event for the 737 was a 737-200 crash in 1972. This latest crash was the 19th fatal 737 event since 2000, with 11 of the 19 involving a 737-200. The last fatal 737-200 event in North America or the European Union was a crash in Colorado Springs, CO in 1991.
For additional information on this crash, including links to related audio and video podcasts and updates on the investigation, visit
http://itek.airsafe.org
Initial Review of the Accident
You can also use the links below for the podcast:
Audio: MP3 Video: WMV | iPod/MP4 | YouTube | Google Video
The transcript of this podcast is available at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show63.htm
For Other AirSafe.com podcasts, visit
http://podcast.airsafe.org
Banned from the European Union
Itek Air had been banned from operating in the EU according to a list published on 24 July 2008.
About the 737
This was the 65th fatal event involving the 737, and the 47th involving the 737-200 series. The first 737-200 series aircraft began commercial operations in 1968, and the last 737-200 was delivered in 1988. The first fatal event for the 737 was a 737-200 crash in 1972. This latest crash was the 19th fatal 737 event since 2000, with 11 of the 19 involving a 737-200. The last fatal 737-200 event in North America or the European Union was a crash in Colorado Springs, CO in 1991.
For additional information on this crash, including links to related audio and video podcasts and updates on the investigation, visit
http://itek.airsafe.org
Initial Review of the Accident
You can also use the links below for the podcast:
Audio: MP3 Video: WMV | iPod/MP4 | YouTube | Google Video
The transcript of this podcast is available at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show63.htm
For Other AirSafe.com podcasts, visit
http://podcast.airsafe.org
21 August 2008
Crash of Spanair MD82 on 20 August 2008
The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff on a scheduled domestic flight from Madrid to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. Early reports indicated that the left engine experienced a major malfunction during the takeoff. The aircraft was able to get airborne, but the crew set the aircraft down in a area to the right of the departure runway. The aircraft broke up and there was a severe post-crash fire.
There were 162 passengers and 10 crew members on board, and 153 of the 172 occupants were killed. Among the passengers were 20 children and two infants. Both infants reportedly survived. Many of the 19 survivors suffered burns, some of them serious.
This was also a code share flight with Lufthansa, and that airline reported that seven of their passengers had transferred to the Spanair flight from a previous Lufthansa flight. , and that airline reported that seven of their passengers were checked in for the flight.
About Spanair
This was the first fatal event for Spanair, the second largest of the five airlines in the SAS Group. The airline began operations in 1988. At the end of June 2008, there were 65 aircraft in the Spanair fleet, averaging 13 years old. The fatal event aircraft was built in 1993.
About the MD80
This was the 15th fatal event involving the MD80 series aircraft. Four fatal events have been in Europe, and four in the US. The aircraft began commercial operations in 1980, with the first fatal event in 1981. This latest crash was the eighth fatal MD80 event since 2000.
For additional information on this crash, including links to related audio and video podcasts and updates on the investigation, visit
http://spanair.airsafe.org
Initial Review of the Accident
You can also use the links below for the podcast:
Audio: MP3 Video: WMV | iPod/MP4 | YouTube | Google Video
The transcript of this podcast is available at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show62.htm
For Other AirSafe.com podcasts, visit
http://podcast.airsafe.org
There were 162 passengers and 10 crew members on board, and 153 of the 172 occupants were killed. Among the passengers were 20 children and two infants. Both infants reportedly survived. Many of the 19 survivors suffered burns, some of them serious.
This was also a code share flight with Lufthansa, and that airline reported that seven of their passengers had transferred to the Spanair flight from a previous Lufthansa flight. , and that airline reported that seven of their passengers were checked in for the flight.
About Spanair
This was the first fatal event for Spanair, the second largest of the five airlines in the SAS Group. The airline began operations in 1988. At the end of June 2008, there were 65 aircraft in the Spanair fleet, averaging 13 years old. The fatal event aircraft was built in 1993.
About the MD80
This was the 15th fatal event involving the MD80 series aircraft. Four fatal events have been in Europe, and four in the US. The aircraft began commercial operations in 1980, with the first fatal event in 1981. This latest crash was the eighth fatal MD80 event since 2000.
For additional information on this crash, including links to related audio and video podcasts and updates on the investigation, visit
http://spanair.airsafe.org
Initial Review of the Accident
You can also use the links below for the podcast:
Audio: MP3 Video: WMV | iPod/MP4 | YouTube | Google Video
The transcript of this podcast is available at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show62.htm
For Other AirSafe.com podcasts, visit
http://podcast.airsafe.org
03 August 2008
Interview with Amanda Ripley, Author of "The Unthinkable"
This episode of the podcast features an interview with Time Magazine senior writer Amanda Ripley, author of the book "The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes And Why."
Amanda has traveled the world, writing about and studying a number of disasters, including the attacks of 9/11, and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. She currently covers both risk and homeland security issues for Time Magazine.
She has written for a number of other publications, including Congressional Quarterly, New York Times Magazine, Time Out, and Washington Monthly.
You can hear the podcast at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show59-ripley.mp3
Related information is available at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show59.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Social Networking and AirSafe.com
Become a fan on AirSafe.com's Facebook page at
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Check out Dr. Todd Curtis at LinkedIn at
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Amanda has traveled the world, writing about and studying a number of disasters, including the attacks of 9/11, and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. She currently covers both risk and homeland security issues for Time Magazine.
She has written for a number of other publications, including Congressional Quarterly, New York Times Magazine, Time Out, and Washington Monthly.
You can hear the podcast at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show59-ripley.mp3
Related information is available at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show59.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Social Networking and AirSafe.com
Become a fan on AirSafe.com's Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Airsafecom/18541639875
Check out Dr. Todd Curtis at LinkedIn at
http://www.linkedin.com/in/airsafe
Do you Twitter? Follow AirSafe.com at
http://twitter.com/airsafe
Post a Comment to AirSafe.com Podcasts at
http://airsafe.blogspot.com
Post a Comment about an AirSafe.com video at
http://www.youtube.com/airsafe
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