Investigation Update #3 for the British Airways 777 Crash of 17 January 2008

This is the third update from AirSafe.com on the ongoing investigation into the accident at London's Heathrow Airport involving a British Airways 777. This update is based on information released by the AAIB on 18 February 2008, and focuses on analyses of the fuel system, the engines, and their associated control systems. You can listen to or watch the podcast at the following links:

Audio: MP3 | Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | Google Video | YouTube

The links below will take you to additional related resources.

Additional Details About this Accident: http://777.airsafe.org
Transcript and Timeline for this Podcast
Other Podcasts

Video of the Podcast

Show Notes Added to the Coversation at AirSafe.com Podcast

The Conversation at AirSafe.com Podcast has added detailed show notes for selected podcasts. The first three shows with notes, which include a transcript, timeline, and links to audio and video versions of the podcasts are for the latest show, "Things You Should Not Bring on Board," and two shows from last month that were first update and second update of the accident investigation for the 17 January 2008 crash of a British Airways 777 at London's Heathrow airport.

The following show notes pages have a synopsis of the show, links to the audio and video versions of each podcast, links to additional resources, the show's timeline, and the show's transcript:

Show #39: Things You Should Not Bring On Board - 13 February 2008

Show #37: Crash of British Airways 777 at Heathrow on 17 January 2008, Update 2 - 25 January 2008

Show #36: Crash of British Airways 777 at Heathrow on 17 January 2008, Update 1 - 23 January 2008

Podcast: Things You Should Not Take on Board

This show from February 13, 2008 provides an overview of the things passengers should know in order to deal with TSA and airport security with a minimum of hassle. In addition to providing suggestions for checked and carry on baggage, this show also provides a link to numerous other resources on baggage, banned and restricted items, and making complaints about your airline service.

For more information about the show, or about how to subscribe using iTunes, visit the home page of the Conversation at AirSafe.com at podcast.airsafe.org.

You can also download the episode directly at http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show39_tsa.mp3.

Additional Resources
Baggage and Security Insights and Information
http://tsa.airsafe.org/

Interview with Kate Hanni of the Coalition for an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights

Kate Hanni is one of the founders of the Coalition for Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights. On December 29, 2006, she was a passenger on one of the more than 120 American Airlines flights that were diverted to alternate airports due to weather. Passengers on dozens of those flights were forced to wait on board their aircraft for more than three hours. On Kate Hanni’s flight, the wait was over eight hours, an ordeal that included overstressed toilets, a lack of fresh water and fresh air, and an even greater lack of compassion from the airline.

Kate did far more than just complain about her flight, she and other stranded passengers formed their nonprofit group with the goal of having legislation passed to ensure that this kind of event would not happen again. Her work and the work of her group have been frequently profiled by major news organizations. She’s also testified to the U.S. Congress and to state legislatures around the country.

This interview from February 5, 2008 covers several of the areas of interest of the group, including changing the airline industry's rules on how delayed passengers should be treated. Also discussed was the role that the AirSafe.com can play in bringing about these changes.

Resources
Coalition for an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights
http://flyersrights.org/

Passenger Complaint Resources
http://airlinecomplaints.airsafe.org

For more information about the show, or about how to subscribe using iTunes, visit the podcast page at AirSafe.com.
You can also download the episode directly at http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show38_paxrights.mp3.

Interview on 10 January 2008 Air Canada Event, Plus Remembering Challenger

The first part of the podcast is a discussion of the suspected turbulence event on 10 January 2008 involving an Air Canada A319 with a focus on the possible role that it may have been caused by wake turbulence from another aircraft. The second part of the podcast commemorates the 22nd anniversary of the last flight of the space shuttle Challenger by replaying audio clips from the launch and from President Reagan's address to the nation.

For more information about the show, or about how to subscribe using iTunes, visit the podcast page at AirSafe.com. You can also download the episode directly at http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show34_turbulence2_shuttle.mp3.

Investigation Update #2 for the British Airways 777 Crash of 17 January 2008

This second update from AirSafe.com, first published on 25 January 2008, is based on information released by the AAIB on 23 January 2008. The links below will take you to the several audio and video versions of the podcast that summarizes the most recent interim findings. The link to the 777 page will take you to a written synopsis of this update.

Podcast Links
Audio: MP3 | Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | Google Video | YouTube

These other links will take you to additional related resources.

Other Podcasts: http://podcast.airsafe.orgg
Other Accident Resources: http://777.airsafe.org
Post Accident Checklist: http://airsafe.com/analyze/checklst.htm

Investigation Update for the British Airways 777 Crash of 17 January 2008

The Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB), the UK organization responsible for investigating the 17 January 2008 crash of a British Airways 777 jet at London's Heathrow Airport, released a brief statement about the progress of the investigation the day after the accident. The links below will take you to the several audio and video versions of the podcast that summarizes the interim findings, and that also describes likely issues that may come up in this investigation.

Podcast Links
Audio: MP3 | Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | Google Video | YouTube

These other links will take you to additional related resources.

Other Podcasts: http://podcast.airsafe.orgg
Other Accident Resources: http://777.airsafe.org
Post Accident Checklist: http://airsafe.com/analyze/checklst.htm

British Airways 777 Crashes in London on 17 January 2008

The aircraft touched down about 1000 feet short of runway 27L at London's Heathrow Airport. The aircraft skidded just over 1000 feet, tearing off its landing gear and coming to rest on the tarmac just to the right of the end of the runway. This was a scheduled international flight that was arriving from Beijing, China. Early reports indicate that the aircraft experienced a loss of engine thrust and electrical power shortly before landing. There were at least two serious injuries, a broken leg and a concussion, but no fatalities among the 16 crew members and 136 passengers. This was the first serious accident for the 777 since it began commercial service in 1995.

Podcast (MP3): http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show35_ba777.mp3

Accident Updates for Events in Venezuela and Iran

There have been two significant airline safety events in just the first few days of 2008. The first on 2 January 2004 was a nonfatal takeoff accident involving an Iran Air Fokker 100. The second was occurred two days later when a Transaven Let 410 crashed near the Los Roques archipelago near Venezuela.

For further details, please choose one of the podcast options below:

Audio: MP3 | Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | Google Video | YouTube

To download a copy of the MP3 audio file or one of the MP4 or WMV video files, visit the AirSafe.com podcast home page at http://podcast.airsafe.org.

Related Resources: A list of fatal events involving Iran Air is available at http://www.airsafe.com/events/irlines/iranair.htm

To obtain a PDF file or PowerPoint presentation of the contents of this podcast, please contact AirSafe.com at http://www.airsafe.com/contact.htm.

Review of Fatal Airline Events of 2007

Seattle, WA - January 3, 2008 - AirSafe.com has released its annual review of fatal airline events of 2007. There were a total of eight fatal events in 2007, including four that resulted in the deaths of everyone on board. While there were no events in North America, there were three in Asia, two each in Africa and Europe, and one in South America. The eight fatal events of 2007 is the lowest number of fatal events tracked by AirSafe.com in the last decade, a number also equaled in 2006 and 2003. For the 10 year period 1998-2007, AirSafe.com has listed 111 fatal airline events from around the world.

This annual review is available in several formats:

Audio: MP3 | Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | Google Video | YouTube

To download the audio file or one of the video files, visit the AirSafe.com home page at http://www.airsafe.com, or follow the link from the AirSafe.com Foundation at http://podcast.airsafe.org.

The videos are also available on YouTube at www.youtube.com and Google Video at video.google.com. You can find video links and download instructions at http://podcast.airsafe.org.

A printed list of the eight fatal events of 2007, along with several other noteworthy aviation safety events from last year, is available at http://www.airsafe.com/events/fatal07.htm

To obtain a PDF file or PowerPoint presentation of this annual review, please contact AirSafe.com at http://www.airsafe.com/contact.htm.

The AirSafe.com Foundation and the One Laptop Per Child Project

This podcast from November 24, 2007 discusses how the AirSafe.com Foundation's latest effort will evaluate the unique capabilities of the One Laptop Per Child Project's computers and will share the lessons learned with the public. For details on what the AirSafe.com Foundation can do and how individuals may contribute, please visit the Foundation's web site at http://www.airsafe.org.

You can find a link to this podcast at http://podcast.airsafe.org/, or you can download it at http://airsafe.com/podcasts/show25.mp3.

African Airline Safety Issues Discussed on the Voice of America

In recent years, several high profile airliner crashes in Africa have called into question the level of safety and security of the continent's airlines. In the November 6, 2007 edition of the Perspectives program of the Voice of America, Dr. Todd Curtis was one of several noted aviation experts who spoke about the role of aviation in Africa and also about the factors that contribute to Africa's a relatively high accident rate.

For more information about the show, or about how to subscribe using iTunes, visit the podcast page at AirSafe.com. You can also download the episode directly at http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show24.mp3.

Discussion Concerning a GAO Report About Airport Security Vulnerabilities.

During a 2007 audit of airport security procedures, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigators sucessfully passed through TSA checkpoints with components for a number of improvised explosive devices. In this interview from November 15, 2007 on Minnesota Public Radio, Dr. Todd Curtis of AirSafe.com and Dr. Randolph Hall of USC discussed the security implications of these findings.

For more information about the show, or about how to subscribe using iTunes, visit the podcast page at AirSafe.com. You can also download the episode directly at http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show24.mp3.

Interview the BBC on October 30, 2007 Concerning Problems with Abandoned Airliners in Nigeria

In this BBC interview from October 30, 2007, Dr. Todd Curtis discusses the problem of airliners abandoned at Nigerian airports, the steps being taken by the Nigerian government to sell of the aircraft, and how this situation and compares with how such aircraft are treated in the U.S. For more information about the show, or about how to subscribe using iTunes, visit the podcast page at AirSafe.com. You can also download the episode directly at http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show22.mp3.

Todd Curtis Interview from January 21, 2007 on WCCO Radio in Minneapolis

In this podcast, Dr. Todd Curtis is interviewed by Jearlyn Steele from her show "Steele Talking" on WCCO radio in Minneapolis. This interview covered a variety of aviation safety and security topics with an emphasis on TSA issues. For more information about the show, or about how to subscribe using iTunes, visit the podcast page at AirSafe.com. You can also download the episode directly at http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show21.mp3.

NASA Refuses to Release Research Results

Dr. Todd Curtis was featured in an October 22, 2007 broadcast of the BBC World Service radio program that focused on an Associated Press report that NASA had ordered that the data from a multi-year survey of 24,000 pilots not be released because of the possible negative impact on the public's perception of aviation safety. This BBC also interviewed Congressman Brad Miller of North Carolina.

For more information about the show, or about how to subscribe using iTunes, visit the podcast page at AirSafe.com. You can also download the episode directly at http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show20.mp3.

New Plane Crash Video Resource at AirSafe.com

AirSafe.com and the AirSafe.com Foundation launched its newest blog today, AirSafe.com Crash Videos at http://planecrashes.blogspot.com/. This blog features a range of crashes involving jet airliners, general aviation, and military events. You can find out about this blog, the other AirSafe.com blogs, as well as other featured site content at the AirSafe.com Special Features page.

New Airline Complaint Resource

The AirSafe.com Foundation has created another resource for sharing the experiences of airline passengers. 'Complain About Your Airline' presents a sample of the most interesting inputs from the AirSafe.com Complaint Page. From common problems like lost baggage to unusual events like gate agents losing passports, it seems like there is no end to how a passenger's trip can be turned into a nightmare.

Podcast of CNN Interview Featuring Dr. Todd Curtis of AirSafe.com

Dr. Todd Curtis was featured in an August 29, 2007 broadcast of the CNN program American Morning. The interview focused on actions taken by airlines and civil aviation authorities in the aftermath of a a fire that destroyed a China Airlines 737-800 aircraft after a landing in Okinawa, Japan earlier that month. For more information about the show, or about how to subscribe using iTunes, visit the podcast page at AirSafe.com. You can also download the episode directly at http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show18.mp3.

Bird Strike Video Collection

Bird and wildlife strikes to aircraft have long been a potentially fatal risk for both crew and passengers. A new site from AirSafe.com has collected some of the more interesting videos that show either bird and wildlife strikes or the aftermath of those strikes.

Visit strikevideos.blogspot.com to check out the videos and visit the Bird Strike Committee USA site at birdstrike.org for more information about this issue.