Antelope Valley Personal Injury Lawyer - Mass Transit (Airline, Cruise Ship, Train, Bus)

Pilot Group Sounding Alarms

Rick Patterson — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 18:31:13 GMT

The recent plane crash of the Brazilian airliner that exploded into flames while trying to land, brings up concerns that pilots have had for some time. An international pilots' group is urging authorities worldwide to install safety strips at the ends of runways. " The tragic accident ... demonstrates once again the need for Runway End Safety Areas," said the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations." The international pilots' group represents as many as 105,000 commercial pilots.

Apparently, this has been a request for years. It has also been suggested by the group, that in lieu of runway extensions, arrestor beds, which are areas of soft soil that would aid in a safe landing. It has been reported on all major new networks that this subject came up at the same airport ten years ago when another airline crashed due to an inadequate runway. After a hearing, it was determined that the cost was too high to justify the runway improvements. In other words, they chose money over lives. Perhaps people should stop flying into that airport. Sure, it may be inconvenient, but so is death.

For more information on this subjet, please refer to our section on Airlines, Cruises, Buses, and Other Mass Transit Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Body Found in Wheel Well of Plane

Rick Patterson — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 18:20:27 GMT

In what appears to be an attempted stowaway, the crew on a United Airlines Boeing 747 was checking the aircraft after landing in San Francisco International Airport, and in doing so, they came across what appears to be a male. It appears the male had crawled inside the nose gear's housing to conceal himself while attempting to leave Shanghai.

"Officials with United Airlines say the remains were found on flight 858 from Shanghai to San Francisco. The plane landed a little before 8:00 a.m. A spokesman for the airport says the body appears to be a male, based on clothing, but the gender is not entirely clear." San Mateo County coroners' office is investigating.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Airlines, Cruises, Buses, and Other Mass Transit Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Another Indonesian Air Disaster

Rick Patterson — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 11:22:12 GMT

After Garuda Indonesia flight GA-200 shot off the runway and exploded on Wednesday into what one passenger described as a "wall of fire", Australians and Indonesians alike are left to sort out the remains and the details. That is because many of the passengers on this particular aircraft were public figures in Australia. It is unknown at this early stage exactly what caused this accident.

Indonesia has had less than a stellar record with regards to their aviation history. As recently as New Year's Day, there was a crash of an Adam Air jet that took as many as 102 lives. Prior to that, there were 200 people killed in Indonesian airline accidents in 2005 alone. In fact, Indonesia has a major airline accident at a rate of almost one per month.

There seems to be many areas of concern at this point i.e., frequency of airplane accidents, pilot training, aircraft maintenance and the enforcement of regulations. These type of ongoing tragedies cause an incredible amount of pain to the families of the lost passengers. There also seems to be no end in sight. Clearly this needs to be sorted out quickly. If it is not, aircrafts should be grounded. It would seem that at the very least their aviation records thus far should be clearly posted for all would-be passengers to review, in addition to distributing their aviation record with the sale of each ticket. It makes one wonder just how many people would fly on the Indonesian airline if they knew the real risks involved. On a less important point, a record like that can't be good for tourism and trade.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Aviation - Proposed Cut backs on Emissions

Greg Owen — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 14:21:45 GMT

Aviation emissions are or should be a concern. The Australian transport minister, Mark Vaile, made a very important point when he recently spoke of the fact that if something as simple as airline departure times were managed more efficiently it would significantly reduce gas emissions.

Vaile pointed out that when airplanes are forced to hold at a low altitude there is four to five times as much fuel burned as a plane en route. The numbers really do give one something to think about. Vaile mentioned that in a recent flight, 10 minutes of flying time were saved by identifying a better route to travel.

At first blush, 10 minutes may not seem like much to rave about, but take a look at the numbers: Ten minutes of flying time burns 2.7 metric tons of fuel, and releases 8.2 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

According to an estimate by The International Air Transport Association, for every minute of flying time that is saved, fuel consumption is cut by an average of 62 liters, and carbon dioxide consumption is cut by 160kg. To encourage awareness of the emissions problem, the European Union has already announced that the way that they intend to tackle the problem is to include airlines in its carbon-trading scheme. According to the EU, airlines will be forced to pay if they exceed their current level of emissions.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Are Silent Aircrafts a Thing of the Future?

Rick Patterson — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 11:04:52 GMT

When scientists and aerodynamicists want to come up with new ideas for aircrafts they are still looking at nature, and what better place is there to get ideas then from the greatest creations of all time. Take the owl for example, when the owl stalks its prey, it is afforded the advantage of a quirk in its wing which allows a silent hunt.

This leaves even a mouse with great hearing at a distinct disadvantage; it can't hear the owl swoop. The sound is muffled by fringe-like feathers that hang off the bird.

This idea of the silent owl is a guide for aviation experts who see the distinct value in developing silent airplanes. "It's not just strapping wings on and jumping off a cliff," says James DeLaurier, a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto who spent decades studying flapping wings. "It's respectable to look at nature for inspiration. We don't come close to doing all the things that nature does."

It appears that both NASA and the military have funded extensive research into planes that mimic birds' ability to shift the size and shape of their wings. This fascination with birds and/or aerodynamics is not a new one. Leonardo da Vinci, studied birds for quite some time. From his studies he drew a detailed plan for a glider with bird-like wings. The Wright brothers also studied birds as they developed their airplane.

Given the technological advances we have been fortunate enough to see in the past century. It is exciting to think about the future not only in terms of aviation but the possibilities in general. The future is indeed burgeoning with discoveries just waiting to unfold.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Bulgaria's Aviation Sector Is to Be Put into Quarantine

Rick Patterson — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 17:27:03 GMT

With Bulgaria's admission into the EU on January 1, 2007, there is cause to apply rigorous safety measures against the new member state. These safety measures will leave Bulgaria outside the single European aviation market, which means that Bulgaria will be treated as any other third country.

The EU transport commissioner, Jacques Barrot, was said to be disturbed that there had been little done to address the concerns of the EU regarding aviation in Bulgaria. These concerns were made known to Bulgaria by the EU last year.

As long ago as May 2005, the EU noted in a report that there were "grave deficiencies" in Bulgaria's ability to carry out safety obligations. It is said that the follow-up study this month was "more worrying than we could have expected."

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Runway Safety Is More than an Airport-only Challenge

Rick Patterson — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:38:59 GMT

Most aviation accidents occur in close proximity to an airport. Runway safety is one of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) top safety priorities.

In the late 1990's, the FAA decided to address non-compliant safety areas on a national level. Dane County Regional Airport was a high priority safety improvement project. The project was very involved, and the solution required moving several major structures.

Up-front Challenges & Project Breakdown

Relocating over one mile of a creek;
Relocating 2.4 miles of active rail line (which was designed to meet both current freight operation and the future needs of high-speed rail operations);
Relocating 0.8 miles of two-lane county highway;
Relocating the airport perimeter road and fence; and
Clearing up an airfield intersection with conflicting markings.

The runway safety project was completed in 2006, which included moving a busy county highway without shutting down the road. Airside improvements are expected to be completed in early 2007.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson