FAA Investigates Pilot Behavior After Explosion

Photo from Air Venture

Another story idea from Stupid Monkey Planet comes at a time when I'm about to fly 2,000 miles to Ohio. I'm not worried. . .not at all. I wonder where my will is?

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FAA probes flight that went on after crew reported blast

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident onboard an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Paris in which a Miami-based captain continued the 10-hour flight even after crew members heard what they believed to be an explosion in the cargo hold 14 minutes after take-off.

Unknown until the plane landed in Paris: the access panel to the air conditioner had ripped off during the flight. . .

Story from: McClatchy

FAA Allowed Airline Inspectors to Cheat?

Photo from source, CNN

More airline news. And this is really scary. Apparently, after the Aloha Airlines "deskinning" accident in 1988, airlines were required to check for fuselage fractures, to prevent a recurrence of this problem. But the FAA has been letting them skip this inspection. Yikes.

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FAA Safety Chief Apologizes For Southwest Errors

The top safety official at the Federal Aviation Administration said officials in FAA's Dallas-Fort Worth regional office erred in not responding more swiftly to maintenance problems at Southwest Airlines ( LUV).

But in testimony before a House panel Thursday, Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety Nicholas Sabatini did not acknowledge a failure in judgment from officials in Washington headquarters with respect to the Southwest incident. . .

Read more at: CNN