NTSB

By Sean Broderick, Michael Bruno, Guy Norris
Problematic Spirit AeroSystems-supplied 737-9 panels evaded Boeing quality checks and may have caused a Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines accident.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Sean Broderick, Christine Boynton
“We’re not going to point fingers,” the Boeing CEO said. “Because, yes, it escaped their factory; but then it escaped ours too. So, we’re all in this together.”
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Sean Broderick
Figuring out what happened with four bolts on the Alaska Airlines accident flight 737 MAX is emerging as a key task in NTSB's probe.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Christine Boynton, Sean Broderick, Lori Ranson
FAA said there are 171 Boeing 737-9s worldwide with the panel-like plug configuration under scrutiny.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Christine Boynton, Sean Broderick, Guy Norris, Helen Massy-Beresford
NTSB reports that the door "plug" which detached from an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 during a mid-air incident Jan. 5 has now been found.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Sean Broderick
Investigators detail systemic weaknesses and questionable assumptions as likely contributors to a near-collision between a FedEx Boeing 767 and a Southwest 737.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Readers write about the Nov. 13 and Nov. 27 covers, U.S. Navy’s E-2 Hawkeyes and the need for better bladeout safety.
Aviation Week & Space Technology

By Sean Broderick
The January 2022 incident occurred at Yampa Valley Airport, Colorado, which has one runway and no control tower.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Sean Broderick
The process will mandate nacelle design changes on the Boeing 737NG fleet that were prompted by a fatal accident and a related NTSB recommendation.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Mark Carreau
The FAA has agreed to a pair of recommendations from a GAO audit concerning current procedures for investigating commercial space mishaps.
Space

By Sean Broderick
The new year will bring new certification protocols and at least one draft rule that will affect how the FAA approves new designs.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Sean Broderick
Assumptions about how quickly a Southwest flight would take off when cleared to go in front of an arriving FedEx flight are a key factor in a close call.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Sean Broderick
The FAA now plans to issue a draft rule codifying new requirements for manufacturers to disclose safety-critical information during certification in 2024.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By William Garvey
A shocking accident fatal to six has prompted collective action by owner-pilots to prevent a recurrence.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Sean Broderick
The FAA is changing how manufacturers demonstrate engines and nacelles can adequately withstand failures, but the process will take time.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Sean Broderick
The agency has given Boeing seven years to ensure new nacelle design is installed on the 737 Next Generation fleet.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Roger Cox
NTSB engineers investigating the crash of Cape Air Flight 2072 calculated that if the pilot had maintained the same level of deceleration while remaining on the ground, the aircraft probably would have experienced little or no damage.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Bill Carey
Richard McSpadden was senior vice president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Air Safety Institute.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Irene Klotz
The FAA also called for organizational changes following the Sept. 12, 2022, uncrewed New Shepard-23 mission.
Commercial Space

BCA Staff
Switches and associated keys can become so worn that it becomes possible to remove the key from a switch position other than the OFF position.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Sean Broderick
The FAA wants an initial report within 24 months.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Sean Broderick
A Learjet 60 took off without clearance at Boston Logan International Airport despite the crew’s acknowledgment of instructions to line up and wait (LUAW).
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Sean Broderick
The agency concludd there was some miscommunication between the captain and the first officer.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Sean Broderick
A wrong-runway landing by a FedEx crew last year underscores the value that benign incidents can play in flagging safety risks.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Jeremy Kariuki
Unsecured or forgotten items inside an aircraft can cause dangerous hazards. The NTSB urges pilots to account for all items before and after each flight.
Safety, Ops & Regulation