Crash of an F/A-18D in San Diego 8 December 2008

On 8 December 2008, a US Marine Corps F/A-18D jet based at the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station crashed during approach about two miles short of the runway. The pilot successfully ejected, but four people, two children, their mother, and grandmother were killed in one of the two houses destroyed by the jet. No one else on the ground was injured.

The investigation is ongoing, but reportedly the two-seat jet, flown by a single pilot on a training mission, had some kind of mechanical or flight control difficulty. The crash occurred as the pilot was returning from training on the carrier USS Lincoln, off the San Diego coast.

The F/A-18 has first entered operational service with the US Marines in 1983. The D model of the aircraft involved in the crash is used by the Marines as either a training or attack aircraft.

For the audio podcast from AirSafe.com, visit http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show76-f-18.mp3.


The AirSafe.com video podcast is available below:


The following video was produced by Glenn Pew.

F/A-18 Crash 8 December 2008

Ground Collision Involving United Express - 18 October 2008

On 18 October 2008, at about 4:49 am, Three people were injured when a United Express Canadair Regional jet, operated by Skywest Airlines, collided with a maintenance truck on a runway at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.



According to the Chicago Fire Department, the plane, which was being operated by a pair Skywest maintenance workers and had no passengers on board, was traveling from a hangar to a gate at when it collided with a pickup truck. The driver of the truck and the two mechanics from the plane sustained minor injuries.



Although the incident closed a runway for about two hours, flight operations were not affected.

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.

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.

Discovery of the Steve Fossett Crash Site

On September 3rd, 2007, adventurer Steve Fossett took off from Yerington, Nevada on a short flight in a Bellanca Super Decathlon, and went missing. After more than a year, a hiker found some of his personal effects high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California on September 29, 2008. Two days later, authorities spotted wreckage from his aircraft. Possible human remains were also found at the site.

The aircraft crashed into a steep granite slope at an elevation of about 10,000 feet, seven miles west of the town of Mammoth Lakes, California. The crash site is about 93 miles or 150 kilometers south of Yerington, Nevada. Pieces of the plane were scattered over a steeply sloped area, with the engine about 300 feet from the fuselage wreckage. There was also evidence of a post crash fire. Fossett was the only occupant.

About Steve Fossett
According to an earlier NTSB report, Fossett's most recent medical certificate was completed seven months before his final flight. At that time, he had over 6,700 hours of flight experience, with 350 hours in the previous six months. He was certified as an airline transport pilot, and was also certified to fly a balloon, helicopter, seaplane, and glider.

He had set over 100 records in five different sports, including over 90 in aviation. Among those aviation records was the first solo nonstop flight around the world in an aircraft, as well as the first solo round the world balloon flight. Outside of aviation, he had also sailed around the world and swam across the English Channel.

About the Bellanca Decathlon
The accident aircraft was a Bellanca Decathlon, a two-seat, single engine aerobatic aircraft. That model was produced between 1970 and 1981, and the accident aircraft was manufactured in 1980. According to the NTSB, between 1973 and 2008 there have been 105 Decathlon accidents, with 80 resulting in fatalities.

Accident Investigation
The NTSB has sent a team to investigate the crash, and is headed by the NTSB chairman Mark Rosenker. The investigation, including a determination of the probable cause of the accident, will likely take several months to complete.

Additional information about this event, including updates or findings from the NTSB investigation, will be available at http://fossett.airsafe.org.

Fatal Jet Crash Injures Blink-182 Drummer Travis Barker

Travis Barker, former drummer for the music group Blink-182, Adam Goldstein, more widely known as DJ AM, and two other passengers were in a Learjet 60 aircraft that was on a chartered flight from Columbia, South Carolina to Van Nuys airport in Los Angeles. The crash, which happened shortly before midnight, occurred during takeoff. The crew was attempting to abort the takeoff because of what they thought was a blown tire. The NTSB also reported that accident investigators reviewing the recording heard sounds consistent with a tire blowout.

The crew was unable to stop the aircraft before it departed the runway. The plane struck a series of antennas and lights, crashed through a fence, crossed a nearby highway, and came to rest on an embankment where it burst into flames.

The crash and subsequent fire killed both flight crew members and two of the four passengers. The two survivors, Barker and Goldstein, escaped the aircraft but suffered severe burns.

Two Veteran Airline Captains Discuss the Crash of a Spanair MD82

The previous podcast reviewed the initial findings from the Spanish accident investigation. The video version of the podcast also included portions of a security camera video that captured the final moments of the flight. This podcast features a discussion that was originally recorded on August 23rd, 2008, three days after the crash of the Spanair MD82, and featured Capt. Tom Bunn of the SOAR fear of flying organization, and Capt. Steve Fisher, a veteran airline pilot who has flown for a major US airline for over two decades.

Capt. Bunn has been a guest previously on the show, and in this episode he'll talk about some of the anxieties and concerns that have been expressed to him by some passengers.

In the days following the Spanair crash, I brought Capt. Bunn and Capt. Fisher together to provide insights into the mechanics of flying a large jet transport, especially the MD82, and to give the audience an idea of the kind of training and preparation pilots go through to prepare for emergencies during takeoff.

Early on in our conversation, the two captains discussed some of the issues that came up during the the first few days of the investigation, including a problem with a temperature sensor that caused the crew of the accident aircraft to return to the terminal after its first takeoff attempt.

You can use the following link for the podcast: Audio: MP3

Additional information about the Spanair accident, including links to a video showing the crash, and links to further updates from the investigation, will be available at http://spanair.airsafe.org.

For other AirSafe.com podcasts, visit http://podcast.airsafe.org

Preliminary Findings: Crash of Spanair MD82 19 September 2008

Transcript of the Podcast

Welcome to the Conversation at AirSafe.com, with your host Dr. Todd Curtis.

This is show #67 - Preliminary Findings: Crash of Spanair MD82

According to a number of media reports, Spanish Authorities have completed a preliminary report about the August 20, 2008 crash of a Spanair MD82 in Madrid. Among their findings were that the flaps were not properly configured for takeoff and that there was no flap warnings or alarms presented to the crew.

The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff on a scheduled domestic flight from Madrid to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. The aircraft was briefly airborne, and crashed just to the right of the departure runway. The aircraft broke up and there was a severe post-crash fire. 154 of the 172 occupants were killed.

The accident occurred during the second takeoff attempt. The crew had returned to the gate after the first takeoff attempt due to problems that so far appear to be unrelated to the subsequent accident. During the second takeoff attempt, the crew reported reaching V1, or takeoff decision speed. The aircraft was airborne for about 15 seconds, reaching a maximum altitude of about 40 feet.

A video taken by the Spanish airport authority showed that after touching down, the aircraft slid for a considerable distance and appeared to be relatively intact before breaking up and exploding. Contrary to early reports on the day of the accident, the video did not show any sign of a fire or explosion while the aircraft was airborne.

Among the key early findings of the investigation was that the aircraft’s flaps were not properly deployed at takeoff. Also, there was no indication that the flap configuration alarm was activated. This sequence of events was similar to that of a 1987 MD82 crash in Detroit, Michigan.

After that accident, the manufacturer recommended that the flaps and associated warning systems be checked prior to each flight. Spanair procedures called for a check of the flaps and warning systems prior to the first flight of the day and after each change of flight crews during the day. There was no pre-takeoff check of the flap warning system prior to the accident flight.

Additional information about this event, including further updates from the investigation, will be available at spanair.airsafe.org.

Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you next time.

Crash of Aeroflot-Nord 737-500 on 14 September 2008

Transcript of the Podcast

Welcome to the Conversation at AirSafe.com, with your host Dr. Todd Curtis.

This is show #66 - 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.

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.

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.

Additional information about this event, including a list of fatal events involving airlines based in the former Soviet Union, is available at russia.airsafe.org.

Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you next time.

Crash of an Itek Air 737-200 on 24 August 2008

Transcript of the Podcast

Welcome to the Conversation at AirSafe.com, with your host Dr. Todd Curtis.

This is show #63 - 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.

This was the first fatal event for Kyrgyzstan carrier Itek Air, which had been flying since 1999. The accident aircraft was reportedly manufactured in 1979.

Exactly one month before the fatal Itek Air crash, the European Union released a list of airlines that included Itek Air as one of the airlines banned from flying in any of the EU countries.

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.

Additional information about this event, including updates or findings from the investigation, will be available at itek.airsafe.org.

Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you next time.

Crash of a TACA A320 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras - 30 May 2008

Transcript of the Podcast

The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from San Salvador to Tegucigalpa. The aircraft touched down on the runway on its second landing attempt, but after landing it departed the runway, went down a twenty meter embankment, and struck several vehicles.

Early reports indicate that at least four people were killed, including the captain, two of the passengers, and a person in one of the vehicles hit by the plane.

There were 142 passengers and five crew members on board the aircraft. In addition to the three onboard fatalities, about sixty other passengers were injured.

The fuselage was broken in several locations, and both engines separated from the wings. Although there was a fuel spill and a post crash fire, most of the aircraft was not damaged by that fire.

At the time of the accident, the runway was wet from the passage of tropical storm Alma earlier in the day.

This was the first fatal jet airliner event involving TACA. Prior to this fatal event, the airline had two significant events involving its jet fleet.

On May 24th, 1988, a TACA 737 flying to New Orleans lost power to both engines due to water ingestion from a storm. The crew was able to glide safely to a landing on a levee next to a waterway.

On April 6, 1993, a TACA 767 overran the runway during a landing in Guatemala City, and crashed into a nearby neighborhood. Although three people in the neighborhood were injured, no one was on the ground or in the plane was killed.

The crash in Tegucigalpa was the eighth fatal event involving the A320, with the first occurring in 1988 and the previous one, involving the Brazilian airline TAM, in July 2007.

The civil aviation authorities of Honduras are leading the investigation, with support from TACA, Airbus, the engine manufacturer, the NTSB, FAA, and civil aviation authorities from France and El Salvador.

Updates or findings from the investigation will be posted on AirSafe.com as they become available.

Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next time.

Note: As of 1 June 2008, the new casulty figures are as follows: One of the six crew members and two of the 118 passengers were killed. Two people outside the aircraft were also killed.

For more about the TACA event, visit http://www.airsafe.com/events/airlines/taca.htm.

In-Flight Emergency Involving a Qantas 747-400 Near Manila on 25 July 2008

Welcome to the Conversation at AirSafe.com, with your host Dr. Todd Curtis. This is show #56 - In-Flight Emergency Involving a Qantas 747-400 Near Manila on 25 July 2008

The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from Hong Kong to Melbourne, Australia. While over the South China Sea at about 29,000 feet, the aircraft experienced an explosive decompression event.

The crew descended about 20,000 feet, and then diverted to Manila, which was about 200 miles away at the time. None of the 346 passengers or 19 crew members were injured.

Only after the aircraft arrived did the crew and passengers become aware of the extent of the damage. An area just in front of the right wing root, about three meters square, was damaged, and part of the fuselage skin was missing, exposing baggage in the forward cargo area.

According to some of the passengers, there was a loud, explosive type of sound, followed by a rapid decompression.

The incident is still under investigation, and so far, no cause has been ruled in or ruled out. Possible causes include metal fatigue, some kind of aircraft malfunction, or an explosive device.

There have been many previous instances where portions of an airlinerÕs fuselage separated in flight. Three of the more prominent events include an April 1988 accident where an Aloha Airlines 737 lost part of the upper fuselage in cabin area, and one flight attendant was killed.

In December of the same year, a bomb exploded in the cargo compartment of a Pan Am 747, which led to a significant loss of fuselage skin followed by an inflight breakup, killing all 259 on board as well as 11 on the ground. In February 1989, a cargo door and part of the fuselage of a United 747 separated from the aircraft, and nine passengers were sucked out of the aircraft to their deaths.

The Philippine government is leading the investigation of the recent Qantas event, with help from representatives from civil aviation authorities in Australia and the United States, and representatives from Boeing and Qantas.

Updates or findings from the investigation will be posted on AirSafe.com as they become available.

Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next time.

First Crash of a B-2 Bomber in Guam on 23 February 2008

On 23 February 2008, a B-2 bomber from the 509th Bomb wing of Whiteman AFB, MO, crashed while taking off from Andersen AFB in Guam. Both pilots successfully ejected, sustained only minor injuries. injuries to his left arm and shoulder.

The investigation concluded that water distorted preflight readings in three of the plane's 24 sensors, making the aircraft's control computer force the B-2 to pitch up on takeoff, resulting in a stall and subsequent crash. The sensors measure air pressure to help calculate everything from airspeed to altitude. Because of the bad data, flight computers had inaccurate airspeed and wrongly indicated a downward angle, which contributed to an early rotation and uncontrolled 30-degree pitch up.

The executive summary of the accident report stated that a technique developed two years prior to the crash, but at the time of the accident not widely known in the B-2 community, probably would have prevented the crash. The technique essentially heats the sensors and evaporates any moisture before data calibrations. The technique was never formalized in a technical order change or captured in 'lessons learned' reports, so only some pilots and some maintenance technicians knew of the suggestion.

Maj. Gen. Floyd L. Carpenter, who headed an accident investigation board, stated that the crash probably could have been avoided if knowledge of a technique to evaporate the moisture had been disseminated throughout the B-2 program. General Carpenter said procedures and policies are now in place to guard against similar crashes.

The accident aircraft had been in service since 1995, and was expected to remain in service for another 50 years. This was the first crash of a B-2, and there are now 20 aircraft left in the fleet.

The video that was produced by Glenn Pew includes the takeoff and crash sequence, and also shows a reconstruction of the event, using computer animation based on data from the flight.

Crash Video and Computer Reconstruction

Review of 2003 Missile Strike on a DHL A300 over Baghdad

On 22 November 2003, a DHL A300, which had just departed from Baghdad on a cargo flight to Bahrain, was hit by a SAM-7 surface to air missile. The left wing caught fire following the hit, forcing the crew to return to the airport for a successful emergency landing.

A video about the event that was produced by Glenn Pew shows a reconstruction of the event, as well as several still photos of the missile damage.



Additional Damage Photos












AirSafe.com Review of the A300 Event
http://www.airsafe.com/journal/v1num18.htm

AirSafe.com Review of a 2002 Missile Attack in Kenya
http://www.airsafe.com/journal/v1num17.htm

Analysis of an In-flight Breakup of an F-15C over Missouri

On 2 November 2007, an F-15C aircraft from the Missouri Air National Guard experienced an in-flight breakup during an training mission. The pilot, Major Steven Stillwell, successfully ejected, but sustained injuries to his left arm and shoulder.

The investigation revealed that the accident aircraft had a structural failure in its upper right longeron, one of four critical support structures for the aircraft. Fatigue cracks in the longeron led to a structural failure of the longeron and the subsequent catastrophic breakup.

After the accident, more than 600 USAF F-15s were grounded and inspected. At least nine other F-15 aircraft were found to have similar fatigue cracks. some F-15s were also removed from service because of the costs of repairing these structural problems.

The video that was produced by Glenn Pew shows a reconstruction of the event, using computer animation based on data from the flight.

Reconstruction of the In-flight Breakup



Executive Summary of the USAF Accident Report
http://usaf.aib.law.af.mil/F-15C_LambertField_02Nov07.pdf

Air-to-air Shootdown from the Target Perspective

In the history of aviation, there have been many videos of missile attacks from the attacker's perspective, it is rare to have one from the other side. Below is a video shot from a Georgian Hermes 450 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) patrolling over the Abkhazia region of Georgia when it was apparently shot down by a missile from a Russian MIG-29. The Israeli-designed unarmed UAV never had a chance.

Georgian Military Official Describes the Attack


Related Resources
Attack on an A300 by a Portable Missile: http://www.airsafe.com/journal/v1num18.htm

Threats from Portable Surface to Air Missiles: http://www.airsafe.com/journal/v1num17.htm


Hermes 450

Lufthansa A320 Has Close Call in Hamburg

On 1 March 2008, a Lufthansa Airbus A320 arriving from Munich was attempting a landing at Hamburg, Germany under high crosswind conditions. The left wingtip struck the ground during the attempt, and the crew successfully executed a go-around. The aircraft landed without further incident. At the time, winds at the airport were gusting up to 49 knots. The left wingtip and winglet were damaged, and there were no injuries to any occupants..

Video of the Event


Photos of Event and the Aircraft Damage

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

Crash of British Airways 777 at Heathrow on 17 January 2008 - Update 2

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 second statement about the progress of the investigation on 23 January 2008. The video below summarizes the information in that second AAIB statement.

Crash of British Airways 777 at Heathrow on 17 January 2008 - Update 1

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 video below summarizes the information in that AAIB statement, and adds additional information to put the accident investigation into a wider context.

Show Notes Added to the Conversation 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

Turbulence Event on an Air Canada A319 Flight on 10 January 2008

The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Victoria, BC to Toronto, ON. The aircraft had a possible encounter with moderate to severe turbulence while in the vicinity of the Canadian Rockies. The crew diverted to Calgary, where injured passengers and crew members were treated for minor injuries. The aircraft was not seriously damaged, and there were no fatalities among the five crew members or 83 passengers.

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

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

YouTube Video


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: Turbulence Risks http://www.airsafe.com/cabin/turb.htm

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

Accident Updates for Events in Venezuela and Iran

There were 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.

Update

An AirSafe.com visitor passed on a link to the following video from the Iran Air event.

Year in Review: Fatal Airline Events of 2007

Seattle, WA - January 4, 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. Over the 10 year period 1998-2007, AirSafe.com has compiled 111 fatal airline events around the world.

This annual review is available in several formats:
Audio: MP3 | Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | Google Video | YouTube



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

Evacuation Issues and the Crash of an Air France A340

This podcast has an overview of the results of the investigation of a 2 August 2005 crash of an Air France A340 in Toronto, Canada, as well a discussion of evacuation and survivability issues.

Seriously Stressed Passenger on Transatlantic Flight

In the following video, a clearly distressed passenger is restrained and comforted by passengers and apparently cabin crew during a transatlantic flight. The event occurred on 6 December 2007 on an Air Canada flight from Toronto to London.

Air rage information is available on AirSafe.com at http://www.airsafe.com/issues/rage.htm

Fear of flying information is also available at http://www.airsafe.com/issues/fear.htm

Tarom 737-300 Hits Car on Takeoff

A Tarom 737-300 hit a vehicle during takeoff in Bucharest, Romania on 30 December 2007. The collision damaged the left engine and left main landing gear. The crew aborted the takeoff, and the aircraft came to rest on the left side of the runway. Although the aircraft was substantially damaged, none of the six crew members or 117 passengers were injured.

The plane was on a charter flight to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The vehicle was being used by a maintenance crew and had been cleared to enter the runway shortly before the aircraft was cleared for takeoff. Visibility at the time of the accident was reduced due to thick fog.

The following video is from a Romanian news report, and features footage shot during the event by one of the passengers.