The AirSafe.com News

JAL 787 damaged by battery fire apparently needed extensive repairs

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:53:29 PDT

After an ANA and JAL 787 aircraft experienced battery fires in January 2013, the entire fleet of 49 aircraft was grounded while the problem was diagnosed and an acceptable plan for fixing returning the aircraft to service was developed. While Boeing did come up with a repair plan that was acceptable to the FAA, it appears that the JAL 787 that experienced a battery fire in Boston had to also go

Review of Cockpit Confidential, the latest book from Partrick Smith

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Sun, 19 May 2013 11:10:14 PDT

Cockpit Confidential, the latest book from Patrick Smith, is very much an insider's guide to the airline business in general and the life of an airline pilot in particular. This book is about the airline business and about airline careers, but perhaps more importantly it is a story about a love affair. Not the kind that is short, passionate, and comes to a dramatic end at the first sign of

FAA report raises questions about the oversight of maintenance repair stations

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Sat, 11 May 2013 15:05:51 PDT

On 1 May 2013, the FAA Office of Inspector General office released a report (AV-2013-073) that detailed ongoing difficulties that the FAA has in overseeing the repair stations that provide airline maintenance services in the US and overseas. Like the airlines, organizations that provide FAA-approved repairs to airliner aircraft have to meet FAA regulatory standards. While these organizations can

Crash of a National Airlines 747-400 at Bagram Air Base

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Thu, 02 May 2013 09:31:57 PDT

29 April 2013; National Airlines; 747-400; N949CA; Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan: The aircraft had just departed on a cargo flight to Dubai, UAE when the aircraft entered a stall and crashed near the end of the runway. At one point, the aircraft had rolled to the right in excess of 45 degrees. Although the crew was able to put the wings more or less level, the aircraft impacted the ground at a

787 Dreamliners return to service

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 10:43:18 PDT

More than three months after being grounded by the FAA and by other aviation authorities around the world due to a pair of battery fire incidents, the 787 is flying once again. While US and Japanese investigations into the causes of the fires continue, the FAA has allowed the 787 to return to service once airlines install a number of required changes to the electrical system. These changes would

Lion Air 737 lands in water short of runway

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:35:19 PDT

13 April 2013; Lion Air; 737-800; PK-LKS; flight 904; Bali, Indonesia: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Bandung, Indonesia to Bali, arriving during a rain storm. The aircraft landed in shallow water short of the runway during final approach. Although the aircraft had a break in the fuselage just behind the wings, none of the 101 passengers or seven crew members were killed.

Rescheduled webinar on sex toys and the TSA in two days

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:01:59 PDT

On Thursday March 28, AirSafe.com will host a live webinar on how TSA rules affect passengers who fly with one or more sex toys. While the TSA for the most part does an outstanding job of protecting the flying public, sometimes they compromise a passenger's privacy and dignity while doing so. There have been a number of cases where TSA representatives exposed passengers to unnecessary

Webinar on how to fly with knives, guns, and other weapons

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 19:30:29 PDT

The recent TSA announcement about changing rules for carrying small knives and other potentially dangerous items in the passenger cabin will allow passengers to keep these items in their carry-on bags for the first time in years. However, it has not changed the rules on how passengers my travel with guns and other weapons, so if you plan on doing so, you should be aware of the TSA rules and how

Montford Point Marine Calvin T. Curtis Sr. passes away

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 11:52:13 PST

Calvin Turner Curtis Sr., World War II veteran and recent recipient of a Congressional Gold Medal, passed away on Wednesday, February 27, 2013 in San Antonio at the age of 87 following a short illness. He was born May 17, 1925, in Charlotte, Texas, and was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Patricia Lucia Tennyson Green Curtis, and is survived by his three sons, Calvin Curtis Jr.,

JetBlue passenger dies during flight

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:18:52 PST

26 February 2013; JetBlue A320; Flight 462, en route Ft. Myers, FL to Boston, MA: Shortly after takeoff from Ft. Myers, Fl, an older male passenger experienced a medical emergency. In spite of efforts by the flight attendants and at least one medical professional, the passenger died of unspecified causes. There were six crew members and 149 passengers on board. According to FlightAware.com, the

Webinar: How to Fly with a Sex Toy under TSA Rules

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:21:56 PST

Travis Barker, Blink-182, and Fear of Flying

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:21:41 PST

Recently, Travis Barker, drummer for the group Blink-182, declined to go on an upcoming tour Australia with his band, claiming that fear of flying has kept him from flying since surviving a plane crash in 2008. On Thursday, 21 February 2013, Dr. Todd Curtis of AirSafe.com discussed the Travis Barker plane crash of September 2008, the basics of fear of flying, and ways that passengers have

Video of webinar on 787 battery fire investigation now available

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 08:54:04 PST

Dr. Todd Curtis of AirSafe.com hosted a 14 February 2013 webinar discussed the January 2013 grounding of the entire 787 fleet after two serious fires on a JAL and ANA 787 involving lithium ion batteries. Dr. Curtis summarized the status of the investigations by the NTSB and JTSB, and explains the process that Boeing and the airlines will go through in order to return the aircraft to service.

Register for the upcoming webinar on the 787 Dreamliner Battery Fire Investigation

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 08:31:00 PST

It has been several weeks since battery fires and other problems on 787s flown by ANA, JAL, and United led to a worldwide grounding of this aircraft model. This Thursday, Dr. Todd Curtis of AirSafe.com will discuss the ongoing investigation, and will take questions from the audience. Please register for 787 Dreamliner Battery Fire Investigation Update on Feb 14, 2013 2:00 PM EST at: Update:

Video of AirSafe.com webinar on effects of major storms on airline passengers now available

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 19:54:48 PST

During the height of the snowstorm that hit the east coast of the US on february 8th, Dr. Todd Curtis of AirSafe.com conducted a webinar on passenger issues related to major weather-related disruptions, and offered attendees numerous resources for dealing with these issues. Photo credit: Chattanooga Times Free Press Note: The webinar has ended, but you can see a video of the webinar below:

Webinar on Airline Passenger Issues During Severe Storms

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 12:50:23 PST

The severe snowstorm that is hitting the east coast of the US today has caused major disruptions to airline schedules and to the plans of passengers. This webinar will discuss some of the key airline delay polices due to weather-related causes and how they affect passengers, and will also offer attendees numerous resources for dealing with these issues. Photo credit: Chattanooga Times Free

Dr. Todd Curtis discusses the 787 grounding on Fox Business Network

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 16:25:15 PST

On Thursday 17 January 2013, Dr. Todd Curtis of AirSafe.com was interviewed on the Fox Business Network show 'Money with Melissa Francis' where he discussed the recent grounding of the 787 and the things that would have to happen for the public to regain confidence in this aircraft. Issues included potential problems with the new battery technology used in the 787, the aircraft

Should passengers fear the 787?

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 12:02:25 PST

Should you be afraid to fly on the 787? If you listen to or read some of the more dramatic stories from some media outlets, the 787 is a flying death trap that should scare the living daylights out of anyone who is even thinking of flying in one. The FAA and other civil aviation organizations have taken the rare step of grounding an entire fleet of aircraft until a thorough investigation can

FAA orders comprehensive review of the 787

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 06:42:04 PST

The 787 is a new aircraft model that is noteworthy for technological advancements and design features that set it apart from other airliner models. This week, the 787 has been noteworthy for all the wrong reasons. On Monday, an onboard fire at Boston's Logan airport led to a formal NTSB incient investigation. Later in the week, there were three other incidents, including an incident with a

What's wrong with the 787? - Hard to say for now

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 06:57:17 PST

Earlier this week on January 7th, a Japan Airlines 787 at Boston's Logan Airport had a fire in the auxiliary power unit (APU) compartment of the aircraft, causing some damage to the aircraft and an injury to a firefighter. There was only a maintenance and cleaning crew on board, no passengers were injured, and as the NTSB photo below shows, there was relatively little fire damage in the APU

Get the New Family Air Travel Guide from AirSafe.com

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 08:29:54 PST

This new book from Dr. Todd Curtis of AirSafe.com provides parents who fly with children and children who fly alone with advice on how to avoid many of the difficult situations faced by families that travel, and also provides numerous tips on how to take the stress out of your next trip. This book covers many of the most common problem areas faced by families that fly, including baggage,

AirSafe.com Airline Safety Review for 2012

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 19:04:42 PST

This 17th annual review discusses seven fatal airline crashes and three other significant events from 2012. The seven fatal airline crashes from 2012 equals 2008 as the year with the fewest fatal passenger events since AirSafe.com was launched in 1996. All but one of these seven events, a fatal crash last week in Canada that killed one passenger, occurred outside of North America and western

Two recent fatal plane crashes in Burma and Canada

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 12:59:45 PST

After having no fatal crashes involving passengers in nearly three months, there have been two fatal crashes in the last week. 22 December 2012; Kivalliq Air Fairchild Metro 3; C-GFWX; Flight 671; Sanikiluaq, Canada: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Winnipeg to Sanikiluaq, Canada, and crashed just short of the runway during a second landing attempt. There was limited

Holiday Travel Tips from the TSA

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 09:35:10 PST

Every year, the TSA provides a number of holiday tips for travelers, and this year there are a number of recent changes that will be of particular interest to families traveling with either young children or older relatives. Shoe removal for younger and older passengers Children who are 12 or younger, and adults who are 75 or older are no longer required to routinely remove their shoes.

Father of AirSafe.com Creator to Receive Congressional Gold Medal

tcurtis@airsafe.com (Dr. Todd Curtis) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 10:31:51 PST

Normally, the articles on this site have some kind of connection to aviation. This aricle will be a notable exception. Calvin Curtis, father of AirSafe.com creator Dr. Todd Curtis, will be presented with a Congressional Gold Medal, which is the highest civilian honor bestowed by the US Congress for distinguished achievement. The medal was awarded to the Montford Point Marines in recognition of