On Aug. 22, a truck carrying potentially volatile airbags made by auto parts company Takata exploded, killing one person and injuring four others. Today, federal safety regulators said that the tragic incident could not be blamed on improper shipping. [More]
ntsb
NTSB Rules That Model Aircraft Can Be Regulated By FAA
By 11.18.14
What’s the difference between a model aircraft you’d take out to the park and fly for your own amusement without having to worry about being fined or penalized by the Federal Aviation Administration, and operating a remote-controlled aircraft that does fall under the regulatory umbrella of the FAA? Earlier this year, a federal administrative law judge said it was pretty clear that model aircrafts of any sort are exempt from FAA oversight, but the National Transportation Safety Board today said the judge was mistaken. [More]
NTSB Pushing To Lower Drunken Driving Blood-Alcohol Content Threshold To 0.05
By 5.15.13
Right now around the country, if you’re in any of the 50 states and have a legal blood-alcohol content level of 0.08% or above, and you’re driving, you’re considered drunk and can be arrested and perhaps prosecuted for doing so. The National Transportation Safety Board thinks that threshold is too high, and has voted to recommend to states that they lower the BAC level to 0.05. [More]
Regulators Want To Lock Steering Wheels Of Convicted Drunk Drivers If They’re Intoxicated
By 12.11.12
How do you keep a convicted drunk driver from climbing behind the wheel while intoxicated? Just lock’em out, say federal regulators. Federal safety regulators are pushing for a policy that would allow for special ignition interlock devices to be installed in the vehicles of convicted drunk drivers. The devices would lock up if the driver tries to go anywhere while intoxicated. [More]
Are Heavier Airline Passengers At Greater Risk For Harm?
By 5.8.12
Usually when we bring up the topic of weight and air travel it involves either passenger comfort or controversial airline policies regarding “customers of size.” But some worry that outdated safety standards are actually putting people at risk while flying. [More]
NTSB: Cheapo Buses 7 Times More Likely To Kill Passengers
By 11.1.11
The last decade has seen a huge increase in the number of people opting for discount long-distance buses that pick passengers up at curbside over more traditional bus services operating out of terminals. But a new study from the National Transportation Safety Board says you’re seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal incident when you go for that lower-cost option. [More]
Check Out Your Airline's Safety Records Online Before You Fly
By 4.6.11
Are you tired of waiting for those scary headlines to hit detailing safety failures to find out about an airline’s safety records? For those spooked by Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300 forced to make an emergency landing when a hole torn open in its fuselage mid-flight, there are a few things you can do to check things out before booking and boarding. [More]
Cracks Found In Three More Southwest Jets
By 4.4.11
It has not been a good weekend for Southwest Airlines. The carrier grounded dozens of planes and canceled hundreds of flights after a hole opened up in the fuselage of a plane in mid-flight on Friday. Investigators subsequently found widespread cracking in that plane. And now comes news that cracks have been found in at least three more Southwest jets. [More]
United Had Advance Signs That Plane Would Almost Ignite Olsen Twin
By 3.22.11
You may remember the United Airlines flight from last May that could have resulted in a burnt Olsen twin if the pilots hadn’t reacted so quickly to a cockpit fire. Well, newly released documents from the National Transportation Safety Board show that there had been at least two related incidents on that same plane in the days leading up to the fire. [More]
Should Kids Under 2 Be Required To Have Their Own Seats On A Plane?
By 8.12.10
Children under 2 years of age are currently allowed to travel in planes on the lap of an adult. However, it’s a practice the National Transportation Safety Board hopes the FAA will put an end to. [More]
Airline Mechanics Who Can't Read English Are The Guys Reading The Manuals On How To Fix Your Plane
By 5.26.09
Other than drunken pilots, excessive baggage charges, lengthy delays, terrible customer service, and pathetic, expensive food, why wouldn’t you choose to travel by air? Well, how about airplane mechanics who don’t understand enough English to follow basic repair instructions?
GM Recalls Nearly 1 Million Vehicles With Defective Windshield Wiper Systems
By 8.30.08
Can your late-model GM vehicle melt snow and ice with a blast of heated windshield wiper fluid? It might be one of 944,000 vehicles with a faulty heating system that can cause odors, smoke, or even a surprise car fire.
