Category: Articles, Aviation, Financial/Economic, Politics, Resources for Attorneys, Resources for Experts, Safety, Transportation The Perils of Assuming Everything Is Fine: Normalcy Bias and the Rushed Approval of the Boeing 737 Max 10 Jet TASA ID: 22108 Congress just cleared the Boeing 737 Max 10 jet for certification in the omnibus end-of-year spending bill without further safety enhancements. That’s despite significant opposition by those demanding a safety upgrade: from the union representing the 15,000 pilots at American Airlines, from the families of those killed in the 2 deadly crashes in 2019, and from Rep. Peter DeFazio, chair of the House Transportation Committee. Rep. DeFazio led the key congressional investigation into the Max crashes, and said the language in the spending bill was included over his objection. Read more
Category: Articles, Aviation, Resources for Attorneys, Transportation, Working With Experts The Thunder Rolls and Flights Delay Why Thunderstorms Affect Air Travel TASA ID: 9740 Approaching the TopicIt is eleven o’clock in the evening as a regional jet makes its approach to the runway at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The 65-seat jet is just one of many planes in sequence to land. Suddenly, a call is heard over the radio as a Boeing 747 cargo plane aborts its approach to land and climbs to safety. A shift in wind has prevented the large jet from landing and has forced its crew to circle back for another try.Meanwhile, the regional jet is beginning to rock aggressively, as it enters that same area of turbulence and windshear (rapidly changing wind speed and/or direction), which extends all the way to the runway. The small craft is thrown about as the pilots are forced to turn off the autopilot and fly the plane by hand.After several minutes, the plane lands, just as another small jet (further back in line) gives up and climbs away. Within minutes, the airport is overtaken by an approaching thunderstorm, with alarms sounding and staff quickly moving passengers into tornado shelters. Eventually, the all clear is given and activities resume.While the night eventually ended without incident or injury, it stands as a reminder of the power of thunderstorms and the threat they pose to humans on the ground and in the air. Read more
Category: Articles, Aviation, Lost Wages, Resources for Attorneys, Transportation Demystifying Airline Pilot Pay TASA ID: 9740 In a crowded plane, passengers look at their watches (and cell phones), as the scheduled departure time comes and goes. Finally, an announcement is made by the flight crew that the plane has a mechanical issue and will require 30 more minutes to be repaired. The passengers are frustrated, but they are not the only ones. The crew is also irritated – because they are not being paid for any part of this schedule disruption. While the flight attendants work hard to appease the passengers, the pilots are on the phone, in the books, and busy speaking with the maintenance crew about the issue – and they are doing it all for free! Sky-dive in as we discuss the strange and imperfect world of flight crew, and more specifically, pilot pay. Read more
Category: Articles, Accident Analysis / Reconstruction, Aviation, Product Liability, Resources for Attorneys, Resources for Experts, Safety, Transportation Airmanship in the Age of Automation TASA ID: 9740 On a cloudy morning, at a major US airport, a regional jet is cleared for the ILS approach. The ceiling is reported at 600 feet, with visibility around five statute miles. As the plane turns final, a 30-knot tailwind pushes it faster than expected to the final approach segment, with the crew racing to descend. Realizing the plane is still above glideslope, the first officer turns off the auto-pilot and dives to catch it. The rate of descent increases as the plane passes 2,000 feet. It's not an everyday approach, but the beginning of an accident report - one that will never be written. To read more, download the article below. Read more
Category: Aviation, Business & Commerce, Employment How to Value Airline Pilot Careers: The $8 Million Dollar Man has Wings! TASA ID: 616 Airline pilot careers are much more valuable than many attorneys, spouses, and even the pilots themselves often realize. Even after all of the well-publicized pay reductions and retirement plan failures at our established legacy passenger airlines, these careers are still providing high career values. Read more
