Guidelines on the Use of Child Restraint Systems

The use of child seats on aircraft has long been a concern of AirSafe.com. One area of concern are the variation in rules around the world. While seat belt use by adults is fairly standard, the use of child restraint systems (CRS) is not. In the US, the rule on child travel has been that children up to the age of two could ride either in a passenger's lap (without restraints), and children two and older must have their own seat. Child restraint systems are not required, and the FAA generally approves for flight any seat that is approved for use in automobiles.

An approved restraint device should have a tag, sticker, or other documentation that shows that it is approved for flight. Some devices, such as child restraint harnesses or booster seats, may be restricted from use during taxi, takeoff, and landing. Check the CRS documentation to be sure.

Child Restraint Systems in Europe
The EU requires that children under the age of two must be secured by an approved “child restraint device” on EU airlines. The most common method is the “loop belt” which is attached to the seat belt of adult holding the child on his or her lap (such belts are not used in the US or Canada). A number of airlines provide the option of using car child seats which are secured to an individual passenger seat.

The German Airline Association has published a list of child seats currently accepted by its member airlines (it helps if you can read German). The European Aviation Safety Agency has also certified a dedicated aircraft child seat for specific aircraft types.

Convenience Factors
In the US, child seats don't count against your carry on item or checked baggage limitations, and you can often get early boarding if you have small children. On the other hand, many of the approved child restraint systems were designed for car seats rather than airplane seats, and often the process of strapping and unstrapping the CRS in an airline seat can be inconvenient and somewhat difficult, especially on those flights where every seat is filled and everyone is trying to rush off the aircraft to make a connection.

Before You Fly with a Child
Wherever you fly, you may want to follow these suggestions when traveling with small children:

• Check with the airline to find their busiest days and times. By avoiding these times you are more likely to be on a flight with an empty seat next to a parent. In many cases airlines will allow you to seat your child under two years of age in a child restraint in the empty seat at no extra charge. Ask your airline for its policy regarding an empty seat.
  
  
• Ask the airline if they offer a discounted fare for a child traveling in a CRS. When you buy a ticket (discounted or full fare) for your child, you are guaranteed that they will have a seat and that you will be able to use the CRS.
  
  
• If you purchase a ticket for your child, reserve adjoining seats. A CRS should be placed in a window seat so it will not block the escape path in an emergency. A CRS may not be placed an exit row.
  
  
• Check the width of your CRS. While child seats vary in width, a CRS no wider than 16 inches (40.6 cm) should fit in most coach seats. A CRS wider than 16 inches (40.6 cm) is unlikely to fit. Even if the armrests are moved out of the way, a wide CRS will not fit properly into the frame of the aircraft seat.
  
  
• If you need to change planes to make a connecting flight, request that the airline arrange for assistance in your connecting city.

Other Resources
Top 10 Safety Tips for Traveling with Children
FAA Brochure on Child Restraints

Woman Accidentally Smothers Infant on Transatlantic Flight

British media sources report that late last month, a woman who fell asleep while breastfeeding her infant accidentally smothered her four-week old child while on a United Airlines flight.

United Airlines flight 982 was a 777 en route from Washington Dulles to Kuwait City, and somewhere over the Atlantic, she reportedly awoke to find that her child had been smothered. Th crew was alerted by to the situation by the screams of the 29-year-old mother.

A doctor traveling on the flight treated the baby, and the aircraft diverted to London's Heathrow airport, landing on the morning of November 25th. The baby was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

An autopsy has been performed and the the authorities are awaiting results. At present, the death is considered to be from unexplained causes, and police and the Child Abuse Investigation Team are investigating the circumstances of the death.

Previous Breastfeeding-Related Death on an Airliner
This recent event was not the first report of suspected breastfeeding accidents on board an aircraft. According to a report in the Hindu newspaper, a child died from a breastfeeding accident while the aircraft was at the gate. On 11 March 2009, a mother and four-month-old child were an Air India Express flight to from Karipur to Salalah, India. The mother and child had boarded the aircraft (Flight 341) at Kochi. During pushback from the gate, the mother started screaming after seeing her baby choke during breastfeeding.

A doctor on board treated the baby, and the child was taken to a local hospital where the infant was declared dead on arrival. A hospital official speculated that death was due to ingestion into the lungs of either breast milk or particles of vomit.

Related Articles
Breastfeeding While Traveling
Inflight Breastfeeding Issues
Woman Kicked off Plane for Breastfeeding
Airline Breastfeeding Policies

European Union Releases Latest List of Banned Airlines - Is Your Airline One of Them?

The aviation safety authorities of the European Union recently updated their list of banned airlines (sometimes referred to as an airline blacklist). Their list includes airlines that are completely banned from operating in Europe, and others which are restricted to operating in Europe under specific conditions.

Keep in mind that not all aircraft are inspected by the member states of the European Union, and that means that just because an airline isn't on the list doesn't mean that it meets EU safety standards. The most recent list is available at AirSafe.com (see resources section).

What Airlines Are on the EU List?
Most of the banned airlines are small, based in Africa, Asia, or the middle east, and are hardly household names. These include airlines like Air Koryo of North Korea, and all airlines operating from Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and 12 other countries. Other airlines, like Air Bangladesh, can operate in Europe, but only by leasing an aircraft from a certified air carrier.

FAA Approach to Banning Airlines
In contrast to the EU, the FAA's FAA's International Aviation Safety Assessments (IASA) Program does not ban individual airlines, but divides countries into two groups, those that have the ability to oversee airlines to ensure that they meet minimum international safety standards and those that do not. Airlines from countries that don't meet standards would not be allowed to start US service, and those that already have US service may not be able to change their level of service.

What Countries Are on the US List?
In the most recently available list from December 2008, a few of the countries identified as not meeting international standards included Bangladesh, Israel, Indonesia, and the Philippines. All of these countries had at least one airline that served the US. Most of the other countries in this second category had no airline serving the US at the time of the survey.

What These Lists Don't Cover
The short story is that these two programs only cover international flights. What happens within a country is under the control of that country's government. For some countries like the US, Japan, Australia, and the countries of the European Union, the standards are as high or higher than international standards. For other countries, the standards can be much lower.

Should You Avoid These Airlines or These Countries?
These lists from the EU and the FAA don't say that flying on an airliner from a particular country is unsafe or recommend particular airlines to avoid. The final decision to take any trip will be based on many factors, and these lists may be help an individual passenger decide.

AirSafe.com founder Todd Curtis has discussed decision making about risks extensively over the years, and the following is from an article he wrote in 1997:

(W)hen I make a decision on whether to take a particular flight or use a particular airline, I don't make my decision based solely on the fatal event rate or any other single measure. I do so by first taking into account a wide range of information and then by considering the following questions:

1. Would I allow my minor child to fly unaccompanied?
   
2. Would I allow my minor child to fly with an adult?
   
3. Would I allow an adult family member to fly?
   
4. Would I allow myself to fly?
   
5. Would I allow myself to fly only under special circumstances?
   
6. Would I allow someone I know on the flight?
   
7. Would I allow someone I did not know on the flight?

My personal interpretation of the level of safety of a particular flight or airline would depend on how I answered the question. For example, if I answered the first question yes, then all the other questions below it would also be yes. This is neither a comprehensive set of questions or a set of questions which can deal with everyone's safety issues. This is merely my personal scale for rating the safety of an airline or an airline flight (I'll call it the Curtis Criteria). This method may not work for many people, but it works well for me.

Resources
European Commission List of Banned Airlines (updated 26 November 2009)
European Commission Press Release (27 November 2009)
IASA Program Results (updated 18 December 2008)

Airline Safety Survey
Please take the time to respond to this short survey.

Pet Travel Issues and Related Online Resources

According the US Department of Transportation, over two million pets and other live animals are transported by air every year in the United States. Most airlines in the US allow pets to travel on aircraft, sometimes in the passenger cabin, but also in the cargo hold. Over the last few years, the US government has addressed traveler concerns about the extent of pet travel safety issues by providing regular updates concerning reports of the loss, injury, or death of animals in their Air Travel Consumer Report.

AirSafe.com's pet travel resource page has basic advice about pet travel, pointing out that there are a number of considerations that passengers must consider, including what extra charges you may face, limitations on when pets can travel, and many other conditions of travel. If you plan to travel with pets, the most important thing to know that is that rules can be very different for different airlines. In the US, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allows each airline to set its policies on travel with pets, including whether they are allowed in the cabin, or for that matter whether they can be transported at all.

Pets and Security Screening
According to the TSA, you will need to present the animal to the security officers at the checkpoint. You may walk your animal through the metal detector with you. If this is not possible, your animal will have to undergo a secondary screening, including a visual and physical inspection by our Security Officers. Your animal will not be placed through an X-ray machine. However, you may be asked to remove your animal from its carrier so that the carrier can be placed on the X-Ray machine.

Pets in the Passenger Cabin
Not every airline allows pets in the passenger cabin. Those that do typically allow only small animals that must be kept in some kind of cage or kennel for the duration of the flight. Also, the pets must be able to fit in the area under the seat and can’t be in the overhead baggage compartments. An airline may also limit the maximum number of pets in the passenger cabin, as well is the number of pets in coach, business, or first class sections of the aircraft. It is also possible that an airline may allow pets in one class of service or section of the aircraft, but not another.

Pets in the Baggage Compartment
If pets are not in the passenger cabin, they are typically transported in pressurized, temperature-controlled aircraft compartments. Confirm with your airline that this is the case.

One of the most comprehensive sites providing useful pet travel information PetFlight.com. Featuring practical travel advice, details on pet travel policy by airline, and lists of pet travel incidents reported to the DOT, this site will address many common questions pet owners may have about animal air travel safety.

Traveling to Hawaii with Pets
Hawaii has special limitations on pet travel, including quarantines of animals traveling to the state, even for passengers flying from other parts of the US. Make sure that you review Hawaii’s requirements at http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/info, contact the airline, and possibly consult your pet’s veterinarian, prior to your travel to Hawaii. Otherwise, your pet could be quarantined for up to 120 days.

Service Animals
Service animals are not pets, but rather an animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. In the U.S., a disabled passenger can travel with his or her service animal in the passenger with relatively few limitations compared to the limitations on pets. While U.S. airlines are required to make accommodations for travelers with service animals, there may be situations where a service animal may not be allowed in the cabin. If you plan to travel with a service animal, it would be a good idea to contact the airline prior to your travel to see if there may be any difficulties.

Photo: shanan

Passenger Electronic Devices Survey Results

Earlier this month, an AirSafe.com article on free wireless Internet access in airplanes and airport terminals included a survey on suggested guidelines for use of personal electronic devices in airplanes and airports. A survey in the article asked several questions, and 35 members of the AirSafe.com audience were kind enough to respond.

Using Electronics in the Sky
Not surprisingly, all but three of those responding have carried electronic devices on aircraft, with 26 reporting using a cell phone and an equal number admitting to carrying laptops or iPod type devices.

Most Think Guidelines Appropriate
One question was whether the suggested guidelines, which included using headphones, not displaying inappropriate images, and no cell phones in flight were appropriate. Of the 35 respondents, 23 thought they went far enough, four thought they didn't go far enough, and two thought they went too far. Six others were not sure.

Cell Phones in the Air Not a Popular Idea
The possibility of cell phone use in the sky brought out some strong opinions, with 11 checking the 'No' box and another 11 checking the 'Hell No' box. Coincidentally, 11 others checked the 'Yes' box.

Original Survey Questions and Choices
1. Do you think that these guidelines go far enough? (Yes, No, Not Sure, Other)
2. Have you traveled with a personal electronic device? (Yes, No)
- If you answered yes, what kind of device? (Cell phone, Laptop, iPod type device, game player, PDA, other)
3. Do you think that in flight phone calls should be allowed? (Yes, No, Hell No, Not Sure)

Other Comments
Perhaps the most interesting part of the survey was the variety of comments that were sent in. They have been included below with only slight editing for spelling and grammar:

- I think it depends on the circumstances. It's a hard one, because too much regulation is not good and not enough (regulation) leads to unhappy passengers which you really don't want in an enclosed space 32,000 feet in the air.

- I think that we have a right to view, read or whatever we want to do and for the phone call thing, what is the difference between talking on the phone or to another person on the plane? Get real!

- (Unless) it is an emergency written correspondence only

- In the old days they had a smoking section why not sections that allow certain things or even an internet cafe area.

- In-Flight content should not be limited.

- Life is evolution, and we must establish rules and education on behavior.

- The problem of one person's freedom running into other people's freedom from objectionable material already exists. You don't need WiFi to use your laptop or iPod on the plane.

- Too many already violate the law and confiscation of the devices is a must!

- Socks should be provided for mouths to passengers who insist on talking really loud on early morning and late night flights. And isolation booth for crying children like they used to have in churches would be a great idea.

Photo: gregoryjameswalsh

Crash of an MD11 Cargo Aircraft in Shanghai is the Second Asian MD11 Crash this Year

Accident Aircraft Three Days Before Crash

28 November 2009; Avient Aviation MD11F; Z-BAV; Flight 324; Shanghai, China: An Avient Aviation MD11 crashed just after taking off from Shanghai's Pudong International Airport. The aircraft (registration Z-BAV) was on an unscheduled cargo flight (flight 324) from Shanghai, China to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan when it crashed. Three of the seven crew members were killed.

Reportedly, one eyewitness, who is a pilot based in Shanghai, stated that the main gear left the ground just before the end of the runway, with the aircraft gaining very little altitude, before impacting approach lights and antennas and falling back onto the ground. Another report indicated that the aircraft's tail struck the runway one or more times during takeoff.

Overhead View of Area of the Crash

About Avient Aviation
Avient Aviation is registered in Harare, Zimbabwe, but operates out of Great Britain. According to Flight Global and Avient Aviation, the airline owns four other cargo aircraft in its fleet, including three DC10s, and one Ilyushin Il-76, and operates 727 cargo aircraft as well. The accident aircraft, which first flew in 1990, had previously been registered to Korean Air (HL7372) and Varig Logistica (PR-LGD). It was delivered to Avient Aviation just eight days before the crash. According to AirFleets.net, the aircraft had been in storage in Miami for about 17 months.

Accident Investigation
The investigation is being conducted by China's General Administration of Civil Aviation, with the assistance of the NTSB, FAA, aircraft manufacturer Boeing, and engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. The investigating agency's phone number is (86) 10 6401-2907, their web site is at www.caac.gov.cn, and their email address is yf_mao@caac.gov.cn.

MD11 Crash History
The most recent Shanghai crash was the second crash of an MD-11 this year. The previous crash was also in Asia and involved the crash landing of an MD11 at Tokyo's Narita airport on 23 March 2009. There have been a total of eight MD11 events that have resulted in either onboard fatalities or a destroyed aircraft. Five of these eight events involved MD11 cargo aircraft. In 1999, a Korean Air MD11 also crashed shortly after taking off from a different Shanghai airport.

23 March 2009 Crash of a FedEx MD-11 near Tokyo
Audio: MP3 | Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | YouTube

For more videos, visit the AirSafe.com YouTube channel.

About the MD11
About two hundred MD11s were built, and about 178 are currently in service. FedEx Express operates the world's largest MD-11 fleet with about 59 active aircraft. Well over half of all active MD-11s are flying as dedicated cargo aircraft, with many of them being converted passenger airliners.

Airlines Fined for Stranding Passengers Plus The Best Passenger Safety Briefing Ever

Three Airlines Fined for Stranding Passengers Overnight
Earlier this year on August 8th, Continental Express Flight 2816, which was en route from Houston to Minneapolis and carrying 47 passengers, was diverted to Rochester, Minnesota because of thunderstorms where it landed about 12:30 am. The passengers and crew ended up stranded on the aircraft for over seven hours because the terminal had already closed for the night, and the employees who could have opened the terminal refused to do so.

This event attracted national attention at the time, and the US Department of Transportation (DOT) announced yesterday that it would impose $175,000 in fines on the three airlines involved. Continental Airlines and its regional airline partner ExpressJet, which operated the flight for Continental, were each fined $50,000. Mesaba Airlines, which was responsible for operating the terminal at Rochester, Minnesota, was fined $75,000.

This was the first time that the DOT has fined airlines for stranding passengers on the tarmac, but by no means was this the first time that passengers have been stuck on the tarmac for long periods of time. Earlier this month, AirSafeNews.com had an article about the delay statistics made available by the DOT's Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

The Best Passenger Safety Briefing Ever
When it comes to preflight passenger safety briefings, most passengers have sat through many of them, and most of them are not the least bit entertaining or memorable. The FAA does not dictate what information airlines should provide passengers during the preflight safety briefing. However, the FAA provides general guidance in Advisory Circular 121-24C, where one of the suggestions is that "The pretakeoff oral briefing should be given so that each passenger can clearly hear it and easily see required demonstrations. Flight attendants giving these briefings should speak slowly and distinctly."

Flight attendant David Holmes of Southwest Airlines created a preflight passenger briefing that ignored the advice about speaking slowly, and was both entertaining and memorable.

National Geographic Traveler published an extensive interview with David Holmes where he talked about his in-flight rapping. The following question and answer is the highlight of that interview.

National Geographic Traveler - The Federal Aviation Administration has some pretty strict requirements about in-flight safety announcements. How did you ensure that you met those, while still maintaining your artistic integrity?

David Holmes - Everything we have to say is carefully scripted for us -- all the safety information. As you know, one challenge is getting people to listen -- the other is making sure they have all the info. Why shouldn't it be fun?

Why not indeed.