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30 June 2008

Special Podcast Series: The Secrets of AirSafe.com

Special Podcast Series Begins 30 June 2008
In the Secrets of AirSafe.com, a special series from the Conversation at AirSafe.com podcast, site creator Dr. Todd Curtis will share many of the key insights and practices that have allowed AirSafe.com to thrive since its launch in July 1996. Each podcast explores a different aspect of the site, and offers listeners a rare opportunity to get an inside look at how to successfully identify, expand, and serve an online audience.

Information about the special series is available at
http://secrets.airsafe.org

You can hear the podcast at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show52_secrets1.mp3

The transcript of the first podcast in the series is available at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show52.htm

Other Recent Podcasts
Last week, AirSafe.com released a podcast showing the rescue of the passengers of a Chilean airliner that crashed earlier in June. The passengers survived for four days in the snow on a forested mountainside before being rescued. The pilot and nine passengers survived the crash, but the pilot died two days before rescue. You can find out more about this event at http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show51a.htm, or you can hear or see the podcast through the links below:
Audio: MP3

 | VideoiPod/M4V | WMV | Google Video | YouTube



New from the AirSafe.com Crash Video Collection
The USAF released an accident report and video from the first ever crash of a B-2 bomber. The $1.4 billion aircraft crashed in Guam on 23 February 2008 due to water contamination in the aircraft's flight control system. Both pilots successfully ejected.
More crash details, plus a video.

16 June 2008

Crash of Sudan Airways A310 and Other News Items

A Sudan Airways A310 Crashed in Khartoum on 10 June 2008, killing one of the 14 crew member and approximately 30 of the 203 passengers. The aircraft was on an unscheduled domestic flight from Port Sudan to Khartoum. The aircraft had been on a scheduled international flight from Damascus, Syria to Khartoum, but had earlier diverted to Port Sudan due to weather conditions in the Khartoum area. The aircraft landed, and then overran the far end of the runway by about 230m (750ft), coming to rest on rough ground slightly to the left of the extended center line. The right engine and right side of the aircraft caught fire, and the fire quickly spread to the rest of the plane and destroyed the aircraft.

Fatal A310 Events
http://www.airsafe.com/events/models/a310.htm

Fatal Event Rates by Model
http://www.airsafe.com/events/models/rate_mod.htm

Fatal Sudan Airways Events
http://www.airsafe.com/events/airlines/sudan.htm

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New Fear of Flying Podcast
This show features two pioneers in the treatment of fear of flying, Captain Tom Bunn and Lisa Hauptner of SOAR fear of flying organization. These two experts, who are both trained therapists, reveal a number of surprising facts about fear of flying, including the roots of fear of flying and the fact that the fear is often only indirectly related to flying.

Information about this episode is available at http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show51.htm, and the podcast itself is available at http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show51_fear2.mp3

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Frequent Flyer Program Basics
A new page with basic frequent flyer program information is now available at http://www.airsafe.com/paxinfo/miles.htm

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New AirSafe.com Contact Options
The AirSafe.com contact page at http://www.airsafe.com/contact.htm
has added options for leaving voice mail at 206-279-1832 or through Skype using Skype name 'airsafe'

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Recent Massive Mailings of News Items
Those of you on the mailing list likely received a massive influx of emailed new items in the early hours of Saturday June 14th. These older news items were sent out by mistake. AirSafe.com regrets any inconvenience this may have caused.

03 June 2008

TACA Has First Fatal Jet Airliner Event

A TACA Airbus A320-200 crashed in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on 30 May 2008, killing the captain, two passengers, and two people outside of the aircraft. 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 beyond the airport perimeter, and struck several vehicles on a nearby road.

There were 124 passengers and five crew members on board the aircraft. In addition to the three onboard fatalities, about 65 other passengers were injured.

The fuselage was broken in several locations with one of the engines was 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 24 May 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 6 April 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.

Because of the crash, and because of ongoing concerns about the main airport in Tegucigalpa, that airport was immediately closed to all aircraft, and even after the airport is reopened, large jet airliners will not be allowed at the airport.

Commercial jets are now operating through the city of San Pedro Sula, and later this year the Honduran government plans to allow larger jets to land in Soto Cano Air Base (formerly known as the Pamerola Air Base).


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

If you would like more details about this podcast and about the fear of flying, please use the links below:

Podcast from the Day of the Accident (MP3)
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show50_taca.mp3

Podcast Transcript
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show50.htm

Fatal and Significant TACA Events
http://www.airsafe.com/events/airlines/taca.htm

Fatal Airbus A320 Events
http://www.airsafe.com/events/models/a320.htm