Earlier this month, Lars Vercelli of the Columbia University School of Journalism interviewed Dr. Curtis about his thoughts on bird hazards to aircraft, and about ways to reduce bird strike risks from a proposed garbage facility near New York's LaGuardia airport.
Over the course of ten days in mid-April 2012, there were several serious incidents involving birds colliding into planes across the US (including a strike described in an earlier AirSafeNews.com story on a passenger who recorded a bird strike with an iPad). While no one was harmed in these strike events, these incidents brought renewed attention to this ongoing aviation concern.
The two videos below incude the report broadcast by Columbia News Tonight, as well as additional comments from Dr. Curtis.
On April 19, 2012, Delta Flight 1063, a 757 flying nonstop from JFK Airport in New York to Los Angeles, was forced to return to JFK and make an emergency landing after its right engine experienced a bird strike shortly after takeoff.
One of the passengers, New York Times bestseller Grant Cardone, happen to have been using his iPad to make a video when he caught a glimpse of the flock of birds involved in the strike.
Grant Cardone video of bird strike
Cardone caught the incident on his iPad, despite the fact that electronic devices like iPads are supposed to be turned off during that part of the flight.
The video has gotten Cardone in trouble with the FAA and he's recently received a warning letter letting him know that a record of his rule infringement will be kept for two years. The letter reportedly stated that the FAA will not penalize Cardone so long as he has no other infractions over the next two years.
Why the FAA approach makes no sense
The current FAA regulations on electronic devices were developed in an era when there were few, if any, personal electronic devices on board. It is a safe bet that the average passenger has more than one device with them when they travel. The chance that a frequent flyer will forget to turn off an iPhone, Kindle, iPad, laptop, video game, etc. at least once is likely close to 100%.
Instead of sending threatening letters, it would make much more sense for the FAA to get together with the aviation industry and the flying public and create a set of new regulations that take into account both common sense and the reality that electronic devices will likely become much more popular in airline cabins. This is a point of view emphasized by AirSafe.com creator Dr. Todd Curtis in a May 3, 2012 interview on Washington, DC radio station WTOP.
is scheduled to be on The Discovery Channel show 'World's Scariest Plane Landings,' which features AirSafe.com creator Dr. Todd Curtis, will be rebroadcast today in the US at 4pm EDT. Times may vary by cable broadcaster and time zone, so check your local listings for times in your area.
Discovery channel promises that the audience will "Experience the most frightening moments in aviation, with incredible footage and first-hand accounts from those who survived - the terrified passengers inside the planes and skilled pilots inside the cockpits."
Follow the comments on Twitter at #worstflightever
AirSafe.com creator Dr. Todd Curtis is scheduled to be on the Discovery Channel show 'World's Scariest PLane Landings,' which will have its first scheduled broadcast in the US on the evening of April 23, 2012 (check local listings).
Discovery channel promises that the audience will "Experience the most frightening moments in aviation, with incredible footage and first-hand accounts from those who survived - the terrified passengers inside the planes and skilled pilots inside the cockpits."
Perhaps the most frightening moments in the show will be those featuring the comments and analysis of Dr. Curtis. The only way to find out is to watch the show. We would like to get your feedback about it.
Follow the comments on Twitter at #worstflightever
20 April 2012; Bhoja Airlines; 737-200; AP-BKC; flight B4 213; Islamabad, Pakistan: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight Karachi to Islamabad, Pakistan, and crashed in a residential area near the airport. The aircraft was completely destroyed in the crash, and all six crew members and 121 passengers were killed. Among those killed were several children and one newlywed couple. This was the airline's inaugural flight on this route.
2 April 2012; UTair ATR72-200; VP-BYZ;flight 120; Tyumen, Russia: The aircraft was on scheduled domestic flight from Tyumen to Surgut, Russia. The airplane crashed broke up, and caught fire in a field about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) form the end of the departure runway.
All four crew members and 27 of the 39 passengers were killed. This is the second fatal passenger jet crash involving this airline. The first was a 17 March 2007 crash of a UTair Tu134A in Samara, Russia that killed six passengers.
Have you flown on UTair? If you want to publish your experience through NewsiT, visit AirSafe.com's NewsiT partner page, download the NewsiT app, and share your experience using the 'Report It Now' function.
The TSA has been a frequent subject of this site, covering issues from the employee screening process to the passenger search policies. Below is an informational graphic created by a team from OnlineCriminalJusticeDegree.com led by AirSafeNews.com follower Tony Shin. The graphic is based on data from a variety of sources, including media reports and is somewhat critical on the TSA's policies and effectiveness, including claims that although know terrorists have flown on US airlines numerous times since TSA was created, none have ever been stopped from boarding by TSA.
We'd like to know what you think abou the graphic, or what you think about the direction the TSA has taken in recent months, so please feel free to leave comments.
