Articles by Alan Levin and Ryan Beene

Tesla Autopilot Crash with Parked Fire Truck in Los Angeles Under Investigation

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board will investigate an accident involving a Tesla Inc. Model S sedan that rear-ended a firetruck on a freeway near Los Angeles on Monday, the agency said. The agency will send two investigators to conduct …

Tracking System Could Speed OK for Drone Deliveries in U.S.

Deliveries by drones took a step closer to being allowed in the U.S. after a federal advisory panel agreed on a framework for allowing law enforcement to routinely track the small devices. The committee’s report to the Federal Aviation Administration, …

Fatal Amtrak Crash in Washington State Stirs Safety Debate in D.C.

The deadly Amtrak crash in Washington state marked the railroad’s third fatal accident in as many years, putting the passenger rail operator under fresh scrutiny less than a month after safety regulators issued a scathing report. Bound for Portland, Oregon, …

Drone Easily Pierced New York ‘No-Fly’ Zone, Exposing Risk

A recreational drone operator whose device smashed into a U.S. Army helicopter in September flew undetected into a no-fly zone over New York set up to protect President Donald Trump and the United Nations. The National Transportation Safety Board on …

Researchers Find Drones Can Cause Significant Damage to Aircraft

The millions of small civilian drones plying the nation’s skies can cause significant damage to airliners and business jets in a midair collision, new research commissioned by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration concluded. While most drones weigh only a few …

Fatal Crashes on Private Planes at Lowest in 50 Years

The rate of fatal crashes on privately owned aircraft in the U.S. dropped to the lowest level in 50 years in 2016. The fatal-accident rate was less than 1 per 100,000 flight hours, the first time it has reached that …

Defense Bill Would Revive Civilian Drone Registration Requirement

The government’s registration system for owners of civilian drones would be restored in a defense policy bill agreed to by House and Senate negotiators. The measure boosting aviation regulators’ ability to regulate the burgeoning world of small unmanned vehicles was …

U.S. Expands Drug Testing for Pilots, Train Engineers to Include Opioids

Airline pilots, train engineers and truck drivers subject to federally mandated drug screening will soon be tested for a range of opioids under a new rule issued Thursday. While transportation workers have long been subject to random screenings for various …

FAA Can’t Keep Up with Requests for Drone Flights in Restricted Areas

Reports of safety incidents involving civilian drones have surged to an average of 250 a month, leading to a federal “emergency” action to approve drone flights in restricted areas, according to a government notice seeking new procedures for the craft. …

Future of Drone Industry Clouded by Panel’s Failure to Agree on Security

A panel of industry and law enforcement officials couldn’t agree on how civilian drones should be tracked by authorities, adding uncertainty to the push for expanded commercial uses. The advisory committee, established earlier this year by the Federal Aviation Administration, …