Articles by Alan Levin

Federal Aviation Safety Oversight Remains Weak, Vulnerable, Says Watchdog

The U.S. regulator that approved the flawed Boeing Co. 737 Max design has continuing weaknesses and is vulnerable to “future high-risk safety concerns,” a government watchdog report found. The Transportation Department’s Inspector General said that the Federal Aviation Administration hasn’t …

Boeing Issues Global Safety Warning to Pilots in Wake of Indonesian 737 Crash

Boeing Co. has issued a safety bulletin reminding pilots of the steps required to ensure they maintain control of their aircraft in the wake of last month’s deadly plunge of an Indonesian jetliner into the Java Sea. The Flight Operations …

U.S. Approves Commercial Drone Flights Over Populated Areas With Tracking

Commercial drone use for deliveries and services cleared a major hurdle in the U.S. with new rules allowing the devices to fly over populated areas for the first time and requirements for tracking them to address safety and security concerns. …

Pilot Unions, Families of Crash Victims Seek Revisions to Training for Boeing 737 Max

Pilot unions and families of those killed in a crash of Boeing Co.’s 737 Max are asking for revisions to proposed new training for the grounded jetliner. The Federal Aviation Administration’s proposed new training module and emergency checklists for the …

Fire Departments Need Training in Electric Vehicle Fires

Half of U.S. fire departments have no protocols in place to fight fires that break out in the growing number of battery-powered vehicles on the road, according to accident investigators. Only a quarter of fire departments have dedicated training for …

Boeing Withheld Facts on Flight-Control System Blamed for 2 Fatal Crashes: Probe

Boeing Co. provided only “limited information” on the flight-control software later implicated in two fatal crashes on the 737 Max as it was being approved by federal regulators, a government watchdog report has found. The Transportation Department’s Inspector General concluded …

Safety Agency Warns of Tail Strikes, Off-Course Flying by Near-Empty Airplanes

One nearly empty passenger jet “climbed like a rocket,” prompting the pilots to exceed their assigned altitude. Others have scraped their tails on takeoff, gone off course or strayed close enough to other aircraft to prompt mid-air collision alerts. The …

Crashed Pakistan Plane First Tried to Land Without Landing Gear at 203 Miles Per Hour

A deadly plane crash in Pakistan is prompting questions about how the crew could touch down without landing gear when their sophisticated jetliner was bristling with equipment to prevent pilots from doing just that. After an abrupt descent that had …

U.S. Seeks Certificaton Criteria for Civilian Drones

Government regulators plan to review drone designs in the same way they review other aircraft, a major step toward allowing routine drone deliveries and other flights over congested cities. The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday announced it’s seeking comment from …

Kobe Bryant Copter Company Had 2 Other Fatal Crashes in 35 Years

Island Express Helicopters Inc., the California-based charter company involved in Sunday’s crash that killed retired basketball star Kobe Bryant, has been involved in four previous crashes over the past 35 years, two of them fatal, according to government records. While …