Flying Safety

Written by a crusading former government official, FLYING BLIND, FLYING SAFE is the book that must be read by everyone who flies. In it is the vital airline safety information the public has a right--and a need--to know: the most dangerous planes and flying conditions; the least secure vs the best equipped airports; which carriers to avoid and why; and ways to help yourseslf increase safety. As Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation from 1990-1996, Mary Schiavo made waves, headlines, and enemies and brought about much needed change during her administration. A former assistant U.S. attorney and licensed pilot, Transportation's "top cop" became concerned early on with what she believed were holes in the aviation safety net and set out to investigate unsettling allegations of fraud, mismanagement, waste, abuse, corruption, and duplicity within the airline industry and the FAA itself. What she uncovered were deep-seated internal policies of denial and cover-up, a shocking lack of concern for public safety and a conscious acceptance of substandard work, parts, maintenance, supervision, and security procedures and practices that have been exposed by dozens of air disasters--including the tragic ValuJet crash in Florida and TWA flight 800 in New York--and which will doubtless be responsible for many more unless Schiavo's warnings are heeded. FLYING BLIND, FLYING SAFE is your guide to safer, smarter air travel.

A Complete, Fully Updated Guide to COMMERCIAL AVIATION SAFETY Presenting the latest procedures and standards from U.S. and international air traffic and regulatory agencies, this extensively revised resource covers the entire commercial aviation safety system--from human factors to accident investigation. The introduction of Safety Management Systems (SMS) principles by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is discussed in detail. Commercial Aviation Safety, Fifth Edition delivers authoritative information on today's security concerns on the ground and in the air, changes in systems and regulations, new maintenance and flight technologies, and recent accident statistics. This is the most comprehensive, current, and systematic reference on the principles and practices of commercial aviation safety and security. COVERAGE INCLUDES: Regulatory information on ICAO, FAA, EPA, TSA, and OSHA NTSB and ICAO accident investigation processes Recording and reporting of safety data U.S. and international aviation accident statistics Accident causation models The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) Aircraft and air traffic control technologies and safety systems Airport safety, including runway incursions Aviation security, including the 9-11 Commission recommendations International and U.S. Airline Safety Management Systems Aviation Safety Management Systems

Why do planes disappear or fall out of the sky? Brace for Impact traces the evolution of accident investigation and explains why flying is the safest form of travel. The history of air accidents is a harrowing one. Yet today flying is the safest mode of transportation, thanks in no small part to the work of crash detectives. Whenever a plane falls from the sky, the investigators pick through the wreckage for the clues they need to decipher what happened to that flight. Before the invention of the ‘black box’ and the evolution of forensic accident investigation, the causes often remained a mystery. Since the Wright brothers first took flight, aircraft design, pilot training, aircraft maintenance, and air traffic control have all evolved to current standards of safety. Because of lessons learned from tragedies such as what befell the Comets in the 1950s, the Douglas DC-10s in the 1970s, and ill-fated Air India, TWA, and Swissair flights, flight safety continues to improve. In many ways, the history of aviation is the history of air crash investigation.

With the deregulation of commercial airlines in 1978, the United States airline industry has changed dramatically. Route entry and exit flexibility, as well as fare setting have stimulated competition, forcing airlines to emphasize cost control, increased productivity, and effective marketing. How have these changes in both public and private policies influenced airline safety? Do airplanes have more accidents now than ever before? This work examines the causes of airplane accidents and what private and public policies are needed to improve aviation safety. It begins by examining the safety record of the United States commuter airline industry in the post-deregulation era characterized by increased emphasis by airlines on cost control and growing pressures on the air traffic control and airport system. The authors go beyond the safety of the scheduled airlines to examine the reasons for accidents in the nonscheduled and general aviation segments of the United States industry, where the bulk of fatalities occur and where airline pilots increasingly receive most of their training and experience. They then turn to an examination of aviation safety throughout the world, first with a detailed comparison of Canadian and American aviation safety, and then with a look at air safety in all regions of the world and the safety performances of all the world's major airlines. Three emerging issues are then examined in greater detail: assessing the margin of safety, worldwide aging of all airline fleets, and terrorism. Clearly written, this careful and systematic analysis of well over 15,000 individual aviation accidents will provide greater insight for government officials, aviation industrymanagers, and researchers, as well as laypeople and other frequent flyers.

Safety Management Systems in Aviation presents the quality management underpinnings of SMS. The four components that must be designed into proactive safety are: Safety Policy, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance, and Safety Promotion. Including coverage on the cultures of regulatory organizations and expanded coverage on culture assessment, the book considers the nexus between cultural maturity and safety management performance. This third edition features new coverage of international requirements and implications for harmonization across international boundaries. In addition, the book includes new chapters and sections, examples, a hypothetical airline-oriented safety scenario, and case studies to enhance and reinforce student understanding. The book is intended for undergraduate and graduate aviation students taking Safety Management and Aviation Safety courses. It also functions as a valuable reference tool for SMS practitioners.