FAA

Congress Approves Bill To End FAA Sequestration Just In Time So Members Can Fly Home

Submitted by News Desk 2 on Fri, 04/26/2013 - 14:16

Washington, D.C. -

Last night the U.S. Senate approved a bill that would re-instate $253 million to the FAA from budget cut backs that are part of the overall federal government's sequestration. Early this morning the House following suit. It passed in the Senate unanimously, and in the House with greater than 300 members on both side of the isle supporting the legislation. Congress is set to adjourn this afternoon and fly home for a week long break.

FAA Orders Inspections On Newer Boeing 737's Operating In US After Problem With Pin

Submitted by News Desk 2 on Mon, 04/15/2013 - 12:11

Washington, D.C. -

The FAA has ordered inspections of a pin used in the popular Boeing 737 horizontal stabilizers. The pin connects the stabilizers to the airframe and fuselage and the FAA has discovered corrosion problems that could lead to loss of control of the airplane.

The FAA believes that some pins had an anti-corrosion and anti-wear coating applied incorrectly which could cause future problems. The order only applies to new Boeing 737's such as the 600, 700, 800, 900 and 900ER's.

Boeing Conducts Final 787 Dreamliner Test Flight In Hopes Of FAA Approval And Returning To The Skies

Submitted by News Desk 2 on Sun, 04/07/2013 - 08:42

Seattle, WA -

Boeing has conducted a final test flight of the 787 Dreamliner to determine the air worthiness of a new battery fix to the lithium-ion batteries used on the new airplane and hopes to gain FAA approval to return the airplane to the skies.

“The purpose of the test is to demonstrate that the new system performs as intended during normal and non-normal flight conditions,” said Boeing spokesman Marc Birtel.

The LOT Polish owned airplane took off and landed at Boeing's Paine Field in Everett, Washington. it flew for two hours with engineers and FAA officials on board.

FAA To Close 238 Air Traffic Control Towers, Including 20 In Florida; See List

Submitted by News Desk 2 on Mon, 03/11/2013 - 12:07

The FAA has released the list of ATC control towers they plan to close as part of the steps it is taking due to the federal government sequestration. Of the 238 towers that will close on April 7, 20 are in Florida.

195 of those towers are operated under contracts, while only 45 are operated by the FAA. Additionally, overnight operations at some airports will be curtailed, mostly likely class C airports, or mid-sized airports.

Boeing Hopes To Propose 787 Dreamliner Repairs Friday, Airlines Are Demanding Heavy Compensation

Submitted by News Desk 2 on Thu, 02/21/2013 - 17:45

Boeing officials have announced that they are set to propose a series of repairs to its beleaguered 787 Dreamliner on Friday to the FAA.

Under the proposal, Boeing will change the insulation between the lithium-ion battery cells to prevent fires and meltdowns that have grounded the entire 787 fleet worldwide.

Raymond Corner, Boeing's Commercial Airplane Division Chief, will pitch the repair proposal to Michael Huerta of the FAA.

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner To Undergo Complete Review By FAA Following High Profile Mishaps

Submitted by News Desk 2 on Fri, 01/11/2013 - 12:57

Washington, D.C. -

The FAA has ordered a comprehensive review of Boeing's newest aircraft, the 787 Dreamliner following several high profile mishaps. There have been several mechanical incidents which either forced a scheduled flight to be canceled, as in the case of a JAL flight in Seattle, an a United flight in Newark as well as a recent fire onboard a JAL in Boston and a fuel leak on a JAL, also in Boston.

United Begins Flight With 787 Dreamliner From Houston To Newark

Submitted by News Desk 2 on Sun, 10/21/2012 - 13:43

United Airlines has announced that it will begin flying this week its news Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Houston to Newark, then to Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver and San Francisco in order to rank up 100 flight hours required by the FAA for final certification.

The proving flights will also include a trip to Amsterdam and Tokyo once the domestic flgihts are completed, along with simulated mechancical emergencies and flight diversions.

The FAA requires significantly more fligth hours for the 787 because it is the first one in the United States.

United Flight Suffers Bird Strike Damaging Nose Of Aircraft

Submitted by News Desk 2 on Tue, 07/31/2012 - 21:48

Denver, CO -

A United Airlines flight 1475 from DFW to Denver was struck by an unknown bird while on approach to Denver International, about 25 miles from airport property. It was a Boeing 737-900 with 151 passengers on board. No injuries have been reported.

Damage to the aircraft was significant, with the nose of the aircraft that houses the plane's radar crushed in.

Officials have sent residue from the bird to the Smithsonian so that the bird type can be identified.

Air Traffic To Northeast Delayed Or Cancelled Due To Fire At FAA Center Handling Flow Systems

Submitted by News Desk 2 on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 19:50

Atlantic City, NJ -

Air Traffic from parts of the southeast U.S. and some other areas into the Northeast have suffered significant delays and cancellations due to a fire at an FAA operating center, the William J. Hughes Technical Center, which handles traffic flow systems. Those systems allow the FAA to issue "ground stops" and "ground delays" to specific airports when destination airports are too busy and other reasons.

Plane Crashes In Gulf Of Mexico After Pilot Became Unresponsive

Submitted by News Desk 2 on Thu, 04/19/2012 - 13:41

[Updated: 2:57pm EST] The downed airplane that had been found upright and floating in the water about 120 miles off the coast has now sunk with no trace of the pilot while a Coast Guard airplane watched. Coast Guard officials said the plane landed "softly" but later sunk. The search has now been called off.
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According to the FAA, it lost contact with an airplane about 133 miles off the southwest coast of Saint Petersburg Florida after its pilot was unresponsive. The pilot is a doctor from Slidell.