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Periodically, the email newsletter version of the AirSafe.com News updates the focus of mailing list to enhance the level of information and service. The new and improved mailing list will feature more more frequent deliveries of articles and other resources from throughout the site. The new version of the list has been active only for a few days, so even if you have already signed up in the past, do so again today if you want the enhanced version of the service.

With a new subscription, you will receive a number of reports that you can reprint for free in your newsletter, blog, or other publication.

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AirSafe.com Offers Free Online Class

Answering questions about aviation risk and aviation safety can be
difficult, especially if you lack time, resources, and organizational
support. The biggest problem is usually a lack of a clear
understanding of the question or the issue that you are trying to
address.

The course "How to Ask an Aviation Safety Question" from
Dr. Todd Curtis of AirSafe.com can take most of the mystery out of the
process of transforming a risk or safety issue that isn't clearly defined
into one that makes sense to you. Based on his years of experience
analyzing aviation safety data at Boeing and MIT, this is the same
process he used to develop much of the content in the award winning
web site AirSafe.com.

Anyone who asks or analyzes questions about risk, safety, reliability,
or policy will probably find this online course both useful and
informative. By the end of this course, you will have in your hands a
tested and systematic process that you can apply to many of the common
safety and risk issues that come your way.

While the online version of this course is normally offered for over
$300, AirSafe.com is offering this course for free for a limited time
to the subscribers on the Flight Safety Information newsletter.
Register today at http://classes.airsafe.org.

If that link does not work, you can also visit http://www.airsafe.com/classes/question.htm.

Changes in Compensation for Involuntarily Bumped Passengers

As of May 2008, there will be major changes in compensation for passengers who are involuntarily bumped from an overbooked U.S. flight and who unable to reach their destination from one to two hours of the originally scheduled arrival time for domestic flights (or from one to four hours for international flights) will have maximum compensation increase from $200 to $400, and maximum compensation for delays of more than two hours (or more than for hours for an international flight) will go from $400 to $800. Also, bumping compensation will apply to flights on aircraft with 30 or more seats rather than the current restriction to aircraft with 60 or more seats.

In the U.S., the only passengers who must be compensated for flight delays are those who are delayed due to being involuntarily bumped. This is quite different from the European Community where passengers are also legally guaranteed compensation for many categories of delayed or cancelled flights. Passengers on EC flights are also compensated if they are downgraded in service to a lower flight class than that for which the ticked was purchased.

For details about the upcoming changes and about the differences in compensation in the U.S. and the European Community, visit AirSafe.com at http://www.airsafe.com/complain/bumping.htm.

Crash of a DC9 in Africa on 15 April 2008

15 April 2008; Hewa Bora Airways DC9-51; Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo

The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Goma to Kisangani. The aircraft developed a problem during takeoff, and reportedly departed the runway and collided with several buildings in a nearby neighborhood. There were at least 21 fatalities, but it is unclear if any of the fatalities were from the aircraft. There were seven crew members and 79 passengers aboard the aircraft.

Because there are no reported fatalities among the passengers, it is not counted as a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com. However, this may change if new information arises.

The most recent fatal event involving a DC9 was a crash on 10 December 2005 at Port Harcourt, Nigeria involving a Sosoliso Airlines DC9-32.

Fatal Event Definition
http://www.airsafe.com/events/method.htm

Fatal DC9 Events
http://www.airsafe.com/events/models/dc9.htm

November 2007 AirSafe.com Podcast on African Air Safety
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show23.mp3

Interview on the Radio America Show 'The Gregg Knapp Experience' - 14 April 2008

This interview from the Radio America show The Gregg Knapp Experience focused on issues that the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee discussed in their hearings that started on April 3rd, 2008. Topics covered included the threats that were alleged to have been directed at whistleblowers in the FAA who wanted to report problems with the oversight process.

You can download the episode directly at http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show47_knapp.mp3.
You can also find other AirSafe.com podcasts at podcast.airsafe.org

Other Resources
Notes from shows on related subjects

Interview on the BBC Show 'The World Today' - 7 April 2008

This interview from the BBC show The World Today focused on issues that the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee discussed in their hearings that started on April 3rd, 2008. Topics covered included the role of whistleblowers in the FAA and whether the FAA is doing their job of protecting those who fly.

You can download the episode directly at http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show46_bbc.mp3.
You can also find other AirSafe.com podcasts at podcast.airsafe.org

Other Resources
Notes from shows on related subjects

Interview on the Ankarlo Morning Show on KTAR Radio in Phoenix - 3 April 2008

This discussion with KTAR host Darrell Ankarlo focused on issues that the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee would likely discuss in their hearings that started on April 3rd, 2008. The key issue of concern in the hearing was the relationship between the FAA and the airlines, specifically whether the recent problems with the FAA's oversight of Southwest Airlines were a symptom of a broader problem within the agency.

You can download the episode directly at http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show44_ktar.mp3.
You can also find other AirSafe.com podcasts at podcast.airsafe.org

Other Resources
Notes from shows on related subjects

A Discussion of Concerns After a String of Airline Safety Events

The recent safety FAA safety audit that was triggered by the actions of the FAA and of Southwest airlines has so far led to two safety-related groundings by American and Delta, and an upcoming hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives. This podcast episode was a roundtable discussion, broadcast on the Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU radio on 1 April 2008, that featured Dr. Todd Curtis of AirSafe.com, as well as the Editor-in-Chief of Aviation Daily Jim Matthews, and the vice president for operations and safety of the Air Transport Association Basil Barimo.

You can download the episode directly at http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show43_wamu.mp3.
You can also find other AirSafe.com podcasts at podcast.airsafe.org

Related Resources
Notes page from the interview and related links