AirSafe.com Airline Safety Review for 2012

This 17th annual review discusses seven fatal airline crashes and three other significant events from 2012. The seven fatal airline crashes from 2012 equals 2008 as the year with the fewest fatal passenger events since AirSafe.com was launched in 1996. All but one of these seven events, a fatal crash last week in Canada that killed one passenger, occurred outside of North America and western Europe.

In addition to the seven airline crashes, there were five other significant crashes that did not kill an airline passenger, though four of these events involved airliners, and all five involved at least one fatality.

Among the 12 events from 2012, some of the more noteworthy included the following:

• The death of a lap child in a crash were all other passengers and crew survived
  
• A foiled hijacking attempt in China
  
• A crashed that killed the entertainer Jenni Rivera.
  
• Five crashes with no survivors

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Crashes Killing Airline Passengers

1. 2 April 2012; UTair ATR 72-200; VP-BYZ;flight 120; Tyumen, Russia: The aircraft was on scheduled domestic flight from Tyumen to Surgut, Russia. The airplane crashed broke up, and caught fire in a field about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) form the end of the departure runway. All four crew members and 27 of the 39 passengers were killed. This is the second fatal passenger jet crash involving this airline. The first was a 17 March 2007 crash of a UTair Tupolev Tu134A in Samara, Russia that killed six passengers.
   Fatal crashes of airlines of Russia and the former Soviet Union

2. 20 April 2012; Bhoja Airlines; 737-200; AP-BKC; flight B4 213; Islamabad, Pakistan: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight Karachi to Islamabad, Pakistan, and crashed in a residential area near the airport. The aircraft was completely destroyed in the crash, and all six crew members and 121 passengers were killed. Among those killed were several children and one newlywed couple. This was the airline's inaugural flight on this route.

   This was the 72nd time that passengers have been killed on a 737 airline flight, and the first since an August 2011 crash in Canada.
   Fatal 737 crashes
   Crash rates by model

3. 14 May 2012; Agni Air; Dornier 228-200; 9N-AIG; near Marpha, Nepal: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Pokhara to Jomson, Nepal, and crashed into the side of a mountain near Marpha, Nepal. Shortly before the crash, the crew had turned back toward Pokhara because of weather conditions at Jomson. Two of the three crew members and 13 of the 18 passengers were killed.

4. 3 June 2012; Dana Air; MD83; 5N-RAM; flight 992; Lagos, Nigeria: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight Abuja to Lagos, Nigeria, and crashed in a residential area near the airport. The plane reportedly struck a power line and then crashed into at least one apartment building. The aircraft was completely destroyed in the crash, and all seven crew members and 146 passengers were killed. At least 10 people on the ground were killed as well.
   
   Fatal MD80 series crashes

   

5. 28 September 2012; Sita Air Dornier 228;-200; 9N-AHA; Flight 601; Kathmandu, Nepal: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, Nepal, and crashed shortly after takeoff. The aircraft reportedly struck a vulture about 50 feet off the ground. The bird hit the right engine, and the plane crashed while the crew was attempting to returen to the airport. All three crew members and 16 passengers were killed.
   Fatal Dornier crashes

6. 22 December 2012; Kivalliq Air Fairchild Metro 3; C-GFWX; Flight 671; Sanikiluaq, Canada: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Winnipeg to Sanikiluaq, Canada, and crashed just short of the runway during a second landing attempt. There was limited visibility due to darkness and blowing snow at the time of the crash. Both crew members survived, but one of the seven passengers, a six-month-old boy being held in his mother's lap, was killed.

   

7. 25 December 2012; Air Bagan Fokker 100; XY-AGC; Flight 011; Heho, Myanmar: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Mandalay to Heho, Myanmar, hit a set of power lines during a landing attempt, and crashed about a kilometer short of the runway. There was fog in the vicinity of the airport at the time of the crash. The aircraft broke up and there was a post-crash fire. All six crew members survived, but one of the 65 passengers was killed. A person on the ground was also killed.
   Fatal Fokker 100 crashes
   Aviation Herald article on crash

   

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Other Significant Events

1. 9 May 2012; Sukhoi Superjet 100; near Jakarta, Indonesia: The aircraft was on an unscheduled demonstration flight that had departed from Jakarta, Indonesia. After departure, the crew circled nearby Mt. Salak, and began a descent from 10,000 feet to 6,000. The aircraft crashed into the side of the mountain at about 5,100 feet. There were no survivors. Among the 37 passengers were members of the media and representatives from a number of Indonesian airlines.

   This aircraft type had entered commercial airline service the previous month, and the manufacturer Sukhoi had been taking the accident aircraft on a promotional tour through a number of countries in Asia. This was a demonstration flight that had invited guests as passengers, rather than a flight that was available to the public, so it is not counted as a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com

2. 2 June 2012; Allied Air; 727-200; 5N-BJN; flight 111; Accra, Ghana: The aircraft was on a cargo flight from Lagos, Nigeria, to Accra, Ghana, and overran the runway after landing. The aircraft struck a minivan on a nearby road, killing all 10 of the occupants. None of the four crew members were killed.

   Because no airline passengers were killed, this is not counted as a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com.
   
   Fatal 727 crashes

   

3. 29 June 2012; Tianjin Airlines; Embraer ERJ 190; B-3171; flight 7554; en route Hotan to Urumqi, China: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Hotan to Urumqi, China, when three hijackers attempted to take over the aircraft. The hijackers reportedly carried explosives and attempted to break into the cockpit. The hijackers were subdued by passengers and crew members, and the aircraft returned to Hotan. Two of the three hijackers later died of injuries received during a fight with the crew and passengers. None of the the nine crew members or the 89 passengers were killed. Because only hijackers were killed, this crash was not counted as a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com.

4. 9 December 2012; Starwood Management; Learjet 25; N345MC; near Iturbide, Mexico: A chartered private jet carrying the singer and entertainer Jenni Rivera crashed near Iturbide, Mexico while en route on a domestic flight from Monterrey, Mexico to the Toluca, Mexico airport near Mexico City. Both pilots and all five passengers, including Rivera, were killed in the crash. The Learjet was cruising at about 28,000 feet and entered into a high speed descent, crashing in mountainous terrain. Because this was not an aircraft normally used in passenger airline service, this crash was not counted as a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com.

5. 29 December 2012; Red Wings Airlines; Tupolev 204-100; RA-64047; flight 9268; Moscow, Russia: The aircraft was on an unscheduled repositioning flight from Pardubice, Czech Republic to Moscow, Russia. After touching down, the aircraft overran the runway, and collided with an embankment next to a highway, causing the aircraft to break up. While various pieces of aircraft wreckage struck cars on the adjacent highway, no one on the ground was killed (See video below).

   Five of the eight crew members were killed. It had been snowing prior to the crash, and there was a significant crosswind at the time of the landing. Because there were no passengers on the aircraft, this crash was not counted as a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com.
   
   Plane crashes in Russia and the former Soviet Union

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Fatal and serious events by year
1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
2002,2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

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AirSafe.com Bonuses
All subscribers to the AirSafe.com mailing list at subscribe.airsafe.com will be able to download free copies of all of the recent AirSafe.com books, including the latest, AirSafe.com Family Air Travel Guide.

Also available is the AirSafe.com Fear of Flying Resource Guide, with an overview of the symptoms of fear of flying, as well as recommended resources for managing or eliminating these fears.

Two recent fatal plane crashes in Burma and Canada

After having no fatal crashes involving passengers in nearly three months, there have been two fatal crashes in the last week.

22 December 2012; Kivalliq Air Fairchild Metro 3; C-GFWX; Flight 671; Sanikiluaq, Canada: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Winnipeg to Sanikiluaq, Canada, and crashed just short of the runway during a second landing attempt. There was limited visibility due to darkness and blowing snow at the time of the crash. Both crew members survived, but one of the seven passengers, a six-month-old boy being held in his mother's lap, was killed.

This crash highlights an ongoing risk as safety issue, whether parents should use a car seat or other approved child restraint system rather than fly with a lap child. The most recent book by Dr. Todd Curtis, AirSafe.com Family Air Travel Guide, discusses this issue in great detail, and also provides extensive advice on ways parents can reduce or eliminate many of the problems families face when they fly.

The book will be available later this week, and all subscribers to the AirSafe.com mailing list at subscribe.airsafe.com will be able to download a free version of this book, as well as other recent AirSafe.com book.

25 December 2012; Air Bagan Fokker 100; XY-AGC; Flight 011; Heho, Burma (Myanmar): The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Mandalay to Heho, Myanmar, hit a set of power lines during a landing attempt, and crashed about a kilometer short of the runway. There was fog in the vicinity of the airport at the time of the crash. The aircraft broke up and there was a post-crash fire. All six crew members survived, but one of the 65 passengers was killed. A person on the ground was also killed.
Fatal Fokker 100 crashes
Aviation Herald article on crash

Related resources
Recent plane crashes
Plane crashes of 2012

Holiday Travel Tips from the TSA

Every year, the TSA provides a number of holiday tips for travelers, and this year there are a number of recent changes that will be of particular interest to families traveling with either young children or older relatives.

Shoe removal for younger and older passengers
Children who are 12 or younger, and adults who are 75 or older are no longer required to routinely remove their shoes. However, shoe removal may be required if a passenger is selected for additional screening.

Revised screening procedures for younger and older passengers
The TSA has made unspecified modifications to screening procedures for children who are 12 or younger, and adults who are 75 or older. These changes will reduce, but not eliminate, the pat-downs that happen after a passenger causes an alarm with the metal detectors or full-body scanners used by the TSA.

Some snow globes are now allowed
For quite some time, all snow globes were banned from the passenger cabin and from carry-on baggage. The TSA has relaxed those rules, allowing snow globes containing less than 3.4 ounces (100 ml) of liquid in your carry-on bags. Snow globes typically don't come with volume indicators, and the TSA suggests that globes up to about the size of a tennis ball will be acceptable.

TSA number for passengers with special needs
Travelers with questions about screening policies can call TSA Cares at 1-855-787-2227 to have their questions answered about what to expect at the security checkpoint. If you or someone who is traveling with you has a disability or medical condition that may cause a problem during screening, a TSA Cares a representative will answer your questions and can also provide assistance that is relevant to the passenger’s specific disability or medical condition.

How to fly with gifts
Some TSA regulations have not changed. The TSA has to be able to inspect any gift or package, whether in checked or carry-on bags, so if you have any gifts in your luggage, you should either wrap them after your arrival, or wrap them in such a way that they can be easily opened and inspected.

Additional Resources
AirSafe.com provides extensive travel advice resources, with information that is useful at any time of the year. Some of those resources are on the following pages:
Baggage.AirSafe.com - Checked and carry-on baggage advice
Security.AirSafe.com - Airport security basics
TSA holiday travel checklist

AirSafe.com Travel Books
AirSafe.com has published a number of guides filled with air travel advice, including a guide on baggage and security, and another on how to make complaints. If you subscribe to the AirSafe.com mailing list at subscribe.airsafe.com, you can download free PDF versions of these books, as well as buy ebook versions of the guides. If you sign up today, you will be notified when the newest guide for traveling with families comes out later this month.

Father of AirSafe.com Creator to Receive Congressional Gold Medal

Normally, the articles on this site have some kind of connection to aviation. This aricle will be a notable exception.

Calvin Curtis, father of AirSafe.com creator Dr. Todd Curtis, will be presented with a Congressional Gold Medal, which is the highest civilian honor bestowed by the US Congress for distinguished achievement.

The medal was awarded to the Montford Point Marines in recognition of "their personal sacrifice and service to their country" as the first African-American Marines. Past recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal have included the Tuskegee Airmen; Dr. Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King; the Navaho Code Talkers, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, and Gen. Colin Powell.

There were originally over 20,000 Montford Point Marines, and perhaps fewer than 500 remain alive today. Many of the surviving Montford Point Marines were honored in a group ceremony last summer in Washington, DC. Other Montford Point veterans have been honored by Marine units in local ceremonies around the country.

The ceremony for Calvin Curtis will be held at 11 am on December 11, 2012, at the Naval Operational Support Center, located at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. The public is invited to attend, and AirSafe.com encourages anyone in the San Antonio area to do so. The links below provide directions to the event, as well as details about the ceremony.

Directions to the event and parking instructions

Program for the Ceremony

Additional Information
More on the life of Calvin Curtis
USMC History of the Montford Point Marines

Leave a Message for Calvin Curtis
If you are unable to attend, but would like to leave a message for Calvin Curtis, please feel free to leave your comments below:

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House Speaker Boehner's Remarks at
Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony

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Profile of Montford Point Marine William Washington
from KETC television in St. Louis

Make Us Proud: Documentary from
Marine Cpl. Kevin R. Wright

The Marines of Montford Point: Narrated by Louis Gossett, Jr.

Navy and Marine Corps Video News
Item from 15 February 2008

Airline complaint site threatened by United Airlines

If you fly long enough, you will experience an airline flight that is far from perfect, so bad that you not only want to complain to the airline, but to also share your experience with the world. While all airlines get complaints, few airlines have had as many complaints as United Airlines. Years before their merger with Continental, a merger which many believe led to a significant drop in the quality and consistency of the customer experience, United was one of the leading airlines for complaints. In fact, there were so many complaints that since 1997, the web site Untied.com (untied as in shoelaces) has exclusively featured complaints about United.

The site is unusual in that it has been up for over 15 years, and has kept a laser-like focus on the problems at United. The site has been supported almost entirely by the efforts of its creator Jeremy Cooperstock, an engineering professor at McGill University in Montreal, who also has his own story to tell about how United Airlines has treated him. However, the unique resource that Jeremy has created is at risk of being destroyed.

Lawsuits against Untied.com
Two recent lawsuits allege, among other things, that the site violates the airline's copyright and trademarks because it looks like the United Airlines website. The airline claims that it isn't trying to stop airline complaints from being publicized, but rather that they are trying to protect the airline' customers because they may confuse Coopperstock's site with the airline's site. Jeremy has a different interpretation, that the airline's suit is without merit, and that their goal goal is to put a strain on his time and money and to encourage him to shut down the site.

How to Help Untied.com
Jeremy has started a legal defense fund for his site at http://www.untied.com/SLAPP. AirSafe.com encourages you to donate what you can to help Jeremy keep his site alive. You can also help by visiting untied.com and sharing any complaints you may have about United, or their merger partner Continental.

How severe storms can affect your air travel plans

Should hurricane Sandy hit the east coast of the US early next week, anyone planning to fly anywhere in the US may expect serious delays or even flight cancellations. Because US airlines are not required to provide any kind of reimbursement or compensation for flight delays or cancellations.

This storm may be particularly destructive because it may combine with other weather systems in conditions similar to those that created the 'Perfect Storm' of movie fame. Already this upcoming storm, possibly occurring around Halloween, has been given the nickname 'Frankenstorm.'

What flights may be affected If your airline has flights anywhere on the east coast of the US, a large major storm could disrupt your airline's flights throughout your network, and there may be disruptions for several days before and after the storm hits.

The current forecasts have the storm hitting the east coast early next week in an area that include airports in or near Baltimore, Boston, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. Airlines with major operations in this region include American, United, US Airways, Southwest, and JetBlue. Also, a number of international airlines fly into cities in this region.

Compensation for delays and cancellations For domestic US Flights, there are no US federal regulations that require any compensation for a delayed or cancelled flight. However, your airline may have a special policy for compensating passengers whose flights are delayed or cancelled by a major storm, and those policies may include things such as waiving fees for changing reservations.

What Should You Do?

• Check to see if your flight is affected
• Check the airline's web site for special notices about the storm
• Keep track of storm forecasts
• Be prepared to have your flight delayed, rerouted, or cancelled

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Airline Travel Issues and Hurricanes

For more videos, visit the AirSafe.com YouTube channel.

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Resources
Compensation for delays and overbookings
Airline travel issues and hurricanes

Meet AirSafe.com's New Featured Cartoonist

The cartoonist Andy Singer, who has created a number of cartoons that take a humorous look at modern airline travel, has graciously allowed AirSafe.com to feature several of his cartoons. Please take a look at some of his cartoons that are on the following AirSafe.com pages:

• How to Protect Your Laptop Computer When You Fly
• Top Ten Tips for Dealing with Airport Security
• Top 10 Baggage Claim Tips
• Carry-on Baggage Advice
• Cabin Safety Tips

Please feel free to send us comments about the cartoons at feedback.airsafe.com. If you think they are funny, we will have more. If not, we will strike a more serious tone at AirSafe.com.

In any case, please be sure to visit Andy's site at AndySinger.com.

Near collision of USAF KC135 and NATO E3 AWACS

This isn't too relevant to commercial airline safety, but the following incident did produce a rather dramatic video. Shortly after a NATO E3 AWACS connected to a USAF KC135 for refueling, the refueling boom is disconnected and the AWACS comes perilously close to hitting the KC135.

The USAF KC135 was from the combined 537/137 Air Refueling Wing of Tinker AFB near Oklahoma City, OK. It is not clear from the video where the NATO AWACS was based.

For other videos of plane crashes and near crashes, visit Plane-Crash-Videos.net.

If anyone has any information about this event, please contact us.

A talk on the future of the European airline industry

Lufthansa executive Sadiq Gillani spoke to an overflow crowd at MIT last week, at a presentation sponsored by the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, where he presented an overview of the present state and likely future of airlines in Europe. Much of what he said had a familiar ring to it, especially to passengers who have experienced firsthand the changes in the US airline industry over the last decade.

Airline Profitability
One of Sadiq's not so surprising observations was that businesses that support airlines, for example maintenance and catering companies, are more consistently profitable than the airlines. There are many reasons for this, among them a cost structure, especially when it comes to the cost of capital and labor, that can't adjust quickly to changing market conditions.

One example of this that is an ongoing area of interest to US passengers is the how much pilots are paid. Sadiq mentioned that some senior Lufthansa pilots are compensated about 300,000 euro per year, or about $400,000 per year. By comparison, pilots at many major US airlines have had to take severe pay and benefits cuts, and new pilots at smaller carriers may get paid considerably less than $20,000 per year, about as much as the lowest level enlisted person in the US military.

While many US airlines have addressed cost issues by layoffs or restructuring debt or labor contracts through bankruptcy, Lufthansa and other European airlines have addressed cost issues by other means, including creating low-cost carriers to handle less profitable routes, expanding into more profitable airline support businesses, and growing revenue through joint ventures with other airlines.

Service Changes in Europe
A considerable portion of passenger traffic through many of the smaller cities in Lufthansa's network is for transit passengers who are changing planes, and a minority of the routes generate significant profits for the airline. As has been the case in the US with its extensive network of hub-and-spoke airports, Lufthansa and other airlines with significant hub-and-spoke operations will over time reduce services to and from some smaller markets, or replace some current flights with lower cost airline subsidiaries.

Competition
The most significant competition mentioned by Sadiq was from airlines outside of Europe, particularly Emirates and other airlines from the Gulf region. In part because these airlines have lower cost structures due to lower labor costs, lower taxes and fees in their home countries, and lower financing costs. The latter are lower because some of these airlines, unlike Lufthansa, are able to borrow at rates closer to that seen by governments, as opposed to the higher rates that are charged even for profitable and financially stable airlines like Lufthansa.

Ancillary Revenues
This is a somewhat fancy term for the extra fees and charges that have become the norm in the US. From checked bag fees, to early check-in fees, to fees for meals in coach, the average US traveler has come to expect to pay for what used to be offered for free with every ticket. Sadiq sees this as an area of opportunity and increased profits for Lufthansa and other major airlines in Europe.

Effect on passengers
The picture painted by Sadiq makes the near future for passengers in Europe look very similar to the current situation for passengers in the US. The availability of flights will likely decrease for smaller cities within Europe as routes are dropped or flight frequencies are reduced. Larger airlines like Lufthansa may use some of their lower cost subsidiary airlines to take an increasing share of this traffic. At the same time, passenger fees will increase for services and amenities that are currently free, and will form a more significant portion of future profits for Lufthansa and for other airlines in Europe.

Todd Curtis Interviewed about his new airline complaint book

subscribe.airsafe.comDr. Todd Curtis of AirSafe.com was recently interviewed on the nationally syndicated radio talk show Rudy Maxa's World about his latest book, AirSafe.com Airline Complaint Guide. Rudy and Todd talked about a number of subjects, including the most common kinds of complaints seen by AirSafe.com and when a passenger should not complain.

This latest book is the first of a series of books that will be published by the end of 2012, with the next book covering child travel issues.

Todd Curtis interview on 13 October 2012

Listen to the interview

How to get this book
To get this newest AirSafe.com title, simply join the AirSafe.com mailing list at subscribe.airsafe.com. If you are a mailing list member, look for the book link in your latest email, or contact AirSafe.com for a copy.

Loose Seats Grounds Dozens of American 757s

Last week's temporary grounding of dozens of American Airlines 757s was due two three incidents where passenger seats came loose in flight. In all three cases, which involved two aircraft, no one was injured and the aircraft landed without incident.

The incidents, which occurred in late September and on 1 October 2012, eventually led to the cancellations of 95 flights on the 4th and 5th of October, and involved 48 of the 102 757s in American Airline's fleet. The temporary grounding led to roughly 1,000 cancelled flights and over 10,000 delayed passengers.

The grounded aircraft had their seats checked, and at least four other aircraft had improperly secured seats, though none of the passenger seats on these aircraft came loose in flight. All aircraft were returned to service by October 7th.

The 48 grounded aircraft all had recent modifications to some rows of passenger seats where the rows of seats were moved to provide greater legroom. The airline identified several factors which led to the seat problems, including installation issues, problems with a seat locking mechanism, and the effects that spilled soft drinks and other debris may have had on the locking mechanism.

 Other American Airlines issues
These seat incidents generated significant media attention last week, and caused the media and the flying public to scrutinize several recent American Airlines events that were unrelated to the 757 seat issues, including a flight delay due to problems with a pilot's seat, and unscheduled landings involving smoke in the cabin, a flap warning light, and landing gear issues.

Along with the recent incidents, American Airlines has been restructuring agreements with many of its unions after filing for bankruptcy last year. In the past couple of months, the company has announced announced that it will be closing down one majore maintenance facility and outsourcing some of its maintenance work that had previously been done by American Airlines employees.

No connection between seat issues and other events
While recent the recent 757 passenger issues and other safety-related incidents may be a cause for concern for some passengers, there is no obvious connection between those incidents and any changes in operational practices by American Airlines. It appears that only the loose passenger seat incidents were due to a related cause, and the airline took actions that addressed the problem.

As for the effect that going through bankruptcy and outsourcing maintenance may have on airline operations, no matter what organization performs the airline's maintenance, that organization will still have the same kind of regulatory oversight, and American Airline will still be responsible for ensuring that their aircraft meet or exceed all the appropriate requirements, regardless of their current financial condition.

Get the New Airline Complaint Guide from AirSafe.com

This book provides airline passengers with advice on how effectively complain to their airline or to the TSA when they experience bad service. More importantly, it gives passengers detailed advice on how avoid situations that may lead to a complaint.

Who is this Book For?
Anyone who flies knows that there are a number of situations that can ruin your trip and end up costing you time and money to fix. Complaining about your problem may help, but avoiding the situation that led to the complaint would help even more. In this book, airline safety and security expert Dr.Todd Curtis shows how passengers should complain to their airline or to the TSA when things go wrong during a trip.

How to get this book
To get this newest AirSafe.com title, simply join the AirSafe.com mailing list at subscribe.airsafe.com. If you are a mailing list member, look for the book link in your latest email, or contact us for a copy.

All on board killed in Sita Air crash in Nepal

28 August 2018; Sita Air; 9N-AHA; flight 601; Dornier 228-200; Kathmandu, Nepal: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, Nepal, and crashed shortly after takeoff. The aircraft reportedly struck a vulture about 50 feet off the ground. The bird hit the right engine, and the plane crashed while the crew was attempting to returen to the airport. All three crew members and 16 passengers were killed.

Dornier 228 Crash History This was the 12th crash of a Dornier 228 that resulted in the death of at least one airline passenger. The most recent two fatal Dornier 228 plane crashes both involved Agni Air in Nepal, with one crash in 2012 and the more recent one in May 2012. In all, five of the 12 Dornier 228 crashes have occurred in Nepal About Agni Air Agni Air began flight operations in March 2006, and prior to the crash had a fleet of about a half dozen Jetstream 41 and Dornier 228 aircraft. Additional Resources http://www.airsafe.com/events/models/dornier.htm Bird strike hazards to aircraft Photo credits: Reuters, AP

Sleep Apnea and Airline Safety

Sleep apnea, which is a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing (and often accompanied by loud snoring) is an ongoing health issue that affects people all over the world, and can lead to higher risks of hypertension, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.

While there are a number of treatments available for this problem, whether it gets properly treated depends on whether someone suffering from sleep apnea is made aware of the potential problem, and encourage to seek medical help.

What does this have to do with the airlines?
If you have ever been a passenger who was awakened in the middle of a red eye flight by someone three rows back snoring like an unmuffled chainsaw, you've probably been affected by sleep apnea. While sleep apnea in the passenger cabin may be an inconvenience, a flight or cabin crew member suffering from sleep apnea may have that condition affect the quality of their work, and the safety of everyone on board.

Recent article on sleep apnea
A recent article by two Harvard School of Public Health professors discussed whether some groups are more at risk for sleep apnea. Some of those risk factors include poor air quality, a factor that many air crew may be exposed to in the workplace.

Share your sleep apnea experiences
Please review the sleep apnea article and leave your comments on how sleep apnea may have affected you as a passenger or crew member. While the article focused on health disparities faced by low income populations, the flying population may be another population with increased risks. Your inputs may shed light on this issue.

Full disclosure
While sleep apnea has been a long term concern of the FAA, my interest in the subject today is sparked by one of the two authors of the Huffington Post article on sleep apnea. Dr. Michelle A. Williams is not only the Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, she's also my wife.

This was also the very first blog article she has ever written, and it ended up on the home page of the Huffington Post earlier today. We've actually have been learning from each other's profession for several decades, but this is the first time I've ever mentioned her by name.

Resources
FAA brochure on sleep apnea

Plane crash kills two tourists in Kenya

22 August 2012; Mombassa Air Safari; Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya, Let 410; 5Y-UVP: The aircraft was on an unscheduled domestic flight, and crashed shortly after takeoff. Both crew members and two of the 11 passengers were killed.

While this airliner accident resulted in fatalities, it is not counted as a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com

This airline had a previous Let 410 crash in 1998 that killed both pilots. That accident flight had no passengers on board.

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Donate now to the AirSafe.com Ebook Project
The AirSafe.com Ebook project is still in its early stages, and will continue to accept contributions until the end of next month. To read more about the project, please visit books.airsafe.com.

Photo: AFP

Recent positive TSA survey may be misleading

Earlier this month, the polling organization Gallup released the results of a random survey of US adults from July 2012 that concluded Americans' views of TSA were more positive than negative. Specifically, 54% of those surveyed thought that the organization was doing a good or excellent job.

Would these results be a surprise to most travelers?
The TSA certainly welcomed this result, featuring a link to the Gallup survey on their home page. While this was certainly good news to TSA management, it may come as a surprise to passengers who have to experience the TSA's procedures on a regular basis.

Most surveyed were not frequent flyers
The positive results could have been a result of who was polled. According to Gallup, only about 12% of those surveyed had flown on a commercial airline flight five or more times in the previous year, and 48% had not flown on a commercial airliner at all in the previous year.

Could the questions have been different?
While there is no reason to doubt the results, one has to wonder what the response would have been to a different set of questions. For example, the survey asked for opinions about the TSA as a whole, and not about the behavior, quality, or performance of the TSA security officers who screen passengers.

Not clear who paid for the poll
Another unknown is who sponsored the survey. Gallup did not state if the survey was paid for by an outside organization or by Gallup. If it were funded by an organization that would benefit from a positive perception of TSA, that would not make the poll invalid, but it could explain why the poll results were released to the public.

Poll results may be out of context
Perhaps the biggest reasons to question the usefulness of the results is that the results were not put in a context of how those perceptions may have changed over time, or more importantly how those results compare with those of comparable organizations.

Since the TSA was established in the wake of 9/11, the public's perception of the organization has gone up and down. The positive results that were reported in the recent Gallup poll would be much more useful to the public if they could be compared with earlier results from similar poll questions. While it is possible that Gallup or the organization that paid for this recent poll may have this kind of comparative data, none were offered in Gallup's report.

Police viewed much more positively than TSA
TSA is not a law enforcement agency, and TSA screeners do not have the power to arrest anyone or use deadly force, it may be quite fair to compare the public's view of police and the TSA. This is especially true because of the steps that TSA has taken to have uniforms that look very much like police uniforms.

In October 2005, Gallup conducted a national poll that revealed that confidence in local police had dropped to a 10-year low, with 53% of those surveyed having either "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in the ability of police to protect them from violent crime. In 2011, this figure was 56%.

Police viewed more positively than TSA
While the two polls did not ask the same questions, it may be quite fair to use the TSA and police polls to compare the public's perception of the ability of the police and the TSA to accomplish their core missions. One could conclude that while the public's perception of the TSA in 2012 is good, police had a better public perception in 2011 and in every year from 1996 to 2005.

What to do if you get seriously ill on a trip

What would you do if you started to feel really ill either just before or during a trip? Not just a slight head cold kind of sick, but sick with unusual pains or symptoms that you've never felt before? Unless you are are examined by a properly trained medical professional, you may not have any idea how minor or serious your situation may be.

If this happens on your last flight before you return home, your decision is probably an easy and sensible one—get on the flight and get checked out by a doctor when you land.

If you are away from home, or if it happens right before you fly, getting examined by a physician is still a good idea, but if doing so forces a change in travel plans, other considerations may cause you to think about doing something riskier, like going ahead with your trip and hoping for the best:

• If you are on a bargain air fare with a cancellation penalty, you may decide the the loss of money (including the cost of any new ticket) is worth the risk to your health.
• If changing the schedule means you may miss out on an important event like a wedding or a trip on a luxury cruise.
• If taking time to deal with your potential health issue significantly affects the travel plans of others.
• You convince yourself that the medical advice you get (either from the web or from an actual medical expert) doesn't apply to you.

Like many medical judgment calls, there may be no way to tell ahead of time if what you have is a minor annoyance or an immediate threat to your life. Given the potential financial or personal impact that canceling the trip may have, it may make sense to take some basic precautions before you travel that will either: (1) help make your decision making easier, (2) reduces or eliminates any financial impact of any significant change to your scheduled trip, or (3) allows you to get properly treated should you get seriously ill away from home:

• Choose an airline fare that allows you to make changes or even cancel the ticket with little or no penalty.
• Buy trip insurance that will reimburse you if you make a change that leads to fees or penalties.
• Make sure that you can get adequate medical attention at your destination, or at any location where you may be changing planes en route
• Purchase emergency medical evacuation insurance if you are traveling overseas, especially to places where sophisticated medical care is unavailable.
• Purchase supplemental medical insurance if you medical plan doesn't cover expenses at your destination (most US medical plans have limited or no coverage for medical treatment overseas).

This is the kind of advice the kind of advice that will be included in the upcoming AirSafe.com ebook series which will be provided to the public at no cost, and will provide air travelers with a valuable resource that will help them avoid or manage many of the common problems they face when they fly. To find out more about the project and how you can support it, please check out the video below or visit books.airsafe.com.

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Check out the Ebook Project Video

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New Ideas for the Ebook Project

The AirSafe.com Ebook project is still in its early stages, and will continue to accept contributions until the end of next month. To read more about the project, please visit books.airsafe.com.

While the ebooks will be based on current information in the web sites, new ideas are welcome, so please feel free to send any ideas you have to AirSafe.com at feedback.airsafe.com. In my own recent trips, I've had several situations that will probably end up in one of the ebooks.

The Stowaway Dog
My flight flight from Boston to London was crowded but uneventful, until about a half hour before landing when it became clear that a young woman in the row behind me had a dog, and that the dog had just had a bowel movement.

Fortunately, this happened at the end of a six hour flight, and not at the beginning. From a conversation the passenger had with the flight attendant on the way out of the aircraft, it was clear that the passenger had been trying to hide the fact that she had a dog, and that she owed the airline some kind of fee or fine.

What this passenger did was against airline regulations, and more important may have put the dog through unnecessary stress. It is legal to travel with pets on most flights, but it is important to follow the relevant rules or regulations to ensure that your pet arrives safely. This usually includes an additional fee paid to the airline, and in the case of international travel, a passenger would have to follow the appropriate rules of the destination country. If this were not done, and my belief is that the passenger on my flight probably didn't do this, then the dog may be put into quarantine, or even worse denied entry into the country.

After thinking about this incident for a few days, I decided that in the future, if I thought that a passenger were trying to sneak an animal on board, and I found this out while the aircraft were still at the gate, I would inform a flight attendant about the situation.

International connections and airport security
Having made several international flights recently, I've had a chance to see how security for international transit passengers is handled in several countries. While the general rules and restrictions are similar, how they are enforced is a bit different depending on where you are.

We've written extensively about the TSA, and nothing I saw recently represents a major change in policy. However, some things that are now normal in the US are not done in the same way overseas. For example, when making a connection through London's Heathrow Airport, I had to pass through a screening checkpoint before boarding my connecting flight. While the checkpoint had the standard x-ray machines for baggage and the walk-through metal detectors for passengers, passengers could keep their shoes on and there were no full-body scanners like the types that are becoming more common in the US.

Another difference was the treatment of electronic devices. While the TSA allows passengers to keep iPads and notebook computers in their carry-on bags, the UK authorities required all electronics to be taken out and screened separately.

While making a connection in Bahrain, I observed a very different approach to security. It was clear that the security personnel put a high priority on processing passengers quickly. There were a shortage of plastic bins for items like laptops, and I only saw a few passengers taking anything out of their carry on luggage for screening. It didn't seem to matter. I didn't see anyone slowing down the conveyor belts to give any bag a more thorough review, and although the walk-through metal detectors were beeping regularly, I saw no secondary screening of passengers.

Lessons to take away
The observations I made on these flights led to a few insights. First, I'm continued to be surprised by passengers who take shortcuts to save a few dollars, and in the process put others (including small animals) at risk. My advice is that when you travel, plan ahead of time if you are going to do something that is out of the ordinary, because the consequences of not planning may spoil your trip.

Also, in this post Osama bin Laden era, security is still a concern, but there appears to be less consistency in how different countries deal with security issues. Passengers should continue to follow all the common rules and guidelines about security, but be prepared to deal with differences you may see during your travels.

Tell Us Your Story
If you have an idea about what should be added to the upcoming ebooks, please contact us at feedback.airsafe.com. If you want to pass on an airline complaint, visit the AirSafe.com complaint system at complain.airsafe.com.

Finally, please support the Ebook Project at books.airsafe.com.

AirSafe.com Air Launches Traveler Ebook Project

After the positive response to AirSafe.com's first ebook, AirSafe.com Baggage and Security Guide, we've decided to launch a new series of ebooks aimed at air travelers, and we'd like to ask for your help.

Like the first ebook, this one will be provided without cost to the traveling public, and will provide air travelers with a valuable resource that will help them avoid or manage many of the common problems they face when they fly.

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Check out the Ebook Project Video

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The Problem
For years, AirSafe.com has provided the traveling public with vital information about airline safety, airport security, and other issues that matter to travelers. But because this information is available exclusively online, it is often out of reach just when you need it most...

• An airline damaged your luggage, and you want to make sure that you ask the right questions and get the right paperwork filled out.
• The gate agent announces your flight is cancelled, and you need to book an alternate flight quickly.
• On the way to the airport, you realize you left your driver's license at home, and you need to know what alternative IDs the TSA will accept.
  
• A TSA agent is conducting what you think is an inappropriate search, and you don't know how to respond to the situation.

All these situations are covered by AirSafe.com, but are not accessible to airline passengers if they can't get online. If passengers had this kind of information in their smartphones or a tablet device, it could be a great help to them.

The Solution
AirSafe.com plans to take the best of its online information and put it into a series of ebooks that anyone can download for free and keep on hand at all times. A traveler in trouble just turns on a smartphone and all the information he or she needs is available in an instant.

The Project
The goal of the project is to use the insights gained from running AirSafe.com to create several ebooks, each of which covers a specific area of common air traveler concerns:

1. Airline Complaints Do's and Don'ts - Will cover the basic rules and requirements that passengers must follow when they file a complaint against an airline, airport, or government agency.
2. Travel with Children - Will include many of the common concerns parents face when flying with infants or children, plus key information for parents whose children need to fly alone.
3. Dealing with common travel issues - This ebook will give very practical advice on how to deal with problems like lost bags, cancelled flights, air rage, and inappropriate behavior by security personnel.
4. Once all three ebooks are completed, a fourth one containing all the content from the first three ebooks will also be published.

How You Can Help
AirSafe.com has teamed up with Indiegogo to ask you to support this project. This project seeks to collect $5,000, and all of the money will be used for professional services such as editing and ebook formatting, in order to ensure that the products will work with all popular ebook devices and smartphones, including the Kindle, Nook, iPad, and iPhone.

Your support will help ensure that these ebooks will continue to be offered for free, and will be able to help travelers for years to come.

Contribute
You can contribute using PayPal or a credit card, and everyone who contributes $1 or more will receive AirSafe.com's thanks, as well as other benefits. Please visit books.airsafe.com for more details.

Find Out More
Visit books.airsafe.com or check out the video above to find out more about this project and more about the work of AirSafe.com.

Introducing AirSafe.com's Wedding Week

June is a very popular month for weddings, and for most it is a happy occasion. If you have to fly to get to that wedding, things may go wrong and spoil an otherwise joyful occasion.

Today, AirSafe.com introduces what we hope will become an annual affair, Wedding Week on FlightsGoneBad.com. This site features complaints submitted to the AirSafe.com Complaint system complain.airsafe.com. Every day until the end of June will bring a new complaint about how a wedding, a wedding anniversary, or a honeymoon was ruined by an air travel issue.

The first complaint, United Partner Airline Issue Ruins Wedding Night is from a new bride who spent Christmas Eve (which was also the night of her wedding) keeping her children from being stranded in a strange airport.

Tune in every day until June 30th for another tale of high stress, missing bags, unexpected charges, and other wedding-related surprises.

Two plane crashes in two days in Ghana and Nigeria

2 June 2012; Allied Air; 727-200; 5N-BJN; flight 111; Accra, Ghana: The aircraft was on a cargo flight from Lagos, Nigeria, to Accra, Ghana, and overran the runway after landing. The aircraft struck a minivan on a nearby road, killing all 10 of the occupants. None of the four crew members were killed.

Because no airline passengers were killed, this is not counted as a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com.

3 June 2012; Dana Air; MD83; 5N-RAM; flight 992; Lagos, Nigeria: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight Abuja to Lagos, Nigeria, and crashed in a residential area near the airport.

The aircraft was completely destroyed in the crash, and all eight crew members and 139 passengers were killed. The plane reportedly struck a power line and then crashed into at least one apartment building.

This was the 18th fatal crash of an MD80 series aircraft and the first since the August 2008 crash of a Spanair MD82 in Madrid.

Related
Fatal MD80 series crashes
Fatal 727 crashes
Crash rates by model
Recent plane crashes

Falling hot metal chunks from a 777 engine hit Toronto suburb

28 May 2012; Toronto, Canada; Air Canada 777, flight AC001: During or shortly after takeoff, an Air Canada 777 taking off from Toronto's Pearson International Airport developed serious engine trouble which caused the liberation of several pieces of metal and led to a shutdown of its right engine. While several cars on the ground were damaged, no one on the ground was injured. After dumping excess fuel, the flight crew returned safely to the airport about 90 minutes after taking off. None of the 318 passengers and 16 crew members were injured.

Map of airport area

Canadian investigators who interviewed the pilot were told that there was loud bang from from one of the engines when the aircraft was about 1,000 feet above the ground. Several witnesses near the airport also heard an exceptionally loud takeoff, and noticed either smoke, flames, or debris coming out of one of the engines.

Several pieces of metal from the right engine came down in Mississauga, a suburb of Toronto that is adjacent to the airport. At least four vehicles at a gas station were hit and damaged by debris, including one car that had its rear window smashed. One witness stated that the debris was too hot to touch.

Car damage and chunk of engine

Incident investigation
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will be investigating this incident, along with representatives of Air Canada and the engine manufacturer General Electric (GE). Early findings indicate that there was no damage to the front end of the engine, indicating that a bird or other object was not likely the cause of this engine failure. The Safety Board plans on releasing a written report about this incident.

While parts separated from the engine, this event is considered to be a contained engine event because the liberated pieces exited through the tail pipe of the engine and did not penetrate the engine case. Although uncontained engine failures are considered more potentially hazardous to people in or near the affected aircraft, this Toronto incident shows that even contained engine failures have the potential to be potentially fatal to people on the ground.

Photo: Rick Madonik, Toronto Star
Airport Map: National Post

Dr. Curtis interviewed about bird strikes by Columbia University

Earlier this month, Lars Vercelli of the Columbia University School of Journalism interviewed Dr. Curtis about his thoughts on bird hazards to aircraft, and about ways to reduce bird strike risks from a proposed garbage facility near New York's LaGuardia airport.

Over the course of ten days in mid-April 2012, there were several serious incidents involving birds colliding into planes across the US (including a strike described in an earlier AirSafeNews.com story on a passenger who recorded a bird strike with an iPad). While no one was harmed in these strike events, these incidents brought renewed attention to this ongoing aviation concern.

The two videos below incude the report broadcast by Columbia News Tonight, as well as additional comments from Dr. Curtis.

Columbia News Tonight report


Extended comments from Dr. Curtis

Additional bird stirke resources
AirSafe.com bird stirke information page
BirdStrikeNews.com
Bird Strike Committee USA

Bird Strikes and the FAA Rules on Passenger Electronics

On April 19, 2012, Delta Flight 1063, a 757 flying nonstop from JFK Airport in New York to Los Angeles, was forced to return to JFK and make an emergency landing after its right engine experienced a bird strike shortly after takeoff.

One of the passengers, New York Times bestseller Grant Cardone, happen to have been using his iPad to make a video when he caught a glimpse of the flock of birds involved in the strike.

Grant Cardone video of bird strike

Cardone caught the incident on his iPad, despite the fact that electronic devices like iPads are supposed to be turned off during that part of the flight.

The video has gotten Cardone in trouble with the FAA and he's recently received a warning letter letting him know that a record of his rule infringement will be kept for two years. The letter reportedly stated that the FAA will not penalize Cardone so long as he has no other infractions over the next two years.

Why the FAA approach makes no sense
The current FAA regulations on electronic devices were developed in an era when there were few, if any, personal electronic devices on board. It is a safe bet that the average passenger has more than one device with them when they travel. The chance that a frequent flyer will forget to turn off an iPhone, Kindle, iPad, laptop, video game, etc. at least once is likely close to 100%.

Instead of sending threatening letters, it would make much more sense for the FAA to get together with the aviation industry and the flying public and create a set of new regulations that take into account both common sense and the reality that electronic devices will likely become much more popular in airline cabins. This is a point of view emphasized by AirSafe.com creator Dr. Todd Curtis in a May 3, 2012 interview on Washington, DC radio station WTOP.

Related information
Using personal electronic devices in flight
Bird strik hazards to aircraft
WTOP interview with Dr. Curtis on May 3, 2012
Protecting your laptop when you fly

Rebroadcast of Discovery Channel's 'World's Scariest Plane Landings'

is scheduled to be on The Discovery Channel show 'World's Scariest Plane Landings,' which features AirSafe.com creator Dr. Todd Curtis, will be rebroadcast today in the US at 4pm EDT. Times may vary by cable broadcaster and time zone, so check your local listings for times in your area.

Discovery channel promises that the audience will "Experience the most frightening moments in aviation, with incredible footage and first-hand accounts from those who survived - the terrified passengers inside the planes and skilled pilots inside the cockpits."

Follow the comments on Twitter at #worstflightever

Dr. Curtis on the Discovery Channel Tonight

AirSafe.com creator Dr. Todd Curtis is scheduled to be on the Discovery Channel show 'World's Scariest PLane Landings,' which will have its first scheduled broadcast in the US on the evening of April 23, 2012 (check local listings).

Discovery channel promises that the audience will "Experience the most frightening moments in aviation, with incredible footage and first-hand accounts from those who survived - the terrified passengers inside the planes and skilled pilots inside the cockpits."

Perhaps the most frightening moments in the show will be those featuring the comments and analysis of Dr. Curtis. The only way to find out is to watch the show. We would like to get your feedback about it.

Follow the comments on Twitter at #worstflightever



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No survivors in 737 crash in Pakistan

20 April 2012; Bhoja Airlines; 737-200; AP-BKC; flight B4 213; Islamabad, Pakistan: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight Karachi to Islamabad, Pakistan, and crashed in a residential area near the airport. The aircraft was completely destroyed in the crash, and all six crew members and 121 passengers were killed. Among those killed were several children and one newlywed couple. This was the airline's inaugural flight on this route.

This was the 72nd time that passengers have been killed on a 737 airline flight. Prior to this event, the most recent passenger fatalities on a 737 were in an August 2011 crash in Canada.

Related
Fatal 737 crashes
Crash rates by model
Recent plane crashes

Russian airliner crash kills dozens in Siberia

2 April 2012; UTair ATR72-200; VP-BYZ;flight 120; Tyumen, Russia: The aircraft was on scheduled domestic flight from Tyumen to Surgut, Russia. The airplane crashed broke up, and caught fire in a field about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) form the end of the departure runway.

All four crew members and 27 of the 39 passengers were killed. This is the second fatal passenger jet crash involving this airline. The first was a 17 March 2007 crash of a UTair Tu134A in Samara, Russia that killed six passengers.

Have you flown on UTair? If you want to publish your experience through NewsiT, visit AirSafe.com's NewsiT partner page, download the NewsiT app, and share your experience using the 'Report It Now' function.

Related Information
Aviation Herald article
BBC article
Russian plane crashes
ATR plane crashes
Crash rates by model

A very graphic view of the TSA

The TSA has been a frequent subject of this site, covering issues from the employee screening process to the passenger search policies. Below is an informational graphic created by a team from OnlineCriminalJusticeDegree.com led by AirSafeNews.com follower Tony Shin. The graphic is based on data from a variety of sources, including media reports and is somewhat critical on the TSA's policies and effectiveness, including claims that although know terrorists have flown on US airlines numerous times since TSA was created, none have ever been stopped from boarding by TSA.

We'd like to know what you think abou the graphic, or what you think about the direction the TSA has taken in recent months, so please feel free to leave comments.

Video shows advanced TSA screening devices failing to detect large metal objects

Earlier this month, Jonathan Corbett of the site TSA Out of Our Pants! released a video that allegedly demonstrated that he was able to sneak large metallic objects passed TSA's most advanced screening devices without being detected. These devices have been deployed by the hundreds across the US over the last couple of years and were intended to detect metal objects, explosives, and other prohibited items. In some airports, these have been used as the primary screening device for passengers, bypassing the traditional metal detector.

What is noteworthy is that Corbett performed his tests against both types of advanced screening devices currently in use by the TSA. The video below provides details on how Corbett discovered key weaknesses in these scanning devices, and how he used a very low tech method to successfully get large metal objects through the scanners without being detected:

What may be far more alarming than the demonstrations in the video are Corbett's claims that TSA representatives have attempted to intimidate him, as well as several journalists, warning them not to cover this story. If these claims of intimidation are true, it would represent a very wrongheaded approach by TSA. AirSafe.com's position is that claims such as the ones made by Corbett are best dealt with by providing the information to anyone who is interested and letting them judge for themselves.

This event is similar in some ways to a 2009 incident where TSA accidentally released a TSA document that contained extensive information about TSA testing of devices and TSA security procedures. In spite of concerns in some areas of government about the possible security risks, The TSA could do little to prevent the public from downloading the document. AirSafeNews.com also published an article explaining why the TSA has little authority when it comes to taking documents offline. While these procedures manuals may be currently out of date, they still make for very interesting reading.

The TSA responds to Corbett's video
The TSA, in their official blog at blog.tsa.gov, responded to the claims made in Corbett's video. The highlights of the response by TSA's representative Bob Burns, along with AirSafe.com's comments are below:

I watched the video and it is a crude attempt to allegedly show how to circumvent TSA screening procedures.

For obvious security reasons, we can’t discuss our technology's detection capability in detail, however TSA conducts extensive testing of all screening technologies in the laboratory and at airports prior to rolling them out to the entire field. Imaging technology has been extremely effective in the field and has found things artfully concealed on passengers as large as a gun or nonmetallic weapons, on down to a tiny pill or tiny baggies of drugs. It’s one of the best tools available to detect metallic and non-metallic items, such as… you know… things that go BOOM.

With all that said, it is one layer of our 20 layers of security (Behavior Detection, Explosives Detection Canines, Federal Air Marshals, , etc.) and is not a machine that has all the tools we need in one handy device. We’ve never claimed it’s the end all be all.

However, our nation's aviation system is much safer now with the deployment of 600 imaging technology units at 140 airports. It is completely safe and the vast majority use a generic image that completely addresses privacy concerns. Also, keep in mind that is optional. Anybody can opt out of the body scanner for a pat-down.

Dr. Curtis of AirSafe.com comments on TSA's response
The most important thing about the response by Burns is that it did not refute the key point made in the Corbett video was true, specifically if it were possible to sneak a large metal object past both kinds of advanced scanners deployed by TSA. It isn't necessary to discuss the detailed detection capability of these scanners, but it would make TSA's response more useful if it came out and said that Corbett demonstration was either real or not.

Burns did state several obvious points about security that I agree with, point which I discussed in some detail in a 2010 article describing how the TSA is unable to eliminate the threat from bombs. The most important point is that there are several layers of security, and that no one layer of security is sufficient.

One area where the Burns article may have misled his readers is in his emphasizing how much more safe the current system is with the advanced devices. There are few problems with this claim. First, he did not define what he means by safe. If he meant some measurable quality such as a reduced likelihood of sneaking a bomb or gun through security, then it would be helpful to tell the audience what that measurement is. Also, he mentions that the machines are at 140 US airports, but does not mention that there are hundreds more US airports that offer some kind of commercial airline service. A review of the the FAA's online air traffic database revealed that in 2011 over 440 airports offered some kind of airline service and 250 of these airports averaged one or more airline flights per day.

Perhaps a more accurate claim from Burns would have been that these advanced screening devices adds a layer of security for some passengers at some airports. Perhaps a more useful response would have been one that emphasized the the risks that the screening technology reduces, in this case the measurable reduction in the likelihood that someone could sneak a dangerous or banned item onto an aircraft, rather than on saying that the system is safer, where he does not define what safety means, and does not give any solid data to support this belief.

What I said in my 2010 article about why the TSA could not eliminate threats of bombs is just as true today, and if anything Corbett's video supports my position:

The threat from those who want to disrupt the air transportation system is one that constantly evolves. For every system or procedure that is put into place, those who intend to bring harm to the system will take steps to either avoid those measures or find a way to defeat them. While extra measures will not make air travel perfectly safe, they will likely make travel less risky.

Related resources
April 2010 reader poll results on the use of scanners

How to prevent thefts by TSA employees when you fly

Several recent media reports highlighted a number of alleged and admitted thefts by TSA employees, and these stories serve as a reminder to passengers that while most TSA employees are honest and fully dedicated to protecting the public, a rare few will steal from passengers.

TSA employee sells stolen items on craigslist
A January 20, 2012 Miami Herald story described the arrest of a TSA employee who allegedly stole items from checked luggage, smuggled them out using a hidden pocket added to his TSA uniform jacket, and sold several items, including at least one iPad, on craigslist. This scheme reportedly had been going on for about three years. This TSA employee's wife was also charged.

How to prevent this from happening
Do not pack expensive and easy to sell valuable items such as laptops, money, or jewelry in your checked bag. On US flights, checked baggage must either be left unlocked, or use approved locks that can be opened by the TSA, so that the TSA can inspect checked luggage. This same advice would apply to a couple who had $500 stolen from their checked bag in December 2011 at the Punta Gorda, FL airport, though it is not clear if a TSA employee was involved in that theft.

Laptops stolen from screening area by TSA employee
A New York Post story reported a January 10, 2012 incident where a college student who forgot his laptop in a screening area at New York's LaGuardia Airport and had the laptop allegedly stolen by a TSA screener. The now-fired TSA employee was reportedly seen seen on a surveillance video taking the laptop and later admitted to the theft when confronted by a TSA supervisor.

Last October, another former TSA employee was convicted of stealing a laptop left at the screening area at the Memphis airport. Like the LaGuardia theft, this one was aslo caught on surveillance video.

How many TSA employees are theives?
A May 2011 New York Press stated that about 500 TSA employees had been fired or suspended because of thefts from passenger luggage. A February 2008 blog post on the TSA web site stated that the TSA had fired or sought prosecution for 200 TSA employees accused of theft. Some of those theft victims were other TSA employees. This means that on average, about 50 thieves had been discovered within the TSA each year.

How to prevent this from happening
If you travel with a laptop, make sure that you retrieve it after you pass through the TSA screening area. There are several things that you can do, including having some kind of reminder that you packed a laptop. For example, you can open up your backpack or laptop bag so that it is clear that something should be put back into it.

If you travel in a group, have the first person to make it through screening make sure that everyone's valuables are accounted for. Also, TSA lets you keep iPads, Kindles, and smaller notebook computers like the 11-inch MacBookAir in your carry-on bag when you go through screening.

Laptops are not the only things stolen
Last July, the the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that a former TSA employee at the Ft. Lauderdale airport admitted to taking a passenger's $450 pen. According to a statement by the former employee, the theft didn't happen at the screening area, but after the pen was set aside by the TSA, presumably as an item that was headed to the TSA's lost and found department.

Change the TSA can believe in
Sometimes the money left by passengers as they go through TSA screening isn't stolen, because the TSA can legally keep it. According to a December 2011 Los Angeles Times article, loose change left behind by passengers can be kept by the TSA and used to help fund the agency's operations. In the 2010 fiscal year, this spare change added up to more than $375,000.

What can you do to prevent theft?
While passengers can't do anything to prevent a rogue TSA employee from stealing from you, there is quite a bit that you can do to prevent thefts from happening in the first place. For more details, download out the AirSafe.com Baggage and Security Guide, which includes a number of articles on how you can pack your carry on or checked bag so that you reduce or eliminate the chance that you will be a victim of theft the next time you fly (available as a PDF file, or as an ebook for our iPad or Kindle). You can find similar advice at the baggage resources page at AirSafe.com