AVIATION LAW BLOG
Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 trial continues despite pandemic
Three Russians and one Ukrainian are charged with 298 counts of murder after they allegedly supplied a missile that prosecutors claim shot down Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, of MH17, over eastern Ukraine in July 2014. The homicide case is being tried in the Hague...
Boeing to fix new problem with 737 Max
Before the 737 Max returns to the air, regulators are requiring Boeing to fix a new issue on the plane. Bundles of wires in the jet are apparently too close together for the regulators and must be separated. The wire bundles were not implicated in the two crashes of...
Is Qantas putting people at undue risk for COVID-19?
According to a workplace safety watchdog group, Qantas Airways Ltd. Is using a method of cleaning its planes that is inadequate in the face of the novel coronavirus and COVID-19. “Workers and other persons may be exposed to a risk of injury or illness,” reads a notice...
Plane crashes can be devastating, and you deserve answers
Airplane crashes can be destructive and overwhelming. Passengers and crew often suffer serious if not fatal injuries. Property is wiped out. The shock can be crushing for survivors or victims’ loved ones. Amid the wreckage you want to know how it happened and who is...
Will Boeing turn over 737 Max documents to victims’ families?
Ever since the crash last year of a Boeing 737 Max owned by Ethiopian Airlines, lawyers representing the families of victims have been seeking internal documents from Boeing about why the plane was still in the air. The Ethiopian Airlines crash, which killed 157...
NTSB leading probe into helicopter crash killing Bryant, 8 others
On Sunday, a helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others crashed into a hillside near Calabasas, California. There were no survivors. The Sikorsky S-76B was headed from John Wayne Airport in Orange County to the Mamba Sports Academy in...
NTSB: US civilian plane crash fatalities were up 15% in 2018
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released figures on 2018’s civilian plane crash fatalities in the U.S. Unfortunately, 393 people died in civilian plane crashes in the U.S. last year, which was a 15% increase over the previous year. The vast...
Near crash in Boeing Max simulator delays recertification effort
After its 737 Max was grounded due to two deadly accidents, Boeing said it was confident it could correct the problem and have the plane recertified by the FAA within months. Now, the company hopes it can get the work done by the end of the year. Engineers thought...
How long should the Boeing 737 Max stay grounded?
Last week, Boeing abruptly released transcripts of pilot instant messages during the 2016 737 Max simulator tests involving the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). That system apparently played a pivotal role in the two fatal crashes. In one...
Experts: FAA didn’t follow own rules when vetting 737 Max design
In a 69-page summary report, the Joint Authorities Technical Review (JATR) concludes that the Federal Aviation Administration failed to properly assess the risks of design changes to Boeing’s 737 Max. Those design changes are now widely considered to have been faulty,...
