Questions tagged [safety]
Safety includes all aspects of protecting aircraft, passengers and crew from accidents, mistakes and other potentially dangerous situations.
959
questions
8
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1answer
1k views
Could a landing gear jettison mechanism be practical when ditching?
Reading this answer about GA aircraft ditching, I wondered if, considering conventional fixed landing gear aircraft (taildraggers) which often operate overwater, having the ability to jettison the ...
1
vote
1answer
187 views
Does the jet blast from a large aircraft pose any risk for other aircraft nearby?
We know that the jet blast of jetliners - A320, B737 and bigger - are dangerous for people passing by, airport vehicles and even small planes, and we must always maintain a huge distance to avoid ...
23
votes
3answers
3k views
Is it recommended to get a life raft for short overwater operations?
I'd like to fly to Santa Catalina Island (AVX) from the mainland around Los Angeles. There is a portion of this overwater flight where my Cessna 172 will be beyond gliding distance from land. I know ...
1
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0answers
60 views
Why is crushable-block EMAS the only overrunning-aircraft-stopping system in wide civilian use?
Because runway overruns often end badly, and many runway ends (especially older ones) don’t have enough clear space available beyond the runway end for a full-size runway safety area (RSA), EMAS has ...
2
votes
0answers
127 views
Why do so few non-US runways have EMAS beds?
As occurrences of an aircraft running off the end of the runway and hitting things tend to leave both the aircraft and whatever it hits rather the worse for wear, much effort over the years has gone ...
2
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0answers
36 views
Why does an A300/310 in LAND or GO-AROUND mode have to be at least 400 feet AGL for manual control column movement to disengage the autopilot?
Each of the A300/310’s two autopilots has two modes of operation:
In CWS (Control-Wheel_Steering) mode, the autopilot(s) attempt to hold the attitude that the aircraft had at the moment of autopilot ...
24
votes
2answers
6k views
Is it true that cockpit doors are bulletproof?
I read about 9/11 and read somewhere that after 9/11 all aircraft cockpit doors were replaced with bulletproof ones.
Is this true?
1
vote
1answer
138 views
Why don’t flying-boom tankers have collapsible/frangible/breakaway refuelling booms?
There are two main types of aerial-refuelling systems in use today:
Probe-and-drogue systems reel out a hose behind the tanker, terminating with a soft conical canvas bucket; the pilot of the ...
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0answers
38 views
How big does an object in one of the ILS critical areas have to be to cause a problem?
ILS installations have a critical area extending some distance back from the glideslope antenna (primarily due to most glideslope transmitters’ needing to bounce one of their two beams off the ground ...
26
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3answers
13k views
Why is this airplane flying in circles randomly?
This G650 has been flying around for over an hour now. Is this somebody with a mechanical problem who is burning fuel before returning to their airport of origin?
2
votes
1answer
269 views
How do acrobatic pilots avoid pulling too many G’s and passing out?
I just watched a video of a acrobatic pilot doing stunts, it involved a type of stall, not sure which one though. Long story short he overcompensated(?) which caused him to pass out, and then he ...
0
votes
1answer
24 views
Could any complications arise if the two FMCs are using different OPS programmes, i.e U10.7 and U10.8A? [closed]
B737-300
FMCs ARE OF SMITH INDUSTRIES 2907a4/10-6225-003
0
votes
1answer
139 views
Why are non-essential passenger flights still being flown? [closed]
I'm not asking about essential passenger flights like for "like food, supplies, and flying medical workers.
Oughtn't non-essential passenger flights have been shut down in North America, to curb the ...
1
vote
0answers
115 views
Are there regulations about carrying cargo on passenger seats?
We see that passenger aircraft have recently made cargo flights so that the supply chain does not decrease due to the Covid-19 crisis.
It is seen that the cargo boxes are loaded on the passenger ...
-1
votes
2answers
225 views
Can a civilian helicopter regularly fly low & close to houses? [closed]
There is a helicopter which regularly (1 to 5Xs a month) at night or day flies very low & fast, has flown over a vehicle, playing a chasing game down neighbor's driveway and down the road. Who can ...
1
vote
2answers
216 views
What are some examples of pilot error with criminal negligence?
I’m having a hard time understanding why pilot error technically can’t be criminal negligence all the time? So I’m curious to find out some examples of this exact scenario, and how investigators ...
4
votes
1answer
197 views
Do headrests considerably increase safety on aircraft?
When looking at newer GA aircraft, for example, Cessna 172s it is very obvious that the seat design has changed quite a lot over time. With the older ones having very short backrests and the newer ...
18
votes
1answer
1k views
What happened with flight AC692 to St John's?
Yesterday, 2nd of March 2020, I was on board of Air Canada flight AC692 from Toronto (YYZ) to St. Johns (YYT). 40 minutes before landing, the plane turned around and flew back to Toronto. The flight ...
6
votes
1answer
1k views
Which fighter jet is the safest outside of combat?
I've heard that the Bloodhound SSC project decided to use a Eurofighter engine, because this was "safe". This got me wondering if there are any numbers on which fighter jets are safest. Something like ...
17
votes
2answers
4k views
91 year old father allowed to fly a plane again?
My 91 year old father got his private pilots license over 60 years ago. He has not flown an airplane for 35 years and is saying that he can go buy his own airplane, again, and fly it tomorrow legally. ...
0
votes
2answers
154 views
Airliner headlights flashing alternately [duplicate]
I live in Portland,Oregon. I watched a large jetliner coming into the airspace heading to the airport. The red,green and tail lights were normal. But the headlights were blinking alternately. I ...
1
vote
1answer
113 views
Does the FAA have risk targets for specific activities?
Does the FAA have or publish goal values for various risks?
I'm looking for something that says (e. g.) "We rate passenger airline flights as 'safe' if there are fewer than X casualties per million ...
2
votes
3answers
305 views
Is it possible to use refrigeration technology to cool the skin of supersonic aircraft?
The fastest air breathing aircraft, the Blackbird SR71 flew at speeds above Mach 3. Its engines could achieve much higher speeds but were limited by the aircraft's skin which would melt due to ...
4
votes
1answer
237 views
Is it allowed to start engines during push-back?
Is it allowed, considered safe, and done, to start the engines while the aircraft is moving under the push-back power? On one hand it seems like a big time saving, on the other hand the running ...
0
votes
1answer
103 views
How can a person receive an expired life vest? [closed]
I wonder if passengers could receive an expired life vest because who else would they give to.
11
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2answers
2k views
Does the NTSB and other investigative agencies charge airlines for investigations?
Does an airline have to pay the investigation team? For example the NTSB? And if Boeing or Airbus participate in the investigation, do they also charge the airlines?
3
votes
1answer
541 views
What happens if an aircraft tries to land at MTOW (if greater than MLW)? [duplicate]
Here's a scenario:
Just after Take-Off, there's an emergency on-board and pilot wants to land immediately. But, the weight of the plane wouldn't have decreased by large margins (usually 0.02*MTOW). ...
2
votes
1answer
63 views
Are there any situations where it's beneficial to disable altitude reporting in TCAS?
Having altitude reporting enabled persistently seems like a pretty common-sense thing to do -- it enables RA in addition to TA, the benefits of which are fairly obvious. That said, most of the common ...
12
votes
2answers
2k views
Who makes the call to start in terrible weather conditions?
I once headed to the airport during a huge thunderstorm with winds above 55 knots and massive rain and some small hail. At the airport, I saw that most flights were delayed or even canceled. To my ...
9
votes
1answer
358 views
Why is TO/GA button disabled in 777 with weight on wheels or below 2 ft RA?
Recently a final report for accident of an Emirates B777-300 at Dubai on 3rd August 2016 was published. An important factor there was that when the pilot tried to recover from long landing by going ...
1
vote
1answer
136 views
What would happen when the fuel tank of a Cessna 172 became (partial) vacuum during horizontal flight?
Let's say we are flying a piston engine high wing airplane (Cessna 172) that uses a carburetor.
What would happen when the fuel tank of a Cessna 172 became (partial) vacuum during horizontal flight?
17
votes
3answers
6k views
Can a commercial airplane overtake another airplane going in the same direction?
If there are two commercial airplane flying towards the same destination, on the same flight path, and the second plane is being faster than the first plane, is the second plane allowed to overtake ...
6
votes
1answer
2k views
Are there any aircraft that were grounded and later approved for flight?
Last year the Boeing 737 Max 8 was grounded after two fatal crashes.
Historically, are there any other commercial aircraft which were grounded (due to safety issues), and later “fixed” by ...
15
votes
6answers
8k views
What is the commercial passenger aircraft top speed record?
Aircraft manufacturers claims commercial passenger aircrafts cruise at the speed of 400-500 knots.
But is the top speed of a commercial passenger aircraft recorded (while in air)? If so, what is the ...
9
votes
4answers
4k views
What should a pilot flying IFR in IMC and on final, do if the vacuum system fails?
Talking about small aircraft here, assuming the pilot is stable and ready to land, they’re flying IFR and the visibility is nonexistent, but that’s alright because he’s currently IFR! But then the ...
4
votes
1answer
150 views
Just how inaccurate are (Las Vegas) VOR radials?
I was discussing VOR-based navigation with a pilot, and he mentioned that VOR doesn't provide a very high level of integrity and safety (at least, compared to GPS or DME). He explained that the FAA ...
3
votes
1answer
245 views
Does the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) see through clouds?
Or can it only detect terrain on a clear day or night? I’m mostly asking because of PIA268
I know GPWS is much more reliable in todays time, and I’m unsure if the accident flight even had a GPWS ...
0
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1answer
164 views
Who does ATC call when a plane disappears with no response?
Do they just call 911? Or is there some special unit that’s specifically trained around disasters and rescue?
0
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0answers
68 views
Was the redesigned version of the One-Eleven's APU ever reapproved for inflight use?
The BAC One-Eleven, like most jetliners, has a turboshaft APU mounted in the tail section of the aircraft, which is mainly used on the ground, but, originally, could also be used during flight at ...
28
votes
3answers
9k views
Why is the most common hydraulic fluid so poisonous?
The usual hydraulic fluid, Skydrol, is poisonous. If it makes it to the air conditioning system, it causes fume events that may have adverse health effects up to and including at least one fatality. ...
0
votes
0answers
53 views
Why do civil aviation aircraft not routinely carry missile defense systems? [duplicate]
With all the incidents with civil aircraft and missiles, why do civil aircraft not carry flares and other defensive measures by default? If official aircraft carry them it is technically possible to ...
6
votes
4answers
476 views
Why aren't angle-of-attack data sanity-checked before being fed to other aircraft systems?
For most fixed-wing aircraft, accurate angle-of-attack information is utterly essential for safe flight, due primarily to the risk of stalling the aircraft if the AoA of one or both of its wings ...
37
votes
7answers
8k views
What prevents a commercial jet from electronically “resetting” the way a computer sometimes does?
I've had a fear of flying for the past several years and one of the ways this irrational phobia manifests is concern over the airplane power-cycling in mid-air: engines cutting out, control equipment ...
6
votes
6answers
3k views
Has a commercial jet airliner ever stalled on takeoff / at low-altitude?
In general aviation, a common reason for fatalities is low altitude stalls on takeoff or practising go-arounds.
Has there ever been an incident where a commercial jet airliner stalled on takeoff / ...
19
votes
3answers
3k views
Why are propellers de-iced before the engines are started, and does ice on the fuselage affect the flight characteristics of the plane?
I recently flew on a flight out of Montreal on a DHC8 turboprop. The plane had been parked at the airport overnight during a winter storm, and as I walked out to the plane, there were visible icicles ...
9
votes
1answer
309 views
What safety rule replaced the now-rescinded two-person rule (after Germanwings 9525)?
In the aftermath of Germanwings 9525 in 2015 many airlines instituted a two-person rule for the cockpit (aka "two-man rule") - with a flight-attendant replacing whichever pilot left the flight-deck.
...
-5
votes
1answer
140 views
What is the procedure for a fast landing that is too slow for go-around? [closed]
Say an aircraft (A320 or similar) on landing, hits the tarmac way too fast and on a short runway, less than V2 but around V1 or slightly over. This could happen if a pilot had recently moved from ...
4
votes
1answer
226 views
Who would be allowed to operate with no navigation lights over a populated area?
I know little about aircraft, FAA or FARS, but I've tried to research something I saw one evening without much success. I was hoping an expert could chime in.
One evening, while watching for ...
19
votes
2answers
4k views
Is it safe to wear earplugs in flight?
Speaking in terms of health for the ears and eardrums, would earplugs that form an airtight seal be dangerous to wear in flight due to cabin pressure changes? What about in the event of a rapid ...
25
votes
5answers
15k views
Why is “runway behind you” useless?
I was recently answering this question and for some reason it made me think of this fairly famous aviation saying
The three most useless things to a pilot are the altitude above you, runway behind ...
