Questions tagged [safety]
Safety includes all aspects of protecting aircraft, passengers and crew from accidents, mistakes and other potentially dangerous situations.
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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 ...
2
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1answer
135 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 ...
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1answer
127 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?
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61 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 ...
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3answers
8k 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. ...
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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 ...
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3answers
323 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 ...
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7answers
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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 ...
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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 / ...
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3answers
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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 ...
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1answer
286 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.
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122 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 ...
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1answer
181 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 ...
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2answers
3k 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 ...
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5answers
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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 ...
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3answers
2k views
Is there any obvious warning when auto-pilot is disengaged or when the mode changes?
Under the investigation section of the First Air Flight 6560 incident, it describes the catalyst for the accident:
The approach was entirely flown on autopilot, which was correctly set to capture ...
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4answers
194 views
Is Turn and slip indicator a good back-up for the attitude indicator?
I was reading my Aircraft general knowledge book, and noticed something peculiar that was written.
The book described that the turn and slip indicator works as a back-up in case of a malfunctioning ...
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1answer
146 views
Why are the VHF and UHF airbands directly adjacent to frequency bands used by vital radionavigation aids?
Of the three main frequency ranges used by aircraft for radio communications (HF, VHF, and UHF), two (VHF and UHF) have their aircraft-radio-communications frequencies clumped together into a ...
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1answer
57 views
Time of flying from Toronto to Philippines [closed]
Please I would
Like to know how many hours I will be flying
Across the ocean . I will be flying on an aircraft 773 boing 777.
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2answers
105 views
Is potentially dangerous to select the take-off power on airliner lower that temperature at the moment on the airport? [closed]
Is potentially dangerous to select the take-off power on airliner at lower settings value due to the temperature that could be increased by the time the aircraft will go up?
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1answer
208 views
Why do pilots wait for a positive rate to put the gear up, When V1 means “commit to takeoff”?
To explain further, V1 means they cannot stop in time if anything happens. Therefore they must commit to taking off. So why wait for a positive rate? Shouldn’t it be retracted as soon as they see a ...
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Are there any real life instances of aircraft aborting a takeoff or landing to avoid a vehicle?
I came across a fake video of an A380 closely avoiding a fuel truck. More details at Snopes including a link to the YouTube video.
While this video is not real, I'm interested in finding out if it's ...
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1answer
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How short does a trip need to be before flying is less safe than other forms of transportation?
It's often mentioned that flying is the safest form of transportation, and no doubt this is true when considering only a long-haul trip. There's no doubt, for example, that driving (or taking a train ...
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1answer
145 views
How long is maximum time to investigate an airplane crash?
Lion Air flight 610 was crashed on 29 October 2018. It was Boeing 373 Max 8. Almost one year ago. I have not heard any news from National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) when they will release ...
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2answers
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How can the effects of hot corrosion and salt deposits from sea water spray in gas turbine engines be negated/prevented?
In aircraft operating in a maritime environment, corrosive effects from salt water are common. Are there any specific coatings used in engines for such aircraft? If so, which are they? How frequently ...
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3answers
576 views
Where does the 90 seconds limit for plane evacuation come from?
New airplanes have to confirm that all passengers have to be evacuated within 90 seconds or they wouldn't be certified by aviation authorities. But where does the 90 seconds limit come from? Why isn't ...
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4answers
1k views
Which altitudes are safest for VFR? [closed]
As a fairly new pilot who does a fair amount of x-country flying I find myself "feeling" safer going East at 5500 and West at 6500 happily burning extra fuel to get up there. Listening to the on route ...
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3answers
474 views
Is it safe to fly with a B737-800? Is it different from a B737 Max 8? [duplicate]
I'm flying from Costa Rica to Chile in November with a B737-800 plane. I'm wondering if this is a different aircraft than the B737 Max 8 or if it's the same?
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0answers
81 views
Why does not jet engines have a metal grid in the front? [duplicate]
An aircraft engine can get destroyed if a large object - like birds - enters it while running. I'm probably naive, but this seems pretty easy to solve. Why not just have some kind of metal grid in ...
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1answer
5k views
Why does Canada recommend a minimum rate of climb for ultralights of 300 ft/min?
What is a safe minimum rate of climb for ultralights? I understand most ultralights climb at least 300-800 ft/min and in fact the Canadian ultralight specs recommend a minimum rate of climb of 300 ft/...
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0answers
107 views
How fast is it safe to eject from an F-16? [duplicate]
What is the limit of the ACES II for the F-16, in terms of altitude and airspeed for safe ejection?
The following video tells the story of an F-15 pilot who ejected at supersonic speed and barely ...
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1answer
529 views
Is this WWI movie scene realistic?
In a poignant scene of 1933 WWI film The Eagle and the Hawk (not to be confused with the same-name 1950 western film), while the pilot played by Fredric March performs a loop-the-loop in his – I ...
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Are the Australian NASF guidelines based on ICAO standards?
Here in Australia we have a set of regulations called the "National Airports Safeguarding Framework" (NASF); these consist of 9 federally imposed guidelines for:
Measures for Managing Impacts of ...
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1answer
195 views
Why do some U.S. airlines require passenger headrests to be lowered during takeoff?
I've experienced a few times recently where cabin crew have asked passengers to lower their adjustable headrests during takeoff and landing and, in at least one case, it was even part of the pre-...
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2answers
465 views
What are the ejection injury and fatality rates?
Most of us have probably heard about how ejecting from a military aircraft is dangerous in and of itself, and that ejection is not a get out of jail free card.
The most common dangers seem to be:
...
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0answers
119 views
Aeroplane protection against lightning strikes [duplicate]
I would like to know what kind of protection are available on planes against lightning strikes.
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7answers
8k views
Can two aircraft be allowed to stay on the same runway at the same time?
My understanding is that the runway should always be cleared, and occupied by no more than a single aircraft for takeoff and/or landing at any given time.
Is there any scenario in which ATC can ...
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4answers
519 views
Is it possible to hack an airplane while it's moving (in general)?
I recently searching Airbus Careers section, and I can say that I saw too many Cyber Security job positions. It was saying in the job description that there is a need of having knowledge about ...
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1answer
229 views
Why do they tell you to tie your lifevest on the left side during safety briefings?
This might be UK specific, given I have only been flying internally recently.
During the safety briefings, when describing how to inflate the lifevest the instructions are always:
"Wrap the lines ...
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2answers
3k views
Is it allowed and safe to carry a passenger / non-pilot in the front seat of a small general aviation airplane?
Is there anything wrong with taking a friend in the copilot's seat of a small general aviation aircraft with me flying, or does he have to sit in the back (if there is one)?
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4answers
333 views
What accidents have had crew accustomization to warnings among their causes?
A non-answer on this question claimed that:
the idea that maneuvering with the stall warning activated will somehow damage us, causing us to ignore its warning when the chips are down and AOA is up,...
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2answers
225 views
Is “hacking small planes” a separate or larger problem from/than general small-aircraft security?
Apparently the DHS has issued a "hacking alert" for small aircraft:
The alert warns if a hacker gained physical access to certain small planes, they could attach a common device to its wiring. This ...
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1answer
302 views
Is this plane safe to fly on? The turbine blades look damaged [closed]
While waiting for a recent flight, I observed this aircraft with what appear to be rather worn turbine blades. Is this close to being a safety issue or is it purely cosmetic?
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0answers
188 views
Do visual docking systems improve safety?
Are there any studies that shows A-VDGS (Advanced Visual Docking Guidance System) is improving the safety of aircraft movements on airports?
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2answers
255 views
Are there any safety features to prevent reversible-pitch props from reversing in flight?
Some aircraft have propellers capable of reversing pitch, which is also known as beta angle. The example I saw was an Aviat Husky.
(Youtube demonstration)
I want to know if there are any safety ...
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10answers
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What would be the safest way to drop thousands of small, hard objects from a typical, high wing, GA airplane?
The subject pretty much states my question, now I will provide a bit of background.
A family member, who lived on the west coast of Florida Manasota Key, collected tens of thousands of fossilized ...
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3answers
199 views
What's the relation between speed of an aircraft and takeoff distance?
I'm making a tool that when given : weight of aircraft , takeoff speed , runway length and some other parameters , it analysis the takeoff performance and states whether using the brakes now is safe ...
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6answers
13k views
Why don't commercial aircraft adopt a slightly more seaplane-like design to allow safer ditching in case of emergency?
For example :
Why don't they have a more hydrodynamically shaped fuselage underside ?
Specifically for the aircraft that have their engines mounted under the wings, isn't this too dangerous for ...
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1answer
147 views
Is it Ok for co-pilots to snooze? [duplicate]
What are the policies on long flights and taking shifts sleeping between 2 pilots?
Could a pilot set the cruise control and alarm during any flight?
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1answer
206 views
Is it possible for crew oxygen to exacerbate a flight deck fire?
Crew oxygen is, as I understand it, a very high percentage of purity.
Oxygen-enriched air acts as an accelerant to a fire, causing things to ignite which wouldn't in ordinary air, and making fire ...
