Latest news with #RobertSumwalt
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
NTSB report says plane that caught fire had incorrectly installed parts
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board found indications maintenance errors could be at fault for an American Airlines plane that caught fire after making an emergency landing at Denver International Airport in March. Investigators say airport cameras captured video showing a trail of fluid following the plane as it taxied after diverting to Denver due to an engine issue. When investigators looked at the plane's engine, they discovered some parts were loose and appeared to be installed incorrectly, with one "allowing fuel to leak from the fitting." "The way this is looking is that there was a maintenance issue that led to this fire and we've gotta figure out where that error occurred so we can keep that error from happening again," said former NTSB chair Robert Sumwalt, CBS News transportation safety analyst. Passengers escape plane The NTSB says the fire was put out in less than a minute by ground crews in Denver. The report describes the chaos in the cabin after passengers, who were flying to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, saw flames under the engine. "Everyone was screaming, 'There's a fire. There's a fire,'" Helen Prager, who was on the plane, recalled. "Literally at the gate and I was screaming, 'Get the doors open.'" As that was happening, the NTSB said a flight attendant called the pilots, but "did not get an answer." Another flight attendant knocked on the cockpit door to alert the pilots of the fire outside and the smoke inside. Some of the 172 passengers evacuated to the wing, but an escape slide jammed, preventing the use of the cabin doors. "When it did not deploy properly and it jammed the door, that's a problem," Sumwalt said. "So the NTSB is going to want to drill down into that. … Did it come from the factory that way, or was it a maintenance problem?" Twelve people were taken to a hospital with minor injuries following the fire, officials said following the incident. The plane took off from Colorado Springs. In a statement, American Airlines told CBS News, "The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority and we are cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board in its investigation." Aviation incidents in 2025 The plane fire in Denver is one in a string of aviation incidents so far this year. In January, a midair collision where a Blackhawk helicopter struck an American Airlines plane near Reagan National Airport killed all 64 people on board the regional jet and the three soldiers in the helicopter. The flight was coming from Wichita, Kansas. A Delta Air Lines regional jet crashed and flipped upside down during its landing at Toronto International Airport in February. The incident left 21 people injured, but all 80 on board, including the crew, were able to escape the wreckage. Members of Congress were on a plane sitting on the tarmac at Reagan National Airport in April when it was clipped by another aircraft. No injuries were reported in the incident. Meanwhile, the FAA is investigating outages that have happened at the Philadelphia air traffic control center, which is responsible for operating flights out of Newark airport. Multiple outages have occurred since April. Last month, the Trump administration announced plans to overhaul the system. Despite high-profile incidents this year, a CBS News analysis based on NTSB and Bureau of Travel Statistics data shows .02% of domestic flights were involved in accidents in 2024. Musk alleges Trump's name appeared in Epstein files as feud escalates What to know about President Trump's travel ban on nationals from 12 countries Trump says he's disappointed by Musk criticism of budget bill, Musk says he got Trump elected
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
American Airlines plane that caught fire in Denver had loose and incorrectly installed parts, NTSB report says
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board found indications maintenance errors could be at fault for an American Airlines plane that caught fire after making an emergency landing at Denver International Airport in March. Investigators say airport cameras captured video showing a trail of fluid following the plane as it taxied after diverting to Denver due to an engine issue. When investigators looked at the plane's engine, they discovered some parts were loose and appeared to be installed incorrectly, with one "allowing fuel to leak from the fitting." "The way this is looking is that there was a maintenance issue that led to this fire and we've gotta figure out where that error occurred so we can keep that error from happening again," said former NTSB chair Robert Sumwalt, CBS News transportation safety analyst. Passengers of flight 1006 wait for help getting off the wing of the plane at Denver International Airport on Thursday evening. Alexandria Cullen Passengers escape plane The NTSB says the fire was put out in less than a minute by ground crews in Denver. The report describes the chaos in the cabin after passengers, who were flying to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, saw flames under the engine. "Everyone was screaming, 'There's a fire. There's a fire,'" Helen Prager, who was on the plane, recalled. "Literally at the gate and I was screaming, 'Get the doors open.'" As that was happening, the NTSB said a flight attendant called the pilots, but "did not get an answer." Another flight attendant knocked on the cockpit door to alert the pilots of the fire outside and the smoke inside. Some of the 172 passengers evacuated to the wing, but an escape slide jammed, preventing the use of the cabin doors. "When it did not deploy properly and it jammed the door, that's a problem," Sumwalt said. "So the NTSB is going to want to drill down into that. … Did it come from the factory that way, or was it a maintenance problem?" Twelve people were taken to a hospital with minor injuries following the fire, officials said following the incident. The plane took off from Colorado Springs. In a statement, American Airlines told CBS News, "The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority and we are cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board in its investigation." Aviation incidents in 2025 The plane fire in Denver is one in a string of aviation incidents so far this year. In January, a midair collision where a Blackhawk helicopter struck an American Airlines plane near Reagan National Airport killed all 64 people on board the regional jet and the three soldiers in the helicopter. The flight was coming from Wichita, Kansas. A Delta Air Lines regional jet crashed and flipped upside down during its landing at Toronto International Airport in February. The incident left 21 people injured, but all 80 on board, including the crew, were able to escape the wreckage. Members of Congress were on a plane sitting on the tarmac at Reagan National Airport in April when it was clipped by another aircraft. No injuries were reported in the incident. Meanwhile, the FAA is investigating outages that have happened at the Philadelphia air traffic control center, which is responsible for operating flights out of Newark airport. Multiple outages have occurred since April. Last month, the Trump administration announced plans to overhaul the system. Despite high-profile incidents this year, a CBS News analysis based on NTSB and Bureau of Travel Statistics data shows .02% of domestic flights were involved in accidents in 2024.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Military aircraft play outsized role in midair close calls, analysis finds
Nearly one out of every four of the more than 8,000 near midair collisions in U.S. airspace reported from 1987 to 2021 involved at least one military aircraft, a CBS News analysis of Federal Aviation Administration data has revealed. For near midair collisions involving one commercial aircraft and one military aircraft, those accounted for about one out of every 10 reported incidents. Overall, there were more than 2,000 near midair collisions involving military aircraft and 258 involving a military aircraft and a commercial aircraft. Of the 258 incidents between military and commercial aircraft, 34 of them, or 13%, were considered critically close. About one in six of all the near midair collisions involving at least one military aircraft were considered critically close. The analysis also found that military flights only accounted for about 2% of all flight miles over that time period, giving its aircraft an outsized role in close calls during that time. The analysis followed two incidents involving commercial planes and military aircraft at Reagan National Airport, just outside of Washington, D.C.. The first, a Jan. 29 midair collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight that was coming in to land that killed 67 people, making it the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster since 2001. And last Friday, a Delta Air Lines flight departing the airport experienced a close call just after takeoff as four Air Force jets were headed toward a flyover at Arlington National Cemetary. National Transportation Safety Board investigators are looking into the Army's handling of close calls in the wake of the January collision. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy noted in testimony before Congress last week, "We have found, so far, that a lot of the conversation and safety discussion at the battalion level is really focused on OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) slips, trips and falls. There is a disconnect." After Friday's incident, former NTSB Chair Robert Sumwalt told CBS News, "Once we again we have conflict between a military aircraft and a civilian airliner and that's not acceptable." Following the January crash, military helicopters were banned from flying in the area where the collision occurred, except in the case of law enforcement action or the transportation of important personnel such as the president. As the investigation into the collision goes on, it was not immediately clear if similar action could be taken for military jets as well. Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau told Congress last week that warning signs were missed leading up to the January collision and they're working to understand how they were missed and to prevent another collision from happening again. Freed Israeli hostages call for end to war, to bring remaining Gaza hostages home What is the future of the Kennedy Center? Elton John, Brandi Carlile on their dream collaboration
The Independent
05-03-2025
- General
- The Independent
False mid-air collision warnings over Washington DC airport investigated in aftermath of deadly crash
Several commercial flights repeatedly received mid-air collision warnings near Washington DC last weekend – even though no other aircraft were in the area. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating reports of false alerts around Ronald Reagan National Airport on Saturday (1 March), one month after a deadly crash near the airport. Flight crews were issued warnings of other aircraft in their vicinity from the onboard Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), designed to reduce the risk of mid-air collision, not air traffic control, as they descended to land. The FAA said in a statement on Monday that TCAS alerts were issued 'indicating another aircraft was nearby when no other aircraft were in the area', reported CNN. On 29 January, 67 people were killed in a fatal collision between a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Eagle flight 5342 over the Potomac River near the Washington airport. The TCAS system uses radio frequencies to help pilots navigate around each other in the airspace. According to CBS News, at least 12 flight crews reported false TCAS alerts between 6am and 10am local time. One air traffic controller was heard telling approaching pilots to 'use caution' in the area, reported the outlet. They said: 'It's been happening all morning. Let me know if you see anything. No one else has seen anything except for on the TCAS.' 'No known traffic between you and the field', they added. Three pilots chose to abort landings following the falsely issued alerts and performed a 'go-around' manoeuvre. Robert Sumwalt, former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, told CBS: "I've never heard of something like this. "Nuisance alerts, yes, they happen. But not like this where several planes have it at the same location." The FAA is investigating why the alerts occurred. Last week, an American Airlines plane discontinued its landing to avoid getting too close to another aircraft departing from the same runway, said the FAA. American flight 2246 from Boston was arriving at Ronald Reagan airport when it performed a go-around at an air traffic controller's instruction on 26 February.
CBS News
05-03-2025
- General
- CBS News
Flights to Reagan National Airport in D.C. received false collision alerts while landing
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after several airliners on approach to land at Washington Reagan National Airport Saturday morning received what appear to be false alarms from their onboard Traffic Collision Avoidance System. "It's been happening all morning. Let me know if you see anything. No one else has seen anything except for on the TCAS," one air traffic controller can be heard telling an inbound flight. Based on CBS News' review of the ATC audio, at least 12 flight crews reported receiving apparent false TCAS alerts — leading three flights to perform go-arounds between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET on Saturday. CBS News heard no issues in the 8 a.m. hour. Then, six incidents occurred within 11 minutes of each other after 9 a.m. Saturday. The pilots of American Eagle flight 4469, operated by Republic Airways, were coming into land from Pittsburgh when they received an alert. The flight was descending between 1200 and 1000 feet when TCAS instructed the pilots to take evasive maneuvers to avoid another object. "We had to dive a little bit," one of the pilots told air traffic controllers. Controllers asked the pilots after safely landing, "did you actually visibly see anything other than what the TCAS was showing?" "Negative, it would just say an unknown target descending rapidly," the pilots responded. "Alright, that's the same sort of reports we've been getting. It seemed like it had stopped but it sounds like it's starting again," a controller replied. The FAA said in a statement to CBS News that several flight crews inbound to Reagan National Airport reported the onboard alerts when no other aircraft were nearby, but the total number of aircraft impacted is unclear. "Some of the crews executed go-arounds as a result of the alerts. The FAA is investigating why the alerts occurred," the FAA's statement said. Federal investigators on Monday added that the issue has not been reported again since Saturday morning. Former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board and CBS News transportation safety analyst Robert Sumwalt said that the situation is unusual. "I've never heard of something like this," the retired 737 captain said. "Nuisance alerts, yes, they happen. But not like this where several planes have it at the same location." The TCAS is a piece of technology installed on individual planes, not a ground-based or centrally located system. It works by using an aircraft's transponder to detect and communicate with nearby aircraft. After receiving the position and altitude of the nearby aircraft, the system calculates if there's a potential for collision. If it finds there's a potential, it will instruct the pilots via audible alerts and displayed instructions to watch for traffic, climb or descend to avoid a midair collision. "Yeah, we got a little something there," the pilots of American Eagle flight 4538, also operated by Republic, from New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport said after they received a similar alarm on Saturday morning. "It said on the TCAS, it was 600 feet above us and we didn't see anything." American Eagle flight 5197 arriving from Minneapolis reported the same thing occurring on their approach: "We got a TCAS but we didn't see anything either." Arriving from Des Moines, American Eagle 5098 reported receiving two warnings. Delta flight 5802 from Nashville told controllers after an alert, "we saw nothing out there though." The crew of Flight 4469 appeared to joke about a possible explanation, saying it was "aliens." Another voice said "Russia." The incidents unfolded amid heightened scrutiny at Reagan National Airport after January's deadly crash between a Black Hawk and a regional aircraft. Last month, the NTSB recovered the plane's TCAS and investigators are working to examine the system and related components.
