Latest news with #Schiavo
Hindustan Times
18-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Stunning details revealed as Brooklyn Bridge tragedy reminds horror of Baltimore Bridge collision
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum offered her condolences to kin of the two crew members who lost their lives after Mexican Navy sailing ship collided with the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday. 'We are deeply saddened by the loss of two crew members of the Cuauhtémoc Training Ship, who lost their lives in the unfortunate accident in New York Harbor. Our sympathy and support go out to their families,' Sheinbaum wrote in a post on X on Sunday. She further said that the Mexican Consulate General and Ambassador to the United States are assisting the Mexican Navy in aiding individuals injured in the event. The ship, which was in New York as part of a global goodwill trip, was heading to Iceland at the time of the tragedy. 'We are monitoring the situation, and the Secretary of the Navy will continue to provide updates,' Sheinbaum added. The Cuauhtémoc ship comprises a three-masted barque with a steel hull that is approximately 300 feet long and 160 feet tall, as per a news release. Records from the government indicate that the Brooklyn Bridge has a 127-foot navigational clearance. The Heroic Naval Military School, a top military college in Mexico, used the Cuauhtémoc sailing ship for training. Mexico described the ship as a diplomatic symbol of its nation overseas. Also Read: Viral video shows how New Yorkers joy turned into horror when Mexican ship hit Brooklyn Bridge: 'My hands are shaking' According to a transportation expert who spoke to CNN, the voyage data recorder from the Mexican Navy ship will yield crucial details about what went wrong. The data recorder will probably give detectives details about the ship's mechanics, including any 'control input,' as well as when power could have blown out, according to Mary Schiavo, as per former inspector general at the US Department of Transportation. Additionally, it might offer details about the river itself, such its depth and currents. Schiavo further stated that the investigators might already possess the data and it could be in the process of examining it. According to her, they will have to investigate whether there was ever a breakdown in communication. As the US agency is accustomed to conducting extensive, global investigations, Schiavo announced that Mexico will be a part of the National Transportation Safety Board's probe into the tragedy. The Brooklyn Bridge tragedy occurred only sixteen months after a huge cargo ship struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024. The 1.6-mile structure collapsed as a result of the catastrophe, sending vehicles and people into the icy lake below. Six construction workers were killed when the Singaporean-flagged cargo ship, Dali, lost power, swerved off course, and crashed into the bridge.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
How deadly has air travel been in 2025? Here is what to know
A commercial plane and an Army helicopter collided, a regional jet rolled over on landing and a family of five was killed after a helicopter plunged into the Hudson River – all three incidents from the first part of this year add to the anxieties of the flying public. The crashes are among more than a hundred incidents this year, involving everything from commercial airliners to smaller, so-called general aviation aircraft often flown by private pilots. And it's only April. Air carriers even reported a drop in ticket sales following the string of high-profile incidents, as customers reported a fear of flying. That begs the question: Has this year been one of the most dangerous years to fly? Reports analyzed by CNN from the National Transportation Safety Board show the number of accident investigations is down for the first quarter of 2025. The NTSB led 171 civil aviation investigations from January to March 2025, which include commercial, general, rotorcraft and specialized aircraft. During the same time frame last year, there were 185 investigations. And the first three months of 2010 to 2019 averaged 215 investigations. CNN transportation analyst Mary Schiavo attributes the public's perception of declining aviation safety to the moments caught on video that 'rattle everybody.' She points to January's midair collision between a US Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, caught on surveillance camera, as a prime example that struck fear in the public. 'The arrogance of flying through commercial air space without the proper equipment turned on or functioning,' Schiavo said. 'I mean, that's just arrogance beyond belief. In aviation, there's just no room for arrogance.' The helicopter was flying without using a tracking system called ADS-B. 'I think this year is bad, even more, other than DCA, because of all the things that have come to light. Without the NTSB, would we have ever known about the 15,000 near misses,' she said, referring to the 15,214 near miss events the board uncovered from 2021 and 2024, where aircraft were within one nautical mile of colliding at Reagan National Airport. 'That's shocking - we wouldn't have known about that.' Proof in the data As inspector general of the US Department of Transportation from 1990 to 1996, Schiavo worked with both sides of the aisle and the FAA closely. Back then, she explained, accident, incident and pilot deviation rates were publicly available information, even broken down further by the standards for each type of operator. 'Now, (The FAA) stopped doing those, at least publicly, and they said, 'Look, there are so few commercial accidents that when one accident happens, one fatal accident, it really skews the data,'' she noted. CNN reached out to the FAA for comment, but the agency pointed to its databases online. Many public officials have been vocal about how aviation remains the safest form of travel, despite the recent string of events. Up until the fatal incident in January, there hadn't been a major commercial air crash in the country since a flight operated by Colgan Air stalled and crashed into a house on approach to Buffalo, New York, in 2009. In 2013, an Asiana Airlines flight crashed at San Francisco International Airport and killed three people, but 287 people escaped alive. There have been other flights globally that have killed Americans, but no major fatal incidents in the US have occurred since then. But Schiavo says more needs to be done. 'They've never defined what the level of safety is to be safe,' she said. The FAA needs to develop 'an objective standard' for what safe means, she said, noting that the agency needs quantifiable safety measurements for the public to understand how it defines safe. Passenger vehicle incidents have remained the deadliest mode of transportation, statistically speaking. There were about 40,000 people killed motor vehicle crashes in the US in 2023, according to the latest numbers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Critical to distinguish Although there are many incidents that have occurred this year, Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, said it's important for passengers to distinguish the small aviation incidents from the major commercial airline accidents. Besides the crash at Reagan National Airport in January, there was also a Delta Air Lines regional jet that rolled over while landing in Toronto. All the passengers and crew survived; however, it was a significant event currently being investigated by Canada's Transportation Safety Board. Those are notably different accidents from the sightseeing helicopter, which crashed into the Hudson River, killing a family of five, the med-evac jet, which crashed into a neighborhood in Philadelphia killing everyone onboard, and one person on the ground, or a small airplane midair collision in Arizona that killed two. 'These are different categories and different issues,' Shahidi said. 'I wouldn't put them all in the same bucket from our perspective. Helicopter operations are unique, different equipment, and things like that, so they need to be looked at differently than passenger accidents.' The NTSB investigations into all of this year's crashes remain ongoing, however, the FAA stopped most helicopter flights near Washington Reagan National and after last week's crash in the Hudson, the tour company's operations were halted immediately. However, Shahidi said every single accident in commercial aviation is unique. Despite the deadly incidents, the year has been relatively like past years. 'Anytime something like (the helicopter accident) happens, and you have a family, the victims, it really resonates with everybody. How could this happen? It's very unfortunate,' he said.
CNN
16-04-2025
- CNN
How deadly has air travel been in 2025? Here is what to know
A commercial plane and an Army helicopter collided, a regional jet rolled over on landing and a family of five was killed after a helicopter plunged into the Hudson River – all three incidents from the first part of this year add to the anxieties of the flying public. The crashes are among more than a hundred incidents this year, involving everything from commercial airliners to smaller, so-called general aviation aircraft often flown by private pilots. And it's only April. Air carriers even reported a drop in ticket sales following the string of high-profile incidents, as customers reported a fear of flying. That begs the question: Has this year been one of the most dangerous years to fly? Reports analyzed by CNN from the National Transportation Safety Board show the number of accident investigations is down for the first quarter of 2025. The NTSB led 171 civil aviation investigations from January to March 2025, which include commercial, general, rotorcraft and specialized aircraft. During the same time frame last year, there were 185 investigations. And the first three months of 2010 to 2019 averaged 215 investigations. CNN transportation analyst Mary Schiavo attributes the public's perception of declining aviation safety to the moments caught on video that 'rattle everybody.' She points to January's midair collision between a US Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, caught on surveillance camera, as a prime example that struck fear in the public. 'The arrogance of flying through commercial air space without the proper equipment turned on or functioning,' Schiavo said. 'I mean, that's just arrogance beyond belief. In aviation, there's just no room for arrogance.' The helicopter was flying without using a tracking system called ADS-B. 'I think this year is bad, even more, other than DCA, because of all the things that have come to light. Without the NTSB, would we have ever known about the 15,000 near misses,' she said, referring to the 15,214 near miss events the board uncovered from 2021 and 2024, where aircraft were within one nautical mile of colliding at Reagan National Airport. 'That's shocking - we wouldn't have known about that.' Proof in the data As inspector general of the US Department of Transportation from 1990 to 1996, Schiavo worked with both sides of the aisle and the FAA closely. Back then, she explained, accident, incident and pilot deviation rates were publicly available information, even broken down further by the standards for each type of operator. 'Now, (The FAA) stopped doing those, at least publicly, and they said, 'Look, there are so few commercial accidents that when one accident happens, one fatal accident, it really skews the data,'' she noted. CNN reached out to the FAA for comment, but the agency pointed to its databases online. Many public officials have been vocal about how aviation remains the safest form of travel, despite the recent string of events. Up until the fatal incident in January, there hadn't been a major commercial air crash in the country since a flight operated by Colgan Air stalled and crashed into a house on approach to Buffalo, New York, in 2009. In 2013, an Asiana Airlines flight crashed at San Francisco International Airport and killed three people, but 287 people escaped alive. There have been other flights globally that have killed Americans, but no major fatal incidents in the US have occurred since then. But Schiavo says more needs to be done. 'They've never defined what the level of safety is to be safe,' she said. The FAA needs to develop 'an objective standard' for what safe means, she said, noting that the agency needs quantifiable safety measurements for the public to understand how it defines safe. Passenger vehicle incidents have remained the deadliest mode of transportation, statistically speaking. There were about 40,000 people killed motor vehicle crashes in the US in 2023, according to the latest numbers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Critical to distinguish Although there are many incidents that have occurred this year, Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, said it's important for passengers to distinguish the small aviation incidents from the major commercial airline accidents. Besides the crash at Reagan National Airport in January, there was also a Delta Air Lines regional jet that rolled over while landing in Toronto. All the passengers and crew survived; however, it was a significant event currently being investigated by Canada's Transportation Safety Board. Those are notably different accidents from the sightseeing helicopter, which crashed into the Hudson River, killing a family of five, the med-evac jet, which crashed into a neighborhood in Philadelphia killing everyone onboard, and one person on the ground, or a small airplane midair collision in Arizona that killed two. 'These are different categories and different issues,' Shahidi said. 'I wouldn't put them all in the same bucket from our perspective. Helicopter operations are unique, different equipment, and things like that, so they need to be looked at differently than passenger accidents.' The NTSB investigations into all of this year's crashes remain ongoing, however, the FAA stopped most helicopter flights near Washington Reagan National and after last week's crash in the Hudson, the tour company's operations were halted immediately. However, Shahidi said every single accident in commercial aviation is unique. Despite the deadly incidents, the year has been relatively like past years. 'Anytime something like (the helicopter accident) happens, and you have a family, the victims, it really resonates with everybody. How could this happen? It's very unfortunate,' he said.
CNN
16-04-2025
- CNN
How deadly has air travel been in 2025? Here is what to know
A commercial plane and an Army helicopter collided, a regional jet rolled over on landing and a family of five was killed after a helicopter plunged into the Hudson River – all three incidents from the first part of this year add to the anxieties of the flying public. The crashes are among more than a hundred incidents this year, involving everything from commercial airliners to smaller, so-called general aviation aircraft often flown by private pilots. And it's only April. Air carriers even reported a drop in ticket sales following the string of high-profile incidents, as customers reported a fear of flying. That begs the question: Has this year been one of the most dangerous years to fly? Reports analyzed by CNN from the National Transportation Safety Board show the number of accident investigations is down for the first quarter of 2025. The NTSB led 171 civil aviation investigations from January to March 2025, which include commercial, general, rotorcraft and specialized aircraft. During the same time frame last year, there were 185 investigations. And the first three months of 2010 to 2019 averaged 215 investigations. CNN transportation analyst Mary Schiavo attributes the public's perception of declining aviation safety to the moments caught on video that 'rattle everybody.' She points to January's midair collision between a US Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, caught on surveillance camera, as a prime example that struck fear in the public. 'The arrogance of flying through commercial air space without the proper equipment turned on or functioning,' Schiavo said. 'I mean, that's just arrogance beyond belief. In aviation, there's just no room for arrogance.' The helicopter was flying without using a tracking system called ADS-B. 'I think this year is bad, even more, other than DCA, because of all the things that have come to light. Without the NTSB, would we have ever known about the 15,000 near misses,' she said, referring to the 15,214 near miss events the board uncovered from 2021 and 2024, where aircraft were within one nautical mile of colliding at Reagan National Airport. 'That's shocking - we wouldn't have known about that.' Proof in the data As inspector general of the US Department of Transportation from 1990 to 1996, Schiavo worked with both sides of the aisle and the FAA closely. Back then, she explained, accident, incident and pilot deviation rates were publicly available information, even broken down further by the standards for each type of operator. 'Now, (The FAA) stopped doing those, at least publicly, and they said, 'Look, there are so few commercial accidents that when one accident happens, one fatal accident, it really skews the data,'' she noted. CNN reached out to the FAA for comment, but the agency pointed to its databases online. Many public officials have been vocal about how aviation remains the safest form of travel, despite the recent string of events. Up until the fatal incident in January, there hadn't been a major commercial air crash in the country since a flight operated by Colgan Air stalled and crashed into a house on approach to Buffalo, New York, in 2009. In 2013, an Asiana Airlines flight crashed at San Francisco International Airport and killed three people, but 287 people escaped alive. There have been other flights globally that have killed Americans, but no major fatal incidents in the US have occurred since then. But Schiavo says more needs to be done. 'They've never defined what the level of safety is to be safe,' she said. The FAA needs to develop 'an objective standard' for what safe means, she said, noting that the agency needs quantifiable safety measurements for the public to understand how it defines safe. Passenger vehicle incidents have remained the deadliest mode of transportation, statistically speaking. There were about 40,000 people killed motor vehicle crashes in the US in 2023, according to the latest numbers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Critical to distinguish Although there are many incidents that have occurred this year, Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, said it's important for passengers to distinguish the small aviation incidents from the major commercial airline accidents. Besides the crash at Reagan National Airport in January, there was also a Delta Air Lines regional jet that rolled over while landing in Toronto. All the passengers and crew survived; however, it was a significant event currently being investigated by Canada's Transportation Safety Board. Those are notably different accidents from the sightseeing helicopter, which crashed into the Hudson River, killing a family of five, the med-evac jet, which crashed into a neighborhood in Philadelphia killing everyone onboard, and one person on the ground, or a small airplane midair collision in Arizona that killed two. 'These are different categories and different issues,' Shahidi said. 'I wouldn't put them all in the same bucket from our perspective. Helicopter operations are unique, different equipment, and things like that, so they need to be looked at differently than passenger accidents.' The NTSB investigations into all of this year's crashes remain ongoing, however, the FAA stopped most helicopter flights near Washington Reagan National and after last week's crash in the Hudson, the tour company's operations were halted immediately. However, Shahidi said every single accident in commercial aviation is unique. Despite the deadly incidents, the year has been relatively like past years. 'Anytime something like (the helicopter accident) happens, and you have a family, the victims, it really resonates with everybody. How could this happen? It's very unfortunate,' he said.
CBS News
03-04-2025
- CBS News
DNA testing identifies 2 people found dead in JetBlue landing gear at Fort Lauderdale airport
After nearly three months, authorities have identified two teens whose bodies were found in the landing gear area of a JetBlue aircraft at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Jeik Aniluz Lusi, 18, and Elvis Borques Castillo, 16, were discovered during a routine post-flight maintenance inspection in January, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office. Extensive DNA testing was used to confirm their identities, the sheriff's office said. The nationalities of the two stowaways haven't been released since their bodies were found on Jan. 6. On Jan. 9, Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaica's minister of foreign affair and foreign trade, said on social media that the deceased were likely not Jamaican nationals , as it was initially reported by some outlets on the island. "Further information received, now indicates that the individuals are not Jamaican. We still, however, await formal reports as investigations continue," she wrote on her X account. Flight data showed the aircraft had a busy schedule, flying Sunday from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, to New York's JFK Airport. It then flew routes between Jamaica, New York, and Salt Lake City, Utah, before ending in South Florida. The stowaways' ability to hide in the JetBlue landing gear area was immediately considered a major security breach . The discovery of the two bodies reignited concerns about aviation security and the grim risks of such attempts. Instances of stowaways hiding in aircraft wheel wells have been documented for decades. Mary Schiavo, former inspector general of the Department of Transportation, revealed that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has tracked 128 cases worldwide from 1947 to 2020. Over 75% of those attempts ended in death due to the extreme dangers of the wheel well, including hypothermia, oxygen deprivation, and the risk of being crushed by landing gear mechanisms. "The most likely country for wheel-well stowaways used to be Cuba, often due to immigration or family reunification efforts," Schiavo said. "But the dangers are profound. Survivors may suffer long-term physical damage from the noise, lack of oxygen, or freezing temperatures." Schiavo emphasized the severe security implications of such breaches, particularly given the extensive surveillance and background checks required for anyone working on airport tarmacs. "The fact that this keeps happening is a serious aviation security violation," she said. The JetBlue incident mirrors a similar tragedy over the December 2024 holidays when a stowaway's body was found in the wheel well of a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Maui. At cruising altitudes of around 38,000 feet, wheel wells are unpressurized and unheated, with temperatures dropping well below freezing. Survival is rare, and fatalities are often caused by hypothermia or asphyxiation. Following the discovery of the two bodies found in January on the JetBlue flight, an aviation attorney and pilot said hiding in an airplane's undercarriage is one of the deadliest places a person can attempt to stow away. "It's very, very loud," John Gagliano said. "It's very cold, and there's no air to breathe. So, it's a very dangerous stunt to pull." The grim discovery shocked passengers. However, stowaways in landing gear compartments are not unheard of. In 2021, authorities in Miami found a man who survived a flight from Guatemala by hiding in a wheel well. "If someone is really determined to overcome security and they have the knowledge or someone helping them, it's certainly possible," Gagliano said. He emphasized that the landing gear area is treacherous for stowaways. There is no insulation from the deafening engine and wind noise, little oxygen at high altitudes, and plummeting temperatures. "At 30,000 feet, temperatures can drop 90 degrees colder than on the ground," Gagliano explained. "If it's 50 degrees on the ground, it's -42 degrees at cruising altitude. You're going to freeze to death at -42 degrees if you're there for any amount of time."
