FAA refuses to rank airlines by safety records   Picking a safe airline U.S. air travelers terrified of disasters like the crash of Asiana Flight 214 face a frustrating dilemma when trying to avoid airlines with scary safety records. That's because the Federal Aviation Administration refuses to publicly rank air carriers on safety. The age...

Airline pilots occasionally must decide whether to abort a landing because the approach isn't quite right, as with Asiana Airlines Flight 214, and safety experts are studying the industry reluctance to circle an airport and try again.   In the Asiana crash, the pilot's decision seconds before impact to try a "go-around" came too late and...

By Jeffrey O'BrienMay 9, 2012 Human factors are the largest contributor to aircraft accidents. In addition to the human cost of accidents, maintenance errors impose a significant financial burden on airlines, as they are a major cause of flight delays and cancellations. Poor aircraft maintenance, maintenance error or maintenance negligence are commonly fo...

EASA explores enhanced human factors training Travel around the world, or even within a single country, and you'll find human factors principles applied unevenly in aviation maintenance due, in part, to uncertainties among maintenance leaders and inspectors as to what this field is all about. "Not everyone understands human factors," says Simon...

(CNN) -- A Boeing 777 operated by Asiana Airlines crashed while landing Saturday at San Francisco International Airport, an FAA spokesman told CNN. Video from the scene posted on YouTube showed dark gray smoke rising from the plane, which appeared to be upright.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxuVJjXOIQs Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 Crashes in S...

Near mid-air collisions cause changes   Washington (CNN) -- Five close calls involving passenger jets at big U.S. airports prompted a recommendation on Monday for new rules to prevent planes from getting dangerously close to each other when one aborts a landing. The National Transportation Safety Board recommended the Federal Aviation Administra...

The pilots must extend their contracts for nine years   F-16 ops in Afghanistan To stem a projected fighter pilot shortage in the coming years, the Air Force is nearly doubling the amount of retention bonuses for pilots who sign nine-year contracts. (Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol / Air Force) The Air Force is opening its wallet to keep more fighter...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Officials say a plane leaving Reagan National Airport veered off the runaway and its wheels got stuck in the mud.   Delta spokeswoman Sarah Lora said Delta Flight 1763 bound for Minneapolis was trying to enter the runway when the right gear left the pavement. She said the gear was stuck in about 12 inches of mud.   Lora sa...

By Victoria Cavaliere NEW YORK | Fri Jun 21, 2013 2:48pm EDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two airliners nearly collided above New York airports earlier this month, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement on Friday. The incident occurred at about 2:40 p.m. on June 13, when a Delta Air Lines Inc Boeing 747 arriving from Tokyo at John F....

An airline cockpit can be a busy place, especially on a short flight. It can also be a boring place with long flights over oceans and hours long stretches without a lot to do. Both scenarios can make pilots tired. KING 5's Glenn Farley gets wired in a ground breaking study to keep pilots alert. Boeing is always looking for ways to make flying safer and an...