Don’t Bother Me with the Facts!
AKA…Confirmation Bias An Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) hears their radio crackle. Maintenance Control wants them to evaluate damage to an aileron the crew of a departing aircraft detected. After reporting the extent of the damage to Maintenance Control they conclude the aileron damage is allowable, and the AMT defers it according to the company’s procedures. The aircraft departs on time. Later the AMT takes a second look at the structural repair manual, and learns the focus had only been on the allowable damage table. The team had not noticed the damage was, in fact, in a critical area that
“That Others May Live” The horrifying tale of an inadvertent encounter with IMC.
What kind of pilot flies a VFR equipped helicopter into IMC? Is it due to inexperience, lack of discipline, or lack of integrity? Well, who would even allow such kinds of pilots to fly expensive helicopters? It just does not happen. However, are there situations when operational pressure is high, the conditions are tight and changing, when a true professional is required to make an instant decision? A decision that perhaps later in the quiet of the office his peers judge to be less than the best? Hear directly from a highly experienced, highly professional pilot who was involved in
Volcano Watch — How have eruptions shaped Hawaii? Volcano Awareness Month 2025, with a twist
Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. From Lēʻahi (Diamond Head) on Oʻahu to the changing caldera at the summit of Kīlauea volcano on the Island of Hawaiʻi, our landscape is shaped by volcanic processes and events. 2024 has been another year of dynamic volcanic activity on the Island of Hawaiʻi, with Kīlauea eruptions occurring outside of Kaluapele (the summit caldera) for the first time since 2018. Multiple intrusions into the upper portions of the Southwest Rift Zone and East Rift Zone culminated in a one-day eruption
FEMA Can Help with Disaster-Related Childcare Costs
FEMA Can Help with Disaster-Related Childcare Costs With annual childcare expenses comparable to a year’s rent in parts of Tennessee, FEMA may be able to help with those costs. Families that were affected by Tropical Storm Helene and have children under age 13 may be eligible for childcare assistance through FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance program. Childcare assistance is limited to $200 per week per child for up to eight weeks. Households with children up to age 21 who have a disability and need help with daily activities may also be eligible for disaster-related expenses. Families must demonstrate that the
Is Your Flight Review Set to Expire, But You Can’t Fly With a CFI Because of COVID-19?
You may be able to extend your flight review grace period for up to three months by earning three WINGS credits. WINGS is the FAA’s Pilot Proficiency Program. You can get WINGS credits by going to FAASafety.gov. Hover over “Activities, Courses, Seminars & Webinars” then choose “Courses” for online training, or “Seminars & Webinars” if you prefer to earn credit by attending a live webinar. There are over 500 online courses and lots of webinars available. To complete a phase of WINGS , you’ll need to complete three flight credits when things get back to normal but to extend your flight
The Buck Stops With Me
Did you ever break a rule? There is plenty of blame to spread around when rules are broken in an organization and there is a mishap. Mechanics, inspectors, managers, the manufacturer, procedure writers, lawyers, and regulators all contribute to our culture. We should work together to make sure it is a positive culture. This presentation has tools for you to champion a commitment to reduce pressure to break rules. Click below: http://www.faasafety.gov/files/notices/2019/Sep/The_Buck_Stops_with_Me.pdf http://www.faasafety.gov/files/notices/2019/Sep/The_Buck_Stops_with_Me_Presenter_Notes.pdf
U.S. inventories enter the winter with the most natural gas since 2016
Working natural gas in storage in the Lower 48 states ended the natural gas injection season with 3,922 billion cubic feet (Bcf), according to estimates based on data from our Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report released on November 7. U.S. inventories are starting winter 2024–25 with the most natural gas since 2016. Inventories are currently 6% above the five-year (2019–23) average, despite less-than-average injections into storage throughout the entire injection season, which runs April 1 through October 31. Less natural gas than the five-year average was injected in nearly every week during the 2024 injection season, in part because starting
Thrush Wing Spar AD 2009-26-11 Are you clear with compliance?
AD 97-13-11 was issued to address an unsafe condition and accident caused by fatigue cracks occurring in the lower spar caps. AD 97-13-11 was superseded by AD 97-17-03, AD 2000-11-16, AD 2003-07-01, AD 2006-07-15, and AD 2009-26-11. AD 2009-26-11 requires repetitive inspection of the 1/4-inch and 5/16-inch bolt hole areas on the wing front lower spar caps for fatigue cracking, repair or replacement of any wing front lower spar cap where fatigue cracks are found, and replacement of the wing front lower spar caps when a life limit is reached. Prior to or after wing front lower spar cap replacement
FEMA May Help with Recovery Expenses Already Paid
FEMA May Help with Recovery Expenses Already Paid Atlanta – Even if you already started repairing or replacing items damaged or destroyed during Tropical Storm Debby or Hurricane Helene, FEMA may be able to reimburse you for these expenses. Be sure to save your receipts. Survivors in Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Dodge, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Fulton, Glascock, Glynn, Hancock, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, McDuffie, McIntosh, Montgomery, Newton, Pierce, Rabun, Richmond, Screven, Stephens, Taliaferro
With 30 Days Left, Claimants Urged to Submit Notice of Loss by December 20
With 30 Days Left, Claimants Urged to Submit Notice of Loss by December 20 SANTA FE, N.M. — The FEMA Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office (“Claims Office”) reminds individuals, businesses, and nonprofits affected by the 2022 Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire (“fire”) and subsequent flooding that there are 30 days left to start and submit a Notice of Loss (NOL). The December 20, 2024, deadline is the last day to begin the claims process. Submitting an NOL is quick and simple—taking less than 20 minutes—and ensures your claim is in the system. Claimants do not have to provide supporting documentation when