Aeronautical Science

   Runway Incursions    On January 13 , 2023, Delta 1943 had to abort their takeoff due to an American Airlines plane crossing the runway they were taking off of. The American Airlines plane had been cleared to cross runway 31 left, but instead crossed runway 4 left where the Delta plane had been cleared to takeoff. This took place at JFK International Airport, where runway 31 left and runway 4 left intersect each other. Once the air traffic controllers noticed American Airlines crossing the wrong runway, they told Delta 1943 to abort their takeoff clearance and told American 106 to hold in position. Delta 1943 was able to slow down in time to avoid a collision and had to taxi back to their gate to perform checks. If it weren't for the air traffic controllers and Delta pilots quick reaction time, this could have been a catastrophe.   A runway incursion is "any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle or person...

Noise Pollution        If you have ever lived near an airport, I'm sure you are well aware of the loud noises coming from aircrafts departing and landing. Noise management has become more and more of a problem for airports around the world due to urbanization around airports. People living near a major airport experience around 65 decibels of noise every time an aircraft passes near them wether it is during the day or night. Since this has become more of a problem for local communities, airports have been proactive in finding new solutions to combat aircraft noise.      One of the most common techniques airports have used to reduce noise is to reshape approach and departure routes. They find the least populated area from which an approach or departure can be made, and put the routes over that area. With technology such as RNAV's and FMS, it can allow aircrafts to descend from a higher altitude to reduce the noise over these areas. "The h...

 Air Commerce Act of 1926     In 1926, the Air Commerce Act was passed because leaders did not believe airplanes could not reach their full potential without new regulations and standards for safety. " This landmark legislation charged the Secretary of Commerce with fostering air commerce, issuing and enforcing air traffic rules, licensing pilots, certifying aircraft, establishing airways, and operating and maintaining aids to air navigation." (FAA) A new aeronautics branch was also created in the Department of Commerce to oversee all aviation regulations.      After this act was passed, aircrafts had to be inspected for airworthiness and they were required to have markings on the outside of the plane for identification purposes. Airmen were required to pass a physical  examination to ensure they were fit to fly, they were tested on aeronautical knowledge, and required to be licensed. The government  was also in charge of building new airports, or...

 Controlled Flight Into Terrain     On August 14, 2013, a UPS cargo plane crashed during an approach into Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. After investigation from the NTSB, they determined that the crash was caused due to an unstabilized approach and descending below the minimum descent altitude before the runway was in sight. The board also found that the flight crew’s failure to properly configure the on-board flight management computer, the first officer’s failure to make required call-outs, the captain’s decision to change the approach strategy without communicating his change to the first officer, and flight crew fatigue all contributed to the accident. (ISHN, 2014)  Since the first officer did not program the flight management computer correctly, the autopilot was not able to fly the desired path to the runway. When the flight path was not captured, the captain changed the autopilot mode without informing the first officer and started to descend...

  Insider Threats When you go to the airport for a flight, there are many measures TSA uses to insure passengers are not bringing illegal or harmful items on the flight. But, have you ever wondered if someone who works at the airport could be an inside agent who helps smuggle illegal items through security? This can happen through a screener who willfully allows drugs to go through a x-ray machine, or a airport worker bringing in firearms through a restricted door and handing it off to a passenger. TSA has been well aware of these threats and has many mitigation strategies they use to stop this from happening.     There are approximately 1.8 million airport workers across the United States who are closely monitored by security measure set by TSA. These measures include vetting prospective airport employees, restricting access to sensitive areas by badging restrictions, and randomly searching workers. In 2018, TSA started analyzing employees social media accounts ...

  Heathrow plane smashed into tarmac injuring co-pilot and ground crew after fault with landing gear On June 18, 2021, a cargo plane was set to fly from London Heathrow to Frankfurt in Germany when an issue with the landing gear was noted by pilots. While the pilots were preflighting the plane, a maintenance team took a look at the front landing gear and tried to fix the issue. They determined that fixes to the landing gear could happen at a later time, and as long as the doors for the landing gear worked, the flight could continue. In order to prevent the landing gear from retracting when the landing gear lever was in the ‘up’ position, downlock pins were placed on the landing gear. When the lead engineer placed the landing gear lever in the ‘up’ position, the landing gear retracted causing major damage to the front of the plane and the pilots sustained minor injuries. After investigatio n, they found that the downlock pins were placed in the wrong hole leading to the nose landi...