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| Aviation Resources IRE has several resources for those pursuing aviation-related stories, including a beat book with a companion Web site: Covering Aviation Safety: An Investigator's Guide. The book is available through the Resource Center. The IRE and NICAR Database Library offers several resources for civilian aircraft (does not include military):
Tipsheets
Stories There are many aviation-related stories available in the IRE Resource Center such as stories about airplane crashes or aviation stories. See a list of stories that used FAA or other federal government databases. More stories can be found by searching the story database. Stories dealing with military or public-service aircraft Story No. 21770 by Michael Fabey of the Savannah Morning News. This series reveals how continuing mechanical problems with both the Army's and Coast Guard's workhorse helicopters are putting pilots, crews and the public at risk. A data analysis showed that more than half of all Coast Guard aircraft accidents concerned one particular type of helicopter, which also had the most deadly and expensive accidents. In the Army, accidents involving its Apache helicopters have been more costly than any other aircraft over the past two years, with a third of the fleet grounded for maintenance at any given time. Story No. 15844 by Russell Carollo, Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio). A six-part series investigated the causes of crashes among military aircraft. Thousands of pages of accident reports were reviewed and even more computer records were examined. The investigation cited numerous concerns involving the safety of military personnel and the release of aviation safety data. The IRE Journal carried Carollo's account of how he got the story in the November- December 2000 issue. Story No. 19777 by Alan C. Miller and Kevin Sack of the Los Angeles Times.The Harrier attack jet can take off and land vertically, much like a helicopter. It can also be the single most dangerous plane to fly in the American air force, leading to 143 major accidents and the loss of one-third of the entire fleet. Forty-five Marines, including some of the nation's finest pilots, died in the cockpits of these machines. The report uncovered many of these shortcomings, and showed how the military moved haltingly to fix known shortcomings that had taken pilots' lives. Story No. 16121 by Jay Kolls, Tim Jones, Jon Menell and Gary Hill, KSTP-Minneapolis/St. Paul. A four-month investigation found the engines in many of the Minnesota National Guard helicopters crippled by faulty or defective parts. The investigation revealed the U.S. Army knew about the problems for years but chose to cut corners on maintenance and compromise the safety of the engines, putting pilots at risk nationwide. This policy resulted in hundreds of in-flight emergencies and nationwide crashes. Story No. 19873 by Scott Sonner, Don Thompson, Robert Gehrlee and Ray Locker, The Associated Press. An investigation into the nation's aerial firefighting program found that many of the program's aging planes should never have been flying in the first place. The investigation revealed the questionable safety record of a contractor who had the wings snap off two airtankers in mid-flight. The story revealed that no single registry or agency keeps track of accidents involving so-called public-service aircraft. Story No. 18493 by Rick Anderson, Seattle Weekly. An investigation into Boeing, the world's biggest plane maker, found that the corporation was accused of hiding flawed parts on U.S. military choppers, which the government says led to at least one fatal crash. Story No. 18732 by Mike Wallace, Paul Gallagher, Charles Fitzgerald and Robert Zimet, CBS News 60 Minutes. A investigation of the U.S. Marine Corps' MV-22 "Osprey" aircraft revealed serious mechanical problems that contributed to crashes and the deliberate falsifying of maintenance records by senior officers. General aviation safety Story No. 21456: Dave Davis of The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reports on this same-day story, which notes the record of equipment defects for a DC-9 cargo plane that crashed during takeoff. A review of the 32 FAA Service Difficulty Reports on the plane filed by its operator noted landing gear malfunctions, cracks and corrosion in the plane's structure and loose, cracked, stripped or frozen parts in the landing gear, cabin and cargo doors. Story No. 21283: Jeff Baillan of Fox News reports on an October 2002 plane crash in which U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone died amidst speculation that the crash was part of a conspiracy. With this investigation, the reporters deduced that the crash was in fact pilot error. The investigation involved extensive collection of FOIA data and interviews of sources who had never spoken about the crash before. Story No. 21392: This USA Today analysis of 22 years of crash data and several dozen interviews shows that the number of commercial plane crashes caused by pilot error has decreased substantially. However, plenty of crashes are still occurring, but the causes are related to poor maintenance. The federal government required minimal training for mechanics after they've been licensed, and the airplane industry often opposes improvements in maintenance because they are too costly. The article is a good source for statistics on airplane crashes. Story No. 10624 is the second part of a 1994 Dateline NBC investigation reports on safety problems at MESA Airlines. Dateline found that the company operates under different names in different cities. In Seattle, San Francisco, Denver and Los Angeles MESA was called United Express. In Kansas City, Orlando and Pittsburgh it was called US Air Express. In Phoenix and Columbus the company was American West Express, and in Albuquerque it operated as MESA.
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