I think the media needs reporters specialized in the aviation industry to report for them and not rely on a run-of-the-mill journalist.
Looks to me like he's qualified.
"Andy Pasztor, senior special writer at the Los Angeles bureau of The Wall Street Journal.
Since coming to Los Angeles, Mr. Pasztor has written about white-collar crime, defense-related topics, the satellite industry and aviation safety. He has provided in-depth analyses of the commercial air disasters involving Trans World Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Egypt Air and the Concorde."
UCLA Anderson School of Management | Gerald Loeb Awards | Andy Pasztor
http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/x5058.xmlYou can reach him here if you have any further questions:
andy.pasztor@wsj.com
Also of interest:
Emergency directive issued over Airbus A320 enginesThursday, 08 January 2009
"EASA's directive calls for airlines with around 1500 Airbuses to urgently check and repair high pressure compressor fans on CFM 56s on A318s, A319s, A320s and A321s.
EASA says since April last year six different engines used by three different operators had stalled. These were followed by the Air France incident.
``Stalls on both engines during flight can cause a dual IFSD (in flight shut down).'' The FAA warned such stalling problems ``could prevent continued safe flight or landing.'' "
http://www.businessday.co.nz/industries/4811789Emergency Airworthiness Directive 2008-228
http://ad.easa.eu.int/blob/easa_ad_2008_0228E.pdf/EAD_2008-0228-E_1Airworthiness Directive AD 2009-01-01
http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAD.nsf/0/b13c349078ebee5086257530004ec0a4/$FILE/2009-01-01.pdfLeft engine of US Airways jet still missing in NYCTwo days before the emergency landing, the same plane experienced a compressor stall while in flight. Passengers aboard the flight that left LaGuardia Airport on Jan. 13 reported hearing loud bangs from the right side of the plane. A short time later the situation appeared to return to normal and the flight continued on to Charlotte, N.C.
The compressor is essentially a fan that draws air into the engine and helps create thrust for the jet. A compressor stall is a situation of abnormal airflow resulting from a stall of the blades within the compressor. Compressor stalls can vary in severity from a momentary engine power drop to a complete loss of compression requiring a reduction in the fuel flow to the engine.
The stall will no doubt be looked at as the investigation moves forward, but pilots and aviation experts doubt the malfunction made the plane more vulnerable to the bird strikes that are believed to have imperiled the Airbus A320.
Retired Delta Air Lines pilot Joe Mazzone, who has flown planes that had compressor stalls, said he doesn't believe a compressor stall could have created or added to the total engine failure vis-a-vis a bird strike.
"If you have a big Canadian goose ingested in those engines, I would bet the farm that's what caused the engines to quit," Mazzone said. "The compressor stall would be a totally different issue unrelated to those birds."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ipKRkY9XnWmqqvBNAlBju1taRJCQD95RG14G0