Sunday, March 29, 2009

Keeping Us Safe From Secret Bird Attacks

It turns out that there are far more avian attacks on airplanes than we previously knew about-- and even worse, the FAA is conspiring to keep the public in the dark as to the extent of the threat.

Two months after a flock of geese snuffed out an Airbus A320's engines and forced it to ditch in the Hudson, the FAA filed a little-noticed proposal that would bar release of its extensive record of bird collisions dating back to 1990. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says that the information could mislead the public and its release could prompt some airports and others not to report incidents.

Sounds like bullshit to me. If the government is so damn worried that airlines won't report bird strikes, make non-reporting illegal or subject it to a stiff fine. Done. Next issue.

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