Just three months after the catastrophic Air India crash, engineers have been inspired to come up with a potential solution. And although it may look peculiar, it might just save thousands of lives per year. The concept, dubbed Project Rebirth, is an adapted airplane system that uses massive airbags akin to the ones found in cars. Sensors and AI software can detect when a crash is going to happen, triggering fast deployment of airbags at the nose, belly, and tail. The bags collectively form a huge protective cocoon, ensuring that any unplanned descent to the ground is not a violent or explosive one, however fast the plane is going. So although it might be a bumpy landing, a catastrophic impact is avoided and passengers and crew would be ultimately safe.
Emerson was subdued by the flight crew after trying to cut the engines of a Horizon Air flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco on 22 October 2023, while he was riding in an extra seat in the cockpit. The plane was diverted to Portland, where it landed safely with more than 80 people on board. Emerson told police he was despondent over a friend's recent death, had taken psychedelic mushrooms about two days earlier, and hadn't slept in more than 40 hours.
In recent months, Africa's skies have been under intense scrutiny as a series of fatal crashes have raised questions over pilot training, regulatory enforcement, maintenance standards, weather preparedness and other key issues pertaining to the safety of continent's aviation industry.
The Airbus A380 has 16 emergency doors, strategically located to allow passengers to evacuate swiftly, irrespective of their seating position on the aircraft.
The Independent emphasizes the necessity of trustworthy journalism in contemporary US society, advocating for donations that support ground reporting on key issues like reproductive rights and technology.
Over years of flying, it had been drilled into the crew to pull back on the controls when such an alarm sounded, but on this occasion the pilot took no action. The crew were prepared for their system to make spurious warnings and knew from experience they were still flying at a safe altitude.