RebelDJ: True, it was United. I usually avoid stating the name of the company involved (even foreign names), but there are few secrets in the aviation community, except among the novices and outsiders.
Type in "NTSB/GOV" and on the first page of the NTSB aviation website, you see the menu. The second topic on the list should say "monthly incidents/accidents", or such. Some of the info I read was probably in "Aviation Week & ST". Either our company flight ops or pilot union magazine probably covered it also.
Maybe it is not so strange that many accidents in foreign countries result in neither "educational" nor informative facts being sent to, or available to the NTSB, despite the fact that many of the aircraft involved were produced and certificated by another branch of the DOT (Dept. of Transportation).
Maybe the NTSB receives it but does not bother to publish it? This is unlikely. If pilots and investigators could read more accident reports from each country, it could lead to improvements in safety. But then, most politicians (and their appointed puppets on very tight strings) seem to want to cover up any problems at home-a major incentive to suppress the release of safety data (
), but helps hide certain facts from the US State Department. This department can strongly influence the DOT regarding prohibition of various airlines from operating to the US. Both awkward politics and inadequate documentation "allegedly" prevent certain airlines from flying to US airports. "Allegedly" is a very important word.
Off-topic here, but this might be news to many in the US airline industry: another interesting fact about control of the so-called "deregulated" US airline industry. The PBGC, which will soon help make up some of the missing cash from private retirement pension shortcomings, and is being crippled by the US airline industry, is run by the Secretaries of Commerce, Labor and whichever third Secretary, Finance?
Guess who loans chunks of US government money to US airlines via the ATSB (Air Transport Stabilization Board)? TWO of these same THREE people on the PBGC!!
Is there some conflict of interest here? Maybe just a BIT?
