The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "air crashes" ...
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Deadly Express
In a 9-month investigation, The Miami Herald uncovered inaccuracies in the government's reporting of the frequency of fatal cargo plane crashes. Through the analysis of extensive government documents dating back to 2000, the reporters found that 69 planes have crashed claiming the lives of 85 people, thus "making air cargo the nation's deadliest form of commercial aviation." Despite this fact, pleas to apply more stringent safety regulations on cargo flights have been ignored. Worse yet, when these lax safety standards result in fatal crashes, the pilots are often saddled with the blame.
Tags: aviation; cargo planes; FAA; regulations; plane crash; CAR
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Rescues Gone Wrong
The reporters investigated an alarming increase in air ambulance crashes. The found that the accidents were cause by a fatal mix of pilot error, industry carelessness and poor government oversight.
Tags: air ambulance; emergency calls; helicopters; fatal accidents
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Air safety issues
Air Safety Issues is a six-part series that covers everything from a tragic crash caused by air controller error to outsourcing issues regarding maintenance of commercial aircraft.
Tags: Air safety; air traffic controller; controller error; flight records; flight path; Lindberg field; Controller shortages; maintenance; FOIA; Southern California airspace
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US Air Crash Shatters "Normal" Lives
This is a whole group of stories about a plane crash. It covers the basics of what happened, causes for the crash, rescue efforts and personal stories of people who were affected.
Tags: disaster reporting; Hopkins International Airport; Fokker F-28
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Fatal Assumption
Expert auto repair surgeons lure customers into thinking they have a safe car by creating dummy airbags covers, but the bags are not inside. The tape exposes the case of a 50-year-old woman who was in a car accident and her air bag never deployed. The airbag had been cut out by the dealer who sold her the car. Dealers save thousands of dollars and that could cost lives. Many other cases like these are investigated by the news team. The tape shows how to tell a fake from a real air bag. It also holds a few of the liars accountable for making buyers think the cars have air bags.
Tags: TAPE; airbag; car; automobile; auto; auto dealer; car dealer; car accident; accident; fake airbag; Washington State Patrol Fatal Incident Report; Department of Licensing; collision; car crash; missing airbag.
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Fly the Fiery Skies
After the Valujet crash, the Clinton administration, the FAA, and the chiefs of the country's largest airlines promised that the installation of fire detectors in many aircraft was a top priority for the industry. Six months later, not one new extinguisher or detector was installed. The problem this poses is particular to smaller planes more than larger but the danger is real. The Halon fire fighting agent present in most planes cannot work correctly in the cargo holds of smaller planes. If there are no detectors or extinguishers, then a fire caused by standard hair products could quickly consume a plane with no warning to the crew until it is too late.
Tags: FAA; fire; fire detectors; fire extinguishers; air crashes; Halon; valujet; hazardous materials
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The Widow-Maker
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 nations finest pilots, had died in the cockpits of these machines. The LA Times uncovered many of these shortcomings, and showed how the military moved haltingly to fix known shortcomings that had taken pilots' lives.
Tags: Aircraft; crash; military; war; Harrier attact jet; airplanes; planes; Marines; United States
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Plane Crash
Barker reports how "to the Pentagon, grounding the Navy's flawed A-12 was an obvious way to save money. But the Defense Department and its lawyers bungled the cancellation of the airplane contract --a fiasco that will probably end up as the government's most expensive courtroom defeat ever.
Tags: A-12 Avenger II attack plane; Navy's Air Systems Command (NAVAIR); Federal Acquisition Regulations; Pentagon; Defense Department
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Bumpy Ride
The MD-11 jet passed all airworthiness tests, has flown for over a decade by several major airlines. The problem is the plane is more prone to crashing than any other modern jetliner.
Tags: FAA; aviation; Mcdonnell Douglas; jets; air safety
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Clues from the swamp
After the Everglades crash of a ValuJet plane, questions arised regarding the safety rating of the airline. Prior to the accident, the FAA's Aircraft Maintenance Division called for the review of ValuJet's license. This review never happened. The problems regarding this airline illustrate what some see as a cozy relationship between carriers and the FAA.
Tags: aviation; aviation safety; air crashes; safety; FAA