Sean Broderick covers aviation safety, MRO, and the hardware side of the airline business from Aviation Week Network's Washington, D.C. office.
Broderick's aviation career started in 1991, working for Airbus in Toulouse. His industry experience includes four years with an aviation consultancy, where he helped launch a U.S. Part 121 carrier; 12 years with the American Association of Airport Executives, where he served as editor of Airport Magazine; and 20 years in full- and part-time roles with Aviation Week writing primarily about safety and the aftermarket.
Broderick was named the 2020 Aerospace Journalist of the Year by the Aerospace Media Awards. He also shared in a 2020 Neal Award for Best News Coverage with Aviation Week Network colleagues. Broderick and Aviation Week colleague John Croft shared the 2015 Flight Safety International Cecil A. Brownlow Publication Award recognizing "significant contributions by journalists to aviation safety awareness."
He graduated from James Madison University with a B.S. in Communications ('91) and earned an M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications ('13) from West Virginia University.
Washington NTSB's revamped most-wanted list of safety improvements and a set of related recommendations are challenging the FAA to revisit its recently established position against mandating cargo aircraft fire-suppression systems.
Transport Canada (TC) has ordered Bombardier Challenger operators to replace pitot tube drain bottles after the manufacturer pegged the parts as contributors to erroneous airspeed readings reported by operators. TC explains that it has received “a number of reports” of mismatched airspeed values on pilot and co-pilot airspeed indicators. The incidents happened either during or right after heavy rain. TC traced the problem to water blocking the pitot tube instead of flowing into the system’s drain bottles.
