Bucharest, Romania, March 12, 2008 — The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) this week recognized the achievements of several individuals at its 20th annual European Aviation Safety Seminar.
FSF President and Chief Executive Officer William R. Voss presented presidential citations for outstanding services to the following individuals: Akrivos Tsolakis, head of Flight Safety Foundation – Southeast Europe; George Georgas, former Greek Air Force brigadier general; Andreas Katsifas, former Supreme Court judge; George Kasavetis, former airline captain; and Kostas Alexopoulos, holder of Polytechnic University degree in engineering. The citations were given in recognition of the dedicated investigation these individuals undertook in order to determine the cause of the fatal aircraft accident in Grammatikos, Greece in 2005.
“A well-run, comprehensive investigation of disastrous plane crashes is vital so that the entire aviation community can learn from the tragedy in order to prevent the next one,” commented Voss. “The recommendations that came from this investigation are being implemented by the European Aviation Safety Agency — a sure sign of the importance of the findings in that investigation.”
At the same ceremony, Mr. Voss presented the Airbus Human Factors in Aviation Safety Award to Dr. Helen Muir of Cranfield University in England. The award was presented to honor her work developing the only university department in the United Kingdom specializing in the study of psychological factors that might reduce accident rates.
“Her work in this field has led to changes in aviation regulations in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada,” Voss noted. “We depend on work like this to help us all make aviation safer for the traveling public.”
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Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, nonprofit, international organization engaged in research, auditing, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation’s mission is to pursue the continuous improvement of global aviation safety and the prevention of accidents. www.flightsafety.org
Contact: Emily McGee, Director of Communications, 1-703-739-6700, ext. 126; mcgee@flightsafety.org