Aviation Accidents and Incidents

Question: A relative of mine was involved in a plane crash near Juneau in the summer of 1987. Where can I find more information about the crash?

Answer: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) publish information about aviation accidents and incidents. You can search NTSB’s Accident Database and Synopses, which covers aviation accidents and some incidents occurring after 1962, at http://www.ntsb.gov/NTSB/Query.asp. Available data includes type of aircraft, date and location, airline, type of air carrier operation, severity of any injuries, NTSB’s report status, and preliminary or final report. The full reports are generally not available for events occurring before 1993. Selected major accidents occurring more than ten years ago are also listed at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc2.htm. NTSB retains detailed records and files relating to its accident investigations. For information about reviewing and ordering these documents, see http://www.ntsb.gov/info/sources.htm#PIB.

If the “crash” you are researching was not investigated by NTSB, you may find it in the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), at http://www.nasdac.faa.gov/. At this page, select the Data & Information tab, then the link for the Accident/Incident Data System. This database covers general aviation and commercial air carrier incidents since 1978. FAA defines “incidents” as “events that do not meet the aircraft damage or personal injury thresholds contained in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) definition of an accident.”

In addition, you may find articles about the crash in the Juneau Empire or other Alaska newspapers. We have an extensive collection of Alaska newspapers on microfilm. More information about our newspaper collection, including information about ordering microfilm through interlibrary loan, is available on this blog at http://askasl.blogspot.com/search/label/newspapers.

Green building funding

Question: I want to find funding for my personal green building project. Where should I look?

Answer: Depending on the intended use of the building and the status of the builder, there may be different types of funds available.

The EPA has a fairly comprehensive database of funding opportunities. http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/tools/funding.htm They list websites that would be useful to consumers, government, non-profit organizations, and other industry. The site is organized by general, national, state, and local funding programs.

The U.S. Small Business Administration http://sba.gov/ has additional resources for small business funding, as well as information on the different types of financial assistance available.

If you’re looking for non-profit funding, the Foundation Center http://foundationcenter.org/ has resources and online training available. If you happen to be in Juneau, our downtown Juneau Public Library is a participating library and has access to additional resources. You can find a list of other participating libraries at http://foundationcenter.org/collections/.

Finding Mineral Maps

Question: Where can I find statewide maps of Alaska's oil and mineral resources?


Answer: The best place to go for this kind of map is Alaska's Division of Geology and Geophysical Resources. They have a page for statewide maps at http://dggs.alaska.gov/pubs/keyword/alaska-statewide-maps. The maps available here include:

• Generalized Geologic Map of Alaska
• Oil and Gas Basins Map of Alaska
• Map of Alaska's Coal Resources
• Map of selected mines, coalfields, and significant mineral resources of Alaska
• Map of prospective mineral areas and significant mineral resources of Alaska
• Geothermal resources of Alaska
• Volcanoes of Alaska
• Map of industrial minerals occurrences in Alaska

The Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys publishes many maps and reports related to Alaska mineral resources. Most are available online and also in paper format at the Alaska State Library.